Ryan Clifford remains Mets‘ best — but flawed — hope to salvage 2023 sell-off

PHILADELPHIA — Drew Gilbert (acquired from the Astros for Justin Verlander) is now with the Giants. Luisangel Acuña (Max Scherzer) is with the White Sox. Justin Jarvis (Mark Canha) is pitching in impartial ball. Jeremiah Jackson (Dominic Leone) is with the Orioles. Marco Vargas is combating Double-A Binghamton and Ronald Hernandez is with Excessive-A Brooklyn (David Robertson). Jeremy Rodriguez (Tommy Pham) has not but made it previous Low-A St. Lucie.

There’s a likelihood that the Mets’ greatest hope at salvaging huge league worth from their 2023 sell-off rests in Ryan Clifford’s highly effective, if flawed, stroke.

The primary baseman and outfielder arrived with Gilbert because the return for Verlander and was one of many many newcomers who introduced hope for a corporation that had given up on the season, simply because the Mets are anticipated to quickly quit on this yr.

However the haul — whereas considerably helpful, Acuña and Gilbert included in extra commerce packages — has not but panned out as deliberate, Clifford included.

The slugger represented the Mets at Sunday’s All-Star Futures Recreation as a result of a) he has actual pop, with 16 residence runs in 86 video games and b) the Mets farm system has lacked breakouts this season, prompting New York to ship a loud bat who owns only a .679 OPS. Clifford himself mentioned he was stunned on the honor.

His presence served as a reminder of what could possibly be and what has not been: The power is alluring, however the strikeouts are considerable.

With Triple-A Syracuse this yr, the 22-year-old has struck out 129 occasions in 86 video games, a 36.4 p.c strikeout charge that’s greater than each certified main league hitter. The dearth of contact has contributed to a .196 batting common.

The struggles culminated in a horrid June, hitting .099 with a .355 OPS and 39 strikeouts in 93 plate appearances.

“June was not a superb month for me,” acknowledged Clifford, who attributed his down season to swing adjustments made final season that “simply don’t work for me anymore.”

Final season — a superb one, Clifford swinging his approach out of Binghamton and getting his first style of Syracuse — he adjusted his posture and tried to remain again extra. All his life he had dived his entrance shoulder in, and he tweaked his method so he was much less aggressive with the lunge. It labored.

“I wish to say [Marcus] Semien was the man who mentioned it,” Clifford mentioned. “He’s like, ‘All feels have an expiration date.’ ”

That method expired in June, and Clifford is now engaged on discovering a steadiness between staying again and diving in. By means of the tiny pattern dimension of eight July video games through which he has posted an .816 OPS with a pair of residence runs, he believes he’s nearer to discovering “that center floor,” he mentioned.

Maybe a late-season sizzling streak can translate to a promotion — for a prospect who’s eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter, anyway — that he has been craving. Regardless, although, Clifford looms as one other occasion of poorly timed regression throughout the Mets system.

Solely the Mariners and Diamondbacks have acquired much less worth from their first basemen this season, in keeping with Baseball Reference WAR. The Mets’ first basemen entered Sunday with a .648 OPS, which was the second-worst within the recreation. A hobbled Jorge Polanco, Jared Younger, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty and Eric Wagaman haven’t been the reply in a post-Pete Alonso world.

Clifford couldn’t separate himself and be the reply at first both, similar to Jonah Tong and Jack Wenninger weren’t prepared in time to save lots of this Mets season.

There may be nonetheless time to avoid wasting worth from the trade-deadline haul.

On Sunday at Residents Financial institution Park, Clifford noticed six pitches from fellow lefty Jamie Arnold and walked with out taking a lower, exhibiting self-discipline in a showcase spot through which “I used to be able to swing,” he mentioned.

He feels higher on the plate. It’s price reiterating he’s 22.

“Looking for new issues that work [at the plate] took just a little bit longer, clearly, than I might have appreciated,” Clifford mentioned. “However trying to construct and proceed to have a superb July.”