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

—

RHP Briam Campusano

Alex Rosen: Campusano is listed at 6’2,” 174 pounds, but looked to be at least an inch or two shorter out on the mound. He’s a two-pitch pitcher at this point in his career, relying heavily on a fastball/slider combo that has just enough velocity to overwhelm short-season hitters. The fastball sat 90-93 for the entirety of the outing, though it did touch 94 once. It’s got some arm-side run, but ultimately plays half a grade down due to the arm action. His slider sat consistently in the 84-86 mph range and was his go-to two-strike offering.

While the delivery isn’t necessarily bad, the arm action, uh, is. It’s a violent, unnatural motion that, in combination with his stuff, is going to force a move to the bullpen in the future. Speaking of stuff, the Mets are trying to work with Campusano on developing two additional offerings, a curveball and a change. If Wednesday night was any indication though, he still has a ways to go in that department.

Tyler Oringer: Fastball sat at 90-93 mph – topping out at 94 – with noticeable, yet unimpressive arm-side run and was used as his first pitch in most at-bats. Campusano could not locate his fastball, his primary pitch, at all inside the strike zone to righties or lefties and eventually hit a batter in his last inning of work in the fourth.

The right-hander was primarily using a fastball-slider combination, attempting to mix in a curveball and changeup in deeper counts. There was minor break and movement on any breaking pitches to begin with, but by the fourth inning Campusano was hanging pitches in the zone if they weren’t for balls. He is very quick and sudden to the plate out of the stretch and projects as a reliever rather than his starting role in Brooklyn.

LHP Kevin Smith

TO: Smith’s fastball sat at 87-90 mph Wednesday night and had a bit of sink to it. He predominantly worked away to both left- and right-handed bats, but was far more comfortable pitching to lefties and already has nasty movement on his slider, which was clocked in at 80-83 mph.

The Mets’ 2018 seventh-round selection, who boasts a 0.76 ERA and WHIP after Wednesday’s one-inning outing where he struck out two and walked one, could be more than just a LOOGY. Smith throws out of a windup with a pseudo-side arm release and has primarily been used as a long reliever with Brooklyn.

His approach reminded me that of Oliver Perez’s with the Indians this year, but he will need to improve his fastball if he wants to carve out a larger role.

AR: A low-slot lefty out of the SEC (Georgia), Smith was always a likely overdraft candidate despite his obvious deficiencies. He has experience starting in school and has made three starts with Brooklyn this summer, but his long-term home is in the bullpen as a LOOGY. Besides his slider, there’s a real lack of stuff here that’s going to limit Smith’s ceiling.

The stats (0.76 ERA, 28 K, 6 BB, in 23.2 IP) are exactly what you’d expect out of a crafty SEC southpaw in short-season ball. Smith’s slider will flash average to above and the delivery is relatively clean, but his fastball was topping out at 90 mph in just a single inning of work. Sounds an awful lot like the Daniel Zamora starter kit, doesn’t it?

I only saw one change at 79, an offering Smith will need to develop heavily to elevate his future projection. For now, he’s got the ceiling of a future LOOGY for me.

LHP Andrew Mitchell

AR: Selected six rounds after Smith this past June, Mitchell showed more velocity in his two innings Wednesday, as he worked with a fastball in the 91-93 mph range. It had some late life and was tough on lefties, as expected. His breaking ball is a little behind Smith’s at present, but it’s a funky curve that shows promise. I’ll take the velo over the present breaker for now and have Mitchell ahead of Smith on my personal pref list. I don’t think either is more than a LOOGY at the major league level, but Mitchell has the better chance to outpace that projection.

C Nick Meyer

TO: The Mets’ 2018 sixth-round selection certainly leaves a lot to be desired offensively.

