MMO Top 5 Prospects: Shortstop

No 5. William Lugo

Bats/Throws: R/R Age: 18
Acquired: Signed as international free agent in 2018
2019 Stats: 176 PA, .158/.280/.219, 6 2B, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 1 SB, 4 CS, 21 BB, 46 K

Signed in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic, Lugo spent the 2019 season with the GCL Mets after the team aggressively decided to bring him to the states. Playing against competition around two years older than him, he was definitely overmatched, yet showed some promise in the fact that his walk total was much higher than many prospects accumulate in their first season. The fact that he was only 17 years old helps when justifying his name among this list.

The typical high risk, high reward prospect, Lugo projects to have a good eye at the plate and the makings of an average hitter with decent power. He does tend to have a long swing yet manages to put the barrel on the ball when making contact. While he is currently spending his time at shortstop, if he continues to fill out his larger frame, a move to a corner defensive position might be needed. When in the field, Lugo does possess quick hands and an average arm.

When trying to predict the future of a player so young with so little experience and an underwhelming season, you usually want to look at what is teachable and what isn’t. When it comes to things Lugo already possesses – his plate discipline, body type, and raw power potential –  one can see some nice building blocks that an organization can then work with to blossom into a more complete player.

No. 4 Wilmer Reyes

B/T: R/R Age: 22
Acquired: Signed as international free agent in 2016
2019 Stats: 244 PA, .323/.350/.441, 8 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 12 SB, 6 CS, 8 BB, 41 K

In 2019, Reyes went from a prospect with a familiar sounding name to a prospect worth keeping a close eye on, as he had what was arguably the best statistical season by any minor league player. Had he put up the numbers he did during an affiliate’s full season instead of Brooklyn’s short season, he would have made it hard for the organization to pick Mark Vientos  over him as minor league hitter of the year.

In leading the Cyclones to their first ever championship, Reyes was among the league leaders in multiple categories. His aggressive contact-first approach leads to very few walks, yet in 2019 his results showed an ability to find the holes in the defense while constantly getting the bat on the ball. He cut his strikeout percentage almost in half from 2018 (30.8% to 16.8%) and showed some power, hitting a career-high five home runs.

Reyes also won over a lot of evaluators with his defensive showing. Having a strong arm capable of making any throw from anywhere on the field tends to do that. His fluid hands and above-average agility only further push the narrative that Reyes will be able to stay at the shortstop position as he moves up the Mets’ system.

After his strong 2019 performance, one would expect the Mets to be aggressive with Reyes to see if he can produce the same level of success as he ascends up the minor leagues.

No. 3 Shervyen Newton

B/T:  S/R   Age: 21
Acquired: Signed as international free agent in 2015
2019 Stats: 423 PA, .209/.283/.330, 2 3B, 15 2B, 9 HR, 32 RBI, 1 SB, 4 CS, 37 BB, 139 K

The exact opposite of the aforementioned Reyes, Newton had a disappointing 2019 season that started with a shoulder injury that caused him to miss around a month to begin the season. When he did return to the field, Newton produced an up and down season that saw plenty of rough patches mixed in with flashes of the potential many see in his game.

A prospect with raw power potential, Newton possesses the capability to blossom into a 20-plus home run player if he can manage to make more consistent contact. While most young players who are plagued with high strikeout numbers like Newton (32.9 strikeout percentage in 2019) lack the plate discipline to generate walks, Newton is the opposite, as he had 37 walks in 2019 resulting in him finishing second on the team.

This leads most to believe that his issue is more about getting the barrel to the ball than swinging at bad pitches. Whether his issue in 2019 was a result of his shoulder injury lingering around or a need to develop his quick bat speed into a more contact-oriented approach, the organic skills he possesses are still too great to turn evaluators off of him.

A jack of all trades on defense, Newton has played all over the infield. Being an above-average athlete provides him the range to make plays, and a powerful arm helps in that department as well. His best defensive attribute is his ability to read the ball off the bat, and that affords him the opportunity to always be in a good position to field the ball.

When baseball resumes, many will be keeping an eye on Newton. If he can turn the corner and get his offensive tools to translate to the batter’s box, he could become one of the more prolific hitters in the Mets’ system.

No. 2 Andres Gimenez

B/T: L/R Age: 21
Acquired: Signed as international free agent in 2015
2019 Stats: 479 PA, .250/.309/.387, 5 3B, 22 2B, 9 HR, 37 RBI, 28 SB, 16 CS, 24 BB, 102 K

After a 2018 season that saw Gimenez vault into the upper echelon of the Mets’ prospect rankings, his 2019 campaign was an up and down affair due to injury, change in approach, and competition above his age range.

Gimenez was hit on the hand in early June and ended up on the injured list. When he made his return later that month, it took a little time to get going, but by the end of the season he was back to being the player that received such strong accolades after the 2018 season. Following the Binghamton season, the Mets sent Gimenez to the Arizona Fall League, where he would lead the league in average and OPS.

The Mets and Gimenez decided to alter his approach and swing in 2019 in order to get more explosiveness and generate more power. While it did result in a career-high nine home runs, it definitely had an impact on his ability to make consistent contact, especially in the beginning of the campaign. As the AFL season went on, it seemed that Gimenez had figured out how to accomplish both things while in the box.

The down season in terms of stats is likely the culprit of Gimenez seeing his overall rankings slip in some of the top prospect lists. Having dropped from a consensus top fifty prospect to a player who struggled to make some lists is strange when you consider the hand injury and the fact that Gimenez was a 20-year-old playing four years below the league’s average age in a notoriously pitcher-friendly park in Binghamton.

While the hand injury certainly had an effect on his defense for a brief period of time in 2019, for the most part Gimenez continued to play the excellent defense he is known for. He continued this in the AFL, showing that any in-season miscues were more the result of the injury than him losing any ability in the field.

A smooth defender who makes plays with ease, Gimenez has the playmaking ability to stick at shortstop for the majority of his career. The bigger issue for Gimenez and his long-term future as a Mets shortstop is that ahead of him is Amed Rosario  in the majors and Ronny Mauricio  on his heels a few levels below. If Rosario continues to improve his game at the MLB level and Mauricio develops into the player many think he is capable of, it may force Gimenez off shortstop and into another position.

With Gimenez having been added to the 40-man roster this past offseason, it will be interesting to see if the 2020 season and the discussion of expanded rosters finds Gimenez getting his Flushing debut a little earlier than most would have predicted pre-pandemic. If that doesn’t happen, one can expect Gimenez to make his debut in 2021 with the Mets while in the midst of plenty of rumors.

No. 1 Ronny Mauricio

B/T: S/R Age: 19
Acquired:  Signed as international free agent in 2017-2018
2019 Stats: 504 PA, .268/.307/.357, 5 3B, 20 2B, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 6 SB, 10 CS, 23 BB, 99 K

When you are named the top prospect in a ranking of the Mets’ system, you are obviously going to be the No. 1 prospect at your position, and that’s where Mauricio finds himself.

After having an above-average season in 2019 for Columbia in the SAL, a pitcher-friendly league and home stadium, the 19-year-old finds himself in the same position as past top shortstop prospects Amed Rosario and Jose Reyes. Having such high praise put on a teenager is not something done very lightly, yet many analysts agree Mauricio is a player that is on the path to becoming a superstar.

The statistical analysis for Mauricio doesn’t tell the full story of how impressive a season the then 18-year-old put up in 2019. A little more than three years younger than the average player in the league, his numbers for the first five months of the season were an impressive .282/.323/.380 line, with 20 doubles, four triples, three home runs, and 27 RBI. After August, the youngster seemed to hit the full season wall as his production tapered off, as is seen with many players in their first year playing over 100 games.

At the plate, Mauricio displays above-average bat speed, with a long swing that allows him to keep his hands in the zone. The switch-hitter has been able to stay consistent with his swing from both sides of the plate. When it comes to generating power from his swing, it is mostly on the raw side currently, which will develop as he matures physically. He does need to work on his ability to keep the ball off the ground and get more lift out of his swing, which he did improve on in 2019.

A great athlete with unteachable instincts, Mauricio is capable of currently handling the shortstop position without any major flaws. Arm strength is also a tool in Mauricio’s bag, as some scouts feel it is the best among all shortstops in the organization. His continued development physically is the only issue he will have to encounter when trying to project his defensive future. If he were to add too much bulk and muscle, he may have to move off of shortstop and into a corner infield or outfield position.

When looking at Mauricio, it is hard not to fall in love with the idea of him being a future All-Star that will have a big impact in a Mets uniform. He has the natural ability and skill set that most teenage baseball players don’t possess. After such a promising first full season, the future looks very bright for the next top shortstop prospect.