The Syracuse Mets will look to bounce back from a 50-75 finish in the International League (Triple-A East) in 2021 with new management and players this season. Manager Kevin Boles came over after five seasons with the Pawtucket Red Sox, earning Baseball America’s “International League’s Best Managerial Prospect” in 2018.

Boles brings 19 years of minor league experience to a Syracuse Mets team that has just three playoff appearances since 1990. He’ll be tasked with solving the offensive struggles for Syracuse, which ranked 15th in runs scored en route to its 17th-place finish out of 20 teams last season. The Mets also had the worst pitching in the International League last season, ranking last in ERA (5.35), WHIP (1.52) and strikeouts (972).

The manager’s responsibility will be to develop talent in the Mets’ farm system when they come through Syracuse. The Mets have several minor league hitters with potential to be power bats — an area the New York struggled with last season.

Most of the Mets’ top prospects are hitters with powerful upside, but many are relatively new to AAA. The best of these prospects will likely be back and forth between Syracuse and Citi Field, with the opportunity to stay in the bigs. The star of last year’s Syracuse Mets, right fielder Khalil Lee, played the most games for Syracuse in 2021 but will start this season on New York’s 40-man roster. Lee’s unusual blend of power and athleticism from the left side got him to the majors for 11 games last year, though his role was minimal. A patient hitter with a knack for getting on base, Lee also led Syracuse in areas such as OBP, home runs, walks and doubles.

Maya Goosmann | Digital Design Director

Another prospect with his eyes on the majors is 21-year-old shortstop Ronny Mauricio, who will make his Triple-A debut in Syracuse this season. Mauricio signed with the team during the 2018 international signing period and his switch-hitting power helped him get listed as MLB’s No. 78 overall prospect to start the season.

The area where Mauricio needs to improve most is getting on base, as he finished with a substandard .296 OBP last season. The Mets have worked with Mauricio on improving his plate vision and overaggressiveness, according to MLB.com, which resulted in a drop in strikeout rate as last season progressed. He still doesn’t take many walks, though, which has brought his MLB-readiness into question, according to MLB.com.

The second Mets prospect to crack MLB.com’s top 100 list is third baseman Brett Baty at No. 27. The 12th overall pick in 2019 hit 12 homers at High-A and Double-A last season and MLB.com ranked him as the No. 1 primarily-third base prospect in the majors. Baty will start the season in AA Binghamton, but he could earn a quick Triple-A call-up if he can translate the power he’s shown in practice into his performance, according to MLB.com. The Mets have been giving him outfield reps in Binghamton due to competition with Mark Vientos, a power-hitting third baseman who, like Baty, has taken reps at left field as well as first base.

Vientos spent the majority of last season in Binghamton before finishing in Syracuse, slashing .281/.352/.581 with 25 home runs and 63 RBIs in just 83 games. He earned a 40-man roster spot and a spring training invite, and he will start at third base for Syracuse to begin the 2022 season. Vientos’ .933 OPS was the best of Mets prospects; his combination of power and patience at the plate is exactly what New York was missing last season. The Mets expect him to get more looks at first base in 2022, which means, “he’ll be knocking on the door to Citi Field,” according to MLB.com.

With a new manager, new talent and the league’s second-largest payroll looming in the majors, the Syracuse Mets will have a lot to evaluate this season. Roster fluctuation in AAA is expected, so some of these top prospects won’t be in Syracuse’s opening day lineup. And stars like Lee and Vientos, as well as veterans on minor league deals, will be back and forth with the major league club.

Syracuse will open the season at home on Tuesday night against the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (the Yankees’ AAA affiliate). Former New York Mets outfielder and World Series Champion Mookie Wilson will throw out the first pitch and then sign autographs on the concourse from 7-8 p.m., according to Syracuse.com.

Published on April 4, 2022 at 10:33 pm

Contact Wyatt: wbmiller@syr.edu