Peter Alonso/ Photo by Rick Nelson of MiLB.com
With full season affiliates being two months into the season and baseball holding it’s 2018 draft, Fangraphs updated their list of the top 131 prospects in the game. This list includes three Mets prospects:
76. Peter Alonso, 1B
Level: Binghamton
Previous Ranking: NR
MMN Preseason Rank: 3
2018 Stats: .310/.441/.567, 9 2B, 15 HR, 50 RBI, 2 CS
96. Jarred Kelenic, OF
Level: GCL Mets
Previous Ranking: N/A
MMN Preseason Ranking: N/A
2018 Stats: N/A
103. Andres Gimenez, 2B/SS
Level: St. Lucie
Previous Ranking: NR
MMN Preseason Rank: 1
2018 Stats: .274/.341/.431, 13 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 21 SB, 4 CS
To put it mildly, this is certainly an unexpected list which cuts against the grain of most talent evaluators in the sport. Overall, this is the only list present which not only lists Alonso above Gimenez, it is the only list which has Gimenez outside the Top 100. For example, in Baseball America‘s recently updated list, which was made prior to the draft, Gimenez was ranked 74th, and Alonso was 82nd.
It is all the more surprising Gimenez is behind Kelenic. Gimenez is just nine months older than Kelenic, and he is putting together a good season in St. Lucie. So far, Gimenez has already tied a career high in homer, and he has set a new career high in stolen bases. What makes this all the more remarkable is he is putting up those numbers despite being quite young for this level.
Another surprise omission from Fangraph’s list was the omission of LHP David Peterson from this list. Last year’s 20th overall pick completely dominated the South-Atlantic League going 1-4 with a 1.82 ERA, 0.961 WHIP, and an 8.6 K/9. What has been remarkable about Peterson’s season is the progression he has made; a progression which has all but forced the Mets hands to promote him to St. Lucie after his last start.
In the end, it is easy to get hung up on how others rank the Mets prospects or about who is overlooked. In the end, with the aforementioned group of players, the Mets have themselves a solid foundation of promising players who could become mainstays of the New York Mets.
