Draft day is approaching quick; June 6^th to be exact. The most important phase of the June rule IV Player Draft is the first round, which is speculated over and over every year. The first round usually sets the tone for priority of picks by selecting players teams feel have the highest ceiling or amount of polish in the draft. Though baseball sites do not know the inside of any organization they are speculating on, they always give interesting insight of who they feel teams will pick. After scouring over the main database of mock drafts, I have recorded the results for the Mets from 40 different mocks. Here are the results:

Analysis

Highest Picked:

Interestingly enough, the mock drafts have the Mets drafting high school catcher Reese McGuire, University of Nevada right-handed Pitcher Braden Shipley, and high school first baseman/outfielder Dominic Smith more times than any other player. They feel that the Mets are more likely to look for players in the infield rather than the outfield, with 3/8ths of the mocks saying they will pick one of these three.

I have also analyzed the positions covered in these mock drafts.

Outfield

In terms of the Mock’s coverage of the Mets’ needs for outfield prospects, the mocks do acknowledge the need as much as they should. Twelve out of 40 picks have the Mets taking Clint Frazier (HS, three times) Trey Ball and Ryan Boldt (HS, two times), and Austin Wilson and Hunter Renfroe (College, two times each). I do not consider Dominic Smith as an outfielder, nor Jacoby Jones, despite his athleticism. Interestingly enough, Clint Frazier falls to the Mets three times in these mock drafts, and they would have to be absolutely insane to pass up on him. My hope is for a player not on this list: Phillip Ervin. He provides speed, power, and a possibly great center field.

First Basemen

First basemen have the next amount of selections after outfield, being selected 11 times out of 40. I guess the mock drafts have felt our pain when it comes to Ike Davis and his recent disappointments. Dominic Smith is the player who has been selected the most out of this group, (HS, five Picks). D.J. Peterson is considered one of the top all-around college hitters in the draft class, and was picked three times, while Colin Moran has an interesting bat as well as some good power.

Right-Handed College Pitchers

College right-handed pitchers were drafted eight times by the Mets in these mock drafts. What’s the reason behind this? You can never have enough pitching on the horizon. University of Nevada’s Braden Shipley was drafted the most, with five selections.

High School Catchers

With the new promise of catchers in the system, it is uncertain why the Mets would pick another one, yet they were selected seven times. Reese McGuire has been selected five times, and while he has a high ceiling for a high school catcher, it is a stretch at #11 for both organizational depth, and the numbered pick to use on such a need. Jon Denney has the highest ceiling out of a deep class of high school catchers in this draft, with plus power, and was selected twice.

Conclusion

Although these sites are just press, they have interesting insight on the draft, and a few selected accurately within the last couple of years with Gavin Cecchini and Brandon Nimmo. If they are right, the Mets could go for McGuire, Shipley, or Smith for their first pick. On the outside chance, they will pick an outfielder such as high school player Clint Frazier, or first basemen like Colin Moran and D.J. Peterson.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas beat Salt Lake, 6-5.
• Binghamton lost to Portland, 10-9.
• Savannah slammed Augusta, 6-5.
• St. Lucie defeated Dunedin, 8-5.

Prospect Pipeline

• Domingo Tapia could not even make it out of the first inning yesterday and struggled mightily in his return from the DL. His velocity was still there in bounds, touching 96 MPH with ease frequently in the first, but he was unable to find his command. Perhaps he left it on the DL and forgot to bring it back with him. Tapia walked four batters and looked very uncomfortable on the mound. For those of you who were worried, he hit the DL with a burn to his non pitching hand, so this was likely not injury related.
• Cesar Puello homered again last night, number seven on the year, and continues to absolutely tear it up this year. I’m beginning to think we might want to promote him to AAA really soon. He has a bad eye at the plate, so the people going crazy about his stats this year need to step back from hoping he’s going to be called up to the MLB team. If he was called up right this second, he would be overmatched.
• After Kevin Plawecki seemed to fall into a mini slump, he hit his twentieth double last night, while slamming a home run and driving in four runs in last night’s game. It looks like he’s trying to get promoted…again. Jayce Boyd also had two hits, and could also be promoted by midseason. A slump for Plawecki was not banging out two hits a game, mind you, as he has reached base in 34 straight games.
• Although Aderlin Rodriguez may never hit for average, the power is admirable, and he’s making conscious efforts to try and improve his plate discipline. He banged out three hits in last night’s Savannah game.
• Matthew Bowman and Logan Verrett are two Mets prospects who both have found their stock rising tremendously this year – and both are on the mound later today.
• Infielder-turned-pitcher Jake Kuebler will be making a start for Savannah later. He was previously working out of the bullpen. Also, since I call him out all the time, kudos to Carlos Torres for an exceptional start in Las Vegas last night.

Stat Line of the Day

Kevin Plawecki: 2-for-3, 1 HR, 1 BB, 4 RBI, 1 R

Transactions

Domingo Tapia was activated from 7-day DL in St. Lucie.

Albert Cordero was activated from 7-day DL in St. Lucie.

Wanel Vasquez (Mesa) was demoted from St. Lucie to Brooklyn.

Edward Rohan was demoted from St. Lucie to Brooklyn.

With Ike Davis all, but assured of a trip to Triple-A Las Vegas, the easy part is done. The difficult part will deciding on how to replace him, in body only, at first base.

On the current roster, we already discussed some of the options available and they range from moving Lucas Duda from left field to first base, moving Daniel Murphy over to first, or giving Justin Turner significant playing time at first as well.

None of those options sound very appealing and each one opens up a new set of problems. Instead, the solution should come from the minors.

The simpleton’s choice would be to turn to Zach Lutz. However, he has struggled of late after getting off to a torrid start and is now batting just .271/.354/.421 in 140 at-bats. Only 12 of his 38 hits were for extra-bases. Scarier still, is the 42 strikeouts. How well do you think those metrics will translate at Citi Field? Not very well I can assure you.

The smart money would be on Josh Satin. Already the starting first baseman for Las Vegas, he is having a very solid 2013 season, batting .299 with six home runs and 24 RBI. His on-base is at .410 and he boasts a .470 slugging percentage. What I love about Satin and why I feel he would be the ideal choice is this… In 164 at-bats he’s struck out just 37 times, but he has also drawn 30 walks. This is someone who is obviously ready for the next challenge.

Additionally, Satin has regularly played first base (198 games) while the position is still relatively new to Lutz who has logged just 42 games at first base in his entire pro career.

Back on May 1, I wrote the following about Josh Satin:

Satin has always been a great and disciplined hitter and one look at his career .397 on-base in six minor league seasons should have the suits in the front office with their tongues hanging out of their mouths, as would his .466 slugging percentage.

I don’t know about you, but I’m growing tired of watching Ike Davis suffocate this offense and have been calling for a reduced role for him since the season began. He’s not suddenly going to magically begin teeing off against lefty pitching as a few lingering fans still believe. That’s a wooden bat he has in his hands, not a magic wand.

