Mets of the Future: Joe Genord proving powerful with Cyclones

New York Mets minor leaguer Joe Genord is off to a hot and powerful start with the Single-A Brooklyn Cyclones. We check in on the 2019 draft pick and a few others down on the farm.

The Brooklyn Cyclones season began a few weeks ago. One of the early stars is 2019 ninth-round draft pick Joe Genord. Working as the team’s first baseman, the New York Mets farmhand has already smacked 5 home runs in his first 18 games with the Single-A squad. Equally as promising, he’s batting .318 in the early part of the season.

The University of South Florida slugger stands at 6’1 with a large 227-pound frame. Definitely built for swatter home runs, Genord is a youngster worth watching in the Mets’ minor league system. His 5 home runs and 17 RBI lead the Cyclones this year in what has been an awesome start to his professional big-league career.

Of course, the trouble for Genord is finding a position other than first base. Potentially blocked by Pete Alonso for years to come, any future Genord has with the Mets will need to happen elsewhere.

In college, Genord did play a few other positions, but first base was his primary spot. He’s in a similar position as another Mets minor leaguer hitting well, St. Lucie’s Jeremy Vasquez. Vasquez put together a strong 2018 campaign and has followed up with some more good numbers in 2019. Aside from one start in left field, he has yet to move away from first base.

The Cyclones’ season is still new and the numbers players post at this level offer only a hint of what’s ahead. Among the positive performances, pitcher Daison Acosta has a 0.98 ERA through 18.1 innings. This is good news for the 20-year-old righty who didn’t have a good season with the Kingsport Mets last year.

Another strong start worth noting comes from the bat of infielder Yoel Romero. His .292 batting average after 17 games is a positive thing to see, but he has already made 7 errors this year with Brooklyn combined at third base and shortstop. Romero has played all over the field during his professional career. His bat will have to lead the way if he has any shot at cracking the major leagues.

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July is always a good time to check in on minor leagues. In a farm system without much elite-level talent, seeing players like Genord, Acosta, and Romero emerge while outside of the organization’s top 20 is good to see.