Tyler Oringer: Well, this one is obvious. If you’ve been following any of my coverage throughout the season, you know how much I love the future first baseman for the Mets. The fact that the 23-year old was not called up this season in order to manipulate service time for his age 31 season is beyond belief – but hey, let’s stick to the good part.  Alonso finished his 2019 minor league campaign (65 games at Double-A, 67 in Triple-A) with 36 home runs, 119 RBIs and a triple slash of .285/.395/.579. The changes to his swing from 2017 were real, and allowed him to drive the ball to more fields with major league power, while also advancing his plate discipline to another level. The former Gator saw his OBP jump from .355 to the aforementioned .395.  Alonso finished a full minor league season between Double-A and Triple-A at 23 years old with an OPS of .975. Yes, his defense is not good, but the bat makes him the clear MVP of the Mets’ system in 2018.

Breakout prospect of the year: Jeff McNeil

Alex Rosen: Jeffrey, Jarrett and I were all on McNeil as a future major league contributor before July (and as early as 2014 in Jeffrey’s case) but we’d all be lying if we said we saw this coming. Injuries limited him to just 21 games above A-ball in 2016 and 2017 but McNeil rode a vastly improved frame and a new stomp and pull approach all the way to Queens before the end of July. He’s been the Mets’ best position player since the day he arrived in Flushing – not to mention one of the best players across all of baseball – and gives the organization another cost-controlled above-average regular to build around.

“Cy Young”: Um… Justin Dunn and David Peterson… I guess

TO: DISCLAIMER: I don’t feel comfortable giving either of these guys a Cy Young vote here, but the Mets didn’t really have any impressive season showings from any of their developing starting arms. Dunn, a 2016 first round pick out of Boston College, was okay this season but did improve greatly from 2017. He did struggle a bit in Double-A but flashed some of the potential the Mets have seen, striking out 156 batters in 135.1 innings. Control has continued to be an issue for the 22-year-old, but next season should be a massive stepping stone in his development. I’ve always felt his relief potential was immense and he could be extremely valuable there, but it would be quite the stretch to move him to the bullpen any time soon. Like Dunn, Peterson was good, not great. The 2017 first rounder dominated full-season A-ball, but was knocked around by Advanced-A hitting, surrendering 74 hits in 68.2 innings pitched. The southpaw already has the control and movement to be a legitimate prospect, he just needs to serve up fewer hittable pitches as he goes on.

Platinum Glove: Luis Guillorme

TO: A favorite of mine who was handled as poorly as he could have been in 2018.  Regardless, Guillorme is already an elite defender. If given the chance to start at shortstop or second base in a full major league season, the 23-year-old would challenge for a Gold Glove.  Guillorme flashes some of the smoothest actions and fluidness that any middle infielder in the minors has shown over the past few years. There is a lot to love about Guillorme, if the Mets could just figure out a way to best utilize his talents.

Comeback prospect of the year: Justin Dunn

AR: Dunn’s full-season debut couldn’t have gone much worse, but he rebounded nicely and took care of business in 2018, tossing about 90 innings in Binghamton en route to winning the organizations minor league pitcher of the year award. It was more of “meh” season by top pitching prospect standards, but even that was markedly better than Dunn’s 2017 in the Florida State League. There’s still a ton of room for improvement, especially with the change-up, but 2018 was without a doubt a step in the right direction. The stuff came back, the command improved and Dunn’s now one step closer to the big leagues.

Most likely to have their service time manipulated: Peter Alonso Andres Gimenez

AR: Oh, this is for the future? (looks at personal pref list…) Andres Gimenez it is! Until the rules change in the next CBA, teams are going to hold down top prospects to gain that extra year of control. It’s going to happen to Gimenez too, unless the Mets find themselves in a pennant race in 2019 with a hole to fill. Nevertheless, Gimenez had a tremendous 2018 season across Port St. Lucie and Binghamton, solidifying himself as one of the best prospects in the game.

The Ty Kelly Memorial Roster Spot: Gavin Cecchini

AR: Cecchini was off to a solid start in Las Vegas before a foot injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. He’s seemingly been around for forever, though he somehow won’t turn 25 ‘till December, but his spot on the 40-man is hanging by a thread. The former first rounder has never really received an extended stay with the big league club, but seems like a prime candidate to hang around as organizational depth for a number of years.

