Top 20 Prospects: New York Mets
1. Zack Wheeler, RHP, B+
Wheeler is a top level pitching prospect who has ace potential, but he'll likely end up
as more of a number 2, which is nothing to sneeze at.
2. Brandon Nimmo, OF, B+
One of our favorite players in the 2011 draft, Nimmo has the kind of upside that
scouts dream on in a centerfielder. He possesses above average tools across the
board offensively and has an advanced approach at plate given his lack of
experience from high school.
3. Jeurys Familia, RHP, B
Familia has struggled a bit this year after a breakout campaign
last year, with the walk rate regressing to around his 2010 rate. He has number
2 starter upside, but will more likely be a mid rotation guy going forward, if
not a back end of the bullpen arm.
4. Cory Mazzoni, RHP, B
A 2nd round pick in 2011, it looked as if Mazzoni would wind up in the bullpen,
but with the strong year he has put together this year he looks to be a solid
mid-rotation starter at the big league level.
5. Michael Fulmer, RHP, B-
Fulmer has number 2 starter upside and with some more command
refinements, has a decent chance to reach that ceiling as he has very good raw
stuff that has played well this year in the SAL.
6. Phillip Evans, SS, B-
Evans was a highly regarded prospect for many years on the high school showcase
circuit. He doesn’t have star potential and he may have to move off of short to
second going forward, but he could be a solid all around player.
7. Gavin Cecchini, SS, B-
A 2012 first rounder, Cecchini is very advanced for his age,
plays a very good shortstop and has a solid
bat.
8. Wilmer Flores, 3B/2B/1B, B-
Once a highly regarded power prospect after reaching the South Atlantic League as a
16 year old, Flores has started to tap into that power somewhat this season. The
main knock on Flores is where he will play defensively, but the bat looks very
good, even with his less than patient approach.
9. Cory Vaughn, OF, B-
Vaughn has a very intriguing power/speed combo, but there's a
lot of swing and miss to his game
10. Domingo Tapia, RHP, B-
Huge upside power arm who can run his fastball into the upper
90s and triple digits. He really needs to improve his command and his off speed
pitches even though his control has been solid. Regardless, the ceiling is very
high.
11. Collin McHugh, RHP, C+
McHugh is a very intriguing prospect who has always put up above
average numbers in the minors, albeit while usually being fairly old for his
competition. He could be a nice back end starter at the big league
level.
12. Matt den Dekker, OF, C+
I really like den Dekker. Can do it all at the plate, could be a
better version of Kirk Nieuwenhuis.
13. Juan Lagares, OF, C+
Lagares has very good speed and an improving bat, which will
help him tap into his raw power.
14. Logan Verrett, RHP, C+
Verrett has middle of the rotation upside and should be in AA next year
with the chance to move quickly.
15. Rafael Montero, RHP, C+
Excellent statistical performer thus far in his career. Montero
has very good control and command of his good fastball and could be a nice back
end of the rotation starter.
16. Cesar Puello, OF, C+
Puello has missed a good chunk of this year with a broken hamate bone in his hand
and he has major problems with the strike zone, but there's an intriguing
speed/power combo here.
17. Luis Mateo, RHP, C+
Fairly old for his level, but Mateo shows excellent potential,
with both very good control and stuff.
18. Reese Havens, 2B, C+
Once a top prospect, Havens’ career has been largely derailed by injuries. He still
has a decent bat, solid approach and some gap power, but doesn’t look to be
anything more than a back up or 2nddivision regular.
19. Kevin Plawecki, C, C+
Plawecki is a scrapper behind the plate doing everything well,
but nothing rates out as plus.
20. Darin Gorski, LHP, C+
Classic finesse lefty.
21. Jack Leathersich, LHP, C+
5th round pick in 2011, very intriguing power arm out
of the pen. Needs command refinement.
22. Brad Marquez, OF, C+
Plays baseball as a summer job at this stage. Has high
potential, may end up playing football instead.
