Forget the dollar signs and the eye-popping luxury tax bills for a second. Opposing fans love to beat up on Mets owner Steve Cohen for trying to buy a pennant, but the real story in Queens isn’t just about the checkbook anymore. It is about a farm system that has quietly turned into an absolute factory.
This week’s blockbuster for Freddy Peralta felt like a gut punch to some, seeing Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat packed off to Milwaukee. But look at what is left in the cupboard.
The King of the Hill in Queens
The Mets still have four hammers sitting on the MLB Pipeline Top 100, and leading that charge is Nolan McLean at number six. Let that sink in. He is officially the top-ranked pitching prospect in the sport.
Last year, the kid didn’t just knock on the door; he kicked it down with a 2.06 ERA over 48 big-league innings. The transition from a two-way experiment to a frontline starter happened faster than a New York minute. His 2.45 ERA across the high minors wasn’t a fluke.
A Lineup Full of Future Problems
Then you have Carson Benge sitting at 16th overall, and the hype is reaching a fever pitch. He mowed through three levels of the minors in 2025, posting a 150 wRC+ that should have every pitcher in the National League East losing sleep. With 15 homers and 22 bags, the guy is a five-tool threat who might actually snag the left field job out of spring training.
It’s rare to see a kid with that kind of plate discipline combined with raw athleticism. He is expected to wear the orange and blue for years.
The Diamond in the Rough
Jonah Tong is the name that makes the stat-heads drool and the traditionalists scratch their heads. His 7.71 ERA in a brief big-league cameo looks ugly on a back of a baseball card. But the 4.31 FIP tells the real story of a guy who got unlucky while flashing dominant stuff.
Down on the farm, he was basically a video game character, striking out 179 batters and maintaining a 1.43 ERA. At 48 on the Top 100 list, he is the kind of high-ceiling arm that makes you okay with trading away a guy like Sproat.
Speed Kills and Ewing Has Plenty
Don’t overlook A.J. Ewing just because he is sitting at 97 on the list. The 21-year-old is a nightmare on the basepaths, having swiped 70 bags last season while showing a refined approach at the plate. A 147 wRC+ across three levels proves he isn’t just a track star playing baseball; he’s a professional hitter who happens to be the fastest guy on the field. The Mets system is deep, it’s dangerous, and even after a massive trade, it remains firmly in the top ten of every reputable ranking.
The Peralta trade was about winning in 2026, but the foundation Cohen and David Stearns have built ensures this won’t be a one-year window. Trading Jett Williams hurt because he was the 51st-best prospect in the game, but when you have this much internal talent, you can afford to pay the price for an ace. The Mets are finally operating like a big-market juggernaut that actually knows how to scout. It’s a terrifying development for the rest of the league.
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