In 2011, the New York Mets were forced to bite the bullet and start preparing for the future.
The financial woes of owner Fred Wilpon have been well documented, and when it was obvious the team was not going to compete, they decided to trade Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez.
The trades, combined with a better draft philosophy that targeted potential and upside, has given the team some hope. There's still a long way to go to repair the system, but at least, they're getting on the right track.
With that in mind, here are the Top 5 prospects in the Mets' system.
1. Zack Wheeler, RHP, 21
It should tell you something about how well thought of Wheeler is that he was traded to the Mets from San Francisco straight up for Beltran. He's certainly worthy of all the praise that has been heaped upon him, though there's still plenty of work for him to do in order be the pitcher everyone thinks he can be.
Strengths: Wheeler has a live arm with a fastball that sits in the low to mid-90s. He has an easy delivery that doesn't put too much strain on his shoulder. He had better control of his pitches last season.
Weaknesses: While his control improved, he's still learning to command his pitches in the strike zone. He also has yet to figure out how to consistently get left-handed hitters out.
Report: Wheeler has the most upside of any player in the system. He can be a dominant No. 2 starter with a chance to be an ace if his command can improve. He has a great fastball-curveball combination already, and if his changeup develops as expected, he could lead the Mets' rotation for a long time.
ETA: 2014
2. Matt Harvey, RHP, 22
There was some skepticism about Harvey when the Mets drafted him in the first round of the 2010 draft. He proved the critics wrong by showing a better fastball and not being afraid to attack professional hitters in his debut last year.
Strengths: Harvey's fastball jumped up to 92-94 last season. He also shows good command of the fastball, moving it all over the plate to get hitters out. His best pitch is his slider, which has the ability to be a swing-and-miss offering in the majors.
Weaknesses: Command has never been Harvey's strongest tool. In fact, there's a feeling that he will wind up in the bullpen as a result of his inability to control a pitch in the strike zone. He's still developing a changeup. How he progresses with it will likely determine his eventual role.
Report: In a perfect world, Harvey would figure out how to command all of his pitches and the changeup will enable him to get left-handed hitters out. The bullpen is the fallback plan that the Mets don't want to think about for at least another year.
ETA: 2013
3. Jeurys Familia, RHP, 22
Familia had a nice bounce-back season in 2011. After posting a 5.58 ERA and 1.58 WHIP in 2010, he came back with a very respectable 2.90 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. He still has work to do, but the promising results last year bring a lot of hope.
Strengths: The first thing you notice about Familia is his hard, live fastball. It sits in the mid-90s with great movement. He showed marked improvement with all of his other pitches as well, which led to the vast improvement in his stat line.
Weaknesses: Familia's biggest problem is finding consistency with his changeup. His command will probably always be below-average, so his upside is limited.
Report: You would love to see him harness his command someday, because the raw stuff would play great in a starting rotation. He seems likely to be relegated to late-inning reliever duty right now.
ETA: Late-2012
4. Brandon Nimmo, OF, 18
The Mets surprised a lot of people by drafting Nimmo with the 13th pick in last year's draft, because their philosophy has always been to take low-risk college players. He's still very raw and learning to play the game, thanks to the limited number of games he could play in Wyoming.
Strengths: Despite being 18 years old and having limited experience, Nimmo already has a polished approach at the plate. He has a good understanding of the strike zone with plate discipline and should hit for a high average. He's a good runner who should be able to steal 15-20 bases when he gets comfortable on the basepath.
Weaknesses: He doesn't have a lot of loft in his swing, so he will probably not have a lot of power. The fact that he didn't have a high school with a baseball team means he's going to have plenty of work to do in the minors honing his skills.
Report: Nimmo has tremendous upside and the potential to play center field. He can be an above-average defender thanks to his speed, instincts and an above-average arm. He will more than likely be a No. 2 hitter in a lineup unless he can change his swing to add more power.
ETA: 2015
5. Jenrry Mejia, RHP, 22
It's probably a good thing that the Mets switched general managers in 2010, because the new regime might actually handle Mejia in a way that allows him to fulfill his potential. Of course, he's coming off Tommy John surgery, so he will have plenty of work to do just to get back to where he was before.
Strengths: Before the surgery, Mejia had the best fastball in the system. He hit the mid-90s with regularity, and it would dance all over the place. He had great movement on all of his pitches, which frequently resulted a lot of weak contact from opposing hitters.
Weaknesses: The Tommy John surgery is an obvious red flag. No one knows how he or his arm will respond when he does return. They say that command is the last thing to return after that operation, and Mejia never had good command to begin with.
Report: Mejia is the greatest unknown in the system at this point in time. If he comes back at full strength and improves his command, he can be a No. 2 starter easily. Given his problems commanding pitches and injury history, he's likely going to end up as a late-inning reliever.
ETA: 2013
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