Power-hitting NY Mets prospect is meeting his match since recent promotion

In 12 games in Double-A with the New York Mets, Billy Amick was looking like a savage ready to send pitchers to the unemployment line. We knew he could hit for power. His 7 home runs in only 54 plate appearances with a .304 batting average earned him a quick promotion.

Unranked on many prospect lists, he was making everyone look foolish for their ignorance. A high strikeout rate was one reason for the lack of acknowledgement. Additionally, his .217 batting average in Double-A raised some doubts.

It turns out Amick wasn’t ready to take a shortcut to the majors after all. While it’s far from a throw in the towel moment, his trip to Triple-A hasn’t gotten off to an amazing start.

Mets prospect Billy Amick is going to need to adjust to Triple-A pitching

Through 5 games and 22 trips to the plate, Amick is hitting .100 with a double and a home run. He has struck out 10 times in 20 total at-bats. This includes 3 on Sunday to finish off week number one on the coattails of playing in the major leagues.

The 23-year-old righty has played mostly first base since coming to the Mets. Ryan Clifford was recently transferred to the developmental list as a breather to sort things out. Essentially the left-handed version of Amick with outfield in his back pocket and Amick having third base experience, this feels like an all-too-familiar trend with power-hitting first base options for the Mets in the near future.

Fortunately, Amick is in no kind of roster crunch. Clifford, who becomes Rule 5 eligible this offseason, can always get snagged if left unprotected. It’s hard to picture how he could possibly, with a .175 batting average and 164 strikeouts in 431 plate appearances, succeed on a major league roster for the entirety of a season. While we can convince ourselves someone could let him linger around on a bench spot for a short period of time, we know the reality that there’s a minimal chance of his development without regular plate appearances. The Rule 5 Draft picks who thrive and remain on teams tend to be pitchers who can get stashed deep on the depth chart or guys with a good glove and/or speed.

Amick and maybe now to a lesser extent Clifford, remain options for the Mets in the near future. Figuring out the weakness in their offense at Triple-A is crucial for them to even get a look in the majors. Neither are particularly known for much else than hitting home runs. Thus far, they’ve topped out in Double-A.

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