MLB Pipeline has updated their Mets Top 30 Prospects list for the offseason. Here is how they ranked the ten best prospects in the system. The Mets have seen a many of their top prospects advance to the big-league team this past season with over a dozen major league debuts including Noah Syndergaard, Kevin Plawecki, Hansel Robles, Logan Verrett and Michael Conforto. Former first round selections like Brandon Nimmo and Gavin Cecchini could both debut in 2016 at some point. Here’s your new MLB Top 10 with commentary by Jonathan Mayo.
1. Steven Matz SP – Matz is lean, lanky and loose, firing mid-90s fastballs with ease and having the ability to reach back for more when he needs it. He throws it with sink, not only missing bats, but also generating groundball outs. His changeup is his best secondary offering, which he turns over and sinks very well. His curveball has gotten better, a big breaking ball he can keep down in the zone and is now a Major League average pitch. He doesn’t hurt himself with walks, and his overall command has improved over time.
2. Brandon Nimmo OF – Nimmo’s advanced approach at the plate belies his years and his experience. He is extremely patient at the plate, as his career .387 on-base percentage heading into 2015 would attest, and he cut down his strikeout rate quite a bit in 2014, showing an ability to hit to all fields.
3. Amed Rosario SS – Always extremely young for his level. Rosario was thought to be one of the best prospects in the Appalachian League the New York-Penn League the last two years.. He continues to make progress in all areas on both sides of the ball. He has kept the same approach at the plate, driving the ball to right-center field and keeping his hands inside the ball well. He’s added strength but doesn’t sell out or get pull happy for homers, though the power will come and he’s continuing to learn the strike zone. He runs well and plays an above-average defense with a rocket for an arm at shortstop.
4. Gavin Cecchini SS – Cecchini has a solid approach at the plate with good knowledge of the strike zone. He’s added some strength since he signed and while he’s never going to be a big power guy, he has shown some extra-base pop. That might be enough bat considering how effective a shortstop Cecchini is. While not a burner, he has enough range, excellent instincts, good hands and a strong arm, giving him enough to stay at the position long-term.
5. Dominic Smith 1B – The left-handed hitter has the chance to hit for both average and power. He has excellent hand-eye coordination and an advanced approach at the plate. Even when he struggled, he didn’t strike out much, a trend that continued in 2015. He hasn’t shown a ton of extra-base pop, but it started to show up more in his second full season.
6. Marcos Molina SP – When the Mets signed Molina out of the Dominican Republic in January 2012, he was an athletic strike-thrower whose fastball sat in the mid-80s. He’s blossomed into more than that, though his development took a hit when a strained elbow sidelined him in mid-May. As the 6-foot-3 right-hander has filled out, he’s added velocity. His fastball will now touch the mid 90s when healthy. His slider is solid average and will show flashes of being a plus out pitch. Once Molina returns to health, there’s still plenty of upside for Molina and he might have more in the tank as he continues to mature. His combination of youth, stuff and command undoubtedly excites the Mets front office.
7. Matt Reynolds SS – Very quietly and without much fanfare, Reynolds has put himself in position to have a very solid big league career. He is, as one Mets official put it, “boring good.” It might be dull, but Reynolds gets the job done. With nothing flashy about his game, Reynolds is an extremely fundamentally sound infielder. A good athlete who is extremely coachable and makes good adjustments in all facets of the game, Reynolds uses a compact swing to allow him to hit for a high average.
8. Gabriel Ynoa SP – Ynoa has a career walks-per-nine-innings rate below 1.5, with the best command in the Mets, organization. He struggled for the first time in 2014, especially once up in Double-A, where he learned that sometimes you can throw too many strikes, especially if you’re not down in the zone consistently. He’s made adjustments with a return to the level, a good sign for the future as he’s learned when to expand the zone. His fastball continues to uptick in velocity, and he’ll touch 95-96 mph and sit at around 93 deep into starts. His secondary stuff doesn’t wow you, but he throws an effective changeup as well as two breaking balls. A good athlete on the mound, he has the best delivery in the system.
9. Milton Ramos SS – Ramos takes great pride in his defense and loves to play shortstop, a position he will undoubtedly be able to man long-term. He has above-average range, plus hands and instincts and a solid and accurate arm. Ramos’ bat is well behind the defense, but the Mets were encouraged with some of the glimpses he’s shown, both in the Gulf Coast League a year ago and in 2015 with solid contact and on-base skills.
10. Desmond Lindsay OF – With five-tool potential, there’s a lot to like from Lindsay when he’s healthy. He can make consistent hard contact at the plate, with good bat speed which leads to the ability to drive the gaps now and with more power to come. Strong and athletic, Lindsay runs very well, which should serve him well on both sides of the ball. Mostly an infielder in high school, Lindsay has the tools to handle the outfield, with some thinking he has the chance to play center field regularly.
To see how they ranked the rest of the Top 30 prospects, click here
One player who has also received a lot of attention lately is shortstop Luis Carpio. Only 18, Carpio was extremely impressive this season in rookie ball for Kingsport, batting .304 while playing good defense. He was rated as the 7th best prospect in the Mets system by Baseball America, which caught a lot of people by surprise.
“He’s just a pretty complete player — a pure defender at shortstop,” DePodesta said. “There’s no doubt he stays there. Offensively, he’s really, really polished for such a young guy. He has great control of the strike zone. He has some strength in his hands. I think he’ll hit for some more power as he matures. Overall, he’s just really, really polished — not just even his skills, but just his mental approach to the game for such a young player is really advanced.” (Adam Rubin, ESPN NY)
It’s great to see the Mets have so much talent at the shortstop position in the minors. With the emergence of Carpio, the Mets have five players who can potentially make an impact at the position sometime in the future. While it might be a few years before guys like him and Rosario are ready, but it looks like the team’s shortstop concerns will soon be a thing of the past.
