Rafael Montero by MMO Contributor and Photographer Gordon Donovan.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas demolished Reno, 14-8.
• Binghamton got thrashed by Erie, 11-4.
• St. Lucie was beaten by Tampa, 7-3. 
• Savannah defeated Kannapolis, 6-3. 

Minors News

RHP Rainy Lara of the Savannah Sand Gnats was named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending April 28. Lara pitched a brilliant game tossing 7.1 shutout innings and allowing just five hits and walking none while striking out nine against the West Virginia Power.

For the season, Lara is now 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts spanning 24 innings. He has struck out 24 and walked three and has held the Sally League to a .231 batting average this season.

Prospect Pipeline

• Yeesh… Rafael Montero had a pretty rough go-around last night against Erie where he was lit up for ten runs, seven of them earned, over the course of six-and-two-thirds innings pitched. He still walked only one and allowed one home run, but that’s about the best of it. All prospects are allowed bad starts or bad games here and there – so we’ll just chalk this up to a bad hair day.
• Matthew Bowman went eight strong innings last night and allowed three earned runs as he continues to find himself in the midst of a strong campaign.
• After last night, Kevin Plawecki now has 15 doubles and four home runs in just 24 games, which is ridiculous. His slash line stands at .402/.462/.1.158 through 92 at-bats in 2013 as he does not seem to have hit a single wall yet. My first thought when he was drafted was to compare him to Paul Lo Duca – but irregardless of that, Plawecki seems to be developing very nicely.
• Juan Centeno had a superb day at the plate last night for Las Vegas, where he banged out four hits. Centeno was a young man known more for his defensive prowess over anything else – which leads me into the point that he should be starting more than Landon Powell at the moment. At the very least, I want him to catch Wheeler’s next start. Centeno has a solid baseball IQ and can definitely help assist Wheeler in staying on track.
• Our Minor League Analyst Teddy Klein (via Toby Hyde) told us that Brandon Nimmo has been nursing a minor hand injury and that perhaps it could explain his recent slump. He got the game off last night and it’s considered nothing serious.
• Andrew Brown went 3-for-5 last night with a HR, a 2B, and 3 RBI as he continued his “seriously, call me up to the MLB team” tour.
• Zack Wheeler‘s 36 strikeouts in April tied for third place among the Top 100 MLB prospects.
• SP Alex Panteliodis will make his season debut and be activated from the DL to start for St. Lucie on Thursday. Last season for Savannah, Pants went 5-8 with a 3.64 ERA in 22 starts for the Gnats last year. He’s more of an organizational type of guy, but Pants may have some value down the line. 
  
• Matt Garrioch, minor league analyst, posted his GAPPER report yesterday for April which ranks the top five pitchers and position players in many leagues and per team itself. Wilmer Flores and Zack Wheeler were fourth in his PCL rankings, Montero ranked third in the AA, and Syndergaard and Tapia both made his list for A+ ball.

Stat Line of the Day

Kevin Plawecki: 3-for-5, 3 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R

Transactions/Injuries

• As of this point, there has been no update on Hansel Robles, who was placed on the 7-day DL yesterday. Robert Gsellman took his spot in the rotation two days ago.
• Cory Vaughn just has some inflammation in his arm, and was advised to take it easy for about a week.
• Cory Mazzoni threw a side session pitching and is approaching his return date.
• Right-hander Michael Fulmer, returning from surgery to repair a meniscus tear, tossed two innings Monday in extended spring training.
• Wilfredo Tovar was removed from last night’s game purely as a precautionary measure because he was sick. There is no injury.

Quote of the Day

Rob Brender: You’ve gotten shots at the big league level in 2011 and 2012 and you’re doing so well offensively this season. Does it make you anxious to get back to the Mets?

Josh Satin: Absolutely, but there’s a fine line. You can’t feel sorry for yourself because there are lots of other people in professional baseball who feel the same way. Then again, sometimes I look around and I’m like ’damn, this guys in the big leagues with whatever team. I know I’m better then him.’ So it’s hard sometimes but, then again, it’s just the way it is. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. You just have to keep performing.

Photo of the Day

Hey Plawecki, how about wrangling me up a shot of bourbon, oh and make sure it’s a double.

Noah Syndergaard accomplished two important things on Sunday. He picked up his first win of the season and he pitched seven innings for the first time in his professional career. That according to Jonathan Raymond who got a chance to get up close to the Mets pitching prospect in his last start.

Syndergaard is trying to put that one bad start when he allowed seven runs over three innings completely behind him and he seems to be doing a heck of a job of it too. Since that forgettable outing all he’s done was manage to toss two starts without allowing an earned run. Combined he thrown 13 innings and held the opposition to just eight hits and three walks while striking out 11 of them.

“He really located his fastball really well over both sides of the plate. Kept the ball down and was pretty much in command of all his pitches,” St. Lucie pitching coach Phil Regan said. “He also had two strikeouts on curveballs and two on changeups, and these are the things we have been working on.

“And he went seven innings. It was an interesting thing, someone mentioned to him it was the first time he went seven innings this year. And he says, “Yeah, it’s the first time in three years, since high school.’”

After Sunday’s performance, Syndergaard has lowered his ERA to a respectable 3.24 ERA while striking out 26 and walking ten in 25 innings pitched this season.

“He’s really coming along well. I think he’s making a lot of strides,” Regan said. “He’s understanding a lot about pitching and he’s just a tremendous kid, soaks up knowledge and wants to learn. I think he’s done exceptionally well for his age and where he’s coming from. He’s not afraid, he goes right after hitters, aggressive on the mound. I think he’s got confidence in himself, and that’s all part of it.”

As we said in our Prospect Spotlight back in February, “Syndergaard is a perfect physical specimen for a pitcher and really looks like he can become a perennial all-star. Although there are some things that come into question – his command at times, his stamina, and as always, furthering the development of his third pitch, there is a lot to love about Noah Syndergaard.”

The seven innings pitched certainly shows positive gains with regard to his stamina, and Regan says that his curveball and change have improved and are becoming effective weapons as his command. That’s exactly what we were hoping for.

“He is aggressive on the mound and stays relatively emotionless,” is what we about said about him in our MMO Top 25 Prospect rankings. We also said:

If Syndergaard makes the move to AA during the 2013 season, I have faith that he will breeze through it. It is important not to put too much pressure or to rush the young prospect, as he represents a new wave of pitching prospects…or a changing of the Gaard. See what I did there? Good.

So far, out of our Top 5 Prospects, Michael Fulmer and Travis d’Arnaud are still on the disabled list, Zack Wheeler and Wilmer Flores are both trying to figure out the PCL for entirely different reasons, and Syndergaard has looked and played the part so far in the early going.

I know it’s early, but if I were handing out Monthly Report Cards like they did in Catholic School:

Syndergaard Gets an A-

Flores gets a B

Wheeler gets a C+

Fulmer and d’Arnaud get Incompletes.

