Mets Prospect Countdown: No. 11-15

by John Vittas

40. OF Darrell Ceciliani
39. RHP Luis Cessa
38. RHP Cameron Griffin
37. SS Jeff McNeil
36. OF Joe Tuschak
35. 1B Matt Oberste
34. RHP Hansel Robles
33. RHP Akeel Morris
32. OF Champ Stuart
31. OF Ivan Wilson
30. RHP Rainy Lara
29. RHP Luis Mateo
28. OF Dustin Lawley
27. 3B Aderlin Rodriguez
26. OF Jared King
25. RHP Miller Diaz
24. RHP John Gant
23. 2B LJ Mazzilli
22. RHP Cory Mazzoni
21. RHP Tyler Bashlor
20. RHP Matt Bowman
19. RHP Robert Gsellman
18. OF Cory Vaughn
17. LHP Jack Leathersich
16. RHP Rob Whalen

15. CHRIS FLEXEN - RHP

Memorial HS (CA) - 14th Round of the 2012 Draft

Opening Day Age: 19

Projected Opening Day Assignment: Low-A Savannah

General Numbers: 8-1 record, best in the system (R-Kingsport)

Relevant Numbers: 2.09 ERA as a starter in the Minors at 18 years of age

Positives: Flexen was the Appalachian League Player of the Year at the devilishly young age of 18. He won eight of his last nine outings, giving up just 16 earned runs over 11 starts. Matching his success is his untapped potential. He’s 6-3 and already has two legitimate breaking balls to go with a 90-plus fastball. The sky is the limit for Flexen, as he and Rob Whalen could shoot up the prospect boards in 2014. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. And don’t forget that I was the first to put him in the top-15.

Negatives: Honestly, there are none.

Style: none yet

Across the John Preseason Rank: 50

ATJ Midseason Rank: Not in the Top 50

Jonathan Mayo Rank: Not Ranked

FanGraphs Top 15: Not Ranked

Baseball America Top 10: Not Ranked

Photo: metsmerizedonline.com

14. MICHAEL FULMER - RHP

Deer Creek HS (OK) - 1st Round of the 2011 Draft

Opening Day Age: 21

Projected Opening Day Assignment: High-A St. Lucie

Basic Numbers: only 33 hits allowed in 46 innings (High-A St. Lucie)

Relevant Numbers: .191 opponent average vs. righties

Positives: Fulmer continues to be effective at the A-ball level, a byproduct of his advanced three-pitch mix. He should sniff Double-A in 2014, which should be an interesting challenge for the Oklahoma native. Fulmer has a Major League makeup, and the mental toughness to overcome the adversity a young pitcher might face at the highest level. He should be a reliable, strike-throwing mid-rotation starter if it all works out.

Negatives: 2013 was mainly a waste for Fulmer, who missed more than half the season with a meniscus injury that he suffered in Spring Training. Michael is a power pitcher, but will need to vary his velocities more to get strikeouts at the upper levels.

Style: Lance Lynn

Across the John Preseason Rank: 12

ATJ Midseason Rank: 12

Jonathan Mayo Rank: 13

FanGraphs Rank: 12

Baseball America Top 10: Not Ranked

13. GABRIEL YNOA - RHP

La Vega, Dominican Republic - Signed as International free agent

Opening Day Age: 20

Projected Opening Day Assignment: High-A St. Lucie

General Numbers: 16 walks in 135 innings (A-ball Savannah)

Relevant Numbers: 340 career Minor League innings with a WHIP of 1.00

Positives: One of 2013’s big risers, Ynoa continued to throw strikes and pitch deep into games. But that wasn’t all. He posted a 2.72 ERA as a 19-year-old in full season A-ball. Not many players have completed four professional seasons by the age of twenty, but Gabriel has. His best pitch is his changeup, and his command is elite. If he can get his slider or curveball to become Big League average, Ynoa will be a major prospect pretty soon.

Negatives: Ynoa isn’t considered a high-ceiling guy. With his fastball now consistently over 90 mph, he can be considered a safe middle-of-the-rotation prospect.

