Most prospect lists don't go to 40, so you may not have heard of most of these names. But they all possess serious upside and are worth remembering.
31. IVAN WILSON - OF
Ruston H.S. (LA) - 3rd Round of the 2013 Draft
Opening Day Age: 18
Projected 2014 Assignment: R Kingsport
Slash Line: .219 / .321 / .300 (GCL Mets)
Relevant Numbers: The Good: 13 SB in 47 games; The Bad: 65 strikeouts
Positives: Wilson is as close to a 5-tool player as you’ll see for a high school guy. He’s a supreme athlete with tons of range in the outfield and a cannon for an arm. His strength/speed combo is hard to come by and he’s only 18. He might be 5-6 years away, but Wilson has the potential to be an impactful Major Leaguer.
Negatives: Given his strikeout totals and low average, Wilson obviously has holes in his swing. There’s a reason he slipped to the third round, given his tools.
Style: Adam Jones
Across the John Preseason Top 100: Not in system
ATJ Midseason Top 50: 18
Jonathan Mayo Top 20: Not Ranked
32. CHAMP STUART - OF
Brevard College - 6th Round of the 2013 Draft
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| Photo: christschool.org |
Opening Day Age: 21
Projected 2014 Assignment: Short Season-A Brooklyn
Slash Line: .240 / .388 / .353 (R Kingsport)
Relevant Numbers: There are none, Stuart is a project.
Positives: Stuart is one of the fastest baseball players on the planet and many said he was the fastest prospect in this year’s draft. His athleticism will always define his upside. He's already adept at drawing walks which is crucial for a man of his speed.
Negatives: Stuart is 21 and a rookie-league hitter at best. He’ll have to figure it out fast. This was a very risky pick by the Mets, but it could pay high dividends for a sixth rounder.
Style: Billy Hamilton
Across the John Preseason Top 100: Not in system
ATJ Midseason Top 50: 49
Jonathan Mayo Top 20: Not Ranked
33. AKEEL MORRIS - RHP
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands - 10th Round of the 2010 Draft
Opening Day Age: 21
Projected Opening Day Assignment: A-ball Savannah
Relevant Numbers: NYPL hitters batted just .184 off Morris; he gave up just 29 hits in 45 innings and struck out 60!
Positives: There are a lot of positives to Morris’ 2013 season. The improvement results-wise are stark. His ERA dropped from 7.98 and an even 1.00. His opponents’ average dropped 70 points, basically becoming unhittable in 2013. Morris can get it into the mid-90s and seems to have reappeared to the prospect scene after his live arm went to waste in 2012.
Negatives: His command and off-speed stuff have a long way to go. He averaged better than a walk per two innings. He can get away with that in A-ball, but he’ll have to keep refining everything before he gets to the top. Also, he’s max-effort guy at only 6-1, 170, and so durability is a question.
Style: Jose Veras
This is when Morris was struggling last year, but you get the idea of how violent his motion is
Across the John Preseason Top 100: Not Ranked
ATJ Midseason Top 50: Not Ranked
Jonathan Mayo Top 20: Not Ranked
34. HANSEL ROBLES - RHP
Dominican Republic - Signed as International Free Agent
Opening Day Age: 23
Projected Opening Day Assignment: Double-A Binghamton
Relevant Numbers: 0.75 GO/AO, 8 HRs allowed in 15 starts (too many in the FSL)
Positives: Robles can still get it up to the mid-90s with his fastball, but didn’t do it consistently in 2013. His secondary stuff is also above-average and he can throw four pitches for a strike.
Negatives: Many people are losing faith in Robles after a rocky 2013. A 3.72 ERA in the Florida State League is respectable, but many had him pegged as a Major League reliever in Spring Training. The biggest problem: He lost the pinpoint command he displayed in 2012. Injuries could have led to the majority of his regression, as he battled oblique and back issues all season. Also, he’s only 5’11”, which is why many expect him to end up in the bullpen.
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| Photo: metsmerizedonline.com |
Style: Kris Medlen (no good ones)
Across the John Preseason Top 100: 25
ATJ Midseason Top 50: 31
Jonathan Mayo Top 20: Not Ranked
35. MATT OBERSTE - 1B (pronounced OBER-stee)
Univ. of Oklahoma - 7th Round of the 2013 Draft
Opening Day Age: 22
Projected Opening Day Assignment: A-ball Savannah
Slash Line: .208 / .245 / .286 (SS-A Brooklyn)
Relevant Numbers: .373 hitter on a nationally ranked college baseball team, 11 HRs, 60 RBIs and 13 SBs in 64 games at OU
Positives: Oberste left Norman as a junior and is a polished hitter. He can go the other way with power, generates tremendous bat speed and only committed 3 errors in 64 games. He’s more athletic than most first basemen, having starred in baseball, basketball and football in high school.
Negatives: Oberste struggled in his first taste of pro ball, but that can probably be chalked up to being worn out from a long and intense college season. Jayce Boyd saw the same NCAA-to-NYPL regression in 2012, and Boyd bounced back with a historic season in 2013. More importantly, some scouts see Oberste’s unconventional stance and leg kick as a problem. Only time will tell.
