Photo by Ed Delany

We will be releasing the players we’ve chosen as part of a group voting for the New York Mets prospects that we felt had the best seasons in 2017.

These players are chosen strictly on their numbers and not on their prospect rankings. It’s going to be a four part series with the bench, starting rotation, and bullpen still to come.

Here is who we have chosen for the best player at each position for their 2017 performances:

C Juan Uriarte – The 2014 signee out of Mexico delivered a breakout season this year at Kingsport. Although he had always been known as an exceptional defender behind the plate with a cannon for an arm, his offense took a step up this year, as he hit .305/.372/.455 with 13 doubles. He’s a contact hitter, only striking out 25 times this year. He placed in the top 15 in the Appalachian League in OPS, average, doubles, hits, and total bases. The right-handed hitter recently turned 20-years old.

1B Peter Alonso – The product of the University of Florida, Alonso finally delivered on his raw power that convinced the Mets to draft him in the second round of the 2015 draft. Although the beginning of his season was marred by a broken hand and ineffectiveness, he really stepped it up in the second half. His 16 home runs in the FSL were second among all players. Starting 2017 in St. Lucie, Alonso impressed so much that he was called up to help during the Rumble Ponies’s 2017 run to the playoffs.

2B Luis Santana – In his second professional season, he had arguably the most underrated season in the Mets minor league system. He hit .325/.430/.481 and his OBP was third among Mets minor leaguers. The second baseman relied on hitting ground balls, which served him well due to his advanced speed. He joined DSL 2 this year and will most likely start at Kingsport next year. The 18-year-old was given a $200k signing bonus in 2016.

SS Amed Rosario – Amed is arguably the most impressive position player prospect the Mets have had in years. While his offense struggled in his brief stop into the Major Leagues, there is no denying his Triple-A slash line: .328/.367/.466. His spectacular defense was on display in both Vegas and at times in New York, hopefully allaying the fears that his bat is not yet Major-League ready. Especially worrisome was his 1.8% walk rate in his inaugural MLB season. However, if he can fix that in his sophomore year, he should easily cement himself as an above-average shortstop.

3B Rigoberto Terrazas – Terrazas is another player on this list who had a breakout year. He earned a Sterling Award and received his first All-Star selection. Doing most of his damage at Hunter Wright stadium, he finished with a .348/.413/.486 slash line. His come-out-of-nowhere year was warranted by increasing his line drive percentage by 13 points. He finished top 10 in the Appalachian League in OPS, average, hits and runs. This season was a step in the right direction for the 21-year-old.

OF Wagner Lagrange – A 2015 international signee, Lagrange greatly underachieved in his first full season hitting only .231/.276/.301. However, he greatly outperformed those numbers in 2017. With Kingsport, he hit .330/.379/.460 and was voted an All-Star. His defense was raved about due to the fact that he had 10 assists in 2017 as he has a cannon for an arm in left field. He finished with 40 RBIs and a .379 OBP, both which were ninth in the Appalachian League.

OF Jayce Boyd – One of the most forgotten men in Las Vegas, Boyd has proven all throughout his minor league career that he can make contact, but he’s never been able to slug for extra bases.  A sixth round pick in 2012, had a bounce back season as he was finally able to hit for extra bases with a .297/.371/.512 slash line. His 2014 TOS (Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) surgery has been a huge detriment to his defense, especially since he moved to left field in 2015.

OF Travis Taijeron – A huge man with extreme power, Taijeron had another huge offensive year for the 51s. He finished his season with a .907 OPS, second among Mets minor leaguers. Although he cut down his strikeout rate in his third year with the 51s, he’s still a three true outcome player. Among league leaders in doubles, home runs, and total bases, he was finally given a deserving promotion in late August.

Next for you we will have the All-Star rotation for you.