Bats/Throws: R/R

Height/Weight: 6’5”, 190

Acquired: 9^th Rd 2008, Le Moyne College

Born: 11/13/86 (Troy, NY)

Why Ranked Here: Beaulac had a nice debut split largely between Kingsport and Savannah, complemented by equally strong scouting reports. Scouts praised both his arm strength, seeing an average to better MLB fastball, and a power breaking ball.

2008: Beaulac set a new Le Moyne Dolphins single-season strikeout record (113) on his way to the 2008 Division I Independent Pitcher of the Year Award. The Mets started Beaulac out in Brooklyn where he made just two relief appearances in June, the second of which was a perfect, five strikeout performance over two innings. That earned him a demotion to Kingsport where he was excellent in three relief appearances before two starts in mid-July. And that prompted the Mets to promote Beaulac to Savannah where he made six strong starts from the end of July to August. One statistical red flag from his Savannah time was the increased walk rate.

Dr. Pangloss Says: Beaulac has two pitches that scouts thought were MLB quality already. From where he is, to a rotation candidacy will require both improved command and a changeup.

On the Flipside: Power arm and a power breaking ball sound like a bullpen starter-kit.

Projected 2009 Start: A-ball

Bats/Throws: L/R

Height/Weight: 6’3”, 210 lbs

Acquired: 3^rd Rd 2008 (Azusa Pacific)

Born: 8/7/87 (Ripon, CA)

Why Ranked Here: Nieuwenhuis has a big league frame with length and some room to fill out. He has big league tools, notably the speed, range and instincts to play center and the arm to play right. He has big league taste, listing sushi as his favorite food. Nieuwenhuis has a clean swing mechanically, and gap power right now.

2008: Nieuwenhuis was one of the most productive and consistent Brooklyn Cyclones, hitting for a modest average, reaching base and knocking some doubles.

Dr. Pangloss Says: Nieuwenhuis’s athleticism will allow him to hold down an MLB centerfield job, or at least qualify as a 4^th OF who hits righties. .

On the Flipside: Nieuwenhuis did not hit lefties (.221/.329/.324 in 68 AB) as well as he hit righties (.295/.354/.419 in 217 AB). If he fails to improve against southpaws, he will find it difficult to hold down an everyday job. Moreover, if he can’t play center everyday, without the power for right, he falls into tweener and fourth OF land.

Projected 2009 Start: St. Lucie CF

Bats/Throws: R/L

Height/Weight: 6’0”, 190 lbs

Acquired: 18^th Rd ’07 (Georgia College & State U.)

Born: 8/6/85

Why Ranked Here: Antonini graduated from both full-season A-ball leagues in his first full professional season, and that success from a left-hander counts for something. His fastball is fringe-average from the left side, sitting at 88-89 when I saw him in July. He touched 91, but did not pitch at that velocity. The fastball plays up thanks to good command as he can spot it to both sides of the plate. His changeup is his second pitch, but when he didn’t finish the pitch, it stayed up, and got hit hard in AA.

2008: SAL? Check. FSL? Check. AA? Working on it. Winter ball? No problem. That’s a great year.

Dr. Pangloss Says: Lefties are valuable commodities and Antonini might be competing for a job at the backend of the rotation within two years. A LOOGY job is a possibility, but Antonini’s L/R splits vacillated in very small samples across his many stops in 2008. The fact that Antonini has solid command his fastball gives some reason for hope that he can learn to keep his changeup down more consistently.

On the Flipside: In 2008, Antonini became a two-pitch pitcher against righties, against whom he did not like to throw his sweeping slider. He must tighten the offering.

Projected 2009 Start: AA Binghamton rotation

Bats/Throws: S/R

Height/Weight: 6’1”

Acquired: NDFA (3/3/06)

Born: 6/3/88 (San Juan de La Maguana, DR)

Why Ranked Here: Veloz hit his way out of the SAL with a scorching performance after the All-Star Break at age 20. He brings plus big league speed to the ballpark every night. Veloz has the ability (range, hands and arm) to play MLB caliber defense at second, one of the tougher positions on the diamond to fill.

