IF YOU ARE A METS FAN:
PAY ATTENTION TO THIS FIREFLIES TEAM!
The New York Mets have an exciting team, but if you happen to find yourself several hundred miles south of Queens, another really good show can be had by buying tickets and going to watch the Columbia Fireflies this season.
Do it early, though...a bunch of these guys will no doubt be promoted before long. Five of Mets’ Top-10 Prospects are on the Fireflies Roster, and seven of the Mets' top 30 prospects.
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| PC - Ed Delany |
Mauricio at age 17 got in 2 games as DH for the Mets in spring training and stunningly went 3 for 7 with a walk and a sac fly - how close to big league ready is the soon-to-turn-18-year-old shortstop? Perhaps at lot closer than we think. My guess? Ready for Queens in 2020.
Mark Vientos to me seems like a similar player to Wilmer Flores, hopefully with a higher ceiling and more power. Newton has great skills, and if his K rate drops, he could be terrific.
Simeon Woods Richardson got touched up a bit in a minor league game recently, but considering he was tight out of high school last year and got just 15 innings of pro ball under his belt, it was amazing he pitched in a spring game at all. He will be 18 all this year, and I think the highly athletic 2018 second rounder could remind us a bit of an 18 year old Dwight Gooden.
Tom Szapucki looked awesome until Tommy John surgery struck in 2017.
Hopefully, he will briskly bounce back from it, climb the ladder like fellow lefty Steve Matz, and have a great year on his way towards a big league career.
Pitchers Chris Viall and Christian James are the remaining two top 30 Mets prospects on the roster. Viall is a 6'9" fireballer who hopefully can refine his craft and climb fast from here. James is a talented righty and could have a big year in 2019.
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| PC - Ed Delany |
A staff with Richardson, Szapucki, Viall, James, Vilera and Taveras? Wow!
Catcher Hayden Senger hit very well in 2018 after being drafted (.301/.411/.417 in 32 games), and Juan Uriarte missed 2018 but is back and ready to dazzle in 2019. Before that, a 19 year old Juan hit a robust .305/.372/.455 in 2017 at Kingsport. Now 21, Uriarte had a double and walk in 2 spring plate appearances, FYI. My guess is this catching tandem will HIT!
Scooting to the infield, joining infielders Ronny Mauricio, Shervyen Newton, and Mark Vientos are a talented first baseman in Chase Chambers, .281/.350/.392 in 59 Cyclones games in 2018; a very speedy, solid hitter in Walter Rasquin, (.321/.394/.443 in 59 games in 2018, with 16 of 19 in steals), and 26th rounder 3B Brian Sharp, who hit well in his Brooklyn debut in 2018 but struck out a lot.
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| PC - Ed Delany |
Outfielders include Anthony Dirocie, who went 1 for 3 with a walk in 3 spring games, could be a surprisingly good prospect in 2019. Wagner Lagrange is a favorite of Mack, but the 23 year old needs to find some power this year. Ranfy Adon played very well in Kingsport last year, finishing the season red hot, and should be an interesting guy to watch. Jose Miguel Medina has 59 career steals in the minors in the equivalent of about 2 years' worth of major league-length season. None are top 30 prospects, at least yet, but these dudes look real good.
Boy, does this team look GOOD!
The Flies' season starts April 4 at 7:05 PM - temps in the 70's - so don't miss it. START DRIVING NOW.
4 comments:
That Columbia stadium BTW is a GREAT place to watch a ball game. Visiting daughter in Charlotte later, will def drive down & catch a game.
Damn!
They should be a very competitive squad and it bodes well for the future, too.
They are low-A, so by 2021 or so, some of them should be knocking on the door.
In what way are Vientos and Flores similar players? I'm kind of shocked by that comp.
Jimmy P
Vientos and Flores - similar hitting, but I think Vientos will hit better and have more power. Difference between a decent player and a star (in Vientos).
Both are not quick.
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