MLB.com’s comments on draft day: Hitting Ability: Havens has improved over time as a hitter and makes good contact with a very patient approach. Power: Excellent bat speed does generate some pop and he could hit 10-15 homers, maybe 15-20 at best. Running Speed: He's a well below-average runner. Base running: Very alert on the bases and armed with good instincts, he won't hurt you. Arm Strength: He's got a plus arm at short. Fielding: He catches the ball well when he gets to it. Range: His range is restricted because of his lack of foot speed. Some feel he'll have to move to third. Physical Description: Havens is really put together with a strong, athletic body. Medical Update: He had a sprained thumb in the fall, but he's 100 percent now. Strengths: A good approach at the plate with the ability to make solid contact; good knowledge of how to play the game.
College Stats on Havens: 359 BA/.486 OBP/.645 SLG%/ 248 AB, 76 R, 89 H, 13 doubles, 2 triples, 18 HR, 58 BB-44 K, 13 E in 66 games, .953 FPCT
Scouting Report: Summation: Swing mechanics and theories towards what makes up “the best swing” are very diverse. But, there are many standards that I like to think are pretty constant when it comes to making a good stroke. That is why I chose to examine Reese Havens first. What you see in the video, and in the photos is a very refined hitter with a polished swing. He has some small flaws here and there and other things go into make a good hitter besides mechanics of his swing, but it is a good place to start. HaveHavens’ stroke is built to spray line drives to the gaps and to all parts of the field. I’d be quite surprised if that polish doesn’t easily carry him to a big league career.
From Keith Law on Draft Day: This is a great pick for the Mets. He makes all the plays at shortstop because he reads the ball off the bat so well. At the plate he has excellent pitch recognition and hand-eye coordnation. If he has to move to second base because of the presence of Jose Reyes at shortstop, he has more than enough bat. Havens has a great approach and instincts, and he should move quickly through the Mets' system.
From Kevin Goldstein (BP) on Draft Day: I actually kinda like this pick. He's got some pop, he's got some holes in his swing, but he's a monster makeup kid who could move quickly, and is probably now the Mets 2B of the future
From Adam Rubin the day after the draft: Havens, born during the 1986 World Series, hit .259 as a freshman and .274 as a sophomore in the Southeastern Conference, but took off after shortening his swing under the tutelage of Mike Roberts (the Orioles’ Brian Roberts’ father) while hitting .315 in the prestigious wood-bat Cape Cod League. Havens hit .359 with 18 homers and 57 RBI in 63 games this season for the Gamecocks. The Mets’ recent philosophy has been to keep shortstops and center fielders at their natural positions until they’re close to the big leagues, including Fernando Martinez remaining in center field, but there already was draft-day speculation Havens could be converted to catcher, which he’s never played, or second base.
Havens was considered a potential first-round pick out of high school, and the Red Sox were prepared to draft him 26th overall in 2005, but he was seeking a reported $1.7 million signing bonus - and Boston’s offer would have been $1.35 million. With teams shying away, he dropped to a 29th-round pick by the Rockies and instead headed to South Carolina.
SNY the day after the draft: I love the Reese Havens pick. This is not a guy I expected Omar Minaya to pick, as he’s been leaning more toward tools and Havens plays much greater than the sum of his parts. He is not an athlete, per se, but definitely a baseball player. Through hard work and smarts, he proved capable at short and may even project there, but not on the Mets. Some teams, including the Red Sox, were rumored to want to move him to catcher. Havens, according to the reports Thursday, was not enthused about that switch. Perhaps it’s still in the cards for the Mets. He’ll sport a plus-lefty bat no matter where he ends up, but expect it to be second base for New York. This year at South Carolina, Reese had a .485 OBP/.628 SLG/1.113 OPS, walking 19 percent of the time.
