Minors Weekly Report: Drew Gilbert Flashes Power

Drew Gilbert had a scorching week at the plate for the Syracuse Mets, going 6-for-17 with three home runs and six RBIs. He also stole a base. Gilbert has been disappointing this year, owning a .746 OPS for the season in an offense-happy league, but he had arguably his best week yet and has a .930 OPS in his last 20 games.

Gilbert was the best among several great individual performances in the Mets’ system this past week, which we’ll recap in the latest Mets Minors Weekly Report.

Triple-A

The Syracuse Mets continued their impressive start to the second half of the season, winning their latest series against the Worcester Red Sox. The Mets won four of six games, outscoring the Red Sox 27-26 in the series. Syracuse is now 9-3 in the second half of the season and 40-47 overall.

In addition to Drew Gilbert, Pablo Reyes also continues to crush the ball since recently re-joining Syracuse. Reyes went 6-for-16 and clubbed two homers with four RBIs. He also struck out just once, walking three times. Reyes owns a 1.390 OPS in 11 games in his latest Syracuse stint.

Jared Young and Francisco Alvarez also recorded two home runs each, with Young driving in four runs and Alvarez driving in three. Young has a .914 OPS in Syracuse this year, while Alvarez has four home runs in 41 at-bats but just a .795 OPS since being sent down.

Brandon Sproat followed up his best start of the year with another gem, striking out eight over five scoreless innings. Sproat is still recovering from a brutal start to the year, owning a 5.05 ERA, but his last two starts have been spectacular.

Nolan McLean had yet another strong start, allowing two runs across five innings while striking out 10. McLean has exceeded every expectation since joining Syracuse, and he has a 2.80 ERA in 10 games with the team.

David Stearns said last week he didn’t want to call up Sproat or McLean for a spot start, so it seems they’ll only get the call to MLB to get an extended look.

Double-A

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies also won four of their six games in their latest series, defeating the Hartford Yard Goats. The Rumble Ponies are 8-4 in the second half and 53-26 overall.

Like Drew Gilbert, the player he was traded to the Mets with, Ryan Clifford also had a standout week at the plate. Clifford recorded two home runs and two doubles while going 5-for-17. He also walked five times, struck out just three times, and stole a base. Clifford’s bat has been heating up lately, resulting in an .840 season OPS.

Jacob Reimer has been crushing Double-A pitching since his promotion, and he did again this previous series. Reimer went 6-for-15 with two homers and two doubles, also recording three walks. In 11 games with Binghamton, Reimer has recorded an impressive slash line of .314/.405/.629/1.034.

Carson Benge had a respectable week at the plate, going 4-for-17 and recording his first Double-A home run. Benge has not adjusted as quickly as Reimer has to Double-A, but he still has a decent .739 OPS in 10 games.

Jonah Tong was outshone this week by Jack Wenninger, who put together a brilliant performance on the mound. Wenninger tossed six scoreless innings with just two hits and two walks allowed while striking out 11. Wenninger has not had the same kind of season Tong has had, but he deserves more attention than he’s gotten. In 16 starts, he has a 2.76 ERA with a 1.07 WHIP.

Tong, meanwhile, still had a fantastic outing. He allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings while striking out 10, allowing four hits and two walks in the process. Tong’s ERA raised slightly to 1.83.

The Syracuse rotation could look nice at year’s end with Sproat, McLean, Tong, and Wenninger.

Joander Suarez, for his part, had his best start of the season, allowing just two hits in six scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Suarez has looked great with the Rumble Ponies this year, owning a 3.29 ERA through 12 appearances.

High-A

The Brooklyn Cyclones had a tough series against the Hudson Valley Renegades, dropping five of the six games in the series. The Cyclones are now just 8-7 in the second half but still 54-27 overall.

Colin Houck had the best week of any Cyclones batter, going 5-for-16 with two doubles and a triple. Houck struggled immediately after his promotion, so he has just a .678 OPS in 11 games with Brooklyn, but he’s getting more acclimated and looking to build off a strong week.

Jesus Baez also looked good at the plate, going 4-for-16 with two doubles and a homer. Baez now owns a .769 OPS on the year.

