Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas shut down Fresno, 8-0.
• Binghamton had the day off.
• St. Lucie dropped to Lakeland, 2-1. 
• Savannah had the day off.

Prospect Pipeline

• Travis d’Arnaud was seen yesterday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York for follow up on his fractured toe. Travis was cleared to begin weight bearing rehabilitation, but will remain in a boot for the next week.
  
• After only two rehab appearances, Mets prospect Luis Mateo has found himself back on the DL this evening. Mateo, since returning from the DL on May 30th, has made two appearances. He allowed two hits in a scoreless inning on the 30th, but he ran into some trouble in his last outing on June 2nd. He allowed four runs off four hits, including a home run, and a walk.
• The unmistakable traits of Noah Syndergaard‘s blistering fastball were on display once again Monday — only the fourth time at Tradition Field — and his latest showcase for the St. Lucie Mets offered more promise for the future. Reaching a top speed of 96 mph, the prized prospect mixed his fastball with a devastating changeup for five strikeouts over five innings but his winless streak extended to four games during a 2-1 loss to visiting Lakeland. Syndergaard, hailed as the No. 3 prospect in the rapidly improving farm system by MMN, allowed six hits — five of them singles — and two runs as his record dropped to 2-3 on the year. For more on Syndergaard’s performance, check out Bill Passonno’s great recap on MMN.
• Travis Taijeron is smoking hot. Last week’s Florida State League Player of The Week was 3-for-4 with another homerun last night. We did a Prospect Spotlight on Taijeron on MMN yesterday — you can check it out here.
• Carlos Torres twirled a gem last night, going the distance and racking up 11 strikeouts as he thoroughly dominated the Fresno hitters. Torres needed just 107 pitches for the complete game, 72 of which were strikes. The righty gave up just three hits on the night, and allowed zero walks on his way to his fifth win of the season. His 11 strikeouts are a season high, and marks the third time this season he has had double digit strikeouts in a game.
• Francisco Pena had another multi-hit game yesterday. He’s been raking since his call-up to Vegas.
• Congratulations to Luis Cessa for being named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week. Gabriel Ynoa picked up MMN’s Pitcher of the Week honors while Josh Satin got the nod as MMN’s Player of the Week.

Stat Lines of the Day

Carlos Torres: 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 11 K

Eric Campbell: 3-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, BB

Travis Taijeron: 3-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI

Transactions

RHP Luis Mateo is headed back to the DL.

3B Dimas Ponce assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Brooklyn Cyclones.

LHP Carlos Vazquez assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Brooklyn Cyclones.

Quote of the Day

“I’ve got to wear the boot still,” Travis d’Arnaud told The Post, adding that he’s unsure of a time frame for its removal.

“A couple of weeks ago when I found out it was still broken it was real tough to take,” d’Arnaud said. “But there was nothing I could do except go home and relax and make sure my foot healed, and that’s what I did.”

MMN Comment of the Day

Today’s comment comes from MMN reader “Dave In Spain,” who points out what the Mets should focus on in this year’s draft.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas snuck by Fresno, 3-2.
• Binghamton shutout New Hampshire, 7-2.
• St. Lucie split their doubleheader against Charlotte, 7-3, 5-3. 
• Savannah shut down Kannapolis, 7-1.

Prospect Pipeline

• A day after Mets prospect Zack Wheeler rebounded with a solid performance for Las Vegas, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that the Mets are considering a variety of factors in setting a date for Zack Wheeler’s major league debut and he could arrive on the next homestand.
• Gabriel Ynoa tossed the South Atlantic League’s first 9-inning complete game this season, retiring 19 of the first 20 batters he faced and holding the Intimidators off the scoreboard until the eighth inning. Ynoa (7-2) earned his league-leading seventh win, allowing a run on five hits while striking out four and walking none. It’s the second-straight game the Sand Gnats did not walk a batter.
• Travis Taijeron blasted three home runs in yesterday’s double header for St. Lucie. He has now lifted his season average over the .300-mark, going 15/33 with four home runs and 11 RBI over the last 10 games. His OPS over those ten games — an eye-popping 1.413. Head over to MMN to check out a Prospect Spotlight on Taijeron.
• Cesar Puello keeps on keeping on. He smacked three more hits yesterday, two of which were for extra bases (home runs and double). This kid really looks like a viable outfield option for the Mets, and fans should start to get excited when they hear Puello’s name. Puello was the subject of a new feature over at MetsMinors.net called Boom or Bust? Boom or Bust is a feature on MMN where we ask our writers to sound off on whether or not they think a particular Mets prospect will be a boom…or a bust. “Where the MMN writers stop being polite…and start getting real…MMN’s Boom or Bust?” — check it out today!
• Jack Leathersich pitched one inning yesterday and surprise, surprise, he struck out another hitter.
• Brandon Nimmo had another multi-hit game yesterday. He now has a four game hitting streak.
• Jayce Boyd = future first baseman of the New York Mets. The Mets have to speed this kid through the system. Coming out of a big-time college program, Florida State, where he raked, he should have started 2013 with St. Lucie at the least. He is an advanced college hitter, and I would push him straight to Binghamton. The guy is hitting .350 this year and through 56 games, has more walks than strike outs…wow.
• Kirk Nieuwenhuis has shown some signs of life, hitting five homers in his last ten games — but in 32 games with Las Vegas he is hitting a paltry .232 with 34 strikeouts.

Stat Lines of the Day

Gabriel Ynoa: 9.0 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 1 ER, 4 K

Travis Taijeron: 3-for-5, 2 BB, 3 HR, 3 RBI

Cesar Puello: 3-for-5, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB

Transactions

No transactions to report.

Quote of the Day

Zack Wheeler, the Mets’ top pitching prospect, is “getting close,” to making his major league debut, assistant general manager John Ricco said Sunday.

“We’ve talked about a lot of different dates, this window over the next couple of weeks,” said Ricco, who made the trip to Miami with the Mets. “I couldn’t rule out anything at this point. We’re kind of getting close, I would imagine.” “I haven’t talked to (Mets GM) Sandy (Alderson) yet, not sure, but it was a good outing,” Ricco said. “I don’t know what that means yet.” “I haven’t talked to (Mets GM) Sandy (Alderson) yet, not sure, but it was a good outing,” Ricco said. “I don’t know what that means yet.”

Tweet of the Day

Charleston 3, Savannah 2

The Savannah Sand Gnats lost their third straight game, falling to the Charleston RiverDogs 3-2 on Tuesday night at Riley Park.

Kelvin De Leon’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning brought home Peter O’Brien with the winning run. O’Brien led off the inning with a single and went to third on Yeicok Calderon’s single. Savannah reliever Beck Wheeler intentionally walked Reymond Nunez to load the bases and set up a force play, but De Leon drove a fly ball deep enough to score O’Brien, a catcher.

It was tough loss for the Gnats, who battled back from a 2-0 first-inning deficit. They cut the Charleston lead in half when Cole Frenzel’s two-out single drove in Maikis De La Cruz, who had singled. In the sixth inning, Savannah evened the game when Kevin Plawecki led off with a triple and scored on Frenzel’s single. The Gnats had numerous opportunities to score, but left 11 on base. In the ninth, they loaded the bases with one out, but De La Cruz, who is hitting .391 since joining the team, bounced into a force out. Plawecki then fanned to end the inning.

Gabriel Ynoa got the call for the Sand Gnats to start the game and was relatively successful, pitching into the seventh inning, and allowing just two earned runs. He allowed just six hits and struck out six.

Savannah and Charleston finish their three-game series today at 7:05 p.m.

