Travis Taijeron, an 18th round pick in 2011, has always been worth keeping tabs on. He has consistently provided power as a right-handed hitter and let his slugging percentage hover around .500, which is pretty solid. In his debut season, 2011, he slugged nine home runs in just 194 at-bats. In 2012, he managed to hit 19 home runs in 388 at-bats, while 2013 saw him blast 23 in 420 at-bats. 

He had sort of a feast-or-famine season while he played in Binghamton — over 232 at-bats in Double-A, he mashed 14 home runs, which is pretty awesome. However, he only posted a .246 average and struck out 77 times. The strikeout numbers undoubtedly contributed to his low average, so he needs to exhibit a little more of a discerning eye at the plate. MLB.com recently felt that he had one of the best three seasons in the outfield in the Mets Minors — and rightfully so. Alongside with Dustin Lawley and Cesar Puello, Taijeron excited fans all year. DePodesta had this to say about him:

“Almost the same story as Dustin Lawley,” said DePodesta. “Another guy who was a senior sign. Went to Savannah last year and tore it up in the first half and went to St. Lucie and struggled. Started in St. Lucie and hit over .300 with a lot of power. And then we had some injuries in Double-A and he moved up and held his own there and hit some homers. More of a corner outfielder — he’s another guy who’s dangerous, he has big right-handed power.”

I’m under the impression that when Taijeron finds himself in Las Vegas at some point next year, his Triple-A numbers are going to look ridiculous, so i’m preparing myself to take his power numbers with a grain of salt. He has a relatively advanced approach at the plate and enough power to warrant a bench spot if needed. The Mets outfield is basically in a state of shambles right now, and with Chris Young no sure thing, all of the potential position players close to the MLB level, like Lawley, Taijeron, and Puello, will be worth keeping tabs on.