Mets Midseason Top 10 Prospects, #3: Amed Rosario

Preseason AA ranking: 8

2015 stats: .263/.306/.348; 4.4% walk rate; 17.0% strikeout rate

Season to date

Amed Rosario has handled himself admirably with the bat as a 19-year-old in the Advanced-A Florida State League. His batting line has been about league average, which is really good considering he is the youngest player in the league. He struggled early in the season--which is not a surprise considering he skipped A-ball entirely--but rebounded to hit .318/.370/.455 with seven doubles in the month of May. June was another month in which he struggled and ended with him missing a few games due to a wrist injury but since his return he has hit .290/.333/.387. On the defensive side Rosario earned a rave review from Jeff Moore of Baseball Prospectus earlier this season.

Why he ranks here

Rosario slots in at number three on our list on the strength of his glove and the potential of his bat. The scouting community as a whole loves Rosario's defense and his odds of sticking at the position. Offensively, Rosario displays plus bat speed and has a wiry frame that can stand to put on a few pounds, so there is an assumption that more power will come as he adds some muscle. Rosario ranks just ahead of Gavin Cecchini because--though the offensive profiles are similar--we have much more confidence in Rosario's glove and ability to not just stick at short but be plus there. And let's not forget that at Rosario's age Cecchini was struggling in Brooklyn. Rosario hasn't had the offensive breakout many would like to see before they can get excited about him as a prospect but we think his performance thus far relative to age and league are impressive enough to justify this ranking. There may not be a prospect in the system with a higher Overall Future Potential than Rosario.

Lukas is less enthusiastic:

"While his defense has continued to impress scouts, Rosario has yet to fulfill any of his offensive promise. Granted, he's young for Advanced-A at 19, but he hits for minimal power (~0.80 ISO) and has little plate discipline. He still has time to fill out as many expected him to, but right now I remain skeptical that he's anything more than a glove first, poor hitting shortstop." - Lukas Vlahos