One of the New York Mets' top prospects will be in Philadelphia during the All-Star weekend.
Major League Baseball revealed the rosters for the All-Star Futures Game, with all 30 teams sending one of their brightest young prospects. The Mets' representative will be first baseman/outfielder Ryan Clifford, the No. 2 prospect in their farm system (No. 1 being right-handed pitcher Jonah Tong). The 22-year-old is not ranked on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Prospects List.
The announcement will hopefully be a much-needed confidence boost for Clifford, who endured a miserable month of June with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. Over the course of the month, the lefty tallied just eight hits in 81 at-bats for a ghastly .099 batting average; he struck out 39 times and logged a meager .355 OPS. Clifford's season totals have cratered as a result, now carrying a .191/.278/.387 slash line and 67 wRC+ through 78 games.
Before that June swoon, however, Clifford was fairly productive with a .790 OPS and .483 slugging percentage. In his first 55 games, he clubbed 10 doubles, a triple, and 13 home runs. Much of that damage came in May as he slashed .233/.308/.534 with eight long balls; six of those homers came over an 11-game span from May 20 to May 31.
Clifford's major weakness is his tendency to strike out, as he currently leads the International League with a whopping 117 punchouts. But his power is very evident, and with lanes for him at both first base and the outfield, the Mets may eventually call him up if he snaps out of his slump. Perhaps getting the opportunity to play alongside MLB's brightest stars could get him going.
The All-Star Futures Game will be played at noon EST on Sunday, July 12, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
