New York Mets

TRACK RECORD: The Mets signed Ramirez out of the Dominican Republic for $2.05 million as the headliner of the club's 2019 international class. He was deprived the chance to make his pro debut in 2020 after the coronavirus pandemic canceled the minor league season. Ramirez spent the spring and summer back home before participating in the Mets' instructional league in October.

SCOUTING REPORT: Ramirez is tall with an athletic build and absolutely looks the part of five-tool center fielder. While an optimistic scout could grade Ramirez's power, speed, fielding and arm as future plus tools, his ability to hit will determine whether he realizes his overall potential. His swing features a lot of moving parts, which hinders his timing and could take several years of repetitions to iron out. Ramirez flashes plus power in batting practice and projects as a plus runner, but he must prove himself as a hitter first. His instincts in center field are strong and so is his arm.

THE FUTURE: Ramirez was often overmatched by pitchers at instructs--which is understandable given that he was 17 and had zero games of pro experience--but the Mets were encouraged that he never gave away at-bats. A likely scenario in 2021 includes time in extended spring training before embarking on a half-season in Rookie ball.

TRACK RECORD: The Mets signed Dominguez in Nov. 2019 a few days before he turned 18. He was passed over in the 2018 international signing period, but his fortunes changed when he relocated from his native Venezuela to the Dominican Republic. Once in the Dominican, he made mechanical adjustments and his velocity spiked to 97 mph. He spent 2020 working out with about a dozen of the Mets' other Venezuelan prospects in Port St. Lucie, Fla., when those players' homeland shut its borders because of the pandemic.

SCOUTING REPORT: Dominguez peaked at 99 mph late at Dominican instructional league in 2019, making him one of the hardest-throwing teenagers in the world. He was unable to build on that and begin his pro career in 2020, both because of the coronavirus pandemic and because of a minor injury. Dominguez threw on the side during instructional league but didn't participate in games. Still, his premium velocity stood out even on the sidelines and even when not at 100%. Dominguez's fastball features riding life up in the zone, and his ability to continue adding strength to his 6-foot-4 frame suggests he could hold highend velocity. His curveball flashes average and could one day complement his fastball as he develops feel for spin. He does not have much feel for a changeup.

THE FUTURE: Dominguez draws praise for his aptitude and arm strength. His future role has not come into focus, but back-of-the-rotation starter or high-leverage reliever seem the most realistic.

TRACK RECORD: Butto signed at age 19 in 2017 and worked his way to low Class A Columbia in 2019. He finished strong to rank among the South Atlantic League top 10 with a 3.62 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Butto was one of the most impressive pitchers at the Mets' instructional league in 2020, throwing strikes at a high rate, limiting hard contact and striking out a batter per inning.

SCOUTING REPORT: Butto throws the best changeup in the Mets' system. He uses a circle-change grip and sells the low-80s pitch with identical arm speed and tunnel as his fastball. His changeup fades to his arm side and features as much as 13 mph of separation from his fastball. Butto can reach the mid 90s in short outings but parks at 91-94 mph in starts. His fastball has plus spin and plus ride, making the pitch difficult to pick up when located up in the zone. Butto used his time at the alternate training site and instructs to gain confidence in his below-average curveball. The Mets challenged him to up his curve usage from 10% to 20% and spin the pitch straight up and down to complement his riding fastball. He developed enough trust to use it as more than a show-me pitch.

THE FUTURE: While on the short side for a righthanded starter, Butto is solidly built and throws three pitches. He is the Mets' most under-the-radar future starter, probably in a No. 5-type capacity.

TRACK RECORD: Newton jumped on the prospect map in 2018, his fourth pro season, when he led the Rookie-level Appalachian League with 16 doubles and ranked second with 46 walks. He struggled mightily at low Class A Columbia in 2019, giving away at-bats and generally playing down to the competition as he shared the same infield with shortstop Ronny Mauricio and third baseman Mark Vientos.

