The most unappreciated prospect for the Mets right now is Gavin Cecchini. It seems odd to type that since most of my comments since the day the Mets drafted him have been less than flattering. But the simple truth is that since the end of last season, Cecchini has been putting up tremendous numbers that are not a fluke.
Cecchini got an undeserved promotion to Hi-A last year after Phillip Evans went down with an injury. Cecchini didn’t hit but stayed in the lineup even after Evans returned from the DL. But in late July, everything seemingly clicked. In his final 138 PA with St. Lucie, Cecchini put up an .838 OPS with a .293 BABIP. And on top of that he had more walks (21) than strikeouts (14) in this span. That stretch was so out of character and so wonderful to see.
This year, Cecchini is in Double-A and once again putting up great numbers. Through games of Saturday, he had a .303/.361/.492 slash line with a .308 BABIP. A SS in the Mets organization has an .853 OPS and we’re not collectively doing cartwheels? Not just any shortstop but a 21 year old in Double-A? And not just any 21 year old but a former first round pick?
How are we not hearing calls for him to be shipped to New York ASAP?
Cecchini is hitting for average without depending on a super-high BABIP. He’s showing good pop without striking out an alarming amount of times. And he’s also drawing walks at a non-terrible rate. It all adds up to a .390 wOBA and a 144 wRC+ — good numbers for anyone and fantastic numbers for a young shortstop.
Dubbed a polished shortstop when he was drafted, scouts were split on if he would hit. Now the bat is coming around and there are concerns about his glove. Prospect maven John Sickels reported following the 2014 season that there were “complaints that his range was down,” and that “his previously-smooth actions at shortstop looked more awkward.”
Still, the hitting is something to be excited about and it’s not impossible he’ll make it to Triple-A this season.
AAA
T.J. Rivera has made it to Triple-A and the older prospect has continued to do what he’s done elsewhere in the Mets system – hit. He’s 12-29 for Las Vegas for a smooth .414 AVG. Rivera is playing mostly 2B this year but has also seen time at the hot corner. Through last year he’s also seen some time at short.
Matt Reynolds is the one that most fans seem eager to see get promoted to the majors. Unfortunately, Reynolds has done nothing to shake the impression that his bat won’t play. He leads the team with 188 PA but ranks 12 with a .755 OPS. The team OPS for Las Vegas is .835 and that includes pitchers.
AA
Michael Fulmer is trying to recapture his prospect sheen. He’s made four starts for Binghamton and has a solid 2.95 ERA in 21.1 innings. His WHIP (1.455) is too high and his K/BB ratio (1.67) is too low but he merits further watching as the summer progresses.
Bobby Parnell continued his rehab tour with a stop in Binghamton on Sunday. He threw a scoreless inning and reached 94, a marked improvement over what he did previously in St. Lucie. It would be nice for Terry Collins to have another arm in the pen that he actually trusts.
A+
Michael Conforto is breaking out of his slump in a big way. After a hot start to the season, he managed just a .459 OPS over 73 PA. But in his last eight games, Conforto is 13-33 with six extra-base hits. It’s premature to call for a promotion to the majors but Binghamton should be in his future after the minor league All-Star break.
Dominic Smith may not get a mid-season promotion but he’s also got a nice hitting stretch going. He’s hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games and has a .333 AVG in that span with eight extra-base hits in 61 PA. The over-the-fence power still isn’t there but it’s nice to see the hits starting to come after the poor start he got off to in 2015.
A
Savannah has a well-earned reputation as a pitcher’s park but Casey Meisner is pitching even better on the road than he is at home this year. In four road games, he has 25 IP and just 4 ER for a sparkling 1.44 ERA. In his last outing in Rome, Georgia, he threw seven scoreless innings, gave up just one hit and fanned 10.
Jhoan Urena entered the season with the buzz but it’s been Eudor Garcia getting the results. A fourth-round pick in 2014, Garcia has a .775 OPS after 18 games for the Sand Gnats. That’s the second-best mark on the team, behind only 26-year-old John Johnson’s .834 mark. Meanwhile, Urena is scuffling along with a .551 OPS in St. Lucie.
If Cecchini does get promoted to Triple-A, what happens to Reynolds?
My take is you don’t promote guys in the minors to sit them. If Cecchini does get the call, he’ll be a starter. The interesting thing will be if they move him off SS
Been following TJ Rivera since his Lehman HS days in the Bronx and I really think if you’re nominating a “most under-appreciated” it has to be him.
He’s played every position in the IF and I bet he could handle LF in a pinch and just simply hits them where they are not. Would love to see him get a chance,tere3’s plenty of time for Cecchini, and I think TJ is better all-arounf right now than Reynolds or Muno.
Agree with you Hobie, 100%…..It’s nice to see others noticing TJ. He is the one that deserves the opportunity! Has done everything legit from day 1, but since he wasn’t a high draft pick, seems to get overlooked! Give the Bronx kid the shot! Citifield may see sales go up supporting this New Yorker! Including die-hard Yankee fans!
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I don’t think Muno is a Major League player. Another guy with a bad glove. At best, he’s like the Mets 5th ranked 2B. Five years into the program, I’d like to see less of these kinds of call-ups, where Sandy brings up the next guy in the system, no matter how limp. Campbell, Ceciliani, Muno. Very weak.
I’m very high on Michael Fulmer. He has been relatively ignored since his knee injury a few years ago, but he seems to be bouncing back. I hope he could be a piece for the future soon.
