These 5 Mets Prospects Made The Athletic's Top 100 List
The Mets' farm system is on the rise.
After ranking No. 25 (2020) and No. 19 (2021) over the past two years, Baseball America has moved the Mets' system up to No. 16 ahead of the 2022 season.
And although this still puts them around the middle of the pack, the Mets will have six top 100 picks in this year's MLB Draft, which will only help their efforts in continuing to retool their farm system.
So far, the Mets are on the right track towards strengthening their cupboard. And an additional reason for their steady progress is due to a couple of current pieces in the minors, who have taken significant strides in increasing their value.
Keith Law of The Athletic recently compiled a ranking of baseball's top 100 prospects, and the Mets had five players crack this list.
Here they are:
8. Francisco Alvarez, Catcher
It should come as no surprise that the No. 1 prospect in the Mets' farm system, Francisco Alvarez, is the highest ranked player from their organization on this list at No. 8.
In what was the 20-year-old catcher's second season as a professional in 2021, Alvarez began the year in High A St. Lucie, before receiving a promotion to Brooklyn after just 15 games.
Alvarez, who was the youngest player at the High A level a season ago, slashed .272/.388/.554/.942 with 24 home runs and 70 RBIs in 99 games between St. Lucie and Brooklyn in 2021.
Now, he is destined to start the season in Double A, and if he can replicate the campaign he endured last year, he should be knocking on the door of the majors in no time.
Alvarez is known for being a balanced hitter with quick hands, and a free and easy swing, which helped him become one of the most productive sluggers at the High A level.
For a catcher, Alvarez has a strong arm and is a solid receiver behind the plate. Law believes that his agility leaves enough room to improve defensively with additional reps as well.
After smashing 24 homers last season, Alvarez projects as a potential 30-plus long ball player. Although Alvarez's body is more mature than some of the other catching prospects his age, which means he may not have more power coming to him, he still has plus-game power and should be an above average hitter once he reaches the big-leagues.
40. Ronny Mauricio, Shortstop
Although it is not a surprise that shortstop prospect Ronny Mauricio made this list, it was a bit of a shock to see him ranked No. 40, one spot ahead of third baseman Brett Baty.
The Mets signed the switch-hitting Mauricio for $2.1 million back in 2017, and he got off to a slow start in Low A, slashing just .268/.307/.357 with four homers in 2019.
However, after the minor league season was cancelled in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Mauricio came back last year and exploded with 20 home runs between High A and Double A.
Mauricio, who is just 20-years-old, still has a lot of room to grow physically, and has already done so since joining the Mets' organization as a teenager.
As Law described, Mauricio's bat speed and forearm strength have resulted in his impressive power stroke, and he has the potential to develop into a 30-plus homer hitter down the road.
While Law believes Mauricio is too erratic to remain at shortstop in the long-term, the Mets have Francisco Lindor manning this position at the big-league level for the next decade. This means that the highly athletic Mauricio could possibly project as a second or third baseman in the future.
According to Law, Mauricio reminds him of former seven-time All-Star Alfonso Soriano, which is a pretty promising comparison, considering Soriano finished his career with 412 homers.
Mauricio is likely to start the season in Double A, where he finished his 2021 campaign. But with another strong showing, he should be ready for the majors by 2023.
41. Brett Baty, Third Base
Next up on Law's list is Mets' No. 2 ranked prospect, third baseman Brett Baty, who comes in at No. 41 on The Athletic's list.
Baty was selected at No. 12 overall by New York in the 2019 MLB Draft. Like Mauricio, his first year as a pro started off slow, but he came back to tear the cover off the ball last season between High A and Double A. His impressive performance on offense carried over to the Arizona Fall League as well.
Baty, 22, slashed .292/.382/.473/.855 with 12 homers and 56 RBIs across 91 games in 2021.
As Law pointed out, Baty has not hit for as much power as anticipated and puts the ball on the ground too much. But he still hits the ball hard, so once the Mets' development staff starts getting him to lift the ball in the air more, it should help increase his power.
Baty is likely to begin the season in Double A Binghamton, but if he continues to trend in the right direction, he should be ready for the majors later in the year, or by 2023.
Baty is an exciting prospect that can hit for both average and power, he gets on base and has a steady glove at the hot corner.
71. Mark Vientos, Third Base/Left Field
Despite not being ranked on Baseball America's top 100 list, Mark Vientos made it onto Law's at No. 71.
Vientos, 22, was drafted by the Mets at No. 59 overall back in 2017. And last season, he broke out at the plate, slashing .281/.352/.581/.933 with 25 homers and 63 RBIs between Double A and Triple A.
Per Law, Vientos' pitch recognition is better than his strikeout and walk rates show, and the Mets have worked with him to improve his selection in the zone in order to focus on pitches he can do damage on.
Vientos' exit velocity has been among the highest in the Mets' system, which has projected him to develop into a 30-35 homer player.
Vientos' defense at third base isn't too strong, which is why the Mets have gradually begun playing him in left field as well.
Regardless, he has a serious power bat and could make his major league debut sometime this season, given he will start the year in Syracuse.
100. Alex Ramirez, Outfielder
Last but not least, outfield prospect Alex Ramirez is the final player ranked on this list at No. 100.
Ramirez signed with the Mets for $2.05 million in July 2019 and made his pro debut last season at 18-years-old in the Low A Southeast League.
In 76 games for Low A St. Lucie, Ramirez slashed .258/.326/.384/.710 with five homers and 35 RBIs. Ramirez, 19, must fill out his 6-3, 168 pound frame and improve on his pitch selection, while developing more power.
But his defensive skills in center field are impressive, which makes him an intriguing prospect if and when he enhances his ability at the plate.
