2 The Bigs

By Matt Castagna:

As a Mets fan, MLB prospects have come few and far between as far as players to get excited about at the pro-level. However, with new management in charge and the desire to build the farm up, we have seen quite the shift in a Mets fan’s mindset.

People may remember the rocky (no pun intended) start with the 2021 MLB Draft, as the Mets selected Kumar Rocker. At the time, us fans were celebrating the pick and we couldn’t be more excited. That was until the news broke later that the Mets ultimately didn’t like his medicals, and were going to pass on the opportunity to sign their first round draft pick.

Why mention this horrible mistake you may ask? Well, when the Mets passed on signing Kumar, they were granted an additional first round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft. They used this pick on catcher Kevin Parada. Their original pick was 14th overall. With this pick they were now able to take a chance on a high-ceiling, high school prospect in Jett Williams.

We all love to make player comps on new draft picks. Due to his stature, Jett Williams received the comparisons of MLB All-Star Jose Altuve. A high-bar to say the least.

This past season, Williams has taken monumental strides, as he started in Single-A, and ended up all the way in Double-A as a starter for the Rumble Ponies.

He consistently gave Binghamton quality and meaningful at-bats during their postseason run last season. How did he get there though? He logged a 1.018 OPS in High-A. Additionally, he had 43 extra-base hits, 102 walks, along with 44 stolen bases. His 22 percent strikeout-rate was a tad high, but hey, let’s cut him some slack.

You know, given he’s still a “teenager”.

Williams finished top-50 across all minor leaguers in hard-hit percentage (35.9). He showed he has patience at the plate with a 19.5 percent walk-rate, which was good for 14^th in the minors last year.

When Williams gets on-base, he is constantly flashing his athleticism. His play certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed, as he was named the Mets Minor League Player of the Year by Baseball America.

Williams is currently checking in at the Mets No. 3 prospect and MLB.com’s No. 78 overall prospect so it’s fair to say he has tremendous value.

With Williams starting in Double-A in 2024, he has a real shot to be knocking on the door for the Mets’ MLB roster come September.

You won’t find many under-20 year-old, top-five prospect, 1^st bowman autos for under $100.

Well, here’s one! Williams’ base-autos are currently going for a measly $50-$60.

My advice? Go grab a low-numbered color auto, like his Green refractor /99 which goes for $150. Jett seems like one of those prospects that will make his major league debut before he can legally walk into a bar and order himself an alcoholic beverage.