The New York Mets have certainly been busy challenging their top prospects this season. New President of Baseball Operations David Stearns has instilled a philosophy of aggressively promoting the organization's top prospects, which makes sense since a lot of their most intriguing minor leaguers have gotten off to hot starts in 2024. One guy who has been promoted but doesn't quite fit that mold is outfielder Ryan Clifford, who is the focus of this week's edition of Minor League Mondays.
Clifford was an 11th-round pick in 2022 by the Houston Astros, who gave him a large signing bonus to forego a commitment to play collegiately at Vanderbilt. The Astros challenged Clifford early last season, pushing him to High-A Asheville after 25 games, and he responded with 16 home runs in 58 games to go along with an outstanding .903 OPS.
That performance attracted the attention of then-Mets' GM Billy Eppler, who was able to acquire Clifford and fellow outfielder Drew Gilbert from the Astros in a trade that sent Justin Verlander back to Houston. The move to Brooklyn didn't agree with Clifford, who hit just .188 with six home runs and 22 RBIs in 30 games, leading the Mets to have him repeat the level to begin 2024.
Clifford didn't get off to a strong start in the counting stats department for Brooklyn in 2024, hitting just .216 with a homer and 10 RBIs in the early going of the season, but the Mets bumped him up to AA Binghamton anyway. A big reason why the Mets felt Clifford was ready for another challenge was his outstanding .412 on base percentage, which was buoyed by an outstanding walk rate of 23.9 percent, showcasing a strong eye at the plate for Clifford.
The results may not have been there at the plate for Clifford is because the New York-Penn League is a brutal hitter's environment and the Cyclones' home park on Coney Island is very hard on left-handed power hitters. The winds coming off the ocean make it tough for anyone to hit for a ton of power in Brooklyn, which is one of Clifford's calling cards as evidenced by some of the towering blasts he hit last season.
The move to Binghamton should allow Clifford a better chance to showcase his elite raw power throughout the summer. Clifford is a classic case of a three true outcomes hitter who will walk and hit homers but also strike out a lot, as evidenced by his 43 punchouts in 102 at bats for Brooklyn this season. Finding a long term defensive home for Clifford is also a challenge since he has the arm for right field but his lack of speed may make it harder for him to cover adequate ground, leaving first base as a likely long term landing spot. Given the uncertainty regarding Pete Alonso's future in New York, Clifford's potential as a first baseman is important to monitor.
Scouts see a ton of potential in Clifford, who is the Mets' fourth-best prospect according to MLB.com, but it may take him some time to reach his ceiling. The jump from Single-A to Double-A is challenging for any player but it may be moreso for Clifford, who wasn't experiencing a ton of success in Brooklyn before his promotion. Expect the Mets to let Clifford take all the time he needs to acclimate to the Eastern League before seriously considering another move up to AAA Syracuse.
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