2010 Top 20 New York Mets Prospects in Review

by John Sickels on Aug 5, 2025 10:01 AM EDT

2010 Top 20 New York Mets Prospect List in Review

Here is a review of the 2010 Mets prospect list, originally published January 8, 2026. THIS IS A REVIEW OF THE OLD LIST AND PRE-SEASON GRADES. THIS IS NOT A NEW LIST. The 2011 list and new grades won't be ready until the season is over and I start writing the book.

1) Jenrry Mejia, RHP, Grade B+: Back in the minors on rehab for a strained shoulder, after spending most of the spring in New York, 3.25 ERA with the Mets, 17/15 K/BB in 28 innings, 29 hits. He held his own before getting hurt, but I still think it was stupid for him to be on the major league roster this year.

2) Wilmer Flores, SS, Grade B+: .291/.335/.432 for Low-A Savannah and High-A St. Lucie. He doesn't turn 19 until tomorrow...made huge progress this year.

3) Fernando Martinez, OF, Grade B+: .255/.322/.465 for Triple-A Buffalo, hampered by injuries again though he sustained power from last year. Needs better plate discipline. Still just 21. . .

4) Ike Davis, 1B, Grade B: .249/.324/.438 with 15 homers in 94 games for the Mets. Has held his own, especially considering just 10 games of Triple-A under his belt.

5) Jon Niese, LHP, Grade B: 3.78 ERA, 86/37 K/BB in 112 innings for the Mets, 120 hits. A highly competent starting pitcher with a chance to get a lot better in my opinion.

6) Reese Havens, SS, Grade B-: Hit great for St. Lucie and Binghamton (.312/.386/.592) but limited to 32 games by an oblique injury. I like him a lot, if he can stay healthy.

7) Kyle Allen, RHP, Grade B-: 5.03 ERA, 52/53 K/BB in 98 innings for St. Lucie, 99 hits. I thought he was a major breakthrough candidate, but he's been pretty awful, with significant command problems.

8) Jeurys Familia, RHP, Grade B-: 6.30 ERA for St. Lucie, 83/62 K/BB in 84 innings, 85 hits. Like Allen, he's gone backwards. Good strikeout rate, but getting killed by walks.

9) Brad Holt, RHP, Grade C+: Got annihilated in Double-A, and not much better after going back to St. Lucie. 7.71 ERA with 60/49 K/BB in 70 innings, 84 hits. Secondary pitches have regressed, command is fouled up too.

10) Ruben Tejada, INF, Grade C+: .279/.326/.344 in 64 games in Triple-A, .212/.297/.250 in 35 major league games. Very young at age 20 and I still think he can develop.

11) Kirk Nieuwenhuis, OF, Grade C+: .292/.340/.515, 16 homers, 13 steals, 30 walks, 92 strikeouts in 390 at-bats in Double-A. Solid across the board, main worry is high strikeout rate.

12) Eric Niesen, LHP, Grade C+: 4.83 ERA, 45/49 K/BB in 60 innings in Double-A, 57 hits. Another live arm undone by command problems.

13) Jefry Marte, 3B, Grade C+: .264/.333/.401 for Low-A Savannah. Not awful, not great, just 19 years old. Currently out with a bad hamstring.

14) Cesar Puello, OF, Grade C: .293/.377/.363 with 44 steals in 53 attempts for Savannah. Loads of speed, plate discipline is so-so, lacks power, just 19 years old.

15) Josh Thole, C, Grade C: .267/.353/.430 for Buffalo, .294/.400/.373 in the majors. I think he's a .260-.280 hitter with a decent OBP but no power.

16) Juan Urbina, LHP, Grade C: 5.76 ERA with 28/11 K/BB in 30 innings in rookie ball, 32 hits. Just 17 years old, much too early to conclude anything.

17) Steve Matz, LHP, Grade C: Out with Tommy John.

18) Brent Rustich, RHP, Grade C: Just 13 innings pitched this year between GCL rehab and St. Lucie, 5.40 ERA, 10/7 K/BB.

19) Tobi Stoner, RHP, Grade C: 6.07 ERA with 79/41 K/BB in 116 innings in Triple-A, 150 hits. Awful awful awful.

20) Dillon Gee, RHP, Grade C: 4.88 ERA, 123/30 K/BB in 127 innings for Buffalo, 135 hits. Good K/BB ratio, good strikeout rate, I think he's pitched better than the ERA although his home run rate is rather high.

Major league contributions from Niese and Davis were good to see, and Flores has taken a large leap forward with his skills. But I don't like the way Mejia was handled, and most of the pitchers on this list have been big disappointments.

