Mack – A Look Ahead to the 2020 Affiliates – GCL Mets

Good morning.

Predicting which minor player will be assigned to what team is not an exact science, but you can rely on two things:

1.    Players that play well at one level will start the season at the next level up the ladder.

and…

2.    Projected prospect stars, even if they card out above par, will get another shot at either the same level they played, or one up if management believes they can handle the promotion.

This post will begin a series of predicted roster leaders for the start of 2020. There will be plenty of other players. Some that didn’t fare that well in 2019. Some that haven’t been drafted yet. But these guys are the meat and potatoes of our system right now.

First up… the GCL Mets.

Rookie-GCL:

                   Returning for another year at the GCL level:

RHRP Ronnie Taylor Jr. – The 20-year old only pitched in 12 games but posted a 1.93-ERA with 21-K in 14-IP. A heavier schedule in early 2020 should kick start him to Kingsport by mid-season.          

 SS Federico Polanco – The 18/yr. old Polanco may have

only hit .176 last season for the GCL-Mets (34-AB), but he earned the promotion after hitting .331 for the DSL-1 team. He should get a full season here in 2020 to build up the numbers.

SS Cesar Berbesi – The 19/yr. old had a few at-bats with the DSL-1 and GCL teams, but he led the DSL-2 team with a .309-BA in 165-AB. He also had a .409-OBP after walking 24 times. He only struck out 22 times. I look for him to split time with Polanco at short this season for the GCL-Mets.  

OF Freddy Valdez – the 17/yr. old hit .268 for the DSL-1 team and was rewarded with a late promotion to Florida (GCL-Mets: 10-AB, .400). He also put up 6-HRs, a hint of future power as his body fills in. Let’s remember that he played this year 4 years below the drinking age. I think Freddy will end the year above this level, but there is no reason to rush this top prospect.    

Very few DSL players start off at a stateside team above this level. The one’s I expect to see here next season are:

RHSP Ronny Rincones – they could hold him back because he only pitched in 8 games (7-starts), or the age he was at when he did this (17), but a stat line of 8-G, 7-ST, 1-0, 1.45, 31-IP, 31-K would make me send him first to a winter Caribbean or Mexican assignment and then on a plane to Port St. Lucie.

RHRP Edinson Diaz – another guy on the fence because of the limited amount of games he pitched in (7 games started). Still, the 19-year old was impressive (0-1, 1.61, 1.03) even though the ground ball pitcher didn’t have that many strikeouts (22.1-IP, 8-K). But only 4 walks. This guy will pitch next year as a 20-year old which is ancient in the DSL leagues these days. It wouldn’t kill us to give this kid a chance stateside next spring.

1B/C Jose Hernandez – Hernandez hit .283 in 138 at bats for both DSL Mets teams. He did this as a 17-year old. My guess is he will be brought to Florida to play first, not catch.

OF Carlos Dominguez – the 19/yr. old split time between the DSL-2 team (100-AB, .250) and the DSL-1 Mets (107-AB, .280). The increase of 30 percentage points in the batting average between the 2 and 1 team alone warrants a stateside ticket. He also hit 6-HRs which shows early power in an organization that needs deeper outfield depth in the chain.

OF Dyron Campos – The 18/yr. old led both DSL teams with 259 at bats for the DSL-2 team… and hitting .301.  It’s too early to determine if power is developing which could hold him back for another year on the island. Plus, bringing three starting outfielders over at the same time, to the same team, could be hampered if the Mets draft a big stateside outfield bat.

OF Franklin Linares – Let’s muddy the outfield waters a little more. The 18/yr. old Linares split time between the DSL-1 team (125-AB, .280) and DSL-2 team (91-AB, .297). That translated to be 216-AB, .287.