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3 Mets prospects other than Ronny Mauricio who've earned a September call-up
These three Mets prospects are lower profile but having September call-up worthy seasons in Triple-A.
September roster expansions in Major League Baseball are no longer the packed house they used to be. They still expand another two spots allowing for a pair of players to have their chance. With the New York Mets playing every game as a tryout or experiment, they have multiple directions to go with their two added roster spots.
Calling up a third catcher like Michael Perez is the boring move to make. Promoting Joey Lucchesi for his recent outing was sensible but not exciting. Mets fans want to see Ronny Mauricio. Aside from him, these three others have put together performances worthy of consideration.
1) Why the NY Mets should consider calling up Carlos Cortes this September
It seems like Carlos Cortes has been in the New York Mets system for much longer than five years. A third round pick in 2018, he looked like he was fast-tracking his way to the majors before the 2022 season.
Cortes was a quality prospect with the Jeff McNeil quality of being able to play second base and the corner outfield. He has since moved out of the infield and onto the outfield grass. Unfortunately, his bat slowed down in 2022. He hit only .168/.231/.234 in 117 plate appearances at Triple-A. He wasn’t all that much better in his 374 chances in Double-A, slashing .241/.316/.413.
This year has been one of the good ones for Cortes again. In 331 plate appearances for Syracuse, Cortes is slashing .266/.360/.479 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI. He has found himself plugged in mostly as the team’s left fielder.
Adding some extra fuel to the fire is the fact that Cortes is Rule 5 Draft eligible. It’s not the first time he has been available. However, coming off of a productive year in Triple-A, teams might be more tempted to take a chance on the left-handed hitting infielder/outfielder. The Mets should be open to sampling him this September. Otherwise he’ll fritter away in the minors.
2) Why the NY Mets should consider calling up Luke Ritter this September
The Rule 5 Draft comes into play with this other Mets minor leaguer worthy of a September promotion. Luke Ritter is a mostly second baseman who found his power surge in the minors this year. He, too, is available to get picked off in the Rule 5 Draft this winter. Terrific power numbers and a great OBP have landed him on the radar of Mets fans looking for anything promising on the farm.
Ritter isn’t a perfect player. He strikes out a lot. The warning signs are there that if the Mets were to promote him and give him the occasional at-bats, the strikeouts would be far too frequent for a guy with irregular playing time. We won’t know unless he gets a chance. He already has 132 strikeouts in 104 games.
The numbers Ritter has posted this year aren’t too different between Double-A and Triple-A. Combined, he’s slashing .244/.374/.485 in 437 trips to the plate. More notable are his 25 home runs and 59 RBI.
Ritter might be a little less likely to get selected in the Rule 5 Draft than Cortes who has at least shown he can make contact against minor league pitching on a regular basis. Of the two, calling up Cortes might make a little more sense. He has more experience in the infield and outfield. There is already an opportunity for him to start as much as possible in left field for the final few weeks.
3) Why the NY Mets should consider calling up Nate Lavender in September
Some baseball player names just stick with you. Nathan James Lavender has one of them. He sounds soft and soothing. His fascinating ability to strike out opponents almost at will makes him anything but.
This 14th round pick from the 2021 draft has already made his way to Triple-A. Lavender the lefty is having a sensational year on the farm yet again. What else would we expect? He has been on point ever since become a professional ball player.
Lavender’s Triple-A numbers, more noteworthy because of how little he pitched in Double-A before his promotion, include a 3-3 record and 3.27 ERA in 33 innings. He’s striking batters out at a rate of 13.1 per 9 but unfortunately walking them 5.2 times per 9 as well.
Promoting Lavender in September has no future roster implications involving the Rule 5 Draft as he’s not eligible for it until after the 2024 season. By then the Mets should have already given him an opportunity. He has been consistent enough in his three big league seasons. He deserves a look.
Calling up a relief pitcher makes more sense than any hitter. Getting his feet wet now in the final weeks of the 2023 season could give the team a strong preview of what he can do against big league pitching. He can compete in the spring, but why not let him compete now in games where the opponent is trying their best (for the most part) with lineups not made up of position players with linemen numbers on the backs of their jerseys?
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