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Read More: Wilmer Flores (SS - NYM), Jon Niese (P - NYM), Ike Davis (1B - NYM), Fernando Martinez (CF - NYM), Ruben Tejada (SS - NYM), Kirk Nieuwenhuis (CF - NYM), Eric Niesen (P - NYM), Josh Thole (C - NYM), Dillon Gee (P - NYM), Jenrry Mejia (P - NYM), Tobi Stoner (P - NYM), Reese Havens (DH - NYM), New York Mets

Comments

So when you say Flores has made huge strides this year and had a B+ grade last year. So what type of grade would you be looking at for him? Honestly, the B+ was pretty aggressive given the year he had last season. I suppose that was just faith in his bat? I guess he could make huge strides and not have a grade change.

I’ve always thought Mejia would be a RP in the end anyway so I thought his B+ grade was very aggressive as well.

by jfish26101 on Aug 5, 2025 10:24 AM EDT reply actions

Not quite sure why the Mets always call guys up so early

Forget about arbitration clocks even - wouldn’t you want the guy to come up when he’s able to make a bigger contribution, and to have him under control for more of his prime? Guys like Mejia and Tejada might not have even entered their prime by the time they become free agents.

Bad Left Hook - The SB Nation boxing blog
"Baseball is played on the field, not on a calculator."

by Brickhaus on Aug 5, 2025 10:32 AM EDT reply actions

GENERAL QUERY

where is a good article or resource for discussing the PCL being a hitters park?

by SheffieldINC on Aug 5, 2025 11:43 AM EDT reply actions

Here's a good one

LINK

by nixa37 on Aug 5, 2025 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Puello

See Toby Hyde’s post about Caesar, and the changes he made earlier this year to plate positioning and stance:

http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/2010/08/05/all-about-cesar-puello/

"Dying is no big deal. The least of us will manage that. Living is the trick." - Red Smith

by finman on Aug 5, 2025 11:50 AM EDT reply actions 1 recs

And this is why the Mets were never seriously in the running for Cliff Lee.

by Humbled Fan on Aug 5, 2025 12:28 PM EDT reply actions

?

I think the Mets had plenty to get Lee. Smoak may be a better hitter than Ike Davis, but Ike has more power and has performed better thus far in relatively small sample comparison. Package him with someone else and that probably could have gotten it done. Not that Ike was ever part of discussions. But Martinez, Havens, Mejia, Thole, Davis, Duda, Lutz, Ratliff, Nieuwenhuis, Flores, Tejeda are all guys that could have been part of a package. If none of them straight up have the rep of Smoak, they all seem like decent enough prospects, with Havens and Mejia having nice peak value potential.

I didn’t read anywhere that the Mets weren’t seriously in the running, and it was more a case of them not wanting to sacrifice a bunch of those guys.

by wobatus on Aug 9, 2025 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions

Sean Ratliff and Zach Lutz

Should have made this list over Stoner and Rustich last year to begin with but hopefully they will make it next year after some good performances.

by Pelferized on Aug 5, 2025 12:39 PM EDT reply actions

An updated Mets Top 40

I’m assuming not only Davis and Niese have graduated, but also Mejia, Tejada, and Thole due to days on the roster. And assuming Harvey will sign.

B+ R 3B Wilmer Flores
B L OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis
B R SP Matt Harvey
B- L 2B Reese Havens
B- L OF Fernando Martinez
B- R RF Cesar Puello
C+ R 3B Jefry Marte
C+ L LF Lucas Duda
C+ R 3B Aderlin Rodriguez
C+ L SP Juan Urbina
C+ L CF Darrell Ceciliani
C+ R 3B Zach Lutz
C L SP Rob Carson
C R SP Jeurys Familia
C R SP Kyle Allen
C R SP Brad Holt
C L RF Sean Ratliff
C R 3B Eric Campbell
C R SP Dillon Gee
C R SS Wilfredo Tovar
C R RF Cory Vaughn
C L SS Jordany Valdespin
C R CA Norman Forsythe
C L SP Zach Dotson
C L SP Stephen Matz
C R SP Eric Goeddel
C R RP Josh Stinson
C R 2B Josh Satin
C L SP Eric Niesen
C R RF Jeffrey Chase Greene
C L 1B Stefan Welch
C R OF Javier Rodriguez
C R RP Brant Rustich
C R RP Nick Carr
C- R SP Brandon Moore
C- R SP Armando Rodriguez
C- R SS Robbie Shields
C- R OF Juan Lagares
C- R CA Francisco Pena
C- L OF Matt Den Dekker