Motion: Jhoulys Chacin / Mike Leake

Repertoire : Dillon Gee

Across the John Preseason Rank: 29

ATJ Midseason Rank: 20

Jonathan Mayo Rank: 18

FanGraphs Top 15: Not Ranked

Baseball America Top 10: Not Ranked

12. GAVIN CECCHINI - SS

Alfred Barbe HS (LA) - First Round of the 2012 Draft (12th Overall)

Opening Day Age: 20

Projected Opening Day Assignment: A-ball Savannah

General Numbers: .633 OPS (A-ball Brooklyn)

Relevant Numbers: only 8 extra base hits (all doubles) in 51 games

Positives: Gavin is still young and has the potential to be a Big League shortstop for a long time. Scouts rave about his defensive ability and leadership qualities. His bat has yet to come around, but Cecchini will fight off pitches and put the ball in play more than most.

Negatives: You start to worry when people say his biggest strengths are his “instincts” and “work ethic.” Granted, those are important for any player, especially a middle infielder, but Cecchini doesn’t have an obvious plus tool (maybe his defense). He’s a solid player, but his development has been slow thus far, and the power is still nowhere to be found. It’s too early to judge, but there might have been more high-risk, high-reward options at the number twelve spot in the draft back in 2012. I might be the first person to drop him from the Top-10.

Across the John Preseason Rank: 8

ATJ Midseason Rank: 16

Jonathan Mayo Rank: 8

FanGraphs Ranks: 9

Baseball America Rank: 9

11. DILSON HERRERA - MIF

Cartagena, Colombia - Signed as International free agent

Opening Day Age: 19

Projected Opening Day Assignment: High-A St. Lucie

General Numbers: 41 XBH in 116 games (A-ball West Virginia - PIT org.)

Relevant Numbers: .750 OPS as an 18-year old in A-ball

Positives: Herrera is already ahead of the curve, having batting .267 with speed and power as a teenager in a pitching-dominated league. Acquired late in 2013 in the Marlon Byrd trade, Herrera projects as a second baseman, despite having played shortstop for much of his professional career. Despite his small frame (5-10, 150), he has surprising power and could be a Major League starter within 2-3 years.

Negatives: He lacks overwhelming skills defensively and won’t be able to cut it at the position the Mets are lacking most, shortstop. I suppose his size is a negative, too.

Style: Howie Kendrick

Across the John Preseason Rank: Not in system

ATJ Midseason Rank: Not in system

Jonathan Mayo Rank: 9

FanGraphs Rank: 11

The CORRECT Preseason All-ACC Teams with Predictions

by John Vittas

Never have I been so upset with such a meaningless distinction as I was when the 2013-2014 Preseason All-ACC Team was announced.

Four of the five players had never even played a minute in the ACC, and only two of the players deserved this distinction in my opinion.

The Actual Team: CJ Fair, Rodney Hood, Joe Harris, Jerian Grant, Jabari Parker

To me, no freshman deserves to be in this group, even the highly-touted Jabari Parker. It's too good of a league with plenty of players who have already proven themselves as elite.

Therefore, instead of trying to project the freshman, I would simply announce an exclusive Preseason "All-Freshman" team:

G Anthony Barber (NC State)
G Tyler Ennis (Syracuse)
G Demetrius Jackson (Notre Dame)
F Jabari Parker (Duke)
F Isaiah Hicks (UNC)

Honorable Mention: G Roddy Peters (MD), G Matt Jones (DUKE), G Xavier Rathan-Mayes (FSU), F Beejay Anya (Syracuse)

16 of the top 100 freshman according to ESPN will be debuting in the ACC this season, making the list above a competitive one.
Barber will be one of just three ACC-caliber players on the Wolfpack roster, so it's fair to say he will be putting up numbers. The other four are supreme talents that would be stars on any team. Ennis will run the point for a top-10 Syracuse team, and Jackson will do the same for No. 21 Notre Dame.

Photo: usatodayhss.com

Parker is the No. 2 rated player of his class and the projected No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

Hicks was the last one to make the list, only because he has a lot of competition for playing time. He should be able to play along side James Michael McAdoo, but he'll have to beat out Joel James, Brice Johnson and fellow freshman Kennedy Meeks in order to start. I say he does.


