New York Mets Breakout MLB Prospects For 2025

Breakout Prospects

Boston Baro, SS/3B

Preseason Rank: 14
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: The Mets zeroed in on Baro’s athleticism and projectability when scouting him at his Southern California high school in 2023. They believed he could become a top-three-rounds talent after three years at UCLA, so they signed him for $700,000 in the eighth round. Baro spent most of his first full season in 2024 at Low-A St. Lucie and shined by hitting for average, getting on base and proving capable at three infield positions. He reached High-A Brooklyn for 11 games at the end of August.

Scouting Report: Baro played a lot of baseball growing up, and it showed with his quick transition to pro ball. The Mets are excited about what he might become as he continues to add good weight and strength to his narrow 6-foot frame. Baro is a lean lefthanded hitter with strong feel for the barrel, an uncanny ability to square up the ball and a good sense for the strike zone. He does a good job hitting line drives to all fields and keeping the ball off the ground. Baro drew 46 walks to 76 strikeouts in 95 games in 2024 for one of the best walk-to-strikeout ratios in the system. He hit four home runs in his first full season and will need to add strength and exit velocity as he matures to reach fringe-average power. Baro started most often at third base but is also a smooth shortstop with a good internal clock and above-average arm. He should grow to become an above-average defender at third base and second base, while being capable at shortstop. He is a roughly average runner and smart baserunner.

The Future: The Mets like Baro’s coachability, instincts and versatility. He has already put on roughly six pounds of good weight since signing, though he struggles to keep it on during the season. Baro has a chance to develop into a quality major league infielder capable of playing multiple positions.

Scouting Grades: HIT: 55. POW: 40. RUN: 50. FLD: 55. ARM: 55.

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Jonathan Santucci, LHP

Preseason Rank: 15
BA Grade/Risk: 55/Extreme

Track Record: Santucci was a standout two-way player in high school at Phillips Academy in Massachusetts, where he was teammates with current Marlins prospect Thomas White. Santucci continued as a lefthander/outfielder as a Duke freshman before switching to the mound full time in 2023 and working exclusively as a starter. He made just seven starts as a sophomore after having elbow surgery. Santucci logged a career-high 58 innings as the Blue Devils’ Friday night starter in 2024—he missed a month with a rib injury—and recorded high rates for both strikeouts (35%) and walks (14%). The Mets drafted Santucci in the second round and signed him for slot value of $2,031,700.  

Scouting Report: Santucci follows Brandon Sproat in 2023 and Blade Tidwell in 2022 as power college starters drafted by the Mets in the second round after they slipped down the board. Santucci is a physically developed, 6-foot-2 lefthander with a strong fastball/slider foundation. His fastball sits 93-95 mph and touches 97 with above-average riding life. Throwing strikes with his four-seamer was a major challenge in college and contributed to walks and high pitch counts. Santucci’s 83-85 mph slider is an equalizer as a platoon-neutral weapon with late, two-plane break. He has had some success with a high-80s changeup but throws in sparingly. Making the proper adjustments in pro ball will be essential to iron out Santucci’s well below-average control. The Mets are toying with the idea of adding a sinker or cutter to his repertoire to seek more early-count, weak contact and avoid deep counts.

The Future: Santucci’s fastball and slider give him potential major league weapons. Now, it’s a matter of finding the right complementary pitches and control to tie the package together. Just as it did for Sproat and Tidwell, his first full season begins at High-A Brooklyn in 2025.

Scouting Grades: FB: 60. SL: 65. CH: 40. CTL: 45.

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Christopher Suero, C/OF

Preseason Rank: 19
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Suero attended All Hallows High in the Bronx for one year before moving to the Dominican Republic in 2019 to qualify as an international free agent. An outfielder as an amateur, he signed with the Mets as an 18-year-old catcher in March 2022. Suero appeared in 38 games in the Dominican Summer League that season and then moved to the Florida Complex League in 2023. He had his best pro season in 2024, when he quickly moved from Low-A St. Lucie to High-A Brooklyn on May 7.

Scouting Report: Suero started catching about a month before he signed with the Mets. He caught a career-high 60 games in 2024 and also started at least 20 games at first base and left field. Suero is a strong, 5-foot-11 righthanded hitter with a good eye at the plate and a chance for an average offensive profile. His athleticism sets him apart. Suero hit nine home runs, stole 20 bases, drew 62 walks and posted a .361 OBP in 2024. Given his discerning eye and natural strength, he could grow into solid-average power. Suero is an above-average runner who looks natural in left field and could be a real defensive asset with his versatility. Behind the plate, he has the raw ingredients to be an average defender with a solid-average arm.

The Future: Suero’s versatility and ability to catch will help him get a foot in the door in MLB. In some ways, he resembles former Mets prospect Endy Rodriguez as an athletic Dominican catcher who is capable at several positions. Suero will see Double-A in 2025.

Scouting Grades: HIT: 50. POW: 50. RUN: 55. FLD: 45. ARM: 50.