Ike Davis is nothing more than the long end of a platoon player at best. I’ve said that before and continue to stand on that position.

Josh Satin deserves a chance to prove he belongs. He’s paid his dues and has nothing left to prove in the minors. Let’s get this done and right a wrong that has gone on for far too long. Let’s give this kid his well-deserved shot.

The worst thing that a team as bad as the Mets could do, is to keep trotting out the same undeserving and underperforming ballplayers while some hidden gems waste away at Triple-A when they should be here instead helping the team score runs.

Before that on April 17, in a post entitled, “Time To Promote Josh Satin and Platoon Ike Davis“, I said:

Satin has been hitting the ground running from the moment he signed his first professional contract and has posted an.865 OPS during his minor league career with the Mets, and has made the Minor League All Star Team as the starting third baseman, first baseman or second baseman every season since 2009. Wow…

I think it’s time to call this and tell it like it is… Ike Davis is nothing more than the long end of a platoon player at best.

Enter Josh Satin, who despite the gaudy stats I already posted, is even better against left-handed pitching. He torches southpaws unmercifully like a demon from Hell. Let’s get this done and right a wrong that has gone on for far too long and give Josh Satin his well-deserved shot. The fact that it’s taking this long is a cardinal sin.

I was called nuts when I wrote that, but who’s nuts now? Some guy from Bayonne who knows baseball and can see things with his eyes, told me I lost my baseball mind and that Ike was fine and I should shut up about this.

Anyway… The choice is pretty clear as to what the Mets should do, but I’m certain it won’t go down that way. After all  we wouldn’t want to risk losing Robert Carson or Collin Cowgill off the 40 Man Roster to make room for someone who could actually help the team, now would we?

Mejia looked sharp last night, hitting 96 MPH.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas got blanked by Iowa, 4-0.
• Binghamton was shutout by New Britain, 1-0.
• Savannah slid by Augusta, 3-1.
• St. Lucie defeated Dunedin, 8-5.

Prospect Pipeline

• Jenrry Mejia made his second rehab start last night in St. Lucie and impressed with eight strikeouts over five innings. We were all curious as to how he would come back in terms of velocity, command, and the break on his pitches. Six of his eight strikeouts were swinging, he walked merely one batter, and he touched 96 MPH in the first inning when he struck out two batters. I think it’s safe to say he’s definitely on his way back. He’s expected to get a chance to start either in AA or AAA later this season.
• Speaking of getting a chance to start, Rainy Lara found himself promoted to St. Lucie yesterday. The right-hander posted a glistening 1.42 ERA over 50.2 innings (eight starts) with the Sand Gnats. He also continued to showcase sterling command, recording 51 strikeouts to just six walks, and now owns a 0.97 WHIP during his brief professional career. The Mets have yet to determine when he makes his first start with them. (Bill P.)
  
• A high-ranking team official told the NY Post on Thursday that barring a setback, Zack Wheeler is expected to make 2-3 more starts for Triple-A Las Vegas and then join the Mets. If Wheeler remains on normal rest, that would put his Mets debut somewhere in the June 6-11 range. (Joe D.)
• Domingo Tapia returns from the DL after his hand burning incident to make a start for St. Lucie today. Cory Mazzoni
• Mark Cohoon pitched brilliantly in defeat yesterday – going eight innings and allowing just one earned run. Robert Gsellman had a stellar performance in victory – where he allowed just one earned run over seven innings.
• Kevin Plawecki hit double # 20 last night for Savannah. #Promotethismannow
• Baseball America’s most recent mock has the Mets taking Ryne Stanek after they suggested D.J. Peterson in the first one. I’ll have a post up on MetsMinors.Net in a little while about that.

Stat Line of the Day

Mark Cohoon: 8.0 IP, 6 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 ER, 7 K

Transactions

RHP Rainy Lara was promoted to St. Lucie from Savannah.

RHP Hansel Robles was placed on the 7-Day DL.

RHP Marcos Camarena was demoted to Savannah from St. Lucie.

The 2013 Dominican Summer League is starting on June 1^st and the Mets have two teams there, as well as players that they have signed or might sign working out there. The reason that the Mets have two teams in the Dominican Summer League is that the second team is a replacement for their once Venezuelan League team. It was disbanded in favor of the second DSL team as tensions and violence grew in Venezuela.

In mid-July of 2008, when I was 18 years old, I was sent to get a look at the new Dominican Complex that the Mets had built in Boca Chica. After volunteering in a micro-credit foundation called Esperanza International, I had lived in several places in the Dominican Republic such as Quisqueya, a little village near San Pedro De Macrois for a week, a weekend in Santo Dominigo, and another week in Puerto Plata, before heading to the Academy. It had not achieved its inauguration until the day I was leaving the facility, but I had lived there among the players and coaches, and found myself immersed in Dominican Baseball.

This new complex, located in Boca Chica, stood tall among the trees, with beauty throughout. It had modern design, with glass-panes covering their center where the players would relax on their free time. It was state-of-the-art – it had TV’s with cable and many table games in the center. It also had its own locker room and a very large gym. There were 2 fields and one still being developed at the time. The main field where players would go was modeled after the dimensions of Citi Field, and the second field had its own, larger dimensions. The third field was being developed still at the time, and only had an infield to practice on.

I hung around with players from the Academy, and new signees such as Aderlin Rodriguez, and scouts such as Ismael Cruz. On some road games, I accompanied the players to games in other complexes on their buses. On other days, I sat and watched players work out as Cruz and other scouts watched from the bird’s nest that had been built to watch over all of the fields.

We would sit and watch the tryouts of these players, watch the guns, and test players for speed. I learned a few important lessons about scouting Dominican players. I learned about timing and approach, as well as the slide-step delivery. I also learned the difficult nature of scouting the players, such as age. I watched an 18-year-old hit 91 MPH on the gun and pointed it out to Ismael. He told me that his age might be wrong. That knowledge has been reflected in the recent discoveries about age falsifications surrounding some players. Lying about their age affects their signing bonus, and if they can hit 90 MPH at 16-18 years of age, it’s a bigger bonus.

I stayed at the Dominican Complex for a couple of weeks back in 2008 and have fond memories of my experience there that I would like to share. I also did some digging around the organization and  recently interviewed a front office official that has experience working at the complex. This official. who prefers to remain nameless, gave me some information as part of a look-in to the operations of the Dominican Complex.

During my interview, I asked him a few questions about operations down there, including schedules, what amateur level they can be compared to, and a few other things. This interview took place on May 10th.  Enjoy!

Are people already there at the Dominican academy?

Yes, there are people there. We’ve had players work out there since Mid-April. We actually had some exhibition games yesterday. We have players here that we have signed that are getting work in for the season. We want to make sure to get in as much work as possible.

