Tom Brennan - Many Try, Few Are Successful

For every minors player who becomes a Mets star, there is more than one Danny Muno who doesn't.

The Mets and Max Scherzer were incredible last night in clinching a Wild Card - hearty congratulations on STEP # 1.

The Mets minors are chock full of players.  In 2015, there were even more teams, hence more players.

I highlighted a bunch of those 2015 wannabes (35 in all) in a "Who's Hot, Who's Not" article.  (The rest were not good enough to highlight, although I wish they all were).

Let's take a look back at how many on the previously highlighted have since made it, how many didn't make it, how many barely made it, and how many made it with real impact at the MLB level.

Travis Taijeron - barely made it, unsuccessfully.

Danny Muno - barely made it, unsuccessfully.

Darrell Ceciliani - barely made it, unsuccessfully.

Brandon Allen - barely made it, unsuccessfully.

Johnny Monell - barely made it, unsuccessfully.

T J Rivera - he did well, but his TJS injury killed his career. How sad.

Michael Conforto - did good. Got greedy. Got hurt. Got unemployed.

Brandon Nimmo - who knew in 2015 that he'd be a star? Had my doubts.

Gavin Cecchini - barely made it, unsuccessfully.

Michael Fulmer - Cespedes trade guy.  Lots of injuries, but he has been a very solid MLB pen arm in 2021 and 2022. 

Casey Meisner - exchanged for Tyler Clippard in a trade. Arm issues.

Seth Lugo: well, how about that 34th rounder, huh? Excellent.

Dario Alvarez - went 6-1 in the big leagues, but wildness and injuries...

Jeff McNeil - great hitter then, great hitter now.

Dominic Smith - mixed MLB success, not enough for a 10th overall pick.

Matt Oberste (.277) - nope.

Yeixon Ruiz - nope.

Phil Evans: got some playing in at the MLB level - never an impact guy.

Logan Taylor - nope.

Kelly Secrest - nope.

Kyle Regnault - nope.

Wuilmer Becerra - once he hurt his shoulder, never the same.  Nope.

Eudor Garcia - PEDs - nope.

Luis Guillorme - former 10th rounder and overachiever extraordinaire. Fine 2022 when healthy. He got well, now stay well.

Scarlyn Reyes - nope.

Martires Arias - nope. 

Michael Katz - nope. 

John Mora - nope. 

Luis Cessa - part of the Cespedes trade, he's had a nice MLB career. 

Akeel Morris - barely made it, unsuccessfully.

Rob Gsellman - surprisingly strong late 2016 MLB debut during Mets' playoff surge, but very mediocre thereafter. Terrible 2022, in minors, majors, and overseas. Mets cut bait at the right time.

Dave Roseboom - nope.

John Gant - surprisingly good performance in MLB for a 21st rounder.

Rob Whelan - barely made it, unsuccessfully.

Brad Wieck - very nice 65 game stretch with the Cubs as a reliever, lots of Ks, but currently out with a serious injury.

LET'S RECAP:

14 "Nopes", 9 "Barely Made It", 7 did OK, and 5 have done very well. 

In non-statistical terms, in plain English, few of the 35 made it, several did very well, and several lower draft picks show that success at any draft round is possible. Especially if those later draftees are pitchers.  Most of the "Nopes" and "Barely's" were hitters.

So, we may find that out of all the guys currently in the minors (plus Brett Baty, whose debut has been quite limited due to his untimely injury), several will do well and several OK.  The rest, minimal cumulative impact.  

However, I have a sneaking suspicion that the current crop will have more than several who will do very well and more than several who will do OK.  

Why?  I think the quality of the good players in the minors now is greater than it was back then.  

What do you think?