Here are the Mets' 2026 Top 30 prospects
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Nolan McLean might already be a household name around Queens. He was the Mets’ de facto ace down the stretch last year. Until the club acquired Freddy Peralta, it looked like he might lead the New York rotation again to begin 2026. He’s the only rookie on Team USA’s World Baseball Classic roster. He’s the top pitching prospect in baseball entering 2026.
And here’s the important part for Mets fans and the health of the organization at large -- he isn’t alone among the supremely talented Mets prospects in the pipeline.
The NL East contenders boast four Top 100 prospects atop their new team Top 30 prospect rankings, released Monday by MLB Pipeline. That’s down from six after Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat were traded to the Brewers this offseason in the Peralta deal, but while picking up a potential ace in a deal would decimate many other systems, the Mets can keep on trucking with top-tier, near-MLB-ready talent.
Besides McLean, outfielder Carson Benge and right-hander Jonah Tong are both competing for Major League roles this spring, and outfielder/second baseman A.J. Ewing -- in the Top 100 for the first time -- is headed back to the upper Minors as a speedy up-the-middle talent with strong on-base skills. First baseman/outfielder Ryan Clifford, third baseman Jacob Reimer and right-hander Jack Wenninger could each easily jump into the Top 100 themselves with strong starts to 2026.
There is an international flavor here as well with shortstops Elian Peña (No. 9) and Wandy Asigen (No. 12) each ranking highly after signing for $5 million in 2025 and $3.9 million this January, respectively. With the breakouts we’ve seen among Mets prospects in recent years, particularly in the pitching department, there’s a strong chance players in the back half of the 30 will be much bigger names by this time next year too.
Here’s a look at the Mets’ top prospects:
- Nolan McLean, RHP (MLB No. 6)
- Carson Benge, OF (MLB No. 16)
- Jonah Tong, RHP (MLB No. 48)
- A.J. Ewing, OF/2B (MLB No. 97)
- Ryan Clifford, 1B/OF
Complete Top 30 list »
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2025 preseason list to the 2026 preseason list:
Jump: Jack Wenninger, RHP (2025: 29 | 2026: 7)
The 2023 sixth-rounder struck out 140 batters in 115 innings in his first full season in 2024, placing himself on the Top 30 list this time last year, but another K-heavy season at Double-A Binghamton (2.92 ERA, 147 strikeouts in 135 2/3 innings) sent him much higher up the list once it was clear his stuff played in the upper Minors. Wenninger increased his fastball velocity from sitting 91-94 in ‘24 to 93-96 last year, and his trademark is a mid-80s splitter that looks like a potential plus-plus weapon. He turns 24 this month and should factor into New York’s starting depth this season.
Fall: Jeremy Rodriguez, INF (2025: 12 | 2026: NR)
Acquired from the D-backs in a 2023 trade straight-up for outfielder Tommy Pham, Rodriguez had a reputation for protecting the plate well in his first few pro seasons but struggled to reestablish that last season at Single-A St. Lucie. He hit just .202/.304/.236 with one homer in 112 games in the Florida State League. His overall contact skills were still strong but came with little impact at the plate, causing him to fall out of a deep Top 30.
Best tools
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is plus and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.
Hit: 60 – Carson Benge
Power: 60 – Ryan Clifford (Jacob Reimer, Wandy Asigen, Randy Guzman)
Run: 70 – A.J. Ewing (Nick Morabito)
Arm: 60 – Benge (Mitch Voit, Antonio Jimenez)
Defense: 60 – Ewing (Marco Vargas)
Fastball: 70 – Ryan Lambert (Jonah Tong)
Curveball: 60 – Nolan McLean
Slider: 70 – McLean
Changeup: 60 – Tong
Splitter: 60 – Cam Tilly
Control: 60 – Zach Thornton
How they were built
Draft: 22 | International: 5 | Trade: 2 | Free agent: 1
Breakdown by ETA
2026: 13 | 2027: 6 | 2028: 6 | 2029: 3 | 2030: 1 | 2031: 1
Breakdown by position
C: 2 | 1B: 2 | 2B: 1 | 3B: 1 | SS: 5 | OF: 4 | RHP: 13 | LHP: 2