Mets fans should anticipate these players to have big years in 2025.
When a prospect breaks out, it gives teams another potential long-term piece they can build around in the near future. Last year, the New York Mets’ biggest prospect breakout was Brandon Sproat, who is now a consensus top 100 prospect. He now looks like a potential front-of-the-rotation hurler for the Mets that’s on the doorstep of the Major Leagues. But the Mets have plenty more young players in their system who could be the next Sproat and have a great season, climbing prospect boards and becoming a name to watch.
1) Marco Vargas
The Mets originally acquired Marco Vargas from the Miami Marlins when they traded veteran reliever David Robertson to the Fish at the 2023 trade deadline. After impressing in the lower levels of the minor leagues, 2024 was supposed to be Vargas’ first extended look against pro pitching, as he’d play the season at A-Ball St. Lucie. However, Vargas would miss most of the season due to injuries, and his bottom line wasn’t all that good either.
Vargas hit just .208/.369/.239 in 168 plate appearances. Vargas had just four extra-base hits, all of which were doubles. He batted just above the Mendoza line as well. Overall, he had a sub-par .608 OPS, .321 wOBA, and 94 wRC+. But while his results weren’t good, there were still a lot of positives, especially from his under-the-hood metrics.
Vargas walked in a whopping 20.2% of his plate appearances. He showed he has the potential to hit for more power as well with an 88.1 MPH exit velo when the league average exit velo at A-Ball is 86.7 MPH. The young infielder rarely swung and missed as well, with a 16.8% whiff rate. Vargas also carried a significantly better .345 xwOBA.
Vargas projects to have a plus hit tool, which isn’t surprising given his low whiff rate. He has some strength and projectability in his six-foot, 170-pound frame and had a solid exit velocity in his small sample size in 2024. But he only had a 2.6% barrel percentage. Vargas is a fringy runner but has a decent arm and glove that can play up the middle.
Vargas is still very young, as he won’t turn 20 until mid-May. He may be the biggest breakout position player candidate in the Mets’ system right now. If he stays healthy during next season, he may shoot up prospect boards. Vargas showed off some decent talent in his small sample size of playing time last year and could definitely build off of that in 2025.
2) Jack Wenninger
A 2023 6th-round pick, Jack Wenninger pitched his first full season last year between A-Ball St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn. The right-hander had a fairly mediocre ERA. However, he put up some strong peripherals, which could lead to more success in the future. He also ended the 2024 campaign as a top 30 prospect in the Mets’ system, per MLB Pipeline.
Wenninger pitched 115 innings for A-Ball Lucie and High-A Brooklyn, working to a 4.30 ERA, but this was about the only negative to Wenninger’s numbers. He had a 3.56 FIP and 3.36 xFIP. The young righty had a 27.9% K%, along with an 8% walk rate and 0.86 HR/9. Wenniger also had some strong Statcast metrics at A-Ball, where he got batters to swing and miss 32% of the time. When batters did make contact vs Wenniger, they managed an 87.2 MPH exit velo and 5.1% barrel percentage.
Wenninger’s pitch repertoire is vast. He used six different pitches with some regularity in 2024. He’s not a flamethrower, sitting low-90s with his four-seamer, but with above average movement. He’ll also throw a two-seamer but with more horizontal break than his four-seamer. Wenninger throws three different off-speed pitches. His cutter has plus movement and comes in around 83-84 MPH. Then there’s upper-70s curveball with nearly 60 inches of drop. His third breaking pitch is a low-80s slider he’ll mix in on occasion. Last but certainly not least is his low-80s change-up. Wenninger has also displayed solid control over all of his pitches.
2025 will be Wenninger’s age-23 season, and with how well he did in 43.1 innings at High-A last season, he may get an early season promotion to Double-A if he doesn’t open the year there. His ERA does not tell the whole story, as his stats beyond it were excellent. Wenninger could end up being an underrated part of the Mets’ farm system and potentially play a role in their Major League depth chart in the near future.
3) Nate Dohm
Nate Dohm’s college career was marred by forearm issues. He pitched just 71.1 innings after transferring to Mississippi State before getting drafted. But the Mets still decided to take a chance on Dohm in the 2024 draft, selecting him 82nd overall in the third round. If Dohm can stay healthy and breakout in 2025, he may end up proving to be a huge steal from the draft.
Although Dohm was limited due to injuries in college, his final two seasons were quite good. He combined for a 2.90 ERA, a 5.38 K:BB ratio, and a 1.14 WHIP. He struck out nearly 30% of opponents with a 28.8% K% but was also great at limiting walks. Dohm allowed a free pass to a meager 5.4% of opponents. The worst number on his stat-sheet was his HR/9 ratio, which came in at a still respectable 1.01-per-9 rate.
When healthy, Dohm sits near the mid-90s, topping out at 97. His arsenal includes two breaking balls, both of which project as above average. The right-hander’s slider comes in around the mid-80s, while his curveball averages out around the upper-70s. His change-up, however, needs some work. It’s the only pitch in his mix that doesn’t project as above average. Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America currently pin it as a 40-grade offering, though Pipeline notes it has some fade to it, and BA says it gives batters a different look. Dohm’s strike-throwing ability significantly improved in 2024 as well.
Dohm turns 22 later this month. While his durability is a concern, he has the repertoire and the build (listed at 6’4/210-LBS) to be a starter in the long run. A season where Dohm can stay healthy would do him a lot of good and could make him one of the Mets’ higher-ranking pitching prospects in their farm system.
