Depth shines among Mets' Organization All-Stars

Each offseason, MiLB.com goes position by position across each organization and honors the players -- regardless of age or prospect status -- who had the best seasons in each farm system. Next up in our 2023 Organization All-Stars series are the New York Mets.

2023 organization summary:
Triple-A Syracuse: 61-85
Double-A Binghamton: 74-61
High-A Brooklyn: 66-65
Single-A St. Lucie: 44-84
FCL Mets: 32-18
DSL Mets Blue: 26-28
DSL Mets Orange: 24-30
Overall record: 327-371 (26th among MLB organizations)
Midseason Farm System Rankings: 11

Mets 2023 Organization All-Stars

C: Kevin Parada (NYM No. 5, MLB No. 89)
A/A+/AA: .248/.324/.428, 105 G, 14 HR, 54 RBI, 50 R, 36 BB, 1 SB
Parada was limited in his first full season, missing nearly a month with an ankle injury. He’s making up for lost time in the Arizona Fall League. The 22-year-old’s advanced bat-to-ball skills lived up to his amateur scouting reports as he collected 90 hits in 87 High-A games. Brooklyn manager Chris Newell lauded Parada’s preparation both as a hitter and backstop. The No. 11 overall pick in 2022 threw out 28 would be base stealers.

1B: JT Schwartz
ROK/A/AA: .305/.392/.432, 72 G, 4 HR, 51 RBI, 34 R, 32 BB, 4 SB
Schwartz is enjoying tremendous early success in the AFL after missing two-and-a-half months with a quad injury. Upon his return in July, Schwartz was one of the most productive hitters in a very talented Binghamton lineup, batting .348 with a .921 OPS over his last 39 regular season games. Schwartz doesn’t possess much power, but he controls the strike zone well, leading to a 16.6 percent punchout rate in 2023.

2B: Ronny Mauricio (NYM No. 4, MLB No. 87)
AAA: .292/.346/.506, 116 G, 23 HR, 71 RBI, 76 R, 35 BB, 24 SB
Mauricio received his long-anticipated big league callup after recording his third consecutive 20-homer season and second consecutive 20-20 season. At Syracuse, he posted a 43.2 percent hard-hit rate and 116 mph maximum exit velocity while lowering his strikeout rate to 18.2 percent. His 36.2 percent chase rate at Triple-A was a bit concerning. But the 22-year-old had his best offensive season while learning three new positions and shifting to second base primarily.

3B: Jose Peroza
A/AA/AAA: .249/.347/.419, 109 G, 12 HR, 61 RBI, 54 R, 51 BB, 4 SB
Signed out of Venezuela for $280,000 in 2016, the 23-year-old utility man recorded 10 hits, including two homers, a triple and a double, in his first 30 at-bats at Triple-A. He opened the year on the injured list but hit the ground running in Binghamton, batting .294 with a .905 OPS, 10 homers and 41 RBIs in his first 58 games. But he cooled significantly from July until his promotion to Syracuse in September.

SS: Jett Williams (NYM No. 3, MLB No. 78)
A/A+/AA: .263/.425/.451, 121 G, 13 HR, 55 RBI, 81 R, 104 BB, 45 SB
The 19-year-old’s wildly mature approach led to the first 100-walk season by a teenager since at least 2005. He finished second among all Minor Leaguers in total walks and his 19.5 percent walk rate ranked 10th among full-season qualifiers. Williams was named the Organization’s Hitting Prospect of the Year after posting a .425 on-base percentage. He also showed some intriguing power throughout the season, including a monster three-run homer for Binghamton in the playoffs.

OF: Drew Gilbert (NYM No. 2, MLB No. 52)
AA: .325/.423/.561, 35 G, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 22 R, 19 BB, 2 SB
Gilbert was the headlining prospect in the Deadline deal that sent Justin Verlander to Houston. He was having a decent season with Double-A Corpus Christi, but took off after being dealt, compiling the fourth-best qualified OPS (.984) in the Eastern League after his debut on Aug. 4. Binghamton manager Reid Brignac noted Gilbert’s high energy and competitive nature, saying that the 23-year-old, “plays with an edge and a chip on his shoulder.”

OF: Nick Morabito (NYM No. 28)
ROK/A: .306/.421/.407, 57 G, 2 HR, 25 RBI, 36 R, 34 BB, 21 SB
The 20-year-old ranked fifth in the FCL in batting (.324) and sixth in OBP (.437) at the time of his promotion. Morabito maintained that consistency as he jumped to the next level, finishing with a .286 average and .403 OBP at St. Lucie. Morabito’s 19.2 percent strikeout rate was a bit high, but his .388 BABIP proved that good things happen when he puts the ball in play.

OF: Brandon McIlwain
AA/AAA: .247/.356/.393, 128 G, 12 HR, 70 RBI, 66 R, 61 BB, 20 SB
The 25-year-old fits well in an organization whose Major League squad has been hit by more pitches than any other club since the start of last season. Signed as a free agent in 2020, McIlwain was one of 25 Minor Leaguers to be hit at least 20 times. He handled the bat well at the two highest levels of the Minors and finished in a tie with Mauricio for the most doubles in the organization (30).

RHP: Tyler Stuart (NYM No. 17)
A+/AA: 7-2, 2.20 ERA, 110 ⅔ IP, 112 K, 32 BB, .222 BAA, 1.10 WHIP
The 6-foot-9 Stuart stood out in a system that saw a number of top pitching prospects have productive seasons. The 24-year-old led all qualified full-season Minor Leaguers with a 1.55 ERA upon the end of his run in Brooklyn in July. Although he wasn’t quite as dominant in Binghamton, he managed to hold onto the ERA crown by season’s end. Newell attributed Stuart’s South Atlantic League success to his daily preparation and studious nature.

LHP: Felipe De La Cruz
A/A+: 5-7, 4.36 ERA, 107 ⅓ IP, 131 K, 46 BB, .251 BAA, 1.39 WHIP
De La Cruz finished strong during Brooklyn’s playoff push. He struck out 17 in as many innings and allowed five earned runs in three starts for the Cyclones. Newell said that he was impressed by the 22-year-old Dominican’s poise in the pressure-filled situation. De La Cruz’s best out pitch is a changeup that he pairs well with an electric, mid-90’s fastball. The 6-footer was one of five Mets prospects with at least 130 strikeouts this season.

RP: Paul Gervase
A+/AA: 4-2, 7 SV, 2.05 ERA, 57 IP, 96 K, 42 BB, .146 BAA, 1.25 WHIP
The 23-year-old ranked fifth among all Minor Leaguers to complete at least 50 innings with 15.16 K/9. Gervase could improve upon his 16.9 percent walk rate. But he still showed flashes of utter dominance throughout the season. He did not allow a run in 30 of his 38 total appearances, including his final five outings for Binghamton, during which he punched out 17 in 7 ⅓ total innings.