Against the opposing right-handed starter Miller Hogan, the backstop was first-pitch swinging in front of a 88 mph tailing fastball away from the zone and grounded the ball to the opposing shortstop, who booted and then bobbled the ball. Meyer, who was clocked 4.68 down the line, was barely safe, but should have arrived a minute before he did.  There is a clear lack of comfort at the dish, which was never more evident than in his second at-bat as he looked at 85 for a strike, took an 81 mph-slider for a ball and then reached at a fastball outside the zone before popping it up to first for an out on the fourth pitch of the at-bat. In his third and final turn of the game, Meyer was again swinging at the first pitch and waited on a breaking ball which he lined to center for a single. Despite his one hit, Meyer’s shortcomings were easily recognizable as he lacks no real plate discipline, which is supported by his .282 OBP.

He is a defense first guy and did frame some questionable pitches for strikes. Today, some backup catchers in the majors hit sub-.200, so he has a shot.

AR: Ever heard of Jake Rogers, the glove first and second backstop in the Tigers organization? Well that’s Nick Meyer, except the overall defensive package isn’t nearly as strong, and the bat lags well behind even that of Rogers.

Meyer stole the low strike all night on the home plate umpire and was even surprisingly agile blocking to both sides, but I got two average (2.00+) pop times and his accuracy just wasn’t there. As for the bat, let’s just say it’s not a great sign when your college hitter is OPS’ing .559 in the New York Penn League. He doesn’t strike out (13%), but there’s well below average power and too much weak contact at present.

The offensive bar at catcher is so low that Meyer still projects as a big league backup, but the package here isn’t incredibly enticing.

OF Ross Adolph

AR: When a Day 3 guy flashes potential major league tools in addition to the performance, you’re probably going to hear about him. Adolph earned the rare Jeffrey Paternostro Mets draft pick stamp of approval after his look earlier this month, so naturally I had some expectation of what I was going to see from him on Wednesday. Well, Adolph went hitless in three at-bats, dropped a fly ball in foul territory and was thrown out at third trying to take an extra base. In other words, Adolph played his worst game of the summer. Yet I still thought he was the best player on the Brooklyn roster, and frankly, it isn’t particularly close.

You’re not writing a six anywhere on the card, but there’s enough here to believe Adolph is a future major league contributor in the outfield. He’s got deceptive speed underway and an arm that wouldn’t look entirely out of place in right. At the dish, Adolph has some sneaky pop due to via some strong wrists and subsequent bat speed.

The ceiling’s limited, but Adolph was a terrific find in the 12th round and is arguably a Top 15 prospect in the system right now.

TO: Adolph went 0 for 3, was thrown out at third and took two noticeably bad routes to balls in right field.

All that being said, the hype surrounding him is visible. At 6’1,” 205 pounds, the 21-year old possesses a very athletic build and quick feet. The results were not there on Wednesday, but his swing and approach at the plate are promising. His athleticism appears to be his best trait allowing him to be good (but not great) in each aspect of the game. A  solid find for the Mets nonetheless.

2B/OF Carlos Cortes

TO: Along with Adolph, Cortes clearly has one of the more advanced approaches to hitting on the Cyclone roster. Though he finished without a hit, the Mets’ ambidextrous throwing second baseman/outfielder has a clean, compact swing and waits for his pitch. The University of South Carolina alum is a clear pull side hitter and may have to balance out a bit as he rises the ranks. He didn’t barrel up any balls in Wednesday’s showing, but does show a potential for solid power.

Cortes’ second at-bat showed his poorest tool – his run. On a slow ground ball on which he was doubled up, Cortes ran an abysmal 4.7 out of the left-handed batter’s box. At just 5’8”, 200 pounds, his strides are short and clunky. He could potentially stick at second base with decent range and did flash some potential there. Nonetheless, I would not trust the fleet-of-foot Cortes in the outfield as he has a natural inability to cover ground.

AR: Cortes is a stocky 5’8” with some seriously slow feet that impact his range out at second. I had Meyer, a catcher, 4.68 out of the right-handed box and then got Cortes 4.7 flat out of the left-handed box. He didn’t look too smooth out at second, but I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt for now, as he’s played a ton of outfield as an amateur.

Nevertheless, the bat is what you’re buying here, and there’s already an advanced approach with some bat speed. Hudson Valley had the shift on him even with a runner on first – not out of the ordinary for an affiliate of the Rays – but his pull heavy approach could get him into trouble if the power never develops as expected.

I didn’t love what I saw, but Cortes is an SEC performer and I’m simply unwilling to jump to an early conclusion. He’s a prime “check back next year” candidate for me.

1B Chase Chambers

AR: Large adult sons like Chase Chambers can absolutely rake in college (.395/.500/.652, 17 HRs) and still drop to the 18th round. It’s of this writer’s opinion that the Mets could’ve done far worse than grab Chambers and his power potential that late.

The swing’s long and I have my doubts about how the power will play in Double-A, but he’s actually a pretty decent defender at first and isn’t as slow as I’d been led to believe. I’m intrigued and of the belief that there’s a non-zero chance Chambers has a major league future ahead of him. I’m willing to admit it’s highly unlikely, but this was an underrated grab late in the draft.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

Las Vegas 51s (Triple-A)

Hitter: Peter Alonso

When I last wrote about Peter Alonso, he was running a .475 OBP and crushing everything in Binghamton. He, along with Jeff McNeil, looked big league ready and primed to skip Triple-A and the Pacific Coast League.

Fast forward three months and Alonso has taken his talents to Las Vegas, posting similarly gaudy numbers in a league he’s too good for while he awaits an opportunity in the majors.

A similar situation occurred down the stretch in 2017 as well with Dom Smith only playing in 49 games in what was a completely lost season for the Mets. That wasn’t enough of a sample size for New York to hand him the starting job in 2018, so they went bargain shopping and questionably signed Adrian Gonzalez. The rest is history as they say, but more importantly, the Mets seem to be making this costly mistake again.

They selected Alonso as a 22-year-old 1B/DH in the second round of the 2016 draft, a curious choice if they weren’t intent on fast-tracking him to the majors. He’s hit his way through every level of the minors and looks like a future regular at worst, but the Mets have – through unnamed sources – stated they won’t call him up in September as to avoid a 40-man roster crunch.

There’s really no other way to put it: this is an incredibly bad baseball decision, likely influenced by service time.

By keeping Alonso down and off the 40-man roster, the Mets can gain an extra year of control by waiting until the Super Two deadline passes in 2019. No one other than the people signing the paychecks likes this sort of roster manipulation, but it doesn’t even make much sense in this case. If the Mets follow through with this, Alonso won’t hit free agency until his age-31 season. Who is paying any significant amount of money to a 1B/DH on the wrong side of 30 anyway? (Angels fans if you’re reading this – it’s too late).

Due to the current situation, the Mets are likely going to bring in a veteran first baseman and trade one of Smith or Alonso. It’s a ridiculous conclusion to a problem that can so easily be solved, but being bearish on Smith’s future – here’s hoping Peter Alonso is manning first base in Flushing next season.

Pitcher: Nabil Crismatt

Crismatt had a rough go of it in his first stop at Vegas, allowing 38 earned runs in 38.2 innings of work. He made it to the fifth inning only twice in nine starts and allowed two or more earned runs in eight of nine. This was always likely to happen and anything but an unexpected outcome considering his stuff, but he’s now one step further from a September call-up. He was still striking hitters out in Vegas, but his walk numbers ballooned and his WHIP went over 2.00.

I mentioned this wasn’t an unexpected outcome because this is what happens to guys that throw 88 in the hitter’s paradise that is the PCL. The results were, uh, not good, but they don’t change the future expectation here. Crismatt still projects as a backend starter, and even though he’s not going to be Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard, he’s not going to be Jason Vargas either.

Port St. Lucie Mets (Single-A)

Hitter: Blake Tiberi

The University of Louisville has a nice track record of developing hitters that succeed at the next level (and they have another one coming in 2019 in Logan Wyatt), but that hasn’t been the case for Tiberi thus far. A third-rounder two years ago, time is already running thin for Tiberi to prove he can develop into a major league contributor.

