New York Mets: MLB Player Comps for Each Top Spring Training Prospect
None of the New York Mets' top prospects are likely to break camp with the big club and land on the Opening Day 25-man roster.
Mets fans should still be excited to track them this spring.
It's a group that includes a first baseman with emerging power, an outfielder who's sipped his cup of coffee and is trying to crash a crowded depth chart and a potential franchise shortstop.
As we await Grapefruit League action, here's an interesting question: Which current MLB players do the Mets' bluest MiLB chips most resemble?
In making these comparisons, I'm considering position, tools and overall skill set. As I emphasized when I did this with the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, I am not saying that Player X will be the next Player Y. The idea is to highlight potential, not predict results.
I'm also sticking to current big leaguers only, though in one case my comp is a player who tragically left us too soon.
The five prospects listed are ranked based on my own analysis, but all retain rookie status and feature high on the lists compiled by MLB.com, ESPN.com's Keith Law and Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter.
5. Brandon Nimmo, LF/CF/RF
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MLB Player Comp: Brett Gardner, OF, New York Yankees
The 13th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Brandon Nimmo made his big league debut last season with the Mets, hitting .274 in 32 games.
He faces an uphill battle to make the Opening Day roster with Yoenis Cespedes, Curtis Granderson, Jay Bruce, Michael Conforto and Juan Lagares all blocking his path.
Nimmo has the ability to play all three outfield positions and has posted a .285/.389/.421 slash line in six minor league seasons.
His combination of mid-tier power and speed mixed with defensive versatility call to mind another lefty-swinging New York outfielder: the Yankees' Brett Gardner.
For his part, Nimmo cites the players ahead of him on the depth chart as sources of inspiration.
"There's a lot of guys that I can tap into," Nimmo said, per Abbey Mastracco of NJ Advance Media. "There's a lot of guys around here who have tried to pass on knowledge and I'm just trying to be a sponge and soak it up."
4. Justin Dunn, RHP
2 of 5MLB Player Comp: Yordano Ventura, RHP, Kansas City Royals
This one sounds a somber note after Yordano Ventura died tragically Jan. 22 in a car accident in the Dominican Republic.
Mets prospect Justin Dunn owns an undeniably similar skill set, however, and could honor Ventura's legacy by ascending to the big leagues.
Dunn has a long way to go. The 21-year-old isn't on New York's 40-man roster and didn't get a non-roster invite to big league camp.
The 19th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Dunn's fastball reaches the upper 90s, and he complements it with a curveball, slider and changeup that all profile as MLB-quality pitches.
The slender righty is still harnessing his command, but the 35 strikeouts he notched in 30 Low-A innings last year will turn some heads—and keep the posthumous Ventura parallel going.
3. Gavin Cecchini, INF
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MLB Player Comp: Joe Panik, 2B, San Francisco Giants
Gavin Cecchini has logged all but three of his professional innings at shortstop. He's blocked at the position by another top prospect (more on that in a moment) meaning a move to second base may be in the offing.
That brings us to the Joe Panik comp. The San Francisco Giants second baseman has made a name for himself as a complete player who does nothing spectacularly but everything well, including making consistent contact, avoiding strikeouts and flashing gap power.
Stack that next to MLB.com's scouting report on Cecchini:
"Cecchini fits the description of a real "baseball player," the type who's whole is greater than the sum of his parts. He does have an advanced approach at the plate, putting up good walk rates and low strikeout rates as he's progressed through the Mets' system. Added strength has helped allay concerns that Cecchini wouldn't be able to handle the bat at the highest level, and while he'll never be a home run guy, he can hit the gaps consistently for extra bases.
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After hitting .375 in 117 games in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League last season and making his MLB debut, Cecchini will be back at Citi Field sooner than later. Don't panic (pun!).
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2. Dominic Smith, 1B
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MLB Player Comp: Adrian Gonzalez, 1B, Los Angeles Dodgers
This is a lofty comp, meaning it needs to be put in context.
I'm not saying Dominic Smith profiles as an unstoppable RBI machine with 40-homer pop, which is what Adrian Gonzalez was during his prime.
Smith is, however, a left-handed first baseman with defensive skills, a smooth swing, a plus hit tool and latent power potential.
The 21-year-old took the next step at Double-A in 2016, hitting 14 home runs with an .824 OPS, and shed a significant amount of weight, as Newsday's Marc Carig reported. He could be in line to supplant Lucas Duda, who missed more than 100 games to injury last season and whose contract is up next winter.
As Mets hitting coach Kevin Long put it, per Carig, "All I hear about Dom Smith is that he can hit and that he can flat-out play."
1. Amed Rosario, SS
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MLB Player Comp: Carlos Correa, SS, Houston Astros
It's almost cliche to compare a tall, well-rounded shortstop to Carlos Correa. Sometimes, though, cliches exist for a reason.
In this case, Amed Rosario is the reason. The 21-year-old hit .324 with an .833 OPS between High-A and Double-A last season while continuing to play superlative defense.
That's the same age Correa was when he won American League Rookie of the Year honors with the Houston Astros.
The Mets figure to open the season with Asdrubal Cabrera at shortstop. Rosario, though, will soon be pounding on the door.
Another veteran Mets infielder, Jose Reyes, offered glowing praise for his young teammate and fellow Dominican.
"That guy is going to be a superstar," Reyes said, per John Harper of the New York Daily News. "I love the way he plays."
All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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