MLB Rumors: Mets reportedly suspended prospect for lying about his age

The New York Mets haven't been having a great 2024. The start of the season was so dire that fans prayed for more weather delays so they wouldn't have to watch their team lose.

So in some ways, it's on brand for this story to come out about an organization that can't seem to get out of its own way.

Mets prospect Anthony Baptist was "suspended for lying about his age/identity," according to Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online.

Mets prospect Anthony Baptist accused of lying about his age and identity

It's worth noting that Mayer seems to be the only source on this. No reporter from a major outlet has confirmed the story. Still, some publicly available information lends credence to the idea that something has gone wrong for Baptist.

Baptist's player page on MILB.com shows that "DSL Mets Orange placed OF Anthony Baptist on the restricted list" on March 28, 2024.

His page also lists his birthdate as Oct. 17, 2005. His birthplace is listed as Barahona, Dominican Republic.

Baptist signed a minor league contract with the Mets on Jan. 15, 2023. He was the 29th-rated international prospect of that year and picked up a $1.1 million signing bonus. If his listed birthdate is correct, he would have been 17 years and just shy of three months when he signed the contract.

In order to be eligible to sign as an international prospect when he did, Baptist would have needed to be born between Sept. 1, 2005 and Aug. 31, 2006.

It's not clear if Baptist lied by saying he was older than he actually was or younger. But if his birthday wasn't actually in that window as claimed, then he violated the rules.

When he signed, MLB.com described him like this:

Baptist is one of the fastest players in the class and also one of the most exciting. He is expected to start in center field and stay at the position as he develops, primarily because of his speed, but also because he has the potential to be an above-average defender. He can chase balls down in the outfield, and like all prospects his age, he is working on fine-tuning his routes and angles.

The hope is that his speed -- he has been consistently clocked at 6.1 seconds in the 60-yard-timed run -- will also come into play on the bases and he can develop into a base-stealer in the future.

He trains with Pedro ”Nube” Nivar, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program, in the Dominican Republic.