4 under-the-radar Mets prospects standing out in spring training
New York Mets outfielder A.J. Ewing during a spring training baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday Feb. 25, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, FL. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — It’s not all about who’s on the Opening Day roster.
While that’s certainly the ultimate goal, spring training also is a prime opportunity to lay eyes on the talent that might shape the Mets in years to come. It certainly is for manager Carlos Mendoza, who assesses prospects daily.
“I’m pretty involved,” said Mendoza, who spent years in player development. “There’s talent there — not only in the upper levels [but] in the lower levels as well.”
Fans may know about Carson Benge and Jonah Tong, and even Ryan Clifford and Jacob Reimer, but here’s a look at four under-the-radar prospects who Mendoza said have impressed him.
A.J. Ewing, OF/INF
A rival scout simply called Ewing “a ballplayer,” noting his speed, athleticism and keen instincts, and Mendoza agreed. “There’s a lot of different ways he can help a baseball team,” he said. “Whether it’s the way he plays defense, with the way he runs the bases, good at-bats, puts the ball in play, drives the ball. He’s another kid that I don’t think people talk much about him, but it’s another good one there.”
To wit, in Sunday’s 10-4 win over the Yankees, Ewing, playing rightfield, went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a stolen base.
Ewing, the team’s No. 4 prospect, began his minor-league career as a second baseman before transitioning to the outfield, with the team projecting him to be a centerfielder. Ewing stole 70 bases in 124 games through Low-A, High-A and Double-A last year and had a .339/.371/.430 slash line in 28 games with Binghamton.
Baseball America notes his line-drive approach to all fields, something he tweaked in his mechanics last year. It means he doesn’t hit for as much power as he otherwise would but strikes out far less. “His instincts and decision-making stand out,” the scouting report reads, and his .401 on-base percentage was the best in the Mets’ farm system last year for a player with at least 300 at-bats.
Chris Suero, LF/C/1B
Mendoza name-checked Suero when he was asked about which players have surprised him the most. The righthanded hitter showed why last week when he rocketed a knee-high slider 381 feet to left against the Astros.
An outfielder in high school, he transitioned to catcher before turning pro and caught plenty of people’s attention when he hit five homers in 15 games in the Arizona Fall League last year. The team’s No. 12 prospect, he has above-average speed (he stole 35 bases in the minors last year), is improving his pitch framing and hits for power, according to Baseball America.
Ryan Lambert, RP
Lambert is a classic fastball-slider reliever who chases strikeouts with a lively four-seamer that can creep toward triple digits and a deceptive slider that helped him strike out 81 batters in 50 innings in High-A and Double-A last year. Lambert has allowed one hit and one walk with five strikeouts in two one-inning appearances in spring training. If he can hone his control — he walked 4.9 batters per nine innings last year — he projects as a high-leverage reliever.
Jack Wenninger, SP
The righty allowed no runs, three hits and no walks with five strikeouts in three innings of relief against the Cardinals on Saturday, and he has a 2.70 ERA in three appearances. At 6-4, Wenninger is an imposing presence on the mound and boasts a nasty splitter that helped him pitch to a 2.92 ERA and strike out 147 in 135 2⁄3 innings with Double-A Binghamton in 2025. He used his strength to his advantage last year, adding more than 3 mph to a fastball that now hits 98.
He throws a sinker and is further developing two potentially strong breaking pitches: a slider and curveball. His repeatable delivery and good control — 2.79 walks per nine innings last year — point to a player who might be ready for the next level sooner rather than later.
Notes & quotes: Reliever Robert Stock was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome and will undergo shoulder surgery, meaning he will miss most or — more likely — all of this upcoming season. Stock reported discomfort after pitching three scoreless innings for Team Israel in an exhibition game last week . . . Brandon Waddell was scratched from Monday’s start after experiencing shoulder fatigue.
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
