The Syracuse Mets have played 8 games so far this season, posting a 4-4 record. While the records don’t always matter in the Minor Leagues, the fans in Syracuse need something to look forward to. The Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets have not finished above .500 since their first season with the Mets back in 2019. So if the Syracuse Mets aren’t going to produce a International League Title, what is going to drive fans to the ball park on a nightly basis?

The Prospects

If a winning record isn’t in the cards, something that the Syracuse Mets don’t lack is star power on their roster. The Syracuse Mets currently have 6 of their top 25 prospects packing the roster, along with 2 of their top prospects in the top 100 of all Major Leagues. These prospects include; Drew Gilbert (2nd team prospect, 49th overall), Luisangel Acuna (3rd team prospect, 61st overall). Christian Scott (5th team prospect), Mike Vassil (11th team prospect), Dominic Hamel (14th team prospect), and Nate Lavender (24th team prospect). This Syracuse Mets team has some top notch prospects, that I personally, am quite excited to see. The top talent hasn’t produced at a high level yet, but some of these players are just making their minor league debuts, and it is quite the adjustment every level that you move up on your way to the Major Leagues.

The Major Leaguers

Not only do the Syracuse Mets have a good amount of top prospects on their roster, but they also have some players who have had some serious time in the Major Leagues. Some of these players include; Jose Butto (37 games pitched), Shintaro Fujinami (64 games pitched), Grant Hartwig (28 games pitched), Joey Lucchesi (79 games pitched), Tomas Nido (274 games played), Ji Man Choi (525 games played), Mark Vientos (81 games played), Ben Gamel (685 games played), and Trayce Thompson (369 games played).

They Aren’t Stopping There

You might look at the mix of top prospects, and proven major league talent and think that the Syracuse Mets are set up for success this season. That could be deceiving though, since success isn’t typically measured by wins and losses at the minor league level. Success can be measured by how the players progress through the season.

In Double-A, Binghampton is a mere 77 miles south of Syracuse.

The Rumble Ponies have 5 more of their top 25 prospects, including their number 1 overall prospect, Jett Williams, all working toward their chance to make it to Queens. Before they make it to the Big Apple, they need to progress through Binghampton then through Syracuse before the Big Apple. So whether you’re looking to see the future of the Mets organization, or you’d like to see household Major League Baseball names, the Syracuse Mets have a little bit of everything to keep fans coming back all season.

Article/photo by Brian Handzel

Photo courtesy of the Syracuse Mets