Can you compare them to any kind of league, high school or college?

Well, yes, probably college, but the developmental times are different between them. College guys are a bit more polished than these guys at this point. Honestly, the experience levels are different between these two levels, it’s like apples and oranges.

What happens on a regular day?

They usually start with breakfast in the cafeteria, then early work from 6:30-7:00. Then they have a morning meeting at 8:15. After that, they practice on the field until 10:00 when the game begins. Players tend to get a lot of work in the early, early morning. After games, we hold some players back after to get extra work in.

After the games, they eat, and have classes to learn English using Rosetta Stone. They also have teachers, as well as Continuing Education classes for players more advanced with their English.

What happens with players who tryout here?

The tryout players will come through and work out here, and we evaluate them. The ones we like, we sign. They work out and stay with us during the summer. Some International Free Agents have worked out here and signed with us or other teams.

Do you host the Dominican Prospect League?

We host the DPL’s, along with the rest of the league. We sometimes get more games due to the fact that we have a newer complex. (The Dominican Prospect League is for young players at 15-17 to show their ability to different professional organizations. They appear at every complex on the island, with different teams.)

How many fields do you have?

We have 3 full fields with a half-field for infield practice. There is plenty of room for each team, as well as the people working out at the complex.

How many people does the complex house?

Capacity was 90 players, and has staff housing as well. But a lot of staff live in a small renovated home on the complex that is not part of the main building.

I appreciate sharing this with all of you, my readers, and hope you appreciated this look into the Dominican Summer League Complex.

A high-ranking team official told he New York Post on Thursday that barring a setback, Zack Wheeler is expected to make 2-3 more starts for Triple-A Las Vegas and then join the Mets. If Wheeler remains on normal rest, that would put his Mets debut somewhere in the June 6-11 range.

“If not for the minor setback with the shoulder, he might already be here,” the club official said. “We are at the point where you can say it’s probably two or three more starts for Las Vegas.”

Kristie Ackert of the Daily News also adds this:

“He’s ready,” a team source told the News Thursday, but the front office will want to see him throw consistently after the injury.

Wheeler allowed three runs on five hits, two home runs, two walks and two strikeouts, over five innings pitched against Triple-A Iowa. It was his first start since May 11 when he was put on the disabled list for a sore clavicle. He received a cortisone shot in the AC joint of his throwing shoulder.

With as bad as the team’s doing, declining revenues, falling attendance, and SNY viewership down 22%, the Mets need Wheeler more than he needs them.

However, he’ll need to burst out of the gates like Matt Harvey did if they expect him to save their season from total financial loss.

Original Post 5/22

Zack Wheeler took the hill this afternoon for the first time after a brief stint on the disabled list due to inflammation in the AC Joint of his throwing shoulder. He received a cortisone shot, and missed his scheduled start this past Saturday.

Wheeler looked a tad rusty from the get-go. He didn’t have great command over his pitches, and in fact, he missed the strike zone wildly a couple of times. He got hit hard throughout his five innings of work, and ended up giving up two home runs and a triple that narrowly missed being a third home run.

The two strike outs that Wheeler got in today’s game was his lowest total of the season (opening day he had three). It was promising to see that even though he didn’t have great command, he only walked two batters. Wheeler gave up three runs on five hits, two of which, as I stated earlier, were home runs. It should be noted that the ball was flying out of the park in Iowa today, and through the sixth inning (when I am writing this), there have been a total of six home runs hit between the two teams.

Coming on the heels of what Sandy Alderson said about Wheeler needing about two or three more solid outings before he will be promoted, today’s start was a disappointing one. The good news is, it looked as though he was pitching without pain, and was clocked at 96 mph with his fastball. This outing seemed to be nothing more than Wheeler experiencing a little lag from not pitching in over a week, and I look for him to get back on track with his next start.

Have you checked out MetsMinors.net yet? What are you waiting for an engraved invitation? Come see why almost 5,000 different readers checked us out on Tuesday. We are rewriting the book on Mets minor league coverage and it will never be the same again. Over a dozen dedicated quality posts per day – each packed with insights and quotes we get from the players themselves. Come see what all the commotion is about and I guarantee you’ll be hooked…

With Ike Davis struggling in the majors, Mets fans are looking for another option, someone who can take over the first base job for Davis while he puts in some work at Triple-A. There really seem to be three candidates, two more realistic than the other: Zach Lutz, Josh Satin, and Wilmer Flores. Lutz and Satin are examples of two guys who never got a real shot. They certainly have their flaws, but were largely left out of the major league picture because of their league to age comparisons. They were college guys that didn’t move up the ladder fast enough. In a way, that makes them the less exciting of the options. However, the Mets have Wilmer Flores currently on the Triple-A roster which has many Mets fans wondering:

When will we see Wilmer Flores?

Flores, 21, had a breakout season last year, splitting the season with High-A St. Lucie and Double-A  Binghamton. In the first half, he put up an impressive slash line of .289/.336/.463 with ten home runs in 272 plate appearances. Although he was repeating the league, he was still on the younger side. He earned a mid-season promotion to Binghamton, where he was even better at the plate, posting a .311/.361/.494 batting line with eight home runs in 275 plate appearances. Now he is playing for Las Vegas, his third team in a calendar year. Here’s where things go wrong.

In any other team and in any other situation, Flores’s numbers this season would not be much of a concern. He has a .267 batting average and .757 OPS (through Tuesday’s game). He also has four home runs and a .322 on-base percentage. Considering how young he is, it normally wouldn’t be any cause for concern. However, when you go deeper and look at his home and road splits, you realize that even those so-so numbers are inflated by the hitter-friendly Cashman Field. Here is what his splits look like:

Home: .282/.321/.526, 3 HR in 85 PA

Away: .253/.323/.349, 1 HR in 97 PA

Considering that the league averages are generally around .285/.360/.450, he hasn’t been great. And in a league filled with hitter-friendly parks, Las Vegas may be the most hitter-friendly environment.

This was supposed to be another big year for Flores. Coming off a strong year and being put into one of the best hitter parks in all of the minors, I expected big, big numbers, which we certainly have not seen. As Brian Joura of Mets360 points out, maybe the Mets were too quick to put Flores in Triple-A:

Perhaps the Mets were too aggressive placing Flores in Triple-A. Maybe the best thing would have been to start him back in Double-A and look to promote him to Triple-A at mid-season. After all, he would still be young for his league at 21 in the Eastern League. Recently Rob Rogan did research that showed the average age of the Eastern League was over 25.

And that’s it with Flores – it all comes down to age. How do we balance production with age? What are the appropriate bonus points to award and what’s the scale you use to combine that with actual production? If we knew the answer to those questions, we would have a more accurate guide in how to properly rate Flores.

