SNY contributors Jacob Resnick and Joe DeMayo answer fan questions in this edition of the Mets Minor League Mailbag...
Mets Minor League Mailbag: Which prospects can fans look forward to seeing in 2022?
Which prospects have the best pitches?
Eric Briggs: Can you rank the four affiliates in regards to prospect talent?
Jacob: Obviously you’re going to start with Double-A Binghamton, which has the highest concentration of top-end prospects. Rumble Ponies fans are getting to enjoy the trio of Francisco Álvarez, Brett Baty, and Ronny Mauricio that spent most of last season together in Brooklyn, and the early returns have been excellent. The team also has the organization’s top upper minors pitching prospect in José Buttó, who has struck out 17 batters in his first two starts combined.
Single-A St. Lucie is next, and it actually might be closer than you’d think. Between 19-year-old outfielder Alex Ramírez and pitchers Calvin Ziegler, Dominic Hamel, and Mike Vasil, the team boasts a strong selection of Mets prospects in the top 15-20, depending on who you ask. They’re supplemented by a slew of interesting players worth keeping tabs on, like outfielders Stanley Consuegra and Carlos Dominguez, infielder Justin Guerrera, and pitchers Levi David, Franklin Sanchez, and Carson Seymour, to name a few. St. Lucie has the prospect depth that Binghamton doesn’t.
I’ll give the nod to Triple-A Syracuse over High-A Brooklyn since Mark Vientos, Khalil Lee, Nick Plummer, and Carlos Cortes are with the S-Mets to start the season. Brooklyn’s top names — Junior Santos, JT Schwartz, and Wilmer Reyes — are fringe top 30 prospects.
Steve Miller: Which Mets minor league pitchers have the best following pitches? Fastball, curveball, changeup, slider, other.
Jacob: Love this question. Let’s do it.
From a velocity perspective, Bryce Montes de Oca’s fastball is unmatched in its ability to consistently hit 100-101 mph. Michel Otañez and Sanchez show it occasionally, but they’ll also dip down to 95-96 mph regularly. But if you’re grading a pitch by how it moves, Hamel’s fastball is wicked. Despite sitting in the low-to-mid 90s, the pitch generates a ton of ride, creating a rising illusion and causing hitters to swing under it. Hamel’s raw ability to get that lift is part of what makes him special.
I’ll go with Brian Metoyer’s curveball, Buttó’s changeup, and Hamel’s slider. All three pitches have a ton of movement, with Metoyer and Hamel owning spin rates that compete with the best in the majors and Buttó creating lots of velocity separation from his fastball to keep hitters off balance.
Outside of the classic repertoire, Montes de Oca throws a cutter in the 93-94 mph range that is just about impossible to hit when thrown off that triple-digit fastball. Eric Orze’s splitter has had a ton of success in the past in generating whiffs but his command continues to hold him back from truly dominating.
@Radler_1972: Are there any prospects Mets fans could look forward to seeing in 2022?
Joe: If you take a look at my latest Mets top 20 prospect list, I did put some MLB ETAs on there. I don’t think there are a ton, but there are some pieces in the system that Mets fans can look forward to seeing in some capacity this season.
The top of the list is my No. 3 prospect, Vientos, who hit his first Triple-A home run of the season this past week. Vientos had a massive year last season in Double-A Binghamton with a .927 OPS and 22 home runs. He was promoted to Triple-A at the end of the season and added to the 40-man roster this past offseason.
So far this year, he has only played third base, but he has had time in left field and at first base in the past. The designated hitter existing can also be a help to him. It may be because of an injury or two, but Vientos could hit his way to the big leagues this year.
You also have the fourth outfielder types like Lee, who had a brief cup of coffee last year, and Plummer, who had been added to the bench a COVID replacement. In a similar realm, a guy like Jake Mangum is a level below Lee and Plummer in Double-A Binghamton, but as a bit older prospect he could jump up with some success.
I don’t see much coming by the way of starting pitchers, but my No. 10 prospect, Butto, is off to a tremendous start in Double-A Binghamton and I expect him to make the jump to Triple-A Syracuse in the not too distant future. It is worth remembering this time last year that Tylor Megill was in Double-A, so it is not impossible that a guy like Butto who was added to the 40-man roster this past off-season could make that jump this season.
There are a couple relievers in Triple-A right now that fans I think should reasonably expect to see at some point this season. Those would be my No. 19 prospect, Orze, and Colin Holderman.
They are two different types of relievers, as Orze is a guy who will sit more 93-94 and touch 95 with a splitter that induces swings and misses. Holderman is more your prototypical power arm who has had his stuff tick up post-Tommy John surgery. You may have seen him this past spring training touch 100 mph with his sinker with a swing-and-miss slider.
@CHMets09: Outside of Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio, who are the guys you are keeping an eye on the most this year?
Joe: I think I would start with my No. 6 prospect, outfielder Ramirez, who was the Mets' top international signing in 2019. He played last season with Low-A St. Lucie, and he was just OK. He flashed his tools, but as a raw 18-year-old making his stateside debut, he was reasonably inconsistent.
In the early going this year, Ramirez is hitting .517 with a 1.322 OPS. Boy, do I love small sample size stats. He has played both center field and left field, but the Mets organization believes his athleticism will lead to him being a center fielder long-term. I expect him to make his way to High-A Brooklyn at some point soon, and it will be interesting to see the challenge for him as a 19-year-old in Coney Island.
My No. 15 ranked prospect, Vasil, reported to the Mets complex after being drafted last year with his stuff ticking up. Coming out of high school, Vasil was considered a first-round-type of talent that opted out of the draft to fulfill his commitment to the University of Virginia.
In college, he transitioned to a sinker baller which led to lower velocity and some inconsistent results. The Mets opted to have him go back to a four seam, more power-type of pitcher, and results early on suggest that was the right move. His fastball is touching 97 mph and sitting mid-90s.
The Mets believe that they got a steal in Vasil in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft, and at his age and experience level, he should be in High-A sometime very soon.