SCOUTING REPORT: Tall and rangy when he signed, Newton has continuously added muscle to his frame and stands out among his middle infield peers at 6-foot-4. He shows plus power in batting practice and posts high exit velocities, but pitch recognition and a high swing-and-miss rate limit his impact in games. Those attributes make him a poor bet to hit for average, though he does draw his share of walks. Newton has made the greatest strides on the defensive side, which he showcased at instructional league with his strong fundamentals and leadership. He is a smooth fielder at shortstop with average range and reliable hands. His strong arm makes him a candidate to move around the infield as needed.

THE FUTURE: For a second straight offseason, Newton went unprotected and unselected in the Rule 5 draft. His combination of defensive know-how and power potential make him a possible future reserve infielder, but he is years away from realizing that potential.

TRACK RECORD: Palmer grew up in Flushing, N.Y. and played high school ball in the shadow of Citi Field. Drafted in the 22nd round in 2018, he hit .310 in his pro debut in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and put himself on the prospect map in 2019, when he ranked among the Rookie-level Appalachian League leaders with 63 hits and 31 walks.

SCOUTING REPORT: Palmer does many things well but lacks an outstanding tool to put him over the top. His biggest area for improvement in 2020 was simply pitch recognition after striking out 39% of the time the year before. To correct that, Palmer made two adjustments. First, he made use of a portable virtual reality machine to help with pitch recognition. Second, he made his swing more effective by working through the ball rather than diving at it. Palmer hits the ball hard consistently and could grow into average power, especially if his recognition gains hold. Drafted as a shortstop, he projects more as an average third baseman. The Mets had him playing outfield at instructional league to increase his versatility. His above-average speed will play there once he becomes more practiced.

THE FUTURE: Palmer has the work ethic and drive to improve, which could be his separating tool. Barring a huge surge in offensive upside, he profiles as a multi-positional player who could play infield and outfield.

TRACK RECORD: Szapucki missed 2018 while recovering from Tommy John surgery but returned in 2019 to throw a career-high 61.2 innings and reach Double-A for one start. Added to the 40-man roster after the 2019 season, he spent 2020 at the Mets' alternate training site.

SCOUTING REPORT: Szapucki pitched with diminished velocity in 2020, clouding his timetable to reach the big leagues unless he recovers that zip on his fastball. He sat at 88 mph at the alternate site after averaging 92 mph the year before and peaking at 95. Szapucki's fastball features plus ride and spin up in the zone, while his curveball shows deep breaking action and high spin in the low 80s. His changeup shows promise and has fringe-average potential as he gains confidence in the pitch. Szapucki is still trying to mentally get through the injury and workload restrictions that have plagued him. The Mets are hopeful his velocity will return after a commitment to strength and conditioning.

THE FUTURE: As a lefthander who can land three pitches for strikes, and whose pitch attributes on his fastball and curveball are promising, Szapucki has a major league future if he recovers his velocity. He is further away than he appeared in 2019 and could require a full minor league season before reaching the majors in 2022.

TRACK RECORD: Valdez signed for $1.4 million in 2018 on the strength of his incredible raw power. He hit six home runs in his pro debut as a 17-year-old in 2019, spending most of the season in the Dominican Summer League but appearing in three games in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.

SCOUTING REPORT: Valdez records some of the highest average exit velocities in the Mets' system, and lives in the same neighborhood in that regard as Top 10 Prospects Brett Baty and Mark Vientos. During one notable live batting practice session at instructional league, the righthanded-hitting Valdez flexed his plus-plus raw power by driving a pitch about 450 feet down the left-field line. Otherwise, the speed of instructional league play was too fast for Valdez, who was one of the younger players in camp. He doesn't chase out of the zone as much as other hitters his age but struggled to wait on his pitch and do damage. Valdez is a power-over-hit corner outfielder, with below-average hitting ability. His physical, mature body will keep him locked in right field, where he has below-average defensive instincts and a strong arm that is mitigated by a long arm action and slow release.

THE FUTURE: Valdez has strong competitive makeup and is a good teammate. His upward mobility depends on doing damage when he makes contact. His development will take time.

TRACK RECORD: The well-traveled McWilliams has been traded twice and selected in the Rule 5 draft in a seven-year pro career. A member of the Rays organization since 2018, he reached Triple-A for a couple months in 2019 and spent 2020 at Tampa Bay's alternate training site. A minor league free agent after the season, McWilliams received multiple major league contract offers. The Mets won out with an offer of $750,000, an unusually high total for a player with no major league experience.

