Las Vegas 51s (Triple-A)

Pitcher: Nabil Crismatt

Crismatt’s turned in an impressive season thus far and was rightfully rewarded with a promotion to Las Vegas, one step closer to the big leagues. The timing’s a little curious considering he’s been getting hit around for the better part of the month, but this is another positive development for a Mets system seemingly full of them this year.

Working with a fastball that sits in the 86-89 mph range, there’s little room for error when Crismatt takes the mound every fifth day. Crismatt gets natural arm side run on the pitch and gets good results due to his ability to keep the ball low in the zone. His best pitch is a plus change that sits 78-80 mph and generates a ton of swings and misses; it gets above-average drop for a change and it’s his go-to-two-strike pitch. He also throws a get-me-over curve that sits in the low-70s, and a seldom-used slider that has potential.

I don’t think the results are going to be pretty for Crismatt in Las Vegas. I also don’t care, because his performance in the desert won’t impact his future outlook drastically. This is still a likely back-end starter that can fill a couple of different roles for your ball club, a la Seth Lugo. That’s an incredibly valuable player, and the likelihood here is Crismatt should be ready for his major league debut in September.

Pitcher: Joshua Torres

Torres made his Prospect Watch debut in Week Three on the heels of an 0.84 ERA and a 16:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and I said at the time we’d come back and revisit his performance in a couple of weeks. Well, almost two months later, Torres still had a 1.20 ERA at Binghamton and was promoted to Vegas.

In 30 innings for the Rumble Ponies, Torres didn’t allow a single home run, and struck out 38 while walking 12. There are a ton of underlying numbers that paint a different picture here. First, his strand rate of 85.7% was a career high by over 10 percentage points. That would tie him for the 24th best mark in the majors with…Chris Beck? It’s true, but that just goes to show you that even a high strand rate can’t make you an effective reliever, mainly because there’s a lot of luck involved with leaving runners on base. Next, Torres is a fly ball pitcher who doesn’t allow home runs, running a 50% fly ball rate but no homers. Have you ever seen someone who can sustain that for multiple seasons?

It’s not like Torres is overpowering hitters, as he works with an average fastball for a reliever, topping out around 94 mph. He’s been roughed up in Vegas already, to the tune of a 17.05 ERA, and the regression is here to stay. I think Torres tops out as organizational depth at Triple-A, but if he keeps putting up impressive numbers, he’ll likely get a look in the bullpen at some point in the next two years. 

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Double-A)

Pitcher: Joe Cavallaro

Cavallaro was in the midst of a breakout season in Columbia before the Mets jumped him over Port St. Lucie and straight to Binghamton. He carved up hitters in the Sally League to the tune of a 2.09 ERA with an 83:26 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 77.1 innings. A former 24th-round pick in 2017, the early returns are promising, but Cavallaro is going to start running into trouble as he climbs the minor league ladder.

As a low-slot righty who sits in the mid-to-high 80s, Cavallaro should carve up young and inexperienced hitters in the low minors. He also throws a slider that sits 80-83, and a changeup in the same exact range. Those three pitches are enough for a collegiate arm to put up these kinds of numbers against inferior competition.

Cavallaro’s best chance at a future call-up is as a situational righty where he can just air it out for an inning or two. Is he likely a major leaguer? I’d say no, as these guys aren’t too hard to find and aren’t incredibly valuable but look, if you’re getting a major league contributor in the 24th round, you’re doing something right. Still, if Cavallaro turns out to be organizational depth and reaches Triple-A, that’s a win.

Pitcher: Matt Blackham

Welcome Matt Blackham to the Prospect Watch! A 29th rounder out of Middle Tennessee State in 2014, Blackham has performed like a future major league bullpen piece throughout the entirety of his minor league career. He throws a low-90s fastball that does feature some natural arm side run, as well as a curve, slider and change.

Blackham’s small (5’10”), slight (150 lbs) and is playing the entire season as a 25-year-old, but he’s an interesting bullpen arm to follow. He should finish the season with Binghamton and could possibly debut as early as next season.

Port St. Lucie Mets (Single-A)

Pitcher: Anthony Kay

David Lee, a member of the Baseball Prospectus prospect team, caught Kay for a start on June 20. While the fastball velocity was good and Lee projects heavily on it, the secondary offerings aren’t yet back to where they were at UConn. Kay simply doesn’t have his pre-surgery feel for his curve and change. While there’s a lot of risk here because of the unknown, Kay still figures to be a major league contributor, but because of the injuries and the potential of the fastball to play up in the bullpen, the allure of fast-tracking him as a reliever may prove too hard to pass up for the Mets.

