Five Mets to Watch During Spring Training

22-year-old Ryan Clifford is a prototypical first baseman, a 6-foot-3 lefty bat and glove. He spent the majority of his time at Double-A Binghamton in 2025, blasting 24 round-trippers in 437 plate appearances before being called up to Triple-A Syracuse for the final 34 games of the minor league season.

Clifford's fielding still has a long way to go and his strikeout rate has hovered around (if not above) 25% throughout his career thus far, but he also draws plenty of walks as a result of his fearsome power bat.

He'll more than likely begin 2026 in Triple-A, but with the Mets' dearth of "natural" first basemen on their projected roster, Spring Training is a massive opportunity for Clifford to put himself on Mendoza's radar and force his way onto the team's major league roster.

Jacob Reimer

Drafted by the Mets with the 119th overall pick in 2022, Jacob Reimer is one of many non-roster invitees attending Spring Training. Reimer is the 85th best prospect in all of baseball, according to FanGraphs' recently updated Top 100 Prospects list, and some have begun to consider him the team's top infield prospect.

At just 22 years old, Reimer's hit tool and power from the right-handed batter's box are his calling cards. He raked in the minors last season, and a mid-season promotion from Single-A to Double-A didn't slow him down. He mashed 17 home runs and drove in 77 RBIs, recording a superb slash line of .282/.379/.491 in 522 at-bats.

Reimer is working hard to improve his defense at third base, identified as a key weakness by scouts. Bo Bichette is being ramped up to move from shortstop to the hot corner for the first time in his career this season, while Mark Vientos and Brett Baty represent positional depth. As a result, Reimer's ETA to MLB is more likely early 2027 or late 2026, but a strong Spring Training could accelerate his projected trajectory.

Craig Kimbrel

Craig Kimbrel is one of the most accomplished relief pitchers of the 21st century. A nine-time All-Star who has finished in the top 10 of Cy Young voting on five separate occasions, Kimbrel has the second most total saves (440) of any active pitcher.

Kimbrel will turn 38 years old this season, and it's clear his best days are behind him, but he proved in 2025 that he is still capable of being a reliable reliever. A 2.25 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in 14 appearances (almost entirely spent with the Houston Astros) isn't bad going by any means, especially for a pitcher who relies on his four-seam fastball 65% of the time.

Kimbrel is attending Mets camp as a non-roster invitee, hoping to earn a vacant Opening Day spot in the team's injury-riddled bullpen.

Jared Young

Jared Young is a veteran utility player who held his own in a small sample size with the Mets last season. Called up on two separate occasions in 2025, the lefty pull hitter homered four times in 47 plate appearances. The 30-year-old Canadian has struggled to hit for average and get on base in general throughout his professional career, but does offer value on defense, being capable of playing at first base and all across the outfield.

In his 105 plate appearances, just six have come against left-handed pitchers, so he is certainly a specialist. However, the Mets have plenty of righty bats in the lineup, and so Young's lefty bat and defensive versatility could offer an intriguing tactical foil for Mendoza to utilize in 2026.

Brandon Waddell

Brandon Waddell is a journeyman southpaw who, just like Jared Young, held his own in a small sample size with the Mets last season. Waddell made just 11 appearances for the Mets in 2025 after being called up from Triple-A on April 30th.

Despite relatively poor advanced metrics and pitch velocity, his five different pitches were mixed effectively enough for Waddell to record a respectable 3.45 ERA and 1.28 WHIP. Capable of being deployed as a "relief starter", long reliever, or middle reliever, he's unsurprisingly much more effective facing lefty batters compared to righty batters.

Much like Craig Kimbrel, Waddell could earn a place in the Mets' Opening Day bullpen by showcasing strong performances during Spring Training.

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