Just saying…

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas dropped to Tacoma, 5-3.
• Binghamton dropped to Akron, 7-5.
• St. Lucie blew topped Tampa, 9-2.
• Savannah edged out West Virginia, 3-2.

Prospect Pipeline

• Noah Syndergaard got his first win of the 2013 season against the Tampa Bay Yankees after a dominating performance. Since his implosion on April 18, he has pitched in 13 innings allowing eight hits, three walks, and had 13 strikeouts. He allowed two runs in those 13 innings, but neither of them were earned. On Sunday he easily delivered his best start of the year.
• Hamilton Bennett is quietly having a solid season coming out of the bullpen for St. Lucie. In 12 innings pitched, he has allowed three runs, and has 15 strikeouts on the year. He also has two saves.
• Alonzo Harris was 0-for-4 last night, snapping a ten game hit streak.
• Cory Vaughn has been on absolute fire the past ten games. Over that span, Vaughn has clobbered three home runs and is hitting  healthy .342, with eight RBI. He smacked his fourth home run of the year yesterday, tying him for second best in the organization (Dustin Lawley has five). Vaughn is now hitting .299 on the year.
• Brandon Nimmo has cooled off. He has been hitless in four straight games, dropping his average on the year to .337. Over the past ten games, he is hitting .205.

Stat Line of the Night

Noah Syndergaard: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 7 K

Transactions/Injuries

• Big news for center fielder Matt den Dekker who tells us that his cast is being removed by team doctors today. He could be back by mid-May.
• Cesar Puello, who out with a sore left wrist was back in the lineup on Sunday and went 2-for-4 with a stolen base. He now has six swipes in 13 games and is sporting a .286/.375/.429 slash.
• Cory Mazzoni is still on the DL, but he could be throwing a bullpen session one day this week.
• Right-handed pitcher Luis Mateo, who made one 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. (Hat tip to Lynn Worthy). Mateo should resume throwing again in the next week or so, based on his elbow strength.
• Michael Fulmer tossed twelve pitches over the course of an inning in an extended spring training game. No reported issues.

Quote Of The Day

St. Lucie pitching coach had this to say about after Syndergaard’s dominating performance yesterday:

“Today, he really located his fastball really well over both sides of the plate. Kept the ball down and was pretty much in command of all his pitches,” St. Lucie pitching coach Phil Regan said. “He also had two strikeouts on curveballs and two on changeups, and these are the things we have been working on.

“And he went seven innings. It was an interesting thing, someone mentioned to him it was the first time he went seven innings this year. And he says, “Yeah, it’s the first time in three years, since high school.’”

Photo of the Day

You’ve got five seconds to hand over that MMO Minor League Report.

Catcher Blake Forsythe is making the most of his playing time at Bingo. (Gordon Donovan)

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• The Las Vegas/Colorado Springs game was postponed due to cold.
• Binghamton dropped to Portland in extras, 9-8.
• St. Lucie dropped to Charlotte, 3-2.
• Savannah dismantled Dlemarva, 9-1.

Prospect Pipeline

• All eyes were on Noah Syndergaard last night, as everyone wanted to see how he would respond after his worst professional outing as a Met on April 18. In that game, Syndergaard pitched three innings and gave up seven earned runs — it was his shortest outing as a pro. So how did Syndergaard respond? By pitching six solid innings, scattering three hits and two walks, and holding the opposition to zero earned runs. It was only the second time in Syndergaard’s career that he went six innings into a game.
  
• Jack Leathersich has yet to allow a run to cross the plate on his watch. His season ERA is all zeros, and he has fifteen strikeouts in ten innings pitched. His walks are up a bit, as he has allowed eight over those ten innings, but he is another guy in Binghamton that may be able to make the jump straight to Flushing very soon. Last night, he tossed 2.1 innings of scoreless and hitless relief with three more strikeouts.
• Blake Forsythe is a catcher in the Mets organization that you don’t hear much about. Since Juan Centeno has been promoted to Las Vegas, Forsythe has been getting more playing time. Forsythe is currently batting .345, but he has yet to throw any potential base stealers out.
•  The Rafael Montero watch has officially started. The over/under on him making his major league debut is Memorial Day. “All Montero does is dominate.”
• Juan Lagares made his major league debut last night, adding a hit in the Mets loss to the Dodgers. I said this in the Mets Minor League Report on 4/21: “Juan Lagares is slowly proving that he is ready for big league action. He’s been hitting leadoff for Las Vegas and was is batting .356, with two home runs and a .390 OBP. The last time I checked, the Mets could still use some help in the outfield and the top of the order…what’s the holdup?” Nice to see the Mets read our morning reports. Before Tuesday’s game, Collins called Lagares “the future,” and went on to say that there are people in the organization that think he is a better outfielder than Matt den Dekker. As if we didn’t already know and say that…
• Someone asked me if I had to update our MMO Top 25 would there be any changes in the top five sports. Hell yeah there would be changes. My top five right now is as follows: Zack Wheeler, Rafael Montero, Travis d’Arnaud, Wilmer Flores and Brandon Nimmo. Both Noah Syndergaard and Michael Fulmer would drop out of the top five sports for me, while Nimmo and Montero jump in. That’s the trouble with projecting pitchers who have still to get past Single-A – it’s too volatile to make a real determination and anything can still happen – bad or good. (Joe D.)
• Savannah first baseman Jayce Boyd was 2-for-4 with a double last night and has now raised his batting line to.394/.476/.549 to go with 11 walks and only 9 strikeouts in 18 games this season. The 22-year old is currently riding an eight-game hitting streak and he may just be ready to make the jump to St. Lucie. Unlike Nimmo who is three years his junior, Boyd is a polished college player and will move quickly. (Joe D.)
• I wish people would stop comparing Wheeler to Matt Harvey. The two pitchers couldn’t be more different; one’s a high school pick and the other was highly polished and ready college pick from UNC who made it from his first pro game to the majors in 15 months and after 45 starts. And why are people trying to say that harvey had the same walk issues as Wheeler has as a pro? There is simply no truth to that unless you cherry pick specific small sample sizes to make your point. The only pitcher Zack Wheeler reminds me of is Zack Wheeler. (Joe D.)

Stat Line of the Night

Luis Cessa: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 7 K

Transactions/Injuries

RHP Tyler Vanderheiden was assigned to Savannah Sand Gnats from the Brooklyn Cyclones. Actually he was at extended spring training, but was initially slated to begin the season with Brooklyn.

RHP Tim Peterson (14.24 ERA) was demoted from Savannah where he was getting torched and will be assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones when their season gets underway.

Tweet Of The Day

In case you missed it, Alonzo Harris got into some trouble as he was spotted in the early evening robbing home by authorities in Binghamton last night.

I stole home today

—” Mr. 102 ” (@Pro_zo) April 24, 2013

Photo Of The Day

I’m totally hooked on these MMO Mets Minors Reports!

For the first two weeks of the minor league season, the Mets were represented with a prospect cracking the Baseball America Hot Sheet. Last week it was Rafael Montero. This week, it’s Wilmer Flores. Both players were listed “In The Team Photo,” which is basically considered an honorable mention.

