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…

Binghamton 7, Akron 3

Many times you can gauge a pitcher’s demeanor, their grit and persistence, when they don’t have their best stuff.  That was the case at Binghamton’s NYSEG Stadium for B-Met starter Logan Verrett in the early going of last nights 7-3 victory over Akron.

Verrett has been a mainstay of the Binghamton staff so far this spring starting 8 games with a 5-1 record and a 3:15 ERA.  A pinpoint command of the strike zone has helped Verrett log an impressive 0.99 WHIP in the young season.

Verrett struggled commanding his fastball in the first two innings of Tuesday’s contest.  The usually accurate right hander walked three batters and delivered 40 pitches during the first two innings.  In fact, only double play balls to end each frame prevented Verrett from disaster.

You can learn a lot about a pitcher when they labor on the hill.  Such moments are gut checks that speak to the character of a pitcher.  Will they remain poised and centered?  Will they alter their mechanics?  Will they begin to work too fast or too slow?  Will they continue to challenge batters with their signature pitch even if when they can’t locate that pitch as they would like?   Will they show grit and resolve in working through their troubles.

The character side of Verrett’s pitching report card was glowing last night.

Trouble presented itself almost immediately.  Akron’s speedy centerfielder Tyler Holt, the second batter in the game, laced a line drive toward the gap in right-center field.  B-Met right fielder Cesar Puello elected to attempt a diving catch but couldn’t complete the play with the ball going all the way to the wall, and Holt racing to third with a one out triple.  Verrett walked Carlos Moncrief who stole second to set the table for Chun-Hsiu Chen.  Chen, batting a sparkling .331, ripped a single up the middle scoring both runners and giving Akron a 2-0 lead.  Quincy Lattimore sent a wicked line drive to the mound that Verrett played in the air, then doubled up Chen to end the inning.

Verrett’s troubles continued in the Akron second.  The B-Met ace opened the frame by walking Roberto Perez and yielding a single to Giovanny Urshela.  After striking out Kyle Bellas, Verrett walked the number nine batter Justin Toole to load the bases.  Verrett was clearly struggling.

A hard grounder ripped to short was played perfectly, Wilfredo Tovar to Josh Rodriguez to Allan Dykstra for a 6-4-3 double play to get Verrett out of the jam.

The second B-Met DP was a turning point for their young pitcher.  Verrett settled in finding his customary command of the strike zone and dominated for the remainder of his outting.  The DP started a string of 8 consecutive outs for Verrett.

The string was broken in the sixth when Bellas led off by slamming a Verrett curveball over the left field wall for a home run extending Akron’s advantage to 3-0.  Verrett was unfazed putting the next 8 batters down in order before allowing an Ursela single with two down in the seventh.  A look at Verrett’s pitching statistics show just how effectively he pitched after the first two innings. . All 3 Verrett walks and 3 of the 5 hits he allowed were surrendered during the first two innings.

Here was Verrett’s line on the evening: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 3 ER, 5 K

Total Batters Faced: 27

First Pitch Strikes: 19 – 70%

Ahead After Three Pitches:  8 – 30%

Total Pitches: 97  Strikes:  61 – 63%  Balls:  36 – 37%

Strike Breakdown: Called: 26 – 43%   Fouled:  7 – 11%   Missed:  9 – 15%  In Play:  19 – 31%

Full Windup:  Total Pitches: 66  Strikes:  44 – 67%     Balls:  22 – 33%

Stretch: Total Pitches:  31  Strikes: 17 – 55%  Balls:  14 – 45%

Verrett’s fastball ranged from 86 to 94 mph.  Only two pitches touched 94 both thrown in the first inning.  It appeared as if Verrett was attempting more curve balls than the previous time I had watched him pitch.  The triple and home run both came on curveballs.

The B-Met hitters struggled with Akron starting pitcher Paolo Espino‘s slow breaking curve ball in the early innings.  Espino carried a shutout into the fifth inning when Binghamton scored three times to knot the score at 3-3.  Cory Vaughn saw his first fastball on the fourth pitch and grounded a single to left to lead off the inning.  Vaughn drew several pick off attempts with Espino finally throwing the ball past the first baseman and allowing the B-Met leftfielder to advance to second.  After two infield pop-ups, Alonzo Harris worked a walk.  Wilfredo Tovar laced a single to left field plating Vaughn and moved into scoring position when the leftfielders throw to third base attempting to get Harris sailed off line.

