Mets Minors: Building from the bottom up – Cory Vaughn

Cory Vaughn: I still like Cory Vaughn and his big-power bat but the son of Greg Vaughn has a lot of growing to do in AA this year to get into the picture as a true prospect again. He’ll be 24 in May and while that is a good pace for him to be in AA he hasn’t exactly blown the competition since 2010 in the NYP league. He DID manage a .814 OPS in Port St. Lucie and DID hit 23 HRs in 126 games (Pace for about 30 in a full MLB season) but he also hit .243 with horrendous streakiness and a high (not Matt Den Dekker high) K-Rate.

Scouting: At 6’3” and 225 Lbs Vaughn is more imposing than his father was physically.

Fielding: Fielding is solid and he’s still athletic enough to play anywhere in the outfield. A growing frame (for power) will probably eventually limit his range but a strong arm will allow him to be a + defender in right.

Fixing the Swing: The coaches in AA have a challenge on their hands. They need to shorten the swing of a player who is overly enamored with his own power potential. They already managed to do that for Alonzo Harris so it isn’t impossible.

ETA: I’m sorry to keep dumping on the second tier prospects but Vaughn is most likely headed for AAAA right now. Sure, he’s got potential to reach the majors but he’s just get a world of pit-falls to avoid and it’s not an easy road. Unlike some outfielders who might have a future as a 4th or 5th OF… Vaughn will either be a starter or not make enough contact to have value beyond being a temporary replacement player.

Mets Top 20 Prospects:

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18. Cory Vaughn, OF (AA) [AAAA]
19. Jacob deGrom, RHP (AA) [2014 Bullpen]
20. Steven Matz, LHP (Full Season A) [2016 Bullpen]