Mets International Report

The Mets International Report Card

There has been considerable debate on various Mets message boards about whether or not Omar & Co. have been successful in the International market. Many feel he hasn’t signed the big name players that were expected when he came aboard.

This simply isn’t true.

One caution: Do not try and analyze or project stats from 16-18 year old players in the DSL or VSL league, playing against other 16-18 year olds. If these kids were in the States, they would be high school players, playing against other small town high school players, and we all know how much some of these high school teams can suck.

You only know what you have, Latin player wise, when they come stateside and play against an International team made up mainly with American born, heavily recruited and trained players.
Here are the players the Mets have signed over the past 3 years and what they are doing now:

2004 Signings:

SP Angel Calero - excellent year in Savannah, now an SP in Lucy
SS Ignacio Medrano - bated a combined .293 this year for Brooklyn/K-Port
OF Gabriel Zavala - won the Sterling Award in 2006 with VSL Mets.

2005 Signings:

OF Fernando Martinez - the Mets #1 prospect going to Queens latest next spring.
3B Greg Veloz - slowly has become a major prospect for the Mets
RP Jhoan Burgos - 1-1, 0.42 for the VSL Meys
RP Matias Carillo - 1-0. 2.45 for the Clones in ‘08
SP Elvin Ramirez - excellent year in Savannah, now risen to Lucy
RP Wendy Rosa - 1-1, 2.01 in 21 relief appearances for Brooklyn

2006 Signings:

SS Juan Legares - .250 for Brooklyn
C Francesco Pena - still, though progressing slowly, the top Mets catcher prospect
SS Ruben Tejada - played a full season at SS for Lucy
P Jenrry Mejia - might have the nasties stuff in the system
OF Rafael Fernandez - impressed the coaches this past year at K-Port
IF Imbewer Alvarez - struggled at Kingsport
SP Maikel Cleto - I personally clocked him at 97, hitting 95 consistently
SP Pedro P. Martinez - 3-2, 3.63 for Brooklyn
SP Orlando Tovar - 1.54 ERA as starter for VSL Mets
2B Jordany Valdespin - batted .284 for the GCL Mets
OF Pedro Zapata - Won the Sterling Award in 2007 with the DSL Mets.

2007 Signings:

SS Wilmer Flores - The Mets #2 overall prospect at 17 years old
3B Jefry Marte - Matching Flores’ numbers at 17 years old.
SP Jhonathan Torres - excellent season as starter (5-2, 3.39) for the VSL Mets
OF Cesar Puello - batted .305 for GCL in a full season
OF Miquel Tejada - batted .220 for the GCL Mets
SP Angel Cuan - the SP1 for the VSL Mets this year
SP Jeurys Familia - 2-2, 2.79 for the GCL Mets

Look, this is 27 ball players that were signed over a 4 year period that are putting up great numbers at their level of development. I challenge any of you to find 27 draftees out of America over the same 4 year period, frankly on any team… that are dominating in the Mets minor league system like this.