Key Stats

Maikis De La Cruz: 2-for-5

Kevin Plawecki: 1-for-4, 1 3B, 1 BB, 1 R

Cole Frenzel: 2-for-4, 2 RBI

Jeff Reynolds: 3-for-4, 1 2B

Gabriel Ynoa: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 2 ER, 6 K

Hunter Carnevale: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Beck Wheeler: 0.1 P, 2 H, 1 BB, 1 ER

(Partially compiled from Team Report)

Charleston 5, Savannah 3

It was an up and down night for Luis Cessa, who managed to battle his way through six innings while allowing only three earned runs. He did serve up two home runs, with one being a two-run homer, that accounted for the runs charged to him. Overall, he allowed five hits and four walks, so he was dancing out of trouble all night. Cessa did not factor into the decision, however, as Julian Hilario allowed two runs in the eighth inning which broke the 3-3 tie and left him saddled with the loss.

The Sand Gnats scored their three runs over the course of two innings, the second and third, without the benefit of a long ball. An RBI single by Jeffrey Glenn and a sacrifice fly by Yucary De La Cruz brought home two runs in the second, and Stefan Sabol doubled with two outs in the third to score Kevin Plawecki.

Gabriel Ynoa should be taking the hill for Savannah tomorrow.

Key Stats

Yucary De La Cruz: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Maikis De La Cruz: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 R

Stefan Sabol: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Jeffrey Glenn: 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI

Luis Cessa: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 HR, 4 BB, 3 ER, 4 K

Julian Hilario: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 2 ER, 3 K

Savannah 9, Hickory 6

Eudy Pina and Phillip Evans played their hearts out behind Gabriel Ynoa to ensure that his rough start against Hickory would not lead to a loss. Pina lead off the game with a home run for Savannah, who held a 1-0 lead until Ynoa served up a two-run shot to Jorge Alfaro in the bottom of the second.

Pina came through again for the Sand Gnats in the top of the third, where he launched another home run – this one a two-run shot, and saw it followed up later that inning by a Kevin Plawecki sacrifice fly. Ynoa would manage to last five innings, but it was a struggle for him, as he was taken deep on four separate occasions for a total of five earned runs over that span.

Phillip Evans helped to put a stamp on this victory in the top of the seventh, when he ripped a pitch to left field for his first home run of the year, plating Jeff Reynolds.

Beck Wheeler saw his awesome start to the season finally slow down just a little, as he allowed an earned run for the first time in 2013, leaving his ERA at 0.71. Bret Mitchell slammed the door in the ninth with a scoreless innings and two strikeouts for his fourth save of the season. Ynoa did end up with the win in this one – his fourth of the campaign.

Key Stats

Eudy Pina: 3-for-5, 1 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R

Chad Zurcher: 2-for-5, 1 R

Phillip Evans: 3-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 4 R, 1 BB

Gabriel Ynoa: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 HR, 0 BB, 5 ER, 4 K

Julian Hilario: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, 2 K

Tyler Vanderheiden: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K

Beck Wheeler: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 HR, 1 ER, 2 K

Bret Mitchell: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 2 BB, 2 K

Savannah 5, Kannapolis 3

After a lengthy rain delay, the Savannah Sand Gnats made quick work of the Kannapolis Intimidators in a 5-3 victory at Historic Grayson Stadium on Thursday night. The two teams were delayed 1:32 by rain at the start of the game, and once play started, the Gnats needed just 2:04 to earn their eighth win in nine games on their current home stand.

With losses by both the Augusta GreenJackets and the Asheville Tourists, the Gnats are alone in first place for the first time all season.

The Gnats took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth. 1B Jayce Boyd led off with a sharp one-hopper to short that Jean Almanzar booted. C Kevin Plawecki drove home Boyd with a bouncing double down the left field line, his league-leading 16^th double of the year.

Trailing 3-0, Savannah evened the game with a three-run bottom of the fourth inning. CF Eudy Pina and 2B Yucary De La Cruz singled to begin the frame. Boyd plated both with a double up the right-center field gap, his 10^th of the year. Boyd scored the tying run on a wild pitch by Kannapolis starter Myles Jaye. Jaye was charged with the loss to fall to 3-1.

The Intimidators built a 3-0 lead through three innings against Savannah starter Gabriel Ynoa, who hung in though seven innings for his third win of 2013. The Intimidators used a pair of solo homeruns – by 1B Brent Tanner leading off the second inning and by LF Kale Kiser with one out in the third – to hurt Ynoa. However, the 19-year old hurler steadied himself and faced the minimum 12 batters over his final four innings. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter.

The Gnats look for a sweep, their second of the home stand Friday, at 7:05 pm when LHP Steven Matz (1-0, 1.96) takes on RHP Euclides Leyer (1-3, 4.18).

Key Stats

Yucary De La Cruz: 1-for-4, 1 R

Eudy Pina: 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB

Jayce Boyd: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R

Kevin Plawecki: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI

Gabriel Ynoa: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 HR, 3 ER, 8 K

Beck Wheeler: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K

(Team Report)

Logan Verrett is quite the talented young pitcher.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas got rocked by Tacoma, 8-2.
• Binghamton defeated Akron, 7-2.
• St. Lucie blew out Bradenton, 13-5.
• Savannah edged out West Virginia, 1-0.

Prospect Pipeline

• I strongly urge you to click the above link leading to the Binghamton recap, which features a wonderful analysis of Logan Verrett‘s most recent start on Saturday afternoon. I remember writing on Verrett months ago and noting that he came into our system at 21 with fairly advanced stuff, so I expected him to advance quickly. Binghamton was supposed to be a serious test for him, and he seems to be passing with flying colors right now. He embodies a lot of great intangibles that you can appreciate in a young pitcher – he works fairly quickly, he pitches with confidence, and has sound mechanics. Verrett won his fourth game, which is tops in the EL.
• Rainy Lara has been gaining ground as a Mets prospect this season and with good reason, as he is finding success in Savannah. Saturday was no different, as he dominated the West Virginia Power for seven-and-a-third shutout innings, which dropped his season ERA to 1.88. Tempering expectations, Lara could end up being a Jeremy Hefner type player in the future, and I say this in a complimentary sense based on versatility and durability. A lot of people believe his stuff is better suited for a middle relief role, but he throws three pitches, and I refuse to give up on him unless he gives me an actual reason. One of the best things about Lara’s start on Saturday was his first pitch strike percentage – 80% (20/25). If he continues to attack with his pitches and his command stays solid, there is no reason to bet against an MLB future for Rainy Lara.
• The Mets had the choice to go with Collin Cowgill or Andrew Brown to break camp with the MLB team to start the 2013 season. They chose Cowgill and the results have been unpleasant, to say the least, so far. Andrew Brown, on the other hand, has been tearing it up in Las Vegas. The PCL is an extremely offensively heavy league and whatever genius thought the Mets would be better off with a Triple-A team in Las Vegas should be sacked, and if they don’t do it right, that person should be sacked. So remembering to take these stats with a grain of salt, here is Brown’s slash so far: .354/.427/.976.
• Speaking of outfielders playing well, Alonzo Harris has been rocking lately. He hit his second home run of the year last night. In his recent ten-game hitting streak, he has stolen eight bases and complemented it with a .341 average. His ten stolen bases are tied for the league lead.
• Prospect Rafael Montero took the mound on Friday evening and showed that he might actually have a human side, as he walked two batters and allowed two earned runs in five innings. He still managed to strike out eight batters, which leaves his K:BB at 35:3 and his ERA at 1.95. Considering the way he was pitching recently, this might actually qualify as a bad start for the young phenom.
• Are we getting to the point where we can take Kevin Plawecki‘s .400 average and Jayce Boyd‘s .405 average seriously now? We’re almost in May. Plawecki has an OPS of 1.144 so far this season, which leads the entire SAL league (Boyd is second). He also leads the   league in doubles with 11, or as Mr. North Jersey calls them, Plaweckis.
• Dustin Lawley has put together a nice pair of games between Friday and Saturday, as he has gone 3-for-7 with two home runs, one double, five RBI, five runs scored, and two walks.
• You wouldn’t believe how many spell Phillip Evans and Collin McHugh incorrectly by subtracting an L from both names. No big deal really, but I heard FOX used “Zach” for Zack Wheeler…and that’s one of his pet peeves. He told MMO that a while back.