23. Jefry Marte, 3B, C+
Has been pushed aggressively throughout his career, but is
holding his own as a 21 year old in AA. Very intriguing set of tools at the
plate if he can improve the defense at third base.
24. Tyler Pill, RHP, C+
Pill was a 4th round pick out of Fullerton in 2011
and has a chance to be a solid mid/back end of the rotation type at the big
league level.
25. Steven Matz, LHP, C+
A high ceiling arm from the 2009 draft, Matz needs to improve
his control after undergoing multiple injuries, but reportedly the stuff looks
good thus far.
Wheeler is a top level pitching prospect who has ace potential, but he'll likely end up
as more of a number 2, which is nothing to sneeze at.
2. Brandon Nimmo, OF, B+
One of our favorite players in the 2011 draft, Nimmo has the kind of upside that
scouts dream on in a centerfielder. He possesses above average tools across the
board offensively and has an advanced approach at plate given his lack of
experience from high school.
3. Jeurys Familia, RHP, B
Familia has struggled a bit this year after a breakout campaign
last year, with the walk rate regressing to around his 2010 rate. He has number
2 starter upside, but will more likely be a mid rotation guy going forward, if
not a back end of the bullpen arm.
4. Cory Mazzoni, RHP, B
A 2nd round pick in 2011, it looked as if Mazzoni would wind up in the bullpen,
but with the strong year he has put together this year he looks to be a solid
mid-rotation starter at the big league level.
5. Michael Fulmer, RHP, B-
Fulmer has number 2 starter upside and with some more command
refinements, has a decent chance to reach that ceiling as he has very good raw
stuff that has played well this year in the SAL.
6. Phillip Evans, SS, B-
Evans was a highly regarded prospect for many years on the high school showcase
circuit. He doesn’t have star potential and he may have to move off of short to
second going forward, but he could be a solid all around player.
7. Gavin Cecchini, SS, B-
A 2012 first rounder, Cecchini is very advanced for his age,
plays a very good shortstop and has a solid
bat.
8. Wilmer Flores, 3B/2B/1B, B-
Once a highly regarded power prospect after reaching the South Atlantic League as a
16 year old, Flores has started to tap into that power somewhat this season. The
main knock on Flores is where he will play defensively, but the bat looks very
good, even with his less than patient approach.
9. Cory Vaughn, OF, B-
Vaughn has a very intriguing power/speed combo, but there's a
lot of swing and miss to his game
10. Domingo Tapia, RHP, B-
Huge upside power arm who can run his fastball into the upper
90s and triple digits. He really needs to improve his command and his off speed
pitches even though his control has been solid. Regardless, the ceiling is very
high.
11. Collin McHugh, RHP, C+
McHugh is a very intriguing prospect who has always put up above
average numbers in the minors, albeit while usually being fairly old for his
competition. He could be a nice back end starter at the big league
level.
12. Matt den Dekker, OF, C+
I really like den Dekker. Can do it all at the plate, could be a
better version of Kirk Nieuwenhuis.
13. Juan Lagares, OF, C+
Lagares has very good speed and an improving bat, which will
help him tap into his raw power.
14. Logan Verrett, RHP, C+
Verrett has middle of the rotation upside and should be in AA next year
with the chance to move quickly.
15. Rafael Montero, RHP, C+
Excellent statistical performer thus far in his career. Montero
has very good control and command of his good fastball and could be a nice back
end of the rotation starter.
16. Cesar Puello, OF, C+
Puello has missed a good chunk of this year with a broken hamate bone in his hand
and he has major problems with the strike zone, but there's an intriguing
speed/power combo here.
17. Luis Mateo, RHP, C+
Fairly old for his level, but Mateo shows excellent potential,
with both very good control and stuff.
18. Reese Havens, 2B, C+
Once a top prospect, Havens’ career has been largely derailed by injuries. He still
has a decent bat, solid approach and some gap power, but doesn’t look to be
anything more than a back up or 2nddivision regular.