As I stated in the Mets Minors Report earlier today, Flores is quietly having a nice season offensively. This fine hitting prospect seems like he has been overshadowed by Travis d’Arnaud and Zack Wheeler for these first couple of weeks. But Flores continues to put up solid numbers, and hit his first home run of the season last night, adding three RBI in the Las Vegas 51s victory.

For his efforts over the past week, he was selected to Baseball America’s Hot Sheet. Here’s what they had to say about him:

Wilmer Flores, 3b, Mets. Against the backdrop of Triple-A Las Vegas teammates Zack Wheeler (blister on middle finger) and Travis d’Arnaud (broken foot) dealing with injury woes, Flores just keeps hitting. The 21-year-old went 12-for-30 (.400) with a homer and four doubles this week, but more remarkably he has just three strikeouts in 15 games this season.

Baseball America has to update their files, Flores has been playing second base the majority of the year. But that is besides the point, and Flores is having an excellent season. With the news that d’Arnaud will not require surgery, he should be back in eight weeks or sooner. This could be a chance for Flores to pull himself out of the shadows again with a continued hot play.

I was kind of shocked to see no mention of Brandon Nimmo on the list. He has been virtually impossible to keep off the base paths this season, but it was most likely his power numbers that caused him to get snubbed. Out of all of his hits, he only has three for extra bases this year. Some players on the list had that many home runs alone this past week.

During the Hot Sheet Q&A session this afternoon, a couple of questions came up regarding some Mets prospects. I found one exchange very interesting, regarding Jacob deGrom, which is shared below:

• John (Chicago): Might not be hot sheet worthy, but Jacob deGrom had an 8 ip, 3 h, 8 k, 1 bb line in his first AA start. He’s already 24 (missed a year to injury), but he looks like a major league starter in the making, no?
• Matthew Eddy: Yes, deGrom has a great arm and *just missed* making the Mets Top 10. Some scouts who saw Savannah last year preferred him to Sand Gnats rotation-mates Michael Fulmer and Domingo Tapia. The area to watch for deGrom and all sinker-slider pitchers is the platoon split. Can he consistently retire lefthanded batters?

Players To Watch For Next Week’s Hot Sheet

• Watch out for Aderlin Rodriguez, who is on a tear, and has homered in his last three games.
• Jacob deGrom could crack the list with another solid start on his next visit to the mound.
• Rafael Montero is always a threat—the kid is the goods.
• Kevin Plawecki, who started the season hot and hasn’t started to cool off yet.

Noah Syndergaard will headline one of the best rotations in the minor leagues.

The roster of this year’s St. Lucie Mets team is packed with some fantastic talent. This year, St. Lucie will showcase some of the finest pitching pitching prospects in the Met system, and even some of the finest in the minor leagues. This year’s team will likely be the most potential-packed of any in the system. Let’s see who will make this season one to watch.

The Big Names

• Noah Syndergaard (RHP) – The hard-throwing right-hander was only the second biggest name in the R.A. Dickey trade this winter, but by no means should he be overlooked. While he may have been overshadowed by Travis d’Arnaud, Syndergaard also has scouts drooling over his potential. In the Midwest League last season (the equivalent of Savannah), Syndergaard tossed 103.2 innings, putting up a 2.60 ERA and a 10.6 K/9 rate. That went along with an above-average 2.7 BB/9 rate, which is also his career minor league average. Syndergaard was ranked the 29th best prospect in baseball by MLB.com this spring and 54th by Baseball America. After d’Arnaud and Zack Wheeler graduate to the big leagues, all eyes will turn to Syndergaard, who thus far has everyone excited about his future.
• Michael Fulmer (RHP, torn meniscus) – Fulmer is one of the many young and promising arms the Mets have in the lower minors. 20 years old, Fulmer had a terrific season last year with Savannah, posting a 2.74 ERA in 21 starts (108.1 innings) while striking out 101 and walking 38. Fulmer was drafted in 2011 from Deer Creek High School in Oklahoma  He was well-regarded before last season, but he put his name towards to top of every prospect guru’s list with a very impressive season. He will miss most of, if not all of the first half of the season with a torn meniscus, but will return some time this summer.
• Luis Mateo (RHP) – Luis Mateo will do something this year that not many pitching prospects in the Mets system do: skip Savannah. Mateo, 23, had a fantastic season for the Cyclones last year, and along with Hansel Robles, will skip A-Ball and go straight to Advanced A-Ball St. Lucie. Mateo put up a 2.45 ERA last season in 12 starts, striking out 10.4 batters per nine innings while walking only 1.1 He has incredible stuff and is someone you will hear a lot from in the near future.
• Domingo Tapia (RHP) – Domingo Tapia’s two-seam fastball may be one of the best pitches in all of the minors. It has heavy sinking action and sits in the mid to upper 90s. He doesn’t have a breaking pitch, and may end up in the bullpen by the time he reaches the majors, but he is nonetheless a very intriguing pitcher. Tapia threw 108.2 innings last season and posted a 3.98 ERA. He slaso struck out 8.4 batters per nine innings (an increase from 5.8 K/9 in 2011) with 2.7 walks.
• Aderlin Rodriguez (3B) – Rodriguez may already have, at age 21, the most power in the entire Mets farm system. Rodriguez hit a meager .221/.265/.372 in 131 games as a 19 year-old in Savannah in 2011, with the only positive being his 17 home runs. Last year, however, repeating the league, Rodriguez started hitting like he never had before. He hit .274/.336/.497 with 16 dingers in only 83 games before earning a promotion to St. Lucie. Looking deeper into his splits from Savannah, you see that although he hit just .233/.309/.473 in 40 games at home at Grayson Stadium, he hit eight home runs. That;s notable considering that Savannah is not only the toughest park in the South Atlantic League to get a hit in, but it is also the most difficult park in the entire minor leagues to hit home runs. If Rodriguez can hit for power there, he can do it anywhere.

The Sleepers

• Jacob deGrom (RHP) – Coming off six so-so outings in Kingsport in 2010 and Tommy John surgery, Jacob deGrom broke out in a big way last year in Savannah. Overall, he made 15 starts there and put up very impressive statistics: 2.51 ERA, 7.8 K/9, and 1.4 BB/9. He then made four starts in St. Lucie, allowing five earned runs in 21.2 innings. A lanky 6’4″, 185 pounds, deGrom has the physical profile that scouts look for in a young pitcher. Watch out for him this year.
• Hansel Robles (RHP) – In a bit of a surprise, the Mets sent Hansel Robles to St. Lucie for the start of the season instead of Savannah, where he was projected to go. Robles, 22, was the ace of the excellent Brooklyn Cyclone pitching staff last season, posting a 1.11 ERA in 72.2 innings to go along with excellent 8.2 K/9 and 1.2 BB/9 rates. 
• T.J. Rivera (2B) – Rivera doesn’t have any tools that stand out in particular, but he has put up very good numbers ar every level he’s played. Although he hasn’t hit for much power, he has hit at least .290 in every league he’s played in. Last season in 128 games between Savannah and St. Lucie, he hit .320/.372/.444.
• Alex Panteliodis (LHP) – A ninth-round draft pick in 2011 out of the University of Florida, Panteliodis put up a 3.64 ERA in 22 starts in Savannah last year in 108.2 innings.

