We continue our list working our way into the top 15 with the two best catchers in the system, a right-hander who made his MLB debut this season, a promising shortstop and this year’s second round pick.
#15 RHP Seth Lugo
Ht: 6’4” Wt: 225 Level: Triple-A Las Vegas 51s/New York Mets
B/T: R/R Age: 11/17/1989(26) Age Dif: -0.7
Acquired: Selected in the 34th round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Centanary College of Louisiana
Preseason Rank: #12
2016 Statistics: 3-4, 6.50 ERA, 21 games (14 starts), 73.1 IP, 103 H, 63 R, 53 ER, 20 BB, 63 K, 1.67 WHIP (with Vegas)
2016 MLB Stats: 0-2, 3.04 ERA, 10 games ( 1 start), 23.2 IP, 17 H, 8 ER, 7 BB, 19 K, 1.01 WHIP
Profile: The right-hander made his major league debut out of the bullpen with the Mets. Lugo started the 2016 season in the Vegas rotation but, struggled like many other pitchers in Vegas. Out of the bullpen, Lugo showed an increase in velocity, which helped him preform better. As a starter Lugo pitched to a 3-4 record with a 6.93 ERA, allowing 88 hits in 69.1 innings pitched. Since joining the 51s bullpen Lugo pitched much better, with a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings out of the pen.
Lugo made his MLB debut against the Cubs on July the first and showed his good arsenal of pitches right away. Lugo uses a four seam fastball that reaches 96 MPH to go with a two-seam fastball which is around the 90 MPH mark. His best pitch is his curve ball. If you remember Lugo striking out Anthony Rizzo on a pitch that hit his foot you know what I’m talking about. His curve has great 12-6 movement and was named the best curve in the Mets system before the season (by Baseball America).
Lugo made his first MLB start on Friday the 19th of August. He pitched really well going 6.2 innings allowing just three runs on seven hits. He threw only 69 pitches to get thru 6.2 innings and hit 96 MPH late in his outing.
What’s Next: At the moment I write this, Lugo’s fate depends on what the Mets decided to do with Steven Matz. With the Mets starting pitching staff I see Lugo as an insurance to the other starters, plus being a spot starter/ long man. I think Lugo could be a very useful pitcher in the bullpen as he can give you multiple quality innings. Lugo could definitely fight for a rotation spot with many other organizations but, don’t see it with the Mets if they are all healthy.
#14 C Tomas Nido
Ht: 6’0″ Wt: 205 Level: St. Lucie Mets High-A
B/T: R/R Age: 4/12/1994(22) Age Dif: -0.7
Acquired: Selected in the 8th round of the 2012 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Orangewood Christian HS (Maitland, FL)
Preseason Rank: #74
2016 Statistics: 308 AB, 34 R, 96 H, 22 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 44 RBI, 16 BB, 39 K .312/.347/.458
Profile: From our #74 to #14 in half of a season shows what kind of break out season the 22-year old catcher is having. Plus Nido has done it behind the plate and at the plate. Nido has shown a gap-to-gap pop with a fluid line drive swing. Nido has a new career high in home runs (7), hits (96), doubles (22), RBIs (44) with still some baseball left this season. Behind the plate Nido also made significant strides, gunning down 39% of the would be base stealers. Before this season his career high was 25%.
In a recent scouting report from baseballprospectus.com scout Thomas Desmidt, Nido was profiled as an all field line drive hitter, who makes consistent hard contact. On the defensive end Desmidt wrote, Nido is a good receiver with an above average arm.
What’s Next: I think Nido will start next season with the Double-A Binghamton Mets. He is a prospect to keep an eye on after his break out season. He has the tools to be an above average catcher in the big leagues.
#13 1B Peter Alonso
Ht: 6’3” Wt: 225 Level: Low-A Brooklyn Cyclones
B/T: R/R Age: 12/7/1994(21) Age Dif: -0.1
Acquired: Selected in the 2nd round of the 2016 MLB June Amateur Draft out of University of Florida (Gainsville, FL)
Preseason Rank: Drafted this season.
2016 Statistics: 109 AB, 20 R, 35 H, 12 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 11 BB, 22 K .321/.382/.587
Profile: Unfortunately we got the news that he will miss the remainder of the season with a broken finger. Alonso was showing why he was the most powerful hitter on one of the best college teams before the Mets drafted him. Alonso his .587 slugging % would be leading the NYPL, if he had enough at bats to qualify. Alonso shows the ability to hit for power to all fields, he showed a quick bat and made consistent hard contact in Brooklyn before his injury. Alonso raw power from the right side is a very interesting tool to keep an eye on.
Baseball Prospectus said in a scouting report (before he was drafted) that Alonso has a pretty long swing, which could result in a lower batting average in the higher levels, but his power will be his main tool.
What’s Next: The 21-year old could be on the fast track through the Mets system. I expect him to play with the Columbia Fireflies or even the St. Lucie Mets to start his first full season as a pro next year.
Photo Credit – Timesnews/George Thwaites
#12 SS Luis Carpio
Ht: 6’0” Wt: 165 Level: GCL Mets Rookie League
B/T: R/R Age: 7/11/1997(19) Age Dif: -1.5
Acquired: Signed by the New York Mets as an international free agent in 2013 for $300,000
Preseason Rank: #8
2015 Statistics: 181 AB, 31 R, 55 H, 10 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 22 RBI, 17 BB, 34 K, 9 SB, .304/.372/.359 (in 2015 with Kingsport)
2016 Statistics: 31 AB, 3 R, 9 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 11 K, .290/.353/.387 (only as the DH)
Profile: The young shortstop has lost four places on the list mostly due to a shoulder injury that kept him out until a couple of days ago. After a very impressive season as a 17 year old in Kingsport last year, Carpio is still one of the many good middle infield prospects the Mets own. In 2015 Carpio hit .304 which is very impressive knowing it was his first season at state side.
