Welcome to the fourth installment of the prospect countdown series. If you want to review, here’s the first part and you can also see the second one and the third one.
#35: Amed Rosario
- Bats: Right
- Throws: Right
- Height: 6’2”
- Weight: 170 Lbs.
- Born: 11/20/95, DO
Scouting – Rosario is noted as a “True Shortstop” with Plus power and average speed. His hitting mechanics are described as “Wonky” and he’s still a work in progress.
History – The Mets paid $1.7 Mil for the international signee, the highest they’d ever paid. He debuted for the Mets in 2013.
2013 – People were surprised to see Rosario skip the DSL and GCL leagues. Starting his first season in the minors at Kingsport the expectations for Rosario were high. The results just don’t impress: .241/.279/.358 isn’t exactly the kinds of numbers that you want to hang your hat on. He needs to walk more and get hits more consistently. He has shown some reasonable pop for a player his age.
2014 – I’m torn. I think that usually I like players to progress to the next level unless they fail there. Rosario wasn’t a failure in Kingsport but at the same time I think I’d keep him there for another season. Brooklyn is not a friendly park for hitters and I don’t think that it’s the best thing for Rosario’s development to go there just yet. I think you can still hope for a star shortstop here but you’ll be waiting another 5 years to see him.
#34: Gavin Cecchini
- Bats: Right
- Throws: Right
- Height: 6’2”
- Weight: 180 Lbs.
- Born: 12/22/93, US
Scouting – Here’s a quote that I think is telling:
He’s not a guy who impresses you with his tools or his upside, but he’s a polished player who presents a total package that is appealing in an up-the-middle defender. As I said before, he wasn’t the most talented guy on the draft board, but he has a very high likelihood of reaching the majors at a premium position, and in every draft class there’s usually only one or two players you can say that about.
History – Drafted by the Mets with the 12th overall pick in 2012. Cecchini has been debated by Met writers at length. Most people are in the camp that he was a poor pick having little in the way of power, speed or hitting talent to carry him as a contributor to a major league team. 2012 saw Cecchini floundering in the Rookie leagues, which could probably be overlooked as his first exposure to the minors.
2013 – .273/.319/.314… A .273 average isn’t bad (although this one is supported by a strong hitting streak towards the middle of the season) but his lack of walks and extra base hits is pretty awful. If you compare these numbers to someone like Wilfredo Tovar you’ll get my point. At 19 Tovar was hitting in a higher league with a higher walk rate, more extra base hits and more stolen bases. Tovar also missed the Top 50 list despite being in AA and a thought for promotion in 2014.
2014 – Cecchini will get a year in Savannah to try and make an impression but frankly I don’t see the upside to keep him on this list beyond the fact we spent a first round pick to get him. His brother Garin Cecchini blossomed in a big way at 20 and has rocketed up the Red Sox farm system, but I can’t see the Mets Cecchini doing the same.
#33: Daniel Muno
- Bats: Both
- Throws: Right
- Height: 5’11”
- Weight: 175 Lbs.
- Born: 2/9/89, US
Scouting – Drafted as a SS out of Fresno State the Mets knew he wasn’t likely to stick at shortstop and the Mets have switched him to second base as expected. A solid hitter and base runner he is a strong athlete who has shined in most areas of the game.
History – In 2012 Muno was busted for the use of PEDs and for most people that dropped him off their prospect radar. Let’s review though:
- 2011, NYP: .355/.466/.514, 23 doubles, 9 SB, 43 BBs and 39 Ks
- 2012, FSL: .280/.387/.412, 16 doubles, 6 homers, 19 SB 50 BBs and 53 Ks
Yeah… it’s hard to discount that success.
2013 – Some might point to a continuation in a slip in numbers as a bad sign but I don’t agree with them. .249/.384/.379 shows similar great plate discipline and actually belies an improved showing of power. 27 doubles, 2 triples and 9 homers in AA is not something to dismiss out of hand.
2014 – Muno will advance to AAA where he has nowhere to go from. The good news for him is that Las Vegas is a hitter’s paradise and if he continues to hit he will work his way into the call-up list quickly. The best thing Muno could do would be to try to get some time at SS, 3B and the OF to build his resume as a future “Super-Sub”.
#32: Jeff Diehl
- Bats: Right
- Throws: Right
- Height: 6’4”
- Weight: 195 Lbs.
- Born: 9/30/93, US
Scouting – Drafted as a catcher, I had thought of Diehl as a 1B prospect but he’s actually wound up playing right field in half his games. He’s got bat speed, raw power and a big frame.
History – Diehl was drafted in 2012 and there was some doubt if he would sign. His first season in Kingsport didn’t exactly scream “Major League Success!” but we reserve judgement for year two in my book. He did manage a .251/.291/.695 line in his first year.
2013 – Returning to Kingsport, Diehl had a much better season at age 19. He managed a .266/.320/.411 line with 13 doubles and 5 homers. He did continue to strike out a lot. 68 Ks in only 53 games but it’s not the worst rate I’ve seen.
2014 – I would expect to see Diehl skip over Brooklyn because of a number of factors, one being Smith will be there instead. If he can continue to develop his contact and draw more walks I could look past his strikeout per game average and see potential for a future power hitting 1B. Think Dykstra but younger.
#31: Chris Flexen
- Bats: Right
- Throws: Right
- Height: 6’3”
- Weight: 215 Lbs.
- Born: 7/1/94, US
Scouting – Low 90s fastball with solid control. He has league an average slider and curveball to add to the mix and a changeup that is a work in progress.
History – The Mets might have drafted Flexen in the 14th round but they paid him $374,400 to sign… so he is more in the realm of a 4th rounder in terms of talent. 2012 was a rough debut in Kingsport… but I can discount that year as transitional.
2013 – Good thing we discounted the previous year because in 2013 he was pretty darned good. 11 starts, 69.0 IP, a 2.09 ERA, 0.942 WHIP, 1.6 BB/9 and a 8.1 K/9. He’s ready to step into the front-end of the Brooklyn rotation for 2014.
2014 – While he’s going to be the #2 pitcher for Brooklyn we have to understand that he’s got a ceiling. When you look at the combination of scouting and results I’m seeing a back-end starter here. That isn’t bad, but we should not expect him to join the echelon of the Harveys and Wheelers.
Wow…that seems like a low rating on Cecchini. MLB has him rated 8th best in the organization.
Based on what, though?
He has no power.
He has maybe 10 SB speed.
He MIGHT get on base.
Sounds like Ruben Tejada as a best case scenario.
The #8 ranking is based on his draft pick.
I think Rosario is a better prospect than Cecchini and I don’t think it’s particularly close.
Rosario certainly has the higher ceiling.
I like Danny Muno as a guy who can be a utility infielder-type ala Jamie Carroll, and I know most people so far have had to talk about Cecchini, but I was most surprised with where you rank Jeff Diehl. For a guy who you say is mostly a younger Allan Dykstra, 32 seems a little high considering Dykstra is 26 and never advanced past AA.
Muno: I would like to see him get reps at third and short.
Diehl: You should remember that Dykstra had a great year and was the AA MVP. I think if you dislike seeing Diehl here you will be more upset seeing Dykstra higher on the list.
Hands down, Amed Rosario is the best of the bunch.