That brought the B-Met second baseman Danny Muno to the plate.  Muno has been a clutch hitter for Binghamton this year, and he came through once again, lining a shot over off the centerfield wall to plate Harris and Tovar.  Muno is batting just .228 but has knocked in a team high 21 RBI’s.

Binghamton caught some huge breaks in busting the game open in the home eighth.  Tovar greeted relief pitcher Trey Haley with a ground single over the third base bag but was thrown out trying to leg it into a double.  Haley, a fire throwing righthander, lost the plate throwing 11 consecutive balls, walking Muno and Josh Rodriguez and going 3-0 on Cesar Puello.  Puello took two strikes before ball four loaded the bases.

With the infield in, Allan Dykstra tapped a soft ground ball to first baseman Chun-Hsiu Chen.  Chen played the ball but double clutched without looking to throw home, changing his mind and attempting to get Dykstra at first.  His throw was late  with the B-Mets scoring the game winner.  Vaughn followed with a broken bat flare that got past Haley for another infield hit and a second run.  Two wild pitches completed the 4 run rally.

I finally got to see Jack Leathersich work the mound in relief and the lefty didn’t disappoint.  Leathersich worked a scoreless eighth and ninth allowing a single hit while striking out 4 and walking only 1.  He has a nasty breaking ball that freezes lefthanded hitters, a deceptive delivery, and fires some 90+ heat.  Leathersich has struck out 33 batters in 17.2 innings.

Key Stats

Daniel Muno: 1-for-3, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 RBI, 1 R

Josh Rodriguez: 1-for-3, 1 BB, 1 R

Allan Dykstra: 1-for-4, 1 RBI

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

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

Logan Verrett: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 HR, 3 BB, 3 ER, 5 K

Jack Leathersich: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas dropped to Round Rock, 9-5. 
• Binghamton topped Trenton, 3-1. 
• St. Lucie defeated Daytona in extras, 6-5. 
• Savannah had the day off. 

Injury and Health News

After being called a hand contusion and nothing serious, it seems that Brandon Nimmo will be headed to the disabled list after all.

We have our Savannah Beat Writer Wally Murphy at the game right now and he will give us the official report later this evening with his game recap.

Yesterday, Joe D. posted the following in our Mets Minors Report:

Brandon Nimmo still has not returned to the lineup since April 29 because of a hand contusion. The Mets now consider it more serious than initially thought and will have him seen by team doctors with a possible MRI as well. DL stint looming.

According to freelance journalist Robert Brender, Mets catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud is due to be examined in New York on May 17 and currently remains in a walking boot.

“I’m in a boot that I’ve been wearing all the time, except when I sleep,” d’Arnaud said.

“It’s really frustrating. I just want to be out there playing and some freak injury happens and I can’t do anything about it. It just takes away time from playing and being on the field. I was feeling really good and was having fun playing (before the injury). I think just not being able to play is the worst part about it.”

“I already had the last half of last year not playing and now this happens. I just want to get back on the field playing again.”

Baseball’s top ranked catching prospect suffered a fractured first metatarsal in his left foot with Triple-A Las Vegas last month. Depending on how the examination goes, he may be able to begin an injury rehab at the Mets complex in Port St. Lucie sometime this month. He was originally expected to return to games around mid-June.