2008: Veloz hit .258/.304/.352 in 267 AB before the All-Star break but decided he’d had enough of the SAL and went out and hit .324/.388/.473 in 188 to earn his promotion to St. Lucie and the FSL. Veloz did not hit much in the season’s final month at St. Lucie, nor did he hit at all as one of the youngest players in Hawaii Winter Baseball. At all of his stops this year, Veloz hit better as a lefty than as a righty.

Dr. Pangloss Says: Veloz will be an MLB caliber second baseman who will be a threat to run whenever he’s on base.

On the Flipside: Veloz must walk more to be a true asset at the top of an MLB batting order because he has below average power. In 2008, he walked 39 times in over 550 PA. Moreover, his value as a utility infielder is limited because he doesn’t play short or third, so he’ll have to hit enough to hold down a 2B job to really deserve a roster spot. Scouts aren’t convinced he’ll hit at the higher levels.

Projected 2009 Start: St. Lucie as the team’s everyday 2B.

As an aside here, both Veloz and Josh Satin (a late scratch from the top 41) would have an argument to play 2B everyday in St. Lucie. Neither is ready for AA. It would be a disservice to either player’s development, and the team in Binghamton for either to be assigned to the Parlor City.

Pitching in Game 4, with Ponce up 2-1 in the Puerto Rican Winter League Championship series, Michael Antonini lasted just 2.1 innings in a 9-6 Ponce win.  Ponce clinched the Championship with an 8-0 win Sunday night.

In his 2.1 IP, Antonini gave up four runs, three earned, on seven hits.

The losing pitcher in the game?  Bill Pulsipher.  You can’t make this stuff up.  Baseball is great.

At SNY.tv, Michael Salfino hooked up with a scout to talk about the Mets Top 10 prospects as ranked by Baseball America.  The scout has opinions on all of the Mets top prospects.  It’s unusual for a single scout to have coverage from the GCL through AA in geographically disparate locations.

On Jonathan Niese:

“Yes, he’s a curve ball specialist and you can count those guys in the Majors now on two hands. But his velocity keeps increasing. He’s not physically mature yet. I can see him being a guy who can throw 92 or 93 consistently with that curve and a decent cutter. But he’s not likely to peak until age 27 or 28. Then, I think he can be a middle-of-the-rotation starter on a championship-caliber club. This year, I’d have no problem beginning the season with him as my No. 5 starter even though he’s a contact/command guy at the moment.”

Like the scout, I think Niese could reasonably begin the season as the Mets #5 starter.

On Wilmer Flores:

Flores ceiling right now at the plate is Miguel Cabrera — he had the most projectable power in the Appalachian League despite only turning 17 in August.

This is just a monster of a comp.

On Jenry Mejia

But the worst case for him, barring injury (an awfully big caveat), is to be a Brad Lidge-type of two-pitch closer.

I love Mejia, but as a worst case that’s a little ridiculous.  Brad Lidge was very good for a long time.

One year after assigning Fernando the #10 ranking, this year Keith Law ranked him #16 in among prospects in all of baseball.   His comments are indented, mine italicized.

….Martinez has a special bat and the injuries plus some aggressive promotions have obscured it. Martinez offers huge power potential, putting on a display in BP, but it has only briefly started to emerge in games. He has very quick and strong wrists, letting the ball travel on him before exploding quickly and making solid, hard contact.

Law has always shown love for Martinez’s swing.

In the field, he’s looking more likely to end up in right field; the Mets have one of the game’s best center fielders in the big leagues and don’t need to groom Martinez for that position.

His pitch recognition, while good for his age, hasn’t progressed over the last two years, and the more he’s pushed up the system the less likely it is that the skill will develop.

As much as Law likes Martinez, he goes out of his way to ding the Mets for their aggressive promotion strategy.

Martinez has now played the equivalent of a full season in Double-A before his 20th birthday, and the Mets are faced with the difficult decision of whether to promote him to Triple-A because he has “graduated” from the lower level or return him to the Eastern League for the third consecutive year so he can work on his plate discipline and, maybe, catch his breath.

The Mets have indicated that Martinez is going to Buffalo so apparently this wasn’t that hard a decision for the team at all.