Mets announce Player Development Award winners
FLUSHING N.Y., September 20, 2023 – The New York Mets today announced the 2023 Player Development Award winners. Infielder/outfielder Jett Williams was named the organization’s Player of the Year and RHP Christian Scott was named Pitcher of the Year. Outfielder Jeffry Rosa was named DSL Complex Player of the Year and LHP Franklin Gómez was tabbed as the DSL Complex Pitcher of the Year. Catcher Hayden Senger was awarded the Platinum Glove. William Lugo received the Infield Gold Glove and Rhylan Thomas earned the Outfield Gold Glove.
Additionally, Binghamton Rumble Ponies Pitching Coach AJ Sager was named Minor League Staff Member of the Year and Diana Perez, assistant coordinator, education and life skills, was named DSL Complex Staff Member of the Year.
The recipients of the Player and Pitcher of the Year awards, the Platinum Glove award and Staff Member of the Year awards will be honored during a pre-game, on-field ceremony at Citi Field on September 28 prior to New York’s 7:10 p.m. game against the Miami Marlins.
Jett Williams, 19, appeared in 121 games across three levels this season. During the regular season he combined to hit .263/.425/.451 with 81 runs, 22 doubles, eight triples, 13 home runs, 55 RBI, 45 steals and 104 walks. Williams finished the season second in the organization in OPS (.876) and first in walks (104). He became the first Mets minor league player with 100 or more walks since 2013 and the first teenager to lead the organization in walks since David Wright in 2002. Williams was one of two players in all of major league and minor league baseball to walk more than 100 times and swipe more than 40 bases. He was originally drafted as the 14th overall selection in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Rockwall-Heath High School in Texas.
The right-handed hitter began the 2023 season with the Single-A St. Lucie Mets. In 79 games with the club, he batted .249/.422/.410 with 51 runs, 12 doubles, six triples, six home runs, 35 RBI, 32 steals with an .832 OPS. On July 31, Williams was promoted to High-A Brooklyn. He appeared in 36 games with the team, batting .299/.451/.567, with 33 walks, 18 extra-base hits and 72 total bases. He was promoted to Double-A Binghamton, where he made six appearances and became the first Mets position player drafted out of high school to reach Double-A in the following calendar year since Gregg Jefferies in 1986.
Christian Scott, 24, made 19 starts this across three levels season, posting a 5-4 record with a 2.57 ERA (25 ER/87.2 IP) with 12 walks and 107 strikeouts. He held opposing hitters to a .199 batting average and posted 10.98 strikeouts per nine innings, splitting the season between St. Lucie, Brooklyn and Binghamton. Scott was selected by the Mets in the fifth round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Florida. Scott started for the Rumble Ponies in game one of the Northeast Division Series last night. He allowed one run on two hits and struck out five in 3.0 innings of work.
The right-hander from Coconut Creek, FL made one start for the St. Lucie Mets before heading north to Brooklyn. In six starts with the Cyclones, Scott went 1-0 with a 2.28 ERA (6 ER/23.2 IP), four walks, 27 strikeouts, a .803 WHIP, a .176 opponent’s batting average and posted a 10.96 strikeouts per nine innings. Scott was promoted to Double-A Binghamton on June 12, where he posted a 4-3 record and a 2.47 ERA (17 ER/62.0 IP) with eight walks and 77 strikeouts as well as an 11.18 strikeouts per nine innings across 12 starts.
Scott is 8-7 with a 3.31 ERA (55 ER/149.1 IP) in 40 career minor league games, 28 starts. He has issued 35 walks and struck out 185.
Jeffry Rosa, 19, slashed .277/.400/.669 with 15 home runs, 39 RBI and a 1.069 OPS in 44 games with DSL Mets Orange in his second professional season. The outfielder led the Dominican Summer league with 15 home runs and a .669 SLG, while he ranked second with 28 extra-base hits, third in OPS (1.069) and sixth with 99 total bases. He led the DSL Mets Orange in home runs (15), OBP (.400), SLG (.669), OPS (1.069), extra-base hits (28), runs (35) and total bases (99). He finished second in RBI (39) and doubles (13), and third in average (.277) and hits (41). Rosa signed as a non-drafted minor league free agent on January 15, 2022.
Rosa’s 15 home runs were tied for the most in the league since 1994. His 1.069 OPS was the highest by a DSL Met since 2012. Rosa was selected to the DSL All-Star Game in July, where he went 2-2 with an RBI. He was named DSL Player of the Week for the week of July 24-30 and DSL Player of the Month for the month of July, during which he posted a .325 average with nine home runs and 24 RBI.
Franklin Gómez, 18, went 5-4 with a 2.66 ERA (15 ER/50.2 IP) with 17 walks and 71 strikeouts in 13 games (nine starts) across three levels. The Venezuelan did not allow a home run in any of his appearances this season. He finished tied for sixth in the DSL with 61 strikeouts. Gómez was promoted to the FCL Mets on August 15 and struck out seven batters over 4.0 innings in his U.S. debut. The southpaw was promoted to the St. Lucie Mets on September 8 and appeared in one game on September 10, becoming the first Mets minor league pitcher to start a season in the DSL and finish with a full-season team since 2016. Gómez signed as a non-drafted minor league free agent on January 15, 2022.
Hayden Senger, 26, led the Rumble Ponies in games caught in the club’s first playoff-bound season since 2017. The Ohio native was behind the plate for seven of the Rumble Ponies’ franchise-record 14 shutouts. Senger also led Mets minor league catchers in caught stealing rate (31%). Senger was selected in the 24th round of the 2018 First-Year Player Draft out of Miami University of Ohio.
William Lugo, 21, was one of five Mets minor league players to appear in 10 or more games at three infield spots (SS, 3B, 1B) this season with High-A Brooklyn. The Dominican posted a .964 fielding average across 106 appearances with the Cyclones. Lugo signed as a non-drafted minor league free agent on August 23, 2018.
Rhylan Thomas, 23, appeared at all three outfield spots across three levels of the organization. The California native had six outfield assists, two each in left field, center field and right field, and recorded only one error in 194 total chances. Thomas batted .328/.407/.425 with 40 runs, 16 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 27 RBI, 40 walks with an .832 OPS. He was selected in the 11th round by the Mets in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of USC.
A.J. Sager is in his second season in the organization. He served as pitching coach with Double-A Binghamton this year after spending 2022 with High-A Brooklyn. This season, Sager’s staff set a Binghamton franchise record with 14 shutouts and took home four Eastern League Pitcher of the Week awards, in addition to Mike Vasil’s Pitcher of the Month selection in May. The Rumble Ponies led the league in walk rate, allowing only 468 free passes this season.
Diana Perez is finishing her second year as assistant coordinator, education and life skills in the Dominican Academy. In her role, she helps players transition to life as professionals. She oversaw preparations for the standardized high school exams and organized player participation in local community and service events.