Rafael Montero Looks Intimidating (Photo by MMO Contributor Gordon Donovan)

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas dropped to Albuquerque, 5-2. 
• Binghamton topped Akron, 5-3. 
• St. Lucie dropped to Brevard County, 6-5.
• Savannah lost to Charleston, 5-3. 

Injury News

The Wheeler Watch has taken a turn…hopefully not for the worst. Adam Rubin has reported that Zack Wheeler will miss his next start due to discomfort in his clavicle, and is flying to NY to meet with doctors.

I’m not an injury expert, but I do know that Zack Wheeler pitches using the “Inverted W,” which could put added stress on the anterior labrum ligament in the shoulder — it slowly loosens the ligament and can actually lead to tears. Hopefully this is not why Wheeler is suffering from shoulder discomfort. 

Prospect Pipeline

• Wheeler Watch: Based on Sandy Alderson’s comments yesterday, it sounds like we will probably see him before the All-Star Break. It has to be good for both Wheeler and the team, meaning they won’t call up Wheeler until he is ready to face major league hitters (getting close, if not there already), and the team has holes to fill in the rotation (um, yes). It sounds to me as if Wheeler is on the cusp of making his major league debut. I’m not so much concerned with Wheeler getting called up as I am about how the fans will react when he does. Will they expect Matt Harvey-like success — because he was the exception, not the rule. He will now have the pressure of being the top prospect being called up, have to pitch in New York, and has to live up to Harvey’s success…tough.
• The guy likely to get called up when Wheeler is promoted pitched last night in Binghamton. Rafael Montero pitched another six solid innings last night, striking out six and walking none. Montero is the type of pitcher that is going to give up some hits if his secondary pitches aren’t on point. His fastball isn’t overpowering, and when you are around the strike zone as much as Montero, the hitters are going to put the bat on the ball. Consider his control a gift and a curse at the same time, if his off-speed pitches aren’t working well for him. Montero isn’t going to give any teams free runs, but because of the type of pitcher he is, he isn’t going to hold many teams scoreless. Not for the time being anyway. If he can live on the corners, he may be the type of guy that eventually develops into a shutout threat every time he takes the hill.
• Travis Taijeron is having a solid year for St. Lucie. Over the last ten games, Taijeron is hitting .371 with three home runs and a ridiculous .511 on base percentage.
• It has been two games without a double from Dr. Doubles, Kevin Plawecki. He has 19 two-baggers so far this season.
• Hansel Robles gave up four walks in four innings of work last night. He was pretty pedestrian, although he did manage to strike out five opposing hitters.
• I have to admit that Wilmer Flores is not having the type of season I thought he would be having in a “hitter’s league.” I was hoping he would step up offensivley after Travis d’Arnaud went down with an injury, but I’m just not seeing it. I think most would agree that they expected to see more than a .264 batting average and three home runs from the second highest rated offensive prospect in the organization. The good news is, it’s only May, so Flores can still get on track.

Stat Lines of the Day

Travis Taijeron: 2-for-3, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R

Dustin Lawley: 2-for-5, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R

Transactions

Brandon Hicks assigned to St. Lucie Mets from Las Vegas 51s.

New York Mets optioned Andrew Brown to Las Vegas 51s.

Quote of the Day

Today’s quote of the day is from the interview that Sandy Alderson gave on WFAN yesterday afternoon, regarding Zack Wheeler:

“Bringing Zack Wheeler up here, does it create a second day out of five that fans would have a greater interest in watching us play?” Alderson told WFAN radio Monday. “Yeah, I think initially. But if he doesn’t have success, that won’t last very long.”

It sure sounds like Alderson is tip-toeing around this Wheeler call-up. It almost sounds like he is afraid that things are going to go bad, and then everyone is going to turn and point a finger at him demanding his job.

 

Brevard County 6, St. Lucie 5

Hansel Robles did not look like himself out there at all for the St. Lucie Mets on Monday, but he was able to keep his posture and bend, not break over the course of five innings. He walked four batters, allowed four hits, and made an errant throw on a pick-off and he still allowed only two runs.

The Mets put a few runs on the board for Robles while he was on the mound, via an RBI triple by Dustin Lawley in the first and an Aderlin Rodriguez RBI single in the third.

Dustin Lawley and Travis Taijeron both went deep in the bottom of the fifth to give St. Lucie a temporary 4-2 lead. It all got shot to hell in the top of the seventh, however, where Chasen Bradford allowed four runs off five hits in the frame, with four of them going for extra bases.

St. Lucie did bang out twelve hits overall, though, including a last-ditch few in the ninth that led to a run.

Key Stats

Robbie Shields: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 R

Dustin Lawley: 2-for-5, 1 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R

Aderlin Rodriguez: 2-for-5, 1 RBI

Travis Taijeron: 2-for-3, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R

Rylan Sandoval: 3-for-5

Hansel Robles: 4.0 IP, 4 H, 4 BB, 2 ER, 5 K

Jim Fuller: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 2 K

Chasen Bradford: 1.0 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 1 K

Hamilton Bennett: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K

Carlos Vazquez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K

St. Lucie 6, Daytona 2

It was a good day for Hansel Robles, who retired the 12 Cubs that he faced en route to his third victory of the 2013 campaign. Robles went five solid innings and allowed just two hits over that span, striking out five and walking none. He struck out the side to open the game. The only run he allowed crossed the plate in the fifth, where allowed a triple to Jorge Soler and he scored on a sacrifice fly.

Outside of Angel Cuan allowing a solo home run in the top of the seventh, the St. Lucie bullpen combined to close out the rest of the game relatively uneventfully. You can thank Cuan himself, along with Frank Francisco and Randy Fontanez for that much. Francisco pitched in his second straight game and the velocity/movement on his pitches all seemed to be there. It is safe to say that he is nearing his return to the MLB.