Best early return from the 2018 draft: Ross Adolph

TO: Adolph was drafted in the 12th round of the 2018 First Year Player Draft, but has already shown his value in his first year in Brooklyn. In my live look at Adolph, he did not get any hits or even take good routes to the ball in the field, but the athletically built outfielder owned a noticeably advanced approach at the plate and looked the part. The Toledo alum put up some nice number with the Cyclones, OPSing .857 with 14 stolen bases and an affinity for chasing down balls in the outfield.

Most likely to receive the Dominic Smith treatment: Mark Vientos

AR: Vientos still has a long ways to go before he’s a viable major league contributor, but he’s an early round pick who might find playing time hard to come by at the big league level. Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez look to be franchise cornerstones in the infield and Jeff McNeil’s not going anywhere anytime soon, leaving Vientos without a future home on the dirt as of now. Of course, these things tend to sort themselves out, but it hasn’t with Smith at the big league level for one reason or another. A similar fate could be awaiting Vientos, though we’re at least a couple of years away from having to even entertain the possibility.

Most likely to pitch too many high leverage innings: Kevin Smith

AR: The Mets went reliever heavy on Day Two of the 2018 MLB Draft, using a seventh rounder to grab Smith, a crafty SEC lefty with starting experience. There’s likely some internal hope that Smith can start, but having seen him this summer, I can tell you with confidence that that ain’t happening. He’s a future LOOGY in the Jerry Blevins/Daniel Zamora mold who’ll probably be overused like Blevins was in 2017. To be clear, a major league LOOGY is a fine outcome here, but the Mets have an affinity for Smith that I just personally don’t see.

The Reliever of the Carousel of Relievers Who Is Legit:  Drew Smith

TO: Bad timing – I know.  Anyway, Smith possesses true back-end relief talent which has come through in his every stop in the minors and more recently, the majors. I wrote about Smith back in Week 7 of the Prospect Watch, and stand by those previous comments.  Smith’s fastball and slider combination poses the potential for some elite late-inning stuff which has already come to fruition in 2018. When Sandy Alderson traded a fading Lucas Duda for a relief arm, people were concerned, but it would not be crazy to me if Smith is closing with success for New York in the near future.

Biggest Disappointment: Desmond Lindsay

TO: When Lindsay was drafted in the second round of the 2015 draft, big things were expected. The centerfielder looked to have the tools, body, and pedigree to turn into a major league regular, but things have just not transpired that way. Lindsay is still stuck in Advanced-A ball, and has not shown any reason to get out of it. The right-handed hitting high school pick has OPSed .715 and .640 in consecutive seasons – and unless he makes the necessary adjustments to his approach, his athleticism may end up going to waste. Injuries have hampered the 21-year old throughout his short career, so there is still a bit of hope – but change must come fast.

Happiest Met to head to Syracuse: Nabil Crismatt

AR: If Crismatt pitched the entire season in Binghamton, he’d have been my choice for the Cy Young award. Unfortunately, we can’t erase those nine starts in Las Vegas and Crismatt will instead have to settle for the “Happiest Met to head to Syracuse” designation. His strong season in Double-A proved there’s a future major league contributor here, but the disaster in the desert muddied things. The Mets will need to protect Crismatt from the Rule-5 draft this offseason by adding him to the 40-man roster, which currently seems like a toss-up at best. He should absolutely be protected, but this is the Mets and they’ll let him go to Oakland, where he’ll suddenly become a No.3 starter.

Best trade deadline acquisition: Franklyn Kilome

TO: This is quite obvious, but not because the other acquisitions were bad – it’s because Kilome, the only player from the Asdrubal Cabrera deal with the Phillies, is that good. The 6’6,” 175-pound 23-year old, has shown to have an advanced upper-90s fastball along with an impressive curveball which has a swing-and-miss movement. In Double-A, Kilome struck out 125 batters in 140 innings, but did walk 61.  Kilome needs to work on his control, but the young right-hander does flash the stuff to succeed as a major league starter – and should see time on the big league club at some point next year.

Most excited to see in 2019: Thomas Szapucki

AR: Szapucki missed the entire season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but is set to return to the mound in 2019. He’s only thrown a total of 83.1 innings in his brief career and will turn 23 next June, but Szapucki has undeniable upside that enticed virtually everyone who saw him. He flashed three potential plus offerings from a tough slot prior to the injury, giving him top of the rotation upside if he could simply stay healthy. There’s no question he’s behind the developmental curve, but 2019 could be a make or break season for the left-hander.

Tim Tebow Award: Tim Tebow

TO: Sorry, I just had to.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Double-A)

Pitcher: Justin Dunn

After a disappointing full-season debut in 2017, Dunn returned to the Florida State League looking to rebound on what was essentially a lost season. In 2016, the Mets’ first rounder had a 5.00 ERA and walked 48 in 95.1 innings with Port St. Lucie before a shoulder injury ended his season. His second go-around went much smoother, with Dunn earning a well-deserved promotion to Binghamton after dominating FSL hitters to the tune of a 2.36 ERA and 51 strikeouts against 15 walks in 45.2 innings.

Dunn’s showed well in Binghamton thus far, striking out more than a batter per nine while keeping his walk rate in check. Jeffrey Paternostro, our lead prospect writer over at the main site, saw Dunn with Binghamton and thought his stuff was actually a tick down from where it had been previously. Instead of the mid-90s fastball, the pitch was sitting more in the 91-94 range. Dunn’s been thought to have a plus fastball, but that’s merely average velocity for a starter nowadays. He’s essentially a two-pitch pitcher at present, with a slider that flashes above average as well. Dunn is also working on developing his change, a needed part of the repertoire if he wants to succeed as a starter in the big leagues.

Although his numbers have been significantly better this season, it’s hard not to be a little disappointed with the reports on Dunn. His stock has increased from last season, but he looks like more of a No. 4 or 5 starter or a late-inning arm rather than a potential top of the rotation arm.

Hitter: Tomas Nido

Old friend Tomas Nido garnered some hype in the offseason as a potential major league caliber catcher, but was called into duty far too quickly due to injuries and struggled mightily in his first extended taste with the Mets. Nido’s likely always going to be glove before bat, but he’ll need to improve on a .446 OPS if he ever wants to stick around in the majors.

Nido returned to Binghamton, where he started the season, and has actually put up a decent line of .273/.297/.453 in almost 140 at-bats. He’s got 14 doubles and three home runs, fairly good numbers for a player who struggled severely a couple months ago.

Here’s where it gets worrisome: Nido has drawn just three walks this season and is repeating the level. While he’s not striking out an exorbitant amount, he’s not getting any free bases either. That’s a problem for a 24-year-old who’s never shown power numbers that may excuse that type of walk rate in the minors. Nido might and likely will have a career as a glove-first backup, but the bat isn’t anything to get excited about, limiting his potential impact at the major league level.

Pitcher: Harol Gonzalez

The aforementioned Jeffrey Paternostro loves him some Harol Gonzalez. The 23-year-old right-hander had a Jacob deGrom experience of his own in Port St. Lucie, winning a single game and losing six with a 2.82 ERA. With higher level affiliates in need of starting pitching, the Mets promoted Gonzalez to Vegas for a single start, and now to Binghamton, where he’ll presumably spend the rest of the season.

Gonzalez has a fringy fastball and his secondary offerings aren’t anything to write home about, but he’s had success at every stop in the minors, sort of like Nabil Crismatt. Crismatt’s got the better stuff, but both have a long track record of success. With Crismatt’s promotion to Las Vegas, Gonzalez took his spot in the Rumble Ponies rotation. He’s only made one start thus far, but this is the level where we’ll find out about whether his stuff can one day play in a major league rotation, or even the bullpen.

Port St. Lucie (Advanced-A)

Pitcher: David Peterson

Peterson’s first six starts in St. Lucie haven’t gone as expected. He’s got a 17:13 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 6.82 ERA, uninspiring numbers for a player many thought should be a level higher at this stage of his career. Part of the appeal in last year’s draft with Peterson was his polish as a college lefty who could move quickly, but it’s now unlikely he even moves to Binghamton before the end of the season.

The reports on his stuff as a whole have been down a bit since last season, and the peripherals back that up. Peterson’s still the best pitching prospect in the system, but the reports and results have been a little discouraging for the left-hander. He’s too good to struggle like this in Advanced-A though, so we’ll check back in a couple more starts to see if anything’s changed.

Hitter: Jeremy Vasquez

A sleeper name who got off to a great start in the Sally League, Vasquez was promoted to St. Lucie less than two weeks ago. He’s off to a rough start but it’s only been 11 games, far too small of a sample. The left-handed hitting first basemen is a hit-before-power prospect, a tough profile that puts a lot of pressure on the hit tool, especially for a 1B-only guy.

While he has shown doubles power, Vasquez hit just six home runs in almost 300 at-bats for Columbia. Vasqeuz should finish the season in St. Lucie and may possibly begin 2019 down in Florida as well. He’s a name to follow, I suppose, but expectations should be minimal. The reality is that as a 28th rounder out of college, reaching Double-A would be a win for the organization.

Hitter: Desmond Lindsay

The expectations for a second rounder are far higher than they are for a 28th rounder, and Lindsay has been a severe disappointment this season. The oft-injured center fielder has only taken 685 at-bats in four seasons and is struggling in St. Lucie to the tune of a .621 OPS. Lindsay’s striking out 26% of the time with a walk rate of 12.1%, but his slugging percentage is actually lower than his on-base percentage. He’s hitting just .208/.311/.309 this season and while the FSL does suppress offense, this is a new low for one of the Mets’ top prospects. All that being said, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that he wasn’t listed in our BP Mets midseason organizational review.

Lindsay has stayed mostly healthy this season – a win in and of itself – but it doesn’t really matter if his tools don’t start showing up in games. He’ll be eligible for the Rule 5 draft next season and the Mets will have an interesting decision on their hands. If I had to guess, Lindsay’s unlikely to be protected unless he starts to show some signs of becoming the major league caliber player the Mets thought he could become.

Photo credit: Gregory Fisher – USA Today Sports

Las Vegas 51s (Triple-A)

BP Mets writer Tyler Oringer has been hammering the table for a Drew Smith call-up, so I figured who else better to bring in to write Smith’s Prospect Watch debut than him.

Pitcher: Drew Smith

Little has gone right for the 2018 New York Mets and before this somewhat historic offensive draught, the bullpen was what seemed like the main cause of concern for Sandy Alderson, Mickey Callaway and Co.

Still, the bullpen has wavered significantly. But luckily, help may be on the way soon in the form of the right-handed Drew Smith.

Smith, who was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Lucas Duda trade last year, has been straight-up dominant in Triple-A and has limited opponents to no earned runs, six hits and four walks in his last 14 innings, as well as fanning 14 batters.

After being drafted in the third round of 2015 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers, it was clear after his first two years in the minors that Smith projected to be at least a serviceable set-up man. Now, following a strong 2017 campaign where he finished with a combined 1.65 ERA in mostly High-A play, it is clear that he is an advanced caliber arm.

2018 has seen him jump from Double-A immediately to Triple-A after 4.1 innings of near-shutdown ball. Smith has excelled against PCL hitting and improved his already plus fastball and secondary slide-curve, which seems to garner more break with each year. He is explosive off of the mound and comes aggressively towards the plate with a violent over-the-top motion. Smith will lift his left knee above his belt buckle, allowing him to get nice extension for power pitches from his back leg. He has struggled with command this year, but has shown improvement recently and clearly has professional stuff.

Smith’s fastball sits around 95 miles per hour, but can get up to 98 on the somewhat rare occasion. Factored in with his ability to deceive batters with his motion, it is no surprise he has compiled an eye-popping career 1.95 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in 171 minor league innings.

The prize of the Duda trade currently sits in Vegas, likely awaiting a call despite limited Triple-A action, but once the phone rings – Smith should be ready to perform.

Hitter: Jeff McNeil

The 26-year-old McNeil finally got healthy and tore through the Eastern League this season, hitting .327/.402/.626 with 14 home runs and a 23:22 strikeout to walk ratio. It’s easy to look at his age relative to the league (1.7 years older than the average player) and dismiss his performance, but McNeil hasn’t been this healthy in years. Injuries took a major toll on him the past two seasons, robbing him of valuable at-bats and developmental time, but he looks major league ready right now.

The Mets finally chose to promote McNeil, along with teammate Peter Alonso, to Triple-A Las Vegas Thursday, a move long overdue in this writer’s opinion. While it’s nice to see McNeil and Alonso rewarded for their stellar play, the promotion feels like too-little-too-late. There isn’t a single good argument to be made as to why both are toiling away in the minors while the major league club can’t score a run if Jacob deGrom’s life depended on it. At the least, McNeil’s an upgrade on Jose Reyes as a useful utility man with some pop from the left side.  The Mets are sorely lacking capable hitters and McNeil’s age and current talent level mean this move would make too much sense.

McNeil has worked incredibly hard to get to this point, a testament to his work ethic, and is more than deserving of an opportunity in the big leagues. When that opportunity will come, no one knows, but there’s no denying he’d be a welcome midseason addition to a Mets team in dire need of a spark.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Double-A)

Hitter: Patrick Mazeika

Take one look at Mazeika’s triple-slash this season with Binghamton, .212/.311/.359, and you’d likely assume the 24-year-old catcher is struggling for the first time in his professional career. A career .305/.414/.402 hitter, Mazeika is running an incredibly low .206 BABIP this season, a number more than .100 points below his career BABIP. Add in the fact that he’s running a 20:18 strikeout-to-walk ratio and Mazeika’s 2018 looks a lot better than it does on the surface.

