Mack Ade - Q and A - Mets Defense

photo by Mack Ade

Craig Brown asked…

Hi Mack. Can you give us your take on the Mets farm system from a defensive standpoint?  I see the parent club graduating pro level hitters with no defensive position, and the lower levels with high upside hitters playing positions they have no future in. 

-Is this common with other MLB farm systems?

-What defensive changes would you make from here?

Mack:

What an excellent question.

Some thoughts…

·        A system is based on the choices the team makes at the time of the draft. Thus, if your system has an inordinate amount of one dimensional players, it exposed the lack of expertise used in a series of drafts.

·        Most of the Mets one dimensional prospects (Wilmer Flores, Aderlin Rodriguez, Jeffy Marte) were signed as 16-year olds after playing baseball on dirt fields filled with rocks and weeds. The Mets based their assessment at the time on how these kids hit a ball, not fielded one. Frankly, this is pretty universal in Latin American signings.

·        We’ve talked a number of times about how Derek Jeter held the record for the most errors at shortstop when he played rookie ball. Some players have the ability to improve in the field and take the time to learn. Others simply excel making spectacular plays and flub the routine ones. Most spectacular plays can be made routinely by excellent defensive players. They simply have the skills to make things look easy.

·        The first defensive change I would make is to keep my young, Latin prospects in the SL program longer and not bring them stateside until they had 2-3 years under their belt there. Ruben Tejada was the exception of rushed players, but his meteoric rise was caused from a prior injury to a player on the St. Lucie team. The Mets chose to “fill in” with one of the GCL kids that were already in Florida, rather than promote someone from Savannah. The rest, as they say, was history (the same thing might b happening this year with OF Gilbert Gomez). The elimination of the GCL team will slow things down.

·        No baseball team goes all the way without excellent “middle” defense. The vast majority of baseballs are hit to the pitcher, second baseman, shortstop, and centerfielder. You have to have great fielders at these positions (hell, in the pros, you should have them at every position). The Mets were ranked in the lower portion of every defensive category last season. I estimate that at least eight games were lost by the glove.

·        Every player in your system is exposed to the scouts from other teams. You can’t “hide” a player in a trade, so there is little value in a one dimensional player. Also, American League teams don’t develop designated hitters.

·        Currently, in my opinion, Phillip Evans is the only Mets minor league infielder that stands out both offensively and defensively.  SS J.C. Gamboa has the potential to join him. Same with catchers. In the outfield, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Matt den Dekker, and Cesar Puello all have critical years coming up to prove their multi-dimensional ability. My guess is the Mets will eventually go outside the system for their future centerfielder.

The 2011 draft was the first time (in a long time) the Mets drafted like a real big league team. There are a number of promising multi-dimensional players that could develop out of that draft. Names like 2B Danny Muno,  Charlie Thurber, and Travis Taijerson have all showed promise.

We’ll see.