Mets 2014 Prospect Rankings

by John Vittas

Pre-Season Rankings

2013 Midseason Rankings

2013 Preseason Rankings

1. Noah Syndergaard, RHP

The final member of the Mets’ Big Three of frontline starters struggled in the PCL in 2014. He did show some flashes, turning in some dominant efforts and picked up the save in the Futures Game. He still projects as an ace, but will need to get more consistent, especially with his fastball command. Expect him to crack the Mets’ competitive rotation at some point in 2015.

2. Brandon Nimmo, OF

Nimmo began to put it all together in 2014, turning in career highs with a .286 average and nine home runs. He walks at an ungodly rate which makes up for his high strikeout totals. If nothing else, Brandon will be a high character left fielder who gets on base and shows some power in the Bigs. If he can continue to shorten his swing and raise his average, Nimmo could be a perennial All Star and Citi Field favorite.

3. Kevin Plawecki, C

Plawecki has been a quick riser and could debut soon. Many wrote him off for trade bait, with Travis d’Arnaud entrenched as the catcher of the future. But Plawecki’s remarkable bat control, strong skills behind the plate and knack for hitting can make him a long-time Big Leaguer. There’s no reason he can’t team up with d’Arnaud as one of the best catching combos in the game.

4. Dominic Smith, 1B

Smith was pushed by the Mets and placed to a full season assignment at 18 years old and answered the call nicely. The California native batted .285, stayed healthy and is now well ahead of schedule. He was called the best pure hitter of the 2013 draft class and his smooth swing could make him a dynamic bat at the Major League level. He’s not the most athletic, but his hands and instincts make up for it.

5. Michael Conforto, OF

Conforto was probably the most advanced bat in the 2014 draft class and could be in New York within two years. He provides major offensive firepower but some question his ability to hit for average and play defense in the Majors.

6. Dilson Herrera, 2B

Herrera was the most productive bat in the Mets’ system this year, batting .319 with 43 extra-base hits at the higher levels of the Minors. At just 21 years old, Herrera should now be viewed as a serious prospect.

7. Amed Rosario, SS

Supremely talented, Rosario turned his plus tools into success in 2014, batting .288 in Brooklyn at just 18 years old. He’s at least three years away, but Rosario could be the superstar shortstop the Mets have lacked since Jose Reyes.

8. Rafael Montero, RHP

Montero cracked the Bigs in 2014, and will get a chance to audition for the 2015 rotation in August and September. The stuff is Big League adequate, and his command can make him stick long-term.

9. Steven Matz, LHP

Matz had a fantastic 2014 campaign, reaching Double-A and posting a 2.33 ERA over 21 starts. But most importantly, he stayed healthy after missing two years with arm injuries. The New Yorker has the makings of a legit Big League starter, with good movement on his 90-plus fastball, and a reliable curveball and changeup.

10. Matt Reynolds, INF

Reynolds was the surprise of 2014. A career .235 professional hitter, the former second round pick and captain at Arkansas batted an eye-popping .347 between Binghamton and Las Vegas in 2014. He’ll have to compete with Eric Campbell, Danny Muno, Ruben Tejada and Josh Satin to be the Mets’ utility infielder of the future, but Reynolds’ youth should give him an edge.

11. Marcos Molina, RHP

Still a few years away, Molina was downright dominant in Brooklyn in 2014. He’s athletic, throws 95 and already has a plus changeup.

12. Cesar Puello, OF

Puello was the disappointment of the system in 2014, but still has five plus tools. Biogenesis doubts are swirling to say the least. He might not ever be the same without the drugs.

13. Miller Diaz, RHP

Diaz has been the system since he was 17 years old, but it appears he has finally put it together at 22. His fastball has never been in question (mid-90s), but the development of his off-speed stuff will determine where he winds up.

14. Domingo Tapia, RHP

It’s puzzling that Tapia has been unable to graduate A-ball, because his mid-90s heater and changeup/slider combo should be dominant. A conversion to the bullpen may be in order.

15. Gabriel Ynoa, RHP

The master of control, Ynoa walks almost no one. His low-90s heater and plus changeup keeps hitters off balanced. Ynoa appears to be on the Rafael Montero fast track thanks to his exquisite command.

16. Matt Bowman, RHP

The Princeton alum has held up despite his diminutive frame and Tim Lincecum-like delivery. His stuff is good enough, but Triple-A will be a big hurdle.

17. Jayce Boyd, 1B

Boyd got off to a slow start in 2014, delaying his inevitable Big League debut. He should start 2015 in Las Vegas, but the emergence of Lucas Duda make his future in the system unclear.

18. Champ Stuart, OF

Stuart has blinding speed and the potential to steal 50 bases each and every year. The good news is that he hit much more than anyone expected in 2014, raising his status greatly.