Mazeika’s already launched six home runs this season after hitting just seven with Port St. Lucie last year. Once his BABIP normalizes, likely around .280, Mazeika is going to be a guy we talk about as a potential 2019 contributor. If the BABIP stays in the low .200s for the remainder of the season, he’ll be one of my sleeper prospects this offseason.

While he’s going to turn 25 this October, Mazeika still looks like an offense-first backup at peak. I don’t think he’s quite a good enough defender behind the plate to be a regular there, but the bat should play well enough for him to stick as a backup, likely be as the strong side of a platoon. The only concern is the lack of pop, but if Mazeika, who’s run a career 144:130 strikeout-to-walk ratio, can keep his approach, he’s going to provide positive value.

Pitcher: Adonis Uceta

After a breakout 2017 (1.51 ERA across three levels), the 24-year-old Uceta was promoted to Binghamton. Uceta has a fastball that sits in the mid-90s and a change that flashed plus in the past, but his stuff has backed up a bit. He was sitting 92-95 for me with a change that didn’t flash better than average. One of the names to watch prior to the season in a loaded Binghamton bullpen, Uceta’s development has stalled a bit, and I have questions about whether he can be a major league reliever. While I do think his stuff is better than his current results (4.26 ERA), the lack of fastball command and the inconsistency on the changeup is concerning. Uceta has been comfortably passed on the totem pole by Eric Hanhold, Drew Smith and even Tim Peterson. I think he’s likely to repeat Double-A next season, and shouldn’t be counted on when Sandy Alderson and co. are constructing the 2019 roster.

Port St. Lucie (Advanced-A)

Pitcher: David Peterson

What exactly was a former Pac-12 lefty drafted in the first round in part due to his impressive track record against good competition doing in A-ball? I don’t know either. Peterson dominated in the Sally League, to the tune of a 1.82 ERA and 57 strikeouts against 11 walks in 59.1 innings.

It’s par for the course though, and Peterson received a long-awaited promotion to Port St. Lucie last week. I, for one, have a hard time understanding the fascination with a polished college starter if you don’t plan on moving him quickly. If the Mets were looking for an arm to develop for a couple of years, why not draft a prep pitcher instead of Peterson? Realistically, Peterson should be in Double-A by now. Instead, the Mets messed with his timeline by starting him in Columbia. Yet another puzzling decision for an organization oh so prone to them.

Columbia Fireflies (Low-A)

Hitter: Jeremy Vasquez

Vasquez has cooled off mightily after a hot April and that, my friends, is why we don’t jump to rash conclusions so quickly. There was talk that Vasquez was in the same tier as Alonso and Dominic Smith, but that line of thinking is honestly quite absurd. While the Mets do like Vasquez and believe in his ability to hit, he’s a soon to be 22-year-old with an OPS below .800 in A-ball.

While he’s still running a respectable strikeout-to-walk ratio (48 to 35), the complete lack of power (three home runs in 210 at-bats) is concerning for a first base prospect. In 447 career minor league at-bats, Vasquez has hit just 11 home runs. If the Mets truly want to learn what they have in last year’s 28th rounder, they should send him to Port St. Lucie after the All-Star break. Until we see him perform at the upper levels of the minors, I’ll remain skeptical that Vasquez is anything more than a role 3.

 Photo credit: Steve Mitchell – USA Today Sports

Las Vegas 51s (Triple-A)

Pitcher: Tim Peterson

I haven’t seen him live and don’t have a recent report on him, but I can’t ignore Peterson’s performance in Las Vegas any longer. A 20th round pick in 2012, Peterson’s striking out almost 40% of batters to go with a pristine 2.91 ERA in 17 appearances this season. The fact he’s doing it in the hitter’s paradise that is Las Vegas makes it all the more impressive. This level of performance isn’t coming out of nowhere; he was really good for Binghamton last season too, with a strikeout rate above 26% and a 1.14 ERA. Combine that with a 5% walk rate and there may be something here. There is some inevitable drawback though. Peterson is 27 years old, isn’t on the 40-man and wasn’t selected in the Rule 5 draft. He only ran a 31.1% groundball rate in Double-A last season but he excels at keeping the ball in the park. I don’t know what the Mets have here and they clearly don’t either, but if a 40-man spot opens up I think Peterson could be worth a look. If he doesn’t get a chance with the Mets, some team is going to see the minor league numbers and give him a chance.