ScoutingBook.com ranked Havens as the 262nd top prospect: A successful shortstop in college whose range is a bit of a question in pro ball, South Carolina graduate David Havens could make a heck of a second baseman for a future Mets infield that already includes two All Stars and the player picked just before him in the 2008 Draft, first baseman Ike Davis. A solid line drive hitter with plus plate discipline, Havens could be a long-term keystone for New York
In June 2008, BA did a post-draft adjustment of their top 10 Mets prospects and Havens was ranked #3, with the comments: “more likely a third baseman or possibly a catcher, stands out with approach and pop. “
In late July 2008, ProjectProspect.com updated their top 10 Mets prospect list and Havens was ranked 3rd.
In 2008, due to injuries, Havens was used exclusively as a DH, at Brooklyn, going .247/.340/.471, with 3 HRs and only 11 RBIs in 23 games.
In February 2009 from MYOB: Reese signed for a little over $1.4 million. He doesn’t quite have the pop of Ike Davis, but he sent three more over the wall than Ike. His slugging percentage was .471 even though his batting average was a few points less than Davis. Reese will be more of a gap hitter. The Mets didn’t see a lot from him defensively, as groin and elbow problems limited him to DH. There are some that think his foot speed and first step quickness will not be adequate to stick at short and a move to second will be in his future. But since he wasn’t given much of a chance to show his stuff this year, the Mets will give him an opportunity to field the position next year. At least he has no less range than Mets super prospect Wilmer Flores. He does have great makeup and has the intangibles to succeed whereever he is placed.
In March 2009, Rotoworld ranked the Mets Top 10 Prospect: 5. Reese Havens - An elite performer in college, Havens hit .359/.486/.645 as Justin Smoak's teammate at South Carolina last season. No one saw him as a long-term shortstop, so it was thought he might fall out of the first round of the draft. The Mets, though, took him at No. 22 with the intention of grooming him as a second baseman. Havens hit plenty of homers in college, but he figures to be more of a doubles guy in the pros. He'll both hit for average and draw walks, so if he can deliver 35-40 doubles per year, he has a chance to be a very valuable offensive player. He should begin to move quickly this season.
9-9-9 From http://www.hardballtimes.com/ : - A big sleeper, Havens has been nagged by injuries since being taken by the Mets in the first round of last year's draft. The lefty shortstop has some serious power, as he had ISO's of .224 last year and .175 this year. A .275 BABIP has given him just a .247 batting average, but he's maintained a walk rate of 13.3%, showing that when he combines power and a good eye with some luck on balls in play, he can be a big threat. He still needs to cut down on his strikeouts and work on his defense, as many see a move to second base in his future.
9-15-09 from: - http://myworldofbaseball.com/wordpress/?cat=42 - 8. Reese Havens SS - He has more potential for shortstop than Flores, but his future is at second base because his foot speed will limit his range. Like the major league Mets, a quadricep injury limited his bats. He finished with an identical .247 average that he hit for the Cyclones in 2008 with an improved OBA and a slugging percentage that was slightly lower. He did hit 14 homeruns in only 97 games and his 55 to 73 walk to K ratio indicates that his average should improve.
2009 was an interesting year. On the down side, he only hit .247, but produced 14 home runs, which tied him for 6th in the league. His .422 slugging percentage ranked him11 th in the league and his .784 OPS put him in 10th place.
Forecast: Nothing but blue sky, now that he has changed to second base. Havens goes from the 3rd, maybe 4th SS prospect, to the #1 slot for 2B, and gives the Mets potential pop at that position. Look for some additional errors this coming season in Binghamton, but, as long as the bat produced, this will be your Mets second baseman in 2012.
2-1-10: - Reese Havens – most prospect pundits still have Havens as the top second base prospect in the organization, but I need to see one more season out of him before I place him higher on my list. So far, he hasn’t hit for average, though he is showing potential pop. Also, a little more defense won’t hurt either. His future as a Mets may be similar to guys like Dustin Martin.
5-17-10: - Stock up: Havens was promoted to Binghamton after Friday night’s game for St. Lucie. The former first round draft pick is no longer kicking the ball around at short and has become a full time second baseman, in hopes of getting to Queens after Luis Castillo’s contract runs out after the 2011 season. No one is going to ever award Havens a Gold Glove, but did play A+ this season with zero errors in the field.In addition, his bat is coming around… at Lucy this year: .281/.369/.509/.878, 3-HRs in 57-AB. Look, Havens should be at AA and the rest of this season will be a good test for him. He also will fit in well with a lineup of Nieuwenhuis, Evans, and Lutz. No pitching around here.