You don’t typically get disappointing reports on left-handed pitchers who sit in the low-to-mid-90s and have a chance to start, but Kay’s a former first rounder who showed a ton of promise in college. Some questionable usage from his college coach likely didn’t help, but he’s back pitching and healthy now and just needs reps. This still looks like a major league quality arm, and that’s a win in the back of the first round.

Hitter: Andres Gimenez

It’s right about that time we check back in with the Mets top prospect, who’s more than holding his own as a soon to be 20-year-old in the Florida State League. His strikeout-to-walk ratio has been pretty impressive (62:22) as has his surprising pop (five homers) in a league that historically suppresses power. He’s looked better at shortstop, increasing his odds of staying there once he reaches the majors, and projects as an above-average hitter that plays up the middle. That’s a really good prospect.

That’s why you’ll find Gimenez atop our midseason update, as he was the unanimous choice for the top spot despite the emergence of Peter Alonso. You don’t typically find advanced hitters that can stick in the middle of the field, but that’s what the Mets have here. There’s still some room to add to the frame, which could increase the power output but decrease his range out at short. Nevertheless, Gimenez may end up at second base in the majors anyway because of Amed Rosario. We’ll have more on Gimenez when we release the midseason update, but the performance has been much better than the slash line shows.

Photo credit: Gregory J. Fisher – USA Today Sports

Las Vegas 51s (AAA)

Pitcher: RHP Corey Oswalt

Corey Oswalt hasn’t thrown for Vegas since April 13 but he did make his major league debut last Wednesday, throwing 4.2 innings of much-needed mop-up duty against the St. Louis Cardinals. The 24-year-old righty is a former seventh-round draft pick that was named the organizations Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2017 after posting a 2.28 ERA and 119 strikeouts in 134.1 innings at AA Binghamton. Oswalt needed to be protected from the Rule 5 draft this offseason, earning him a spot on the 40-man as well as an invite to big league spring training. The 6’5,” 250-pound hurler looks intimidating on the mound and sits 90-94 mph with his fastball, but it doesn’t generate much movement, leaving Oswalt susceptible to a lot of contact. This was a bigger problem when he was in Single-A throwing an extremely hittable 95 and allowed 153 hits in 128.2 innings, but he’s added a little more sink now and it has seemed to do the trick just fine. The fastball has lost a couple ticks since last season, where he was more in the 92-95 mph range, and it averaged 90.8 mph in his 4.2 innings big league debut. In addition to the heater, Oswalt also throws a slider, changeup and a curveball, of which the slider is definitely the best of the bunch. He doesn’t possess a plus offering, although the slider is close to, if not above average, and he doesn’t have great command either. That being said, Oswalt projects as a back end of the rotation innings eater, and all things considered, that’s a great outcome for a seventh rounder. I think he’s more of a long reliever type than a guy you’re comfortable throwing every fifth day, but he’s capable of starting and his stuff may play up out of the pen.

Hitter: Gavin Cecchini

Cecchini has been on fire to start the season, batting .342/.395/.532 with seven walks against 13 strikeouts for Vegas. The former first-round draft pick in 2012 has moved over to second full time after beginning his professional career at short, a move made in part by the presence of Amed Rosario, but more so because of his limited defensive profile. Cecchini had to be moved off short mainly because of his arm, which isn’t particularly strong and became so inaccurate that he left the Mets little choice. He doesn’t possess great range or speed either, and he profiles as a below-average defender even at second. At this point, his prospect status begins and ends with his ability to get on base, which he’s showcased at every stop throughout his five-year minor league career. Cecchini has 60 hit tool at peak, but his 40 raw power leaves a lot to be desired and he’s never hit more than eight home runs in a single season. The swing is flat and is geared more for any contact rather than good contact, which is a bit of a problem for a second baseman who can’t really field. Cecchini is now 24 years old with nothing substantial left to prove in the minors, but he’s blocked by Rosario and Asdrubal Cabrera at the major league level for the foreseeable future. At this point in his career, Cecchini profiles as a utility guy who can get on base, and that’s valuable enough for a roster spot with an organization next season. I just don’t see it with the Mets, or any National League team rather, as this sort of player is much more valuable to an American League team.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (AA)

