Here Are Your 2012 Binghamton Mets

It took some time, but the Binghamton Mets have finally announced their “official” opening day 2012 roster. The first game of the regular season was slated for last night in Binghamton when they faced off against the Akron Aeros, AA team for the Cleveland Indians. The starting pitcher for the season opener was right-hander Collin McHugh, who anchored the Binghamton starting rotation for much of last year. This 2012 version of the team will match power pitching with an explosive line-up, a combination that should enable them to contend for a playoff berth for the first time since 2004.

STARTING ROTATION

1) Zack Wheeler (RHP)

2) Darin Gorski (LHP)

3) Collin McHugh (RHP)

4) Mark Cohoon (LHP)

5) Greg Peavey (RHP)

The B-Mets offer a very solid starting rotation of former high draft picks, and experienced minor league hurlers like McHugh and Cohoon. There is a lot of upside here especially with the one-two punch at the top of the rotation, and a nice lefty-righty balance. Wheeler is a big-time prospect who is just oozing potential. And if Gorski continues to make strides and builds on what he did last year in the Florida State League, he will put himself squarely in the conversation regarding the system’s top pitchers.

Peavey is a very talented 23-year-old, drafted in the 6th round of the 2010 draft out of Oregon State. He split last year between Savannah and St. Lucie combining to go 11-6 with a 3.48 ERA. His strikeout to walk ratio was a superb 108/26, and in 137 IP he surrendered only 4 HR’s. Although it’s a big jump for him, Peavey shows the composure and arsenal to make the move up to AA, and should do well there.

BULLPEN

Josh Edgin (LHP)

Brad Holt (RHP)

Armando Rodriguez (RHP)

Elvin Ramirez (RHP)

Erik Turgeon (RHP)

Kevin Mulvey (RHP)

Edgar Ramirez (RHP)

Rob Carson (LHP)

This is a very hard throwing bullpen, with three power pitchers Edgin, Carson, and Holt, and three hard-throwers, Rodriguez, Ramirez, and Ramirez. Turgeon is a talented righty who knows how to get outs, but Mulvey is of course, a complete unknown to us Mets fans at this point in his career. He just returned to the organization as a minor league free agent, but had been languishing in the minor leagues ever since he went to Minnesota in the Johan Santana trade. Edgar Ramirez is a big hard-thrower, who missed nearly all of last year due to injury, pitching in just 17 games. Hopefully he can get back on the horse this year, although at 6’4″ and 250 lbs., I feel sorry for the horse.

Edgin impressed the heck out of everybody who saw him pitch this spring. Not only does he have the size, strength and quality of pitches to succeed at the major league level, he has a bulldog mentality and plenty of composure. He will definitely make his big league debut at some point this season for the Mets, and if you want to read an MMO Exclusive Interview with him from last month, just click the MMO Exclusives tab at the top of the page.

CATCHERS

Kai Gronauer

Juan Centeno

After losing nearly the whole season to injuries last year, the German-born Gronauer should find himself in a platoon with Centeno. This would offer Centeno, who has been a back-up throughout his minor league career so far, a chance to garnish a decent number of AB’s for the first time. That arrangement would also afford Gronauer some down time, which would hopefully allow him to remain productive for the course of the season.

INFIELD 

Allan Dykstra

Jefry Marte

Sean Kazmar

Josh Rodriguez

Eric Campbell

Travis Ozga

Oswaldo Navarro

OUTFIELD

Juan Lagares

Matt den Dekker

Raul Reyes

Pedro Zapata

STAFF

Pedro Lopez – Manager

Glenn Abbott – Pitching Coach

Luis Natera – Hitting Coach

The line-up has a little fire-power with guys like Dykstra and Marte, and power off the bench in Campbell and Ozga. There is also some speed mixed in with blazers Zapata and den Dekker, and the speedy Lagares. This squad is going to go as far as their pitching will carry them, and hopefully they will figure out a way to score runs.

Second base prospect Reese Havens has not played yet this spring and will open the season on the Binghamton Mets disabled list.

At first I assumed that top Mets prospect Zack Wheeler would open the B-Mets season on Thursday. But because the weather is supposed to be in the 40′s during the games both Thursday and Friday in Binghamton, I am pretty confident they will hold him out until Saturday when they play an afternoon game in sunshine.

That is the reason McHugh got the call last night, and I am assuming Darin Gorski will pitch Friday night’s game. I can’t say I’m disappointed about that, because I am going to be at the games in Binghamton on Friday and Saturday, but was not be able to be there for last night’s game. So now I am potentially lined up to watch Gorski and Wheeler back-to-back this weekend, which I am very excited about. I also hope to have some nice interviews coming up in the coming weeks with your 2012 B-Mets, and many more of your Mets minor league prospects.

*** Note: I’ll be covering the games at Binghamton tonight and tomorrow for Metsmerized. I should have some great insights, clubhouse and on-field interviews, pictures, etc. when I get back on Sunday. I have some nice stuff planned for you to enjoy.

LGM!