19
2012
Zack Wheeler On Cover of Baseball America
An article by 
Last week, Baseball America released its scouting reports on the top 10 organizational prospects on the horizon for the New York Mets and topping their list is right-handed pitching prospect Zack Wheeler. Our own Ben Yoel tweeted a copy of this month’s print issue of Baseball America with our boy Zack smack dab on the cover. Nice!
Obviously, Baseball America wrote this before the recent trade of R.A. Dickey, but here is what they had to say about the Mets farm system overall:
They have hope on the mound if Harvey and righthander Zack Wheeler, the system’s best prospect, fulfill their potential as frontline starters.
A lack of blue-chip position prospects clouds New York’s future lineup possibilities, however. Its best upper-level hitter is infielder Wilmer Flores, but he may not have enough power or defensive chops to profile as a long-term starter at any position.
Mets domestic farm clubs finished with a cumulative winning record for the third straight season, with the pitching staffs at high Class A St. Lucie, low Class A Savannah and short-season Brooklyn serving as particular highlights. All three units led their leagues in ERA, WHIP and K-BB ratio while featuring the bulk of the system’s most promising arms, including Luis Mateo, Rafael Montero and Michael Fulmer.
As for the Top 10, I think Cecchini and Nimmo should not be ranked higher than Flores. The thing with Baseball America is that every year a new guy gets the assignment for the Mets, this year it was Matt Eddy. Some of them base it on potential, others scouting, others still performance. I think a broader view that includes all three is the best way to go, but different strokes for different folks.
Their Best Tools for 2013 looks like this:
Best Hitter for Average – Wilmer Flores
Best Power Hitter – Aderlin Rodriguez
Best Strike Zone Discipline – Danny Muno
Fastest Baserunner – Alonzo Harris
Best Athlete – Bradley Marquez
Best Fastball – Domingo Tapia
Best Curveball – Zack Wheeler
Best Slider – Luis Mateo
Best Changeup – Darin Gorski
Best Control – Rafael Montero
Best Defensive Catcher – Albert Cordero
Best Defensive Infielder – Wilfredo Tovar
Best Infield Arm – Aderlin Rodriguez
Best Defensive OF – Matt den Dekker
Best Outfield Arm – Cesar Puello
About the Author: Joe DeCaro
I'm a lifelong Mets fan who loves writing and talking about the Amazins' 24/7. From the Miracle in 1969 to the magic of 1986, and even the near misses in '73 and '00, I've experienced it all - the highs and the lows. I started Mets Merized Online in 2005 to feed my addiction. Follow me on Twitter @metsmerized.
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NL East Standings
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Braves | 42 | 28 | .600 | - |
| Nationals | 34 | 35 | .493 | 7.5 |
| Phillies | 34 | 37 | .479 | 8.5 |
| Mets | 25 | 40 | .385 | 14.5 |
| Marlins | 22 | 47 | .319 | 19.5 |
Last updated: 06/18/2013
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Is there a prospect bust Jinx for being on the Baseball America cover…. like there is for Football players being on the cover of The Madden video game???
If so god help us…..
That kid Mike Trout did alright for himself after making the cover, wouldn’t you agree?
I think the biggest jinx in baseball is having Sports Illustrated pick you for the World Series. lol
Jeff Francoeur would answer yes.
Nice! Thanks for posting this Joe D.
Going to Barnes & Noble and pick up a copy.
TRAID!!! Kendry Morales just traded to the Mariners for ex-Met Jason Varagas.
To think Morales once put up MVP numbers 3yrs ago and Varagas is super underwhelming…..I wouldve loved Kendry in our OF
Too slow for OF, but good at 1B and a S hitter.
He has played in the OF in Cuba as well as when he 1st came over from Cuba with the Angels….not to mention he was a star pitcher in Cuba
Can he even play OF?
yes he has played the OF but I dont know if he can after the foot surgery
Morales is slower than Duda right now. He´s a DH.
Thanks for this Joe.
You gotta love the new arms coming up – but the lack of blue chip position players (albeit a bit better now with Travis) is a big worry.
Is there a sleeper bat on the horizon? (near horizon)
Yes, I would say Vicente Lupo is a big time sleeper but at least two years away. And I think Danny Muno, he of the PED suspension, is highly motivated and was lights out when he returned. I’d keep an eye on him and think he will arrive as soon as late next season or early 2014.
