(Tom Priddy/MiLB.com)
Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs have compiled their list of the top 31 rankings in the Mets farm system. This is a ranking which has changed dramatically over the last year or two due to the promotion of players like Pete Alonso to the majors as well as the trades like the one sending Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson to the Toronto Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman.
While Fangraphs notes Brodie Van Wagenen has been “a little cavalier with dealing away prospects,” there has been “a tier of teenagers (mostly arms) in the lower levels of the system have emerged to make [the farm system] it deeper.” Taking everything into account, here are there top 31 Mets prospects:
- Ronny Mauricio, SS
- Andres Gimenez, SS
- Mark Vientos,3B
- Brett Baty, 3B
- Matthew Allan, RHP
- Francisco Alvarez, C
- Thomas Szapucki, LHP
- David Peterson, LHP
- Franklyn Kilome, RHP
- Shervyen Newton, SS
- Junior Santos, RHP
- Josh Wolf, RHP
- Endy Rodriguez, C
- Kevin Smith, LHP
- Jaylen Palmer, SS
- Adrian Hernandez, CF
- Robert Dominguez, RHP
- Jordany Ventura, RHP
- Carlos Cortes, 2B
- Joshua Cornielly, RHP
- Jordan Humphreys, RHP
- Alexander Ramirez, CF
- Ali Sanchez, C
- Will Toffey, 3B
- Freddy Valdez, RF
- Ryley Gilliam, RHP
- Desmond Lindsay, CF
- Walker Lockett, RHP
- Tylor Megill, RHP
- Joander Suarez, RHP
- Michel Otanez, RHP
The biggest surprise on this list is Rodriguez at 13. The 19 year old catcher did put up a 144 wRC+ in the Gulf Coast League, but it was only in 22 games. This is a name not on the radar of many, but Fangraphs sees a player who is “a very athletic, switch-hitting catcher with advanced feel for contact, and a few of the sources we spoke with about Rodriguez were actually most excited about his defense.”
The other noticeable thing about Fangraphs’ rankings is they are very bullish about the 2019 draft class with both Baty and Allan in the top five. With Wolf at 12, the Mets top three draft picks are one-quarter of the top of the Mets top prospects.
Overall, with Mauricio on top, there remain some top tier prospects in the Mets farm system. Over the course of the 2020 season, the new managers brought into the organization are now entasked with taking the intriguing talent that is here and developing them. If successful in that endeavor, the Mets farm system may be looked upon quite differently a year from now.