Prospect Pipeline

• Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard, Rafael Montero, Luis Mateo, and Domingo Tapia are all in the Mets farm system, yet Logan Verrett has pitched the game of the year for the Mets minor leagues, just coming off of one of the more impressive starts I’ve seen in a long time from Montero. As Satish Ram said in the Binghamton Game recap, “Verrett went ahead on Wednesday and tossed perhaps the best game of his career – as he nearly finished the game with a complete game victory. He was taken out of the game after 99 pitches, which perhaps was pitch count related, before he could achieve the final out. At that point, he had allowed just the one earned run in the bottom of the fourth, and was utterly dominant throughout the entire game. His nine strikeouts were demonstrative of that fact.”
• Verrett is flying under the radar this season, but he has been pitching very well. He now has five wins on the year, which is good for tops in the Mets organization, and also tops the Eastern League. He also leads the EL in innings pitched (47.1). Verret is also ranked third in the organization in opposing hitter’s batting average (,207), and fourth in the organization, fifth in the EL, in WHIP (0.97). Pretty impressive. After last night’s performance, it’s safe to say that Verrett is no longer flying under the radar.
• Cesar Puello: All he does is hit home runs? He extended his hit streak to 15 games in grand fashion again by crushing another two home runs last night, one of which was an absolute bomb. His last three hits are now home runs. He’s showing off that power we all have heard so much about and is now batting.296/.360/.531 in 24 games.
• Aderlin Rodriguez has been smoking the ball over the past three games. In that span, he is 7-for-14 with four doubles, two home runs, and eight RBIs. He now leads the Mets organization with six home runs on the year, and he had the walk-off hit to plate T.J. Rivera in the tenth inning of last night’s victory.
• Here is what the Trenton Thunder pitching coach, Tommy Phelps, had to say about Montero after his start on Tuesday night: “Our guys were talking about facing Montero last year in the Florida State League and were very impressed with him…He’s got real good stuff.”
• I’m not sure how many caught this in the transactions section yesterday, but the Mets promoted catcher Xorge Carrillo from Brooklyn, to St. Lucie. This was a major head scratcher here. Kevin Plawecki has earned a promotion at this point, absolutely dominating and overpowering the Low-A pitching in the SAL. What would prompt the Mets to promote a player in Carrillo, who has had 26 hits in 39 professional games? Plawecki has 44 hits alone this season, and showing no signs of slowing down. It’s either the snub of the year, or like I predicted, there serves no point in skipping Plawecki to High-A ball, because the level of competition is not much different. When Plawecki is ready, he will be in Binghamton.
• Adam Rubin reported yesterday that Collin Cowgill and Kirk Nieuwenhuis would both be seeing time in centerfield with Las Vegas this year. Things are going to get real crowded out there once Matt den Dekker returns from his wrist injury.
• Juan Lagares and Andrew Brown were dominating at the Triple-A level, but have looked lost against big league pitchers. The question I raised when I heard they were promoting the two outfielders, was why the Mets would promote offensive players, coming from a “hitter’s league,” when their numbers were inflated, and seemingly ignore the pitchers, because their numbers are deflated due to the same reason. When looking at the PCL players, you have to take the offensive and pitching statistics with a grain of salt, and rely more on good old fashioned scouting when judging whether a player is ready or not.
• I have but one thing to add to this report. Remember back in February when I said that signing Carlos Torres was a useless move that will only create a logjam and keep pitchers at lower levels because of the trickle down effect? Pitchers like Jacob deGrom and Rainy Lara paid the price because they were squeezed into lower levels that would present no challenge to them and that’s exactly what happened. Torres has allowed 23 earned runs in 27.0 innings for a 7.39 ERA. The other two have proven that they should have started at higher levels and one (deGrom) already has been promoted. Lara will be promoted soon as well. Carlos Torres? A 30-year-old flop who was released twice by teams desperately starving for starting pitching? Are you freaking kidding me? (Joe D.)

Stat Lines of the Day

Logan Verrett: 8.2 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 9 K

Cesar Puello: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R

Aderlin Rodriguez: 3-for-5, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R (game winning, walk-off hit)

Organizational Leaders

Sounding Off

B-Mets pitching coach Glenn Abbott talks about Rafael Montero’s last start and sheds light on the rest of his dominating pitching staff.

Quote of the Day

Today’s quote of the day comes from the Star-Ledger regarding if Jeremy Hefner is hearing Zack Wheeler‘s footsteps:

“If it was right now, if he came up today, then yeah I would probably be the one that gets sent down,” Hefner, 27, said Tuesday. “I’m realistic enough to know that, but I can’t control that.”

“I came up early and then it was all the talk about, ‘When’s Matt coming up?”’ Hefner said. “And much like Zack, they deserve all that press because they’re that good. What it comes down to is I can only control what I can control. If the effort I give every fifth day is good enough to stick, then it’s good enough to stick. And if it’s not, I have stuff I need to work on. If Zack comes up for me, that’s not going to make me hate Zack Wheeler.”

