Mets potential client Ryan Clifford got off to a bit of a slow start this season.
Despite this, the organization decided to continue its newly developed aggressive approach with promotions this season, giving him the call-up to Double-A Binghamton in mid-May.
The hope was that getting away from the Cyclones’ windy waterfront stadium, which is particularly difficult for left-handed hitters, would help him tap into some of that power potential and regain confidence at the plate.
Clifford again got off to a slow start, recording just three hits and one home run in his first ten games at the new level, but he’s finally settling into a nice rhythm in recent weeks.
Starting with his two-hit performance on May 27 against the Harrisburg Senators, the 20-year-old slugger has reached base safely in 13 of his last 14 games, raising his on-base percentage to .384 for the season.
Clifford has also shown off his game-changing raw power, extending his range to three home runs in his last four games with a three-run shot to center in the ninth inning of Thursday’s loss to the Bowie Baysox. He now has four long balls in 60 Double-A at-bats after hitting just one in his first 102 at-bats to start the season in Brooklyn.
Clifford still hitting just .198 with a .736 OPS on the season, but the young slugger has shown much greater confidence at the plate and has made much harder contact.
He, of course, was acquired from the Houston Astros alongside other outfield teammates Drew Gilberto at the Justin Verlander agreement as part of the trade deadline settlement for last season’s franchise change.
Heading into this season, Clifford was ranked as the system’s fourth overall prospect on SNY’s Top 30 list and has already climbed as high as No. 75 overall on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list.
The lefty still has a long way to go in his development at the Double-A level, but his aggressive promotion of Brooklyn is starting to get the exact results the Mets were hoping for.
