MM's Top 25: The Best of the Rest

#30 C Ali Sanchez (LR: N/A)
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 0" Weight: 175 lb

Age: 17
Acquired: 2013 International Signing, Venezuela

2014: (DSL1) .305/.411/.414, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 5 SB (55%), 20 BB, 21 K

     Every year we have a tendency to highlight at least 1 potential big name player in the Mets DSL affiliate. Sometimes we hit, sometimes we miss. In 2012 we highlighted Victor Cruzado, Last year it was Vicente Lupo, this year its Ali Sanchez.

     Sanchez was given a $690k bonus to sign with the team last year and was considered the 2nd best international catching prospect behind Jose Herrera. According to Baseball America's Ben Badler, Sanchez "an intelligent, high-energy player who has good hands and is a good receiver. He has a solid arm that plays up due to his quick transfer and accuracy.....scouts have seen him hit a lot against live pitching, showing a consistent approach and a contact-oriented swing."

     So far Sanchez is living up to Badler's analysis. Defensively, Sanchez is beyond his years only allowing 8 passed balls so far, which is fewer than 27 other teams in the DSL. He's also thrown out over 52% of would be base stealers. Offensively he's posted a .300+ batting average, a .825 OPS and a 1:1 K to BB ratio. If the bat can continue developing as he progresses, the Mets may have a 3rd big time catching prospect in the system.

Ceiling: Way Too Early to tell, but a Salvador Perez comp is pretty solid.
Floor: Comes stateside and bat disappears in Rookie Ball.

#29 LHSP Blake Taylor (LR: N/A)
Bats: L Throws: L
Height: 6' 3" Weight: 220 lb

Age: 18
Acquired: Trade from Pittsburgh w/Zack Thornton for Ike Davis

2014: (R) 2-0, 2.77 ERA, 13.0 IP, 9.7 K/9, 6.2 BB/9, 1.231 WHIP
2013: (R) 0-2, 2.57 ERA, 21.0 IP, 5.6 K/9, 3.9 BB/9, 0.762 WHIP

     First, the disclaimer, we do not have a large enough sample size yet to really determine where Taylor fits among the Top 25. That is why he's here.

     On the surface it seems as though Sandy must've had some dirt on Neal Huntington cause getting Taylor in return for Ike Davis looks like a steal. The young left hander was a 2nd round pick in the 2013 draft with a strong, mature build, and two plus breaking pitches in his curveball and slider. However according to various scouting reports, Taylor is gonna be a project for the organization.

     His velocity is inconsistent as it has reportedly been as high as 94 but as low as 83. He also has trouble locating his pitches which leads to his high BB rate. Despite these 2 things, the highest risk factor when it comes to Taylor is actually his motion. According to Amazin Avenue's Alex Nelson, Taylor  "vertically loads his scapula, which is putting stress on his shoulder." This could make Taylor a potential injury risk going forward.

Ceiling: #3 Lefty SP
Floor: An injury waiting to happen, flames out before hitting St. Lucie.

#28 OF Wuilmer Becerra (LR: #30)
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 4" Weight: 190 lb

Age: 19
Acquired: Trade from Toronto w/Noah Syndergaard and Travis d'Arnaud for R.A. Dickey, Josh Thole, and Mike Nickeas

2014: (R) .333/.371/.528, 5 HR, 14 RBI, 0 SB (0%), 5 BB, 27 K
2013: (R) .243/.351/.295, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 5 SB (45%), 20 BB, 60 K
2012: (R) .250/.359/.375, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB (0%), 4 BB, 7 K 

    We finally get to see the real throw in fruit of the R.A. Dickey trade and boy does it look appetizing. After playing in his 1st short season year with the GCL last year, Becerra has been tearing it up with the higher level Kingsport team this year. 

     He is displaying good power to the opposite field as well as the ability to put the bat on the ball. He is still having some trouble with strike zone recognition as his 23.3% K rate is not going to survive at the upper levels.

Defensively, he's showing more than capable abilities to handle the corner OF positions. In addition he's displaying a strong enough arm to stay in RF with 12 OF assists in 79 career Rookie level games with the Mets. This will jump his value a bit but the bat will have to develop with the arm to jump him up into the Top 25.

Ceiling: Average Bat, Strong defender in RF.

Floor: Stalls at Port St. Lucie.

#27 3B Jhoan Urena (LR: N/A)
Bats: S Throws: R
Height: 6' 1" Weight: 200 lb

Age: 19
Acquired: 2011 international signing, Dominican Republic

2014: (SS-A) .304/.367/.435, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 4 SB (44%), 17 BB, 36 K
2013: (R) .299/.351/.376, 0 HR, 20 RBI, 4 SB (80%), 13 BB, 34 K
2012: (DSL2) .279/.330/.405, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 12 SB (80%), 20 BB, 46 K 

     One of Sandy Alderson's 1st year bonus babies, Urena signed for $425,000 at age 16. After a strong 2012 campaign in the Dominican Summer League, Urena was brought stateside and performed well enough to catch Baseball America's eye on their GCL sleeper prospects list. Now in Brooklyn, Urena has excelled as a middle of order bat for the Cyclones.

     While he is listed as a switch hitter, Urena carries significant righty/lefty splits. In 2013, he hit .346 with a .813 OPS when hitting lefty but .200 with a .541 OPS when he hit righty. In 2014, he's hit .304 with a .793 OPS as a lefty but only .238 with a .689 OPS as a righty. With that in mind, the organization should probably just force him to hit left handed for the remainder of his career.

     Defensively, Urena has more than enough arm strength to stick at 3B. He also has good reactions and soft hands. His only downside is that he isn't fluid with his movements and is not the fleetest of foot so his range is a tad limited. Overall, he looks like a good bet to remain at 3B for the rest of his career.

Ceiling: Platoon 3B for a second tier MLB team.

Floor: Enough bat for lower minors but struggles in AA.

#26 RHSP John Gant (LR: N/A)

Bats: R Throws: R

Height: 6' 3" Weight: 175 lb

Age: 21

Acquired: 2011 Rule 4 Draft, 21st round, Wiregrass Ranch HS (Wesley Chapel, FL)

2014: (A) 10-5, 2.72 ERA, 106 IP, 8.0 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 1.283 WHIP
2013: (SS-A) 6-4, 2.89 ERA, 71.2 IP, 10.2 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 1.130 WHIP
2012: (R/A) 3-4, 4.98 ERA, 59.2 IP, 7.8 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1.525 WHIP
2011: (R) 0-1, 6.48 ERA, 8.1 IP, 5.4 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 1.320 WHIP

     When it comes to pitching prospects, I look for four things. A) A strong K/9 rate that's at least above 8.0 aka the "Domingo Tapia Rule", B) at least 1 plus secondary pitch, C) good body size and D) strong results at a proper age to level comparison. Gant fits the bill for all of these criteria despite having below average velocity.

     Despite adding about 20 lbs and about 3 ticks to his Fastball velocity, Gant still only tops out at 92mph and usually sits between 88-90mph. Usually for right handed arms that's well below average, but for Gant, its played up thanks to his deceptive motion. He has a very funky wind-up and hides the ball incredibly well which allows his fastball to sneak up on batters. In addition he has an advanced change-up that sits between 77-78mph and has wicked splitter like downward movement.

     Gant's control still needs refinement as he generally hovers in the low 3's for BB's per 9 innings. In addition he currently has trouble hitting the lower 1/3 of the strike zone with regularity. Once he learns to use his height to generate downward movement on his fastball his ceiling could increase.

Ceiling: Back-end rotation piece. #4/#5 SP
Floor: Hitters begin feasting on his low velocity fastball in AA.

PTBNL....Who is He? When Will he Make an Impact?

The trade is done....but the analysis is incomplete. 1B Ike Davis was traded for RP Zack Thornton and a PTBNL who "is a 2013 draftee of significant value" and "is the centerpiece of the deal." This tells me that the player is a Top 10 round draft pick. So lets take a look at who those guys are.

The "Highway Robbery" Guys
CF Austin Meadows- 1st round- 19 yrs old - Extended Spring Training

• The Pirates Compensentory pick for failing to sign Mark Appel in 2012 has been drawing heavy comps to Cincinnati's Jay Bruce. Meadows was a huge Mets target in the 2013 draft but was nabbed 2 picks before them. He has the potential to develop into a .270 hitter with 25+ HR and 90 RBIs. That potential also comes with 120+ K's as well. He was assigned to the GCL last season where he hit .294 with 5 HRs and 20 RBIs in 43 games. The Mets have a number of OF prospects in the lower levels right now in Jared King, Ivan Wilson, Bradley Marquez, and Champ Stuart, but none of them carry the potential Meadows has.

