St. Lucie Mets announce initial 2018 roster

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (April 3, 2018) - The St. Lucie Mets are excited to announce their initial 2018 roster, one that features the top prospect in the Mets organization and New York's first draft picks from 2015 and 2016.
 
Highlighting the roster are Andrés Giménez, Justin Dunn and Desmond Lindsay. Gimenez, a 19-year-old shortstop, is the consensus No. 1 prospect in the New York Mets system. He excelled last year with the Low-A Columbia Fireflies and earned high praise from Mets officials during the Major League spring training games he played in this year.
 
Dunn was drafted 19th overall in 2016. The right-handed pitcher spent all of 2017 with St. Lucie and flashed potential with an explosive fastball. Dunn has been tabbed as the team's Opening Day starter.
 
Lindsay was the Mets first draft selection in 2015 when he was chosen 53rd overall in the second round. That season the Mets forfeited their first round pick when they signed free agent Michael Cuddyer. Lindsay has been slowed by injuries early in his career but did collect 19 extra base hits and 30 RBI in 65 games with Columbia last year.
 
Familiar faces include starting pitcher Josh Prevost, reliever Johnny Magliozzi, reliever Stephen Nogosek, infielder Michael Paez and catcher Anthony Dimino.
 
Prevost was St. Lucie's Opening Day starter in 2016 but underwent Tommy John surgery later that season. This is his first season back.
 
Catchers on the roster are Dimino and Jose Garcia. Both return to St. Lucie after spending time here in 2017. Dimino hit an impressive .317 through 54 games with St. Lucie. Brandon Brosher can also handle catching duties.
 
The infield is comprised of Gimenez, Paez, Brosher, Dale Burdick, Luis Carpio, J.J. Franco and Dash Winningham.
 
Winningham was an All Star first baseman for Columbia last year, hitting 13 home runs and 15 doubles. Franco is the son of former Mets closer John Franco. Carpio is MLB.com's 20th ranked Mets prospect.
 
The outfield consists of Lindsay, Gene Cone, Ian Strom and Jacob Zanon. Strom and Zanon received late season promotions to St. Lucie in 2017 and both speedsters impressed defensively and at the plate.
 
Joining Dunn in the rotation are Prevost, Michael Gibbons, Harol Gonzalez, Gabriel Llanes and Blake Taylor. Gibbons and Gonzalez pitched in the St. Lucie rotation at times last year. Taylor is the lone lefty on the staff.
 
The bullpen should be a strength of the team. Magliozzi and Nogosek return after proving to be solid options at the back end of last year's pen. Adam Atkins, Matt Blackham, Gary Cornish, Thomas McIlraith, Matt Pobereyko, Ryder Ryan and Joseph Zanghi are other relief options. Pobereyko opened eyes in the Arizona Fall League when he didn't allow a run in 11.2 innings. Ryan was acquired from Cleveland in an August trade that sent Jay Bruce to the Indians.
 
The Mets are under the guidance of second-year manager Chad Kreuter, who was a major league catcher for 16 seasons. Marc Valdes returns for his third season as pitching coach and Joel Fuentes begins his third stint hitting coach.
 
The Mets will open the season on Thursday at home against the Bradenton Marauders. First pitch at First Data Field is 6:30 p.m. There will be $1 Bud and Bud Light (8 oz. cans), $1 hot dogs, $1 soda and $1 popcorn. Call 772-871-2115 for tickets.