Photo of the Day

After a long hot day on the farm, I like to chill out with my MMO Mets Minors Report.

Binghamton 3, Trenton 1

With all the talk in Binghamton circling around Rafael Montero, the incredible season that Logan Verrett is having has almost gone by the boards. Verrett went ahead on Wednesday and tossed perhaps the best game of his career – as he nearly finished the game with a complete game victory.  He was taken out of the game after 99 pitches, which perhaps was pitch count related, before he could achieve the final out. At that point, he had allowed just the one earned run in the bottom of the fourth, and was utterly dominant throughout the entire game. His nine strikeouts were demonstrative of that fact.

His final line was eight-and-a-third innings pitched, where he gave up five hits and just one walk, while striking out nine batters. His one earned run came on an RBI single he gave up to JR Murphy in the fourth, but that was basically his only blemish. He threw 71 of his 99 pitches for strikes, and was removed from the game in favor of Jeff Walters, who stranded the two inherited runners to save the game for Binghamton and the win for Verrett, his fifth.

It may look like the B-Mets struggled offensively a little – and they did, outside of Cesar Puello and Wilfredo Tovar. Tovar had a three-hit game, and is beginning to show me some offensive talent, as per my request, and was only outclassed by Puello. Puello had a monster game in support of Verrett, with two home runs that drove home all three runs for Binghamton.

Cesar Puello has been on fire during his recent hit streak – and Logan Verrett has been on fire this entire season. Great evening for Binghamton.

Key Stats

Alonzo Harris: 0-for-2, 2 BB

Cory Vaughn: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB

Cesar Puello: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R

Wilfredo Tovar: 3-for-3

Logan Verrett: 8.2 IP, 5 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 9 K

Jeff Walters: 0.1 IP, 0-2 inherited runners scored.

Erie 9, Binghamton 1

Erie starter Kyle Lobstein took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and led the SeaWolves past the Binghamton Mets by a 9-1 score on Thursday night at NYSEG Stadium. The B-Mets were held to a season-low two hits in their second straight loss.

The SeaWolves grabbed an early lead, plating the first run of the game three batters in against B-Mets starter Logan Verrett. Daniel Fields led off the game with a single, stole second and scored on a double from Ramon Cabrera.

Erie put the game out of reach with five runs in the fifth. The first four batters reached safely on singles. Marcus Lemon doubled the lead with an RBI single and two runs came home when Cabrera beat out a potential inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. Tyler Collins put an emphatic cap on the inning with a two-run homer to left.

Verrett (4-1) was tagged for six runs on eight hits in his first Double-A loss. The righty tossed six innings without walking any SeaWolves. He struck out just one, the fewest strikeouts he has collected in any of his pro starts.

Erie kept the offense going against reliever Josh Edgin in the seventh. Hernan Perez looped a triple down the right field line and Cabrera walked to set the table for Collins. The left fielder blasted a payoff pitch to right for his second homer of the game and fourth of the series. The round-tripper gave Erie a 9-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Lobstein easily handled the B-Mets lineup through the first six innings. Binghamton managed just two baserunners on an error and a walk. At one point, the southpaw retired 18 of 19 B-Mets.

Binghamton finally ended the no-hit bid in the seventh. After a throwing error and a walk put two aboard, Cesar Puello dumped a two-out RBI single into right field. The hit, which extended Puello’s hitting streak to nine games, plated Josh Rodriguez with Binghamton’s only run of the game.

Lobstein (3-2) finished the inning and earned his third win of the season. He allowed just one unearned run on one hit. The lefty walked two and struck out six. Will Startup and Justin Souza each posted shutout innings to secure the win.

The B-Mets (14-13) start a three-game series against the Harrisburg Senators at Metro Bank Park on Friday night at 7:00 PM. RHP Jacob deGrom (0-2, 4.91) opposes RHP Blake Treinen (2-3, 4.76).

