Mets' No. 1 Prospect Undergoes Surgery Putting Return in Jeopardy

The New York Mets could be without their no. 1 prospect for the remainder of the season. But this may actually turn out to be a good thing in the long-term.

Jett Williams slides safely in second base for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, who lost their home opener, 5-2, to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats on Friday, April 5, 2024 at Mirabito Stadium in Binghamton, NY. / Jeff Miller / Special to the Binghamton

This wasn't the news that New York Mets fans were looking for, but it may have been the best decision when thinking of the future.

On Friday, the Mets announced that the no. 1 prospect in their farm system, infielder/outfielder Jett Williams, underwent a right wrist TFCC debridement procedure on Thursday.

According to multiple medical reports, a Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex (TFCC) debridement is a type of surgical procedure which removes damaged tissue from the TFCC, a structure in the wrist.

As the Mets relayed, the typical recovery timeline for Williams' procedure is 8-10 weeks before he can return to game action. Given where we are on the baseball calendar, Williams could be back in August, but by then the minor league season will be winding down.

This factor puts Williams' 2024 season in jeopardy because the Mets are not going to rush him back and risk re-injury, a new ailment or under performance, which will lower his prospect value.

Williams dominated in 2023 posting big numbers with Low-A ball St. Lucie (.832 OPS) in 79 games, and High-A ball (1.018 OPS) in 36 games. His final six games were played with Double-A Binghamton, but he only accumulated 22 at-bats with the minor league season coming to a close shortly after his arrival.

Overall, Williams crushed 13 home runs, drove in 55 RBIs, posted a .876 OPS and stole 45 bases last season across three different levels in the minors. This earned him the Mets' Minor League Player of the Year Award, bumping up the No. 1 prospect spot in the organization's rankings on MLB.com.

Williams had a very rough start to his season in Double-A this year, but he has been dealing with a wrist injury that now required a procedure.

The Mets can hope he comes back healthy and looks more like the prospect, who turned heads a year ago. But in no way does he need to come back before the minor league season ends. Williams' health and ability factors into the organization's long-term plan and this is why his 2024 campaign could potentially be over due to the timeline of the surgery.