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| Thursday, January 18 | |||||
| Mets minor-league report Special to ESPN.com | |||||
| System overview Enjoy it now, Mets fans. There is some talent in the farm system, but not as much as they will need to sustain their current level of success. The veterans will last another year or two, but unless the minor-league system recharges quickly, there isn't much backing them up. The biggest problem is a dearth of position players. Aside from outfielders Alex Escobar and Brian Cole, there aren't any potential impact players on the horizon, at least from the perspective of this analyst. Timo Perez is more of a bench guy, and athletic middle infielders like Enrique Cruz don't look like offensive marvels. There is interesting pitching available in Grant Roberts, Pat Strange, Dicky Gonzalez, and Nick Maness, but only Roberts is close to being ready. Mets pitching prospects also have a bad habit of getting hurt. One name to watch is Japanese import Tsuyoshi Shinjo, a power-hitting outfielder who will make the club unless something really horrible happens in spring training. He is 29, and I won't rate him as a prospect below, simply because I don't have any real idea about how good he is. Shinjo hit .278 with 28 homers for Hanshin, but his strike zone judgment was mediocre. 2000 Minor League W-L Percentage: .509 (13th overall) 2000 amateur draft The Mets focused on pitching in the 2000 class, selecting a mix of college and high school hurlers early. The first pick was Billy Traber, a polished southpaw from Loyola Marymount. It turned out he had an elbow injury (he apparently didn't know about it), so his bonus was reduced greatly. He avoided surgery and seems healthy now. If that holds up, he will move quickly, although he isn't an ace talent. Supplemental first-rounder Bob Keppel, from high school in St. Louis, is a tall, hard-throwing right-hander, but posted a 6.83 ERA in rookie ball, and must improve his control. Another high school righty, Matt Peterson from Louisiana, signed too late to pitch, but excites scouts with his 93-mph fastball. Third-rounder Josh Reynolds, from Central Missouri State, is another live-armed right-hander with a good ceiling. Fourth-rounder Brandon Wilson, a high school catcher from Louisiana, was the first hitter selected. He has power, but struggles to make contact. Fifth-round pick Quenton Patterson, from Oklahoma State, throws quite hard, and could be a bullpen force if his control improves. Also, watch sixth-round pick Chris Basak, a shortstop from the University of Illinois, and 11th-round pick John Wilson, a catcher from the University of Kentucky. Both hit well in rookie ball, and will improve system hitting depth if they keep that up at higher levels. Top prospects 1) Alex Escobar, OF: Healthy in 2000, he hit 16 homers and stole 24 bases. Strike zone judgment is improving, but still shaky at times. Needs Triple-A, but tremendously talented. 2) Pat Strange, RHP: Went 14-4 at two levels, but weak 36/30 K/BB mark in Double-A gives pause. Excellent stuff, but needs time in the high minors. 3) Grant Roberts, RHP: Gradually harnessing his 95 mph fastball. Curve, slider, and control are all decent. Should have a job as fifth starter or long reliever in 2001. 4) Brian Cole, OF: Cranked 19 homers, swiped 69 bases. Needs to tighten his command of the strike zone, but has proven many scouts, skeptical about his 5-8 frame, wrong. 5) Nick Maness, RHP: Good, hard fastball, and a nice changeup and curve as secondary offerings. Two years away. Others of note Enrique Cruz, SS-3B: Excellent athletic skills, with speed being the best asset. Should develop some power as well, but raw. Dicky Gonzalez, RHP: Stuff is average, but he is a brilliant pitcher mentally and emotionally. Will still have to prove himself in Triple-A. 138/36 K/BB ratio is a good sign. Timoniel Perez, OF: You know this guy. Fast, will hit for average, but lacks power in the modern context. Should be solid fourth outfielder. Other names to know: Eric Cammack, RHP; Ken Chenard, RHP; Andy Cook, RHP; Jeremy Griffiths, RHP; Jerrod Riggan, RHP; Marvin Seale, OF; Earl Snyder, 1B; Robert Stratton, OF; Jorge Toca, 1B; Rene Vega, LHP; Tyler Walker, RHP; Ty Wigginton, 2B. John Sickels is working on the STATS 2001 Minor League Scouting Notebook. You can e-mail your questions to him at JASickels@AOL.com. | ALSO SEE Hot Stove Heaters: Mets ESPN.com's Hot Stove Heaters | ||||