Mets Prospect - OF Caleb Stewart

Caleb Stewart OF R R 6-2 230 6-11-82 University of Kentucky

The New York Mets drafted outfielder Caleb Stewart with their 22nd round pick in the 2004 draft.

Stewart grew up in Rush, Kentucky and attended the University of Kentucky where he was one of the team leaders. He led the Wildcats in nine offensive categories in 2004, including hits (72), runs scored (50), doubles (20), home runs (10) and total bases (128). He batted .329 and started all 54 games in the outfield. In three seasons with Kentucky, Stewart posted a career .314 average with 19 home runs and 88 runs batted in.

The Mets signed him on 6-16-04 and made his professional debut with the Cyclones. He finished that year with Cap Cities (A - .314/.396/.558 in 86 Abs(, which earned him a promotion to St. Lucie in 2005.

In 2006, Stewart played the entire year for St. Lucie, where he batted .259 in 243 at bats.

An old scouting report on Stewart:

Batting and Power. Stewart is an athletic ball player with good power. He has a very good eye at the plate and has good pitch recognition. He has the ability to be a .290-.300 hitter as a professional and enough pop in his bat to bang out 20+ home runs annually. In a system filled with speed, Stewart's power is a welcomed addition.

Base Running and Speed. Stewart is quick for a big guy. He's a good base runner and has the ability to pick his spots to steal some bases, but he's not a real big threat on the base paths.

Defense: Stewart played right field for the University of Kentucky and will play there some as a professional. He has decent range and a good arm. He's an adequate right fielder, but projects more as a left fielder in the Mets' system that already has the likes of Concepcion, Jamar Hill, and Carlos Gomez higher on the depth charts in right field. He can play either corner outfield position if called upon and will not disappoint defensively.

Projection. As is the case with most college players that begin their professional career, Stewart is going to have to put up the numbers at the higher levels before he's viewed as a starting outfield prospect. He does have a sound game all around and does possess enough power to project as a starter down the road. Until he posts the numbers he's capable of, Stewart projects as a solid fourth outfielder. He's a "sleeper" though, one to keep an eye on in the next couple of years. Jason Bay of the Pirates is a good MLB comparison as Stewart could reach the Majors with the same type of little fanfare along the way. ETA. 2008.

Stewart played the entire 2007 season for Binghamton (.252/.314/.400 in 433 at bats, including 16 HRs and 69 RBIs).

Caleb repeated B-Town in 2008, hitting .279/.365/.462.