The Mets announced on Thursday night that 21-year-old Dilson Herrera was recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. Herrera is hitting .370 at Las Vegas with eight doubles, one home run and 11 RBIs in 20 games. I rounded up some recent quotes about Herrera and they all seem to agree that this exciting young second baseman is a future star.
Wally Backman, Manager Las Vegas 51s
“I like everything about this kid that I see. He’s solid defensively but he needs to work on turning the double play… He’s adequate at turning the double play.”
“Offensively he has so much energy it lights everyone else on the diamond. He’s got power, he’s got a little speed, and I’ll make a prediction right now – I think this kid’s an All Star second baseman in the major leagues.”
Sandy Alderson Exclusive Interview with MMO
“Herrera has surprising power for his size. He runs well. He’s very athletic. Turns the double play. I think he’s going to get more consistent defensively. He’s got pretty good hands and moves laterally well. We were impressed with him during his time with us. He had very good at-bats. I think he hit three home runs. So he’s got some real potential. ”
“You know, our middle-infield situation over the next couple of years is probably going to be in a little bit of flux. So he’s got an excellent opportunity.”
Jonathan Mayo, MLB Pipeline
“Herrera has always shown a knack for hitting, with a balanced swing and an ability to make consistent hard contact to all fields. He has excellent bat speed and doesn’t strike out a ton, with more power than you’d expect given his small frame.”
“Herrera is a solid runner who can steal a base as well. Herrera has played both shortstop and second in the past, but his defensive tools, from his arm to his actions, will work much better on the right side of the infield.”
Keith Law, Prospect Analyst for ESPN
“Herrera just missed the top 100, a potential above-average regular at second base who has great bat speed and is an above-average runner, athletic enough to be a plus defender at second but more erratic there in the majors than I expected, given his history at shortstop and play at second in double-A. He should be ready to take over the position by midyear.”
Quinn Barry, Minor League Writer for MMO
“Dilson Herrera’s ascent from High-A St. Lucie to a starting major league gig is why the Colombian ranks third in an organization flush with young talent. Herrera sports what Baseball America calls “average power”, but don’t let the seemingly negative connotations of ‘average’ fool you: this kid has the potential to knock 15 home runs in a season, pretty valuable at second base.”
“Furthermore, Dilson’s “super-quick hands, above-average bat speed, and aggressive swing” help him generate extra-base power from his 5’10” frame. Scouts also praise his work ethic and baseball IQ, which, when added to his obvious ability to produce results from his talents, give the Mets a real ballplayer here.”
Paul DePodesta, Mets VP Scouting & Player Development
“I’d say he exceeded our expectations,” he said. “We were excited about him when we traded for him the year before — thought he had a good chance to go to Double-A at some point during the course of 2014, but I don’t think any of us imagined he’d be as productive as he was when he got to Double-A and then be able to make the jump all the way to the big leagues. It was a huge year for him and he had a great, great year. We have very high hopes for him.”
Jim Callis, Senior Writer for MLB.com
“Short and compact, Herrera incorporates his hands and lower half adeptly in his swing, projecting to hit for a high average with frequent hard contact, a middle-field approach and bat speed to spare.”
“He ranked fourth in the minors with 169 hits in 2014, thanks to a quick, repeatable swing. The Mets love Herrera’s makeup and work ethic, which factored in their decision to call him up in August, though he probably will begin 2015 at Triple-A Las Vegas while he waits for regular at-bats in New York.”