On offense, Rylan Sandoval was the spark plug in the fourth, as he doubled home a run and was eventually brought around to score himself on a Charles Thurber grounder. The St. Lucie Mets ripped five straight hits to open up the bottom of the fifth, capped off by Aderlin Rodriguez‘s bases loaded double, which plated three men. Dustin Lawley had provided an RBI single right before that.

T.J. Rivera had a ridiculous five-hit afternoon – and two of them went for doubles.

Key Stats

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

Aderlin Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI

Dustin Lawley: 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 R

Rylan Sandoval: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB

Hansel Robles: 5.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 ER, 5 K

Angel Cuan: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 HR, 1 ER, 4 K

Frank Francisco: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER

Randy Fontanez: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K

Rafael Montero by MMO Contributor and Photographer Gordon Donovan.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas demolished Reno, 14-8.
• Binghamton got thrashed by Erie, 11-4.
• St. Lucie was beaten by Tampa, 7-3. 
• Savannah defeated Kannapolis, 6-3. 

Minors News

RHP Rainy Lara of the Savannah Sand Gnats was named the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the week ending April 28. Lara pitched a brilliant game tossing 7.1 shutout innings and allowing just five hits and walking none while striking out nine against the West Virginia Power.

For the season, Lara is now 3-1 with a 1.88 ERA in four starts spanning 24 innings. He has struck out 24 and walked three and has held the Sally League to a .231 batting average this season.

Prospect Pipeline

• Yeesh… Rafael Montero had a pretty rough go-around last night against Erie where he was lit up for ten runs, seven of them earned, over the course of six-and-two-thirds innings pitched. He still walked only one and allowed one home run, but that’s about the best of it. All prospects are allowed bad starts or bad games here and there – so we’ll just chalk this up to a bad hair day.
• Matthew Bowman went eight strong innings last night and allowed three earned runs as he continues to find himself in the midst of a strong campaign.
• After last night, Kevin Plawecki now has 15 doubles and four home runs in just 24 games, which is ridiculous. His slash line stands at .402/.462/.1.158 through 92 at-bats in 2013 as he does not seem to have hit a single wall yet. My first thought when he was drafted was to compare him to Paul Lo Duca – but irregardless of that, Plawecki seems to be developing very nicely.
• Juan Centeno had a superb day at the plate last night for Las Vegas, where he banged out four hits. Centeno was a young man known more for his defensive prowess over anything else – which leads me into the point that he should be starting more than Landon Powell at the moment. At the very least, I want him to catch Wheeler’s next start. Centeno has a solid baseball IQ and can definitely help assist Wheeler in staying on track.
• Our Minor League Analyst Teddy Klein (via Toby Hyde) told us that Brandon Nimmo has been nursing a minor hand injury and that perhaps it could explain his recent slump. He got the game off last night and it’s considered nothing serious.
• Andrew Brown went 3-for-5 last night with a HR, a 2B, and 3 RBI as he continued his “seriously, call me up to the MLB team” tour.
• Zack Wheeler‘s 36 strikeouts in April tied for third place among the Top 100 MLB prospects.
• SP Alex Panteliodis will make his season debut and be activated from the DL to start for St. Lucie on Thursday. Last season for Savannah, Pants went 5-8 with a 3.64 ERA in 22 starts for the Gnats last year. He’s more of an organizational type of guy, but Pants may have some value down the line. 
  
• Matt Garrioch, minor league analyst, posted his GAPPER report yesterday for April which ranks the top five pitchers and position players in many leagues and per team itself. Wilmer Flores and Zack Wheeler were fourth in his PCL rankings, Montero ranked third in the AA, and Syndergaard and Tapia both made his list for A+ ball.

Stat Line of the Day

Kevin Plawecki: 3-for-5, 3 2B, 1 RBI, 1 R

Transactions/Injuries

• As of this point, there has been no update on Hansel Robles, who was placed on the 7-day DL yesterday. Robert Gsellman took his spot in the rotation two days ago.
• Cory Vaughn just has some inflammation in his arm, and was advised to take it easy for about a week.
• Cory Mazzoni threw a side session pitching and is approaching his return date.
• Right-hander Michael Fulmer, returning from surgery to repair a meniscus tear, tossed two innings Monday in extended spring training.
• Wilfredo Tovar was removed from last night’s game purely as a precautionary measure because he was sick. There is no injury.

Quote of the Day

Rob Brender: You’ve gotten shots at the big league level in 2011 and 2012 and you’re doing so well offensively this season. Does it make you anxious to get back to the Mets?

Josh Satin: Absolutely, but there’s a fine line. You can’t feel sorry for yourself because there are lots of other people in professional baseball who feel the same way. Then again, sometimes I look around and I’m like ’damn, this guys in the big leagues with whatever team. I know I’m better then him.’ So it’s hard sometimes but, then again, it’s just the way it is. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. You just have to keep performing.

Photo of the Day

Hey Plawecki, how about wrangling me up a shot of bourbon, oh and make sure it’s a double.

It’s Wheeler Day!

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas took down Reno, 9-5.
• Binghamton squeezed by Erie, 4-3.
• St. Lucie blew out Tampa, 7-1.
• Savannah got blown out by West Virginia, 10-1.

Prospect Pipeline

• At 2:35 PM ET, all eyes will be on Mets prospect Zack Wheeler as he takes the mound for the 51s. After a so-so last start, Wheeler looks to rebound against the Reno Aces. As always, the pressure is on Wheeler to try to throw a high strike rate and dispel the concerns about his control. The stuff will always be there for Zack Wheeler, and every start is a step towards the future for a man who already has one foot in the door. Wheeler’s last start was a mixed bag, because he dominated the first four innings only to fall apart in the middle of the game. He was victimized by two-out hits and walks, and it will be interesting to see how he handles himself this afternoon.
• On the topic of Mets pitching prospects, Domingo Tapia is taking the mound for St. Lucie tonight against the Tampa Yankees at 7:00 PM. Tapia is in the middle of a pretty impressive year and continues to warrant attention and respect. Matthew Bowman takes the mound for Savannah tonight, and he is also in the midst of an impressive campaign.
• Brandon Nimmo has hit a bit of a wall since peaking at a .450 average, as he has only two hits in his last thirty at-bats. Nimmo went 0-for-4 again last night and striking out at a high rate. Another thing to note is that Nimmo has only 16 ABs against left-handers this year, and he is 2-for-16 (.125) against them. Scouts are saying that he’s taking too many fastball strikes and falling behind in the count putting opposing pitchers at an advantage.
• Andrew Brown is still knocking the cover off the ball and is batting .360/.438/.584/1.022 in 89 at-bats. Of his 32 hits, 15 of them are of the extra-base variety including 11 doubles, 3 triples and a home run. It may be time to exit Collin Cowgill stage right, and enter Andrew Brown stage left. Cowgill has proven to be what we thought he was, a Quad-A player with a marginal skillset, but I will say this about him – he’s real gritty.
• Rylan Sandoval is on a mini-tear, batting .316 over his eight-game hitting streak, including a grand slam last night.
• RHP Robert Gsellman was promoted directly from Extended Camp to St. Lucie to fill the slot left open when Hansel Robles was placed on the DL before last night’s game. Gsellman gave St. Lucie four scoreless innings allowing just two hits, two walks while striking out two.
• Josh Edgin found his edge last night and managed two scoreless innings in his return to Binghamton while striking out three.

Stat Line of the Night

Rylan Sandoval: 3-for-5, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 R

Transactions/Injuries

• RHP Adrian Rosario transferred from Binghamton (AA) to Extended Spring Training.
• INF Joe Bonfe transferred from St. Lucie (High-A) to Binghamton (AA).
• RHP Hansel Robles was placed on the DL. We’ll follow up on that later today.
• Pedro Feliciano rejoined the St. Lucie roster and posted a scoreless inning.
• Cory Vaughn will miss tonight’s game with as a precaution. He was removed from last night’s game after gunning a runner down at home plate and subsequently feeling a weird sensation in his arm.
• Tyler Pill will miss tonight’s game as the B-Mets are also giving him the night off as a precaution. It could be fatigue related. Mark Cohoon will make the start in his place.

Quote of the Day

Art Pontarelli, the Mets area scout who signed Jack Leathersich, expects the hard-throwing lefty to get to the major leagues soon and to dominate when he arrives.

“You have to like the makeup,” Pontarelli said. “The thing in my opinion that indicates he’ll be a big leaguer is he has no fear. … He thinks he’s better than the hitter.”

Leathersich, 22, was the Mets’ fifth-round draft pick in 2011 out of UMass-Lowell. Though he is listed at just 5-foot-11, his fastball frequently touches 95 mph and sits routinely at 91-92. Interestingly enough, when I spoke to Jack in February, he told me his idol was another smallish, hard-throwing lefty – Billy Wagner.

Photo of the Day

Check out those Mets farmhands… They call that big one over there K-Plaw…

Quick Hops

• RHP Jacob deGrom makes his second career Double-A start for Binghamton. After being promoted from St. Lucie, he was stellar in his debut on 4/17 against Portland. Unfortunately he was tagged with the loss, although he only gave up one run on eight innings in an eventual 1-0 shutout loss to Portland. He surrendered just three hits, struck out eight, and only walked one. Before being promoted, DeGrom was 1-0 in two starts with St. Lucie. In 12.0 innings with the St. Lucie Mets, he allowed four runs  and struck out 13. He was drafted in the ninth round of the 2010 draft by the Mets out of Stetson University.
• Juan Lagares continues to produce. He had a lead off home run for Las Vegas in last night’s loss to Colorado Springs. Andrew Brown and Lagares are making strong bids to be called up to Flushing. Lagares is batting .346 with three home runs in the lead off spot this season, while Brown is batting .343 with nine doubles and fifteen RBI. The only knock on Brown this season is his strikeouts — fifteen so far.
• Hansel Robles pitched another gem last night. In six innings of work he didn’t allow any runs, struck out six and only walked two batters. He is holding opposing hitters to a .215 batting average this season.
• The Binghamton Mets pounded out 13 hits and took advantage of a season-high eleven walks to defeat the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, 15-2, at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium on Sunday afternoon. Allan Dykstra and Danny Muno each drove in three runs as the B-Mets matched a season-high with fifteen runs scored. Alonzo Harris led the offensive day with four singles, becoming the first B-Met in 2013 to compile a four-hit day. Vaughn also chipped into the multiple-hit effort with three of his own. Josh Rodriguez scored three times as the B-Mets had eight different players touch home.
•  Right fielder Cory Vaughn is on another one of his tears at the plate. After a slow start to the season he is batting .395 in his last ten games with three homers and 13 RBI. Entering tonight’s action and is batting .298/.365/.526 for the season.
• So I write an article espousing all the virtues of Collin McHugh yesterday and why he should get called up. If only I had glanced at the schedule and saw he’d be pitching in the notorious Colorado Springs. And as most pitchers do, especially control artists who pound the strike zone. On Sunday, average infield outs went beyond the reach of infielders and dropped in for base hits. McQ got tagged for 13 hits and 12 of them were singles. But get this… zero walks. On Saturday, Collins said referring to Wheeler and the PCL, “I don’t care how many hits he gives up in the PCL, but six walks is unacceptable. He’s better than that.” So I give McHugh a pass.
• It looks like center fielder Brandon Nimmo is human after all. Last night, he went 0-for-3, but still managed to walk twice and even stole a base. His slash line is still at a jaw-dropping .424/.513/.576. The budding star leads the league in Batting, OBP and Triples. He spoke to Adam Rubin last night, “It’s baseball, so we’re going to go through cold streaks and hot streaks,” Nimmo said. “This is a hot streak right now. I’m going to go through a period where I’m not doing very well. We’re just going to try to keep this going as long as possible, just be consistent. But, yeah, there’s a reason people don’t hit .400 in baseball.”
• LHP Adam Kolarek was transferred from Las Vegas (AAA) to Binghamton (AA) where he proceeded to toss two scoreless innings for the B-Mets upon his arrival.
• Mets announced they have signed RHP D.J. Mitchell. He made four relief appearances for Yankees last season before being traded to the Seattle Mariners for Ichiro Suzuki. He’s only made one start for Tacoma (AAA) this year. The right-hander allowed three runs in four innings in the outing on April 8.
• Shaun Marcum threw in a simulated game this morning in St. Lucie and it looks like he is still on target to start for the Mets on Saturday. The right-hander threw 52 pitches over five scoreless innings in an extended spring training game in Port St. Lucie, Fla., the team announced today.

St. Lucie 1, Charlotte 0

This was not a game for the offensive minded fans but Hansel Robles was sharp in this one en route to a St. Lucie victory.

Robles started on Sunday and went the first six innings while scattering three hits and two walks. He struck out six and allowed no earned runs, and the St. Lucie bullpen – Jim Fuller and Chasen Bradford – finished up the game while keeping the shut out intact.

This was key, considering the Mets only scratched out a single run. Robbie Shields walked in the fifth, stole second base, and scored on a fielder’s choice after an error by Charlotte’s Hector Guevara.

So to sum this one up, there were no RBIs by either team, and Hansel Robles was pretty sharp. Four of St. Lucie’s six hits went for doubles, and they did walk five times, so they had their chances – but good pitching was just in the air on Sunday.

Key Stats

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

Brian Harrison: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 BB

Aderlin Rodriguez: 1-for-4, 1 2B

Dustin Lawley: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 BB

Robbie Shields: 0-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB

Hansel Robles: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 0 ER, 6 K

Jim Fuller: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 1 K

Chasen Bradford: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 0 ER, 2 K

Lakewood 5, Savannah 3

Lakewood took a 4-0 lead after the bottom of the third inning against Savannah’s Logan Taylor and the Sand Gnats were never really able to bounce back in this one.

Savannah struggled defensively behind Logan Taylor on Sunday, as they made two errors over the course of his mere four innings pitched. He was on the hook for the first four earned runs, with three of them being earned, but it might have been a bit of the scorer’s discretion. Eudy Pina misplayed a ball in the bottom of the second that resulted in a double and two runs scoring, with him being charged an error on the play as well. Lakewood would strike again against Taylor in the third, where they posted a two-spot on a double in Pina’s direction again, with Jayce Boyd being charged a throwing error on the later part of the play.

Matthew Koch pulled some Yilman’s work out of the bullpen and pitched the next four innings while allowing just an earned run. The Sand Gnats were unable to post a run until the sixth inning – and they were on the beneficial end of a wild pitch for Kevin Plawecki to score that run. Plawecki drove home a run with an RBI single in the eighth, and Brandon Nimmo grounded into a force out that scored Stefan Sabol in the ninth, but that would be all for the Savannah offense on Sunday.

Key Stats

Brandon Nimmo: 0-for-3, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 1 SB

Jayce Boyd: 2-for-5, 1 2B, 1 R

Kevin Plawecki: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 R

Gregory Pron: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 BB

Logan Taylor: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 K

Matthew Koch: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 BB, 1 ER, 1 K

St. Lucie 13, Charlotte 3

Twas a good night for those following St. Lucie as the Met offense down south backed up some strong pitching from Hansel Robles for a commanding 13-3 victory.

Hansel Robles continued a string of solid work so far in St. Lucie with a good start on Tuesday night, going six innings while allowing three runs off  four hits and three walks. He struck out three batters and allowed a two-run home run in the sixth inning. His only run was allowed on a sacrifice fly in the fourth, right after he allowed a runner to advance due to a wild pitch. All in all, it was a good night for Robles – even if he met the bare minimum for a quality start.

The real story of the game, of course, was the St. Lucie offense. Cam Maron did the early damage with a two-run triple in the third inning, but the best was yet to come. A five-run fourth inning was sparked with a lead-off home run by Aderlin Rodriguez, and followed by RBIs from the likes of Cam Maron (again), Matt Reynolds, TJ Rivera, and Brian Harrison. Rivera walked home a run, Maron and Reynolds singled, and Harrison lifted a sacrifice fly.

The sixth inning was even huger for the Mets, which was capped off by a Dustin Lawley grand slam. St. Lucie banged out thirteen hits in this game overall, so it was a great night. Every starter picked up at least one hit.

Key Stats

Cam Maron: 3-for-5, 1 3B, 3 RBI, 1 R

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

Dustin Lawley: 1-for-5, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R

Gilbert Gomez: 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 BB

Hansel Robles: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 HR, 2 BB, 3 ER, 3 K

Estarlin Morel: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 K, 0 ER

Wanel Mesa: 1.0 IP, 0 ER

St. Lucie Mets 0, Palm Beach Cardinals 1

Hansel Robles took the mound for the Mets on Wednesday night, after leaving the St. Lucie Opener last week with an apparent oblique injury. He showed no ill-effects of the injury, as he pitched 6.1 innings, holding the Cardinals to one run. Robles kept his team in the game all night, but was credited with his first loss, as the Mets’ offense was never able to get on track.

