Let's Hear It for the Boys!
Maybe he's no Conforto but he's my gloving one-man show, whooa, whooa, whooa-oh! Let's hear it for the boy(s)!
Image via Anthony DiComo, MLB.com
Spring Training is in full swing and there is an overwhelming feeling of hope and excitement.
At this point every year I used to be freaking out about all of the holes in the lineup or which clearance-aisle pitchers are going to make the Opening Day roster.
This offseason was a success and it has allowed the Mets to give a lot of the young guys a lot of attention during camp.
I can’t think of a time when the Mets were able to bring up so many non-roster prospects to get reps with the big leaguers.
After a full year of no minor league baseball, the Mets may have felt the invite to Port St. Lucie was crucial to catching up on the development of these highly touted prospects and future big leaguers.
Mets Top Prospects Featured at 2021 Spring Training:
Pete Crow-Armstrong, 18, center field
Francisco Alvarez, 19, catcher
Ronny Mauricio, 19, shortstop
Matt Allan, 19, RHP
Brett Baty, 21, third baseman
Mark Vientos, 21, third baseman
This is an exciting time for all parties involved. I do not anticipate seeing any of these players till the end of 2022 or the beginning of 2023 but this is a great sign for the organization, nevertheless.
The aftermath of Mariners’ CEO Kevin Mather's disturbing comments about stunting their players’ development through service time manipulation — along with the blatant examples of such activity around the league in recent years — has every organization under a microscope.
These invites should incite encouragement regarding the Mets’ attitude and approach toward their prospects.
We are already seeing the benefits of having the young bucks up with the big leaguers. It has been reported that Jacob deGrom and Matt Allan will be working closely together this spring.
Jacob understands what it means to teach a young pitcher. It was not too long ago when Jacob was in Matt’s position learning from Johan Santana.
Here’s Allan speaking with the media this week regarding his work with deGrom, via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
Pete Crow-Armstrong has impressed Michael Conforto during their outfield work. Crow-Armstrong’s big upside has been his fielding ability highlighted by his speed.
Learning from a guy like Conforto could be terrific for developing his hitting skills. We have watched Conforto evolve as a hitter right in front of our eyes.
Spring Training will be kicking off Steve Cohen’s tenure as Mets owner. The offseason that had some of the highest highs and the lowest lows will be over and it’s time to put up or shut up.
I will be watching to see how many in-game reps these young guys will get and how they will be managed throughout camp. We’re wishing the entire team a happy and healthy spring training and Let’s Go Mets!
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