B/T: R/R
Age: 21 (7/31/00)
Ht: 6’4 Wt: 208 LBS
Acquired: Mets 22nd round draft pick, 2018 (Flushing, NY)
ETA: 2024 Previous Rank: 10
2021 Stats (St. Lucie/Brooklyn): .244/.354/.368 18 2B, 6 3B, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 30 SB, 6 CS
The last two names on our list, Eric Orze and Hayden Senger, were being recognized primarily for their high floors and being on the doorstep of contributing to the major league club. It’s time we flip that around with our next prospect, infielder/outfielder Jaylen Palmer.
When the Mets found the raw, athletic, and projectable Palmer right in their backyard, they jumped at the opportunity to draft and sign the Canarsie native in 2018 out of high school, where he attended Holy Cross in Flushing, NY.Palmer’s collection of premium tools on the baseball diamond have continued to come into focus since then. The bat speed and projectable frame is now producing hard hit balls and some of the better exit velocities in the system, peaking around 106 mph.
Palmer’s athleticism is now being harnessed on both sides of the ball, as well as on the base paths. Defensively, Palmer has seen significant action both at third base and center field, where his plus speed and above average arm strength can make an impact.
On the bases, Palmer also puts his plus wheels to use, swiping thirty bags last year and being gunned down only 6 times. Finally, the most challenging part of the equation, Palmer and the Mets are making some progress getting the 21-year-old productive in the box against professional velocity and breaking stuff.
Palmer’s feel to hit has always been lagging behind his other overt physical gifts, and the Mets continue to guide him in making adjustments that can help him unlock his potential with the bat. Take a look at Palmer’s swing here during 2020 instructs.
https://twitter.com/MetsFarmReport/status/1321166528260263937?t=pHAVpQD5hnTgA2LDEo9HGg&s=19
Palmer’s stance presents even to the pitcher, with a leg kick and stride that brings his momentum forward. He is also setting up with his hands lower than previous years. The Mets continued to see Palmer getting too far out over his front side, and helped him correct the issue. Compare to his swing from 2021.
Mets prospect Jaylen Palmer has two home runs tonight for Brooklyn.
The Flushing native has a .781 OPS for the Cyclones in 22 games.
— Michael Mayer (@mikemayer22) September 1, 2021
Palmer now stands open to the pitcher with his leg kick and stride both closing and bringing his weight back towards his back foot. Palmer is now better able to keep his weight back and let the ball travel a little deeper, before his hips fire and he uncoils back during his swing.
The final product behind the plate is still very much a work in progress for Palmer. A very successful campaign at Low-A St. Lucie to start his 2021 season saw a healthy ability to get on base via the walk (13.4% walk rate) that balanced out a high, but reasonable 27.8% strikeout rate. Palmer cruised to a healthy 114 wRC+ at the level, managing a high, but not-so-alarming rate of putting the ball on the ground (48.4%).
A mid-season promotion in early August to High-A Brooklyn saw Palmer take one step forward and two steps back. Still just turned 21 and facing more advanced pitching, Palmer did start to show off some over-the-fence power on multiple occasions as a Cyclone with his isolated power climbing to a more encouraging .147.
Unfortunately, Palmer’s promotion also saw a spike in his ground ball rate to 53.8% and his strikeout rate to an unsightly 38.4%. Surely amped up to be playing close to home in front of family and friends in Brooklyn, Palmer was facing more advanced pitching and showed clear signs of needing time and reps to adjust.
So where does this all bring us when looking at the physically gifted Palmer’s future with the club?
Palmer will surely open his 2022 season back in Brooklyn, where he will look to get the ball in play and get it in the air. If he can do that, really good things are going to happen.
Palmer’s ability to both read spin and manipulate the barrel will need to be refined further, with an end-goal of hunting pitches he can get the bat head out on and impart backspin to the baseball. Combined with plus secondary skills like the ability to draw walks, run the bases well, and defensive versatility, Palmer only needs to run into so many pitches to do enough damage to make a significant contribution.
Palmer’s journey has been a slow and steady march of turning pure physical gifts into skills on the baseball diamond. Palmer will still be the age of an older college draftee when he returns to High-A next spring, with plenty of time to mature and grow as a baseball player. How much of his significant ceiling can he and the Mets unlock? Next season is going to go a long way in finding out.
Mets Top Prospects 29-30
Mets Top Prospects 27-28
Mets Top Prospects 25-26
Mets Top Prospects 23-24
Mets Top Prospects 21-22
Mets Top Prospects 20 Eric Orze
Mets Top Prospects 19 Hayden Senger
