Top 50 Mets Prospects for 2026: 45-41 Features DSL Guys, Lefty Reliever
Back for round two of the Top 50 Mets prospects for the 2026 season. The first group, 50-46, was mainly older players with lower floors but have already made their big league debuts or are close to helping the Mets at the major league level. This group, however, is more about looking at young players in the Mets system you may not be familiar with but will be important to keep an eye on in 2026.
No. 45: Yordan Rodriguez, RHP
B/T: R/R, Age: 18 (1/29/2008)
Height: 6’3”, Weight: 190 lbs
Acquired: Trade with A’s (Jeff McNeil)
Position: Right-handed pitcher
2025 Stats (Dominican Summer League): 15.1 IP, 11 H, 8 BB, 20 K, 2.93 ERA (3.84 FIP)
ETA: 2030
Player Profile
Some folks saw the trade of Jeff McNeil to the Athletics as a salary dump, and while the Mets did save money, they also received a legit prospect in return. The Mets were one of the teams that scouted and liked Rodriguez before he signed with the Athletics for a $400K signing bonus. Rodriguez is a pretty big kid at 6-foot-3 and already gets good extension.
The 18-year-old has added velocity since he agreed to sign with the Athletics, topping out at 97 mph in his pro debut in the Dominican Winter League. He also features a breaking ball (that looks more like a sweeper some days and more like a slider on others) with plus spin.
Standout Stat
His 31.7 K% would’ve ranked No. 1 among Mets pitchers in the Dominican Summer League last year.
Nate Lavender Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
No. 44: Nate Lavender, LHP
B/T: L/L, Age: 26 (1/20/2000)
Height: 6’2”, Weight: 215 lbs
Acquired: Drafted in 14th RD (2021), $125K signing bonus
Position: Left-handed relief pitcher
2025 Stats (Did not pitch)
ETA: 2026
Player Profile
Lavender is a new and old face at the same time. He was taken by the Rays with the eighth pick in the 2024 Rule 5 draft despite Tampa knowing he could miss the entire season following an internal brace procedure on his left elbow. The former 14th round pick didn’t pitch in 2025 and was returned back to the Mets in November. I was hesitant to include him in this list until I found out he was throwing in Port St. Lucie.
When Lavender got injured, he was right on the cusp of potentially making his major league debut as he found some success with Triple-A Syracuse. He pitched in 35 games for Syracuse to finish out the 2023 season and then five more before his injury in 2024. In that time, he had a 3.35 ERA and a whopping 76 strikeouts in 51 Triple-A innings. Walks were high with 30, but he limited opponents to only 40 hits.
Pre-injury, Lavender was 92-93 mph on his four-seamer that plays up because he gets plus extension and has a deceptive delivery. His secondaries are primarily a slider and changeup, but he throws his fastball around 65-70% of the time. If Lavender is throwing like he was before the injury, I would expect we see him at some point this year in the Mets’ bullpen.
Standout Stat
For his career in the minors, he has struck out 174 batters in 115 2/3 innings.
No. 43: Cleiner Ramirez, OF
B/T: R/R, Age: 17 (12/1/2008)
Height: 5’9”, Weight: 175 lbs
Acquired: International Free Agent ($1.372M)
Position: Outfielder
2025 Stats: N/A
ETA: 2032
Player Profile
While Wandy Asigen is rightfully the most talked about player in the Mets 2026 IFA class, the Mets think they got a talented young outfielder in Cleiner Ramirez for a $1.372 million signing bonus. He’s known for being athletic and strong while possessing above-average speed and arm strength. There’s potential to stick long-term in center field and he does have some experience playing in the infield.
The 17-year-old Ramirez is expected to make his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League later this year.
No. 42: Yunior Amparo, UT
B/T: R/R, Age: 19 (9/18/2006)
Height: 6’0”, Weight: 170 lbs
Acquired: International Free Agent
Position: 1B, CF, RF, LF, 2B, SS, 3B
2025 Stats (Dominican Summer League): 173 PA, .312/.428/.475, 138 wRC+, 4 HR, 16 SB, 15BB%, 13.9K%
ETA: 2031
Player Profile
Judging players from a statistical standpoint in the DSL is mostly a fruitless endeavor. The competition level there is mostly a group of teenagers still growing into their bodies and the very early stages of developing their skills. The Mets do have video content on YouTube for the DSL, but the video isn’t great. All this is to say, outside of DSL players who received big bonuses, is hard to judge talent before they come stateside.
With that said, Mets folks and scouts I talked to raved about the 19-year-old Amparo, saying he was one of the biggest surprises of the DSL season as he earned himself a spot on the All-Star team. He played a wide variety of positions last year: first base, second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots. He has the athleticism to be passable at multiple spots and has a plus arm. Offensively, he’s already shown off power to the pull side and walked more than he struck out. His 138 wRC+ was among the best of the Mets minor leaguers in the DSL last season.
Standout Stat
His 67.3 pull% was the third highest out of 304 hitters last year in the DSL.
No. 41: Josmir Reyes, C/1B
B/T: L/R, Age: 19 (9/21/2006)
Height: 6’0”, Weight: 180 lbs
Acquired: International Free Agent
Position: Catcher, first base
2025 Stats (Dominican Summer League): 190 PA, .300/.426/.480, 4 HR, 5 SB, 139 wRC+, 17.9BB%, 7.9K%
ETA: 2031
Player Profile
Well, I decided to keep going with players from the DSL because the Mets had a good group of hitters there in 2025. After Reyes played in only two games during his first pro season in 2024, he impressed in his first real taste of the minors with a 139 wRC+ in 50 DSL games last season. He’s been very selective at the plate, as you can see by his minuscule 7.9 K% from last year. His 2.27 walk-to-strikeout was the fifth best in the league.
Defensively, Reyes played 24 games at catcher, 11 at first base and was the DH for another 14 games. An above-average arm is the carrying defensive tool for a catcher who is still a work in progress in terms of blocking and receiving.
Standout Stat
The 19-year-old’s 4.6 swinging strike percentage from last season was the third lowest among 304 DSL hitters.
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