19. Kevin Plawecki, C, C+
Plawecki is a scrapper behind the plate doing everything well,
but nothing rates out as plus.
20. Darin Gorski, LHP, C+
Classic finesse lefty.
21. Jack Leathersich, LHP, C+
5th round pick in 2011, very intriguing power arm out
of the pen. Needs command refinement.
22. Brad Marquez, OF, C+
Plays baseball as a summer job at this stage. Has high
potential, may end up playing football instead.
23. Jefry Marte, 3B, C+
Has been pushed aggressively throughout his career, but is
holding his own as a 21 year old in AA. Very intriguing set of tools at the
plate if he can improve the defense at third base.
24. Tyler Pill, RHP, C+
Pill was a 4th round pick out of Fullerton in 2011
and has a chance to be a solid mid/back end of the rotation type at the big
league level.
25. Steven Matz, LHP, C+
A high ceiling arm from the 2009 draft, Matz needs to improve
his control after undergoing multiple injuries, but reportedly the stuff looks
good thus far.
2012 Draft Review: New York Mets
Overall Draft Grade: B
While we're not necessarily high on Cecchini at the top, the Mets did well to balance out some upside and some safer college guys in the early rounds. Plawecki and Reynolds are both advanced college bats that are good defenders at their respective positions and should be interesting follows who could rise fairly quickly through the system. Stankiewicz, Koch and Welch are an interesting trio of arms with varying degrees of projectability and present stuff. There's not a lot of potential superstars in this class, but it has some good depth and a nice balance between college and high school products. The Mets were clearly looking for baseball players first, rather than athletes, as they have seen how a crop of solid all around players has helped them win games this year.
1st Round (12): Gavin Cecchini, SS, Barbe HS (LA), 6'2", 180, R/R
Cecchini has benefited from a relatively weak shortstop class this year, but is still a strong, overall talent. He has the tools to stay at shortstop at the next level and his bat profiles as more of a gap-to-gap guy at this point. He's a bit of a reach here, and we're not wild about him overall, but Cecchini is a solid prospect at a premium position who could prove us wrong in a few years, as he really knows how to play the game.
While we're not necessarily high on Cecchini at the top, the Mets did well to balance out some upside and some safer college guys in the early rounds. Plawecki and Reynolds are both advanced college bats that are good defenders at their respective positions and should be interesting follows who could rise fairly quickly through the system. Stankiewicz, Koch and Welch are an interesting trio of arms with varying degrees of projectability and present stuff. There's not a lot of potential superstars in this class, but it has some good depth and a nice balance between college and high school products. The Mets were clearly looking for baseball players first, rather than athletes, as they have seen how a crop of solid all around players has helped them win games this year.
1st Round (12): Gavin Cecchini, SS, Barbe HS (LA), 6'2", 180, R/R
Cecchini has benefited from a relatively weak shortstop class this year, but is still a strong, overall talent. He has the tools to stay at shortstop at the next level and his bat profiles as more of a gap-to-gap guy at this point. He's a bit of a reach here, and we're not wild about him overall, but Cecchini is a solid prospect at a premium position who could prove us wrong in a few years, as he really knows how to play the game.
Supplemental Round (35):Kevin Plawecki, C, Purdue University (JR), 6'2", 215, R/R
Plawecki is an all-around catcher who can do a bit of everything on the field. He consistently squares the ball up and is an advanced hitter with a very good, patient approach at the plate. His power isn't notable now, but given his frame and solid swing mechanics, there could be a little more power in his future. His arm is only average at best, but Plawecki has all the tools necessary to stay behind the plate at the next level.
Plawecki is an all-around catcher who can do a bit of everything on the field. He consistently squares the ball up and is an advanced hitter with a very good, patient approach at the plate. His power isn't notable now, but given his frame and solid swing mechanics, there could be a little more power in his future. His arm is only average at best, but Plawecki has all the tools necessary to stay behind the plate at the next level.
