The Rookie level Short Season Gulf Coast League (GCL) concluded on September 1. The Jose Carreno led GCL Mets finished 26-29, 7.5 games back of the eventual championship winning Cardinals. It was a season of exposure and development for the GCL team.

While a few rehabbing prospects (Desmond Lindsay, Eudor Garcia, and Luis Carpio) and even an undrafted college graduate (Reed Gamache) passed through, the majority of the roster is made up of players making their US soil debut along with freshly drafted HS students. With a league average age of 19, most of these kids would be college freshman. As such, the standouts are not nearly as press worthy as those of the higher levels, and they are far from finished projects.

With that, you often have to dig a little further than the stat line to determine who is worth writing about. On surface Victor Moscote would seem like a no-brainer, then you remember him from earlier seasons in the DSL and realize he has been with the organization for six seasons and is like a college graduate playing in the GCL. Not to take anything away from him, but his stats are misleading at this point. It’s about how the players are transitioning, transitioning to the US, to becoming a working adult. How the tools are translating. Are they showing up?

Among the everyday players there is some potential down in the GCL, OF Anthony Dirocie showed the athleticism needed and led the team in total bases. The co-2015 DSL Sterling Award winner Wagner Lagrange started red hot before fading as the season wore on. Ranfy Adon, said to have plus speed, finished the season on a decent run after struggling early. Juan Uriarte played up to his billing with a plus arm throwing out 40% of would be base stealers.

Hitting Leaders

• Hits: Carlos Sanchez 45
• Runs: Anthony Dirocie 32 (5th in league)
• Doubles: Anthony Dirocie & Wagner Lagrange 10
• Home Runs: Anthony Dirocie, Carlos Sanchez, & Ranfy Adon 2
• Batting Average: Victor Moscote .293 (9th in league)
• On Base Percentage: Victor Moscote .385 (4th in league)
• Runs Batted In: Wagner Lagrange 21
• Stolen Bases: Ranfy Adon 9
• Slugging: Anthony Dirocie .414

There were a number of pitchers who also passed through as well. Sixto Torres quickly proved his stuff belonged at higher levels. As did another undrafted college graduate in Joe Napolitano. Luis Silva was rewarded with a start in Columbia at the end of the season.  Lagrange’s Sterling award counterpart Nicolas Debora struck out over a batter per inning.

The 2016 draft class also was well represented in the GCL with Garrison Bryant, Eric Villanueva, Dariel Rivera, Matt Cleveland, and Christian James. James was impressive in his work out of the bullpen, allowing 11 hits in his 17 innings of work. Picking up three saves in the process. He may figure in the Kingsport rotation next season.

Pitching Leaders

• Wins: Nicolas Debora & Yeudy Colon 4
• Innings: Carlos Hernandez & Luis De Los Santos (tied for 5th in league)
• Qualified ERA: Luis De Los Santos 2.62 (9th in league)
• Non-Qualified ERA: Christian James 0.51
• Qualified WHIP: Luis De Los Santos 1.09
• Non-Qualified WHIP: Luis Carreno 0.58
• Strikeouts:  Carlos Hernandez 43
• Saves: Christian James 3
• SO/W: Ezequiel Zabaleta 10.0
• SO/9: Yeudy Colon 10.1

There were a couple of players whose play has not yet lived up to expectations. Namely million dollar IFA signing Kenny Hernandez who produced just a .550 OPS. Another name that more was expected from was RF Kenneth Bautista who struggled in his second season in the GCL. The jury is still out on both players though, both have loads of potential and lots of time to develop.

Next season will be interesting with the influx of players from the DSL (Gregory Guerrero, Raul Beracierta, Edinson Valdez) along with some HS players that didn’t get into games this year (Cameron Planck) potentially all calling Florida home.

Previous season reviews: Binghamton, DSL