(Jacob Resnick/Mets Minors)
John Sickels has ranked only two Mets among the Top 175 MLB prospects in his Ides of March article of SB Nation. As noted by Sickels, this list is how he views these prospects as of today, and given any number of factors, this list can and will change during the season. Seeing the other lists published so far this year, it should come as little surprise those two prospects are SS Andres Gimenez and LHP David Peterson.
Sickels did note this was not a hard and fast ranking. Rather, he prefers his list to be viewed in terms of groupings. For example, the 100th ranked prospect should not be strictly viewed as the 100th best prospect. Instead he should be viewed as a someone who is as good as a prospect of the people within the quintet above and below him.
Gimenez was ranked 82nd overall, and he was included in a quintet that included INF Christian Arroyo (Rays), RHP Jorge Guzman (Marlins), 1B/OF Jake Bauers (Rays), and C Andrew Kninzer (Cardinals). Every player in this grouping was given a B/B+ grade.
Peterson was ranked 94th overall, and he was included in a quintet that included OF Dustin Fowler (Athletics), OF Harrison Bader (Cardinals), SS Willi Castro (Indians), and LHP Stephen Gonsalves (Twins). Like the aforementioned quintet, these players were given a B/B+ grade.
Like Sickels notes, it will be interesting to see how this list changes during the course of the 2018 season. Certainly, once well regarded prospects like Justin Dunn and Gavin Cecchini can reestablish themselves. Also, we should keep an eye out for players like Luis Guillorme who are continually improving and pushing their way towards the majors.
On one hand, Sickles is a professional writer. On the other hand, if he accumulates most of his information from the same sources we do, i.e. articles and printed notes, then he is just a glorified fan. My point is that after one year of feeling Dunn was such a good prospect, how do you totally drop him off your radar?
I wasn’t a fan of the Dunn pick because he was a reliever for his college career that only started about 15 games right before the draft, but the Yankees screwed the Mets once more by taking Billy McKinnon right in front of them and it seems there wasn’t a backup plan.
Which brings me once more to how Sickles was hot on Dunn for his top 100, but then dropped him off the top 175 by year’s end? That seems pretty knee jerk.
Personally I’m a fan of Dunn after seeing him pitch last year. Let’s see what happens in 2018.