Comments on: The Binghamton Buzz: Wheeler Pitches Another Gem

By: Tim B.

Tim B. — Tue, 29 May 2012 22:41:14 +0000

McHugh is definitely right there with the other pitching prospects, well put Fonz. Numbers/stats/pitches aside, this kid has this air or swagger about him when he gets on the mound. I haven’t seen him rattled (granted, I wasn’t at the game last week when he got tossed), and he seems to just get in a zone and get it done – don’t know – just know the one’s that are gonna make it when they pass through here, and he is on that list for sure. His start the other day (yesterday? man, I do the writeups but it’s been a long week so you’ll have to excuse me) – let up a couple in one inning, came out the next and went 1, 2, 3.

By: Tim B.

Tim B. — Tue, 29 May 2012 22:34:36 +0000

Wheeler seems locked in now – his performance after his brief stint on the DL has been lights out for sure.

By: Donal

Donal — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:28:54 +0000

I am pleasantly surprised by Wheeler. I thought it was too soon to bump him to Bingo and then he got roughed up at first. Nice to see him bounce back so well.

By: Donal

Donal — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:16:09 +0000

That is the thing about the minors. You can’t just use the stats themselves. From what I was reading, he had good stuff and showed signs of being ready to move on, he just had lousy luck and some of it just wouldn’t come together.

By: Fonzie13

Fonzie13 — Tue, 29 May 2012 21:09:43 +0000

McHugh has been an interesting case. This guy struggled big time at Advanced A St Lucie last year, gets bumped up to AA Bingo and has been outstanding sinc. He’s been so good that I think you can now throw his name into the mix with the other top pitching prospects.

By: Ken Tomlin

Ken Tomlin — Tue, 29 May 2012 16:29:21 +0000

Just read that, great interview. Seems like a well grounded kid who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to work hard.

By: stick

stick — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:59:40 +0000

interesting interview.

Not trying to pigeonhole anyone, but for people (which is pretty much most of us!) that don’t see the minor league guys actually play, getting a “kind of similar to that other guy” profile helps put the player in context.

Especially in the minors, where the #s don’t tell you the whole story. So, is a player a limited tools, getting by on smarts and control/deception? Or a big “stuff” guy that is getting results on sheer talent but not much clue what is happening? Repetoire wise too, since some guys are power arms vs. sinker/breaking ball types.

in any case, he certainly has shown enough to deserve the promotion to AAA, which I assume is coming as soon as they clear the logjam. And what the hell, let him compete for a spot on the Mets out of ST next year. He has plenty of experience as a pro now, and ain’t getting any younger.

By: Petey Pete

Petey Pete — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:23:15 +0000

Oooops, it might help if I provided you with the link:

http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/10/mets-prospect-collin-mchugh-answers-some-questions-for-mmo.html

By: Petey Pete

Petey Pete — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:18:40 +0000

Well, he’s nothing like Harvey, except they both throw right-handed. He’s not really anything like Schwinden either, sorry, it’s just not that simple to pigeon-hole the guy with an unfair comparison. Forget about trying to make him the same as someone else, he’s not.

Here is an interview I did with him last winter, in it he describes his arsenal in detail. If you want to have a better idea of what kind of pitcher he is, read his description of his pitches. The only thing I would add about him other than the pitches he throws, is to say he is a very intelligent pitcher, very aggressive on the mound, and he keeps the ball down.

By: BTF

BTF — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:18:19 +0000

Yes, I agree. There were a lot of detractors when the Mets made the trade for Wheeler and even some concerns he might have been damaged goods. But if anyone doesn’t love that trade now after what we’ve seen, they are simply ignorant and know nothing about the game. For all those Mets fans who cried when we traded Kazmir, Zach Wheeler is Kazmir squared!

By: trs86

trs86 — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:12:53 +0000

I fully expect Wheeler to be in AAA by the end of the year. I think he is moving up that timeline of 2014 to 2013 very quickly.

By: Metsie

Metsie — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:08:34 +0000

I would nt expect any movement with Wheeler until July or August, And I wouldn’t expect him to be one of our September callups unless we are so far out of it why the hell not.

Perhaps a promotion of Mejia might get him up to AAA though. But I think they are going to stay the course on Wheeler to see what affect a long hot summer has on him first.

By: stick

stick — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:06:44 +0000

also, for the MiL gurus (being as this is the bingo thread), how would you catagorize mchugh? is he Harvey without the 1st round pedigree and name recognition (iow the rep), or a Schwinden type?

By: stick

stick — Tue, 29 May 2012 15:05:14 +0000

wheeler may end up forcing his way up sooner than a lot of people think.

I am all for not rushing a guy, but once their “development checklist” is done, if they are getting results then they really don’t have any reason to stay in the minors, so why bother wasting their bullets where it doesn’t count?