Q and A with Jason Parks - Baseball Prospectus

We're talking today with Jason Parks/Baseball Prospectus, who has been kind enough to let us throw some questions his way about the current crop of Mets prospects.

Parks has been a minor league contributor to Baseball Time in Arlington (www.bbtia.com) since the 2008 season, focusing most of his attention on scouting and player development. In addition, he has written scouting reports on players in the Mexican League and the New York-Penn League, sending those reports up the unspecified chains of command of major league organizations. Presently, Parks is a contributer to Baseball Prospectus, writing a weekly column entitled “Prospects Will Break Your Heart,” as well as co-hosting “Up and In: The Baseball Prospectus Podcast,” with Kevin Goldstein.

Thank you Jason, and I've got the first question. In our world here, all Mets fans (and Mack's Mets writers :) keep arguing about who is the better pitcher, Matt Harvey or Zack Wheeler. Is this argument sort of moot and do we have two gems here?

Parks: It' s moot. They are both legit prospects that are easy top 100 guys in the minors. I like Harvey a little more because of his current polish, but Wheeler's ceiling is just as high (if not higher). This is a very bright spot for the team and the system. Two very promising arms that have the potential to develop into #2 starters.

Hey Jason, this is David Groveman with Mack's Mets. I got a question for you regarding the Mets. What name would you throw out there as a sleeper prospect who might make big strides in 2012?

Parks:  RHP Akeel Morris and LHP Juan Urbina have room in their development to take big strides in 2012. Morris has a crazy good arm, but is very raw at the present and needs to add both command and a competent secondary arsenal to the mix. Urbina lacks the power potential of Morris, but he flashes the potential to have a deep arsenal with a good command profile. Lacks a crazy ceiling, but a smart command-oriented arm with three average-above-average offerings is a very legit talent.  I think both players can take steps forward in 2012.

Jason, this Christopher Soto, with MM's...

The team seems to have a heavy logjam at the lower levels when it comes to pitching (Akeel, Urbina, Mazzoni, Leathersich, Fulmer, etc, etc). Could we possibly see the team being a tad bit more aggressive with promotions? That being said who in the A ball levels do you see making the jump to Binghamton mid season?


Parks:  Loglams always have a way of working themselves out. After a long spring training turns into extended spring training, the team will be better equipped to make the determine the promotion schedule. Losing a low-level team will push some of the complex talent to Brooklyn for short-season ball. The rest of the promotions will depend on the specific developmental plans in place for each arm, so its hard to guess which players will start where.
IF (and its a big if) Fernando Martinez (question asked before he was picked up by Astros) passes through waivers. What becomes the new gameplan for him? If Puello absolutely mashes at AA and forces the Mets hand with a AAA promotion midseason does Martinez get bench? Traded? New position?

Parks:  Martinez is damaged at this point, so I think the talent that was originally on that shipped has sailed. He needs to get healthy and he needs a change of scenery. Forget about Martinez. I don't see Puello absolutely mashing. His approach is going to give pitchers a roadmap to exploit him, and I unless he makes changes on that front, all the tools he possesses won't find utility on the field. I just doon't see it happening. Love the tools, but the approach is very rough.