New York Mets' prospect making 40-man case in Arizona Fall League

After a strong season in the minors and a good showing in the Arizona Fall League, Mets' prospect Nick Morabito has a compelling case to be added to the 40-man roster.

Mar 17, 2025; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the New York Mets hats for St' Patrick's Day against the Miami Marlins during the second inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

The New York Mets may have disappointed during the regular season at the major league level, but their minor leagues had a strong year. With three full-season affiliates making the postseason and a litany of prospects showing growth, player development was a key win for the Mets' organization in 2025, with outfielder Nick Morabito being a good example of that success.

Nick Morabito is RAKING in the @MLBazFallLeague 👀

After last night's two-hit performance, @NickMorabito1 is 5-for-12 so far in the AFL 🌵👏 pic.twitter.com/xNe3mPVF8i

— Mets Player Development (@MetsPlayerDev) October 15, 2025

After hitting .273 with six home runs, 59 RBI and 49 stolen bases for Double-A Binghamton in 2025, the Mets had Morabito go to the Arizona Fall League to get some more developmental work ahead of the offseason. Morabito has gotten off to a fast start in Arizona, collecting five hits in his first 12 at-bats and showcasing more of the traits that made him an underrated prospect in the Mets' farm system.

"My goal here is just to be the best player that I can, go out every day, play ball and be here to support my teammates."#Mets No. 16 prospect Nick Morabito hopes a breakout 2025 campaign and success this fall leads to a shot in the bigs next spring: https://t.co/jnIF0Cg3GT pic.twitter.com/SdTtndaJTq

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 16, 2025

The Mets took Morabito in the first round of the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft out of high school, but since he was 19 years old when he was drafted, he is already eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this winter. MLB.com spotlighted Morabito among a list of 10 Arizona Fall League players that are forcing their parent clubs to weigh a difficult choice as to whether or not they should be added to the 40-man roster this year to prevent exposure to the Rule 5 Draft.

The Fall League gives Minor Leaguers a prime opportunity to impress their parent clubs ... or catch the eye of a rival team.

Here are 10 potential Rule 5 Draft candidates competing in the desert: https://t.co/2Cr726DRt7 pic.twitter.com/6HAjtJfJsx

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 16, 2025

There's a lot to like about Morabito's game, including his superb speed and ability to play strong defense in center field. Morabito also makes excellent contact, giving him a reasonable floor as a fourth outfielder in the majors, a role that is currently occupied on the big club by Tyrone Taylor.

Read More: How the Mets can make meaningful changes this offseason

Nick Morabito's 40-Man Roster status is tricky

While there is a lot to like in Morabito's game, the Mets' 40-man roster is quite crowded even before considering potential external additions to improve the big league club. The early promotions of Brandon Sproat, Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong, while necessary at the time, were ahead of their Rule 5 eligibility and took away spots the Mets could use to protect other prospects, like Morabito or catcher Kevin Parada.

It is instructive to view Morabito's situation in the light of what has transpired with Jake Mangum, a former Mets' farm hand with a very similar skillset. The Mets had to make a choice on Mangum's 40-man status under former GM Billy Eppler; they chose to trade him away in 2022 to Miami as part of a deal that netted New York a pair of relievers in Elieser Hernandez and Jeff Brigham. Mangum eventually ended up in Tampa Bay and was a valuable outfielder for the Rays this season, hitting .296 with 27 stolen bases and producing 1.7 bWAR and 1.8 fWAR in 405 at-bats.

David Stearns is now in charge of the Mets' baseball operations and has placed a higher value on defense and athleticism than Eppler did. With this in mind, there is a good chance the Mets opt to protect Morabito from being exposed to the Rule 5 Draft and add him to the 40-man roster. While no one expects Morabito to contribute to the big league club in 2026, he should at least start out with Triple-A Syracuse and be valuable organizational depth in the event of an injury to an outfielder on the major league roster.