19. Jeff McNeil, INF

McNeil is a hitting machine with a quick bat and thin but athletic build. If he continues to hit, he could be a good utility infielder in the Majors.

20. Gavin Cecchini, SS

Cecchini has proven to be a slow developer, and the concerns about him are warranted. His more upright stance should help him delve into whatever power potential he has, and his defense has never been in question. It’s just a matter of whether he hits.

21. Jack Leathersich, LHP

22. John Gant, RHP

23. Robert Whalen, RHP

24. LJ Mazzilli, 2B

25. Akeel Morris, RHP

26. Cam Maron, C
27. Robert Gsellman, RHP

28. Matt Koch, RHP

29. Cory Mazzoni, RHP

30. Kevin McGowan, RHP

31. Aderlin Rodriguez, INF

32. Cory Vaughn, OF

33. Travis Taijeron, OF

34. Michael Fulmer, RHP

35. Michael Katz, OF

36. Matt Oberste, 1B

37. Greg Peavey, RHP

38. Chris Flexen, RHP

39. Brad Wieck, LHP

40. Jared King, OF

41. Milton Ramos, SS

42. Josh Prevost, RHP

43. Paul Sewald, RHP

44. Corey Oswalt, RHP

45. Casey Meisner, RHP

46. Logan Taylor, RHP

47. Eudor Garcia, 3B

48. Kyle Johnson, OF

49. Tyler Moore, C

50. Dustin Lawley, OF

51. Luis Guillorme, SS

52. Kevin Secrest, LHP

53. Wuilmer Becerra, OF

54. Logan Verrett, RHP

55. Phillip Evans, INF

56. Maikis De La Cruz, OF

57. Rainy Lara, RHP

58. Gaither Bumgardner, RHP

59. Ricky Knapp, RHP

60. Xorge Carillo, C

61. Vicente Lupo, OF

62. Dash Winningham, 1B

63. Victor Cruzado, OF

64. Jhoan Urena, INF

65. Juan Centeno, C

66. Luis Cessa, RHP

67. Tyler Pill, RHP

68. Octavio Acosta, RHP

SPOILER ALERT! The Celebrity Softball Game Results and Recap

by John Vittas

If you don't think you can make it through the Celebrity Softball game without passing out tonight when it airs after the Home Run Derby, here's what happened at yesterday's Taco Bell Legends & Celebrity Softball Game:

The NL won 8-5

Here's the exact linescore with a beautiful picture of Kevin James to quench your fantasies

Several home runs were hit (5): Rickey Henderson, Mike Piazza, James Denton, Frank Thomas and Josh Wege

Just wanted to point out that all 4 Yankees' representatives did not hit one (Bernie Williams, Craig Carton, Ashanti and AJ Calloway)

The winning pitcher was Jennie Finch:

And the loser was the slightly heavier Frank Thomas, yes that Frank Thomas:

The highlight was Kevin James' faceplant into second base:

And the MVP was Wounded Warrior Josh Wege.

And there wasn't anyone in the ballpark to argue this decision. The guy was probably the best player on the field, and considering he shined on two rubber legs says a ton about technology and what this country does for its veterans.

Wege hit a home run, almost made a sensational diving catch in foul ground after sprinting about 100 feet from his left field position, and by the way, hit a home run to right center.

To me, that's what should all take away from Sunday's fun.

The Fun of All-Star Sunday

by John Vittas

All-Star Sunday at Citi Field was the perfect appetizer for the primetime events of the Home Run Derby and the Midsummer Classic Tuesday.
We got warmed up with some actual baseball, played by the game's top prospects,

Future MLB Stars Brandon Nimmo (Mets), Byron Buxton (Twins) and George Springer (Astros)

and then charmed by a bunch of celebrities making their athletic debuts (not to mention a few Hall of Famers mixed in).

George Lopez attempting to play softball

Overall Takeaways from Sunday:

1. Jennie Finch is beautiful

2. Rickey Henderson can probably still play in the Majors

The guy hit one to the warning track on the REAL Citi Field and tracked down several fly balls in left.

3. Kevin James is as funny in real life as he is on TV

Kevin James diving head-first into second base to help the National League win 8-5

4. The Mets have a bright future.

Noah Syndergaard throwing his first pitch on the Citi Field mound

Rafael Montero doing the same

Pitching prospects Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero both started the Futures Game and looked very impressive throwing their fastballs in the mid-90s.

OF prospect Brandon Nimmo was there too

Greatest moment of the day was watching my childhood hero, Mike Piazza hit one last home run in the orange and blue.

Oh yeah, and watching him hit it off with Jennie Finch

10 Biggest Disappointments for the 2012 Mets

by John Vittas

It was another disappointing year for the New York Mets in 2012. It marks their sixth straight year of October golf reservations and their fourth straight losing season. Here’s a list of the ten disappointments that defined this year’s overall disappointment. 

My analysis of the why the Mets finished with a losing record yet again

10. Dillon Gee’s injury

It can be argued that Dillon Gee’s season-ending surgery marked the turning point for the Mets in 2012. The team was playing winning baseball prior to the All Star Break, which is exactly when Gee’s injury was reported, shocking Mets fans that his promising season would be ending early.

Gee was coming off an eight-inning gem against the Cubs, where he gave up just one run and did not walk a single batter. In fact, nine of Gee’s final ten starts in 2012 were quality (at least 6 innings allowing 3 earned runs or less). 

Dillon Gee

9. The End of July

When Gee went down at the All Star break, the Mets had a 46-40 record, only four and half games out of first place, and on the precipice of the second wild card spot. But it all fell apart with the ring of the second half bell.

The Mets lost their first five games in Atlanta and Washington and fell in 11 of their first 12 contests following the All Star Break. They finished July with a 7-18 record and their season came to a screeching halt, as Terry Collins’ crew found themselves hopelessly out of contention for the fourth straight year.

8. Ramon Ramirez

Sandy Alderson traded Angel Pagan for Ramon Ramirez and Andres Torres in hopes to sure up what was a shoddy bullpen in 2011. Ramirez had posted four straight seasons of sub-3.00 ERAs and at least 68 innings pitched. There was no more sure-thing in the market for set-up men than Ramon Ramirez.

But Ramirez wound up falling short in both of those key categories, only pitching 63 innings and recording an ERA of 4.24, over a point and a half higher than his 2.62 mark from 2011. The worst part was that Ramirez was only effective in low-leverage situations, forcing Terry Collins to save him for games where the victor had already been decided.

Combine that with Torres’ lackluster season, and it’s safe to say the Pagan trade falls into Sandy Alderson’s “bad” column.

Ramon Ramirez

7. The Bullpen

Ramirez wasn’t the only sore spot in the Mets bullpen in 2012. All in all, the pen was a disaster for Terry Collins. The Mets were last in bullpen ERA for virtually the entire year, until the Brewers edged them out for the dubious title on the final day of the season.

So the Mets had the second worst bullpen in the Majors, which offers no comfort to Sandy Alderson or Terry Collins. The primary culprits: Manny Acosta (6.46), Ramon Ramirez (4.24), Frank Francisco (5.53) and Miguel Batista (4.82)

The only exceptions were Jon Rauch and Bobby Parnell, who held down the set-up role for an incapable closer in Francisco. Francisco is the only one on the culprits list who will be returning to New York in 2013, as Sandy Alderson tries to revamp his bullpen yet again.

So who has he brought in to help lead the transformation? Well, no one yet. But the third-year GM is waiting for the bullpen market to play out before he inks some arms for 2013. 

The Pen has driven Terry Collins nuts the past two years

6.  Lucas Duda

After his first full season in the Major Leagues, Lucas Duda appeared to be ready to take over right field at Citi Field for the long term.  After hitting close to .300 in 100 games with an OPS 81 points higher than David Wright in 2011, Duda regressed considerably in 2012.

The most alarming part of Duda’s season was his second half. He maintained acceptable starting numbers through the first three months, but batted just .204 after that. He earned himself a demotion to Triple-A, and didn’t hit well there either.

The good news for Lucas is that he’s going to get another chance to prove himself in 2013 because of a very thin Mets outfield.  He has a big league eye and big league power, stroking a career-high 15 home runs in just 400 at bats this season. However, he still needs to prove he can be an everyday player in all aspects of the game. The former USC star would be well-served to get more aggressive at the plate, work on going the other way and certainly needs improve his outfield play, especially on balls hit over his head.

Lucas Duda

5. David Wright getting snubbed for the ASG start by Pablo Sandoval

When the All-Star rosters were announced on July 1^st, it was hard to argue David Wright wasn’t the Most Valuable Player in the National League. He was hitting .355 with 9 HRs and 50 RBIs and appeared to be carrying an overachieving team into a playoff race.

But in the last week before the voting closed, San Francisco’s late push to the polls propelled the Kung Fu Panda in front of Wright for the first time all season, despite his severely inferior numbers. The results prompted Mets’ GM Sandy Alderson to tweet some controversial comments, mocking Sandoval’s nickname and blaming Wright’s loss on Mets fans:

“Wright vs. Sandoval: A city of 8 million was outvoted by a city of 800,000.”

For what it’s worth, Sandoval did have the biggest hit of the All Star Game, a three-run triple off Justin Verlander in the first inning. The hit made it 4-0, springboarding the NL to victory and earning them home field advantage in the Fall Classic.

The hit was an interesting foreshadow to Game 1 of the World Series, where Sandoval took Verlander deep twice in his famous three home run game. 

Sandoval's bases clearing triple comes at the :30 mark

4. Mike Pelfrey’s injury

Despite another rocky Spring Training, Mike Pelfrey came out of the gates hot in 2012, allowing just five runs over his first three starts, capped by an eight inning, one run gem against the Giants.

But elbow discomfort quickly developed into the one prognosis any pitcher shutters over – Tommy John Surgery. The operation marked the end of Pelfrey’s career with the Mets, as he’ll try his luck in Minnesota next season after being non-tendered by New York at the end of November.

Pelfrey appeared headed for a strong season in 2012, and the pattern of his success in even years suggest he could have been a big factor in what would have been one of the best rotations in the National League had he stayed healthy.

Chris Schwinden and Miguel Batista floundered in his absence before Chris Young was able to solidify Pelfrey’s spot in the rotation. There’s no telling how many games Pelfrey’s injury cost the Mets in 2012, but I reckon it was more than one or two.

Mike Pelfrey

3. Kirk Nieuwenhuis’ Second Half

After Andres Torres came up lame running down a ball in the gap on Opening Day, the centerfielder with the blonde flow whose name no one could spell got a call earlier than anyone expected. For two and a half months, Kirk Nieuwenhuis could do no wrong, spraying balls all over Citi Field and consistently making highlight-reel catches.

He reached his peak line of .311/.386/.444 on May 5^th and maintained an average around .300 into June. But his bat began to ware down around the middle of the month and Kirk’s playing time dwindled. Shortly after being sent down to AAA after five straight hitless games in late July, Nieuwenhuis was diagnosed with a serious foot injury, ending his rookie campaign and costing him many September at bats and additional Major League experience.

His line finished at .252/.315/.376, certainly adequate for a fourth outfielder, but Nieuwenhuis showed he is capable of much more. His defense and athleticism are his greatest assets, and he has the pop to be a star in the league. In a mid-December interview, Nieuwenhuis claimed to be 100% healthy and ready to compete for the starting centerfielder spot in Spring Training. And unless the Mets sign someone else, it appears to be Kirk’s spot to lose. 

Cool promo. I see Kirk as a reason the Mets improve the next few years

2.  Frank Francisco

Talk about making a bad first impression, Frank Francisco pitched to the tune of a 7.71 ERA in the month of April, and his May was not much better.

But the veteran is known as a second half pitcher, so things would get better right? Not exactly. The former Ranger and Blue Jay spent the entire month of July on the disabled list and continued to struggle after his return, finishing with a post-All Star Break ERA of 6.75.

Francisco issued a walk every-other inning and posted a WHIP north of 1.6. The worst part for Mets fans is that he’s under contract for another season and Terry Collins has already pronounced him as the likely candidate to close games again in 2013.

Francisco did strike out more than a batter per inning, so he’s still difficult to hit. But he isn’t getting any younger, and will be 33 on Opening Day.

The Mets better hope Francisco won’t become another name on their long list of bad contracts. 2012 was the first time in five years that Francisco’s ERA exceeded 3.83, so the Mets can hope that his first season in Queens was simply a stroke of bad luck.

Frank Francisco

1. The Catching Situation

There was no bigger weakness for the Mets in 2012 than whoever had the number “2” next to his name in the batting order. Whether it was Josh Thole, Mike Nickeas, Kelly Shoppach or Rob Johnson, the Mets got almost no offensive production from behind the plate.

Mets catchers batted a combined .218 in 2012. That’s good for 14^th in the National League. Somehow, the Cubs and Marlins had averages that were even lower. The Mets’ catchers were last in the NL in OBP and dead last in all of the Majors in slugging percentage…by a lot.

Their .286 slugging mark was 38 points below the 29^th-ranked Padres, 38!!

Josh Thole has to bear the brunt of the blame on this one. He started 90 games behind the plate for New York and batted a career-low .234, a number that is simply unacceptable for a guy with only seven career home runs. Needless to say, his slash line of .234/.294/.290 was also the worst of his career, and one of the lowest in the Majors.

Thing is, Thole had no help. Mike Nickeas drowned at the plate in his first real Big League opportunity, ending the season with a .174 average.

The relatively cheap acquisition of Kelly Shoppach didn’t help matters either. Shoppach batted just .203 with the Mets after leaving Boston with a respectable .250 average. His slugging percentage also dropped 129 points after arriving in Flushing.

No matter how you cut it, the Mets catchers’ provided no production in 2012, and it’s fair to say they haven’t even had an average offensive catcher since Mike Piazza, except for maybe Paul Lo Duca.

Let’s just say there’s a reason Thole and Nickeas are in Canada. Sandy Alderson also recognized this deficiency as the biggest disappointment for the Mets for 2012.

And to his credit, he did something about it. Let’s just hope Travis D’Arnaud lives up to the hype.

The Mets needed a lot more of this out of Josh Thole in 2012