Kyle Hald pitched seven innings for the Cardinals, limiting the Mets to just three hits on the night. Matt Reynolds, Aderlin Rodriguez and Albert Cordero had the three hits for the Mets. Rodriguez had the only extra base hit for the Mets, and after his double, he was the only Met player in scoring position on the entire night.

Hamilton Bennett came in for the Mets, in relief, and pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, giving up no hits and striking out one. The St. Lucie pitching continues to dominate their opposition. The offense will look to get back on track tonight as they close out their three game series with the Palm Beach Cardinals.

Key Stats

• Aderlin Rodriguez – 1 for 3, 2B
• Matt Reynolds – 1 for 3
• Albert Cordero – 1 for 3
• Hansel Robles – 6.1 IP, 5 H, 1 K,1 ER, L
• Hamilton Bennett – 1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 K, 0 ER

Noah Syndergaard will headline one of the best rotations in the minor leagues.

The roster of this year’s St. Lucie Mets team is packed with some fantastic talent. This year, St. Lucie will showcase some of the finest pitching pitching prospects in the Met system, and even some of the finest in the minor leagues. This year’s team will likely be the most potential-packed of any in the system. Let’s see who will make this season one to watch.

The Big Names

• Noah Syndergaard (RHP) – The hard-throwing right-hander was only the second biggest name in the R.A. Dickey trade this winter, but by no means should he be overlooked. While he may have been overshadowed by Travis d’Arnaud, Syndergaard also has scouts drooling over his potential. In the Midwest League last season (the equivalent of Savannah), Syndergaard tossed 103.2 innings, putting up a 2.60 ERA and a 10.6 K/9 rate. That went along with an above-average 2.7 BB/9 rate, which is also his career minor league average. Syndergaard was ranked the 29th best prospect in baseball by MLB.com this spring and 54th by Baseball America. After d’Arnaud and Zack Wheeler graduate to the big leagues, all eyes will turn to Syndergaard, who thus far has everyone excited about his future.
• Michael Fulmer (RHP, torn meniscus) – Fulmer is one of the many young and promising arms the Mets have in the lower minors. 20 years old, Fulmer had a terrific season last year with Savannah, posting a 2.74 ERA in 21 starts (108.1 innings) while striking out 101 and walking 38. Fulmer was drafted in 2011 from Deer Creek High School in Oklahoma  He was well-regarded before last season, but he put his name towards to top of every prospect guru’s list with a very impressive season. He will miss most of, if not all of the first half of the season with a torn meniscus, but will return some time this summer.
• Luis Mateo (RHP) – Luis Mateo will do something this year that not many pitching prospects in the Mets system do: skip Savannah. Mateo, 23, had a fantastic season for the Cyclones last year, and along with Hansel Robles, will skip A-Ball and go straight to Advanced A-Ball St. Lucie. Mateo put up a 2.45 ERA last season in 12 starts, striking out 10.4 batters per nine innings while walking only 1.1 He has incredible stuff and is someone you will hear a lot from in the near future.
• Domingo Tapia (RHP) – Domingo Tapia’s two-seam fastball may be one of the best pitches in all of the minors. It has heavy sinking action and sits in the mid to upper 90s. He doesn’t have a breaking pitch, and may end up in the bullpen by the time he reaches the majors, but he is nonetheless a very intriguing pitcher. Tapia threw 108.2 innings last season and posted a 3.98 ERA. He slaso struck out 8.4 batters per nine innings (an increase from 5.8 K/9 in 2011) with 2.7 walks.
• Aderlin Rodriguez (3B) – Rodriguez may already have, at age 21, the most power in the entire Mets farm system. Rodriguez hit a meager .221/.265/.372 in 131 games as a 19 year-old in Savannah in 2011, with the only positive being his 17 home runs. Last year, however, repeating the league, Rodriguez started hitting like he never had before. He hit .274/.336/.497 with 16 dingers in only 83 games before earning a promotion to St. Lucie. Looking deeper into his splits from Savannah, you see that although he hit just .233/.309/.473 in 40 games at home at Grayson Stadium, he hit eight home runs. That;s notable considering that Savannah is not only the toughest park in the South Atlantic League to get a hit in, but it is also the most difficult park in the entire minor leagues to hit home runs. If Rodriguez can hit for power there, he can do it anywhere.

The Sleepers

• Jacob deGrom (RHP) – Coming off six so-so outings in Kingsport in 2010 and Tommy John surgery, Jacob deGrom broke out in a big way last year in Savannah. Overall, he made 15 starts there and put up very impressive statistics: 2.51 ERA, 7.8 K/9, and 1.4 BB/9. He then made four starts in St. Lucie, allowing five earned runs in 21.2 innings. A lanky 6’4″, 185 pounds, deGrom has the physical profile that scouts look for in a young pitcher. Watch out for him this year.
• Hansel Robles (RHP) – In a bit of a surprise, the Mets sent Hansel Robles to St. Lucie for the start of the season instead of Savannah, where he was projected to go. Robles, 22, was the ace of the excellent Brooklyn Cyclone pitching staff last season, posting a 1.11 ERA in 72.2 innings to go along with excellent 8.2 K/9 and 1.2 BB/9 rates. 
• T.J. Rivera (2B) – Rivera doesn’t have any tools that stand out in particular, but he has put up very good numbers ar every level he’s played. Although he hasn’t hit for much power, he has hit at least .290 in every league he’s played in. Last season in 128 games between Savannah and St. Lucie, he hit .320/.372/.444.
• Alex Panteliodis (LHP) – A ninth-round draft pick in 2011 out of the University of Florida, Panteliodis put up a 3.64 ERA in 22 starts in Savannah last year in 108.2 innings.

Other Names to Watch

• Chasen Bradford (RHP) – A reliever out of UCF, Bradford posted an excellent 2.47 ERA in Savannah last year in 51 innings, all out of the bullpen. 
• Camden Maron (C) – Maron may be the second-best catcher in the Mets’ system after hitting .300/.403/.408 in Savannah last year. He didn’t hit for much power (five home runs), but his 13% walk rate was very impressive.

