New Photos Of Mets Minor League Players by Ed Delany (Iam Strom, Anthony Dimino, Andrew Church)

Photo by Ed Delany

Ed Delany takes some incredible photos of Mets minor league players while they are either playing or training in St. Lucie.

We're going to share some of the with you from time to time.

The first (above) was taken yesterday of outfielder Ian Strom, who I have projected for the AA-Binghamton team next month.

photo by Ed Delany

Next comes catcher Anthony Dimino. who I have starting in St. Lucie this year.

And last today...

photo by Ed Delany

Pitcher Andrew Church, who our good friend Ernest Dove says will make big waves this year in Binghamton rotation.

Ed can be followed on Facebook or Twitter at @Ed880 

Enjoy them and look for more in the future.

Delany Pics - Luis Guillorme, Matt Oberste,

Ed continues to send us photos from St. Lucie...

Here is Luis Guillorme today before the game...

photo by Ed Delany

And ditto 1B Matt Oberste... 

photo by Ed Delany

And lastly for today, a photo from a week ago of P Kyle Regnault...

photo by Ed Delany 

Enjoy!

Delany Pics - Tyler Balshor, Tomas Nido, Corey Oswalt, Tim Tebow, Patrick Mazeika

Welcome back to more fantastic pics from Ed Delany down in St. Lucie (pictured above with Tyler Balshor, Tomas Nido, and Corey Oswalt). 

Next up...

Photo by Ed Delany

Tim Tebow took the boot off on Friday and hit as a DH in a minor league game.

And lastly... 

Photo by Ed Delany 

C Patrick Mazeika seems zoned into his at-bat on this past Thursday.

Tom Brennan - Mets Shortstop Offensive Comparisons By Age

Mack was recently asked about the Mets shortstop inventory, mentioning that he would like to see 5 tools Ronny Mauricio move to the outfield and Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez duke it out for SS.

I decided to look at them on an age comparable basis.  Here goes:

PC - Ed Delany

At age 20, Gimenez played the full year at Binghamton (AA) and hit as follows:

117 games, 432 ABs, .250/.309/.387, 22 D, 5 T, 9 HR, 24 BB, 102 K.

Not great numbers, but the 9 HRs impress me, as it is a clear indication that he is not the next devoid-of-power Bud Harrelson type.

PC - Ed Delany

At age 20, Rosario split his season between A+ and AA, and hit as follows:

120 games, 479 ABs, .324/.374/.459, including 54 AA games at .341/.392/.481.

Surprisingly, he had fewer HRs (5) than Gimenez's 9, but Amed had 24 doubles and 13 triples.

So the clear hitting edge at age 20 goes to Amed Rosario.

At age 21, Amed had 393 at bats in Las Vegas, hitting .328/.367/.426 before his 46 game debut with the Mets, hitting .248 in 2017.

Amed might have been called up sooner in 2017, were it not for his defensive deficiencies and inability to draw a walk (still a real issue, with just 63 walks in 1,417 MLB plate appearances).  Gimenez seems to have the walk deficiency but not the defensive deficiency.

Based on the foregoing Amed history, and his presence on the Mets after a surging 2nd half of 2019, by comparison Gimenez should be in AAA all year, and perhaps into 2021.  Of note, however, is that Gimenez had a stronger 2019 second half and a fine Arizona Fall League stint, so maybe he can accelerate his big league arrival somewhat.

And maybe he is prime trade bait come July or the 2020 off season, if a log jam remains.

PC - Ed Delany

Ronny Mauricio was .268/.307/.357 in Columbia at age 18 in 2019.

Rosario at age 18?

.274/.320/.372, but mostly in Brooklyn, so at a lower level.  And keep in mind that Mauricio at age 18 was 5 months younger than Rosario in his age 18 year, and at that age, 5 months makes a difference.

Gimenez at age 18?

