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Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Edgy MD Nov 02 2011 02:33 PM

Baseball America sez: 1. Zack Wheeler, rhp 2. Matt Harvey, rhp 3. Brandon Nimmo, of 4. Jeurys Familia, rhp 5. Cesar Puello, of 6. Jenrry Mejia, rhp 7. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, of 8. Michael Fulmer, rhp 9. Reese Havens, 2b 10. Wilmer Flores, ss As for other categories, the magazine named Juan Lagares as the best hitter for average, Zach Lutz as the best power hitter, Danny Muno as the best strike-zone discipline and Pedro Zapata as the fastest baserunner. In pitching categories, Wheeler claims the best fastball and curveball, with Harvey the best slider and Darin Gorski the top changeup and best control. Past kings of the hill Wilmer Flores and Fernando Martinez have dropped, to 10th and DNF, respectively. In the latter case, that's clearly falling stock. In the former, its the stock but also the stronger field. Still, it demonstrates some fallen confidence in the slow shortstop that oft-injured Reese Havens is ahead of him. Last year's #1 was Mejia, still holding strong to number six with his surgically repaired arm. But Familia? Holy crap, he's really gone from being Mejia lite to the passing the standard? And Puello? Really? .259 / .313 / .397 // .710 from an A-ball outfielder at 20? It's intriguing, but...

Benjamin Grimm Nov 02 2011 02:41 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

So who's the closest-to-ready center fielder in the system? I don't get the sense that there's anyone who will be ready to step in for Angel Pagan as early as next April, so they'll probably need to bring in a guy for at least one year. But I wonder if it's possible that the Mets might have a homey starting in center field in 2013.

Edgy MD Nov 02 2011 02:48 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Nearest to ready? Most literally, it's Pridie followed by Fernando Perez. Nearest to ready with the talent you want to see is probably Nieuwenhuis followed by Matt Den Dekker. Nieuwenhuis had 50 games at AAA, but at least he hit. He could start if they're, you know, punting.

Ceetar Nov 02 2011 02:49 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Edgy DC wrote: Nearest to ready? Most literally, it's Pridie followed by Fernando Perez. Nearest to ready with the talent you want to see is probably Nieuwenhuis followed by Matt Den Dekker. Nieuwenhuis had 50 games at AAA, but at least he hit. He could start if they're, you know, punting. He's playing football too? that seems like it'd be a violation of his contract.

John Cougar Lunchbucket Nov 02 2011 09:33 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

They brought Castillo to camp because they had to pay him whether or not they did. They can be off the hook with Pagan this winter if they want to, and I think they want to. I'd prolly make sure Sizemore isn;t a lost cause.

Rockin' Doc Nov 02 2011 10:22 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Has Fernando Martinez turned into the next Alex Escobar? Or does Baseball America consider him an actual Met rather than a minor league prospect?

Frayed Knot Nov 03 2011 07:02 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Rockin' Doc wrote: Has Fernando Martinez turned into the next Alex Escobar? Or does Baseball America consider him an actual Met rather than a minor league prospect? FM has had enough ABs/service time on the big club to where he no longer qualifies as a prospect under most definitions.

Ceetar Nov 03 2011 07:09 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Frayed Knot wrote: Rockin' Doc wrote: Has Fernando Martinez turned into the next Alex Escobar? Or does Baseball America consider him an actual Met rather than a minor league prospect? FM has had enough ABs/service time on the big club to where he no longer qualifies as a prospect under most definitions. We'll find out soon. This is his last chance. well, as far as option years and easy manueverability goes anyway.

Frayed Knot Dec 27 2011 03:41 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

John Sickels weighs in on NYM prospects: The Mets farm system has improved and I don't think it gets enough respect. There are some problems that have to be addressed, but they have some strengths as well. The organization is still suffering hangover from the way prospects were managed in the previous administration, but things are looking up. I like the pitching. Harvey, Wheeler, and Familia are three hard-throwing right-handers with the ability to be staff anchors. The first two aren't far off the A- category, and Familia is a fine prospect in his own right. It may be tempting to rush Harvey and Familia to the majors sometime in 2012, but I think both will be better-positioned to help in 2013. Mejia is something of a forgotten man but I liked him a lot before he got hurt, despite the ridiculous way he was handled in '10. Hitting is in tougher condition than the pitching. There are several very high upside players. There is some "shiny new toy" hope regarding Nimmo, but while his selection has been questioned by some, I like him. Products of the Latin American program like Puello, Flores, Valdespin (and Aderlin Rodriguez and Gilbert Gomez) have high upside but have yet to fulfill their potential, with strike zone issues being a persistent theme. Gomez had a nice run at St. Lucie but it was 75 at-bat sample and out of context with the rest of his career. I want to see more. 1) Matt Harvey, RHP, Grade B+: He can be a number two starter and someone to build around. Some evaluators see him more as a closer if his changeup remains erratic, but I'm cutting him some slack on that issue and am optimistic. 2) Zack Wheeler, RHP, Grade B+: This is actually more like Harvey 1-A and Wheeler 1-B. They are very close but Harvey is closer to being ready. Like Harvey, I see Wheeler as a future number two starter and staff anchor. He made big strides with his control last year. Like Harvey his changeup needs more work, but I'm optimistic about him given the improvements he's already made. 3) Jeurys Familia, RHP, Grade B: Control still needs work, but took a major step forward towards harnessing his stuff. Could be a number three starter, perhaps more with additional changeup refinement. Could also end up as a fine closer. 4) Brandon Nimmo, OF, Grade B: Borderline B-, One of my favorite players from the 2011 draft. Strong tools, skills are more refined than you think given his Wyoming background. There's some risk here but lots of upside too. 5) Cesar Puello, OF, Grade B-: Tough to grade and I'm not really comfortable with this guy. Tools are very impressive and he started tapping into his power. However his strike zone judgment slipped badly, with a dramatic reduction in his walk rate and increase in strikeouts. Power improvement was cancelled out by loss of OBP, and Double-A pitchers will easily exploit his over-aggressiveness. However, many scouts really like him and think he's going to break through, plus he was just 20 last year. Upside is very high but risk of failure is quite high as well. 6) Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF, Grade B-: Positives here are solid tools, high walk rate, moderate power (secondary average skills). Weaknesses include high strikeout rate and inability to hit left-handed pitching. I've seen him compared to Brett Jackson but Jackson is a better athlete and younger. Kirk looks like a very solid platoon player/fourth outfielder to me. Doesn't have Puello's ceiling but a much higher floor. I've gone back and forth about 10 times between Kirk and Cesar in the 5/6 spots. 7) Jenrry Mejia, RHP, Grade B-: Waiting on Tommy John recovery at this point. I've liked him for awhile but he was handled badly by previous administration and it is still unclear if he's a starter or reliever going forward. 8) Reese Havens, 2B, Grade B-: Borderline C+. I like his power/patience combination and ability to handle second base, but his health care expenses have helped bankrupt the organization. If he manages to avoid injuries he can be a .260 hitter with 15 homers and a fine OBP. 9) Wilmer Flores, 3B-SS, Grade B-: Borderline C+. Still very young at age 20. Switch over to third base increases pressure on his bat. Will he develop sufficient power for that position? He keeps his strikeout rate low but power hasn't blossomed as Mets hoped, granted he was promoted aggressively. Stock is starting to sag but it isn't too late yet. 10) Cory Mazzoni, RHP, Grade C+: Borderline B-: North Carolina State product has sound combination of solid stuff and command. I don't think he got as much attention as he deserved in pitching-rich 2011 draft class and I expect good things from him. More here on players 11-40-ish, on the system as a whole, and also comments from readers/prospect-geeks