Friday, 3:00 PM Update

Looks as if Hansel Robles and the Mets dodged a bullet, and it was not an arm injury that forced Robles out of yesterday’s game. Adam Rubin reported that Robles was favoring his side, so it could be that he simply strained an oblique muscle on his pick-off attempt.

While no injury is good news, this is much better than hearing that it is an arm injury.

Update to follow…

Update:

St. Lucie radio broadcast says Robles threw a couple of warm-up pitches afterward with trainer watching, but then departed.

— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) April 5, 2013

Well, this is surely unfortunate… Hansel Robles had to leave the opener in St. Lucie for the Mets tonight in the fourth inning with an undisclosed injury. The injury occurred on an errant pick-off throw. It was originally believed to be an arm injury, while Adam Rubin speculates it might be a side muscle injury. Up to the point he was hurt, Robles had a stat line of 3.1 IP with two earned runs allowed off five hits with six strikeouts. We recently ranked Robles as our #20 prospect here at MMO where I had this to say about him…

Signed as an international free agent in August of 2008, Robles did everything in his power with the Brooklyn Cyclones last season to dispel the idea that he projects to be a reliever. Arguably, Robles had the best season of any arm in the Mets system with an ERA of 1.11 over 72.2 innings, which led the New York Penn League. If you include his final start in the post season, he finished the year with 45 straight shutout innings, a WHIP of .784 (47 H/10 BB) and 0 home runs allowed. His 66 strikeouts were nothing to sneeze at, resulting in an 8.2 K/9 compared to an exceptional 1.2 BB/9 ratio. He can throw a fastball, slider, change-up, and an occasional curve ball.

More to come as we get updates out of St. Lucie…

Four of New York’s minor league teams open action tonight and here are tonight’s starters:

RHP Zack Wheeler is scheduled to start for Las Vegas (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League at Sacramento. Game time is 10:05 PM EDT.

RHP Rafael Montero will take the hill for Binghamton (AA) of the Eastern League at Akron. Game time is at 6:35 PM EDT.

RHP Hansel Robles will take the mound for St. Lucie (A) of the Florida State League vs. Jupiter. Game time is at 6:30 PM EST.

RHP Matt Bowman is slated to start for Savannah (A) of the South Atlantic League vs. Rome. Game time is at 6:35 PM EST.

Good Luck tonight, guys!

Noah Syndergaard will lead a talented Advanced-A rotation in St. Lucie.

The Port St. Lucie residents will be in for a treat this season, as the St. Lucie Mets arguably have the best rotation in the minor leagues. If they aren’t the best right now, they certainly are in the discussion.

The way the roster has shaken out, it looks as if the rotation will consist of Noah Syndergaard, Domingo Tapia, Luis Mateo, Hansel Robles, Alex Panteliodis and Jacob deGrom to start the season. The roster also consists of Michael Fulmer, who is currently recovering from a knee injury, and will definitely be in the mix once he is healed.

You will be hard pressed to find a pitching staff as deep, and as potentially dominant as the St. Lucie Mets. The majority of the Mets top pitching prospects will all begin their season in St. Lucie, and in a recent edition of Baseball America, they gave their 2013 rankings for pitching prospects where three St. Lucie pitchers were ranked. They separated their rankings into three categories: Right-Handed Pitchers, Left-Handed Pitchers and Relief Pitchers. The Mets had five pitchers ranked in the top 75 right-handed pitchers in the minors. They are Zack Wheeler (5), Noah Syndergaard (19), Luis Mateo (65), Rafael Montero(66) and Michael Fulmer (75) — Syndergaard, Mateo and Fulmer will be playing for St. Lucie this year.

All eyes will be on St. Lucie this year, as some of the top pitching prospects in the Mets’ organization will be on display. Any Mets fans that live in the Port St. Lucie area may want to look into a season ticket package at Tradition Field, because this may be the last time this many top pitching prospects are pitching in the same rotation for a long time. Don’t you feel bad for St. Lucie’s opponents? Yikes!

Media Day: St. Lucie Launch Party at Tradition Field

Here is the first look at the St. Lucie Mets roster. The starting pitching staff on this team may arguably be the best pitching staff in the minors, and if not the best, definitely in the discussion.

Pitchers

Hamilton Bennett

Chasen Bradford

Marcos Camarena

T.J. Chism

Angel Cuan

Jacob deGrom - Finger Injury

Randy Fontanez

Jim Fuller

Michael Fulmer - Knee Injury

Luis Mateo

Estarlin Morel

Alex Panteliodis

Hansel Robles

Noah Syndergaard

Domingo Tapia

Taylor Whitenton

Catchers

Xorge Carrillo

Albert Cordero

Camden Maron

Infielders

Joe Bonfe

Brian Harrison

Matt Reynolds

T.J. Rivera

Aderlin Rodriguez

Rylan Sandoval

Robbie Shields

Outfielders

Dustin Lawley

Travis Taijeron

Charles Thurber

Gilbert Gomez

To see pictures from this afternoon’s Launch Party for the St. Lucie Mets, check out their Facebook Page here.

2013 Savannah Roster

Here is unofficial roster for the Savannah Sand Gnats based on players already there for Media Day. That’s as close to official as you can get.

Starting Pitchers

Matthew Bowman
Gabriel Ynoa
Steven Matz
Rainy Lara
Logan Taylor
Matt Koch
Luis Cessa

Relievers

Hunter Carnevale
Julian Hilario
Jake Kuebler
Bret Mitchell
Timothy Peterson
Paul Sewald

Catchers

Kevin Plawecki
Jeffrey Glenn
Nelfi Zapata

Infielders

Jayce Boyd
Chad Zurcher
Phillip Evans
Cole Frenzel
Yucarybert De La Cruz
Jeff Reynolds

Outfielders

Brandon Nimmo
Stefan Sabol
Eudy Pina
Gregory Pron

The Mets will be piggybacking pitchers again in the rotation which explains the seven starters.