Hitter: Dominic Smith

I’ll refer you to the recent piece BP Mets writer Tyler Oringer and I wrote on Smith, but let’s talk a little more about what happened last week. With Jay Bruce heading to the paternity list for the weekend series against Philadelphia, the Mets had the bright idea to use the roster spot on Smith. It was a curious choice that became even more controversial when Smith took only one official plate appearance in the shortened series. Smith’s a former first rounder who made a couple of Top 100 lists, but his prospect shine wore off completely when he flopped in the majors last season. He’s now been passed by Peter Alonso as the first baseman of the future and there doesn’t seem to be a role for Smith at the major league level. Smith’s got a good glove at first but if the Mets didn’t plan to start him, wouldn’t Phillip Evans (whose since been called up) have made more sense?  I couldn’t tell you one good reason why Smith got the call, but I can tell you that he hasn’t been great in Vegas. Smith’s striking out in 23% of his plate appearances and has only two home runs in 119 at-bats. That’s a problem when you’re a 1B only prospect. It’s hard to decipher what the Mets plan to do with Smith at this point, but I wouldn’t put anything past this organization.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Double-A)

Pitcher: Andrew Church

Church is off to an interesting, if uninspiring, start to the 2018 season. On one hand, he’s been relatively healthy and has bumped his K/9 from 5.79 in Port St. Lucie last season to 7.68 with Binghamton thus far. Health and strikeout rate have been two of the biggest knocks on Church as a prospect, so it’s nice to see the improvement on both fronts. On the other hand, though, he’s been getting hit hard and his fastball has backed up a bit. I was in Binghamton Wednesday night to see Church for the third time this season and he was mired in the same inconsistencies that have plagued him all year. In four innings of work, Church was knocked around for eight hits and six earned, but he also struck out eight. Church has touched 95 in the past, but repeated arm injuries have taken a toll and I’ve had him in the 88-92 range, topping at 93, in all three of the starts I’ve seen. The fastball doesn’t have great movement and Church has really struggled to locate it in my past two looks, so much so that he’s pretty much abandoned it following the first inning. Instead, he’s been primarily working with an 82-84 mph slider that’s easily his best pitch at this point. He’s comfortable throwing it in any count, for strikes and whiffs, and it’s flashed average for me in all three looks. Church also has a changeup I haven’t seen much of and a curve that’s rarely thrown but shows signs of usefulness. The curve sits 74-78 mph with good depth but is mainly reserved for two-strike counts. I mentioned that Church has abandoned his fastball after the first inning in my two most recent looks, and he’s seen some really good results for the next couple of innings. The second and third times around the order are a problem though, as opposing hitters have gotten a good look at the slider and are just sitting on it. I don’t think there’s enough here for Church to cut it as a starter at the major league level, but he could be a guy who moves to the bullpen in a middle relief role and sees a needed velo bump.

Hitter: Tim Tebow

Love him or hate him, Tebow’s surpassed all expectations at Double-A, slashing .248/.323/.419 in almost 120 at-bats. I was as skeptical as everyone when this whole thing began, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by what I’ve seen in my four looks this season. Now don’t get me wrong, we’re not talking about a future superstar here, or anything close for that matter, but take the name off the back of the jersey and Tebow looks and plays like your average Double-A outfielder. The problem here is Tebow’s already 30 years old and anything but your average minor league baseball player.

Tebow’s been swinging a hot bat recently, giving me hope for a better look than my previous ones, but I was left disappointed yet again. We’ll start at the plate, where he actually didn’t look as overmatched against good velo as he did earlier in the season. His first at-bat was a nine-pitch, six foul-ball battle against Beau Burrows that was easily the best AB I’ve seen from him all season. The swing looks better than it did even earlier this year and I’m more confident than before that he can catch up to major league fastballs. That’s the good news.

The bad news is he’s still kind of a mess in left field. He really struggles to track deep fly balls and to be honest, he kind of looks lost out there. His footwork isn’t good and he takes bad routes to balls that he should easily catch. For a former NFL QB, his arm leaves a lot to be desired. I know that’s primarily the reason he’s out of the NFL and in MLB, but one would think he’d get a little more zip on his throws in from the outfield. Back to the hitting side of things; Tebow still swings through fastballs up in the zone, something that’s going to get exposed by major league pitching when he reaches that level. The off-speed recognition still isn’t there either, but that’s something that should improve with more experience and it’s hard to knock a guy who was out of the game for 10 years.