Pitcher: RHP Eric Hanhold

This is Hanhold’s first season as a member of the Mets organization and he’s gotten off to quite the start. After being acquired from Milwaukee in last season’s Neil Walker trade as the PTBNL, the Mets chose to convert him from a starter to a full-time reliever, and the move has paid early dividends. The 6’5,” 220-pound right-hander is long-limbed and has seen his velocity spike in the bullpen, as I had him sitting 94-96 and touching 99 mph in my look a couple weeks ago. The fastball is already a 60 and I’m comfortable projecting heavily on it, I think it’s a 70 at peak, due to the movement it generates in addition to the premium velo. Hanhold gets great sink and movement on the four-seamer — it even shows some two-seam run at its best — and it allows him to induce a ton of ground balls. He posted a 60% groundball rate with the Brewers organization last season and I expect similar numbers moving forward. Like every other Mets relief prospect, Hanhold throws a slider, but it’s already above average and he’s comfortable throwing it in any count. The slider sits 87-89 mph with tight break and is a great change of pace pitch that keeps hitters off his fastball. In a Binghamton bullpen full of interesting relief prospects, I think Hanhold may be the best of the bunch. I see a potential high leverage reliever that could eventually be a middle of the pack closer, which is a fantastic outcome for half a season of Neil Walker.

Hitter: Patrick Mazeika

The Mets have had success drafting position players from Stetson University (see: Jacob deGrom) and Mazeika hopes to be the next major league contributor from the small school in Florida. An eighth-round pick in 2015, Mazeika has hit for a high average at every stop of his minor league career thus far. Although his hit tool far outweighs his game power, Mazeika gets on base at an excellent clip for a catching prospect. It’s not too often you find catchers with this track record of on-base ability, but Mazeika needs to show he can perform at the higher levels of the minors. He’s currently hitting .225/.304/.394 for AA Binghamton, a far cry from his 2016 and 2017 numbers. The biggest knock on Mazeika has been his defense behind the dish; he has a strong arm, but he doesn’t block particularly well and is big for the position. I’ve been able to get three looks at him behind the plate and all in all it’s been a bit of a mixed bag. I saw some positive developments in regards to his framing as well as the strong arm he possesses, but I also saw him allow a couple passed balls, not to mention a couple of steals, mainly because he’s slow to pop despite his strong arm. He only threw out 32% of base stealers last season between Single-A and Double-A and that’s going to need to improve in order for him to have a shot. Unfortunately, I think he’s a little too big and not a good enough athlete to stick behind the dish. I’m intrigued by the on-base ability though, and if I squint hard enough, I can see a big league backup catcher who’s more hit tool than defense.

Columbia Fireflies (A)

Pitcher: LHP Anthony Kay

After missing all of 2017 due to Tommy John surgery, Kay made his highly anticipated minor league debut for the Fireflies on April 8, allowing no runs in four innings to go along with four strikeouts. Kay is a local kid — he grew up on Long Island and went to the University of Connecticut — who was overworked heavily in his draft year before being selected 31st overall by the Mets. Prior to the injury, Kay projected as a solid lefty starter who could potentially move quickly through the system. He’s actually been throwing harder since his return than he was at UConn, which is unexpected but certainly a welcome development. He was 88-93 mph with his fastball in college but is reportedly now 90-94 and even touched 96 in his debut outing. Kay complements his fastball with a changeup that sits in the low 80s and flashes plus, as well as a curveball that’s fringy and slurve-like. The 23-year-old has a clean delivery that he has no trouble repeating and he works quickly. He doesn’t have great command (he’s walked seven in 20 innings so far), but it should get better with more reps and it probably settles around average or a little above. Kay already looks to be too advanced for Low-A and should get the chance to pitch in Port St. Lucie at some point this season. It’s hard to project a 23-year-old in Low-A, but Kay still looks like a future No. 4 starter for the Mets. That being said, he’s probably two years away at his point, which would make him 25 when he eventually latches on in the big leagues full time.

Hitter: Jeremy Vasquez

Vasquez has exploded onto the scene in 2018, hitting a blistering .325/.455/.545 while reaching base safely in 23 consecutive games. A 28th round pick in the 2017 draft, he split last season with Kingsport and Brooklyn and hit only .266/.368.430. The 21-year-old has more walks (20) than strikeouts (16) so far, but he’s old for Low-A Columbia and has never performed this well previously. Vasquez has below average raw power and is more hit tool than power, which isn’t a great profile for a guy who can only play first. The more highly regarded Peter Alonso faced similar questions last season as a first base-only guy who was more hit tool than power, but a swing change has allowed for his 70 raw power to play much better in games. I don’t see above-average raw power here for Vasquez, so a swing change may not do much in the way of increased power production. The expectations weren’t high to begin with — they never are with a 28th rounder — but I’ve seen Vasquez’s name thrown into the first baseman of the future conversation along with Peter Alonso and Dom Smith and frankly, that’s absolutely ridiculous. I’m extremely skeptical of Vasquez’s hot start to the season, but I’d like to see him get a chance at Port St. Lucie before I jump to any major conclusions.

