Mets summon top prospect Rosario for debut

The moment Mets fans have been waiting for all season has finally arrived.
New York announced Monday afternoon that it would call up shortstop Amed Rosario, MLB.com's No. 2 overall prospect, to make his Major League debut on Tuesday in Colorado.

The move follows months of speculation following the disappointing play by Jose Reyes and Asdrúbal Cabrera on the left side of the Mets infield. Both have performed below replacement-level in 2017, while the 21-year-old Rosario raked in Las Vegas.
A two-time All-Star Futures Game selection, Rosario has hit .328/.367/.466 in 94 games for the Triple-A 51's. Las Vegas features a very advantageous home field for hitters, but Rosario's batting average ranks 10th in the Pacific Coast League, despite him being over five years younger than the league's average hitter. His strikeout rate also dropped from 21.5 percent in Double-A last summer to 15.8 percent this season.
Signed to a $1.75 million bonus out of the Dominican Republic in 2012 -- still the largest deal the Mets have given an international signee -- Rosario has the quickness and arm to play strong shortstop with the speed to be a threat on the bases. While he lacks the power of recent shortstop phenoms like Carlos Correa or Corey Seager, he has time to grow into his 6-foot-2 frame. Rosario has logged a career-high seven homers with seven triples and 19 stolen bases for Las Vegas in 2017. 

When announcing the promotion, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson noted that Rosario's Las Vegas teammate Dominic Smith was "not far behind," according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. The first baseman, who turned 22 on June 15, is hitting .343/.396/.539 with 16 homers, and expected to fill the vacancy created by the trade of veteran Lucas Duda.