All things considered, there is no chance Flores comes up for anything other than a cup of coffee in September. He had us all excited before this year, but likely prematurely. He isn’t ready and the Mets should not even consider messing with him even more by promoting him to the majors.

Do you have a Mets minor league question that you want answered? Get your question answered in the next mailbag by sending them to metsminorsmailbag@gmail.com or through the contact page.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas defeated Iowa 9-4.
• Binghamton beat New Britain, 8-3.
• St. Lucie dropped Dunedin, 5-3.
• Savannah lost to Charleston, 4-2.
  

Prospect Pipeline

• Zack Wheeler was back in action after missing a start due to inflammation of the AC Joint in his throwing shoulder. Wheeler looked a tad rusty from the get-go. He didn’t have great command over his pitches, and in fact, he missed the strike zone wildly a couple of times. He got hit hard throughout his five innings of work, and ended up giving up two home runs and a triple that narrowly missed being a third home run. You can see a full recap of his start at MetsMinors.net.
• Rafael Montero got sent back to Double-A Binghamton after his fantastic start on Monday with Las Vegas. Montero impressed against Iowa yesterday, going 6.2 innings and allowing two runs on four hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. While it was labeled as a “spot start”, I had a feeling that if he proved himself worthy, he would be staying with Las Vegas. Sandy Alderson squashed those thoughts on SNY, saying that Montero would be heading back to Double-A. he GM did mention he would likely return to the 51s mid-season, and went as far as saying he wouldn’t be surprised if he was in the big leagues by the end of the year.
• In his first start since earning his second SAL Player of the Week honors, Rainy Lara only lasted 4.2 innings against Charleston last night. He allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits, one walk, and four strikeouts.
• Josh Rodriguez led the B-Mets offense with a 3-for-4 day, including a walk, double, and two RBIs to help Binghamton defeat New Britain.
• Noah Syndergaard faced his former organization for the first time since the Blue Jays traded him last winter. He took the loss against Dunedin, throwing 5.2 innings and allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits, two walks, and four strikeouts.
• Francisco Pena hit a two-run homer against Iowa yesterday, and Adam Rubin tweeted that we shouldn’t be surprised if he makes his way to Flushing sometime this season.
• Cory Vaughn continues his strong start to 2013, raising his season average to .302 with another two-hit game last night in New Britain. With the mess that is the current New York Mets outfield, Vaughn could also be making his big league debut sometime this year.
• XtreemIcon covered the B-Mets in Great Britain on Monday and Tuesday and was able to spend some time with pitching prospect Logan Verrett. He wrote a must-read article about him that includes quotes from Blake Forsythe, Jack Leathersich, pitching coach Glenn Abbott and manager Pedro Lopez.
• Curious as to how the Mets’ top prospects are performing? Catch up with this week’s Top-10 Tracker.

Stat Line of the Day

Francisco Pena: 2-for-4, two-run HR, 3 RBI, 1 R

Transactions

Rafael Montero was transferred from Triple-A Las Vegas back to Double-A Binghamton.

RHP Dylan Owen transferred from Las Vegas (AAA) to Binghamton (AA)

Quote of the Day 

Cory Vaughn on his improved hitting approach:

“I think I’m just not panicking as much. I’m just going out there and having fun. Up here, if it’s 3-1, 2-0, they’re not just going to be throwing a ‘cookie’ every time. If they throw me a slider 3-1 and I’m not looking for it, or looking wherever they throw it, I’m going to take it as opposed to just swinging and getting a rollover groundout.”

(Photo credit: Michael G. Baron)

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas got swept in a doubleheader with Iowa, 2-1 and 6-5
• Binghamton dropped to New Britain, 9-3.
• St. Lucie dropped Dunedin, 5-3.
• Savannah dropped to Charleston, 2-0. 
  

Prospect Pipeline

• Zack Wheeler gets back on the hill this afternoon against the Iowa Cubs. The Mets top prospect is back on-track to pitch every five days beginning today for the Las Vegas 51s. Sandy Alderson stopped by the SNY booth during last night’s game and added that if Wheeler has two or three more good starts, he will be considered for a promotion. When asked if there was anything that will keep Wheeler from being promoted he said, “as long as he’s healthy, he’ll be promoted.” We still believe that his first start will come on the road and probably come during the five-game Braves series in June.
• Rafael Montero got promoted and still dominated. I couldn’t have been more impressed with Montero’s start. He shows command of his pitches, knows how to get hitters out, works quickly, and can battle back from adverse situations — what more do we have to see? If Montero is sent back to Double-A, it will leave many scratching their heads. With his performance today, he showed that he belongs at the Triple-A level. Even more impressive is the fact that he did this against a Iowa Cubs lineup who has a bunch of guys with previous major league experience. Alderson said that Montero will return to Double-A Binghamton, but expects him to be back with Triple-A Las Vegas mid-season. He sees no reason why Montero cant be in the big leagues before the end of the year.
  
• Cesar Puello is one of the hottest hitters in the Mets organization right now. He added another hit last night, a two-run homer, his sixth long ball in May. He is hitting .338 this month. Check out MetsMinors.net for a Prospect Pulse on Puello.
• Mets officials say Brandon Nimmo was prepared to return from a long absence for a bruised hand when he tweaked his lower back. Nimmo, the organization’s 2011 first-round pick, last appeared for Savannah on April 29.
• Darryl Strawberry will be representing the Mets at this year’s upcoming draft.
• After two hits in last night’s game, St. Lucie second baseman and leadoff hitter T.J. Rivera has gotten his batting average back up to .300 on the year.
• Alex Panteliodis has been solid this season since coming off the disabled list, and last night was no different. The 22-year old southpaw went 5.2 frames allowing two runs (1ER) on four hits while walking two and punching out four, picking up his first win of the season. So far this year, he has 17 strikeouts to only four walks in 21.2 innings of work.

Stat Line of the Day

Rafael Montero: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Transactions

None.

Quote of the Day 

Sandy Alderson spoke about Travis d’Arnaud last night:

He expects that as long as he he returns from the broken foot, he will be with the Mets at some point this season. However, Alderson added that d’Arnaud might not begin playing at Triple-A again until July 1, and he needs to get more minor league games under his belt. “He’s only played in ten or fifteen games over the last year. It’s going to take some time to get back into game shape. Ultimately we need to get him some playing time.”

You hear it all the time: it isn’t about velocity, it’s about location. And no one exemplifies that old adage more than Logan Verrett. The 22-year-old Texas native was taken in the third round of the 2011 draft and has been impressive at all three minor league stops.

Verrett dominated A ball in 2012 in both Savannah and St. Lucie, combining to make 17 starts and finishing with an ERA of 2.70, a WHIP of 0.968, and a strikeout-to-walk rate of 7.15 over 103.1 innings pitched. Beginning the 2013 at AA Binghamton, Verrett has seen a slight regression in his numbers, but a slight regression from dominating is still excellent. After nine starts in the Eastern League, Verrett’s logged 60.1 innings pitched, his ERA sits at a 3.28 ERA and his WHIP is 1.044, good for fifth in the league, and his K/BB is 3.21.

