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First round picks Gavin Cecchini (2012) and Dominic Smith (2013) have been added to the Mets contingent that will play in the Arizona Fall League. They will be joining infielder Jeff McNeil. knuckleballer Mickey Jannis and Binghamton reliever Beck Wheeler who were previously announced. Also being added to the roster will be St. Lucie relievers and former Indy ball pitchers Mike Hepple and Kyle Regnault.
Cecchini was the Eastern League Rookie of the Year after hitting .317/.377/.422 with 37 extra base hits and 51 RBI in 109 games for the Binghamton Mets. He did commit 28 errors at shortstop and had his season end prematurely with a hip injury in August.
Smith broke out offensively this year hitting .305/.354/.417 with six homeruns while leading the league with his 33 doubles and 79 RBI. He also had a stellar year with the glove on his way to being named the Florida State League Player of the Year. His season was cut short as well with what is being called a minor shoulder injury.
Hepple was a Florida State League All-Star this year for the St. Lucie Mets after going 3-2 with a 2.51 ERA and allowed only 46 hits in 57.1 innings. He did struggle with walks issuing 28 compared to only 35 strikeouts. It was his second year in the Mets farm system after starting his pro career in 2013 in the Frontier League.
Regnault sparkled in his first year of affiliated ball for the Mets going 4-4 with 7 saves, a 1.99 ERA and a 1.057 WHIP while allowing only 43 hits in 58.2 innings. I interviewed the lefty before the season which you can read here.
The Mets players will be part of the Salt River Rafters team which will also include players from the Arizona Diamondbacks, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals and the Colorado Rockies. The Binghamton Mets pitching coach Marc Valdes with be a part of the River Rafters coaching staff. They will play there first game on October 13th.
Last years the Mets sent Brandon Nimmo, Matt Reynolds, L.J. Mazzilli, Paul Sewald, Cory Mazzoni, Robert Whalen, Dario Alvarez and Julian Hilario to play for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the AFL.