Jonathan Santucci continues to shove, meaning his dreadful start to the season may have been a fluke. His latest start of six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts earned him a promotion to Double-A Binghamton. He ends his time with the Cyclones with a 3.46 ERA, including a 1.35 ERA in his last nine games.

Noah Hall and Will Watson had decent weeks on the mound, recording similar lines. They each went five innings and allowed two runs, with Hall striking out five and Watson striking out four. Hall now owns a 2.65 ERA, while Watson owns a 2.31 ERA since joining Brooklyn.

Low-A

The St. Lucie Mets played just a five-game series against the Daytona Tortugas due to rain, and the Mets earned the series win by taking three games and dropping two. The Mets are now 9-5 in the second half of the season and 43-36 overall.

Yohairo Cuevas had an excellent series at the plate, going 5-for-13 with two doubles, a home run, five walks, and a stolen base. Cuevas has turned it on lately with the bat, owning a .925 OPS over his last 26 games to improve his season OPS to .813.

Trace Willhoite also shined, going 4-for-14 with a double, a triple, and a home run while leading the club with four RBIs in the series. Willhoite’s season OPS improved to .848 with the effort.

Frank Elissalt didn’t start, but he threw a gem with a one-hit, five-inning appearance out of the bullpen. Elissalt didn’t walk anyone and struck out seven. In 16 games on the year, he owns a 2.76 ERA.

The best start of the week came from Daviel Hurtado, who started the year with the FCL Mets. Despite tossing just three innings, Hurtado allowed just two hits and struck out five. He owns a 1.45 ERA on the year, including a 3.00 ERA in four appearances with St. Lucie.

FCL Mets

The FCL Mets had a great week, going 4-0 to improve to 18-24 on the year. They are no longer in last place in their division, now sitting in third after surpassing two teams.

Randy Guzman was the standout batter at the plate, going 4-for-14 with two home runs and seven RBIs. Guzman has been the FCL Mets’ best offensive player on the season, owning an .822 OPS.

Jace Hampson was brilliant in two starts, recording a total of 10 strikeouts over 10 scoreless innings. Hampson has been phenomenal this year, owning a 1.80 ERA over seven starts and 10 appearances.

DSL Mets

The DSL Mets Orange went 4-1 on the week to improve to 16-9 on the season. The DSL Mets Blue, meanwhile, went 2-3 to move to 11-15 on the season.

Elian Peña had another strong week at the plate for DSL Mets Orange, going 6-for-16 with two doubles, four RBIs, four walks, two stolen bases, and five runs scored. He has improved his OPS on the season to an even .800. In addition to Peña, Adolfo Miranda went 8-for-18 with three homers and 10 RBIs. He owns a 1.015 OPS for the year. On the mound, Franyel Diaz allowed one run over seven innings. He has a 4.41 ERA in six games.

For the DSL Mets Blue squad, Jonnhan Sanchez went 5-for-8 with a home run, two walks, and a stolen base. He has a .790 OPS for the year. On the mound, Anthony Reynoso struck out three over six scoreless innings. He has a 3.72 ERA in nine appearances.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

AVG – A.J. Ewing (STL/BRK) – .320

OPS – Jacob Reimer (BRK/BNG) – .906

HR – Ryan Clifford (BNG) – 15

SB – A.J. Ewing (STL/BRK) – 52

Pitching

ERA – Jonah Tong (BNG) – 1.83

SO – Jonah Tong (BNG) – 125

WHIP – Zach Thornton (BRK/BNG) – 0.812

Players of the Week

Offense – Drew Gilbert, OF Syracuse

Drew Gilbert has broken out in a way that should make Mets fans excited. Whether or not he plays a role on the major league team in 2025 remains to be seen, but lately we’ve been seeing flashes from him that show he can still be a very good player at the next level. His three home runs this past week were the apex of what has been a really good stretch.

Pitching – Jack Wenninger, P Binghamton

Jack Wenninger gave the best pitching performance among a number of fantastic ones this week across the Mets’ system. The 2023 sixth-round pick has broken out in a big way and has thrust himself into the conversation of Mets’ premium pitching prospects.

Upcoming Schedule – July 8-13

• Triple-A Syracuse: vs. Lehigh Valley
• Double-A Binghamton: vs. Altoona
• High-A Brooklyn: vs. Wilmington
• Low-A St. Lucie: @ Bradenton

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