Photo credit: Gregory Fisher – USA Today Sports

21. Chris Flexen, RHP, Age 21 (St. Lucie)

The least-heralded prospect the Mets added to the 40-man this offseason. Flexen is honestly about as close to a generic assembly-line good-but-not-great right-handed pitching prospect as there is, right down to the Tommy John surgery in his recent past. 2016 was his first full season back, and he was middling in High-A, but his velocity did largely come back. The Mets have done extremely, extremely well maximizing this profile into major-league success, and Flexen will start 2017 in Double-A and on the 40-man, so this could all come together quicker than you’d think. Whether or not that future is in the rotation or bullpen remains to be seen.

22. Andrew Church, RHP, Age 21 (Columbia/St. Lucie/Las Vegas)

2013’s second-round pick emerged from years of erratic and unspectacular performance in the depths of short-season ball to put up an impressive half-season split between A-ball levels. There isn’t a lot differentiating him and Flexen, honestly—touching 95, good breaking ball (curve for Flexen, slider for Church), change that needs some work, a lot of time missed with arm injuries, unclear whether either will fit in the rotation or the bullpen. Flexen being a spot higher is more that we’ve seen him pitch more and better through the years, despite the TJS in his background, but consider these guys fairly interchangeable.

23. Phil Evans, IF, Age 23 (St. Lucie/Binghamton)

Evans opened 2016 as a High-A extra infielder and ended it as a Double-A batting champion. He was originally notable as one of the first markers that the new regime would be way more aggressive in the draft, signing as 2011’s 15th-rounder for a $650,000 bonus. Of course, draft bonus pool caps came just the year after, and nobody could be particularly aggressive after that. Evans bounced around the system until this year, emerging as a hit-tool first second base option in much the same way T.J. Rivera did at Triple-A and in the majors.

The Mets exposed Evans to Thursday’s Rule 5 draft, and he’s been widely talked about as one of the more likely players to get popped. It’d be more of a loss if the system didn’t already have Wilmer Flores, Gavin Cecchini, and Rivera as young RHH utility options that can’t really play short.

24. Anthony Kay, LHP, Age 21 (DNP)

As ESPN’s Keith Law noted at the time, Kay’s usage at UConn this past spring was suspect at best. Surprise surprise, Kay’s physical with the Mets showed significant elbow damage, costing him many hundreds of thousands of dollars of bonus money. MLB, through the bonus pools, made it up to the Mets by allowing them to sign Cameron Planck. Nobody will make it up to Anthony Kay–not UConn or the NCAA or the AAC.

This ranking is pretty much a shot in the dark; Kay would’ve made the top ten if healthy, but won’t throw a meaningful professional pitch until his age-23 season in 2018. As with Marcos Molina, we’ll probably have a much better idea how the recovery is going in a year, even if he probably won’t make it back before the end of the MILB season.

25. Cameron Planck, RHP, Age 18 (DNP)

Do you like playing the lottery? Well, here’s a pair of prospects for you. The Mets went through quite a saga to acquire Planck, originally offering to cut a pre-draft deal with him for somewhere in the mid-high six figures, to be drafted in the third or fourth round. Planck turned them down. The Mets took him in the 11th as a backup plan, and ended up having a bunch of leftover pool money when Kay took a far lower bonus than expected. Planck signed for $1,000,001.

He’s yet to pitch as a professional. He throws in the mid-90s. We’re ranking him around where we’d rank a generic third-round prep arm because, well, for the purposes of rankings, he’s sort of a generic third-round prep arm. And as you see with Church upstream, it’s not always clear for a number of years which way these things are going to go.

26. Gregory Guerrero, SS, Age 17 (DSL)

Gregory Guerrero is most notable as Vladimir’s nephew, trained by Uncle Vlad at the Guerrero Academy. He signed for $1.5 million as one of the reported best players in the 2015 international class. And that’s where it about ends for now—Guerrero was adequate in enough in the Dominican Summer League, but doesn’t get the kinds of great whisperings Andres Gimenez has, at least not yet. He’s likely to be way up this list after a summer in North America, or off it entirely.

