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| Tuesday, January 22 Mets minor-league report By John Sickels Special to ESPN.com |
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System overview The wholesale reshuffling of the Mets major-league roster over the last few weeks was necessitated in part by a farm system dry at the upper levels. The team needed new blood following a disappointing '01 campaign, but looked unable to provide much improvement from within anytime soon, so the front office went the trade route. Although the organization seems unlikely to produce any impact rookies in 2002, there is hope for the future. There are intriguing prospects at the lower levels, and the '01 draft class looks strong. The Mets shipped their best upper-level hitting prospect off to Cleveland in the Roberto Alomar trade, but Alex Escobar has the look of an overrated athlete, much more similar to Juan Encarnacion (or Ruben Rivera) than Vladimir Guerrero. There are some interesting infielders at the lower levels, but no one who will help quickly. Things are better on the mound, as the Mets concentration on pitching in recent drafts should yield results soon. Billy Traber, a solid prospect, was also lost in the Alomar trade, but his loss should not be catastrophic. Overall, the Mets farm system rates as average, thin on top but getting better at the middle and lower levels, thanks to better drafting and a renewed emphasis on Latin America. 2001 Minor League W-L Percentage: .524, (ranked 10th) 2001 amateur draft I like drafts with balance, and this one fits the bill. In the first round, the Mets took Notre Dame right-hander Aaron Heilman, a polished college pitcher who will advance very quickly. Losing Mike Hampton brought them a supplemental first-round pick, which they used on Virginia high school third baseman David Wright, a solid all-around player who is polished for his age. Second-round picks were expended on Alhaji Turay, a high school outfielder from Washington state, and Corey Ragsdale, a high school shortstop from Arkansas. Turay has excellent raw power, while Ragsdale has solid tools across the board. Both will need development time. The next three picks were college guys: third-rounder Lenny DiNardo (LHP, Stetson), fourth-rounder Brian Walker (LHP, Miami), and fifth-rounder Danny Garcia (2B, Pepperdine). All three could move quickly. Also intriguing are Jason Weintraub (RHP, 6th round, Florida high school), Jay Caligiuri (3B, 13th round, Cal State Los Angeles), and Frank Corr (OF, 17th round, Stetson). This draft class mixed college guys with both raw and polished high school talents, and I think it will be a major boost for the system. Top prospects Players in the "Will Help Soon" section could see major-league action in 2002. Players in the "Will Help Someday" section shouldn't reach the majors until '03 or later, though of course that can change. Players are listed alphabetically. WILL HELP SOON Aaron Heilman, RHP: I don't normally put 2001 draftees in this section, but Heilman is so advanced that he should see Shea sometime in '02. Throws hard, throws strikes, and is intelligent. Grant Roberts, RHP: Yes, he's still around, still looking for a defined role for his 93 mph fastball. Pitched better for the Mets in limited action last year than he did in the minors. Jae Seo, RHP: Doesn't throw quite as hard as he did before Tommy John surgery, but he still throws strikes, has strong breaking stuff. Will have a chance for a starting job in '02 and if his velocity picks up a bit he could be quite a surprise. Tyler Yates, RHP: Acquired from Oakland in the Dave Justice/Mark Guthrie trade. Yates should slot in nicely as a middle man. Throws hard, and saved 18 last year. WILL HELP SOMEDAY Enrique Cruz, 3B: Drew 59 walks and stole 33 bases at Class A Capital City. Solid with the glove, but will need to hit better than .251 as he moves up. Jose Reyes, SS: Hit .307 with 22 doubles, 15 triples, 30 steals at Capital City. Drew just 18 walks, but makes contact otherwise. Excellent with the glove. Pat Strange, RHP: Mechanical problems resulted in 4.87 ERA at Double-A, just 106 strikeouts in 153 innings. Imposing at 6-5, 245, but needs more time. KEY SLEEPER Neal Musser, LHP: Thin lefty, drafted in the second round in 1999 out of an Indiana high school. Fastball is average, but posted 138/37 K/BB ratio last year, and has a very good changeup. Other names to know Mike Bacsik, LHP; Jaime Cerda, LHP; Mike Curry, OF; Jeremy Griffiths, RHP; Justin Huber, C; Bob Keppel, RHP; Nick Maness, RHP; Angel Pagan, OF; Matt Peterson, RHP; Jason Phillips, C; Robert Stratton, OF; Ty Wigginton, 3B. John Sickels is working on the 2002 STATS Minor League Scouting Notebook. He lives in Lawrence, Kansas, with his wife, son, and two cats. You can send John questions or comments at JASickels@aol.com, or you can visit his homepage at hometown.aol.com/jasickels/page1.html. |
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