Baseball America: Mets Still Bottom 15 Farm System

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• Alex68 January 3, 2013 at 11:49 am

  D’Arnaud is the second-best catching prospect in baseball, behind only Mike Zunino of the Mariners, while Syndergaard is a potential No. 2 starter. They’be be New York’s second- and third-best prospects, fitting between righthander Zack Wheeler and shortstop Gavin Cecchini”

  Don’t forget nimmo….
  • Met Maniac January 3, 2013 at 11:53 am

    You know what Alex? I just realized Callis said something that wasn’t considered before. The Mets got Toronto’s top 2 prospects after they moved top prospects in the Reyes and Buehrle trade.

    Here is where everyone ranked before either trade:

    1. Travis d’Arnaud, c
    2. Anthony Gose, of
    3. Jake Marisnick, of
    4. Daniel Norris, lhp
    5. Justin Nicolino, lhp
    6. Aaron Sanchez, rhp
    7. Noah Syndergaard, rhp
    8. Deck McGuire, rhp
    9. Drew Hutchison, rhp
    10. Asher Wojciechowski, rhp

    http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2012/2612728.html
    • Metsie January 3, 2013 at 6:40 pm

      Notice Snydergaard didn’t eve break into thier 2015 linup on BA…
      So they think he is still 4 years away from anything…

      Guess we will have to kick that “Something Special” can all the way to 2016 now won’t we? LOL
    • Russell's Mets January 3, 2013 at 10:37 pm

      @MetManiac did you just list a ranking from 2011 http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2012/2612728.html

      ??? Um, we are in 2013!!! Below is the real BA’s list prior to the trade…Please, please check your work before you post!

      http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/rankings/organization-top-10-prospects/2013/2614294.html

      1. Travis d’Arnaud, c
      2. Jake Marisnick, of
      3. Noah Syndergaard, rhp
      4. Aaron Sanchez, rhp
      5. Justin Nicolino, lhp
      6. Roberto Osuna, rhp
      7. Marcus Stroman, rhp
      8. Adeiny Hechavarria, ss
      9. D.J. Davis, of
      10. John Stilson, rhp
      • Metsie January 4, 2013 at 1:40 am

        There was a reason he posted an earlier one because the 2013 list does not reflect all the prospects that the Jays gave away to the Marlins on a previous trade…

        His list in Dec 2011 which is pretty much the rankings before last season started….
        • XtreemIcon January 4, 2013 at 1:55 am

          Yes it does. Sydergaard was ranked higher than two of the three top prospects the Jays sent to Miami.
        • Russell's Mets January 4, 2013 at 8:33 pm

          @Metsie both Nocolino and Marisnick are on the list. this list was after the trade. Did you even read it? I suspect the real reason he posted the 2011 list is because it made his post sound credible. Even though it was in fact full of BS.
          • Russell's Mets January 4, 2013 at 8:35 pm

            this list was before the trade*
  • Alex68 January 3, 2013 at 11:57 am

    Maniac, You can’t say that.. D’arnaud is a 20-30 HR guy for years to come ok… and syngernknlsdwegcay is our future #2 who will give us 15 wins for years to come ok…
• TX January 3, 2013 at 11:56 am

  Surprising it’s that low, but it’s probably a direct correlation to where the talent sits. IE, A ball or AA ball, vs. knocking on the door at AAA.
• Matt M January 3, 2013 at 12:00 pm

  Keep it mind the source. Jim Callis has been down on the Mets farm for several years. Even when Niese and Davis and Murphy were coming to the majors, he had the Mets ranked in the #25 range.

  Baseball Prospectus prospect guru Jason Parks said the Mets farm is “certainly in the Top 15″. I asked him the question in the comments section of the rankings he did. BP is right. Baseball America is in the minority opinion. John Sickles is more in line with Prospectus.

  I would guess Prospectus pegs the Mets farm right around 13 or 14 overall. Baseball America will come in around 18 or 19.
  • Donal January 3, 2013 at 12:16 pm

    Well, I know Parks tends to favor systems that have more guys who can break in. It was something him and Kevin Goldstein use to debate on the BP podcast. Goldstein prefers systems that can produce a few stars.

    Could it be that Callis lines more up with the latter? Or perhaps he prefers systems with more position players than the Mets have near ready?
    • Padilla January 3, 2013 at 12:59 pm

      Or perhaps he uses his own mind instead of drinking the alderson kool aide like you do!!!!
      • Donal January 3, 2013 at 1:02 pm

        Thanks, Jeffy. Keep trying to disrupt conversation so Mets fans don’t unite and focus on what a lousy job you do.
        • BadBadLeroyBrown January 3, 2013 at 7:49 pm

          Thats funny I always thought you were Jeff Wilpon
• Matt M January 3, 2013 at 12:01 pm

  http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=19198
• TRS86 January 3, 2013 at 1:06 pm

