NFT: 2014-Mets Minor league stuff

verrett have the stuff to be a starter? does he break 90mph?

is very unlikely to be an MLB starter. FB is 88-90, good slider, HR prone. If he's a starter it's a 5th starter type, reliever almost certainly his future.

@BaseballAmerica names @RobWhalen38 a "High ceiling sleeper" in the Mets system http://www.baseballamerica.com/majors/organization-talent-rankings-pirates-pipeline-wont-run-dry-in-2014/ #mets

Mets #10 farm system

has a bit of a "feud" with Toby Hyde which I'm sure Toby will try and patchup this year while covering him.

Maron
Carnevale
Cessa
Cordero
De La Cruz
Evans
Fontanez
Frenzel
Fulmer
Gomez
Hilario
Herrera
Koch
Kuebler
Lugo
Matz
Mitchell
Nimmo
Perez
Pina
J. Reynolds
Rivera
Rodriguez
Sewald
Shields
Tapia
Wheeler
Ynoa
Zapata

(No idea who starts on the DL etc)

should be entertaining. Any word if they are still going to have the one camera angle MiLB.tv feed again, that sucked.

tweeted the 51's begging for a better camera feed and they never responded. 51's and St. Lucie Mets don't have good coverage in general. Savannah has Toby, Bing has Worthy and Tim Heiman, 51's literally don't have a beat guy and I don't think St. Lucie does either. If I lived down there I'd try and become "The guy" for the St. Lucie mets lol

is that just because they want him to start and there is no room right now at AAA?

room. Verrett got the final spot when Mazzoni went down. Otherwise it would have been Mazzoni in that slot and Verrett replacing Peavey. Gorski hurt his shoulder last year and still pitched well but velocity was way down. He wasn't invited to MLB ST so he's clearly not a priority for them at the moment. Doesn't mean he can't become one. I feel bad for John Church, he belongs in AAA.

Whalen looks like a just retired NYG OL.

Diehl?

is Diehl, I assumed FF was kidding. Whalen is a huge Mets/Giants fan and a nice kid. Doesn't make him a better prospect but does make him someone I am rooting extra hard for.

even though he looks about 38 years old in that picture

good numbers last year, but it was Kingsport

knock on Whalen is he's not very projectable ie his frame is filled out vs. some other guys who have more growth so the "concern" is stuff-wise is he a "mature" guy doing well vs. less mature hitters. I've never seen him pitch personally and Savannah will keep his numbers down (H/R splits are pretty significant every year for Savannah guys) but he's certainly intriguing. Truthfully until A+ (where the ballpark is neutral) the numbers are less important than the scouting.

I was kidding lol

I just re-read that and it's obvious you were kidding.

Today's starters- @Wheelerpro45, AAA- Montero, AA- @darin_gorski20 , A+ Gabriel Ynoa and A-Gsellman #mets #openingday4Real

Vegas 10:05 (on milb.. but a home game grrrrrrrrrrrrrr)

6:30 for St. Lucie (still without an official roster)
6:35 for Bing
7:05 for Savannah

Mets teams that matter!:)

1- Ceciliani-8
2-Burgamy-5
3-Plawecki-2
4-Clark DH
5-Boyd-3
6-Lawley-7
7-Reynolds-6
8-Tovar-4
9-Gorski-1

Quote:

Gnats pitching coach Marc Valdes explained that while Gsellman was the most worthy choice to go on Opening Night for the Gnats, logistical issues, like throwing schedules matter too at this level: �The rotation is not really set up as a 1-2-3-4-5-6 guys. It was his time to throw. In a way, he did deserve it the way he was throwing in spring training and leading up from the end of last year. We felt he�s a guy, who had 6-7 days; he�s ready to pitch�.. He is a good guy to go out there game one, especially with his command of his pitches. I think, right now, he gives us the best chance to win game one.� Gsellman, had a nice spring in Port St. Lucie. Valdes reports that he impressed the AAA staff in an intra-squad game, �One example, he pitched against the AAA team, went five innings � no problem. Wally Backman said he held his composure � he gave up a couple hits, maybe a home run � just pretty much breezed through the five innings, moving his pitches in and out and changing speeds.�

Link - ( New Window )

Starting lineup vs Palm Beach: Pina RF, Nimmo CF, Rivera 1B, A. Rodriguez 3B, Herrera 2B, Perez DH, Maron C, Evans SS, De La Cruz FL

2-2 double

1-1 sb

Gsellman 5.1 innings 10 hits 2 runs 2 walks 5 k's, @TheRealSmith22 1-2, @GavinCecchini2 1-3, K, 2b #mets

Meh 2014 debut for Gabriel Ynoa 5.1 innings 8 hits 2 er 1 walk 1 k 4/10 AO/FO, @You_Found_Nimmo 2-2 2b BB, Rivera granny, 5 rbi #mets

Ynoa gets the win despite a poor performance, Beck Wheeler the save 1 inning 1 hit 0 runs 0 walks 1 k, star of the game goes to TJ Rivera who went 3-4 with 5 rbi including a granny, nice A+ debut for Nimmo who reached base 3 times, single, 2b and walk (also struck out once)

AA-
Gorski awful 3.2 innings 4 hits 1 er 3 walks 2 k's (pulled after 85 pitches, 45 strikes)

Leathersich 1 inning 0 hits 0 runs 1 walk 3 k's 19 pitches, 11 strikes


Boyd 1-4

Tovar 1-2 BB

Ceciliani 1-4, 3b, BB

Plawecki 0-4, 2 passed balls


A+
Ynoa with a yuck performance 5.1 innings 8 hits 3 runs 2 earned 1 walk 1 k, 4 GO/10 FO

Beck Wheeler 1 inning 1 hit 0 runs 0 walks 1 k (Save #1)

Nimmo 2-3, 2b, K, 2 runs, BB
TJ Rivera 3-5, granny, 5 rbi
Herrera 0-4

Savannah
Cecchini 2-5, SB, error
Smith 1-4
Biondi 3-4, HR

Gsellman 5.1 innings 10 hits 2 runs 2 walks 5 k's


Not the greatest day on the farm, hopefully Montero changes that

for Montero with 1 K (Kirk saved his bacon on a great catch)

to walk a lot. K's a lot, but seems like he walks a lot for a youngster.

I realize his timetable isn't imminent, but is he a leadoff hitter candidate?

If he's a legit CFer he won't be expected to have the same power #'s as a corner OFer and as 20 year old had an almost .400 OBP.

at one point (pre knee issues) Nimmo was compared to Sizemore. His speed never came back so Sizemore aint happening but yeah it's possible he's a leadoff hitter though it's also possible he's a 3-5 hitter. Could still hit for power.

Montero... 20 pitches 17 strikes.

32 pitches, 3 scoreless

are you watching or just following online?

pitches tomorrow.

The AAA should be on the east coast. they'd outdraw the Mets if they had a big enough stadium.

watching but I'm going to bail soon. The camera angle is awful. Being totally neutral, Montero hasn't been quite as impressive as his line (a lot of hard contact) but you can see he's going to be successful at the MLB level. his stuff is good enough that the ability to throw strikes whenever he wants is going to be a huge combo. He's almost certainly not an ace but I think he's going to be the 3rd best pitcher we have after Harvey and Thor (no knock on Wheeler) just better juju from Montero. In fact, forgetting body type for a second.. he's got a Bartolo Colon profile in my view.

Puello - 0-4 with 3ks!!

every other 51 had at least a hit.

great job by Montero/Lutz/Nieuwy

and for the most part, good job bullpen. Black walks 2 more, but ks 2 in his inning?

AA-
Game 1
5.1 8 hits 3 runs 1 walk 3 k's
Bradford 1 inning 1 hit 0 runs 0 walks 1 k
Boyd 1-2, 2 run double
Plawecki 1-3 BB





Pill (yuck) 4 innings 6 hits 3 runs 3 walks
Church 2 perfect 3 k's
Reynolds 1-3, 2b

:)

Today's starters @LasVegas51s-@lverrett4, @bmets Robles, @stluciemets-Tapia, @gnatsbaseball-@kevinmcgowanjr #mets


4 guys who are likely relievers, all 4 have big league potential. Tapia obviously the biggest upside.

wrote this before the season but never posted it here if anyone is interested.

Quote:

Spring training is upon us and if there is any time to be positive about the future of your team it�s now. Even when the big club was more successful NYFSers have always been as interested in the future of the Mets as the current big league club, with a strong focus on minor league and amateur players. Members of the site have long debated which prospects are future stars (Jose Reyes, David Wright etc), which prospects weren�t as good as their numbers (Yusmeiro Petit). 3 years ago we finally made the move to both give some context for the players in the system AND to expand discussion of some overlooked players. Here are the NYFS Community 2014 Preseason Top 50 Mets Prospects: http://www.nyfuturestars.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40306 The list essentially started out with the usual suspects being �nominated� as players were voted on members nominated players they felt were worthy. Players who did not receive much support would be removed from the list. Because people have a difference of opinion regarding the question �what IS a prospect?� We followed the eligibility rules used by Baseball America 130 at-bats, 50 innings or 30 games pitched. These rules had very little effect on the 2014 list as players such as Wilmer Flores and Travis d�Arnaud made the cutoff. A �poor� ranking for a player did not/does not necessarily represent the view of a players future. In some case injury, level of play and lack of data held players back from a higher ranking in 2014. Just using Casey Meisner as an example (#38) it�s conceivable Meisner could be a top 15-20 (or higher) prospect on the 2015 list, a similar situation can be found with #36 Ivan Wilson. Next years list figures to have a much different look than recent years with the following players all with decent odds (or better) of losing 2015 eligiblity (including all 5 members of the NYFS top 5) 1) Noah Syndergaard 2) Travis d�Arnaud 3) Rafael Montero 4) Wilmer Flores 5) Cesar Puello 15) Vic Black 16) Jacob deGrom 17) Jeurys Familia 18) Cory Mazzoni 21) Matt den Dekker 23) Jeffrey Walters 24) Gonzalez Germen 31) Erik Goeddel 35) Wilfredo Tovar Click Here for the complete preseason Mets top 50 prospects. The ranking of the system by and large is a very rough idea of how the future of the big club looks. The Mets system could tumble down to the late teens or 20′s yet successful season from the �2014 rookies� could make the future look extremely bright. The same tumble into the late teens and 20′s with the �2014 rookies� not performing so well and the doldrums that have haunted Mets fans in recent years will continue. There are reasons to be more confident in the Mets going forward than in recent years but the future of the franchise likely rests on the backs of many of the guys listed above and not Terry Collins, Sandy Alderson or Fred/Jeff Wilpon. Go Mets.

Link - ( New Window )

Today's pitching: @LasVegas51s- @matsu_dice, @bmets @GregPeavey, @stluciemets OFF, @gnatsbaseball @kevinmcgowanjr #mets

Today's starters : @LasVegas51s @Noahsyndergaard , @bmets @bowmandernchief , @stluciemets @mattykoch20, @gnatsbaseball Knapp #mets

Montero was solid last night (9 k's over 6) allowed 3 runs but those who saw the play blamed Flores for a poor play at SS.

Cessa meh with 6 innings 8 hits 2 runs 0 walks 2 k's

Cecchini (double header) 1-6, 2 walks

Nimmo 1-3, K

Not a lot of standouts yesterday

Jared King has started hot for Savannah however

Mazzoni
Quote:
� Mets doctors have diagnosed Cory Mazzoni with a lat strain, a team official said. The preliminary diagnosis had involved the triceps. Mazzoni apparently is now not particularly close to joining the Triple-A Las Vegas rotation, but Mets officials are relieved it is neither a shoulder nor elbow injury that might raise alarm. Mazzoni was forced to pull himself from the Grapefruit League finale as the Mets were breaking camp two weeks ago.

rotation places are Montero and Snyderggaard going to take? I understand that injuries will most likely make the question moot, but what if everyone stays healthy and it's late June and Montero and Snyder are still dealing?

all due respect but as you said the odds of having 5 starters all healthy and pitching well are very low. If that were to happen one may be called up and the other likely wouldn't. While Montero/Thor are likely key parts of the future team they aren't removing any of the 5 if they are all pitching well. Mejia for one has a pretty low innings limit so come mid-season you could see potentially a piggyback situation (2 starters in one game).

AAA-
Thor was worse than his iffy stat line going 5 innings allowing 6 hits 4 runs (3 earned) walking 2, striking out 2, 91 pitches 61 strikes. Just never looked comfortable (I only watched the first 3 innings) but those I spoke to this morning agreed.

Carreno 2 perfect 2 k's

MDD 0-3 2 walks
Seratelli 1-5
Wilmer 1-5 (first SS error)
Puello 2-4


AA\

HH's fave Bowman had a solid AA debut 5 innings 3 hits 1 run 1 walk 4 k's 70 pitches 41 strikes

Leathersich 1 inning 1 walk 2 k's (21 pitches only 11 strikes however) They may be better off letting him sink or swim in AAA because AA his MO is miss bats and miss the plate. Not sure he or they are learning much about him at AA.


Plawecki 2-5
Ceciliani 2-5
Boyd 1-5, 2b
Vaughn 1-3
Taijeron 1-3, 2 walks
Tovar 2-4, 3 rbi


A+

Koch 6 innings 8 hits 2 runs 0 walks 1 k (solid enough)
Herrera 2-5, rbi
Nimmo 1-3, 2 walks 1 k (obp now a robust .480, not a ton of power yet, hopefully that will come), very solid start to his season

A

Akeel Morris (a short reliever now) 3 innings... 9 k's!
Cecchini 1-4 rbi, error (he's started slowly)
King 2-3, bb, sb (he's started absolutely on fire)
Dominic Smith 2-4, error

Looks better as a reliever as he is more able to repeat his delivery in shorter apperances. With how long he has been around the Mets system people may not realize he does not turn 22 until AFTER this season

Morris debuted and people were pretty excited about him despite his command. Year 2 the stuff just wasn't as impressive (probably aiming the ball more) but velocity had declined. last year I saw him live in BK a few times and you could see the FB was pretty damn good. I don't proclaim myself to be a scout but if there is anything I have learned in my last few years of attending minor league games (watching on tv) is the clue that a FB is really good is how late/poor swings are, not velocity (though Morris touches 96-97). The Mets are almost certainly right viewing him as a reliever as his "max" delivery seems to work better and he's only 6'1 170 but if he continues to dominate I wouldn't be blown away seeing him get a few "extended" appearances.

of not over powering anyone just Dillon Gee like getting hitters out. Frank Viola loves him. Maybe a back end guy or middle reliever

for mets minors aggregate information.

aggregates box scores and highlights results from the minors and majors

Got it from this tweet:

Quote:

Retweeted by Toby Hyde Nathan Barnett ‏@nathansbarnett 15m I've said it once, I'll say it again http://MLBFarm.com is a must bookmark for baseball broadcasters @darenw http://mlbfarm.com/stats_team.php

MLB Farm - ( New Window )

Of his nine strikeouts, eight were swing-and-misses.


Impressive

Cecchini - 2 for 5
Nimmo - 2 for 4, HR, 2 BB, K
Herrera - 2 for 5, 3B, K
Smith - 0 for 5

I don't recall seeing him shut out, even in the one game without a walk I think he got a single.

AAA-Verrett
AA-Lara
A+ TBD
A Gsellman

was pumped that Gorski did so well last night. she's a KU grad

Can he keep it up? Probably not, but I'm curious to see if he can improve as a hitter.

That's mildly encouraging.

Dave (Queens): Brandon Nimmo has gotten off to a hot start and has continued his trend from last year of taking a ton of walks - do you see his possible profile as similar to Shin Soo-Choo; decent avg, high obp, 20 hr power, decent speed, can fake it in center?

Matt Eddy: It's easy to forget how tooled-up Choo was as a Mariners prospect, but he swiped 40 bases and hit 15 HR as a 21-year-old in a pitcher's park at Double-A San Antonio in 2004. This is Nimmo's age-21 season at High-A St. Lucie, and while I think he has a strong batting eye, decent speed and at least average power, I don't think he has Choo's ceiling. I'm thinking maybe somewhere between Ryan Sweeney and Will Venable, perhaps. A perfectly acceptable starting RF.

Quote:
Bren (Pearl River, NY): Do you think Akeel Morris has any chance to start, or has he find his niche as a big bullpen arm?

Matt Eddy: If he keeps pitching like this, it will be hard to resist the temptation of trying to start him. Be warned, though, Morris walked 6.1 per nine as a mostly-starter in two years at Rookie-level Kingsport.

Toby Hyde, Mets Minor League Blog:

Q: Scott writes:
Toby, did Akeel Morris really strike out ALL NINE batters he faced in 3 innings of work the other night? Can you make even a brief post on what you saw and how he managed to do that? Thanks.

A: Nope. Morris did not strike out all nine batters he faced on Wednesday night in Savannah. He fanned nine of eleven batters he faced. He allowed a leadoff walk in the sixth and then struck out the next three straight. In the seventh, he induced a flyball out and then struck out the next two. His eighth inning began with a strikeout/wild pitch combo and then he struck out the next three, two swinging, one looking for the fun four strikeout inning.

The Mets drafted Morris as a very raw arm in the 10th round of the 2010 draft out of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. He had played very, very little organized baseball until he started auditioning for MLB teams in the run up to the draft itself. He�s listed at 6�1″, 170 lbs, and he�s still rather slender by the standards of professional pitchers. He�s a little dude with a live arm. In spring training he was regularly 92-94 mph and he has 96 in there when he maxes out. There�s effort in his delivery, but he has a really quick arm so his four-seamer jumps on hitters. He uses the fastball a lot.

He showed something off-speed in that nine-strikeout performance. I�m not sure what it was � it was poorly defined. I was told he coming into the season, that he had a curve and slider.

Re-listening to my broadcast, eight of his nine strikeouts came on fastballs and one I did not identify. More than half were up or away. Right now, he�s just blowing away SAL hitters.

It�s taken four years for Morris to reach a-ball as he struggled to throw strikes as a starter in the Gulf Coast League in 2010, and the Appalachian League in 2011 and 2012. Even last year, when he was excellent in the Brooklyn bullpen, he walked over 12% of opposing hitters, the same as he did in the Appalachian League in 2012. The difference was that his strikeout rate hopped to 33% last year.

He�s easily the best arm in the Savannah bullpen right now.

Morris needs to improve his fastball command and the breaking stuff needs plenty of work. He�ll put up numbers in the SAL out of the bullpen strictly by blowing his fastball by guys. We see some relievers post big strikeout rates in the SAL every year. Out of the bullpen in his two outings, he�s thrown strikes on 68% of his pitches. If he can maintain that over a few more moderate length relief outings, he could earn a starting spot or piggyback role where the innings would certainly be productive developmentally. I still think he�s a reliever in the end, but even MLB relievers are usually starters in a-ball.




A: Quite possibly, but he�s not going anywhere for a while. After turning 21 in March, he�s off to a really nice start hitting .348/.516/.565 with two doubles and a homer with eight walks and seven strikeouts in 31 PA. If this spray chart is to be believed, he�s using the whole field nicely. His homerun was pulled to rightfield, just like his two homers last year while his two doubles came from drives to left field. His singles have mostly been back up the middle and into centerfield.

Brandon Nimmo see Binghamton this year

2-3 2 RBI hitting .385

Cecchini 0-2, BB
Gsellman 4 innings 3 hits 1 run 0 earned 0 walks 2 k's

Matz 6 innings 5 hits 4 runs (2 earned) 1 walk 6 k's

we got us a young outfielder. However, it is only April 11 so that's a big if.

dark horse SS possibility ?

In comment 11613867 pjcas18 said:

Quote:

for mets minors aggregate information. MLB Farm - ( New Window )

This is fucking awesome. Thanks.

And Dan, this thread is your best of all time. Seriously this is great.

Seth.


HH, ya never know but he hasn't hit much at all as a pro (Reynolds) and the glove is probably average. Might be something there though (he hit in college).

Pill was awful 4.2 innings 10 hits 7 runs 1 walk 4 k's
Leathersich 2.1 innings 2 hits 1 run 1 walk 4 k's (48 pitches 28 strikes)
Plawecki 2-4, 2b
Boyd 0-4 2 k's

He might be the answer at C, if TDA isn't.

time soon. 2015

Now up over .400, 13 for 32 on the season.

