Latest pivot takes promising Mets prospect Mathis to Arizona Fall League

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- No prospect ever expects to be traded but it’s particularly surprising when it happens in late June, far before the crunch of the Trade Deadline. Combating the timing oddity for Cole Mathis was that the Mets acquired him while he was on the injured list due to an achy left wrist.

He and his wife packed their bags and jetted over to the Mets’ Spring Training complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., to continue his rehab, the latest pivot in a career that has been chock full of them up to this point.

Mathis starred as a two-way player at the College of Charleston, parlaying his success in the box and on the hill into becoming a second-round pick of the Cubs in 2024. But after undergoing Tommy John surgery, pitching was shelved, as was throwing the ball from the field. So Mathis picked up the bat full time and served as a designated hitter during the regular season last year before getting some in-field reps during the Fall League.

The corner infielder made enough of an impression that when the Mets dealt David Peterson to the Cubs on June 25, they got just one player back in exchange: Mathis, who now ranks as New York's No. 13 prospect.

Mathis made his Surprise Saguaros debut on Saturday, ripping a 99 mph RBI single and drawing a walk during the club’s 9-3 win over Scottsdale at Scottsdale Stadium during the league’s Opening Day.

In addition to donning a different Fall League hat from his last go-round, Mathis also displayed his new-look stance. It features a more pronounced crouch from the right-handed batter’s box, an adjustment that helped him pummel the ball en route to a 28.6 percent line-drive rate, 14th out of 204 hitters in the High-A Midwest League with 110 or more plate appearances on the circuit this year, according to FanGraphs.

The 23-year-old needed just over two weeks to blow through Single-A at the start of this year, quickly finding success at High-A while posting an .860 OPS in his first 25 games for South Bend.

“For me, it was just being able to be on time with the fastball. I feel like when I'm on time with that, I can be on time with anything,” Mathis said. “That's my main focus going up there: just being ready for that and then letting my natural ability take over and being able to adjust to different pitches.”

His first knock of his second tour in the Fall League came off a heater by right-hander Alexander Fuentes (SF No. 26). Mathis finished 1-for-4, but also roped a 101.5 mph lineout to center in the first and a 99.7 mph screamer to left in the third.

While Mathis only appeared in 52 games during the regular season, he did so for five different clubs across the Cubs and Mets organizations. That’s a lot of clubhouses, first impressions and new pitchers to take in for anyone, let alone a prospect still getting his feet wet in pro ball.

“I had to learn team chemistry quick, on the fly,” he said. “It was fun with those Cubs teams, but once I got to the Mets, it was a lot more fun. Especially once I got to Brooklyn.

“A lot of new faces in the clubhouse, it made it a little easier, everybody being new. It wasn't just me.”

During Mathis’ first two days with High-A Brooklyn, the starting lineup featured three other players acquired in Trade Deadline deals just days before -- No. 7 Mets prospect Sammy Stafura (Luke Weaver), No. 15 Aidan Smith (Freddy Peralta) and John Spikerman (Brooks Raley).

No club revamped its Top 30 Prospects list this summer like the Mets. While in the Fall League, Mathis will be joined by Bruin Agbayani (NYM No. 28) -- the son of former Mets outfielder Benny -- another one of those Deadline acquisitions. The duo started next to one another on the right side of the infield for Surprise in the opener.

After a solid turn in Arizona last year, Mathis is looking at his return as a chance to catch up on the live at-bats he missed during the regular season, setting the stage for 2027. And that wrist? It feels great.

“Right now, it's just 'be who I am' and we'll go from there,” said Mathis. “A team always wants to just let you play and then they'll have their tweaks and stuff, so right now, just play the best I can.”