The Met outfield resembles a lava lamp; constantly changing shape, but never really heating up enough to catch fire. The twisting, turning, and churning configuration in the deepest recesses of Citi Field can temporarily hold fan interest, but the fascination ebbs and flows with each new arrangement until the only real expectation comes in wondering what the next change might be.

Center field, the anchor position of the outfield, the hub of the last line of defense, is in continual flux.  Players come and go as flavors of the week, some providing a delicious taste of promise at first but then melting away like all the others.

From the Hot Stove days of winter, through the giddy possibilities of spring training, then stretching through the early stages of another baseball year, Met fans have looked at the outfield and sighed. It was sometimes a sigh of wonder, considering how such a disparate collection of major league outfielders could hope to compete. It was sometimes a sigh of dismay as the calendar ticked forward and the prospect of a productive outfield, not an outfield of prospects, diminished. Recently, it has been a sigh of frustration as Met fans come to grips with the reality of our outfield play and the limited ‘”fix-up” options available for making an upgrade.

Could help be on the way in the shape of home grown prospects from our minor leagues? Unfortunately, the help is not immediate, but positive signs are percolating somewhat below surface level in Double-A Binghamton.

The B-Mets have four outfielders on this year’s roster. The B-Met four today are the same four that started the spring in Bingahmton: Darrell Ceciliani, Alonzo Harris, Cesar Puello and Cory Vaughn. That in itself provides some solace. Unlike the shape-changing taking place over their heads, the B-Met four are quietly piecing together some unsung, yet, consistent and impressive outfield play.

For starters, each has shown flashes of pop in their bat. All four B-Met outfielders have knocked in 10 or more RBIs; Vaughn is currently leading the pack at 25, and Puello is not far behind at 22. Puello has blasted six homeruns in 127 at-bats. Vaughn has five long balls, while Harris follows closely behind with four round trippers. Although he has cleared the bases only once, Ceciliani has more than 10 extra base-hits (11, to be exact), like the rest of the B-Met outfield contingent.

It’s not only long ball potential, but speed, that the B-Met four brings to the table. Harris is blessed with lightning in his feet and has already stolen 11 bases. Ceciliani combines above average speed with superior base running basics and has pilfered eight.

It’s the speed of Puello that surprises. He’s a swarthy, muscular, powerful guy; a baseball player with the wide hips of the game’s best power hitters.  It’s a bit jaw dropping the first time you see him racing down the baseline. Puello has seven stolen bases to his ledger in the young season, with Vaughn swiping five more bags.

Defensively, Ceciliani has the most polished outfield tools. The left-hander reads the ball well off the bat, gets a good jump on the ball, and has a solid arm. Puello has experienced some problems judging balls in the air, but he’s making strides defensively, while having a cannon for an arm.  A Puello throw from right field trying to nab a runner is always accompanied by the oohs and aahs of the crowd.  As Harris improves his original read off the bat, his speed will serve him well in the outfield, and Vaughn has done some steady work in left field.

Double-A baseball is a big stepping stone for many professional baseball players. As a collection of young prospects, the B-Met outfielders appear to be handling the transition well.  With the glaring deficiencies in the outfield on our major league roster, you can’t help but look behind you and wonder “When might help be on the way?”