1. Jenrry Mejia, P – Mejia’s best pitch is his fastball; he can hit the lower ‘90s and it moves. He’s got a good change-up that looks like his fastball and can move as well. The curveball is a work in progress, but is the key to him staying in the rotation. He’s got a strong groundball rate, which really helps his stock.
2. Wilmer Flores, SS – Flores played in Lo-A last year as an 18 year old, which is ridiculously young for the level. His numbers are a little low for the level, but, considering the age, aren’t that bad. He’ projects to be a third baseman down the line, so he’ll need to improve upon his power. He’s raw, but has a lot of time to develop.
3. Fernando Martinez, OF – Martinez is the current whipping boy for Mets fans; I think it’s because he’s been a top prospect for a while and hasn’t made it to the majors yet. It’s not fair because he’s 21. Give him a full season at Triple A to prove he’s healthy, and Martinez could be back on the top of the rankings next year.
4. Ike Davis, 1B – Davis could be the starting first baseman for the Mets this year. He’s got a decent bat with good power. He’s not one of those guys without a position that get’s thrown in at first; he’s pretty good defensively. If the Mets are patient with the grown pains of his rookie season, he could have a nice career in New York.
5. Reese Havens, SS – Havens has good power and discipline for a middle infield prospect. His concerns are position and health. Many think he won’t stick at short, especially with Flores and Tejada in the system; he looks better as a second baseman. If he can successfully make the switch and stay healthy, he’ll move pretty quickly.
6. Kyle Allen, P – Allen is young, but he’s pretty advanced for his age. He’s got a strong fastball that moves, a good slider, and a change-up that he’s got great control of. He had a groundball rate of 55% and almost 8 K/9 in Lo-A. The Mets need to be patient with him, but he could be a mid-rotation starter.
7. Jon Niese, P – Niese is fighting for the 5th starter spot this year, but will probably start the season in Triple A. His main concern is health – he missed time with a hamstring injury last year. He’s got a high 80s fastball, a good curve, and a cutter that’s a work in progress. He looks like a back of the rotation starter to me.
8. Ruben Tejada, SS – Tejada is another young shortstop prospect who looks like he could stick at the position. He’s probably in Triple A this year, where he can work on his plate discipline. His speed is pretty good and he’s worked on his base running this past year. I’d expect he’ll see some time if/when Jose Reyes gets injured.
9. Brad Holt, P – Holt is working to have a pitch to go with his mid-90s fastball. Right now, he looks like a middle reliever due to not having that second pitch. He’ll be in the minor all season, unless the bullpen is killed with injuries (which is a possibility based off last years Mets). He also needs to prove that he can pitch for a full season, which makes a conversion to the bullpen more likely.
10. Jefry Marte, 3B – Marte is another young player moved aggressively through the Mets system. While Flores and Tejada have done OK, Marte struggled. He’s got a solid bat, but needs to shorten his swing to move to the next level. He also needs to work on his defense; if he doesn’t, he’ll lose value as an outfielder.