Stat Line of the Night

Rainy Lara: 7.1 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 9 K

Transactions/Injuries

• Josh Edgin arrived in Binghamton, where in other news down there, Richard Lucas has a cramped muscle and will likely not play on Sunday. Lucas pulled up a little lame after running out a ground ball.
• Cory Mazzoni is still on the DL, but he could be throwing a bullpen session by next week.
• Right-handed pitcher Luis Mateo, who made on start with the B-Mets in place of Mazzoni, is no longer with the team. He has returned to the Mets facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla. (Thanks to Lynn Worthy.) Mateo should resume throwing again in the next week or so, based on his elbow strength.
• Michael Fulmer threw twelve pitches over the course of an inning in an extended spring training game. No reported issues.

Quote Of The Day

Some guys out kick their coverage with women. I’m more of a dive in my own end zone and take a safety kind of guy.

— Jake Kuebler (@ellskuebler) April 28, 2013

Photo of the Day

I’ll smile if you tell me more about Kevin Plawecki, Satish…

Mike Newman of ROTOscouting posted an article on FanGraphs regarding some of the Mets’ exciting Dominican arms who he says ranks among the top-15 prospects in the organization.

I mentioned one of them in our Minor League report today, Gabriel Ynoa, about whom he writes:

Against Savannah, Ynoa sat 91-92 with his fastball, touching 93 mph. With sink and a sling shot delivery, Ynoa is deceptive and his length gives the impression of the ball exploding on an opposing hitter. Plus, he’s not a max effort pitcher which speaks to durability and future health.

In Brooklyn, J.D. Sussman had Ynoa up to 95 mph, so expect even more from the young right-hander as the weather warms. Plus, his body lacks muscular development. As Ynoa fills out, the potential is there for him to add even more velocity… Ynoa is the gem of the Savannah pitching staff. Look for the 19-year old to vault up Mets mid-season prospect lists and into the top eight overall by season’s end.

Earlier today, and before Mike linked me this article, I wrote that while last season many of the scouts were already labeling Ynoa as a future reliever, I thought there was a lot more to him than that and called him a future ace in the making. Check out our always insightful Minor League Report from today for more on Ynoa.

While Jeurys Familia, Rafael Montero, Luis Mateo and Domingo Tapia get much of the ink, and deservedly so in their own rights, Gabe Ynoa and also Rainy Lara are two more names not to be ignored.

Newman says that by mid-season, Ynoa could crack the Mets Top 10.

Mike has a tremendous eye for scouting and check out his new site that I linked to above. He’s been kind enough to let us share many of his scouting videos on MMO.

Jayce Boyd strikes a pose for MMO last season. These days he’s mashing baseballs in Savannah.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas got edged out by Tacoma, 13-12.
• Binghamton had the night off.
• St. Lucie got rocked by Bradenton, 9-1.
• Savannah stunned Delmarva, 7-2.

Prospect Pipeline

• All eyes will were on Zack Wheeler last night, and while his performance last night was better than his six walk performance last week, he doesn’t seem to be getting any closer to making his major league debut. Wheeler seems to be stuck in neutral and then puts it in reverse every once in awhile. Maybe he has to adjust and work in the low to mid-90s until he finds his command. He can still reach back when he needs it, but maybe he takes a little off for the time being? 
• Zack Wheeler has now made 65 minor league starts and has yet to reach the major leagues. To put that in perspective, Matt Harvey started in 48 games before he was promoted. Harvey, however, compiled 238.2 innings while at college with North Carolina.
• I feel like every morning report includes notes regarding a great offensive game by either Jayce Boyd or Kevin Plawecki. These guys are advanced college hitters, and Savannah just isn’t a challenge for them. Last night, they were both 3-for-4 with a home run.
• Rafael Montero Watch: Montero takes the hill tonight for Binghamton at 7:05 PM. He is 3-0 this season, and has 27 strikeouts to one walk. You can listen to the game live by visiting the Binghamton Mets official website and clicking the audio tab.
• Domingo Tapia was solid again last night, pitching 5.2 innings, giving up two walks, five hits, and two earned runs. He also struck out five.
• Wilmer Flores is batting .326 over his last ten games with a home run, five doubles and five RBI.
• Yes, I’m still on the Gabriel Ynoa bandwagon even though everyone seems to think he’s just a future reliever. All he did last night was deliver his usual solid performance tossing 6.1 innings and allowing one run on three hits, one walk while striking out six. At one point he retired 12 batters in a row. Nobody could get around on his deceptive fastball which explodes late. (Joe D.)
• Somebody get Brandon Nimmo some Wheaties. He’s gone hitless for two games in a row for the first time this season. Somebody, quick, alert the authorities. His batting average is now down to .367.  (Joe D.)
• Captain Kirk, remember him? Well, Kirk Nieuwenhuis earned the golden sombrero last night with four well earned strikeouts in his first start for the Las Vegas 51s. Yikes. (Joe D.)
• Off Topic, but 20,000+ different readers checked into MMO yesterday. Nice! (Joe D.)

Stat Lines of the Night

Jayce Boyd: 3-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Kevin Plawecki: 3-for-4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R

Quote Of The Day

Photo of the Day

I got a pair of aces. Montero and Ynoa…

Savannah 7, Delmarva 2

The Savannah Sand Gnats completed a three-game sweep of the Delmarva Shorebirds with a 7-2 victory Thursday night at Historic Grayson Stadium. The Gnats outscored the ‘Birds 25-6 over the three games. Dating back to last year, Savannah (12-8) has outscored Delmarva (11-10) 45-8 in the last six games between the teams at Historic Grayson Stadium.

Gnats’ starter Gabriel Ynoa allowed a run in the top of the first and then nothing else in his six and a third innings of work. The 19-year old RHP 12 batters in a row from the third through the seventh innings and 18-of-20 batters. He earned the win to improve to 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA.

Savannah tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth on DH Kevin Plawecki‘s solo homerun to left, his fourth of the year. Plawecki finished 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored.

The Gnats took a 2-1 later in the fourth when 3B Yucarybert De La Cruz, singled. He went to third on SS Phillip Evans‘ single into centerfield and then scored on a wild pitch.

Savannah added three runs in the fifth on an RBI single by 1B Jayce Boyd and two-run double into left field by LF Stefan Sabol to build a 5-1 lead.

Boyd’s solo homer in the seventh made it 7-1 Gnats. He came into the day leading the SAL in batting average and on-base percentage and finished Thursday 3-for-4 with a homer, two runs scored and two driven in. In the three games against Delmarva, Boyd was 7-for-10 with two doubles, a homer, and four walks.

Savannah welcomes the West Virginia Power to town on Friday night when LHP Steven Matz (1-0, 1.29) takes on RHP Clay Holmes (1-1, 3.50). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 and gates to Historic Grayson Stadium open at 6 pm.

Key Stats

Jayce Boyd: 3-for-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Kevin Plawecki: 3-for-4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R

Stefan Sabol: 1-for-4, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Gabriel Ynoa: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 6 K

Hunter Carnevale: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 2 K

Bret Mitchell: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 ER, 2 K

(Team Report)

Lakewood 3, Savannah 2

The Savannah offense was only able to muster five hits and two runs to back up Gabriel Ynoa – who did not pitch all that bad.