Other Names to Watch

• Chasen Bradford (RHP) – A reliever out of UCF, Bradford posted an excellent 2.47 ERA in Savannah last year in 51 innings, all out of the bullpen. 
• Camden Maron (C) – Maron may be the second-best catcher in the Mets’ system after hitting .300/.403/.408 in Savannah last year. He didn’t hit for much power (five home runs), but his 13% walk rate was very impressive.

Things they said:

• The top two starters from the 2012 short-season Brooklyn club will skip a level and proceed directly to high Class A St. Lucie.
• RHP Luis Mateo’s wicked fastball-slider combo enabled him to lead the New York-Penn League with 85 strikeouts a year ago, but he’s already 23, having missed three years while sorting through various injury and identity issues.
• RHP Hansel Robles signed at age 18 and spent four years in short-season ball, but his Brooklyn breakout included an ERA title (1.11) and streak of 45 straight innings sans an earned run, two signs that the 22-year-old is ready to be challenged.
• Mateo and Robles highlight a St. Lucie rotation that also includes power righties Noah Syndergaard, Jacob deGrom and Domingo Tapia.
• Shortstop Gavin Cecchini, last year’s first-rounder, begins the year in extended spring training, much like center fielder Brandon Nimmo (first round) and shortstop Phillip Evans (15th), a pair of 2011 draft picks who kicked off their careers with Brooklyn in 2012.
• RHP Michael Fulmer had surgery to repair the meniscus in his right knee during spring training and will join the St. Lucie rotation later this spring.
• They also predict that the Mets’ top two prospects, starter Zack Wheeler and catcher Travis d’Arnaud, will probably not spend more than half a season in the Pacific Coast League.

Good stuff…

It hasn’t been officially announced yet, but Michael Fulmer will probably be spending some time on the disabled list to start this season after successfully undergoing knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee in early March.

I checked in with Joe D. and he has received reports that Fulmer is rehabbing his knee with no problems, everything is going smoothly, and he should be back on a mound some time in early May. The recovery time for the torn meniscus is anywhere from three to ten weeks, depending on the severity of the tear.

I called on MMO’s injury and recovery expert, Ken Stabler, of Ropestone Fitness, to give a more detailed look at how the meniscus tears affect pitchers, and what type of recovery Fulmer may be going through to get back on the field.

Thoughts from Ken

The meniscus is a cartilaginous tissue that cushions the knee and acts as a shock absorption mechanism. Basically, your knee is a junction site. The femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone) meet at the knee. The patella bone (knee cap) protects the junction site. Tendons (ACL, MCL, LCL) hold this site together so it stays strong and mobile. The meniscus is the padding that provides an outlet for stress so the knee isn’t compromised by bone on bone contact.

Pitching puts the meniscus in a compromising position. When a pitcher starts his motion he will place weight on his “driving leg” and then swing his opposite leg in front to get into a position to create a powerful throw. When the front leg (swinging leg) begins to go forward the hips twist which is where the power comes from. By the time the ball is let go, the driving leg comes off the ground to follow the hips around and complete the motion but before it does, there is a medial (inward) twist and downward force at the knee. These two actions don’t mesh well together.

The good news is that the torque created by these two forces isn’t that substantial so there usually isn’t damage done. The bad news is that pitchers repeat this motion thousands of times and all it takes is one rep in the wrong form or their cleat to get stuck in the dirt for a second to create that extra torque and cause an injury. Some pitchers might not have strong enough cartilage to sustain this repetitive motion. It could be bad genetics, maybe they are nutrient deficient? There could be numerous causes for a meniscus injury but the one constant is the actual pitching motion.

So what do we do? Change the way the game is played and the pitching motion? Not a chance! That’s just crazy talk. We need to program for this motion. It is called the “Rule Of Specificity.” The baseball expert as far as strength and conditioning goes is Eric Cressey. For any detailed or in-depth knowledge about programs for baseball players, I would highly recommend visiting his website: cresseyperformance.com. I won’t go into rehab, because it is pretty basic and has become a well oiled machine. What I will outline for you is the way I would attack injury prevention for the meniscus.

1. Sleep: Sleep is your time to regenerate. Your body is able to repair itself. EVERYONE and especially athletes need to get 8 hours of quality sleep. Turn off the television, no caffeine after 1pm, and eat a balanced diet. Most people are deficient in magnesium, which plays a role in sleep regulation. A great source of magnesium which can serve as a pre-bed tea is a supplement called Natural Calm. Melatonin can also be helpful in regulating your sleep cycles.
2. Nutrition: We are what we eat. I say it all the time. The strength of your bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage depends on what you put in your body. Sure, genetics play a role too, but there isn’t some magic mechanism in your body that makes stuff. Your body is dependent on what you put in it. The TFW theory is basic. We eat the “warrior 20” which consist of a variety of lean meats/fish, dark or brightly colored fruits & veggies, sweet potato, quinoa, oatmeal for carbs, nuts & oils. That is it in a nut shell. Supplement when needed. One supplement I recommend for athletes to be on is a joint supplement. Like we discussed earlier, constant torque on the joint will break it down over time so a joint supplement can decrease the risk of injury.
3. Strength & Conditioning:  A pitcher’s warm-up should resemble something like this: neuro activation, proprioception activities, dynamic flexibility, hip and scapular activation, prep phase for the workout. Before the warm-up, he should have gone through a thorough pre-hab session complete with foam rolling, joint rotations, and addressing any “hot spots” he has. Just these two aspects will decrease the likelihood of injury and we didn’t even discuss his program. I would need a whole other series of articles to get into that, but the program will vary depending on his assessment and imbalances. I am not a huge functional guy, but you can’t ignore the efficacy of some of the exercises like single leg squats and dead lifts. What those will do is increase the proprioception of the knee, forcing it to stabilize to a greater extent. That is important for a pitcher because of the unstable surface they work on and because those exercises will strengthen the joint more to be able to handle the thousands of reps they perform.

Pitchers shouldn’t be on the same program as catchers, catchers shouldn’t be on the same program as outfielders, and etc. Baseball is a deceivingly complex sport when it comes to physiology. Everyone on the field has a different reaction to the game. This makes it hard for the strength and conditioning coach to plan for everyone.

Hopefully Michael Fulmer gets back on the field in early May, as planned, and adds yet another solid arm to the already scary St. Lucie Mets rotation.

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.

Of course the name that jumps out at you here is 2008 first rounder Brad Holt who was once held in the same regard as Michael Fulmer and Noah Syndergaard are today.

I remember how he blew away everyone in his first spring camp and how coaches and players would stop what they were doing and gather around whenever the right-handed phenom was on the mound.

