Tom Brennan - TOP 25 PROSPECTS RECAP
So, 25 days (February 1 -25), 25 articles, and 25 top prospects listed below. Missed any, feel free to find the past articles in the sidebar and read up on them.
Lots of fun to do, but what is the overall recap in my mind?
A lot of quality there - a real lot of quality. Perhaps (and most likely likely) several stars in the group.
Starting pitcher-wise, 4 guys (Gsellman, Dunn, Szapucki, and Molina) with a chance to be real solid SP1 - SP 4 types. Another guy in Conlon who may defy his relatively tame velocity and have real success in as a starter or reliever.
Infield-wise, 2 very possible stars in Rosario and Smith, and perhaps Giminez in another few years. Solid power hitting potential future 1B or 3B in David Thompson and Pete Alonzo. A potentially very solid starting 2B in Gavin Cecchini. Two possibly super subs in TJ Rivera and Philip Evans.
Potentially very good catchers in righty hitting Tomas Nido and lefty hitting Pat Mazelka.
Three possible future starting OFs in Nimmo, Lindsay, and Becerra, with Kaczmarski also a possibility.
And decent, if not fireballing, quality relievers with high success pedigrees in righty Paul Sewald and lefty Dave Roseboom.
And some real good prospects in my next 10, and for that matter, my next 25. One could argue that all guys in my 26-35 slots could have been in the Top 25. Maybe some that didn't even make my Top 35.
I am a happy man thinking of that minor league pipeline. The Mets are well-positioned to have capable call-ups when needed. I wish them all career years and fine health in 2017.
1. SS Amed Rosario
2. 1B Dominic Smith
3. RHSP Rob Gsellman
4. OF Brandon Nimmo
5, RHSP Justin Dunn
6. LHSP Tom Szapucki
7. OF Desmond Lindsay
8. SS Gavin Cecchini
9. UTIF T.J. Rivera
10. 1B Peter Alonzo
11. LHSP PJ Conlon
12. MIF Phillip Evans
13. C Tomas Nido
14. OF Wuilmer Becerra
15. SS Andres Gimenez
16. RHSP Marcos Molina
17. 3B David Thompson
18. RHRP Paul Sewald
19. LHCL Dave Roseboom
20. C Pat Mazeika
21. RHSP Gabriel Ynoa (now with the O's)
22. LF Kevin Kaczmarski
23. RHSP Ricky Knapp
24. OF Travis Taijeron
25. SS Milton Ramos
No separate articles, but here is what I wrote in my February 1 article on my 26-35 guys:
26. Jeff McNeil - the infielder missed all but 3 games in 2016, or he'd have been in my Top 25. I see in Jeff a promising future MLB utility player.
27. Kevin McGowan - 6'5", 235 righty impressed with 84 IP, 83K, 2.35, 1.09 stats in 2016. Can he replicate in 2017?
28. Ricky Knapp - righty was 13-5 in A and AA, but 0-1, 5.50 in 18 Vegas innings. Overall, though, 13-6, 2.69 in 164 IP, the second straight strong year for the 2013 8th rounder. A case clearly could be made for him in the Top 25.
29. Matt Oberste - Matt is older than Dom Smith by a few years, and has shadowed Smith's journey up the minor league rungs...but I am not sure there is enough bat or glove there for a major league career.
30. Harol Gonzalez - little righty pitcher tore up Brooklyn in 2016, second only to ace Tom Szapucki; is he up for real success at higher levels? We'll see.
31. Ben Griset - the righty reliever excelled for St Lucie in 2016 (4-2, 1.80, 1.03 WHIP, 66 K in 60 IP). Can he continue to impress? Lots of guys falter starting at AA.
32. Eudor Garcia - a good lefty hitting 3B who missed 50 games due to performance enhancements. Also injured in 2016, so he played only 162 games for Columbia the past 2 years.. He needs to stay healthy and show if he is the real deal in 2017. 4th rounder in 2014.
33. Nabil Crismatt - the 22 year old righty is 16-8, 2.56 in his career, with 239 Ks and just 50 walks in 221 innings. Lots of that was in the DSL, so let's see what he can do in a full season of A ball.
34. Andrew Church - 2nd rounder in 2013 has really struggled to stay healthy, with only 228 IP in 4 years, but he was 7-4, 2.92 in 15 starts in 2016, his first good season. Needs to replicate at higher levels.
35. Ricardo Cespedes - very, very young outfielder who hit very, very well in Kingsport in 2016.
C'est Finis, monsieurs et madames.
