Hello again Met fans! Very excited to be bringing you another year of Mets Minor League correspondence. 2016 will be quite a different beast than many I’ve covered in my time writing about the minor leagues. 2016 has no “Ace” pitcher, ready to ascend to the majors and join the storied Met rotation. We don’t even have a “Can’t Miss” hitting prospect who is ready to knock down the walls between the minors and the majors, like Michael Conforto did. I present you the top three stories from each of the Full Season teams.
AAA: Las Vegas 51s
Gavin Cecchini, SS – Last season was a revelation for Cecchini, who saw his OPS jump a full 100+ points over his previous numbers. Should he be able to repeat those numbers (or improve upon them) in AAA the Mets might have finally ended their long search for an everyday shortstop to replace Jose Reyes.
Dilson Herrera, 2B – We’ve seen Herrera in the majors a few times and thus far he hasn’t managed to replicate his offensive production from the minors into his big league box scores. His career, minor league, OPS is .838 and should translate into above average production for his position. Herrera will be up should Neil Walker or Asdrubal Cabrera take any type of serious injury to start their season.
Rafael Montero, SP – It’s hard to think of Montero as a prospect after all this time but he’s still fighting for his future in baseball. Montero made a name for himself with impeccable control and some devious stuff. Montero is unlikely to have much of a shot at the Mets rotation but he can certainly reclaim a major league future with a resurgent 2016.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Reynolds, Josh Smoker and Brandon Nimmo
AA: Binghamton Mets
Dominic Smith, 1B – In 2015, the year started as poorly as it possibly could have. Thankfully for Smith, his health and numbers recovered in an equally amazing and astounding fashion. In 2016 we will hope that Smith can avoid the slow start and make his mark on AA on his steady course to the majors.
Akeel Morris, RP – There are few pitchers in the Mets system that have the stuff that Morris hurls. Morris is a player who could play his way into the majors as an asset to the back-end of the bullpen. Morris will likely serve as the closer for Binghamton and if he succeeds there, move on.
Robert Gsellman, SP – With no Matt Harveys, Noah Syndergaards, Jacob deGroms, Zack Wheelers and Steven Matzs left in farm system, Gsellman represents one of the few true starting pitching prospects left. His ceiling probably lands him as the #3 or #4 pitcher on most teams and in the bullpen for a team like the Mets.
Honorable Mention: Jeff McNeil
A+: Port St. Lucie Mets
Amed Rosario, SS – There are a lot of comparisons that could be made between the minor league careers of Rosario and that of Wilmer Flores. Both players impressed scouts with their raw talents and both seemingly never lived up to the hype. This is the year where Rosario needs to “put up or shut up.”
Wuilmer Becerra, RF – If you asked which player in the Mets system had the best and brightest future, I’d answer, “Becerra.” He’s capable of being a standout offensive performer and could be a bonafide star. He made the most of his time in Savannah and could be a sensation if he repeats that type of performance in Port St. Lucie.
Jhoan Urena, 3B – 2015 was a lost year for Urena who struggled to get much of anything going. For those among us who are less flighty, Urena is still capable of achieving some of the potential people saw when he played in Brooklyn. Switch hitting third basemen with power are not exactly a dime a dozen.
Honorable Mention: Luis Guillorme and Chris Flexen
A: Columbia Fireflies
Milton Ramos, SS – You’ll notice that I’ve listed several shortstops on this list. Ramos is noted as one of the best defensive shortstops in the system and his offense should power that defense into the majors. He’s another in a long line of highly touted shortstops and one that people shouldn’t forget about.
David Thompson, 3B – The fourth round pick from 2015 didn’t impress much in Savannah but he’s a player with a higher offensive ceiling than many in the Met system. With David Wright on the downward slope of his career it’s the time to start taking a look at some of the third base options in the Met system.
Patrick Mazeika, C – Currently recovering from an injury, Mazeika is a personal favorite from 2015. Once healthy, he will try to prove that his fantastic numbers in Rookie Ball weren’t just a product of abusing young pitchers.
Honorable Mention: Kevin Kaczmarski and Chase Ingram