The 2025 Syracuse Mets finished the season with a 77-73 record, placing them in the middle of the International League East standings. The first half was rough. Syracuse stumbled to a 31-44 start, but things flipped after the break, as the team rallied for a 46-29 second half.

The biggest story of the summer was the late-season arrival of four top prospects: Jett Williams, Jonah Tong, Carson Benge, and Ryan Clifford. They joined Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean to form one of the most prospect-heavy Triple-A rosters in recent Mets history. For a level often dominated by veterans, it was a rare sight.

On the mound, Nolan McLean was the clear standout. In a notoriously hitter-friendly league, he dominated with a 2.78 ERA over 87 1/3 innings after his May promotion. That success carried over to the majors, where he has quickly cemented his place in David Stearns’ long-term plans.

Nolan McLean. Photo by Rick Nelson

Brandon Sproat showed flashes of front-line ability but battled inconsistency. Across 121 innings, he recorded a 4.24 ERA with 113 strikeouts, highlighted by a brilliant July where he posted a 0.67 ERA over five starts to earn his call-up. Jonah Tong made only two starts but didn’t allow a run in 11 2/3 innings.

Beyond that trio, Syracuse’s pitching was hit or miss. Blade Tidwell held his own before being traded to the Giants in the Tyler Rogers deal, logging a 4.10 ERA and 97 strikeouts in 87 1/3 innings. The older shuttle squad arms weren’t as sharp (even though they were fine in the majors): Brandon Waddell (5.02 ERA), Justin Hagenman (5.58), and Dom Hamel all had rough years in the minors but were given cups of coffee at the big league level.

The bullpen lacked immediate big-league options outside of Dylan Ross, a fireballing righty who dominated with a 1.69 ERA and 13.5 K/9 over 32 innings before a September call-up (though he didn’t appear in a game). Felipe De La Cruz and Douglas Orellana remain intriguing with their innate arm talent. Still, both struggled in limited Triple-A work — De La Cruz with walks and Orellana with both command and contact management (2.04 WHIP in 18 2/3 IP).

At the plate, Syracuse’s offense lacked consistency. The top prospects struggled after arriving — Ryan Clifford (.754 OPS) led the group, followed by Jett Williams (.719) and Carson Benge (.583). All hovered near the Mendoza Line and will likely begin 2026 back in Triple-A for further development.

Jett Williams. Photo by Kylie Richelle

Leading the way offensively was corner infielder and outfielder Jared Young. In 321 plate appearances with Syracuse, Young hit .300/.396/.560. Perhaps he would have outperformed the young Ronny Mauricio down the stretch, but there’sno use looking back anymore. Young will be a minor league free agent at year’s end.

Minor league veterans Luke Ritter, Luis De Los Santos, and Gilberto Celestino all possess significant pro ball experience but limited upside. Ritter, once the Mets’ minor league home run leader, hit .225/.331/.366 with 11 homers in 438 plate appearances. Celestino was serviceable at .272/.362/.382, but had a major hole on the outer half of the plate. De Los Santos, 27, was an early-season bench candidate but ended with a .627 OPS in Triple-A.

Coaching Staff

Manager – Dick Scott
Pitching Coach – AJ Sager
Hitting Coach – Rick Guarno
Bench Coach / Assistant Hitting Coach – J.P. Arenciba
Outfield Coach / Baserunning Coordinator – Corey Wimberly
Strength & Conditioning Coach – Drew Skrocki
Athletic Trainer – Austin Dayton
Assistant Athletic Trainer – Joseph Parrillo

MMO Top Prospects (Min. 30 GP/30 IP)

1 – SS/2B/CF Jett Williams
2 – OF Carson Benge
4 – RHP Nolan McLean
5 – RHP Brandon Sproat
8 – 1B/COF Ryan Clifford
20 – RHP Jonathan Pintaro
23 – RHP Dylan Ross

Team Batting Leaders

Games: Luke Ritter – 115
AB: Joey Meneses – 385
Runs: Gilberto Celestino – 66
Hits: Joey Meneses – 102
2B: Joey Meneses – 35
3B: Yonny Hernández / Jared Young – 3
HR: Jared Young – 17
RBI: Joey Meneses – 55
BB: Luke Ritter / Gilberto Celestino – 51
SO: Luke Ritter – 138
SB: José Azocar – 17
CS: José Azocar – 6
BA (Qualified): Gilberto Celestino – .272
OBP (Qualified): Gilberto Celestino – .362
SLG (Qualified): Gilberto Celestino – .383
OPS (Qualified): Gilberto Celestino – .744

Note: Syracuse had three qualified hitters: Gilberto Celestino, Luke Ritter, and Joey Meneses.

Team Pitching Leaders:

W: Brandon Sproat – 8
L: Brandon Waddell – 9
ERA (min. 60 IP): Nolan McLean – 2.78
G: Chris Devenski – 35
GS: Brandon Sproat – 25
SV: Chris Devenski – 4
IP: Brandon Sproat – 121
HR: Justin Hagenman – 13
BB: Brandon Sproat – 53
SO: Brandon Sproat – 113
WHIP (min. 60 IP): Nolan McLean – 1.10
AVG (min. 30 IP): Dylan Ross – .107

Overall, Syracuse ranked 12th in the league in runs scored (735) and ninth in ERA (4.61).

Looking ahead, the closest to Queens remain the top guys, in Williams, Benge, and Clifford. All are likely to return to Syracuse in 2026 for refinement. Each has its flaws, but there is potential to impact the Mets down the road and later in the new season.