Mets Minors 2024 Top Prospects: No. 4 Ryan Clifford

No. 4: Ryan Clifford, 1B/OF

B/T: L/L      Age: 7/20/2003 (20)
Ht: 6’2”        Wt: 200 lb.
Acquired: Via trade during the 2023 season (Justin Verlander)
ETA: 2026  Previous Rank: N/A
2024 Statistics (High-A Brooklyn/Double-A Binghamton) – 34 G, .205 BA, .684 OPS, 1 HR, 7 XBH, 13 R, 10 RBI, 34/48 BB/K

Disclaimer: All prospects rankings were made in the preseason and have not been adjusted for play in 2024.

In a farm system full of position player talent in the upper levels, Ryan Clifford may very well possess the highest upside of any member of that group. He offers an intriguing blend of plate discipline and exceptional raw power that should continue to translate as he climbs through the minor league ranks, which comes with a lot of promise and excitement in terms of his potential future with the Mets.

Clifford, an 11th-round pick of the Houston Astros in the 2022 MLB Draft, signed with the club for a whopping $1,236,530, an amount typical for a second-round pick. Initially projected to be selected somewhere around the third round, his fall was tied to his commitment to powerhouse program Vanderbilt, though his potential and talent level was reflected in his signing bonus.

It didn’t take long for Clifford to exhibit his skill set and prove the Astros right as he slashed .247/.426/.390 with two home runs across 25 games and 101 plate appearances as an 18-year-old in the FCL and with Low-A Fayetteville, setting the foundation for a breakout campaign in 2023.

Entering the year ranked as the No. 6 prospect in Houston’s system, Clifford quickly put Fayetteville in his rearview mirror as he hit .337/.488/.457 with two homers in 25 games. His time with High-A Asheville of the South Atlantic League could accurately be described as his coming out party, however, as he mashed 16 homers to go with 46 RBIs en route to a .271/.356/.547 slash line across 58 games and 250 plate appearances while playing his home games at the notoriously hitter-friendly McCormick Field.

Clifford’s surge during the 2023 season caught the eyes of many around the game, pushing him into top-100 prospect discussions. He did, however, run into some struggles after arriving to the Mets’ organization with Drew Gilbert, a fellow representative of the Astros’ 2022 draft class, in a trade deadline deal for Justin Verlander.

Despite remaining in the SAL with High-A Brooklyn, Clifford saw his power almost instantaneously disappear. This phenomenon can be attributed to the difficulties that left-handed hitters face at the Cyclones’ home field, Maimonides Park, a topic that Matt Eddy of Baseball America recently delved deeper into. He finished out the season hitting .188/.307/.376 with just six home runs in 140 plate appearances.

Regardless, Clifford had plenty of believers entering the 2024 season. Ranked as a top-100 prospect by ESPN, MLB Pipeline and Baseball Prospectus, he bounced back to a certain degree during his second go-around with Brooklyn. Before his recent promotion to Double-A Binghamton, Clifford slashed .216/.412/.304, showing off his advanced approach at the plate with a 23.5 BB% despite recording just one home run.

There shouldn’t be too many concerns about Clifford tapping back into his power due to his track record of hitting the ball hard and to all fields while utilizing his strength and uppercut swing to fully tap into it. Strikeouts are certainly a concern for him, though, and he does run the risk of developing into a three-true-outcome player at the plate if his hit tool doesn’t continue to develop and he doesn’t adapt a more aggressive mindset.

Defensively, Clifford has spent plenty of time as a corner outfielder, where his strong arm is his defining trait. He isn’t the quickest or most spry player in the world, however, so there are questions about how he would fare at the position moving forward. As a result, he has turned his focus to first base, which is where his long-term outlook would appear to lie with the Mets as he continues to gain a feel there.

2024 OUTLOOK

As Clifford transitions to Double-A, the biggest factor to keep an eye on in his development is to what extent his power returns as he leaves Brooklyn in addition to any potential improvements on the defensive front in addition to cutting down on his strikeouts. He figures to spend the rest of the year with Binghamton, where he can settle in and focus on refining those areas of the game. If a few things click for Clifford as he ascends towards the majors, the sky truly is the limit with his profile.

PREVIOUS RANKINGS

• • No. 5 – Christian Scott
  • No. 6 – Marco Vargas
  • No.7 – Ronny Mauricio
  • No.8- Kevin Parada
  • No.9 – Jeremy Rodríguez 
  • No. 10 – Mike Vasil
  • No. 11 – Colin Houck
  • No. 12 – Blade Tidwell
  • No. 13 – Yovanny Rodriguez
  • No. 14 – Dom Hamel
  • No. 15 – Brandon Sproat
  • No. 16—Jacob Reimer
  • No. 17—Jesus Baez
  • No. 18—Boston Baro
  • No. 19—Ronald Hernandez
  • No. 20—Alex Ramírez
  • No. 21-25
  • No. 26-30

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