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Predicting the 2016 Brooklyn Cyclones Roster

By Jacob Resnick

June 13, 2016 10 Comments

Desmond Lindsay

The 2016 First-Year Player Draft is complete, which means the 2o16 Brooklyn Cyclones season is right around the corner. The Mets opted to select college players with each of their 11 picks across the first two days of the Draft, and they’ll certainly be given exposure to Coney Island sooner rather than later. Among those slated to make their pro debuts in Brooklyn are the Mets’ three Day One selections, RHP Justin Dunn, LHP Anthony Kay, and 1B Peter Alonso. Here are the 30 names to keep an eye on.

Pitchers:

Bryce Beeler RHP – Beeler has not pitched in a game since August 28, 2014 after undergoing arm surgery, but he has been throwing in extended spring training, and was even added to St. Lucie’s roster as an extra arm earlier this season. The sinkerballer sat in the high 80s before his injury, and will work out of the bullpen.

Nicco Blank RHP – The former 25-round pick was solid out of the pen for the Cyclones in 2015, striking out 40 over 41.1 innings. He’s already made 11 appearances with Columbia this season, so he may not be the most used arm on the team.

Nabil Crismatt RHP – At 21, Crismatt could be in for a breakout season with the Cyclones. In 2015 with Kingsport, the Colombian native was one of the team’s most effective starters, going 6-1 with a 2.90 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 62 innings. Crismatt keeps the ball in the yard as well, and should reap the benefits in a pitchers park like MCU Park.

Justin Dunn RHP – Dunn will likely draw some more fans to the ballpark, as the Cyclones haven’t had a first-round pick on their roster since Michael Conforto in 2014. Dunn already has 65.2 innings under his belt with Boston College this year, so you have wonder what role the Mets will use him in this year. He’s reportedly hit 99 mph in his relief outings at BC, but MCU Park does not have a radar gun, so it will be difficult to get consistent velocity reports.

Harol Gonzalez RHP – Gonzalez is another righty who put up strong numbers for Kingsport a year ago, although his ERA rose after being moved to the bullpen for his last five appearances. Gonzalez has a slender frame at 6’0″, 160 lbs., but can still reach 92 mph with a plus change as an out pitch. The most impressive thing on his resumé, however, is his stellar control. In 65.1 innings last season, Gonzalez walked only nine batters.

Merandy Gonzalez RHP – Gonzalez began 2015 in the GCL, and was quickly promoted to Kingsport after throwing a seven-inning no-hitter in his fourth start. There’s not much out there in terms of a scouting report, but he should see some decent innings this year.

Raul Jacobson RHP – The Mets have succeeded in finding gems in the Independent Leagues recently, so there was reason to believe that the 24-year-old Jacobson could put up solid numbers after he was signed in mid-August. He made two starts with Brooklyn, including a seven-inning, five-strikeout effort in September. Jacobson had strong K/BB numbers, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if his stats look strong in 2016.

Anthony Kay LHP – The local lefty from UConn was drafted by the Mets for the second time on Thursday, as the compensation pick for losing Daniel Murphy to the Nationals. Kay works with a low to mid 90s fastball and a changeup that projects to be above average. He’s a mature pitcher, as most reports praise his poise and command on the mound. He threw a whopping 119 innings in 17 starts for the Huskies this year, so he’ll be held to a bullpen role with Brooklyn.

Gabriel Llanes RHP – Llanes was the Mets’ 15-round pick in 2014, and he’s shown promise in spurts. He doesn’t throw particularly hard, so missing bats has been a weak spot for the Californian.  He’ll likely be given a chance to start, which will create a larger sample size to help better gauge his potential.

Erik Manoah RHP – Manoah was unimpressive in 13 games (nine starts) with Kingsport in 2015, but he did enough to earn a spot-start in Brooklyn during the last week of the season. He’s reached the mid-90s with his fastball in the past, but his control has always been a problem.

Austin McGeorge RHP – One of six 2016 draft picks projected to make Brooklyn’s roster, the Mets took McGeorge from Long Beach State in the seventh round. Although he made 67 relief appearances with no starts in college, scouting director Tommy Tanous said that McGeorge will see time in both roles. His fastball will hover around 90 mph, with a plus sinker and slider as out pitches. He’s another guy who should benefit from playing in a pitchers park: he did not give up a home run in his college career.

Placido Torres LHP – Torres is no stranger to Brooklyn, as he attended ASA College before transferring to Tusculum College, where he pitched the last two seasons. Torres was named the Division II pitcher of the year after a stellar 2016 season where he went 11-0 with a 0.70 ERA in 14 starts. Toress also struck out 162 batters in 116 innings, while walking only 24. As a senior, it won’t cost much to sign Torres, who, according to Tanous, will also be given the opportunity to start.

Sixto Torres LHP – Torres is reportedly joining the Cyclones in 2016, and he’ll look to build on a solid debut season in 2015. In ten relief appearances with the GCL Mets, Torres had an ERA of 2.84, striking out 12 in 12.2 innings. He’ll need to improve his control, though, as he walked 13.

Adonis Uceta RHP – Uceta could be in for a breakout season, as the 22-year-old turned heads with his performance a year ago. His best start in the GCL came on July 17, when he tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing only four hits. After another scoreless effort at the end of August, Uceta was rewarded with a promotion to Kingsport, where he made one start. As long as he maintains a low walk rate, Uceta will see success in Brooklyn.

Ty Williams RHP – Williams was limited to four appearances with the Cyclones in 2015 due to shoulder troubles, but he should be good to go for this season.

(jacob Resnick/MetsMinors.Net)

(jacob Resnick/MetsMinors.Net)

Catchers:

Brandon Brosher – It may be unfair to consider 2016 a make or break season for Brosher, but he’s yet to consistently show the immense power we’ve been hearing about since he was drafted in the 36th round in 2013. He also struck out at an unsightly 45% clip last year. On the bright side, he’s still only 21 so time is still in his favor.

Dionis Rodriguez – Rodriguez hasn’t hit higher than his .242 average in the Dominican Summer League four years ago, but he’s been promoted at a steady rate and shouldn’t take away reps from Brosher or Sanchez.

Ali Sanchez – Sanchez plays much older than his 19 years, as he is highly touted for his strong arm and high IQ behind the dish. His offensive skills are still developing, and there’s a chance he bulked up from 170 lbs. in the offseason. He will likely get more reps behind the plate, with Brosher starting at DH.

Infielders:

Peter Alonso – Alonso was one of the best hitters on one of the best teams in the country at the University of Florida. In 2016, he put up a slash line of .368/.464/.632 with 55 runs batted in and 12 home runs. It will certainly be interesting to see how Alonso’s power translates to pro ball.

Dale Burdick – Burdick is undoubtedly making the most of his opportunity as a former 40th-round pick in 2014. He struggled with Kingsport a year ago, but performed so well in extended spring training this year that he was rewarded with a last minute promotion to Binghamton, where he went 0-6. Luckily for Burdick, he can play all infield positions, so he’ll serve as Brooklyn’s utility-man.

Michael Paez – Paez spent his college career as Coastal Carolina’s starting shortstop, but almost all of his scouting reports project him as a second baseman in pro ball. At 5’9″, 175, Paez has surprising pop in his bat, as he knocked 15 long balls for the Chanticleeers this season. He does have a .945 career fielding percentage, so MCU Park’s artificial turf may give Paez fits.

Blake Tiberi – In an otherwise average draft, Tiberi seems to already be a favorite among Mets fans. The third-round pick hit .340 with ten home runs in his second season at Louisville, including one in Friday’s regional loss to UC Santa Barbara. The Mets’ plan is for Tiberi to stick at third, and he should have no problem parking a few bombs into the new all-you-can-eat section in right field at MCU Park.

Colby Woodmansee – Woodmansee didn’t have a great season at the plate in 2016 by any definition, but he had an overall solid career at Arizona State, which led to his fifth round selection. He should be the Cyclones’ starting shortstop, where he’ll have a chance to showcase his strong glove.

Outfielders:

Arnaldo Berrios – Berrios is usually described as “toolsy,” and he will have a chance to put them on display this year. He drove in 30 runs with Kingsport in 2015, but struck out 71 times in 191 at bats. 21 walks and seven stolen bases are promising, though, so it remains to be seen if he’ll build on that this year.

Desmond Lindsay – After a great start to his professional career in the GCL, Lindsay struggled in his late-season Brooklyn cameo. However, after a strong spring training, the 19-year-old is poised to headline this year’s Cyclones team. He’s an outstanding athlete with five-tool potential, so don’t be surprised when he puts up excellent numbers this year.

Raphael Ramirez – The only thing that may keep Ramirez in the organization is his speed. The 2014 18-round pick has 23 career stolen bases in 76 games, but he’s been dreadful at the plate, hitting .276/.272/.323. As a left handed hitter, he might stick around for a bit.

Hengelbert Rojas – Rojas, like many others, struggled after a mid season promotion from Kingsport to Brooklyn. With no other place to put him, Rojas is staring a repeat in the face.

Enmanuel Zabala – Zabala is in the same situation as Rojas. He never got going in Brooklyn last year, so he’ll likely be back. He did make four appearances earlier this season in Columbia, but they were in emergency situations. As a primary center fielder he’ll have a tough time finding reps as long as Lindsay is in front of him.

The Cyclones will open their season this Friday, June 17, at home against the Staten Island Yankees.

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