2019 Mets top 50 prospects: 40-36

An interesting mix in this grouping between pitchers who are on the cusp of the major leagues with fairly low MLB ceilings, a 31 year old “prospect” and two younger players who are ranked mostly by their potential.  Still in the bottom 20 of the team’s Top 50 list, this is the type of prospect you expect to find, with the exception of Tim Tebow.  Players like Conlon and Crismatt aren’t likely to be on this list for long as they will either make the majors or disappear into the ether of AAAA obscurity and players like Moreno and Regnault could either rocket up into the Top 20 or never appear on a top prospect list again.

36. Hansel Moreno, SS (SAL) – Some players have the fans and experts divided. I ranked Moreno just outside of my Top 20 and Gus kept him off of his Top 50. Landing at 36 overall is probably fairer than my overly optimistic outlook but I firmly believe the athletic infielder belongs.  The switch hitter finished his season in Columbia with an OPS over .700 and splits that suggested he could be more as he develops.

    Gus: An athletic utility player with lower statistics when playing with others his own age. He must keep up or possibly be bypassed by other more promising prospects in the system.  Defensively, his Range Factor is stronger in the middle infield while weaker at the corners and he appears to be very weak when fielding in the grass.

    Chris: Looks like a watershed year for Moreno in 2019. A 6’4″ 180 pound SS makes you wonder if he will grow into his lanky frame. Looks like he has defensive capabilities and some speed to add. Looks like a drop off in offense after the promotion to the SAL occured but it also looks like he’s headed to St. Lucie next. It will be interesting to see if he responds to the promotion.

37. Andres Regnault, C (DSL) – A 19 year old catching prospect who has never played in the United States isn’t exactly a sure thing but a Top Prospect list has to value potential and Regnault has that in spades. The well-built catcher saw a spike in his power numbers while also improving his plate discipline in his third time through the DSL. You can expect the Mets to toss him into Kingsport or the Gulf Coast League to see how those superb DSL numbers hold up.

    Gus: Has been in the DSL for three years but is still only nineteen years old. He has improved on both sides of the ball, but needs to move on to be tested.  He threw out 40% and had a 176 RC+.  Combined with his .993 OPS it’s all good to see.

    Chris: Looks like he has mastered the DSL Mets after getting better with each passing year. Any catcher showing promise needs a look. Lets hope he learns to love East Tennessee.

38. Tim Tebow, OF (EAS) – Gus did not have Mr. Tebow on his list at all so if people want to blame someone for his inclusion on this list, I deserve to get your hate mail. Prior to his injury, Tebow made pretty impressive strides in development for the Binghamton team and I began to suspect that he’d find his way to Las Vegas before the season’s end. With the Mets so stacked with lefties in the outfield, it isn’t absurd to think that Tebow and Juan Lagares could be the bench players in Queens before the end of 2019.  He still needs to work on his strikeouts which are a glaring problem with his game.

    Gus: It may be hard to justify a 32 year old as a prospect, and it may be hard to seriously consider a former NFL football player that didn’t play college baseball as a MLB baseball prospect, but Sandy Alderson told us that he will play in MLB someday and I agree with him.  You see, Tim Tebow may not be an all-star performer, but he is an all-star marketing tool and that has great value.  Yes, Tebow hit .340 in his last 91 at bats last year in AA and cut his errors from 10 in 2017 to 1 in 2018, and yes he hit .494 in high school and could have been a #1 pick if he stayed with it, but seeing that he just completed his prime years Tebow is another one that needs to make a leap this year or just focus on talking about college football full time.

    Chris: Hard for me to give a dispassionate evaluation of Tebow. I think the whole thing is a circus, regardless of the improvement in Binghamton. I could say more, but will let well enough alone.

    39. Nabil Crismatt, RHP (PCL) – A control pitcher who will likely never be more than an innings eater isn’t meant to be a “Top Prospect” but Crismatt seems to fit just fine at 39th overall.  Some people still have Crismatt too high in their rankings because he manages to get a decent number of strikeouts but his ceiling is that of a fifth starter.  Certainly deserves to be in the Top 50 and I am happy with where he wound up being ranked.

    Gus: He needs to be precise to be successful, but the opportunity is smaller in the upper minors. With his 90 MPH fastball, Crismatt has four pitches and could be an effective middle reliever if he cannot cut it as a starter.

    Chris: Doesn’t look like Crismatt is heading for any kind of starting role in the bigs. Not crazy about the 90ish fastball from a righty who will need to live on the corners. Not a big fan of the WHIP or ERA.

39. P.J. Conlon, LHP (PCL) – He was not great for Las Vegas or the New York squad in 2018 and slid far down the rankings as a result. Currently 24 and soon turning 25 this is likely his last year on this rankings list and the hope is that Syracuse will give him what he needs to make something of himself in the majors. Regardless, nobody thought success in Vegas was likely for the lefty who relies on movement and location to get his outs.

    Gus: How a player that was released twice last year can be a top prospect seems baffling, but he is a lefty and lefties have more lives than Rafael Montero.  Conlon will throw in the mid eighties, has four pitches and has been compared to Jaime Moyer.  So, while his numbers were credible until AA, it’s possible that he can be an innings eater or a LOOGY.

    Chris: It’s been easy to see the enthusiasm for Conlon as he worked up the lower ranks. Great WHIP, tons of Ks, superb ERA. Then came Binghamton, and Conlon becomes a man of two tales. Everything comes off the rails, and then just keeps falling. It’s easy to see that the Mets mishandled him as well. Maybe at lower levels the quirky delivery fools hitters. The all soft stuff approach is certainly tough on developing hitters, and the change up is as much fun to watch as Tyler Clippard‘s. However, with professional hitters it seems they are fooled less, and getting hot hard. He’s heading off the prospect radar fast. What would I do? I’d send him back to AA and see if he can figure it out.