The Mets signed Domingo Tapia out of the Dominican Republic in December of 2009. He is currently ranked 15th on the MMN Mid-Season Top 25 Prospect list.
Tapia, 21, was born in Santo Domingo, DR and was the second eldest of eight children. Domingo didn’t begin playing baseball until he was 12 years old. Growing up he had played almost any position, but by the time he reached the age of 16 he began focusing on pitching.
When Mets VP of Player Development Paul DePodesta was asked which players Mets fans should keep an eye on, he responded:
“Domingo Tapia and Rafael Montero. Both guys have a chance to emerge as our next group of top tier potential ML starting pitchers. They both have power stuff, and both pound the strike zone.”
The 6’4, 186 pound Tapia certainly has the frame to withstand the rigors of being a major league starting pitcher as he fills out. It’s scary to think that he may add strength as he develops, potentially adding to his fastball that has been clocked at 100 mph. That fastball, which is undoubtedly his best pitch, usually sits 94-97 with nasty sink that induces a ton of groundballs. Domingo’s second best pitch is his changeup, which flashes plus with good arm-side fade. He also throws a slider which is a work in progress even by his own account.
Baseball Prospectus’ Jason Parks on Tapia:
In the mold of Derek Lowe, Tapia wears his power sinker on his sleeve, and despite knowing what is coming, Low-A hitters struggled to drive the offering. Moving up a level, he will continue to find success on the back of the plus-plus pitch, but the development of his secondary arsenal could propel him up prospect lists. The changeup will already flash plus, and with more work, could settle in as a consistent plus pitch. The curveball is underdeveloped, but Tapia shows a good feel for pitching and sources think the offering has a chance to become average with more work. This kid is on his way up.
Tapia has been up and down this year in St. Lucie, but I still really like him as a prospect. He’s often categorized as a high risk prospect– probably because he’s failed to develop a quality breaking pitch (possibly due to his arm slot). However I think he’s a very safe bet to become a high-end reliever at the very least.