Havens and Martinez could rank higher if not for concerns over too many injuries. Puello apparently still has some power potential and shows some in batting practice, could be a classic 5 tool guy. Marte has a .969 OPS for the month of July (82 AB), I could give him a higher grade, but need to see more. Duda has been on fire, and should be able to handle LF defensively, though he’s played more 1b. Ceciliani I think just missed John’s book last year, but has had a breakout season. Lutz is another guy who would rank higher if he could stay healthy; .879 career OPS, 15 HR in 155 AB in AA this year, decent defense at 3B. Carson, Familia, and Allen still have good potential, but are still throwers more than pitchers. Holt is the biggest puzzle, I wonder if there’s an injury. Ratliff has a .942 OPS in 204 PA in AA, solid corner OF tools, but needs to walk more. Campbell has a good disciplined approach, but less pop than Lutz. Gee at his best shows Kris Medlen potential, but his command isn’t consistently that good. Secondary stuff is sold, but the FB is inconsistent and loses velocity by middle innings. Tovar is a slick fielding SS with some contact ability, but a small build, probably even less upside than Tejada. Vaughn has the tools, and is performing well, but needs to prove he has the pitch recognition at higher levels - could be similar to Ratliff. Valdespin has great pure hitting ability with some pop, and pretty nice tools, but gets downgraded due to discipline, defense, and huge makeup concerns. Forsythe I think was an under-rated draft pick, reportedly a solid defender, great track record with the bat, strikeouts a concern, but with very good power and walk rates, and was the youngest of the college catchers drafted in the early rounds (a year younger than Gibbs).

by acerimusdux on Aug 5, 2025 12:44 PM EDT reply actions

Rodriguez is an interesting guy. I think you could possibly give him a B- but most of those seem reasonable.

by jfish26101 on Aug 5, 2025 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions

Minor leagues are just not a priority with this franchise...

…or rather, it’s maybe a #2 or #3 priority.

It’s clear that this franchise is very concerned about gaining ground on its town rival. Which places it’s emphasis on internal development at a disadvantage. So many of the upper level prospects gets rushed a half season or so ahead of where they probably should be. Not that every one of these guys will be stars, but if developed on a more reasonable schedule with good resources, the middle tier prospects end up being more serviceable and maybe tradable.

by basemonkey on Aug 5, 2025 12:48 PM EDT reply actions

Speaking of Havens

Any word on when he could return? He’s been out for nearly two months, are oblique injuries THAT debilitating?

by Jeff Reese on Aug 5, 2025 1:19 PM EDT reply actions

Not good...

Adam Rubin said last week that he’s not progressing well, and could be out the rest of the year. Then again they said that about Lutz too. Havens is becoming ever more frustrating with the injuries than F-Mart though…

by MetfanBren on Aug 5, 2025 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions

Damn

It would be nice if he could overcome these nagging injuries as I’m very interested if he can continue to hit like he did this year.

http://bullpenbanter.com/

by Jeff Reese on Aug 6, 2025 8:42 AM EDT up reply actions

I think Allen is case where makeup might be an issue

My roommate’s dad is Allen’s agent and he says he is a complete headcase. Started seeing a therapist. Not sure the nature of it (if its a diagnosed illness or just general therapy) but I think off-field issues might be getting in the way of his progress.

by Navi's_Navy on Aug 5, 2025 2:50 PM EDT reply actions

I’m sure Allen would appreciate his agent (or his agent’s son) proclaiming he was a headcase. Haha

by jfish26101 on Aug 5, 2025 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions

Much better to admit a problem now,

than to have a Grienke situation. Ballplayers are just like us and suffer from the same issues that the general population do. Anxiety, depression, anger management, etc. are all real issues. If anything, I’m impressed the kid realized he needed professional help in dealing with whatever physcological/ emotional issue he is dealing with.

by Haden Dawg on Aug 5, 2025 3:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Sounds like a good agent.

by Geki on Aug 5, 2025 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Not

…if his kid is blabbing around about it…either the agent shouldn’t be sharing, or the kid should be more tight-lipped. Once you tell someone, then your roommate knows. Once your roommate knows, then apparently so does the entire forum of a website. Not Good Practice!

by killa on Aug 5, 2025 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I should add

That while that stuff should be confidential, I conversely love hearing about it Elephant Ear style in the forums. Gives us something on makeup that might not be in the scouting reports. But the “Headcase” title still rubs me wrong- whether it’s from the agent, his son, or Navi (sorry)…

by killa on Aug 5, 2025 7:27 PM EDT up reply actions

personally, I hate hearing about this crap

I don’t want to know about it, I wouldn’t want other people to know it about me unless I was okay with it, and now every time this kid’s name comes up in conversation, I’m going to be subjected to, “But what about the mental makeup issues????”

Suffering from a condition that requires a mental therapist is NOT a black mark on a player’s makeup, nor should it ever be seen that way. It’s BS like that that makes people unwilling to disclose their conditions in the first place.

by mrkupe on Aug 6, 2025 8:45 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

+1 from me

Seeing a therapist can also be a positive sign. It can mean that he’s trying to work on his makeup issues that you’ve already seen and has enough self-awareness or outside support to help him address the psychological developments. Sadly, most people view seeing a therapist as “head case” rather than “maturely working to get healthy” and this leads to the stigma against people working on their mental health.

