No. 25 Junior Santos, RHP
Age: 20 (8/16/2001)
HT: 6’7, WT: 244
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Signed as International Free Agent in 2017
ETA: 2024 Previous MMO Ranking: 13
2021 Stats (St. Lucie Mets): 21 G (16 GS), 4.59 ERA, 4.68 FIP, 7.41 K/9, 3.56 BB/9
The numbers from Santos from the 2021 season certainly aren’t going to jump out at you, but he was one of the youngest players in the league for St. Lucie last year and there’s still a lot to like about his skill set.
Santos stands large on the mound at 6’7”, 244 pounds and backs that up with a 91-94 mph fastball that topped out at 97 mph this season. The sinker gets significant vertical break on the pitch around 17-21 inches. His best secondary pitch is a slider that comes in the low 80s that shows above average spin at times, but it’s inconsistent in break and command.
The third pitch for Santos is a firm changeup in the high 80’s that is still in the early stages of development.
Santos has a great build for a pitcher, and a good back side too, both features keep the Mets hopeful that they can develop Santos as a starting pitcher in the long-term.
When I saw Santos pitch this spring, it looked like the Mets had worked on simplifying his mechanics and he was throwing more strikes than he had in the past. Time will tell if those changes keep during the regular season.
No. 24 Joshua Walker, LHP
Age: 27 (12/1/1994)
HT: 6’6, WT: 225
B/T: L/L
Acquired: Drafted in 37th Rd of 2017 Draft – University of New Haven
ETA: 2022 Previous MMO Ranking: N/A
2021 Stats (Brooklyn/Binghamton/Syracuse): 20 GS, 3.73 ERA, 7.63 K/9, 2.23 BB/9, 1.02 WHIP, 3.56 FIP
Walker getting his name on this list and pitching in big league camp this year is quite a story for a former 37th round from the University of New Haven. Walker is also 27-years old and entered the 2021 having never pitched in full season ball. Walker suffered a setback in 2019 that could’ve completely derailed his career when he was in a car accident that ultimately led to elbow surgery to repair nerve damage.
The lefty began the season in Brooklyn with five no-hit innings in his first start. After three more starts for the Cyclones, Walker was promoted to Double-A Binghamton. In his fifth start for Binghamton, Walker had another hitless start –this time over six innings. He posted a 2.54 ERA and held opponents to a .196 average.
Josh Walker had it working for the @SyracuseMets. 💪 pic.twitter.com/N93q8XOEdg
— Mets Player Development (@MetsPlayerDev) September 4, 2021
After Walker got knocked around in his first Triple-A start, the tall lefty had back-to-back one-hit starts of eight innings and seven innings. Walker finished with a 5.19 ERA in eight starts, though he held Triple-A hitters to a .634 OPS over 50 innings. He struck out only 33 in that span and walked 18. Important to note that Walker had a grand total of 52 minor league innings before he tossed 115 innings during the 2021 season.
It was all about the command in 2021 for the soft tossing lefty that was sitting 88-92 mph with his fastball. But Walker worked on adding velocity this offseason, and he averaged 93 mph and topped out at 95 in one of his spring outings. The upside certainly becomes greater if he continues to be more of a 92-95 guy than 88-92.
Walker also featured more of a slurvy breaking ball previously, though that seems to have a tighter break now and was 82-84 mph this spring. Walker uses a changeup in the low 80’s, a pitch that gets significant fade as he uses it for a weapon against right-handed hitters. As you can see from the video, Walker has an easily repeatable delivery in a big frame and gets good extension that certainly helps with the perceived velocity of his fastball.
Unfortunately for Walker, he’s beginning the season on the injured list for Triple-A Syracuse. But once Walker is healthy, he’s certainly one of the better options the Mets have for pitching in the upper minors.
Carlos Rincon, Photo by James Farrance
No. 23 Carlos Rincon, OF
Age: 24 (10/14/1997)
HT: 6’3, WT: 190
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Trade from Dodgers for Billy McKinney (2021)
ETA: 2022 Previous MMO Ranking: 21
2021 Stats (Binghamton): 38 G, .268/.317/.537, 10 HR, 29 RBI, 128 wRC+
The Mets acquired the slugging outfielder from the Dodgers in July for big league outfielder Billy McKinney. Carlos Rincon played only 38 games in the Mets organization at the Double-A level, but he made an instant impression with his power output.
