The Biggest Thing Separating the Mets from Remaining Contenders

As the MLB playoffs roll on, one common denominator appears across the rosters of three out of the four teams that played in the LCS. Aside from the Los Angeles Dodgers, who were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS, every remaining team relies heavily on homegrown talent.

Jackson Chourio, Jonathan Aranda, and Jose Ramirez have made great impacts on their respective teams, and they're just the tip of the iceberg. While the Dodgers have shown that buying World Series championships is possible, there's a far better chance of winning a title with good old-fashioned development of prospects.

For a team like the New York Mets, that's one area they can continuously show improvement at.

Where the Mets have fallen short

While the Mets have done better with prospect development in recent years, as shown by Carson Benge, Nolan McLean, A.J. Ewing, and others, they have struggled with consistency. They have one top-100-ranked prospect, Jefferson Rojas, who was acquired at the trade deadline from the Chicago Cubs.

They were ranked 18th in MLB.com's in-season farm system rankings. The Dodgers were in first place and seem to have recognized that their superteam needs minor league support, with glimpses of that coming from Josue De Paula.

It's fair to say the Mets' descent from their farm system pre-season ranking is due to all of the call-ups they made, but it also reveals the lack of depth remaining in their system. That comes back to drafting. Among the 58 draft picks David Stearns has made as president of baseball operations, four are in Triple-A, and Benge is the only one to make his major league debut.

Closing the gap

It would be unfair not to consider international free agents when discussing homegrown talent, and Stearns has done pretty well in that department, perhaps showing signs of change in the farm system. Their third-ranked prospect, Elian Peña, was signed in January 2025 and has already impressed in his brief minor league career, with 30 stolen bases in 2026 and a jump from Port St. Lucie to Brooklyn.

Also in the top 10 is Wandy Asigen, whom the Mets signed in January of this year at just 16 years old. Asigen isn't projected to be in the big leagues until 2031, per MLB Pipeline. However, the talent is undeniable, as he already has exit velocities above 100 miles per hour.

Both Peña and Asigen are still just teenagers, but with how quickly prospects can rise through a farm system nowadays, they're worth keeping an eye on.

Wheeling and dealing

The 2026 trade deadline was key to replenishing the farm system. They added nine new prospects to their top 30, including the aforementioned Rojas.

This wasn't enough to move the Mets to the top half of the farm system rankings, but it was still important. Stearns' willingness to cut his losses and add formidable talent to a farm system in flux only inches the Mets closer to the remaining playoff teams.

While fans may blame Stearns for the farm system not being where it should be, it's important to add context. According to Baseball America, the average time it takes for a player to reach the big leagues is 4 to 5 years. This means Stearns' impact on the system is only in its infancy.

It's easy to forget that detail, with players like Benge treating the minor leagues like a layover on the way to their destination. After all, the Brewers are largely built on Stearns' decision-making, including signing Jackson Chourio five years ago.

The Mets may lag behind their competitors, but more time is warranted to see if they can resemble what fans across the country are seeing as a result of premium farm systems here in October.