METS ANNOUNCE PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

 

METS ANNOUNCE PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AWARDS 

 

FLUSHING, N.Y., September 20, 2024 – The New York Mets today announced the 2024 Player Development Award winners. Outfielder Nick Morabito was named the organization’s Player of the Year and RHP Brandon Sproat was named Pitcher of the Year. Outfielder Edward Lantigua was named DSL Player of the Year and RHP Jose Guevara was tabbed as the DSL Pitcher of the Year. Additionally, Ches Goodman, Coordinator of Minor League Operations was named Minor League Staff Member of the Year and Anthony Sambois, Manager, Latin America Baseball Systems was named Dominican Academy Staff Member of the Year. 

 

The recipients of the Player and Pitcher of the Year awards and Staff Member of the Year awards will be honored during a pre-game, on-field at Citi Field on September 20 prior to New York’s 7:10 p.m. game against the Philadelphia Phillies. 

 

Morabito, 21, batted .312 (142-455) with 59 stolen bases and a .403 OBP in 119 games between Single-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn. Among all full season minor league players, Morabito ranked seventh in stolen bases and 13^th among qualifiers in average. The outfielder began the season with St. Lucie and was named Florida State League Player of the Month for April. During the month, Morabito batted .397/.518/.529 and led the league in average (.397), hits (27), on-base percentage (.518) and OPS (1.047). He was promoted to Brooklyn on May 6 and set the franchise’s single-season record in hits (110) and stolen bases (48). A South Atlantic League Post-Season All-Star, Morabito became the first Mets minor leaguer to hit .300 with at least 50 stolen bases since Brian Cole (1999 & 2000). A native of McLean, VA, Morabito was selected by the Mets with 75^th overall pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. 

 

In his first professional season Sproat ascended through the minor league ranks beginning the season with Brooklyn and ending the season with Syracuse. Sproat pitched to a 1.07 ERA (3 ER/25.1 IP) in six outings with the Cyclones before his promotion to Binghamton on May 13. In 11 starts with the Rumble Ponies, Sproat went 4-1 with a 2.45 ERA (17 ER/62.1 IP), 77 strikeouts, a 0.89 WHIP and a .181 opponent batting average. The Pace, FL native was selected to play for the National League in the 2024 All-Star Future’s Game in Arlington, Texas. Sproat capped his Binghamton tenure on August 2 with a 13 strikeout performance in which he fanned 11 consecutive batters, one more than the major league record. The right-hander finished his season with six starts at Syracuse, highlighted by a 5.1-inning scoreless outing on September 1. He finished the year with 131 strikeouts in 116.1 innings. The 24-year-old was selected with the 56^th overall pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft. 

 

After signing as an international free agent in January, Lantigua posted a .792 OPS and stole nine bases across 45 games in the Dominican Summer League. Over 18 games in July, Lantigua, 17, produced a .567 SLG and 1.130 OPS in July, both top five in the league during that span. Lantigua was named a midseason DSL All-Star and went 1-for-3 with a stolen base in the All-Star Game. 

 

Guevara made his professional debut this summer in the Dominican Summer League and went 3-2 with a 1.64 ERA (8 ER/44.0 IP) and 52 strikeouts over 10 starts. On June 17, the Venezuela native started a combined perfect game for DSL Mets Blue and threw 6.0 spotless innings. For his performance, Guevara was named DSL Pitcher of the Week. The 19-year-old was named to the DSL midseason All-Star team and worked a scoreless inning in the All-Star Game. 

 

Goodman’s seven-year tenure with the Mets organization, began as a clubhouse assistant for the St. Lucie Mets from 2015 –18. while he attended Port St. Lucie High School. In 2021, Goodman returned to the St. Lucie Mets as a clubhouse manager before transitioning to an assistant in minor league travel in February of 2022. Goodman held his position in minor league travel until January of 2024 when he was promoted to Coordinator of Minor League Operations. Goodman is renowned not only for his professional skills but also for his positive vibes and kindness to everyone, regardless of their role. 

 

Sambois, Manager of Latin America Baseball Systems for the New York Mets, has played a pivotal role in transforming the Mets Dominican Academy’s data and technology operations to a best-in-class standard. Sambois’ leadership has been pivotal in the rollout of all player development technologies, including Hawkeye, and he has overseen significant upgrades to the Academy’s WiFi infrastructure. His efforts ensure that the streaming of both DSL teams' games is performed at a level that rivals major networks. Additionally, Anthony has played a crucial role in modernizing the Mets' international scouting processes, overseeing a data collection team that travels worldwide.