2nd Round (71): Matt Reynolds, 3B, University of Arkansas (JR), 6'1", 200, R/R
Reynolds has an exceptionally patient, disciplined approach at the plate to go along with a nice, line-drive swing. He has 27 XBH to date at Arkansas, a BB:K ratio well above 1:1 and 15 stolen bases in 20 attempts. His game is very well-rounded and polished and Reynolds is a plus defender who has also seen time at shortstop for the Razorbacks.
2nd Roun (75): Teddy Stankiewicz, RHP, Fort Worth Christian HS (TX), 6'4", 200
Stankiewicz presents an intriguing combination of present skills and projectability. He hasn't completely filled out his frame and has room to add a little more strength and potentially a tick or two of velocity. At present he throws a solid four pitch mix (fastball,slider,curveball,change-up) and shows good pitchability for a high school righty,
3rd Round (107): Matt Koch, RHP, Louisville University (JR), 6'3", 205
Koch came out of the pen for Louisville and is the type of college reliever that has the potential to move quickly through the New York system. He throws a solid two pitch mix and he commands both of his pitches well. The fastball can touch 94-95 and his slider shows good depth and break. Neither pitch will be exceptional, but both have the potential to be above-average offerings and Koch profiles as a solid set-up man at the next level.
4th Round (140): Brandon Kaupe, SS, Baldwin HS (HI), 5'7", 175, S/R
Kaupe is one of the few Hawaiian athletes taken this year and his calling card is his plus speed in the field and on the basepaths. According to some reports, 5'7" may be generous and he profiles as a small, quick-twitch athlete who shows a little pop from both sides of the plate.
5th Round (170): Brandon Welch, RHP, Palm Beach CC, 6'1", 185
Welch throws a heavy fastball that sits in the mid-90s and complements it with a hard slider, the classic profile of a power reliever. He has good command of both pitches and goes right after hitters. These traits, coupled with his somewhat smaller frame, suggest that he could be a bullpen arm at the next level. Welch seems like solid value here.
6th Round (200): Jayce Boyd, 1B, Florida State University (JR), 6'3", 200, R/R
7th Round (230): Corey Oswalt, RHP, Madison HS (CA), 6'4", 200
8th Round (260): Tomas Nido, C, Orangewood Christian HS (FL), 6'0", 200, R/R
9th Round (290): Richie Rodriguez, 2B, Eastern Kentucky University (SR), 5'9", 170, R/R
10th Round (320): Paul Sewald, RHP, University of San Diego (SR), 6'2", 190
Notable Later Round Selections
Round 17: Stefan Sabol, C, Orange Coast CC (CA)
Sabol was on our radar heading into draft day, as he previously attended Oregon. He is a very athletic catcher and has potential with the bat as well.
Round 25: Leon Byrd, SS, Cypress Ranch HS (TX)
Byrd, like Kaupe, is not the largest of players, but has very good speed and puts it to good use on the basepaths.
Reynolds has an exceptionally patient, disciplined approach at the plate to go along with a nice, line-drive swing. He has 27 XBH to date at Arkansas, a BB:K ratio well above 1:1 and 15 stolen bases in 20 attempts. His game is very well-rounded and polished and Reynolds is a plus defender who has also seen time at shortstop for the Razorbacks.
2nd Roun (75): Teddy Stankiewicz, RHP, Fort Worth Christian HS (TX), 6'4", 200
Stankiewicz presents an intriguing combination of present skills and projectability. He hasn't completely filled out his frame and has room to add a little more strength and potentially a tick or two of velocity. At present he throws a solid four pitch mix (fastball,slider,curveball,change-up) and shows good pitchability for a high school righty,
3rd Round (107): Matt Koch, RHP, Louisville University (JR), 6'3", 205
Koch came out of the pen for Louisville and is the type of college reliever that has the potential to move quickly through the New York system. He throws a solid two pitch mix and he commands both of his pitches well. The fastball can touch 94-95 and his slider shows good depth and break. Neither pitch will be exceptional, but both have the potential to be above-average offerings and Koch profiles as a solid set-up man at the next level.
