#7
Desmond Lindsay, OF
Biography: Born January 15, 1997, Lindsay won’t be able to legally drink for over two more years. A product of the Out-Of-Door Academy in Bradenton Florida, Lindsay was a clear target for the Mets in the 2015 draft. Jeff Petty, head coach of the Evoshield Canes, just happened to be his coach in a competitive travel league. This same Jeff Petty is also a consultant for the Mets.
The Mets were left picking 53rd overall for their top pick in the draft and, to many, they seem to have gotten a bargain. Petty said of his former player, “He is a first rounder, in my opinion. I’ve coached a lot of first rounders. He is a first rounder.”
He had been planning to attend UNC but chose to sign with the Mets instead.
Scouting: As with many players you can break his scouting into categories.
- Defensive – He has the range to play centerfield but has not played that position in high school. His arm strength gives him a definite edge to play right field if center does not remain an option. Projects as an average centerfielder with a plus arm or a plus right fielder with an average arm.
- Contact – Quick hands and good bat speed translate into a plus hitting tool. His tendency to drive the ball up the middle or hit the other way also supports a strong contact approach.
- Power – That same contact approach is a detriment to his power, though he does possess raw power when he is capable of turning on the ball.
- Speed – All scouts agree that Lindsay is fast but some scouts are more bullish than others. His hamstring injury is likely going to scare the Mets from encouraging too much aggressive base running.
2015: Lindsay only played in 35 games in 2015, split between the GCL (Rookie) and the NYPL (Short Season-A). His debut with the GCL Mets could not have been better. He hit .304/.400/.464 which means he hit for contact, took walks and hit for power. He stole several bases but the most impressive stat is his 7 extra base hits (4 doubles, 2 triples and 1 home run) in those 21 games. It was enough to earn him a promotion to a league with significantly older and more advanced prospects. His results in Brooklyn were poor. Brooklyn can be a nightmare for hitters and the pitchers were, on average, 3-5 years older than him. It’s not surprising that he struggled and there is abundant reason to hope for bigger and better things in 2016.
Brian: “It seems every Mets fan likes this pick, which like Brandon Nimmo seems to be another upside-based signing. He had a wonderful debut in the GCL and I look forward to see what he’ll do in a full-season league.”
David: “There are plenty of reasons to be happy with the Mets top draft pick in 2015 and only one to be upset. Lindsay had a great year in rookie ball and will look to build on that in 2016. We’ll always wonder what Michael Cuddyer cost the Mets.”
Rob: “The Mets made the most of their lack of a first rounder this year in selecting Lindsay, and the initial results in his short debut in the Gulf Coast League in 2015 are encouraging. He’s a ways away, but both his floor and ceiling are very high at this point. It almost makes up for the lost pick because of the Cuddyer signing. Almost…”
James: “The Mets hope they found their center fielder, as Lindsay should be able to hit for power, and has tremendous speed. He is still young and has a lot of minor league baseball to play, but the Mets may have another gem waiting in the outfield.”
Pretty excited to see how he does next season. Without a 1st rounder, you have to like how they still managed to nab a player with first round potential.
He sounds like a Kenny Lofton type to me. I’d take that in a heartbeat.