Ynoa toed the rubber for Savannah on Thursday evening and pitched a solid game, allowing three earned runs over six innings off five hits and two walks. He struck out two and looked a little more comfortable than he did in past starts. A sacrifice fly and a two-out RBI single in the first charged Ynoa with his first two runs, and he was victimized by a wild pitch that led to another sacrifice fly in the fourth inning for his third run allowed. Julian Hilario took over after the sixth, and it was smooth sailing for him, as he provided two perfect innings with four strikeouts.

The only sign of life for the Savannah offense was a Eudy Pina two-run home run with two outs in the fifth, which scored Phillip Evans. The Sand Gnats scattered their hits, including doubles by Yucary De La Cruz and Stefan Sabol, but they could never really muster anything out there. The sizzling hot Brandon Nimmo finally showed his human side with an 0-for-4. You have those nights sometimes.  Here’s looking forward to tomorrow…

Key Stats

Yucary De La Cruz: 1-for-4, 1 2B

Stefan Sabol: 1-for-3, 1 2B

Eudy Pina: 1-for-2, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB

Brandon Nimmo: 0-for-4

Gabriel Ynoa: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 ER, 3 K

Julian Hilario: 2.0 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 4 K

St. Lucie 6, Bradenton 5

Jacob DeGrom started the game strong for St. Lucie by retiring the first eight batters that he faced, but he ran into trouble in the fourth inning.  DeGrom gave up three runs off four hits in the frame. He then gave up a home run to Willy Garcia in the sixth that put St. Lucie behind 4-3.

However, the Mets were able to retake the lead due to some sloppy defense by the Bradenton Marauders. Travis Taijeron scored the tying run in the seventh on a fielding error. Then, in the ninth, Cam Maron reached base on an error, advanced to second base on a wild pitch, and then scored on a dropped fly ball by the second baseman to put St. Lucie ahead. The Marauders committed six errors in the game.

Unfortunately, St. Lucie quickly gave back the lead in the bottom of the ninth.  T.J Chism recorded the first two outs of the inning, but gave up a fly ball that was just out of the reach of second baseman T.J Rivera that tied the game.

In the 12^th, St. Lucie went ahead for good. Charles Thurber scored the winning run on a force out, and Hamilton Bennett picked up the save in the bottom of the inning.

Player Notes:

Jacob DeGrom pitched better than his line showed since many of the hits he gave up weren’t hit very hard.

T.J Rivera crushed a three run double off the CF wall for the first runs of the game, but he failed to come through twice with runners on third with less than 2 outs later in the game.

Aderlin Rodriguez had a rough night at the plate going 0-6 with 2 K’s.

Key Stats

Jacob DeGrom: 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 7 K,  1HR
T.J Rivera: 2-for-7, 2B, 3 RBI
Travis Taijeron: 4-for-5, 3B, 2B,  1 R, 1 BB

Rome 5, Savannah 2

Savannah (4-4) jumped out to an early lead on a Kevin Plawecki‘s RBI double in the top of the first. Rome (5-3) got the run right back in the bottom half of the first through an RBI single by Carlos Franco. They took the lead in the second after an error by SS Phillips Evans with the bases loaded. Not to be outdone, the Sand Gnats evened the score in the top of the fourth on a double play with the bases loaded, which scored Kevin Plawecki. Plawecki had led off the inning with a double, one of two on the evening.

Rome took the lead for good with a three spot in the bottom of the fifth inning off Gnats starter Gabriel Ynoa, who failed to record an out in the fifth before being lifted. Ynoa would go four innings, allowing five runs, four of them earned, on eight hits and two walks. He did strike out four. The Gnats were kept in the game with stellar relief work by Bret Mitchell who pitched two perfect innings and they got a perfect inning each from Beck Wheeler and Tim Peterson.

Key Stats

Brandon Nimmo: 2-for-3, 1 BB, 1 R
Kevin Plawecki: 3-for-4, 2 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI
Gabriel Ynoa: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R (4 ER), 2 BB, 4 K

(Recaps by Vinny B. and Fonzie13)

Savannah Sand Gnats 12, Rome Braves 3

The Savannah Sand Gnats were up by eight runs by the time they allowed starter Gabriel Ynoa to exit, as they defeated the Rome Braves on Friday with a dominating perfomance, 12-3.

Kevin Plawecki had a great game, going 3-for-5 with a homer, two runs scored and two RBI. Plawecki was the only man to homer in the 12-run affair.

The Gnats (1-1) came on strong early, taking advantage of three Brave errors to score six runs off opposing starter Mauricio Cabrera(0-1), although only three of them were earned. It was their five-run third inning that really did the damage, however, where the Gnats capitalized on a throwing error that allowed two runs to cross the plate and picked up RBI hits from Brandon Nimmo and Philip Evans. Nimmo and Evans each had nice nights offensively too, with Nimmo going 2-for-6 with a 3B and 2 RBI while Evans went 2-for-4 with a 3B, 2 RBI, and a walk.

In the meantime, 19-year old Gabriel Ynoa (1-0) was dealing through five innings, where he allowed only one hit and walk each, while striking out six.

Tim Peterson surrendered a three-run double in the sixth to account for all of Rome’s runs, but Paul Sewald shut the door over the next innings, allowing no baserunners and striking out five for his first save of the year. An interesting fact to note is that Savannah actually drew more walks (12) than they banged out hits (10).

The Gnats head to Rome to play a weekend series there with the starter yet to be announced.

Key Stats

• Kevin Plawecki - 3 for 5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI
• Brandon Nimmo - 2 for 6, 3B, R, 2 RBI
• Gabriel Ynoa - 5 IP, H, BB, 6 K

2013 Savannah Roster

Here is unofficial roster for the Savannah Sand Gnats based on players already there for Media Day. That’s as close to official as you can get.

Starting Pitchers

Matthew Bowman
Gabriel Ynoa
Steven Matz
Rainy Lara
Logan Taylor
Matt Koch
Luis Cessa

Relievers

Hunter Carnevale
Julian Hilario
Jake Kuebler
Bret Mitchell
Timothy Peterson
Paul Sewald

Catchers

Kevin Plawecki
Jeffrey Glenn
Nelfi Zapata

Infielders

Jayce Boyd
Chad Zurcher
Phillip Evans
Cole Frenzel
Yucarybert De La Cruz
Jeff Reynolds

Outfielders

Brandon Nimmo
Stefan Sabol
Eudy Pina
Gregory Pron

The Mets will be piggybacking pitchers again in the rotation which explains the seven starters.

2013 Savannah Preview

The 2012 Sand Gnats were a very intriguing team. There were some surprises like Travis Taijeron and Aderlin Rodriguez, as well as some great seasons from big names, such as Michael Fulmer. This year, the team could be even more exciting to watch and follow, as the 2012 draft class begins to rise through the minor league system. We’ll get to see some highly-touted draft picks in their first taste of long-season professional baseball. The other interesting group we’ll see in Savannah is the starting rotation coming up from Brooklyn. Most of the pitching staff, which had a brilliant year last year, will be heading to Savannah this summer, including Hansel Robles, Gabriel Ynoa, and others. Let’s take a look at some of the names to watch this season.

