These Mets prospects stood out during the team's inaugural Spring Breakout game
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Major League Baseball is pulling out all the stops to highlight the next generation of potential stars with prospect-laden Spring Breakout games — the first of their kind — across the league this weekend.
The Mets and Nationals provided one of the most highly-anticipated matchups on Friday afternoon, with seven players inside MLB Pipeline's Top 100 featured in the contest. The Mets' potential future pitchers rose to the task, limiting the Nationals' top prospects to two runs on six hits in a 4-2 seven-inning victory at Clover Park.
"It's really cool. It's something I think looking back, it'd be cool to have that same lineup in the big leagues one day," Mets outfield/first base prospect Ryan Clifford said. "As far as where we're at right now, it's really cool to be a part of that, especially for something that it's the first time we're doing it. There's a lot of great talent and hopefully a lot of great major leaguers.""
Here are the five Mets' prospects who stood out during the inaugural spring breakout game and what to know about their potential moving forward:
Brandon Sproat
Position: Starting pitcher
Breakdown: The University of Florida product who was twice drafted by the Mets, including with the 56th overall pick in last season's draft, provided a strong glimpse in his first action with the team.
The 23-year-old righty, who is the Mets' No. 13 ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, needed only six pitches to work a perfect sixth inning and secured the hold. Sproat's sinker, which he used to strike out Maxwell Romero Jr., hit 99 mph on the gun. He also worked in a cutter and curveball to cruise through the Nationals lineup.
Ryan Clifford
Position: First base/outfield
Breakdown: The Mets got a glimpse of their potential top of the order for the next decade as Clifford, the team's No. 4 and MLB's 97th-ranked prospect, lined up at first base and batted clean-up behind Jett Williams, Drew Gilbert and Luisangel Acuña. A dropped fly ball in the opening inning put a runner in scoring position for the Mets, and Clifford cashed in by ripping an opposite-field double down the left-field line for the game's opening run.
The 20-year-old's power potential is what made him a key piece in last season's trade that sent out Justin Verlander to the Astros and also netted Gilbert.
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"For me, it's gotta be hitting," Clifford said of the element of his game that's furthest along. "I think you've got to have a lot of confidence in yourself when you go hit. For me, I feel a lot better at the plate and I'm looking forward to carry that going forward."
Clifford said he is comfortable in either corner outfield spots and first base — a new position for him.
Tyler Stuart
Position: Starting pitcher
Breakdown: After initially struggling in his transition from relief pitcher to starter as a sixth-round pick in 2022, Stuart, the Mets' No. 18 prospect, was one of the organization's top breakout pitchers during the 2023 season. After opening with a 4-0 record, 1.55 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in High-A Brooklyn, the 24-year-old was elevated to Double-A Binghamton where he was 3-2 with a 3.60 ERA.
The 6-foot-9 right-hander showcased more velocity than expected on Friday, with a sinker that touched 97 mph. That pitch, paired with a slider, four-seam fastball and curveball, enabled him to get the Nationals' top of their lineup, which featured top prospects Dylan Crews, James Wood and Brady House, to all ground out.
Marco Vargas
Position: Infield
Breakdown: The 19-year-old prospect, who was acquired by the Mets at the trade deadline in exchange for David Robertson, drew the start at second base as Acuña's double-play partner. While Vargas said he is the most comfortable at shortstop, he is OK playing at second or third base.
The left-handed hitter, who is the organization's eight-ranked prospect, received three at-bats and showcased strong strike-zone awareness with a pair of walks and run scored. Vargas contributed to five outs in the field, including a double play in the fourth inning.
"The same approach with hitting and try to steal more bases, take walks and things like that," Vargas said of where he is trying to improve this season.
Calvin Ziegler
Position: Starting pitcher
Breakdown: The 21-year-old right-hander was drafted by the Mets in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft but limited to 17 starts in each of the last two seasons as he dealt with biceps tendinitis, surgery for bone spurs in his elbow and a torn quad.
"It was about as hard as it gets," Ziegler said of the stretch of injuries to begin his career. "I signed to be a baseball player, not a rehab player, so it was definitely tough but we made it through, so we're good now."
Ziegler flashed some of what makes him an intriguing option moving forward with a perfect seventh inning, including two strikeouts, to earn the save. He flashed a fastball that touched 97 mph and a looping curveball, which is his second-best pitch, while featuring a slider that he has been working on since November.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NY Mets standout prospects from spring breakout game
