What's Ryan Clifford's potential?
The other prospect that the New York Mets received in the Justin Verlander trade was 20 year old Ryan Clifford. Clifford, drafted out of high school by the Houston Astros in the 2022 draft in the 11th round, was one of the best prep players in the country. He fell in the rankings throughout his prep days, ranked 44th nationally, according to Perfect Game.
For most of his high school career, he was the unanimous No. 1 player in the class. He did struggle a bit during the summer circuit and that resulted in him being drafted in the 11th round. Since he's entered the professional ranks, there have been struggles at times. He's hit for power in stretches, blasting 16 home runs in A+ during 23 games with Houston.
The question for someone like Clifford is if he can be that superstar that he was expected to be for most of his prep career. This is obviously a completely different game than at the high school level, but he was considered a can't-miss prospect for a very long time.
Clifford could be a project prospect, but if he figures it out, he has the potential to be a positive in a deal like this.