Three Mets Sleepers To Keep An Eye On

Every year in baseball there are players who surprise some by taking a huge step forward in their career. Players who metaphorically wake up from their slumber. This happens a lot in the minor leagues. One year a player could be low on a team’s prospects list and the next year he could be ranked towards the top. Three sleepers in the Mets organization that you should keep an eye on for the 2018 season are Mickey Jannis, Kyle Regnault, and P.J. Conlon. There is no guarantee that they will impressive beyond everyone’s wildest dreams come 2018, but their past seasons and current situations make all three of them players to keep an eye on come spring.

Mickey Jannis

Jannis’ story is a complex and interesting one for a minor leaguer.

Jannis was drafted in the 44th round by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2010. His major league aspirations looked bleak after he was released by the organization in 2011. That tough news didn’t make him give up, however. With the help of his father, uncle, and cousin, he decided to reinvent himself as a knuckleball pitcher in independent ball.

After performing well for parts of four seasons in independent ball, the Mets signed him to a minor league contract.

His first season with the Mets was pretty solid. In 11 games (10 starts) across High-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton, Jannis went 2-3 with a 3.55 ERA, 1.354 WHIP, and 36 strikeouts in 58 1/3 innings.

However, he looked vulnerable in his first full season with the Mets organization a year later. He had a 5-12 record, 5.69 ERA, and 1.564 WHIP in 140 2/3 innings across the same two levels; primarily Binghamton.

Jannis had a decent bounceback campaign in 2017 as he went 8-7, struck out 83, and pitched to the tune of a 3.60 ERA and 1.251 WHIP in 21 starts and 122 1/3 innings for Binghamton. That included a strong second half where he had a 2.36 ERA.

There are a few reasons why Jannis can take the next step in 2018. While he had a good season overall in 2017, an important stat to focus on is his walks per nine innings. That’s important for a knuckleball pitcher as control is usually one of the biggest issues. In 2017 he had a 2.8 BB/9 which was a nice drop from his 4.0 BB/9 with the Mets in 2015 and 4.9 BB/9 in 2016.

His most recent play in the Arizona Fall League also shows he’s capable of taking the next step even for a minor leaguer whose 30th birthday is just a few weeks away. He began his AFL campaign by limiting opponents to only one run in 17 innings (0.53 ERA). He did falter towards the end of the AFL season as he allowed six runs to score in his last 10 innings he pitched. Still he finished with a 2.33 ERA and showed a new side of him; one that involves being a legitimate threat on the mound.

“I always knew I had a good knuckleball,” Jannis told MLB.com. “I knew it was a longshot, but I felt more confident going that direction than sticking with what I was doing.”

If he continues to control that knuckleball, Jannis will have a breakout year in 2018.

Kyle Regnault

Regnault shares some similarities with Jannis. While he does not feature a knuckleball, he did spend time in independent ball and is currently an older minor leaguer as he turns 29 on Dec. 13.

Regnault wasn’t drafted and rather started his career with the Worcester Tornadoes of the Canadian-American Association in 2012. He underwent Tommy John surgery after his first two years in college, but was still recovering from it after he was finished.

“I was still recovering,” Regnault said in 2015 according to MLB.com. “Tough to get signed when you are only throwing that much. So I went to a couple of workouts after my college career finished up and ended up hooking up with an indy league team.”

He spent 2012-2014 in independent ball mostly as a reliever before being signed by the Mets in 2015.

He put up two solid seasons for the Mets. In 2016 he posted a 3.18 ERA, 1.306 WHIP, and 9.5 SO/9 in 22 games (three starts) between three levels; mostly Double-A. He performed even better in 2017 as he had a 2.78 ERA, 1.299 WHIP, and 9.2 SO/9 innings in 45 appearances between Double-A and Triple-A.

Regnault’s next step looks to be the major leagues. In 2018, it should be a matter of when, not if.

The reason why he may find himself on the Mets’ 40-man roster and later the 25-man roster sometime during the 2018 season is his performance in Triple-A last season. The ultimate test for any pitcher in the Mets system is how they fare in Triple-A Las Vegas. While it’s a pitcher’s nightmare, Regnault passed with flying colors in 2017 with his 3.28 ERA, 1.419 WHIP, and 8.8 SO/9 in 49 1/3 innings across 34 appearances.

All he needs to do is continue what he’s been doing. Every team goes through multiple relievers in a season between injuries and underperformance. He may not be too well known by fans right now, but if he keeps up similar production in Triple-A, he’ll be making his major league debut sometime in 2018.

P.J. Conlon

Conlon, 24, is the only one of these three sleepers to currently appear on the Mets’ top 30 prospect list by MLB.com. He has also yet to have a poor season in the minors. Instead he has been lights-out for the Mets organization. Since 2015 he has gone 20-12 with a 2.35 ERA, 1.075 WHIP, and 245 strikeouts in 295 innings pitched.

However, he is only ranked as the Mets’ 23rd top prospect by MLB.com which makes him a player who still has something to prove. This ranking has less to do with the numbers he put up and more about his makeup as a player.

Conlon stands at 5 feet, 11 inches and his fastball hovers in the high-80’s to low-90’s. If he was a little taller and had a little more velocity, he’d be ranked much higher.

If he pitches another good season, there will be no excuse to write him off, regardless of height and velocity. At the pace Conlon is going, it’ll be hard for him not to do well in 2018.