Bats/Throws: L/L

Height/Weight: 6’4”/230 lbs

Acquired: 14^th rd 2007 (Hattiesburg HS)

Born: 1/23/89

2010 Rank: 23

Why Ranked Here: Carson is still a big-bodied, durable lefthander with a plus fastball.  He sits comfortably in the low 90s and touches 94 mph.  His slider, which was sitting at 87 mph in the Arizona Fall League, can be nasty at times as well.  He’s a loose-limbed athlete.  Carson earned a promotion out of advanced-A to double-A at the tender age of 20.  He’ll be just 21 to start 2011.  All of these are good things.  However, he was hit very hard in double-A and the Arizona Fall League.

2010: Coming off a 2009 Sterling Award with Savannah, Carson really struggled to begin the 2010 season in advanced-A with St. Lucie.  Things turned around for him in early June.  After a 2.1 inning, six run, zero strikeout effort on June 2, Carson’s ERA sat at 5.44.  Then he started rolling.  The table below compares Carson’s first 11 appearances with St. Lucie with his final six.  Notice the changes in his final six starts in St. Lucie: his strikeout rate was up by 33%, his walk rate dropped in half and his batting average against dipped almost 30% as well.  His K/BB rate was 4.13.  That’s making a case for a promotion.  It was a short case, but a strong one never the less.

So, promoted to AA for a start on July 16, Carson struggled.  And kept struggling.

The Mets sent Carson out to the Arizona Fall League where he gave up 16 runs and 27 hits in 18.2 innings.

Dr. Pangloss Says: It’s easy to get excited about Carson for his size and velocity.   He could stick at the back end of a rotation, but more likely belongs in the bullpen where he could be a dominant left-handed reliever.

Debbie Downer Says: Bullpen arms come and go and this one won’t last.

Projected 2011 Start: AA Binghamton.  Carson really had trouble at Binghamton in 2010, so 2011 will be an important year for him to master the level.

MLB Arrival: 2013