Most of the Mets' high-impact prospects are in the lower levels of the minors, but they have a handful of players who can help as soon as 2019 or 2020, including...
Andres Gimenez
Gimenez, 20, is projected to be ready to reach the big leagues in 2020. He's currently the organization's top prospect and ranked the 58th overall prospect in all of baseball.
I like that he's "unassuming," as MLB.com wrote this past winter. He's a small kid, which makes him look inexperienced and not ready for prime time. But talk to any scout, reporter or executive that has watched him and they all agree he has terrific tools on both sides of the ball.
"He's a tried-and-true shortstop," a source from a team that scouted Gimenez this past spring said. "He's not like Rosario, who is tall and not always fluid. Gimenez is cut from the same cloth as the glove-first shortstops of the late '80s. He'll be at the position for a long time, even if he doesn't ever hit much."
The rival scout also said what Gimenez lacks in speed and power, he makes up for with a good eye, an advanced contact-based approach at the plate, and terrific instincts when on the bases.
With Rosario the team's current starting shortstop, Gimenez has seen sporadic time at second base, including during last year's Arizona Fall League. However, given Rosario's glaring struggles in the field and talk that he could soon be moved to center field, Gimenez could find himself at shortstop in Flushing sooner rather than later.
Patrick Mazeika
Mazeika, 25, is ready for big-league action, according to MLB.com. He reads like he's destined to either be a career minor-league catcher or big-league back-up with power off the bench.
He had decent results at the plate up until this season at Binghamton, where he has struggled to put the ball in play at the same rate he had during his previous three professional seasons.
The Mets had hopes he would eventually develop better behind the plate, all while increasing his power, which had been projected to be a strong tool for him during his career. To date, while his arm is above average, his skills behind the plate have not progressed to a point that they trust him at Citi Field.
Nevertheless, at 25, I keep hearing the Mets believe he can remain at catcher, where he'd be a big asset as a left-handed hitter. At this point, it may be all about the power. Well, if you haven't noticed, pretty much everyone is crushing home runs these days in MLB. Wilson Ramos has struggled to justify his contract all season and Tomas Nido's ceiling is fairly obvious at this point. This feels like the perfect time to see if Mazeika's power can flourish for the Mets, who can use any help they can get behind the plate.
Anthony Kay and David Peterson
Peterson, 23, is projected by MLB.com to be ready for the big leagues in 2020. He's a left-handed starter and stands 6' 6" and is 240 pounds. He's a big dude with terrific command of his low-90s fastball and a slider that dives through the strike zone.
Kay, 24, is projected to be ready to reach the Mets by 2020, according to MLB.com, but could get a taste later this season./
According to an area scout with notes on Peterson, the former first-round draft pick has a decent fastball that's made better by an above-average sinker with lots of tilt and spin, while he often also gets swings and misses with his change up against righties.
Meanwhile, I've talked to two scouts about Kay during the past few months, with one seeing him as a mid-to-front end starting pitcher, while the other believes he'll be most successful pitching in relief.
Peterson probably needs a bit more work on the farm, but he's a smart, strong kid that I doubt will get down on himself if promoted this summer to the Mets. He's tailor-made for the current state of the league, which features countless batters dropping their elbow and looking to launch balls up for power. Peterson's scouting report and stats hint that he may never be more than a mid-rotation starter, but he will probably be a ground ball, double-play machine at every level, including for the Mets.
Kay made his pro-debut in 2018 after missing 2017 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He throws from a high three-quarter arm slot with a bit of a clunky delivery, which both scouts worried could create a problem for him and his arm down the road.
Kay met his goal of logging at least 100 innings pitched in 2018 while spending time in Double A. He has started adding velocity and gaining momentum and hype in his push through the minors, which recently reached Triple-A. He'd probably already be pitching for the Mets had he not had Tommy John surgery two years ago. However, he's quickly made up for lost time and looks close to making it.
Zack Wheeler and Jason Vargas are free agents and both unlikely to be back with the Mets next season. In other words, the Mets will need to add starting pitching. It will help to know what they have in Kay and Peterson before the free agency bell rings in four months.
Matthew Cerrone (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Contact) is lead writer of MetsBlog.com, which he created in 2003. He also hosts the MetsBlog Podcast, which you can subscribe to here. His new book, The New York Mets Fans' Bucket List, details 44 things every Mets fan should experience during their lifetime. To check it out, click here!