Four Mets Prospects Land on ESPN’s Preseason Top 100 Prospects List

ESPN has released their 2026 preseason Top 100 prospects list, and the following Mets cracked the rankings:

• 13 – Nolan McLean
• 15 – Carson Benge
• 28 – A.J. Ewing
• 31 – Jonah Tong

Nolan McLean

ESPN comped McLean to starting pitcher Dylan Cease in their write up. With the signing of Freddy Peralta he will be one half of a formidable one-two-punch at the top of the rotation. McLean overhauled his arsenal in late July 2025, earning the call to the show where looked like a potential frontline starter. They describe McLean as an athletic pitcher with three strong breaking ball shapes and big arm speed/velocity ceiling.

Carson Benge

ESPN comped Benge to Brandon Nimmo and Jarren Duran and described him as five-tool center fielder. Their only real concern is that he could be a bit susceptible to hard fastballs in the top of the zone, but his skill set allows him room to make adjustments and still be anywhere from 50-60 in both hit and power. He looks fully capable in center field and the corners and is described as someone who “could become a fan favorite by the middle of 2026.”

A.J. Ewing

ESPN described Ewing as a plus-plus runner in center field who has power upside. It is rare to see elite defensive center fielders with good power and his pull and lift numbers indicate a spike in power could be coming soon. Even if the power doesn’t materialize, they describe him as a player with 3-to-4 WAR upside and a 2.5 WAR floor because of his defense and speed. He also has above average to plus contact rates and pitch selection.

If the power does develop, there is no limit to his ceiling. No. 28 is easily the highest ranking we’ve seen for Ewing so far.

Jonah Tong

ESPN described Tong as a starter that has the right ingredients to make his fastball and changeup combo work. Both are plus pitches and while his curveball plays below average, further developing his cutter or slider could make the rest of his pitches play up. They comp him to Trey Yesavage because of the similar arm slot, though Tong does not have a breaking ball comparable to Yesavage’s elite splitter. They felt comfortable projecting Tong to be a “Michael Wacha-type area long term as a No. 3 starter who may be a little streaky.”

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