Now there are some players in Syracuse who may or may not have an immediate future in Flushing.
If we assume Brett Baty shows enough with his bat to remain at third base for the Mets, then what becomes of Mark Vientos? His over .900 OPS in AAA suggests he is a capable bat but if his defense is going to prevent him from playing next to Francisco Lindor, could his future if it remains in the Mets organization be as a first baseman? Alonso had a reputation for being suspect at defense there and if he is traded away in July or leaves as a free agent on November 1st, then perhaps that is where Vientos winds up.
Luisangel Acuna in 2023 split between Frisco and Binghamton at AA hit .294 with 9 HRs and 63 RBIs between the infield and the outfield to go along with 57 SBs. Given his size, the power is not as important as is the speed. He could be a 2nd baseman or a center fielder. It is entirely possible that with his slow start in Syracuse he would be capable of giving Jett Williams more time to play in the minors, including a partial or full season in AAA.
Drew Gilbert is the one who is quite interesting. Another small player physically, he spent 2023 split between three teams, hitting .289 with 18 HRs and 59 RBIs along with 12 SBs. He is an outfielder who is struggling a bit in Syracuse thus far, hitting only .240 and not hitting for power. It is possible that he is adjusting to a new level of pitching and it is too soon to see what he can do.
Diminutive Jett Williams when healthy is likely going to play more outfield than infield with the Mets having a greater need there than in the infield. Now he is healing up before he returns to playing regularly. In 2023 he played across St. Lucie, Brooklyn and Binghamton, finishing the season with a .263 average, 13 HRs, 55 RBIs and 45 SBs. He may well become the replacement for Harrison Bader in center field, but he has not yet made it to AAA, so no one is sure how soon he will make it to Queens.
Ronny Mauricio had a magical 2023 season, batting .292 with 23 HRs and 71 RBIs. It sure seemed as if he had a strong shot of being in that infield competition for 2024. Unfortunately his injury put him out for the majority of the season but it is entirely possible that he will be the guy who pushes Jeff McNeil onto the trading block or into the outfield.
Right now it would seem there are several possible assets coming up the ladder but for now only Mark Vientos is looking like he is ready for a full time role. Mauricio needs to show he is healthy. The rest need to step up a bit before the club can write them into the lineup regularly.
6 comments:
I'm hoping Alex Ramirez is fully back on track and an option come 2025.
There are several clubs that likely are coveting Mark Vientos for 1B or 3B right now. Cicinnati could use both. But if Pete walks...Mark is the right age to step in.
Pete's .206 average is the 7th worst for 1B, so he has company.
Gilbert decided to lack discretion and miss 2 months. Who knows when he'll be MLB ready.
Ernest rightly mentions Alex Ramirez. I'll add that Rhylan Thomas could also be ready, and a similar but probably more physically skilled player, Nick Morabito, could push into the picture by mid 2025 if all goes right.
And to be # 2 catcher? Parada, the door is wide open if you can hit like a #11 overall pick or anywhere close to it. It doesn't require much to be # 2, when one considers that the two bums now catching, Nido and Narvaez, are hitting a combined .180 (13 for 71).
The performances in the minors to date do not look like help on the major league level. Will 2025 be another transition year? I am hoping the young bats have strong second half+ years.
Unfortunately I do not think Ramirez is on track. Strong start but 4 hits in last 19 PA with 6 Ks. Reality check time?
The performances seem to be on the pitching side. Tidwell, Suarez, Sprout, Scott, Tong, Lucchesi (free agent at year end?). (Not Hamel, Vasil).
The young prospects have time to learn. There is not much room on the MLB roster this year, so let them work through their journey and be called up as confident, experienced ballplayers.
Let's not write off off these guys so soon. It's a long season.
I'm growing tired of McNeil, to be honest. I was a big fan but he has abandoned the hitting style that won him a batting title, and his apparent whiny attitude has worn thin. I'm hoping Acuna can improve enough to be considered the 2nd baseman going into 2025
Post a Comment