Top 5 Most Underrated Prospects-Cory Vaughn

With so many players in farm systems across baseball, sometimes players get lost in the shuffle. While some players are sometimes grossly over-rated, there are some that are very highly underrated, and yet, they go-on to have long Major league careers.

In this 5-part series, I will name 5 players that are very highly underrated, and could be that sneaky "player to be named later" of a trade that haunts the organization that traded them away, forever.

 4. Cory Vaughn, OF, New York Mets (A+)
 The first of two Mets on this list, Cory Vaughn makes the list at number 4. Drafted in the 4th Round, in 2010, Vaughn is the son of former Major-Leaguer, Greg Vaughn. He made his professional debut as a 21 year old, as a member of the 2010 Brooklyn Cyclones, where he boasted huge numbers, including power, average, and on base percentage,  hitting 14 Home Runs with 56 RBI, in Short-Season A ball. Vaughn was the major power threat, of a team that went 51-24 on the season, and came very close to winning the League Championship.

 Cory Vaughn while a member of the Cyclones.

The following season, split between Low-A, and High-A, he put up almost the same numbers, but with 59 more games played. In addition his batting average was slashed by almost 50 points.

 Vaughn is not ranked amongst the Met's top 10 prospects according to Baseball America, however this year seems to be looking up for Vaughn, with a career high 16 Home Runs, already hit this season, he has the potential for the type of power the Mets are in need of, at the Major League level.

Vaughn is also appealing to the Mets, in the fact that he is a Right Handed hitter, which the Mets lack. In fact, the talk in almost any Mets circle, is that they are in need of more right-handed power. In a crazy world, if Vaughn keeps hitting Home Runs the way he is now, maybe he gets a September call-up, and helps the Mets down the stretch this season.

The Mets certainly have an interest in second generation players, one of them, playing a very pivotal role for the Major League club, in Ike Davis. Ike Davis, who has a lot of power, but doesn't necessarily hit for average, just like Cory Vaughn. Could Vaughn be a Right-Handed hitting Ike Davis? As Jerry Manuel would say, "I think time will tell, time will tell".

-MJ