Some minor Mets could get major move if baseball expands rosters
The makings of a potential 29-man roster are being floated around the league in the event of a shortened baseball season. Such a scenario would allow for a few minor leaguers in the
Mets scarce farm system to effectively impact the bigleague team.
Noah Syndergaard’s missed 2020 season due to Tommy John surgery on his torn right UCL means the Mets need pitching depth now more than ever. We take a look at two minor-league arms who’ve impressed the coaching staff and front office enough that they could be on the brink of their big-league debuts, along with a noteworthy shortstop you’ve probably heard of already.
Andres Gimenez, SS Manager Luis Rojas noticed a couple of key differences in Gimenez that elevated his play during Mets spring camp. After managing the young shortstop at Binghamton in 2018, Rojas was surprised by Gimenez’s added muscle and new leg kick, both of
which led to power at the plate.
Gimenez, a skillful 21-yearold shortstop from Venezuela, is knocking on the big-league door. In his first spring training as a member of the Mets 40man roster, he batted .214 (6for-28) with a home run, an RBI, a stolen base and three runs scored. Last season at Double-A, Gimenez hit .250 with nine home runs, 37 RBI, a .695 OPS and 28 stolen bases. He remains likely to begin his fifth minor-league season with Triple-A Syracuse, but you can expect his big-league call-up if rosters are indeed expanded.
“We’ve had conversations about his plan,” Rojas said last month. “Baseball IQ, his defense, that was always something that kept him high in the organization as far as being our prospect. He’s moving pretty good out there. Now everything is coming together.”
David Peterson, LHP
Before Syndergaard’s TJS solved the mystery of the club’s 6-man rotation, Rojas was constantly answering questions about the Mets pitching plans. More than once, the manager referred to Peterson as the seventh starter in the Mets organization. The declaration raised some eyebrows, but it gave us some insight on what the club expects from the 6-foot-6 lefthander from the University of
Oregon.
Peterson, the Mets 2017 firstround pick, went 3-6 on a 4.19 ERA with 122 strikeouts for Double-A Binghamton last season. This spring, he posted a 1.50 ERA across four appearances (one start) and six innings. The Mets have high expectations for the 24-year-old, and he has so far handled them maturely.
Like Gimenez, Peterson is also expected to begin his minor-league season with Syracuse. But he could provide a key inning-eating role for the bigleague club in the scenario of a shortened season.
Kevin Smith, LHP
This 22-year-old left-hander from Georgia is familiar with breezing through chapters in his baseball journey. Soon, jumping from Double-A ball to The Show would be no exception. Smith was selected by the Mets in the seventh round of the 2018 Draft from the University of Georgia. In a matter of one year and 26 starts, the 6-foot-5 southpaw went from being largely unknown to being named the Mets Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2019.
Smith got some extra time in the spotlight after GM Brodie Van Wagenen traded away top Mets pitching prospects Anthony Kay and Justin Dunn to the Blue Jays and Mariners, respectively. With some seasoned minor-league arms out of the picture, Smith forced Mets brass to pay attention.
He jumped from Short-Season A Brooklyn — where he dominated with a 0.76 ERA over 23.2 innings in the rotation and bullpen — and skipped Class-A Columbia to become High-A St. Lucie’s Opening Day starter in 2019. After going 5-3 on a 2.72 ERA over 14 strong starts, he was promoted to Double-A Binghamton in the middle of July. Smith was solid in all but one game for the Rumble Ponies, recording a 1.98 ERA over his first five starts, before being brought on as a non-roster invitee to big-league spring training this February.