Tom Brennan - THE TWENTY AND UNDERS

Tom Brennan - THE TWENTY AND UNDERS

No, the TWENTY AND UNDERS is not a TV series.

Reese Kaplan recently commented on the plight of aging minor leaguers aspiring to become big leaguers - how tough it is for them to overcome the age stigma. 

I personally hope, for instance, that Paul Sewald is finally shaking off that older prospect stigma and will get a real chance to stay on the Mets in 2017.

On the flip side of the coin, it is kind of a big deal for a player to be 20 or under and playing in a full season league, and not in one of the rookie leagues that start in mid-June and end around labor Day. 

A full season pro ballplayer who at 20 or under is not old enough to buy a beer at a bar.  There can't be too many.

In fact, the full season A league Columbia Fireflies have 7 players that are 20 or under, one of whom is 18 and one of whom is 19.

(Of course, Ed Kranepool had a few pro at bats as a Mets' 17 year old, and hundreds of at bats in the majors before turning 20 - and then, there was19 year old sensation Dwight Gooden, as well as a pitcher with a brief major league career spanning, oh, 27 seasons who appeared as a 19 year old for the Mets in 2 games, named Nolan Ryan...one of those 2 games was the first of Ryan's 773 big league starts, by the way.  Matt Harvey, by comparison, has thrown 554 - innings).

Back from digressing about days gone by, the other 3 full season teams, St. Lucie, Binghamton, and Vegas, currently have no players that are 20 or under.  Sounds like age discrimination to me! 

So let's look at players that are 20 or under on the Fireflies.

Let's also be inclusive (in these inclusive times we live in) and step it up a year for the 3 higher minor league teams, and look at the only 5 players that are 21 and under on those three teams as well.

How the heck are these youngsters doing?

(IN ASCENDING AGE ORDER, BY TEAM)

IF ANDRES GIMINEZ (18 YEARS, 8 MONTHS) - the wunderkind actually got into several spring training games, and skipped right past short season ball into full season Columbia Fireflies baseball recently.  Five games thru Friday, and he is at .350/.458/.550. Wow.  My guess is we got a kid here who might - just might - make the majors before he turns 20 (he hits the big 2-0 after the 2018 season ends).

IF LUIS CARPIO (19 YEARS, 10 MONTHS) - for a guy who missed most of last year with an injury requiring surgery, the fact that he is in full season ball already is quite impressive. He is hitting .267 with just one error in 25 games in the field at SS and 2B.

C ALI SANCHEZ (20 YEARS, 4 MONTHS) - the man who seems to be able to gun 'em down like Jerry Grote has found hitting to be rather unfitting.  We may need to wait until he is 21 to see if the hitting portion of his game surfaces.  (Jerry, BTW got a September cup of coffee in the bigs just before he turned 21).  A recent 4 game hit streak had him up to .176.  He hardly strikes out, so his batted balls are starting to fall in.

OF DESMOND LINDSAY (20 YEARS, 4 MONTHS) - this first full season has been a struggle so far for Desmond (and it makes me nervous that his initials are DL, I don't know how the readers feel). He is hitting below .170, but with a disproportionate 32 Ks in 77 at bats. Athletic dude, and I believe the last 4 months of this season will show real progress.

P JAKE SIMON (20 YEARS, 5 MONTHS) - he is listed as active, but hadn't pitched an inning until he threw 3 innings in a 1-0 loss last night in a game Columbia got no hit in. (Just to be clear, Tim Tebow went hitless too).

OF JOSE MIGUEL MEDINA (20 YEARS, 7 MONTHS) - he has shown a solid stick since starting out in the DSL in 2014, and this year is hitting .258 in 66 at bats in Columbia.

P JORDAN HUMPHREYS (20 YEARS, 11 MONTHS) - best performer in the "under 21" category.  What will he do when he's 21, for Pete's sake?

ST. LUCIE METS

P JUSTIN DUNN (21 YEARS, 7 MONTHS) - the first round pick's last 2 starts before last night had shown improvement.  He was 1-2, 5.33 in 25 IP so far. But then he went 2 hellacious innings last night in which he allowed 9 hits and 8 runs.  Back to square 1, JD.

BINGHAMTON AA

UTIL DALE BURDICK (21 YEARS, 7 MONTHS) - this 40th rounder and career .183 is filling in for the Bingos.  Whether his average ever fills in remains to be seen.

LAS VEGAS AAA

SS AMED ROSARIO (21 YEARS, 6 MONTHS) - the highest ranked, and arguably best performing, prospect in the Mets system is also the youngest prospect in the top 3 leagues.  The question is not if Rosario (flirting with .400 in AAA until the last few days) will be called up to the Mets; the question is "how soon?"

1B DOMINIC SMITH (21 YEARS, 11 MONTHS) - he has been around so long, we forget how young he is compared to the rest of the organization and to AAA players in general.  Rest assured, he is hitting in the low .300s for Vegas and on his way to the big leagues later this year, barring injury, assuming they feel he is ready enough to be the opening day 1B in 2018.

OF ARNALDO BERRIOS (21 YEARS, 4 MONTHS) - apparently due to a shortage of Mets minor league outfielders, and not wanting to screw around with OF assignments on the other 3 full season teams, Vegas recently added Berrios to its roster.  His last pro action was 4 levels lower in Brooklyn in short season ball in 2016, where he hit a very weak .185 in 124 at bats, so he is not in AAA right now on merit, but due to need.  Through May 4, he is 1 for 9 with 6 Ks with Vegas, showing he is in over his head. 

ONE FINAL NOTE: one of the best under 21's not listed above is Tom Szapucki:

The "ofSzapper" dazzled in short season ball last year, but the now 20 year, 11 month old lefty has not pitched this year yet due to a shoulder impingement.  David Wright and Bill Clinton say they feel your pain, Mr. Szapucki.  Kidding aside, we hope we see you soon firing BBs from the mound.