MLB Spring Breakout Game Chat: Mets vs. Nationals, 5:05 P.M.

Sunday, March 16, 2025 • 5:05 PM
CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches • West Palm Beach, FL
RHP Jonah Tong (0-0, -.–) vs. LHP Alex Clemmey (0-0, -.–)
SNY

For a second straight season all teams in the major leagues are participating in a Spring Breakout game. It’s like the All-Star Futures Game, but each team roster is made up of one organization. In 2024, the Mets’ prospects beat the Nationals’ prospects 4-2 with big days at the plate from Ryan Clifford and Kevin Parada. Brandon Sproat foreshadowed his tremendous 2024 with two strikeouts in one inning. Many of the players from the 2024 game will be back Sunday!

The 2025 roster is loaded prospects that are close to the majors and played in last year’s game (like Jett Williams), 2024 draft picks (Carson Benge, Jonathan Santucci), and players trying reignite their prospect start (Kevin Parada). Should be a fun day at the ballpark!

Mets Lineup

1. Nick Morabito – CF
2. Carson Benge – RF
3. Jett Williams – SS
4. Ryan Clifford – 1B
5. Jacob Reimer – DH
6. Eli Serrano III – LF
7. Kevin Parada – C
8. Boston Baro – 3B
9. Jeremy Rodríguez – 2B

Nationals Lineup

1. Seaver King – SS
2. Brenner Cox – RF
3. Elijah Green – CF
4. T.J. White – DH
5. Caleb Lomavita – C
6. Phillip Glasser – LF
7. Carlos Tavares – 1B
8. Armando Cruz – 2B
9. Randal Diaz – 3B

Game Notes

Earlier today, the New York Mets lost to the Houston Astros 5-0 in the Mets regular scheduled spring training game.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Jonah Tong. Tong has a fastball with over 20 inches of vertical break. Drafted by the Mets in 2022, Tong is coming off a standout season across three levels of minor league ball where he had a 3.03 ERA, 1.168 WHIP over 113 innings. The big difference for Tong in 2024 was his control. he kept his strikeout rate high (12.7 K/9) but dropped his BB/9 from 9.4 in 2023 to 3.7 in 2024. Barring a major surprise, he probably won’t make his major league debut until 2026.
2. Carson Benge. The Mets’ first round draft pick in 2024 is a top-100 prospect in baseball (#71 Baseball Prospectus) heading into the 2025 season. Last season, he played in 15 games with the St. Lucie Mets (Single-A) hitting .273/.420/.436. Like another Mets prospect from Oklahoma State (Nolan McLean), Benge was a two-way prospect. He even was a semi-finalist for the John Olreud award for two-players. Benge has decided to focus on becoming a major league hitter.
3. Jeremy Rodríguez. The Mets traded Tommy Pham to the Diamondbacks during the 2023 trade deadline for a 17-year old Jeremy Rodríguez who has really come into his own as Met. When the Mets got him, he was hitting .246/.363/.377 in the Dominican Summer League. Clearly, his walk rate was ridiculous. He finished the season hitting .422/.536/.711 with the Mets’ Dominican Summer League team. Last season, he played 50 games with the Florida Coast League Mets slashing .282/.355/.400. Look for his fielding today, which is another strength in his game.

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