  It doesn’t surprise me. You can’t fix that kinda mess in only 2 drafts and 3 off-seasons.
  • Metsie January 3, 2013 at 6:41 pm

    You mean a Draft and a Half right?
• DrDooby January 3, 2013 at 1:30 pm

  Callis has traditionally been down on the Mets system compared to other mavens. He also hasn’t done a Mets Top 30 in a long time. Not surprising.
  That said, beyond Wheeler, D’Arnaud, Flores and if you’re generous Tovar and Familia no Met prospect figures to make a major impact at the major league level over the next two seasons realistically. Keep in mind that Harvey, Mejia, Nieuwenhuis and Valdespin, i.e. one third of last winter’s too 12 graduated in 2012. Edgin too btw, even if he wasn’t rated as highly.And prospects such as Lagares, Mazzoni, DeGrom, Gorski or McHugh project more as role players.
• Matt M January 3, 2013 at 2:20 pm

  Callis has a bias when it comes to the Mets. Ive read BA for 10 years and he always has. Everyone has teams they don’t like…usually it has to do with the team having a philosophy in opposition to the writers’ personal beliefs on player development.
• taskmaster4450 January 3, 2013 at 2:50 pm

  That does not surprise me at all. Most of the Mets talent is A or lower. Who is really at the upper end of the farm. Wheeler, TDA and Flores most likely will be in AAA and that is it. The young arms, Fulmer and Syndergaard are most likely St Lucie bound so they most likely see AA.

  This by the way is the reason why the Mets have an issue working trades. There just isnt a lot of high quality talent at the upper end of the system to deal with other teams.
• matthew balasis January 3, 2013 at 3:11 pm

  One problem with the Met farm system is that the teams just aren’t very good. I remember in the run-up to 86 I believe our AAA club won their league championship at least once. Our AA and AAA teams aren’t very competitive right now but St Lucie was runner up this past year and had the best pitching staff in their league, a mighty good sign when you consider the bump in this particular snake will eventually make it’s way through AA and AAA before they are pooped out onto the major league stage. I know there have been productive farm systems that have not necessarily had top teams represented, but I’ve always favored winning teams in the minors. Until we start to see our AA and AAA teams rising up to their competition there will always be doubters who will relegate them as second rate.
  • DrDooby January 3, 2013 at 3:19 pm

    A problem with BA in general is totally falling in love with high recent June picks they covered intensively. Mike Zunino is not a better prospect than Travis D’ Arnaud at this point, just like Gain Cechini should not rank ahead of Wilmer Flores at the moment.
    Flores is an interesting case anyway.
    He was ranked quite high by BA in years past as teenager holding his own but with a supposedly strong hit-tool. Then he struggled in 2011 and was prett much written off.

    Then he breaks out at age 20/21 and does what people had hoped for 3 years ago – but the rankings remain surprisingly low.
    • Matt Mosher January 3, 2013 at 6:45 pm

      ABSOLUTELY!! I never considered that and you are spot on.

      For instance, the consistently rate Miami’s Jose Fernandez higher than Zack Wheeler despite the former’s considerably smaller track record.
• Satish Ram January 3, 2013 at 4:19 pm

  What the hell is so special about Gavin Cecchini?

  I think Syndergaard is a potential #1 and I get the hype about D’Arnaud…but seriously, why the hell is Cecch anywhere NEAR the top of our prospect list?
  • Vinny B January 3, 2013 at 4:32 pm

    Yeah, I think it’s ridiculous that he is that high. He seems like a really nice kid and I’m really rooting for him, but I agree with you, I don’t see anything that special about his abilities.
    • Satish Ram January 3, 2013 at 4:36 pm

      I’m with you, man. I’ll vouch for his character, and of course, because he is part of our minor league system, I’m rooting for him to become a star.

      But at the very least, to rank him above Flores already? I need someone to explain it to me.

      I also feel Nimmo gets a little too much credit, but reports say he’s a pretty decent athlete…so I have to give that time as well, but I’m reluctant to rank either of them high.

      And before anyone says I have some anti-Alderson bias, I’m a huge fan of Fulmer and the young Syndergaard that we just picked up.
      • Met Maniac January 3, 2013 at 4:47 pm

        Callis didn’t make the list a huge saber guy named Matt Eddy did. He’s done the Mets Top Prospects for 3-4 years now. This is the guy who swore by Brad Holt even after other scouts and analysts dropped him off their top 20. That he put Flores below Nimmo and Cecchini only points to his bias. BA scouts who do the tools, called Flores the best hitter in the organization. But Eddy isn’t a scout, he’s a geek, so…
        • Matt Mosher January 3, 2013 at 6:55 pm

          Matt Eddy’s list was AWFUL. I don’t know what the hell he was looking at.
          • DrDooby January 4, 2013 at 1:34 am

            Yup, Eddy’s list by far was the worst out there.
            Also Mateo ahead of Fulmer and Tapia seemed quite questionable btw with his list.