7 Mets Land on the Baseball Prospectus Top 101 Prospects List

Baseball Prospectus has released its 2026 preseason Top 101 prospects list, and the following Mets cracked the rankings:

• 4 – Starting Pitcher, Nolan McLean
• 10 – Outfielder, Carson Benge
• 23 – Starting Pitcher, Jonah Tong
• 38 – Outfielder, A.J. Ewing
• 70 – Third Baseman, Jacob Reimer
• 86 – First Baseman, Ryan Clifford
• 96 – Starting Pitcher, Will Watson

Nolan McLean

Drafted as a two-way player, McLean did not have much pitching experience. The Mets developed him from a two-pitch reliever to a potential frontline or number two starter with six pitches. His fastball has average shape but he can dial it up to 98 MPH, his sinker gets good contact suppression, and his sweeper/curve generate swing and miss. He throws a cutter and kick change against lefties alongside his curve to try to mitigate platoon issues. His sweeper is arguably his best pitch and few pitchers can spin the ball like McLean. Their reckless fantasy comp is Logan Webb.

Carson Benge

Benge was also a two-way player before he was drafted and now looks to be a potential five-tool future center fielder. He may be a corner outfielder due to other center field options, including Luis Robert Jr. and upcoming A.J. Ewing, but he profiles as a plus defender there. His swing limits his ability to pull the ball, but he has a great blend of contact and power potential. They describe him as “a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.” He is a high-floor player with the potential to become a five-tool All-Star. Their reckless fantasy comp is Nick Markakis.

Jonah Tong

It is hard to understate how dominant Jonah Tong was in the minors, pitching to a 1.43 ERA across 22 starts. He increased his velocity to 95 MPH in 2025 and can ramp it even higher, so it is fair to wonder if another velocity jump is coming in 2026. He utilizes an extreme crossfire delivery to generate 20 inches of iBV but he can struggle to get his pitches to move glove side. He has messed around with a cutter, slider and sweeper, and BP suggests a mid-80s hand of God slider could be a good option. Less than 1% of sliders in the game have this shape, which mimics a fastball out of the hand before diving sharply. An example of this is the slider thrown by Cam Schlittler. Their reckless fantasy comp is Nick Pivetta.

A.J. Ewing

A.J. Ewing is a high-floor outfielder with strong contact and defense traits. Initially drafted as a shortstop, he still profiles as an above-average second baseman alongside his plus defense in center field. His plus-plus speed helps him to cover a lot of ground, and he has an above-average arm. He stole 70 bases in the minors in 2025 and has solid exit velocities, though his extreme hit-over-power and line-drive heavy approach has limited his power so far. He looks like he could develop into a plus contact hitter with plus center field defense and 10-15 HRs. Their reckless fantasy comp is Jacoby Ellsbury.

Jacob Reimer

Reimer took a huge leap forward in 2025 when he optimized his swing to pull the ball in the air more, leading to some of the best exit velocities in the minors. He may never have a plus hit tool, but he makes good swing decisions with good zone contact rates. He has mostly played third base and first base, but he has sprinkled in some left field. His bat will need to lead his profile, and if the contact rates slip as he moves through the system, his bat may not be able to make up for his defensive deficiencies. But he looks to be a 55 hit tool and 60 power hitter with a good enough bat to force his way onto a major league roster in the not-too-distant future. Their reckless fantasy comp is Casey Blake.

Ryan Clifford

Ryan Clifford had a bounce-back season in 2025 and split time between first base and the outfield. In 2024, there was concern he could be a three-true-outcomes player, and while that concern has not completely gone away, after 2025, he looks like he could be a much more complete hitter. He has a plus arm and could be a 30-homer bat in the majors if he plays full-time, though he does have some platoon concerns. He profiles as a power-hitting first baseman with some outfield flex and a patient approach. He is currently knocking on the doors of the majors after finishing 2025 in Syracuse. Their reckless fantasy comp is a poor man’s Matt Olson.

Will Watson

Will Watson is one of many relievers/swing men with big stuff the Mets drafted with the plans of converting him into a starter. His fastball sits 95 MPH, and while the shape isn’t amazing, his release gives it a flat approach, making it play up. Watson changed up his pitch mix and shapes as the season went on, refining a plus change-up in Double-A, which can generate 20 inches of run. He will need to improve his command and stamina to go deeper into games beyond four or five innings while maintaining velocity, but ideally that will come naturally with time. It should be noted that his 121.1 innings pitched in 2025 was a 141% increase over all three years of college combined (86 innings pitched). He may end up a lockdown reliever at the back of a bullpen, and probably could slot into the Mets bullpen in 2026, but he has all the stuff to develop into a starter if he improves his command. Their reckless fantasy comp is Emmet Sheehan.

Recently traded Mets Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat were also on the list at No. 41 and No. 76, respectively.

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