.265/.346/.349 at the same level.  Keep in mind that Mauricio at age 18 was 7 months younger than Gimenez in his age 18 year, and at that age, 7 months is a lot.  

Mauricio seems to have a leg up on the other two.  It should be exciting to see what he does at St Lucie as he turns 19 in April.

One last comparison: 

Ruben Tejada at age 20 played mostly in AAA where he hit .280/.329/.344, and then hit .213 in his Mets debut.  At age 21, which is what Gimenez is entering, Tejada in 96 Mets games hit .284/.360/.335.

Observations:

I think Amed Rosario might be on his way to becoming the Mets' best overall SS other than Jose Reyes.  I think 2020 will be his first WOW year.

Andres Gimenez has been highly ranked for 3 years in Mets' prospects' listings, but has not performed nearly as well as the oft-vilified Ruben Tejada at the same age.  But a strong AFL in 2019 and a solid start this spring, including a game winning - yes, you guessed it - home run in Friday's game indicate a surge may be coming for the young man.

Gimenez has to enter 2020 with a chip on his shoulder.  His edge on Tejada to this point is better defense and speed.  Now, can his bat be as good, or better?

Ronny Mauricio may well have to switch to the outfield.  Or another IF position (SS or 2B).  But based on his age-related progression so far, we should all be very excited about him.  

2020 could be a big season for the almost 19 year old, and it should be a delight to watch him advance.  Rapidly would be most welcome.

If I had to rank the 4 guys, long term, I'd guess:

1) Mauricio

1a) Rosario

3) Tejada and Gimenez (tie right now)

What do you outstanding Mets' minds think?

Mack – Top 25 2020 Mets Prospects - #1-5

A man named John Sickles use to have a great series of top 30 prospects for all the major league teams. For some reason, the feature was discontinued.

John would rate the players with the A through F system, using A as a can’t miss prospect, B a probable, C a possible, and F… well, you can figure out what F means. The last top Mets prospect list he had led with a sub-headline of “ if you love C+ prospects than you are going to love the Mets."

Nothing much has changed. We have a couple of A/A- guys, a handful of B+/B/B- players and the rest are C+.

Was John right? Well, he did not have Jeff McNeil’s name come up until he ended the series with players in one paragraph entitled ‘honorable mention’.

Here’s my last ranking of the series.

#1-5:

5.           SP Matt Allen – Allen, along with Josh Wolf, are the two starting pitchers the Mets stole in the last draft. Both flashed huge high school stats before turning pro. It’s too early to judge them stat wise, but an early peek plus their pedigree resume can’t help but rank them high in a system starved for A level prospects.

PC - Ed Delany

4.           SP Thomas Szapucki – No one has ever questioned the ability for Szapucki to miss bats. The only concern has been his heath. The baby steps taken last season seems to be working and I look for him to end 2020 in Syracuse.

    

3.           3B Brett Baty – Like Allen, Baty is one last year’s arrival in a remarkable Mets draft. He’s easily our top third base prospect, but there is no reason to rush the youngster. Mark Vientos will get to Queens a year earlier than Baty is ready, making for an interesting situation three years from now.

PC - Ed Delany 

2.           SS Ronny Mauricio – Forget Andres Gimenez. This is the kid that will make Amed Rosario either go away or play a different position. There hasn’t been a scout say anything wrong about this kid. Ever. Will be an A+ player.

PC - Ed Delany

1.              C Francisco Alvarez – Alvarez replaced Mauricio as the top    Mets prospect in the chain. Sure, Mauricio and most of the other guys listed in this series will get their opportunity to reach the majors ahead of Alvarez, but, in my opinion, no one will have the impact of this guy when he gets his shot around three seasons from now. Will be our starting catcher for many years to come.

Mack - From The Desk... and More Cuts

Good morning.


I'm having some tests done at the Charleston VA hospital today, so I will be unable to leave any comments here. 

Carry on without me.

