On Saturday, the New York Mets absolutely embarrassed themselves by allowing Merrill Kelly to go seven innings, allowing one run, walking three, and striking out six. Kelly’s great start allowed the Arizona Diamondbacks to shut the door with their relievers and hand the Mets a loss that they shouldn’t have lost. The Mets allowed just two runs yet managed to score only one run as offensive struggles continue. Then On Sunday, they let Eduardo Rodriguez pitch into the ninth in a 5-1 loss. To put it simply, the 15-25 Mets need offensive help. One man can help them though.
Mets Propsect Should Be Called Up Amid Power Struggles
Why Is the Mets Offense Struggling?
Firstly, the Mets have superstar Francisco Lindor on the IL. Not to mention New York still has Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr., Ronny Mauricio, and Jared Young on the IL as well. Of course, because of this, New York has to leave without three stars and another couple of bats that can help them a lot.
Secondly, the Mets don’t even have one player who is having a good offensive season. Bo Bichette is batting .226 with only two home runs and 16 RBIs. Juan Soto is a superstar, but even he is batting .133 so far in May. Mark Vientos unfortunately keeps hitting balls that are nearly home runs but aren’t actually homers. Even with some good moments lately Vientos has hit just .231 this season.
But wait! There’s more. Marcus Semien is batting only .230 with only two home runs and 13 RBIs. Carson Benge is batting an ugly .202 with three homers and 11 RBIs. And yet still, other players are struggling immensely. In fact, New York has consistently sent out Austin Slater, Andy Ibanez, and even Vidal Brujan (if you have to look up those players, then yeah, there is something wrong).
Mets May Have Answer in Power Prospect
The Mets have a 22-year old power prospect in Ryan Clifford. The Mets prospect Clifford hit 24 home runs in 2023 in the minors, mostly for the Houston Astros. The Mets then traded Justin Verlander to Houston for two players, Drew Gilbert (now with the San Francisco Giants), and Clifford. In 2024, Clifford regressed a bit offensively, only batting .228 but with a good amount of 19 home runs in 129 games. Clifford did much better in 2025 though with a .237 batting average and a career high 29 homers in 139 games.
There are some concerns. Including the fact that he has had a low batting average and has struck out a lot of times, including already 52 times this season. Even then though, he had 93 RBIs in 2025 and already has seven home runs with 22 RBIs in 2026. There is definitely some intrigue around Clifford, that is for sure.
The Mets Need Power
On the IL, the Mets probably have at least 70 home runs. Lindor can usually provide 30, while Polanco and Robert Jr. both can easily provide 20+. The Mets now have their most powerful bat Vientos, who is on pace for a minuscule 21 home runs. Francisco Alvarez could have been the answer to losing some of their best players. However, Alvarez has been disappointing for the Mets year after year. Soto is pretty much the only big power hitter left for New York. The Mets as a team are 26th in homers.
Clifford may not change the scene immediately. However, the Mets can’t allow a struggling pitcher like Kelly to throw seven one-run innings against them. At this point, the Mets are really wanting something to give them some offense. Clifford can be that something.
Main Image: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