Style: Jeff Bagwell
Across the John Preseason Top 100: Not in the system
ATJ Midseason Top 50: 41
Jonathan Mayo Top 20: Not Ranked
36. JOE TUSCHAK - OF
Northern HS (PA) - 6th Round of the 2011 Draft
Bats: Left Throws: Right
Opening Day Age: 21
Projected 2014 Assignment: Short Season-A Brooklyn
Slash Line: .271 / .313 / .376 (R Kingsport)
Relevant Numbers: .233 AVG against lefties
Positives: He's remarkably athletic (had D-I football scholarship offers to play QB) and finally showed some baseball skill in 2013, the first season he's hit over .210. Tuschak has plus arm strength and a smooth swing. His 3 home runs and perfect stolen base percentage are the tip of his talent iceberg.
Negatives: It’s taken him three years to figure it out, meaning Tuschak is 21 and has yet to reach Single-A. If he can’t handle Brooklyn, the high school phenom might never make it.
Style: none yet
Across the John Preseason Top 100: 54
ATJ Midseason Top 50: Not Ranked
Jonathan Mayo Top 20: Not Ranked
37. JEFF McNEIL - SS
Long Beach State Univ. (CA) - 12th Round of the 2013 Draft
Bats: Left Throws: Right
Opening Day Age: 21
Projected Opening Day Assignment: A-ball Savannah
Slash Line: .329 / .413 / .409 (R Kingsport)
Relevant Numbers: none, small sample size
Positives: McNeil raked in his first pro experience and may have hit his way over Brooklyn and straight to a full season assignment. Clearly, his college bat was too good for the Appalachian League. McNeil’s value skyrockets if he can hit, because he can play several positions. For those worried about his power potential, he did knock 29 XBH in just over 100 games between his time with the Mets and the Dirtbags of LBSU (yes, the Dirtbags).
Negatives: His ceiling is rather low, as he’ll likely be a utility infielder at best in the Majors. If you follow the system, think Danny Muno from 2011. Both had advanced bats and were taken in the mid-rounds from solid, D-1 programs in California.
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| Photo: collegebaseballdaily.com |
Style: Daniel Descalso
Across the John Preseason Rank: Not in system
ATJ Midseason Rank: Not Ranked
Jonathan Mayo Top 20: Not Ranked
38. CAMERON GRIFFIN - RHP
Columbus State University - 34th Round of 2013 Draft
Opening Day Age: 22
Projected 2014 Assignment: Short Season-A Brooklyn
Basic Numbers: only 5 hits allowed in 9 NYPL innings
Relevant Numbers: there are none
Positives: Griffin has only experienced success since becoming a pitcher this year. He’s 6-3, 200 pounds, and has a naturally live arm. Jacob DeGrom has developed the blueprint for this type of project.
Negatives: The Mets took a flyer on Griffin, a college third baseman who batted .210 at the Division-II level this spring. But the scouts obviously saw something they liked in the Peach Belt conference alum. The negative is that Griffin has only been pitching for one year and is 22 years old. They’ll probably have to keep him in extended Spring Training, which puts him behind the 8-ball in terms of age. He makes this list on mysteriousness.
Style: no one yet
Across the John Preseason Rank: Not in Organization
ATJ Midseason Rank: Not Ranked
Jonathan Mayo Top 20: Not Ranked
39. LUIS CESSA - RHP
Mexico - Signed as International Free Agent in 2008
Opening Day Age: 21
Projected Opening Day Assignment: High-A St. Lucie
Basic Numbers: 8-4 with a 3.12 ERA in 21 starts in Savannah (A)
Relevant Numbers: more H than IP, 1.30 BB/9 (3rd best walk rate of all Mets prospects)
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| Photo: metsminorleagueblog.com |
Positives: consistently 90-plus with heater, excellent command, still has time to grow
Negatives: Cessa saw a statistical decline in his first full-season assignment, which is a red flag for a guy who touches 94 and has the command he does. It’s likely that he’s lacking movement. He should probably expand the strike zone a little bit more too.
Style: James Shields
Across the John Preseason Rank: 26
ATJ Midseason Rank: 23
Jonathan Mayo Top 20: Not Ranked
40. DARRELL CECILIANI - OF
Columbia Basin College (OR) - 4th Round of the 2009 Draft
Opening Day Age: 23
Projected Opening Day Assignment: Triple-A Las Vegas
Slash Line: .268 / .322 / .380 (AA-Binghamton)
Relevant Numbers: 31 stolen bases, only hit .243 vs. lefties, 11-for-his-last-72 in the regular season, 105 Ks in only 113 games
Positives: Ceciliani finally stayed healthy for a full season, breaking a career mark with 113 games played. His 31 stolen bases is best in the system and he has the range to play centerfield. If there was a superlative for best attitude in the system, Darrell would win it, as he can constantly be found freestyle rapping or pulling pranks on his teammates, which can go a long way in any clubhouse.
Here's the proof, this is a must-watch: Darrell's Dance Party
Negatives: Doubters say the Oregon native has lost a step in the outfield and well eventually settle in left because of his average arm. But more alarming is their belief that Ceciliani’s swing has holes that will be exploited at the Major League level.
Comparison: Brett Gardner
Across the John Preseason Rank: 46
ATJ Midseason Rank: 24
Jonathan Mayo Top 20: Not Ranked
Each Tuesday, we'll unveil the next group of ten prospects.