The 23-year-old battled injuries in 2017 that limited him to just five games, and his .735 OPS with Columbia wasn’t exactly inspiring this season. Regardless, the Mets moved him up a level to St. Lucie, where he figures to begin the 2019 season. He’s off to a .145/.193/.229 start in his first 22 games – and if the early returns are any indications, he’s going to struggle next year too.

Columbia Fireflies (Low-A)

Hitter: Hansel Moreno

Moreno is a long and lean 6’4,” 180-pound utility infielder who’s held his own in his first taste of full-season ball. His numbers won’t jump off the page, but the Sally is a historically pitcher-friendly league and Moreno hit in 2016 and 2017. He’s very athletic and already has a nice mix of defensive versatility, as he’s seen time at four different positions this year alone. He won’t be on any top prospect lists and shouldn’t be treated as one, but he’s a nice piece in an improving farm system.

Hitter: Zach Rheams

Rheams was a 27th round senior sign this year and the first 2018 draft pick to reach full-season ball. The 22-year-old is holding his own despite a .221 batting average as he’s avoiding strikeouts while still hitting for power. Rheams broke out in a big way for Texas Tech this past spring, hitting .341/.461/.713 with 17 long balls and as a Day Three senior sign, anything he gives the Mets is a bonus. So far, so good.

Brooklyn Cyclones (Short Season-A)

Hitter: Ross Adolph

Adolph, the Mets 12th round selection this year, won the MVP award in the NYPL All-Star Game after a 2-for-3 night that included a homer and triple. Despite being a Day Three pick, Adolph has major league tools and projects as a fourth outfielder. He’s shown well in Brooklyn and looks primed to begin 2019 with a full season affiliate (likely Columbia in the Sally). The Mets are always in need of outfield depth and Adolph will give them that as he climbs the minor league ladder. Like Hansel Moreno, Adolph isn’t a top prospect and you won’t hear his name often, but he does have major league potential.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

Las Vegas 51s (Triple-A)

Hitter: Luis Guillorme

It seems like forever ago, but Guillorme was on the major league roster until June 25 before the Mets sent him back to Las Vegas. He struggled in his first taste of the big leagues (.457 OPS, 29 OPS+) but the inconsistent playing time surely didn’t help. Guillorme’s glove has been major league ready for a while now but the Mets’ newfound fascination — or maybe it never went away — with Jose Reyes relegated him to a marginal role.

Guillorme’s never going to be mistaken for an offensive powerhouse, but he rarely strikes out and draws a fair number of walks. He’s hitting over .300 for the season in Vegas and is a far better hitter than his .172 average in the majors shows. There’s a valuable utility player here, and Guillorme should be on the 2019 Opening Day roster.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Double-A)

Hitter: Andres Gimenez

The Mets’ top prospect earned a well-deserved promotion to Double-A Binghamton after a very respectable showing in the Florida State League. Gimenez won’t turn 20 until September and it now seems likely that he’ll begin 2019 with Binghamton. That timeline lines him up for a potential call-up in September 2019, just three years after coming stateside. While the presence of Amed Rosario likely forces Gimenez over to second, he still figures to be a valuable major league contributor sooner rather than later.

Gimenez can hold his own with the bat but the bulk of his value and prospect pedigree derives from the fact that he can stick at short. That’s a problem considering that Rosario was an even higher regarded prospect who’s already in the big leagues. Now, it’s a good problem of course, and one the Mets don’t need to worry about for at least another season. A good showing from Gimenez in Binghamton to end the season could accelerate his timeline slightly, but 2020 seems like the year he gets the call.

Port St. Lucie Mets (Advanced-A)

Pitcher: Stephen Villines

Villines took an interesting path to Kansas, but the Mets drafted him as a senior sign in the 10th round of the 2017 draft. The right-hander is a reliever only, but he put up good numbers in school and dominated on the Cape for two seasons.

Villines has plus control, especially for a reliever, but it’s his lack of stuff that dropped him to the 10th round. His fastball sits in the mid-to-upper 80s, far below average and especially so for a reliever. He also throws a slider in the low-to-mid 70s and a change that’s likely his best pitch.

While a college performer should dominate the lower levels of the minors, Villines put up video game numbers in Brooklyn and Columbia. He struck out 30 while walking just one in 19 innings for the Cyclones last season and continued that dominance for the Fireflies to begin this season. Villines was promoted to Port St. Lucie where he has continued to succeed, striking out 15 while walking four to go along with his 0.63 ERA in 14.1 innings.

While the stuff says Villines isn’t a major league caliber reliever, the early returns say otherwise. He could carve out a Brad Ziegler-type career, or he could never reach the majors. Only time will tell, but Villines needs to be challenged in Double-A before the end of the year.

Brooklyn Cyclones (Short-Season-A)

Hitter: Ross Adolph

While neither myself nor Jeffrey Paternostro were fans of the Mets’ draft strategy, especially on days two and three, they may actually have something in Adolph. Jeff saw Brooklyn recently and liked Adolph a lot more than he expected to.

Adolph doesn’t have a plus tool, but he’s a sum of the parts player who has a chance to be a fourth outfielder when it’s all said and done. That’s exactly what you’re looking for in the 12th round, and the Mets seem to have done really well here. Adolph’s off to a really nice start in Brooklyn (.288/.367/.490), where he’ll likely spend the remainder of the season. There’s an opportunity for Adolph to move quickly here, as the Mets lack outfield depth in the upper minors.

Kingsport Mets (Rookie League)

Hitter: Luis Santana

The 19-year-old Santana is stateside and off to a blazing start after playing two seasons in the Dominican Summer League. In 31 games for Kingsport, Santana is hitting .364/.469/.471 with two home runs and a 13:20 K to BB ratio. That’s…really good for a teenager playing and living in a new country for the first time.

Santana is small (5’ 8” 175) but has surprising strength for his size. He’s likely always going to be a hit over power player, but he’s got the ability to do damage every now and then. Santana fits best at second, where he’s a solid defender with sure hands. The Mets have done really well internationally and Santana is no exception. He’s far away, but he’s a guy to keep an eye on for the future.

Gulf Coast Mets (Rookie League)

Hitter: Ronny Mauricio

Speaking of doing well internationally, Mauricio signed for over $2 million in 2017 and skipped the DSL entirely, beginning his career in the GCL. He just turned 17 this season and is hitting .333/.346/.540 in his first taste of professional baseball. You couldn’t ask for a better start to a career.

Mauricio is listed at 6’ 3,” 166 punds but has reportedly grown at least an inch since he signed. He’s currently a shortstop but likely moves over to third as he ascends the minor league ladder. The bat is what you’re buying here though, and Mauricio looks like a Top 10 prospect in the system already.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

Round 11, 320nd Overall: Franklin Parra, LHP, Copiague HS

The Mets were heavily linked to local prep arms with their second-round pick, but they passed in favor of Simeon Woods-Richardson at 48 and ultimately chose to wait until Day Three. A native of the Dominican Republic, Parra is a lean, 6’1” left-hander who struck out 74 batters in just 34 innings for Copiague this season.  Deceptive out of the wind-up and the stretch, Parra throws four pitches currently: a fastball, slider, curveball and changeup. Projectable with room to add to the frame, Parra will turn 19 later this season, which likely contributed to him being available on Day Three.

Parra is committed to play at San Jacinto Community College next spring, but he’s likely going to sign with the Mets for an over-slot deal. As a reminder, the bonus pool only applies to the first ten rounds of the draft. The Mets can pay any selection on Day Three a signing bonus of up to $100,000 without using a single dollar from the allotted bonus pool. If the Mets want to sign a player for over $100,000 though, they’ll have to dip into the bonus pool for the extra cash. I think it’s a safe bet to assume that Parra is going to get an over-slot deal, somewhere in the $300,000-$400,000 range, in order to forego his junior college commitment and sign with the Mets.

