Two top Mets prospects, now traded, landed high on winter deal rankings. See who moved and why this crucial offseason trade happened.
The New York Mets were at the forefront of much of the action this offseason, specifically after the turn of the new year. After multiple trades and several new signings, the Mets are once again true contenders in the National League.
There’s a price to pay for this, however, and the Mets showed they were willing to pay it. The price of one of the biggest transactions of the offseason, trading for right-handed ace Freddy Peralta, was two of the top prospects in the MLB.
Right-handed pitcher Brandon Sproat and infielder Jett Williams found themselves on Bleacher Report’s rankings of prospects who were traded this winter, and both were in the top five. Ranked as B/R’s No. 90 prospect, Sproat landed as the fifth-best prospect to be moved this offseason, while Williams, B/R’s No. 39 prospect, was ranked as the top prospect to be dealt.
The Mets paid a high price, two of their top prospects, in trading for Peralta, but it’s a move that addressed their biggest area of concern and significantly boosts their chances in 2026. Though it may hurt to see two ex-Mets make the top five of prospects to be traded this winter, Peralta is sure to make fans forget what they gave up.
Mets fans got to see Sproat at the major league level in 2025, starting four games at the tail end of the season. He posted a 4.79 ERA in his short sample size – holding his own but not exactly wow-ing. It followed Sproat’s trend of putting up worse numbers as he moved up the minor leagues and into the majors.
Sproat put up a 1.07 ERA in High-A, a 2.45 ERA in Double-A, then a 4.87 ERA in Triple-A over his 50 games as a minor leaguer. He remains one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, but the Mets prioritized a right-handed arm that helps them win now.
Williams never got to play in a Mets uniform, but he should get his first taste of MLB baseball soon enough with the Milwaukee Brewers. The 22-year-old put up an .828 OPS last season across Double-A and Triple-A, hitting 17 home runs and stealing 34 bases in 130 games.
Taken 14th overall by the Mets in the 2022 draft, Williams was one of New York’s most promising prospects over the years. With one of the most potent combinations of infielders in baseball, the Mets were unlikely to provide Williams a spot in the majors in the near future.
The Peralta trade will have huge implications on the National League East division in 2026, and it will also play a key role in the future of the Brewers franchise as they grabbed two of baseball’s top prospects. Both Milwaukee and New York will be hoping the deal works out in their favor.