New York Mets Top 10 Prospects Updated  

3. Andres Gimenez | SS | AA —> Previously a glove-first player, Gimenez started to show more potential with the bat in 2018 while reaching double-A. He doesn’t have the best approach at the plate (His BB-K leaves something to be desired) but he has natural athleticism that allows him to succeed and he’s starting to grow into more pop, too. There is more gap-pop than over-the-fence power but he could hit 30 doubles, steal 20+bases and play excellent defence at short in his prime.

More cuts per MiLB.com –

PC - Ed Delany 

OF Ian Strom – The 23/yr. old Strom was a 22^nd round draft pick in 2016. His best year was 2017 (Columbia: .294) and he hit .224 this past season for St. Lucie. The Mets considered Strom a 4^th outfielder at best. He never had more than 255 at-bats in one season (2018). In defense of the Mets, Strom never ripped the cover off the ball. His time was probably properly over here.

PC - Ed Delany

C Anthony Dimino -  I really don’t like this one. Dimino was a 28^th round pick in the 2015 draft.  Had a 4-yr. BA of .303 (???). Minor league teams need 3 catchers per team. This isn’t good enough? I had Dimino as a blue prospect for the entire 2017 season. 2018 was not a great year for him but he still hit .265. .265 for a Mets catcher? That’s an MVP season!

No sense. No sense at all.

C Tyler Moore –  More was a 6^th round pick in 2014. Hit .301 for LSU as a junior. Played for 5 teams over 5 years, finishing this season in NY State. The bed news here is his combined .204 professional batting average for a backup role for all 5 teams.

I don’t think the Mets promised Tyler anymore than this and he did a good job in this very limited. I try to remind readers. Minor league teams need three catchers. At the same time, it’s hard to find 20 catchers a year enter this game as a full time .300 hitter. There’s not much money here. Just the love of baseball

C Kevin Hall – Hall was undrafted in 2016 out of U. of Northern Alabama. The 24/yr. old played 3 seasons as a backup catcher, a very important role in the minors. Had only 140 at-bats over 3 seasons. Really never given a shot. Here’s the string part… he gets 38 at-bats with the GCL-Mets in 2016 (.158) and 41 at-bats with Brooklyn in 2018 (.224). In between, his at-bats went up to 61 and his batting average went to .246. So, the more at-bats, the higher batting average. In three measly backup seasons. Come on guys.

PC - Ed Delany

IF Dale Burdick – The 22-yr. old Burdick was a 40^th round pick in 2014. Has been a backup infielder for 6 teams over 5 years. His 5-season collective batting average is .192. His best season was… well… can you really have a ‘best’ season if your average was ,192? He had a 12.24-BB% but he also had 28.78 strikeout percentage. I think Dale has played out his options here and should move on to greener pastures.

IF Dylan Snypes – The 22-yr. old Snypes was a 15^th rd. pick in 2017, just 2 drafts ago. Played only 122 games in 2017 for Brooklyn and was out for the entire 2018 season. No injury info on him so ??? In defense of the Mets, he only hit .180 for the Cyclones after hitting .335 for Oral Roberts the same year. This sure reeks of being an injury settlement.

OF Champ Stuart – The 25-yr. old Stuart was a 6^th round pick in 2013. The boy could run. Had 147 stolen bases over 6 seasons for 4 teams. The problem is he also had a 6 season .219 batting average and an amazing 633 strikeouts in 1654-AB (32.93 SO%). 

OF Gene Cone – The 24-yr. old was the 10^th round pick in 2016 out of the University of South Carolina. Played three years in the Mets pipeline including 380 ABs with St. Lucie this past season. But I always try to remind people the difference between college and pro ball and sometimes it all a crap shoot. Gene’s last Gamecock year in 2016 generated a .363 batting average. His 3-year pro batting average was .225.

Mack – Dark Horses

Good morning.

We posted earlier of five ‘can’t miss bats’ in the system that we probably will see someday in Queens.

Here are five more that just need to step up their game a littler more and they too could be productive members of the 26-man someday:

PC - Ed Delany

SP David Peterson – There has been a lot of positive press on David this spring. He was a 1^st round pick in 2017 and came to the Mets with the reputation of a ‘control pitcher’ (explanation: limited heat).

Everything started out just fine… 2.45-ERA for Brooklyn in 2017… 1.82-ERA for Columbia in 2018… but he struggled both with control in 2018 and 2019 (2.49 BB/9 for St. Lucie in 2018 and 2.87 BB/9 for Binghamton last year) and overall results (4.33 for St. Lucie and 4.19 for Binghamton).

The plan was for him to pitch for AAA-Syracuse this season, especially since the Mets were so deep in the rotation in Queens. Then, two things happened. First, he came to camp with an improved fastball that was regularly hitting 94 (credit suggestions by Rick Porcello on use of lower body), and then Noah Syndergaard went down with TJS.

He looked great in camp and all the Mets coaches couldn’t wait to see the ‘new and approved’ version during a spring training game. Then…

My guess is he will still open up in Syracuse, but he has stepped up to the next starter available to come to Queens the next time we play baseball. Hopefully, the addition of 3-4 MPH to his heater will not only help keep the ball in the paint but also increase the amount of missed bats.

PC - MiLB

SP Jordan Humphreys – Humphreys was an 18^th round pick in 2015, directly out of high school. He got of to a great start with the GCL-Mets after being drafted (1.54-ERA) and was flat out unhittable in 2017 for Columbia (10-1, 1.42, 0.72, 69.2-IP, 80-K and only 9-BB).

Then came discomfort and the dreaded TJS that cost him all of 2018 and most of the 2019 season.

Right now, he is a question mark, but a very talented one if he can fully heal and return to the form he showed in Columbia.

He will pitch this year as a 24-year old, so he does need to start moving.

PC - Ed Delany

 OF Quinn Brodey – Brodey came to the Mets as a 3^rd round pick in 2017 after a stellar junior year at Stanford University (11-HR, 51-RBI, .314/.371/.556/.927. The problem is he hasn’t come close to these numbers so far at any pro level.

Add to that a decreased defensive output and the fact that a filled Syracuse outfield will probably make him start again at the AA level.

Brodey will also play this year as a 24-year old so this might be a ‘make it or break it’ season for him.

The talent is there

PC - Ed Delany

OF Wagner Lagrange – Speaking of aging outfielders, there is the 24-year old Lagrange. He was signed as an unheralded International free agent in 2015 and has a 5-season batting average of .297. Last year alone, he hit .292 for St. Lucie and one might ask why did the Mets move this guy along so slowly when they have been looking for additional outfield prospects in the chain. He also has only 8 errors in his entire pro career.

I’m sure he will play AA ball this season, but I sure would love to see him end the season at the AAA level.

PC - Jake Canary

OF Jake Mangum -  I fell in love with Jake when he played for Mississippi State. I couldn’t believe that, after hitting .351, in his junior year, that he decided to go back for a fourth year after being drafted by the Mets in the 32^nd round. He hit .355 as a senior and the Mets drafted him again in the 4^th round.

In 2019, nn his first professional season, Mangum batted .247 with 45 hits, 29 runs scored, 18 RBI and a team-leading 17 stolen bases in 53 games.

If you like speed, this is your future leadoff.

Baseball America had this to say about Mangum:

Mangum is much the same player who won the conference batting title with a .408 mark as a freshman. He’s never hit over .400 again, but he sprays the ball all around the field with excellent bat control. He’s a plus runner who can turn in a plus-plus time at his best. And he’s a solid defensive center fielder with an above-average arm.

Tom Brennan - AWESOME COLUMBIA FIREFLIES ROSTER

IF YOU ARE A METS FAN:

PAY ATTENTION TO THIS FIREFLIES TEAM!

