(Photo by Ed Delany)
We recently finished out Top 50 here at MMN but will now give a chance to each writer to express their own opinions on which players they felt should have been included in the list or are in the next group of players just outside the list:
LHP Kyle Regnault
Ht: 6’3″ Wt: 215 lbs. Age: 5/17/92 (25) Bats/Throws:L/L
2017 Level: Las Vegas
Stats: 7-0, 2.78 ERA, SV, 5 HLD, 66 K, 1.299 WHIP
With the loss of Josh Smoker, the Mets now have only two lefties on their 40-man roster, and Regnault is hoping to fill that void. Regnault rose through the Mets system in 2017 by posting exceptional numbers in Binghamton, Las Vegas, and the Arizona Fall League.
The 28-year-old isn’t one of the typical relievers who have graduated from the Mets system over the past few years. He consistently pounds the strike zone with his low-90’s fastball. His main weapon is a slider that is a mid-80’s which usually fools hitters. Regnault has made the most out of his time in the minors, and as of the moment, there is an opening for him to break camp in the Mets bullpen.
Photo By Ernest Dove
OF Wuilmer Becerra
Ht: 6’3″ Wt: 243 lbs. Age: 10/11/94 (23) Bats/Throws:R/R
2017 Level: St. Lucie
Stats: .267/.332/.335, 16 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 44 RBI, 16 SB, 5 CS
Becerra might have been the least regarded prospect in the R.A. Dickey deal, but he has been consistently rated as one of the top prospects in the Mets system. That has changed recently as a shoulder injury likely contributed to his slugging percentage cratering to .335. His poor season resulted in the Mets out-righting him off their 40-man roster in October.
However, when healthy, Becerra has a cannon for an arm in right field with real power potential. Another year removed from surgery with an opportunity to continue to get himself into baseball shape could prove beneficial to the outfielder. If you’re looking for hope, consider the hit two homers in Winter Ball despite being quite young for that level.
Photo By Ernest Dove
C Anthony Dimino
Ht: 5’11″ Wt: 174 lbs Age: 8/5/93 (24) Bats/Throws:L/R
2017 Level: Gulf Coast, Columbia, St.Lucie
Stats: .330/.407/.373, 7 2B, 3B, 16 RBI, 11 SB, 6 CS
The Mets 2015 28th round draft pick out of a no name college has steadily risen throughout the Mets minor league system because shown off his advanced hit tool in the minors. At the moment, he’s without a defensive home having played six positions in 2017, but with his catching experience, he’s not your run-of-the-mill utility guy. As we have seen with T.J. Rivera, if you continue to hit, the Mets will eventually find a player a position where they can thrive.
Photo By Ernest Dove
RHP Andrew Church
Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 205 lbs. Age: 10/7/94 (23) Bats/Throws:R/R
2017 Level: St Lucie and Binghamton
Stats: 12-9, 5.06 ERA, 98 K, 1.430 WHIP
The Mets 2013 second round pick took a step forward this season by putting everything together in a successful 2016 campaign. On the surface, his 2017 season was a frustrating step back, but there is plenty of evidence he took another step forward. The quick working 23-year-old continued limit free passes in his career, and his 3.97 xFIP indicates some of his perceived struggles were really bad luck. Overall, Church has the pure stuff to put himself on this list as he has a mid-90’s fastball works well with slider and a quality change-up.
LHP Daniel Zamora
Ht: 6’3″ Wt: 190 lbs. Age: 4/15/93 (24) Bats/Throws:L/L
2017 Level: Florida State League (A) & Eastern League (AA)
Stats: 2-4, 1.76 ERA, 9 SV, 63 K, 1.225 WHIP
Daniel Zamora, who was acquired after our Top 50 was released, has the stuff to be a LOOGY in the Mets bullpen as he limited left-handed batters to .232/.284/.261 batting line. He has this type of success because he combines his low-90’s with a nasty slider, which eats up opposing batters. This fastball/slider combination keep batters hits against him on the ground which helps limit the extra base hits against him.
(Photo credit: Allen Greene Photography)
3B Rigoberto Terrazas
Ht: 6’1″ Wt: 185 lbs. Age: 4/11/96 (21) Bats/Throws:S/R
2017 Level: Kingsport
Stats: .348/.413/.486, 16 2B, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 24 RBI, SB
Terrazas made a change in his swing, and he had a breakout year culminating with his being named to the Appalachian League All-Star team. However it was more than a changed swing, it was a changed approach with Terrazas drawing more walks. This increased selectivity helped him finally tap into his power. Coming off a strong season like that, Terrezzas will look to cement himself as the top Mets minor-league third baseman in 2018.
RHP Eric Hanhold
Ht: 6’5″ Wt: 220 lbs. Age: 11/1/93 (24) Bats/Throws:R/R
2017 Level: Carolina League (A)
Stats: 8-3, 3.94 ERA, 2 SV, 60 K, 1.44 WHIP
Hanhold is one of the most underrated prospects in the system. Acquired in the Neil Walker trade, he is in the mold of the other relievers the Mets acquired at the trade deadline: he throws a mid-high 90’s mph fastball with decent off speed deliveries. Shockingly, his fastball has been clocked at 103 MPH. Overall, he has a clean delivery, and he commands the strike zone well. This is why he thrived in the bullpen last year going 8-1 with a 2.61 ERA and a 1.277 WHIP.