There’s undeniable upside here, but I’m not yet convinced that Parra was the right prep pitcher to target. A long developmental curve seems likely, but that’s not incredibly enticing considering his age. The Mets’ player development staff has their work cut out for them with Parra, so here’s hoping they can turn him into a prospect before he becomes Rule 5 eligible.

Round 12, 350th Overall: Ross Adolph, CF, University of Toledo

After taking Jarred Kelenic with the sixth overall pick, the Mets waited until the 12nd round to select another outfielder. Adolph fits a theme seen throughout the Mets draft: third-year college player who saw a power spike in his junior season but had previously underwhelmed. He broke out this season with a .322/.445/.654 line and 15 home runs after hitting a combined seven in the two seasons prior. He’s a good athlete who should stick in center in pro ball, but Adolph has major swing and miss issues. He struck out 47 times this season against 37 walks, his third consecutive season with at least 42 Ks, and he doesn’t project to have even an average hit tool at peak. The best chance for Adolph to make it seems to be as a three-true-outcomes player with good defense in center. If nothing else, Adolph provides some depth in a system sorely lacking interesting outfielders.

Round 23, 680^th Overall: Saul Gonzalez, RHP, Montverde Academy

Montverde Academy is known more for producing NBA draft picks such as Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and D’Angelo Russell, but the baseball program counts Fransisco Lindor among its established alumni and Gonzalez is looking to add his name to the list. Standing 6’7” and 235 pounds, Gonzalez has room to add some weight to his frame and possibly gain a couple more ticks on a fastball that already sits in the low- to mid-90s. Although he’s incredibly imposing on the mound, his delivery lacks physicality and likely needs some tweaks.

This all sounds incredibly enticing, especially in the 23th round, but Gonzalez has no feel for a breaking ball. He relied solely on his fastball this spring, choosing to sparingly use a curveball that needs a ton of work. Gonzalez is committed to Alabama State and would be a tough sign, but the Mets should have extra pool money to work with and adding an upside play like Gonzalez to the system would be a welcomed addition. Teaching pitchers spin is incredibly tough and the Mets don’t have a great track record of working with pitchers like Gonzalez, but there’s huge upside here. Signing Gonzalez to an over-slot deal is a worthy gamble in my opinion, but I’m admittedly not all that confident the Mets are the right organization to develop him.

Round 32, 950th Overall: Jake Mangum, LHP, Mississippi State

Mangum was the most talented player taken by the Mets on Day Three, but that’s not why he’s on this list. After the Mets took the Mississippi State junior in the 32nd round, he announced on Twitter that he won’t be signing and will instead return to school for his senior season. Mangum was the SEC freshman of the year after hitting .408/.458/.510 in 2016, but his numbers have regressed the past two seasons and he hasn’t shown any game power, slugging just four career home runs. He’s a switch hitter with a contact-based approach, but he doesn’t walk enough and strikes out a little too often for this sort of profile to work. His best tool is his plus-plus speed, but his instincts aren’t great, leading to mediocre stolen base production and questionable outfield defense. Mangum also has a plus arm, topping out at 93 mph on the mound, and was actually announced as a pitcher although that was a mistake. While I’m down on the profile overall, signing Mangum would’ve been a fine Day Three pick if the money wasn’t too exorbitant. His number was reportedly too high for the Mets liking though, so he’ll take his chances as a senior in the 2019 draft.

Round 39, 1160th Overall: Kody Darcy, SS, Kentridge HS

Beyond blessed to have been given the opportunity to play professional baseball in the New York Mets organization. Thanks to everyone who has helped me out along the way!

— Kody Darcy (@KodyDarcy) June 6, 2018

Darcy has a commitment to Xavier, but his tweet after being selected last night might indicate he plans to forego that commitment and sign with the Mets. A shortstop with good actions and a strong arm, Darcy looks comfortable at the six and projects to stay there as he ages. While his glove should provide most of the value, Darcy has an open stance and a slight leg kick that could help him unlock some raw power as he builds his frame out. He’s also shown an ability to take the ball to the opposite field and hit .425 with 18 RBI this season for Kentridge.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports