The Future Of: SP

The Future Of: SP

You’ll love this category… two years from now.

The Mets are top heavy in good, young, pitching prospects that starts with Brad Holt. He is easily the top projected starter in the system and should finish the season this year in Binghamton, get a September call up, and wind out in AAA for the 2010 season. I look for him to join the mets rotation after next year’s all-star break, but I’ll remain conservative here, and post him only beginning in 2011.

Jonathan Niese was suppose to be the next kid up, and still could be. He pitched fantastic earlier this week, but he’s still having trouble with control, and the fact that too many so-called experts keep trying to change his delivery. For now, I can’t project him as a definite starter.

Jenry Mejia will also make it to Queens and make it big. He easily has the nastiest stuff in the organization and I pray every day he isn’t included in a trade package.

Beyond that, there are plenty of other, very talented youngsters making waves in the minors. Tobi Stoner aced AA ball and was promoted yesterday to AAA. I see him as a future reliever or part of a trade package, but Stoner has never had a bad season in organized baseball. Lots of talent here.

Eric Niesen has made some noise this year, but like Stoner, projects out as a control reliever.

Brant Rustich and Jeffrey Kaplan are years away, and Jeurys Familiar looks like a keeper, but it’s far too early to project.

If the Mets make a trade for an outfielder or catcher, the package will include a lot of these kids.

Look for the Mets to try and simplify the future of this position with a free agent or trade purchase of another top line starter. For now, the Mets are only committed to Santana and Pelfrey past this year. Everyone hopes Maine and Perez will be back, but the bottom line is the brass has to look beyond this.

An addition of a Nathan or Peavey-like starter makes tons of sense. You have your top three slots set for 2010, you have plenty of SP5 ptential starters in the system for 2011, and the entire rotation is set for 2012.

2010: Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, New free agent, undetermined, undetermined

2011: Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, New free Agent, Brad Holt, undetermined

2012: Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey, New free agent, Brad Holt, Jenry Mejia