This is the second year where we are walking through the previous season’s Baseball America’s Top Prospect handbook, looking at the all the Mets to see how they are developing against Baseball America’s Projections.
Simeon Woods Richardson (and later Anthony Kay) are the two prospect profiles I have really not looked forward to writing about. Simeon might be the reason why I started this whole undertaking six weeks later than I did last year – I was so attached to him it hurt to see him traded away. Now I’m happy about Stroman being on the Mets. But trading for Stroman, when the team was already struggling only makes sense if the Mets resign Wheeler – a full on win-now move so the team could afford to trade away their top two remaining starting pitching prospects.
At first a lot of pundits saw the trade based around Kay, but Simeon is the real prize for Toronto (sort-of like d’Arnaud was the centerpiece of the Dickey trade but Syndergaard was the real prize).
Before the 2019 season, and before Simeon blew up, BA talked about how he was one the youngest players in the draft and and his 26-4 K to BB ratio his first year in professional ball. They liked his mid-90s fastball with spin rate and his 12-6 curveball. Overall they love his stuff but he was a high school pitcher and he has a long journey.
2019 Columbia: 20 G, 78.1 IP, 4.25 ERA, 1.213 WHIP
2019 Dunedin: 6 G, 28.1 IP, 2.54 ERA, 0.882 WHIP
Before the trade Simeon was having a good year in Columbia, even better when his age was factored in (3.8 years below the average age). The Blue Jays bumped him up to Advanced A ball and he did even better + he was 4.9 years below the average. His performance in A+ ball has landed him on multiple top 100 prospect lists.
We are happy for him, sad his success won’t be with us. If the Mets sign Stroman this year to an extension, then this trade will work out for the Mets but if the Mets don’t, and they don’t win a championship this year, then we lost something special.