On to the upper classmen:

First Team All-ACC
G Joe Harris (Virginia)
G Dez Wells (Maryland)
F CJ Fair (Syracuse)
F James McAdoo (UNC)
F Akil Mitchell (Virginia)

I'm sure Akil Mitchell is the name that jumps off the page. You might not even know who he is. But he averaged 13 and 9 a year ago, registering 13 double-doubles. He begins the season as the conference's top returning rebounder, and has the second highest field goal percentage of all returners (TJ Warren is first). Mitchell shot it at 55% last year, and will be anchoring the middle on an improved UVA team.

Photo: strikingthelaw.com

Speaking of Virginia, Joe Harris is the general of the squad and also deserves to be on this list. At 16.3 PPG, you might be surprised to discover that the sharp-shooter is the ACC's top returning scorer.

CJ Fair is a no-brainer. Having scored 15 a game last year, he'll step in to be "the man" with Michael Carter-Williams, Brandon Triche and James Southerland all departing.
McAdoo put up 14 and 7 in 2012-2013 and is surprisingly still in Chapel Hill. It's about time he reaches his No. 6 overall Class of 2011 status, right?
Last but not least, the selection of Dez Wells might raise some eyebrows as well. But the former Xavier transfer will be the go-to guy for Maryland after the departure of Alex Len. Wells outscored Len last year and averaged 22 PPG in the ACC tournament, including a 30-point performance in a win over Duke. He can score in a variety of ways and will fill the stat sheet all season long.


Second Team:
G Rasheed Sulaimon (Duke)
G PJ Hairston (UNC)
F TJ Warren (NC ST)
F Okaro White (FSU)
F Travis McKie (WAKE)

Photo: insider.espn.go.com

White might be the only questionable selection here, but the Clearwater native is a superior athlete who shot 51% a year ago. He scored 12 a game while only taking 8.9 shots per contest. That shot total could double without Michael Snaer around.

McKie might be the most accomplished player in the conference, having collected over 1300 points and 600 rebounds in three seasons. But, he plays for Wake Forest and will be triple-teamed all season without CJ Harris around.
Warren is the league's top returning shooter (62%), and is the only key contributor to return to Raleigh.
Hairston and Sulaimon have cases to be on the First Team, but both will be sharing shots on talented rosters. You can make the argument that Sulaimon is a one-dimensional player, with scoring being his prime talent. Hairston has a host of help, and will begin the season sitting out with compliance issues.

Third Team:
G Jerian Grant (Notre Dame)
G Olivier Hanlan (Boston College)
F Jarell Eddie (Virginia Tech)
F Rodney Hood (Duke)
F Ryan Anderson (Boston College)

Grant has averaged 13 a game over his first two seasons, but his presence on the First Team is a joke. He's never shot above 41% in either of his two seasons. He may not even be the best guard on his own team, with Eric Atkins, Pat Connaughton and Demetrius Jackson providing the competition.

Photo: bcinterruption.com

Hanlan was the ACC Rookie of the Year and can absolutely stroke it.

Anderson has been the leader of BC for two years now, and should become a thousand-point scorer before ACC play.
Hood's appearance on the First Team is also unwarranted, with only one so-so season in the SEC to his record. If you want to talk transfers, Maryland's Evan Smotrycz shot it at 48% for a Sweet 16 team in Michigan, so why isn't he here? The only reason I put Hood this high is because Duke has nowhere else to go down low.

Fourth Team
G Quinn Cook (Duke)
G Eric Atkins (Notre Dame)
G Lamar Patterson (Pitt)
F Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse)
C Daniel Miller (Georgia Tech)

Miller is really the only true center in the ACC, having blocked better than two shots per game last year. He will be a big presence in the middle, looking to better his 51% field goal percentage from last year.
Patterson is the top returner for Pitt, and Atkins will join Jerian Grant as the senior leaders on a ranked Irish team.
Quinn Cook is an accomplished ACC point guard and Rakeem Christmas is poised to have a big year as an athletic big man.

