Photo: Helene Haessler, St. Lucie Mets
Outfielder Wuilmer Becerra was our No. 6 Mets prospect coming into the 2016 season and all he has done this year is hit .415/.461/.488 in his first 23 Florida State League games for the St. Lucie Mets. He is currently riding a 12-game hitting streak in which he has gone 24 for 46 (.522/.569/.601) with four walks, six RBI, four doubles, nine runs scored and only five strikeouts. His .415 average trails only Padres prospect Austin Allen (.425) and Rays prospect Jake Cronenworth (.423) for the best in the entire minor leagues.
You will notice that his slugging percentage isn’t that robust compared to his average, he has yet to hit a home run this year after launching nine of them last year while playing in an extreme pitchers park. I think we can assume that the shoulder injury has tapped some of his power to start the season for a player that is projected to have above average power.
What I find more interesting is the contact approach he has used this year to cut down his strikeouts and put the ball in play more often, which has obviously been successful to this point. He has his lowest K% of his career at 14.4% which is down from 19.7% last year. It is a welcomed adjustment for someone that prior to this season had struck out 212 times in 228 games for the Mets.
The 21-year old Becerra, did hit .290 last year for the Savannah Sand Gnats so it’s not crazy to think he could hover around .300 in the minors. His current BABIP is .493, meaning we will see some regression (obviously) from the over .400 average but that should also come with a boost in his power.
Here is a quote from his manager Luis Rojas from a recent interview with MiLB.com:
“I don’t put a lot of stock in power numbers for a young player. I watch the swing. The power will come. He hits line drives for doubles or triples. Someday they will be home runs. He’ll hit 20-plus.”
It can be argued that Becerra is the Mets’ top outfield prospect with under performing Brandon Nimmo and the young but toolsy Desmond Lindsay in the conversation as well. Wuilmer has the perfect profile for right field and oh by the way, Sandy Alderson somehow got him included in the R.A. Dickey trade. The gift that truly keeps giving.
For last night’s minor league recap that included home runs from Dilson Herrera and T.J. Rivera head over to MetsMinors.net!