And he’s doing it all with a 91 mph fastball.

“I know I’m not going to blow guys away,” Verrett acknowledges, “so I put a lot of effort into locating all my pitches and being able to throw all of them in any count. I like to keep them off balance and hitting spots helps me do that, especially with all four pitches.

Verrett’s repertoire consists of his fastball, both two-seam and four-seam, a slider, curve ball and change up  His fastball has heavy sink on it and the slider is the out pitch.  He has great command of all four pitches and can throw each for a strike at any time.

“You don’t have to throw 100 mph to get hitters out,” explains manager Pedro Lopez. “Guys who throw harder than he does get hit harder, because of his location. His fastball command to this point has been good. He’s also been able to throw his secondary pitches at any time in the count down in the strike zone.”

“He’s very aggressive and makes pitches when he needs to,” adds pitching coach Glenn Abbott. “He’s very competitive and likes the challenge.”

Lopez agrees. “He’s aggressive with all his pitches. He’s not afraid of contact and as a starting pitcher, when you do that, you find yourself pitching deep into ballgames. He’s been able to pitch deep into games just because he goes after hitters. That’s what he does best. He goes after hitters and he puts it in play early.”

Verrett’s 60.1 innings leads the Eastern League, as does his 6.7 IP per start (minimum six starts).

“Efficient” is how Coach Abbot describes Verrett. “You know what you’re going to get with him. When he pitched against the Yankees [AA affiliate Trenton Thunder], he got through 8.2 innings in his 100 pitches.”

Teammate Jack Leathersich sees the same thing, and from a pitcher’s perspective, adds that Verrett’s deceptiveness also plays a part in his success. “He’s not a 95 [mph] guy, but his fastball jumps out of his hand. I feel like as a hitter, it would look harder than what it actually comes in at. His slider is very, very sharp and looks exactly like his fastball coming out of his hand. That’s kind of his bread and butter.

“He’s really polished,” continues Leathersich, “and that’s how he was in college in the Cape league when I saw him there. He’s pitching really well and giving us a chance to win every time he goes out there.”

Catcher Blake Forsythe really enjoys catching Verrett. “He makes my job a lot easier than it is. He stays in the zone and is able to throw four different pitches for strikes. He’s got a lot of late movement, which forces contact, but not a lot of good contact. His slider is such a late breaking pitch, you have to try and go the other way with it. Hitters have to adjust to so many different things.”

When asked whether or not he expected to start this strong, Verrett offered a humble, if not sheepish, half-smile and shrug. “You always expect things to go well, until they don’t. But I prepared very intensely this off season  I got to spring training a few weeks early. I was really able to get good one-on-one time with some pitching coaches. I was able to get an early jump on throwing. I think I took a really good approach during the off season and brought it with me to Spring Training and carried that into the season. That really helped with my confidence on the mound.

Verrett credits a high school pitching coach for helping plant the seeds that would eventually become a blossoming professional career. “He was only 10-15 years older than me and just recently got out of the game, so he was really young. It’s my senior year in high school and I have this new age approach to pitching that I’m being taught. He was always giving me tips and tidbits in my sides and bullpens, and that’s in high school. Just to be able to have a pitching coach in high school was amazing, especially one that had just left the game maybe three years before. He knew what it takes and what’s expected at the professional level and that’s the kind of approach he brought to our high school team. That carried over to my Baylor career and I felt like I was real mature for a freshman.

He finished his Baylor career seventh in strikeouts, and third among those who only pitched three years. He ranks second and third in conference-play K/BB and ERA, respectively.

Verrett knows there’s more work to be done. “What makes me successful is my ability to put the ball where I want it with all four pitches. I need to get better at doing that every single time. Not having the three or four mistake pitches that I leave up in a start. Like last night, for instance, I had four or five pitches that I could look back and say, “Yeah, I left that ball up.” If I’m going to be successful in the big leagues, it’s eliminating those mistake pitches and I think I’m on the right path.”

(Photo Credit: Gordon Donovan)

Thoughts from Joe D.

First off, great job on this Xtreem… This is how you present an interview and do a focus piece on a prospect with supporting quotes from his teammates and coaches as well to add context and additional insight… Outstanding work…

Verrett has has been overshadowed by some of the bigger names in the system since being drafted and signed by the Mets in 2011. The truth is that if you put his numbers alongside any of our other top pitching prospects, you see someone who certainly belongs in the same conversation.

What I love most about him is that he knows who he is and what he needs to do to get to the majors. He’s focused on refining his already plus-command and understands that being able to spot any of his pitches will compensate for not having that 99 mph fastball. After only six starts in Advanced-A, he seamlessly made the jump to Double-A where he continues to succeed. Verrett is somebody you want to keep your eye on.

For more minor league interviews liked this and the best Mets Minors coverage you’ll find anywhere else, check out MetsMinors.net. Nobody is doing it better… Nobody…

Despite a major league pedigree and respect for his tools (Baseball America Top 15 organizational prospect three years running), Binghamton Mets outfielder Cory Vaughn had yet to put all his tools together. His power and speed didn’t show up until 2012, but he hit .243. In St. Lucie in 2011, Vaughn hit .286 before his promotion, but only four home runs. After the promotion, he more than doubled his home run total, but the batting average dipped to .219.

That’s all changed, however. Vaughn’s tearing it up to the tune of .307/.392/.500 with five home runs in 130 plate appearances and is fresh off an Eastern League Player of the Week award. He’s got five stolen bases in six chances, and this is all in his first season at AA Binghamton. One would expect an adjustment period after the jump from High A, and even though you couldn’t tell by the numbers, Vaughn has had a lot to adjust to.

“There’s been a lot of adjustments going on, from the weather to this past off season to working with our hitting coach Luis [Natera],” explained Vaughn. “Basically just go out there and play the game hard and never stop working and never stop grinding, you know? So it’s been paying off, but you still have to work hard no matter what.”

Binghamton Manager Pedro Lopez agrees. “I would say that he’s been making adjustments as he goes along. I think he’s got the right mindset right now in order for him to get better. You’re looking at somebody who’s on a mission right now. Every chance that he gets, he’s making the best out of it. The thing is, especially when you get to this level, is to make sure that you got your ears open for any suggestions.”

Vaughn also made an adjustment to his batting stance. He attributes a mechanical adjustment he made to the placement of his hands to his success. The bat used to stand straight up with his hands by his ear, but keeping the bat flatter and lower has helped him stay through the ball.

“I really just kind of sit the bat on my shoulder so my hands would be more in the slot. You know, A to B,” explains Vaughn. “The quickest way to one point is a straight line. So I just try to “A to B” it and it’s been working out pretty well.”

Hitting Coach Luis Natera explains that with the longer swing, he was in an out of the zone too quickly and tended to hook everything. “Now he’s working to stay through the zone a little longer and his lower half is working much better. He was landing with his front foot on his heel. It made him pull off everything. Now he made that transition to landing on his toes and it leaves the front heel up that keeps him through the zone a little longer. Now those balls that he hooked foul are in the left-center gap.”

Both Lopez and Natera also commend his approach at the plate. “One thing he’s doing well to this point is trying to get a good pitch to hit and when he gets it, he’s not missing many,” said Lopez. “That goes with our whole hitting philosophy. Try to get a good pitch to hit and right now he’s doing a good job at it.”

Coach Natera has also been impressed with his new student. “He’s got a lot of confidence. What I hear from other coaches is that he was afraid to hit with two strikes. Now he’s not afraid to take a borderline strike to get to his pitch.”

When asked directly if looking to take borderline strikes detract from Vaughn’s natural aggressiveness, Natera refutes the idea. “Any hitter, if he’s afraid of hitting with two strikes, is going to swing at a pitcher’s pitch [early in the count] and that’s tough to hit. And now he’s not afraid to take those pitches on the corner and wait for that pitcher to make a mistake.”

And despite the fact that Vaughn has improved his slugging percentage steadily over the last three seasons, Coach Natera is still being patient on that front. “Power in young hitters is the last to come,” he explains. “Now he has to work on being a hitter. The power is there. He just has to work the strike zone like he’s been working and keep his hands back through the zone. He’ll hit for power on pitcher’s mistakes and I think everything now is coming together.”

Lopez agrees. “It’s paying off for him to this point and I hope he continues to do what he’s doing.”

Montero makes his Triple-A debut today. Picture courtesy of MMO contributor Gordon Donovan.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas was washed out in Iowa.
• Binghamton dropped New Britain, 6-3.
• St. Lucie lost to Dunedin, 4-3.
• Savannah dropped to Charleston, 5-2. 
  

Prospect Pipeline

• Thanks to everyone who visited MetsMinors.net yesterday and made our launch a successful one. If you are interested in the Mets’ prospects, then MMN is for you. Check us out today!
• Rafael Montero‘s Triple-A debut was rained out yesterday. He takes the hill in Iowa today at 1:05 PM.
• Cesar Puello is one of the hottest hitters in the Mets organization right now. He added another three hits last night, two of them were doubles.Over the past ten games, Puello is hitting .395, and got his season average up to .320, good for the team lead. Check out MetsMinors.net for a Prospect Pulse on Puello.
• Logan Verrett continues to pitch solid. He filled in Rafael Montero’s spot in the rotation yesterday, and the stat line was pretty similar to that what we would get from Montero — 3 ER, 0 BB, and 10 K. Verrett gave up nine hits, one of them a home run, but he is the type of pitcher that is going to allow some hits. You can read my analysis on Verrett in yesterday’s Prospect Pulse feature on MetsMinors.net.
• After a couple of shaky starts, Gabriel Ynoa bounced back with a solid performance last night. The righty held the opposing hitters in check, scattering two hits and two walks while striking out seven.
• Matthew Bowman had another solid outing last night. He scattered six hits, but struck out eleven batters, while only walking one, over six innings of work.
• Two Mets prospects were honored by their respective leagues, as Cory Vaughn took home player of the week honors in the Eastern League, and Rainy Lara took home the pitcher of the week award in the South Atlantic League.

Stat Lines of the Day

Cesar Puello: 3-for-4, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R

Transactions

Ryan Fraser assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Binghamton Mets.

Carlos Vazquez assigned to Brooklyn Cyclones from St. Lucie Mets.

Tweet of the Day 

So sorry to hear about the devastation in Oklahoma.Our prayers are with you.God bless.

— Frank J. Viola, Jr. (@FrankViola16) May 21, 2013

Aardsma was originally drafted by the San Francisco in the first round of the 2003 amateur draft.

He has spent parts of seven seasons in the major leagues with five different teams. most recently with the Yankees in 2012.

Aardsma owns a career 4.22 ERA in 255 appearances all in relief. After the Yankees released him early last month, he signed with the Miami Marlins on April 13 and then was released again on May 15.

He will report to Triple-A Las Vegas. This might get ugly…

Some readers have become accustomed to the great minor league coverage here on Mets Merized Online over the past couple of months. Truth be told, the reason you have seen such an abundance of coverage lately was because we have been gearing up for something big…

INTROUDUCING METSMINORS.NET!!!

MMO, was the first site to provide daily Mets minor league recaps in 2005, years before everyone else decided to join the party.

After almost ten years of providing more prospect interviews and the most comprehensive coverage of the Mets minors you could find anywhere, we decided it was time for a new site dedicated solely to Mets Minor League coverage.

In addition to individual daily recaps for each affiliate, we plan on providing you with over two dozen regular weekly features, detailed original player analysis, updated prospects rankings, a weekly Top Prospect Watch, daily updated statistics, exclusive player interviews, photo galleries, video and audio features, and so much more.

In addition to the Mets minor league coverage, we have also assembled a five man team who will also focus solely on the MLB Draft.

In short, our powerhouse staff is committed to providing Mets fans with a very unique and ultimate experience – a total experience that will be unmatched.

Our goal is to be the best, and we are dedicated to achieving that with hard work, real insight and analysis, and an incredible stream of non-stop coverage that you, the Met fan, truly deserve.

We reached out to the New York Mets and they are excited for us, and so are all of the players who have already reached out to us. And just like MMO revolutionized how Mets minor league coverage should be, MetsMinors.net is now ready to reach even greater heights and set the bar higher.

Thoughts from Satish Ram

So the Mets Minors Initiative, much like the Avengers Initiative, is out to do something special – and save some lives. You might be ready to call me over dramatic, but the amount of young talent the Mets have knocking on the door in their minor league system is a breath of fresh air compared to the current major league product.

Covering the minor leagues is a different animal than I’ve been used to - but I have to say I’ve loved every second of it. I took a lot of pride in being able to contribute whatever I could to the Metsmerized Minor League coverage – and MetsMinors.Net will be no different. I have no less than the utmost confidence in my two partners, Mitch and Matt, and the entire team that composes MetsMinors.Net.

I also want to extend a little thank you to all of our consistent and educated readers here at MMO and I hope that you follow us over to our new companion site, where we will aspire to provide you with the absolute best in Mets Minor League coverage.

Thoughts from Matt Musico

I’m incredibly excited to join the MMO family, and more specifically, MetsMinors.net. I’ve been searching for a while to find a site that covers the minor leagues in detail, and I didn’t think I’d actually end up being a part of it. This will be a great site that will be a one-stop shop for everything with regard to the Mets minor leagues.

