For the purpose of our series of posts, we define the word fringe as any prospects, which we considered, that were absent from MMN’s own Top 40 Prospect lists. The purpose of the series is to identify prospects that are showing promise above what fans might expect and what their futures will hold within the Mets organization.
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Vicente Lupo, OF
DOB: 11/26/1993
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
2013 Total Stats: 126 PA, .220/.310/.385, 4 2B, 4HR, 10.3 BB%, 39.7 k%
2013 Review:
Although putting up insane numbers in the DSL last year, Lupo struggled with the GCL Mets. He hit .220/.310/.385 in 109 PA’s with 50 strikeouts. And while he showed flashes of his highly touted power and ability, he simply struck out way too much to be an effective contributor. His low number of walks on the year (13), indicates he was being overactive at the plate and chasing pitches out of the zone at an unacceptable rate. Scouts were afraid that his numbers wouldn’t transition to American competition, and, at first glance, they don’t seem to have. But, at only 20 years old, Lupo has plenty of time to make any transitions and get accustomed to his new life.
Prospect Outlook:
While there’s no denying he struggled offensively this season, Lupo’s age and upside are still incredible. The 20-year-old outfielder stands 6’0″, 180-pound with good speed, making him an good fit for a corner-outfield position. Lupo absolutely tore up the GCL in 2012 hitting .343/.500/.608 with 10 home runs, 46 walks and only 45 strikeouts. His power and production, while raw, has immense potential. And while it was done overseas, Lupo actually posted a 1.108 OPS, something that absolutely must be taken into consideration. This kid has true potential. He had a lot of trouble in 2013, and there are some significant adjustments he must make now that he is playing against American competition, but if he can make these changes, he has the time and potential to become a true big league contributor.
2014 Prediction:
2014 is a big year for Lupo, as his adjustment period to the stateside competition will officially be over, and it will be his fourth year at the rookie level. Lupo absolutely wrecked the competition in the DSL, and there’s really no reason to believe he can’t reach that potential again. He is a massive chamber of untapped talent and has the athletic skills and abilities to plaster a baseball at any level. It’s just up to him to see if he can polish those skills make to make them viable a big league level.
Prospects On The Fringe:
(Photo Credit: Bryan Greene/Daniel Baezfecha)
50 K’s in 126 plate appearances is more than just “Lupo stuggled…” and if that continues, he will not have “plenty of time to improve.” I was very disappointed to see him struggle after he tore up DSL the year before.
Hopefully he regroups and tears it up this year – Mets never seem to have enough hitters, and it would be great to see him develop into one.
His last 10 games in 2013 looked promising 9he got on 11 of 28 times, with 5 extra base hits) except for one thing – SIXTEEN K’s in 28 plate appearances. Usually that sort of thing is a fatal flaw.