Players To Watch

• Brandon Nimmo (OF) – While Brandon Nimmo‘s batting average from last season doesn’t look great, there were plenty of positive signs from the Mets’ 2011 first-round pick that should have fans pretty excited. At age 19, Nimmo showed unexpected power, slugging 28 extra-base hits in only 69 games, six of those home runs. He was fourth in the league in doubles and .158 ISO (SLG-BA, a good indicator of power) was sixth in the league. He was the only player under 20 years old in the top 20. Nimmo was also very patient at the plate, walking in 14.3 percent of his plate appearances, third in the NYPL. Despite having missed out on a year of high school ball due to injury and playing his first full year of professional ball in a pitcher friendly league (where many of the year’s top college pitchers go), he thrived, which is a great sign for his future.
• Gabriel Ynoa (RHP) – Another star in the 2012 Brooklyn rotation, Ynoa had a great season last year as well, leading the team in innings pitched. He was also fifth in the league in WHIP (0.926). He put up an incredible 6.40 strikeout to walk ratio. Ynoa did all this as one of the youngest pitchers in the league. He already has a solid fastball and an advanced changeup. He could be someone who has another breakout year with Savannah.
• Rainy Lara (RHP) – Lara, another 2012 Cyclone, put up some ridiculous numbers last year in Brooklyn, but didn’t get as much attention as Hansel Robles and others did. In 12 starts, he posted a 2.91 ERA, walked 1.6 batters per nine, but most impressively, struck out 10.2 batters per nine. Among qualified pitchers, that was second only to his teammate Luis Mateo. At 22, some may be skeptical of Lara’s performance and say it was a result of his age, but when you keep in mind that he made the jump from the Gulf Coast League to Brooklyn, his performance last year was impressive.

Other Notables

• Kevin Plawecki (C) – The Mets grabbed Plawecki in the supplementary round out of Purdue in last year’s draft, and for good reason. Plawecki was sent to Brooklyn, where he put up big power numbers. He was fourth in the league in home runs with seven in 216 at-bats. He put up a decent walk rate of 9.9 percent, and put up a .345 On-Base Percentage. Behind Travis d’Arnaud, he is probably the best catching prospect in the system.
• Matt Koch (RHP) – The Mets’ third round draft pick out of the University of Louisville last year pitched mostly out of the Brooklyn bullpen, but was able to make two starts. He was mostly a reliever in college, and projects as one in the future. In 23.1 innings, Koch struck out 19 (7.3 K/9) and walked seven (2.7 BB/9) while allowing 13 earned runs.
• Jayce Boyd (1B) – The Mets picked Boyd, a right-handed hitting first baseman, out of Florida State last June. He went to Brooklyn and showed a little bit of pop, hitting five homers, nine doubles, and a triple in 54 games.

We take our baseball seriously in Savannah.

In putting together this list, I tried to balance as best I could major league readiness with the so-called “ceiling” of each prospect. In compiling the list, I looked at and analyzed career statistics, video, scouting reports, and the opinions of some well-respected scouts and Mets minor league experts before coming to my conclusions. Enjoy!

20. Jack Leathersich, LHP

Height: 5’11″

Weight: 205

Throws/Bats: L/R

We may be seeing Josh Edgin 2.0 as Jack Leathersich shoots up the ladder. Another college lefty reliever. However, Leathersich is rather unconventional, and has been slightly more successful than Edgin was in his short time in the minors. Although he had a 4.12 ERA over the second half of the year when he was with St. Lucie, Leathersich had an astronomical strikeout rate of 14.2 batters per nine. That’s 35.5% of the hitters he faced.

There is still one question with Leathersich, a very important one. Is his success because of his talent or a deceptive delivery? Watch his delivery below and you’ll see what I’m talking about:

He struggled to get hitters out for the first time in his career with St. Lucie last year, and we’ll have to wait and see how his delivery translates to the higher levels.

2013 Outlook: Leathersich has been shooting up through the lower levels, and will likely continue to do so. He may even be an outside candidate to pitch for the Mets in the second half this year. Then, we’ll see what he’s got. He will start the year with Binghamton in all likelihood and go from there. If his success continues, he will move up fast.

19. Cory Vaughn, RF

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 225

Throws/Bats: R/R

A former fourth-round pick and son of former major leaguer Greg Vaughn, right fielder  Cory Vaughn is a physically-gifted, all-around athlete. Coming out of San Diego State in 2010, Vaughn was projected as a five-tool player, and did a little bit of everything once he turned pro. In his first professional season with the Cyclones, he hit .307/.396/.577 with 14 home runs in just 72 games. He also swiped 12 bases and hit five triples.

In 2011, Vaughn saw his numbers drop. He had a decent first half with Savannah, batting .286 (although he hit only four home runs) until he was called up to St. Lucie, where he struggled even more. In an injury-riddled second half, Vaughn hit only .219 in 63 games.

2012 was another year of mixed results for the 23 year-old outfielder. Everything was there – the power, speed, defensive skills – except for the hit tool. Vaughn struggled to but the barrel on the ball consistently, hitting just .243. The key to Vaughn’s success going forward will be his ability to hit for average. The other tools are there, but the one he didn’’t show this year is the most important to future success.

2013 Outlook: Vaughn has played 189 games for St. Lucie, so but he may end up there again. He may start the season there again because of his struggles at the plate last season. He will be turning 24 in May, so the clock is ticking. We’ve seen what happens to guys like Zack Lutz and Josh Satin getting “stuck” in the minors because of age. Vaughn still has some time, but he can’t afford to spend the majority of 2013 in St. Lucie.

18. Phillip Evans, SS

Height: 5’10″

Weight: 185

Throws/Bats: R/R

The Mets got a steal two years ago when, in the 15^th round they drafted a high school shortstop named Phillip Evans. Evans was a 2^nd-round talent, but scouts were scared off by his commitment to San Diego State. Luckily, the Mets were able to grab him late and sign him for $600,000.

Scouts say Evans has an advanced approached at the plate. He also generates a decent amount of power, despite being very small. (He is listed at 5’10”, but is much shorter). He hit .252 in his first full professional season with Brooklyn. He had an OPS of .665, but hit five home runs, third on the team.

The Mets will have to decide over the next few years where exactly Evans fits. He has a weak throwing arm and often has to take a few steps before making a throw to first. The general belief Is that he will eventually have to move to second base.

2013 Outlook: Phillips will probably split time with Savannah and St. Lucie this season.

17. Matt den Dekker, CF

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 205

Throws/Bats: L/L

It was like two separate seasons for Matt den Dekker in 2012. In the first half, we saw his bat come alive, as he hit double after double (along with a few home runs), batting .340 in 58 games for Double-A Binghamton. Den Dekker was arguably the best player in the league, socking 21 doubles, four triples, and eight home runs. He also stole ten bases and continued to play incredible defense.

The second half was a different story for den Dekker, after he was called up to Buffalo. He was striking out more, walking less, and most importantly, hitting the ball less. Here is how his first half in Binghamton compared to his time with Buffalo:

Den Dekker is facing the same strikeout problem that held Kirk Nieuwenhuis back last season. He has to lower his strikeout rate drastically or he is going to have a very difficult time hitting in the big leagues. You can’t get away with a 25% strikeout rate in the bigs. He’s too much of a free-swinger (as you can tell by his walk rate, which was already low in the first half) and big league pitching will test him.

2013 Outlook: Last year, den Dekker was a candidate to make the team out of Spring Training, but that’s not happening no matter how he performs in spring games. He will need to put together a few months with lower strikeout rates in order to get the promotion.

16. Gabriel Ynoa, RHP 

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 158

Throws/Bats: R/R

After dominating the Dominican Summer League two years ago and pitching well in the Gulf Coast league in 2011, Gabriel Ynoa once again had a fantastic season, this time as a part of Brooklyn’s incredible pitching rotation.

Ynoa showed ridiculous control, walking only 1.2 batters per nine innings. The skinny right-hander has always been known for his excellent command, and in over 200 pro innings, he has walked only 22 batters.

