Five Mets Prospects Place in MLB Pipeline’s Top Ten Positional Rankings

MLB Pipeline has concluded their ranking of the top ten prospects at each position in anticipation of their Top 100 prospects being revealed at 8:00 p.m. EST on January 23, 2026.

Five Mets made their respective positional lists:

• Nolan McLean – Right-Handed Pitchers – No. 1
• Jacob Reimer – Third Base – No. 2
• Carson Benge – Outfield – No. 4
• Ryan Clifford – First Base – No. 5
• Jonah Tong – Right-Handed Pitchers – No. 7

Nolan McLean

McLean may be the top pitching prospect in baseball after his breakout performance in 2025, as he threw 48 innings and logged a 2.06 ERA over that span in the major leagues. Per Pipeline, he has a 70-grade slider, 60-grade fastball, 60-grade curveball, 55-grade cutter and a 50-grade changeup.

The site wrote that McLean, “has the athleticism to keep strikes coming at an average rate, and with the depth and overall quality of his mix, that should be enough to keep him near the top of the rotation in Queens for years to come.”

Jacob Reimer

Reimer may end up at first base or left field long-term, two positions he has begun to learn, but so far he has spent the majority of his time at third base. His big step forward in 2025 came when he started to pull the ball in the air at much higher rates, and Pipeline ranks him with a 50-grade hit tool, 60-grade power, 50-grade running, a 55-grade arm and 45-grade fielding.

“He’s certainly back on the Mets’ infield radar, and the bat, with its current projection, would paper over the defensive deficiencies wherever he lands,” they wrote.

Carson Benge

Benge was president of baseball operations David Stearns’ first draft pick with the Mets as the team’s first-round selection in 2024, and he lit up the minors in 2025. He will have the opportunity to win the Opening Day left field spot out of spring training and is reportedly already in Port St. Lucie working to do just that. Pipeline ranks him as a five-tool player with a 50-grade hit tool, 55-grade power, 55-grade running, a 60-grade arm and 55-grade fielding.

“While many expected his arm strength to push him to a corner, his reads improved enough in center that he could also be above average there,” they wrote. “In a sign of the Mets’ growing confidence in him, Benge made 17 of his 24 defensive starts at Triple-A in the middle of the grass. There might not be a plus-plus tool here, but Benge is projecting as a regular contributor with above-average skills across the board.”

Ryan Clifford

Now able to see the ball better, Clifford’s contact rates jumped back to where they were when the Mets acquired him from the Houston Astros in 2023. He has spent his time at first base and in the corner outfield in the minors and may have the best pure power in the club’s farm system. Pipeline ranks him with a 45-grade hit tool, 60-grade power, 45-grade running, a 55-grade arm and 50-grade fielding.

“The North Carolina native has a strong lower half and utilizes it with a simple operation in the box from the left side — open stance, limited front leg movement to close and fire,” they wrote. “His combination of strength, bat speed and lift-and-pull angles helps his power play in games, and he’s knocking on the door of being a 30-homer hitter at the top level.”

Jonah Tong

Tong dominated the minors in 2025, pitching to a 1.43 ERA across 113 2/3 innings before getting a cup of coffee in the majors. He throws from a unique 64-degree arm angle, and his fastball has elite ride. Pipeline ranks him with a 70-grade fastball, 60-grade changeup, 50-grade curveball and a 45-grade slider.

“With Tong’s mechanics, there are concerns that repeatable command will be an issue in his career, even as he wows others with his dexterity, and he became too predictable in the Majors with his reliance on the heater and the cambio,” they wrote. “That said, Tong’s development through his age-22 season was exceptional, and that ability to grow (even after stumbles) fortifies a midrotation projection.”

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