Mets Top Prospect Watch: Thomas Szapucki promoted to Double-A, Josh Wolf impressing

Plus updates on Mauricio, Baty, Gimenez, Allan, Alvarez, Vientos, Peterson, Newton, Kilome, and Smith

8/26/2019, 6:45 PM
Thomas Szapuckiundefined
Thomas Szapuckiundefined

Danny Abriano, SNY.tv | Twitter |

The Mets' system got a boost with their terrific Draft in June but took a serious hit when they traded pitching prospects Anthony Kay and Simeon Woods Richardson to the Blue Jays for Marcus Stroman. Here's how the top prospects are performing, with MLB.com system rankings for each player in parentheses...

Ronny Mauricio, SS, Low-A Columbia -- ETA 2022 (No. 1)

Mauricio, who we recently profiled here, is a switch-hitter who the Mets gave $2.1 million in 2017 as an international free agent.

After being on fire for the better part of a month, Mauricio is still in the middle of a funk that began a few weeks ago. He has hits in three of his last five games, but hasn't had an extra-base hit since homering on Aug. 9. Overall, he is hitting .268/.309/.358 with four homers, four triples, and 20 homers in 110 games this season. 

Mauricio, who is roughly three years younger than the average player in his league, is the No. 45 prospect in baseball, according to Baseball Prospectus.

Brett Baty, 3B, Rookie level Kingsport -- ETA 2023 (No. 2)

The No. 12 overall pick in the MLB Draft in June, the 19-year-old Baty hit .380/.480./.650 with one homer and three doubles in five games for the GCL Mets before being promoted to Kingsport. He is hitting just .197/.310/.408 in 39 games with Kingsport, but has heated up over his last seven games -- with nine hits in his last 31 at-bats, including two homers and two doubles.

"He's more of an advanced hitter than just a pure masher, one who makes repeated hard contact, isn't fooled by breaking pitches and doesn't get caught selling out for power," MLB.com writes in their scouting report. "It all points to a high offensive ceiling for Baty, who projects as an above-average hitter who could develop plus game power."

Andres Gimenez, SS, Double-A Binghamton -- ETA 2020 (No. 3)

After a slump that lasted more than two weeks, Gimenez started to emerge about 10 days ago and kept up his hot hitting over the last week, with seven hits in 21 at-bats -- including a double and homer. 

Overall, the 20-year-old (one of the youngest players in Double-A) is hitting just .241/.305/.378 in 109 games this season with eight homers, five triples, and 21 doubles. Gimenez, who can be a staple for the Mets at either shortstop or second base, was recently profiled by MetsBlog contributor Joe DeMayo here. 

Matthew Allan, RHP, Rookie level GCL -- ETA 2023 (No. 4)

Allan fired 2.0 scoreless innings on Aug. 24, allowing just one hit, walking none, and striking out three. He has a 1.08 ERA and 1.08 WHIP with 11 strikeouts in 8.1 innings (four starts, one relief appearances) since making his professional debut.

The 18-year-old Allan, who the Mets picked in the third round (No. 89 overall) in this past June's MLB Draft, was rated by MLB.com as the 13th-best player in the draft and dropped due to signability concerns.

The Mets' choice to draft him was aggressive, and they threaded the needle while signing him to a bonus that was well over slot while still fitting him in under the alloted bonus pool.

Francisco Alvarez, C, Rookie level Kingsport -- ETA 2023 (No. 5)

The 17-year-old Alvarez -- signed by the Mets out of Venezuela as an international free agent for $2.9 million, is crushing it in his first professional season.

Split between two rookie levels, Alvarez is hitting .313/.413/.503 with six homers and 10 doubles in 40 games.

Alvarez is far away, but has true star potential on both sides of the ball.

Mark Vientos, 3B, Low-A Columbia -- ETA 2022 (No. 6)

Vientos has hits in 14 of his last 17 games and is hitting .262/.309/.427 with 12 homers, 27 doubles, and one triple in 105 games this season.

