Sammy Stafura is no longer just a name from the local high school baseball scene. He’s now in the New York Mets organization, and the path ahead looks like it could move fast.
The 2023 Panas graduate and Gatorade New York Baseball Player of the Year was at Heritage Financial Park on Thursday, taking questions from the visiting dugout with the same ease he shows on the field. The topics ranged from the injuries that interrupted his season - a partially torn UCL and a pulled hamstring - to the daily wear of pro baseball and even a favorite meal from his mom, chicken parm sliders with mushroom soup. He said he often picks out the mushrooms for himself.
Stafura, primarily a shortstop who has also seen time at second base and as a designated hitter this year, put together a huge final high school season. He hit .516, drove in 40 runs and stole 29 bases while leading Walter Panas to the 2023 Section 1 Class B title and into the B state championship game. That performance earned him Gatorade New York Player of the Year honors and a second-round selection by the Cincinnati Reds.
Since then, the uniforms have changed a few times. Stafura has played for Cincinnati’s Arizona Complex League rookie team and Daytona Tortugas, then moved into the Pittsburgh Pirates system with the Bradenton Marauders and, most recently, the Greensboro Grasshoppers before another shift changed everything on Aug. 3.
That’s when the Pirates sent him to the Mets for right-handed reliever Luke Weaver and cash. Thursday, before the host Hudson Valley Renegades threw the first pitch, Stafura was wearing a blue-and-orange Mets T-shirt and shorts. His hat gave away his current home even more plainly, with a Brooklyn Bridge embroidered on it and no letters at all.
Now with the Mets’ High-A Brooklyn Cyclones, Stafura is still only 21, still in A ball, and still a long way from Citi Field in calendar terms. But the idea that he could reach the big league Mets - his favorite team growing up - as soon as next season does not sound far-fetched.
His numbers before the trade were eye-catching. Over a 45-game stretch this summer, he hit 17 home runs, 14 of them in July, and stole 15 bases while batting .301 for Greensboro.
Since joining Brooklyn, the bat has quieted down: through Aug. 26, he was hitting .227 with 11 runs scored, two RBI and one stolen base. Even so, his season line still sits at .265 with 20 homers, 56 RBI and 21 steals in 287 at-bats.
Cyclones manager Eduardo Nunez said he isn’t putting much stock in the small Brooklyn sample. He likes what he sees from Stafura, both as a player and as a person, and thinks his time in the minors may not last long.
"I think he's a great guy and a guy who fits well into our system. He's always accepting of feedback and he works hard. I'm happy to have him," Nunez said.
Nunez also made clear he sees the tools that matter most.
"He's a solid, elite defender. He has hit and hit for power," he said, pointing to some "holes" in Stafura’s swing that he believes are tied to youth and can be fixed.
Brooklyn has just over a week left in its season. After that, Stafura could go to Double A Binghamton or even Arizona fall ball, though the likeliest outcome may be a return home to train and focus on staying healthy. Stafura guessed he might begin next season in Binghamton, while Nunez went a step further and said Queens could come soon after.
"Hopefully, next year, at some point, he'll make his MLB debut," he said.
For Stafura, getting here has meant leaning on a support system that has stayed close through every move. He was in Cortlandt this week with permission from Brooklyn to sleep at home during the Cyclones’ five games at Hudson Valley, and he pointed to his family and friends as a big reason he’s kept progressing.
His "tight circle" includes his older brother, Steven, and younger brother, Niko, who both stopped playing baseball around age 12 but still saw the potential in Sammy and kept encouraging him.
He also spent high school summers playing at a high level, first on Long Island and later with the North Carolina-based Dirtbags, so the travel side of pro ball wasn’t entirely new. Even so, he admitted the jump from organization to organization has been "definitely been a bit overwhelming" because of the constant movement and new surroundings.
Still, landing with the Mets meant a lot.
It was "definitely a dream," he said, and his phone was "blowing up" with messages when it happened. Injuries cost him more than three months this season, but he still described the year as a positive one overall.
"This whole year has been awesome," Stafura said.
He added, "I'm just trying to have fun and play the game I love. I'm just enjoying the ride."
Stafura said he knows he’s been "pretty good overall," but consistency at the plate remains a priority. This offseason, he plans to work in the Westchester area with his personal trainer, Jake Oliger, and focus on getting stronger physically after the torn UCL sidelined him for nearly three months. The elbow injury did not require surgery, but when he returned for 10 games, he then pulled a hamstring and landed back on the injured list.
One of his biggest goals next season is simple: stay on the field and play 150 games.
He said the three pro organizations he has been part of have had different training methods and philosophies, though he didn’t go into specifics. What he did say is that he likes how the Mets handle things.
"From the mental side, this year has been the best," Stafura said, explaining that his approach now is less about batting average and more about "win every at-bat" and stay "locked in."
"It's a long season of ups and downs. I try to stay neutral," he said.
And while he’s trying not to look too far ahead, he’s clearly allowing himself to imagine what comes next.
Reflecting on his hot stretch earlier this summer, he said, "The whole June and July are really why I play baseball. Those highs were the best feeling on the planet earth - just finding success.
I'm sure at the MLB level, success will (feel) even better than that. I'm so anxious to get going."
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