You are here: home > features

Mack's March Prospect Ranking

By John Mackin Ade
Posted Saturday, March 1, 2008

Mack’s Top Mets Prospect List – March 2008

Okay… let’s get back to the normal way people rank their prospects.

Here’s my list, based on what I feel are pure tools and ceiling…

1. OF Fernando Martinez – I’m not going to say much about this dude, because everyone else has. I’ve never seen him play, but, trust me, I’ll be all over him next week when I get to PSL. Everybody, and I repeat, everybody I talk to that has played with him says he’s the real deal. They all also say that they hope he is held back at AA and given another year to mature.

2. RP Eddie Kunz - Word is that Kunz could make the parent roster by the beginning of the 2009 season, and frankly, I was surprised to see him already invited to the Mets ST camp this week. Could he get called up for a cup of coffee at the end of this season? Well, I guess that all depends on how he pitches come April. I expect him to start off at St. Lucie, but don’t be surprised he isn’t shipped out to Binghamton as soon as it warms up there.

3. RP Brant Rustich – Like Kunz, Rustich is in the Mets camp this spring and will probably room with his ex-Brooklyn teammate this year. The Mets have committed themselves to drafting quality relief pitchers out of college and there are the two best they have in the system. Watch for both of them to be at CitiField in 2009.

4. SS Wilmer Flores – Flores was signed this past October as a 16-year-old out of Venezuela. Baseball America has him listed as the 17th top Mets prospect, adding he "should grow into his body and become a force with the bat ... ..internal comparisons to Miguel Cabrera for his present pull power and ability to use the whole field." Baseball Prospectus named him the 4th overall Mets prospect and he hasn’t even played an inning yet. Look for him to play for the GCL Mets this year.

5. C Francesco Pena – I read an interview with Kevin Goldstein earlier this week and he made reference to Pena as a ‘disappointing 2007 prospect.’ I laughed my ass off. This kid came up last year as a 16-year-old! Trust me, he’s coming to camp around 6’3” and a bunch of new muscles replacing his baby fat from last year… and will finish the 2008 season still at 18 years old. This is the future New York Mets catcher. Bank on it.

6. OF Ezequiel Carrera – If the Mets didn’t have F-Mart in the system, this would be the OF prospect everybody would be writing about. Last year was his debut in the states, where he split time between the GCL Mets and Brooklyn, and dealt up numbers like .329/.408//.406/814 in 249 at bats. Can you imagine what they would be saying about Martinez if he debuted with these kind of numbers? I’m hoping he comes to Savannah, but the sky is the limit for this kid.

7. 2B Hector Pellot – Pellot had a wonderful season last year and looks right now as the frontrunner for the future second baseman in Queens. The best part about his game is he does everything very good, which is just what the Mets need on their least important positional player. Guys like Anderson Hernandez field better than ‘very good’ and Ruben Gotay hits better than ‘very good’, but no one in the organization runs, hits, and fields ‘very good’. I take that back. Pellot is faster than all of them.

8. SP Jon Niese – I didn’t plan on Niese being this low on the list, but that’s the way the current Mets system works. Yes, he’s the top starting pitcher prospect in the system. The problem is the system is currently depleted of high-end affiliate SPs. Minnesota wanted him badly in the Santana deal, but the Mets would have no part of it. Now, he’s part of the parent club locker room at ST. I look for Niese to have a banner year in Binghamton.

9. SP Dylan Owen – Here comes the first of the ‘SP kids’ that Omar plucked out the draft last year. Owen had sick numbers at Brooklyn (9-1, 1.49, a ridiculous 0.87 WHIP), and will probably start the 2008 season for St. Lucie. It will be interesting to see how he does early in this far superior league. Many Met pitchers (like Tobi Stoner last year) struggles when they first got to A+ ball. How fast Owen moves and whether he winds up trade bait might be determined starting in March.

10. SP Nathan Vineyard - Vineyard was drafted in 2007 and quickly made many of the prospect lists put out there every day. The hard part of analyzing a Mets prospect list, is whether the last ten guys ranked only made it because the system is so currently depleted of talent. Vineyand didn’t do much for the 2007 GCL Mets (9 games – 7 starts – 0-3, 5.27, 1.43) to strengthen his future, but those in the know this is a real time pitching prospect. We’ll see starting next month.