Ashie62 Dec 28 2011 08:56 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

I'm kinda tired of hearing Wilmer Flores being labeled as "still young." That pretense didn't work with Fernando Martinez and looking at Flores' body of work last season I am becoming skeptical of him.

Edgy MD Dec 28 2011 09:07 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

He's dropped from being broadly labeled the team's top prospect to (according to Sickles) ninth, and Sickles has no reason to offer pretense.

Frayed Knot Dec 28 2011 10:24 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

It's also a factor of Latin players because they're signed so young which in turn makes the gap between their promise and actual payoff a lot longer and much more speculative. If Flores were an American HS player we would have only heard of him in the last year or so and if he went the college route he'd yet to be drafted.

Edgy MD Dec 28 2011 10:31 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

With two assertions that Mejia was badly handled, I'd like to see that argument fleshed out.

Ceetar Dec 28 2011 11:57 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Edgy DC wrote: With two assertions that Mejia was badly handled, I'd like to see that argument fleshed out. I think too much is probably made of that. Maybe if he'd stayed in the majors as a reliever all season.. (although Jerry/Dan going all "Only throw fastballs" on him may have been a bad idea) It wasn't those innings that caused him to need Tommy John. That was probably coming anyway.

Frayed Knot Dec 28 2011 01:09 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

It's not so much that they think his use caused the injury and subsequent TJ surgery but rather the idea that his early call up and sudden conversion to a reliever stunted his overall development as a pitcher seems to be an article of faith among those who opine on this sort of thing. It's impossible to prove of course (one way or the other) but it's a more or less accepted 'fact' at this point. Sickels in particular has been critical of teams in general and the Mets in particular for what he sees as rushing prospects through the lower levels of the minors so this one is right up his alley.

Ceetar Dec 28 2011 01:17 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Frayed Knot wrote: It's not so much that they think his use caused the injury and subsequent TJ surgery but rather the idea that his early call up and sudden conversion to a reliever stunted his overall development as a pitcher seems to be an article of faith among those who opine on this sort of thing. It's impossible to prove of course (one way or the other) but it's a more or less accepted 'fact' at this point. Sickels in particular has been critical of teams in general and the Mets in particular for what he sees as rushing prospects through the lower levels of the minors so this one is right up his alley. There's a lot of The Mets Used To Do It This Way So This Way Must Be Wrong going on though. They promoted guys aggressively with Bernazard, but it's impossible to say that was clearly wrong. They were also criticized, although maybe not so much by the same people, for not starting Ike once Murphy got hurt in 2010. They did ultimately demote Meija and he probably would've hit his innings goals had he not gotten hurt. I heard an interview recently, I think it might've been the Mostly mets one with Colin McHugh, where he mentioned that the Mets occasionally force guys into different roles in the minors so they're used to different situations because often times the major league need doesn't exactly fit the best minor league player.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Dec 28 2011 01:44 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Ceetar wrote: There's a lot of The Mets Used To Do It This Way So This Way Must Be Wrong going on though. They promoted guys aggressively with Bernazard, but it's impossible to say that was clearly wrong. How many homegrown major-league players-- regulars/"regular contributors"-- did the Mets system produce during the Minaya/Bernazard years? Really, just Davis (2.1 rWAR in 1 year) and Pelfrey (4.5 cumulative rWAR in parts of 5 seasons). Additionally, prior to 2011, Murphy had produced 1.6 rWAR in about 1 1/2 full seasons' worth of ABs. If you accept that the contributions of Parnell and the like are more than outweighed by the "contributions" of system guys like Argenis Reyes and Andy Hernandy... Wright and Reyes excepted (pre-Minaya, after all), they had gotten about 8.2 major-league wins from their system in 6 years. That's putrid. If the problem wasn't with the pacing of development... then it was an issue of talent evaluation/acquisition, wasn't it? The main issue most seemed to take with Mejia's treatment-- and I agree, to an extent-- was that he wasn't just kept from regular starting work for the marginal benefit-- third or fourth man out of the pen-- of a far-from-contending major-league team, but that he was apparently actively encouraged to "focus on what 'worked,'" rather than trying to develop/control his offspeed stuff.