They would all be making the same exclamations you hear now about Zack Wheeler. There were even whispers that he could move quickly and be in the Mets rotation by 2010. Scouts drooled over the late movement on his fastball, and what a fastball it was.

The 21-year-old, got his first taste of pro ball in 2008, and the kid didn’t disappoint. Holt had a spectacular debut with the Brooklyn Cyclones where he led the New York-Penn League with a 1.87 ERA and racked up 96 strikeouts in 72 innings for an 11.9 K/9. It seemed like everyone was right and Holt would be with the Mets in no time. It looked like the Mets netted themselves a first rounder with true ace potential.

But then injuries and a failure to develop his secondary pitches all caught up with him and eventually it all came crashing down.

Holt represents a good example of how quickly things can change without those all-important secondary pitches and why so many other young phenoms hit a brick wall once they get to Double-A – that’s the level where you separate the men from the boys.

Let’s hope that all those great, young, Mets right-handers we keep hearing about, don’t suffer this same disappointing fate.

As most of the readers here know, 19-year old righthander Michael Fulmer injured his knee two weeks ago while working out at PSL.

The Mets’ supplemental pick from the 2011 First year Player Draft, had to undergo surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Meniscus injuries can be tricky sometimes especially for pitchers and even more so when it’s on the leg you land on after you deliver a pitch. Recovery times can range from three to six to ten weeks, and every case is unique.

While there has been no official update from the team, I saw Michael Fulmer today and I’m happy to report that by all accounts, the surgery went well.

As Fulmer walked around the team’s complex this afternoon, the stitches on his leg were still very visible, but it looks as though he’s doing fine and I’m hearing a timetable for his return is about a month and a half. That sounds about right, and there’s no point to rushing him back.

Fulmer posted a 2.74 ERA in 21 starts for Low-A Savannah last season and showed great confidence in his pitches and good command. In 108 innings pitched he struck out 101, while walking 38. It was good to see such a top talent in good spirits and recovering just fine.

Notes:

There were two games on the backfields yesterday, both A-Ball teams, Groups 3 & 4 were playing games right alongside each other so I had the opportunity to watch both games, and key in on some of the players that I really wanted to get a closer look at.

For Group 4 (Savannah), I watched Miller Diaz throw today. Diaz had great poise on the mound, and his pitches looked great. Also playing for Savannah today were Vicente Lupo who everyone is very curious about, but come away impressed. Wuilmer Becerra, who was the other prospect the Mets got back for R.A. Dickey got an at-bat and grounded out. Branden Kaupe looked solid defensively at second, but didn’t get to see Gavin Cecchini. All of these players are unlikely to start at Savannah, except for possibly Cecchini.

I also caught a glimpse of Rainy Lara who pitched for Group 3 (St. Lucie) and I liked what I saw, this kid is solid.

There was some nice buzz and excitement during that game as it drew to an end. The score was tied at 1-1 in the 8th and Phillip Evans came to the plate with the bases loaded. Evans slashed a single which brought home one run to break the deadlock. Brandon Brown followed Evans with a bases-clearing triple that he laced into the left field corner. With the score now 5-1, heavy rains suddenly poured down and both games were called.

I hope you enjoyed the update and you can look forward to more updates like these in the coming days. I’m hoping to make some time for a few exclusive interviews as well…

Update 3/23

I’m actually watching Zack Wheeler right now as all four minor league groups are playing a pair of intrasquad games today. Groups 1 vs 2, and Groups 3 vs 4.

They’re clocking Wheeler at 94-98 and he’s already broken two bats. Two of the MLB scouts who are here told Adam Rubin the following:

Scout 1 said: “He’s got four pitches.”

Scout 2 said: “And they’re all plus, plus, plus, plus.”

“He’s really good … and we’re not getting him,” one scout said with a laugh, noting the Mets would never trade the future ace.

Full recap later, heading to major league camp now…

The Binghamton Mets and Springfield Cardinals played to a scoreless tie today in minor league action. While there may not have been much offense in the game, the pitching was very impressive, as Domingo Tapia and Jacob deGrom combined efforts in the shutout.

Tapia got the start, going four innings and allowed just one hit. MMO had both Tapia and deGrom pegged to start the season at High-A ball with the St. Lucie Mets. However, they were both named to the “Group 2″ starters, who traditionally start the season with the Binghamton Mets (AA).

DeGrom (17) and Tapia (8) were both listed in the most recent top 25 prospect list by MMO, and are two reasons why the Mets are boasting that they have the one of the strongest crop of young right-handed pitchers in baseball. Neither Tapia nor deGrom were listed on the recent list of top right-handed pitching prospects by Baseball America, but if they keep pitching the way they did today, it won’t be long before the men or women that make these lists start taking notice.

With names like Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard, Luis Mateo, Rafael Montero and Michael Fulmer already giving the Mets a reason to be excited about some young and promising right-handed pitchers, deGrom and Tapia are just two more reasons why the Mets are smiling. You will never hear anyone complain about having too much pitching, and the Mets are definitely stocked in that category right now. The biggest problem will be trying to figure out what to do with all these great arms if they all pan out.

The Binghamton Mets have six more games scheduled in spring training before they kick off their regular season action on April 4th, against the Akron Aeros.

Here is a list of Top 150 Prospects for 2013 by Minor League Ball’s John Sickels.

Sickels explains that the rankings presents a balance between long-term upside and present ability, and that he tends to favor players who are closer to the majors than those who are far away.

“My background is sabermetric, but my approach is to blend sabermetrics and traditional scouting,” he writes. “I may lean one way or another on a particular player. There is also some room for instincts and gut feelings.”

The lower in the list you go, the more fluid it becomes, and the ETAs are a best-guess on when a player should first see significant major league action as opposed to just a brief cup-of-coffee.

1. Jurickson Profar, SS, Texas Rangers, ETA 2013
2. Oscar Taveras , OF, St. Louis Cardinals, ETA 2013
3. Dylan Bundy, RHP, Baltimore Orioles, 2013
4. Xander Bogaerts , SS, Boston Red Sox, 2014
5. Gerrit Cole, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates, 2013
6. Shelby Miller, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals, 2013
7. Wil Myers, OF, Tampa Bay Rays, 2013
8. Jose Fernandez, RHP, Miami Marlins, 2014
9. Mike Zunino, C, Seattle Mariners, 2014
10. Miguel Sano, 3B, Minnesota Twins, 2015
11. Trevor Bauer, RHP, Cleveland Indians, 2013
12. Christian Yelich, OF, Miami Marlins, 2014
13. Travis D’Arnaud, C, New York Mets, 2013
14. Billy Hamilton, OF, Cincinnati Reds, 2014
15. Zack Wheeler, RHP, New York Mets, 2013

22. Noah Syndergaard, RHP, New York Mets, 2015
86. Michael Fulmer, RHP New York Mets, 2015
118. Wilmer Flores, INF, New York Mets, 2014

Read the complete list here.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com confirms that pitching prospect Michael Fulmer will have surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee today at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan.

Mets team physician Dr. Struan Coleman will perform the operation.

Get well soon, Mike…

Originally Post March 11 at 7:45 PM

Mets pitching prospect Michael Fulmer tore the meniscus in his right knee and is on his way to New York where they will perform surgery on Tuesday to repair the damage.

Hat tip to Mack’s Mets.

Fulmer was participating in STEP camp in Port St. Lucie with many of the other top prospects in the organization.

“I appreciate all the well wishes. I’ll be back at it before we know it,” Fulmer said on Twitter. “Only a very minor setback in a long career,” he added. “Looking forward to getting back to 100 percent.”

Here was our latest analysis on Fulmer who we ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the Mets system…

Michael Fulmer, RHP

Height: 6’3”
Weight: 200 LBS
Age: 19 (20 in March)
Bats/Throws: Right/Right

If there is one glaringly strong pick from the Sandy Alderson era so far, it has to be Michael Fulmer. Fulmer has the potential to dominate major league teams for years, and already has the frame of a pitcher at just 19 years of age. He is coming off a strong year in Savannah where he made 21 starts that spanned 108 innings. He posted a 2.74 ERA and allowed just 92 hits, six of them going for home runs. He struck out 101 and walked 38, resulting in a 2.66 K/BB rate.

Fulmer throws three defined pitches, and has been known to mix in a fourth every now and then. His fastball is his best pitch, an explosive pitch that sits in the mid-90s and has touched 97 MPH on occasion. His slider is his second best offering, and it comes in at 83-85 with sharp late movement – exactly what you want from a slider. He has been working on a change-up, and it is still in development. Honestly, he did not need one in High School with the dominance of his fastball and slider, so the change is a project. Progress has been made, however, and he mixes in a 12-6 curve at times to keep hitters off balance. It is ridiculous that his pitches and mindset are so mature when you consider young he is.

Outlook: Fulmer’s 2012 line gave a lot of people, including myself, high hopes for the future. Some of the scouts that saw him were most impressed with his aggressiveness and poise. He moves ahead to St.Lucie next year where he will join a rotation packed with some of the best Mets righthanders in the system  Fulmer stands to only improve on his position as a prospect in our system when you consider all things. He already has the build of an MLB pitcher, can overpower hitters, command his pitches, and pitches fearlessly. The goal now is to build his stamina and pitch deeper into games while he continues to develop at his own pace. So far, everything we’ve seen of Fulmer points to a fast rise through the minors. All things considered, Fulmer could find himself anchoring the top or middle of our rotation in a few years and not a single soul would be surprised.

Michael Fulmer will debut in St. Lucie this season after dominating in Savannah last year.

I was flipping through Baseball America’s most recent issue listing their 100 Top Prospects, and I came across something interesting in their organization reports about the New York Mets. In summary, they state that the Mets now believe they have “one of the most promising stables of right-handed power arms in the game.” This is some very optimistic, yet very bold thinking from the Mets. I like the message they are trying to put out to the fan base. It gives a reason for fans to be excited. But after digging a little deeper, it can also lead to some skepticism at the same time.

We already know about the more prominent young power arms in the Mets system: Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler and Noah Syndergaard. However the rest of the names included by Baseball America which the Mets are boasting about are Rafael Montero, Michael Fulmer, Luis Mateo, Domingo Tapia and Corey Mazzoni. This is where we can poke some holes in the Mets’ claims.

Don’t get me wrong. These guys have dynamite stuff, and supporting what the Mets are boasting, the recent MMO Top 25 Prospect list included all of the pitchers named above (aside from Harvey who is no longer a prospect). In fact, every pitcher listed above was in the top ten on the MMO list aside from Mazzoni, who checked in at No. 23. All of these guys touch the mid to upper 90s with their fastballs, with Tapia touching 100 MPH. After reading that last statement, it’s easy to see why these guys are considered power arms.

However, with the exception of a couple of the guys listed above, not many of them have pitched above A-Ball yet. That is obviously where the skepticism comes into play. At single-A, these guys can rely on throwing complete gas and dominate the less experienced hitters at the lower levels. It really won’t be until we see these guys at double-A where we can start making bold claims that the Mets truly have the best crop of right-handed power arms in their system. On paper, these guys look great. Heck, at single-A these guys look great. But let’s wait and see what happens against more polished hitters in the upper levels.

Even Syndegaard is labeled as a guy that has to start developing his secondary pitches, and there is a very good chance he will be considered the top prospect in the Mets organization once Wheeler and Travis d’Arnaud are promoted this season.

These pitchers’ have a ton of potential, but as Joe D alluded to in one of his recent posts, there is only so much we can look into guys that have yet to pitch beyond A-ball. The reality of the situation is the fact that probably half of those guys won’t ever pitch at the major league level. It’s just part of the game, and we have to accept it.

Only time will tell how this crop of young fire-ballers’ careers pan out. But I’m not upset that the Mets are boasting one of the best crops of young right-handers in the game. They have a right to make the claim; it will just be better supported once these guys start showing success above the Double-A level.

Three of them won’t surprise you as they’ve already appeared on more than a few top prospect lists this year. But what a nice surprise it was to see RHP Michael Fulmer ranked 98th and finally get some much deserved recognition.

Topping the list for the Mets of course was RHP Zack Wheeler (5th), C Travis d’Arnaud (15th), and RHP Noah Syndergaard (28th).

I’m still puzzled by why so many of these prospect lists exclude IF Wilmer Flores, who I regard as a better hitter than some of the other position players I usually see ranked from 80-100.

Here is what our MMO minor league staff had to say about all four players in our recent MMO Top 25 Prospects:

1. Zack Wheeler

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 185 LBS
Age: 22
Bats/Throws: Left/Right

The level of success that Zack Wheeler achieves will likely go a long way in changing the fanbase’s opinion on Sandy Alderson. Wheeler was acquired for Carlos Beltran at the trade deadline in 2011, which essentially sent the team in downward spiral afterward. But Wheeler looked like an excellent return at the time, purging the Giants farm system of their top pitching prospect. Wheeler has a nice mix of pitches, ranging from his plus fastball and curveball to a changeup that he is still improving, and some scouts have credited him with a cutter. If I had to guess, the variation in his fastball speed might cause some confusion, as I have seen Wheeler drop it down to the high-80s to get a strike over, and he can also ramp it up to 95 when needed. Wheeler has poise and confidence on the mound, as he is consistently the aggressor in at-bats and pitches inside with much success. There are slight concerns with his mechanics, but he did a good job to dispel them with some solid numbers last year that showed some improved command.

His 2012 season spanned across two levels, AA and AAA, and in a combined 25 starts he managed two shutouts, one at each level with a 12-8 record. He pitched 149 innings to the tune of a 3.26 ERA, and allowed only 115 hits, and only four of those went for home runs. He did walk 59 batters, but he struck out 148.

Outlook: Wheeler has come to symbolize the Alderson era thus far. Everything regarding the future success of the franchise has been pinned to Wheeler’s chest, perhaps unfairly. He instantly became the most recognizable name in the system and there isn’t a fan who is not anxiously awaiting his arrival and with high expectations at that. The plan is that he will eventually join Harvey in the rotation by the end of this year to give the Mets a dangerous 1-2 punch for years to come. That is the plan and the dream and hopefully the reality. Wheeler has the best floor of any prospect in the system right now as well as the highest ceiling. He could potentially be future ace and at worst top-shelf, mid-rotation starter who will throw 200 quality innings a season. We at Metsmerized did not all agree on any one prospect in ranking our Top 25 Mets Prospects – except for one – Zack Wheeler. We have many reasons to believe that he will be an ace quality pitcher for the Mets in the near future.

2. Travis D’Arnaud, C

Height: 6’2”
Weight: 195 LBS
Age: 23 (24 in February)
Bats/Throws: Right/Right

There is something to be said about a good catching prospect…and then there is something to be said about one that has been traded for two Cy Young winners. See, D’Arnaud has not only been involved in the more recent Dickey trade, but he was also traded away from his original team, Philadelphia, in the Roy Halladay deal. D’Arnaud is  considered a future stud by almost every scout in existence, and his status as a high ranking prospect is helped by the fact that dons the tools of ignorance. I would be lying if I said I was not excited to see if D’Arnaud panned out or not – as sad as I was about losing RA Dickey. However, D’Arnaud has been touted as having good defensive skills and even better offensive skills. Although numbers in Vegas are inflated, he posted a .333/.380/.595 slash with 16 home runs / 21 doubles / 2 triples in just 303 plate appearances.

The one knock against D’Arnaud is the fact that he has been plagued with various injuries and has missed about 1 1/2 seasons worth of games in his pro career. His latest was a season-ending knee injury last season, his second season-ender in three years. Although that does not bode well for his career choice as a backstop, D’Arnaud has been described as mentally and physically tough, so we have to hope for the best in this situation. The Mets and their fanbase are hoping that their catcher of the future exists in D’Arnaud, and while he will not be Mike Piazza, a catcher with a solid bat and 15-20 home runs is something to look forward to.

Outlook: It is almost a given that D’Arnaud will end up on the MLB club at some point in 2013, and his debut is very much anticipated. If all breaks well for D’Arnaud, the Mets found themselves a future star – a player with an improving defensive foundation, a good baseball IQ, and the ability to hit for a great average with some pop…what else could you ask from an MLB regular, let alone a catcher? It is obvious that I am high on D’Arnaud, and rightfully so, and we will find out how right I am sooner rather than later. The future is now for Travis, and hopefully he turns into a great player that helps us stick it to the NL East for years to come.

4. Noah Syndergaard, RHP

Height: 6’5”
Weight: 200 LBS
Age: 20
Bats/Throws: Left/Right

When the Mets traded RA Dickey, they did not just acquire a young man with an awesome last name – they acquired a pretty legitimate pitching prospect and one of the top arms in the Blue Jays system. Syndergaard is raw and young, but he radiates potential and could turn out to be a fixture in the Mets rotation in the future. The 20-year old is coming off a solid season in Single-A Lansing where he struck out a ridiculous 122 in 103 innings pitched. That led to a 10.6 K/9, which was supplemented with a 2.60 ERA and only 81 hits / 31 walks, leading to a 1.080 WHIP. He only allowed three home runs, and for such a high strikeout pitcher, the across the board numbers really jump out at you.

In terms of a scouting report, Syndergaard might have the best pitcher’s frame in the entire system. He already has an impressive fastball that sits in the…you guessed it, mid-90s. His second best pitch is a sharp curveball. It sits in the mid-high 70s and will likely work as a great complement to his fastball. So, in the same mold as Fulmer, Syndergaard has a great fastball and a good breaking pitch to back it up. The difference between the two is that Syndergaard has a changeup that is slightly more advanced than Fulmer’s to this point. It will likely end up being average, but that will go a long way in establishing him as a top of the line starter.

Outlook: Syndergaard is a physical specimen and really looks like he can be a perennial all-star. Although there are some things that come into question – his command at times, his stamina, and as always, furthering the development of his third pitch, there is a lot to love about Noah Syndergaard. He is aggressive on the mound and stays relatively emotionless. He makes the move to AA for the 2013 season and I have faith that he will breeze through it. It is important not to put too much pressure or to rush the young prospect, as he represents a new wave of pitching prospects…or a changing of the Gaard. See what I did there? Good.

5. Michael Fulmer, RHP

Height: 6’3”
Weight: 200 LBS
Age: 19 (20 in March)
Bats/Throws: Right/Right

If there is one glaringly strong pick from the Sandy Alderson era so far, it has to be Michael Fulmer. Fulmer has the potential to dominate major league teams for years, and already has the frame of a pitcher at just 19 years of age. He is coming off a strong year in Savannah where he made 21 starts that spanned 108 innings. He posted a 2.74 ERA and allowed just 92 hits, six of them going for home runs. He struck out 101 and walked 38, resulting in a 2.66 K/BB rate.

Fulmer throws three defined pitches, and has been known to mix in a fourth every now and then. His fastball is his best pitch, an explosive pitch that sits in the mid-90s and has touched 97 MPH on occasion. His slider is his second best offering, and it comes in at 83-85 with sharp late movement – exactly what you want from a slider. He has been working on a change-up, and it is still in development. Honestly, he did not need one in High School with the dominance of his fastball and slider, so the change is a project. Progress has been made, however, and he mixes in a 12-6 curve at times to keep hitters off balance. It is ridiculous that his pitches and mindset are so mature when you consider young he is.

Outlook: Fulmer’s 2012 line gave a lot of people, including myself, high hopes for the future. Some of the scouts that saw him were most impressed with his aggressiveness and poise. He moves ahead to St.Lucie next year where he will join a rotation packed with some of the best Mets righthanders in the system  Fulmer stands to only improve on his position as a prospect in our system when you consider all things. He already has the build of an MLB pitcher, can overpower hitters, command his pitches, and pitches fearlessly. The goal now is to build his stamina and pitch deeper into games while he continues to develop at his own pace. So far, everything we’ve seen of Fulmer points to a fast rise through the minors. All things considered, Fulmer could find himself anchoring the top or middle of our rotation in a few years and not a single soul would be surprised.

A hat tip to Alex68 who left us the link.

While the Mets try to make do with an outfield made up of what would likely be utility outfielders on most other teams, John Harper of the Daily News sheds some new details on the Mets’ failed pursuits of Justin Upton and Michael Bourn.

Regarding Upton, the Mets were hoping he would just fall in their laps for either Daniel Murphy or Ruben Tejada plus two A-Ball pitching prospects, believing Arizona GM Kevin Towers was desperate for a third baseman or shortstop.

In addition to either Murphy or Tejada, the Mets would have included one or more of lower-level pitching prospects, presumably someone from the likes of Rafael Montero, Luis Mateo, Michael Fulmer, or even recently-acquired Noah Syndergaard.

But while Alderson actually thought he was in the game, a baseball executive from another club who knows Towers well says the D-Backs GM never got close to doing anything with the Mets before finally trading Upton to the Braves.

