JUPITER, Fla. -- Shortly after the trade that sent him from the Astros to the Mets organization last August, Ryan Clifford boarded a flight from Asheville, N.C., to LaGuardia Airport -- his entry point for a new home in Brooklyn. As the plane approached the runway, Clifford looked down to see Citi Field coming into focus, bordered by the US Open and remnants from the New York World’s Fair.

“It was kind of cool to see,” Clifford said. “That’s where we all want to be one day.”

If the Mets have their way, it won’t be too long before Clifford arrives on that very stage. Although outfielder Drew Gilbert was the headliner of the trade that sent Justin Verlander from New York to Houston, Mets officials were also thrilled to receive Clifford, a 6-foot-3 first baseman who profiles as one of the most advanced power-hitting prospects in their organization. Clifford will try to showcase that power Friday afternoon during Spring Breakout, MLB’s new initiative that pits teams of prospects against each other.

New York’s Spring Breakout game is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. ET against Washington at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie. Clifford -- who rates as MLB Pipeline's No. 4 Mets prospect behind Jett Williams, Gilbert and Luisangel Acuña -- will be a key part of the lineup.

“It’s cool to be a part of something that they’re kind of building,” Clifford said earlier this month following a brief cameo during a Grapefruit League game in Jupiter. “It’s cool to go from Houston to here and see what’s different of it -- some things that I like, some things that are different or whatnot. But it’s cool to be part of what hopefully in the future ends up being a really good farm system that turns into a lot of great Major Leaguers.”

For the Mets, Clifford brings something different to that vision of a prosperous future. Unlike Williams, Gilbert and Acuña, who are all small-bodied position players with excellent profiles but limited power ceilings, Clifford is a left-handed slugger who hit 24 homers in 115 games last season. The majority of those came at High-A, positioning Clifford to begin this season with Double-A Binghamton. If he aces that test, he could debut as soon as 2025.

Defensively, Clifford says he’s equally comfortable at first base and in the outfield, which gives the Mets options for their future.

His time at High-A Brooklyn, where he played more first base than either corner outfield position, was notable for two reasons. The first was that Clifford homered in his first plate appearance with his new organization, which he called “a cool experience just to get going on the right foot.” The other was that it exposed him to life in New York, a city he had never visited until the trade. Although Maimonides Park on Coney Island can be notoriously difficult for left-handed hitters, Clifford valued his experience there after the trade. He also enjoyed the perspective of living in the five boroughs, as he hopes to do again in the coming years.

“Not all change is bad,” Clifford said. “It was cool to be out there and kind of get my feet wet for hopefully what ends up being in Queens with the Mets.”