I suspect as our young arms begin to flourish in the upper levels, Sandy will be able to swing a trade for another organizations top OF prospect(s). One thing we know about Alderson, he’s not impulsive.
Presently, I am happy starting the season with a CF platoon of Niewenhuis and Cowgill. If we re-sign Hairston, he can own LF. Perhaps we could package Duda and a non-elite arm or two for a decent ML-Ready right fielder. At least that would get us through the season.
One other outfielder with promise is Juan Lagares. In 2011, he tore apart PCL and Bingy, although he started last season very slow and ended strong. He’s a good candidate for a mid-season call-up. He’s a good hitter and a good fielder, but there’s nothing spectacular about any aspect of his game. He has good plate discipline and he’s still young, so his power numbers may improve. But he seems to be the kind of guy that would extend an inning, not a rally-killer. Serviceable, in a word.
Bro – you would have to platoon Hairston too – he doesn’t hit righties (AVG .239 OBP.281) – also, I doubt Sandy will pay market value for Hairston to come back.
Niewenhuis’ wheels fell off and he just stopped hitting.
Cowgill sounds like a fourth outfielder.
We really have no outfield starters
Jason Parks of Baseball Prospectus said yesterday that with the new additions, the Mets farm is close to a top 10 system.
By 2015, and yes that’s a long way off, but nonetheless, the mets have what may turn out to be the chance to field one of the youngest and most talented pitching staffs.
Harvey, Wheeler, Syndergaard, Montero, Fulmer, Tapia, Familia, Mateo, Lara, Robles, and DeGrom are all power pitchers with high ceilings. All could definately be in Queens by then.
These guys are the future of this team. Plus, there’s secondary, but still very solid prospects like Mazzoni, Verret, Pill, and Gorski who could all be solid number 4/5 starters.
The dark horse and a guy that has perhaps the most powerful arm is Steve Matz. This lefty hits 100 mph, starts, but is regularly out with arm trouble. With the price of pitching in today’s market, the Mets will be at a huge advantage in having cheap young guns to fill their roster if just half these guys fulfill their promise.
Lot of trade chips here as well. Fingers crossed.
I’d sign Hairston and with Cowgill now available to platoon, we should probably be in stronger position. Neuwenhuis needs a chance to show what he can do and Den Dekker needs a year at AAA so that he has time to develop.
I don’t want Sandy to trade away key players, with another right handed OF bat this is a pretty good team on the field.
A little shallow in the bullpen, though. .
I really need to figure out what people see in Cech and Nimmo to rank them ahead of some of those other guys… I honestly do not get it AT ALL.
I think the jump for Montero is a little premature, but then again, I was going to sing the praises of Fulmer, and he’s low in experience too.
I’m cool with the Mateo ranking, though Wilmer Flores needed some love here. Come on BA.
Kudos to Wheeler picking up the cover, btw…that must be pretty cool to him.
I would say ceiling and over all athleticism.
Usually, the teams with the most pitching in retrospect turn out to be the most underrated farm systems of a time.
While the Mets – even with the addition of D´Arnaud – still are rather shallow in terms of advanced hitting prospects, their group of young pitching is arguably the deepest in the entire minors right now.Not many organization can boast two consensus top 50 overall P prospects like Wheeler & Syndergaard (not even counting Matt Harvey who is barely 9 IP over the Rookie limit and Jenry Mejia who also isn´t a Rookie anymore but sort of the forgotten man after being a top 50 overall prospect two years ago, barely 23 and flashing the same stuff late last season that he did as a top prospect) to go with arms like Fulmer, Familia, Tapia, Mateo and Montero who – depending on personal prefernce – are all borderline top 100 overall candidates with several other intriguing arms behind them.
This group of pitchers will ultimately decide about the Mets becoming a contender again. Whether it´s as early as in 2014 or as late as in 2016.
You develop the pitchers and buy / trade for the bats. That worked pretty well in the mid 1980s – and there´s a very good chance it´ll work again shortly.
And the key in this is that not only should the longterm rotation be pretty good – but with all those arms, the severe longtime bullpen issues finally figure to be solved eventually, especially counting all the 2nd tier arms like DeGrom, Mazzoni, Verret, McHugh or Gorski who may well end up playing up in bullpen roles in a year or two besides some of the higher end SP prospects who may have to switch.