Mets360 Top 50 Prospects: Players 4 & 3

The Top 4 prospects in the Mets farm system represents the immediate future of the New York call-ups. But it is far from definite that all these guys will be wearing a Mets uniform in the future. Some might get traded to upgrade the big squad, but who exactly might leave is anyone’s guess at the moment. For now, all are still ours’ to drool over. In case you missed any of the other installments, check them out at: 50-48, 47-45, 44-42, 41-39, 38-36, 35-33, 32-30, 29-27. 26-24, 23-21, 20-18, 17-15, 14-11, 10-9, 8-7, and 6-5. Next up is:

Steven Matz – 4
Poor Matz had a heck of a time getting his pitching career started. Selected in the second round of the 2009 draft, Matz did not pitch that year, as he was an August deadline signee. He started the 2010 spring with high hopes, but ligament damage in his left throwing elbow sidelined him with Tommy John surgery, and that year was lost. Attempting to come back in 2011, it was revealed he has scar tissue and tightness remaining, and yet another year was down the tubes as it was determined he should sit out again. So it wasn’t until three years after being drafted that Steven Matz finally picked up a baseball for the franchise.

On June 20, 2012, Matz made his minor league debut for Kingsport and over six starts had a fantastic 1.55 ERA. He also maintained a 1.14 WHIP, held hitters to a mere .158 average, and a nice even 2.00 K/BB ratio, despite a high walk rate. But shoulder tendonitis ended that season, and Matz was again on the shelf more than he was on the mound. All that time wasted made it easier to promote him to a full season in Savannah, where Matz would show if he was worth keeping around or if continued injuries would make him another relic on the pile of pitchers that never were. Thankfully 2013 proved the former.

In 21 A-ball starts, Matz shined over 106 innings to a tune of a 2.62 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, held hitters to .255, and struck out 121 versus 38 walks. Matz was even better in the South Atlantic League playoffs. There he struck out 17, walked just two batters, and gave up only five hits while not allowed a run in a combined 12.2 innings. His delivery simplified and less strenuous on his left arm, Matz was able to control both his low-90s fastball and his hooking curveball to keep hitters off balance. In May 2014, Matz credited Frank Viola with helping him throw with more conviction and working on the mental aspect of pitching, as well as repeated delivery mechanics.

All of that carried over into the 2014 season where Matz bulldozed competition in St. Lucie, allowing four earned runs in his first four games while striking out 23 and walking only four. He only allowed more than two earned runs once in 12 starts and kept his ERA to 2.21 with consistent peripherals. He earned himself a promotion to Double-A Binghamton, where he got rocked for five runs in his first start, but quickly turned that around by giving up just two unearned runs over his next 13 innings. In Double-A his ERA stayed level at 2.27, and his K/BB rate improved from 2.95 in St. Lucie, to 4.93 in Binghamton. Matz capped off his incredible season by striking out 11 over 7.1 innings in the final game of the Eastern League Championship Series, giving the Mets affiliate its’ first championship in over twenty years.

Everything about Matz’ career resurgence is impressive. Not only has he overcome devastating injuries and a tremendous amount of lost time, but he’s improved with the level of competition throughout the process. In Double-A he threw strikes roughly 66% of the time, which is a better rate than Rafael Montero, the touted control pitcher, had in Las Vegas last year. He has improved his changeup to go along with his fastball and breaking pitch options, and his determination and success in the playoffs have most certainly boosted his confidence. Continued health and another year of consistency will have Matz in Las Vegas either to start the season, or likely soon after. As the New York squad is flush with starters at the moment, he might not see time there unless a rash of injuries were to hit the team. And there’s always the off chance that he could be dealt. However, the seemingly limitless stream of quality Mets farm arms has a new name for fans to get excited about. As well we should.

Kevin Plawecki – 3
Plawecki is one of the more intriguing prospects in the Mets farm as he seems to have the pedigree to make it as an everyday starting catcher, but unfortunately has another stud player blocking his ascension. This means that while he ranks highly on our list, there’s also the very distinct possibility that the New York faithful never seen him play in a Mets uniform, as he could be used as trade bait to bring a certain Coloradan eastward. But that is all conjecture about the future. Presently, Plawecki is the second-best position player in the Mets system for good reason.

Plawecki was a compensation pick in 2012 after being a standout player at Westfield High School in Indiana, and at Purdue University where he was the Big Ten Player of the Year before being drafted. His first action in the Mets farm came in Brooklyn, where he put up a .729 OPS while walking more than he struck out. He also hit seven home runs in 61 games, a sign that he had some pop to go with that tremendous eye at the plate. 2013 saw Plawecki start in Savannah before being called up to St. Lucie. The 6’2”, 225 lbs righty handled his first introduction to full time baseball easily, putting up a combined line of .305/.390/.448 with 8 home runs, 38 doubles, 80 RBI, and doing so versus lefties and righties with equal dominance.

His start to 2014 was equally as impressive. Starting in Double-A Plawecki smashed next level pitching by posted a .326 average and an .864 OPS with 24 extra-base hits and 43 RBI in just 58 games. He was quickly promoted to Las Vegas where he fell to earth slightly with a .283/.345/.421 line. His K% rose to a career high of 12.4%, which is still terrific, and minor concerns would appear in advanced statistics. His Weighted On Base Average slipped from an average around .377 to a more pedestrian .340, and his Weighted Runs Created+ dipped from a career average of 136, to just under league average of 99. Neither are cause for excessive worry, but rather a player’s first time struggles to compete at a higher league. Plawecki will surely see time in Las Vegas in the first part of 2015 to improve these numbers.

The biggest problem with Plawecki is his competition within the team. After being sent down mid-way through 2014, Travis d’Arnaud came back with a vengeance and proved to be the offensive catcher many had projected him to be. d’Arnaud’s struggles were defensive-minded, especially in passed balls, and throwing out runners. Plawecki has been a bit more consistent in throwing out runners, but in about half the time behind the plate as d’Arnaud has had. When all is said and done though, Plawecki is too good to simply be d’Arnaud’s backup when he finally does get the call. That’s why above any other position player, Plawecki is the one most likely to be shipped off to improve the New York club. Strangely, his name doesn’t get brought up in trade rumors all that often, but that is due more to the fact that the Mets farm boasts so many tempting arms that other teams would love to pilfer.

In the end, Plawecki is a tremendous talent that has proven more than capable at every level he’s played at. A solid start to 2015 in the hitter’s paradise of Las Vegas could see his trade value skyrocket to the point where the Mets might be able to part with him rather than an arm. Should Plawecki stick around with the club, the Mets would then have two of the most potent young hitting catchers in the league, and a day off for one wouldn’t be a respite for the opposing pitcher. Whatever the future holds for Plawecki, he is a vital aspect of the Mets becoming a playoff contender in the immediate future. For that alone, he deserves a ton of praise.