C Reese McGuire- 1st round- 19 year old- Single-A West Virginia

• A BP Top 60 player, McGuire was seen as a sure fire 1st rounder, but not someone who should go high in the draft. He's seen as a top rated defensive catcher with chance to develop some offensive potential. However BP grades him out as a potential .250-.260 hitter that can hit 15 HRs. While the profile isn't sexy, the Mets organization is thin at catcher at the lower levels with Jeff Glenn and Colton Plaia manning the dish for Savannah. So far in A-ball, McGuire is hitting .216 with 4 RBIs in 10 games.

The "Much Needed" Lefties

LHP Blake Taylor- 2nd round- 18 years old- Extended Spring Training

• Much like the Mets system, the Pirates organization is heavy on RH pitching prospect but lacking in lefties. Taylor is a highly projectable guy who currently has a 90-92 mph FB and a plus Curve. At 220 lbs he won't add much more velocity but his FB could become a premium pitch if he can harness his control. His lack of a 3rd pitch limits how quickly he can advance in the system though and he seems like he's at least 4-5 years away from helping a big league team.

LHP Cody Dickson- 4th round- 22 years old- Single-A West Virginia

• Dickson is pretty much a mirror image of Taylor except 4 years older. 91-93 mph FB from the left side with questionable control and a plus Curveball. His 3rd pitch is a change-up which is currently a below average pitch. Dickson perform well in the NY-Penn League last season with a 9.3 K/9 rate but did display those control issues walking 24 in 57 IP. While the system is starving for left handed starters it's hard to see Alderson liking either one of these guys without a third pitch.

The "Solid" Grab

2B/SS/CF JaCoby Jones- 3rd round- 22 years old- Single-A West Virginia

• Make sure that "C" is capitalized! JaCoby is a high upside speed/athleticism tools play that has spent time at 2B, SS, and CF. While Jon Heyman has stated that "he looks like he can be a star ballplayer," his swing is ugly and will need to be re-built and quick frankly he hasn't performed to warrant his upside. JaCoby received a full season assignment and so far looks good hitting .288 with a HR, 8 RBI's, and 2 SB. While Meadows is superior to the group of CF's the Mets have now, JaCoby seems to be the same type as them, especially King who is currently in Savannah.

The "We've Given up on Cechinni" Guys

SS Trae Arbet- 5th round- 19 years old- Extended Spring Training

SS Adam Frazier- 6th round- 22 years old- Advanced Single-A Bradenton

• If Alderson nabs either one of these two guys, it may signal that he no longer has confidence in Gavin Cechinni's ability to stick at SS long term. The Bucs went over-slot to grab Arbet who is regarded as a good all around offensive SS who has a fringy arm and fringe range at SS. In 38 games at SS for the GCL Pirates last season, Arbet did commit 21 errors. Frazier on the other hand is High IQ defensive whiz at SS with an advanced feel for the strike zone. This comes with practically 0 power though as he hit exactly 0 HRs in the 3 yr college career.

The "Never Have Enough Arms" Righties

RHP Buddy Borden- 7th round- 22 years old- Single-A West Virginia

RHP Neil Kozikowski- 8th round- 19 years old- Extended Spring Training

RHP Chad Kuhl- 9th round- 21 years old- Advanced Single-A Bradenton

RHP Shane Carle- 10th round- 22 years old- Single-A West Virginia 

Look you can never have enough pitching prospect. Even though the Mets system is flooded with RH arms I wouldn't be surprised to see Alderson grab another one. Borden and Kuhl were both Pitchers of the Year in their respective conferences and both feature low 90's FB's (though Borden can reach 96), and curveballs/change-ups that could be league average pitches. At 6' 4" Kozikowski has a ton of room to add velocity to his low 90's FB but is a young who is years away from helping a team. Lastly, Carle is another tall lanky righty who makes a living off of his heavy low 90's sinker.