SCOUTING REPORT: McWilliams has worked as a starter for the majority of his career, but the Mets view him as a reliever now that his stuff has ticked up. After previously sitting 93 mph, McWilliams showed up to spring training in 2020 pitching in the mid-to-high 90s and touching 98 mph. He used the time at the Rays' camp to improve his fastball precision and has historically had average or better control despite long limbs on his 6-foot-7 frame. McWilliams' slider has consistently sharp bite, mid-to-high-80s velocity and is his top secondary pitch. He also threw a fringy curveball and changeup as a starter.

THE FUTURE: Few teams have struggled to generate capable bullpen arms like the Mets of recent vintage, giving McWilliams a prime opportunity to establish himself in the bullpen. He has three minor league options remaining but could work his way into middle relief in 2021.

TRACK RECORD: De la Cruz first flashed potential in the short-season Northwest League in 2015, when as 20-year-old he ranked second in the league with 73 strikeouts. He ranked as one of the Cubs' Top 10 prospects three times after his breakout year but never advanced past Double-A before being released in May 2020. The Mets signed him in November as a priority minor league free agent.

SCOUTING REPORT: The Cubs developed de la Cruz as a starter until the second half of the 2019 season, when he moved to the Double-A Tennessee bullpen. His stuff played well in the role--he struck out 49 and walked nine in 37.1 innings with a 1.10 WHIP--and the Mets intend to keep him in a relief role. De la Cruz is a physical freak. His 6-foot-7 stature, long arms and plus extension help his four-seam fastball play up. He sat 92 mph as a starter but as a reliever pitches at 94 and touches 97, delivering the ball from a lower three-quarters arm slot and from the far third base side of the rubber. De la Cruz's mid-80s straight changeup deceives hitters because it doesn't have the expected fade or bore. A lack of a trusted breaking ball limited him in the rotation but isn't as big an issue in the bullpen.

THE FUTURE: The Mets believe de la Cruz has middle reliever upside in the big leagues, a role he could realize in 2021. He will first have to pitch his way onto the 40-man roster, but his unique extension, arm slot and pitch characteristics could work.

TRACK RECORD: The Mets signed Ventura when he was 17 in 2018 and sent him straight to the Dominican Summer League, where he made three brief appearances. He began to showcase his ability at three levels in 2019, particularly in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, where he struck out 34 and walked eight in 33 innings, blending bat-missing ability and an ability to throw strikes with a varied repertoire.

SCOUTING REPORT: Ventura has an athletic delivery and three promising pitches, but it's really the potential of what he could become that intrigues evaluators. He has an athletic delivery, a quick arm and notable shoulder mobility. He pitches at 91-92 mph and tops at 94 as a teenager, but as he matures and gains strength he could sit a few ticks higher based on his ease of operation. Ventura relies on his fastball, throwing it more than 90% of the time in 2019, but has a nascent feel for his secondaries. His curveball shows occasional late snap, while his changeup is thrown with convincing arm speed. Ventura is a responsive learner and shows aptitude for development. The Mets want him to focus on loading his back side better in his delivery and better incorporating his lower half.

THE FUTURE: Ventura throws enough strikes to project to a rotation role if his pitches come up with growth and experience. He is one of the organization's more intriguing lower-level arms.

TRACK RECORD: The Blue Jays signed Diaz out of the Dominican Republic for $70,000 when he was 17 in 2014. He reached the upper levels of the system in 2019, eventually making his major league debut on Aug. 4 before getting sent back down to the Double-A Eastern League.

SCOUTING REPORT: Diaz developed as a starter up through Double-A, though his future is likely in the bullpen. He made his major league debut in a relief role in 2019, though he didn't pitch in the big leagues in 2020. He throws a lively fastball that can reach 98 mph in short stints, but he lacks an effective secondary pitch to be able to miss bats, which shows in his pedestrian ratios. His control has improved over the years but he still needs to throw more strikes, especially without a true out pitch he can rely on.

