MPH System Audit, Part III (That's 3 in Roman Numerals)

Shortstop

Obviously, there is no great need for shortstop prospects in the system. However, those that we do have, generally cannot hit to save their lives. We here at MPH have high hopes for Juan Lagares, but he is a long way away, and it's way too soon to project if he will be able to hit. In addition, the prospects we do have, are all geniuses with the glove.

1. Emmanuel Garcia (R Kingsport .291/.373/.379, A- Brooklyn .240/.316/.240)

Total 2006 Stats: .281/.362/.352 (72 for 256, 42 runs, 5 2b, 2 3b, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 32 BBs, 54 Ks, 22/28 SBs)

Garcia was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2004, and opened the 2005 season, his first in pro ball, with the GCL Mets, where he excelled, hitting .339/.412/.409 in 45 games, as a 19 year old. In 2006, Garcia opened with Kingsport of the Appy League, putting together a .291/.373/.379 line in 51 games. A late season promotion to Brooklyn slowed him down a bit, as he hit .240/.316/.240 in 13 games, still managing to draw 5 walks versus 13 strikeouts.

Garcia has an advanced approach for such a young plate, as demonstrated by his 32/54 BB/K ratio this year split between Kingsport and Brooklyn. Most likely, he will open 2007 in Brooklyn, although there is an outside chance of him being in Savannah, and he will most likely be moved over to second base (what need is there for any shortstop prospects?)

2. Juan Lagares (R DSL Mets .255/.339/.412)

Juan Mercado, the scout that found Jose Reyes, said in a Dominican newspaper that 16-year-old SS Juan Lagares is better than Reyes at the same age. Lagares was signed by the Mets in 2005 and played for the DSL team in 2006, getting into 57 games and hitting .255/.339/.412.

Lagares will most likely (insert broken record) be moved to second base sometime soon, and we hope he makes his stateside debut this year. If he does, it will most likely be as an 18 year old in the Gulf Coast League.

3. Jose Coronado (A+ St. Lucie .226/.283/.278)

The New York Mets signed shortstop Jose Coronado as an International free agent out of Venezuela back in August of 2003. He started him Mets career with the VSL team, and batted .242/.351/.363 in 34 games. Jose made his stateside debut in 2005 with the GCL Mets, where in 11 games, he proved he outclassed the league, hitting .404/.429/.468. A promotion to Hagerstown (skipping Kingsport and Brooklyn) slowed Coronado down, as he hit .225/.295/.282 in 18 games in his first taste of full season ball. Coronado played all of 2006 as a 20 year old in the Florida State League, and most likely, he will return to start the season.

The Mets are very high on Coronado. He’s very good defensively, but needs to get stronger with the bat. His plate discipline is quite good for a young player, and the Mets have no reason rush a SS prospect.

4. Jonathan Schemmel (A Hagerstown .297/.387/.352, A- Brooklyn .263/.335/.318)

Total 2006 Stats: .273/.350/.328 (84 for 308, 34 runs, 13 2b, 2 3b, 25 RBI, 30 BBs, 39 Ks, 6/10 SBs)

The Mets signed Schemmel as an undrafted free agent on June 15, 2005. Schemmel played for Concordia University and hit .389 in 2005, his junior season. Schemmel was sent to the Gulf Coast League where he batted .347/.504/.436 in 34 games, with a near 2:1 walk to strikeout ratio. 2006 saw Schemmel as another victim of the idiotic policy of stacking Brooklyn. Schemmel was hitting .297/.387/.352 in 30 games for Hagerstown of the South Atlantic League, before being sent to Brooklyn, where he hit .263/.335/.318 in 57 games, one of the leading players on Brooklyn’s march to the playoffs.

Schemmel should open 2007 as a 24 year old in the South Atlantic League, which is way too old, so he will have to jump to Binghamton if he wants to be considered a prospect.

5. Corey Ragsdale (AA Binghamton .204/.274/.330)

Corey was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2001 draft, out of Nettleton High in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and assigned to the rookie level Appalachian League, where in 23 games, he hit .141/.256/.282. 2002 saw Ragsdale start off in Brooklyn, struggling in 66 games, as he hit .183/.277/.259, before a promotion to Cap City in the South Atlantic League, where in 37 games he hit .177/.262/.210.

Corey started 2004 with St. Lucie, and finally hit over .200, in 124 games, he batted .219/.303/.337, though he struck out a staggering 152 times in 421 ABs. In 2005, split between St. Lucie and Binghamton, Corey hit .245 in 490 ABs, with 169 strikeouts.

Ragsdale spent the entire 2006 season in Binghamton, where he hit .204/.274/.330 with 182 strikeouts in 437 ABs, a strikeout rate of .416.

Ragsdale also has averaged 23.5 errors per season at shortstop. Luckily, we don’t need any shortstops in the near future, and he’s at the bottom of the list of candidates to be converted to second base.