Some recent farm system graduates you may have heard of…
Keith Law of ESPN.com is releasing his yearly rankings of both individual prospects and entire farm systems this week. In his first piece in the series today, he ranked each team’s minor league system, taking into account all players who have not exceeded rookie eligibility. Overall, the Mets’ system was ranked 16th in the league.
While the ranking may seem low for a team that has shown great ability in turning out top young talent over the last few years, keep in mind how much the minor league system lost in 2015. Kevin Plawecki, Noah Syndergaard, and Michael Conforto, all consensus top 100 prospects, lost their eligibility. Nonetheless, the Mets will still put four players (including Steven Matz) on Laws 2016 rankings. From last year, the organization fell 12 spots, from fourth a year ago to 16th now.
Here is what Law had to say about the Mets’ system:
Still well-stocked with position players, but most of the pitching is gone in trades for Tyler Clippard and Yoenis Cespedes, leaving them very dependent on the health of the five young stars in the big league rotation. With a little luck, the next wave of hitters will hit Citi Field just as there are openings in the right spots in the lineup, helping them continue to compete behind their phenomenal young rotation.
In the Clippard and Cespedes trade, the Mets lost Michael Fulmer, Luis Cessa, and Casey Meisner, with Fulmer being the undisputed gem of this group. Meisner, who was traded for Clippard, was not a top 100 prospect in baseball, but he was one of the best remaining arms in the Mets’ system, coming in at number seven on our own Quinn Berry’s midseason list last June. Other significant losses in pitching include John Gant, Rob Whalen, Miller Diaz, and Matt Koch. Gant and Whalen were traded in the Juan Uribe–Kelly Johnson deal while Diaz and Koch were exchanged for Addison Reed.
As Law notes, the system has transitioned from pitching-heavy to hitter-heavy as pitchers like Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, and Noah Syndergaard exited the ranks of the minor leagues. Outside of Matz, it is likely that three of Amed Rosario, Gavin Cecchini, Dominic Smith, and Brandon Nimmo round out the four that made the cut on Law’s top 100 list, which will be released soon.