2013 Savannah Preview

The 2012 Sand Gnats were a very intriguing team. There were some surprises like Travis Taijeron and Aderlin Rodriguez, as well as some great seasons from big names, such as Michael Fulmer. This year, the team could be even more exciting to watch and follow, as the 2012 draft class begins to rise through the minor league system. We’ll get to see some highly-touted draft picks in their first taste of long-season professional baseball. The other interesting group we’ll see in Savannah is the starting rotation coming up from Brooklyn. Most of the pitching staff, which had a brilliant year last year, will be heading to Savannah this summer, including Hansel Robles, Gabriel Ynoa, and others. Let’s take a look at some of the names to watch this season.

Players To Watch

• Brandon Nimmo (OF) – While Brandon Nimmo‘s batting average from last season doesn’t look great, there were plenty of positive signs from the Mets’ 2011 first-round pick that should have fans pretty excited. At age 19, Nimmo showed unexpected power, slugging 28 extra-base hits in only 69 games, six of those home runs. He was fourth in the league in doubles and .158 ISO (SLG-BA, a good indicator of power) was sixth in the league. He was the only player under 20 years old in the top 20. Nimmo was also very patient at the plate, walking in 14.3 percent of his plate appearances, third in the NYPL. Despite having missed out on a year of high school ball due to injury and playing his first full year of professional ball in a pitcher friendly league (where many of the year’s top college pitchers go), he thrived, which is a great sign for his future.
• Gabriel Ynoa (RHP) – Another star in the 2012 Brooklyn rotation, Ynoa had a great season last year as well, leading the team in innings pitched. He was also fifth in the league in WHIP (0.926). He put up an incredible 6.40 strikeout to walk ratio. Ynoa did all this as one of the youngest pitchers in the league. He already has a solid fastball and an advanced changeup. He could be someone who has another breakout year with Savannah.
• Rainy Lara (RHP) – Lara, another 2012 Cyclone, put up some ridiculous numbers last year in Brooklyn, but didn’t get as much attention as Hansel Robles and others did. In 12 starts, he posted a 2.91 ERA, walked 1.6 batters per nine, but most impressively, struck out 10.2 batters per nine. Among qualified pitchers, that was second only to his teammate Luis Mateo. At 22, some may be skeptical of Lara’s performance and say it was a result of his age, but when you keep in mind that he made the jump from the Gulf Coast League to Brooklyn, his performance last year was impressive.

Other Notables

• Kevin Plawecki (C) – The Mets grabbed Plawecki in the supplementary round out of Purdue in last year’s draft, and for good reason. Plawecki was sent to Brooklyn, where he put up big power numbers. He was fourth in the league in home runs with seven in 216 at-bats. He put up a decent walk rate of 9.9 percent, and put up a .345 On-Base Percentage. Behind Travis d’Arnaud, he is probably the best catching prospect in the system.
• Matt Koch (RHP) – The Mets’ third round draft pick out of the University of Louisville last year pitched mostly out of the Brooklyn bullpen, but was able to make two starts. He was mostly a reliever in college, and projects as one in the future. In 23.1 innings, Koch struck out 19 (7.3 K/9) and walked seven (2.7 BB/9) while allowing 13 earned runs.
• Jayce Boyd (1B) – The Mets picked Boyd, a right-handed hitting first baseman, out of Florida State last June. He went to Brooklyn and showed a little bit of pop, hitting five homers, nine doubles, and a triple in 54 games.

We take our baseball seriously in Savannah.

Adam Rubin of ESPN New York writes:

In desperate need of clearing several spots, the Mets have put out word to other teams that they are interested in moving non-core prospects on the 40-man roster.

Among those available via trade: Gonzalez Germen, Darin Gorski, Reese Havens, Juan Lagares, Cesar Puello, Elvin Ramirez and Hansel Robles.

That is based on the assumption that  Omar Quintanilla, Aaron Laffey, Marlon Byrd, LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Atchison have all made the team, and nobody at this point believes they haven’t.

Any prospects cut from the 40-man roster will have to pass through waivers and there could be some casualties.

Also, regarding Puello, Andy Martino reminds us:

Cesar Puello is among Mets possibly at risk to be taken off 40.If that happens, no longer protected by union re: Biogenesis.

— Andy Martino (@MartinoNYDN) March 26, 2013

Well, we all knew this was coming after all those minor league deals we signed this offseason…

Maybe he wouldn’t have been sent down today with nine others, but as spring training goes on and the need to stretch out the starters increases, Wheeler’s innings would have been reduced, something the Mets did not want to happen.

Since he is better off getting regular innings, today’s demotion was inevitable. With the oblique hampering him, there’s no sense in trying to squeeze him in. He’s better off resuming a normal routine in the minor league camp, where he’ll throw in the bullpen again before getting into a game.There’s always the possibility of Wheeler pitching in a “B” game, but for now he’s in the right place for his development. The Mets have long been accused of rushing pitchers – see Mike Pelfrey and Jenrry Mejia – and as they are building again they can’t afford to make a similar mistake with Wheeler, regardless how he feels.

“It’s the big leagues, of course I want to be here,’’ Wheeler said. “I’m not surprised. They told me this could happen.’’

When Johan Santana went down, there was immediate speculation Wheeler might be the one to replace him on the roster, but general manager Sandy Alderson immediately shot that down, saying the plan of patience used for Matt Harvey would be the same for Wheeler.

