NEW YORK -- Once it became clear that the Mets were not going to compete for a playoff berth this year, the most significant events on their calendar became the promotions of top prospects Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith. While Rosario received the lion's share of hype, Smith enjoyed one of the best summers of anyone in the organization.
As such, Smith has earned honors as the Mets' MLBPipeline.com Prospect of the Year, with right-hander Corey Oswalt winning Pitcher of the Year. MLBPipeline.com staff members chose each club's winners, considering only players who spent at least half the year in the Minors, appeared on their team's Top 30 Prospects list and played the entire year in the organization.
Mets' Prospects of the Year
The Mets' second-ranked prospect before his promotion to the big leagues, Smith batted .330 with 16 home runs in 114 games at Triple-A Las Vegas, establishing himself as the franchise's first baseman of the future. Though Smith scuffled in September, he called the experience he gained along the way invaluable.
"The crowd, the situation you get put in, playing in front of this many people, playing on TV -- that stuff is all normal to me," Smith said in September. "I'm just learning every day. It's a tough game. And every day you step on the field, you don't get a break. You're playing against the best players in the world."
Less heralded -- but just as successful -- was Oswalt, MLBPipeline.com's 27th-ranked Mets prospect. A former seventh-round Draft pick, Oswalt went 12-5 with a 2.28 ERA at Double-A Binghamton this summer, striking out 119 batters in 134 1/3 innings. He credited a mechanical tweak -- being more direct to home plate with his delivery-- to his success.
Binghamton ultimately bowed out in the Eastern League semifinals to Trenton, three games to one, with Oswalt going seven strong innings in the Rumble Ponies' only win.
"It all started in Spring Training, in the beginning of the season, just working hard," Oswalt said. "We had a great team. Unfortunately, we didn't finish what we wanted to do at the end of the season. But overall, it was a great season."