One of the most anticipated prospects in the New York Mets' system is Elian Pena. Back in January, the Mets inked Pena - who was the third overall international prospect, according to MLB Pipeline - to a $5 million deal. It is the largest amount the Mets have ever spent on an international free agent, and the contract took up nearly 80% of their international pool money.
With how much the Mets spent, coupled with him being the eighth overall prospect in the Mets system, many were excited to see him play. Given that he is only 17 years old and from the Dominican Republic, there is very little available footage of him playing.
Thankfully, on Monday, fans got their first look at Pena in his Dominican Summer League debut. But how did Pena do, and where does he go from here?
How did Mets top prospect Elian Pena do in his Dominican Summer League debut?
Pena batted second for the DSL Mets Orange as they took on the DSL Giants Black in their season opener. Pena went 0-for-2, reaching on a catcher's interference, was hit by a pitch, scored two runs, and struck out once. While it was not the most impressive debut, it was decent, considering his age and the reality that it was his first exposure to professional baseball. It also helped the DSL Mets Orange beat the DSL Giants Black 8-5.
Pena also impressed on the base paths. After getting on base in the first due to the catcher's interference, he scored on the next pitch when Josmir Reyes laced a double into left. This allowed Pena to score from first. Then, in the fifth inning, Pena stole his first professional base, putting him in scoring position. He took advantage a few batters later on an errant pickoff attempt that allowed him to score.
Now, it's important not to overreact to this one appearance. It's his first game in the lowest level of the Mets' minor league system. You cannot make judgments on his play based on the four at-bats he had in his debut. However, it is still nice to know that this highly touted prospect is playing and producing positive results.
Now that his debut is over, the next thing we want to see is Pena's ability to hit the baseball. Scouts have praised both Pena's plate discipline and bat speed. He received a 60 grade for his bat on the 20-80 scale, according to Pipeline. While this has more to do with his ability to hit for average, as he develops and matures, he should be able to add some power as well.
While we are still years away from seeing Pena in the majors, as his current MLB ETA is projected at 2030, it's still exciting to see him play. The more at-bats he gets and the better he performs, the higher his already lofty hype will get. Regardless, Monday was the beginning of a potentially special player's career.