We continue on our journey upwards, examining the best prospects in the Mets farm system. In case you missed any of the other publications, check them out here for 50-48, and here for 47-45. Next up is:
Brandon Brosher – 44
Another teenager to enter the fray, Brosher was the 36th round pick for the Mets in 2013 out of Frank W. Springstead High School. There he pitched in addition to playing first and third. The Mets saw him as a catcher moving forward and put him there to start his professional career in the Gulf Coast League where he batted .180/.324/.344. He moved to Kingsport for the 2014 where he started the season extremely hot, hitting four home runs in his first seven games and driving in eight runs. That hot start was unfortunately short lived as he suffered a broken right fibula which sidelined his second year in the organization.
While a broken fibula doesn’t immediately necessitate a position move, there’s potential that the Mets could foresee a move back to either third or first base if Brosher doesn’t acclimate himself behind the plate in 2015. Out of the three positions, the Mets organization is lightest at third, so it wouldn’t hurt to have a young guy with power coming up at the hot corner. Over his total of 29 minor league games, he’s drawn 14 walks and struck out 44 times. Like many young hitters, he’s a free swinger. But seven home runs in less than a full month is still a nice sign. Wherever he winds up playing moving forward, Brosher will most likely open some eyes.
Champ Stuart – 43
Probably the most debated prospect in the bottom 30 of our list, Stuart is a bit of an enigma. He was drafted in the sixth round in 2013 out of Brevard College, a Division II school. He made tremendous leaps from a sub-par freshman year, to leading the All-South Atlantic Conference with a .419 average as a sophomore. “The junior also led BC in runs scored (47), home runs (5), on-base percentage (.444), slugging percentage (.479) and total bases (67) in 2013” as posted by Blueridgenow.com.
In 43 games at Kingsport in 2013, he posted an impressive .388 OBP and stole 11 bases in 13 attempts. 2014 in Savannah was better and worst simultaneously. He stole 29 bases and was caught only 4 times, but he drew 36 walks (only two more than 2013) in nearly double the number of games played. His elongated swing accounted for 97 strikeouts in just 81 games, but his five doubles, five triples and three home runs gives an inkling of the rather raw potential the 22-year-old possesses. His best attributes are his speed and strong outfield defense, but with a very high .370 BABIP and a mediocre .256 average and .682 OPS to show for it, the bat is going to have some serious ground to make up before Stuart can be considered anything more than raw. One of us thought Stuart’s best possible upside would be Eric Young, Jr. who is a marginal major leaguer. That may be a somewhat pessimist, but accurate evaluation. 2015 should give us more inside as to whether Stuart climbs the charts, or sinks into anonimity.
Blake Taylor – 42
Taylor is yet another teenager, and yet another player that drew some tough discussions. Taylor was drafted in the second round in 2013 by the Pittsburgh Pirates, but was sent over to the Mets as the Player to be Named Later in the Ike Davis trade. His best offering is his left-handedness and his low-90s fastball that lacks control. That lack of command was on full display this last year in Kingsport as Taylor threw 20 strikeouts versus 23 bases on balls in just 30.1 innings. He also posted an atrocious .342 average and 2.11 WHIP in Kingsport, versus the .029 average and 0.75 WHIP he displayed in 10.2 innings in the GCL earlier in the year. Small sample sizes all, but without dominant stuff, Taylor needs to desperately learn some control.
As the Mets have lots of pitching in the minors, and crave guys with good command, Taylor doesn’t seem to fit into the mix upon first viewing. His being a southpaw is an advantage, but not a big enough one to overcome under-performing. Of course, he is all of 19, and there is plenty of room for that control to improve, and secondary pitches to provide backup to that average fastball. The Mets have already used him out of the rotation at times, so it may be a sign that the team wants to focus on him getting the most out of his stuff, rather than making him a starter. Taylor probably won’t make any noticeable waves for at least another two or three years, but as GM Sandy Alderson has had a good track record of acquiring talented young pitching via trades so far, Taylor could tack onto that list one day.
This is a real interesting mix of prospects. I hope the Mets give Brosher another shot behind the plate. Even if they don’t, I’m curious to see how good the bat really is. A lot of other sites are really bullish about Stuart and my guess is this is the lowest he’ll be ranked anywhere where they do 50 prospects. And Taylor seems to me a guy who could take a great leap forward at any time.
Champ Stuart can fly! He is fun to watch. I hope he can hit enough.
Does Blake Taylor have enough major league potential to have a better career than Matt Joyce ? Curious minds want to know. 🙂
Seriously. You talk about blowing it. Alderson’s problem is he keeps wanting the moon.
There are three things you can count on in this world — death, taxes and Metsense never missing an opportunity to remind us that Alderson turned down Ike Davis for Matt Joyce. Forget “Remember the Alamo!” — this is what we remember in these parts.
As for your question — probably not. But if he does, I’ll expect you to purchase his jersey.
This is an interesting group. All three of these guys could fly up the list next year or drop off entirely. That shows their talent, but also shows how uncertain it is that they will turn talent into production.
Brosher and Taylor are right on the money here, but Champ Stuart should be higher on the list. Stuart has potential and has shown tremendous growth since being drafted.
Some folks were very bullish on Stuart while others thought the praise wasn’t entirely based on hard stats. Both sides made strong points. I don’t know if this speaks to his ability, but he seems to have wild swings of success, with lots of under-performing mixed in. But he’s 22, and that happens to just about every player. 2015 should be a strong indication year whether his talents are for real, or if he is more hype than substance.