27. Nabil Crismatt, RHP, Age 21 (Brooklyn/Columbia/Binghamton)

Crismatt put up one of the more spectacular ratios in the system in 2016, striking out 74 and walking only 7 while rising from extended spring all the way to a spot start in Double-A. He’s already being used in a swingman type role and is very likely headed to a future in the bullpen. As a fastball/change guy with a fringe breaking ball, it’s easy to think Akeel Morris. He’s a few years away from any sort of major-league role, and was subsequently left off the 40, where he should be among the lower risks among the significant prospects to be taken in the Rule 5 draft.

28. Kevin McGowan, RHP, Age 24 (St. Lucie/Binghamton)

Of the prospects the Mets exposed to the Rule 5 draft, McGowan is probably most ready to contribute to a major-league team. Jeffrey and I talk quite frequently about “95-and-a-slider” guys in the context of generic perfectly acceptable relievers, and after converting to relief in 2016, McGowan is basically already there. He could be this year’s Erik Goeddel in contributing decent innings to the major-league club from off the radar, or he could be this year’s Matt Bowman in contributing decent innings to someone else’s major-league club.

29. Jake Simon, LHP, Age 19 (Kingsport)

The Mets gave Jake Simon $400,000 in the 11th round in 2015 because he was a projectable lefty, and early signs are promising. His velocity ticked up in 2016 while pitching adequately in the Appy League, a perfectly respectable assignment for his age and advancement. These profiles can come together quickly—we’ll note that this is about the same point where we’d have had Simon’s teammate Thomas Szapucki last year, and with broadly the same profile. Simon will be headed for a higher-profile assignment in either Brooklyn or Columbia in 2017.

30. Ty Kelly, IF/OF, Age 27 (Las Vegas/New York)

Ty Kelly deserves to be higher than this, as he’s not more than a shout off of T.J. Rivera, but this is what happens when your authors end up counting service days by hand and realize he is eligible at the last second. He’s a present major-league role 4, a perfectly good utility guy, and honestly most of the players behind him are future 4s, so here he is. I guess this serves as a reminder that more guys are still “prospects” than you’d think.

THREE MORE WITH A SHOT:

• P.J. Conlon, LHP, Age 22 (Columbia/St. Lucie): A small, soft-tossing lefty from Northern Ireland who has dominated the low-minors to the tune of a 1.47 career ERA. This profile often implodes in Double-A, but he could carve out a MLB future in some role.
• Paul Sewald, RHP, Age 26 (Las Vegas): The best pitcher for the 2016 Las Vegas 51s, and overqualified for a MLB long relief type role with a chance for more. Could be selected in Rule 5.
• Jeff McNeil, IF, Age 24 (Binghamton): The former golfer missed nearly all of 2016 with lower-body injuries. If his athleticism and hit tool remain intact, he has a chance at a long career as a utility player or even fringe starter. Also exposed to Rule 5.

Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

In keeping with their current strategy of “have a superstar starting rotation,” (and shoring up their ability to trade for bats from an area of depth should the need arise) six of the Mets’ top 10 picks over the first nine rounds were pitchers.

Additionally, while most teams had begun drafting high school prospects as early as round three, the Mets’ top 10 consists entirely of college players. What this means is certainly up for interpretation, but to me, choosing players that are more stable in their physiological development and more seasoned on the field with experience in higher pressure environments can only be a positive—the Mets are more likely to get what they paid for, and the players will be strong enough to play professionally sooner. Which is good news for us fans, because these guys sound pretty freakin’ exciting:

Justin Dunn (19th overall pick)

Ranked the #22 prospect by Baseball America and piquing the interest of multiple teams when he transitioned from reliever to starter at Boston College this season, the Mets have emphasized their surprise that Dunn was still available by the time their turn came around. But the 20-year-old right-handed pitcher became the Mets first pick, prompting this adorable celebration by Dunn and his BC teammates, and marking the first time the Mets have used their number one pick on a pitcher since Matt Harvey in 2010.

Dunn, who is originally from Long Island, played shortstop at his private Connecticut high school before transitioning to pitching at Boston College. Upon joining the starting rotation this year, Dunn hit his stride, leading the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 1.49 ERA—and a 1.43 mark with 43 strikeouts in seven starts. His fastball, usually around 95 MPH, has been clocked at up to 99 MPH, and his breaking balls are in keeping with major league averages.