Photo: blog.syracuse.com

Honorable Mention: Justin Anderson (UVA), Robert Carter Jr. (GT), Pat Connaughton (ND), Andre Dawkins (DUKE), Nick Faust (MD), Jake Layman (MD), KJ McDaniels (Clemson), Marcus Paige (UNC), Evan Smotrycz (MD)


For the record, here are my predicted conference standings:

1. Duke (15-3) - #1 seed in the NCAA tournament 
2. Virginia (13-5) - #4 seed
     Syracuse (13-5) - #4 seed
4. North Carolina (12-6) - #6 seed
5. Maryland (11-7) - #8 seed
    Notre Dame (11-7) - #9 seed
7. Florida State (9-9) - #12 seed
8. Boston College (8-10) - NIT
    NC State (8-10) - NIT
10. Pittsburgh (7-11) - NIT
    Georgia Tech (7-11) - CBI
12. Clemson (5-13)
    Virginia Tech (5-13)
14. Miami (4-14)
15. Wake Forest (3-15)

Coach Turgeon Talks 2013-2014 at Booster Breakfast

by John Vittas

Mark Turgeon spoke candidly about the upcoming season at the Coaches vs. Cancer benefit breakfast Tuesday, which was attended by about 50 of the team's top boosters.

Turgeon was in good spirits, telling stories of on-campus parking mishaps, personal experiences with boosters, and even his GPA at Kansas.

He went on to talk about what he expects from each of his players, and began with the man he'll lean on most.

"Dez Wells has really grown up and has matured quicker than anyone else I've ever been around," Turgeon said. "And he's been through a lot."

With reports indicating that Wells will take over for an injured Seth Allen at point guard, it's obvious that Turgeon has developed immense trust in Wells.

Turgeon's comments at the breakfast came just hours before Allen broke his foot in practice Tuesday afternoon.

"Seth Allen has really improved defensively and now he even passes the ball every now and then," he joked. Fans won't get a chance to see that until January.

Allen broke his foot in practice Tuesday

"Nick's got to be our best perimeter defender. In a scrimmage against a very good Big East team, he held their best scorer to 1-for-7 shooting."

The team played Villanova in a closed scrimmage, so it can be infered that Faust had Ryan Arcidiacono's number. Arcidiacono hit 71 three-pointers last season, averaging 12 points-per-game.

"Chuck [Mitchell] and Shaq [Cleare] have improved their bodies a lot and Jake Layman has turned it around in the classroom. He's become a better student with the new haircut."

Layman is now sporting a traditional look and has left the freshman flow behind.

Turgeon talked glowingly about 6-9 freshman Damonte Dodd, "He's really coming fast. I'm not sure he knows what he's doing yet, but he plays fast and really runs the floor. And he's not a pre-Madonna like you see so often."

Turgeon also mentioned that Michigan transfer Evan Smotrycz will play a big role on the 2013-2014 Maryland team, as he figures to crack the starting lineup, especially after the Allen injury.

The Maryland coach went on to mention some higher profile names that won't be suiting up in red, black and gold this winter.


"I'm trying to get Obama up here for the Oregon State game," he said. Michelle Obama's brother, Craig Robinson is the head coach for Beavers, which is why many believed the game was scheduled in College Park, just miles away from the D.C.

Turgeon went on to reminisce about a recent conversation he had with Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Turgeon said Krzyzewski takes pride in being the most hated man on Maryland's campus.

Duke and Maryland will have one last conference showdown in Durham on February 15.

The Terps open their season on Friday, November 8 against No. 19 Connecticut at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Top Ten Disappointments of the 2013 Mets

by John Vittas

1. Matt Harvey’s Torn UCL

This was an absolute tragedy. It can only lead you to believe that the organization is cursed. Harvey represented everything that was “right” about the Mets. He signified the attitude, the skill set and the method for future success. And it all came crashing down at that August 26th press conference.

Harvey burned two months in ignorant denial, sealing the fate of his 2014 season. Beyond the fact that the Mets will be 6-8 games worse because of his absence, it’s disappointing purely because it will be another 17 months before we get to see him dazzling hitters again. Get well soon, Matthew.

Image: AP / sportingnews.com

The Fallout

2. Ike Davis

Ike has Regressed, with a capital R. His first half struggles have become a constant. His once-promising bat is now a liability. His .468 August OBP might keep him on the 2014 roster, but Ike has flaws in his swing that need to be corrected.