Key Stats

Darrell Ceciliani: 1-for-4

Josh Rodriguez: 0-for-2, 1 R, 2 BB

Cesar Puello: 1-for-4, 1 RBI

Logan Verrett: 6.0 IP, 8 H, 1 HR, 0 BB, 6 ER, 1 K

Josh Edgin: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 3 ER, 2 K

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

(Team Report)

Efficient. The term popped up in my brain with the regularity Logan Verrett pounds the strike zone as I watched Verrett confuse and befuddle Akron Saturday in Binghamton.

Verrett managed his pitching workload with laser life efficiency throwing two-hit ball over eight innings as the B-Mets toppled Akron, 7-2.

If making good first impressions is a valued introductory tactic, Verrett hit a home run with me. The B-Met righthander was terrific. In fact, about now Verrett might be wondering what all the fuss is about the legendary daunting jump from A to AA ball. The B-Met win leaves Verrett 4-0 on the young campaign with a 2.52 ERA.

I treated my good friend Glen Reynolds, my fantasy baseball partner, to the game. He’s a huge Cleveland Indian fan and was anxious to catch up with the progress of the Tribe’s prospects. Instead, like me, Glen came away singing Verrett’s praises.

Verrett is all business on the hill and works quickly. It would be hard to lose your focus playing behind Verrett with the crisp, down-to-business attitude he takes to the mound. Verrett showcases fluid, repeated mechanics in a compact pitching delivery.

Over eight innings, Verrett pitched to just three batters beyond the minimum. I charted his performance and his statistics are eye-popping. Take a look.

8 Innings Pitched, 2 Runs, 2 Earned Runs, 2  Hits, 1 BB, 7 K

Total Pitches: 93 – Strikes: 67 (63%) - Balls: 26 (37%)

Full Windup
Fastball: Strikes 34 (67%) – Balls 17 (33%)
Slider: Strikes 10 (100%)
Change: Strikes 15 (62%) – Balls 9 (38%)

Stretch
Fastball: Strikes 5 (100%)
Slider: Strikes 2 (100%)
Change: Strikes 1 (100%)

First Pitch Strikes
16 of 27 (59%)
Verrett threw first pitch off-speed pitches 9 of 27 times, 8 of 19 after the first two innings.

Velocity
Fastball: 87 – 92
Sliders: 83 – 86
Change: 80 – 83

Admittedly, I struggle delineating the break on the slider, old eyes I guess. It really doesn’t matter. The critical point is Verrett uses his off-speed pitches effectively to disrupt opposing hitter’s timing and from behind the plate all Verrett’s pitches appear to be delivered from the same arm slot with a similar delivery. Throughout the first two innings, Verrett established his fastball mastery of the strike zone. As the game wore on, especially when he pitched to Aeros power hitters in the middle of the line-up, the B-Met ace threw more and more off-speed stuff.

Akron’s only runs came via the long ball. Catcher Chris Wallace opened the second inning with a line drive that just cleared the wall in left field. A Ronny Rodriguez triple with one out in the fifth set up the Aeros second run. Rodriquez scored on Giovanny Urshela‘s sacrifice fly.

Pitch selection to Urshela was my only confusion throughout the game. In his first at bat, Verrett made Urshela look bad, striking out waving feebly at three straight sliders. With a runner on third and one out I expected Verrett to milk the same pitch, but he served up two fastballs, the second the sac fly to center.

The B-Mets scored single runs in each of the first four innings then busted the game open with three runs in the sixth. After far to many strikeouts on Friday night, the B-Mets fanned only three times and pounded out 13 hits.

Binghamton centerfielder, Alonzo Harris, got off to a sizzling start blasting a leadoff homerun and never stopped cooking. Harris delivered a quality at bat almost every time he stepped to the plate. In his second plate appearance, Harris sent a screaming line drive up the middle that was slowed down when it glanced off pitcher Matt Packer‘s shoulder just enough for Areos second baseman Jose Ramirez to backhand the ball and catch Harris at first by a whisker. Harris walked the third time he batted then the speedy outfielder legged out and infield single on the tenth pitch of his fourth plate appearance. Harris hit into a first pitch fielders choice in his final at bat.

Harris’s contributions weren’t limited only to his bat. He made six fly ball putouts in centerfield, tracking down one blast to make a running grab in left-center. A B-Met note; Harris is hitting .287 with 10 stolen bases at the top of the B-Met batting order.

