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Mets best prospects at each position down on the farm in 2021

ByAdrian Cervantes|
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 11: Ronny Mauricio #2 of the New York Mets in action against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training baseball game at Clover Park at on March 11, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
PORT ST. LUCIE, FL - MARCH 11: Ronny Mauricio #2 of the New York Mets in action against the St. Louis Cardinals during a spring training baseball game at Clover Park at on March 11, 2020 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
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JUPITER, FL – MARCH 12: New Era caps and Wilson gloves of the New York Mets sit on the dugout steps during a spring training baseball game against the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium on March 12, 2019 in Jupiter, Florida. The Marlins defeated the Mets 8-1. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

3) Top First Base & Second Base Prospect in Mets Farm System:

  • First Base: Jeremy Vasquez

  • Second Base: Carlos Cortes

When looking at the two players listed above, many Mets fans may be unfamiliar with the names. However, each player still contains the potential to be a contributor for the Mets down the line despite not having the surrounding hype than the previous players that have been mentioned.

Starting with first baseman Jeremy Vasquez, the 24-year old may be a relative unknown to many fans as he does not appear on many top prospects lists for the Mets. With the Mets graduating both of their top first-base prospects in Dominic Smith and Pete Alonso to the Major Leagues, there isn’t a blue-chip prospect at that position currently in the system, yet Vasquez could make a name for himself in 2021 on the minor-league circuit.

Vasquez was a 28th round draft pick back in the 2017 MLB Draft and had made the climb up to Double-A in 2019. While Vasquez isn’t a power threat (only 23 career home runs) he walks a ton, and he gets on base at a phenomenal .364 clip for his career. You could almost equate Vasquez as the first base version of Brandon Nimmo. Moving forward Vasquez could turn himself into a valuable bench piece for the Mets in another year or two, should his approach at the plate continue, as well with no other current first base prospects threatening his path to Queens.

Carlos Cortes is one of the prospects that made a name for himself in the Australian Baseball League this winter. Cortes is currently ranked as the 19th best prospect in the Mets system by MLB.com, but he could further climb the ranking should his offensive performance in Australia translate to the Minor Leagues this summer.

In Cortes’ 14 games played in Australia this winter, he produced a ridiculous .392/.429/.706 slash line with three home runs and 16 RBI’s. In 2019, which was Cortes’ last full season of baseball, he had finished second in the Florida State League with 182 base hits, which went along with 11 home runs and 68 RBI’s in 127 games played. The offensive ceiling for Cortes seems to be limitless and he could play himself into a bench role next season, or possibly set himself up as a legitimate second base option for the Mets depending on how his defense improves over the next year or two.

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