Thomas Szapucki

After missing all of 2018 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Szapucki returned to throw 61.2 innings cross three levels last season. His performance was promising, as the left-hander had K-BB rates between 17-18% and a 2.92 FIP in his nine starts at High-A. Szapucki was initially assigned to the Arizona Fall League, but the Mets ended up scratching him from the AFL. The team said it wanted to "give his arm a rest for a while" and did not specify an injury. That said, it raised an eyebrow and the skepticism regarding the Mets' answer is justified given their history with reporting injuries over the years. Hopefully Szapucki is fine and can build on last season's innings total and success. The southpaw has a very good fastball/slider combo, and if health remains a problem, it would make sense to transition him to a relief role.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery in late July, Szapucki may not return to game action until 2019. At that point he will be entering his age 22/23 season with just 29 innings under his belt at Low-A. He has a blistering low-to-mid-90s heater with movement, which is at least a plus pitch from the left side. Szapucki also features a wipeout slider. Given that pitch mix and his age and experience, it is logical to project an eventual move to the bullpen. If he were kept on a starter's track, he would likely reach the majors as a 25- or 26-year-old after already being on the 40-man roster for a couple seasons. The lead time and bullpen risk makes him droppable in most dynasty leagues this offseason. He could end up being a late-inning southpaw who competes for saves in four or five years.

Szapucki was one of the top pop-up prospects in baseball last year, striking out more than 40 percent of the batters he faced across stops in the Appalachian League and the New York-Penn League. A run of three straight starts with double-digit strikeouts with short-season Brooklyn came to an end in mid-August when he was shut down with back stiffness -- an issue he has dealt with in the past. He operates with a mid-90s fastball with late arm-side run, a curveball with the best spin rate in the entire 2015 draft class that he can throw for strikes or use as a chase pitch, and a changeup that is still a work in progress. His low three-quarters delivery allows his pitches to explode on hitters and his left-handedness makes the whole package pretty unfair. There is no question he could be a lethal late-inning reliever, but the Mets will obviously continue to develop him as a starter. If he can prove himself to be durable and can improve his command, the repertoire and delivery would allow him to pitch atop a rotation.