The Futures Game has been around long enough now to become part of the All-Star week rhythm, and in 2026 it will hit its 27th year. For the Mets, it has also become a useful little snapshot of prospect history: 40 farmhands have been chosen since the event began, and the list says plenty about how talent can travel from hype to the majors, to trades, to disappointment, and sometimes all the way to real success.
Some of those names barely left a mark. Jorge Toca in 1999 and Grant Roberts in 2000 each got a taste of the big leagues with the Mets, but that was about the extent of it, and neither turned into a player for another major league club.
Backup catchers Kevin Plawecki in 2014 and Tomás Nido in 2017 gave the Mets steady work for several seasons without ever becoming more than that. Royce Ring, selected in 2003, did carve out some solid years in the Mets bullpen.
Mike Vasil was claimed by the Phillies in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft. Jenry Mejia, a 2009 selection, was derailed by PED charges and suspended for life in 2016, though he was later reinstated after his effectiveness had already faded.
Then there’s the group that became currency. Alex Escobar, a Futures Game pick in both 2000 and 2001, appeared in 18 games for the Mets in 2001 before heading to Cleveland in the Roberto Alomar deal.
Jae Weong Seo, selected in 2001, gave the Mets a decent run as a starter during the transition out of the Art Howe era and later became part of the trade that brought back Duaner Sánchez. Deolis Guerra in 2007, Justin Huber in 2002 and 2003, and Kevin Mulvey in 2007 were all included in the package the Twins received for Johan Santana in 2008.
Yusimero Petit, a 2004 and 2005 Futures Game choice, was part of the Carlos Delgado trade ahead of the 2006 season, while Matt Lindstrom, selected in 2006, ended up in the Jason Vargas trade - the first, non-embarrassing, time Vargas was a Met.
A few more recent names fit that same mold. Jefrey Marte, chosen in 2011, went to the A’s for Opening Day hero Colin Cowgill.
Anthony Kay, a 2019 selection, was sent to the Blue Jays as part of the Marcus Stroman deal. Dilson Herrera made the Futures Game as a Pirate in 2013 before coming to the Mets with Vic Black for John Buck and Marlon Byrd, then later made the event again as a Met in 2016 before being dealt to the Reds for two-time Met Jay Bruce.
Amed Rosario, a 2016 and 2017 pick, and Andrés Giménez, selected in 2018, both had decent Mets careers before being moved to the Guardians for Francisco Lindor. Brandon Sproat, a 2024 selection, was part of the swap for Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers, though that’s not on him.
Not every prospect disappointment lands the same way. Some names sting more because the ceiling felt so obvious.
Fernando Martinez, selected in 2007 and 2008, Lastings Milledge in 2005, Rafael Montero in 2013, Brett Baty in 2021 and Mark Vientos in 2022 all fit that category. There may still be time for Baty and Vientos, but so far Montero is the only one of that group who really went on to take a step forward elsewhere after a letdown with the Mets.
And then there are the players who became real wins. The Mets have had 11 Futures Game selections over the years who can be called clear successes in orange and blue: Pete Alonso in 2018, Michael Conforto in 2015, Jeurys Familia in 2010, Wilmer Flores in 2009 and 2012, Matt Harvey in 2011, Brandon Nimmo in 2013 and 2015, José Reyes in 2022, Dominic Smith in 2016, Noah Syndergaard in 2013 and 2014, Zack Wheeler in 2012 and David Wright in 2004. Of that group, only José Reyes won the Larry Doby Award, the Futures Game MVP, in 2002.
The latest chapter is still being written. Francisco Alvarez, selected in 2021 and 2022, Jonah Tong in 2025, Carson Benge in 2025 and Ryan Clifford in 2026 are still too early in their careers to judge.
Alvarez and Benge are already on the Mets’ MLB roster and doing well. Whether Tong and Clifford join them soon is the next question.
In Other News...
Phillies Just Put One Mets Trade Deadline Dream In Jeopardy
As the trade deadline approaches, the Mets are still sorting through the same kind of big-name possibilities that always seem to surface this time of year, and Luis Robert Jr. has been part of that conversation because of his talent and the way he could fit into a reshaped roster. But any path to landing him has always come with complications, from his contract situation to the kind of financial commitment a move like that would require, which is why every new development around other clubs matters so much.
Philadelphia may have just changed the equation. By quietly adding Derek Hill, the Phillies appear to have addressed part of their center-field need, and that could make Robert a far less obvious fit for a division rival the Mets were already watching closely. For New York, it is another reminder that deadline ideas can shift fast, and that the front office may have to weigh not just who is available, but which targets still make sense once the market starts moving. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Draft Target Brings The Kind Of Risk Fans Fear Most
Carson Wiggins has the kind of arm that keeps scouts interested and medical staffs busy. The right-handed pitching prospect out of Roland High School and Arkansas was on the radar for his stuff long before the 2026 MLB Draft Combine, and even after an elbow injury in 2025 and UCL internal brace surgery, he still made it to the combine as one of the more intriguing names in the class. For a team like the Mets, who are always weighing upside against durability, he fits the familiar draft debate: talent you can dream on, with a track record that makes the decision anything but simple.
The financial side adds another layer, since Wiggins is already protected by a draft slot floor tied to the 27th pick, and there is still a path back to Arkansas if he and the Mets cannot come to terms. That leaves his situation in a familiar but uncomfortable place for clubs that like to gamble on pitching. The arm talent is obvious enough to keep him in the conversation, but the question now is how much risk a team is willing to absorb to get it. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Clifford Just Put More Weight On A Huge Mets Question
Ryan Clifford got a little extra spotlight at the All-Star Futures Game, where the Mets prospect handled first base for three innings and worked a six-pitch walk in his lone plate appearance. It was a small moment on a showcase stage, but one that still mattered for a player whose path to Queens has been watched closely since the Mets brought him over in the Justin Verlander deal.
The bigger issue is what Cliffords profile still looks like as he keeps climbing. Hes sitting at .196/.283/.395 with 16 home runs and 129 strikeouts, a line that shows the power the Mets covet but also the contact issues that make his next step harder to project. Even in Philadelphia, where fans booed him as he stepped in, Clifford offered a reminder that his bat will keep drawing attention for reasons both encouraging and uneasy. [Read more 🡒]