Darrell Ceciliani, the Binghamton rightfielder who bats second, went 3 for 5 with a double, stolen base and an RBI. The stolen base was Ceciliani’s 7th, giving the B-Mets promising base running speed to set the table for the power guys.

Richard Lucas had two hits, stole a base, and made a slick bare handed pick-up on a well placed Tyler Holt bunt down the third base line.

B-Met catcher Blake Forsythe stayed hot going 2 for 4 with a double and sacrifice fly.

Binghamton showed great plate discipline at times. Cory Vaughn showed patience when Aeros pitchers nibbled. Vaughn walked three times. Daniel Kuno walked twice, one free pass at the end of a ten pitch at bat.

Wilfredo Tovar probably should have used a bit more patience when he came to the plate with the bases loaded, no outs and the game tied 1-1 in the second. Packer was struggling allowing back-to-back singles to Forsythe and Francisco Pena then walked Daniel Muro. The Aeros starter entered the game with a 1.70 WHIP putting the pressure squarely on Packer’s back. Tovar hit a hard first pitch ground ball into a 6-4-3 double play plating a run but killing the chance for a big rally. Tovar later redeemed himself with a hard double to the gap in left-center and made a sterling diving defensive stop, springing to his feet to just get a speedy Tyler Holt at first.

The defensive players of the game though were Jose Ramirez and Holt of Akron. Ramirez flashed some awesome leather that even left B-Met fans amazed. He robbed Harris of the second inning screamer up the middle, turned a potential run scoring Allan Dykstra ground single to a 4-1 putout, then in Binghamton’s last at bat used a backhand stab to take a hit away from Lucas near the second base bag.

Holt made a stunning running grab on Forsythe’s sacrifice gapper, killing a big B-Met rally when he doubled Lucas off second base in the third inning. The following inning, Holt snared Tovar’s smash in the opposite gap with a bare hand denying the Binghamton shortstop a triple.

But, the day belonged to Verrett as he continues to prove that great pitching isn’t all about velocity.

Juan Centeno (Photo by Gordon Donovan)

Update by Joe D. at 2:20 PM

Well that didn’t take long… The Mets announced that Juan Centeno has been promoted to Triple-A Las Vegas to replace Travis d’Arnaud who was officially placed on the DL moments ago. Centeno will get the majority of the starts while Landon Powell will continue to remain the backup.

Now read about how Mitch just speculated that would likely happen about 30 minutes ago, as well as his other thoughts on the domino effect…

Original Post by Mitch at 1:45 PM

Unless you have been away from your computer, smart phone, or tablet for the past hour or so, you probably have already heard that Travis d’Arnaud will probably miss up to two months with a fracture in his foot.

This is crushing news, as Mets fans were started to get really excited about seeing the top catching prospect make his Flushing debut, especially with the talk of late where Terry Collins stated he would be willing to play both John Buck (1B) and d’Arnaud in the lineup at the same time.

Looks like we will have to wait a few more months before that becomes a reality. The reality is that our best position player prospect is now on the shelf, and someone will have to step up and replace him in Las Vegas for the time being.

The most likely candidate is Juan Centeno. Centeno does enough offensively, and more than enough defensively to make him the prime candidate to be promoted to Triple-A. Centeno also spent the entire 2012 season with Binghamton where he hit .285 on the season, showing that he can make the offensive jump to Triple-A. Blake Forsythe has had an excellent year for Binghamton so far offensively, but seeing as he has logged only five games at the Double-A level, he is probably going to remain in Binghamton. This will allow Forsythe to get more innings, as the B-Mets will only have two catchers on the roster now.

The question is, does this injury also open the door for other catchers to be promoted, like, let’s say, Kevin Plawecki? Could the Mets bump Plawecki up to Binghamton now? It’s not out of the realm of possibilities. He is a polished college hitter who is absolutely dominating Low-A ball. In fact, I thought it was a shocking that Plawecki started where he did and should have started with St. Lucie because of his hitting ability and his age. To make the jump to St. Lucie now wouldn’t be much of a challenge for Plawecki. The added bonus is that Binghamton could use a bat like his in that lineup to give some run support to pitchers like Rafael Montero, Tyler Pill, Logan Verrett and Jacob deGrom.