Edgy MD Dec 28 2011 01:56 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Frayed Knot wrote: It's not so much that they think his use caused the injury and subsequent TJ surgery but rather the idea that his early call up and sudden conversion to a reliever stunted his overall development as a pitcher seems to be an article of faith among those who opine on this sort of thing. It's impossible to prove of course (one way or the other) but it's a more or less accepted 'fact' at this point. It may be impossible to prove, but it's not impossible to persuasively argue. The lack of wisdom in their propensity to force guys is, to my thinking, more reinforceable. How many homegrown major-league players-- regulars/"regular contributors"-- did the Mets system produce during the Minaya/Bernazard years? This is tough to circle around. Do you count guys whose development began during the previous regime and came to fruition under M/B? Do you count guys whose development began under M/B and blossomed this year or will yet blossom? Why discount a guy who spent much or most of his development time in the Mets organization, but became a big-leaguer on another team? Are we discounting bullpenners? Murphy, Thole, Pagan, Gomez, Maine, Niese, Gee? All that said, I agree that any fair slicing of the data would likely reflect poorly on the regime, particularly on Bernazard.

Ceetar Dec 28 2011 02:03 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: The main issue most seemed to take with Mejia's treatment-- and I agree, to an extent-- was that he wasn't just kept from regular starting work for the marginal benefit-- third or fourth man out of the pen-- of a far-from-contending major-league team, but that he was apparently actively encouraged to "focus on what 'worked,'" rather than trying to develop/control his offspeed stuff. Well now you get into the differences of organizational goals versus on the field ones. (the overall quality of the team is basically irrelevant. The team doesn't proceed as if they have no shot, and the on the field guys certainly don't. The goal is to win games at the major league level) That last part is definitely the crux of any issue, but there is still value in determining how your fastball works with major league hitters. We're talking 27.2 innings here. That can helpful, and isn't necessarily detrimental, particularly if you then go back to working on offspeed stuff based on what you've learned about how guys see your fastball. I think 2010 was too much of a hold pattern type year, and they probably should've either ridden Minaya through 2011 or let him go prior to 2010. The Meija decision was a shining example of what appeared to be organization disagreement on many things. (Omar was insistent on the minors and slowly changed his mind, or was overruled) That year reads like a free-for-all where decisions were made with three different plans that ultimately led to no clear long-term focus. It wouldn't surprise me if the final decision to promote Meija was made by a different person than chose to sign Jason Bay/a slugger and a different person who signed off on the Ike Davis promotion/waiting period. As regards to guys they developed..part of it's that they were so active in the free agent market most years that they had less picks than others. Some of their drafts were pretty good, some were pretty bad, and all in all, with less picks you have less chances to find that 'diamond in the rough' type guy in a game that's a fairly big crap-shoot as it is.

Edgy MD Dec 28 2011 02:21 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: The main issue most seemed to take with Mejia's treatment-- and I agree, to an extent-- was that he wasn't just kept from regular starting work for the marginal benefit-- third or fourth man out of the pen-- of a far-from-contending major-league team, but that he was apparently actively encouraged to "focus on what 'worked,'" rather than trying to develop/control his offspeed stuff. My impression was that (1) he was to work more on his offspeed stuff when he was shifted back to the starting role at the minor league level, and that (2) there was no reason to think that the 2010 Mets broke camp as a "far-from-contending" team. It's just the way it broke. It's the way it almost always breaks, but there are arguments to quit (and enter into a full-scale development-only focus) with every season. Especially in retrospect. We had a poster here furious that the Mets didn't spend the 2000 season rebuilding --- replacing Olerud with Zeile instead of just cashing everything in after Olerud walked. The reality of the 2000 pennant would not dissuade him. I think it's arguable that the Mets hurt Mejia (sure, why not?) but I think it'd be just as arguable if he started the season in the Buffalo pen and got hurt after switching to the rotation, or if he got hurt after attempting to spend the full season at Buffalo in one role or the other. He got hurt. You look for reasons. But the cause and effect isn't at all clear and it helps no one to pretend it is. Was his ability dampened by his allegedly focusing too much on his hard stuff? He hasn't thrown one pitch since the injury so that's going to take some time to judge. It's certainly valid speculation, but the certainty of the like of Sickels seems a little bit like silly chest-thumping.

Ceetar Dec 28 2011 02:31 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Meija went from basically unknown, to the next Gooden, to an example of the Mets bungling the farm, to yet another prospect that can't stay healthy in warp speed didn't he?

Ashie62 Dec 28 2011 07:55 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

I'm just gonna accept the reality that most prospects don't make it and those that do are gifts from God.

Frayed Knot Dec 28 2011 08:00 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

I don't think anyone is claiming otherwise - and certainly anyone who thought they were being sold the notion that Wilmer Flores was some sort of guaranteed All-Star based on a teenage season or two at the lower rungs of the minors have only themselves to blame if they wind up disappointed.

smg58 Dec 28 2011 08:51 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

I look at Flores as the same kid with undeveloped raw talent that he was last year. His top ranking was probably unwarranted, but the size of the drop may be unfair as well. A lot of people (myself included) were critical of the Mets' handling of Mejia in 2010, and while it's unfair to say that's what caused the injury, the critics have no grounds to consider a retraction. On one hand, pitching arms are generally fragile and young pitching arms are particularly fragile, so these things happen. On the other hand, the fact that young arms are particularly fragile means that jerking the guy around was the worst thing you could do, regardless of what you thought about the initial decision to put him in the pen. Has anybody since Reyes and Wright come through the Mets system and had a better career to date than Pelfrey? Maybe Kazmir, but I don't know if he's really had any more good seasons than Pelfrey and his career might already be over.

