The Mets may not have a name on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 right now, but that picture can change fast. Prospect rankings move in a hurry, and New York’s system has already shown how quickly one hot stretch can rewrite the board.
That’s part of why the current conversation feels a little misleading. Earlier in January, the Mets looked different after Nolan McLean, Carson Benge and A.J.
Ewing graduated, and after Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat were dealt for Freddy Peralta. That trade can be viewed as disappointing.
Still, the cupboard is not empty, and a few players are pushing hard toward national attention.
Elian Peña is the one who makes you lean in first. The 18-year-old sits as the Mets’ No. 4 prospect and has moved quickly, already reaching Single-A.
There, he’s hitting .262 with a .384 OBP and a .748 OPS, along with five home runs and 36 RBIs. Peña was the second-most hyped international prospect in the 2025 class behind Roki Sasaki, and the bat is the calling card: he can get to inside pitches and lift them for extra-base damage.
His ETA to the majors is 2030, which gives plenty of runway for Francisco Lindor to finish out his run as the team’s current shortstop, with Peña lining up as the potential successor.
Mitch Voit is another name rising quickly, and President of Baseball Operations David Stearns deserves credit for this one. Stearns used the 27th pick in 2025 on the Michigan product, and the early returns are strong.
After moving from two-way player to full-time position player, Voit took off offensively in every direction. Scouts project average power with a chance to reach 20-plus homers at the big-league level from time to time, and the No. 6 prospect has already earned a promotion to Double-A.
In six games there, he’s batting .500 with a 1.502 OPS, with one homer and five RBIs. He went 11-for-22 in his first week at the level, and his 2028 ETA could come off the board if this keeps rolling.
Jonathan Santucci has been climbing too, and his profile gives the Mets something a little different from their other top arms. The 23-year-old left-hander has leaned on his offspeed stuff, especially a slider that scouts grade as a 60.
He also brings a low walk rate, which stands out when compared with Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger, two other top pitching prospects who have battled command issues. In 20 starts this season, Santucci owns a 3.61 ERA with 127 strikeouts, 50 walks and a .217 opposing average.
Scouts think the No. 3 prospect can reach the majors with just his fastball-slider mix, though there’s still room for a third pitch, and now he’ll have more time to work on it after last week’s promotion to Triple-A.
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