Ynoa made 13 starts in the New York-Penn League this season, and in 76.2 innings, he had just a 2.23 ERA. He also struck out 7.5 batters per nine, up from only 4.3 the year before. He has a good changeup and a low-90s fastball that he commands very well. Hopefully, he will fill in his 6’2” frame (he’s listed as only 158 pounds), which could help him put a little more heat on his fastball.

2013 Outlook: Ynoa is so young and still has to build up some innings. He will probably go to Savannah in the spring and stay there the entire season.

15. Wilfredo Tovar, SS

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 160

Throws/Bats: R/R

Tovar has always been known as a very skilled defensive shortstop. That’s his best skill, and he is probably the best defender in the entire Mets system. The questionable part of his game has always been his bat.

Signed out of Venezuela at 16 years old in 2008, Tovar had a tough time hitteing at even the lowest levels of the minor leagues, hitting just .203 in 49 games in the Venezuelan Summer League. He saw some improvement in the following years, as his batting average hovered around .250. Last season, he started to see some big changes.

After playing the better part of two years with Savannah, Tovar started the year with St. Lucie, and he started hitting the ball much better. In his 65 games with St. Lucie, he hit .284 with a career-high .377 on-base percentage and 11.3% walk rate, a significant improvement from the year before. He had a tough second half in Binghamton, with his numbers reverting back to what they were pre-St. Lucie, but that may have been due to the fact that he was 20 playing in Double-A.

Tovar certainly has the potential to be a Ruben Tejada-type player with an even better glove. We just have to wait and see how the bat develops. He started hitting some more extra-base hits this season, which was a very good sign. He will need that gap-to-gap power in order to become an MLB regular.

2013 Outlook: The Mets will be in no rush with Tovar. He will begin the season in Binghamton and play most of the season there.

14. Aderlin Rodriguez, 3B

Height: 6’3”

Weight: 210

Throws/Bats: R/R

Possibly the best power hitter in the system, Rodriguez had a breakout campaign in 2012. The 21 year-old corner infielder, repeating low-A Savannah, displayed incredible power throughout the first half. He clubbed 16 home runs and slugged .497 in just 318 at-bats. This is in Savannah, where home runs go to die. Rodriguez has power to spare.

After 83 games in Savannah, Rodriguez finally made the trip to St. Lucie, where he would spend the rest of the season. There, he saw his batting average and walk rates plummet, but his power numbers stay well above-average. He finished his time in St. Lucie with a .190 ISO and eight home runs in 42 games.

Rodriguez’s power could take him a long way. He still doesn’t really have a defensive position. However, if Rodriguez can keep his power numbers up and improve his walk rate, it won’t matter what position he plays because his bat will make up for whatever he lacks defensively.

2013 Outlook: Rodriguez only played 42 games in St. Lucie, so he will probably play another half season or so before going to Binghamton.

13. Kevin Plawecki, C

Height: 6’2”

Weight: 205

Throws/Bats: R/R

The Mets used their supplemental round pick last year on a young catcher from Purdue named Kevin Plawecki. Scouts praised him for his refined approach at the plate and his ability to hit home runs. One year later, Plawecki is the second-best catching prospect in the farm system, behind only Travis d’Arnaud.

Plawecki signed early and played 61 games for the Brooklyn Cyclones, and showed off his power. He led the team in home runs with seven despite hitting only .250. His patience was also very impressive as he had a walk rate of 9.9%. Combine that with a fantastic 9.5% strikeout rate and you can see why the Mets drafted him so high.

On the downside, Plawecki hit only eight doubles last season, and will need to work on his gap-to-gap power. Also, while he threw out almost 50% of base stealers, he still has work to do defensively.

2013 Outlook: Plawecki is still a few years away. However, because of his patience at the plate, he will likely play most of the year in St. Lucie as opposed to Savannah.

12. Gavin Cecchini, SS

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 180

Throws/Bats: R/R

Gavin Cecchini is what scouts call a “baseball rat.” He comes from a baseball family. His father is the baseball coach at his former high school and a former college player. His brother Garin Cecchini is a speedy third baseman and one of the top prospects in the Red Sox organization. Gavin is a smart baseball player with great instincts. He doesn’t have the raw talent that some of his fellow 2012 draft picks have, but scouts say he has outstanding baseball instincts.

Cecchini signed very quickly, allowing him to get some experience in Kingsport to start of his career. His bat proved to be a work in progress as he hit only .240 and hit only one home run. However, his swing is smooth and he has the potential to be a very good line drive hitter. He doesn’t have the power, but that was never expected of him.

Cecchini’s defense is really why he was drafted. He doesn’t have particularly great speed or arm strength, but otherwise has the tools to be a good defender. As I mentioned, he has great baseball instinct which will help him read hitters and make him an even better defensive player at a position where that’s very important.

2013 Outlook: Cecchini is still a very raw talent, and will likely stay in St. Lucie for extended spring training before heading to Brooklyn. The Mets will take it slow with him and we probably will not see him until at least September 2015.

11. Jacob DeGrom, RHP

Height: 6’4”

Weight: 185

Throws/Bats: R/L

DeGrom had a stellar season for Savannah, surprising a lot of followers of Mets minor league baseball. Before the season started, he wasn’t very highly-rated and was outside of Toby Hyde’s top 41 list. The 24 year-old had surgery in the fall of 2010, just months after he had been made a 9^th round pick by the Mets. He sat out the entire 2011 season rehabbing, and was able to start the season with Savannah.

Despite the serious injury, DeGrom came back with a vengeance, immediately dominating South Atlantic League hitters. He displayed excellent control, walking only 1.6 batters per nine innings, while striking out 7.8. He ended up making 15 starts with Savannah, tossing 89.2 innings with a 2.51 ERA along the way, before earning a late-season promotion to St. Lucie for the playoff run.

DeGrom made four starts to end the regular season in St. Lucie and an additional one in the playoffs, allowing just five runs in 27.2 High-A innings. DeGrom will need to develop his off-speed stuff in order to stay a starter, but is on track for a successful career. There is still a concern for his health after his Tommy John surgery, but after watching how he responded this season, that may not be a problem again.

2013 Outlook: DeGrom will likely pitch no more than a few months in St. Lucie, especially if he keeps pitching like he did last year. Expect him to debut sometime in late 2014 or 2015.

10. Luis Mateo, RHP

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 170

Throws/Bats: R/R

Mateo followed a long and unconventional path to get where he is today. He was originally signed by the Giants five years ago for $625,000, bone chips were found in his elbow, and the Giants voided his contract. Later that year, he signed with the Padres for $300,000, but after an MLB investigation, it was revealed that Mateo had lied about his age. He served a suspension, and finally signed with the Mets in 2011 for only $150,000.

Mateo dominated the Dominican Summer League in his first pro season in 2011, making 13 starts (63 innings) and posting a 2.00 ERA. He impressed the Mets front office enough to skip the Mets’ rookie affiliates and head straight to short-season Brooklyn, where he would become the face of a very formidable pitching staff.

Mateo used a combination of two dangerous fastballs and a sharp slider to dominate the league, posting a 2.45 ERA in 73.1 innings and even more impressively, a K/BB ratio of 9.44. In those 73.1 innings, he struck out 85, and walked nine. You can make an argument that this is the result of a 22 year-old in the low-A New York-Penn League, which is why he’s not ranked in the top five on this list. Had he been two or three years younger, I would put much more stock in the numbers he put up, but until I see him dominate in the Florida State League or Eastern League, that uncertainty remains.

2013 Outlook: As long as Mateo keeps pitching well, the Mets will keep promoting him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he only makes a few starts with Savannah, or skips Savannah entirely like he did Kingsport.