Edgy MD Dec 28 2011 09:02 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

See, I don't see why putting him in the pen should be considered to be jerking him around nor the worst thing you could do. I think it was done as part of an intentional and specific plan that they were clear about and he understood. It allowed them to limit his innings and expose him to the top competition of the big leagues on a limited basis, which he was more-or-less ready for, but not take him off the starter track. There's certainly a case against all of that, but not such an open-and-shut one that would suggest it's the worst thing you could do. Introducing young starters to the big leagues as relievers is a model with plenty of precedent. Sure, plenty were against it then. And I'm not asking for a retraction. I'm asking them now what I hoped to hear then and didn't. Why? And why so absolutely?

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Dec 28 2011 09:32 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Introducing a guy like Mejia-- who is working not only on his pitching, but his actual pitches-- to the majors seemed and seems pretty counterproductive on its face. It never seemed a just-do-what-you-do assignment; it was a throw-the-fastball-because-that's-what-works-best-right-now (and-what-Jerry-wants) assignment (and, in essence, a don't-throw-that-other-crap-because-we-want-to-win-games-here assignment). Is it the worst thing you can do to any young pitcher? Probably not. But it is and was remarkably shortsighted from an organizational standpoint, and when the tradeoff potential is 30-40 good innings from the 'pen for THIS particular team (and when I say "obvious non-contender," I mean "in all likelihood, heading into the season, they weren't a Mejia away from a division title"), it's outright dumb.

Ceetar Dec 28 2011 09:34 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

smg58 wrote: Has anybody since Reyes and Wright come through the Mets system and had a better career to date than Pelfrey? Maybe Kazmir, but I don't know if he's really had any more good seasons than Pelfrey and his career might already be over. hardly already over. I dunno, Pagan? Probably up there with Pelfrey in terms of contribution. Guys like Humber and Bell and even Mike Carp have had some spots of success.

Edgy MD Dec 28 2011 09:51 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Introducing a guy like Mejia-- who is working not only on his pitching, but his actual pitches-- to the majors seemed and seems pretty counterproductive on its face. Why? Again. There are plenty of precedents, starting with Nolan Ryan. And Mejia was hardly a disaster. He was a mediocrity with some ups and some downs. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: and when the tradeoff potential is 30-40 good innings from the 'pen... I think the idea is that the tradeoff is also big league experience. That has a value. LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: ...for THIS particular team (and when I say "obvious non-contender," I mean "in all likelihood, heading into the season, they weren't a Mejia away from a division title"), it's outright dumb. I disagree. Virtually all teams are more than one piece away. Virtually all teams need a lot of things to break right. I don't think it's true that the 2010 Mets were such a hopeless case going into the season, even with Jeff Francoeur being a disaster waiting to reveal itself. I wouldn't imagine reviews of 2010 season previews would reveal the Giants and Rangers to be in such a better position than the Mets. Which isn't to say I didn't and don't disagree with a lot of things that went into the team (starting with the manager). But if they were a team I was running, I sure wouldn't have washed my hands of them.

smg58 Dec 28 2011 09:59 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

By jerking him around, I meant sending him to the pen and then changing course midseason, which I'll argue is worse for a young arm than doing one or the other, and also worse than starting the season with him in the AAA rotation and then shortening him up in August if the Mets needed pen help. I think the complaints had to do with the timing of it. It's not the idea of starting his major league career in the bullpen; there is indeed lots of precedent for that and the Rangers have lately turned it into a science. It's that he was very young and lacking in seasoning, he hadn't fully developed his arsenal of pitches, and he had given the Mets no reason to think that he was already a better relief pitcher than Parnell, who was demoted in his stead despite pitching decently out of the pen in 2009.

Edgy MD Dec 28 2011 10:00 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Has anybody since Reyes and Wright come through the Mets system and had a better career to date than Pelfrey? Maybe Kazmir, but I don't know if he's really had any more good seasons than Pelfrey and his career might already be over. hardly already over. I dunno, Pagan? Probably up there with Pelfrey in terms of contribution. Guys like Humber and Bell and even Mike Carp have had some spots of success. Fangraph WAR scores: Pelfrey: 8.3 Kazmir: 16.6 Pagan: 10.3 Murphy: 5.4 A few of these guys are still getting their traction and have a perfectly good shot to pass Pefrey in the next two or three years. Bay debuted between Reyes and Wright, I think, and obviously is in a different category altogether, though very little of that, unfortunately, due to his performance with the Mets.

Edgy MD Dec 28 2011 10:11 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

smg58 wrote: By jerking him around, I meant sending him to the pen and then changing course midseason, which I'll argue is worse for a young arm than doing one or the other, and also worse than starting the season with him in the AAA rotation and then shortening him up in August if the Mets needed pen help. I don't think that's jerking him around at all if that's the established and explicit plan all along and he knows that. And I'd sure like to see some data or case studies demonstrating that this is worse than spending the year in the pen or the rotation. It seems highly speculative to me. smg58 wrote: I think the complaints had to do with the timing of it. It's not the idea of starting his major league career in the bullpen; there is indeed lots of precedent for that and the Rangers have lately turned it into a science. It's that he was very young and lacking in seasoning, he hadn't fully developed his arsenal of pitches, and he had given the Mets no reason to think that he was already a better relief pitcher than Parnell, who was demoted in his stead despite pitching decently out of the pen in 2009. Bobby Parnell had a 5.30 ERA in 2009. He openly admitted he pitched his way off the team with a terrible second half in 2009 and a lackluster spring training in 2010. Farming him out there is not only utterly defensible, but it paid off, as he came back to the team a stronger pitcher.

Edgy MD Dec 29 2011 06:56 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

I'll also throw out the notion that the utility of an allegedly hopeless season has frequently been believed to be the opportunity to throw some barely ripe talent into the breach, get them a taste of the competitive standards of the bigs, and if they get their heads handed to them, chalk it off to experience. Now I don't necessarily believe that, but i'm still not seeing with the self-evident clarity that others have that the plan to use Mejia in relief for half a year in Queens before returning him to Buffalo to start was foolish on the face of it. (I am certainly willing to brandish, however, the notion that his usage pattern under Jerry Manuel could have been conceived more wisely, as I have long since developed a broad disdain for Jerry Manuel's bullpen strategies.)

John Cougar Lunchbucket Dec 29 2011 07:20 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

I don't mind that they tried it. I sort of liked that they were doing something that other teams wouldn't necessarily do. I think the better debate is the underlying philosophy of Bernazard/Minaya: They believed generally that "good" players would become what they become regardless of who their teammates or opponents were at any single point along the curve. I'm not sure that's wrong on the face of it. A lot of the debate just looks at Mejia in isolation; or focuses on arbitration clocks and other things that are sort of beside the underlying motivation.

Ceetar Dec 29 2011 07:33 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

It also fit neatly into the narrative of "Omar and Jerry are doing desperate things to save their jobs!"

smg58 Dec 29 2011 10:01 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Edgy DC wrote: Bobby Parnell had a 5.30 ERA in 2009. He openly admitted he pitched his way off the team with a terrible second half in 2009 and a lackluster spring training in 2010. Farming him out there is not only utterly defensible, but it paid off, as he came back to the team a stronger pitcher. I said Parnell had a decent year in the pen, where his ERA was 3.46. As for spring training, Mejia's ERA was distorted because six of the nine runs he allowed were unearned, and his 9 Ks in 17 innings suggested that he wasn't ready to make bats miss at this level. I will not argue that demoting Parnell was indefensible, but Mejia should have needed to prove he was clearly the better option over more experienced players. He didn't, and his long-term upside shouldn't have influenced the decision.

Frayed Knot Jan 10 2012 07:14 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

And now Baseball Prospectus weighs in with their list. System In 20 Words Or Less: With improvement coming via all three areas—draft, trades, international—the Mets are finally moving in the right direction. Five-Star Prospects 1. Matt Harvey, RHP 2. Zack Wheeler, RHP Four-Star Prospects 3. Jeurys Familia, RHP Three-Star Prospects 4. Brandon Nimmo, OF 5. Juan Lagares, OF 6. Jordany Valdespin, 2B 7. Jenrry Mejia, RHP 8. Reese Havens, 2B 9. Cesar Puello, OF 10. Michael Fulmer, RHP 11. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF Nine More: 12. Cory Mazzoni, RHP: 2011 second-rounder was great in brief debut; will move to rotation in 2012. 13. Akeel Morris, RHP: 20-year-old Virgin Islands native has big, but unrefined, power arm. 14. Darin Gorski, LHP: Had arguably the best stats of any pitcher in the system, but he’s older and has more finesse than stuff. 15. Phillip Evans, SS: Over slot 15th-rounder profiles as offense-oriented second baseman 16. Wilmer Flores, INF: Bat has never taken expected move forward while scouts see big moves down defensive spectrum. 17. Jefry Marte, 3B: Age and strong showing in Arizona Fall League saves him; some scouts still believe in the bat. 18. Juan Urbina, LHP: Shows flashes of high-ceiling potential, but not enough of them. 19. Chris Schwinden, RHP: Reached the big leagues, but what you see is what you get with potential to be a number-five starter. 20. Darrell Ceciliani, OF: Plus speed and a leadoff man's approach, but never got going with the bat in full-season debut. Then you need a subscription to see the profiles of players 2-10. Last year, for some reason, they inexplicably left the NYM list unprotected but all we get this year in detail is Harvey. 1. Matt Harvey, RHP DOB: 3/27/89 Height/Weight: 6-4/210 Bats/Throws: R/R Drafted/Signed: 1st round, 2010, University of North Carolina 2011 Stats: 2.37 ERA (76-67-24-92) at High-A (14 G). 4.53 ERA (59.2-58-23-64) at Double-A (12 G) Tools Profile: Pure power pitcher. * Year in Review: Seventh overall pick in the 2010 draft reached Double-A in debut and missed plenty of bats. * The Good: Harvey attacks hitters with a 92-95 mph fastball that can touch 97 and features plenty of life. His slider gives him a second bat-missing offering with its heavy two plane break, and Harvey is comfortable throwing it at any point in the count. He's an efficient pitcher who throws strikes and has the kind of body and delivery designed to handle a big league workload. * The Bad: Harvey's changeup continues to lag behind the rest of his arsenal and lacks deception or enough movement. His delivery is easy to pick up for left-handed hitters, which leads to some large platoon splits. * Ephemera: Rich Dotson (1977), who has a career losing record of 111-113, is the only seventh overall pick with more than 50 major league wins, but Clayton Kershaw (2006) should change that in 2012. * Perfect World Projection: At least a number-three starter with a good chance of become a number-two with some refinements. * Fantasy Impact: Harvey has the potential to be an early pick if he reaches his potential. * Path to the Big Leagues: Harvey will begin the year either back at Double-A or in Triple-A Buffalo and should reach the big leagues at some point during the season. * ETA: Late 2012.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 10 2012 07:43 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Kevin Burkhardt mentioned on Mets Hot Stove last week that the current plan is for Harvey to start the season in Binghamton.

MFS62 Jan 10 2012 07:45 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

I thought that in their lexicon a "five star" prospect would translate to more than "at least a #3 starter". Later

Ashie62 Jan 10 2012 07:45 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Reese Havens, 25 years old, tick-tock.

Edgy MD Jan 10 2012 08:03 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Let's play "Fill in the Blank." You gotta ___________!

Vic Sage Jan 10 2012 09:06 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

_____ have heart! miles and miles and miles of heart!

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jan 10 2012 09:07 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

"Remain cautiously optimistic, but hedge your bets a lot, because many, many things can happen between here and the majors?"

Edgy MD Jan 10 2012 09:17 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

That wasn't really addressed at whole room, but cautious optimism has slipped toward reckless pessimism with our brother ashie, so I'm trying to be encouraging here.

Frayed Knot Jan 10 2012 10:03 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

MFS62 wrote: I thought that in their lexicon a "five star" prospect would translate to more than "at least a #3 starter". Kevin Goldstein (BP's prospect guy) does seem to dole out 'Five Star' ratings a bit too easily sometimes -- a lot more freely than, say, John Sickels gives out 'A' grades in his rankings. Still, calling a pitcher with one pro season under his belt "at least" a #3 and a chance to be better than that isn't exactly downplaying things, especially seeing as how #3 starters tend to be worth about $10 million/year on the open market.

attgig Jan 10 2012 10:44 AM Fangraphs mets top 15 prospect list

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.ph ... york-mets/ the list: 1. Zack Wheeler, RHP 2. Matt Harvey, RHP 3. Jeurys Familia, RHP 4. Brandon Nimmo, OF 5. Wilmer Flores, 3B/SS 6. Michael Fulmer, RHP 7. Jordany Valdespin, 2B/SS 8. Cesar Puello, OF 9. Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF 10. Cory Vaughn, OF 11. Reese Havens, 2B 12. Phillip Evans, 2B/SS 13. Jack Leathersich, LHP 14. Akeel Morris, RHP 15. Darrell Ceciliani, OF SLEEPER ALERT: Domingo Tapia, RHP THE EXCEPTION: Jenrry Mejia, RHP go to the site for the writeups.

Edgy MD Jan 19 2012 09:42 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Steven Matz: "Remember me?"

John Cougar Lunchbucket Jan 19 2012 09:43 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

F that guy.

Fman99 Jan 19 2012 09:51 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Steven Matz: "Remember me?" Remember him? I adopted him! And then I left him crying in a dumpster, I'm the worst adoptive Mets prospect parent EVER. Maybe he wouldn't suck if I wasn't in the gym, dancing to "Never Say Goodbye" with my prom date.

Edgy MD Jan 19 2012 09:54 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Maybe it was the hemming and hawing on the allegiance question. http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=6166561

Frayed Knot Jan 19 2012 10:03 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

I never did see an accounting on what the "setbacks" were following the TJ

Ashie62 Jan 19 2012 05:29 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Edgy DC wrote: Let's play "Fill in the Blank." You gotta ___________! Believe

Edgy MD Jan 19 2012 06:21 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Fuckin' A!

Edgy MD Jan 24 2012 07:51 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Rob Castellano of Amazin' Avenue ranks numbers 41-50 on their way to a comprehensive top 50..

metirish Jan 24 2012 08:00 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Edgy DC wrote: Rob Castellano of Amazin' Avenue ranks numbers 41-50 on their way to a comprehensive top 50.. reading through it but right of the bat #43) RHP Luis Mateo seems interesting.

Edgy MD Jan 24 2012 08:06 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Yeah, a lot of the talk that Moneyball is obsolete because everybody has read it and everybody is looking for on-base guys misses the point in that the idea is to look for any assets undervalued by the marketplace. And some of those Sandy and his team seem to try to zero in on are guys a year removed from surgery and guys who wore at their welcome at another home after a failed PED test. Maybe guys who got thrown overboard for lying or some other signing scandal, but are still talented, are guys Sandy has a file on. Still the DSL at 21 is a man pitching to boys.

Frayed Knot Jan 24 2012 08:46 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Sickels puts the Mets in the middle of the pack as he ranks the systems overall.

Edgy MD Mar 20 2012 08:24 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Has Adrian Rosario, the PTBNL who wasn't Danny Herrera in the Francisco Rodriguez trade, appeared on any prospect lists?

Edgy MD Jul 05 2012 07:10 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

John Sickles publishes his mid-season Top 120. Mostly upward movement from the Mets: Mets outrank their NL East rivals in number of prospects ranked Mets: 5 Miami Marlins of Florida: 4 Atlanta: 3 Washington: 3 Philadephia: 2 (oh, s'it!). But, of course, many of those teams may have their top "prospects" already in the big leagues and ineligible for these lists, (or in Philly's case, suspended from the bigs for drug violations). I wish they just ranked the top players under 26 (or so). It seems silly (and deceptive) that players graduate by appearing on the big league roster, when the gross majority of their value still lies in speculation about their futures.

Frayed Knot Jul 07 2012 06:38 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Baseball America's Mid-Season Top 50 1. Dylan Bundy, rhp, Orioles 2. Jurickson Profar, ss, Rangers 3. Wil Myers, of, Royals 4. Taijuan Walker, rhp, Mariners 5. Danny Hultzen, lhp, Mariners 6. Gerrit Cole, rhp, Pirates 7. Tyler Skaggs, lhp, Diamondbacks 8. Jose Fernandez, rhp, Marlins 9. Manny Machado, ss, Orioles 10. Zack Wheeler, rhp, Mets 11. Mike Olt, 3b, Rangers 12. Nick Castellanos, 3B, Tigers 13. Matt Barnes, rhp, Red Sox 14. Francisco Lindor, ss, Indians 15. Jameson Taillon, rhp, Pirates 16. Archie Bradley, rhp, Diamondbacks 17. Nolan Arenado, 3b, Rockies 18. Oscar Taveras, of, Cardinals 19. Travis D'Arnaud, c, Blue Jays 20. Shelby Miller, rhp, Cardinals 21. Christian Yelich, of, Marlins 22. Miguel Sano, 3b, Twins 23. Jonathan Singleton, 1b, Astros 24. Julio Teheran, rhp, Braves 25. Javier Baez, ss, Cubs 26. Carlos Martinez, rhp, Cardinals 27. Billy Hamilton, ss, Reds 28. Mason Williams, of, Yankees 29. Jake Odorizzi, rhp, Royals 30. Gary Sanchez, c, Yankees 31. Xander Bogaerts, ss, Red Sox 32. Jackie Bradley, of, Red Sox 33. Matt Davidson, 3b, Diamondbacks 34. Matt Harvey, rhp, Mets 35. Nick Franklin, ss, Mariners 36. Starling Marte, cf, Pirates 37. Jake Marisnick, cf, Blue Jays 38. Anthony Gose, cf, Blue Jays 39. Tyler Austin, of, Yankees 40. Alen Hanson, ss, Pirates 41. Cody Buckel, rhp, Rangers 42. James Paxton, lhp, Mariners 43. Jean Segura, 2b/ss, Angels 44. Kolten Wong, 2b, Cardinals 45. George Springer, of, Astros 46. Bubba Starling, of, Royals 47. Hak-Ju Lee, ss, Rays 48. Tyler Thornburg, rhp, Brewers 49. Zach Lee, rhp, Dodgers 50. Jedd Gyorko, 3b, Padres

Ashie62 Jul 07 2012 12:34 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

#48 Thornburg has started some games for the Brewers. Harvey might be ready 2013.

Edgy MD Jul 07 2012 02:07 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Harvey will be in the bigs within four weeks.

Ashie62 Jul 07 2012 05:39 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

You really think that?

Frayed Knot Jul 07 2012 06:50 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Ashie62 wrote: #48 Thornburg has started some games for the Brewers. Harvey might be ready 2013. Mid-season lists like this toss out those who have already surpassed the ML minimum for rookie status (Harper, Trout, Montero, etc.) but not necessarily those who have just been called up but would still qualify as prospects if they happen to get returned. Also, the order is supposed to measure who is likely to have the best career not just who's closest to MLB. A guy currently sitting in the low minors could rank higher than someone on the verge of being called up if the rankers think he has the higher ceiling and a reasonable probability of reaching it. Hence Wheeler as higher on the list even though Harvey may be closer. I suspect Harvey is a September call-up this season depending of course on how things go.

Nymr83 Jul 07 2012 07:09 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Be careful comparing lists, some places will exclude a guy as soon as he gets the call while others only exclude guys who reach rookie eligibility. You also have mid-season lists with and without the recent june draftees.

Edgy MD Jul 07 2012 09:14 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Ashie62 wrote: You really think that? Yup. Wouldn't go to the mat over it, but he'll be around before long.

smg58 Jul 07 2012 09:35 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Harvey could be a viable bullpen option if the price is wrong on our alternatives.

Edgy MD Jul 08 2012 05:58 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

He is a viable candidate. All this talk that it's somehow definitively abusive to use a prospect who has started out of the pen is speculative at best and blind Met-loathing at worst.

Nymr83 Jul 08 2012 08:03 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Edgy DC wrote: He is a viable candidate. All this talk that it's somehow definitively abusive to use a prospect who has started out of the pen is speculative at best and blind Met-loathing at worst. I would rather try Familia first though since he probably doesn't have a future as a starter.

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr Jul 08 2012 08:40 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Nymr83 wrote: Edgy DC wrote: He is a viable candidate. All this talke that it's somehow definitively abusive to use a prospect who has started out of the pen is speculative at best and blind Met-loathing at worst. I would rather try Familia first though since he probably doesn't have a future as a starter. Familia's issue at the moment is fastball command. If he doesn't get a handle on that, he doesn't have a future as a major-leaguer. Mejia is beginning to settle into the relief routine over his last few outings (apparently). Perhaps he's next in the chamber.

Frayed Knot Jul 08 2012 01:11 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Futures Game at 5PM today on ESPN2 Wheeler & Flores on opposite squads.

Edgy MD Jul 08 2012 03:09 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

We're in a playoff chase and I would suggest using whoever has the best chance of helping.

Frayed Knot Jul 08 2012 09:26 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Frayed Knot wrote: Futures Game at 5PM today on ESPN2 Wheeler & Flores on opposite squads. Wheeler pitches 2/3 inning of perfect ball Flores goes 0-2 Don't think they faced each other. US squad routs 17-5

Frayed Knot Aug 06 2012 11:25 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

John Sickels does his mid-season(ish) review of NYM prospects This is not a new list, the order and the grades given to each represent how he viewed them during his pre-season rankings. Then what follows is each player's stats and a quick comment as to his progress since - and then a general overview of the system and this year's draft at the end. And then if you follow the link there's some reader + Sickels follow-up/discussion topics after that. 1) Matt Harvey, RHP, Grade B+: 3.68 ERA with 112/48 K/BB in 110 innings for Triple-A Buffalo, 97 hits. Has fanned 18 in his first 11 major league innings. Looks good to me, still see him as a number two starter. 2) Zack Wheeler, RHP, Grade B+: 10-6, 3.26 with a 117/43 K/BB in 116 innings for Double-A Binghamton, 92 hits, only two homers allowed. Developing quite nicely, will be ready for the majors sometime next year, number two starter potential. 3) Jeurys Familia, RHP, Grade B: 5.18 ERA with 93/64 K/BB in 106 innings for Buffalo, 113 hits, 1.61 GO/AO. I still like his stuff and physical potential, but command continues to hold him back. Still plenty of time to improve at age 22. 4) Brandon Nimmo, OF, Grade B: Borderline B-. .271/.390/.429 with 29 walks, 50 strikeouts in 170 at-bats for short-season Brooklyn in the New York-Penn League. Started slowly but has been hot lately, .395/.447/.628 in last 10 games. Strikeout rate is high but the tools are obvious. 5) Cesar Puello, OF, Grade B-: I was really uncertain about this guy. Hitting .245/.308/.374 with 10 steals, five walks, 42 strikeouts in 155 at-bats for High-A St. Lucie in an injury-plagued campaign. Still has plenty-o-tools and using his speed better but plate discipline is awful. 6) Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF, Grade B-: .252/.315/.376 with seven homers, 25 walks, 98 strikeouts in 282 major league at-bats. I think he can do better than this, but strikeouts/contact/batting average may always be an issue. 7) Jenrry Mejia, RHP, Grade B-: Tommy John recovery in progress, 3.64 ERA with 36/21 K/BB in 59 innings at three levels, most of it in Triple-A, 2.21 GO/AO. Expect him in the bullpen mix next year. 8) Reese Havens, 2B, Grade B-: Borderline C+. .223/.353/.359 with 52 walks, 93 strikeoutsu in 273 at-bats for Binghamton. Still has patience and power, but the constant trips to the doctor seem to have robbed his game of some life. Turns 26 this fall. 9) Wilmer Flores, 3B, Grade B-: Borderline C+. .284/.330/.450 with 14 homers, 29 walks, 47 strikeouts in 391 at-bats split between High-A and Double-A, No slippage in performance at higher level. Playing all the infield positions except shortstop. Turns 21 today. His power is gradually improving and he maintains a low strikeout rate. Still an intriguing prospect for me. 10) Cory Mazzoni, RHP, Grade C+: Borderline B-: 3.20 ERA with 79/26 K/BB in 113 innings between High-A and Double-A, 112 hits. Efficient, throws strikes, but strikeout rate is lower than ideal and he doesn't get enough grounders for that not to be a caution flag. Still, a good season. 11) Michael Fulmer, RHP, Grade C+: 2.58 ERA with 82/33 K/BB in 91 innings for Low-A Savannah, 69 hits. Some command issues, but has very good stuff and is performing well in full-season ball at age 19. I like him. 12) Jordany Valdespin, 2B-SS, Grade C+: .289/.329/.430 in Triple-A, .260/.289/.496 with seven homers, five steals, three walks, 24 strikeouts in 123 major league at-bats. Physical talents are obvious and promising, but so is his rawness. 13) Phillip Evans, 2B-SS, Grade C+: .247/.333/.360 with 21 walks, 27 strikeouts in 178 at-bats for short-season Brooklyn. Good feel for the strike zone, transition to full-season ball next year will prove interesting. Has played very well on defense. 14) Cory Vaughn, OF, Grade C+: .241/.355/.451 with 18 homers, 57 walks, 100 strikeouts, 16 steals in 377 at-bats for High-A St. Lucie. Showing more power this year, nice combo with the speed, draws walks but elevated strikeout rate could mean a problematic transition to Double-A next year. 15) Darin Gorski, LHP, Grade C+: 4.09 ERA with 90/41 K/BB in 110 innings in Double-A, 102 hits, 17 homers. Not terrible but didn't duplicate his A-ball dominance, and at age 24 he needs progress to stay in the picture. 16) Collin McHugh, RHP, Grade C+: 2.41 ERA with 65/17 K/BB in 75 innings in Double-A, 3.75 ERA with 49/21 K/BB in 50 innings in Triple-A. Now 25, still has sleeper potential if he can lower the walks more. 17) Domingo Tapia, RHP, Grade C+: 3.47 ERA with 73/25 K/BB in 86 innings in Low-A, 68 hits, 2.83 GO/AO, zero homers allowed. I like this guy, live arm, tons of ground balls, tough to hit. Breakthrough potential. 18) Akeel Morris, RHP, Grade C+: I felt he was a breakthrough guy, not a breakdown guy, 11.72 ERA with 29/15 K/BB, 32 hits allowed in 25 innings for Kingsport in the Appalachian League. 19) Danny Muno, SS, Grade C+: .274/.372/.409 with 33 walks, 37 strikeouts, 13 steals in 215 at-bats for St. Lucie. Looks like a utility guy to me. 20) Juan Lagares, OF, Grade C+: .280/.333/.388 with three homers, 34 walks, 74 strikeouts, 19 steals in 418 at-bats for Binghamton. Looks like 2011 was more of a BABIP-fluke than a real breakout, but he could still find a place on a bench. 21) Logan Verrett, RHP, Grade C+: 3.04 ERA with 73/10 K/BB in 77 innings split between Low-A and High-A. Throwing strikes. I don't believe he'll be seriously challenged until he reaches Double-A. Like every system there are some disappointments and some injuries, but the Mets have fewer than many teams and most guys on the list have performed in line with expectations. Harvey and Wheeler is a heckofa punch at the top, and I still think Familia will be useful in some role. Josh Satin and walking medical bill Zach Lutz are older prospects but can be useful role players. Bronx native shortstop T.J. Rivera has had a good year in A-ball. Aderlin Rodriguez has slammed 20 homers in A-ball at age 20, but is still raw and has hit just .229 since moving up to High-A. Still, he's made progress. Josh Edgin has looked good in the bullpen. Minor league lefty reliever Jack Leathersich has fanned 123 in 75 innings in A-ball. The 2012 draft brought in promising high school infielder Gavin Cecchini for a below-slot bonus, the second year in a row that the Mets have dipped into the prep ranks for their first pick. They were unable to sign second round pick Teddy Stankiewicz, but I think Purdue catcher Kevin Plawecki is better than he's shown in the NY-P so far. Tomas Nido, Logan Taylor, and Stefan Sabol are some sleeper names from the draft class to watch next year.

Edgy MD Aug 07 2012 08:37 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Reese Havens falling off the map. How about Domingo Tapia? Low A is low A. But no homers in 86 innings is... no homers.

Ashie62 Aug 07 2012 08:40 PM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Reese just couldnt stay healthy..Not even a prospect anymore at 27...

Frayed Knot Aug 08 2012 07:16 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

Reese Havens falling off the map. How about Domingo Tapia? Low A is low A. But no homers in 86 innings is... no homers. Reese just couldnt stay healthy..Not even a prospect anymore at 27... Havens is 25 And remember that this is merely a progress report on Sickels' pre-season list (compiled last December to be specific) not necessarily how he would rank them today. At that time, Havens was on what seemed like a semi-permanent shelf with less than 400 ABs over the previous two seasons. So, yeah, that's going to knock you down a few pegs, although he's still listed 9th there with a (much better than average from Sickels) 'B-' grade. Tapia, with barely 100 IPs combined in DSL and rookie leagues prior to this year, was barely even on anyone's radar 9 months ago.

MFS62 Aug 08 2012 09:01 AM Re: Prospect Lists of 2011-2012

My new kid, Rafael Montero will race Tapia to the majors. I betcha he'll be on many prospect lists next year. Later