Mets top prospect, 21 year old Fernando Martinez, is back on the field playing for Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Winter League.
On Friday night he played the entire game in left field, going 0 for 4. On Saturday, Fernando was the DH and went 1 for 4 with a single and RBI.
Fernando had surgery in July for a torn meniscus.
He is currently rated by Baseball America as the Mets third best prospect behind pitcher Jenrry Mejia and shortstop Wilmer Flores.
The rest of the top ten are: 1B Ike Davis, P Brad Holt, P Jon Niese, 2B Reese Havens, C Josh Thole, and P Juan Urbina.
You can follow F-Mart’s statistics here.
Hey I heard a rumor that the Mets might bring Kaz Matsui back to play 2nd base and back up Reyes at shortstop in order to unload Castillo? I also heard Murphy for Overbay and that the Mets are targeting Mark Derosa for left? Is this true?
the ultimate slow healer
It was a torn meniscus and that can’t be downplayed. The question is how much permanent damage remains from that injury and will he be totally restored? Any further injury on that knee and he may be headed downhill. I would roll him into a trade and forget the hype about his future which may never arrive.
i like DeRosa…got grief from some of my fellow Met fans on the guy, but i like him and i think he was mentioned for the Yankees in this week’s papers…the guy is a good bat and plays ‘D’ okay at multiple positions…i did not hear the Overbay rumors for Murphy..i’ll check that out. Thanks…and i dunno about Martinez…hope he looks better next time up…kid just turned 22…so lets be a little patient…
That looks like a pretty lame top 3 to me. Mejia is currently a mess in wintier ball. Flores is a kid with much yet to show. FMart has been a mess and an injury record. I view the top players in that list as Davis, Thole, Niese, Holt, and Havens. But what do I know? Shouldn’t prospect lists take into account how close to the Majors a player is instead of just pure potential? And shouldn’t the history of injuries play into it?
Absolutely agree. Through years of conditioning (Alexes Ocho & Escobar, for example), I’ve learned to ignore “5-tool” players and guys with “live arms”. Show me what you can do on the field in the 7th inning when your team is 1 run down…where does your baseball acumen lead you?
I am very pleased to hear good things about Ike Davis’ glove, in addition to his breakout season at the plate last year. It tells me he has a brain and knows how to use it. Combine his baseball smarts with his natural talent and I’ll show you a genuine prospect, not someone who will show “flashes of brilliance” intermixed with prolonged slumps or bouts of wildness.
Putting it politely, some players are more disciplined than others.
Here’s what I saw from F-Mart last season:
1. A quick bat with some pop;
2. Poor pitch recognition – he cannot identify a major league change-up; he swings at pitches both in the dirt and shoulder high;
3. He’s a capable outfielder, except when he’s given time to think about what he’s doing – he has trouble tracking the ball off the bat.
F-Mart has some talent, but he still needs alot of work to be considered a top prospect.
If the Mets go after DeRosa to play left,and leave F-Mart in Buffalo id be okay with that.With having pagan as a 4th he can step in anytime for injury,if Derosa has to go to the infield.F-Mart Davis or Thole might be ready by the All-star game.It took Reyes a couple of years to learn to take care of his body,until this past year.But up until then he was healthy.I think if Fernando can learn to take care of his body,condiontioning and eating he will be a good left fielder.plus he is cheap which the Wilpons must love,or they would be hot and heavy after Holliday or Bay.
The moment that F-Mart proves that he is healthy, the Mets should do themselves a favor and trade him. He is the second coming of Alex Escobar; always hurt and never fulfilling his potential.
meniscus is cartilage–as far as I know from what I read, this was an arhtroscope and he was due to come back in 6 weeks. I could be wrong.
It is the cartilage that covers the bone ending. If the surgery results in an area of exposed bone, you run the risk of bone bruising which is currently affecting Beltran’s durability. The question is the extensiveness of damage and whether the bone ending is now completely proteced or not. Those are medical details that we are not privy to, but risk exists nevertheless. Every situation is unique.
jdon: I had arthoscopic surgery for a torn meniscus and ran three miles on a HS track one week later-and I’d be elated to say I am only twice FMART’S age. Add a decade.
He is a slow healer and Nick is right, the second coming of Escobar. Another Minaya find. How about forgetting profiling ballplayers and assuming they have the desire because they come from undernourshed Latin America.
Martinez might be playing winter ball to prove his health to be a chip in acquiring a proven talent. You think Omar has any sand left in the hour glass? It’s now of never for him this winter if he wants to last the summer in New York.
Doug,
Aaron Boone had heart surgery on March 26 and was back by Sept.2.
He has heart surgery and just as fast or faster than Reyes, Delgado, & Fernando Martinez
Meant to say he returned just as fast or faster.