Top ranked Mets prospects who could get traded next

Mets Prospect Kevin Smith – Ranked 12 by MLB.com

No, not that Kevin Smith. The other one. The one who is a minor league pitcher for the Mets. Not the Clerks guy.

My excitement to see Smith pitch in the big leagues for the Mets goes beyond the chance to call him “Silent Bob.” I also like that they could have three unrelated Smiths on the team (Dominic Smith and Drew Smith being the others).

But beyond those silly reasons, Smith has the potential to be a good pitcher. He’s ranked 12th in the system per MLB.com and one of those guys I thought would find his way into the bullpen at some point in 2020. That thought, however, came when I believed we would get 162 games.

Smith is a seventh-round pick from 2018 and a left-handed hurler. He did really well in his rookie season with the Brooklyn Cyclones, delivering a 0.76 ERA in his first 23.2 innings of work shortly after getting drafted.

Last year was the bigger tested. Combined at St. Lucie and Binghamton, Smith was 8-7 with a 3.15 ERA across 23 starts. Now 23, he’s right on the pace he should be.

The issue with seeing Smith on this team in the future is similar to what I expect from Szapucki. Neither was drafted by Van Wagenen and I suspect that will play a role in who he does or doesn’t trade. BVW has shown a tendency to favor “his guys.”

Without a 2020 minor league season to showcase his skills further, Smith’s value might be less than the Mets would like. Anyone can have some minor league success during a short period of time. If anything, we see Smith dealt for a more minor piece to the roster or packaged together with some other players.

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