The Mack Mets Prospect List - February 2008

By John Mackin Ade
Posted Sunday, February 3, 2008

Mack’s Top Mets Prospect List – February 2008

This won’t be your average Mets prospect list.

First of all, players that have already made it to the Bigs ( Mike Pelfrey) are no longer considered ‘Mack prospects’. A ‘Mack prospect’ is someone that has the talent and ability to someday become a major league baseball player. I really don’t care if they become a Met. Prospects are prospects, and the only reason you have that tag next to your name is because experts around you think you will someday make it to the pros. Period.

I also have ranked the prospects based on my projected year they will get to the majors; thus, all projected for a 2009 entry will be ranked before those projected for 2010, 2011, etc. You can’t be ranked higher than someone that is going to the dance a year before you get there. No one else does it this way, which means they are wrong. J

Lastly, it’s obvious that the Johan Santana trade has immediately affected the prospect list. I have shit-canned the entire original Feb 1 list, which was already filed with F.U. for printing. Everything changes in an organization when a trade is made like this, at every position. 1Bmen like Mike Carp, who may have just made it on my list, become far more valuable over night, if for no other reason than trade bait.

So , what kind of list are we left with. In my opinion, Real Major League Baseball Prospects.

Projected to Become Major Leaguers in 2009:

1. OF Fernando Martinez - Here is the future Mets center fielder. Martinez is the sole survivor of the Lasto-Carlos-FMart trilogy and, although he may have to wait to get to center field for a few years until Carlos Beltran’s legs wear down, he will be solidly in either right or left no later than opening day 2010. I expect him to definitely play 2008 at New Orleans, and, will get a cup of coffee in September in Queens.

MLB Projection: OF – 2009

2. 1B Mike Carp - frankly, this is the only Met at AAA in 2009 that has any chance of getting to the pros next year… I say that with one caveat… if F-Mart starts at New Orleans and hits a .500 slugging percentage in 300+ at bats there, he’ll beat Carp and will be called up in September 2008. IMO, Carp is a journeyman 1B at best and has no chance of making it to Queens as a starter, but he sure as hell becomes the top trading prospect on the team now that 4 futures have departed in the Santana deal.

MLB Projection: Traded at the end of 2008 season. Small market starter in 2009.

3. 1B Nick Evans - Evans was a 3B in the Mets chain until David Wright came along. Now he’s a 1Bman a year before the Mets sign Big Tex. A lot of people are high on this kid, but it’s not in the stat numbers. 1362 at bats over 4 seasons and only 86 doubles, 49 homers, and 204 RBIs. This wouldn’t take a job away from Carp, no less Tex.

MLB Projection: Rule 5 at the end of 2008… 1B in Washington in 2009 with the rest of Acta’s Army.

Projected to Become Major Leaguers in 2010:

4. 2B Hector Pellot - I’m sure Pellot’s agent wanted either Ruben Gotay or Anderson Hernandez thrown in the Santana deal, but frankly, IMO, he doesn’t have to worry about either one. Lots of Mets moolah will be spent on stud pitching and Big Tex at first, so 2B is a perfect place to develop a cheap #8 hitter with decent defensive skills. Now, we just have to wait 2 years for the development to be complete.

MLB Projection: 2010 – 2B – Mets

5. RP Eddie Kunz – The Mets decided to finally take relief pitching serious in the last draft, and most of the experts agree that Kunz is the best of the bunch. RPs move fast in the minors, so I project him ending this year in Binghamton, and playing most of 2009 in whatever city the Mets call their AAA home.

MLB Projection: 2010 - RP - Mets

6. RP Brant Rustich - There’s very little talent difference between Kunz and Rustich, so expect both of them move up around the same time. 2007 was special, going 3-0, 1.57, 0.52 in 15 appearances for K-Port and Brooklyn (did you notice the whip?). Looks like a live one here.

MLB Projection: 2010 - RP - Mets

7. SP Jonathan Niese - Now that the smoke has cleared from the Santana trade, all of a sudden Niese becomes the first Mets SP prospect to make his way to the 40-man. He will pitch 2008 as a 22 year old and already has 3 Met seasons behind him (23-18, 4.05, 1.41 in 62 appearances, 60 starts 279K/109 BB in 295.2 IP). These are Humber-like ho-hum minor league numbers and Jon better turn the heat up this year or he has no chance of making it to the Mets rotation.

MLB Projection: Traded in 2008; makes MLB small-market rotation in 2010.

8. SP Jacob Ruckle – Here’s someone that really benefits from the Santana trade, though I still think his future is as a nasty relief specialist. His minor league stats have been quite impressive: 280 professional innings ( 145 @ Hi A ) with a career 2.81 era, average one BB every nine innings, serve up 13 dingers, go 23-13 during that span, have a WHIP of 1.14, all at the age of 21. Remember this name.

