Tom Brennan - 2018 METS MINORS DARK HORSE: ANTHONY DIMINO

Tom Brennan - 2018 METS MINORS DARK HORSE:

ANTHONY DIMINO

Some guys may, like an undervalued stock, be low on the charts (prospect lists) but poised for a surge.  I thought I would write on a few of them.

A few months ago, I did a series on my top 50 Mets prospects...I listed one Anthony Dimino as my # 42.

But I think he shoots up the Mets guppy charts in 2018, perhaps into the top 10.  In fact, I bet he will.  Why?

I only had him as low as #  42, frankly, because he managed to get only about 550 plate appearances in his first 3 years of pro ball after being tabbed in the 28th round in 2015, due to injuries, poor managerial decisions, etc.

He finished as high as St Lucie last season and hit .331 spanning 2016 and 2017.  I'd pencil him in daily, no doubt.

I think he will get 500 plate appearances this year and end up in Las Vegas - and I'd not be surprised to see him hit .330 again this year, and continue his excellent on base abilities (.425 combined in 2016 and 2017).

Power hitting? It's has been mostly missing for the 5'11", 175 Dimino, with just 21 doubles, a triple, and a homer in his career so far. 

But another even smaller guy started his minor league career with just 5 homers in over 700 plate appearances in his first 3 minor league years and he has done all right - at least I think so - his name?  Jose Altuve, all 5'6", 165 of him. 

Why couldn't Dimino follow an Altuve career path, power-wise and otherwise, at least to some good degree?

Dimino's versatility has been on full display...60 games at catcher, and another 52 games at 1B, 2B, 3B, and the OF.  Oh, and did I forget he threw a scoreless inning last season?  My guess is his manager didn't forget.

And 21 of 31 in career steals shows he's get up and go.

A mere 70 career strikeouts show that he makes more contact than flypaper.

Interesting to me (and no doubt to his parents) is that his middle names are Charles Wesley, a giant in the Methodist church in the 18th century.  Not a chance name selection by his folks, I'm sure, but pretty cool to me, even if it has no effect whatsoever on his baseball career success.

Back to baseball - I think he would have been far BETTER than his # 42 Brennan ranking if he'd simply played more.

Here is what I wrote during my fall prospect update:

# 42 ANTHONY DIMINO - He has just one question - how come the other Anthony (Kay) is ranked # 19, and he is ranked # 42? 

Answer:

Darned if I know - and it's my Prospect Ranking series!  Heck, Dimino should probably be # 19 instead.  Too late, pal, that article has already sailed.

The 5'11", 175 lefty hitter (a 28th rounder in 2015) plays the infield, outfield, catches, pitches (well) in a pinch, and has good speed.  But can he HIT? Oh, he can hit, Alice, and Core A Apple too, Ralphie boy.  In 2015 and 2016, 232 at bats and he hits .312.  In 2017, he plays 3 games for Columbia, goes 7 for 10 and is promoted...after THREE GAMES! From April 12 thru May 7, he hits .356 for St Lucie.  Up that point, .406 hitting in the two leagues. What next?  Well, he is a Met, and red hot, so he naturally gets hurt.  He misses about 50 games, returns in late June, and long story short, plays just 60 games, hits .330 for the season, .407 on base, just 29 Ks...but virtually no power, with just a .373 slug %. To be brief, I really, really hope in AA he gets in 120+ games next year, and this offseason, bulks up a bit to add pop - because career .323 minor leaguers are scarce - the last one, TJ Rivera, made the Mets, so maybe some time in 2019, this versatile dude will too.
Anthony, I made a mistake; you are my # 19 prospect. 

Can you ever forgive me?