The New York Mets have an exciting team, but if you happen to find yourself several hundred miles south of Queens, another really good show can be had by buying tickets and going to watch the Columbia Fireflies this season.

Do it early, though...a bunch of these guys will no doubt be promoted before long. Five of Mets’ Top-10 Prospects are on the Fireflies Roster, and seven of the Mets' top 30 prospects.

PC - Ed Delany

The 5 guys in the organization's top 10 prospects are Ronny Mauricio (No. 3), Mark Vientos (No. 4), Shervyen Newton (No. 7) and RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson (No. 8) and LHP Thomas Szapucki (No. 10) - all have the potential to be impact major leaguers.  Some could become stars. 

Mauricio at age 17 got in 2 games as DH for the Mets in spring training and stunningly went 3 for 7 with a walk and a sac fly - how close to big league ready is the soon-to-turn-18-year-old shortstop?  Perhaps at lot closer than we think.  My guess?  Ready for Queens in 2020.

Mark Vientos to me seems like a similar player to Wilmer Flores, hopefully with a higher ceiling and more power.  Newton has great skills, and if his K rate drops, he could be terrific.  

Simeon Woods Richardson got touched up a bit in a minor league game recently, but considering he was tight out of high school last year and got just 15 innings of pro ball under his belt, it was amazing he pitched in a spring game at all.  He will be 18 all this year, and I think the highly athletic 2018 second rounder could remind us a bit of an 18 year old Dwight Gooden.

Tom Szapucki looked awesome until Tommy John surgery struck in 2017.  

Hopefully, he will briskly bounce back from it, climb the ladder like fellow lefty Steve Matz, and have a great year on his way towards a big league career.

Pitchers Chris Viall and Christian James are the remaining two top 30 Mets prospects on the roster.   Viall is a 6'9" fireballer who hopefully can refine his craft and climb fast from here.  James is a talented righty and could have a big year in 2019.

PC - Ed Delany

Other pitchers who did extremely well in short season ball in 2018 include Jaison Vlera and Willy Taveras.  Vilera was 5-2, 1.83 with Brooklyn in 2018 in 13 starts, and Willy T was 7-1, 2.35 mostly for Kingsport. Let's see how they handle full season ball in 2019.

A staff with Richardson, Szapucki, Viall, James, Vilera and Taveras?  Wow!

Catcher Hayden Senger hit very well in 2018 after being drafted (.301/.411/.417 in 32 games), and Juan Uriarte missed 2018 but is back and ready to dazzle in 2019.  Before that, a 19 year old Juan hit a robust .305/.372/.455 in 2017 at Kingsport.  Now 21, Uriarte had a double and walk in 2 spring plate appearances, FYI.  My guess is this catching tandem will HIT!

Scooting to the infield, joining infielders Ronny Mauricio, Shervyen Newton, and Mark Vientos are a talented first baseman in Chase Chambers, .281/.350/.392 in 59 Cyclones games in 2018; a  very speedy, solid hitter in Walter Rasquin, (.321/.394/.443 in 59 games in 2018, with 16 of 19 in steals), and 26th rounder 3B Brian Sharp, who hit well in his Brooklyn debut in 2018 but struck out a lot.

PC - Ed Delany

Outfielders include  Anthony Dirocie, who went 1 for 3 with a walk in 3 spring games, could be a surprisingly good prospect in 2019. Wagner Lagrange is a favorite of Mack, but the 23 year old needs to find some power this year.  Ranfy Adon played very well in Kingsport last year, finishing the season red hot, and should be an interesting guy to watch.  Jose Miguel Medina has 59 career steals in the minors in the equivalent of about 2 years' worth of major league-length season.  None are top 30 prospects, at least yet, but these dudes look real good.

Boy, does this team look GOOD!

The Flies' season starts April 4 at 7:05 PM - temps in the 70's - so don't miss it.  START DRIVING NOW.