11. SS Ruben Tejada – Tejada had an impressive stateside debut last year for the GCL Mets (.283/.401/.367/768 in 120 at bats). And all of that was played when he was 17 years old! I expect Tejada to bump past K-Port this spring and probably start the season in Hispanic-friendly Savannah. Very little power here, but lots of flash and speed. Remember this name.

12. 3B Jefry Marte – Another 16-year-old signing this past off-season, out of the D.R. BA has him as the 27th top Mets prospect, adding: “very raw but has big power potential”. Look for him to star for the DSL Mets in 2008.

13. 3B/SS/2B – Greg Veloz – Veloz came stateside a year ago with all the prospect tags, but couldn’t get a starting job in Savannah (which wasn’t his fault). He dropped down a level, put up some decent numbers (.271/.33/.450/794) in Kingsport, and finished the season back in Savannah. He only turns 20 this June, and his versatility to play all three infield positions makes him the perfect future candidate for major league utility player. Oh yeah, he’s also faster than Jose Reyes.

14. SP/RP Jacob Ruckle – I’ve been touting the ‘Ruckle Nation’ for a couple of years now and I still can’t find any reasons not to think this kid will make it big someday. The Mets keep moving him from starter, to reliever, then back to starter, and though I know every pitcher would rather start, this is one nasty future relief specialist. Make sure you go to one game this year when he pitches. Just seeing his delivery (called ‘the Ruckle Shuffle’… there is actually a song on YouTube) is worth the trip.

15. SP Scott Moviel – Another of those great 2007 draft picks, Moviel is a 6’11” monster on the mound, that wowed them last year for the GCL Mets (12 starts, 3.38 ERA 37Ks/40.0 IP, 11 BBs). The 6’11” starter will most probably jump K-Port and go straight to Savannah, which would thrill the hell out of me. By the way, did I tell you he’s 6’11”?

16. OF Gabriel Zavala – Zavala, who started out as a Met named Zabala (but that’s another story), batted .285/.364/.479 for the GCL Mets, which was his first stateside assignment. The 6’3” outfielder comes with pop in his bat and turns 21 this May. Here’s another guy that could play his 2008 season in Savannah.

17. 1B Lucas Duda – The 6’4”, 225 lb first baseman is truly the top Mets 1B prospect in the system. Brooklyn got the first look at him last year (.299/.398/.462/859) and he wowed them in the Hawaiian League (.340/.390/.660/1050). I’m told he needs to work on his defense, which is just fine with me as long as he keeps up that OPS. Watch for a jump over Savannah straight to Lucy.

18. 3B Jose Jimenez – Another of those crazy Dominicans, Jimenez put up some great numbers last year at Kingsport (.309/.379/.521/900 in 188 at bats) and actually finished the year in Brooklyn, where many feel he will play in 2008. I don’t, after meeting with the new manager at Savannah who coached Jose at K-Port last year. New managers like to surround themselves with familiar guys, so I expect to see him opening day in Savannah.

19. SP Dillon Gee - The “other Dylan” Gee did absolutely nothing wrong in his debut year (3-1, 14 games, 11 starts, 2.47 ERA, 56 Ks, only 9 BBs), other than prove he should have been drafted higher than the 21st round. Take away the only day game he pitched in (8.31 ERA) and his numbers would be lights out.

20. OF Ignacio Medrano – 2007 was Medrano’s first year stateside, and the only rub against him is he turns 22 this July. He had a wonderful season for the GCL Mets (.294/.369/.375/.744) and actually ended the season with St. Lucie. Not much power here (0 HRs, only 17 RBIs), so he needs to step up big in April to stay, at least, on my list. I expect a Lucy start.

21. P Stephen Clyne – Clyne comes out of the Clemson machine and posted 1-1, 2.05, 1.52, 8 saves, in 20 appearances with Brooklyn last year. Baseball America already has him listed as the 13th top Mets prospect.

22. P Elvin Ramirez - Ramirez pitched for Kingsport in 2007, posting 1-4, 55.2, 1.77 in 12 starts; however, the important thing here is the kid is already hitting 96 MPH at 20 years old. Baseball America lists him already as the 30th top Mets prospect

Related info:
Discuss In Our Forums