As an African-American, Dunn represents an increasingly rare demographic in professional baseball: currently only 14 of 449 major league pitchers are African-American, and only 8.27 percent of all major league players overall, a problem about which the Mets’ Curtis Granderson has spoken out and attempted to combat with his Grand Kids Foundation. The MLB at large has also been working to bring African-American kids back to the diamond with a variety of baseball-centric programs especially for inner-city youth, and the last five years of the draft have shown an uptick in black players, many of whom were participants the MLB’s programs.

Anthony Kay (31st overall pick)

The Mets used their other first-round pick for another pitcher from Long Island—this time a 21-year-old lefty from the University of Connecticut.

At five-foot-11, Kay is among the shorter pitching prospects the Mets have drafted, but scouting director Tommy Tanous seemed confident in Kay’s natural abilities, noting that Kay was “advanced” even as a high school player, “so it’s not like [he] had a long way to go.”

Indeed, the Mets originally drafted Kay in 2013 in the 29th round, but he decided to go to college. Given his jump to the first round of this year’s draft, it looks like the education paid off. At Connecticut he improved his velocity and changeup, with his fastball currently peaking at around 95 MPH. This season he struck out 111 batters and walked 35, and won the American Athletic League’s Pitcher of the Year award.

Kay attended the same Long Island high school as Steven Matz, and though Matz was four years his senior, the two said they were friendly with one another, both returning to visit their school during the winter and keeping in touch with their baseball coach.

Peter Alonso (64th overall pick)

The Mets started round two with power-hitting hopeful Pete Alonso, a first baseman at the University of Florida. Alonso leads his team this year with 12 home runs in 53 games; he’s also hit 55 RBIs with a season average of .368.

While some scouting reports question his versatility in the field, for his part, Alonso, who had played third base in high school before switching to first, said he learned the new position via repetition, “improving [his] footwork and changing [his] body in the weight room,” and is confident in his ability to switch back to third or play the outfield should the team need it.

But the reports also commend Alonso for his raw hitting power, which he showed off in full days before the draft. In May Alonso was hit by a pitch that broke his hand, but he returned with a vengeance, going 8-for-14 in the NCAA Regional conference, with three home runs and eight RBI.

Blake Tiberi (100th overall pick)

Tiberi has experience playing for a strong team. Hailing from the University of Louisville, considered the number two team in the NCAA, the switch-hitting third baseman hit .318/.371/.518 in his two years with the Cardinals, batting .340 with 51 RBI this year.

Tiberi was also a Cape Cod Summer League All-Star in 2015, where he ranked eighth in the league; he batted .315 and his team played the league championship series.

Michael Paez (130th overall pick)

The 21-year-old shortstop often goes unnoticed because of his size, but this year after improving his swing and hitting 15 home runs—making him second among NCAA shortstops—he’s finally getting the credit he deserves.

The MLB has him at five-foot-eight, but Paez called himself five-foot-seven in an interview with Miami Herald. Both Paez and the Mets’ Tanous point to Paez’s height as the reason why he’s been overlooked until now, but undervalued is probably good for the Mets’ checkbook, and there’s no denying Paez has fielding skills and swinging power despite his size, and good speed in part because of it. He currently leads the Big South Conference with 52 runs scored.

The Dean’s List student also clinched Coastal Carolina’s first College World Series appearance Monday night when, game tied in the bottom of the ninth and a man on second, Paez hit a double and sent the winning run home.

Colby Woodmansee (160th overall pick)

And the winner of the best last name of the bunch undoubtedly goes to this guy. Also a 21-year-old shortstop, albeit considerably taller at six-foot-three, Woodmansee has hit .280/.328/.418 during his time at Arizona State.

An Arizona native, Woodmansee grew up aspiring to ASU’s strong baseball program, and proved himself a solid, reliable player in that competitive atmosphere: Woodmansee has 91 hits with 55 RBI, seven home runs, and 36 runs scored over 86 games, having reached base in 61 of his past 72 games.

Christopher Viall (190th overall pick)

That the 20-year-old RHP says his favorite pitcher is Noah Syndergaard is predictable given the lightning Syndergaard’s thrown this season; what’s more unusual is that Viall, at six-foot-nine, has two inches on Thor.

Going 4-7 with a 4.80 ERA in his time at Stanford, Viall has (metaphorical) room to grow, but Mets scout Tyler Holmes said he was impressed by Viall’s natural coordination and skillset—he throws a fastball that routinely clocks in at 97 MPH and a 90 MPH changeup, and has the ability to repeat his delivery; Holmes calls Viall a “high-risk, high-reward pick,” so it’ll certainly be interesting to see if Viall can harness the power of his enormous arm.

