New York Mets Practicing Patience With Their Top Prospects

Published: 18^th Feb 12 11:10 pm

Craig Williams
craigwilliams

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Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE

With pitchers and catchers set to report tomorrow (if you’re reading this “tomorrow” then the pitchers and catchers will report today), you can imagine there will be a lot of chatter and banter around each teams’ camp. Despite a quiet offseason, the New York Mets will have plenty to talk about. In fact general manager Sandy Alderson has already spoken at length with the media. The question that perhaps most New York Mets fans want to know is when are we going to see Zack Wheeler, Matt Harvey, Jeurys Familia and Jenrry Mejia. Alderson did not offer a definitive answer (not that he should have), but basically expressed that New York Mets fans will need to be patient.

Zack Wheeler – the club’s No. 1 prospect according to several publications – will not pitch for the New York Mets this season. You can book that. I’m also willing to bet that Jenrry Mejia will be the first to pitch in Queens in 2012. He is returning from Tommy John surgery, but he also has Major League experience under his belt. As far as Harvey and Familia, there is no hurry. From the team’s standpoint, this is a silver lining of facing modest expectations. Unlike the New York Yankees, the Mets will be able to let their top pitching prospects develop at their own pace and when they do make it to the bigs, they can work through their growing pains without Mike Francesa acid raining over the airwaves. Well, maybe he would anyway. Luckily I don’t have to worry about getting caught in his storms.

Alderson also mentioned that the system as a whole is getting stronger as the overall quality from top-to-bottom has inched forward. This is obviously exciting news. The bloodline of a franchise is its farm system and there is no reason at all for the Mets not to consistently boast some of the strongest minor league talent in the game. Better days await the New York Mets and fans might not even have to wait that much longer.

For more tasty nuggets regarding the New York Mets’ quartet of starting pitching prospects and their minor league system in general, follow me on twitter@craigmwilliams.

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