Vitals: 23 years old (turned 23 January 28); 6-foot-2, 185 pounds; both htis and throws right-handed; signed as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2007 by the Mets; wasn’t ranked on last year’s list.
Performance: Rodriguez performed well in his first year of full season ball, going 8-9 with a 3.08 ERA in 27 starts for Low-A Savannah, striking out 152 and walking 46 in 146 innings. That was after an impressive stint with rookie-level Kingsport (3-1, 2.96 in 46 innings) in 2009, which earned him a brief promotion to Savannah to end the season.
Outlook: Rodriguez needs to begin moving up the ladder quickly after spending his 22-year-old season pitching in Low-A. He will almost certainly begin the season with High-A St. Lucie, with another strong showing likely meaning a promotion to Double-A at some point in 2011.