Fun fact: Apparently a two-time Bachelorette contestant (and twice the runner-up, that’s gotta hurt) shares the last name. Happy Googling!

Austin McGeorge (220th overall pick)

A California native, the 21-year-old reliever has an ERA of 1.63 over his career at Long Beach State University. He’s pitched 83 innings in 63 games over three years at the school, going 4-2 with six saves.

In 2015 he made 31 appearances out of the bullpen, a team high; this year he led the Big West Conference with 33. The 2016 season was his best yet, with an ERA of 1.05 over 53 innings, keeping opposing batters at an average of .197.

Placido Torres (250th overall)

Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New Jersey, the 23-year-old lefty led the NCAA Division II with a 0.71 ERA for Tusculum College (Tennessee). In 2016 he went 11-0 in 14 starts, and leads college baseball across all levels with 162 strikeouts.

Alongside Kay at 5’11″, Torres doesn’t quite fit the cannon-esque profile of the Mets current pitching staff, but that didn’t stop him from throwing seven complete games and four shutouts (four!) this season. I can’t help but feel a bit aflutter about this guy from the sheer numbers—it will be exciting to see what he can do when faced with some stronger bats.

Colin Holderman (280th overall)

The Mets rounded out their top 10 picks with one final pitcher, hailing from Heartland Community College in Bloomington, Illinois. At six-foot-six, Holderman sees eye-to-eye with Syndergaard, and went 8-1 with two shutouts for the Heartland Hawks this season, posting a 1.57 ERA with 92 strikeouts.

He also hit an impressive .489/.565/.831 with 13 home runs this season, giving him the third-best average in the NJCAA.

Photo Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a certain element of fantasy that fans enjoy about following prospects and dreaming about what he can turn into, if everything works out and draft night is the height of this dream. Scouts, executives and analysts facilitate their projections by comparing (comping) young players to more established big leaguers. Today’s staff post will pick up on that tendency and explore our favorite irrational comps for the Mets 2016 draft class so far.  — Toby Hyde (@tobyhyde)

Justin Dunn = Brandon Finnegan

As we discussed with Alex Nelson on this week’s For All You Kids Out There podcast, a Brandon Finnegan comp isn’t facially irrational for 19th-overall pick Justin Dunn. Sure, it looks a little weird comping a lefty to a righty, but they’re both college pitchers drafted in the late-teens with a similar stuff profile and similar questions about size and durability. Finnegan is, two years out from being drafted, in the midst of establishing himself as a mid-rotation starter in Cincinnati, and that’s not an unreasonable median sort of outcome for Dunn.

Where the irrational part comes in is that Finnegan, though drafted and projected over the longer haul as a starter, was temporarily converted to the bullpen in Double-A just a month into his pro career. A month later he was a September callup into Kansas City’s bullpen. A month after that he was one of the key relievers on a playoff team. A month after that he was pitching in the World Series. If you squint your eyes enough, you could see Justin Dunn—Boston College’s closer pumping gas in the high-90s as recently as this spring—repeating Finnegan’s path and ending up as one of the four or five best relief options available to the Mets by the time September rolls around. And, hey, if you want to be irrational about something, why not be irrational about making another World Series run? Those same Royals got there again. — Jarrett Seidler (@jaseidler)

Anthony Kay = Steven Matz

Comparing Anthony Kay–the Mets’ compensation round pick and drafted 31st overall–to Steven Matz seems all too rational. First, Kay, like Matz, is from Long Island. Their New York roots are enough to lump them together. Both are left-handed starters. Lefty pitchers require comparisons to other lefty pitchers, especially within the same organization. While the Mets drafted Kay out of the University of Connecticut, whereas they drafted Matz out of high school; however, the Mets also drafted Kay out of high school. They selected him in the 29th round of the 2013 draft, but Kay opted to attend college. Not only that, but Kay and Matz were drafted out of the same high school, Ward Melville High. Way back in October, the Hartford Courant reported that Kay “looks up to” Matz and can “always go to him for advice.” Kay also boasts a fastball and a changeup that “flash plus,” according to Christopher Crawford.