“I felt bad for him because of the injury,’’ manager Terry Collins said. “I told him he’s sitting in the same seat Matt Harvey was last year. I told him to do well and force us to call him up.’’

The Mets played Harvey perfectly. They resisted the initial temptation, and eventually brought him up in July when the season was already lost. Harvey impressed in ten starts enough to be in the rotation. They project the same for Wheeler.

Wheeler already had a setback when he strained his right oblique muscle 11 days ago and had to be scratched from a start against St. Louis. Wheeler conceded the injury was a setback. Wheeler made one start this spring, throwing two scoreless innings against Washington.

“I only got out there one time,’’ Wheeler said. “ That’s what I’m kind of mad about. I wanted to sort of get out there and prove myself. I hope I’ll be up here soon.’’

Several things have to happen if Wheeler is to see Citi Field soon, including injuries to a pitcher in the major league rotation; Wheeler’s performance at Triple-A Vegas, and, of course, economic considerations.

“I told him to work on his secondary pitches and fastball command on both sides of the plate,’’ pitching coach Dan Warthen said.

Wheeler is aware what needs to improve if he’s to succeed in the major league. He’s aware he can beat hitters with his stuff in the minor leagues, but realizes he needs more finesse and guile in the major leagues.

“I need to keep working on my curveball and getting it over for strikes,’’ Wheeler said. “I want to keep my pitch count down and get deeper into games.’’

Economically, if Wheeler stays in the minors for the first 20 games of the season he can’t be credited with a full year of major league service time, which would delay his free agency season from after 2018 to 2019.

It is anticipated the cutoff date for the extra year of salary arbitration might be June 15, so it is entirely feasible Wheeler will be called up after that date. That’s also the same time we might see catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud.

Unless there’s a dire need, don’t expect to see Wheeler before June 15.

MARCUM PITCHES WELL: Shaun Marcum was exceptional today, throwing 3.2 scoreless innings while giving up one hit and striking out two in the Mets’ 3-0 victory over St. Louis.

“I saw a lot that I liked,’’ Collins said. “He had tremendous command and that’s his trademark. He made pitch after pitch.’’

Marcum, penciled in as the fifth starter, is confident in his progress.

“I feeling like I’m heading in the right direction,’’ Marcum said. “I need to build up my pitch count.’’

Mechanically, Marcum said he doesn’t have command of his change-up and is pushing it rather than throwing it with a natural release.

When his change-up doesn’t have the right movement and goes horizontally rather than dip, it is a sign he is flying open with his shoulder and not staying on top.

METS NOTEBOOK: Jordany Valdespin continues to impress, today driving in a run with a seventh-inning single. … Alderson said it still is too early to make a determination on placing Santana on the disabled list to open the season. … Frank Francisco threw off the mound. The reports were good, but Collins said: “Be careful what you see in March and be careful what you see in September.’’ Translation: He’s opening the season on the DL. … Wheeler highlighted the list of ten cuts, which included: pitchersGonzalez Germen, Collin McHugh, Elvin Ramirez and Hansel Robles; left-hander Darin Gorski; infielders Reese Havens and Wilfredo Tovar; outfielders Juan Lagares and Cesar Puello. The Mets are down to 45 players in camp.

Hansel Robles, RHP

Bats: R  Throws: R
Height: 5’11″  Weight: 185 lb.
Position: Pitcher
Age: 22
MMO Top Prospect Ranking: 20 
ETA: 2014

Background:

Here is an excerpt from the recent MMO Top 25 Prospect list, where Robles was ranked No. 20:

Signed as an international free agent in August of 2008, Robles did everything in his power last season to dispel the idea that he projects to be a reliever. Arguably, Robles had the best season of any arm in the Mets system with an ERA of 1.11 over 72.2 innings, which led the New York Penn League. If you include his final start in the post season, he finished the year with 45 straight shutout innings, a WHIP of .784 (47 H/10 BB) and 0 home runs allowed. His 66 strikeouts were nothing to sneeze at, resulting in an 8.2 K/9 compared to an exceptional 1.2 BB/9 ratio. He can throw a fastball, slider, change-up, and an occasional curve ball.

Analysis:

Hansel Robles set the NY-Penn League on fire last year. He dominated hitters with a low-90s fastball, an average slider, and a below average change-up. Many project Robles to be a bullpen guy at the big league level, but he was used as a starter for the Brooklyn Cyclones last season. He was nothing short of spectacular, and blew everyone away with some impressive numbers. However, after breaking down his pitching mechanics, you will see that there is some cause for concern with regards to Robles ever being a pitcher that can withstand the rigors of being in a starting rotation. Check out the video below, where I break down his mechanics, and you will see what I mean.

As you see in the video, his mechanics lead me to believe that he will ultimately be utilized in the bullpen if, and when, he makes it to the big league level. The kid has a ton of potential, and if he can straighten out his mechanics, he will continue to dominate hitters as he moves up through the system. Right now, the velocity on his fastball varies from 90-95mph. The major reason for the huge discrepancy in speed is because of his mechanics. There also has to be concern that the strain he puts on his arm could potentially lead to future arm injuries, so it will be prudent to try and work out the kinks before that happens.

As I pointed out in the video, he uses his arm and upper body to generate his velocity. By using his lower half more, and driving towards the plate, he could generate more consistent velocity and save his arm a lot of stress. His incomplete follow through is also generating additional strain on his arm.

Aside from the mechanical deficiencies, Robles future seems bright. If you throw 94mph, you always have a bright future. He generates great velocity, and after improvements in his mechanics, he will not only improve the consistency of that velocity, but also have better command of his secondary pitches. With an arm as live as his, it wouldn’t be such a bad thing if he ended up in the bullpen, which is where I think he will eventually end up and flourish.

For more Mets minor league and prospect coverage, you can follow me on Twitter @FirstPitchMitch.