10. Wuilmer Becerra, OF
The Mets received plenty from the Blue Jays in return of R.A. Dickey back in 2012. Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud were the headliners, but Wuilmer Becerra has worked his way into the Mets’ top 10 as well. Becerra is a great athlete with the ability to drive the ball all around the field. A shoulder injury hindered his progress last season, but he’s still just 22 and should grow into his power even more.
2017 STATS (High-A St. Lucie): 80 games, .255/.323/.336, 3 HR, 29 RBI, 30 R, 7 SB, 26 BB, 86 K.
Becerra has had a decent season up to this point for the St. Lucie Mets. His numbers aren’t where he wants them to be, but considering he underwent should surgery in the offseason, his progress is coming along nicely. The biggest concern with Becerra is his 26:86 BB:K ratio, which is the worst mark of his career.
9. Tomas Nido, C
Nido has developed into a great all-around catching prospect since being drafted in the eighth round of the 2012 Draft. A breakout 2016 season earned him the Flordia State League batting title, and he keeps improving at the plate. The 23-year-old has improved immensely at the plate thanks in large part to cutting his strikeout rate in half. That, along with his above-average raw power and contact ability, has made Nido into a close-to-MLB ready prospect.
2017 STATS (Double-A Binghamton): 60 games, .246/.281/.384, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 25 R, 13 BB, 29 K.
Baseball fans caught a glimpse of Nido in this year’s Futures Game in which he went 2-for-2 with two RBI. While his average sits at an unimpressive .246 on the season, Nido’s other tools have been on display. He’s struck out just 29 times in 60 games and has shown an advanced approach at the plate. He’s off to a good start in July with two doubles and six RBI in just five games.
8. Peter Alonso, 1B
The powerful righty was taken by the Mets in the second round of the 2016 Draft. He’s already shown glimpses of his very impressive raw power at 22 years old. The power, along with a great ability to limit strikeouts, has turned Alonso into one of the best hitting prospects in the Mets’ system.
2017 STATS (High-A St. Lucie): 42 games, .232/.306/.419, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 17 R, 12 BB, 39 K.
Alonso has shown off his power this season despite batting just .232. He’s lining balls into the gap with 11 doubles and has hit six homers in 42 games. Since moving up to High-A, he’s maintained his impressive BB:K ratio. At 22, he’s already made huge strides, and it’s not crazy to think that a breakout is on the way.
7. Andres Gimenez, SS
[the_ad id=”384″]There’s plenty to like about the 18-year-old Gimenez. He signed with the Mets in 2015 and has been working on refining his tools in the Mets’ system. Gimenez has plenty of raw talent, and it’s already coming to fruition at a young age. The lefty has great bat speed that makes up for his lack of power. He has above-average speed to go along with his above-average athleticism, and it shows in all parts of his game.
2017 STATS (Single-A Columbia): 52 games, .264/.324/.340, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 26 R, 6 SB, 11 BB, 41 K.
Gimenez has had a decent 2017 season up to this point. He’s batting .264, almost exclusively off of singles. Just eight of his 52 hits have gone for extra bases in 52 games this year. Last year he hit 20 doubles, four triples, and three homers, so his lack of pop is a bit concerning. Gimenez has plenty of work to do before being considered for a promotion, but the raw talent is undeniable.
6. Gavin Cecchini, SS/2B
The 2012 first-round Draft pick has already had a couple cups of coffee in the big leagues. He put together the best season of his career in 2016 and made his MLB debut at the end of last season. He’s played in five games at the Major League level this year and has collected four hits, including his first career home run. Cecchini is well-rounded despite not having any standout tools. He’s shown he can hit in the big leagues in his limited chances and could very well be a starter on a team with less depth up the middle.
2017 STATS (Triple-A Las Vegas:) 79 games, .259/.318/.358, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 49 R, 27 BB, 44 K. (MLB New York): 5 games, .286/.286/.500, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 0 BB, 5 K.
Cecchini’s confidence must be riding high after his second successful stint in the Majors. He wasn’t demoted because of his performance but because there simply wasn’t enough space. This likely wasn’t the last time we’ve seen Cecchini in the Majors this year, and another injury to the injury-prone Mets should bring him up once again.
5. Desmond Lindsay, OF
When healthy, Lindsay has the looks of a true five-tool player. The 20-year-old has battled hamstring issues throughout his young career, which have kept him off the field more than he’d like. When he’s on the field, he has the ability to hit for average and power, both of which are still developing. Speed is another plus-tool for him, but it has taken the biggest hit from the hamstring issues.
2017 stats: (Single-A Columbia): 60 games, .202/.319/.363, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 35 R, 32 BB, 70 K.
