If Angel Pagan Goes To DL, Mike Carp Should Be Called Up
If Angel Pagan ends up heading to the DL, and I hope he doesn’t, one player that I hope the Mets call up to replace him is first baseman Mike Carp. I think it’s time for the Mets to assess the viability of our depth at the position in anticipation of the eventual departure of Carlos Delgado at season’s end.
I have no interest in seeing more re-threads like Brady Clark, Fernando Tatis or flavor of the month, Valentino Pascucci. Yes, Tatis is hitting a bunch of homers, but his batting average is hovering around the Mendoza line. Yes, Pascucci is hitting .300, bur he strikes out in a third of his at-bats.
If the Mets want to glimpse into their future they should look beyond New Orleans and to Binghamton where Mike Carp is tearing it up and leading the league in almost every offensive category.
He is currently batting .339 with 6 homeruns and 23 RBI’s. He has an on-base percentage of .388 and has only struck out 19 times in 127 at-bats. He has continued his torrid pace all season long and has shown no signs of letting up. What I find most amazing is his ability to hit against left handed pitching (currently .362), and to do so with power. Compare that to Delgado who is batting .205 against lefties.
A 15 day cup of coffee will ignite the team with a certain injection of youthful exuberance that has not been seen since Reyes and Wright first emerged. While he’s up he should get plenty of playing time with at least a couple of starts a week at first base and plenty of opportunities as a pinch hitter and defensive replacement for Delgado. A cup of coffee in the majors is not going to stunt his growth, even if he doesn't play everyday. I'm not saying to keep him on the team for the rest of the season, just a little taste.
If anyone in the system can make the jump from AA to the majors, I believe it is Mike Carp. He has excellent plate discipline and a great batting eye. Forget all those burned out castaways that the Mets always seem to rely on. We can use a jolt of sonic youth on this team and who knows… we may even be able to catch some lightning in a bottle.
Comments
Completely disagree, I'd give the spot to Pascucci. He'd be a nice addition as a right handed bat off the bench, at least temporarily. I really wish Mike Carp could get a full year in the minors without any big league distractions. Pascucci's like 29 or something, you don't worry about him being a scrub while on the team. You'd worry about Carlos Delgado getting playing time and AB's over Carp, you want a prospect like him getting at least 3 AB's every game.
Posted by: Milo | May 8, 2008 03:13 PM
Pascucci is your classic AAAA player, yeah he hits homers but strikes out way too much and the word is out he couldnt hit a breaking ball to save his life. That being said, I agree we should leave carp alone for now. Of course I said the same thing about David Wright in 2004 when he went from AA to the majors and never looked back.
Posted by: tj | May 8, 2008 03:38 PM
Just saying, I like the way Carp looks at the plate, he looks really comfortable. The only thing is that he plays DH most of the time, so I don't know how his fielding is.
Posted by: JB | May 8, 2008 05:14 PM
Pascucci?? Who the hell is Pacucci?
Posted by: kevin | May 8, 2008 05:59 PM
How about Fernando Martinez?
Posted by: Lou | May 8, 2008 06:51 PM
Thought the talk was that WISE would be back this weekend and take up the roster spot.
Posted by: Graves211 | May 9, 2008 02:59 PM
Thought the talk was that WISE would be back this weekend and take up the roster spot.
Posted by: Graves211 | May 9, 2008 02:59 PM