Mets make major announcement about top prospect

The Mets announced on Monday that Elian Peña, their top international free agent addition last year, is headed stateside to continue his development during the 2026 season.

Jun 4, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; The batting helmets of New York Mets third baseman Eduardo Escobar (10), shortstop Francisco Lindor (12), left fielder Mark Canha (19), first baseman Pete Alonso (20) and left fielder J.D. Davis (28) in the dugout at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New York Mets' farm system has become a major strength under the leadership of David Stearns and is loaded with top talent. One of the more intriguing prospects in the system is shortstop Elian Peña, who signed as an international free agent last year for a franchise-record $5 million signing bonus.

Reminder that the Mets are expected to sign SS Elian Peña on Wednesday for around $5 million.

The Mets previous record for an IFA signing bonus was $2.85M (Yovanny Rodriguez).

Peña is considered the best player in the period outside of Sasaki.

pic.twitter.com/0N2C6InjoM

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) January 13, 2025

Peña, who turned 18 in October, spent his first professional season in the Dominican Summer League and played well there, hitting .292 with nine home runs, 33 RBI, 21 stolen bases and a .949 OPS in 178 at-bats. The DSL is often the first place international free agents play as it helps them get professional reps while preparing to live in America, and it looks like the Mets feel Peña is ready to take the next step in his development in 2026.

Elian Peña has been added to our Domestic Reserve List and will make his stateside debut this season. pic.twitter.com/yAQDBfGi3K

— Mets Player Development (@MetsPlayerDev) January 12, 2026

The Mets' Player Development account on X announced on Monday that Peña has been added to the domestic reserve list, meaning he will move stateside for the 2026 season. The next step on the minor league ladder is the Florida Coast League, the lowest level of rookie ball in the United States, and Pena appears set to play there this summer.

Mets prospect Elian Peña having a monster day:

4-for-5, 2B, 3 HR, 7 RBI

The Mets gave him a team record $5 million signing bonus earlier this year.

Video is the double and two of the homers. pic.twitter.com/XZF5qDUHuJ

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) June 26, 2025

The fast progress of Peña is a great sign for a relatively new strategy the Mets are pursuing with international free agents. While past regimes have been content to spread their bonus money around to multiple players, the Mets have made an effort to throw more money towards prospects near the top of the class lately, first with Peña last year and now with former Yankees' commit Wandy Asigen, who backed out of a verbal commitment with the Bronx Bombers to collect a $3.8 million bonus check from the Mets.

Read More: Mets to sign top international prospect after Yankees deal falls through

Elian Peña Still Has A Long Ways To Go To Reach The Majors

The potential is sky-high for Peña, who is already the team's 10th-best prospect (according to MLB.com) as a teenager, but the FCL is a long way from the majors. MLB Pipeline estimates that Peña will be ready for the big leagues by 2030, which is a conservative estimate that assumes he will spend time at each minor league level on his way to Flushing.

Peña would be just 23 years old at that point and well-positioned to be the next shortstop for the Mets as Francisco Lindor will be in his mid-30s by then. Lindor's contract expires after the 2031 season, which could allow him to serve as a mentor for Peña in his initial run as a starting shortstop in the majors.

There is a lot of projection to come with Peña, who could prove to be a phenom and get to the majors sooner or require more development time than initially anticipated. Either way, the fact that Peña is coming to the United States now is a big positive for his long-term future with the Mets' organization.

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