From May 17th to May 29th an injury plagued Mets team looked to Khalil Lee for outfield support, hoping their newly acquired outfield prospect could make good on his potential and give the Mets some spark. The .056/.056/.111 batting line does very little to demonstrate anything of promise and Met fans were undoubtedly disappointed. The .920 OPS in Syracuse, on the other hand, can’t be entirely overlooked. Just who is Khalil Lee and what, if anything, can the Mets expect from him moving forward?
Lee began his professional career as the 3rd round pick of the Kansas City Royals. The high school prospect put together a splendid debut season in Rookie League play, advancing through the minors at a steady clip from Low A, to High A and AA by 2018.
- 2016 – Rookie: .880 OPS
- 2017 – Low A: .774 OPS
- 2018 – High A: .808 OPS
- 2018 – AA: .683 OPS
- 2019 – AA: .735 OPS
After 2020 being a lost year, perhaps the Mets were mad (more likely desperate) to expect anything from Lee in the majors. Despite the slight downward trend of his OPS the outlook on Lee still seemed pretty bright clearly and perhaps we should all ignore the .167 OPS of 12 games this Spring.
The problem is that Lee’s audition went so poorly that the Mets can’t have much confidence in his major league ability and despite a healthy OPS, his AAA numbers lack the power and speed that you’d look for in a starting outfielder. It’s hard to see how he will fit in with the uncertain futures of Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Dominic Smith.
AAA: Syracuse Mets
The Big Story: A new Franklyn Kilome?
With the Mets on the cusp of giving up on his future Franklyn Kilome is finally doing something that scouts have been hoping for for years. In 12.2 innings between August 3rd and September 3rd, Kilome has given up only a single walk while striking out 15. This string of eight outings is exactly the type of thing one hopes the Mets will take notice of and audition when minor leaguers are called up to the majors. Chances are still decent that the Mets opt not to use the roster spot on Kilome in 2022 but the chances are better than they were at the end of July.
Other News:
- Mark Vientos, 3B: With the season running towards its conclusion it’s good to see Vientos getting a AAA audition.
- Khalil Lee, CF: Nothing hurts a player’s value more than strikeouts. Lee has more strikeouts than games played and that needs to be reversed.
- Wagner Lagrange, RF: With mediocre power and speed Lagrange continues to look like a future bench player.
- Franklyn Kilome, RHP: It appears the Mets have moved on from Kilome as a starter.
- Josh Walker, LHP: After a rough AAA debut, Walker has two solid starts under his belt.
AA: Binghamton Rumble Ponies
The Big Story: Finding Room in AAA in 2022
The Mets have a high number of players that are clearly ready for starting roles on the Syracuse squad (if not Major League) in 2022. It is hard to argue that Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Carlos Cortes, Luis Carpio, Jake Mangum and even Hayden Senger need more time in Binghamton. The issue there is that would actually mean the AAA squad would have little room for major league depth players as they would be fielding and entire outfield and half an infield of prospects. Add to this equation that the Mets might still have players like Khalil Lee and/or Wagner Lagrange in AAA and the Syracuse roster looks mighty crowded.
Other News:
- Brett Baty, 3B: You can put money on a healthy Baty reaching the majors in 2022 the only question is “At what position?”
- Ronny Mauricio, SS: In three games at the AA level Mauricio is off and running… well hitting. He’s had 12 AB and 6 hits in that time.
- Carlos Cortes, 2B/LF: Was Cortes impressive this year? Yes. Will he be an impact player in the majors? The outlook doesn’t look good.
- Jake Mangum, OF: Last month we began to doubt Mangum’s power. Then he ends August with a .651 SLG for the month.
- Hayden Senger, C: Senger comes back to earth in a big way for August but has gained firm footing in the heart of the Met’s prospect rankings.
- Luis Carpio, 2B: The numbers aren’t enough to write home about but he’s had a solid, albeit only okay, season.
- Tommy Wilson, RHP: Wilson as a reliever is still a work in progress.
- Jose Butto, RHP: August didn’t end as well as it began but his WHIP and K/9 remain solid.