There’s a real argument to be made that Tebow is one of the best outfield options in the high minors of this system. Now, that’s more of a reflection on the outfield depth in the system rather than his talent, but we’ve officially entered “this isn’t crazy” territory. He’s going to get a chance in the majors this year or next.

Port St. Lucie Mets (High-A)

Hitter: Andres Gimenez

The No. 1 prospect in the system, Gimenez is more than holding his own as a 19-year-old in High-A. Port St. Lucie was an aggressive assignment to begin the season, but Gimenez destroyed rookie ball and showed enough promise in Columbia last season that it didn’t feel forced. He doesn’t have a standout tool, but Gimenez projects as a major league shortstop with some skills at the dish. A left-handed hitter, he has good bat control and should grow into a plus hit tool eventually. There is some projection left, but not enough to project average game power, which may not be a problem considering Gimenez already hits a bunch of line drives. The line, .262/.331/.418, is actually really impressive for a 19-year-old in High-A, as are the 12 extra base hits. Gimenez is also an above-average runner and has nine stolen bases against two caught stealing’s. Out in the field, he has good actions at short and a strong enough arm that should allow him to stick there. Gimenez isn’t tooled up, but it’s an impressive package coupled with great results thus far. Gimenez should be a frequent member of the Prospect Watch for years to come.

Columbia Fireflies (A)

Pitcher: David Peterson

The Mets’ first-round draft pick last season is off to a good, if not great, start with Columbia. Peterson’s a tall lefty out of Oregon with a chance for three above-average offerings. He stands 6’6” and looks intimidating out on the mound, but he’s not a power pitcher by any means. His fastball sits in the low 90s and touches 95, but Peterson gets great movement on it. There probably isn’t a whole ton of projection left on the fastball, but it’s already above average so that shouldn’t be a big problem. Peterson also throws a slider and a changeup that both flash above average. He throws the slider more often, but the changeup might be the better future offering, although it does need some more work. In 30.2 innings for Columbia this season, Peterson is only running a 20.5% strikeout rate, which isn’t all that promising for the first returns on a collegiate first rounder. He is running a terrific 64% groundball rate though, which is very encouraging. Currently the best pitching prospect in the system, Peterson is more of a No. 3 starter than someone with ace or even No. 2 potential. His value mainly derives from the fact that he should be able to climb the minor league ladder relatively quickly. If the changeup doesn’t develop, Peterson should still be able to carve out a role as a big league reliever. Like Gimenez, look for Peterson to make frequent appearances on the Prospect Watch in the coming years.

Photo credit: Scott Rovak – USA Today Sports

2010

Round 1: Pick 7

Matt Harvey, SP (North Carolina)

This was the last year of Omar Minaya’s tenure as Mets’ GM, and he truly left New York with a bevy of talent in the minor leagues. Matt Harvey is obviously a popular topic of conversation right now for negative reasons, but Minaya knocked it out of the park taking him in the first round eight years ago. Pitching is fickle any way you look at it, and few pitchers in the history of baseball had the immediate impact Harvey did on the game. His debut in 2012 was impressive, his dominance in 2013 was nearly unprecedented, and after missing a season due to Tommy John surgery, winning comeback player of the year in 2015 en route to helping the Mets win the National League pennant cemented his place as one of New York’s best first-round picks ever. Injuries in recent years have sapped Harvey of what he once was, but let’s not forget quite how good he really was.

As for the rest of the Mets’ 2010 draft, Minaya left the new regime quite a parting gift in ninth round pick Jacob deGrom.

2011

Round 1: Pick 13

Brandon Nimmo, OF (High School)

Brandon Nimmo was Sandy Alderson’s first first round pick as GM of the Mets, and prior to his emergence last season, he was at risk of being proclaimed a bust. Nimmo was taken with the pick directly before Miami selected Jose Fernandez, and those comparisons will always be there, but the kid from Wyoming has begun to distinguish himself over the past 12 months or so. Nimmo plays like a seasoned veteran, has a keen awareness of the strike zone, is not fazed by pressure, and most importantly has fun and enjoys playing the game. He’s currently New York’s fourth outfielder but that has everything to do with how much talent the Mets currently have on the roster, as he’d easily be a starter most other places.

