(Ashley Marshall/MILB.com)

Update – 

Mets pitching prospect Marcos Molina has been added to the contingent of players headed to the Arizona Fall League. He has missed the entire season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery last September. Molina, our #18 prospect here at MMN, last pitched in 2015 for the St. Lucie Mets when he went 1-5 with a 4.57 ERA.

Original September 1st –

According to Adam Rubin of ESPN, the Mets will be sending six prospects to the Arizona Fall League. RHP Corey Taylor, LHP David Roseboom, C Tomas Nido, 1B/3B Matt Oberste, SS Gavin Cecchini, and OF Champ Stuart will attend the instructional league as members of the Scottsdale Scorpions. Mets first base coach Tom Goodwin is scheduled to manage the the team, but as Rubin notes, Goodwin’s availability hinges on the Mets’ potential postseason presence.

Nido is part of the team’s taxi squad meaning he will only be available to play on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The Mets also have two more pitchers spots on the Scorpions available to them.

The Mets’ representatives in 2015 included Cecchini, L.J. Mazzilli, Jeff McNeil, Dominic Smith, Mike Hepple, Mickey Jannis, Kyle Regnault, and Beck Wheeler. This year’s crop will play alongside prospects from the Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and San Francisco Giants. Notable Scorpions include Greg Bird and Gleyber Torres of the Yankees, and Victor Alcantara of the Angels.

Cecchini will be making his second appearance in the Arizona Fall League after going 5-13 in four games with the Salt River Rafters in 2015. The 2012 first-round pick has seen strong success at Triple-A in 2016, setting career highs in average (.330), on-base percentage (.391), slugging (.454), and doubles (27), all while cutting down on his strikeout rate. Cecchini is listed as the Mets’ number three prospect by MLB.com.

Nido will look to continue his breakout season in Arizona. The 22-year-old backstop raised his average 51 points to .310 in 2016, and set career highs with St. Lucie in home runs (7), runs batted in (44), and hits (101), while striking out 41 times, an immense improvement considering he whiffed 86 times in 2015. Nido, lowered his errors and raised his caught stealing percentage as well, was boldly placed at 19 on MLB.com’s list.

The Mets  sending two pitchers this year (have two spots left), but they both are names to keep tabs on. Roseboom took over Binghamton’s closer role in July and never looked back, saving 14 games in 15 opportunities while posting a 1.98 ERA and holding opponents to a .178 average. Taylor flourished in the same role with St. Lucie, saving 19 games with a 1.94 ERA in his second professional season.

Oberste has shown solid hitting skills in the past, but playing the same position on the same team as Dominic Smith initially limited his at-bats and eventually forced him to take on a new position in third base. Oberste still hit .291 with Binghamton, and his assignment to the AFL is a sign that they are not yet giving up on the 25-year-old.

Stuart holds the designation of being the fastest player in the Mets’ system, evidenced by his 99 career stolen bases in 114 attempts. Still, he’s struggled to put it all together with the bat, as the team was hoping a midseason promotion to Double-A would help. Stuart will be headed to Arizona after representing Great Britain in the upcoming World Baseball Classic qualifier in Brooklyn.

The 2016 Arizona Fall League kicks off on Tuesday, October 11, with Scottsdale’s first game scheduled that day against the Glendale Desert Dogs.