The New York Mets’ trade deadline deals certainly added some impact talent to their farm system. We have spent the past few weeks of Minor League Mondays covering various prospects the Mets acquired in deadline deals, including Marco Vargas, Drew Gilbert, LuisAngel Acuna, Ryan Clifford and Ronald Hernández. One under-the-radar prospect who the Mets acquired is infielder Jeremiah Jackson, who will be the focus of this week’s edition of our prospect spotlight series.
Jackson, the Angels’ second round pick in 2018 out of St. Luke’s High School in Alabama, began 2023 repeating AA for Los Angeles’ affiliate in Rocket City. As a member of the Trash Pandas (yes, that’s actually the team’s name), Jackson hit .248 with 15 home runs and 56 RBIs in 311 at bats. Those numbers got the attention of New York Mets’ GM Billy Eppler, who drafted Jackson when he was the General Manager of the Angels, and the Mets acquired him in a deadline deal for relief pitcher Dominic Leone.
The Mets sent Jackson to their AA affiliate in Binghamton and he continued showcasing his excellent power, hitting .264 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs in 37 games for the Rumble Ponies. Jackson compiled a solid .801 OPS for Binghamton and played a key role in helping them reach the playoffs with strong performances down the stretch.
The power is the big selling point on Jackson, who is currently rated as the Mets’ 22nd-best prospect according to MLB.com, as he has the ability to hit the ball out of the yard at any moment. The thing that has separated Jackson from becoming an elite prospect is his ability to consistently make hard contact, which could relegate him to more of a utility role as a big-leaguer.
Jackson does have some defensive versatility as he is capable of playing third base, shortstop, second base, left field and center field. A strong arm and good speed have allowed Jackson to become a good chess piece that could fit well on a big league bench, making him a good candidate for the Mets to add to their 40-man roster this winter.
Assuming he remains in the organization, the Mets would likely push Jackson up to AAA Syracuse for the 2024 season. Expect the Mets to continue to emphasize Jackson’s versatility as a potential power bat off the bench, making him a good fill-in if the big club suffers an injury. If Jackson can find an ability to consistently make contact, there is potential here for an everyday role on a club with a lot of job openings coming in the offseason.
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