Can Mets speedy minor leaguer Johneshwy Fargas see big league action this year?

One of the more exciting New York Mets minor leaguers, Johneshwy Fargas, has the kind of speed the big league team may want to have on the bench later this year.

Johneshwy Fargas is beginning to turn heads. The New York Mets minor leaguer is having a hot spring, capped off with a cycle last week. Although not regarded as a high-level prospect, the 25-year-old outfielder is certainly an exciting player.

The main reason for this excitement is how well Fargas can control a game with his legs. With 235 stolen bases in seven minor league seasons, he’s definitely a guy we could see on the big league club this September with the sole purpose of pinch-running.

September is a month when MLB rosters expand and minor leaguers can a chance to sip on some big league coffee. Beginning this year, the rosters will be limited to only 28 men—allowing for two extra bodies from the 26 teams will carry in the months prior.

More from Rising Apple

• NY Mets Monday Morning GM: The middle is no place you want to be
• NY Mets News: Marcus Stroman sees “potential fit” with the Angels
• NY Mets were too “seek” and not enough “destroy” last winter
• NY Mets: 1 trade target to consider from each 100-loss team
• NY Mets: Top 12 free agents the team should look to sign this winter

This means teams will have to be wiser about who they select. And if Fargas is lighting up the minor leagues even with just his stolen base prowess, he’s a guy the Mets will want to consider.

Let’s not fully jump ahead to September when the Mets are fighting for a pennant. First, let’s back up and get to know Fargas a little better.

Last year in Double-A for the San Francisco Giants, Fargas swiped 50 bases while hitting .249. It’s the fifth time in his professional career where he topped 40, an easy benchmark he should reach yet again in 2020 if he plays often enough.

Fargas still has some improving to do at the plate. Lifetime, he’s hitting .255 on the farm. He’s also not amazing at getting on base with an okay .331 OBP to his name.

Quite clearly, Fargas is at best bound for a fifth outfielder and pinch-running role on a major league team. Unless his bat improves drastically this year, it’s tough to imagine him ever becoming much more.

Working in his favor, the young man is still—well—a young man. At a “do or die” stage of his career, Fargas will look to find some new hope with the Mets organization this year after spending seven years with the San Francisco organization.

Fortunately for Fargas, his amazing speed could be an asset to the Mets. Up in the big leagues, Amed Rosario is the lone true base-stealing threat. The fringe major leaguers who may have better bats than Fargas don’t have amazing wheels which could potentially give him an edge depending on the health of other players and what the team believes they need most in the future.

While it’s far too early to get overly excited about Fargas, believing he’s Flushing-bound later this year is not a ridiculous thought. Given the choice between what he can do and the abilities of some other minor league options the team could have later this year, Fargas stands out.

Want your voice heard? Join the Rising Apple team!

Write for us!

And standing out with some unique skills is his best bet at cracking a major league roster for the first time in his career.