It feels like March of 2020 never ended. There are memories of setting up preseason tracking documents and making predictions and then there is this long empty space where the minor league season was supposed to be and we’re right back to March. Only this March is looking to be different. This March we have been treated to seeing minor league players in game-time action and, while it might be delayed, we are likely to see a minor league baseball season play out.
Spring Training may have only just begun but it is a thrill to see these minor league players in action. Even when they struggle, the ability to see these possible future stars evokes such a feeling of unbridled joy.
The Sight Test: Thomas Szapucki has not pitched in a televised game. It would be important to see if there are any mechanical defects with Szapucki’s approach before we read too far into his increasing control issues. Hopefully we will see him take the hill in the near future.
The Results: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 HB, 1 K
Breakdown: The post surgery wildness that seemed to be the only warning sign during Szapucki’s return to the minors seems to be becoming a major issue. Prior to injury and surgery this was not part of the profile. Szapucki get strikeouts with his improved fastball and great spin while keeping runners off base. On top of proving he can stay healthy, a new thing Szapucki needs to prove is that he can keep the ball in the strike zone consistently.
The Sight Test: He looks like a taller and skinnier version of Noah Syndergaard but the physical resemblance doesn’t translate once they start pitching. McWilliams lacks a refined pitching approach which has some jerkiness that could prove to cause him issues. Additionally, his pitching style produces a fastball that doesn’t appear to have much movement. The downward plane of the throw seems to give hitters problems, all the same.
The Results: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K
Breakdown: Watching his first Spring outing it was hard to see what all the fuss was over. It is possible that the angle of action and the lack of a radar gun contributed to the pitching appearing pedestrian.
The Sight Test: We’ve seen Kilome in the majors so getting to see him this Spring is no revelation. Under the same microscope there is a lot I like about the mechanics of his throwing style and, like McWilliams, he has a lot of downward plane on his fastball. Considering his reputation for control problems they were not apparent in his outing.
The Results: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K
Breakdown: As they pitched in the same game, it was easy to compare McWilliams to Kilome. Justified or not, there was a zip and crackle to Kilome’s pitching that McWilliams appeared to be missing. Additionally, it really seemed like the reputation for control problems was not an issue. This is a small sample size to make any judgements on.
The Sight Test: Gonzalez didn’t look young or unready when he took the mound and handled his inning so quickly that it was a shame they didn’t allow him a second.
The Results: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K
Breakdown: Scouts don’t like Gonzalez, there isn’t anything that stands out about his time as a prospect beyond the fact that his numbers have been consistently good and he stays consistently healthy. The Mets seem like they will never consider him part of their future and one wonders if another team will reap the rewards of a pitcher who succeeds without overpowering stuff.
The Sight Test: At first glance, Lee looks like a ballplayer but his performance in the field and at the plate haven’t left much hope. Metsblog and Keith Law both ranked Lee in the Mets Top 10 prospects after they traded for him but it seems that those assessments might be overly generous based on the player we’ve seen.
The Results: 5 G, 8 AB, 0 H, 1 BB, 3 K
Breakdown: The hope with Lee is that he could develop into a starting major league center fielder or, at least, a viable defensive replacement fourth outfielder. Thus far the Mets haven’t even used him much in center field and he hasn’t proven much of anything.
The Sight Test: Of all the Met prospects, it’s Mauricio who looks the youngest when you give him the sight test. That being said, as Spring games have gone on, he has begun to show more readiness than some more advanced minor league players. While he only has three hits so far, it seems that those numbers are on the rise.
The Results: 4 G, 10 AB, 4 H, 1 R, 1 RBI, 2 K
Breakdown: At times, this Spring, Mauricio looked a bit off balance on swings. That being said, his bat speed and strength seem to make themselves apparent. He also looks like he has avoided bulking up, a fact that might keep him in line to stay at shortstop despite his 6’3” stature.
The Sight Test: Based upon the numbers in the minors, people might expect Vientos to be a bit more muscular than he appears. This young infielder still has some room to add muscle to his frame as he develops. At the plate he has a simple stance without a lot of movement. He hasn’t done much with his bat but has managed to walk a ton considering his limited playing time.
The Results: 5 G, 2 AB, 1 H, 4 BB, 1 K
Breakdown: The walks are not something that anyone could maintain and are a product of Vientos showing more control than the prospect pitchers he’s facing early this Spring. Hopefully we get to see him swing a little more so that a better assessment of his bat can be made.
The Sight Test: Early in Spring Training, the Mets released a video of Alvarez doing fielding drills and his performance looked great. In gametime action, the Mets seem to be hesitant to put him behind the plate. As a hitter, Alvarez hasn’t had great results and it seems that experienced pitchers are choosing to show him an assortment of breaking pitches he may have never seen before rather than challenging him with the fastball.
The Results: 2 G, 3 AB, 0 H, 1 K
Breakdown: Alvarez did not do well on his sight test against the veteran pitchers he faced. The Mets would do well to have some of their journeymen arms give him batting practice against their breaking pitches.
The Sight Test: He looks like he’s giant. He’s got a bulky athletic build that you might equate with more of an action hero than a baseball player. Watching Baty at the plate is intriguing. His bat speed seems to be solid but he was consistently behind the pitches he was facing. Watching him live, he seems like he’s going to wind up with high strikeout numbers throughout his career.
The Results: 5 G, 5 AB, 2 H, 1 2B, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1K
Breakdown: It’s hard to miss the power potential. Would be nice to see him getting more regular game action before making a deeper assessment.
Pete Crow-Armstrong
The Sight Test: Where Baty looks like he’s miscast as a baseball player, Crow-Armstrong is built exactly how his profile suggests. He’s a tall skinny guy who seems to generate most of his hitting power with his legs. His swing is fairly level with good bat speed and he is clearly very fast on the bases.
The Results: 5 G, 7 AB, 1 H, 1 3B, 1 R, 3 K
Breakdown: Despite his batting stats looking terrible on paper, his at bats haven’t looked terrible. Projected to start the year in Low-A Port St. Lucie, a strong finish to Spring could earn him a chance to start the year alongside Vientos and Mauricio instead.
Mcwilliams looked pretty good to me. Fastball was sharp with some movement.
I’m glad you saw movement. It didn’t look that way to me.
Thought I read somewhere that Gonzalez has added some pop to his fastball, that he’s regularly 93+
Maybe my eyes are deceiving me, but I thought Mauricio was markedly thicker than when I saw him last. He big.
I read that Mauricio has put on about thirty pounds since last year, most of it muscle. He is growing into his body and it was this expected growth that had baseball people questioning if he can stay at SS.
This is great to read David. The Mets farm system seems to have improved dramatically but it’s ranking is still pretty middling. Do you think that’s warranted or do you think it’s underrated?
Hi Aging Bull,
Thanks for reading! I think the Mets farm gets slightly underrated because there is a gap at the upper minors where a Top farm would have prospects. I think there are several players who appear to be ranked lower than I would have them but the overall system ranking is pretty accurate. They are somewhere in the middle but on the rise.
Mauricio and Vientos look poised for breakouts and I have loved what we’ve seen from Baty and Crow-Armstrong this spring. The wild cards of prospect value are Harol Gonzalez and Thomas Szapucki. If they have big years the Mets rankings will go way up.
Sounds reasonable. I am pulling for four position players you mention in the last paragraph and I am more pumped for this year than I have been for many years. LGFM