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The best Mets position prospects I saw this year: #15 Darrell Ceciliani

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Disclaimer (because someone will ask why a player I didn't see isn't on this list): This is a ranking of the best Mets prospects I saw in person this year. This is not a comprehensive Mets prospect list. I did not see Las Vegas, St. Lucie or the GCL team this year. If a player is not on the list, it is most likely because I did not see him. Otherwise, all rankings are consistent with how I would order the players within the Mets system. Oh yeah, and I am not a scout.

15. Darrell Ceciliani, OF

6'1", 220 lbs

Bats/Throws: L/L

Age: (as of Opening Day 2014) 23.8

Acquired: 4th round, 2009

2013: 461 PA, .268/.322/.380, 105 K, 29 BB

Date(s) seen: 4/11/13-4/14/13 vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats (TOR)

5/20/13-5/22/13 and 7/18/13-7/21/13 @ New Britain Rock Cats (MIN)

The short of it: Ceciliani was finally healthy for a full season, but the results just weren't there.

The long of it: It feels like we have been waiting on a Ceciliani breakout forever, but after sitting on him for 10+ games, I don't see it coming. He plays hard, but the speed isn't there anymore (could be due to injuries or just speed peaking early). I clocked him as a below-average runner, and he combined that with some bad/late reads in the outfield, and could be indecisive on his throws. Played mostly left field in with Alonzo Harris in center. Arm will not play in right. My bigger concerns are on the offensive end. Ceciliani was a non-entity at the plate. He struggles with lefty breaking stuff, can be overly aggressive, and his swing has a lot of moving parts (see Alex's concerns below). He also got tossed in the middle of an at-bat for arguing balls and strikes (granted it was freezing, so I can't really blame him) and generally seemed frustrated during my looks.

The projection: 5th outfielder

Risk Factor: Medium-High. Not too far away, but defensive profile doesn't entirely fit bench outfielder mold anymore, and there's a risk of hit tool collapse against major league pitching.

What's next: The Vegas outfield could be quite crowded in 2014, depending on the Mets offseason moves, Ceciliani is actually younger than Cory Vaughn and Harris, but still might need a good Spring to get a starting job in the Pacific Coast League

What I'll be watching for in 2014: More and better contact against upper level arms. Can he play a major league centerfield, even in a once-a-week kind of role.

Darrell Ceciliani video (w/ notes from Alex Nelson)

"It's tough to be impressed with Ceciliani based upon what we're seeing in this at-bat. The biggest problem for Ceciliani is timing. First, as a timing mechanism he seems to rock his body back and then forward, transferring his weight. Some guys employ toe taps, which can be difficult to synchronize with the pitch, but this is even more complicated. It involves him shifting his entire body as he loads his hands, winds up, and swings. It hampers his ability to adjust to breaking balls or fastballs inside, as it forces him to commit to the pitch too early. Furthermore, that much body movement can impair your hand-eye coordination. The upside is that you'd expect it to generate some power over time, but terrible timing prevents it from having the desired effect. Instead, he begins moving his body forward before bringing his hands down, and the entirety of his weight is actually forward by the time the pitch has arrived. Because of this, he's swinging off his front foot--he'd actually be better off standing totally still and just throwing the bat at the ball. A soft follow through doesn't help matters. Right now, it's difficult seeing Ceciliani as a guy who can hit for power or contact, and his discipline has always been a little uneven. I'm not optimistic at the moment."


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