Tom Brennan - MY METS PROSPECTS # 36 to # 40

Tom Brennan - MY METS PROSPECTS # 36 to # 40

It is frankly hard to rank guys in the #36 to #50 prospect range because there are probably at least 30, maybe 40, players who one could pick to be within that 15 player cluster.

Also, for the most part, the difference between a number 36 prospect and number 50 prospect is not all that great, so my 50 could be your 36, and vice versa.  A lot of this is judgmental calls and throwing darts at a dartboard.  And I stink at darts....stand AWAY from the dartboard!

I was tempted to throw a bunch of developmental league kids in there, because the Mets' 2 DSL teams did so darned well this year, but the competition level in the DSL is sub-rookie league ball, so I will only pick one DSLer, and start focusing on the other good ones when they come stateside next year in terms of prospect rankings.

So here are my # 36 thru # 40 hombres:

# 36 WALTER RASQUIN - the best offensive player for the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2017, stealing 32 of 40 (impressive in a 76 game league) and hitting slightly over .300.  The infielder, however, displayed little power.  Next year will give us a better read on this Little Rascal.

# 37 KEVIN KACZMARSKI - He disappointed me in AA, frankly, in 2017.  The Kingsport batting champ in 2015 at .354 had a good season last year, and I thought he would show he was Brandon Nimmo II in 2017 (great average and on base %, low power), but he hit just .274 in AA, albeit with a .370 on base %, and a .369 on base %. I was hoping to see about 50 points higher on all 3 readings in 2017.

 About to turn 26 already, the swift KK (49 steals in 303 career games) needs to break out with the bat in 2018 if he is to differentiate himself from the wannabe-in-the-bigs pack. Right now he looks like a good 5th outfield candidate for 2018 - except he seems a year away still.  Solid defender.

# 38 MATT OBERSTE - almost a clone of Kaczmarski, he is a good, but too low powered bat for a big first baseman, and so is likely to be an odd man out going forward.  He did hit .284/.360/.389 in his 2nd AA season, but it was only a slight improvement over his 2016 AA season.  While his league had tough pitching, the majors has much tougher pitching.  He is perilously close to topping out as a minor league journeyman unless he makes real changes.  And the Mets already have a slew of 3rd basemen.

# 39 KEVIN TAYLOR - this long shot infielder/ outfielder was drafted late, did not do well, played Indy ball, then signed with the Mets in 2016.  In 2 seasons, in High A and AA, he averaged .290/.380/.390.  He seems to me like Kevin Kaczmarski with less speed (just 2 steals) but more positional diversity.  In the Mets organization, he seems like a long shot to be a future utility player, because he has many competitors, some of whom at this point are just better.

# 40 STEVE NOGOSEK -also aquired in the Addison Reed trade, he was drafted by the Bosox in the 6th round of 2016.  Since then, the hard thrower is 6-7, 3.55 in 65 relief appearances, with a 1.25 WHIP and 109 Ks in 96 innings.  Hard to project future Mets bullpen arms for guys only in High A ball, but he plays in 2018 as a 23 year old, and my guess is he has a decent chance to crack the Mets bullpen sometime in late 2019.

Next article up - my # 41 thru # 45 prospects..