It’s not easy to get on my list. These are the names you throw up on the board in the first five minutes. I only have 38. IMO, the Mets don’t have 50 prospects, but, in their defense, neither do any other teams
It is dominated with talented, young starting pitching (14), which is the future of this team.
These are the guys that have an inside change of making it someday to Queens.
This is your future.
1. SP Zack Wheeler – potential future superstar in baseball
2. CF Brandon Nimmo – projected CF NYM star in 2015-2016
3. 2B Wilmer Flores – the 2014 second baseman for the NYM
4. SP Rafael Montero – easily, the most ‘stuff’ past Wheeler
5. RP Jack Leathersich – off the charts K/IP ratio
6. SP Michael Fulmer – incredible poise at his young age
7. RP Jeurys Familia – having difficulty locating the heater
8. SS Phillip Evans – so-so year for projected MIF starter
9. SP Luis Mateo – all scouts say he’s the real deal
10. 3B Aderlin Rodriguez – must move to 1B in the off-season
11. SS Gavin Cecchini – broken finger hurt his 2012 start
12. OF Vicente Lupo – huge DSL star will come stateside in spring
13. OF Cory Vaughn – will only hit HRs until his swing is changed
14. RP Domingo Tapia – just sick, destined for the pen
15. SP Cory Mazzoni – dark horse for 2014 rotation
16. SP Jacob deGrom – scouts/coaches all say he’s for real
17. SP Logan Verrett – steady innings eater than does his job
18. SP Darin Gorski – needs stellar 2013 at AAA to project to Queens
19. 2B Danny Muno – has passed Havens as current top 2B in org.
20. OF Eudy Pina – all tools right now, tremendous ceiling
21. RP Marcos Camarena – finished out of zone, destined for pen
22. SP Tyler Pill – another steady ex-Friday starter that delivers
23. OF Gilbert Gomez – all ceiling, disappointed at Sav. this year
24. OF Cesar Puello – needs a healthy year to get back on the horse
25. 2B Reese Havens – he get one more shot, this time at AAA
26. OF Matt Den Dekker – returns to AAA to hopefully dominate
27. SS Wilfredo Tovar – top trade bait in the organization
28. C Kevin Plawecki – showing why he was drafted in 2nd round
29. OF Darrell Ceciliani – another guy that needs a healthy year
30. SP Steven Matz – pitched excellently in short healthy time
31. SP Rainy Lara – the best of the old men of Brooklyn
32. SP Hansel Robles – great start in Brooklyn
33. SP Gabriel Ynoa – great start in Brooklyn v.2.0
34. SP Luis Cessa – great start in Brooklyn v3.0
35. SS Leon Canelon – will come stateside in spring
36. C Adrian Abreu – power catcher will come stateside in spring
37. SS Ahmed Rosario – 16/yr. old signed out of D.R.
38. 3B Pedro Perez – 16/yr. old signed out of D.R.
Great list…
If David Wright has insane demands, he will be great trade bait, though he needs to stop looking at 3rd strikes. This would allow Wilmer Flores the opportunity to play 3rd base.
Wilmer Flores can play B+ MLB third base. He’s make his share of errors, but he will play it better than Daniel Murphy did. He also is a far better hitter than Murphy and has the potential to hit above Wright’s average levels. IMO, there wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice here in replacing Wright with Flores over the next five years.
Mack,
How do you rate Zach Wheeler versus Matt Harvey? thanks.
Yeah, I really love Wheeler, though I don’t expect him to be healthy past 2019. Harvey is all business while Wheeler has that “get the &^%$ out of my way” approach to pitching. Harvey may actually retain the SP 1 come 2015 just out of respect. but Wheeler’s mechanics will someday get the best of him.
For a list you said it was hard to crack, it featured two 16yr olds who never played pro ball yet…
I’m surprised Elvis Sanchez didn’t have a better year…shame.
One guy I would never bank on: havens. Another which really hurts though: Matz. Of all of the younger guys, Matz is the most intriguing to me. He just had so much velocity for a lefty starter. If somehow he could just stay healthy, I’d have to rush him up the ladder just to be able to use him before he ultimately breaks down.
Now now Charles… I always list the high end 16-year old signees just for a reference point. The list is still very hard to crack and those two kids got a higher bonus than most of the players in the organization that aren’t on my list.
Sanchez was welcomed aboard last year on my list, but you have to earn staying on it.
You are right about Havens. He’s only on the list sort of like an old number one song on the top 100 that’s about to drop off the charts (do you remember those lists?).
Matz is different than Havens. He always shows dominance and talent when healthy. You give Matz two years without any arm problems and he’d be knocking on the Queens door in 2015.
All things considered Mack, this leaves me pretty depressed. Based on your front-to-back knowledge of the big league team and through the farm, when can you imagine this team has enough of those pieces in place, with whoever is going to remain from the big club, and a team chemistry to make a real run at 85-90 wins? 2016? 2017?
ChrisF:
SOMEONE FINALLY GETS IT!!!
There isn’t even ten players in the system right now (nor 20 overall) that look to be stars or top starters.
Let’s see (in no particular order)…
1. David Wright
2. Ike Davis
3. Matt Harvey
4. Zack Wheeler
5. Ruben Tejada
6. RA Dickey
7. Jon Niese
8. Josh Edgin
9. John Rauch
10. Wilmer Flores
11. Brandon Nimmo…
THAT’S IT!!!
Oh, there probably will be a Montero and Leathersich, and Fulller, and Familia, but, you know what?
They’re not going to the all-star game some day.
Funny you mentioned about Wheelers mechanics will get to him sooner or later yet the Mets organization wants him as a starter. Can you not say the same thing about Mejia pure stuff vs Wheeler? Aren’t the concerns about Mejia’s mechanics the same as Wheeler?
I guess my question is why do the Mets see Mejia as a reliever because of his questionable mechanics but not Wheeler who as you pointed out also has questionable mechanics?
Wouldn’t help the Mets better to have another high quality arm like Mejia in the rotation for a future trade for an outfielder or catcher?
Joe:
I’m not sure Mejia is thought of a a pen pitcher right now.
You’re going to see him start two times this month and he could create quite the trade bait situation for hiself if does well.
Let’s say everyone comes out of camp healthy… Santana, Harvey, Dickey, Niese, Gee
And Wheeler on the way around July.
I would like the Mets to build a new pen around him, but it is tempting to trade him for an outfielder.
No mention of Captain Kirk. Is he a prospect or a has been?
Jerseymet:
I consider him and Lucas Duda major leaguers
I notice they used Abreu at 1b a lot this season.Defensive problems at catcher?
Miller Diaz
Akeel Morris
Stephen Sabol
Brandon Kaupe
Tomas Nido
should all be on a Met prospect list. Don’t you think so?
Willis, if I thought they currently earned it, they would be on it…
Akeel is lost on the mound right now
Diaz came close
Nido has a nice name
Sabol hits the ball hard and has a nice approach. He’s a prospect. I guess he starts next year in Savannah.
Agree re Morris but his velocity alone gets him on a list. Plus he had success in the pen.
Nido is Neat-o.