Reese Kaplan -- Depth in 2019 at Most Positions

Depth has been a problem during the “hope everyone stays healthy” years but for the most part BVW has reinforced the position players and, to a lesser extent, the bullpen should injuries befall the Mets roster once again.  In the past we were shown the likes of James Loney, Austin Jackson, Jose Lobaton, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Eric Campbell and others of that ilk when the regulars were on the shelf for a prolonged period of time.  How have things changed?  Do they have sufficient spare parts?

                         
1B

PC - Ernest Dove

Going into the season we have Todd Frazier most likely penciled into the starting role due to the arrival of Jed Lowrie.  Behind him you have Dom Smith, J.D. Davis and then Peter Alonso waiting in the wings in Syracuse. 

2B

Robinson Cano will surely get the lion’s share of the work here as he is an All Star, Gold Glover and Silver Slugger.  However, behind him you have Jed Lowrie, Jeff McNeil and T.J. Rivera potentially all available.

SS

PC - Ed Delany

Here the roster is still a bit thin.  Amed Rosario turned a lot of heads with his final six weeks of hot hitting and baserunning.  Should he hit the injury list the backups are not idea.  Jed Lowrie hasn’t played much shortstop in recent years.  Luis Guillorme hasn’t demonstrated his offensive or defensive skills in limited playing time.  Non-roster signee Danny Espinosa has a lot of experience and used to flash some power, but at a batting average that would rival Frazier for ineptitude.  Then there's 11th hour addtion, Adeiny Hecchavaria, who has never learned to hit.

3B

Jed Lowrie is getting the starting gig off his sensational 2018 (and his BVW client history).  Another BVW client, Todd Frazier, is being displaced as a result but will be able to back him up.  You also have Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis capable of playing 3B as well as T.J. Rivera assuming he can throw the ball. 

C

PC - Ed Delany

Last year the Mets had the misfortune of losing two catchers in two days.  That led to prolonged stints of Tomas Nido who was greatly overmatched and Jose Lobaton who demonstrated why he spent the majority of the year in the minors.  This year they have Wilson Ramos backed up by Travis d’Arnaud and Devin Mesoraco also in the organization.

OF

PC - Ed Delany

Starters are likely to be Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo and then some combination of Jeff McNeil, Juan Lagares and Keon Broxton.  In addition J.D. Davis has logged time in the OF, hopefully with more grace and skill out there than Dominic Smith showed in his trial-by-fire introduction to left field last year.  In the minors there are Gregor Blanco, Rajai Davis and Rymer Liriano awaiting opportunities, though they strike me as all more of the Austin Jackson level which is not very good.

Bullpen

Behind the starting 7 or 8 out there you have several folks in the minors who would love to have a shot at the Show, including Jacob Rhame, Tyler Bashlor, probably Paul Sewald, Tim Peterson, Matt Blackham, David Roseboom, Joshua Torres and others. 

Starting Rotation

Here they are even thinner than they are at shortstop.  After the five regulars, your backup options are Chris Flexen, Corey Oswalt, Drew Gagnon, Kyle Dowdy (if not offered back for failing to make the club out of Spring Training), and others whose likelihood of a successful major league career match that of most Americans starting the day without their cup of coffee – possible but highly doubtful.  If, for example, Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard took a line drive off his knee, the club would be in a world of hurt. 

So, for the most part, BVW has indeed reinforced the club.  Yes, they are thin at SS, not as robust in the OF as you might like and woefully inadequate in the starting rotation if injuries occur.  It’s not perfect but it does represent progress and forethought not seen in the previous eight years under Sandy Alderson…remember him?  He’s the guy who brought you Jason Vargas who pitched to a devilishly bad 6.66 ERA from July through the end of 2017 with batters hitting .297 against him, yet Alderson felt he was a good addition to the 2018 (and 2019) Mets’ staff.  Be grateful there’s a new sheriff in town!