Baseball Psychology At Work?
The Mets acquired Luisangel and Drew Gilbert recently, both highly regarded.
Are we surprised the Mets didn't immediately post them as their #1 and #2 prospects?
After all, Luisangel Acuna is 21.5 years old, in AA all year, hitting .310, 43 steals, just 6 errors in 78 games at SS, and 3 other errors.
Drew Gilbert, 22 and in his first full season, and Houston’s former #1 prospect, has mostly been in AA and is hitting .274/.363/.449
Parada, the current #1, in his first full season in High A ball is hitting .269/.347/.449, with 87 Ks in 82 games. He just turned 22 and has cut down just 18.5% of base stealers this year (although slightly north of 20% after the first jackrabbit week against him). Solid, promising, but not “Wow!”
Mauricio has frankly not hit well at all in AAA the past 10 weeks since June 1. Hitting .227 with a .285 OBP since June 1, in a hitter-happy league. Errors also remain an issue in 2023 for him, with 18, although just 3 in 26 games in the outfield in his learning-the-outfield-on-the-job phase of late.
Right now, the Mets rank is Parada 1, Acuna 2, Mauricio 3, and Gilbert 4.
Should it be 1 Acuna, 2 Gilbert, 3 Parada, 4 Mauricio, in that order, instead?
Or perhaps Jett Williams (.450 OBP since June 1 in 53 games with 22 steals, and 35 of 42 steals on the season for the 19 year old in his first full year who recently advanced to Brooklyn) - should he be above Mauricio in the 4th slot, and Mauricio at #5?
Jett was a top 4 ranked player prior to the trade deals, and really still is, quality-and-performance-wise.
Perhaps the rankers leaving them at #1 and #3 right now don’t currently want to mess with the psyches of Parada and Mauricio?
Nice top 4, in any numerical order.
Not-so-nice Mets losing streak, too, huh?
When do we give serious consideration to Jett Williams #1 ?
ReplyDeleteWe need to consider proximity to majors in our rankings.
ReplyDeleteOff topic, check this out folks:
https://nypost.com/2023/08/06/brett-batys-growing-struggles-presenting-mets-with-new-dilemma/
1. Muno
ReplyDelete2. Wyatt Young
3. Oca
Gus,
ReplyDeleteI think Baty needs to spend August in Syracuse and get his stroke back. He seems to be lost in both hitting and in fielding. The talent is there, he just needs to refocus and come back up ready to utilize that talent back on the field.
Player Prospect Rankings really do not mean much more to me than to say maybe some kid player has a chance to stick in the bigs one day once ready. I go more by performance once a player gets to the bigs (especially pitchers). Then I notice.
ReplyDeleteRankings are more of a journalistic dwell to me. Something to talk about.
I totally agree, especially beyond the 1st 5 or so. Ranking the 18th, say, vs the 24th, is just writer's folly.
DeleteBig fan of Brett Baty. Gorgeous smooth power swing.
ReplyDeleteBut I concur with you to send him back down to finish out the season in Syracuse and regain his confidence. He almost looks like his hand injury could be a factor with his somewhat lack of power swing.
May need to hit the weightroom more during the off season as well. But do not give up on this kid Baty.
His comments in the Post story are concerning. He's having trouble concentrating it seems. A trip to Syracuse to get his head together could be productive. Also, why is he learning how to.pkay 3rd in the majors? It seems the minor league instructors are absent
DeleteMaybe getting Eric Chavez back in there as the Mets hitting coach would help. Whole team stepped backwards in 2023 with the new guy batting coach. New batting problems arose. Maybe put Jeremy Barnes on the tomato garden coverage?
ReplyDeleteIs this not just a simple common sense thought?
Oiy!
The "new" HC isn't new to the team. He worked closely with Chavez as his assistant last year, and I'm sure still consults with him now.
DeleteIt ain't the coach, it's the hitters.
Gus, agreed on level, to a degree. I'd almost not be surprised if Williams in AAA right now could put up a higher OBP than Mauricio. I am not suggesting rushing Williams, to be clear. His fielding is in need of improvement, for example.
ReplyDeleteBaty is a professional - still a rookie, but with many PAs now under his belt - he needs to figure it out, as any promoted prospect needs to. Or he will be passed by.
We could get the 1st pick...That would push everyone back
ReplyDelete1. Gilbert
ReplyDelete2. Tidwell
3. Parada
4. Jett Williams
5. Stuart
Muno? Mack and I used to have kidding banter about him, never perceived as a top prospect. I had him perhaps 8th or 9th in a bad system. The Mets back in that period also had very weak utility hitters, and he seemed like a possible alternative. Wyatt Young had an outstanding first full season, in the high minors, and legitimately seemed to be vying for Guillorme's spot, once Luis got more expensive in 2024, but Wyatt has backslid in 2023.
ReplyDeleteOca was a remarkable K machine but wild in the high minors the second half of 2022, then his arm blew out again. For that reason, I had him up around 10-12.
That was me :)
DeleteErnest, I think Jett will be a contender for top prospect by this time next season. My sense is he has a higher ceiling than Mauricio.
ReplyDeleteGetting the first pick next draft would be remarkable.
ReplyDeleteHas Matt Allan filed for Social Security yet? Just curious.
Mack, no Acuna in your top 5? Just 21, .300+ in AA, fine fielder.
ReplyDeleteNo
DeleteI base my picks with scout mentality plus potential to star in this game
On my list Acuna is 6th and Mauricio 10th
It's fun kicking around the topic of rankings.
ReplyDeleteIf you had a choice of starting a new team with any 10 Mets prospects, who would you pick for the start of the 2025 season?
Me? Williams, Acuna, Gilbert, Parada, Reimer, Morabito, Stuart, Tidwell, C Scott, Marco Vargas. Of course, we'd need more pitchers, and my next 5 would include Vasil, Hamel, Gervase, the rapidly improving Jace Beck, and Dylan Tebrake.
Do mean to start in the majors in 2024?
DeleteOr top 10 in the overall chain
Mack, top 10 in the chain starting OD 2025.
ReplyDelete1. Gilbert
Delete2. Tidwell
3. Parada
4. Stuart
5. Wilken Ramos
6. Daniel Juarez
7. Scott
8. Hamel
9. Mauricio
10. Clifford
Hard to believe with this complete "pull the bandaid off" approach that Pete will probably be traded this winter. We have to improve the pitching and he's our biggest chip.
ReplyDeleteGary, maybe but maybe not. Alonso is very good at what he does and teams need that. He probably is misfit as a cleanup hitter, maybe #5, but that isn’t a big deal. Most important is the Mets collecting the best talent and not worry about prospects so much that they become the Pirates - a team that only looked to collect prospects and never quite hit in enough of them.
DeleteAlso it's really important to build winning clubs in Bingo and Cuse next year and with the new talent that has to be a priority.
ReplyDeleteDoes it really matter? DeGrom and McNeil never rats high.
ReplyDelete#5 and #6, Mack? Bold picks!
ReplyDeleteMack no Jett? Tex it's unprecedented to have an owner like SC who will do whatever is neccesary to build a winning team. Many talk the talk none walk the walk like Mr. Cohen and I can't wait to see what's in store for our club this winter. I get the distinct impression the FO doesn't like the clubhouse vibe and is going to change that also.
ReplyDelete