This is the fourth entry in our prospect series, where we’re counting down the top 50 prospects for the Mets. Four people were involved in this project and what you see is a group consensus, not the results of one person. You can view 42-39 if you have not already seen it. Here are the next four:
38. Ricky Knapp– At age 23, Knapp was promoted from Savannah to St. Lucie. He excelled in Savannah, pitching to an 8-3 record with a 2.60 ERA. His 91 strikeouts and 20 walks in 107.1 innings are impressive and show that there is potential for Knapp to excel in the major leagues. The interesting part about Knapp’s season is that he started games in Savannah, but was relegated to bullpen duties in St. Lucie, where he struggled during his time. The organization does not seem to know what they have in Knapp, as he mostly pitched out of relief in 2013, and started in 2014. Knapp will probably begin the 2015 campaign in St. Lucie, and could be promoted to Double-A Binghamton if he succeeds early on in the season.
37. Merandy Gonzalez– We know Wilmer Flores entered the Mets organization at age 16, but Gonzalez entered the organization at 17. At age 19, he threw a seven inning no-hitter for the GCL Mets, and put himself on the map. In his first start, he threw five perfect innings, putting himself in a good position to being a starter in the minor leagues. He ended the season in Kingsport at finished with a 2-2 record with 2.82 ERA. The Mets have Marcos Molina waiting in the wings, but Gonzalez looks like a promising arm in the Mets organization as of now.
36. Matt Oberste– As of now, Dominic Smith seems to be the main first baseman in the Mets organization, but Oberste put together a nice campaign in Port St. Lucie. He hit .301 with an OBP of .359. In 111 games, he also drove in 64 runs and hit six homers. At 6’2”, Oberste provides a nice frame for his infielders to throw at, so if his defense pans out, the future could be bright for the 24-year-old. After being named to the Post-Season All-Star team in 2015, Oberste could start the 2016 season in Double-A Binghamton.
35. P.J. Conlon– A 21-year-old southpaw with 25 strikeouts and 2 walks in 17 innings is bound to open some eyes. His .588 WHIP is also quite impressive, and shows that he has potential to be a great reliever moving forward. Although his velocity ranges from 86-90, but his accuracy and ability to throw four pitches makes him an intriguing option moving forward. Usually the Mets have wanted power arms in their bullpen, but if Conlon continues to strike out more than one batter an inning, he could have a future in the big leagues.
To me, this is where the guys are getting interesting.
Gonzalez and Conlon are guys I can really see taking a leap forward in 2016. Oberste has the misfortune of playing the same position and producing almost the exact same as Dominic Smith, but he’s a guy who just keeps doing enough to be interesting. Hopefully he adds power to his game this year in Double-A.