Tom Brennan - MY METS PROSPECTS: #11 DESMOND LINDSAY
Sometimes, guys just make it hard for you to rank properly. For instance, a big arm you like that ends up with Tommy John surgery - will he return quickly or slowly, effectively or diminished?
Same sort of thing when it is a hitter who gets hurt a lot. Such a hitter is Desmond Lindsay.
He already has 3 years in the minors. Year one, got injured - 35 out of a possible 70 games. Year two, got injured - 37 out of a possible 76 games. Year 3, got injured - 65 out of a possible 130+ games. So you, as an evaluator, have to decide if you want to rank him as Year 4, uninjured. Or playing half the games, as he has in each of his 3 seasons.
The one thing I do know for sure is this:
"Desmond has a barrow in the market place, Molly is the singer in a band. Desmond says to Molly, "Girl, I like your face,". And Molly says this as she takes him by the hand: Obladi, Oblada, life goes on, bra, Lala how their life goes on."
Kidding aside, Lindsay has had hammy injuries, and of course his most recent, ulnar nerve relocation surgery. There's little reason to think the hammys will be a major problem going forward, and as a non-pitcher, the nerve correction should be a non-issue going forward, so I will assume health for 2018, a hard thing to do for anyone in the Mets organization, I know, but the pendulum does swing, as they say.
Lindsay, although in his 3rd season in 2017, was only 20 years old, so there is plenty of time - but who wants to waste time in the minors? Stay healthy and get to the bigs quickly, Mr. Lindsay. Former NYC Mayor John Lindsay, if he were alive today, would have liberally agreed.
I have the 5'11" 200 Desmond Lindsay ranked (perhaps too optimistically) at # 11 due to his multi-tool physical potential, the potential that got him drafted in the 2nd round in 2015 when (were it not for injury issues in high school) he likely would have cracked the first round. So Desmond, meditate on Cal Ripken for a while - "durability, durability" - playing a lot is the key to rapid movement upwards.
Desmond put up great rookie ball #s in 2016(.303/.433/.451) but in full A Columbia in 2017, he got off to a dreadful start: he hit an awful .150 through May with a ton of strikeouts.
But in June and July, despite more time missed due to injuries (what a shock) and his season ending injury in mid-July, he rebounded nicely: in 87 at bats, .322 with good power (5 doubles, a triple, and 5 homers) - but still too many strikeouts, with 29 in his last 95 plate appearances. My sense is the strikeout #s will moderate as (if) he plays daily in 2018, but to some degree that is guesswork.
He is highly athletic, and one can only hope he breaks out in 2018, climbs quickly, and shows up in Queens by late 2019, and is ready to be an everyday player in 2020, or especially 2021 when the contract of one Mr. Cespedes will have expired. Health - and better contact - are the two keys here.
Another healthy high schooler drafted a year later in 2016 by another team, Bo Bichette, has already gotten the about the same number of at bats and shot past Lindsay - 2018 is the time for Lindsay to play a little catch-up. He also still needs to catch up to Tim Tebow :)
9 comments:
Not on my list anymore
Like Wilmer Becerra last year, I am giving Lindsay one more chance to be high up on the list. On my new list, Becerra has gone into free fall. If I, right now, had to choose between the two, I go with Lindsay. Becerra's lack of power and very high strikeouts this year was a huge disappointment, so I dropped him about 25 spots. I want to see a full year of Lindsay (but will that ever happen?) before dumping him down the garbage chute. Of course, having him this high assumes his surgery will be 100% successful and with him fully ready to go in February. A lot to hope for with ANY Met who goes under the knife.
Keep in mind if he were in the Yankee system, I'd probably have trouble getting Lindsay in my Top 25.
I looked at this, which reinforces my positive feeling on Lindsay, from a late July article:
"Desmond Lindsay underwent surgery on the ulnar nerve in his elbow this week. Lindsay, one of the top prospects in the Mets' organization, had been dealing with elbow issues all season with Low-A Columbia and finally settled with going under the knife. The operation brings an end to a tough season for the 20-year-old, as he hit just .220 with 77 strikeouts over 65 games for Columbia and will now set his sights on a rebound season in 2018."
So, Lindsay was affected ALL SEASON by this nerve thing in his elbow. Hence the weak results, which were so puzzling to me after his strong half season in Brooklyn in 2016. I will give him full benefit of the doubt going into 2018. Jake pitched like crap in late 2016, had the same surgery, and was excellent this year. We can certainly hope to see the real Lindsay next season, unencumbered by this toothache in his elbow.
I think Beavers gets dropped off the 40 man roster this offseason
Zozo, I agree - what major league team would want to draft "Beavers" Becerra after this season, and have to keep them on their 25 man all season?
Beccera is off my list too
Let's hope that a healthy 2018 shows the tools translating and the at bats getting better. Five doubles and five HR in 87 AB's is fairly promising, and if (if, if, if) the hammies are OK, perhaps we get to see some of that plus speed in the mix. Not confident, but not writing him off either. With a team that drafts this badly, it's hard to give up on anyone in the system who shows any upside potential at all.
Like I said, he still needs to catch up to Tim Tebow, who came out with a book today!!
And will Timmy T be in my Top 30? Keep reading to these reports to find out.
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