A+: Brooklyn Cyclones
The Big Story: What is J.T. Ginn’s Ceiling
Some players have clear ceilings, but these players tend to have lower ceilings like that of Patrick Mazeika or Wagner Lagrange. These players might see major league playing time but the idea of them being a lasting starter at the level is far fetched. On the other side of this coin you have players like Francisco Alvarez, who has a tremendous amount of potential and could be a perennial All Star catcher should his career pan out. J.T. Ginn falls in the middle. He doesn’t have overpowering power numbers and he gives up hits which suggests that he might not have an elite arm but his draft profile gives him the potential of a #3. It looks like Ginn might be overvalued in a farm system in decline but we all hope that won’t prove true.
Other News:
- Francisco Alvarez, C: Supasses 20 home runs for the season.
- Jaylen Palmer, SS/CF/DH: That troubling combination of power, speed and way too many strikeouts.
- T. Ginn, RHP: The ERA is going down as he settles in but he gives up more hits than anyone should like seeing.
- Willy Taveras, RHP: A highly ranked player proper to 2021 is finishing the season on a high note for Brooklyn.
A: St. Lucie Mets
The Big Story: The Lower Minors are pretty barren
Each month this article tries to focus on a larger story from each of the leagues and last month I mentioned the lack of talent at the lower levels. This lack of talent has led, unsurprisingly, to a lack of news. The Mets desperately need to be more active in the 2022 draft and international player market.
Other News:
- Alex Ramirez, OF: Nothing wrong with his season but a .695 OPS isn’t exactly reason to celebrate.
I don’t watch Syracuse games, but I am quite impressed with Lee’s numbers and resilience. He was essentially a sacrificial lamb in the bigs this year, through no fault of his own. The Mets have done this before, stunting prospect development based on desperation at the MLB level. Nido and Flexen come to mind. Unfortunately, some or most never recover.
The jump from AAA to the bigs is a huge one, even for top prospects that have been well handled along the way. To be rushed and then face tremendous failure, to the point of embarrassment, on big city TV for all to see, that is really tough on a kid. Mr. Lee went back to AAA, put his nose to the grindstone, recovered and delivered a very strong season. We certainly can’t pencil him in for anything in Flushing, and who knows what lies in his future, but kudos to him.
I would disagree with the word “barren” when describing the lower minors, they do still have Allen, Consuerga, Otanez, Dominguez, Santos, de Oca and some good pitchers from this past draft in Ziegler, Vasil and Hamel. May not be as sexy as the upper minors, but one year ago today we were calling the upper minors barren.
You know Gus,
You are 100% right about my tune from a year ago and I’ll give you Allen being a talent but Consuegra, Otanez, Dominguez (best of this bunch), Santos and de Oca still have work to do to be legitimate prospects. I’m usually so “Glass Half Full” on the minors and I look at Brooklyn and Port St. Lucie and I feel like there is usually just more talent to talk about.
Do you think that Alfonso Soriano is a possible comp for Mauricio? I realize that is wildly optimistic, 7x AS, 5x MVP vote-getter. He was 25 before he became an MLB regular.
Only age 20, rail thin at 6-3 (166 lbs), Mauricio shows huge pop — thunder in those hands — and some similar plate-discipline issues.
What’s your plan for him moving forward?
Jimmy
My plan, if I am the Mets, would be to move Mauricio to Right or Center in AA. Soriano is a reasonable thought for what could come to pass but he doesn’t steal bases with his speed. I prefer moving him off of SS and giving him a shot in Center well in advance of needing him in the majors.
The Mets have a full year before Mauricio sees the majors. Look for Baty and Vientos to have an Alonso/Smith battle for third (instead of first) and don’t put a 2022 debut past Alvarez who continues to advance faster than expected.
I think Lee and Mauricio are the talent chips in a move for 3B, CF, or another front line starter. They are blocked at the Citifield level so make the most of their potential and pick up another player with a presence on the team. 1983 came Hernandez, in 1984 came Carter, and in 1985 Ojeda. Each was a presence that brought the kids to another level. Let’s keep building.
When suggesting the Mets trade for a 3B are you aware that both Mark Vientos and Brett Baty are at the cusp of the majors and looking very impactful? Mauricio will not stay at shortstop on any team (could be shifted to 3B, 2B or OF) and Lee happens to be a natural CF. If the Mets trade it will be for young starting pitching.
I’m rooting for Wagner LaGrange. What a great name that is. Sounds like a bandit who rode into town in the Wild West.
I was thinking the same thing. And maybe they drafted his sidekick in Rd 11, Rowdey Jordan.