The Mets need their "babies" to grow up fast

Were you getting sick of a New York Mets lineup that looks like a spring training roster? Me too. I don’t want to see DJ Stewart, Rafael Ortega, Tim Locastro, and Jonathan Arauz in the starting lineup. Nothing against them….but that is not the product I was sold.

The problem is that none of the young prospects have shown they are ready for prime time…regardless that the young catcher hit 25 dingers. They struggled offensively, flashing signs of promise and power, and often looking helpless on defense.

Brett Baty appeared to be the New York Mets third baseman of the future

I believe that Baty is going to be a good Major League player. I also believe that the Mets have kind of done what they’ve done in the past with their young lefty swingers…not protecting them early on. It hurt Michael Conforto. It completely ruined Kirk Nieuwenhuis. And it SEEMS like it hasn’t exactly done wonders for Baty.

After a red hot spring training and decent start, he got hurt and never got his swing back. He hit .212 with 9 home runs, 34 RBI and 110 strikeouts in 354 at bats, a 31% strikeout rate. He has a really sweet swing but looks like pitchers have found a hole in it and they are taking advantage of that. If he doesn’t make adjustments, he will have troubles. And he is having troubles in the field to boot. And he HAS booted some in some crucial situations.

Mark Vientos doesn’t seem to have a position with the New York Mets

I am impressed most with Vientos raw power and pitch selection. He seems to have the ability to be most consistent with his power which is gap to gap. He is hitting .214 with 9 home runs, 22 RBI and 70 strikeouts in 215 at bats, a strikeout rate of 32%

His problem is that he is listed as a third baseman and he is clearly not a Major League caliber third baseman. He is not going to replace Pete Alonso at first base and he doesn’t have the speed to play the outfield. So unless Vientos is going to very early on become the next Jim Rice or Mike Easler, he is the one that is going to be traded.

Francisco Alvarez could be everything New York Mets fans have hoped for

After seeing Alvarez, I don’t know what the delay was. His catching was awful? I think Travis d’Arnaud was one of the worst catchers I have ever seen with horrible footwork. Alvarez was not even close to being as bad. He made some mistakes but, for the most part, he is pretty good.

Alvarez seems to be the least intimidated in the group. You can see how confident he is up at the plate. However, the confidence and the absolute raw power he displays hasn’t translated into much. Yes, he’s slammed 25 home runs, most of them into the outer stratosphere, with 63 RBI but he also has 109 strikeouts in 380 at bats, a strikeout rate of 29% and a .211 batting average. He doesn’t appear to have great pitch recognition and seems to be guessing a lot up at the plate.

Ronny Mauricio may not be everything New York Mets fans have hoped for

Mauricio was the last to arrive...waiting for a September call up. His stats down below in the minors was kind of deceptive because although he appeared to be having a good season, he was wildly inconsistent and struggled everywhere they put him in the field. Obviously he isn’t going to be a shortstop for the Mets, but he wasn’t even good there. His athleticism should enable him to make a seamless move. However, he certainly hasn’t shown he can play other positions with the ease that Jeff McNeil does.

After a quick start, he’s hitting .239 with 2 home runs, 9 RBI and 30 strikeouts in 100 at bats, a strikeout rate of 30%.

The four baby Mets are combining for an OBP of .280 and striking out 31% of the time. And none of them have shown that they can play the field on the Major League level in high leverage situations. So now what?

Do the Mets use this season as a learning tool, as a testing ground, and hope that they turn out to be what they believe they are supposed to be? Or will they be traded. But for what value? They certainly haven’t increased their respective values. And have they been over-valued by the Mets? Are they going to be Nolan Ryan and Ken Singleton or are they Lastings Milledge and Fernando Martinez?