This week not only marked the beginning of the Major League Baseball season, but the start of all full-season Minor League Baseball leagues as well. That means the folks in Las Vegas, Binghamton, St. Lucie, and Savannah were all treated to the familiar sounds of summer.
In 2014, the Mets had the best organizational winning percentage (MLB and all MiLB teams combined) in all of baseball, though that was buoyed mostly by strong pitching talent.
While the minor league bats in recent years have improved with the additions of Dilson Herrera and Michael Conforto to the system, as well as the development of Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Plawecki and Matt Reynolds, the arms are still the crown jewel of the Mets farm.
Marcos Molina, Steven Matz, Casey Meisner, Matt Bowman and Rob Whalen all took big steps forward last year, and there are plenty of intriguing arms to keep an eye on during this MiLB campaign. These are in no particular order.
John Gant is a name that some will recognize, and has been in the system for a number of years now. He was part of Sandy Alderson’s first draft class in 2011, getting selected in the 21st round out of Wingrass Ranch High School in Wesley Chapel, Fla. The 6-3, 175-pound Gant was solid in 2014 with the Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats, sporting a 2.56 ERA and 3.31 FIP. He struck out 8.34 batters-per-nine-innings, and walked 2.93 batters-per-nine. In 123.0 innings pitched Gant held opponents to a 1.195 WHIP, and was able to generate a 51.4% groundball rate.
Gant’s calling card is his funky delivery, which allows him to hide the ball well. His fastball is nothing special right now – topping out at 91-92 with some movement – but his changeup and curveball are where he makes his money. He was able to ride the devastating high-70s split-change to success last year, as scouts who watched Gant described it as too good for Single-A hitters. Apparently the talent evaluators in the Mets organization felt the same way, as Gant skips right over St. Lucie and starts the 2015 season with Double-A Binghamton, which should provide a good challenge for him. The curve flashes plus, but is still somewhat inconsistent.
Brad Wieck is a brand new addition to the system, drafted in the 7th round of the 2014 Amateur Draft out of Oklahoma City University. The 6-9 southpaw dazzled in a 25.2 inning cameo with the Short Season-A Brooklyn Cyclones last season, striking out 14.04 batters-per-nine and while walking just 2.16 batters-per-nine. He had a WHIP of 0.913, a GB% of 63.8%, and out of 101 batters to face him, six hit line drives; leading to a 1.40 ERA and 1.73 FIP.
Wieck starts this year in Single-A Savannah, but the 23-year-old figures to be a fast riser through the system. He utilizes a two-pitch mix out of the bullpen, and the two are a fastball that sits at 92-94, and a power curve that comes in low-80s for strikes. The fastball and curve were called by Baseball America the best fastball and secondary pitch the Mets took in the 2014 draft, respectively. Wieck is not a LOOGY, and frequently pitched multiple innings out of the bullpen while with Brooklyn. After pitching exclusively out of the bullpen in 2014, Wieck starts the season in the Sand Gnats rotation, where he had a very mediocre start against the West Virginia Power. It’s not hard to imagine with only the two pitches, Wieck making a permanent shift to the bullpen soon, and that is a place where he can flourish.
Keeping things in the Peach State, Corey Oswalt has been a popular pick for a breakout candidate in 2015. From Sand Gnats broadcaster and Mets Minors blogger Toby Hyde to Baseball America, people are picking Oswalt as a sleeper prospect in the system. Playing with the Cyclones last year, Oswalt posted a 2.26 ERA and 2.69 FIP owing to 7.30 strikeout and 2.02 walk rates in 67.2 innings pitched. He is an extreme groundball pitcher, inducing grounders on 59.8% of all contact.
That stems a lot from the sinker that he throws – a high 80s to low 90s offering with good horizontal movement cutting in on righties and tailing away from lefties. A 7th-round pick in the 2012 draft out of Madison High School in San Diego, Calif.; Oswalt can be wild. That is something that he can get away with at the lower levels of the minors, but he is going to have to fix before advancing much further. His secondary pitches are nothing special right now, but there is potential for an average curveball. He looks like a Dillon Gee-type back-end starter right now at his ceiling, but if he doesn’t continue to improve, he’ll be on the Long Island Ducks before too long.
We know the story of Blake Taylor by now – he’s the Player To Be Named Later in the trade that sent Ike Davis to the Pittsburgh Pirates last season. He struggled last year in Rookie Ball, posting a 5.34 ERA and a 5.05 FIP while walking more batters than he struck out with the Kingsport Mets. It was an ugly campaign for the 18-year-old Taylor.
Taylor has a good pitcher’s body, checking in at 6-3 and 220 pounds. Part of Taylor’s struggles last year may be tied to the Mets trying to teach him a curveball, which he struggled to find. He doesn’t throw overwhelmingly hard – in the low 90s – but from the left side that will play if the secondary stuff comes along. The thing to keep an eye out for Taylor is more in the development of his stuff after a full season in the Mets system and spending time in the instructional camps this winter and spring.
Another arm starting the 2015 season in Savannah to keep an eye on is Seton Hall product Josh Prevost. Like Casey Meisner, his Brooklyn teammate last year, Prevost is a lanky, projectable righty arm. He stands 6-8 and at 225 pounds, there’s some room to add muscle as he matures further. After being chosen in the 5th round last year, Prevost posted a 1.83 ERA and 3.09 FIP in 19.2 innings out of the bullpen for the Cyclones. He also had a 1.198 WHIP.
Prevost’s fastball is 89-93, touching 94, and he displays good command of the pitch which comes in with sinker movement and a good downward plane. His height contributes to the pitch looking like it is coming in slightly faster than that because of the lessened reaction time. Like Wieck, Prevost is in the Sand Gnats’ rotation to start the season, but he figures to stay there a little more permanently, as his slider and changeup are serviceable.
As the 2015 MiLB season rolls on, keep an eye out for what these five are doing. By this time next year, we could be talking a lot more about them.
Wieck was a guy we debated a lot over when we were doing the top 50. I was pretty bearish on him – seems like the Mets frequently have lefty college relievers in the NYP who put up sparkling numbers only to falter when they get to the full-season level. Guys like David Wynn or John Mincone or Jeremy Gould or Adam Kolarek.
These guys have to prove it to me at another level before I get on the bandwagon.
Kevin McGowan
A 6’9″ lefty with a nice fastball and a power curve? Why isn’t he in the opening day bullpen?! Only kidding, but Wieck sounds like a piece for the future. I’m surprised at how much pitching depth the Mets feature in the minor leagues. Not sure where all these guys are going to go, but I’m glad there are some good pieces coming up through the system.
James, unfortunately too, too many go to Dr Alcheckt.
Nice article!