5-24-10: - Stock up: Havens was promoted to Binghamton after Friday night’s game for St. Lucie. The former first round draft pick is no longer kicking the ball around at short and has become a full time second baseman, in hopes of getting to Queens after Luis Castillo’s contract runs out after the 2011 season. No one is going to ever award Havens a Gold Glove, but did play A+ this season with zero errors in the field.In addition, his bat is coming around… at Lucy this year: .281/.369/.509/.878, 3-HRs in 57-AB. Look, Havens should be at AA and the rest of this season will be a good test for him. He also will fit in well with a lineup of Nieuwenhuis, Evans, and Lutz. No pitching around here.
5-30-10 from: - http://myworldofbaseball.com/wordpress/?cat=42 - Reese Havens SS - Reese was the Mets number one pick, but selected after Ike Davis. He signed for $1.4 million, about $100,000 less than Ike. His first two years Reese has been stuck on .247. Defensively, he may lack the range to play shortstop so second or third base could be in his future. Reese started his season late after an oblique injury. After 14 games of rehab in the Florida State League, where he played all of last year, Reese was promoted to AA Binghamton, where he is hitting .348 in five games. Last year Reese was decent cutting down on his strikeouts and increasing his walks, but this year he has 22 whiffs in 19 games. He will need to have better success making contact if he wishes to hit at the top of the Mets order.
6-5-10 from: - http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2010/2610129.html - Team: Double-A Binghamton (Eastern) - Age: 23 - Why He's Here: .360/.560/.840 (9-for-25), 3 HR, 1 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBIs, 6 R, 5 BB, 6 SO - The Scoop: As discouraging as it was to see Havens miss yet more time with injury this season—in this case a strained oblique—he's proven to be worth the wait. He homered twice off Orioles righthander Chorye Spoone and once off Indians reliever Bryan Price this week, while continuing to show a discerning batting eye. That's not an anomaly. Power and patience have been Havens' strong suits—he has walked in 12 percent of his minor league plate appearances while boasting a .199 isolated power. For a middle infielder in the New York-Penn, Florida State and Eastern leagues, that's pretty darn good. Taken four picks after Ike Davis in the 2008 draft, Havens just might join Ike on the right side of the Mets infield later this season
6-7-10: - Reese Havens hit another home run Sunday, his sixth in in Binghamton and ninth for the season. The 2011 battle for second base is starting to get very interesting, especially if Ruben Tejada plays the position well in Queens during the period he is there. I still think Tejada has a good shot at replacing Jose Reyes at short, simply because 2011 is Reyes last year, the Mets have an option to get out at 500K, and, most important, he’s one of the only players on the team that could warrant a one-for-one trade for an Oswalt-type starter. I’m not calling for a Reyes trade, but a team can’t win in this sport without a dominant starting rotation. Santana and Pelfrey aren’t enough.
6-12-10: - Reese Havens was removed from the Binghamton game last night in the second inning for "soreness"... manager Tim Tuefel told a reporter that he's had this problem before, which makes one wonder if this is related to him oblique strain that kept him out earlier this season. Right now, he is listed day-to-day.
6-21-10: - Havens was placed on the 7-day disabled list Sunday for soreness in his left obique. This is the same oblique that put him on the DL earlier this season, so it’s obvious that things aren’t healed yet. I have been told that this new hiccup is just that, a small set-back; however, I would hope that the Mets sit the boy down until he is fully healed this time. This, of cource, may not be the Mets fault and the player could have sent the wrong signs to the trainer. It looks like Havens has a bright future with the Mets and he’s not part of any trade package, so let him heal, even if it takes the rest of the season.
