Here is a quick look at how some of our boys are performing in the Winter Leagues and the Arizona Fall League. Most of these leagues are just getting underway so keep in mind that these are very small sample sizes. The Mets will also have some players appearing in the Puerto Rican League when their season begins in two weeks.
Venezuela
Josh Thole (C) - Our catcher of the future is tearing it up and currently batting .389 with a .484 on-base percentage and a 1.003 OPS in 54 at-bats.
Chris Carter (LF) - Our newest Met is batting .333 with a .901 OPS in 45 at-bats.
Lance Broadway (P) – Broadway has pitched in five games including three starts. He has a 2.45 ERA in 14.2 innings pitched, striking out 12 and walking 8.
Note – Venezuela is an extreme hitters league and almost half of the hitters are batting over .300.
Dominican Republic
Fernando Tatis (LF) - Although he’s no longer officially a Met, Tatis is batting .360 with a .887 OPS in 25 at-bats.
Tobi Stoner (SP) – Stoner has won both of his starts and sports an impressive 1.64 ERA to go with his 2-0 record. In 11 innings pitched he has struck out 8 and walked 3.
Jordany Valdespin (2B) – Batting .357 in 14 at-bats with one homerun, and has committed 3 errors.
Note – Fernando Martinez is expected to play in the DR, but has yet to report for duty.
Arizona Fall League
Ike Davis (1B) – Through 10 games comprising 41 at-bats, Davis is batting .341 with 2 homeruns and 9 RBI. He has a 1.102 OPS, but has struck out 10 times or about 25% of his at-bats.
Ruben Tejada (SS) – Tejada is batting .333 with an OBP of .400 in 36 at-bats. He also has 3 stolen bases and has been perfect in the field.
Scott Moviel (RP) – In 4 appearances he has logged an impressive 0.00 ERA in 7 innings pitched with a 0.86 WHIP.
Jenrry Mejia (SP) – Mejia is 0-2 in 3 starts with a 10.50 ERA. In 6 innings pitched he has been torched for 7 runs on 10 hits and 7 walks.
If Mejia is supposed to be so good, how come he cant get out players from single-a and double-a?
Its 3 games after a long layoff in September and early October. The AFL is always a hitters league largely due to that. By the way, most AFL players are in AA or AAA, there are only a few exemptions available for A ball and below players. Mejia held his own during the minor league season.
I still think Chris Carter will be good this year. He’ll play some 1st and both corner outfield spots. I just hope those good minor league batting stats transfer over to major league production.
Its not just hitters from A or AA.He will come along,even know his stats are bad threw 3 starts,there has been alot of compliments coming out of those starts.He has a chance of winning a bullpen job i read.I hope they keep him in binghamton to start the season.It is nice seeing some of the other prospects doing well.Im excited about seeing Tejada-Davis -Stoner-Thole in Buffalo next spring.
Mostly, the news from the winter leagues is very encouraging.
The more I’ve been thinking, the more comfortable I become with our ballclub avoiding trades involving our farmhands so that we can preserve our drafted talent develop some continuity in our system. Over time, a system of promotion and rewards can be better established, where our guys can envision a path to the major leagues as a Met.
I like what the Yankees have done with Hughes, Kennedy, Chamberlain and Coke. Take your best arms from the minors and bring them along in varying roles at the major league level. Let them work their way into the rotation. It beats the heck out of bringing in second class mercenaries to fill perceived roles. Let someone with talent from our system fill the limited roles.
One of the benefits of proceeding in this way is that we now know that Parnell is better suited as a reliever than as a starter. Hopefully, the Met organization can get a clear picture of the value of its own talent on the farm through an internal method of promotion. Its impossible to know what you really have at the major league level if your major and minor league rosters are turning over every year.
Ii recall that Davey Johnson and Bobby Valentine managed the Mets AAA Tides to division titles, which was indicative of a healthy minor league system as well as a testament to their managerial skill.