Scouts see Carpio as a small hitter with a short stroke and the ability to hit to all fields (up the middle approach). As a young middle infielder, Carpio is still small build and uses that to his advantage with his approach at the plate. Scouts raved about his Baseball IQ which, shows in his solid on base percentage at .372.
Carpio has average speed, excellent instincts, good first step and a good approach for a top of the order hitter. He is expected to become a second baseman rather, than a short stop because he lacks the arm strength. At just 19 years old he could develop a better arm that could keep him at short but, it seems like second will work better for the young middle infielder.
What’s Next: Our own Jacob Resnick reported yesterday that Carpio is heading to Brooklyn, he will be the DH for the remainder of the season. He could return to play for the Brooklyn Cyclones or maybe Columbia Fireflies next season if the Mets decided to be aggressive.
#11 C Ali Sanchez
Ht: 6’1” Wt: 200 Level: Low-A Brooklyn Cyclones
B/T: R/R Age: 1/20/1997 (19) Age Dif: -2.1
Acquired: Signed as an International Free-Agent in 2013 for $690,000
Preseason Rank: #15
2016 Statistics: 138 AB, 12 R, 29 H, 8 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 8 BB, 20 K, 2 SB .210/.253/.268
Profile: Although the young catcher is not having a great season with the Brooklyn Cyclones, he is still named our top catching prospect in the minors. Being only 19 years of age and already playing in Low-A it is not that big of a surprise that Sanchez has to adjust a bit to the level of play, especially facing other teams top draft picks from this season.
The biggest plus on the game of Sanchez is his great defense as a back stop. Scouts have raved about the defensive skills, even before the Mets signed him. Ben Badler of Baseball America touted his arm and high IQ in his original report, along with his receiving skills, framing pitches and handling balls in the dirt. This season Sanchez has thrown out 42 % would-be base stealers and has a 48% caught stealing rate in his career.
As a hitter Sanchez is seen as a high contact kind of hitter without much power. He hit three home runs in the DSL and none since that. This season Sanchez has hit only eight extra base hits, all doubles. Scouts don’t expect Sanchez to become a power hitter when he gets older. He has a promising future as a great defensive backstop with a solid contact bat.
What’s Next: I think Sanchez should be able to play his first full season as a pro and start next season with the Columbia Fireflies.
Previous Top 50 posts:
Numbers 50-41, Numbers 40-31, Numbers 30-26, Numbers 25-21, Numbers 19-16
Looks like Josh Smoker and Patrick Mazeika did not make the top 50 (or 51) prospect list. I am assuming Smoker is due mostly to his age?
Right now, I’m higher on Nido than I am on Sanchez. I like both of them a lot, but seeing Nido finally get really good results is extremely encouraging. He always had the tools to be solid with the bat and his improvements defensively are great, since now it looks like he might even be above average behind the plate. Sanchez is a great prospect, but he’s still very young and a work in progress. It looks like Lugo won’t get a chance to take over Matz’s rotation spot, since Gsellman just got scratched from his start. I’m disappointed that Lugo is getting passed over, but I’m also very excited to see how Gsellman looks in the MLB.
Really been enjoying this list. Found Metsminors earlier this summer, fills the gap left behind by Toby Hyde’s minor league site.
Surprised to see Ali Sanchez rated so high, as the writeup mentions 330+ PA and counting in rookie-ball with a HR.
Honestly Smoker was an oversight as he was supposed to be in the 40-50 range but Mazeika is not worthy in my opinion. Numbers aside I don’t like his defense and the offense does profile to be good enough to overcome the defensive shortcomings.
Glad to have another reader. On Sanchez, it’s mostly all projection with him and he is still so young. I know the numbers don’t reflect it this year but I think he ends up being a good all around hitter and he’s advanced defensively.
It sounds like Gsellman is going to work out of the pen, wouldn’t make a ton of sense to make him wait until Thursday to start when he was supposed to go today. Really he should be starting tomorrow instead of Niese.
Agree 100%. Niese is best used out of the bullpen. I have far more confidence with both Lugo and Gsellman than Niese
That 2011 draft was a really good one for the Mets.
I think you’re wrong about Mazeika and by this time next year I feel he’ll be ranked ahead of both nido and sanchez. Yes he needs to get better defensively, but he’s improved in these 2 yrs and will continue to get better. Also, all he does is hit and get on base from college, to kingsport, to columbia this yr and he’s a lefty. Last yr he finshed 1pt behind Kaz for batting title and led league in obp and this yr if he had enough at bats to qualify he would’ve finished 4th in avg and 1st in obp again. sanchez, even though he’s young wouldn’t bat his weight in the majors and no matter how great defensively he is he’ll always be a liability with his stick. Nido, even though he’s a yr younger then Mazeika has been in the system 5 yrs now and this is his first good yr. Hopefully something clicked and he continues to improve both offensively and defensively, but I’m betting Mazeika puts up better numbers then him and jumps ahead of both in rankings like I said, but if you guys don’t think so then trade him to the red sox and he can DH for us in 2-3 yrs.