When I officially joined the initiative, I was stepping out of my comfort zone because I’ve never covered the minors in much detail, but working with Mitch and Satish have helped me adjust to my new role. I speak for us all when I say that we appreciate everyone who will be crossing over to read us in addition to all of the great content here on MMO.

Your support and desire to get more minor league coverage helped make this happen, and we’re dedicated to bringing you everything that you’re asking for!

So whether you are a fan who just wants to keep up with the big name prospects, or a fan who loves following everyone in the Mets minor league system extensively, MetsMinors.net is the site for you.

As our slogan says:

The Future of the Mets Begins Right Here!

Jack Leathersich is mowing down hitters this year. Photo courtesy of MMO contributor Gordon Donovan

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas dropped to Omaha 4-3.
• Binghamton dropped Portland, 8-5.
• St. Lucie lost to Bradenton, 8-1.
• Savannah topped Augusta, 12-10. 
  

Prospect Pipeline

• If you haven’t heard the news, Rafael Montero was brought up to Triple-A, and will be making a spot start with Las Vegas this week. With Zack Wheeler on the seven day DL, and Collin McHugh joining the Mets in Queens, they were short on arms. This is said to be a spot start, but we’ll see. Everyone will be watching to see how Montero does.
• Cesar Puello continues to hammer the ball. After three more hits in last night’s game, he has brought his season average up to .305. He also ranks second on Binghamton, with nine stolen bases this season (Alonzo Harris, 13).
• Jack Leathersich only had one strikeout last night in one inning (sarcasm). He now has 34 strikeouts on the year, which is more than a couple of starters, and only one less than Logan Verrett on the year. He has accumulated those 34 strikeouts in 18.2 innings pitched…ridiculous.
• Joe Bonfe was ripping last night. He went 4-for-4 at the plate and brought his season average up to .320.
• Playing in only his third game this season, Savannah catcher Nelfi Zapata homered and drove in five runs…wow.
• Andrew Brown, who appeared to be heading back to Flushing to play first base, had to leave yesterday’s game with an apparent oblique injury.
• Wilmer Flores homered last night for Las Vegas, and now has hit three out of his four home runs over the past ten games. Looks like the young infileder is starting to heat up a little bit.

Stat Lines of the Day

Cesar Puello: 3-for-5, 2 R, 1 SB

Joe Bonfe: 4-for-4, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB

Nelfi Zapata: 2-for-3, 1 HR, 2 BB, 5 RBI, 2 R

Jeff Reynolds: 4-for-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 RBI, 1 R

Transactions

Rafael Montero to Las Vegas.

Tweet of the Day 

First rehab appearance of the season today! Been a long road. So glad to finally be back in a game today and get the season underway

— John Mincone (@Jmincone) May 20, 2013

Rafael Montero Is Heading To AAA (Photo by MMO Contributor Gordon Donovan)

The Mets have promoted RHP Rafael Montero to Triple-A Las Vegas, according Adam Rubin of ESPN New York.

Lynn Worthy of Press and Sun Bulletin, later reported that this was likely just a spot-start situation, as the B-Mets expect to have Montero back in their rotation for the end of next week. He did note, in a later tweet however, that nothing is set in stone – and referenced Collin McHugh’s performance in AA in the past when he was only supposed to be up for one start.

Well, we’ve been calling for some movement in the field of Rafael Montero for a little while now as he has dominated in Binghamton for the most part. The Mets organization has responded to Montero’s excellent performance so far this year with a promotion to AAA, where he will join the Las Vegas rotation as he perhaps progresses to an MLB call-up later this year.

Montero was one of my favorite prospects to cover last year because he had such amazing command and what I described as a bulldog mentality on the mound. He is intimidating when he pitches with great stuff, mixing in a slider, change-up, and occasional curve in with his fastball that has exceptional late movement.

I am part of the camp that believes Montero should have had some work in AA and then skipped Las Vegas, but regardless, he will get some time to fine tune himself before making a major league appearance. He’s knocking on the door…

So far in 2013, Montero is 4-3 with a 3.47 ERA through 46.2 innings, where he has allowed 40 hits – and only two home runs. He has walked just six batters, in contrast to his 54 punchouts. Those Las Vegas fans are lucky – Zack Wheeler and Rafael Montero in the same rotation!

With the way Ike Davis has been hitting lately, there has been a ton of talk has about sending the slumping lefty down to Triple-A to try and figure things out. With good reason, some are questioning whether or not Davis is the first baseman of the future anymore.

Everyone is chiming in on how to fix the situation. The fixes range from have Lucas Duda playing first base, to moving Daniel Murphy over to first base and calling Wilmer Flores up to play second base. That last option isn’t too bad of an idea, but I would have Jordany Valdespin play second base if I were to go that route — Flores isn’t ready for big league action yet.

The Ike Davis situation doesn’t seem like an easy fix, and the team may do a number of things to try solidify that first base position. If I have to give the Mets credit for anything, it’s that they definitely know how to get creative when positioning players defensively.

But what if Ike Davis isn’t the first baseman of the future? What if he gets sent down and still can’t figure it out? Who do we have on the farm that can potentially fill that void in the coming years? Here is a list of options the Mets have within the organization that could fill that void at first base:

2013 Options

Andrew Brown: Brown has been tearing the cover off the ball with Las Vegas this season. He has primarily been used in the outfield this season, but logged his first game at first base this past Friday night. He was called up for a couple of weeks already this season and played in six games, hitting .200 with one home run for the Mets.

Zach Lutz: Lutz is another option the Mets have, although he has played the majority of his games at third base this season for Las Vegas. Through 35 games this season, Lutz is hitting .260 with four home runs. Lutz is currently on the Mets’ 40-man roster.

Josh Satin: The starting first baseman for Las Vegas is having a very solid 2013 season. He’s batting .303 with six home runs in 38 games with Vegas. Satin would be equivalent offensively to having Daniel Murphy play first base, with slightly more pop.

A less likely option than the three listed above would be Travis d’Arnaud/John Buck. The fractured toe will delay this from happening, but one of the early plans that Terry Collins flirted with was having John Buck play some first base when d’Arnaud got called up to the show. I would love to see both of those guys playing first base to keep them both in the Mets lineup, and it would lessen the rigors of being an everyday major league catcher with them platooning at both positions. With all the injuries d’Arnaud has already suffered before even stepping foot onto a major league field, the Mets would be wise to consider a move like this.

2014 Options

Allan Dykstra: A former first round of the San Diego Padres, Dykstra is having a solid season with Double-A Binghamton this year. He’s a very patient hitter, and while he walks a lot, he also strikes out a bit due to getting into deep counts. This season he has 34 strikeouts in 33 games, but has also walked 26 times. His OBP has been over .400 the past two seasons, but the power numbers have been lacking during those same seasons. This is really his third look at Binghamton (2011, 2012, 2013), and his numbers have been pretty flat across the board except for power, where he has dipped.