RHP Tony Dibrell
Ht: 6’3″ Wt: 190 lbs. Age: 11/8/95 (22) Bats/Throws:R/R
2017 Level: Brooklyn
Stats: 1-1, 5.03 ERA, 28 K, 1.373 WHIP
Dibrell is well-developed prep arm who throws an incredible change-up to compliment his mid-90’s fastball. We should not be thrown off by his struggles after a long collegiate season. Dibrell is working to clean-up his delivery which should result in better command, more consistency, and much better results on the mound. Bottom line, the Mets 2017 fourth round pick has the stuff and the talent, and he is poised to take a big step forward in 2018.
RHP Tim Peterson
Ht: 6’1” Wt: 215 lbs Age: 2/22/1991 (26) Bats/Throws R/R
2017 Level: Binghamham and Las Vegas
Stats:5-3, 1.86 ERA, 7 SV, 55 K, 0.862 WHIP
Although he’s flown under the radar throughout his time in the Mets system, Peterson made a name for himself by having a dominant 2017 campaign. Peterson did this by utilizing his offspeed pitches and by locating his pitches well. The end result was a dominating 1.14 ERA and 0.777 WHIP in Binghamton. He followed that up with a dominating stint in the Arizona Fall League where he was 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA and a 0.774 WHIP. Overall, there are guys that just know how to get batters out, and judging from the entirety of his minor league career, Peterson is one of those guys.
(Photo Credit: Allen Greene Photography)
OF Anthony Dirocie
Ht: 5’11″ Wt: 175 lbs. Age: 4/24/97 (20) Bats/Throws:R/R
Level: Kingsport
Stats: .245/.287/.489, 19 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 48 RBI, 3 SB, 2 CS
As a member of the Mets 2013 international free agent signing class, the 20 year old outfielder made his state side debut, and he mashed at the plate. Dirocie was the Appalachian League leader in homers, led all outfielders in extra-base hits, and he had the second highest slugging among outfielders. In total, Dirocie profiled as the slugging type of outfielder which is currently missing from the Mets system. With some adjustments at the plate, he can truly take off next season.
Re Kyle Regnault: “and as of the moment, there is an opening for him to break camp in the Mets bullpen.”. You’re right – there SHOULD be an opportunity. Except that as of now, he hasn’t even been invited to camp yet. Just one of a number of stories that should’ve been covered weeks ago, instead of continuing to feed us more “list” articles.
Terrazas is not on anyone’s radar, except a couple of you guys here on Mets Minors. That he “will look to cement himself as the top Mets minor-league third baseman in 2018.” seems highly questionable. He’s not the top 3rd baseman now – he’s got a more proven player way ahead of him in David Thompson. And a more talented player coming up behind him in Mark Vientos – who, by the way, reached Kingsport at the age of 18. Terrazas was 21. And Terrazas has only two years left till free agency. He would need to keep breaking out this year just to get on the radar, and then again in 2019 just to save his job.
You’re right, Hanhold has flown under the radar. Dirocie seems interesting too. Anybody know if he plays a good OF?
Got to question the Hanhold review and data. Other reports state that this fastball typically sits in the low to mid-90’s, reaching the upper 90’s only occasionally. Minor league radar guns are notorious for not being calibrated often enough, and the 102 reading on one of his pitches was questioned by the home team’s announcer. Opposing hitters have always been able to hit him, batting .303 against him for his career. His BB/9 is almost 3 since going to advanced-A two years ago.
The silver lining is that he seemed to finally turn things around late last season after his team started limiting him to just one inning per appearance.
Don’t believe everything you read.
“A man who reads nothing at all is infinitely smarter than a man who reads one newspaper” – Thomas Jefferson
Hanhold doesn’t throw as hard as reported here, and has thus far been very hittable in his career. That will, generally, keep a player under the radar.
If oyu are so down on this site, why don’t you write some Fanshots. Idon’t get all the negativity. I personally like the list articles.
Its probably because he played in the Arizona fall league so he has a shorter off season. He’ll probably get called up mid-summer
I’m not sure where you came up with that one. Playing in the AFL has absolutely no bearing on their following season’s workload. It never has. Its a 6-week season, shorter than winter ball that so many players play. AFL starts shortly before winter leagues, and ends a full month sooner.
Lists are fine – to a point. But not to the exclusion (or near exclusion) of everything else. And thats what’s happened these past six weeks to eight weeks. More than 25 list articles in that time. Meanwhile, six of seven player transactions have gone unreported. Four of those six have seen players leave the system, and one brought a new player in.
You want to read lists? Fine then let them write lists. I can ignore them if i want. But don’t make it so there’s virtually no other content on the site for weeks, soon to be months, on end.
You’re right, they should certainly report on transactions and I think they heard you on that . Hopefully at least.