SYRACUSE, N.Y. — With MLB Opening Day less than 100 days away, fans are gearing up for another season of Triple-A baseball at NBT Bank Stadium.
As of August 2025, the New York Mets have the No. 1 farm system in baseball, according to ESPN.
This jump is largely thanks to in-house talent increasing their value. In the 2024 preseason, FanGraphs estimated that the Mets farm was worth $222 million. Near the end of the year, it was valued at $315 million — equating for almost a $100 million increase.
Fans can look forward to seeing much of this talent shine in Syracuse this summer.
The Mets’ pitching talent headlines the prospect pool. In August, MLB rated these prospects as the ‘Best Group’ in the minors.
Pitchers Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, and Jonah Tong made their big league debut in 2025.
McClean was a critical piece for the New York Mets in their end-of-season campaign. He ended the season with a 2.06 ERA with 57 strikeouts and 16 walks through eight MLB starts. He is currently ranked the No. 11 prospect in baseball, which is the top prospect for the Mets and the NL East.
It was announced last week that McLean will be joining Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. He will be joining teammate Clay Homes as one of the pillars of the pitching staff. The World Baseball Classic will kickoff on March 5th.
In all likelihood, McLean will break camp with the big club in New York.
But, the Syracuse Mets are likely to see some talent return.
Tong and Sproat will likely begin the season in Syracuse, with the current 2026 rotation options for the big-league club including David Peterson, Clay Homes, Sean Manaea, and Kodai Senga. These four will most likely stay in New York, while the final spot in the rotation would be given to either McLean, Tong, or Sproat.
And that is if there is no more outside talent brought in.
Looking across the diamond, key position players like OF Carson Benge, SS Jett Williams, and 1B Ryan Clifford will be returning to Syracuse, along with possible sightings of A.J. Ewing and Jacob Reimer.
Both Benge and Williams were called up to New York in August. Benge had 103 plate appearances with 5 extra base hits. Williams had 14, with a .223 batting average on balls in play.
The first eight Mets prospects have made it past single A, showing that many of New York’s minor league club are beginning to show results.
Of the Mets top 10 ranked prospects, according to MLB, at least seven are likely to see playing time in Syracuse this season.
The Syracuse Mets home opener for the 2026 season is scheduled for Tuesday March 31st at NBT Bank Stadium against the Toledo Mud Hens, the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.