Re: Plawecki, is there anything to see that suggests he can be more than Josh Thole in the bigs?

someone that profiles to eventually move to the pen, or do we think he's a starter too?

Would the absolute fastest case for Nimmo would be a callup June next year? That would assume a promotion to AA at some point this year along with continued success.

took an 0 for 4 with an error last night. Sad to see him off to a bad start.

view deGrom as a starter but of their "best" starters he's the most likely guy to be moved to the pen.

AAA-Montero-5:05
AA-Robles 1:35
A+ Tapia 1:00
A Flexen

5 innings 0 runs 0 hits 2 BB 2k

Dilson Herrera 3-3 hitting . 325

Nimmo 0-3

Montero 3 innings 0 runs 0 hits 2 BB 2 K

5 no hit innings so far tonight

Young 2 homers for Vegas

Nimmo has started well but the K's are becoming a concern again. Herrera similar situation (good start, lots of k's)

Forsythe traded to the A's for future considerations

Through 6, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 SO on 80 pitches

lol

Summary
The Mets� diminutive right-hander has torched the Pacific Coast League (PCL) thus far, but the organization may need to get creative if its to best utilize his services.

Notes
Cashman Field, the home of the Las Vegas 51s and Rafael Montero, is one of the most difficult parks to pitch in throughout the minor leagues. According to Statcorner.com, 15% more runs are scored at Cashman than the average PCL park. The PCL is difficult enough on pitchers to begin with. Through 150 games, PCL games have averaged 10.2 runs per game compared to the MLB average of 8.4 runs. When Toronto and Buffalo�s agreement forced the Mets to Las Vegas, many wondered if the move would have a negative effect on the team�s prospects.

Rafael Montero didn�t get the memo. After 88.2 innings of sub-3 FIP ball in 2013, he�s been dominant through his first three starts of 2014. Montero, demonstrative out of the windup, gets ahead of hitters with a fastball he throws from a three quarter arm slot. While he isn�t overpowering, his superb command of his fastball and slider has allowed him to dissect Triple-A batters.

Montero is joined in the Las Vegas rotation by Noah Syndergaard and and Jacob deGrom. If Syndergaard performance mirrors his elite pedigree and deGrom continues to impress � he joined Montero on Baseball America�s Hot Sheet on Friday � the Mets� front office will be forced to devise a development plan for a trio at the next level. At the moment, the Mets� rotation is full, so the Mets will need to be creative if they want the trio to face MLB hitters and build upon last season�s workloads. Some on the internet, though I cannot recall where, have suggested the Mets implement a piggyback rotation like the ones the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Astros implement in the minor leagues. It�s a radical thought, but if the Mets are to protect Syndergaard, Montero, deGrom and current starter Jenrry Mejia, a piggyback rotation will allow the quartet to continue to develop against baseball�s best hitters.

starters-

Thor, Peavey, TBD, McGowan

Savannah, GA - Savannah Sand Gnats reliever Akeel Morris has been named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for his dominant appearances during the week of April 3 through April 13. Over three appearances, the righthander struck out 14 batters and has yet to allow an earned run in his six and two-thirds innings.

I am rooting for you!

Mike, he's been scratched for Cessa:)

.

Thor 5 innings 5 hits 2 runs 2 walks 5 k's (88 pitches 60 strikes), solid performance

Carreno 2 innings 1 hit 0 runs 1 walk 2 k's

Edgin 1 inning 2 hits 0 walks 1 k

Walters 1 inning 1 hit 0 runs 0 walks 1 k (save)


Chris Young 2-3, 2 walks, 1 k

Wilmer 1-4, bb, k

Puello 1-4, 2b, error

AA-

Plawecki 1-3, 2b, bb
Boyd 1-4, K
Lawley 0-4, 2 k's (he's been awful)
Vaughn 0-4, 2 k's (even worse)
Reynolds 1-4, 2b
Tovar 1-4 (started well)
Leathersich 1 inning 3 hits 1 run 1 walk 1 k (35 pitches 22 strikes)


A+
Cessa 5 innings 6 hits 2 runs 2 walks 2 k's
Herrera 1-5, 2b (no k's)
Nimmo 2-5 (no k's)
TJ Rivera 2-3
Evans 1-4, K


A (game suspended)
Smith 0-2 (rough go of it early)
King 0-1, BB
McGowan 4.1 innings 2 hits 0 runs 1 walk 1 k

Today's starters-


AAA- deGrom
AA-Bowman
A+-Koch
A- continuation of yesterday and game 2 Knapp

Vaughn has stunk at the plate but frequently I see in box scores that he is throwing out runners. Is his arm that good or is the base running that poor or a combination of both?

Vaughn has a roughly average arm, In fact all of his tools are at least average... except the hit tool. I still think he has a shot to be a Scott Hairston type (or Justin Maxwell) (solid bench/platoon guy) but he's 25 repeating AA, it's sort of now or never for him. Vaughn did hurt his arm twice last year so no idea how it looks this year.

The long of it: Vaughn has long been a favorite of Mets prospect watchers. The power/speed combo, the athletic bloodlines, and, while we're not selling jeans here, he definitely looks good in a uniform. And hey, if you toss out his non-Double-A stats (he was rehabbing for most of that time after all), his line looks even a bit better. Squint hard enough, and you might even convince yourself he's a 20/20 guy. And hey, the swing is better now than it was when he first started his pro career, there's much less pre-swing motion, and he no longer has his hands low and everything cocked forward. Unfortunately, it's still very long and doesn't stay in the hitting zone very long. Because of this Vaughn is especially vulnerable to pitches down around his knees or offspeed stuff that breaks down and away, and despite the higher hands, you can still beat him up in the zone. He doesn't use his legs much and relies on the long swing path and his upper body strength for most of his power. Righties eat him up if they can locate down or spin a breaking ball. In the field he is a steady hand in left, but the arm probably limits him to that spot. The left-field profile is tough, especially since I don't see him making enough contact at higher levels to really tap into his solid-average power.

The projection: 5th outfielder/right-handed pinch hitter

His PECOTA ranking is a stunner
Link - ( New Window )

it's lick Hicks-Nicks with me on Kevin

.

joining the team in case Lagares needs to be DLed

Ugh, Kirk sucks. I guess we don't really have many other options. Abreu will be able to get on base until he's like 50 but he'd be a disaster in the field.

a shocker.
Link - ( New Window )

Stephen Drew continues to make so much sense for this team, but he's literally wasting one of his last prime years of his career.

this long, you don't spend a 3rd round draft pick and 10+M (even prorated) for Stephen Drew.

He is not the difference on this team.

The advantages with him are he can go back to AAA when Chris Young comes off the DL and he can play CF defensively

funny how Tejada's first few games were "decent" and yet he's literally the worst SS in baseball on 4/15 in terms of WAR. He literally couldn't rank any worse.

favorite prospect Matt Bowman and the BMets rained out.

With his fastball as the only pitch even touching average, Robles relied on his ability to throw strikes, change the hitters� sight lines, and make the ball move. His fastball sat 89-91 with excellent arm-side life, and he had 92-93 mph when he needed a little extra. �. Both his slider and changeup were consistently below average but he did enough with them to keep hitters off the fastball. Without progress from his secondary offerings, Robles doesn�t have a starters� profile, but he could survive as a middle reliever who relies on a funky delivery with deception and possibly an extra tick on the heater when used in short bursts.

favorite position prospect is Luis Guillorme

not good
Link - ( New Window )

In comment 11621803 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

not good Link - ( New Window )

not good indeed, but let's keep sample size in mind. he only saw him for 2 days. i'm more concerned how dom looks in a few months from now than in his 2nd week playing up at a new level.

sizzling

7 shutout innings ERA .050 in PCL play

deGrom 7 innings 3 hits 0 runs 1 walk 4 k's (I think it would be a mistake for a non-contender to move him to the pen unless/until it's proven he can't hack it)

Edgin 1 inning 1 hit 0 runs 1 walk 1 k, 1 wp

Campbell 2-5, 2 runs (played 2b)

Young 1-4, 2b, k

Wilmer 2-4, homer, 3 RBI (played SS, he's started the year in a funk so good to see)

MDD 2-5, 2b

Lutz 1-4, bb, 2 k's, error



AA
Rained out

A+

Nimmo 2-4, BB, K
TJ Rivera 3-5, 2b, homer. Rivera is overage, 3rd year in the league and playing 1b even though he's barely a MI with the bat... yet what a start to the year for the kid

Aderlin 2-4, 2 rbi, 2b (heating up)

Herrera 2-3, homer, 2 walks (like Nimmo the k's are a concern but he's off to a great start. He reminds me of Juan Uribe)

Evans 2-3, walk, k (awful 2013, promoted to A+ only because of Cecchini the better prospect but nice start to the year)


Koch 5 innings 7 hits 5 runs 0 walk 1 k (meh, Koch has a live arm but the guy just doesn't miss bats. It's wonderful he can throw strikes but he's probably a reliever relatively soon)

Wheeler 1.1 perfect 3 k's

Savannah game 1

Cecchini 1-4, hr, k
King 0-3, BB
Alvarez pitched the remained of the suspended game 4.2 innings 2 hits 0 walks 6 k's (really, really old for the level but above average FB from the left side. Something there possibly.

Game 2

Knapp 7.1 innings 5 hits 2 runs 2 walks 8 k's (Knapp has the profile of a guy who should do really well in the SAL. Stuff is average across the board but former college long time starter with a pitching coach for a dad. In most organizations he'd be in St. Lucie. No knock on him or the Mets but I see good numbers this year in Savannah.


Cecchini 1-4, 2 k's
King 2-4

Pitched 3 years for the Phillies' DSL team then appeared to be out of organized baseball for 3 years before latching on with Brooklyn last year so who knows how much or how little wear he has on his arm versus someone his age or what he did in the intervening years

had him touching 94 last year from the left side. Secondaries/command lagged behind. Obviously the odds are against him but someone "intriguing" to at least monitor.

hurt or did he just get a day off?

played and didn't do anything of note
going 1-7 in the 2 games

#Bustimmo #TRAID

tidbits from Rubin
Link - ( New Window )

.

has 2 homers, his current line is .239/.300/.391, 9 k's 4 walks in 46 AB's

In comment 11621803 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

not good Link - ( New Window )

He's a growing kid. Not too concerned about his size or weight. I doubt the Mets would be oblivious if their rookie was coming in fat.

In comment 11622679 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

has 2 homers, his current line is .239/.300/.391, 9 k's 4 walks in 46 AB's

Eh..

to be fair Smith WAS sent to "fat" camp. Not saying that poor report is fair/accurate but that seems to imply SOME issue with his fitness level being acknowledged.

In comment 11622686 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

to be fair Smith WAS sent to "fat" camp. Not saying that poor report is fair/accurate but that seems to imply SOME issue with his fitness level being acknowledged.

He was? I did not know that. When did that happen?

happened in November.

Tejada, Flores, Duda, Biondi, Phil Evans and Dominic Smith

Tue, 19 Nov 2013 14:55:58 -0800

New York Mets OF Lucas Duda, SS Ruben Tejada, 2B Wilmer Flores and 1B Dominic Smith, among others, were attending the team's four-week voluntary fitness camp.

Read more: http://www.kffl.com/player/28736/mlb/dominic-smith#ixzz2z3xweLgL


(Again before people go nuts, I'm merely stating a fact he was sent to the fitness camp, not agreeing/disagreeing with the negative scouting report)

Flores isn't fat, but he went there too.

was sent there to improve his fitness. All players sent except Biondi (who is a U of M grad who knows the trainer running it) were said to have 2013 "fitness issues" (I hadn't heard that specifically about Smith) but considering all of them were sent...

was actually once DLed due to "poor nutrition " while in Savannah for eating too much garbage lol

Finding Nimmo

Maybe he is hitting his stride now.

was said to be "too jacked for his frame" in Brooklyn but Jeff Paternostro said he looked heavy in 2013. Totally guessing but he probably just ate the same way but lifted less and expected that to be a "good" move.

In comment 11622705 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

was actually once DLed due to "poor nutrition " while in Savannah for eating too much garbage lol

lmao

defense he was like 17 and got a big bonus but yeah he missed like 7-10 days because of "diet issues" and it was later revealed he loved fast food. I'm sure they have McDonalds in VZ lol The Mets actually have seminars about nutrition and how to speak English as well as cooking for yourself (2 cooking injuries the last 2 seasons.. Tapia and Familia both)

John Harper ‏@NYDNHarper 51m
Matz the next Kershaw? Nobody hypes prospects like Mets, but it's tiresome until the future actually arrives. http://nydn.us/QprDSf

Cooking injuries.. LOL. Only the Mets.

Didn't Kaz Matsui miss a game or two back in the day because of anal fissures?

ever, ever compare a low level minor leaguer with the best player at his position in the majors. It's really idiotic and serves no purpose. I like Matz a whole lot but Kershaw had 45 wins and 1 Cy Young at 23, Matz has made 2 starts in A+. In fact, Kershaw had more wins at 23 than Matz has career minor league starts. Kershaw is a freak, if Matz can be a 3-4 starter that would be a major "win".

I used to be friendly (internet friendly) with an ex-Met minor leaguer and he would have some absolutely crazy stories (again these aren't Mets only things) but the Valdespin stealing from teammates, guys triple teaming groupies, openly racist players. It's a good thing for the 80's players that the crazy/partying/coke era happened pre-internet/twitter.

Oh yeah. I can't even imagine the shit that went on back then. Doc alludes to a bunch of things (or flat out talks about them) in his book.. if there was twitter and everything we have now, back then.. forget it.

PS.. did anyone hear Keith's hot dog comment last night? Amazing.

Koch is just insanely hittable for a guy who touches mid-90's. He gave up a ton of hits in college, and as a pro 117.1 innings 140 hits 89 k's. Obviously the 11 walks is awesome but I dunno, I have a hard time seeing him last as a starter. Maybe a guy who should be fast tracked to the pen (he's 23 in A+). Really nice guy on twitter but I think reliever is his best path.

is a national treasure. The Cyclones are having "Seinfeld night", I wonder if they will get Keith.

In comment 11622748 arcarsenal said:

Quote:

Oh yeah. I can't even imagine the shit that went on back then. Doc alludes to a bunch of things (or flat out talks about them) in his book.. if there was twitter and everything we have now, back then.. forget it. PS.. did anyone hear Keith's hot dog comment last night? Amazing.

What was amazing was the woman eating it. I don't blame Hernandez at all.

And the meathead culture in baseball goes vastly under the radar. I have no doubt some crazy shit happens when you have to keep yourself entertained and around the same group of guys for 162 games.

Meija or Colon can't make their next start, I'd assume Dice-K would be brought up?

What if both can't make it? Would Montero or DeGrom get the callup? It's intersting to think about because you didn't hear a ton about DeGrom in the spring, but he's absolutely crushing AAA over a small sample size.

It's going to be a fun year tracking these guys. This is a great thread.

isn't coming up before super two barring a true emergency. The Mets have off Thursday so it's unlikely BOTH of Colon and Mejia won't make their starts. Lannan or Torres would likely fill in if they absolutely had to. Makes no sense to start anyone "good"'s clock for a 1 shot deal and neither Colon or Mejia have significant injuries.

thing about deGrom is he really does a great job getting ground balls. Obviously that would be better if we had more than 1 really good defensive IF (Wright).

Saw SNY flash his AAA numbers. Doing that in the PCL at that park is impressive.

was excited by what he saw from Matz and overreacted, but now Matz has to live with it like Adrien Robinson has to live with Jerry Reese's "the JPP of Tight Ends" beauty. Neither Matz or Robinson asked for it, but they have to bear the brunt

felt he could hold his own since late last year. Yeah, I think if super two didn't exist and they had a rotation spot he'd be up. Nothing more for him to prove. He needs to continue working on his secondaries but that can happen at the next level. I don't think Thor is quite there yet. I think he would be a bit of a rush job and might struggle.

Montero is definitely ready, IMO. I actually think he's slightly more MLB ready than Thor right now.

Montero has any learning curve it will be throwing LESS strikes. Sounds funny but (I only saw one of his 2014 starts but I saw him quite a bit last year), sometimes he throws so many pitches around the plate that hitters get comfortable. I really like Montero and think he can be a long term rotation piece.

has been merely solid so far (3 starts). 6.75 k/9, 2.81 BB/9. When talking about promotions I like to pretend a guy is some nameless nobody that you are calling up based on how well he is doing. Thor has been solid for sure but nothing special to the point you would argue he's being held back.

In comment 11622771 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

thing about deGrom is he really does a great job getting ground balls. Obviously that would be better if we had more than 1 really good defensive IF (Wright).

Exactly the reason why, when we do upgrade shortstop, it should be for someone with very good defensive chops.

Yep.. definitely higher ceiling for Thor but he pretty clearly still needs a little time. He'll get there. Montero seems so polished. I feel like the bust factor there is extremely low barring injury.

it would be ideal but if they found a really good offensive SS it would be good as well. Upgrade is an upgrade. That said (and we aren't finding a Simmons)... 14 games into the season Simmons is already worth 1 full win more than Ruben Tejada. Realistically Jed Lowrie and his average at best defense is probably the "best/most realistic" target for this team.

be pretty stunned if Montero isn't at least solid. Downside to me would be a Gee-ish guy who gave up a lot of contact, upside? Who knows. He's almost certainly not an ace but a lesser Tim Hudson, or a lesser Colon seem like reasonable comps. The only way he's a bust barring injury is if people's expectations are unreasonable "He's Pedro!". Pedro Martinez was plus EVERYTHING. FB, secondaries, command, brains, guile.

Thor was clocked at 100 mph on his last pitch on Monday. I know speed alone does not guarantee anything, but being able to maintain speed late into a start is a positive

just to be clear, I think Thor could be really, really good. I just don't think he'd be overly MLB successful on 4/16. If I were betting on Montero vs. Thor over a 10 game MLB audition I'd go with Montero. More likely to be an all-star? Thor.

Luis Guillorme could play in Major Leagues at SS and be one of the best fielding SS's in the game.

I wasn't reacting to anything you wrote, I thought I throw that into the conversation

In comment 11622792 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

it would be ideal but if they found a really good offensive SS it would be good as well. Upgrade is an upgrade. That said (and we aren't finding a Simmons)... 14 games into the season Simmons is already worth 1 full win more than Ruben Tejada. Realistically Jed Lowrie and his average at best defense is probably the "best/most realistic" target for this team.

I guess the ship has sailed on this, but maybe if Drew is still unsigned after the draft it might make sense to bring him in and maybe even give him a 2 year deal. It's not like there's any great SS FA options this offseason.

another really nice guy on twitter.

You have a mock draft of the top 10?

he will play in the Majors

it's just too early at this point. So much fluctuation. Rodon is no longer even close to a lock #1 overall however. Hoffman has some Verlander comps and even he is no lock #1. Scouts LOVE Brady Aiken and Tyler Kolek, HS pitchers almost never go quite that high but it's possible. Those 4 are probably the top 4 picks as of now. Alex Jackson the #1 bat, little RHP Aaron Nola is moving up (he's garnered comps to Sonny Gray), Bradley Zimmer is a guy who is likely on the Mets radar, plus athlete college OF, Trea Turner has had a disappointing season so far, split opinions on him but a potentially fast moving college SS has to be on the Mets radar, Finnegan is nasty, Kazmir comps, Toussaint is all about upside, the "Gooden" stuff has started with him but I think his race colors that a bit, Newcomb is a "safer" pick with upside (3-4 starter upside, plus FB from the left side), scouts have knocked Jacob Gatewood a bit but he's a potential superstar at SS tools wise.

Crawford- "Zimmer will likely draw top-10 consideration, with teams such as the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays all being potential fits. "


"[Zimmer] is the one true five-tool player in this class," an NL Central scout said. "He's not going to hit for massive power numbers, steal 40 bases and hit .330, but I think he's going to provide above-average numbers everywhere. My only question is at 6-foot-5, is he going to be able to stay in center field. The bat plays wherever he ends up, though."

McDaniel-Zimmer - super advanced hitter, power is coming, great athlete.

1 Houston Carlos Rodon LHP North Carolina State
2 Marlins Tyler Kolek RHP Shepherd (TX)
3 Whitesox Jeff Hoffman RHP East Carolina
4 Cubs Tyler Beede RHP Vanderbilt
5 Twins Brady Aiken LHP Cathedral Catholic
6 Mariners Alex Jackson C/OF Rancho Bernardo (CA)
7 Phillies Michael Gettys OF Gainesville (GA)
8 Rockies Trea Turner SS North Carolina State
9 Blue Jays Nick Gordon SS Olympia (FL)
10Mets Jacob Gatewood SS Clovis (CA)

Bing/Bowman washed away again


BR has a cool new feature telling how how much younger a minor leaguer is than the average age in the league he plays

AAA TBD
AA Bowman
A+ Matz
A Gsellman

Yesterday's action-

AAA
Verrett 5 innings 8 hits 2 runs 2 walks 5 k's (88 pitches 51 strikes)

Black 1 inning 1 hit 0 runs 1 walk 1 k (17 pitches 9 strikes... not a good performance given his spring woes)

Walters 1 perfect 2 k's

Wilmer 1-4, 2 k's

Campbell 1-4, bb, k

Puello 1-4 (slow start, 2 extra base hits in 14 games)


MDD 1-4, 2 k's

AA- Rained out


A+

Ynoa (terrible again) 2.2 innings 8 hits 6 runs 3 walks 1 k

Mitchell 2 innings 1 hit 0 runs 1 walk 2 k's


Nimmo 2-4, bb, k (still on fire)

Herrera 3-5, k (he also is on fire)

Evans 1-5

Aderlin 1-5, K


A

Whalen 5 innings 2 hits 1 run (0 earned) 0 walks 6 k's (very nice)

Diaz 4 innings 3 hits 0 runs 1 walk 5 k's (also very nice)

Cecchini 2-3, 2b, bb, k (heating up, OPS up to .762)

King 1-3, 2b, bb, k


Smith 0-4, K (he's been awful)

and he is struggling, it might not be the worst thing long term if he turns it around. This is probably the first time he has struggled playing baseball. He has a long time to turn it around and make adjustments

Plus FB + Plus CB =potential dominance
Link - ( New Window )

Law is way behind.

128 wRC+ (100 is league average, so he's well above). Slugging .429 in a terrible hitters park. Not bad for a 20 year old bust.

thought Law is a Met hater? lol

The hook from hell, baby.

thing is the Mets reportedly wanted Dahl BADLY the year they took Cecchini. No knock on Cecchini but the reports on Dahl this year are positively glowing. I hate even knowing they loved Dahl because it reminds me of the pre-draft deal we had with Jay Bruce only to take Pelfrey when he fell. Imagine they had Bruce right now?

for what it's worth isn't a Matz guy. Thinks he's a future big leaguer but out of the pen. Loved Smith and Nimmo pre-draft, liked Cecchini #hater

but Beane scooped him up one pick before.

was their scouts hadn't been so excited about a player (Dahl) since David Wright. He put on a show at Citifield. The Jay Bruce stuff is worse though since a 30+ homer OF added to the current team would be so sweet. Big Pelf:(

has added FIP and age vs. level to their standard stats on their site. Cool.

That was because Braden Shipley was off the board. Has Shipley even pitched this year?

opened in extended due to "minor shoulder tenderness". Expected to pitch soon. He was actually #1 on my board when the mets picked as well. Law was NUTS for him this spring. Said potential #1 upside. Though Law is obsessed with athletic pitchers and Shipley is that in spades.

Princecum

7 innings 0 runs 4 hits 1 BB 11k's season ERA .075

6 innings 0 runs 2 hits 1BB 5K's

Quote:

MetsMinors.Net ‏@Mets_Minors 3m Jake Kuebler starts the bottom of the 8th in relief of Steven Matz. Matz had a tremendous game, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K. @StlucieMets

Since he's old for the league I wonder if he continues this pace if the Mets push him to AA sooner rather than later.

In comment 11624598 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

thing is the Mets reportedly wanted Dahl BADLY the year they took Cecchini. No knock on Cecchini but the reports on Dahl this year are positively glowing. I hate even knowing they loved Dahl because it reminds me of the pre-draft deal we had with Jay Bruce only to take Pelfrey when he fell. Imagine they had Bruce right now?

Wasn't Pelfrey pretty glowingly regarded in the draft?

In comment 11626132 pjcas18 said:

Quote:

Quote: MetsMinors.Net ‏@Mets_Minors 3m Jake Kuebler starts the bottom of the 8th in relief of Steven Matz. Matz had a tremendous game, 7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K. @StlucieMets Since he's old for the league I wonder if he continues this pace if the Mets push him to AA sooner rather than later.

He is not even 23 so he is not old for the Florida State League and he missed 2010 an 2011 with injuries so it is not like he has been toiling in the minors. Still I am rooting for him as he is from Long Island and is exactly 8 years younger than me

I don't think he's anyone's radar, but if he keeps pitching like this, someone is going to have to take notice.

Pelfrey was extremely highly thought of. I wasn't knocking the pick. I'm annoyed that they clearly liked Bruce (pre-draft deal) and Pelfrey falling ruined that.

Matz IS old for a PROSPECT in the FSL. Can't just look at average age of a league. He's far from ancient (23 next month) but most 23 year olds are in AA/AAA at this point. Doesn't mean Matz won't be excellent but he IS old for the FSL (he's .3 months younger than the average PLAYER) but not prospect. Think about it this way... Wheeler was 21-22 in St. Lucie, Harvey was 22 his entire FSL stint, Thor 20.

that site mentioned above is terrible. They are obsessed with being friends with the players/prospects so they are over the top positive about EVERY player. To comical levels. Matz WAS great tonight but some of their articles are farcical.

example of their ridiculous hyperbole

Quote:

Thurber has moved up through each level since he was signed in 2011. There is no reason why he shouldn�t be sent to AA Binghamton to start the 2014 season. The outfield shouldn�t be as crowded since Cory Vaughn and Cesar Puello should be moving up to AAA, which would open up an opportunity for Thurber to play more. He finished 2013 strong and the key will be how he performs in spring training and if he can continue where he left off. I feel that given the opportunity to play he will prove that he belongs and be an asset to the team. The skies the limit for him to reach his potential.

Thurber... is 24 years old with a career .237/309/.334 line in A-ball and is not on a full season roster at the moment

He did miss two seasons with his TJ surgery. Treat him like any other prospect and promote him when he's ready.

To be clear, it's not. In fact I've argued many times in the past that age in regard to a pitcher is very, very overrated in the minors unless someone is repeating a level. I just meant 23 IS a bit old for an FSL pitching "prospect" by most standards. means absolutely nothing.

Today's pitching: @LasVegas51s Montero, @bmets @darin_gorski20 , @stluciemets @MFulmer12 and @gnatsbaseball John Gant #mets

awful

2 innings 8 hits 7 runs 1 walk 2 k's

Nimmo money 2-3

age should be a concern, what I said was considering his age and the fact he's missed two seasons with the TJ and complications, if the Mets would move him quickly if he continued to dominate.

I feel like if Matz was 20, they'd probably leave him there, but at 23, I was wondering if that would influence them to move him to AA - maybe around the AS break or so.

Adam Rubin ✔ @AdamRubinESPN
Rare rough AAA start for Rafael Montero: 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 1 HR. Threw 93 pitches. 51s still lead 6-4, bidding to go 13-3.

4-5, 1 3B, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB

anyone asks... Nimmo will not be promoted anytime soon. if he's still on fire at the all star break THEN he could be promoted.

If Nimmo can turn into Edgardo Alfonzo (when he was with the Mets) at the plate you take that, especially if he can hack it defensively in CF

AAA-Thor
AA-Lara
A+ Tapia
A Gant

Edgardo Alfonzo was an all-star, if Nimmo is Alfonzo in CF not only would the Mets take that they would do cartwheels. he would be a multi-time all-star . I don't really see them as similar players though as Fonzie never struck out... like at all.

Matt Reynolds 4-4 up to .383 Going from AA to the bigs is not unusual.

he's been awful before this season. He's not skipping AAA based on 47 ab's at AA

not some 40th rounder. He was drafted with high expectations. He played 4 years of College at Arkansas. This isn't some JAG.

but he's still played 152 games 2012+2013 with a .662 OPS and last year hit .225 in 118 games. His BABIP right now is over .400. Maybe he's breaking out but .383 on April 19 means absolutely nothing. Call me in July. To this point he's been an absolute turd.

nobody here can talk about a prospect without running it by you it seems. Sorry if I think a 2nd rounder who has less than 2 years of pro ball might be successful. See yourself in July

don't think it's silly to form opinions on players this early with track records that say otherwise? If that's the case Fulmer, Walters and Ynoa absolute suck right? Because they have track records of being good but have been AWFUL this year early.

I'm willing to wager that most people would agree when a player has played for a while and has put up X numbers and then suddenly 2 weeks into the season their numbers look TOTALLY different, that being patient makes more sense. You are suggesting he should skip AAA aka you think "he's ready" he hit .225 last year in A-ball.

college ball at a Major program. I know baseball is not football, but having expectations for a guy drafted in the top 50 doesn't seem to be going out a too big of a limb

I did the reverse I would be mocked.

"Plawecki looks like a turd. .702 OPS this year"
"Boyd is a non-prospect .490 OPS?"

he could skip AAA is a bit different than having expectations don't you think? You think 13-14 games are a good way to judge a player? Then Mike Jacobs should be on his way to Cooperstown and they should release Ynoa, Fulmer, Boyd and quite a few others.

you want to pick and choose your arguments go for it but I challenge you to produce proof I have been unfairly negative on this thread. I couldn't be more neutral.

probably means as much as his .388 at this point in AA. He wouldn't be the first player to get off to a rough start entering pro ball that went on to be successful. My point it is nice to see a highly drafted player show something even if it's a very small sample

Reynolds is the Mets highest drafted position player since the 2012 draft

and I said maybe he's breaking out but call me in July. Players can have 40 game runs where they look great or horrible without that being them. Players have had full outlier seasons. 14 games hitting .382 is nice but means nothing in judging the player. I guarantee the Mets themselves think "nice, Reynolds is off to a good start" nothing less, nothing more.

not to knock Reynolds but he went that high in part due to signability. BA had him the #147 player (Mets took him at 76), Law didn't have him top 100 that year. Doesn't mean he can't be good but he wasn't viewed as a 2nd round talent.

had him #95, saw him as a potential utility player at the big league level.

to replace Tejada next week. I do think that it would not be unheard of for a college player to make the jump from AA to ML if he puts together 100 games of
solid baseball. He will be 24 in December

nowhere did I say it's not possible he's breaking out. I'm saying he could hit .570 for 14 games with 6 homers and 10 steals and it could still mean nothing. this is why you don't see teams promoting players based on 3 weeks of hot play that doesn't match their past numbers. Could Reynolds potentially play so well that come June they are considering calling him up? Yeah that's possible. But 14 hot games with a BABIP over .400 is simply "nice Reynolds has had a nice run let's see where it goes"> just as I'm not ready to dump Fulmer or Ynoa, both of whom have been horrendous.

evaluation of his ceiling. He might be nothing more than a utility guy in their eyes when they drafted him, but if signability was the reason to pick him in the second round, then Sandy & Company aren't who I think they are

decent outing for Lara today 6 innings 2 hits 0 er 3 walks 1 k, 18.1 innings 7 k's 4 walks is pretty ugly but he's pitched pretty well so far. Lawley and Boyd had hits, have started slow so good to see. Vaughn has been absolutely horrendous. Like "is he even trying?" bad.

The issue of Thor's aggressiveness caught me by surprise. He comes across as a very confident guy.

actually said Reynolds would play SS and then shift to 2b or 3b. No idea if that's still the plan but they openly said they didn't believe he would stick at SS.

is drowning and keeping him in the lineup is almost cruel

What I've heard is they think Thor is a little too "Pelfrey" and not "Harvey" enough when it comes to demeanor on the mound. More throwing inside, more "fuck you I'm striking you out". Tough to say from the outside. Wheeler looks pretty laid back to me and didn't have similar "concerns". I doubt it's a big concern.

2-43 with 12 k's. I bet he's upset he's back in AA. He seemed upset he was unprotected in the rule v so maybe it's a carryover? Either way 2-43 with 12 k's is ugly.

I was a fan, then I wasn't, then he started off OK and I was alright with him, now he is in the toilet. D'Arnaud(who I believe will get it going) Tejada and the pitcher is giving away 3 innings a game at this point

has been horrid otherwise he might be worth the call. Sort of surprised Tovar isn't in the discussion.

I remember him saying after his impressive intra squad performance that he couldn't go inside like he wanted because they were his teammates. I liked hearing that and then this. It's a head scratcher

not a Wally fanboy but he does seem to handle these pitchers pretty well. Wasn't afraid to critique Harvey and Wheeler so if this is coming up now maybe he just thinks Thor "weakness" is something that can be tightened up a bit. Hard to develop guys once they are up.

Tapia an ugly one. 4 innings 3 hits 2 runs 4 walks 0 k's
Herrera 1-3
Nimmo 0-4
Cecchini 0-2, K
King 0-2, K, BB
Not so good from Gant 5 innings 8 hits 3 runs 2 walks 3 k's

Notable that ex-Met pick Myles Smith is pitching against them. Some of the "experts" felt the Mets should have signed Smith.

Teddy Stankiewicz had a good game against them the other day

Poor getting beaten up like a pi�ata

Adam Rubin ‏@AdamRubinESPN 8m
Day after tough start for Rafael Montero, Noah Syndergaard rough outing too: 4 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR so far. At 86 pitches.

deGrom today. Everyone else off for easter

5 innings 6 hits 3 runs 2 walks 6 k's 2 WP 1 HBP 75 pitches 46 strikes

Wilmer 0-1, 2 BB's, error (#4)

robertbrender: Zack Thornton, just acquired in the Ike Davis trade, making his debut for Vegas today. Gives up a HR to the 2nd batter he faces. #Mets


Muno 4-4 homer

AshMarshallMLB: Oh dear. The @LasVegas51s' 5-6-7 hitters just got retired on 11 pitches by @epchihuahuas outfielder Jeff Francoeur. #Mets #Padres

Abreu joining the Mets monday

..

has to be right? Nobody else makes sense.

got on base 4 times with 3 walks and a hit. I see the 4 errors also

In comment 11629615 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

has to be right? Nobody else makes sense.

Grandy to the DL with a bruised ego? If Young is going to be the everyday guy in CF with Andrew Brown available to play a corner position I would rather have Kirk hitting everyday, even if it is at AAA. I know he had the game winning hit, but with a lefty on the hill tomorrow I would start Andrew Brown in RF. Let Chris Young bat second

Hasn't pitched yet this year. I assume some kind of injury.

is on the AA reserve list aka not injured just no room.

AAA- Verrett
AA- TBD
A+ Cessa
A TBD


Would be nice to see Cessa, Ynoa, Lara start to miss some bats

This guy sees Matt Reynolds the same way you described him. I guess he is not a future SS
Link - ( New Window )

John Harper ‏@NYDNHarper 29s
Some industry speculation that PTNBL in I. Davis trade is 18yr old RHP Neil Kozlowski, 8th rd. pick. 2 scouts say Mets reallly liked him.

I'll take a solid utility player over some of the guys we have. Hopefully he can be that.

6'4 180 from CT
Link - ( New Window )

Seem to like big, wiry RHP

After signing second rounder Blake Taylor to an under-slot deal, the Pirates have $266,000 for over-slot deals without any penalties. Kozikowski�s deal will put them about $5,000 over-budget, although they could still create room with any number of their top ten round picks. They can also spend up to $701,345 in over-slot deals without forfeiting a draft pick. Kozikowski will take his physical later in the week, and should officially sign by the end of the week.

The right-hander wasn�t on the radar in any top draft prospects rankings, but seems like the type of projectable arm the Pirates love. He�s 6′ 4″, 180 pounds, and throws 86-88 MPH but has touched 92. He throws from a 3/4 arm slot, and has a projectable frame, which could give him added velocity in the future. He also has a good changeup, a solid slider, and a cutter. Originally I questioned whether he might be an under-slot candidate, but after considering his commitment to VCU � which has a good baseball program � I thought he might be a little bit more difficult to sign.


http://www.piratesprospects.com/2013/06 ... owski.html

LOL, only the Mets.

Present day velocity sounds underwhelming but projectable, got nearly triple slot to sign #mets


"I saw Neil Kozikowski a few times this year, which was probably more than most scouts have ever seen him. When the Pirates drafted him, he was a complete unknown, with very little information surrounding him. That made it a surprise when the Pirates gave him an over-slot deal in the eighth round. When I saw him he was throwing in the 88-91 MPH range, and was using his changeup frequently, which is rare for high school players. Most don�t have a changeup, and lack trust in the pitch early in their career. Kozikowski has good movement on his fastball at times, but at other times he can leave it up in the zone, getting hit hard in those instances."

http://www.piratesprospects.com/2013/10/2013-gcl-pirates-season-recap-and-top-10-prospects.html

Unless I'm missing something BA didn't have him their top 500 pre-draft

are doing with Reynolds and Tovar. They switch between SS and 2nd every game. Tovar has struck out once in 40 some AB's

2-3 (both hits off a lefty)

Pill better but still not great. 5.1 innings 7 hits 4 runs 1 walk 4 k's


Plawecki off to a slow start on the year 0-2

Boyd a truly awful start has 2 walks tonight

McNeil second homer of the year, King his first
Flexen 2 innings 2 hits 0 runs 1 walk 0 k's
Cecchini 1-2
Smith 1-1, BB

Montero has been Montero, Thor SLIGHTLY disappointing,

Ynoa, Fulmer, Lara, Cessa, Flexen, Koch have been disappointing so far

Matz has been excellent, Bowman excellent, deGrom excellent, Diaz good (very few innings), Morris has been amazing, Whalen good (very few innings), Knapp one bad one good, Gant has been "ok", Tapia "ok", Gorski has been really good, Leathersich his usual Leathersich self, Verrett not good

Puello including a 3B last night. Maybe he's starting to heat up.

Too bad we might want him to replace Granderson come June/July.

has been more than "slightly" disappointing. WHip 1.55, ERA 4.95. 15K's in 20 innings doesn't excite me

In comment 11630541 Eric on Li said:

Quote:

John Harper ‏@NYDNHarper 29s Some industry speculation that PTNBL in I. Davis trade is 18yr old RHP Neil Kozlowski, 8th rd. pick. 2 scouts say Mets reallly liked him.

Another pitcher.

Yet another damned pitcher.

hoping that's not the guy. Read up on him last night. Might develop into something but underwhelming "now" velocity, wasn't a top 500 prospect pre-draft by BA, wasn't even in the CT regions top 20 HS pitchers pre-draft. #139 ranked HS pitcher pre-draft by another site, Maybe he develops but just not very appealing.

a top 500 draft prospect pre-draft, not "prospect".

Reading through the short season Pirates 2013 picks OF Nick Buckner stands out as an intriguing guy. Their "Ivan Wilson" if you will #mets


Harvey just deleted his twitter account because people were upset he flipped the bird in a picture he posted. What a non-story.

minor league "fallers" article.

Gabriel Ynoa, RHP, New York Mets (Profile)
Level: High-A Age: 21 Top-15: N/A Top-100: N/A
Line: 14 IP, 20 H, 10 R, 7/6 K/BB, 5.79 ERA, 4.48 FIP

Summary
A top statistical performer at the Low-A level in 2013, the early returns on Ynoa�s 2014 season show he may be losing his slim margin for error.

Notes
Full disclosure: I haven�t seen Ynoa pitch this year. However, I did see him throw last season, and it was striking how much quieter his stuff was than that of fellow 2013 Savannah rotation-mates Luis Cessa and Matt Koch, both of whom usually came in below Ynoa on post-2013 prospect lists. Ynoa throws 89-93 mph running heat from a low 3/4 delivery, also tossing a solid changeup, a short, cutter-like slider, and a sloppy show-pitch curveball. He utilizes an easy motion that allows him to generally throw strikes, but it�s not an arsenal that gives the skinny righthander a whole lot of room for error.

His delivery and changeup also present a bit of a paradox�the slingy motion is tough on Ynoa�s fellow righties while allowing southpaws a long look at the ball, but his one good offspeed pitch is the changeup, a pitch that usually stifles opposite-side hitters. Thus, his attack basically consists of deception/moving heat/iffy slider to righties, no deception/platoon-split fastball/good changeup to lefties. These are both workable combinations, but even in Ynoa�s breakout 2013 (2.72 ERA, 3.16 FIP), they didn�t give him a great strikeout rate (19.6%). Instead, he excelled on the back of a 3.0% walk rate and just .6 HR/9, the latter in spite of a below-average groundball rate according to StatCorner.

Ynoa�s slightly square-peg-round-hole-ish skillset doesn�t render him useless, but superior command is the glue that holds it together, and with his move up to High-A this season, he�s already issued six free passes in 14 innings, tripling his 2013 walk rate, and his strikeout rate has also predictably shrunk. In his last outing on the 16th, Ynoa walked three and struck out just one while allowing six runs on eight hits in 2 2/3 frames. In 2013, he never walked three batters in a game and only once worked less than five frames, so even an isolated occurrence of this sort of outing is indicative of the rougher road he faces.

Ynoa hasn�t turned 21 and remains a somewhat projectable pitcher who does boast some assets, but his early-season statistical regression does highlight the fact that he didn�t project as a high-upside guy in the first place. Ynoa could carve out a career as a back-of-the-rotation arm or a solid reliever, but the notion that he�s the next Marco Estrada seemed misplaced to me last year, and the early returns on his transition to the Florida State League seem to make that sort of outcome appear all the more unlikely.

Puello 1-2
Campbell 1-2, BB
Flores 1-2 (another error at SS however, that's already 5)
Muno 1-1
Dykstra 1-1,2b BB
MDD rbi triple

Vegas is up 8-2 after 1.5 lol

is actually 2-2, triple

Vegas up 9-2

Vegas. Puello, MDD, Dykstra and Campbell all have 2 hits already. Puello heating up. Nice

should watch his back.

Allan Dykstra is 3 for 3 with a walk, 1 HR, 5 RBI in the first 4 innings.

I hope he gets a shot down the line. He has earned it

know Dykstra is said to be bad at 1b and have a "AAAA" bat in terms of bat speed but why not find out? 1b is the one position where you can "deal" with lesser defense (c'mon Duda isn't Mex). Toby doesn't believe in the bat speed and that's fine but give him a shot (though I'd like to see Duda given an extended look first).

a September call up at best and that's too bad

hits for Puello and Campbell now, 17 spot on the board.

Maybe Dykstra's a late bloomer, but his hitting isn't new. He had a .938 OPS last season in AA - and he was a first round pick.

Adam Rubin ‏@AdamRubinESPN 59s
Las Vegas, in its second season as a Mets affiliate, has a 15-5 record. That's best record in Vegas' 32 years of existence through 20 games.

Adam Rubin ‏@AdamRubinESPN 4m
A Triple-A Las Vegas player was not impressed with Jeff Francoeur's fastball. Described it as "poo." Not another word meaning poo. Said poo.

Between 2012-14, he's played in over 200 games in High-A. Is it just a numbers game in terms of the roster at Binghamton or does he strike out too much for their liking?

Game with Rivera. Glove is very weak at ss

a couple of strikeouts a couple of walks a couple of stolen bases and a hit

AAA-
Vegas wins 21-9

Puello 3-7, 4 runs, K
Campbell 4-5, BB, 2 2b, 3 runs, 3 rbi, K
Flores 2-7, 2 runs, 2 rbi, error #5
Dykstra 4-5, homer, 2b, 5 rbi, bb
MDD 3-4, 3b, HR, 5 rbi, 2 bb
Edgin 1 inning 2 hits 1 run 1 walk 2 k's

OFF

AA-
Reynolds 1-5, BB, 3 k's
Plawecki 2-5, rbi, PB #3
Lawley 1-4, K, BB
Vaughn 1-4, bb, 2 K's
Boyd 1-5, rbi, 2 k's
Robles was awful 4.2 innings 4 hits 3 runs (2 earned) 7 walks 5 k's 97 pitches 54 strikes




A-

Nimmo 1-4, 2 BB, 2 K, 2 SB
Herrera 3-6, K
Rivera 2-6, homer, K, 3 rbi
Evans 3-5, HR, BB
Koch 5 innings 7 hits 4 runs 2 earned 0 walks 3 k's 7-2 GO/AO




Savannah-


McGowan 4.1 innings 7 hits 4 runs 3 walks 5 k's
Alvarez 3.2 innings 1 hit 0 walks 0 runs 6 k's (he's ancient-25, but he's been dominant out of the pen early)
Cecchini 1-3, BB, SB
King 0-3, BB, 2 k's
Smith 0-2, 2 BB, SB
McNeil 1-4, BB


Today-
Peavey, Ynoa, Knapp

6+ innings for Astros 0 runs 12K's, you can't make this shit up

is also insanely nice. Props to him.

night? We get to see him on Sunday, that should be brutal

Kershaw hurt, Fernandez might be the best pitcher currently pitching in baseball

.

watched a few innings of Fernandez vs. Alex Wood, talk about a great pitchers matchup. Wood looked really good as well. Fucking Braves lol

and come up with homegrown studs. You'd think other teams would wake up to this and spend more time in Georgia

it's really amazing how well they do in that region.

In comment 11633964 Headhunter said:

Quote:

6+ innings for Astros 0 runs 12K's, you can't make this shit up

It was also his first win of his professional career (he was 0-8 previously)

I hoped he would be the 5th starter when he got his shot with us. The 12K's I didn't see coming, didn't think he had that kind of stuff when he was a Met

Over guys like dice k , lannon, etc

he did very little when given his opportunity. No one shed a tear when he was traded to Colorado

They didn't have a choice. Last year they needed the roster spots due to injuries and so he lost his spot on the 40 man. His performances with the Mets were atrocious. His ERA was over 10 in 2013 with the Mets (after being over 7.5 in 3 outings in 2012). He was not ready and the Mets had better options they did not want to lose from the 40 man

day on the farm yesterday with AAA off, AA rained out.


A+

Ynoa still not great but better than he's been. 6 innings 8 hits 3 runs 0 walks 4 k's

Sewald 2 innings 0 hits 0 runs 2 walks 3 k's

Nimmo 0-4, 2 k's

Herrera 1-4

Evans 0-3

Gomez 1-4, 2b


Knapp 5 innings 5 hits 2 runs 1 earned 1 walk 8 k's

Morris 3 innings 2 hits 0 runs 1 walk 3 k's

Cecchini 0-3, BB

Smith 0-3

Montero
Peavey
Matz
Whalen

0 runs 3 hits 5k's

Nimmo 1-2 with 3 walks and 2 RBI

Nimmo's on base percentage is some insane number so far

we have

Thor (hopefully he gets on track)
Princecum (has been excellent)
Fulmer (he's been terrible)
Gsellman/Diaz (DH)

0% concerned about Thor, I am concerned about Fulmer given that awful in-person report from BP.

is probably a good 6-8 starts from being in the discussion for a promotion to AA. He has an outside shot of seeing Citifield in Sept but more realistically next July.

if we re-signed Kazmir and signed Jose Abreu. It would have cost just money. These are the non moves I can't defend

No money no players.

In comment 11638730 Headhunter said:

Quote:

if we re-signed Kazmir and signed Jose Abreu. It would have cost just money. These are the non moves I can't defend

I can live with passing on Kazmir, but not signing (or at least being heavily in on) Abreu was - and continues to be - a head scratcher....

say the Abreu one is infuriating and more so when you know Jeff Wilpon openly admitted if Abreu were an OF they would have been in on him but since they have "5" 1st basemen they weren't which means they knew the guy could hit.

because he is having a hell of a season and he would have cost only money. I am not on board for trading Montero + for a mediocre SS, those deals come back to bite you (like Kasmir for Victor Zambrano)

Robert Gssellman complete game 7ip 5h 1r 1er 0bb 7so

Nimmo 0-0 BB

Fulmer 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

walk for Nimmo, 2 on the night.

having his best start as a Met? at least the best I can remember.

3 innings, 0 hits, 1 bb, 6 k's. 48 pitches.

early but a great start.

2-2, 3 BB, 2 R, 1 SB

.
Link - ( New Window )

He's hitting .423 with an OPS of 1.334. Will he be the answer at 1b?

Never mind that he's pitching in some of the worst conditions for a pitcher on the planet, including thin air, fast, rocky infields, and slick balls that are hard to grip and ruin command and curve grips. Forget all that stuff. What a BUST!!!

AAA- deGrom
AA-Bowman/TBD
A+ Tapia
A Gant

TBD got promoted

5.1 1 run 5 hits 3 BB 2k's season ERA 1.04

Hope he ends up in Citi one day

1-1, rbi

a couple of times and raise his ridiculous OBP

.

.

Gant was great. 6 innings 3 hits 1 run 1 walk 10 k's
Smith 1-3 double

Tapia meh again. 4 innings 5 hits 2 runs 1 walk 1 k. He's been quite underwhelming so far this year for a guy repeating a level. 6 strike outs 9 walks in 18 innings. YUCK.

3-5 hitting a robust .393

wasn't great but he wound up with a quality start

6 innings, 7 hits, 3 er, 1 walk, 2 k's

Is John Gant a prospect? seemed like from his stats he pitched well in Brooklyn last year and is off to a good start in low A.

Tapia's ratio's are awful for a power arm repeating A+

20 innings 9 hits 7 k's, that's non-prospect stuff. Let's hope he turns it around.


Gant is a prospect (scouts told BA he has some Arroyo to him) but he's a finesse guy and those types do well in Savannah. Won't really be able to judge him at this level.

People have various levels of hope for these 4 and all four have been disappointing so far. Let's hope today is the day they turn it around!


AAA- Verrett
AA- Lara
A+ Cessa
A Flexen

his (Tapia) stats aren't great.

Just saying his start last night didn't wind up too bad with the last two scoreless innings tacked on.

Doesn't he have one pitch. a sinking fastball or something. Most of the scouts thought he'd get figured out, just didn't think it would be this soon.

yes he has 1 pitch (big time sinker). He's not especially young (23 in December repeating A+) he's expected to be a reliever by most. But he was expected to improve upon his disappointing 2013 (which is why he's repeating) and thus far it's been ugly. Hopefully it's just a slow start.

St. Lucie Mets @stluciemets
Juan Lagares is in CF and leading off for St. Lucie as part of a MLB rehab assignment. Game vs. Bradenton at 1 p.m.

in mind, Tapia is rule v eligible post 2014 so he needs to pitch well for his future with this organization as they simply don't have a ton of room with Leathersich, Montero, Thor, Mazzoni, Herrera, Ynoa, Akeel Morris etc among guys in full-season ball who need to be added or risk being lost. Some are obviously being added (Montero, Thor, Herrera basically guarantees).

he's got some work to do, but the plus side is he's not really a threat to be on anyone's major league roster for the year, LOL.

probably not but with a live arm (again gotta assume he pitches better going forward or he's essentially a non-prospect). With a live arm someone may roll the dice. I like tapia, just an ugly start. It happens.

Like Thor, Archie Bradley is struggling in the PCL. It happens. #mets

Hopefully come July Thor will be ready to help

Like Thor, Archie Bradley is struggling in the PCL. It happens. #mets

Hopefully come July Thor will be ready to help

In comment 11640750 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

St. Lucie Mets @stluciemets Juan Lagares is in CF and leading off for St. Lucie as part of a MLB rehab assignment. Game vs. Bradenton at 1 p.m.

That's good news. Any heads up on when he'll be back with the club?

the hope is by this time next week he'll be back but you don't want to rush a hammy.

Nimmo.... Walks. #23 #Mets

(they'll be added this summer), Leathersich and Morris are all certain to be added to the 40-man. I'll group Mazzoni, Ynoa and Tapia into the 50/50 range as for whether they'll be left off.

That's 5 pitchers from within the organization who will be added.

Figure guys like Farnsworth, Matsuzaka, Valverde are certain to come off by the offseason. Jeff Walters & Erik Goeddel's spots are also in danger.

is a lock to be added

Larry Flynt absolutely hates @You_Found_Nimmo ... Nimmo just walked again, second of the day #mets

If there's a numbers crunch, I'm guessing MDD could be taken off unless he improves this year

is also Luis Mateo who will be eligible and may need to be added if he comes back strong. He's the kind of guy you could really regret losing

That unless he makes it to AA I could see him being left off

is the perfect candidate for a team to try and steal. Coming off TJ, limited track record, almost certainly a reliever but the guy likely would have seen Citifield this year if not for his surgery. Not outrageous to believe a team would pluck him if unprotected. Closers stuff.

13.2 IP, 3 H, 22 SO, 8 BB

yesterday.

AAA-
Verrett 5 innings 7 hits 5 runs (3 earned) 1 walk 4 k's

Thornton 2 innings 2 hits 0 runs 0 walks 2 k's

Edgin 0.1 innings 0 hits 0 runs 1 walk 0 k's

Puello 2-5, K

Flores 1-2, rbi (error #6 at SS)

Muno 3-3, run

Dykstra 0-2, BB

Today-Eveland


AA-

Plawecki 1-5, rbi, K
Taijeron 1-4, HR, 3 rbi
Vaughn 1-3, RBI, BB
Reynolds 2-4, BB, 2 K
Lara (awful) 3.2 innings 8 hits 6 runs 2 walks 1 k (on the year 22 innings 6 walks 8 k's)
Leathersich 1.1 innings 0 hits 0 runs 1 walk 1 k (on the year 7 walks vs. 15 k's in 9 innings)

Today-Pill

A+

Cessa (terrible) 6.1 innings 6 hits 7 runs 5 earned 3 walks 1 K
Lagares 1-4 (rehab)
Gomez 1-1, 3b, 2 rbi
Nimmo 0-3, 2 BB, 1 K
Herrera 1-5
Evans 3-4, 2b

Today: Koch

Sav

Flexen 3 innings 4 hits 6 runs 4 walks 4 k's
Morris 2 innings 0 hits 0 runs 1 walk 3 k's
Alvarez 3 innings 1 hit 0 runs 1 walk 6 k's ( he's been ridiculous, though he's 25 in Low-A)
Cecchini 3-4, 2 2b, k (good to see after a real rough past week)
King 1-4, 2 rbi
McNeil 1-4, rbi

It's extremely early but overall the SP prospects have been disappointing on the whole. Tough to find many SP's in the system that have pitched to or exceeded expectations (there are of course a few like deGrom and Bowman) while Ynoa, Cessa, Flexen, Lara, Verrett, Tapia, Thor, Fulmer (good last start) are among those who have underwhelmed. Again very early.

working on their stuff... also, things will improve when the weather warms up.

see?? I can get a management job in baseball!! I already know the rhetoric!

a few have exceeded (I should have named Matz as well) but given the number of arms we are excited it's not a great start on the whole for the SP prospects.

I was just quoting the typical minor league management jargon.

I was reading that degrom wouldn't be against being in the bullpen.. as long as he is in the majors. great attitude, and smart move knowing that the rotation should be hard to crack moving forward.

guessing during ST they had real thoughts of deGrom being a pen option (and he still likely is) but he's started so well it's hard to make that decision. Sickels felt deGrom had 3-4 starter upside which obviously is more valuable than 60 innings in the 7th inning.

yeah he's one of the guys who gets really high marks for attitude, work ethic etc

is the best way to get a good return for some younger arms eventually?

keep them as starters, and have them develop? or for some have them move to the pen and possibly dominate?

bring back very little via trade unless they are proven over multiple years or closing. If you are looking for the biggest bang for your buck then a starter will bring back more. Think of it this way. A solid #4 starter makes 10+ million per at this point and likely gets 3-4 years while a good middle reliever might make 3-4 and get at best a 3 year deal. Relievers (despite what the Mets have shown in recent history) are much easier to find than starters.

Vic Black can continue to get his crap together and be promoted. Both him and Familia have the stuff to be great relievers, but they also have the command of Rick Ankiel right now.

hmm.. wonder if either of them can play SS!!

that I think Black is a future star but his poor spring surprised me a bit. I realize his command is likely always going to be hot and cold but I guess his delivery can get out of wack. It would be nice to add him to the pen if he can get it together.

2 innings 0 runs 2 hits 0 walks 2K's for Las Vegas yesterday.

Unsurprisingly, putting a strike in play yields a more successful outcome than putting a ball in play. When watching prospects, it�s important to note whether they appear to have a plan at the plate. Since his age-19 season with the Brooklyn Cyclones, Brandon Nimmo has stood out to me as a player who uses his knowledge of the strike zone to put himself into good hitting situations.

The Mets� outfielder has begun the season with a slash line of .393/.519/.500, a 22:19 BB:SO ratio and a .500 BABIP. Nimmo�s BABIP is unsustainable, yet it would be unwise to believe it was created entirely by luck. Nimmo couples an outstanding knowledge of the strike zone with a selective approach. Rarely, compared to his peers, will the youngster expand the strike zone. And just as Beltran describes, Nimmo will allow a strike to go by if it is outside of his preference � low fastball middle to middle-in.

might end up smelling like roses with Nimmo. Needs to sustain close to his current production for another couple of months, then the excitement will be justified

2-3 yesterday and had a multi-hit game a few days before that, encouraging

Center Field for Las Vegas tonight. That is a good sign he will be back by Thursday

has been truly awful. Sandy can't be happy with 2 walks vs. 19 k's, hopefully he heats up.

3-3 batting an even .400

Fucking Monster April

4-4 with 2 RBI hitting an uneven .407

is perhaps ready for a quick jump?

Before moving him up

.

His power will come naturally as he gets older and stronger. I wouldn't hold him up for that. He makes up for the lack of power with hits and walks and defence.

had 6 extra base hits with a .500 BABIP before today. Really doubt he's going to be promoted soon. Maybe in June.

with love for Mejia

"Jenrry Mejia appeared on last week�s potential strikeout rate surgers list as well and I said not to worry about the inflated walk rate given his strong Str%. His SIERA sits at a respectable 3.66 mark even with the inflated walk rate, so he has a legit chance to post a low 3.00 ERA given the quality of his stuff and strikeout potential along with all those ground balls."

Pill with a solid start. 5 innings 3 hits 1 run 2 walks 4 k's
Reynolds 3-4, 3b, K
Vaughn 1-4, 2 k's
Plawecki 0-3 K
Boyd 0-3 K
Lawley and Taijeron 0-6 6 k's, must have been windy for the fans in Akron with the 14 k's by the B-Mets.

Koch solid 6 innings 4 hits 2 runs 2 walks 5 k's

actually argue the NEXT few weeks are what are important with Nimmo. Pitchers knowing he's up there almost "trying" to walk, not hitting for a ton of power. The ability to then decide which pitches to drive is what will separate him from other players. You want to see him show the advanced eye allowing him to drive the ball with power. That's the next step.

Nimmo's 3rd year out of high school.

He'd be a college junior this year and didn't play organized high school ball.

How much do you think is learning curve?

in either case, I don't care if he doesn't develop a ton of power. I'd like some, but at this rate he'd make a great leadoff hitter and it's not like those are dime a dozen.

article
Link - ( New Window )

AAA-Montero
AA- Robles
A+ Ynoa
A McGowan

If Nimmo was putting up these numbers at the University of Arkansas as a junior he would probably be in the conversation for being a top 3 draft pick, but he is doing it in a pitchers league the FSL. From what I've read he will not swing at a pitch he can't drive even if it is a strike. He looks for a pitch to drive and if he strikes out tip his cap to the pitcher and wait for his next at bat. He will go through a 2-22 streak because everyone does. This is going to be out Bryce Harper Lite .

is out with a minor finger issue, Puello didn't play, Black struggled. Aka Vegas had nothing of note lol

which is more important to me than the bad night for Las Vegas

Fair enough but I'm talking about minor leaguers. Really only "bad" news can come from a minor league rehab assignment and luckily none has come from Lagares. If he went 3-3 with 2 homers in Vegas, honestly who cares besides "good he's playing".

showing how overrated ERA can be, Black 9 innings 5 hits 10 walks 9 k's, 0.00 era, 4.80 FIP lol

In a place like Las Vegas the thing that I would want to see is ground balls. If a pitcher is getting ground balls in that environment without crazy walk totals you ignore ERA

going forward. I hope I'm wrong, he has the stuff but is in edgin, Leathersich territory even though he is a righty. K's are nice but BB's are death to Rlievers

Sadly I have to agree. At least Herrera looks intriguing. Black at this point has to be viewed as an afterthought. An older guy who came on late, maybe he figures it out but yeah relievers are fickle

Mike, yeah we had ongoing debates regarding Gonzalez Germen last year on NYFS for that very reason. I'm not saying Germen is anything "special" (he's not) but era really is overrated in the minors for various reasons. I can tell you if you walk more hitters than innings (Black) you aren't pitching well, don't need ERA or FIP to tell me that lol

Got lit up in 2 relief appearances, but the other 8 his numbers look very good for PCL. Any updated scouting reports?

haven't seen anything definitive on Walters in vegas. Brender said he "heard" his velocity was creeping up but admitted it was second hand information. For whatever the reason he was only 89-91 this spring, I saw him 92-94 last season with my own eyes, a puff piece in the Daily news claimed he could touch 97, not sure that is really accurate but he got swings and misses on his FB last year, hopefully the velocity gets back to the 92-94.

when he hurt his tricep he actually looked very good for 2 innings. I think of him as part of the solution going forward

needs to stay healthy. His durability is a major reason he's almost certainly not a starter but you need to be durable to be a reliever too. Good arm though.

I was expecting very little, but he was impressive over a very short stint then gets hurt. I liked what I saw

in the ACC in K's his draft year plus he looks a little bit like the guy who plays Lucky Lucciano on Boardwalk Empire and that should count for something

me

Steven Matz, LHP, Mets (St. Lucie)
Explosive fastball that the lefty commanded well overall, though much better arm-side. Pulled it inside a number of times when trying to hit inside corner to right-handed hitters. Fastball sat 92-94 throughout the outing. Curveball was 76-78 with a hard, two-plane break and he commanded it well; not afraid to backdoor it to right-handed hitters, but also buried it inside at their feet; changed approach throughout the game to keep hitters off balance. Changeup is a work in progress but was effective; movement was inconsistent�some had decent arm-side fade while others were relatively flat�but even the ones that had little movement missed bats because of location, change in velocity, and arm speed. Featured a quick arm and soft landing on front leg; delivery was smooth and featured little wasted movement or effort; does a good job of getting out over his front side.

Because of his fastball command and ability to use curveball against right-handed hitters, Matz should have no problem staying as a starter. If his changeup continues to develop and gains consistency, he could develop into a no. 2 starter. Poised to move quickly now that he's healthy and shouldn't be in the FSL for long.

on Matz. Exciting.

I wonder when we'll see Thornton up on the MLB team. It seems like he's a "low ceiling" guy who has gotten very good minor league results over a large sample size.

We could certainly use another arm in the pen. I wouldn't mind either releasing Valvarde or optioning Familia to AAA so he could get regular work (unless he's out/low on options). It's not like Collins uses either of those guys and at this rate, he's going to burn out Torres.

isn't on the 40 man so that hurts his chances of being called up. Not sure they dump a Brown or Edgin just to add Thornton when they already have Walters and Goeddel on the 40.

With the Mets up 4-0 I am surprised Collins didn't bring in Valverde. You had Farnsworth, Dice-K, and even Torres if things got tight

In comment 11643900 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

isn't on the 40 man so that hurts his chances of being called up. Not sure they dump a Brown or Edgin just to add Thornton when they already have Walters and Goeddel on the 40.

So Black is likely next man up? He's on the 40 right?

has been terrible but yeah he's on the 40, Goeddel, Walters, Edgin the other relievers on the 40. I mean maybe Thornton comes up soon, just seems unlikely given the fact they would need to drop someone.

In comment 11643915 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

has been terrible but yeah he's on the 40, Goeddel, Walters, Edgin the other relievers on the 40. I mean maybe Thornton comes up soon, just seems unlikely given the fact they would need to drop someone.

Parnell can be moved to the 60 day DL, but I think they are saving that for Thor or Montero. That being said, if both still need work and deGrom is doing well I would bring up deGrom if we needed an emergency starter

Thor has actually pitched pretty poorly, Montero had 1 bad start and then had 1 bad inning last start. Promoting deGrom likely will be dictated on how high they are on him. They may value super two stuff with him as well. As you said, I'd be surprised if they used the Parnell spot on a guy who they weren't confident was going to stick for a while (Thornton) because if he comes up for 2 weeks and struggles they have yet another dead spot on the 40.

Nimmo 0-4... BB
Ynoa awful again 4.2 innings 9 hits 7 runs 3 walks 3 k's
Fraser (season debut) 1 inning 4 hits 1 run 0 walks 0 k's
Herrera 2-5, K
Evans 1-4, K

AA

Robles (meh) 5.2 innings 8 hits 3 runs 1 walk 2 k's
Leathersich 1 inning 2 hits 1 run 0 walks 2 k's
Reynolds 0-3, BB
Vaughn 1-4, K
Boyd 1-4, K
Tovar 1-4, HR

Sav-
McGowan (excellent) 6.2 innings 3 hits 0 runs 2 walks 7 k's
Coles 2.1 innings 3 hits 0 runs 0 walks 1 k
Cecchini 1-3, BB, K, SB
McNeil 0-3, BB, 2 K
King 1-3, 3b
Smith 0-3, K

struggled again 4 innings 3 hits 5 runs (3 earned) 4 walks 3 k's (only 54 pitches for strikes out of 93 which is strange for him)

Walters 1 inning 0 hits 0 runs 1 walk 1 k

Carreno 2 innings 1 hit 0 runs 0 walk 3 k's


Puello 0-5, K

Wilmer 2-5, 2b 3 k's


Today we have


Thor
TBD
Matz
Knapp

Knapp (this guy doesn't belong in Savannah and it's silly he's even there. 38 college starts, finesse polished soon to be 22 year old RHP) excellent again tonight 7.1 innings 4 hits 0 runs 0 walks 6 k's

Morris 1 inning 2 hits 0 runs 0 walks 1 k

Cecchini 1-4, 2 k's

McNeil 0-4, K

Smith 2-3, K (heating up)

King 0-3, BB

A+

Matz struggled a bit 5 innings 6 hits 2 runs 4 walks 5 k's

Herrera 1-4, SB


Nimmo 1-4, K

Thor so far 3 innings 3 hits 1 run (0 earned but he committed the error) 0 walks 1 k 32 pitches 25 strikes

that absolute gem of an article on ESPN by Rubin? Dude needs to quit and go write for a team he has one iota of respect for. Maybe save your agenda for when the team is playing bad ball. Talk about embarrassing.

There is a real irony in a writer spending his time writing articles about how awful the franchise is, while not realizing that his article is the type of thing that perpetuates the very "embarrassment" that he thinks the team exhibits. The guy actually wants the team to be bad. If you don't think so, then ask yourself what the point of this article is. Does he think he's the "voice of the Met fan"? He's not the voice of this one. This type of article contributes more to the image of the team than the very thing he is talking about.

That letter the Mets sent out has been universally bashed, I haven't seen one person write favorably about it. It was a veiled call out of the fans, saying we don't support the team. It was embarrassing.

single mention of it outside the Rubin article. Because no one cares. Because why would anyone actually care about such things when all anyone should care about is what goes on on the fucking baseball field. Wins and losses. If not, I feel badly for people. What exactly is the point of caring about this type of crap? It is completely meaningless.

The embarrassing thing about the Mets starts and mostly ends with the Wilpons. Nepotism, bad hires, and their recent financial mess. That's basically it.

Mookie Wilson clearly seems to have his own motives for everything he's doing. The team totes around past greats as much as any other. The letter was not that big of a deal - though it could have been done better. The camo uniform sucks but the new blue one is pretty good actually.

The team is playing pretty good on a minuscule budget without their best player (I think I read they're over .500 from last June to now?) and they have more well-regarded young players at the top of the system than any time in the last 2 decades. I agree with the premise of the letter that the team is working hard, playing well, and deserves to be supported. I also don't blame anyone for not wanting to give the Wilpon's a dime.

rat's ass about nepotism or anything resembling stuff like that if the team was good or even not awful the last couple of years. All of this extraneous stuff only gets written about or discussed when there needs to be reasons given for losing. When your team sucks, every negative thing is the reason why a team sucks. When a team is playing well on the field, all of that stuff is comically irrelevant. But that's just me I guess. If this stuff is what people enjoy focusing on then by all means. Just sucks to have to be in the midst of it when all I care about is whether players are producing and they are attempting to improve their won-loss record. A letter from the team? Delete that shit.

But complaining that they wore x amount of different uniforms over the past week or whatever? Why is that embarrassing? Who cares. They honored the military one night and have a few alternates they wear. None of them are outrageous and the differences between most of them are miniscule.

(I do wish they'd wear the 86 style unis again, though)

Unqualified people ("COO" Jeff Wilpon) were/are allowed to influence baseball decisions, along with plenty of other decisions that have resulted in embarrassment - including the Einhorn deal falling apart which fell apart in large part due to Jeff Wilpon. Fred created many of the problems that exist today by having a blind spot to his son.

DO you know who got that letter (maybe)? Mets fans. So the very fans who find it so "embarrassing" are the ones who talk about it enough to make fans of other teams know or care about it. How about laughing it off and deleting it. Watch the games. Try not to focus on all of the stuff that doesn't matter between the lines. Care the team sucks, not that their marketing team does something weird.

I think there are a lot of people in the media who clearly have an ax to grind with the organization and take any opportunities they can to pile on. That's not a conspiracy theory but an observation.

To my previous point I would bet a lot of that is a result of the Mets being run like crap because their COO is a very disliked laughing stock who doesn't know what he's doing.

(run like crap business wise, I think Sandy has done as good of a job as possible with the financial problems and Jeff Wilpon over his shoulder)

not the wilpons blow thread.

always just disintegrate

:p

7 innings, 7 Ks, 2 BBs.

First dominant start, great to see. Only 1 run allowed (actually bothers me that a P doesn't get the earned run on his own error but whatever lol)

AAA-deGrom
AA-OFF
A+ Fulmer (hopefully he can build off his last start)
A Gsellman

whose name I will botch often has been pretty good this year. Upside?

is a former 2 sport guy. Very athlete, secondaries lag behind but he quietly had a nice 2013, like anyone in Savannah, gotta take his numbers with a grain of salt but he's certainly one to watch. Right now his projection is a backend guy or a reliever but again he's somewhat raw and who knows what happens if he figures out a breaking ball? Next year will be the real test but off to a nice start.

that one, very athletic or very good athlete, don't even remember which I was going for lol

has been very encouraging

quotes have stayed positive too which is a good thing. I'm shocked how poorly Mazzilli has hit. He's ancient for the level and some thought he was ready for the FSL.

but that might be the extent of it

He is a groundball machine

L.J. hit a HR (his 2nd)

Bye Bye Valverde hello Jacob. It is time

threads, but i liked this from Law...

Quote:

JB (NY) It looks like the Mets will use Jacob deGrom in the bullpen later this season. Long-term, do you think he's better utilized in the rotation? Thanks! Klaw (2:07 PM) I think he's a starter for someone, but probably not the Mets given their absurd depth in young starters.

absurd depth in young starters is an awesome thing to have.

Eveland + Montero

AA Lara

A+ Koch

A Flexen

Eveland can play a roll in the MLB pen this year? It's hard to tell from his numbers in LV/PCL. Is he doing OK? I remember him being a bit underrated for Oakland a little while back but it's been some time since then and he's been out of the league...

no offense but Eveland is an awful pitcher. Career 5.46 era 1.67 whip in 114 major league games. lefties are actually BETTER career against him than righties (.803 OPS vs. lefties) so outside of being a mop up man he has no MLB value.

Lara not good 2 innings 5 hits 3 runs 2 earned 1 walk 2 k's

On the year 24 innings 26 hits 7 walks 10 k's YUCK.

Koch 1 inning 1 hit 0 runs 2 walks 2 k's

Nimmo 0-0 BB
Herrera 0-1 BB

Koch has similarly gross K/inning to Lara

3 runs in the first in 3 hits with an 8 ERA

Cesar Tovar playing 2nd base a lot is hitting .342
we know he is a very good defensive SS, I'm so tired of Tejada

1-1, he's been on fire this week

I was embarrassingly wrong on Giancarlo Stanton. I would trade any 2 Met pitchers for him

Pitchers cant be scared to throw to him...

HH noted Flexen was horrid again 5 innings 8 hits 5 runs 4 walks 5 k's (the 5 k's a bright spot) but Smith is officially heating up 2-3, BB, K and obviously I'd take that trade off. King 2-4, RBI, started the season red-hot, has been awful lately, good to see a solid game

with a 3 run bomb

5 innings 1 run( unearned) 2 hits 2 walks 6 K's

I mean, obviously the guy is a beast. But a 24 year old, in his 5th year, boasts a .266 career average, never had over 89 rbis...but will hit 35 home runs. Plus, he's going to strike out over 160 times. Is that what we really need? In CitiField? Where power hitters go to die?

Id much rather take a high average, less power type of player. Pitching, Speed and defense. Im so burnt on the lack of HRs we hit in our own park. The last thing I want to do is vastly overpay (and anyone that signs Stanton will grossly overpay) someone else that wont hit as many HRs as he did in the past.

AAA-Continuation of suspended game + TBD


Montero 5 innings 3 hits 3 runs (2 earned) 3 walks 6 k's (Solid performance)

Walters 1 inning 3 hits 2 runs 1 earned 1 walk 1 k

Wilmer 1-3, HR, BB (He's been on fire lately after a poor start, 6 errors in 22 games isn't very good however)

MDD 0-3, 2 k's



AA

TBD ( I think it's Pill)


Lara 5 innings 8 hits 3 runs (2 earned) 1 walk 4 k's (I'm not a believer in this guy)

Plawecki 1-4, 2b (he's shown absolutely zero power, hopefully he gets going soon

Vaughn 0-4

Boyd 2-4

Reynolds 0-4, 2 k's

A+

Ynoa (really rough start to his season, let's hope the turn around starts tonight!)

Koch 5 innings 5 hits 0 runs 2 walks 5 k's (K/inning is awful but last 2 starts 11 innings 10 k's, small sample size but encouraging)

Lugo 4 innings 3 hits 0 runs 1 walk 4 k's

Nimmo 0-2 3 walks (yes 3 lol)

Herrera 1-4, BB, K

Savannah

McGowan tonight (excellent last start, I like him)

Flexen 5 innings 8 hits 5 runs 4 walks 5 k's (he's been a disaster to this point)

Cecchini 1-3, RBI (really hit well the last 10 games)

McNeil 1-4, rbi, bb

King 2-5, 2b, rbi K (King and Sabol started the season RED hot and since then have been awful, good to see King with a good game)

has 4 errors in 30 games, so he's not doing much better.

Most feel like Bogaerts bat is "special" and the Sox will deal with his defense to keep his bat in the lineup - and he's 1 year younger than Flores, but his bat hasn't really been special so far.

Bogaerts been ok, for a 21 year old especially, but that is what I'd wish the Mets would do with Flores. Just give him a spot, tell him it's his job, and let him play.

for the record I didn't include that note to rip Flores, I would honestly take ANYONE over Tejada at this point. In fact, how many times can you play a 33 year old turd like OQ over your 24 year old starting SS and literally nobody complains? lol

to the DL with an infected hand. They are saying it's not MRSA, knowing the Mets the amputation kit is ready to rock lol.

knocking Flores per se, and 6 errors in 22 games is on pace for ~44 errors which might be a record.

I always thought Hanley Ramirez was a butcher at SS, especially in his younger days, and his worst single season total was 26.

Regardless I'd still play

In comment 11654055 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

to the DL with an infected hand. They are saying it's not MRSA, knowing the Mets the amputation kit is ready to rock lol.

Of course when we have somebody looking promising he goes down with an injury

yeah it's pretty annoying. Whalen's "knock" is that he's pretty maxed out physically but he was excellent last year and it's carried over this year. I'm becoming more and more aware of how much Savannah and the SAL make pitchers look better than they are aka wait till St. Lucie to begin to judge but Whalen has been fantastic.

In comment 11654100 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

yeah it's pretty annoying. Whalen's "knock" is that he's pretty maxed out physically but he was excellent last year and it's carried over this year. I'm becoming more and more aware of how much Savannah and the SAL make pitchers look better than they are aka wait till St. Lucie to begin to judge but Whalen has been fantastic.

Normally I would agree but his numbers in Kingsport had the same obscene ground ball tendencies that he has put up early on in Savannah. Also, at only 20 it is age appropriate for him to be pitching in SAL this year

yeah but we've seen with Ynoa and Fulmer that the jump is more than people realize. Ynoa has been straight awful. Cessa has stunk too. In fact, Matz is the only one who has carried over from that level and we know Matz has an upper level FB unlike the others. Koch, Ynoa, Fulmer and Cessa have all been disappointing in St. Lucie. I'm not crapping on Whalen, just not going to go gaga over his numbers until he produces in St. Lucie.

Thor 5.2 innings 7 hits 1 run 3 walks 8 k's (not great but certainly solid)

Walters (awful) 0 innings 3 hits 2 runs 2 walks 0 k's (he's been a disaster in Vegas along with Edgin. Doubtful either sees CitiField anytime soon even with the Mets pen issues.


Wilmer 1-4, K

MDD 0-4, K

Campbell 0-2, 2 BB


Eveland pitching tonight



AA-
Pill 5 innings 3 hits 1 run 1 walk 3 k's


Reynolds 2-3, BB, K

Vaughn 1-4

Plawecki 1-4

Boyd 0-3

Pitching tonight- Robles



A+

Nimmo 0-3, 2 BB, 1 k (The walk monster)

Herrera 0-4, bb, k


Ynoa 6 innings 6 hits 2 runs 2 walks 3 k's (solid outing after a horrendous start to the season)

B Wheeler 2 perfect 4 k's

Tonight- Matz


A

McGowan 5.2 innings 6 hits 1 run 0 earned 4 walks 5 k's

Morris 1.2 innings 0 hits 0 runs 2 walks 2 k's

Coles 1.2 innings 2 hits 0 runs 0 walk 0 k's

Cecchini 1-4, 2b, error #9

Smith 2-3, bb, k

King 1-4

Pitching tonight OFF

Cecchini with 9 errors and not a word of concern about him as a SS yet Wilmer with 6 errors is not a SS. Leads me to believe it is all about range wihich Cecchini has and Wilmer doesn't. Dan could you start including Tovar's number's in your recap? I know he is playing a lot of 2nd, but outside of Guillorme he is the best Defensive SS in their system

Sure no problem. I would actually go with Tovar over Tejada at this point (at least one has a plus skill) but him playing so much 2b (as you noted) and Rubin saying he's on the brink of 40 man removal if they need to make a move makes me feel like they aren't as high on him as you would think.


As for Cecchini and his error totals, 9 errors certainly isn't good but it's important to note that SS/3b at that level tend to have inflated error totals. Jeter had something like 56 in a season, Aramis Ramirez a plus defensive 3b had 50+. Cecchini was actually pulled the other day for not running one out, he's still a work in progress and I didn't love the pick but I wouldn't worry about the error totals just yet. If that's still the case next year and beyond then he's not a major leaguer.

Cecchini comes from , running out a ground ball would be the last thing I thought I'd read about him

be an isolated brain fart, or even a directive from up high regarding running the ball out in general. Hopefully he learned his lesson. Nimmo is off to an amazing start and Cecchini and Smith have been very good lately, very nice to see. Hopefully Plawecki gets going soon too.

The interesting thing I read about Cecchini the other day was changing his approach at the plate by buying into the organizational philosophy of only swing at a pitch you can drive and if you don't get it, take the walk and leave to "the next man up". Sounds simple but it probably is an adjustment to become that disciplined. My guy tells me he is going to come on with the bat, a lot of doubles

His doubles totals are improving but I would want to know how he is hitting them to see if he has the potential to hit for more homers as he develops. If it is a flat, line drive double that does not bode as well for future development in terms of home runs, but if he is showing more loft to his swing that would be a positive

4 walks for Matz. Not trying to go nuts over 2 starts but Matz now has 8 walks over his last 10 innings

10 innings 11 hits 8 walks 7 k's over his last 2 starts. 4 total walks his previous 4 starts

Nimmo article from Toby Hyde
Link - ( New Window )

projection for Nimmo and would be very happy if he had the same career

Tovar 2-2 batting .347. I'd promote him if they aren't going to give Flores a shot at SS

His stuff Monday night was outstanding. He sat 97-98 mph and touched 100 on one occasion. More impressive was the movement; he was able to move his fastball to both sides of the plate without sacrificing velocity, and while the two-seam movement wasn�t quite as robust as some of his scouting reports implied, it still was substantial and Tacoma�s hitters struggled mightily to barrel it up. I was particularly impressed with the cut he got on some fastballs: I�m not sure I�ve ever seen a 97 MPH fastball that moved like a cutter � outside the cutters thrown by Mariano Rivera in his prime and the same look from Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen."



"Franklin went 3-for-3 with three hard hit balls, including a line drive off the right-field wall on a 98-mph middle-in fastball. While Franklin fouled off his fair share of pitches, his ability to square up 98 MPH heat was notable. He�s a good hitter of course � and he�s destroying minor league pitching � but at the next level, he�ll be the rule, not the exception in typical lineups. Syndergaard gave Franklin relatively hittable fastballs, located either up or on the inner half, and the shortstop made him pay repeatedly. Syndergaard will have to locate better to have sustained success at the big-league level."


Sounds 100% like a guy we should be excited about but belongs where he is on 5/6/2014

RBI double for Wilmer, Dykstra 2 run homer, Campbell 1-1

Reynolds 2-4, K

Jayce Boyd explosion 4-4, 2 doubles, homer

Plawecki 1-4, K

Robles yuck 5.1 innings 7 hits 5 runs 1 walk 4 k's

Leathersich 1 perfect 2 k's (only his second clean inning of the year wow lol)

Thornton 0.2 innings 0 hits 0 runs 0 walks 0 k's (14 baserunners in 8 innings in the PCL so far)

Edgin 1 perfect 2 k's (good to see because he's been awful)

Black 1 inning 3 hits 0 runs 0 walks 0 k's

Campbell 2-5, 2 runs

Flores 2-4, 2b, Homer, 4 rbi (Error #7)

MDD 0-4, 4 k's

Dykstra 1-2, homer, 2 walks

Tonight deGrom (last start before joining MLB pen perhaps?)


AA



Reynolds 2-5, 2K

Jayce Boyd explosion 4-4, 2 doubles, homer

Plawecki 1-5, 2K

Robles yuck 5.1 innings 7 hits 5 runs 1 walk 4 k's

Leathersich 1 perfect 2 k's (only his second clean inning of the year wow lol)

Tovar 2-3, 2b, BB

AA-Peavey

Dilson 2-4, 1 BB
Matz 5 innings 6 hits 2 runs, 4 BB, 2 Ks.
Nimmo 0-5, K

tonight TBD


Savannah-

tonight- Knapp

with a triple and a homer today (2-5), Domo 3-5

Knapp 6 inn, 2 runs, 4 ks

to his benching and it didn't take Domo too long to figure out Low A

3 first rounders are doing well, Nimmo actually quietly is in a mini slump but that's nitpicking. Plawecki's lack of power is a concern.

but what he was doing was unsustainable. I am more than happy with Nimmo

TJ for Jeff Hoffman wow. Is he this years Giolito? I'd take him in a millisecond at 12 if he still comes out

2

the first game of the season where Nimmo didn't reach base?

I would take him at 10 :-)

yeah sorry at 10, my mind must have been in 2012. Either way he'll likely be back on the mound this time next year. No-brainer if he's there.

he didn't reach 4/23, 4/29, so I think only the 3rd time.

What is the story with Dylan Bundy's TJ recovery?

I read he's throwing BP next week, then likely will a second time and then they hope to start his rehab assignment by the end of the month. TJ isn't 100% successful but considering the fact #10 pick easily could be a turd I'll roll the dice on Hoffman.

Complete game shutout, 2 hits, no bb's 6 k's

I liked him a few years ago.

new name for #10. Michael Chavis HS 3rd baseman. The scoop?

tools, position isn't clear at the moment, hope he doesn't fall to 28 and the hometown Braves because we know how that goes lol

Brave's draft him-Chipper Jones Jr

playing half his games in a tough home park.

Kevin Burkhardt ✔ @kevinburkhardt

The Rafael Montero era is getting closer me thinks...

in the dumper soon. I think it's time for Montero. Won't cure the infrastructure issues with the team at SS 1b but it would be a good step.

In comment 11658905 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

Kevin Burkhardt ✔ @kevinburkhardt The Rafael Montero era is getting closer me thinks...

Where will he play? Bullpen?

pen most likely

If the Mets go for a HS bat the one I find intriguing is Monte Harrison

may be coming up

Adam Rubin ✔ @AdamRubinESPN

Omar Quintanilla designated for assignment by Mets.

NYPost_Mets: Tejada was visibly ticked off in clubhouse after the game; would not be shocked if he was told he is headed to the bench.


Quote:
MarcCarig: Was Told Tejada would remain in the mix at shortstop. But it sure sounds like he won�t be the only one seeing time there.

Dan, what do you think of Harrison? Cannon of an arm and while he needs some work at the plate he has more feel for the game than you usually see in multi-sport athletes and I think if he concentrates solely on Baseball he has tremendous upside

really likes Harrison, he's got big upside if he's going to focus on one sport. if he's a duel sport guy major pass.

degrom was awful 5 innings 10 hits 5 runs (4 earned) 0 walks 1 k

Walters 1 inning 0 hits 0 runs 1 walk 1 k

Thornton 1 perfect

Black 1 inning 0 hits 0 runs 0 walks 3 k's


Wilmer 3-6, 2b

Dykstra 2-5, 3 rbi, 3 k's (as good as he's been 22 k's in 81 ab's, yikes)


MDD 1-3, 2 k's

Campbell 3-5, 2 2b, BB


Tonight- Verrett

AA-

Peavey complete game 2 hits 6 k's

Boyd 2-3


Reynolds 0-3, BB

Tonight- Gorski


A+

Nimmo 1-4, K
Herrera 0-4
Evans 1-4, K

Fulmer 5 innings 8 hits 6 runs 3 earned 1 walk 3 k's


Tonight-Tapia


A

Knapp 6.2 9 hits 3 runs 2 walks 4 k's

Cecchini 2-5, 3b, homer

Smith 3-5, K

Tonight- Alvarez

was going to be knocked around eventually, hopefully he got it out of his system at Las Vegas opposed to Citi Field

Mets named by @BenBadler as the favorites to sign SS/3b Wilkerman Garcia (1+ million expected eventual signing price) #mets

.
Link - ( New Window )

Thor 6 innings 8 hits 5 runs (4 earned) 0 walks 10 k's

Walters 1 inning 1 hit 0 runs 1 walk 0 k's

Black 1.1 innings 2 hits 1 run 3 walks 1 k (just when it appeared he was turning it around)

MDD 3-3


Puello 1-4


Kirk 2-4, BB

Dykstra 1-4, BB, K


Tonight- deGrom


AA-

Pill 5.2 innings 4 hits 0 runs 0 walks 7 k's (great outing)

Plawecki 2-4, 2b, K (heating up)

Tovar 0-2, bb, K

AA- OFF


A+ didn't play, tonight-Ynoa


A

Flexen 5.2 innings 6 hits 3 runs 4 walks 0 k's (he's been truly awful, wouldn't be surprised to see him demoted once the BK season begins)

Cecchini 1-4, 2 k's
King 1-3, BB, K
Smith 1-3, BB

Tonight- McGowan

Threw out 3 base stealers and had 2 hits hitting over .300. The dude is coming on strong

Carreno 5.2 innings 6 hits 3 runs 2 walks 5 k's
Thornton 1 inning 0 hits 0 runs 0 walks 1 k
Dykstra 1-3, 3 run homer, 2 k's
MDD 2-5, HR
Puello 2-3, 2b, BB (heating up)

Tonight- Verrett


AA had off

Tonight- TBD


A+

Ynoa 5 innings 6 hits 2 runs (0 earned) 0 walks 6 k's (very nice)

Nimmo 1-4, K
Herrera 2-4, 2b, K
Evans 1-3, RBI

Today-TBD


A

McGowan 6 innings 3 hits 0 runs 2 walks 6 k's
Cecchini 0-4
McNeil 3-4
Smith 0-4
Morris 2 perfect 4 k's (20.2 innings 7 hits 0 runs 10 walks 34 k's wow)

Tonight-Knapp

Gant

McGown

Morris

either in Queens or on their way. Am I missing someone? This is unusual for May.

is unreal (statistically at least) he still has a 0 ERA.

20.2 innings, 34k's, 10 bb's, 7 hits.

I'm more convinced that Hoffman at 10 might be a steal

according to BA last year topped off at 86-88 so I have a hard time buying unless/until we hear he's throwing harder OR he goes to St. Lucie/Bing and shows himself to be an Arroyo. It's just very, very uncommon for a guy with that profile to succeed. it does happen though... on occasion. McGowan has a great frame, D-3 guy but was a college pitcher so he too... "wait till St. Lucie". I'm intrigued by him though. Morris threw 98 when i saw him in BK. Control is still a concern but he has closers upside if he can improve his command.

should note that scouts told BA they did like Gant. Didn't mean to imply he stinks or something. Just that his FB was below average. If Hoffman falls to 10 (to me) it's a no-brainer. he was in the mix for #1 overall and garnering comps to Verlander. You take him next month and wait till 2nd half 2015 before he's on the mound you still have a very, very intriguing player. In fact the minute we take him he's probably the #2 prospect in the entire system, TJ or not.

so his 34k to 10 BB ratio isn't a sign of his command (Morris's) or is the level just too low for him so he gets by with lesser stuff?

or is 34k to 10bb, just not very good?

Serious question, I can read the stats, and they look impressive to me, I just don't always know the full context.

10 walks in 20 innings obviously isn't very good regardless of the bats he's missing. Look at Leathersich and his K and BB rates. Morris is walking 4.82 per 9 innings. Here is what Toby said (He's the play by play guy for the Gnats so his opinion in regard to the SAL is especially valuable)

Quote:

Re-listening to my broadcast, eight of his nine strikeouts came on fastballs and one I did not identify. More than half were up or away. Right now, he�s just blowing away SAL hitters. It�s taken four years for Morris to reach a-ball as he struggled to throw strikes as a starter in the Gulf Coast League in 2010, and the Appalachian League in 2011 and 2012. Even last year, when he was excellent in the Brooklyn bullpen, he walked over 12% of opposing hitters, the same as he did in the Appalachian League in 2012. The difference was that his strikeout rate hopped to 33% last year. He�s easily the best arm in the Savannah bullpen right now. Morris needs to improve his fastball command and the breaking stuff needs plenty of work. He�ll put up numbers in the SAL out of the bullpen strictly by blowing his fastball by guys. We see some relievers post big strikeout rates in the SAL every year. Out of the bullpen in his two outings, he�s thrown strikes on 68% of his pitches. If he can maintain that over a few more moderate length relief outings, he could earn a starting spot or piggyback role where the innings would certainly be productive developmentally. I still think he�s a reliever in the end, but even MLB relievers are usually starters in a-ball.

yeah to answer your question his FB velocity is plus-plus, the movement is plus, the command of the FB is below (but you get away with that in low- A ball) and the breaking stuff really isn't much at the moment. I'm not downplaying Morris at all (like I said potential MLB closer if he develops) but the command needs to improve further for him to be a big leaguer.

it seems though 50% of his walks came in two outings, so with the sample size this small, probably can't draw too many conclusions.

Hope he figures it out, and moves to STL this year, maybe the closer of the future or worst case a solid young middle reliever.

And who knows, maybe he harnesses his potential fully and becomes a starter, though doesn't sound like that's likely.

In comment 11675336 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

should note that scouts told BA they did like Gant. Didn't mean to imply he stinks or something. Just that his FB was below average. If Hoffman falls to 10 (to me) it's a no-brainer. he was in the mix for #1 overall and garnering comps to Verlander. You take him next month and wait till 2nd half 2015 before he's on the mound you still have a very, very intriguing player. In fact the minute we take him he's probably the #2 prospect in the entire system, TJ or not.

Even if Hoffman is there at 10 I still might pass on him if I were the Mets. When I watch his delivery and stuff I think he becomes a reliever at the major league level

BA absolutely LOVED Hoffman. Called him a potential MLB #1



�If the guys were swinging with wood today, he would have broken about four or five bats,� an NL scout said. �A few of us were talking about whether he or (ECU righthander) David Lucroy, who is also a groundball pitcher, will have a higher groundball rate this year. It will probably be Lucroy because at this level, guys are going to swing over the top of Hoffman�s fastball because of how much sink he gets. But at the next level, it will be Hoffman.�


Hoffman threw just two curveballs; that pitch drew plus-or-better grades this summer.


Summary: Hoffman as show the tools to be the #1 pick in next year�s draft but Rondon is going to be difficult to overtake. He also has room to gain muscle and develop. He has the pieces to be a pure #1 and if his changeup has improved he could become an elite pitcher.

" Hard-throwing right-handed pitching prospect Jeff Hoffman lost his chance to be a top-four pick in next month�s MLB draft of amateurs, after news hit that Hoffman needed Tommy John surgery. However, scouting directors still suggest it�s possible he could be a first-round pick, and possibly even a top-10-15 pick.

Scouting directors also suggested that teams with multiple high picks might be more likely to use a pick on Hoffman, who still is seen as having a high ceiling but will come with the small question of surgery results. The situation is akin to highly-regarded right-hander Lucas Giolito, who was picked No. 16 overall as a prep pitcher two drafts ago by the Nationals. There were concerns with him over a UCL that required Tommy John surgery as well."

The last time Hoffman took the mound was April 17, arguably his best outing of the season in front of many key evaluators picking in the first five overall picks. His fastball sat 94-96 mph, touching 97 in a 16-strikout performance. But his velocity briefly dipped to 89-90 at the end of the outing.

Hoffman then went on the shelf after having arm soreness in a midweek bullpen following the start. He consulted Monday with Dr. James Andrews, and the surgery is scheduled for next week.

�It was disappointing for all of us to hear the news regarding Jeff,� Godwin said. �After speaking with Jeff, he and his family have decided this is the best thing for him to do at this time. We are hopeful he will have a quick recovery and be back on the mound very soon. Jeff is one of our leaders on the field, inside the clubhouse and is a tremendous competitor who will definitely be missed.�

The righthander has easy mid-90s velocity and two offspeed pitches that show at least plus potential in addition to above-average control. In 67 innings this season, Hoffman struck out 9.6 per nine against 2.7 walks per nine.

Because of his immense talent and the track record of pitchers recovering from Tommy John surgery, Hoffman could still factor prominently in the draft, playing the role of wild card.

The top prep righthander in the 2012 draft class, Lucas Giolito, strained his ulnar collateral ligament that March, ending his season (although he was able to throw). Giolito went to the Nationals with the 16th overall pick and signed for $2.93 million before having Tommy John surgery.

Last year, Indiana State lefthander Sean Manaea entered the season as a potential top three pick, much like Hoffman. But he had an injury-marred season and had a torn labrum in his hip entering the draft that clouded his status. Manaea went to the Royals with the first supplemental pick after the first round (No. 34 overall) and signed for $3.55 million, the fifth-largest bonus of any 2013 draftee, after the Royals signed Hunter Dozier to a below-slot deal with their first pick (No. 8 overall).





No way I would pass. At 10 in an "ok" draft a shot at a premium talent is too much to pass up

says the Cubs were prepared to take him at 4 and still may consider it since they were so high on him.

But I question his secondary offerings and if he will be able to repeat his delivery well enough to maintain velocity deep into games on a good pitch count or whether he will turn into Mike Pelfrey

dunno Mike, I've seen both his changeup and slider said to "flash plus" from more than a few sources. Of course he can be Pelfrey 2.0, or he can be Matt Harvey 2.0. At 10 I take my chances on a premium talent

Prospect insider- (granted this was pre-TJ)

"The other swing and miss offering on display Friday was what Hoffman calls a slider, a two-plane breaker in the 79-81 mph range that also flashed plus. Hoffman showed a penchant for backdooring this breaking ball for strikes and back-footing it for swings and misses against lefties. He�ll need to tighten it up but it�s another future plus pitch.

Hoffman also showed what was, for me, a throwaway curveball in the low 70s. It was more vertically oriented than the slider but was too loopy and blunt to do any damage at the upper pro levels.

The total package is very enticing. For me, Hoffman�s ceiling is that of a No. 2 big-league starter with three pitches that project to grade out in the 60-70 range to go along with 45-50 command and control, and a body that looks like it will handle a 200-inning workload. Barring injury or some other unforeseen malady, Jeff Hoffman won�t have to wait very long before he hears him name called in June."

suspect they take Turner if he's there.

fans if the Mets used # 10 on a guy that needs TJ? It would cause more bad press and the blow back might make them pass him up

Seem like possibilities too if either should fall

I think the reaction would the exact opposite. I think the "experts" would rave about the talent, how the Mets for once gambled on a high end premium talent and it was worth the risk and those reports would have the fans excited ala Giolito with the Nats.

another stinker.

Matz struggling again today 3 innings 7 hits 1 run 2 walks 2 k's (10 walks last 13 innings, 27 baserunners, ouch) #mets

Matz just isn't a morning guy :)

Matz 4 innings 8 hits 1 run 2 walks 4 k's
Nimmo 0-2, K
Herrera 0-2, K

Matz bouncing back over the last 2 innings 5 innings 8 hits 2 runs 2 walks 6 k's, 1 hbp

you dont hesitate.

Verrett 7.1 innings 7 hits 2 runs 0 earned 1 walk 4 k's

Black 1 inning 1 hit 1 run 2 walks 1 k (back to struggling over his last 2 outings)

Walters 1 inning 2 hits 1 run 0 walks 0 k's

Puello 1-1, BB, CS

Dykstra 2-4, 2b, BB

MDD 1-2, HR, 2 BB



Tonight-OFF


AA

Robles 2.2 innings 6 hits 7 runs 1 walk 5 k's

Leathersich 1 inning 0 hits 0 runs 1 walk 2 k's (still walking far too many but pitching better lately)

Lawley 2-4, HR, 2b, 2 K

Taijeron 1-4, 2b, 2 K

Tovar 1-4, RBI

Plawecki 1-4

Boyd 1-4, K

Reynolds 2-5


A+

Matz 5 innings 8 hits 1 run 2 walks 6 k's

Lugo 3 innings 1 hit 0 runs 0 walks 4 k's

Nimmo 0-5, 3 k's (really struggling last 11 games. 0 extra base hits over this time, still walking at a solid clip over that time however)


Herrera 2-5, K, SB

Evans 0-2, 2 bb

A

Knapp 5.2 innings 8 hits 4 runs 2 walks 5 k's

Coles 2.2 innings 0 hits 0 runs 1 walk 3 k's (soon to be 23 and in A ball but has allowed 0 runs while striking out 24 in 18.2 innings as Savannah's closer)


Cecchini 0-5, 2 k's

McNeil 2-5, rbi, K

Smith 0-4, BB, K

Tonight Alvarez


In bad minor league news 2013 bonus baby Tyler Bashlor reportedly has undergone TJ surgery

and the eventual call up of Thor, if you rate the Mets system at that point, it will probably be in the bottom third. That is not a bad thing to happen IF the players called up, make an impact on the big league team. Now they can have a great draft and start to replenish, but expect the system to drop in the rankings

Which could keep them in the top 1/2 as long as Nimmo, Cecchini and Matz continue on the track to "top prospect status" with the seasons they're having. The pundits can talk about "system depth" all they want, the biggest factor in those ranking lists is usually the handful of high profile prospects at the top end of the system. Even if one of those guys cools down Smith and the 10th pick should give them a pretty solid top 5 considering it's entirely different than last year's top 5.

Also for the "depth" guys there should still enough names with upside that the system won't seem thin with Plawecki, Rosario, Herrera, Puello, and whoever they got from the Pirates. Things really are night/day from when Reyes/Wright graduated to the bigs and the only guys behind them were Pat Strange and Justin Huber.

knocking Nimmo but I think his hot start has inflated his prospect status in some fans eyes. "Walking a lot" isn't really a skill that makes you a top prospect without either average or better power, above average speed or plus defensive value. At this point Nimmo doesn't offer any of those 3 things. I obviously like him but in some ways Cecchini has been more impressive given expectations. Nimmo is hitting .329 but has a .421 BABIP and very little power, the reduction in K's has been nice however. I have to see some power from Nimmo before I view him as a difference maker vs. a potential "solid" guy like DeJesus.

at this point Puello's stock is MASSIVELY down. He had the PED cloud and now is off to a horrendous start. I don't think he'd serve as any "boost" to the system at the moment.

.248/.309/.297 21 k's, 5 walks, +63 wRC. He's been as bad as a "prospect" can be all things considered.

would be as good a time as any to do "stock up/stock down" relative to before the season on guys... batches of 10

1. Thor (neutral, everyone still loves him, start to the season has been decent enough, not dominant but good signs)

2. TDA (stock down, poor start, scouts voicing some concerns)


3. Montero (neutral, solid start)


4. Flores (neutral, started the season slow but came on lately)


5. Puello (way down)

6. Matz (Arrow is pointing up. Would be way up if not for the last 3 starts with some struggles)


7 Dominic Smith (neutral, though it's impressive that he didn't let his horrid start get him down)

8. Plawecki (down a tiny bit, scouts are concerned with the lack of power. Will need to show some more to be viewed as a potential good regular)


9. Nimmo (Stock certainly up, struggling a bit lately but blazing hot start)

10. Herrera (Stock up, 3rd youngest player in the FSL, nice start)

but the Mets (and most of those services) seemed to always be skeptical of him anyway. I'm not really giving an opinion on the quality of the prospects as much as I am the media evaluators who do the system lists - which I think are pretty cosmetic in the same way mock drafts and high school recruits are evaluated (with name recognition being a factor that plays in).

what I meant in regard to Puello is people would be doubting him even with a good start given the PCL and home ballpark, Law hated his swing/approach so his awful start only feeds into that. He could have a monster month and people would still not be sold.

especially as it relates to the Mets system. I'm certain baseball people who work for teams will tell you it's hard enough for them to work full time on their own systems, even with their massive resources. The national prospect pundits are following every team with minimal resources.

Stock is down, really disappointing start to the year

12. Ynoa (stock is down but he's come on lately, hopefully signs of things to come)

13. Rosario (not playing yet)

14. Cecchini (Stock is up, very quietly a very nice offensive start to the season, error totals are high however)


15. Black (yuck)

16. deGrom (stock is way up, sort of bummed he's in the pen as he looked to be developing into a potential 3-4, still may)


17. Familia (he's looking good lately, potential closer)

18. Mazzoni (hasn't played)

19. Cessa (Stock is down, simply not missing bats in A+)

20. Mateo (hasn't played)

no doubt about it. Most of these guys don't even see the players up close which is why I put extra value into something like Toby Hyde commenting on Savannah since he sees every home game which is more than any "expert" will. Law does scout personally but how many times is he going to check out a Matz start or a Robert Whalen start? Though I will say BA went against the grain and liked Whalen over Flexen and they seem to be 100% on the money (at least so far) on that one

doubt about them not being able to scout all of these guys, not that I know more than them! just for the record

he has shown the ability to go on a 15 game tear, followed by a 15 game cooling off streak. Not everyone that plays can get as hot as Nimmo gets, that is what I'm hanging my hopes on. The lack of power,while it would be nice,doesn't concern me. If he has Daniel Murphy hitting and power while playing LF at Citi Field, I'll take it

I don't disagree but Daniel Murphy-ish LF is a solid player but not a difference maker we are hoping for. That's sort of the "solid" David Dejesus type I was talking about earlier vs. the lesser Choo or lesser Abreu type that hopefully is his upside.

DeJesus career .279/.353/.419, Murphy .292/.335/.427

he will be Andy Van Slyke, but would settle for less.

� Amed Rosario, the 18-year-old shortstop given the organization�s largest-ever signing bonus for an international teenager ($1.75 million), is opening eyes at the team�s Florida complex. Rosario has a .385 average, .437 on-base percentage and 1.150 OPS in extended spring training games and may end up ticketed for Brooklyn, which opens play June 13 at Staten Island. Also getting positive reviews in extended spring training: Brandon Brosher, who has been converted from outfielder to catcher. Brosher, 19, is a 36th-round pick last year out of high school in Spring Hill, Fla. Even David Wright reportedly was impressed with Brosher�s power after taking batting practice with him in Port St. Lucie early this year.

question, but I guess it affects what we might do with Flores. Is this Murphy's walk-year or do we have him under control for next year too? Murphy keeps getting better each year and I think he's going to be expensive to keep. Hopefully we can get Flores enough ABs this year to see whether he's a viable replacement at 2B.

is signed through next year and at this point likely would cost the Mets 40+ million to retain. Both he and Gee were guys they probably should have locked up before the year.

not sure if posted - I know there were questions about why he wasn't in the lineup:

Quote:

Puello's absence due to biogenesis Mets OF prospect Cesar Puello had been away from Triple-A last week dealing with a Biogenesis-related matter, multiple sources said (ESPN, May 14). Last week, Triple-A manager Wally Backman told SNY�s Toby Hyde that Puello would be away from the team for a few days and return to action Friday, which he did. ESPN has reported that a federal grand jury in Miami is looking into charges against Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch. Puello, 23, served a 50-game suspension last year for his involvement with Biogenesis.

Puello absence explained kind of - ( New Window )

King broken fibula

Toby Hyde ‏@tobyhyde 3m

The @gnatsbaseball have just placed OF Jared King placed on the DL with right fibula fracture. Hit by pitch.

was off, today- Alvarado


AA

Peavey 7 innings 7 hits 3 runs (2 earned) 1 walk 9 k's

Bradford 1 perfect 2 k's

Plawecki 0-3, RBI

Tovar 1-2, bb, k

Reynolds 1-4, 2b, k, 2b


Tonight- Gorski


A+

Fulmer 5 innings 7 hits 2 runs 3 walks 7 k's

Herrera 0-4, K

Nimmo 1-4, 3b, K

Tonight- Tapia


A

Gant 5 innings 8 hits 3 runs 2 walks 2 k's

Cecchini 1-4, BB, K, SB


King 0-2, BB, K (broke his leg)


Smith 0-2


Game 2

Alvarez 5 innings 3 hits 0 runs 1 walk 12 k's (again, he's absolutely ancient for the level at 25 years old but incredible start to the season. They rarely bump guys quickly but at his age maybe they do it)

Cecchini 2-5, 2 rbi

McNeil 1-5, K

Smith 1-4, RBI


Today

TBD and Miller Diaz (DH)

going to get our SS if the future in a couple of years from one of these guys with Tovar putting himself in the picture

After blowing it on Abreu, do the Mets make a move for Despaigne if he becomes available? http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/is-alfredo-despaigne-coming-to-mlb-the-fascinating-decisions-ahead-for-cubas-star-outfielder/ #mets

He has a 0.89 era in Binghamton. He was drafted out of Ole Miss by the Tigers, who dropped him after multiple injuries. Somehow, we got him and he's been effective. But he is 27 in AA.

Before the shoulder surgeries ever arose, Satterwhite�s fastball used to register 96-98 mph. Now he sits at 91-95 mph, with a slider and split-finger.

�I�ve been able to pitch better,� Satterwhite said. �As a hard thrower, you get into a rhythm of relying on it. I was in this league at 22. I was throwing very hard and I just relied on that to get me through. Some days I would do very well, and I�d get hit around the other games. Being able to pitch and know how to set up guys and know your role, and being able to throw back-to-back days and being healthy, I think that�s helped me a lot.�

news from last night. Puello has been raking lately and went 3/5 with a 2B and HR last night.

Also, Nimmo went 2/3 with 2BB and a 3B last night as well.

and give the rotation spot to Degrom when Gee proves to be healthy?

no way.. so many reasons why.

CAN they? yes.. should/would they? no.

he's a proven pitcher who eats innings. he's on a 2 year contract.

they can trade him if need be (for little return, even if he improves).

6 innings 6 runs 0 earned runs 4 hits 3 walks 12K's

early

after the first 5 batters of the game. Plawecki is coming like a freight train. I would not be shocked in a year from today he was the starting catcher

here's why I'm not giving up on d'Arnaud. When he's not timid, he obviously has "it"... it seems he's "Duda'd up" recently. He's not digging in, he's over-thinking.

The kid has a sweet swing. It will take some mental coaching, but I'm still up on him.

I am not by any means giving up on d'Arnaud. I know he has a higher upside than Plawecki, BUT, Plawecki is stating his case and I dont think you keep 2 # 1 catchers. I think you can package either one + pitching and get a great return.

gotcha. It seems like a bunch of people are down on the kid, and understandable. I'm even disappointed.

I wouldn't trade either of them. For YEARS they've had NO catchers through the system.. hoard them lol

AAA- Verrett
AA- Pill
A+ Ynoa
A Flexen

Verrett 5 innings 8 hits 6 runs 0 walks 4 k's (He's simply not very good 69 hits in 49 innings with 34 k's, I'm a bit surprised he's not in the pen yet but I guess with Mazzoni hurt and deGrom and Montero up they need SP's)


Carreno 1 inning 3 hits 3 runs 1 walk 1 k (started the year well but era up to 5.32. Still likely sees citifield this year but not a very impressive arm from what I've seen in Vegas)

Brown 4-5, HR
Satin 2-4, 2b, BB, K
Dykstra 1-4, HR, K, BB
Lutz 3-5, HR

Tonight TBD

AA-

Pill 5.2 innings 6 hits 2 runs 1 walk 6 k's (4 straight solid outings, good to see)

Bradford 2 perfect 3 k's

Church 1 perfect 2 k's


Reynolds 4-7, triple, 2 rbi (not showing any power on the year but nice little breakout. Likely a utility guy but better than nothing)

Plawecki 3-7, 2b, bb (Red hot)

Boyd 4-7, rbi

Tovar 1-5, BB

Today Bowman and TBD (DH)


A+

Ynoa 7 innings 7 hits 2 runs 1 walk 5 k's (very nice)

Nimmo 2-4, 2 k's (k's starting to pile up, something to watch)

Herrera 2-4, HR, K (8 multi hit games in the last 11 played)

Evans 0-3, BB, K

Tonight TBD


A

Flexen 5.1 innings 7 hits 5 runs 4 earned 3 walks 4 k's (he's been awful but he was actually pitching well... then took a liner off the nose followed by a 3 run homer, box score doesn't tell the story on this day)


Coles 1 inning 4 hits 3 runs 1 walk 0 k's


McNeil 2-3, 2b, K

Smith 1-4, 2 rbi, 2 k

Stuart 0-4, BB, K

Tonight- McGowan

He's hitting consistently well and stealing some bases. Does anyone know if he's good defensively?

is considered average with the glove. Good arm, limited-ish athlete which is why he's a 2b and not a SS like when he signed. His upside is a Juan Uribe type though it's obviously questionable if he'll hit for that kind of power. He's also very young for the league. I'm sure he'll be in the mix in 2016 at 2b if they cheap out and decide they can't afford Murphy.

So.... 0% chance the Mets are one of the finalists for this guy right? http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/05/daniel-carbonell-weighing-five-offers.html � #mets

cause we already have OF's. I mean that was the thinking on abreau right? makes perfect sense.

and possibly take at bats away from Eric Young Jr? Terry would rather drink bleach

all honesty (and I'm not even a big time EYjr fan) but he and Lagares are the 2 most valuable OF on the team, I get why Granderson "will play" but Chris Young has been awful, he's not going to be on the 2015 Mets, does anyone honestly think the Yankees or Red Sox keep running him out there at the expense of Lagares or even the superior in 2014 Young jr. because of a "promise of playing time"? Juan Lagares should be playing "every day", if that means 5/7 games... fine. But the Mets make some really perplexing decisions beyond simply "fans on couches don't know what they are talking about".



Easier said than done obviously but Piazza trade changed some of the narrative of the entire franchise, as did the Beltran signing. Splashes can be overrated but this franchise needs a narrative change, the train has been on the same track for way too long. Not suggesting this specific Cuban guy is a splash (though he sounds good based on minimal scouting reports) But fans should expect the Mets to be active, to be in on high ceiling talent. Instead it's the opposite impression.


Bottom line is it really goes back to the organization being bizarrely tone deaf. Forget the tired blaming of one party or another... they have attendance problems due to product on the field, decide they will not spend to former sums (again not looking to discuss who makes that decision) but then decides to guarantee 81 million to Curtis Granderson and Bartolo Colon (truth be told I was/still am in favor of the Colon move) but the Mets made both of these moves believing it would excite the fan base. There is absolutely no way they decided "baseball reasons" wise that these 2 were the 2 to suddenly drop 81 million on. It's scary to think they expected Granderson/Chris Young and Colon to have the fans buzzing.

yeah I just millered "my" own minor league thread with major league stuff, my apologies.

Peavey to AAA

He's pretty fast (low '90s touching mid '90s) and his secondary offerings are said to need work, but somehow he's getting hitters out with a 1.85 era and a .187 baa. He was drafted in the 13th round last season.

also is old for the league for a pitching prospect turning 23 in October. I'm actually a fan and called him a small school sleeper before the year but his age needs to be taken into account. He's 2 years younger than Mejia yet 4 levels below him for comparisons sake.

Peavey (AAA debut) 4 innings 8 hits 6 runs 2 walks 4 k's (welcome to the PCL lol)

Puello 0-0 BB

Lutz 2-5, RBI, K

Dykstra 0-5, 2 k's


Brown 2-4, HR, BB, K


Tonight- Alvarado



AA Game 1-

Tovar 1-3, BB (moved up in the lineup, giving him more of a chance?)

Reynolds 1-2, K

Boyd 2-4, RBI


Game 2-

Robles 6 innings 6 hits 0 runs 0 walks 2 k's (nice outing after 2 straight bombings)

Satterwhite 1 inning 0 hits 0 runs 0 walks 1 k (27 or not, time to bump him to AAA to see if he can help the big club)


Plawecki 2-4, 2b, 2 K (he's on fire)

Boyd 1-3, BB, 2 K

Tovar 0-4 (hit 9th)

Reynolds 1-2, 2 BB

Tonight- Gorski


A+

Matz 6 innings 7 hits 3 runs 2 earned 0 walks 8 k's (me likey no walks vs. 8 k's)


Lugo 3 innings 5 hits 1 run 1 walk 6 k's

B Wheeler 2 perfect 5 k's (era is awful but looking deeper he's pitched pretty well, FIP tells the story)


Nimmo 2-5, 2b, BB

Herrera 3-6 2b (last 12 games 9 multi-hit games)

Evans 1-3, 2 2b, K



Tonight-Fulmer


A

McGowan 7 innings 2 hits 0 runs 2 walks 4 k's

Smith 2-3

Stuart 1-3, K

McNeil 1-3, 2b, 2 k

Tonight-

Birthday boy Ricky Knapp

From Toby Hyde



@SWitHBeAtZ @rorygreebel1 17 hitters (qualified) in MLB walking as little as KP in AA: 12 are sub-replacement w/ bat. http://ow.ly/x3zVB

But he also does not strike out much either. Paul Lo Duca was the same way. So is Jeff Keppinger

it's a bit different. LoDuca had a career 6.2% walk rate... at the MLB level, .123 ISO (4.4, 4.9 with the Mets .109 and .106 with the Mets), Plawecki is currently running 4.1% walk rate .106 ISO.... at AA. So he's walking at a lower rate, and for "the same" power... as LoDuca did in the bigs with the Mets aka he needs to walk more or hit for more power or he's likely a replacement level player and not a "good regular".

6.3% walk rate at the MLB level, .102 ISO

Thornton 2 innings 2 hits 0 runs 0 walks 1 K
Black 1 inning 0 hits 0 runs 1 walk 1 k
Puello 0-3, K

Brown 1-3, HR, BB

MDD 1-3, HR, 2 k's

Kirk 0-1, K


Tonight-Syndergaard


AA

Gorski 5 innings 3 hits 2 runs 1 earned 1 walk 6 k's (about time he's in AAA)

Plawecki 0-4, K

Boyd 1-4, R

Tovar 1-2, BB

Reynolds 1-3, K


Tonight-DH Bowman/TBD



A+

Fulmer 7 innings 5 hits 1 run 2 walks 7 k's (very, very nice. He's been one of the true bummers so far)


Nimmo 1-2, 3 BB, SB (nice!)

Gomez 1-3, HR, 2 BB

Evans 0-4

Herrera 1-5

Tonight- Tapia


A-

Knapp 6 innings 7 hits 1 run 0 walks 5 k's

Alvarez 2 innings 1 hit 0 runs 0 walks 3 k's

Coles 1 perfect 1 K

McNeil 2-4, 2 k's (great year so far but oddly striking out a lot more lately)


Smith 2-3, BB

Stuart 2-2, BB

Tonight- OFF

for A ball maybe till July 1

they generally tend to start promotions post league all-star games. FSL ASG is June 14, so any time after that point is probably "realistic" (of course it could come before) but July 1st seems very realistic.

get promoted?

they seem bizarrely "safe" when it comes to relievers so your guess is as good as mine. Beck Wheeler and Mitchell were ancient for the league and didn't get promoted for a long, long time.

Or Paul Sewald, although his walk totals are surprisingly up this year

Though at least THIS is not the Mets minor league system

Nimmo update: RBI single. 1-1 with an RBI and 2 BB this morning. .339/.479 so far in St. Lucie

Uneven outing for Tapia 4 innings 1 hit 4 walks 5 k's (at least he missed bats for once), Nimmo on base 3 times, Herrera 3 hits (HR) #mets

Last 11 games Dilson Herrera has 10 multi-hit games #mets

A ball

In comment 11689465 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

Uneven outing for Tapia 4 innings 1 hit 4 walks 5 k's (at least he missed bats for once), Nimmo on base 3 times, Herrera 3 hits (HR) #mets Last 11 games Dilson Herrera has 10 multi-hit games #mets

Herrera added a SB as well and finished a triple short of the cycle

I bet he's there longer than you would think. Only 11 walks in 197 ab's. Jeff Moore didn't love Herrera but he keeps hitting


"Hit 55 Plus bat speed allows him to make up for some fundamental mistakes. Noticeable bat wrap around head causes loop in swing path to the ball and a longer swing than a player of his size should have. Wants to get swing started early but doesn't have to; bat speed would allow him to wait back. Will expand the strike zone for breaking stuff. Natural bat-to-ball skills are there to go with bat speed but needs to refine mechanics of swing and bat path.
Power 40 Good pop for a shorter player; a product of plus bat speed and strong, compact body. Wants to get hands extended to drive the ball. Should hit for gap power but sometimes sells out for fly-ball power. Could hit 10-12 home runs in a season.
Baserunning/Speed 60 Quick first step, above-average speed underway. Will bunt for hit and steal a base but not game-changing speed.
Glove 50 Plus range at second base due to quick first step and athleticism. Much more fluid on balls side to side than routine groundballs. Sits back on heels and his athleticism/hand-eye coordination help bail out average hands. Comfortable on pivot at second for double plays. Would be out of position at shortstop.
Arm 50 Plenty of arm to make all of the throws at second base, but not enough at short; not enough carry to make throw to first from 5/6 hole. Quick release helps on balls up the middle at 2B and on DP turns.
Overall

Despite plus athleticism, Herrera doesn't have any standout baseball tools. His best asset is his plus bat speed but he's still figuring out how to use it. If he refines his approach, he could be an above-average hitter at second base with moderate power for the position and some value on the bases. Most likely, however, is a utility role at second base and possibly in the outfield, where his athleticism would translate well."

is the 3rd youngest player in the FSL. I suspect he's there all of/majority of 2014.

is a pitcher's League so it is encouraging to see what Nimmo & Herrera are doing

fairness St. Lucie is a neutral park



On the surface, Tradition Field, or Digital Domain Park, as it was known during this period, looks like something of a hitter's park thanks to a relatively high 1.095 PF. Yet it's important to note that at a mere 8.58, the Florida State League ranks tenth out of ten in runs per game. Thanks to a nice jet stream out to left field � something we've witnessed first-hand in spring training the last few years � St. Lucie is a big fish in an extremely tiny pond. Measured by eye against counterparts around baseball, it's probably fair to say that this stadium plays relatively neutral.

Spotlight Performance: Between 2010 and 2012, Wilmer Flores posted a .282/.319/.409 line with St. Lucie. Accounting for their +9 percent park factor, Flores would have hit something like .259/.292/.375 in the hypothetical "average FSL stadium." That's not quite as impressive. It's worth noting that such a line in the Florida State League would likely translate to a much more palatable line in the High-A California League, which ranked first in full-season baseball with 10.80 runs per game.

has been even better on the road which is a good sign, Nimmo much better at home which is less so (still solid on the road though).

Thor 5 innings 5 hits 3 runs 2 walks 6 k's (82 pitches 55 strikes)
MDD 0-5
Kirk 1-4, HR, 3 k's (25 k's in 89 ab's... YIKES)


Tonight-Eveland


AA-

Cessa an emergency start with Peavey bumped to AAA to replace Montero/degrom.... as evidenced by his AWFUL A+ K-rate this year... it did not go well 3.2 innings 7 hits 5 runs 2 walks 3 k's, I'm almost positive he's headed back to FSL


Bennett 2.1 innings 2 hits 0 runs 1 walk 0 k's

Reynolds 2-3

Plawecki 0-3

Tovar 1-3

Boyd 0-3

Game 2-


Bowman 4.2 innings 6 hits 6 runs 4 walks 3 k's (ugly)


Tovar 1-3, BB, 2b

Boyd 1-3, BB, K

Tonight- Lara


A+

Tapia 4 innings 1 hit 1 run 4 walks 5 k's (I think it's getting close to pen time for Tapia. Repeating A+ 38.2 innings 19 walks 19 k's

Nimmo 1-2, 2 BB (walking machine)

Herrera 3-4, 2b, SB, HR (Last 11 games 10 multi hit games)

Evans 2-4 (not hitting for much power but nice bounceback season so far)

Tonight- listed is Cessa but he's not starting tonight after pitching for the B mets last night


Savannah- Had off, tonight Miller Diaz

projects the Mets to sign 0/10 top IFA's for 7/2

it is only one of the better IFA markets,they can sign Julio Franco who is making a comeback at 55.

on his way to Savannah. Bypassing Brooklyn, they are fast tracking him

is Cecchini doing?

don't they both play SS?

moving to 2B? Or up to STL?

and they are both SS

but Cecchini is the SS for Savannah, isn't he?

So if Rosario and Cecchini are both SS right now on the same team wouldn't someone have to move positions or move teams?

Unless I'm mixing something up. Is Cecchini on STL? I thought he was on SAV.

leads me to believe he might be headed to St Lucie to make room for Rosario.

Plawecki homered in three straight games last week.

He's now batting .336 with 4 HR and an .878 OPS.

those are top 100 prospect #'s for a catcher.

in a package, you know the Mets are going to keep the wrong guy and the other guy will be an All Star

is supposed to be all doom and gloom and I get that, but deGrom did have an impressive start today.

Hurdle thought so:

Quote:

Anthony DiComo ‏@AnthonyDiComo 53m Hurdle was asked whom deGrom reminded him of. "A little Jered Weaver, I saw a little bit of Samardzija -- just the delivery, the makeup."

This is where anything is possible and have some sense of hope

to another pair of pitchers with flowing locks. lol

DeGrom and Montero have shown promise.

since his rocky start to the season Familia has been really good and Mejia hasn't given up an ER since moving to the pen.

We all knew who Tejada, Duda, etc. were before the season started so no use getting pissed off when they are who we thought they were.

See the Weaver comp. Samardizja just throws so hard it's hard to compete the two (degrom throws hard but not the same)

like Rosario will still head to Brooklyn in 3 weeks. They want him getting some reps but the plan apparently is 3 weeks in Savannah and then down to BK, no plans to promote Cecchini at this time. Makes more sense than rushing Cecchini. He's had a solid start to the season no doubt but his OPS is still only a "solid" .732 and he's actually in the midst of his worst stretch of the year (.190 with a .565 OPS last 10 games). I'm sure Cecchini sees FSL by the end of the year but right now just doesn't make sense.

He'll be backing up and playing other positions until Brooklyn starts it's season.

.

just to be clear I wasn't trying to correct you. I just woke up early this morning and was reading some articles and saw they just want to get him some extra reps with extended coming to an end. Cecchini has actually quietly had a solid start to his year but I would have been surprised if they pushed him so soon. Rosario received rave reviews in extended so it should be cool to check him on in Brooklyn. Not that it's likely a major consideration but the fact that it's pretty unlikely Cecchini is in AA next year likely gives the Mets even more reason to go slower with Rosario. Better to have him a level behind Cecchini than forced to play one out of position next year.

to seeing Rosario's results during his brief period with Savannah. Then everyone will get to see him in Brooklyn thereafter.

why is Puello not playing that much?

there has not been a clear answer on Puello's weird playing time. He missed a few games due to some biogenesis stuff but beyond that it's been a mystery. Backman supposedly isn't a huge believer in his but who knows if that is true?

for Savannah

and the 2nd inning isn't over

100% speculation that Puello is going through appeals for another suspension.

I can't imagine any other reason why MDD is gone, but Puello still sits.

Nimmo pulled after going 0 - 2, I haven't seen a reason why.

Satin 2-5, BB
Kirk 1-5, BB, K
Puello 1-2, 2 BB
Brown 2-4, 2b, 3b, BB, K


Tonight-Verrett


AA-

Game suspended after 2

Plawecki 2-2 HR, 2b, 5 rbi (wowzas)

Reynolds 0-0 2 walks

TDA 0-1, BB

Boyd 0-1

Bowman 2 innings 1 hit 0 runs 0 walks 0 k's (20 pitches 14 strikes)


tonight- Lara and TBD


A+ (as noted above by a previous poster Nimmo was removed for what is being called an ankle sprain)


Fulmer 5 innings 5 hits 2 runs 4 walks 5 k's


Nimmo 0-2, K


Gomez 2-2

Herrera 1-5

Tonight- TBD


Savannah- Rained out

Tonight-Knapp


I hate to put this in what is supposed to be a feel good thread but... Joel Sherman says those in the industry believe the Wilpons are again meddling in the day to day operations of the Mets.

Hopefully that will quiet some of the Plawecki skeptics. Amazing what a good week or so will do to a small sample size of 100 or so AB's.
Still not walking, but he's now pacing a 15 HR 40 2B 100 RBI season while hitting 330+. As a catcher in AA. And very un Met like - not striking out...

"low strike outs, high OBP"

that is what we all thought we were getting with a Sandy Alderson club (based on past experience).

talk about complete opposites!

Taylor Teagarden get a look at MLB? With D'Arnaud out, it would've been a perfect time to get him some ABs. If all we have with D'Arnaud out is AAA catchers, then why not play the best one? Aren't we trying to win games? Are the Mets really that worried about someone claiming Tony Recker on waivers if he's cut from the 40?

got pulled cuz he rolled his ankle, doesnt seem serious though. Plawecki doesn't walk much but doesnt strike out much either. I remember reading where he hated to strike out.

is actually a very solid backup catcher. I wouldn't risk losing him for Taylor Teagarden. Don't let PCL numbers of a proven horrible offensive player fool you. Teagarden is 30 years old with a career .655 OPS (which is greatly inflated by a really nice run as a rookie in 2008). Since then .193/.251/.343, sadly Recker is one of Sandy's best major league moves as GM. He's no stud but he's solid.

he could fight for a starting job.

I just defended Recker and like him but he's 31 in August, sure there are late bloomers but I find it hard to believe he's going to "improve" at this point. Doesn't walk at all, strikes out a lot, iffy arm. He has one nice skill, pop behind the plate and is a solid receiver. He's not a starting MLB catcher.

not believing in Puello is confirmed-


The decision to hold him out was made by manager Wally Backman, who preferred other outfield options. Although Puello is hitting .264 with one homer and 10 RBIs in 125 at-bats, a team insider said in explaining the playing time: �Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Matt den Dekker and Andrew Brown are better. Brandon Allen and Allan Dykstra are better. Puello stats don�t even do justice to how bad he has been. Lots of broken bats. Lots of infield hits. His hits have been against bad pitchers. He is overmatched.�

recker is what he is.. a very solid backup catcher.. and a local guy here. it's nice to have a local rooting interest.

In comment 11699520 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

I just defended Recker and like him but he's 31 in August, sure there are late bloomers but I find it hard to believe he's going to "improve" at this point. Doesn't walk at all, strikes out a lot, iffy arm. He has one nice skill, pop behind the plate and is a solid receiver. He's not a starting MLB catcher.

I didn't realize he was 31. He looks younger.

on twitter rave about how cute he is, TTH you are in good company lol

stats are inflated, Teagarden has still been raking,(.295ba, 8HR, .411OBP) he can declare himself an FA by June 15 if not promoted and SD apparently liked him a lot this offseason, so he has a landing spot.

Recker is a decent backup C because of his defense, but when he's hitting .229, getting on base at .270, and is King at 37% of his ABs, I'd rather roll the dice with the hotter bat. Also, fangraphs has Teagarden (in prior MLB seasons) as a solid defensive C, so it's not like we'd be putting a butcher out there.

the PTBNL in the Ike Davis trade immediately after the draft?

has been worth .7 WAR in 75 games as a Met, meaning he's a very valuable backup catcher. Teagarden CAREER .8 WAR which includes 1.0 WAR as a rookie. Which means since 2008, Teagarden has been worth NEGATIVE .2 WAR. Recker is also controlled by the Mets through 2018, sorry but it makes no sense to lose him for Taylor Teagarden.

PJ it can be announced once the date said player signed last year. I hope it's not that RHP that was rumored, sounds like a turd.

is also striking out at an insane 28% clip in AAA and has a .353 BABIP.

Seriously, he looks like he's 23. What the crap.

his nickname is apparently "Home Recker" lol

points Dan, I appreciate it. It's nice to know that sometimes the Mets' decisions have logic.

Nonetheless, it's frustrating to watch a guy whiff constantly and have an on base % significantly below .300 when a guy is raking in AAA. Hopefully D'Arnaud comes back and plays well so Recker can be in the back-up role he belongs in.

is not some great player. I don't want to make it seem like I believe he is. He's just cheap, solid (for his role) and controlled for a long time. I have a hard time believing both TDA and Plawecki are BOTH long term Mets so I suspect Recker can keep his job for a while. Hopefully both TDA and Plawecki are good and gives the Mets ammo to find a living, breathing SS or an upgrade at 1b. Draft is coming up but I don't like Conforto for the Mets, 1b only college bats are scary picks. I like Turner, Zimmer and Newcomb of guys being tied to the Mets if they go the college route.

Adam Rubin ✔ @AdamRubinESPN

Congratulations to old friend Nick Evans. Promoted by #Dbacks. First time in majors since 2011 with #Mets. Played in AA initially with AZ.

isn't the problem on the Mets. He's an adequate, cheap back-up. They just dont have the hitting talent. Chris Young is turning out to be a bad signing, still plenty of time to see if he can turn it around.

I saw a post about trading Thor for Joc Pederson on MNN. I think I would do that. What do you guys think?

He's still on the disabled list and the Mets don't know yet how long it will take. But at least nothing's torn or broken.
Link - ( New Window )

Kirk 4-6, 2 HR, 5 rbi, K

Dykstra 3-5, 2 2b, 2 rbi, 2 k

Puello 1-4 BB, K, SB


Verrett 6 innings 12 hits 7 runs 1 walk 9 k's (not a big fan, maybe he can make it as a reliever)

Reid 3 innings 5 hits 0 runs 0 walks 7 k's (wouldn't be shocked to see him somewhat soon)


Tonight- Carreno


AA- (continuation of Tuesdays game)

Pill 4 innings 7 hits 5 runs 2 walks 6 k's

Bradford 1 perfect

Plawecko 0-4, but 2-4 HR, 2b including what he did Tuesday

Boyd 1-3, BB

Tovar 2-4, K

Game 2-

Plawecki 1-3

Boyd 0-3, K

Tovar 0-2

Lara 2.2 innings 3 hits 1 run 0 walks 2 k's

Today: TBD


A+

Tapia 7 innings 3 hits 0 runs 3 walks 1 K (I hate to nitpick on a day when a guy gave 7 scoreless but 22 walks vs. 20 k's in 45.2 innings is really poor. One of the more disappointing players in the system this year)


Nimmo 1-4, R, SB (9 steals nice)

Herrera 1-2, 2 K

Tonight- Cessa

A rained out

Tonight TBD

i look forward to seeing how Herrera and Nimmo did last night as opposed to watching the MLB team.

if rosario rakes in Savannah, would they leave him there or bring him to brooklyn?

going to Brooklyn. Cecchini and Rosario both need to play SS every day and Cecchini isn't ready for St. Lucie with a .732 OPS and .565 OPS over his last 10 games (hitting .190)

be clear I'm not knocking Cecchini, he's had a solid start to the year. Not a true "breakout" but certainly a positive start.

like Tovar is coming up in case Tejada is out.

In comment 11701080 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

like Tovar is coming up in case Tejada is out.

That's exciting. I didn't realize that Tejada was hurt.

a pitch off his knee, it looked very painful in the game. BTW, thanks to a large part to granderson and lagares, mets OF defense is first in MLB in defensive runs saved with 29, marlins second with 25.

Nimmo

�He�s tearing it up down there right now,� Mets Director of Player Development Dicky Scott said on Monday during a visit to NYSEG Stadium. �It�s the perfect scenario where you have guys forcing your hand. It almost leaves us no other response than to promote him.

�That�s what you want from your players. You want them to push and play well as opposed to playing an entire year and saying, �Well let�s send him to the next level just because, kind of a right of passage.� That�s just not how it works.�

�He�s been getting on base. He�s hitting. He�s walking. He�s gotten a lot stronger this year too,� Scott said. �He�s just really coming into his own. This would be a good step for him. I would expect to see him up here at some point this year.�

seen George Springer lately? The guy is on fire. 6 homers in 6 games. I had a huge man crush on him in the minors and now he's starting to rake. His iso is a ridiculous .241 and he is K% is over 30% but I would trade Wheeler for him right now and that won't be enough.

couldn't get Springer for anything on the roster, majors or minors.

with a memorable debut at Savannah 5 AB's 5K's that is the deluxe platinum sombrero. Hang in there Amed, it will only get better

big difference with full season A-ball and extended spring training

the only way it gets worse is if he goes 0-5 with 5 GIDP lol

In comment 11703332 feelflows said:

Quote:

the only way it gets worse is if he goes 0-5 with 5 GIDP lol

Who do you think he is? Lucas Duda?

you mean Marla Hooch Duda??

In comment 11703346 feelflows said:

Quote:

you mean Marla Hooch Duda??

lmfao

I wonder if I can defend my record last year of correctly guessing two Mets picks (Dominic Smith at 11 and Ivan Wilson at 76). From the posters on the discussion thread it seems like the two popular names are Trea Turner and Touki Toussaint though with the depth at pitching I may lean Turner even though I have Toussaint slightly higher because overall the split is pretty even between the two prospects

Kirk 2-4, 3b

Puello 0-1, BB

Walters 2 innings 2 hits 0 runs 0 walks 1 k

Goeddel 2 innings 2 hits 0 runs 0 walks 2 k's

Reid 2 innings 3 hits 0 runs 2 walk 1 k

Tonight- Verrett


AA-

Leathersich 1 inning 1 hit 0 runs 1 walk 3 k's

Bradford 1 inning 1 hit 0 runs 0 walks 0 k's

Boyd 0-4, K

Ceciliani 2-2, 2 BB, SB


Tonight-OFF



A+

Matz 6.2 innings 4 hits 0 runs 2 walks 4 k's

Sewald 1.1 0 hits 0 runs 0 walks 1 k


Wheeler 1 inning 0 hits 0 runs 1 walk 3 k's


Gomez 2-4, K

Herrera 0-3, BB

Evans 2-4

Tonight- TBD



A+

Cecchini 0-3, BB

McNeill 3-4, 3 rbi


Mazzilli 3-4, HR (AWFUL start to the season and very old for the level but has really come on strong. Still has a shot to be a big leaguer in a bench role)


Smith 0-4, K

Stuart 0-3

Tonight- Flexen

is Bradford the closer over Leathersich mainly a control issue?

It seems that Leathersich has closer "stuff", but walks too many. Last year, especially.

they generally use Leathersich in multi-inning appearances (last year too). Also, yeah his lack of control would likely be demoralizing for a team with the lead blowing saves. As intriguing as Leathersich is, you just don't find many successful MLB pitchers walking as many as he does. The K's are great and I'd bump him to AAA but 13 walks in 22.2 innings this year, 29 in 52 career AA innings, 58 in 81 AA/AAA innings, it would be unusual for a guy like that to succeed without improving his command. Bradford has also pitched pretty well.

Kodi Medeiros? I read this draft profile, seems like he's got legit tools to pitch in the majors right now. But his ceiling as a closer doesnt warrant the 10th pick overall.

single scouting report says he's a reliever going forward. A HS pitcher who is a likely reliever would be a laughable selection at 10. BA has him #32 prospect. Mets have had a lot of contact with some kid Dash Winningham 1b/LHP, he's not even in BA's top 500 so I can't imagine they would take him that high... hope not.

youtube highlight, his slider is sick and his fastball sits in the low to mid 90's with life. I think he would taken before the 2nd round no?

he's ranked #32 by BA, he almost certainly won't be around when the Mets pick in the 2nd round #84 overall.

have a 2nd round pick? I thought they lost the pick when they signed Granderson? Is that why it's #84? Did they pick up a 2nd rounder to replace the Granderson lost pick somehow?

want in the draft and who do you think the Mets are going to realistically draft? I keep reading the Conforto is the guy at that spot.

Mets 2nd rounder was #55 which they lost for Granderson. #84 is the Mets 2nd pick (3rd round). Sounds like Conforto is the likely guy. Not my first choice but they obviously need bats pretty badly.

If we wait until Round 6 or 7 like we did Joe Tuschak I have less of an issue. I would have a problem using a pick in the top 4 or 5 rounds on some off the board pick like that based on who it appears will be around. When I mocked for the Mets at minorleagueball.com there were players I considered with the 4th Round pick still there after the round was over

are you referring to this Winningham kid? Yeah obviously if he's not a super high pick who am I to judge but this better not be a Brandon Kaupe special (Tuschak looks like a total waste of money as well). Their bonus giving decisions have been strange in general... Oswalt, Bashlor. He's not top 500 so if he's a top 3-5 round pick by the Mets I'll be pretty bummed.

Yes I was referring to Winningham. What would the scout.com forum do without guys like Corey Ragsdale and Kaupe?

K's 5 times in 5 AB's and sits on the bench till Brooklyn starts play. How is that good for him?

man, Ragsdale was OBSESSED over, the other guy I remember that site having bizarre obsessions over was Matt Bouchard

good question lol

seriously and question why he has a forum
Link - ( New Window )

MDD called up

In comment 11707430 Headhunter said:

Quote:

seriously and question why he has a forum Link - ( New Window )

There's nothing particularly wrong with what Cerrone said there. To me, it's just that his observations/writing offers no insight or information beyond what typical internet posters/commenters write.

The only reason he got to where he is, is that he was lucky enough to claim that domain name first, and he constantly updated his blog in the days before twitter took off. His blog used to be the first place to go for most people to get news about the team (without having to rely on newspapers). Now, with twitter and tons of other blogs, his site doesn't really offer much but I still check it occasionally out of habit.

In comment 11707481 DanMetroMan said:

Quote:

MDD called up

Fine with it, but I'd rather bring up Kirk or Brown.

agreed, I should have phrased it differently as an example of Cerrone saying absolutely nothing that isn't already known

but he def writes for the less educated type of fan. Which i guess is fine and could be why metsblog is one of the more popular (or most popular) mets blog type site.