7-13 from: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2010/7/13/1565273/mid-term-farm-system-review-part - Havens is a tough evaluation as you can argue he's actually holding here. On one hand, he's been awesome when healthy. On the other hand, for the second-straight year, Havens has just been unable to stay in the lineup on a consistent basis, currently out with an oblique problem that does not sound like it's getting any better. As I said, performance wise, he's been great (though sample-size warnings apply). The walk rate is great, he's hitting for even more power than I expected, the average is good. The strikeout rate is a little high, but I'm not too worried yet. As with Zach Lutz below, Havens now has the injury-prone label, and until he stays healthy for a full season, it's going to stick, and for that reason, I'm giving Havens a falling stock grade.
8-5-10: - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/8/5/1606179/2010-top-20-new-york-mets - Reese Havens, SS, Grade B-: Hit great for St. Lucie and Binghamton (.312/.386/.592) but limited to 32 games by an oblique injury. I like him a lot, if he can stay healthy.
8-31-10 - 2011 Forecast: - Look, whether this kid is playing or on the DL, he's the number one prospect second baseman in the organization. Injuries are injuries. Some are natural, and others happen when someone takes you out on a double play ball. Just because Strasburg is being operated on, doesn't make him the best prospect pitcher in baseball. That being said, it would be nice if Havens stopped trying to be like F-Mart. Havens only had 125 at bats in 2010 (between St. Lucie and Binghamton), but they were impressive: .312/.386/.592/.978, 9-HR, 19-RBI. Project those numbers over a full season and you have an all-star. His latest injury is a nagging one, but shouldn't impede his growth. I do expect him to play winter ball, probably Hawaii, and there's a good chance he will compete for the Mets second base job, against Ruben Tejada, in spring training. Otherwise, expect him in Buffalo in 2011.
Sept 2010 from: - http://www.nyfuturestars.com/userblurb.php?item=2026 - Groin, elbow, oblique and back problems have all plagued Reese Havens since being signed in 2008. Yet despite all these injury issues he is by far the Mets top prospect at 2nd base. Reese would even rank above Ruben Tejada if Ruben still qualified. When healthy, Reese display above average power for a 2nd basemen along with a powerful line drive stroke and very good plate discipline. He has below average speed and not enough range to excel defensively at shortstop but with his good hands and solid fundamentals he should play very well at 2nd base. He could be a 15-20 homerun type hitter in the big leagues with lots of doubles and an OBP that should be in the solid .340-.360 range. Now if he could only stay healthy because the best way to impede his potential is by derailing his development time (see: Fernando Martinez).
11-15-10 from: - http://networkedblogs.com/ayM5h - STOCK DOWN - I think we're at the point now where we can no longer pencil Havens into the Mets infield of the future. That's not to say he can't or won't get there but he really has to prove he can stay on the field for an extended period before we can project him as a major league starter. In his three-year career, Havens has only once played more than 23 games in a season. Toby Hyde wrote that Havens has played in only 47% of his team's games since joining the organization. Havens could easily be an impact talent but as impressive as his tools are, they still need to develop and the #1 way to make sure they won't is if he keeps missing time.
11-18-10 from: - http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/top-10-prospects-the-new-york-mets - Havens would probably be a little higher on the list if he had shown the ability to stay healthy and also had a true defensive home. The infielder has never had more than 360 at-bats in a season and has just 570 at-bats over his three-year pro career. We don’t have a ton of data to draw conclusions from but Havens has shown good patience with a career walk rate of more than 11%. He’ll need to make better contact after posting high strikeout rates. He has flashed promising power – a .175 ISO rate in 360 high-A at-bats in ’09. Havens hits with a wide, well-balanced stance, and has a quick bat. He does have a tendency to rock back and forth, which can throw off his timing. Havens holds his hands quite low in his stance and moving them up a bit might help him maintain a more level swing. Defensively, Havens has played both shortstop and second base in his pro career but profiles better at the keystone. There was talk at one point of moving him behind home plate, but that move now would slow his development down too much, as his bat is ready for double-A. Havens may never be more than an average fielder, thanks to stiff actions, but his bat has the chance to be above average. He could reach the Majors by the end of 2011 if he can stay healthy.
