Las Vegas 51s (Triple-A)

Pitcher: Bobby Wahl

The 26-year-old Wahl came over to the organization in the Jeurys Familia trade and made his Mets debut Thursday against the Braves. It wasn’t his major league debut, as he appeared in seven games for Oakland last season, but this figures to be the beginning of an extended stay for the right-hander.

Wahl fits the Mets relief profile to a T, throwing a mid-90s fastball and a sharp slider. His fastball sits 95-98 and will touch triple digits with above-average movement. The slider sits in the mid-80s and is his go-to out pitch. He’s effectively a two-pitch reliever, though he does have a change that shows signs of usefulness. Wahl could be a high-leverage option sooner rather than later, or he could be ticketed for a career in middle relief. It all depends on how his below-average command plays at the major league level and how well he can suppress walks.

Hitter: Jack Reinheimer

The Mets scooped up Reinheimer off waivers after the Arizona Diamondbacks needed to do some roster shuffling with their trade deadline acquisitions. The light-hitting utility man was a fifth-round pick of the Mariners in 2013 but spent the past four seasons in the Diamondbacks organization.

Reinheimer offers a similar skill set to utility players already on the Mets 40-man roster, making the waiver claim highly questionable. His best skill is his versatility, as he’s capable of playing every infield position, as well as some outfield. He has some contact skills, but he has well below-average power and doesn’t project as an impact bat in the majors. Clearing a 40-man spot for Reinheimer likely cost Kevin Kaczmarski his roster spot, a bad tradeoff for an organization seemingly always in need of outfield depth in the upper levels of the minors.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Double-A)

Hitter: Will Toffey

Toffey was the other prospect to come over from Oakland in the Familia deal. A fourth rounder out of Vanderbilt last year, Toffey has already reached Double-A despite middle-of-the-pack numbers in A-ball. He’s reportedly dealing with a serious shoulder injury that will require surgery this offseason, leaving many wondering why having him play through an injury for a month is necessary.

Toffey doesn’t fit the traditional third base profile – he’s hit before power- but he could develop into a second-division regular if everything breaks right. Wahl was the so-called “prize” of the deal though, so anything Toffey contributes would be considered a bonus.

Pitcher: Franklyn Kilome

The real prize of the Mets deadline dealings, Kilome has tantalizing stuff that he hasn’t been able to fully piece together yet. He owns an explosive mid-90s fastball and a potential plus-plus curve, two offerings that give him a fallback option in the bullpen if it ultimately never comes together as a starter. Kilome’s command is what’s currently holding him back, as he’s averaging over 4.50 BB/9 in Double-A for the second straight season.

The Mets will try to develop Kilome as a starter and that they should, as there’s still starter potential here. The Phillies clearly weren’t convinced he’d ever reach his ceiling, but the Mets actually have a decent track record developing pitchers with this sort of profile. It was the perfect buy-low opportunity and the Mets rightly took advantage. Here’s hoping the player development staff can get Kilome back on the right track.

Brooklyn Cyclones (Short-Season-A)

Pitcher: Jaison Vilera

Vilera hasn’t allowed an earned run since July 5, a streak spanning four starts and 26.2 innings. With a pristine 0.78 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 46 innings, Vilera has certainly put his name on the map this season.

The 21-year-old right-hander is running a 50% groundball rate to go along with his 10.96 K/9. He features a fastball/changeup combo that’s simply too advanced for short-season ball. Vilera shouldn’t be in Brooklyn any longer and the Mets would do well to promote him to Columbia before seasons end.

GCL Mets (Rookie Ball)

Pitcher: Simeon Woods-Richardson

He’s only made three appearances this summer but SWR is showing the premium velocity that enticed the Mets to draft him in the second round of this year’s draft. The pre-draft reports noted inconsistent velocity that often dipped into the 80s, but I’d heard he popped late and the early returns confirm that.

Woods-Richardson has been sitting in the mid-90s, even touching 99 a handful of times in a relief appearance in July. He’s also cleaned up his delivery some, as it doesn’t feature the same violence it did just a couple of months ago. All positive signs for the 17-year-old who will likely pitch the 2019 season in Brooklyn, though he does have an outside chance of reaching Columbia.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports 

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Double-A)

Pitcher: Marcos Molina

Once upon a time, Marcos Molina was an interesting arm with a chance to start at the major league level. Major emphasis on once upon a time though, as his stuff has yet to come back two years removed from Tommy John surgery. 2018 has been rough for Molina, who’s gotten shelled to the tune of a 7.01 ERA in 13 starts for Binghamton. The reports on Molina weren’t exactly glowing in 2017, but no one was expecting this level of performance from the right-hander. The underlying metrics aren’t any better either, as he’s running a pedestrian K/9 along with a horrific BB/9 of 5.19.