With the Mets needing a long-term answer at third base, the 19-year-old Vientos could be the guy.

"With bat speed and strength, Vientos produces exit velocities that are among the best in the system, up there with the likes of slugger Pete Alonso," MLB.com noted in their scouting report before the season.

David Peterson, LHP, Double-A Binghamton -- ETA 2020 (No. 7)

After three very good starts in a row, Peterson was rocked to the tune of seven runs in just 2.2 innings on Aug. 19, before rebounding to toss 5.1 innings of two-run ball on Aug. 24.

The 23-year-old has a 4.45 ERA and 1.40 WHIP with 112 strikeouts in 109.1 innings (23 starts) this season. 

With Anthony Kay now on the Blue Jays, Peterson -- who will likely begin next season with Triple-A Syracuse -- is the Mets starting pitching prospect who is the closest to having an impact in the majors. 

Shervyen Newton, SS, Low-A Columbia -- ETA 2022 (No. 8)

Newton was hitting just .078 roughly three weeks into the season, crawled all the way out the early hole he dug, but has been struggling again over the last month.

Overall, he is hitting .207/.279/.335 with nine homers, 15 doubles and two triples in 102 games. 

The 20-year-old Newton -- who we recently profiled here -- shows "a very advanced approach at the plate for a prospect his age," according to MLB.com's scouting report. He hit .280/.408/.449 with with five homers, 16 doubles, and two triples in 56 games last season for Rookie level Kingsport.

Josh Wolf, RHP, Rookie level GCL -- ETA 2023 (No. 9)

Wolf tossed 2.0 scoreless innings while allowing one hit, walking none, and striking out four on Aug. 24. He made his debut on July 20, and has allowed runs in just one of his five professional starts. Overall, he has a 3.38 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with 12 strikeouts in 8.0 innings.

Wolf, 18, was selected by the Mets in the second round (53rd overall) of June's MLB Draft.

"He already shows the aptitude to work both sides of the plate and all four quadrants of the strike zone," MLB.com writes in their scouting report. "He still has the room to add another 15 pounds and scouts rave about his makeup, so he could continue to get better."

Franklyn Kilome, RHP, Rehabbing from Tommy John surgery -- ETA 2020 (No. 10)

The 24-year-old Kilome, who should be ready to return for the 2020 season, was acquired by the Mets from the Phillies in the Asdrubal Cabrera trade last season.

The live-armed Kilome, who was in Double-A at the time of the trade, showed flashes for the Mets after the deal.

Health-permitting, Kilome could open next season back with Binghamton, but reaching the majors at some point in 2020 is possible. 

Kevin Smith, LHP, Double-A Binghamton -- ETA 2022 (No. 11)

Smith, 22, was recently profiled here by MetsBlog contributor Joe DeMayo, and could be a back of the rotation option sooner rather than later.

Split between High-A St. Lucie and Bimghamton, Smith has a 3.15 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with 130 strikeouts in 117.0 innings (23 starts) this season. 

Thomas Szapucki, LHP, Double-A Binghamton -- ETA 2021 (No. 12)

Now recovered from Tommy John surgery, the 23-year-old Szapucki -- whose innings and pitch counts are being increased very slowly -- fired 6.0 innings of one-run ball while walking one and striking out three on Aug. 21.

Overall this season, Szapucki -- who has just promoted to Double-A Binghamton -- has 2.81 ERA and 1.25 WHIP with 68 strikeouts in 57.2 innings (17 starts, three relief appearances).

Szapucki has lost a chunk of development time due to his surgery and recovery, but he still has a lot of potential.

"His explosive fastball is electric with plus life, and he throws it in the 92-97 mph range," according to MLB.com's scouting report. "His power breaking ball can be a second plus pitch which freezes hitters and misses bats. There's a solid changeup in there as well, one with terrific fade and sink, though it was less consistent than the other two offerings."

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