11-15-10 from: - http://projectprospect.com/article/2010/11/14/2010-digital-prospect-guide-top-100-write-ups - While he is quiet and controlled at the plate, he has a very inefficient path to the ball. He pushes his hands back and away from him, and pulls the barrel forward with his bottom hand as he brings the bat through the zone. His lead arm is straight throughout most of his swing, costing him quickness and efficiency. He weight shift could use some work, as he mostly spins on his back leg when he swings. Some people will call out Havens’ 2009 batting average on balls in play as unlucky, but he hit a lot of fly balls and not many line drives. He could be someone who hits for a low batting average due to his high fly-ball rates. Havens won’t wow you on defense at second, but he’s a solid athlete with good hands. We think he’s a good bet to remain at the position. Havens was a shortstop in college and his first full season in pro ball. He was initially rumored as a candidate for catcher, but was tired at shortstop before being shifted to second base at the Arizona Fall League. Havens doesn’t do one thing exceptionally well, but he has the potential to be a very solid player with some refinement. His patience and power combo is very intriguing – especially at an up-the-middle position – though his swing needs some work. Learning to do less pulling with his front and more driving forward with his backside will be paramount for Havens to reach his potential as a slightly above-average regular.
11-24-10 from: - http://www.metsgeek.com/showthread.php?658-Mets-Top-Twenty-Prospects&p=187156 - 6. Reese Havens. One of the Glass men in the top 10, Reese has the world’s weakest Oblique of any athlete. If healthy, he’d be in the top 3, no doubt in my mind. I like his bat. He will bring a plus bat to a position that has been weak since Edgardo Alfonzo left and signed with San Francisco. I heard he looked fluid at second base but not flashy. I do not believe he is the type of player that I would label as flashy anyway. Best case scenario sees him in the Mets lineup as a second hitter from 2012 till free agency. Worst case scenario is him fading away because of his weak oblique. There have been rumors circulating on his health and no one is sure when he will start baseball activities. If he starts the season healthy, it will be for the Double A ballclub.
12-20-10 from: - http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b7Jdl - Reese Havens, second baseman – .978 OPS this season and .830 OPS in the minors overall, but Havens has played just 152 games over three seasons, and just 32 this past year. The 22nd pick of the 2008 draft can’t keep himself on the field; a healthy 2011 will send his stock back up.
12-20-10 from: - http://mets360.com/?p=5755&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mets360%2Ffeed+%28Mets360+Feed%29 - 2B, Hi-A/Double-A, .338/.400/.662 in 75 PA - This is Havens’ line in Double-A, where he actually played more than he did in Single-A. And this illustrates both the potential and the problem with Havens. He has an impact bat at second base. But he can’t stay healthy. As Mets fans have seen with Martinez, staying healthy is at least partially a skill. Havens has been injured in each of his three years with the Mets. Most people have Havens ranked higher than this in the system. He’s this low here because until he stays healthy he’s more suspect than prospect. He could be number one on this list next year. Or he could fall off completely.
12-22-20 from: - http://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=12623 - Reese Havens, 2B
Year in Review: A 2008 first-round pick, Havens put up huge numbers in very small batches, as once again he was often sidelined by a variety of maladies.
The Good: Havens has the kind of power and patience rarely seen in a middle infielder. His quick, compact swing generates plenty of power, with some scouts seeing him as a Dan Uggla light-type player capable of 20-plus home runs per year. He has a good understanding of the strike zone and works the count at a big-league level.
The Bad: Havens isn't especially toolsy beyond the bat. His power-focused approach will likely lead to low batting averages, and he's a substandard runner whose range is a bit short at second base. He's played in only 152 games since signing, and needs to stay healthy to continue developing.
Ephemera: No player selected with the 897th overall pick in the draft has ever reached the big leagues, which applies to Havens as he was a 29th-round pick by the Rockies in 2005 out of Bishop England High in South Carolina, though he did not sign.
Perfect World Projection: If he can stay healthy, and that's a big if, Havens projects as a well above-average offensive second baseman.
Fantasy Impact: He has rare power for a middle infielder, but he's not going to help in other categories.
Path to the Big Leagues: Havens will begin 2011 at one of the Mets' upper-level squads, and considering the big-league situation at the position, he has the ability to get to the majors in short order, but he has to stay in the lineup.
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