So, why are we talking about Molina you ask? Well, he’s currently occupying a highly valuable 40-man spot for some odd reason. He’s not the only questionable player on the 40-man, far from it, but he’s yet to pitch in the majors and doesn’t project as a starter at this point in his career. One might assume the Mets want to see if Molina’s stuff plays up in the pen, but they continue to run him out as a starter in Bingo. If he’s going to carve out a role in Queens, it’ll have to be in the bullpen. He should be the next roster casualty, but the Mets will probably DFA P.J Conlon again before they move on from Molina.

Brooklyn Cyclones (Short-Season-A)

Pitcher: Bryce Montes de Oca

Another week of the Prospect Watch, another rant on the Mets minor league assignments. While we can debate whether Montes de Oca should be given a chance to start, there’s no debating where he should’ve started his professional career. Draft analysts praised the Mets for stocking up on fast moving relievers on Day Two, yet MDO and Ryley Gilliam were both sent to Brooklyn after signing. I, for one, don’t understand the upside in selecting a reliever in the fifth round if the organization doesn’t plan on moving him fast.

While the Mets are selecting relievers on Day Two of the draft, other teams are finding interesting position players with tools that maybe underperformed in school or small school relievers who have a chance to start. That’s how organizations end up with good minor league depth and combat injury issues on the big league roster. If you’re going to invest the high pick on a relief pitcher, at least make it a priority to move that arm as quickly as possible through the minors. Please don’t send them to Brooklyn for the entirety of their first professional season.

Kingsport Mets (Rookie League)

Hitter: Shervyen Newton

Newton was a forgotten signing who took a modest bonus ($50,000) but it looks like the Mets may have done really well here. A 6’4” shortstop, Newton’s off to a blistering start in Kingsport during his age-19 season, slashing .417/.476/.694 with a home run. The early season reports have been incredibly encouraging, suggesting Newton might be one of the top prospects in the system despite his level.

Newton’s a switch-hitter with some bat speed and pop that projects to stay in the infield. Now, whether that ultimately becomes third base or short, I don’t know for certain, but Newton’s got a strong arm and should continue to stay at short until he plays himself off the position. He needs to add to the frame, but there’s plenty of time for that and I expect him to fill out. Newton’s tearing the cover off the ball in Kingsport and should be in Brooklyn right now, but the Metssssssss.

Gulf Coast Mets (Rookie League)

Hitter: Jarred Kelenic

Kelenic had his introductory press conference at Citi Field on Wednesday, and now there are rumors that he’ll be sent to Kingsport after three games with the GCL Mets. That’d be a welcome move, but Kelenic’s a soon-to-be 19-year-old advanced prep bat who deserves to be challenged at Brooklyn. He’s not as raw as younger prep hitters who are the same level currently and should spend the rest of the season in Brooklyn so he can start next season in Columbia.

Of course, it’s entirely possible (and probable) that Kelenic doesn’t reach Brooklyn until the end of the season and is sent back there to begin the 2019 season. It’s not a perfect comparison, but Mickey Moniak was the number on pick in 2016 and played his entire draft year in the GCL. The Phillies then got aggressive (rightfully so) and sent Moniak to the Sally, where he really struggled in his age-19 season. Both were the most advanced prep bats in their respective classes, but Kelenic’s going to end up spending his entire draft season in rookie ball. The Mets are frustratingly slow with assignments for prospects; a good argument can be made that everyone on our midseason top 10 list should be one level higher, including Peter Alonso and Jeff McNeil, who should already be in the majors by now. The Metsssssssss.