Rincon blasted eight doubles, 10 home runs, and 29 RBIs in those 38 games for Double-A Binghamton. Rincon also had 12 doubles, 12 home runs, and a .813 OPS in 63 Double-A games with the Dodgers. That gave him 20 doubles, 22 home runs, and 77 RBIs in just 101 games overall for the 2021 season. On the flip side, Rincon did strike out 114 times including at a 27.5% rate with the Rumble Ponies. His walk rate dropped from 9.4% with the Dodgers in 2021 to 6.9% with the Mets.
The numbers give you the picture with Rincon, he’s a big (definitely not the 190 pounds he is listed) right-handed power bat that doesn’t walk much and strikes out at a high clip. Though Rincon did have walks rates of over 12% in both 2018 and 2019.
Rincon has the arm to play right field, though he’s an average runner at best and he doesn’t cover much ground in the outfield. With that in mind, the Mets gave him a first baseman’s glove this spring and he saw time there in multiple games I watched. With a stacked outfield in Triple-A Syracuse, there’s a good chance Rincon sees a ton of time at first base in 2022. Ultimately, he could be a power bat off the bench in the big leagues that plays some first base and both corner outfield spots.
Hayden Senger, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO
No. 22 Hayden Senger, C
Age: 25 (4/3/1997)
HT: 6’1, WT: 185
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Drafted in 24th RD of 2018 Draft – Miami University of Ohio
ETA: 2023 Previous MMO Ranking: 20
2021 Stats (Brooklyn/Binghamton): 61 G, .263/.341/.429, 18 2B, 2 2B, 5 HR, 111 wRC+
Senger is a big league caliber defender already at this point in his career. He’s a good blocker and receiver, and has a reputation or working well with pitchers. He doesn’t have a huge arm, but a quick release and accurate throws have made him above average at throwing runners out during his minor league career.
Offensively, Senger had a big year in 2018 in college with a .940 OPS, but Senger struggled to a .669 OPS in his first taste of full season ball back in 2019 with the Columbia Fireflies. Things started off much better with the bat for Senger with a .966 OPS through 11 games in High-A Brooklyn. The right-hander hitter was then promoted to Double-A Binghamton where he posted a league average .254/.337/.387 slash line in 50 games.
Despite the overall success at the plate, Senger did strikeout 78 times in 61 games. He also hit ground balls (41%) more often than he hit fly balls (31%). He does use the whole field, and had a more consistent swing last season that led to career-high exit velocities.
The 2022 season will be a key one for Senger as he hopes to get closer to the major leagues. He’s in a tough spot in terms of playing time because the Mets have Patrick Mazeika, Nick Dini, and Nick Meyer in Triple-A and top prospect Francisco Alvarez will be with Senger in Double-A.
No. 21 Robert Dominguez, RHP
Age: 20 (11/30/2001)
HT: 6’5, WT: 200
B/T: R/R
Acquired: Signed as International Free Agent in 2019
ETA: 2025 Previous MMO Ranking: 12
2021 Stats (FCL Mets) 10 G, 8.25 ERA, 12 IP, 15 H, 9 BB, 10 K
Dominguez was a late sign in 2019 after the Mets saw a boost in his velocity right before he turned 18. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit a few months after and he had to wait until the 2021 season to make his pro debut. It was rough for the 20-year-old, he posted an 8.25 ERA and 2.00 WHIP in his first 10 pro outings. He was also pictured earlier this spring with a sling on his arm following an unspecific arm surgery.
Now that we got all the bad out of the way, let’s talk about the fact that Dominguez was hitting 99 mph as a teenager. He’s typically in the mid-90s and has shown the ability to throw the pitch up in the zone as well and on a downward plane. He also throws a low 80s slider that is his best secondary that has flashed good break at times, but command is inconsistent. His distant third pitch is a changeup.
Dominguez possesses an ideal frame at 6’5”, 200 pounds for a pitcher and already features a high octane fastball. That said, his lack of time on the mound in a pro setting and his recent injury, leave Dominguez as more of an unknown than most the Mets prospects on this list.
