Mets Prospect Stands Out In International Draft Class

The world of international prospects is an ever-changing place with plenty of players on the radar, and that’s definitely the case for New York Mets shortstop prospect Euniel De La Cruz, who was identified as one of ten players to watch in a piece from Ben Badler of Baseball America.

De La Cruz is about offense right now. At 6’ and 190 pounds, he’s an aggressive hitter wiht a strong, compact build for his age, and his bat speed helps him drive the ball with impact, per Badler, especially to the pull side. 

His swing comes with a lot of moving parts, though, including some larger ones that produce extra movement that had some scouts wondering if he could put it all together. But most scouts are high on his pure hitting ability and power, and that’s why he was on Badler’s list. 

There are some positional questions involved as well. Badler was initially ticketed for third base when he was younger, and he could still wind up there. He’s made strides cleaning up his defensive actions and footwork, according to the writer, which is increasing his chances to at least develop as a shortstop in the lower levels. 

De La Cruz has average speed, which also says third baseman. He’s an average runner, but he has good hands and an above-average arm that would also indicate a career at the hot corner. 

There are some questions about signing De La Cruz, however, that pertain to everyone on Badler’s list. They’re about the impending lockout that will almost certainly start in December, with the owners pushing for an international draft given the rise in free agency and bonuses that have soared in the last decade. 

The owners are also trying to push the minimum signing range to 18, and both of their proposals are expected to encounter resistance from the MLBPA. There’s no timeline for when these players will be able to sign as a result, so the entire international situation will be in limbo in a less than two monts. 

The Mets certainly have needs on the left side of their infield regardless. Shortstop Francisco Lindor is 32, and he had a poor season defensively. That’s not going to get any better in terms of his range, and it’s going to be interesting to see how the Mets handle both him and the back end of his monster contract going forward.