(Ed Delany/Mets Minors)
Considering how poorly the Mets have fared with the other top Minor League evaluators, it should come as no surprise MiLB.com ranked the Mets position player prospects as the 25th in baseball. As MiLB cited, this is part of the process when a team like the Mets promote top prospects like Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith.
However, lost with all the focus given to them is some real talent in the Mets organization. Like many, MiLB is high on Andres Gimenez, who has been featured on many Top 100 lists. In addition to Gimenez, there are other position players the MiLB believes are impressive prospects:
There’s plenty to like in Peter Alonso‘s bat, and third baseman Mark Vientos made a quick and promising adjustment to pro ball after coming aboard as a second-round pick. Athletic Desmond Lindsay has progressed slowly through the Minors because of injuries, but he remains a strong prospect. Smooth-fielding Luis Guillorme put himself on the brink with an impressive showing for Double-A Binghamton.
While this was not mean to be an exhaustive list, it was interesting more focus was not put on more players from Double-A Binghamton. For example, Kevin Kaczmarski and David Thompson followed strong seasons for the Rumble Ponies with terrific stints in the Arizona Fall League. Also, while he struggled at the plate, Tomas Nido had another strong season defensively. When seeing the strides each player made last year, it does give you hope for the future.
Speaking of hope for the future, one player to track this season is Gavin Cecchini. He spent the offseason working to improve each and every aspect of his game, and the early returns this Spring Training are quite impressive. Ultimately, if Cecchini and other prospects improve, we will have to revisit the low ranking the Mets position players have received.
No reason for anyone to be completely out on Cecchini yet, especially given his awareness and work put into needing swing adjustments. Skeptical? Sure. But Cecchini can easily become a solid UTIL guy if his adjustments take a little bit.
I’m with you, he’s only 23 and hit .325 in 2016 & .317 in 2015 while being far younger than par at those levels of the minor leagues.
Looking to next year, if things go well this year, Guillorme, Cecchini and Rosario can handle middle infield; Smith, Frazier and Flores can handle the corners, and Cespedes, Conforto, Nimmo, Lagares and Bruce can take care of the outfield. This could be a well rounded team that will hit for high averages, play good defense and show some pop. However, like this year, Nimmo is the only option for leadoff, and so the usual playing time issues will come up.
As for catcher, I like Plawecki but want better than Nido on this team, as TDA will leave via free agency.
He should keep his head down, eat humble pie and stop proclaiming he’s good enough to start in the majors when he had awful 2017 in majors and minors – and for years, way too many problems throwing and fielding. His mouthing off is out of line.
There is nothing wrong with showing confidence. He knows that he is running out of opportunities.
I’m pretty excited to see Nido get another year of ABs and experience in the minors. He won a batting title down here in St. Lucie and I feel like he made some adjustments to his approach the next year to draw more walks etc plus catchers obviously have alot more to worry about than their own offensive development going up the levels.
That batting average thing was an outlier based on an abnormally high BABIP. While I root for all our youth, we must realize that all teams need outside help is needed in some areas. For example, though I wrote about the middle infield being full, truth is neither Guillorme or Cecchini are ready to be considered first division starters.
Vientos & Lindsay could be all stars if they hit their potential. Alonso could be a 40+ HR threat. All potential, they just have to make their adjustments to competition and stay healthy. MILB.com could be singing a different tune if those 3 make strides this upcoming yr along with David Thompson who has improved over the last 2 season and could be the 3rd baseman once Fraizer’s contract is up or sooner if injuries come about.
TDA is actually not a free agent until after 2019. With that in mind, its too soon to condemn Nido outright. Plawecki also showed a lot of growth last season (finally). If he does what he did last fall, or even builds on it, he could be a solid, though unspectacular starter and Nido, with his defense, could be a decent back-up even if his bat doesn’t come around. By that time, another catching option can emerge, be it from the minors or through free agency/trade.
Let’s clarify/keep in mind that posting batting averages in the minors is not always an indication of what he might do moving forward.
He posted those batting averages with the help of very high BABIPS. He already caught lightning in a bottle by having such a high BABIP two years in a row. Now he’s going to have to earn it with some real hitting. I commend him for going out this off season and looking to make changes to his game and upgrade his conditioning. But I won’t buy into it until he shows it on the field against major leaguers. Not to mention that even if he hits, heAnd then there’s his defense is defense is very, very suspect.
For the most part, you’re right (if only you hadn’t used the word ‘easily’). That said, while it may be too soon to count him out, given his age, there is also no reason count him in, as so many around here have done.
The reality is that he is out – for now – and the onus is on him to get himself back in.
I never heard of him proclaiming that. But if he did, then he’s just plain nuts. Everything he showed us last year says that he’s no major leaguer right now – not even a back-up. I noticed that he had a big game a couple of days ago. But i haven’t watched it yet so I have no idea if he’s really driving the ball, or if the wind was simply carrying out that day. Let’s see how this spring goes. Because right now, his starting job in AAA is in jeopardy, never mind the majors.
Nido would be an upgrade on defense over TDA and Plawecki. We shall see what the offense looks like for all 3 players this tear soon enough.