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Disclaimer: This is a ranking of the best players that I saw during the 2018 season. I saw a wide cross-section of teams in 2018, seeing the Kingsport Mets, Brooklyn Cyclones, Columbia Fireflies, and Binghamton Rumble Ponies, but I did not see the GCL Mets, St. Lucie Mets, or Las Vegas 51s, nor did I attend every single game of the teams that I did see. As such, this is not a comprehensive Mets prospect list. If a player is not on the list, I either did not see him, or considered the listed ten players better.
Name: Daison Acosta
Team: Kingsport Mets
Position: RHP
Born: 8/24/98 (20)
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 160 lbs.
Bats/Throws: R/R
Acquired: IFA, July 2, 2016 (Paraiso, Dominican Republic)
2018 Season: 10 G (9 GS), 42.1 IP, 38 H, 28 R, 21 ER (4.46 ERA), 18 BB, 46 K, 6 HBP, 1 BLK, 6 WP, .278 BABIP (Rookie)
Date(s) Seen: August 16 @ Pulaski (3.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 8 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP)
The Man
Daison Acosta was signed as a minor league free agent out of Paraiso, Dominican Republic on July 2, 2016, receiving a $70,000 signing bonus. He made three starts in the Dominican Summer League later in the year, posting a 3.86 ERA in 11.2 innings, allowing 14 hits, walking 6, and striking out 8. He made his stateside debut in 2017, getting assigned to the GCL Mets, and posted a 3.27 ERA in 22.0 innings, allowing 18 hits, walking 7, and striking out 19. He was assigned to the Kingsport Mets for the 2018 season and posted a 4.46 ERA in 42.1 innings, allowing 38 hits, walking 18, and striking out 46.
The Pitcher
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The tall and lanky Acosta throws from a high three-quarters arm slot, using a simple, effortless delivery. His fastball is said to hit up to 95, but when I saw him, the pitch was 89-92 MPH. In addition to a fastball, he throws a curveball and changeup. The curveball, which sat, 77-82 MPH, was by far the better of the two pitches, flashing above-average potential. It featured big 11-5 and 12-6 vertical drop, and there were more than one thrown that made me audibly react; I consider those pitches to be the best actual individual pitches I’ve seen of any pitcher I saw this season. The changeup, which sat, 83-86 MPH, featured some fade, especially when thrown down in the zone. He prefers to work down in the zone, especially with his curveball and changeup, and this has led to elevated pitch counts and walks, as his command is sometimes erratic and certainly not pinpoint even when it is on.
Looking To 2019
The right-hander should begin the 2019 season in Brooklyn, where he can stretch out more and get closer to the 100 IP threshold. He was clearly on a maintained workload, but showed the ability to throw more pitches per game as the season went on and should be able to handle that many innings without a problem. There have been reports regarding his maturity, and if there is anything to them, the right-hander hopefully shows more responsibility in Coney Island.
The Countdown
3. Chris Viall
6. Jose Moreno
8. Ryder Ryan
9. Yeizo Campos
10. Tommy Wilson