Round 1: Pick 44

Michael Fulmer, SP (High School)

Fulmer never threw a pitch for the Mets but holds a place in team history, as he was the centerpiece of New York’s 2015 deadline trade with the Tigers for Yoenis Cespedes. The big right hander has gone on to become one of the better pitchers in the American League, but that hasn’t changed the fact that it was a good trade for the Amazins’.

Other familiar names New York drafted this year include Robert Gsellman, Logan Verrett, Jack Leathersich, Tyler Pill, Danny Muno and Phil Evans.

2012

Round 1: Pick 12

Gavin Cecchini, IF (High School)

Cecchini was the second of three consecutive high school players Alderson drafted in the first round, and he is by far the one most at risk of the bust label. The Louisiana native has seen limited time in the big leagues to date, and while he has shown flashes at times, he clearly is not high on the team’s organizational depth chart.

Round 1: Pick 35

Kevin Plawecki, C (Purdue)

The Mets’ better first round pick from this draft was their supplemental selection: Plawecki, who has been far from a star but has at least proven himself to be a big league player. It’s well documented how the Mets are in the market for catching at the moment, and while Plawecki getting hurt sort of sent that into overdrive, they had already needed help behind the plate. Catcher is arguably the most difficult position to find a bonafide star, and if you can develop one that can at minimum be a strong contributor to your roster, you did well.

Some other familiar names New York drafted in 2012 include Paul Sewald, Tomas Nido, Matt Reynolds, Matt Bowman and Chris Flexen.

2013

Round 1: Pick 11

Dominic Smith, 1B (High School)

Dom Smith had long been viewed as the Mets first base successor to Lucas Duda, and I guess in some capacity he still is, although his top prospect status has certainly dwindled. During his first extended big league opportunity down the stretch last season the LA native hit on the interstate, and he failed to make a positive impression on new manager Mickey Callaway during this year’s spring training. Smith is currently hitting just .246 for Triple-A Las Vegas, and he’ll have to seriously pick it up for New York to consider pulling the plug on Adrian Gonzalez anytime soon.

Sadly, as a whole the 2013 draft was a disappointment for the Mets, as the only other player from that class to make it to Citi Field was reliever Kevin McGowan.

2014

Round 1: Pick 10

Michael Conforto, OF (Oregon State)

To date, Conforto represents the biggest draft hit for Alderson and his staff, and perhaps not coincidentally he was the first collegiate player they drafted this high. In Conforto, the Mets added a pure hitter who was in the big leagues in just 13 months, not only filling a roster spot, but becoming a critical component of a World Series team. Last season, the Washington native blossomed into a star, and he’s well on his way to becoming the club’s next face of the franchise.

The rest of this draft class was not quite as big a smashing success, as nobody else has reached the majors; the most recognizable prospect on the list is Dash Winningham.

2015

Round 2: Pick 53

Desmond Lindsay, OF (High School)

The Mets did not have a first round pick in 2015 as they had to surrender that selection to Colorado as compensation for signing Michael Cuddyer as a free-agent, so their first pick in the draft came at number 53 overall in the way of Desmond Lindsay. The Florida-born outfielder has unfortunately never hit for the power he was projected to as he owns only 13 career minor league home runs, and he’s failed to advance past High-A St. Lucie.

The rest of New York’s 2015 draft class is more promising, as Thomas Szapucki, David Thompson, Corey Taylor and P.J. Conlon are all considered viable prospects.

2016

Round 1: Pick 19

Justin Dunn, SP (Boston College)

Dunn was a much talked about arm leading up to this draft, and the Mets were absolutely thrilled to add him with pick number 19. His minor league career got off to a little bit of a bumpy start but he has figured it out of late, and he’s unanimously considered one of New York’s premier prospects. In St. Lucie this year, the right hander has been dominant, pitching to a 1.80 ERA in 20 innings.

Other notable Mets draft picks from 2016 include Anthony Kay, Michael Paez and Peter Alonso.

2017

Round 1: Pick 20

David Peterson, SP (Oregon)

Most scouts consider the left-handed Peterson the Mets’ top minor league arm, and New York is confident he’ll be on an accelerated track to the big leagues. The former Oregon Duck is currently pitching for the Mets’ A-ball team in Columbia, but they’re hopeful he’ll be able to advance to St. Lucie some time before the end of the year.

Another name to watch from this class is 3B Mark Vientos, whom New York selected in the second round, as the team believes he can ultimately become their first long-term answer at the hot corner since David Wright.

Photo credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports