When you talk about elite shortstop prospects in New York, it seems like a lot of the talk surrounds the New York Yankees’ Jorge Mateo. Brewing in the New York Mets farm system, however, Amed Rosario is amid a breakout season that could have him big league-bound more quickly than his crosstown counterpart.
Rosario was signed at the age of 16 out of the Dominican Republic in July of 2012 for $1.75 million. He has since risen through the Mets minor league ranks rapidly, shaping his game from solely a defensive asset to one at the plate as well.
His defense has been ahead of his bat for several years, but to be fair, Rosario has been one of the youngest players in the league at each stop he has made, often more than three years younger than the median age. While he may never amount to show any immense power numbers, he is enjoying a successful 2016 at the plate.
Rosario made his debut at the age of 17 for Kingsport in the Appalachian League. Immediately, it was easy to see where Rosario would need work. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound right-handed hitter had a big, aggressive swing, and he wasn’t afraid to lay off a pitch he didn’t like. He hit .241 in short season, while getting on base at just a .279 lick. The red flag was in his plate discipline, as he struck out 19 percent of the time, while walking just five percent of the time, drawing a mere 11 walks over his first 226 plate appearances.
The Mets promoted him to Low-A Savannah to start 2014, and he looked completely lost at the plate. Rosario went 4-for-30 in his brief stay, striking out 11 times and walking just once before being sent to the New York-Penn League. He played very well for the Brooklyn Cyclones in his second season, slashing a much more respectable .289/.337/.380, but still hardly drew a walk.
Last season saw Rosario skip over the South Atlantic League and head to the Florida State League as a mere 19-year old, where he performed surprisingly well. He slashed .257/.307/.335 while improving on the base paths, stealing a career-high 12 bases in 16 attempts. He also showed off his developing power, using it to the gaps by belting a career-best 20 doubles and adding on five triples. The strikeout level was still a tad bit high (17.5 percent) but it wouldn’t be so worrisome if it weren’t for the glaring disparity in his lack of improvement in the walk department (still a very low 5.5 percent).
Rosario headed into 2016 considered the best shortstop in the Mets’ farm system and arguably their entire organization. There was no denying that he was the shortstop of the Mets future, as he is extremely athletic with a cannon of an arm, quick feet and the advanced range to excel at the highest of levels. There is also no denying that that Rosario can hit, as he makes a lot of contact, which he uses his plus-speed to turn into extra-base hits. Still just 20 years old, he has a big enough frame to still develop some more power.
He has a lot going on at the plate. He seems rather fidgety, always bouncing, and he steps big into the pitch. But, as you can see in this video from Mike Rosenbaum, when he connects, he explosively rips through the strike zone.
Rosario handled Florida State League pitching quite easily in his second go. In 66 games, the shortstop slashed an impressive .309/.359/.442. He ripped 10 doubles, eight triples and matched his career-high in home runs with three as an extra-base machine. He went 13-for-19 in stolen base attempts and posted the best strikeout-to-walk ratio of his career, striking out 36 times and walking 21.
The performance earned Rosario the second promotion to Double-A in his young career. Unlike last year, this time he hasn’t slowed down, and is in fact at an even more torrid pace. While he is certainly benefitting from a .545 BABIP, Rosario has rattled off a .457/.525/.629 slash line through his first ten games, and over the last four, he has drawn four walks and struck out just twice. Five of his first 15 hits have gone for extra bases, though he is still searching for his first home run.
Rosario won’t likely be at shortstop in Queens tomorrow and with Gavin Cecchini ahead of him in experience, he may not even see a glimpse of the big leagues this year. He is, however, showing improvement at every level and is finally catching up to his years. The Mets have to be excited with his development and may now start to believe that their future defensive shortstop may just be able to handle a big league stick, too.
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