THE FUTURE: Diaz will serve as low-leverage relief depth for the Mets. He will be on call in 2021 as needed.

TRACK RECORD: Gilliam led the Atlantic Coast Conference with 11 saves as Clemson's closer in 2018. He has remained a reliever since the Mets drafted him in the fifth round after that year and appeared in 29 games in 2019, including 10 for Triple-A Syracuse. Gilliam has struck out 14 batters per nine innings as a pro but has walked 5 per nine and allowed opponents to hit .250, resulting in a 1.50 WHIP.

SCOUTING REPORT: Gilliam's pitch attributes jump off the page. His performance in pro ball has not. Gilliam sits in the mid 90s with his plus, high-spin fastball. He loves to bury his plus, high-spin curveball for swings and misses. He runs into trouble because his command is poor. He wastes too many pitches and doesn't locate his curve in the zone enough, meaning that experienced hitters just eliminate spin and focus on his fastball. He has worked to develop a mid-80s slider to give him an east-west weapon he can throw for strikes.

THE FUTURE: Gilliam's short stature and twitchy, tightly wound actions consign him to the bullpen. His upside remains high because of the caliber of his fastball and curveball, but he needs to locate both in the zone more often to make progress.

TRACK RECORD: Renteria led the Western Athletic Conference with 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings as a New Mexico State redshirt junior in 2017, when the Mets drafted him in the sixth round. He remained in the rotation at low Class A in 2018 before shifting to the bullpen in 2019. While Renteria lost reps because of the canceled 2020 season, he shined at instructional league.

SCOUTING REPORT: Renteria packages a starter's repertoire in a reliever's body. In short bursts he averages 96 mph and throws strikes with conviction. His slider is a legitimate weapon with mid-80s velocity and a high-end spin rate up to 3,000 revolutions per minute. Renteria also throws the rare high-spin changeup with extreme horizontal break. His 5-foot-10 frame and effort level give him more of a bullpen look, but his repertoire and ability to spot pitches in all four quadrants keep him alive as a starter.

THE FUTURE: The Mets nearly added Renteria to the 40-man roster, but he went unselected in the Rule 5 draft. He has a future in middle relief if everything clicks.

TRACK RECORD: Otañez signed out of the Dominican Republic at age 18, missed his age-19 season after having Tommy John surgery and didn't pop on the radar until he was 21 in 2019. Otañez finished that year with short-season Brooklyn and lost a chance to build on that momentum in 2020 when the season was canceled. He did not participate in instructional league because of an unspecified Covid-related issue.

SCOUTING REPORT: Otañez is tall, long-limbed and capable of pumping 97 mph heat with plus vertical ride on his fastball. The Mets love his arm strength--he averages around 95 mph--and work ethic, but he will need to develop his secondary weapons to have a major league future. Otañez increased the power of his curveball from the mid 70s to the low 80s, but his arm swing is stiff and inconsistent, lending more horizontal break than vertical snap to the pitch. Thus, his breaking ball tends to get slurvy. The Mets have pushed Otañez to use his below-average changeup more often, but it makes rare appearances in games.

THE FUTURE: With a more consistent breaking ball, Otañez would profile as a reliever with a north-south attack. His below-average control is also befitting of a bullpen role.

TRACK RECORD: Suarez signed out of Venezuela at age 18 and spent two years in Rookie complex leagues. He tied for fourth in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League with 47 strikeouts in 2019 and was poised to break camp with a full-season club in 2020 before the minor league season was canceled.

SCOUTING REPORT: Suarez doesn't have a knockout pitch, but batters struggle to square him up. He allowed a .191 opponent average in the GCL in 2019. Suarez pitches at 93 mph with the above-average vertical break the Mets emphasize. His high-80s changeup flashes plus and is his best pitch, more notable for his repeatable arm action. Suarez's straight changeup doesn't feature much sink or movement and is separated by just 4 mph from his fastball. Yet it has played against inexperienced hitters. Suarez has feel for a loopy, below-average curveball that is more of an early-count pitch.

THE FUTURE: Suarez has deception that can't be taught. If the Mets can teach him to develop sink and separation on his changeup, he will become a sleeper for back-of-the-rotation work.

