Mets mid-season prospect review, pitchers

This is the first of a two-part series looking at the team’s top prospects.  Here is Part II

Pitchers:

Matt Harvey – He didn’t make the team out of Spring Training and that proved to be a wise move.  Harvey struggled in the early goings of 2012 as he landed in AAA for the first time.  It took him a while but in his last 5 starts he once again looks like a guy who could one day be a top of the rotation candidate for a contending team.  With the injury to Dillon Gee the Mets will need to either move on acquiring a starter or contemplate promoting Harvey.  I’m betting Harvey is up in the near future either way. Stock – Even (#1/#2 MLB Starting Pitcher)

Jeurys Familia – 2011 was a GREAT year for Familia.  He looked like a future star who would be joining Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler in a dynamite rotation.  In 2012… the results have not been great.  He’s given up more hits and more walks and struck out fewer batters.  He honestly looks like he might have been promoted too quickly.  I think he needs to repeat AAA or even bounce down to AA for a while.  The other thing seems to be a lack of stamina.  He’s only averaged 4.5 innings per start and he might be headed to the bullpen.  Stock – Down (#4/#5 MLB Starter or MLB Reliever)

Josh Edgin – A lot of the people who followed the minors thought that Josh Edgin would be up for discussion as closer by now.  Reality is that we can sometimes get overly excited about a player who might not be ready yet.  Edgin is still talented and still on track to become a solid lefty for the Mets in the bullpen of 2013, but we need to calm down and realize that he’s struggled in AAA and might not be an instant sensation. Stock – Down (MLB Lefty Reliever or… Maybe a Closer)

Jenrry Mejia – The Mets were stupid to shift Mejia into relief.  He struggled with the change and may have lost yet more useful time in his development to organizational decisions.  Mejia still strikes me as a solid future rotation candidate but I can see him being a quality reliever if not.  Hopefully he’s stretched back out so he can just use 2012 to develop.  I mean… the Mets COULD always just trade for a reliever rather than jeopardize the development of their prospects… Stock – Even (#3 MLB Starter or Late Inning Reliever)

Elvin Ramirez – A guy the Mets nearly lost to the Rule 5 draft, Elvin has talent but never seemed capable of harnessing it all the way.  He began to show his true ability in the minors this year but failed to impress in the majors.  I’m not giving up on the guy just yet. Stock – Up (MLB Reliever… Maybe Even a Closer)

Collin McHugh – Hard to get down on the guy who forced a promotion into a tight AAA team by shining brightly in AA.  McHugh is not QUITE ready for the majors but he’ll get there by the end of 2013 and could be a solid back of the rotation arm.  In fact, his stuff is better than Gee’s or Chris Schwinden’s so it’s really just a matter of letting him develop.  There is a good chance he gets traded… but I hope he stays a Met. Stock – Up (#5 MLB Starting Pitcher)

Bradley Holt – I like the guy, but it’s time to take him off of the prospect list. Stock – Down (Cautionary Tale For Over Eager Fans)

Zack Wheeler – I was already excited about Zack Wheeler, but I put his impact in 2014.  He’s been fantastic in AA this season and in some ways forced me and perhaps the Met’s front office to think about him in terms of 2013.  He’s earned a promotion to AAA a few times over now, and has to have a shot at making an impression in the 2013 Spring Training rotation race.  He’s still issuing walks but his control is far far better than his time with the Giants.  Stock – Up (#1/#2 MLB Starting Pitcher)

Darin Gorski – Darin came out of obscurity to dominate FSL baseball in 2011.  He was one of the most electrifying people in the farm system.  Now in AA he’s cooled off… but I expected him to.  He still looks good and still has a future as a lefty reliever or back of the rotation starter, but we can all stop writing him into the front lines of the 2013 rotation. Stock – Even (#5 MLB Starter or Lefty Reliever)

Gregory Peavey – This is near impossible to discuss as I think Peavey was too agressivley promoted.  We should wait to judge his performance in AA until this point in 2013, but for now… Stock – Down (Hard To Say)

Armando Rodriguez – He’s converted into relief and done pretty darn well for himself.  The next step in AAA will be a good test but the Mets look to have found a legitimate arm for their future bullpen.  I question his ability to be a closer or late inning guy but the Mets are still using him in lengthy situations that make it hard to judge. Stock – Up (MLB Reliever… Maybe Late Inning)

Robert Carson – Apart from the confusing promotion to the majors, I’ve been happy with Carson’s 2012.  He still needs more time in the majors as a reliever but he looks like he’s a solid thought for the future of the bullpen.  Still a solid tick or few behind Edgin. Stock – Up (MLB LOOGY)

Cory Mazzoni – A lot of people were excited about Mazzoni to start the season and were rewarded with a solid start to the year in Port St. Lucie.  He earned a promotion to AA and stuggled a little but was sparkling in his most recent start.  Right now… his best case scenario seems to put him in line with Gee, Schwinden, McHugh and Gorski. Stock – Up (#5 MLB Starter… Maybe)

Chase Huchingson – I hoped for more, but frankly Port St. Lucie is FAR harder on pitchers than Savannah and it shows. Stock – Down (AAA SP)

Erik Goeddel – I think it’s time to convert Goeddel into a reliever.  This is not the type of thing you want to be saying about a prospect.  Do I think he still has value?  Yes.  I just don’t see his stuff getting on board with being a starter within the time-frame that it should. Stock – Down (Convert To Relief)

Adam Kolarek – Who?  After Adrian Rosario made Port St. Lucie look like a walk in the park, Kolarek took over the closing duties for the team.  Based on Rosario’s numbers we need to take Kolarek’s success with a certain amount of skepticism, but he’s done well.  Stock – Up (MLB LOOGY)

Taylor Whitenton – I was hoping Whitenton might be a starter still… or at least a better reliever than he’s shown thus far.  His stock isn’t plummeting but I don’t see him breaking out of the minors for very long.  Stock – Down (AAAA RP… Maybe MLB Reliever)

Tyler Pill – Earned his way into a promotion… which is good.  Has even managed some good starts in Port St. Lucie but I just don’t see him ever being more than a back-end starter.  That’s not terrible and if he DOES turn out to be that good I will go to his games wearing a pill box Mets hat. Stock – Up (#5 MLB Starting Pitcher)

Rafael Montero – Montero should make you smile.  You need to realize that he doesn’t have “Ace” stuff, but at the same time it’s great to see a player succeed to his level after their promotion.  He’s currently in Port St. Lucie and is still looking like a solid back-end starter of the future.  Stock – Up (#4/#5 MLB Starting Pitcher)

Jack Leathersich – He dominated Savannah the way he dominated previous levels but he’s having some issues making it through Port St. Lucie with as much ease.  SURE… he still has a ridiculous K-Rate and that’s great… but he needs to give up fewer runs.  He’s already earned a mid-season promotion so his stock is okay, but I expected him to be about this good.  Stock – Even (MLB Late Inning Lefty)

Michael Fulmer – Maybe it’s me but I get turned off by Fulmer.  His stuff just doesn’t wow me and being that he’s in a pitcher’s park I expect even more.  I had hoped he would be a #3 pitcher for the Mets but that looks like an extreme long-shot now.  Stock – Down (#4/#5 MLB Starting Pitcher)

Domingo Tapia – Tapia was briefly shut down because the team wanted to limit innings.  Before that happened there were lots of people getting excited.  Tapia is one of the 3 latin fire-ballers who the Mets have in their system’s lower levels.  Of them, he’s the only one who played in the Full Season minors and the only one who has shined in 2012.  He should NOT be promoted to Port St. Lucie but only because I think he should finish the year out with Savannah.  Stock – Up (#2/#3 MLB Starting Pitcher)

Marcos Camarena – He’s split time between starting and relieving, but I think he’ll get a shot at sticking in a starter’s role after his successes this season.  His last three games were ugly so… don’t get too excited.  Stock – Even (#5 MLB Starting Pitcher)

Jacob deGrom – I love DeGrom!  He’s like R.A. Dickey… without the story or knuckle ball.  He’s come out of basically the ether and he’s been pretty darned good for Savannah.  Who knows!  Watch him!  Stock – Up (Legit Prospect)

Logan Verrett – He’s probably the most successful pitcher on Savannah’s staff right now.  He’s done enough to earn a promotion to Port St. Lucie but word on the street is that Luis Mateo (Short Season Star of the Brooklyn Cyclones) will be promoted there instead, because Mateo’s age should put him on that level. Stock – Up (#3/#4 MLB Starting Pitcher)

Here is Part II on the hitters, along with a top 20 list of the top prospects at mid-season.