A healthy season would go a long way in increasing Lindsay’s value. Well, he’s gotten that healthy season so far but hasn’t been able to do much with it. His .202 average is very underwhelming, and his 32:70 BB:K ratio is a step backward from what he’s shown in recent years. That being said, it looks like he’s starting to turn it around in July. He’s collected a hit in all but one game this month and has a homer, double, and four RBI in seven games.
4. Thomas Szapucki, LHP
The Mets took Szapucki in the fifth round of the 2015 Draft, but he hasn’t been able to put it all together at the professional level. He throws his fastball in the 92-97 mph range and puts a ton of life on it. His curveball can be considered a plus pitch that is still improving. Szapucki’s biggest problem has been staying healthy. His 2017 season was delayed due to a shoulder ailment, and he was recently placed back on the DL with forearm discomfort.
2017 stats: (Single-A Columbia): 29 IP, 1-2, 2.79 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 10 BB, 27 K.
Szapucki put together four straight quality starts before hitting the DL. It was a painful blow considering how well he was throwing in those four starts. The news that came after was even more painful, as it was said he hit the DL with forearm discomfort. No further news has come out concerning the injury, but anything involving the forearm is never good.
3. Justin Dunn, RHP
Dunn was taken by the Mets in the first round, 19th overall, of the 2016 Draft. The righty has a deep arsenal consisting of a fastball, curveball, slider, and changeup. His fastball has reached just below triple digits while his breaking pitches can both be considered above-average. Dunn has just recently transitioned into a starter, so his durability and changeup development have been in question. Regardless, the Mets have a great young pitcher in Justin Dunn.
2017 stats: (High-A St. Lucie): 74.1 IP, 4-5, 4.60 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 35 BB, 54 K.
Dunn has spent time as both a starter and a reliever in 2017. He’s done much better out of the bullpen for St. Lucie, giving up just three runs in four outings and holding opponents to a .148 batting average. As a starter, he’s allowing hitters to bat .299 off of him and owns an ERA of 4.90. In just his first full season, the difference in success as a starter and reliever should be taken with a grain of salt. He’s continuing to develop as a pitcher, and it’s uncertain whether he’ll end up in the rotation or the bullpen.
2. Dominic Smith, 1B
MLB.com lists: Top 100 Prospects (#52), Top 10 1B Prospects (#1)
Smith has been with the Mets since he was 18 years old when they drafted him in the first round of the 2013 Draft. He’s been one of the best hitting prospects in the Mets system for years, and his power is starting to come around as well. He’s adjusted well to the higher levels, currently playing very well at Triple-A. Smith hasn’t stopped hitting, and he can’t be far off from an MLB promotion.
2017 stats: (Triple-A Las Vegas): 90 games, .331/.383/.503, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 59 R, 29 BB, 64 K.
Smith is putting together easily the best full-season of his professional career. He’s showing off both his contact ability as well as his power. July has been the best month of his great season. In 10 games he’s batting .386 with four homers and 12 RBI and has struck out just five times. At this rate, Dominic Smith could be in the big leagues before the month is over.
The 22-year-old is a must own in dynasty formats. He has upside and has shown no reason not to believe that he won’t live up to it. We could see a little bit of Smith in the big leagues this year, and he could be competing for the starting first base job as early as next spring.
1. Amed Rosario, SS
MLB.com lists: Top 100 Prospects (#3), Top 10 SS Prospects (#2)
Rosario has been with the Mets since he was 16 years old and has since developed into their best prospect. Not only is he the Mets’ best prospect, but he’s the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball and the No. 2 shortstop prospect. Despite being significantly younger than all of his competition, Rosario has shown he’s an elite hitter. He has incredible speed and contact skills, and his power has been improving every year. He’s a great defender with the body and athleticism to stay at shortstop long-term.
2017 stats: (Triple-A Las Vegas): 83 games, .327/.365/.474, 7 HR, 52 RBI, 55 R, 16 SB, 20 BB, 58 K.
Rosario has performed better than any other prospect in baseball this season. He’s shown off every single one of his skills at the Triple-A level with a .327 average, seven homers and 16 stolen bases. He’s striking out just 15.5 percent of the time and has shown that he’s ready to face Major League pitching. With the Mets struggling, a deadline trade of some veterans could result in Rosario being called up to New York sooner rather than later. When he arrives, don’t expect him to go anywhere soon with the way he’s been playing.
While he’s been a must-own in dynasty leagues for a couple of seasons now, he’s gained some value in other formats this season. He’s not far off from the Majors and should make an impact with both his bat and his legs when he’s called up. For deeper leagues, now is the time to pick up Rosario.