Mack - From The Desk... Projected 2019 Pipeline Prospects

A couple of things before we proceed.

1.     This is my list and my list only. Everyone who follows the Mets pipeline will have their additions and subtractions to this list.

2.     On my list, there is only one type of player. ‘A’ prospects that have a direct path waiting for them to major league baseball, baring any future career ending injury or a complete talent breakdown’.

So, on to the list.

Probable 2019 GCL-Mets roster members –

C Andres Regnault – normally, I would have fast tracked last year’s top International signee (16-year old Francisco Alvarez - $2.9mil signing bonus – 9^th ranked International prospect) similar to the way that SS Ronny Mauricio bypassed the DSL teams, but the 19-year old Regnault will get first shot here after hitting .333/.420/.573/993 in 182 at-bats for the DSL-1 team. He was 5^th in the league in batting average before being rewarded with a mid-August 

promotion stateside, but he also was 4^th in the league with nine home runs.

OF Adrian Hernandez – the Mets have a lot invested in Hernandez. They plucked down $1.5million dollars in bonus money on him when he signed a year ago as a 16-year old and he did just fine as a 17-year old this year for the DSL-1 team: 249-at bats, .261/.351/.386/736/, 5-HR, 34-RBI, 52-K. He needs to do better when he comes stateside, which will be next spring.

Probable 2019 Kingsport roster members –

SP Simeon Woods-Richardson – The 17-year old former 2^nd round pick this year never gave up an earned run this season for the GCL-Mets. Yes, he did pitch in only 5 games (2-starts), but 15 strikeouts in 11.1 innings pitched is also quite impressive. The Mets promoted him in August to Kingsport for their playoff, where he will return next spring to pitch. No rush here, but I do hope he at least gets done with short season ball next season. Total stat line for the season (GCL/K-Port: 7-G, 4-starts, 1-0, 1.56, 1.10, 17.1-IP, 26-K, 4-BB).

SS Ronny Mauricio – Like ‘SWR’ listed above, the 17-year old former bonus baby ($2.1mil signing bonus) played most of the season for the GCL Mets, where he hit .279 in 197-ABs. Mauricio started very strong (June: .356, July: .306) but had a miserable August (.167) before being also promoted for the K-Port playoffs. Things might be moving a little fast for him and I hope the Mets settle him into Tennessee for 2019.

Probable 2019 Brooklyn roster members –

SP Willy Tavares – Simply out, the 20-year old Tavares pitched his way onto the prospect list. He went 3.35 for the 2016 DSL Mets, 2.31 for the 2017 DSL-2 Mets, and combined for a 2.35 this year for the GCL team (1.23) and Kingsport 2.93. Yes, he has only nine K-Port starts this year but I have him moving on to Brooklyn next year to join the following stud…

OF Jarred Kelenic - There is no way that 19-year old Kelenic will repeat Kingsport. He’s just to valuable to the future of this team. He hit .286 for the combined GCL Mets (46-AB, .413) and Kingsport (174-AB, .253) and that’s enough at-bats in the rookie leagues, thank you. He easily could be joined by two other on the cusp outfielders in Brooklyn, Guillermo Granadillo and Raul Beracierta.

OF Raul Beracierta – Another of the very young, very talented Latin players in our current pipeline. The 19-year old went cold a little at the end of the Kingsport season, but still finished with a respectable .270 batting average. His 3-year professional BA is .288 and he did hit 17 points more than Kelenic did at this level. This could be a real dark horse in the system.

Probable 2019 Columbia roster members –

SP  Jaison Viera – The 21-year old Viera also pitched his way this year on to the Mets prospect list. He’s had a three season ERA of 1.78 (2016 DSL: 1.59, 2017 GCL: 1.88, this year, Brooklyn: 13-starts, 1.83). He also had 78 strikeouts in 73.2 innings pitched this year. He will easily move on to Columbia next spring.

SP Christian James – The 20-year old James just snuck on this list last week, replacing Franklyn Kilome. The ex-2016 14^th round pick pitched a combined 1.90-ERA this season for Binghamton (1-start), St. Lucie (1-start) and Brooklyn (13-starts). This is not a strikeout artist (54-Ks in 80.2-IP) but he gets batters to miss the balls. He’ll join Viera in South Carolina next spring.

3B  Mark Vientos – The 2^nd round 2017 pick played 2018 as an 18-year old and play well he did. He hit .287 in 223-at bats for Kingsport, going .316 in his last 10 games. His slugging percentage surged to .878 (11-HR, 12-doubles), which hints to future power from this kid. I love this pick and he actually has an outside chance of starting next spring for Columbia; however, smart money has him playing June for Brooklyn and then moving on to South Carolina later on that year.

Probable 2019 St. Lucie roster members –

            SP Thomas Szapucki – It’s just a down right shame what happened to the 22-year old this season. The former 2015 5^th round pick was ranked in the top five Mets prospects until he topped off a history of arm problems with Tommy John Surgery in June 2017. He never made it back this season and will start 2019 with a big question mark on his back. Still, after going 2.27, 1.02  in 18-games, 15-starts over his 3-year minor league career (GCL, K-Port, Brooklyn, Colombia), I still have him opened up in Florida due to his age.

            SP Jordan Humphreys – Humphreys was 21-years old last year, going 10-1, 1.42, 0.72 for Columbia. He was bumped to St.Lucie and, like Szapucki, his arm went boom and he hasn’t pitched since. He should be completely recovered from TSJ by opening day 2019 age, because he only pitched two games in Florida last season, I have him returning there next spring.

            RP  Ryley Gilliam – I continue to put the 22-year old ex-Clemson closer on a fast track, not only because of his age but also his talent. I was upset that Gilliam didn’t start above Brooklyn, but I lived with it so most Mets pundits to get to see what I saw when he was a Tiger. Everyone walks away this season impressed: 17-G, 2.08, 5-saves, 17.1-IP, 31-K. He does need a little work on his walks (13-BB, 1.38-WHIP). Again, I call for the Mets to think big here and skip A-Ball, like so many other prospects have in the past. You may be looking a the Mets closer here in 2021.

Probable 2019 Binghamton roster members –

            SP Anthony Kay – the 23-year old didn’t have the ++ year we all projected him to have (Columbia/St. Lucie: 23-starts, 7-11, 4.26, 122.2-IP, 123-K) but let’s remember that he pitched this year for two teams that are going to be easy to forget. He’s move on to Binghamton because he’s one of our top upper level pipeline arms and we need him to perfect his pitching at that level. The hope is that we will see him in Queens in 2020.

            SP David Peterson – The 22-year old Peterson started this season like crap. His season ending 4.33-ERA is nothing to write home about, but considering it was 7.03 on August 1^st, he’s come a long way to put his game back together again and re-earn the title of top Mets pitching prospect in the pipeline. The bottom line is he threw 23 innings in his last four starts without giving up an earned run.

            Peterson will move onto Binghamton, probably end the 2019 season in Syracuse, and will be ready to join the Mets rotation in 2020.

            SS Andres Gimenez – so, you’re 19-years old, playing in a league with players mostly two years older than you, you win the Defensive Shortstop of the Year award there, and you’re hitting .282. What’s next? 

            Don’t be surprised if Baseball American has Gimenez in the Top 15 prospects next spring. It sure looks like he will start here, move on the Syracuse, and take over short next September.

           

Probable 2019 Syracuse roster members –

            SP Justin Dunn – Dunn did everything he did to fall off this list. He had a nice 2.36-ERA in nine starts for St.Lucie, but following this with 15 erratic starts for Binghamton (4.22). His last 10 produced a 5.30-ERA. Still, the 22-year old starter will move on to Syracuse because many of the pipeline SP prospects have either faltered or gone injured this year (Crismatt, Kilome, Flexen, Humpreys, Gonzalez, Szapucki).