Hitter: Ronny Mauricio

Mauricio’s two years younger than Newton, but the scouting report is incredibly similar. Another switch-hitter with the arm for shortstop, Mauricio got $2.1 million as a July 2 signing, which broke Amed Rosario’s record of $1.75 million. He’s 6’3” and projectable, although he may have to move off shortstop due to a lack of foot speed. The Mets got aggressive for once and assigned him to the GCL, and it seems to have paid off. He’s currently slashing .351/.317/.514, which isn’t a typo (sac flies, baby!) When a teenager, especially one who’s just 17 years old, is holding his own in pro ball, in a new country, that’s incredibly encouraging. He’s likely going to spend the entire season in the GCL, which is hard to argue with considering his age, but I suppose it’s possible he gets a late-season cup of coffee with Kingsport. We’ll keep a close eye on Mauricio, as should you because he’s a potential up the middle defender with offensive potential.

Pitcher: Simeon Woods-Richardson

Not only have I been scouting future Mets (ha!) in the Cape Cod League this summer, I’ve also been talking daily with a bunch of scouts on a wide range of topics. One of those topics happened to be Woods-Richardson, who popped late this spring and certainly wasn’t the overdraft you might’ve been led to believe. A tall, projectable righty who can run his fastball up into the mid-90s and has shown some feel for a breaking ball is a pretty good prospect. Of course, Woods-Richardson needs to clean up his delivery – especially his landing leg – and his velocity has been inconsistent. Still, he’s incredibly young and will have a ton of time to develop. I think the Mets would be thrilled if they got a No.4 starter here within five years, but there’s admittedly a ton of risk here and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up in the bullpen, either.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

Round 1, 6th Overall: Jarred Kelenic, OF, Waukesha West HS

Where there’s smoke, there’s (usually) fire. Kelenic to the Mets at six was the big predraft rumor dating back to last week and I had heard it enough that I was convinced midday yesterday he was the pick. Kelenic will turn 19 in July, making him roughly a year older than the usual prep player, but he’s simply not your prototypical prep player. Usually when scouts and writers are discussing prep guys, you hear about how raw they are, in addition to the limitless potential and risk they possess. Simeon Woods-Richardson has been described this way (and we’ll get to that in a little bit) as he’s yet to turn 18 and has a long developmental road ahead. It’s not often you’ll hear “high-floor” and “prep player” in the same sentence, but because of an advanced hit tool, that’s Jarred Kelenic.

Kelenic is 6’1” 196 pounds and he’s close to, if not already, maxed out physically. While there isn’t a ton of room for projection, I have some concern about Kelenic’s ability to stay in center field as he ages. He’s deceptively athletic for his size, but Kelenic is likely to add at least some weight to his current frame and that may be enough to move him off center. The Mets are going to leave him in center as long as they can, but I can see a Michael Conforto situation occurring when Kelenic reaches the majors. Conforto’s not a true center fielder, but he has an average arm and can fake it well enough in a corner that I think Kelenic can do the same (and possibly half a grade better) if he adds to his frame as I expect. Fortunately for the Mets, one of Kelenic’s standout tools is his arm and it’s plenty good enough if he has to move to right field in the future.

His tools all project as average or above across the board, but that’s not why he was drafted sixth overall. He’s going to be carried by his hit tool, and he’s got above average raw power to boot. Kelenic has terrific bat speed combined with a selective approach and it projects as plus hit at peak. I don’t foresee any major changes in his stance, as it’s already relatively clean and free flowing. Kelenic uses a slight leg kick and while he already somewhat loads his hands, I think the Mets will have to work with him a little bit to unlock more of the above average raw power. Although he’s from a cold weather state, he performed against tough showcase competition last summer and scouts are confident he’ll hit his way through the minors.

While he does have a commitment to Louisville, the Mets assuredly did their homework on Kelenic and you should fully expect him to sign. Slot value for the sixth overall pick is $5,525,200 but I’d expect Kelenic to get right around $5 million: he lacks significant leverage and the Mets want to spread their bonus pool out amongst more players. The Mets almost always send high round prep players to the Gulf Coast League; they did it the last time they drafted a prep hitter in the first round (Dom Smith in 2013) and I expect that’s where Kelenic will be assigned if he signs with the Mets. That being said, a promotion to Kingsport or Brooklyn before the end of the season shouldn’t be ruled out either.

