J.J. Cooper of Baseball America put together a list of players he believes could potentially get selected in next month’s Rule 5 Draft. Among them he includes three Mets prospects who could be at risk.
Wuilmer Becerra, OF, Mets (21): It’s hard to see how a team could keep Becerra on the big league roster all year, as he’s a still somewhat raw outfielder who played all year at low Class A Savannah. But Becerra, the Mets’ No. 10 prospect, has a chance for five average tools with a chance for above-average power. He cites Odubel Herrera as one layer who was selected last year and won an everyday job as a center fielder for the Phillies.
I wrote about the decision to leave Becerra exposed on Saturday. All he did this season was show why scouts are so high on him while emerging as one of the organization’s top position prospects. Blessed with a powerful throwing arm, the right fielder batted .290 last season with a .342 on-base percentage and .423 slugging while playing at the cavernous Grayson Stadium – the toughest hitting environment in minor league baseball.
In 118 games for Single-A Savannah, Becerra stroked 27 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, scoring 67 runs, driving in 68 and stealing 16 bases in his breakthrough season as a pro.
T.J. Rivera, 2B, Mets (27): He’s not a particularly sexy pick but Rivera always hits. He has hit .338 combined over the past two years at Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas and he has a career .318 batting average. Combine that with defensive versatility—he’s stretched at shortstop but he can play anywhere in the infield—he’s worth looking at as a potentially inexpensive utility infielder.
Matthew Bowman, RHP, Mets (24): There’s not much to like about Bowman’s 5.53 ERA and his .321 average against. But Bowman has a long track record of success before last year. He throws strikes with four average or fringe-average offerings. He cites Logan Verrett and Sean Gilmartin as pitchers who were picked last year because they can locate with fringe-average to average stuff.
Remember, anyone taken in the major league portion of the Rule 5 draft must be kept on the major league roster for all of the 2016 season or be offered back to their original club.