* * * * * * * *

By the way, interesting exchange between Joe D. and Will Carroll just now on Twitter:

By the way, when did Carroll leave Baseball Prospectus to join Bleacher Report? Sounds like an odd switch, but also explains his over the top “Second Lost Season.” Sensational titles are Bleacher Report staples as I was a former writer there before joining MMO. They would send us crazy titles and ask us to build stories around them and drilled it into our heads. I couldn’t work that way.

I was told that nobody cares about anybody else after I asked SNY why all they only ever talk and write about the same 4-5 prospects as if the other 200 players in the Mets system meant nothing. Are Wilmer Flores, Rafael Montero, Jack Leathersich and Logan Verrett pariahs I asked? “Average Mets fans don’t care about them”, I was told. Really? Four of the best prospects in the Mets entire system? I’ll have much more on that later. Much, much more…

As one who was the first site back in 2005 to post daily minor league reports and have been for the eight years since, I found some of the things said to be very insulting to me and to Mets fans as a whole.

Meanwhile, for the less than 1% of Mets fans out there that do care about the Mets minor league system, or so I was told, and those of you who ARE excited about the future of this organization, this one’s for you.

Meet Josh Satin, professional slugger extraordinaire…

In previous Mets Minors Reports this week, the best Mets Minors Report you’ll ever see anywhere, I’ve been calling for the Mets to promote corner infielder Josh Satin. I wrote about my disappointment during the end of spring training when I learned he wouldn’t be making the team. I look at what he’s doing now and shake my head wondering, “what more does this kid have to prove by being in the minor leagues?”

Selected by the New York Mets in the sixth round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of California-Berkeley, Satin wasted no time at all proving to all that his bat was legit, his intensity strong, and his determination was off the charts. However there was one slight problem, Satin was a third baseman, and a great one at that, but how was he going supplant the fixture at that position – face of the franchise and team captain David Wright?

“The guy’s the best third baseman in the game, and I happen to be a New York Met,” said Satin. “Even though that’s probably my best position, it’s not going to happen.”

Give Satin props for seeing and understanding the obvious. If he was going to crack the Majors, he was going to have to do it as a first baseman or even a second baseman perhaps.

The math was simple, if he pulled it off he could at least become a useful corner utility player for the Mets and perhaps even start a game or two when a left-hander was on the mound in light of Ike Davis being the everyday first baseman.

“I’ve kind of realized that if I’m going to be a player on this team, that’s the kind of role that I have to take.”

However, here we are in 2013, Satin now 28, and yet he still toils away at Triple-A… What’s wrong with this picture?

Lets check in on him and see how Las Vegas is treating him so far this season:

Satin currently leads his Mets Triple-A squad in Batting Average (.383), Slugging Percentage (.723) and On-Base (.473), as well as Runs Scored, Home Runs, RBI, Hits and Total Bases.

A fluke?

Not a chance… 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…

The fact we have Ike Davis batting .136 this far into the season is fast becoming a concern. Some might say it’s too early, but what about his performance against left-handed pitching in his last 200 starts and 380 plate appearances?

Would that be a big enough sample size for you?

It would seem so to me and so I ask you non-believers to please explain his dismal .214/.277/.362/.619 output against southpaws throughout his career? And it’s only gotten even worse this season.

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.

My conclusion?

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.

To the 99% of Mets fans who don’t care about the Mets minors, my deepest apologies…

The B-Mets scored seven unanswered runs and battled through a 37-minute rain delay en route to a 7-3 victory over the Portland Sea Dogs Tuesday night at NYSEG Stadium.

Portland took an early lead against B-Met starter Logan Verrett. An RBI double from Tony Thomas in the first, and an inside-the-park home run by Heiker Meneses in the second put the Sea Dogs up 2-0. Verrett settled down after the first two frames however, and allowed just one hit over his final four innings. He began the seventh inning, but was relieved by Jack Leathersich after surrendering a two-out walk to Peter Hissey.