Now that we’ve covered all the positives, let’s talk about some of the potential downside here with Kelenic. As a hit tool-first prep center fielder, there’s significant risk here if Kelenic doesn’t, you know, hit. The book isn’t closed on Mickey Moniak, but he’s a good example of a player with a similar profile that hasn’t hit in the minors and has seen his prospect shine wear off considerably. The Phillies made Moniak the first overall pick in the 2016 draft but he struggled to a .236/.284/.341 triple-slash in his first full season of pro ball last season. They chose to promote him to High-A Clearwater this year, where he’s hitting .245/.264/.309 to begin the season. Kelenic and Moniak are quite different physically and they succeed in different ways, but there are some similarities here. Both struggled with breaking ball recognition coming out of school and Moniak’s inability to improve his eye has contributed to his downfall thus far. It’s not unreasonable to think that Kelenic could face similar problems with major league quality spin in the minors. The nightmare scenario would be Kelenic failing to hit while continuing to add to the frame, ultimately necessitating a move off center. If Kelenic doesn’t hit and moves off center, what is he? A defensive right fielder who can’t meet the high offensive bar? A middling second division left fielder? Does that sound like the sixth overall pick?

As an older and advanced prep bat, Kelenic should move relatively quickly compared to his peers. I think it’s reasonable to expect him to be close to major league ready in three to four years. The speed of Kelenic’s development depends entirely on how he hits, so we’ll be keeping our eyes on the young and exciting outfielder.

Tyler Oringer’s Thoughts

Well, as Alex has mentioned, the Mets took the best prep hitter in the 2018 MLB Draft. As per MLB.com, a scout comped Kelenic as a more athletic Mark Kotsay.  Though it is (very) early, the Wisconsin high schooler profiles as an-all-around player with both a high floor and ceiling – something you obviously want out of a top-ten pick.

With a swing that lends itself to all fields and a present ability for elite gap power, there is a very good chance that Kelenic finds a way to work his swing for more home runs.  Also, I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but his bat speed is what really is his most advanced and impressive tool within his whole profile. In terms of team needs in a laughably depleted outfield farm, the Mets have certainly made a safe and respectable pick at number six.

Prior to the draft, Desmond Lindsay was the best outfield prospect in the Mets system – now the organization and fans alike have a legitimate prospect and potential five-tool player to look forward to for years to come.

Round 2, 48th Overall: Simeon Woods-Richardson, Kempner HS

The Mets were heavily connected to a prep arm with their second round pick and Lenny Torres was a popular name floated as a possibility, but I can assure you that no one thought it would ultimately be Woods-Richardson. He’s a 6’4,” 210-pound right-hander out of Houston, Texas, who has yet to turn 18. I’ve seen a lot of video on him and have gotten reports from scouts and well, let’s just say it’s not all particularly favorable.

SWR has struggled holding his velocity and while he’s topped 96 mph with his fastball, he’s also been clocked in the high-80s. His velocity readings are extremely inconsistent and he has trouble sustaining velocity past the first couple of innings. It’s not an atypical problem for a prep arm as young as Woods-Richardson, but it’s concerning to say the least. In addition to a four-seamer that projects above-average, reports on his curve were as high as 55 and it could potentially be an above average offering at peak. From the video I’ve seen, SWR struggles to command his curve and hitters have squared it up pretty well. I like the change more presently, but he’s going to need the breaking ball to be average at minimum if he wants to remain a starter. His changeup has good velocity separation from his fastball and Woods-Richardson has better present command of it than his curve.

Turn on some video of Woods-Richardson and you’re going to see a violent delivery that screams relief risk. There are too many moving parts; his entire upper body is rotating toward first base before he even throws the ball. He’s practically falling toward the first base line by the time he throws a curveball and I think he’s going to really struggle with his command unless the Mets player development staff can help him. That’s an already tough ask and especially so for a team with a bad track record of developing pitchers with this profile.

I think there’s a ton of risk here with Woods-Richardson and not upside to justify it. I see a middling middle relief option who’ll never have the command to start, not exactly what you’re shooting for in the second round. He’s still incredibly young, which in theory gives him plenty of time to develop, but Woods-Richardson needs a ton of developmental work. Four to five years in the minors seems like the right range, but I’d lean towards five. The Mets are going to move him along slowly and are likely going to be careful with his innings as well. They shouldn’t be reliant on SWR to occupy a rotation spot in the future and I think it’s likely they took a future reliever, even if the curve improves.

Tyler Oringer’s Thoughts

Simeon Woods-Richardson doesn’t seem to garner the same excitement and preliminary value as their first-round selection.  His fastball has wavered inconsistency with velocity, and his breaking balls are nothing too special, though his pitches do have room for development. Displaying a fairly high release and unique fall off the mound finish to his motion, he is a bit of a project but could be a decent option down the road.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports