Mets infield prospect Andres Gimenez turned heads during the recently-concluded Arizona Fall League, winning the batting title as he slashed .371/.413/.586. But he wasn't the only Mets prospect to have a strong performance.
Four Mets pitching prospects -- Ryley Gilliam, David Peterson, Jordan Humphreys, and Blake Taylor -- pitched well, with the performances of Gilliam and Humphreys especially standing out.
Gilliam, 23, had a 0.96 ERA in 9.1 IP (seven games) while allowing eight hits, walking two and striking out 11.
Humphreys, 23, had a 0.77 ERA in 11.2 IP (four games) while allowing eight hits, walking four and striking out eight.
The 24-year-old Taylor, who the Mets recently added to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, had a 2.00 ERA in 9.0 IP (seven games) while allowing five hits, walking two and striking out 11.
Peterson, 24, had a 3.46 ERA in 13.0 IP (four starts) while allowing 18 hits, walking eight and striking out 13.
Aside from Taylor, the three pitchers who excelled in the AFL are all part of the Mets' Top 20 Prospects for 2020, as ranked by SNY's Joe DeMayo. And Taylor, who emerged this past season as he advanced from High-A St. Lucie to Triple-A Syracuse, could be a left-handed relief option in the majors sooner rather than later.
Peterson is the Mets' starting pitching prospect who is the closest to the majors, but will almost certainly open the 2020 season in the minors after reaching Double-A Binghamton in 2019.
Humphreys' progress through the minors has been delayed due to Tommy John surgery and ulnar nerve surgery that have cost him most of the last two seasons, but still has No.4 starter upside, according to DeMayo.
But if you're looking for the first pitcher of the four above who will make it to Queens, you should direct your attention to Gilliam.
The hard-throwing reliever was selected by the Mets in the fifth round of the 2018 MLB Draft and rose all the way to Syracuse by the end of this past season. According to DeMayo, Gilliam has the upside to be a set-up man and could impact the big league club in 2020.