As for the Bourn situation, for one thing it’s now clear other teams complained about making an exception to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement just to appease the Mets and also let Scott Boras beat the system.

The Mets were going to have to win a grievance to keep the draft pick, and Alderson didn’t want to go through that process before having an agreement because he believed it would give Boras more leverage. It was that fear and tentativeness that blew any chance to sign Bourn, sources told Harper.

“Typical Mets.”

“They can say this happened or that happened but the bottom line is they didn’t act decisively,” one major league executive said. “They should have gotten the draft pick decision settled — it wasn’t going to change Bourn’s market. To let the delay of the draft-pick decision get in the way of a deal was small-time thinking.”

The executive added that while neither Bourn or Upton was going to make the Mets winners in 2013, it now makes building a contender-worthy outfield in 2014 considerably more difficult, and that Alderson will be under the gun to finally deliver a winning season in his fourth and final year of his contract.

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.

Well here we go with the second installment of the Official MetsMerizedOnline 2012 Mets Top 20 Prospects list, featuring RHP Michael Fulmer of the GCL Mets, at #19. When the Mets made Fulmer their 1st round sandwich pick in the 2011 draft (44th overall), as compensation for losing Pedro Feliciano as a free-agent, many scouts said he would be a very tough sign due to a commitment to attend the University of Arkansas. The Mets persuaded the 18-year-old from Oklahoma to forgo college and begin his professional career immediately, and they are very glad they did.

At 6’3″ and 200 lbs. Fulmer has good size, and has gained anywhere from 5-7 mph on his fastball in the last calendar year, while growing an inch in height and putting on about 20 lbs. His heater is now in the mid 90′s with his fastball topping out at 97. He has a very promising secondary pitch he is now throwing at 83-85 mph, that is thrown with a tight rotation and comes in with a sharp downward break. The most impressive thing about his breaking pitch, is he can throw it for strikes, which makes it a potentially devastating out-pitch. His change-up, like most high school pitchers, is a work-in-progress at this time, and will be something he must refine to find success as a starter beyond the lowest levels of the minors. He has shown good stamina on the mound, and should develop into a pitcher who can throw deep into games.

Michael was nice enough to grant me an interview last night, answering questions during Game 1 of the 2011 World Series. Thank you so much Michael the readers at MetsMerizedOnline.com really appreciate it.

Petey:  First of all Michael, congratulations on a very exciting 2011! After becoming the 44th overall pick for the Mets in the 2011 MLB Amateur draft, your development over the next several seasons will be fun to watch as you climb the Minor League ladder to the Big Leagues. Thank you so much for sharing a little of your time. When the Mets drafted you in the Supplemental 1st round of the 2011 MLB Player Draft, how did you first hear about it, and what was that feeling like? Did you know the Mets were interested in drafting you?

Michael:  On draft night I had a little party with my friends and immediate family. We were watching the draft on TV and to get that call from the Mets to say that they were interested in me at the 44th pick was the second most exciting thing in my life. The first being able to see my name and face on national television actually living my life long dream of becoming a professional baseball player.

Petey:  Is there one person, a coach, a friend or family member, or even another player, who you learned the most from, or who inspired you to chase your dream of becoming a major league baseball player?

Michael:  My parents were always supportive of me no matter what I did. I have to thank them for that. Second of all my coaches at the great Deer Creek High School. All the coaches helped me out a ton with different aspects of the game of baseball along with the lessons of life. And of course my teammates who are always beside me no matter what before during or after the game.

Petey:  We have heard that you throw very hard, and have a very good off-speed pitch, but could you tell us a little more about your arsenal? What pitches you throw, at what speeds, and are you working on any new pitches moving forward?

Michael:  I pitch off my fastball. That is my favorite pitch and also the pitch I need to work on most as far as command. I throw a 12-6 curveball, a slider, and a changeup which is getting a lot better while working with the pitching coaches.

Petey:  You only pitched in 4 games after signing late last year, but during those 5 plus innings of work, were you able to get an idea of what you need to work on as a pitcher to succeed against tougher competition?

Michael:  Yes, pro ball is very different from high school ball. I’ve learned that I got away with a lot of pitches in high school that I do not in pro ball. Command is the name of the game. Learn how to pitch now and not just throw.

Petey:  Going from amateur to professional baseball will cause you to throw more innings. What kind of things will you do to stay in shape over the winter? Can you describe your workout regimen? Did the Mets give you specific things to work on?

Michael:  My offseason will consist of the workout program that the wonderful strength and conditioning coaches gave us. Getting stronger, more flexible, balance, and all around stamina. Anything will help for upcoming spring training.

Petey:  What was your favorite baseball team growing up? Your favorite player?

Michael:  My all time favorite player is Curt Schilling. So I kind of followed him around when he played for the Diamondbacks and the Red Sox.

Petey:  Is there a major league pitcher that you think you are similar to in style? Or someone that you can see yourself pitching like someday in the majors?

Michael:  Not so much any certain pitcher in the Majors because they all have something I do not. They all have the skillset and know exactly what they have to do to be there. I have a lot of work to get close to any big league pitcher.

Petey:  What are your goals for next season? Is there a particular club you hope to make out of spring training? Have the Mets made any indication of what they are planning for you next season, or are those things decided in ST?

Michael:  My goal next season is to get better as a person and a ball player each and every day. The Mets organization have a plan for me and my goal is to impress them and get better every opportunity I get, always working hard.

Petey:  What one thing did you learn in pro ball this year? What was your team like in the GCL? Was there any one player that really impressed you with his play?

Michael:  In the GCL this year I learned that all my teammates can flat out play. It feels great just to be around guys who love the greatest game on earth as much as I do. My confidence on the mound has increased a lot because I know the guys behind me will get it done.

Petey:  And to finish up Michael, just a little personal info, not pertaining to baseball. What is your favorite movie? Favorite musician or band? Favorite food?

Michael:  Favorite movie is Major League 1 and 2. Favorite band is Skillet, and Jason Aldean. And favorite food has to be grilled chicken with honey mustard to dip in!

Petey:  Thanks again Michael for being so kind as to participate in this interview! And congratulations on making my MetsMerizedOnline 2012 Mets Top 20 Prospects List. Take care, and looking forward to seeing you on the “bump” next year!

Michael:  Thank you Pete, I appreciate it!

It sounds like the Mets got themselves a great kid with solid skills and potential. Not only is he a big strong pitcher with a great arm and a lot of talent, but they got an intelligent and dedicated young man, who knows what he needs to do to succeed, and has the drive to do it. It may take a few years, but I have no doubt that if healthy, this man is headed to the Bigs someday.

Look for Fulmer to stay in extended ST next year, and then begin the season with a short-season rookie league team, most likely either the GCL Mets or Kingsport.

Check back for the rest of my 2012 Top 20 Mets Prospect List, right here on MMO.

Next Up: Number 18

My short list includes:

•    Jefry Marte - 3B
•    Akeel Morris - RHP
•    Collin McHugh - RHP
•    Juan Urbina - LHP