Mets Minors Recap: Bats Explode in Binghamton

The first full slate of games for the Mets’ minor league affiliates did not exactly go as planned, with only Binghamton and St. Lucie picking up a win on Friday. Christian Scott made his first start in affiliated ball since returning from Tommy John Surgery in mid-2024. In Binghamton, the offense carried the team to an extra-inning win, despite shaky pitching up and down the staff. Brooklyn’s bats were quiet in their season debut, while St. Lucie put together one of the most complete offensive performances they could have asked for to pick up their first win on the season. Every full-season affiliate is now underway, with the Florida Complex League and the Dominican Summer Leagues being the only teams not to start yet.

Triple-A: 

Toledo 7, Syracuse 1

Box Score

• DH Nick Morabito: 2-4, 2B (.917 OPS)
• LF MJ Melendez: 2-4, 2B, RBI, BB (.804 OPS)
• 3B Ronny Mauricio: 2-5 (.714 OPS)
• CF Jihwan Bae: 3-4 (.765 OPS)
• 2B Jackson Cluff: 1-4, 2B (.364 OPS)

Going 1-12 with runners in scoring position and leaving 13 runners on base is probably the easiest way to squander four multi-hit games in your lineup, but that is exactly what the Syracuse Mets did on Friday. Nick Morabito continued his incredibly hot start to the season, pushing to become a factor in Queens this year. Mauricio’s bat is warming after launching his first homer of the season the other day, while Melendez could find himself joining the Mets in the immediate future, depending on the injury diagnosis to Juan Soto following his departure from Friday’s game in San Francisco with a calf injury.

• SP Christian Scott: 3.2 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 5 K (16.20 ERA)
• RHP Tanner Witt: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, K (0.00 ERA)
• LHP Joe Jacques: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K’s (0.00 ERA)
• RHP Nick Burdi: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, K (0.00 ERA)

The road to recovery took a year and a half for Christian Scott, but he finally was back on the bump in an official game on Friday afternoon. His stuff looked good with a lively fastball, and his command was exquisite, but the righty struggled with balls in play. He gave up almost as many hits as he recorded outs, and let a pair of balls leave the yard. The five strikeouts and no walks with 11 outs recorded are an encouraging sign for the former top-100 prospect, but his return to the Majors is on only its first step. Tanner Witt was incredibly impressive in long relief for Scott. He recorded four innings in relief for St. Lucie last year, skipped Brooklyn and Binghamton, and turned in three scoreless for Syracuse last night. His stint will likely be short, but it opened eyes immediately.

Double-A: 

Binghamton 10, New Hampshire 9 (F/13)

Box Score

• CF A.J. Ewing:  3-6, BB, RBI, 2 SB (1.071 OPS)
• LF Eli Serrano III: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI (1.667 OPS)
• 2B D’Andre Smith: 2-6, 2B, RBI (.833 OPS)
• C Chris Suero: 1-5, HR (1) (.967 OPS)
• 3B Jacob Reimer: 1-6, 2B, 2B  (.619 OPS)

The Binghamton bats were off and running last night, led by the trio of Ewing, Serrano, and Smith. Ewing is picking up right where he left off last year with a pair of stolen bases and a high on-base percentage, while Serrano looks for more stability this year after an injury-riddled 2025 season. The lefty was considered one of the better selections in the 2024 draft, but took a back seat last year as he battled different ailments. Smith picked up a two-hit game, starting a pivotal season for him with a bang. Suero, one of the more polarizing prospects in the Mets’ system, crushed his first homer of the season, while Jacob Reimer’s bat showed signs of early life with a double.

• RHP Will Watson: 3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (9.00 ERA)
• LHP Matt Turner: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K (0.00 ERA)
• RHP Kevin Gowdy: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (0.00 ERA)
• RHP Zach Peek: 2 IP, 0 H, R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (0.00 ERA)
• LHP Gabriel Rodríguez: IP, 0 H, R, 0 ER, BB, K (0.00 ERA)

Watson was one of the fastest-rising prospects in the Mets’ system last year, but struggled to command the baseball in his season debut. He was consistently missing his spots early and often, and he ended up throwing roughly 45% of his pitches for balls. He was picked up by the majority of his bullpen, highlighted by Peek and Turner throwing two scoreless innings each out of the pen. Binghamton’s pitching should be a strength for the team early on this year before the first wave of promotions, but it did not show that way last night.

High-A: 

Hudson Valley 3, Brooklyn 1

Box Score

• LF John Bay: 2-4, HR (1) (2.334 OPS)
• 2B Antonio Jiménez: 1-3, 2B (1.167 OPS)
• C Daiverson Gutierrez: 1-3, 2B (1.167 OPS)

John Bay was the only Cyclone to pick up more than one hit last night, while Gutierrez and Jimenez were the only other bats to pick up hits at all. Bay smacked the Cyclones’ first homer of the year, while Jimenez and Gutierrez ripped doubles as their hits. Jimenez, the Mets’ third-round selection last year, could be a fast riser within the system this year. His calling card is his glove, but his bat has potential for good gap power, and his speed should assist in that as well. Gutierrez is one of the more high-profile international free agent signings of the 2020s for the Mets, but his promotion to Brooklyn is somewhat aggressive after posting an OPS of just . 671 in St. Lucie last year.

• RHP Noah Hall: 4.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K (3.86 ERA)
• RHP Parker Carlson: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, 0 K (3.86 ERA)
• RHP Hunter Hodges: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (0.00 ERA)
• LHP Gregori Louis: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (0.00 ERA)

Noah Hall’s high-octane arm made its season debut on Friday, but found a mixed bag of results. He allowed six base runners in less than five innings, but was able to limit the damage to just two runs. He sat down five batters, something he did often last year as the ace of the Cyclones staff. At 25, he is significantly older than most in High-A, but his time back with the team could be incredibly brief. He put up a 2.72 ERA over 112.2 IP for Brooklyn last year, one of the best seasons of any Mets’ arm in the system. The Cyclone bullpen struck out eight, giving them 13 on the day as a whole staff.

Class-A: 

St. Lucie 8, Palm Beach 4

Box Score

• RF Simon Juan: 2-3, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, SB (1.071 OPS)
• C Julio Zayas: 2-4, 2B, 2 RBI (1.111 OPS)
• 2B Eddinson Paulino: 2-5, 3B, 2 RBI (.744 OPS)
• CF Sam Biller: 2-4, RBI (1.000 OPS)
• SS Elian Peña: 1-4, 2B, BB, RBI (1.125 OPS)

St. Lucie’s bats jumped all over the Cardinals’ staff, led by huge days from Juan, Zayas, and Paulino. Juan ripped a double and walked, getting on base three times on the day. Zayas also ripped a double, with Juan recording their first of the year and Zayas his second. Peña, arguably the highest-profile prospect in the Mets’ farm system currently, ripped his second double of the year as well. He has jumped out to a blazing start to his state-side career, going 3-8 with a pair of doubles over his first two games this year.

• RHP Frank Camarillo: 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (5.40 ERA)
• RHP Joel Lara: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (10.80 ERA)
• RHP Elwis Mijares: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, BB, K (0.00 ERA)
• RHP Jorge de León: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, K (0.00 ERA)
• RHP Christian Rodriguez: IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (0.00 ERA)

The bullpen did heavy lifting for the Mets on Friday after Camarillo left in the fourth inning. He allowed four base runners and departed after 68 pitches. The trio of Leon, Mijares, and Rodriguez combined to turn in four innings of scoreless relief with four strikeouts, but were split up by a rough first outing on the year for Lara.

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