Mets Announce 2024 Player Development Awards

The Mets handed out the player development awards to their top prospects and coaches on Friday.

Mar 15, 2024; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Brandon Sproat (28) warms-up in the sixth inning against the Washington Nationals in the Spring Breakout game at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

On Friday, the New York Mets acknowledged some of the organization’s best young talent with its 2024 Player Development Awards.

Each year, these awards recognize on-field performances by players and off-the-field work done by coaches. In 2023, Jett Williams was named the organization’s Player of the Year and Christian Scott was named Pitcher of the Year.

This year, 21-year-old outfielder Nick Morabito took home Player of the Year honors. In 119 games split between the Single-A St. Lucie Mets and High-A Brooklyn Cyclones, Morabito slashed .312/.403/.398 with 26 extra-base hits and 59 stolen bases; he became the first minor leaguer in the Mets organization to bat .300 and steal 50 bases since Brian Cole did it in 1999 and 2000. New York selected Morabito 75th overall from Gonzaga College High School in Washington D.C. during the 2022 First-Year Player Draft.

The Pitcher of the Year award went to 24-year-old RHP Brandon Sproat, who started the year at High-A Brooklyn and finished it with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. Across stints with three farm teams this season, Sproat recorded a 7-4 record with a 3.40 ERA, 1.109 WHIP, and a 3.12 K/BB ratio. The highlight of Sproat’s season was a 13-strikeout performance with the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies on August 2; he accumulated all of his strikeouts in just five innings, and punched out the last 11 batters he faced. Sproat was selected by the Mets in the second round of the 2023 MLB Amateur Draft out of the University of Florida.

The Mets also honored its players in the Dominican Summer League. The Player of the Year award went to 17-year-old outfielder Edward Lantigua, and the Pitcher of the Year award went to 19-year-old RHP Jose Guevara.

In 45 games at the DSL, Lantigua posted a .792 OPS with nine stolen bases and was named to the DSL All-Star Game in July. For Guevara, this was his first professional season at the DSL; the young Venezuelan hurler posted a 3-2 record with a sparkling 1.64 ERA and 52 strikeouts over his 10 starts. Guevara was also named to the DSL All-Star Game where he pitched a scoreless inning.

Two additional awards were handed out to recognize coaches in the Mets’ organization. Ches Goodman was named the Minor League Staff Member of the Year for his work as the Mets’ Coordinator of Minor League Operations; Goodman spent seven years with Single-A St. Lucie before being promoted to his position in January 2024.

Finally, Anthony Sambois was named the Dominican Academy Staff Member of the Year; Sambois is the organization's Manager of Latin American Baseball Systems, and has played a pivotal role in modernizing the Mets' international scouting processes.

All recipients were honored in a pregame ceremony at Citi Field before Friday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies.