Don't beat me up too badly, this is my first real attempt at a prospect list. On with the show:

 

1) Matt Harvey, RHP, 22

A+ & AA: 127.2 IP, 10.6 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 3.17 ERA 

Mediocre ERA, excellent peripherals following AA promotion. 

 

2) Zach Wheeler, RHP, 21

A+: 108 IP, 10.1 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, 3.75 ERA 

Walks have been his nemesis, but he's been very stingy with them for the past month or so.

 

3) Jeurys Familia, RHP, 21

A+ & AA: 109 IP, 9.9 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 2.81 ERA

A touch of longball-itis in AA is the only black mark on a huge bounceback season. 

 

4) Brandon Nimmo, OF, 18

Just your generic five-tool high-school phenom. More data needed.

 

5) Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF, 23

AAA: 221 PA, .298/.403/.505, 32 BB, 59 K, 5 SB

Still striking out too much, but the bump in his walk rate bodes well.

 

6) Jenrry Mejia, RHP, 21

Tommy John. Should be back midseason 2012, and hopefully will be given a chance to hone his stuff in AAA rather than being rushed back into the majors.

 

7) Matt Den Dekker, OF, 23

A+ & AA: 558 PA, .272/.345/.467, 47 BB, 139 K, 22 SB

Defensive wiz has shown better power than expected.

 

8) Cesar Puello, OF, 20

A+: 448 PA, .250/.306/.389, 17 BB, 98 K, 15 SB

Well, at least he hit 9 HR after just 1 in 2010. And he continues to possess the quirky secondary skill of HBP magnetism.

 

9) Michael Fulmer, RHP, 18

Just your generic high-school phenom with a big fastball and nasty curve.

 

10) Wilmer Flores, SS, 19

A+: 507 PA, .277/.317/.393, 25 BB, 61 K, 2 SB

Seems churlish to be downgrading a kid who just turned 20 this month, but at some point, he needs to hit like a top prospect again. 

 

11) Reese Havens, 2B, 24

A+ & AA: 216 PA, .287/.370/.420, 24 BB, 56 K, 2 SB

Still a potential eveyday 2B, just has to stay on the field long enough to prove it.

 

12) Jordany Valdespin, SS, 23

AA & AAA: 500 PA, .290/.331/.468, 23 BB, 79 K, 34 SB

Questionable makeup, questionable defense, questionable eye, but he's plainly doing something right.

 

13) Cory Vaughn, OF, 22

A & A+: 481 PA, .266/.382/.396, 58 BB, 104 K, 10 SB

After a hot start with St. Lucie, he's struggled mightily for the past month or so.

 

14) Cory Mazzoni, RHP, 21

A-, A+: 11 IP, 12.3 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 0.82 ERA

Hard-throwing 2nd-rounder has been sharp in a tiny sample so far.

 

15) Juan Urbina, LHP, 18

Rk+: 46.1 IP, 7.6 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 5.83 ERA

Will still be 18 on opening day next year. Hopefully he can find a way to be less hittable to rookie-ball bats.

 

16) Aderlin Rodriguez, 3B, 19

A: 510 PA, .216/.264/.356, 29 BB, 100 K, 1 SB

Ouch.

 

17) Albert Cordero, C, 21

A: 370 PA, .283/.314/.388, 12 BB, 59 K, 43% CS

Being the Mets' best catching prospect is like being the world's least-despised child-molester, but hey, here he is.

 

18) Phil Evans, SS, 18

Sweet swinging overslot pick, debuted in rookie ball today.

 

19) Jack Leathersich, LHP, 20

A-: 10.2 IP, 18.6 K/9, 2.5 BB/9, 0.84 ERA

Fastball/curve 5th rounder, strikeout machine in short NYPL sample. Potential relief ace.

 

20) Zach Lutz, 3B, 25

AAA: 221 PA, .316/.403/.534, 25 BB, 55 K, 0 SB

Hassled by injuries and blocked by David Wright, but he keeps hitting.

 

21) Akeel Morris, RHP, 18

Has given up more walks than hits in each of his first two pro seasons.

 

22) Juan Lagares, OF, 22

Org batting leader and toolsy 2005 Fernando Martinez co-signee is now an intriguing dark horse.

 

23) Luis Mateo, RHP, 21

Older than he once claimed but still has stuff. Making mincemeat of the DSL.

 

24) Rafael Montero, RHP, 20

Three-pich arsenal and dominance in DSL/GCL has Mets talking about him.

 

25) Josh Satin, 1B/2B, 26

Dude can hit baseballs.

 

26) Erik Goeddel, RHP, 22

Fastball/slider should get him to the show in some form if he can stay healthy.

 

27) Danny Muno, SS, 22

Intriguing future utlityman beating up on the NYPL.

 

28) Chris Schwinden, RHP, 24

29) Collin McHugh, RHP, 24

Next year's crop of Dillon Gee/Brian Bannister types.

 

30) Logan Verrett, RHP, 21

3rd-rounder with three good pitches, command and a maybe a little more projection.

I was excited on Rule 5 Draft Day because I'd been hoping that the Mets would draft this Brad Emaus fellow who was available and had an .890 OPS in AAA last year. I didn't know much about him, but I'd glanced at his stats and I thought he could make an excellent righty half of a 2B platoon. What I didn't know until just now, after poring over the derelict data files on minorleaguesplits.com, is that Emaus actually may have a bit of a reverse platoon split. Check it out:

Continue reading this post »

 

The idea here's pretty simple. This isn't an offseason plan, but an attempt to look at where the Mets are in terms of on-field talent, and where we can reasonably expect to go from here.

2010 METS fWAR

2.1  C Thole + Barajas

3.4  1B Eisenhower

0.6  2B Castillo

2.8 SS Joe Kings

4.0 3B Wrongz

1.4 LF Bay

1.0 RF Voltron + Frenchman

4.9 CF Oxymoron

-1.1 All other position players

19.1 HITTERS TOTAL

 

3.5 Santana

2.9 Large Pelf

2.9 DICKEY

1.9 Niese

0.5 Misch

0.3 Gee

-1.0 All other starters

4.7 Good bullpen guys (K-Rod, Tak, Pedro, Parnell, Acosta)

-2.8 Bad bullpen guys (Nieve, Ollie, Dessens, Iggy, Green, Mejia)

12.9 PITCHERS TOTAL

 

32.0 TOTAL, plus 48.0 REPLACEMENT

EXPECTED RECORD: 80-82

ACTUAL RECORD: 79-83

 

Now on to the "projections". These aren't scientific at all, just my gut feeling for a most likely outcome for each player. I encourage quibbling.

Continue reading this post »

I just thought it'd be interesting to see how various current Mets have performed over the past 5 years. It doesn't measure ability to stay on the field, of course. This is all baseball-reference WAR. I left out relievers and small sample size guys...well, except Ike.

Continue reading this post »

I love Endy, and there's been a hole in my heart ever since Omar traded him away for (ugh) Jeremy Reed, one of the many players who made 2009 so difficult to watch.

Endy had only 773 AB during his time with the Mets, with an OPS+ somewhere in the 80s, but he was worth (says Fangraphs) 4.8 WAR thanks to his magical +37 UZR total over that span (and that doesn't count the playoffs...) That's the kind of backup you want manning your outfield.

Which brings us to 26-year-old Jason Pridie...

Continue reading this post »