Top 5 Mets Prospects

Here is our Chris Saunders, discussing the top 5 prospects in the Mets organization!!!!  


Article by Chris Saunders

While many Met’s fans haven’t seen a winning season since the days of Billy Wagner, Carlos Beltran, and Paul Lo Duca. Things are on the horizon however, as you will see not just in the top 5 prospects that I have compiled, but there overall organization is on the rise. Met’s fan keep these five players in mind, because the future is bright in the Big Apple.

1) RHP Noah Syndergaard- After being acquired by the Mets in the R.A. Dickey deal in December 2012, Syndergaard made a splash in his first season in his new organization. He reached Double-A Binghamton and started the 2013 All-Star Futures Game at Citi Field for the U.S. team. Syndergaard is a classic power right-hander, and he uses his big frame to throw downhill and induce ground balls. His fastball regularly reaches 98 mph and runs inside on right-handed hitters. Syndergaard's 12-to-6 curveball is his best secondary pitch, though his changeup has the potential to be a third plus pitch in his arsenal. He has excellent command and posted a 4.75 K-to-BB ratio in 2013. Many expected Syndergaard to follow the path that Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler blazed and reach Queens early this summer. But some minor injuries and on-field struggles at Triple-A Las Vegas slowed down Syndergaard's progress this season. He still profiles as a front-line starter and remains on track to make his Major League debut at a younger age than either Harvey or Wheeler.

2) Catcher Kevin Plawecki- The Purdue University product has been on a fast track ever since the Mets took him with the 35th overall pick of the 2012 Draft. Plawecki has excelled at two levels in each of the last two years, playing in the 2014 Futures Game and finishing with strong showing in Triple-A.  Throughout his climb up the Mets' ladder, Plawecki has shown a penchant for making consistent contact. He rarely strikes out and has hit for average at every stop, with a career .295 average entering the 2015 season. He has a contact-over-power approach, but he does have enough strength to clear some fences. Plawecki hit 11 homers in 2014 and that sounds about right in terms of what's fair to expect in the future. Drafted as an offensive-minded backstop, Plawecki has been solid behind the plate, with good hands and enough agility to block balls well. His arm is average, and he's never going to be the kind of catcher who completely shuts down a running game.  Travis d'Arnaud stands in Plawecki's way at the big league level, but while Plawecki may have looked initially like d'Arnaud's eventual backup, he's shown he might be able to compete for the No. 1 job in the near future.

3) Outfielder Micheal Conforto- Conforto's, first round pick in 2014 out of Oregon State signature tool is his left-handed power, which could produce 25-plus homers on an annual basis once he gets to the Major Leagues. He doesn't get cheated at the plate, taking a big uppercut hack that produces nice loft on his drives. While Conforto is willing to take a walk when pitchers won't challenge him, he swings and misses too much to hit for a high average. Most of his value comes from his bat, because while he has some athleticism, he's limited to left field by his range and arm strength.

4) Shortstop Amed Rosario- Rosario creates excellent bat speed, which will help him produce more power as he physically matures. There's plenty of room for his pitch recognition to improve, but his approach is already more advanced than most teenagers. Rosario has all the tools necessary to be a solid defender. He has good infield actions, a strong arm and soft hands. Rosario may have the highest ceiling of any Mets prospect, though he remains a long way from the big leagues.

5) LHP Steven Matz- Matz was New York's second-round pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, but he didn't make his professional debut until 2012 after a long recovery from Tommy John surgery. Now healthy, the Long Island native is starting to move quickly through the Minor Leagues, reaching Double-A Binghamton in 2014. Matz's fastball sits in the low-90s, and it can reach 96 mph. The fastball has good movement, helping him create a lot of ground balls. Matz's curveball and changeup both have the potential to be solid offerings. His command has improved as he has gotten more innings under his belt and further away from his injuries. Matz has proven he still has the stuff to be a solid starter. With health finally on his side, he is looking like the kind of pitcher the Mets expected him to be when they drafted him.