Except for one thing....Josh Smoker is not in these lists, but technically he is still a rookie like TJ Rivera. Smoker just does not feel like a rookie to me, so I left him off. I see him as a fireballing major leaguer. Not a prospect. Go get 'em, Mr. Smoker.
No separate articles, but here is what I wrote in my February 1 article on my 26-35 guys:
26. Jeff McNeil - the infielder missed all but 3 games in 2016, or he'd have been in my Top 25. I see in Jeff a promising future MLB utility player.
27. Kevin McGowan - 6'5", 235 righty impressed with 84 IP, 83K, 2.35, 1.09 stats in 2016. Can he replicate in 2017?
28. Ricky Knapp - righty was 13-5 in A and AA, but 0-1, 5.50 in 18 Vegas innings. Overall, though, 13-6, 2.69 in 164 IP, the second straight strong year for the 2013 8th rounder. A case clearly could be made for him in the Top 25.
29. Matt Oberste - Matt is older than Dom Smith by a few years, and has shadowed Smith's journey up the minor league rungs...but I am not sure there is enough bat or glove there for a major league career.
30. Harol Gonzalez - little righty pitcher tore up Brooklyn in 2016, second only to ace Tom Szapucki; is he up for real success at higher levels? We'll see.
31. Ben Griset - the righty reliever excelled for St Lucie in 2016 (4-2, 1.80, 1.03 WHIP, 66 K in 60 IP). Can he continue to impress? Lots of guys falter starting at AA.
32. Eudor Garcia - a good lefty hitting 3B who missed 50 games due to performance enhancements. Also injured in 2016, so he played only 162 games for Columbia the past 2 years.. He needs to stay healthy and show if he is the real deal in 2017. 4th rounder in 2014.
33. Nabil Crismatt - the 22 year old righty is 16-8, 2.56 in his career, with 239 Ks and just 50 walks in 221 innings. Lots of that was in the DSL, so let's see what he can do in a full season of A ball.
34. Andrew Church - 2nd rounder in 2013 has really struggled to stay healthy, with only 228 IP in 4 years, but he was 7-4, 2.92 in 15 starts in 2016, his first good season. Needs to replicate at higher levels.
35. Ricardo Cespedes - very, very young outfielder who hit very, very well in Kingsport in 2016.
C'est Finis, monsieurs et madames.
Except for one thing....Josh Smoker is not in these lists, but technically he is still a rookie like TJ Rivera. Smoker just does not feel like a rookie to me, so I left him off. I see him as a fireballing major leaguer. Not a prospect. Go get 'em, Mr. Smoker.
11 comments:
McGowan (my #27) got hammered over the weekend. Travis Taijeron (#24) came up small in two significant at bats, too.
Thomas, thank you for your continued contribution to this site.
McGowan had a Warren Beatty moment.
Nothing to say about McGowan except better luck next time. We all have days like that. Tell him to imagine how Warren Beatty feels.
just in: McGowan traded to La La Land....oh wait, wrong envelope, he won't have to Moonlight after all
No love for Guillorme? #15 BA / #14 MLB.
Sorry, #17 MLB
Nestle, I like Luis. I dropped him lower because a lack of speed and complete lack of pop are real hindrances at major league success. Not saying he needs power like Cabrera, but he no homer power and very little double and triple power. Show a good bit of improvement there and I will get him to #14.
Nestor, I love all these Mets prospects - I am biased - but if I see a big area that needs improvement, the lack of power from Luis so far is simply something he needs to address for his own good. I believe he works as hard at his game as anybody, but in a day and age where teams only carry 13 offensive players, a dearth of power is a big obstacle. His career average of .285 is fine, but his slugging % is only 40 points higher. That said, he is playing early games, so it is clear the Mets like him. I see he is now listed at 190 pounds, so maybe (like Phil Evans last year) we'll see a significant uptick in Luis' power game.
Usually a low power guy has a rocking speed game, but Luis stole only 4 of 6 in 123 games in 2016 and has just 2 career triples, so that seems limited too. Increase both, increase value.
Go, Luis, go!!
Thank you, Thomas and nice job. These have been fun.
As to that guy you left off the list, I will tell you that the last jersey I bought was a Gooden 16 more than 30 years ago, and by all rights, my jersey days are long behind me. But being that I'm living out here in Oregon, the land of legal cannabis, I am greatly tempted to rock a J Smoker jersey. Maybe to my son's first T-Ball game this spring. Just to make trouble.
No weeds on a baseball diamond!
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