From The Desk - Walker Lockett, Rece Hinds, Wilson Ramos, Brodie Van Wagenen, Andres Gimenez or Amed Rosario

17. Walker Lockett, RHP

Drafted: 4th Round, 2012 from Providence HS (FL) (SDP)

Age     24.7    Height 6′ 5″    Weight            225     Bat / Thr         R / R   

Tool Grades (Present/Future)

Fastball          Curveball       Changeup      Command      Sits/Tops

55/55                  50/55              50/55              40/45             92-95 / 96

Lockett, who made his major league debut in 2018, was first traded from San Diego to Cleveland for teenage right-handed pitcher Ignacio Feliz and then to the Mets in the Kevin Plawecki deal later in the offseason. He has a mid-90s sinker that has significant tail when Lockett is locating it to his arm side, but it’s hittable and straight in most parts of the strike zone. His fastball’s movement pairs well with a power, mid-80s changeup that also has arm side action; Lockett works left-handed hitters away with these two offerings. His curveball has good shape and bite, but Lockett struggles to set it up for whiffs because his fastball is hittable in the top of the zone. He needs a weapon that works in on the hands of lefties, like a cutter. If he can find one, he’ll be a fine backend starter.

2019   High School   Preseason All-Americans –

            Rece Hinds, CIF, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.  -  No one in the draft class—college or high school—has more raw power than Hinds. Many scouts grade it as an 80, and his swing looks excellent in batting practice. But Hinds has struggled plenty with strikeouts and pitch recognition in games. He also has a plus arm, but he has work to do if he wants to stick at the hot corner.

The 10 best catchers of the decade (so far)

9) Wilson Ramos (MIN 2010, WSH 2010-16, TB 2017-18, PHI 2018, NYM 2019)

If Ramos had been able to remain healthy, he very well might be atop this list. Alas, injuries have always been the issue; in this decade he has only played more than 128 games twice, and more than 88 four times. But boy, when he has played, he has hit. Never one for plate discipline, Ramos has power nearly unparalleled among catchers, and he won the Silver Slugger in 2016, putting up a career-best .307/.354/.496 line. When he’s healthy, he’s a vital part of any lineup, and he’s been around so long you forget he is still only 31 years old. We’ll always wonder what might have been, but what we have is still impressive enough. He also caught a Max Scherzer 20-strikeout game, by the way.

'A Little Bit Of Swagger':   Brodie Van Wagenen Wastes Little Time Making His Mark On The Mets –

       

PC - Ed Delany

    “I’ll never forget seeing Brodie on top of the dugout, that in itself was crazy,” said Brian Dallimore, a Stanford infielder and four-year teammate of Van Wagenen’s. “He had a towel and it looked like we were in a basketball arena or football stadium. The whole place was taking his lead and following him, waving their towels. It was pretty cool because when you’ve spent four years there, you’ve never seen anything remotely close to that ever happening. And that was all his lead.”

Will Andres Gimenez or Amed Rosario be the Mets' shortstop   of the future?

           Defensively, meanwhile, Rosario hasn't proven to be as good as expected either. Besides making 16 errors last season, he's not turning hits into outs with great range as advertised, and as a result he doesn't fare well with metrics - his -15 defensive runs saved last season ranked him second-worst in the majors.

Scouts see the tools to still improve significantly, but a handful I've talked to agree that Rosario's athleticism hasn't translated to shortstop play the way minor-league evaluators thought it would.

PC - Ed Delany 

Mack – IMO, Rosario will continue to develop as a ‘good’ starting shortstop in this league… but Gimenez is beginning to show the skill levels that only superstars have.