Starting on April 4, 2019, I’ll be providing coverage of the Syracuse Mets. Living in Syracuse for the past 20+ years, I have rooted for the Syracuse Chiefs when they were affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays and more recently, the Washington Nationals. Now, it’s a great time to be a Mets fan in Syracuse. I’ve always been interested in seeing players develop before getting into the major leagues and now I’ll have the chance to cover players from the beginnings of their career.

I’m interested to see just who will be on the Syracuse Mets roster. After a quick glance through, there appear to be some notable, experienced players projected to start 2019 in Triple-A. They include the following:

Santiago was seen a possible asset in the MLB bullpen prior to Justin Wilson being signed. Despite the signing, Santiago could find himself on the MLB roster throughout the year. His career ERA in the minors is sub 4 and his MLB career ERA is 4.05. Hector pitched for the White Sox in 2018, pitching 102 innings and had 103 strikeouts. Santiago doesn’t appear to have electric stuff as he gave up 16 HRs and his ERA was 4.41. If the Mets were to need an arm from Syracuse, he appears to be the first option heading into the new season.

Mesoraco played for the New York Mets in 2018, but after signing Wilson Ramos in the offseason, Devin had to settle for a minor league contract. However, Ramos and backup catcher Travis d’Arnaud have an injury history. Mesoraco provides depth, but shouldn’t be seen as a strong option offensively. In the minors, Mesoraco hits only 30 points higher than he does at the major league level.

Following the trade for Robinson Cano and Edwin Diaz that sent two of the Mets highest rated prospects to the Seattle Mariners, the Mets have their #2 rated prospect projected to start 2019 in Triple-A. Peter Alonso has a lot of hype around him and many fans are wondering why Alonso isn’t being inserted into the everyday first base discussion. I’ll be honest, I’m wondering the same thing. Alonso has displayed some good power in the minor leagues and would be a great addition to the Mets lineup. I’m thinking Alonso may be called up similar to how Kris Bryant was called up a few years ago.

Cecchini was a first-round draft pick in 2012, but hasn’t been able to overcome a few injuries. Last year, Gavin had a tough time getting over a foot injury that cost him most of the season. This offseason Cecchini cleared waivers and likely will start at second base. Gavin has performed well in the minors hitting .284. He’ll be someone I’ll be watching.

Espinosa was just signed on February 8 and is a veteran at the minor league level. Although Espinosa hasn’t been a major contributor, hitting only .233 for his career at the Triple-A level, Danny can provide leadership for a young core of future Mets.

Herrera returned to the Mets organization following his departure in 2015 that saw Herrera play for Louisville in 2018. Herrera got some playing time last year with the Reds, but failed to impress offensively. Herrera was a popular player on the Mets and will likely add some energy to the Syracuse Mets heading into their first year.

Rajai Davis was nearly a hero in the 2016 World Series when the Indians lost to the Cubs in seven games. Now, Davis looks to be a hero for the Mets. While the Mets have depth in the outfield, Davis has come up big in some big moments. Davis is a career .304 hitter in Triple-A and a hot start could prompt an early season call-up should Nimmo or Conforto struggle. That sounds crazy, but last year it was rumored that Conforto could be sent down after a lengthy slump at the plate. If Davis sticks around in Syracuse, he’d be fun to watch. Even at the age of 38, Davis is capable of stealing bases having stolen 21 bases last year for the Indians.

Blanco is another veteran having played for the San Francisco Giants from 2013 to 2018. Gregor has won two World Series and knows what it takes to be successful. He’s very much a contact hitter who isn’t much of a gap hitter. Blanco can work a count and doesn’t strike out at a high rate.

There is still over a month before the start of the 2019 season for the Syracuse Mets. These names could very well not even start the year in Syracuse. They could end up on a different Triple-A team following Spring Training. Another name that isn’t currently on the Syracuse roster, but has been rumored to be an option, is Tim Tebow.

If the Syracuse Mets are looking to improve attendance, which has been a problem in the past for Syracuse, bringing in a name like Tebow could provide a short term increase to attendance numbers.

However, the only real way to consistently bring fans to the ballpark is to provide a winning team. Yes, that applies to minor league baseball, too.

Remember, the Syracuse Mets season begins on April 4 at home against the Pawtucket Red Sox. I’ll be covering games for the 2019 season, and possibly beyond!