9. Rafael Montero, RHP

Height: 6’0”

Weight: 175

Throws/Bats: R/R

Rafael Montero transformed his reputation this year with a stellar season between Savannah and St. Lucie. Despite pitching 71 innings in 2011 with a 2.15 ERA between the Dominican Summer League, the Gulf Coast League, Kingsport, and Brooklyn, Montero wasn’t taken too seriously before the season started. In just a few short months, however, he became one of the highest-rated pitching prospects in the entire farm system.

Montero, 22,  signed a little late in the game as a 20 year-old out of the Dominican Republic in 2011, but has rocketed through the Mets’ system. Boasting a low-90s fastball, a solid slider, and a changeup, Montero has excellent command, walking only 1.4 batters per nine innings last season while striking out 8.1.

Montero has a special combination of control and pure stuff. It’s still early, but I expect we’ll see great things from him. He is one of many promising young pitchers working their way through the lower minors that could definitely be in the Met rotation in a few years.

2013 Outlook: My guess is Montero will split the season between St. Lucie and Binghamton (If he continues to pitch well) much like how he split the season between Savannah and St. Lucie this year.

8. Domingo Tapia, RHP

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 186

Throws/Bats: R/R

Domingo Tapia’s future role is still very much up in the air. Tapia, 21, had a breakout year last season with Savannah. Although his ERA (3.98) was slightly worse than his 2011 mark (3.38), he had a much better season. Tapia, whose repertoire consists of a high-90s two-seam sinking fastball, a high-90s four-seam fastball, a high-80s changeup, and a below-average breaking pitch, struck out 8.4 batters per nine, much better than his 5.8 mark in 2011. Despite having pitched just over 220 professional innings, Tapia already seems destined for the bullpen. He doesn’t have much of a breaking pitch, relying almost completely on his sinker and four-seam fastball. That combination has worked so far, but won’t work as he climbs the minor league ladder, especially as a starter. It may also be difficult for him to develop a breaking pitch considering how low his arm slot is. He is still very young, however, so there is still time for Tapia to develop a breaking pitch. Now the decision rests with the front office: to keep him a starter, they may have to raise his arm angle, possibly jeopardizing his sinker. The Mets will have to decide whether they will take that risk or move him to the bullpen.

2013 Outlook: The future is unclear in regards to Tapia. While scouts agree that he has a great sinker and a good four-seam, his role is still up in the air. As for this season, you’ll probably see him in St. Lucie.

7. Jeurys Familia, RHP

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 230

Throws/Bats: R/R

Last year was a bumpy one for Jeurys Familia. In 2011, it looked like he had finally started to put it together as a starter, pitching 23 games with a 2.90 ERA in 124 innings between St. Lucie and Binghamton. It looked like the mechanical issues were starting to get fixed and he was looking more and more like a starter. That changed this past season, as Familia regressed.

Familia was very inconsistent in his season with Buffalo. Every few starts, he would dominate and strike out seven or eight batters, but those starts were few and far between. For most of the season, Familia struggled with his control, worked up a high pitch count, and was unable to go deep into games. He has the stuff to be a good pitcher, but he doesn’t have the makeup of a starting pitcher.

Familia has what it takes to be a successful reliever, which is where I think he will eventually end up. The Mets will probably give him another year as a starter (unless they feel they really need him in the bullpen) to develop his breaking pitches. If he doesn’t stay a starter, the transition may take a few months but eventually, he could be the full-time closer and be a good one too.

2013 Outlook: A bullpen role seems most likely long-term unless Familia makes major improvements with his control and secondary pitches this year or in 2014. He will start the year in Triple-A and go from there.

6. Brandon Nimmo, OF

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 185

Throws/Bats: R/L

The Mets took a big risk in 2011 when they drafted 18 year-old outfielder Brandon Nimmo out of Wyoming. Why was it such a risk? There is no high school baseball in Wyoming, so the only experience Nimmo had was on top-tier club teams in his area. That, on top of an injury in high school that caused him to miss an entire season put him at a disadvantage when making the jump to professional baseball. This season, after playing only ten professional games in 2011, made the jump to Low-A Brooklyn in the tough New York-Penn League, where many of the top college picks are sent. After a full season there, the numbers don’t stand out as those of a future star, but considering his experience in high school, his season was impressive. He batted just .248, but had a very high walk rate of 14.3%. He also displayed some power, hitting six home runs in 266 at-bats. His ISO (Explanation) of .158 was ninth best in the New York-Penn League. Among players under 20 years of age (with a minimum of 200 Plate Appearances), he was first in that category. He finished tenth in the league in homers, and was the only player under 20 in the top ten. However, he didn’t show much speed or hit lefties very well. Nimmo is someone who is still very inexperienced, so fans have to be more patient than usual with him. The front office will surely take it slow with him, as he is still a very raw talent.

2013 Outlook: The Mets will take it slow with Nimmo this season. He will probably spend the entire year with Savannah. It’s still too early to get a real sense of what type of player Nimmo will be, but the signs so far point towards Nimmo eventually becoming an average to above average major league player at worst. But again, it’s too early to make any conclusions (as is the case with any of these prospects) because he is a rather unconventional prospect.

And my Top 5…

5. Wilmer Flores, 2B, 3B

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 190

Throws/Bats: R/R

One year ago, Wilmer Flores was on the brink of irrelevancy. He had played 200 games in High-a Port St. Lucie, and hadn’t put up stellar numbers. His 2011 season was one with many ups and downs, and the statistics didn’t look pretty in the end. While he managed to hit a respectable .269 in 559 plate appearances, his on-base percentage was .309 – the second lowest mark of his minor league career. He had signed out of Venezuela as a 16 year-old in 2008 with very high expectations. He was supposed to become a hitting machine, and someone who could eventually become an elite power hitter. In his first season, playing in Kingsport, Brooklyn, and Savannah, he had a .180 ISO, and it looked as if the power was developing early. However, after that, the home runs disappeared and in 2011, he hit a low point, hitting only nine home runs in over 130 games for St. Lucie. His prospect status was in jeopardy. He fell out of the top 15 on many Mets prospect rankings. People started to wonder – what happened? That all changed this season.

Flores broke camp with St. Lucie for the second year in a row, but immediately started hitting the ball much better. He started hitting for power again, slugging ten home runs in 64 games. He had an excellent first half with St. Lucie, batting .289 with a .799 OPS, all capped off by an FSL All-Star Game MVP Award.

He was then called up to Binghamton, where he had a hard time adjusting in his first few weeks. After his adjustment period, he took off again, and hit even better than he did in St. Lucie. Flores continued to hit home runs, slugging eight in 66 games in the Eastern League. He also hit well over .300 for the first time since 2008. His walk rate rose to 7.3%, still below average, but almost a career-high for Flores, and his strikeout rate to its lowest point (10.9%) since he was in Kingsport as a 16 year-old. Between the two leagues, Flores finished with an even .300 batting average, a .827 OPS, 18 home runs, and 30 doubles in 493 at-bats.

What else is there to love about Wilmer Flores? He’s still just 21 years old. He still has plenty of time to get better. The only question mark left with Flores is his defense. He played second base and third base in the minors last year, after posting a dreadful .959 fielding percentage in his career as a shortstop. Flores is big, which may make it difficult for him to be a middle infielder. However, if the Mets want to keep him around, that’s where he may stay because it doesn’t look like Ike Davis or David Wright are going anywhere. If the Mets staff can get him to a point at second base where he is average or slightly below average, he will make up for his sub-par defense with production at the plate.

2013 Outlook: The Mets will not want to rush him (that has hurt him in the past), but Flores got a lot of playing time in the Venezuelan Winter League (in which he played well), so you could see him begin the season with Las Vegas. He isn’t too far off, and could get a cup of coffee at the end of September this year before making his real debut sometime in 2014.

