As we talked about last week with Drew Gilbert, many of the Mets' top position player prospects have had their seasons curtailed due to injury. The missed time is a big negative since it limits their chances to develop and advance through the farm system, creating more questions than answers about their futures. Another player who is just back off the shelf is shortstop Marco Vargas, who is the focus of this week's edition of Minor League Mondays.
Most Mets fans are familiar with Vargas, 19, as one of the two prospects the organization got back from the Miami Marlins last summer in exchange for relief pitcher David Robertson. Vargas performed well in his late summer stint with the Mets' rookie league team in the Florida Complex League, earning a promotion to Low-A St. Lucie by the end of the year. The plan was for Vargas to spend at least the first half with St. Lucie in 2024 before a potential promotion to High-A Brooklyn, but injuries took a big chunk out of Vargas' season.
A variety of ailments have sent Vargas to the injured list on four separate occasions, with wrist tendinitis being the most recent issue. As a result of the injuries, Vargas has appeared in just 25 games this season, with only seven coming after May. It's no surprise that the stop-and-start nature of Vargas' season has depressed his statistics as Vargas is batting just .226 with six RBI and a .609 OPS in 93 at-bats.
The biggest positive for Vargas is that he is still displaying his customary excellent plate discipline, racking up a .351 on-base percentage and walking 18 times in comparison to just 23 strikeouts. Vargas was the only minor leaguer 18 or younger a year ago to walk more than he struck out, and the fact that his totals are roughly identical despite a ton of missed time speaks to his potential as an on-base machine as he progressed up the minor league ladder.
It remains to be seen if the Mets want to send Vargas, who is currently their 13th-ranked prospect according to MLB.com, to the Arizona Fall League to make up for some of the development time he missed this summer due to all the injuries. The Mets can only send a handful of prospects to the AFL in a given year but it makes sense to let a player with Vargas' potential get more experience, like the team is planning to do with Jett Williams as well.
It will be a while before Vargas is big-league ready and all of the missed time makes it likely he will begin 2025 with St. Lucie again before earning his way to Brooklyn. Vargas is a natural shortstop but is likely to end up at second base eventually, but that move won't come until later on since the Mets will want him to worry about developing his hitting before learning a new position. Given the surplus of middle infielders the Mets have in their minor league system, Vargas also has a chance to become a trade candidate in the offseason if the Mets find a deal they like. Either way, Vargas' ability to finish 2024 strong could have a big impact on the Mets' future.
Comments