Baseball America released their Top 10 Mets prospect list today and unsurprisingly they have left-hander Steven Matz at the top. They talk about the fact that the trades of Michael Fulmer, Robert Whalen, Matt Koch, Casey Meisner, Luis Cessa, John Gant and Miller Diaz has weakened the Mets starting pitching depth in the Minors.
However, the Mets minor league system still finished with a .532 combined winning percentage this year which was 7th in baseball. Here is how they ranked the Top 10 with my notes on the players:
- Matz, who had a 2.27 ERA and went 4-0 in his first six Major League regular season starts. He will lose his prospect eligibility after pitching just 14.1 more innings next season.
- Amed Rosario, SS, who is pretty much the Mets consensus number one position player prospect because of his potential and athleticism. He hit .257/.307/.335 in 385 at bats for St. Lucie this year before getting a cup of coffee with Binghamton at the end of the season. Over his last two seasons he has not made a plate appearance against a pitcher younger than him. Rosario had a wrist sprain that put him on disabled list for St. Lucie and re-injured it during the Dominican Winter League preseason but is believed to be extremely minor. He is currently in New York rehabbing the injury.
- Dominic Smith, 1B, finally had the breakout offensive season most thought he was still capable off which led to being named the Most Valuable Player in the Florida State League. Led the league in doubles (33) and RBI (79) while playing the best defensive first base in the league as well. He is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League and slashing .412/.523/.588.
- Gavin Cecchini, SS, another Mets prospect that had a breakout year with the bat for the Binghamton Mets hitting .317/.377/.442 on his was to being named the Eastern League Rookie of the Year. He is currently training with Team USA to play in the WBSC Premier 12 Tournament.
- Brandon Nimmo, OF, had a disappointing year with the bat seeing his slugging percentage drop to .372 as he also missed time with an ACL sprain. Still got on-base at a .362 clip while getting some exposure to right and left field defensively after not playing either position in the Mets system. Played in the Eastern League All-Star game and the Futures Game this season. You can read tidbits from his MiLB podcast appearance here.
- Marcos Molina, SP, the first surprise of the list to me to have him still this high after pitching only 41 innings this year because of an elbow injury. Still only 20-years old and has the highest upside of any pitcher left in the Mets system. Not a big fan of his mechanics which could have played a role in his injury but the ability to control three pitches already is impressive.
- Luis Carpio, SS, will be the biggest surprise for many on this list for people who don’t cover the Mets minors and still a little high for me. Luis clearly made the biggest jump though of any prospect in the system hitting .304/.372/.359 in his impressive stateside debut. I have heard numerous scouts rave about his baseball IQ and approach at the plate especially for a 18-year old kid.
- Desmond Lindsay, OF, is the Mets only 2015 pick (2nd RD) to make the list and has all the tools to become a strong outfielder after playing third base in prep ball. The 18-year old kid does not look that young with a great muscular frame and has great combination of speed, athleticism and power potential. Hamstring injury limited him to only 114 at bats in which he hit .263/.364/.386 between the GCL Mets and Brooklyn Cyclones.
- Matt Reynolds, SS, almost made his Major League debut in the playoffs this year after being looked over for promotion many times this year when the Mets dealt with injuries. Made the Pacific Coast League All-Star team this year despite having a below average league slash line of .267/.319/.402. I like his short stroke and see him as a future utility player at the Major League level possibly starting next season.
- Wuilmer Becerra, OF, the other part of the R.A. Dickey trade that seems to just keep giving for the Mets. The toolsy outfielder slashed .290/.342/.423 with 27 doubles, three triples, nine homeruns, 16 stolen bases and 63 runs batter in during his full season debut. Even more impressive is his .807 OPS at the historically tough hitters park Grayson Stadium. The Savannah Sand Gnat right fielder is also a solid defender with a strong arm that is perfect for his position.
I for the most part agree with this list besides the inclusion of Reynolds who I would have in the 11-15 range because of his lack of upside. I would also have Molina moved down with the possibility of Robert Gsellman actually being ahead of him. I am higher than most on Gsellman who doesn’t miss many bats but rarely ever gets barreled by hitters.
To me this list shows the the incredible wave of Mets position prospects that are on the way to Citi Field to join the already dominant pitching staff. Coming into this season if Mets fans had to pick the teams biggest weakness most would have picked shortstop.
Now the teams biggest strength to me is that talent they have at shortstop considering the four on this list. Keep in mind that shortstop prospect Luis Guillorme was named the South Atlantic League MVP is not on this list. As well as the Mets 2014 3rd round pick Milton Ramos who is actually in MLB Pipeline’s Top 10 and is somewhere in the 11-15 range for me. That gives the Mets six shortstop prospects in the Top 25 for sure without even mentioning their top two International signees last year, Andres Gimenez and Gregory Guerrero who are both currently shortstops too.
Check out more Mets Minor League coverage including our recent interview with Mets first base propsect Dash Winningham over at MetsMinors.net
