Four Mets Ranked on ESPN’s Top 100 Prospect List

Shortstop/outfielder Jett Williams, starting pitcher Brandon Sproat, infielder Ronny Mauricio and outfielder Drew Gilbert were ranked in ESPN’s top 100 prospect list put together by Kiley McDaniel and released Wednesday.

The 21-year-old Williams, ranked No. 34, was described as a “5-foot-6 spark plug with 20 homer upside and plus plus speed.” Williams missed most of last season with injuries, posting a .656 in 148 plate appearances across three levels, reaching as high as Triple-A Syracuse.

He was selected in the first round (14th overall) of the 2022 draft and hit .263/.425/.451 with 13 home runs in 2023 over 534 plate appearances at Low-A St. Lucie, Single-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton. He also stole 45 bases.

Sproat (ranked at 62) was called a “power sinker/slider starter who has continued to improve from a collegiate short reliever.” The Mets selected the right-hander in the second round of the 2023 draft out of the University of Florida.

The 24-year-old jumped from Brooklyn to Triple-A Syracuse last season, though he pitched poorly in seven starts at Triple-A (7.53 ERA, 28.2 innings).

“He still needs one more tick of command development but now looks to be on the verge of becoming a third or fourth starter,” McDaniel wrote.

Mauricio, at No. 67, was said to have “dynamic raw tools, decent playability of them,” though he is coming off missing 2024 after tearing his ACL in winter ball.

“He has plus bat control and plus-plus power projection, but he undermines those with a well-above-average chase rate and a flat launch angle, so his homer totals might not match his raw power in the big leagues,” McDaniel wrote. “Mauricio is a solid defensive shortstop and has a plus arm, so he can play anywhere on the field and could be used in a utility role to find at-bats.”

The switch-hitting 23-year-old hit 23 homers and stole 24 bases at Syracuse in 2023 before hitting two homers and stealing seven in 26 games with the Mets.

Gilbert (No. 84) is a “prototypical hit-over-power center fielder with plus speed,” according to McDaniel.

“Gilbert’s 2024 was slowed by a hamstring injury and his offensive indicators (contact rate, chase rate, exit velos) all regressed a bit,” McDaniel wrote. “I’m largely expecting him to come into 2025 healthy and back to his 2023 self (plus runner, above-average hitter, 15ish homers), with an MLB debut in the second half, but I’ll watch the early returns carefully.”

Gilbert hit 10 homers and posted a .685 OPS in 269 plate appearances while battling those injuries in 2024, but hit 18 homers and had an .868 OPS (504 PAs) when he was healthy in 2023. He was acquired in the Justin Verlander trade with the Astros.

If Sproat or Williams earn a year of MLB service time and factor into a major postseason award, the Mets could earn an extra draft pick under the Prospect Promotion Incentive. The PPI, put in place during the last collective bargaining agreement, may reward teams whose prospects appear on at least two of three top 100 prospect rankings released by MLB Pipeline, Baseball America and ESPN.

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