When sizing up the New York Mets’ minor league talent, one might wonder just how much David Stearns, the Mets’ new head honcho, really trusts his farm system. Historically, new GMs have been known to clear the decks to make room for their own guys, swapping prospects with reckless abandon.

Stearns, however, hasn’t exactly been wheeling and dealing the Mets’ prospects out of town just yet. While he has shown some restraint, there’s an undercurrent of skepticism about the potential of these up-and-comers that can’t be ignored.

Having just gone through his first draft with the Mets and played the role of buyer at the trade deadline—careful to keep the crown jewels of the farm intact—it’s still early days for Stearns in Flushing. But it’s intriguing to decode his thinking on the farm system, which some fans believe to be bubbling with future stars.

Take Luisangel Acuna, for instance. The Mets were slow to promote him, only giving him the nod once Francisco Lindor was sidelined in 2024.

Sure, Acuna didn’t exactly light it up at Triple-A last year, which might explain the hesitation. Nonetheless, he found himself promoted in September, but not before the Mets tried a few different options like Pablo Reyes and later Eddy Alvarez, whom they snagged in a trade.

Eventually, Acuna got his taste of the majors and played regularly in Lindor’s absence.

This cautious approach isn’t an isolated incident for the Mets. Since 2022, it’s felt like promising prospects have been ushered into the big league spotlight a bit later than expected, often overshadowed by seasoned veterans filling in the gaps on the roster. Whether it’s a carefully calculated strategy or simply circumstantial, there’s definitely a pattern forming in how the Mets are managing their young talent.