Mets Minors: Top 20 blue chip rankings – Zack Wheeler to Cory Vaughn

Blue Chips: Only ranking players with high ceilings.  This excludes Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Reese Havens, Collin McHugh and others from my rankings.  Not because they won’t be useful players but because they won’t be stars.  The follow-up to this will be the Top 20 Role Player Rankings.

1. Zack Wheeler: With Matt Harvey now firmly in my sights as a major leaguer, there is a clear #1 in the Met farm system.  Wheeler looks like he’s a season away from being felt and feared in the minors but by 2014 it’s a real possibility that he will be.
2. Wilmer Flores: Will he play 3^rd?  Will he play 2^nd?  Will he transition to 1^st?  It’s still up in the air, but his hitting is no longer a thing of legend.  We saw him hit and hit well in both Port St. Lucie and Binghamton in 2012.  In 2013 I have him slated to start the year in AAA and finish the year in Flushing.
3. Jeurys Familia: It’s disappointing to see how far Familia dropped in many people’s eyes.  He still has explosive stuff, but his control and number of useful offerings doesn’t project him into the starting rotation in 2013 or 2014.  It does have him contributing in the higher leverage end of the bullpen in short order and that might be fine.
4. Jenrry Mejia: Dear Mets, please let Jenrry Mejia spend a full minor league season (or at least until expanded rosters) as a starter.  He still might join Familia in the pen, but he’s been much much better as a starter than as a reliever and he deserves to not be pulled around.
5. Brandon Nimmo: While I was afraid of ranking Nimmo in my top 10 last year, this year I have no such problems.  Nimmo will play a full season of minor league baseball in 2013 in either A or A+ and we’ll need to wait and see if he’s going to start running or continue to develop into the power-hitter he began to look like in Brooklyn.
6. Rafael Montero: Montero is going to surprise a lot of people and he’s the big story to start the season in AA.  I expect Montero to do fine in AA and progress to AAA before the end of the season but not break into the majors until 2014 at the earliest.  He’s a #3 pitcher (in my eyes) but that is still blue enough of a chip for me.
7. Matt Den Dekker: Guys with Den Dekker’s power don’t usually have the ability to play centerfield the way that he does.  He’s got a major downside but if he can plug the hole in his swing he’s going to be a major asset to the Met outfield.
8. Michael Fulmer: Fulmer was another player that I hadn’t seen enough of to slate into my top 10.  Fulmer is going to be pitching in Port St. Lucie and could earn his way up to AA with a fairly clear group ahead of him.  He’s going to be joined by 1-2 high-ceiling players so we can have lots of side-by-side comparisons.
9. Domingo Tapia: Tapia was limited by innings but he should still progress beyond A level baseball to start 2013.  He’s got the best fastball of the trio of arms that will be playing in Port St. Lucie and he’s got a shot of being an Ace.  So many players do.  He has a LONG way to go.
10. Aderlin Rodriguez: Rodriguez struggled mightily after his promotion to Port St. Lucie but he’s still got the pure power potential to be a major impact bat.  The questions about his defense continue to hold him back but chances are he slides across the diamond to 3^rd to start the season.
11. Luis Mateo: Mateo should skip A-class baseball for Port St. Lucie as he’s a little older than his contemporaries.  He’s got control down and was striking out everyone at Short Season A so the bar is set pretty high.  If I had to guess which of Fulmer, Tapia and Mateo would be “Most Likely to Succeed” it would be Mateo.
12. Gavin Cecchini: Many people didn’t like the pick, but Cecchini has the potential to be a + defensive shortstop who can hit a little.  I’ve compared him to Alexei Ramirez but he’s got quite the journey between here and Ramirez.
13. Kevin Plawecki: Plawecki has contact down and a body built for power.  Truth is that Thole is a pretty big guy too, so size and power don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand but Plawecki just needs to survive his 2013 season to continue to rise up the charts.
14. Steven Matz: Matz was FINALLY healthy in 2012 and if he had played in a higher level I’d have ranked him higher.  He has the pure stuff to be a #1 or #2 pitcher and looked good enough in Rookie Ball.  It was rookie ball… don’t get too excited.
15. Philip Evans: Evans started off as one of the brighter spots for Brooklyn’s offense but his hitting began to fade.  He’ll have a full season in A-Class ball to prove he can A) Hack it at short and B) Hit.  He’s got a slight chance of it.  As a second baseman… I’m not sure he’s a blue chip.
16. Vicente Lupo: Based purely on numbers… he’d be in the top 10.  He’s got power and speed and contact… in the DSL.  He has a whole heck of a lot to prove and will potentially be in Brooklyn if people want to watch.  (At least that’s where I’ve slotted him)
17. Rainy Lara: Lara made the list but this could really be Gabriel Ynoa, Luis Cessa or Hansel Robles.  I chose Lara because his numbers spoke to me.  The others will do well in the “Role Player Rankings” next week
18. Akeel Morris: I’m not giving up on one of the wildest arms in the Met system.  Morris has the pure stuff to be an Ace but has a lot of issues finding the plate.  If he can manage to get his pitching under control in 2013 he’ll be back on course.  If he can’t he’ll fall off the list.
19. Juan Urbina: Another guy in Morris’ boat.  Urbina (son of Ugeth Urbina) is a powerful reliever who people think about as a future closer.  Like Morris he’s in jeopardy of falling out of the top 20 if he doesn’t learn to throw more strikes.
20. Cory Vaughn: Vaughn is on this list because I am a fan.  I’ll admit that.  The fact that he can play solid outfield and has power justifies it a little.  I am in agreement with the venerable Mr. Mack Ade that Vaughn needs to get someone in there to change his approach or he’s not even going to be a prospect for much longer.