New York Mets second baseman was named Player of the Year in the team's minor league system, so he's a name to watch.
The New York Mets have had an up and down season with their minor league affiliates, and it’s happened in two parts. The first part was about the successful promotions of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing, which was a huge boost to the Mets but also depleted the farm system.
The second part of this was the series of moves at the deadline, which restored a lot of the talent level, and it’s given the Mets some new prime prospects in the process. The Mets haven’t had time to evaluate these players yet, but there are exciting prospects like infielder Arjun Nimmala who could be up as soon as next season.
Baseball America just got done naming its Minor League Player of the Year for each team, and second baseman Mitch Voit is the man for the Mets. He’s had a fascinating season to say the least, so let’s hit on the key points and see what he brings to the table.
Voit started the season slowly with High-A Brooklyn, which is typical for many collegiate players. He hit just .213 with an OPS of .663 through his first 56 games, then took off in his final 56 games as he pushed that number up to .774.
The second basemen then showed out for Double-A Binghamton, upping his OPS even more to .947 in 29 games. All told, Voit had a slash line of .273/.371/.431 with 13 home runs and 45 stolen bases in 105 games.
Voit has also improved defensively, which is somewhat surprising given that he was already considered strong in that area, both with his metrics and in meeting the eye test.
The Mets have worked specifically with him on how to use his athleticism, and he’s also been implementing a program to better take care of his body, which is common among minor leaguers who make this kind of jump.
Voit grew up in Milwaukee, and he was the Gatorade player of the year for Wisconsin in 2022 before spending three sseasons at Michigan. He focused on his hitting approach in his draft year, and that’s helped him elevate his status as a prospect enormously.
Could Voit make the jump to Citi Field? There’s a bit of a parallel here with what happened with Ewing, who was a middle infielder with the speed and range to handle an outfield spot, and Ewing has been a revelation defensively in center.
Voit is blocked in the infield by shortstop Francisco Lindor and second baseman Marcus Semien, but the Mets will be making plenty of moves this offseason and there could be surprising and unexpected opportunities.
