Now that the 2019 season is over, Minor League Mondays will take a look at each of the New York Mets’ minor league affiliates over the next several weeks. This series will take a look at each affiliate’s season highlights, top prospects, interesting promotions, and more. We begin our climb up the minor league ladder today with a look at the rookie level Gulf Coast League Mets.
Minor League Mondays Affiliate Review: GCL Mets
2019 Record: 30-24, T-1st in GCL East Division
Story: The GCL Mets had a strong season in 2019, going 30-24 and finishing in a virtual tie for first place in their division with the Miami Marlins’ GCL affiliate. The season didn’t result in a playoff berth, however, after the league canceled the final two games of the regular season and its postseason with Hurricane Dorian set to bear down on the state of Florida. While it was a disappointing finish to the year, the emphasis in the Gulf Coast League isn’t on wins and losses. The GCL is the lowest level of minor league baseball, and the focus of teams in this league are player development. The job of GCL Mets’ skipper David Davalillo (who was named the organization’s coach of the year) is primarily on teaching his young players, many of whom are extremely green and in their first experience as pros. GCL games are played at the spring training complexes of big league clubs. Admission isn’t charged and concessions aren’t sold, so this is a chance to see pro baseball in its purest form. GCL games are often used for rehab purposes as well, although no one from the big club appeared in a GCL game this season.
Top Promotion: N/A
Top Prospects:
SS Warren Saunders: Saunders was one of the most dependable hitters for the GCL Mets, batting .323 with a homer and 20 RBI’s in 33 games.
RHP Joander Sanchez: After spending last year in the Dominican Summer League, the Mets brought Sanchez stateside for the 2019 campaign. Sanchez responded by going 1-0 with a 1.79 ERA in 11 appearances (including eight starts) for the GCL Mets, striking out 47 batters in 40.1 innings pitched.
RHP Josh Wolf: Wolf, the Mets’ second round pick in the 2019 draft, spent his first year as a pro in the Gulf Coast League. The Mets limited Wolf’s innings, and he only worked eight of them in his five starts, where he went 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA.
Check back next week as our Affiliate Review Series climbs the ladder to look at the Kingsport Mets of the Appalachian League!
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