What To Expect: Amed Rosario

Mets fans have been clamoring for the club to promote shortstop Amed Rosario for months. Finally that day has come, as the Mets announced that their top prospect’s debut will come on Tuesday. At the trade deadline the Mets did not trade Asdrubal Cabrera, so for now, the two will share spots on the roster, but it’s still possible that the Mets could put Cabrera on waivers and trade him before Aug. 31.

 

 

SCOUTING REPORT

Since the day he signed for a then-Mets international record $1.75 million signing bonus, Rosario has been a step ahead of his peers. He’s the rare shortstop who can impact the game both with his glove and his bat. Defensively he has plus range, quick hands and excellent anticipation. His has plus arm strength but his accuracy does sometimes waver, something that should improve as he matures.

At the plate, Rosario is a top-of-the-order hitter with excellent contact skills. Since the beginning of last year, he’s proven himself to be a plus hitter thanks to strong wrists and bat speed. His power is his weakest attribute. He can pull the ball over the fence at times, but it’s not really his game. Rosario is better as a top-of-the-order table setter who posts high on-base percentages thanks largely to high batting averages. His plus speed plays well on the basepaths and makes him a threat to swipe 10-15 bases a year.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Francisco Lindor’s power has taken off as a big leaguer. Rosario projects as a similar defender and similar hitter, although he’s more likely to hit five to 10 home runs a year rather than the 15-plus Lindor provides. His combination of defense and hitting ability makes him a potential 4+ WAR player.

For fantasy purposes, expect Rosaro to be a .280-plus hitter with 10-20 steals and modest power. He’ll score plenty of runs but is unlikely to be much of an RBI producer because he’s not a middle-of-the-order hitter.