Mets top prospect's recent hitting stats are eye-poppingly bad originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It's no secret that the New York Mets are having a rough season.
The postseason is not in reach for the Mets. They'll look to regroup this offseason with free agency and trades.
A few of New York's top prospects could also play a role in how next year's roster rounds out.
But the Mets. No. 16-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline will need to improve these ghastly numbers at the plate to receive consideration.
Yesterday, #Mets prospect Ryan Clifford went 0-for-9 with 8 strikeouts in Triple-A Syracuse's doubleheader in Jacksonville.
— Michael Baron (@michaelgbaron) August 17, 2026
He is 1-for-41 over his last 11 games with 26 K, a span of 45 plate appearances, & hitting .157/.254/.314 (44-for-280) with 120 K in 320 PA since 5/1.
Clifford, 23, is struggling to make contact at Triple-A Syracuse. He has struck out in 38% of his 431 plate appearances this season.
That's far too high for the first baseman/outfielder, who is looking to make a jump to the Majors in 2027.
As Michael Baron detailed, he went 0-for-9 with eight punchouts in yesterday's doubleheader.
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Clifford has 16 home runs with a .611 OPS after 24 homers and a .848 OPS in 105 games at Double-A Binghamton in 2025.
For the Mets, there's reason to be concerned about how Clifford's offensive profile will translate to the Majors.
As expected, the quality of pitching he will face will improve drastically. Can the former 11th-round pick in 2022 turn things around at the dish?
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