"The National League East kicks off my series of team previews spotlighting rookies who could make an impact for each team in the upcoming year. The series will run the proverbial prospect gamut; I’ll look at players who may post eye-popping numbers as well players who might hold down the middle of a bullpen. Beyond highlighting the obvious names, the goal here is to spot solid, possibly under-the-radar guys who can also be integral to each team’s success. After the top names, I’ll look at both possible “squinters” -- guys with superior talent but without a clear role, who you need to “squint” to see getting an opportunity – as well as sleepers, who will mostly be comprised of players without superior talent but with a clearer role to take advantage of. We’ll begin with the New York Mets:
The Blue-Chippers: The Mets selected Matt Harvey* 7th overall in the 2010 draft. After just two seasons in the minors, he already began to make good on the investment, throwing 59 superb innings down the stretch in 2012. Just over a year after drafting Harvey, the Mets acquired Zack Wheeler from San Francisco in exchange for Carlos Beltran, a clear win-now move for the Giants. The Mets, obviously, lay claim to the “win later” half of the trade in Wheeler, who rates as the #11 overall prospect according to Baseball America. Having thrown in both Double-A and Triple-A in 2012, and with great success, Wheeler figures to find himself in a big league rotation sometime this season.
The two form a rare duo of major league ready pitchers with legitimate #1 potential. Harvey will make more of an impact in 2013 (and a very impressive one, I think), already penciled into the opening day rotation. Wheeler’s best work will come in 2014 and beyond, but by the month of September Mets fans could get a glimpse at both potential rotation anchors at work.
The other marquee name, acquired this offseason in the R.A. Dickey deal, is twenty-four year old catcher Travis D’Arnaud. While he may not open the season as the starting catcher, it’s his job to take whenever the Mets decide to pull the trigger. Blessed with good tools across the board, D’Arnaud should be up to the task defensively from the start, but I wouldn’t sleep on his bat – he’s got a natural feel for hitting despite shaky discipline, and power to all fields. Rookie catchers don’t often shine offensively, but, barring injury (and one drawback is indeed D’Arnaud’s spotty injury history), D’Arnaud could prove an exception to that rule by year’s end.
The Squinters: Jenrry Mejia burst on the scene (much too soon) three years ago as a reliever, although he had been a starter up to that point. After struggling, Mejia was sent down to Triple- A Buffalo and split time as a reliever and starter the remainder of 2010. He opened 2011 in the rotation, but promptly blew out his elbow and required surgery. He resurfaced a year later in Buffalo, spending much of 2012 there before a September cup of coffee in New York, where he struggled again.
It appears that Mejia will open 2013 back in Buffalo in the starting rotation. If he is to have an impact this year, I have to think, barring massive unforeseen improvements, it would be in the bullpen, which is where I believe his future lies anyway. His inability to consistently harness his stuff will be masked in the bullpen, where his talent would allow him to dominate for short stretches. But he’s a squinter because, as I noted, he will open 2013 in the rotation and it’s a bit of a stretch (for me) to see him reach the majors in that role.
Wilmer Flores was a prospect for a while, then he wasn’t for a while, and then he was again after crushing Double-A in 2012, at, remarkably, still just 20 years old. Scouts and prognosticators are mixed as to what to expect going forward from Flores when he begins 2013 in Triple-A. He still isn’t and likely never will be a strong defender anywhere, but if he hits the Mets will find a spot for him. For all I know, he could turn into a gold glove shortstop and compete for the MVP and it wouldn’t be all that surprising. Wilmer Flores makes about as much sense as Public Enemy being in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
The Sleepers: Every year there seems to be a Vance Worley or Mike Fiers type who trudged along through the minors, who never receive particularly high praise from scouts, who are labeled back of the rotation starters, but seemingly inexplicably break into the majors as rotation fixtures. Now, Collin McHugh probably doesn’t have quite the talent of either aforementioned pitcher, but still fits the profile. He threw 21 innings for the Mets last season and was about as successful as you’d expect a 25 year old rookie with a fastball sitting in the upper 80s would be. However, as John Sickels notes in his 2013 prospect book:
“Although (McHugh) doesn’t burn the radar guns, he changes speeds well and his pitches have some movement…In the minors, McHugh has shown the ability to eat innings, adapt, and learn from his mistakes. You could do worse for a back end starter.”
And the Mets might, if Jeremy Hefner beats him out for the fifth start. But beyond anything tangible, McHugh just has the feel of a guy who (much like a Mike Fiers), when you look at his stats by the end of the year, makes you shake your head and grin in awe of the continued wonders of the game of baseball.
Other potential contributors: (RP) Robert Carson, (SP/RP) Darin Gorski, (SP) Cory Mazzoni, the Remains of (2B) Reese Havens
* - Harvey is not technically a prospect, but is just past the threshold and I’d feel remiss if I omitted him."
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