My Spin - Arriving DSL players

 

The Mets seemed to have had a decent return from the kids playing in the DSL league last year.

It's impossible to confirm at this point if they all will come stateside this year, but we need to review the names and early accomplishments of these guys that could produce huge benefits before the decade runs out.

Here they are:

SP Franklin Gomez - 

maybe the creme of the crop here. Gomez is a 6-0/185 LHSP that will pitch 2024 as a 19 year.old.

His 2023 DSL stats were impressive:

13-G  9-ST  5-4  2.66  1.07

50.2 IP  71-K

DSL ranking:

    #1 2.45 FIP

    #1 .202 xWOBA

    #2 38.1 CWS%

    #4 25.3 K/BB%

Did play in one game for St. Lucie late in the season.

SP Lucas Gordillo - 

6-0/180 that will pitch 2024 as a 22 year old. 2023 was his first pro season.

2023 for DSL Mets:

13--G 2-2  1.21  37.1-IP  55-K

Age a big factor here.

SP Franyel Diaz - 

6-7/210 that will play 2024 as a 19 year old. All I have on him is his 2023 DSL stat line:

12-G  10-ST  2-2  3.00  1.33

45--IP  54-K

C Julio Zayas - 

Zayes is s C/3B/1B that stands 5-11/190 and will play 2024 as an 18 year old. 

Much has been written about the heralded catcher the Mets have signed out of Latin America, but this is not one of them.

Zayas came out of nowhere to put up an excellent stat line:

176-AB  7-HR  43-RBI

307/.368/.517/.885

It will be interesting to see where he opens up in the spring and if he can continue to put up these kind of numbers.

OF Christopher Larez -

Larez is a SS/2B out of the D/R that stand 6-1/190 and will play 2024 as a 19 year old.

He was suspended during the 2023 season for PEDs. Up to then, he had 84-AB  1-HR  13-RBI

274/.351/.405/.755

He has been rated as having 5-tool potential and had a rating of 55-hit and 50-run/arm/field

OF Jeremy Rodriguez -

 this could be a big one.

Rodriguez came to the Mets last year in exchange for Tommy Pham.

He also is from the D/R and stands 6-0/170. He will play 2024 as an 18 year old.

He was the top international pick by Arizona a year back, who wrote him a check for 1.2mil.

He hit only .246 in 122-AB last season for their DSL team, but immediately came out of the gate for the DSL-METS, going 45-AB  1-HR  15-RBI  .422/.536/.771/1.247.

I do expect him to be in Florida come the spring. 

OF Branny De Oleo - 

D.O. is a 19 year old Dominican that stands 6-1/155.

Scouts clocked him with a 6.97 60-yard dash and a 92-mph throw to first.

2023 was his first pro season and he impressed;

166-AB  3-HR  25-RBI

313/.403/.476/.879

OF Jeffry Rosa - 

Truly the big dark horse on the DSL squad last season.

Rosa is a 6-1/190 20-year old Dominican that plays all three outfield positions.

2023 was his second DSL season and he led the league with 15 home runs.

But that wasn't his biggest accomplishment. 

He did that in only 148 AT BATS.

He also severely cut back his previous high strikeout rate.

Full line;

148-AB  15-HR  39- RBI

.277/.400/.669/1.069

OF Anthony Baptist - 

this is the 5th outfielder I am featuring in this post.

Obviously only three can start for the FCL Mets so this list is fluid.

Will say this. The signing bonus money given Baptist puts him high on the list, even though his 2023 season (very slow start) was fair at best:

MLB.com said this about him prior to his signing:

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

One of the fastest players in the class, Baptist is also one of the most exciting.

He’s expected to start in center field and stay at the position as he develops, primarily because of his speed, but also because he has the potential to be an above-average defender. He can chase balls down in the outfield and like all prospects his age, he is working on fine-tuning his routes and angles.

The hope is that his speed -- he has been consistently clocked at 6.1 seconds in the 60-yard-timed run -- will also come into play on the bases and he can develop into a base-stealer in the future. When you consider his emerging bat-to-ball skills and overall athleticism, he could slot in near the top of the lineup.

He trains with Pedro ”Nube” Nivar, a member of MLB’s Trainer Partnership Program, in the Dominican Republic

OF Heriberto Rincon -

Yes,,, another outfielder.

In 2023, the 19 year old Domincan Rincon went :

.301/.398/.374/.772

155-AB 1-HR 21-RBI 

Perfect Game said this about him prior to his signing:

Heriberto Rincon is a 2022 OF with a 6-1 155 lb. frame from Santo Domingo, NC who attends Haras Nacionales. Large, athletic frame with present strength proportioned well throughout which plays well on all phases of his game. Ran a 7.03 60-yard dash. primary outfield, moves well to the ball, shows big arm strength and carry, excellent arm speed and works on top of the ball very nicely, arm plays and actions project well moving forward, 93 mph best throw. Right-handed hitter, begins with a balanced and open stance with a high hand set and back elbow at the plate. Easy barrel speed with a long path through the zone, loose and athletic stroke overall. Generates easy back spin off of the barrel to pull side gap, low effort stroke with present juice and more to come down the road. Intriguing tools on both sides of the ball. Named to the South Dominican Republic Top Prospect List.

My guess us none of these kids start off for St. Lucie.

That means the younger ones will probably repeat DSL come late spring.