TRACK RECORD: The son of former NFL defensive back John Mangum, Jake turned down two chances to turn pro so that he could chase history. With a 108-hit senior season at Mississippi State in 2019, he set the Southeastern Conference all-time hits record. The Mets drafted Mangum in the fourth round in 2019 but signed him for just $20,000 as part of a strategy to save bonus pool money for higher draft picks.

SCOUTING REPORT: Mangum looked largely overmatched as a 23-year-old slap hitter in the short-season New York-Penn League in his 2019 pro debut. That drove him to retool his swing by altering his hand position and setup to help boost his exit velocity and improve his attack angle. With two strikes, Mangum reverts to his spread-out stance he used to great effect in college to poke the ball to the opposite field. He could become an average major league hitter, albeit with well below-average power. Mangum is capable at all three outfield spots as a plus runner with an above-average arm. He is most proficient on the corners.

THE FUTURE: Mangum's feel for hitting, discipline, speed and versatility make him a potential fourth outfielder. He'll make his full-season debut in 2021.

TRACK RECORD: Cornielly signed as a 17-year-old out of Venezuela in 2018 and debuted that season in the Dominican Summer League. He earned a quick ticket out of the DSL in 2019 after striking out 12 and walking one through 10.1 innings, moving to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League.

SCOUTING REPORT: Cornielly uses a simple, repeatable delivery and has a tall, well-proportioned starter's body. What he lacks at this stage is a starter's velocity. He pitches at 88 mph and ranges from 87-90 with solid-average control. Cornielly throws an above-average changeup with sharp sink and run. He typically subtracts anywhere from 12-14 mph off his fastball. Cornielly's low-70s curveball is the proverbial work in progress and lacks power and finish. Cornielly is cerebral, detail-oriented and an adherent of pitch metrics--which is crucial for a pitcher like him who has to think one step ahead of the batter.

THE FUTURE: Not many righthanded starters make the majors throwing 88 mph, but the Mets believe Cornielly could have more velocity in the tank. He'll make his full-season debut in 2021.

TRACK RECORD: The Mets snagged Megill as an eighth-round senior sign in 2018 after he spent his junior and senior seasons in the University of Arizona bullpen. He has the weapons, physicality and endurance to start, so the Mets began the process of stretching him out in the rotation in 2019.

SCOUTING REPORT: Megill came to instructional league in 2020 firing bullets. He reached 98 mph with apparent ease and sat in the mid 90s. Megill has a giant 6-foot-7 frame and very high arm slot but throws strikes and flashes average with three secondary pitches. His mid-80s slider has abrupt action but not a lot of depth, while his curveball has short, sharp break in the same velocity band. Megill has added depth to both breaking pitches as he has developed. His changeup plays as average and helps limit damage from lefthanded hitters.

THE FUTURE: Megill has the wide repertoire of average to near-average secondary pitches to keep hitters off-balance. If he can learn to command them, he could be dangerous, most likely as a reliever.

TRACK RECORD: The Mets signed Cortes for a tick more than $1 million, one of just three seven-figure bonuses in the third round of the 2018 draft. He hit at an above-average rate in the short-season New York-Penn and high Class A Florida State leagues, which both favor pitchers to a large degree, in his first two pro seasons. At instructional league in 2020, he started slow but rebounded and hit a 452-foot drive, the longest in any of the Mets’ games.

SCOUTING REPORT: Cortes doesn’t fit a traditional profile. He doesn’t have prototype power for an outfield corner or the defensive chops to play second base, the position at which he was drafted. What he does have is big bat speed and a twitchiness at the plate that could make him a major league extra one day. Cortes has the capability to hit .270 to .280 with a disciplined approach and gap power. The Mets gave up on playing Cortes at second base. He is ambidextrous but much more comfortable throwing with his left hand, which limits him to the outfield or first base. He looked smooth around the first base bag at instructs, but his 5-foot-7 stature makes him non-playable there.

THE FUTURE: Cortes’ future potential could be tied whether the DH becomes permanent in the National League. His best role would probably be an outfield reserve who could serve as a club’s dedicated pinch-hitter.