I stole the premise for this post from Aaron Gleeman, but in the process ended up doing something a little different. Eessentially, Aaron used Baseball America’s handy All-Time Top 100 Prospects lists (dating back to 1990) to revisit the best prospects over the years for the Minnesota Twins.
At a time when the internet provides us — almost insanely — with daily updates on every Mets minor league team, from Spodunk to East Bumville, I figured it might be instructive, or at least entertaining, to use this particular lens through which to view 24 years of Mets history.
I began by compiling the list below, which took some typing, and figured that I’d add comments or brief write-ups of each player. But after a while, I began to feel that the lists I’d created had their own stark, muted eloquence. Maybe another day we’ll come back to this, discuss our hopes for Pat Strange and Grant Roberts, the disappointment of Lastings Milledge and D.J. Dozier, and so on. But for now, my sense is that you’ll enjoy traveling through nearly a quarter century of prospects without me getting in the way.
1990
STEVE AVERY #1
- Julio Valera #56
- Todd Hundley #65
1991
TODD VAN POPPEL #1
- Anthony Young #26
- Pete Schourek #33
- D.J. Dozier #44
- Brook Fordyce #47
- Todd Hundley #59
- Julio Valera #98
1992
BRIEN TAYLOR #1
- Todd Hundley #18
- Jeromy Burnitz #50
- Butch Huskey #54
- Anthony Young #55
- Julain Vasquez #92
- D.J. Dozier #99
1993
CHIPPER JONES #1
- Bobby Jones #28
- Jeremy Burnitz #61
- Brook Fordyce #64
- Al Shirley #74
- Butch Huskey #92
- Preston Wilson #93
1994
CLIFF FLOYD #1
- Bill Pulsipher #21
- Preston Wilson #43
- Kirk Presley #59
- Butch Huskey #70
- Edgardo Alfonzo #74
1995
ALEX RODRIGUEZ #1
- Bill Pulsipher #12
- Paul Wilson #16
- Rey Ordonez #20
- Edgardo Alfonzo #31
- Jason Isringhausen #37
- Carl Everett #95
- Jay Payton #96
1996
ANDRUW JONES #1
- Paul Wilson #2
- Rey Ordonez #17
- Jay Payton #21
- Alex Ochoa #43
- Preston Wilson #94
1997
ANDRUW JONES #1
- Jay Payton #34
- Terrance Long #63
1998
BEN GRIEVE #1
- Grant Roberts #29
- Ed Yarnell #60
- Preston Wilson #70
- Geoff Goetz #96
1999
J.D. DREW #1
- Alex Escobar #11
- Octavio Dotel #45
- Grant Roberts #79
2000
RICK ANKIEL #1
- Alex Escobar #34
- Pat Strange #78
- Grant Roberts #84
2001
JOSH HAMILTON #1
- Alex Escobar #18
- Pat Strange #63
- Brian Cole #64
2002
JOSH BECKETT #1
- Jose Reyes #34
- Aaron Heilman #78
2003
MARK TEIXEIRA #1
- Jose Reyes #3
- Scott Kazmir #11
- Aaron Heilman #45
- Justin Huber #66
- David Wright #75
2004
JOE MAUER #1
- Scott Kazmir #12
- Kazuo Matsui #7
- David Wright #21
- Lastings Milledge #86
- Matt Peterson #88
2005
JOE MAUER #1
- Lastings Milledge #11
- Yusmeiro Petit #46
- Phil Humber #50
2006
DELMON YOUNG #1
- Lastings Milledge #9
- Mike Pelfrey #36
2007
DAISUKE MATSUZAKA #1
- Mike Pelfrey #20
- Fernando Martinez #22
- Carlos Gomez #60
- Phil Humber #73
2008
JAY BRUCE #1
- Fernando Martinez #20
2009
MATT WIETERS #1
- Fernando Martinez #30
- Wilmer Flores #47
- Jon Niese #77
- Brad Holt #94
2010
JASON HEYWARD #1
- Jenrry Mejia #56
- Ike Davis #62
- Fernando Martinez #77
- Wilmer Flores #88
2011
BRYCE HARPER #1
- Jenrry Mejia #44
- Wilmer Flores #59
- Cesar Puello #77
2012
BRYCE HARPER #1
- Zack Wheeler #35
- Matt Harvey #54
2013
JURICKSON PROFAR #1
- Zack Wheeler #11
- Travis d’Arnaud #23
- Noah Syndergaard #54
So, there were are. Looking back on a Mets organization that has not had much success in the past 24 years, this compiled data (you’re welcome, folks!) certainly hints at a strong reason why. The phrase “bereft of talent” springs to mind — and these names represented the tip of the pyramid, the best and the brightest, the stars upon which we hung our hopes. When the system doesn’t produce, GMs are forced to try to do it with smoke and mirrors.
Thoughts? Observations? Memories? Leave ‘em in the comments section, please.