Joey Votto admitted mental health issues following his father’s death. I don’t know how Greinke or Pelfrey addressed their own makeup concerns. Certainly we’re not crying tears as hard-working guys who probably aren’t making big-time money, but baseball can be very stressful for these players and I hope we can recognize that they are people too deserving of our compassion when they have any health problems.

On a desperate search for Sunshine at Nats Park. In Rizzo and Ramos we trust.

by souldrummer on Aug 6, 2025 12:08 PM EDT up reply actions

Nor do we even know if this is true

It is too easy for people to make these stories up in an online forum.

by King Billy Royal on Aug 6, 2025 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Interesting to hear. Allen’s been one of my biggest minor league disappointments. He’s got really good stuff and is an excellent athlete to boot.

by WrenFGun on Aug 5, 2025 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions

St. Lucie...

I don’t know about Allen’s head, but I do know that every Met pitcher who has spent time in High-A ball this year has turned into a pumpkin, and none of them can throw strikes anymore. I shudder to think what will become of Harvey if the Mets don’t evaluate the way they’ve handled pitchers this year and make appropriate changes. I would never had said the farm was stocked with arms coming into this season, but there’s plenty of stuff drastically underperforming…

by MetfanBren on Aug 10, 2025 2:39 PM EDT up reply actions

How are Mets fans in regards to Fernando Martinez

are they down on him since last year?

He seems like someone I’d absolutely love to have on the Dodgers or in their farm, I just don’t know what price it would take to get him right now, and if they would be buying low or not.

"Stop exploding you cowards!!!"

by Ivdown on Aug 5, 2025 5:52 PM EDT reply actions

Down somewhat

At the deadline, when the Mets really could have used pitching, I get the impression the guys teams were asking for were Davis, Niese, Flores, and Mejia. Fernando, not so much. The constant injuries at this point really do have to raise some questions, and he does need to learn to draw a few more walks, but the power is there and he’s still young enough for that to happen.

Also, after signing Bay, and with the emergence of Pagan, the Mets aren’t necessarily dependent on Martinez stepping into a starting job soon, but he could still fit long term in RF. They could try to deal Beltran, but the big contract and NT clause, combined with his own injury problems, make that unlikely. He only has one year left though, and they could possibly even move him to RF.

Even as far as a replacement for Beltran, with the emergence of Nieuwenhuis, it’s not clear they need Fernando there either. Kirk stays on the field, and seems the safer guy this point to rely on. They also have a guy named Ratliff in right field in AA starting to look decent.

So I think the Mets would trade him, but the question is what price? The Mets are really hurting for another SP. I think if they could put together a package around Fernando for one, they might do that.

by acerimusdux on Aug 5, 2025 10:48 PM EDT up reply actions

Probably a team like Oakland

Perhaps at the trade deadline next year if the Mets need SP and the A’s are willing to trade Gio Gonzales to make room for Outman or something like that. Probably along with one of their other fallen angels like Familia, Allen, or Holt. This way they get Carlos Gonzales V2 to make up for the CarGo V1 stupidity. Plus they probably turn the pitcher’s career around in the bullpen, think Jason Isringhausen.
Just throwing something out there, but it could be very possible.

by Cesar V on Aug 6, 2025 1:00 PM EDT up reply actions

Depends ...

— “How are Mets fans in regards to Fernando Martinez … are they down on him since last year?”

Knowledgeable ones realize that he’s still just 21 and needs to both get healthy and also put in some more time (as in: uninterrupted time) at the upper levels of the minors before we start to get a more concrete idea of what he really is/will be.

A substantial portion on the other hand - because they’ve been hearing about him since he was 16 y/o - act as if they were promised a sure-fire superstar and think the fact that he wasn’t a ML regular two years ago and an All-Star by now means they’ve been sold a bill of goods. That certain portions of the media (talk radio) feed into this helps stoke those fires.

Hopefully (IMO) NYM mgmt doesn’t listen to that latter portion and decide to dump him now simply so it looks like they’re “doing something”. Selling now would not only be selling low on the guy but also not exactly the move a spiraling team should be making right now.

by Frayed Knot on Aug 7, 2025 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions

Not that your post isn’t reasonable, but I personally think he has always been rated too high. This is why I’ve become more conservative with prospects, you rank them almost purely on tools (which he has tons of) but they don’t always develop. F-Mart hasn’t been all projection and no production like some other prospects but I’m just not sure he should be in elite company. Some of the online publications have had him as high as the top 10 and that just seems crazy.

by jfish26101 on Aug 7, 2025 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions