Presuming the ongoing lockout gets resolved in a timely manner, 2022 promises to be a year of excitement for Mets fans. The early free agency splurge has reinvigorated the organization and even has oddsmakers projecting the Mets as having the 4th best odds to win the World Series.
Sports betting is now legal in the Empire State, so many Mets fans may even be inclined to wager on the boys through one of the many NY mobile sports betting apps now legal to New Yorkers.
But here at MetsMinors.net, we always like to keep an eye on the future. Recently, Baseball Prospectus ranked three Mets prospects among the top 100 in the entire Minor League Baseball farm system. But when will we actually see these guys step onto the diamond at Citi Field?
Photo: Ed Delany of MMN
Francisco Alvarez, C, R/R
Francisco Alvarez ranked as the 10th best prospect in all of baseball by Baseball Prospectus, so there’s obviously a lot of hype around him. He’s got a huge bat, slashing .272/.388/.554 with 24 home runs between his time in A and High-A ball.
In the field, it’s more of a mixed bag as his mobility behind the plate has been called into question, as well as his blocking skills. On the positive side, his arm strength is a huge plus at catcher and he has shown demonstrable leadership qualities any team needs out of their backstop.
The Mets should be in no hurry to rush Alvarez through the system, though. Give his fielding a little bit of time to improve more in the minors and let him come up when he’ll have the chance to contribute regularly. If the MLB moves to institute the universal DH in 2022 this projection might change, but we expect the 20-year-old catcher to remain in the minors for at least one more season. At that point, we fully expect Alvarez to be the highest-rated catching prospect in all of baseball, once Adley Rutschman finally gets the call-up in Baltimore.
Projected Call-Up: 2023
Photo: Dan Fritz
Brett Baty, 3B, L/R
The oldest prospect on this list, Brett Baty slashed .292/.382/.473 with a .378 BABIP in High-A and AA last season. The left-handed hitter has shown power from pole-to-pole, with some of the longest in-game homers of his young career going oppo.
The former first-round pick does have a higher whiff rate than you’d want to see at this point, but he’s also great at controlling the zone, meaning he could even out his swing and miss tendencies at the next level through sheer patience.
In the field, he’s still a bit raw. His plus arm strength and elite athleticism are definitely in his favor, but there’s definite room for improvement. He’s seen time in the outfield as well, so it’s possible he still hasn’t found his true position yet. At the very least, that experience playing different positions could be a feather in his cap for an earlier call-up.
With new signings Eduardo Escobar, Mark Canha, and Starling Marte seemingly filling the starting spot at the hot corner and outfield spots it doesn’t look like there’s an immediate fit for Baty. Still, injuries or the universal DH could play a factor in Baty making his debut this year. As the oldest prospect on this list, we expect Baty to suit up for the big league team this season.
Projected Call-Up: 2022
Photo by Dan Fritz
Ronny Mauricio, SS, S/R
Probably the rawest player on this list, Mauricio slashed .248/.296/.449 with 20 home runs between High-A and a cup of coffee in AA last season. As you can probably tell from those stats, the power is there, but contact numbers and on-base ability could definitely be improved moving forward.
Mauricio’s body still needs work as well. Officially weighing in at just 166 pounds on his 6-3 frame. This is probably an outdated number as he looked bulkier as long ago as last Spring Training, but it’s worth mentioning as more muscle will obviously help his power progress even more and be a massive part of his development.
As a fielder, there are some question marks surrounding his ability to play shortstop at the MLB level. He’s not the fastest, and as his body matures he may lose even more range that would prevent him from becoming an elite defender. A switch to 3rd or 2nd base is probably in his future, which works out fine with Francisco Lindor firmly entrenched as a Met for the next 10 years.
Still, the Mets would be wise to let Mauricio grow physically and as a hitter for another couple of seasons. He only turns 21 in March, so there’s no rush to interrupt his development.
Projected Call-Up: 2024