The irrationality appears only when we start envisioning Kay turning into Matz. As with just about every starting pitcher selected, there’s a very real chance Kay ends up in the bullpen. But there’s still enough to hold on to. — Eric Garcia-McKinley (@garcia_mckinley)

Peter Alonso = Wil Myers

As baseball fans, we’re just a collection of poorly put-together hopes and dreams, looking for the next thing to lift us up. So know that when I comp second-round pick Peter Alonso to Will Myers, that’s all this is–hopes and dreams and precious little fact. Peter Alonso is a college bat–a first baseman–which makes him very different than Myers at the time the Padres’ first baseman was drafted. Myers was a prep catcher-turned-outfielder where Alonso is coming off a run with one of the top college teams in Division I. Myers was all power and projection, where Alonso is a bit more well-rounded … with a lower ceiling.

No, the irrational comp I want to make isn’t based on the past but the future. And it’s based on need. Alonso is a right-handed bat with a little bit of power, and in the best possible world he turns into something like Myers in the big leagues. Right-handed power is great. First basemen who can hit are great. With Lucas Duda injured and nearing the end of his team-controlled time in Queens, and former first-rounder Dominic Smith doesn’t look like the solution long-term. With the potential to be the total package–approach, hit tool, and power–in the best possible timeline, Alonso has several productive years as part of an effective Mets lineup. Or, if your leanings are less, pie-in-the-sky, perhaps the Mets can deal him for a starting pitcher and win the World Series shortly after. — Bryan Grosnick (@bgrosnick)

Blake Tiberi = George Brett

Jim Callis called Blake Tiberi, the Mets’ third-round pick out of Louisville, “one of the best contact hitters in college baseball.”  Tiberi is listed at six feet and 200 lbs. Mets Scouting Director Tommy Tanous said that Tiberi was “probably the most consistent hitter” on the Louisville team and “the fact that he was a left-handed hitter with some power really was attractive to us.” Louisville, which finished 50-14, earned the right to host a Super Regional, but was eliminated by UC Santa Barbara on this walkoff grand slam because sports are awesome sometimes.

The criteria: we’re looking for contact-oriented, left-handed-hitting third basemen under six feet to compare Tiberi against. The pick: George Brett. The man walked 1096 times and struck out just 908 times in 21 big league seasons. Irrational? Yup. By Tiberi’s age, Brett was a big leaguer on his way to becoming an all-time great. In his age-21 season, Tiberi will likely wear 10 different silly Brooklyn Cyclones uniforms. Oh, and Tiberi and Brett both have a five-letter name that starts with the letter B and another six-letter name. Thats good enough for a draft-day comp. — Toby Hyde (@tobyhyde)

Colby Woodmansee = Michael Young

In the fifth round, the Mets selected Arizona State shortstop Colby Woodmansee. The tall, lean Woodmansee put up fine numbers in the Pac-12, although there are questions about whether he’ll have the range for shortstop. The patron saints of tall shortstops are Cal Ripken and Derek Jeter. We’ll bypass those comps and instead suggest that Woodmansee will grow up to resemble another infielder picked in the fifth round of the draft out of a west coast college, UC Santa Barbara product and six-time All-Star Michael Young.

Young’s offensive production was driven by his batting average and contact ability, but he hit enough homers as a middle infielder to be extremely valuable. He overcame early concerns about his range similar to those currently expressed about Woodmansee. In his best years, Young was a shortstop, but by his early 30s, the Rangers had moved him to third base in an All-Star season. — Toby Hyde (@tobyhyde)

Christopher Viall = Eric Hillman

When I saw that the Mets had drafted Viall, a right-handed reliever out of Stanford, in the sixth round, my immediate thought was of Eric Hillman. Perhaps it was simply because both men look preternaturally tall on the mound and the sports-centric mind has a way of remembering giants. Viall, who stands six-foot-nine and is wrapping up his junior year, has an easy-enough delivery, can pop 93 to 95 with his four-seamer and lay in his curve in the high 70s. As a sixth-rounder, the odds will be stacked against him from the start, but teams love to give players with natural, unteachable advantages (see: height, absurd) more of a chance than others. That’s what happened with Hillman, who stood six-foot-ten when he was a starter in Flushing for the ’93 season.

Here’s a truth about Hillman: He threw 145 innings in his only full-time season and kept his ERA below 4.00. That has only happened 132 times in Mets history; Hillman’s season is tied for the lowest strikeouts (60) in all those instances. (The man he tied? Don Cardwell, No. 4 starter on your ’69 Miracle Mets.) Point is, there are a lot of familiar names on this list, and yes, Eric Hillman himself is far from a sexy comp, but if Viall ever makes it onto that list as well, no one would be displeased. — Erik Malinowski (@erikmal)

Placido Torres = Placido Polanco