Mets Minors: Mets swing for fences with Matthew Allan pick

Before the 2019 Draft it was stated in this forum that this draft would set the tone for Brodie Van Wagenen and the hope was that the Mets would be aggressive in a push to rebuild their system. It’s difficult to imagine the Mets being more aggressive than they were, as they essentially punted picks four through 10 in order to get slot-level or above talents in the first three rounds of the draft.

Brett Baty, 3B – MLB.com Rating #17 (Groveman’s Grade: B)

A player known as “Brett the Met” seemed like a solid choice for the Mets who passed on a college pitcher who I had expected them to take, in Jackson Rutledge. Baty has a very good combination of power, contact and patience at the plate. While he isn’t the best third baseman with limited range, his arm is plenty powerful enough to make the throws across the diamond. (He can managed a 92 mile per hour fastball) Scouts believe he should be able to stick at the third base position and, if not, move across the diamond to first base.

Josh Wolf, RHP – MLB.com Rating #36 (Groveman’s Grade: A)

Looking at where the Met’s second pick was I did not think a pitcher of this caliber would still be on the table. Like Baty brings a mix of power and contact, Wolf brings a mix of power and control. He throws his fastball in the 90-97 mile per hour range and also brings a Plus curveball with a 12-6 break. He’ll need to work on his changeup to make it as a starter but there are already signs that the pitch might have some depth to it. He may even be able to add some velocity as he puts on some additional muscle.

Matthew Allan, RHP – MLB.com Rating #13 (Groveman’s Grade: A+)

Another high school pitcher who can throw 97 mile per hour heat, Allan may be a huge risk for the Mets to actually sign. He pitches with an assortment of fastball, power curve (rated Plus) and changeup (rated above average) and was expected to be taken in the front half of the first round. In fact, nobody would have blinked if the Mets selected Allan with the 12th overall pick. Instead the Mets will need to hold their breath as the question of signability will be one that could come to haunt them.

Jake Magnum, OF – MLB.com Rating #171 (Groveman’s Grade: C)

This is the third time that a New York team will have drafted Magnum. The Mets and Yankees have both previously used late round picks on Magnum who chose to stay in college both times. The Mets are likely looking to save some money to spend on the marquee talents that they grabbed in the first three rounds in the draft, but Magnum does offer things the Mets need. He has a solid contact approach with a good eye and the speed to steal some bases. He also should have the ability to play anywhere in the outfield they need him to.

The rest of the draft was fairly meaningless with the Mets looking to get players with little to no bargaining power so that they can afford to sign their top three players. That being said, if they can sign all three this was a fantastic draft. If they can’t… well… there’s always next year.

AAA:
Syracuse Mets

Matt Kemp added to stable of has-been talent – He’s well past his prime but I recall a time that I once wanted him on the Mets. Guess that makes me old.

Stephen Nogosek will likely see the majors this year – With the Met bullpen looking less than ideal you have to imagine a reliever whose WHIP is under 1.00 is on the radar.

AA:
Binghamton Rumble Ponies

This has been a wasted season for Andres Gimenez – A .638 OPS is bad enough and now Gimenez is on the IL after getting hit on the hand with a pitch.

Anthony Kay continues to have a breakout year – His latest start, 5.1 IP with 3 Hits, 2 Walks and 9 strikeouts.

Will Toffey is making a charge – Would be nice to see more power but he’s hitting .321 over his last 10 games and has his OPS above .750 for the year.

A+:
St. Lucie Mets

Jeremy Vasquez belongs in AA – He’s been a consistently solid contributor all season and seems to have nothing left to prove at this level.

Tony Dibrell needs more control – He’s had success and is getting close to 9 strikeouts per 9 innings but he’s walking far too many batters for prolonged success.

Alright, let’s talk about Carlos Cortes – He’s only 5’7” but the second baseman has enough power and speed to be on the fringes of the prospect radar. Having 19 extra base hits in 58 games isn’t too bad.

A:
Columbia Fireflies

Ronny Mauricio continues to get base hits – We hope that power, speed and patience will someday make themselves apparent. He’s now batting .293 on the year but his OBP and SLG are really sad considering.

Shervyen Newton is starting to hit – He may have hit over .300 (for the past 10 games) but he’s still striking out more than once a game.

Simeon Woods Richardson finally bounces back – His 5.0 inning outing with 0 hits, 1 walk and 8 strikeouts is his first good outing since April.

Wagner Lagrange having a quietly productive year – He’s doing enough to earn a promotion to Advanced A at the end of the season.

Willy Taveras is a candidate for promotion – He’s among the best pitchers on the Fireflies and seems ready to take the next step.

DSL:

Freddy Valdez is off to a superstar start – After the Mets gave him a big bonus, it’s nice to see Valdez off to such a strong and powerful start. He’s 6 games into the young season and already has 2 doubles and 2 home runs.