4th Round (140): Brandon Kaupe, SS, Baldwin HS (HI), 5'7", 175, S/R
Kaupe is one of the few Hawaiian athletes taken this year and his calling card is his plus speed in the field and on the basepaths. According to some reports, 5'7" may be generous and he profiles as a small, quick-twitch athlete who shows a little pop from both sides of the plate.
5th Round (170): Brandon Welch, RHP, Palm Beach CC, 6'1", 185
Welch throws a heavy fastball that sits in the mid-90s and complements it with a hard slider, the classic profile of a power reliever. He has good command of both pitches and goes right after hitters. These traits, coupled with his somewhat smaller frame, suggest that he could be a bullpen arm at the next level. Welch seems like solid value here.
6th Round (200): Jayce Boyd, 1B, Florida State University (JR), 6'3", 200, R/R
7th Round (230): Corey Oswalt, RHP, Madison HS (CA), 6'4", 200
8th Round (260): Tomas Nido, C, Orangewood Christian HS (FL), 6'0", 200, R/R
9th Round (290): Richie Rodriguez, 2B, Eastern Kentucky University (SR), 5'9", 170, R/R
10th Round (320): Paul Sewald, RHP, University of San Diego (SR), 6'2", 190
Notable Later Round Selections
Round 17: Stefan Sabol, C, Orange Coast CC (CA)
Sabol was on our radar heading into draft day, as he previously attended Oregon. He is a very athletic catcher and has potential with the bat as well.
Round 25: Leon Byrd, SS, Cypress Ranch HS (TX)
Byrd, like Kaupe, is not the largest of players, but has very good speed and puts it to good use on the basepaths.
Mets Draft Philosophy: An Overview
With Sandy Alderson at the helm, the new Mets regime quickly showed that they’re looking to add impact talent to a farm system largely devoid of much depth. Even though the Mets have a solid core of prospects at the top including Matt Harvey, Jenrry Mejia and Zach Wheeler, by selecting Brandon Nimmo and Michael Fulmer with their first two selections last year, the Mets showed their desire to take players with extremely high ceilings, even if they are not the safest choices at the top of the draft. Being in somewhat of a rebuilding mode at the minor league levels, the Mets feel as though some high-risk high-reward players such as Nimmo, who had not played against the best competition in his amateur days, are viable thanks to their all-star potential. Their early selections definitely don’t qualify as “safe,” but their early round picks are often labeled with the tag of ‘projectability’ or ‘upside.’
With their next four picks in 2011, the Mets went for signability: namely college arms to help out the minor league pitching depth. We expect this year’s draft to be no different at the top as they have 12 picks in the first 10 rounds and $7.15 million to work with. Look for high school guys first, followed by signable college players and a solid mix from rounds 6-10 of both college and high school players. Given the new CBA and all of its various requirements, they won’t be able to go very over-slot and make selections like Phil Evans in 2011 who received a large bonus after the 10th round. Expect the Mets to go for impact talent with their first two picks in the first and supplemental rounds, with some signability picks to follow.
Mock Draft Selections: David Dahl, OF, Oak Mountain HS (GA), Hunter Virant, LHP, Camarillo HS (CA)
With their next four picks in 2011, the Mets went for signability: namely college arms to help out the minor league pitching depth. We expect this year’s draft to be no different at the top as they have 12 picks in the first 10 rounds and $7.15 million to work with. Look for high school guys first, followed by signable college players and a solid mix from rounds 6-10 of both college and high school players. Given the new CBA and all of its various requirements, they won’t be able to go very over-slot and make selections like Phil Evans in 2011 who received a large bonus after the 10th round. Expect the Mets to go for impact talent with their first two picks in the first and supplemental rounds, with some signability picks to follow.
Mock Draft Selections: David Dahl, OF, Oak Mountain HS (GA), Hunter Virant, LHP, Camarillo HS (CA)
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