By james art After losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS, the offseason for the New York Mets has begun.
Some players in the organization are stepping up their game and continuing their development in the Arizona Fall League. That includes two of the Mets’ top three prospects.
Outfielder Drew Gilbert went 1-for-4 in his last game and is five for his last 14 with five runs, two home runs, four RBI and four RBIs over the past week. He slashed .357/.526/.786 for the week and raised his batting average from .083 to .184 and his OPS from .404 to .759.
In 62 minor league games this season, Gilbert slashed .205/.313/.371 with 10 HR and 31 RBI; however, the Mets’ No. 3 prospect missed over three months of action with a right hamstring strain. The Houston Astros drafted the now 24-year-old in the first round in 2022, but traded him to New York at the 2023 trade deadline for Justin Verlander; Gilbert continued to skyrocket up his new team’s farm rankings, hitting .325/.423/.561 in 35 games with Double-A Binghamton. If Gilbert can show continued improvement with Triple-A Syracuse and stays healthy, he could be called up to the majors sometime late next season.
Jett Williams went 2-for-4 Saturday night in Arizona Fall League action.
He played his second straight game in center field.
Drew Gilbert went 1-for-4 as a left fielder.
— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) October 27, 2024
Meanwhile, New York’s No. 2 prospect Jett Williams raised his AFL average to .238 after going 2-for-4 on Saturday. The shortstop/center fielder is now batting .238 with an .802 OPS this fall; however, he has scored a team-high 16 times in 51 appearances, including a pair of strikes in Saturday’s game.
Williams, 20, was drafted 14th overall by the Mets in 2022. He hit .215 in three minor league stops last season but missed much of the time due to right wrist surgery. After recovering, the shortstop/center fielder provided an extremely encouraging finish to the year, earning a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse and slashing .364/.533/.546 in six games and 30 at-bats; four of his eight hits were doubles. Like Gilbert, continued strong performance in Triple-A next season could earn Williams a call to the show.