4. Michael Fulmer, RHP

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 200

Throws/Bats: R/R

19 year-old Michael Fulmer has quietly become one of the Mets’ top pitching prospects. While most of the attention has gone to Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, and Noah Syndergaard, Fulmer is looking like he could be a fixture in the Met rotation as well.

Fulmer was selected by the Mets 44^th overall in the 2011 MLB Draft out of Deer Creek High School in Oklahoma. Originally slated to go to the University of Arkansas, the Mets took a risk drafting him, but he eventually signed with them for just under $1 million. He was only able to pitch in four games with the GCL team in 2011 before the season ended.

Fulmer was thrust into the world of professional baseball this year, starting the season with the long-season Sand Gnats of the South Atlantic League. The fifth-youngest pitcher in the league, Fulmer was at a bit of a disadvantage facing hitters older than him, but he still had major success. Armed with a mid-90s fastball to go along with a quality curveball and developing changeup, Fulmer made 21 starts, pitching a total of 108.1 innings. He posted a 2.74 ERA and struck out 8.4 batters per nine, while walking only 3.2, very good for a pitcher right out of high school.

Scouts have been very impressed with Fulmer’s stamina and ability to go deep into games. He has the physical ability to have success at the higher levels.

It’s still very, very early to project what Fulmer could be. He’s still developing, but all signs point towards him becoming a productive starting pitcher.

2013 Outlook: Fulmer will follow the traditional track, and will pitch for St. Lucie, probably for the whole season. He will make his debut sometime in 2015 if he stays healthy.

3. Noah Syndergaard, RHP

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 200

Throws/Bats: R/L

When the Mets traded R.A. Dickey to Toronto, most of the attention went to a certain catcher the Mets got in return. But the Mets acquired another notable player in the trade, a pitcher who has been nothing but dominant in his three-year minor league career: Noah Syndergaard.

Syndergaard, 20, looks much more refined than most pitchers his age. He has much better command than Zack Wheeler had at that age (and maybe even better control than Wheeler right now), walking just 2.7 batters per nine this past season in the Midwest League, which is on the same level as the South Atlantic League. Since coming to the Mets, many writers and scouts have compared him to Zack Wheeler. Syndergaard actually pitched much better this season in A-ball than Wheeler did, as you can see below:

Syndergaard is often compared to Wheeler from a dominance standpoint, but they are two much different pitchers. Syndergaard throws two fastballs. One is a high-90s four-seam and the other is a sinker. Syndergaard does not possess a good secondary pitch, while Wheeler has a very good one.

Overall, it’s tough to compare Syndergaard to Wheeler because they are at completely different stages. Wheeler is knocking at the door to the big league club while Syndergaard probably has two to three years in the minors left before he debuts. However, it’s great to see such success so soon, and I’m hopeful that the Mets will put Syndergaard in a situation where he can develop his secondary pitches because if he does, he could be a very dominant pitcher.

2013 Outlook: Syndergaard pitched the entire season for a long-season Low-A team, so the next logical step for him is St. Lucie. As of right now, I would project him to make his MLB debut in 2015.

2. Travis d’Arnaud, C

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 195

Throws/Bats: R/R

There is a reason why in the negotiations for R.A. Dickey, Sandy Alderson held out for Travis d’Arnaud. He is a game-changer, and one of the few players in the minor leagues that can make trading away the reigning Cy Young Award winner worthwhile. d’Arnaud is of a rare breed of catchers: he can hit for power, average, and is decent with the glove.

A former first-round pick, d’Arnaud didn’t put all those tools together until two years ago, when he had a breakthrough season in Double-A New Hampshire. He had already been a highly-regarded prospect, but he became arguably the most promising catching prospect in the game after his fantastic 2011 season, in which he hit 21 home runs with a slash line of .311/.371/.542.

In 2012, d’Arnaud continued to rake with the bat, this time in Triple-A Las Vegas, where he hit 16 home runs in 67 games. Hitting numbers are inflated by the hitter-friendly Cashman Field in Las Vegas, but d’Arnaud actually hit slightly in away games. The numbers are there. The power is there. d’Arnaud was on track to make his MLB debut in the second half of the season, but had his year abruptly cut short when, in July, he tore his PCL.

d’Arnaud has earned the praise of scouts around the country. Before last season’s excellent performance, Baseball America had him listed as 17^th in their overall prospect rankings, tops among catchers. Here’s what they had to say about him:

“He’s a rare catching prospect that projects to hit in the middle of a lineup. He is an above-average hitter who should hit for at least average power. He doesn’t walk much but makes consistent hard contact, getting hits even when his timing is off or he gets off balance. He has the bat speed and strength to hit plenty of homers and lets his power come naturally, employing a short stroke and all-fields approach.”

Power at the catching position is certainly a valuable commodity that very few catchers possess. d’Arnaud seems to have that rare skill and while he is not expected to be a Mike Piazza-type, his minor league power numbers match up well with Piazza’s, meaning d’Arnaud’s power is legit:

At minimum, d’Arnaud looks to be a serviceable MLB catcher, but he can be so much more than that. He has the tools to be a dynamic, all-around catcher who can hit fifth or sixth in the lineup. The only question that remains is health, but he doesn’t seem to have any long-term issues.

2013 Outlook: The Mets are in a situation that many front offices encounter every year. They really believe d’Arnaud is a future star. However, d’Arnaud breaking camp with the big league club in April would mean he becomes a free agent after the 2018 season. If he comes up later, however, he won’t become a free agent until after the 2019 season. It seems like a ridiculous thing to consider now, but down the road it will be something that really matters if d’Arnaud turns out to be the star people think he could be. For that reason, and to test out his injured knee, I would say he spends the first month or so with Las Vegas.

1. Zack Wheeler, RHP

Height: 6’4″

Weight: 185

Throws/Bats: R/L

When the Giants picked Zack Wheeler sixth overall in the 2009 MLB Draft, they were taking a player with enormous upside, but not very polished. In his first professional season a year later at age 20, playing in the South Atlantic League, Wheeler showed just that: a high “ceiling” but with work to be done. In his first season, he walked 38 batters over 58.2 innings, and struck out 70. He made 13 starts and appeared in eight out of the bullpen.

In 2011, Wheeler broke camp with San Francisco’s California League (A+) affiliate, San Jose. There, he was once again inconsistent. He pitched well, but couldn’t get over his control problem, and was walking 4.8 batters per nine innings. When the Giants needed a bat for the stretch run in 2011, they were reluctant to part ways with Wheeler because of his potential, but gave him up any way in a desperate move to bolster the offense at the trade deadline. And what looked

Once in the Mets organization, Wheeler’s command started to improve. He finished the year in the tough Florida State League, with Port St. Lucie. He pitched extremely well there, allowing just six runs in 27 innings and walking only five, setting him up for a Double-A debut in 2012.

After a productive ending to 2011, Wheeler picked it right up again, and steamrolled through the Eastern League. He made 19 starts, and had a 3.26 ERA in 116 innings. During his time in Binghamton, he kept his strikeout rate up (9.1 K/9) and his walk rate relatively low (3.3 BB/9), earning him a promotion to Triple-A Buffalo, where he finished the season. He struggled in his six starts at the next level with his command, but in a small sample size (33 innings) like that, it’s not much of a concern right now.

2013 Outlook: Wheeler has “ace” written all over him. With his electric fastball and very good secondary stuff, my guess is he will be very successful in the big leagues. Look for him to debut a few months into this season, unless the Mets are unable to acquire a fifth starter. He needs a bit more seasoning in Triple-A before he gets called up.

What do you think? What do YOUR rankings look like? Also make sure to check out MMO’s OFFICIAL top 25 prospects, but together by the brilliant Satish Ram (“Perseus”) and Sean Kenny.