Cecchini has played well, there’s no denying it. Glad about that. I’ve seen him at Low A and AA; the body looks good. Didn’t have much of an arm, but hopefully he can be adequate at the position. It’s interesting, watching players. You can see how some guys love to throw — they zing the ball across the field with the same joy that a lab chases after a stick. I didn’t get that feeling with Cecchini; for him, it’s more work than play.
Conforto should be in AA. He’s still down in A-ball because they are sticking to a timetable that won’t put “undo” pressure on Cuddyer/Granderson. St. Lucie numbers will never be obscene, and it’s pointless to wait for that “proof” to happen. He can obviously hit at the A+ level. Stop investing in the small sample sizes. Move him closer to the big club, where he might help the team win games sooner rather than later.
Nice eye on Cecchini. You always manage to make me think there are brighter days ahead. Damn you.
Moving Conforto to AA puts “undue pressure” on Cuddy and Grandy??????….huh???????!!!!!
Yeah, I have to say I’m with Eraff on this one.
Additionally, if Conforto hit for five straight weeks like he did the first week of the season, then I would say he needs to be moved. Otherwise, I’m quite comfortable moving him at the minor league All-Star break. He’ll still gets half a season at Double-A and it doesn’t annoy the affiliates. I know the FSL doesn’t do much attendance-wise but it’s just not a good idea to pluck the top guys away at the drop of the hat unless you’re promoting to the majors.
What I meant, Eraff, is that I believe Sandy’s “patient” approach involves a timeline for Conforto’s arrival — late in 2016. He’s being slow-tracked. Less headaches that way.
If he shows up now, and starts to hit, it will make things extremely uncomfortable for Cuddyer, Granderson, Collins, and Alderson.
I personally believe he’s the one guy in the system right now who could possibly (maybe) help the offense this season, but it would be at the expense of the current outfield corners.
My main point really is that I’d like to see the organization put themselves in a position where Conforto could conceivably help the big club sooner, rather than later, even if that might cause a bit of awkwardness.
It’s similar to what we are seeing with the pitching. The pipeline has been bungled. The two-year deal for Colon was always, instantly, a horrible & unnecessary signing. The needed a one-year stopgap, not hair in the drain.
Well said.
Conforto had an almost seamless professional career; hit one slump, and pulled himself out of it.
If he now hits balls to all fields, shows power, low strike out, etc, we have the issue of Sandy Alderson’s big contracts to Met outfielders. It would take quite a bit of public pressure, a la Chris Young, to facilitate a change. Alderson’s got quite an ego.
One guy most of us knew was going to be good was David Wright. You’d watch him rise through the system and his performance was rock solid.
At age 20, at St. Lucie, he hit: .270/.369/.459.
The K:BB ratio was fabulous; everything was a go.
Michael Conforto played a full college career, was drafted in the first round, and labeled “the best bat in the draft.”
At age 22, at St. Lucie, he’s hit: .295/.358/.486.
The idea that he has more to prove down there — at a level he should never have been placed it — is crazy, IMO. That’s a tough league for hitters. Those offensive numbers are legit.
Meanwhile, the big club can’t hit. That is, to be clear:
They.
Cannot.
Hit.
Move this guy up to AA. Now.
One last thing: Conforto is 3rd in SLG in the entire FSL. He’s 5th in OPS, .012 from the top spot.
This guy needs the next challenge.
Sorry, but I’m not going to worry about attendance down there.
Statistically, not much reasonn to keep Conforto at A+. They may have a sense that he’s not being “hurt” as they allow some of the rest of their guys to shake out.
I am positive that they are doing nothing that they feel would slow his development and progression—- even while I disagree about his present placement, I believe their actions are generally based on their approach.
Most of the real jump in development is at AA— AAA is a place to Park, Shuttle older development players and swing guys. Sure, some final buffing, but the real work and the big talent is generally at AA for longer time frames.
It’s not out of the question that you may see some guys jump AA>MLB.
Eraff, you just wrote two quick comments that are, to me, contradictory. First, I think the real test is at A+, and then there’s another significant just to AA. And AAA, well, that’s either a launching pad or a holding tank, depending upon the individual talent.
As you said, there’s no reason to hold Conforto down at A+ ball any longer. He just won player of the week, again. If the real work is at AA, then let’s get to it.
Tampa Bay called up a guy directly from AA this year — never played an inning at AAA — and he was AL Player of the Month for April.
Imagine if the Mets somehow stumble into meaningful games in September. Wouldn’t you rather have Michael Conforto on hand instead of Danny Muno?
I am glad they promoted Conforto to AA. I thought he should have started the season there. I am also glad tht they promoted Jayce Boyd to AAA as an outfielder. I am not sure he will anything higher than a reserve outfielder if he makes the majors but he can hit gap to gap with Murphy type power. I liked what I saw of him.
Cecchini is looking like a prospect. In Savannah they also have a nice shortstop in Luis Guillermo. He has nice instincts, nice arm and good glove, with a high batting average and OBP. He only has one extra base hit, a double but he is only 20. He will probably have the fate of Wilfredo Tovar, good glove with no slugging pct.
The good news for the North Carolina contingent of Mets 360 is that in 2016 the low A team will be a lot closer and in a new stadium in Columbia, SC.
Metsense, about the move to Columbia for the low A team, I’m not surprised. The first time I visited Savannah’s Historic Grayson Stadium I thought “How quaint.”. The last time I thought “It’s a dump.” The city of Savannah has not prioritized upgrading, so the owner of the franchise made a better deal and will move to a brand new facility in Columbia. Since I get there a couple of times a year I am looking forward to it even though it’s a longer trip.