Jayce Boyd: Boyd is a really polished college hitter that was drafted by the Mets in the sixth round of the 2012 draft out of Florida State University. Getting this guy in the sixth round was a steal. His approach to hitting screams major leagues. He’s not going to hit 40 home runs, but he has excellent gap-to-gap power, and he will flat out hit — Mark Grace type of player. This is my pick to be the Mets’ future first baseman. He hasn’t played above A-Ball yet, but what he’s doing is remarkable. This season for Savannah, Boyd is hitting .360, and has walked more times than he struck out (24BB/16K). I doubt Boyd will be with the Mets out of Spring Training next year, but keep your eye on him.

Las Vegas 9, Omaha 4 (Box)

Josh Satin: 3-for-5, 2 R

Andrew Brown: 2-for-3, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 RBI, 3 R

Jamie Hoffmann: 1-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 R

Zach Lutz: 2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI

Carlos Torres: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 HR, 2 BB, 4 ER, 5 K

Greg Peavey: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 1 K

Sean Henn: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 1 K

Portland 10, Binghamton 7 (Box)

Cory Vaughn: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 R

Wilfredo Tovar: 3-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 R, 2 SB

Mark Cohoon: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 1 HR, 2 BB, 4 ER, 5 K

Chase Huchingson: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 HR, 2 ER, 3 K

Shawn Teufel: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 2 K

Jeff Walters: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 4 ER, 2 K

St. Lucie 10, Bradenton 0 (Box)

T.J. Rivera: 2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 2 R

Dustin Lawley: 2-for-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R

Aderlin Rodriguez: 4-for-5, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 2 R

Matt Reynolds: 2-for-6, 1 RBI

Rylan Sandoval: 2-for-4, 1 RBI

Charley Thurber: 2-for-5, 1 RBI, 1 R

Angel Cuan: 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 0 ER, 6 K

Estarlin Morel: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 1 K

Savannah 3, Augusta 1 (Box)

Jayce Boyd: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 R

Kevin Plawecki: 2-for-2, 1 RBI, 2 R, 2 HBP

Cole Frenzel: 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 RBI

Matthew Koch: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 K

Jake Kuebler: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Bret Mitchell: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K

(Don’t worry, readers…this is not the norm going ahead – but rather a one-time occurrence. Stay locked in to MetsMerized on Monday morning… we’ve got some big news on the horizon.)

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas defeated Omaha, 7-3.
• Binghamton took down Portland, 6-3.
• St. Lucie was edged by Bradenton, 5-4.
• Savannah was one-hit by Augusta, 11-0.
  

Prospect Pipeline

• Jenrry Mejia made his first “real” rehab start in St. Lucie last night where he lasted three innings. He threw only 61 pitches, and threw 41 of them for strikes, which was a good sign. He allowed five hits and three walks, which led to two earned runs, and struck out six batters. Striking out six batters over three innings is encouraging, although the three walks over the same span is not. I’m very much on the fence with how I think the organization should proceed with Mejia. I get the feeling he will end up being a bullpen arm – and a good one at that, but since we have the time, we might as well work him back as a starter. I’d like to see him rehab and work his way into the starting rotation at Binghamton.
• It might be old news by today, but Zack Wheeler hit the 7-Day DL and should only miss one start – which would have been today. Matt Fox, recently claimed on waivers, was added to the team to bolster the rotation in his absence, and did his job last night. He allowed two home runs over five innings, but held the opposition down to only three earned runs. Josh Edgin looked very impressive in his inning of work, lighting up the radar gun and striking out three batters in his inning of work.
• Cesar Puello has tried to turn it up an extra gear recently and is batting .306 over his last ten games, with three multi-hit games in his last four starts – including one last night. Puello is in the midst of a solid campaign, batting .294 over 109 ABs with five home runs, seven steals, and 24 runs driven in.
• Fellow B-Mets outfielder, Alonzo Harris, managed to put together a nice game as well with two steals. He now has 13 on the year. He has been batting eighth in the lineup recently as opposed to leadoff because of a heavy slump, but it looks like the move down has sparked the Sterling Award winner once again.
• I highlighted Dustin Lawley for his streaky work earlier in the year – and right now, he’s on a torrid hot streak. His last ten games have seen him bat .349 and go deep four times. Lawley is actually second in the FSL with nine home runs, behind only Miguel Sano‘s 11. Aderlin Rodriguez is fifth in the league with seven home runs after he hit another home run last night.
• Jeff Walters struck out the side for his 11th save last night in Binghamton and lowered his ERA to 0.57. We may actually have some potential future depth in this young man.
• On an unhappier note, Phillip Evans is really struggling in the field, as he made his 12th error of the year last night.

Stat Line of the Day

Dustin Lawley: 2-for-4, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Transactions/Updates

• Zack Wheeler and Kai Gronauer were both placed on the 7-Day DL in Las Vegas.
• Brandon Hicks and Matt Fox were added to the 51s team roster in corresponding moves.

Photo of the Day

Yes, Matt Harvey is truly becoming the new King of Queens… (Photo credit goes to Gordon Donovan)

Bradenton 5, St. Lucie 4

Willy Garcia drilled a bases loaded walk-off single to right off of reliever T.J. Chism as the host Bradenton Marauders defeated the Mets 5-4 on Friday.

Jenrry Mejia allowed two runs and five hits over three innings with three walks and six strikeouts in his first start on a major league rehab assignment with St. Lucie. Mejia had originally been scheduled to make an earlier rehab start, and he did – where he pitched two innings, but it was rained out so the stats were a wash…no pun intended. Mejia threw 61 pitches, 41 for strikes.

Chism allowed a leadoff single to Benji Gonzalez in the ninth and then served up a double by Gregory Polanco. After an intentional walk to Jose Osuna, Chism struck out Dan Gamache. Garcia followed with a line-drive single to score Gonzalez with the winning run.

The Mets trailed 3-1 entering the eighth inning, but rallied for three runs with two outs. Matt Reynolds drew a four-pitch walk. Dustin Lawley ripped an RBI triple to center and scored the tying run on an errant throw into the dugout by shortstop Alen Hanson. Aderlin Rodriguez launched his seventh homer of the season, a go-ahead solo shot to right-center to give the Mets a 4-3 lead.

Garcia hit a game-tying home run to right off of Mets reliever Chasen Bradford in the eighth.

Jim Fuller allowed one run over three innings in relief and Bradford allowed one run over two innings.

Lawley had two hits and two RBIs, including a solo homer in the sixth.

Key Stats

Jenrry Mejia: 3.0 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 2 ER, 6 K

Jim Fuller: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 2 K

Chasen Bradford: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 HR, 1 ER, 3 K

T.J. Chism : 0.1 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 1 K

Dustin Lawley: 2-for-4, 1 3B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Aderlin Rodriguez: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R

(Team Report)