MLB Projection: Mets 8th inning specialist in 2010.

Projected to Become Major Leaguers in 2011:

9. C Francesco Pena - Easily the number one Mets catching prospect, but I am keeping my eyes on Jason Jacobs (who is already 23), who faired well in Brooklyn last year. Pena’s numbers last year were pretty weak (.210/.263/.283/546 in 367 Abs in Savannah), but let’s remember he only turns 18 next October. Baby fat is turning to muscle as I wrote and I watched him grow another inch last year to 6’3”.

MLB Projection: 2011 - C (backup) – Mets

10. SS Ruben Tejada – Came out of the VSL last year like a house on fire (.364/.466/.479/946 in 121 at bats, 16 SB). Played remarkably decent by the end of the year at the GCL level (.283/.401/.367/768 in 120 at bats). A walking machine, had 38 in a combined 241 at bats.

MLB Projection: 2011 – trade-bait after Jose Reyes’ current contract is extended.

11. SP Dylan Owen – probably, on talent alone, the number one pitching prospect left in the system

MLB Projection: 2011 – SP – traded

12. 1B Lucas Duda - Duda only has one year under his belt (.299/.398/.462/860 at Brooklyn) and turns 22 this month (3 years at USC). Some of the players that ended the 2007 season at Savannah told me that he looks like the real deal. Does he have a shot at playing 1B for the Mets? Actually, no draft pick does after the Mets sign Mark Teixeira during the next off-season. Still, Duda is easily the top 1B prospect in the system.

MLB Projection: 2011 – 1B - traded

13. OF Ezequiel Carerra - Here’s a guy that just refuses to bat less than .300 a season. He joined the VSL Mets in 2006, the came stateside in 2007, playing for the GCL Mets (.341/.430/.436) and then Brooklyn (.300/.347/.329). His lack of power makes him a candidate for a 4th outfielder or, if he goes someday small market, a #2 hitter. Word is he now is on a very fast track, and though and will most probably start the 2008 season at St. Lucie

MLB Projection: 2011 - OF - Traded

14. OF Brahiam Maldonado –

MLB Projection: 2011 – location too early to determine

15. SP Tobi Stoner – I’m a tough judge on Stoner. I watched every home start he had in Savannah and I can attest to his raw talent. I can also attest to his egotistical, cocky attitude towards “seniors” like me, and the game in general. The word is he got his clock cleaned early on at St. Lucie which, hopefully made the talented kid grow up a little quicker. His 2008 performance, either at St.Lucie or Binghamton, will seal his Mets fate.

MLB Projection: trade – small-market SP in 2011

16. SP Scott Moviel - Okay, here’s your first Mets project. A 6’11” SP who came right out of high school (turns 20 in May) and started 12 games for the GCL Mets, posting a 3.38 ERA. Because of his age, Moviel will move a little slower than some of his pears, but this sure looks like a good one.

MLB Projection: 2011 - SP - Mets bullpen

Projected to Become Major Leaguers in 2012:

17. 3B Jose Jimenez - An interesting story. Jimenez was originally signed by the Brewers in 2005, but was left unprotected the following year when the Mets picked him up. All he did was bat .309 for the GCL Mets that year. He won the Sterling Award in 2007 for Kingsport, going .309/.379/.521 in 188 Abs, 17 doubles, 7 HRs, 41 RBIs and only 8 errors. Another 3B prospect on the Mets going nowhere.

MLB Projection: 2012 - to early to project where

18. 3B/SS/2B – Greg Veloz – Veloz will be one of those under-performing prospects that play a multiple amount of infieldpositions and offer a cheap alternative to a future utility player under the age of 80. Veloz may be the fastest player in the organization, and I’ve wathed him play 3 infield positions and he plays them all better than Legares and Pellot. The bonus was his bat woke up last year (.271) after being demoted to K-Port).

MLB projection: 2012 - Utility infielder – Mets

19. OF Gabriel Zavala – Zavala captured the Sterling Award as the best Mets prospect in 2006 with the VSL (.263/.318/.484 with 8 HRs and 42 RBIs in 57 games.), which was followed by an excellent GCL stateside debut last year (.285/.364/.479 in 165 at bats).

MLB projection: 2012

20. OF Ignacio Medrano – In 2007, Medrano played most of the season with the GCL Mets (.294/.369/.375 in 136 at bats), but was promoted to St. Lucie, where he hit .286/.286/.286 in 21 at bats. In 2007,

MLB projection: 2012