Mound Talk

1. Fernando Martinez, OF, AA. There aren’t many bad things you can say about a 19-year old who held his own in Double-A. Martinez has great bat speed that gives him good power. His pitch recognition is improving but still needs to get better. He keeps his hands back well and keeps the bat in the zone for a long time. The negative side of the young Met is, predictably, that he is raw. Martinez is all about projection at this point and the sky is the limit. However, his floor is very low.
2. Carlos Gomez, OF, MLB. Gomez is a five-tool talent with good speed, a good arm and a projectable bat. Gomez will be able to steal plenty of bases at the big league level. His power hasn’t developed yet but he already shows glimpses of what it could become. He needs to become more disciplined but he shows tremendous talent.
3. Deolis Guerra, RHSP, A+. Guerra boasts a much improved fastball that sits in the mid-90s. His change-up is his best pitch and he has excellent arm action on this pitch. He will stake his future on this pitch. His curveball needs a lot of improvement. His frame bodes well for his future and he could even add a little velocity. However, he needs to stay healthy and build up arm strength and durability.
4. Kevin Mulvey, RHSP, AAA. Mulvey works all of his pitches down and pounds the strike zone. His fastball is in the upper-80s but it has plus movement down and in on righties. He uses an 11-to-5 curveball that shows decent life and compliments his slider well. Both pitches show good potential. His biggest problem is he doesn’t work well on the first base side of the plate. Mulvey will likely become a back of the rotation guy.
5. Jon Niese, LHSP, A+. Niese doesn’t have particularly good stuff but does have a great curveball. His fastball is in the low-90s with average movement. His curveball is unstoppable when he’s commanding it. He’ll need to develop a little more consistency on this pitch though. His change-up looks a lot better this year than it has in the past. He’s developed the same arm motion and speed that he uses on his fastball.
6. Philip Humber, RHSP, MLB. Humber was part of the triumphant trio from Rice in 2004. Like the others, he’s been hurt undergoing Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2005. His curveball is outstanding and he can throw it for strikes or make hitters knees buckle. However, his fastball barely touches 90 and his command isn’t there. His change is below-average. Humber will compete for a rotation spot but doesn’t look like any more than a #5 starter.
7. Eddie Kunz, RHRP, A-. Kunz is the Mets future closer and is a fun player to watch. He has a sidearm motion that is not quite as low as former Met Chad Bradford. His fastball is in the mid-90s with very good downward movement. He flashes a plus-slider in the upper-80s with tight spin and hard late break. He has the makings of a very good change but needs to develop consistency. He just needs to become more consistent in his velocity and motion but look for Kunz to be fast-tracked to the bigs after a very successful collegiate career.
8. Brant Rustich, RHRP, A-. Rustich has a potentially plus-fastball in the mid-90s. He has good movement on it and works it well to all parts of the plate. His slider shows good potential in the mid-80s and his change-up could become an average pitch. Control has always been a problem for him and his pro debut was no different. His delivery is very inconsistent and he’ll need to develop a repeatable motion before he’s ready to play at the big league level.
9. Robert Parnell, RHSP, AA. Parnell has a decent fastball in the low-90s with good movement. He forces hitters to pound the ball into the ground. His slider is in the mid-80s and shows flashes of brilliance. However, his change-up is well below average. He needs to refine his all around game.
10. Joe Smith, RHRP, MLB. Smith is very much an is-what-he-is guy and although that’s a major leaguer less than one year after being drafted, he doesn’t have much improvement in him. His fastball has good velocity but his change isn’t great. He could still become a set-up guy or work effectively in the 7th inning.
Flier. Dylen Owen, RHSP, A-. Owen has impeccable control and very good command. His curve and slider are plus pitches but his fastball and change leave a lot to be desired. He’ll struggle when he gets promoted because of that but Owen has a chance to become a special breed of back of the rotation pitchers who don’t walk many but aren’t all that good.

The Mets have a lot of pitching talent but lack stars. Their farm system has high upside offensive talent but they are very risky guys. Any of the top five guys could easily flame out and become never-beens but each also represents a chance to be above average at their spot on the New York Mets.

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