His confidence needs to be resurrected and he’d be well-served to learn how to hit a breaking ball on the outer half of the plate. Unless he shows signs of a true Major League slugger in Spring Training, the Mets might be headed in another direction at first base.

3. David Wright’s Hamstring Pull

After signing his big 10-year deal, David Wright did exactly what he was paid to do. As the Mets entered the rebuilding stage of 2013, calling up their young prospects in August and September, it was Wright who was counted on to mentor them into Big Leaguers. But when he came up lame on August 2nd against Kansas City, the Mets lost their leader, essentially ending their season.

Still a presence in the clubhouse, Wright did what he could to help the youngsters from the bench, and even made it back to play seven games in September, but there’s no denying that his hamstring injury derailed his first season as the captain, leaving late-season Mets games anything but intriguing.

Image: Jay Jaffe (mlb.si.com)

4. Ruben Tejada

The kid appears to have hit his athletic peak at 21 years old, because the past two years have been a consistent free fall. He’s drawn the ire of his head coach and general manager with a lackluster work ethic. With three years remaining on his Mets’ clock, it’s curious as to whether Tejada will be dropped, traded or buried in Triple-A.

Speaking of Triple-A, Tejada ended up in Vegas this summer to rehab, and ended up being stuck there for 57 games (not sure if you can get “stuck” in Vegas). At the Major League level, his average dropped over 80 points and he looked incredibly benign at the plate. On top of it all, his sure-handed defense took a hit as well.

5. The Lackluster Debuts of Travis d’Arnaud and Wilmer Flores

Considering these two were the top position-player prospects in the system, a combined .206 average is not exactly what the Mets were looking for upon their arrival. Phenoms are supposed to look overzealous, not overmatched. And both d’Arnaud and Flores appeared lost at the plate at times in September.

d’Arnaud isn’t going anywhere, he’s going to have to figure it out - it’s that simple. On the other hand, the Mets have to make some serious judgements on Flores this winter.

6. The Demise of Jordany Valdespin

Valdespin may have been the most gifted athlete on the Opening Day roster, but he may be unemployed very soon. ‘Demise’ is definitely the right word. ‘Fall from grace’ is another. JV went from being one of the most exciting bench players in baseball in 2012 to an absolute pathogen in 2013.

A consistent pusher of the rules, Valdespin made up for it with offensive pazazz. But when he failed miserably on the field for the first time, his presence became a detriment. Tack on the 50-game drug suspension, and I’d be shocked to see Valdespin in Flushing ever again.

Let's Try to Remember This Valdespin

7. Bullpen Prospect Injuries: Josh Edgin and Jeurys Familia

As inconsistent as the Mets’ aging bullpen was in 2013, Josh Edgin and Jeurys Familia had two of the most promising arms coming into the year: Familia a highly touted prospect, and Edgin a southpaw 30th round steal. Both can chuck it in the mid-90s, but both had their seasons halted due to injury, forcing Collins to squeeze more out of guys like Scott Atchison, Scott Rice and LaTroy Hawkins. Personally, I would've rather seen Edgin and Familia.

8. Shaun Marcum

Shaun Marcum failed to be the Zack Wheeler placeholder he was supposed to be. 10 losses in 12 starts...ouch. His 5.29 ERA was better than 1.40 points higher than his career mark. It’s a shame too, because Marcum would have gotten plenty of late-season innings had he been effective.

9. Veteran Relievers (Aardsma, Atchison, Lyon, Feliciano, Byrdak)

With the exception of LaTroy Hawkins, none of the Mets’ veteran relievers were able to reinvent themselves and be high-leverage stoppers. Headlining the list, Brandon Lyon. The 10-year vet gave up 43 hits in 34 innings and couldn’t even make it to the All Star break.

10. Frank Francisco

Francisco must’ve had a thing for Port St. Lucie, because he had no desire to leave. And Terry Collins had no problem hiding him there. The guy who was meant to be New York’s closer wound up “rehabbing” a sore arm for five months, finally making it to the diamond just in time for the meaningless September slogs. Add him to the list of bad contracts, safe to say that $12 million went to waste.

Photo: Getty Images, zimbio.com