With spring training in full bloom much of the focus around Mets land has been about things pertaining to the major league team – Who will be the lefty reliever now that Josh Edgin is lost to Tommy John surgery?; Can Wilmer Flores play a good enough shortstop to merit the everyday job?; How will David Wright produce at age 33 coming off of yet another injury-shortened season? All intriguing questions, but of course with the major league season about to be underway, the minor league season is about to kick off as well.
Under Sandy Alderson, J.P. Ricciardi and Paul DePodesta’s four-plus year tenure, the Mets minor league system has improved from 20th-best to 4th-best in baseball, according to Baseball America rankings. The fruits of this slow rebuilding process have yet to be savored in Flushing, but that should begin to change in 2015 as the second wave of Aldersonian prospects get set to debut.[1]
The Mets’ system, by virtue of being well-balanced and built upon a solid foundation, should be able to sustain the blows of losing talent the likes of Noah Syndergaard, Kevin Plawecki and Dilson Herrera. As with any system, losing the top-tier talent and still staying relevant depends on those prospects at the lower levels having breakout campaigns.
In 2013, it was Plawecki and Brandon Nimmo who emerged. In 2014, we learned the names of Marcos Molina and Matt Reynolds. The 2015 season should be a fruitful one for Michael Conforto, but who will be that player who emerges from nowhere to make a name for himself?
Baseball America thinks that player is catcher Brandon Brosher.
You’ll be forgiven if you’ve never heard of Brosher – the Mets drafted him in the 36th round of the 2013 draft out of high school in Spring Hill, Fla. Brosher had committed to play collegiately at Oral Roberts, but the Mets lured him away with a $167,500 contract.
Brosher was a first baseman and pitcher in high school, who the Mets are attempting to convert to catcher. He has already filled out his frame rather nicely, being listed at 6-3, 225 pounds.
In 22 games with the GCL Mets after the draft, Brosher hit .180/.324/.344 with three home runs. His 2014 season ended nearly as soon as it began in Kingsport (App.), with a freak accident in the dugout resulting in a broken right ankle. Brosher still managed to clobber four homers in 31 at bats.
The 20-year-old Brosher’s greatest tool is his raw power, which he’s already shown in his abbreviated stint in rookie ball, but his defense has a long way to go before it is even passable. Here’s what Baseball America had to say about Brosher, who they ranked 29th in the system:
“Brosher is the rare right/right high school first baseman who might have a bright future in pro ball based on his double-plus raw power…He has shown enough barrel control to profile as perhaps a fringe-average hitter. Brosher won’t be the most agile defender behind the plate, but he as plus arm strength and adequate receiving potential.”
That report conjures up memories of another power-hitting high school first baseman who was drafted in the late rounds and converted to catching.
Thanks to Dan Lewis at Amazin’ Avenue for the investigative work that led to this scouting report being unearthed.
This is not even to come close to suggesting that Brosher could turn into something resembling Mike Piazza, the greatest catcher in baseball history, only that their scouting reports are somewhat similar.
Brosher will probably be stuck back in Kingsport to start the 2015 season, but if he stays healthy and continues to hit, he should advance by season’s end – perhaps even as far as Savannah in the SAL.
If that turns out to be the case, expect to see Brosher rocket up the prospect lists before next season.
[1] First wave includes Omar Minaya-era acquisitions including but not limited to Matt Harvey, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Matt den Dekker, Jeurys Familia, et.al. and Sandy Alderson trade acquisitions including Zack Wheeler, Travis d’Arnaud, Vic Black and Dilson Herrera, et.al. Second wave begins with Alderson’s draft picks, Kevin Plawecki, Brandon Nimmo, etc.
I’m a big Brandon Brosher backer. Hopefully he can have a fully healthy 2015.
A big Brandon Brosher backer? I’m a bigger Brandon Brosher basher!
Actually, who?
I’m concerned about that second wave, as I see a lot of guys with a ceiling of major league average players. The rankings put emphasis on quantity, I look for potential front of the rotation guys, or star position players. Those are the guys you need to be a playoff caliber team.
I don’t see that in this second wave (maybe Nimmo, I guess.) If there is a third wave (guys below Binghamton) is still to be determined as those guys are so far away. That is my biggest fear with Sandy, I suspect our farm system is actually regressing under his watch.
It will take years to actually know, of course, just as it took years to show that he inherited a very strong system when he took over.
Forgot Dilson, he is a very interesting prospect (but also another who was not drafted or signed by the Alderson regime.)
Many of “Sandy’s Guys” are just now cracking Upper Levels….. it ain’t soup yet, so I wouldn;t be too much of a rush to judge.
I’m excited about Conforto, Urena, Rosario…nimmo, Cheech…. and I like the guys he aquired in trade….
….my disappointment with the Aldersaon Era is apart from his Minor League developments.
OT: Wheeler to have TJ surgery, as per Bleacher Report.
Bosher is a nice story and I cannot blame the Mets and DePodesta for trying to copy a previously successful formula.
However, I disagree that the Mets don’t have stars on the come. While I don’t know what to expect of Nimmo and his walk tool, if he is a solid average to slightly above I’d be thrilled. However, Plawecki seems above, so does Conforto, Matz, Rosario, Herrera, and Syndergaard. All you can hope for is to have the talent (which these guys all have), after that it’s the work you put in that makes you or breaks you.
I keep seeing comments about the current guys being Minaya picks. Minaya never had a problem identifying talent. His problem was developing it. Tony Bernazard was a disaster. And Minaya always looked to bring in an elderly player to block any minor leaguer who was developing, like Moises Alou and El Duque. If you recall Murphy was really forced on them because of injuries in mid season or he would likely have been buried.
if this regime has any ultimate success, it will be because it allowed guys like Duda, Flores, deGrom etc take the time to develop properly and stuck with them.
Unlike Minaya who buried guys by brining in retreads or forcing kids who weren’t ready like Mejia and almost ruining his career.
Syndegaard and Matz are just not ready. Forget the extra year of free agency or super two, they both need more time at AAA to be able to handle the big leagues. Alderson’s strength is he tunes all these arm chair GMs out, where Minaya would be pushing one of these kids into a situation where they would be less likely to succeed.
Any chance Brosher will be playing in Brooklyn this year? Being a Long Islander, I would be able to see him play.