MACK - My Thursday Observations - Chain Position Analysis - Second Base

 Good morning 

The journey down the road of my current analysis of Mets chain players, by position, now continues with second base.

Tough position to analyze since so many future major-league second basemen start out as minor league shortstops.  Remember… every coach since grade school takes their tallest kid and puts him in the pen to start learning how to pitch, and their most talented athlete on short.

The Mets have a unique situation, what with Franciso Lindor signed to start at short until around the time that Barron Trump will run for President.

So, do we just breakout current minor league second basemen here or should we lop in the shortstop talent as well? What do we do… what do we do?

Well, based on I want to stretch this series into more postings, I vote and move ahead with the current guys playing second that I think have either the current results or future potential to make Queens someday.

With that intro…

D-Andre Smith – 23/years old - currently Brooklyn – drafted by Mets in the 5^th round of the 2022 draft, out of USC LA – plays short and right field as well. Only .237 over four minor league seasons. Only 7-HR in combined 522-PA. Off to a better start this season, but still playing below the expectations the Mets had when they drafted him.

My guess he will either fade away sometime or become the eventual AAAA second baseman in this chain. 

Marco Vargas – 20/years old - currently St. Lucie – 2022 IFA - $17.5K signing bonus by Marlins. Traded on 7-27-23 to Mets, along with catcher Ronald Hernandez for the loan of pitcher David Robertson. Miami also picked up the remaining $3.5mil owed to Robertson. As we used to say back in the day, such a deal!

Capable of playing all three infield positions, but primarily a second baseman. Has hit .246 over three low-level minor league teams. So far, this year seems to be the one he has begun to put it all together.

As of Wednesday morning, Vargas is hitting for Lucy ,429/.556/.571/1,127 (is this good?)

 Me? Keep him at second. Currently, the one true second base prospect for this team. Playing him in Florida until Brooklyn’s temperatures warm up. There’s no rush to get a 20 year old past that level this season. There is enough current infielders trying to stick in Queens at second, that I would target this kid for opening day 2028.

Keep an eye on this one. 

Oscar Junior Pena – 14/years old – currently a “verbal” commitment for a 2029 signing. Yeah, Barron Trump time. Talk about helium time. Right now, Pena may not have a complete set of pubic hairs. Two years before an actual signing process, but he is in the DSL camp doing something other than getting a proper education. Don’t have more to report on here, other than my “source” down there says that Pena will be one of the top signee’s of that class. 

Summation –

So, that’s it. Like I said, there is a good chance that future Mets second basemen eventually come over from short. Based on that, tough to rate. Because of Vargas, and potential conversions, I give this position a potential 

A-

Mark Vientos’ smarter approach

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6300803/2025/04/22/mets-mark-vientos-mlb-fastballs/

After a slow start, Vientos is heating up and resembles the guy who hit 27 home runs with a .838 OPS last season. Despite a breakout season in 2024, there was room to grow; while he hit .326 against fastballs, he swung and missed around 40 percent of the time against anything else. Coming through against Sanchez’s changeup showed progress.

 

MLB Power Rankings

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6296330/2025/04/22/mlb-power-rankings-reds-guardians/

T-2. New York Mets (2.7)

Record: 16-7

Last Power Ranking: 3

Ranking a year ago: T-18

Here’s a strong reminder of how much things can change between now and October. At this time last year, the Mets had a winning record — thanks to a six-game winning streak — but we weren’t buying it. Catcher Francisco Alvarez had just gone on the IL, and the Mets seemed due for a swoon. And that’s exactly what happened! The Mets were well below .500 by the end of May, but a great June and a strong September pushed them into the playoffs, where they advanced all the way to the NLCS. This year, we’re having less trouble believing the Mets can make a run as they’ve moved to the top of the NL East. But check with us again next week after they’re finished their current series against the Phillies and have played four against the Nationals.

MLB starters who look like they are breaking out …

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6288319/2025/04/18/mlb-starting-pitchers-breakout-candidates/

2025's breakout starting pitchers

Will Warren            NYY

Max Meyer             MIA

Cade Povich            BAL

Yoshinobu Yamamoto     LAD

Shane Baz                TBR

Randy Vásquez      SDP

Mitchell Parker      WSN

Andre Pallante       STL

Garrett Crochet     BOS

Nick Lodolo             CIN

Brandon Pfaadt      ARI

Casey Mize              DET

Hunter Brown        HOU

Tylor Megill            NYM

Mets sign 20 of 23 picks in this year's Draft

https://www.mlb.com/news/mets-2023-draft-signings-tracker

3 (91): Nolan McLean, TWP, Oklahoma State

Pick value: $747,600

Signing bonus: $747,600

The Mets intend to let the athletic McLean continue as a two-way player now that he's signed onto the organization. He will pitch in relief and serve as a designated hitter to open his pro career.

Jim Koenigsberger            @Jimfrombaseball

"Satchel Paige had a very, very good fastball... but the first time I faced Satchel, he threw me a little breaking ball, just to see what I could do, and I hit it off the top of the fence. I got a double. When I got to second, Satchel told the third baseman, 'Let me know when that little boy comes back up.'

Three innings later, I go to kneel down in the on-deck circle, and I hear the third baseman say, 'There he is.'

Satch looked at the third baseman, and then he looked at me. I walk halfway to home plate and he says, 'Little boy.'

I say, 'Yes, sir?' because Satch was much older than I am, so I was trying to show respect.

He walked halfway to home plate and said, 'Little boy, I'm not going to trick you. I'm going to throw you three fastballs and you're going to go sit down' and I'm saying in my mind, 'I DOOON'T THINK SOOO. If he threw me three of the same pitch, I'm going to hit it somewhere. I turned to the catcher and asked, “What does he mean?” Catcher told me, “He’s going to throw you three fast balls. Nothing else.”

He threw me two fastballs and I just swung...I swung right through it.. and the third ball he threw, and I tell people this all the time, he threw the ball and as he let go he said, 'Go sit down.'

This is while the ball was in the air. Yes, he struck me out with three pitches.

He was just magnificent."

Willie Mays

"To teach me pitching accuracy, my Dad made me throw a baseball through a tire hung from a tree, then at a strike zone painted on an old mattress."

Annabelle Lee

The only player to throw a perfect game in 12year history of the AAGPBL, hurled a no-hitter the next season. Annabelle Lee passed on her pitching knowledge to a nephew, gave him his first left-handed glove, and became one of the biggest influences in his life. He grew up to become a lefty junkballer just like his Aunt Annabelle.

"I  like to think I got my competitive nature from  her, my Aunt was the  best baseball player and the best athlete in the family, including me"

Bill Lee