Binghamton’s offense began in the fourth inning against Portland starter Drake Britton. After the first two batters had been retired, Cory Vaughn got the rally started with a line drive single up the middle. Cesar Puello then tripled down the right field line to put Binghamton on the board. After Danny Muno walked, Britton threw a wild pitch, allowing Puello to score and tie the game. Francisco Pena then gave the B-Mets the lead with an RBI double to left field.

The game moved along quickly until the bottom of the seventh, where it was halted for 37 minutes due to a rain delay. After the break, the B-Mets tacked on four more runs in the eighth to boost the lead up to 7-2. Jeff Walters gave up one run in the top of the ninth, but finished the game to earn his third save of the season.

The B-Mets (7-5) will play their first rubber match of the season Wednesday night against Portland at NYSEG Stadium. First pitch is slated for 6:35 PM. RHP Jacob DeGrom (0-0, 0.00) will make his Double-A debut for the B-Mets against RHP Brandon Workman (2-0, 4.91).

Key Stats

Francisco Pena: 2-for-3, 1 2B, 2 RBI

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

Cory Vaughn: 3-for-4, 1 RBI, 2 R

Josh Rodriguez: 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 R

Logan Verrett: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 HR, 3 BB, 2 ER, 6 K

Jack Leathersich: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 K

Jeffrey Walters: 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 K

(Team Report)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats 3, Binghamton Mets 1

BINGHAMTON, NY (by Tim Heiman) – With the aid of two late home runs, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats beat the Binghamton Mets 3-1 in the home opener at NYSEG Stadium.

Josh Rodriguez doubled down the left field line in the fourth inning, which got the offense started. After he moved over to third base on a wild pitch, he scored the first run of the game on an RBI fielder’s choice from Cesar Puello. Unfortunately, that was the only crooked number Binghamton would put up all night. New Hampshire starting pitcher Deck McGuire held the B-Mets to just one run on two hits in 7.0 innings on the hill, and earned his first win in 2013.

Binghamton starter Logan Verrett worked his way out of trouble nearly the whole night, but lost the lead after he gave up a solo home run to Adam Loewen in the 7th. Verrett ended the night scattering seven hits and one run over seven innings. In the next frame, Kevin Pillar hit the eventual game-winning two-run home run over the left field wall off of reliever John Church to give New Hampshire a 3-1 lead.

Darrell Ceciliani and Josh Rodriguez both reached base to start the bottom of the ninth, but Fisher Cat closer Chad Beck retired the next three hitters to earn his third save of the season. On the night, the B-Mets tallied just three hits; Rodriguez was responsible for two of them.

The B-Mets (4-3) look to even the series tomorrow night in game two of the four-game series at NYSEG Stadium. RHP Tyler Pill (0-1, 7.20) will start for the B-Mets against RHP Tyson Brummett (0-0, 0.00).

Key Stats:

• Josh Rodriguez - 2-for-4, R, 2B
  
• Cesar Puello - 0-for-4, RBI
• Logan Verrett - 7.0 IP, 7 H, BB, ER, 3 K

Click scoreboard to see entire box score

Binghamton Mets 7, Akron Aeros 5

The Binghamton Mets moved to 3-0 on the season after defeating the Akron Aeros again this afternoon at Canal Park. The story of the day is Blake Forsythe, who led the offensive attack going 3 for 4, adding a double, a triple, and three RBI. The B-Mets offense jumped on Aeros starter, Matt Packer, right out of the gate. The offense pounded out thirteen hits, and six B-Mets players had multi-hit games, including Daniel Muno, Alonzo Harris, Darrell Ceciliani, Josh Rodriguez, Cory Vaughn, and of course, Forsythe.

On the mound, Logan Verrett picked up the win and was pitching a masterpiece until the sixth inning. He held the Aeros scoreless through six, only allowing one hit and one walk. However, in the sixth inning you could see some signs that Verrett was tiring. He gave up a deep double to Alex Lavisky, the Aeros’ number nine hitter, which hit off the fence and narrowly missed being a home run. Then, Aeros’ lead off hitter Tyler Holt smashed a wicked line-drive down the third base line which was stabbed by Josh Rodriguez to save a run. Verrett escaped the sixth, but the seventh inning didn’t get any easier. He gave up a hit to the inning’s lead off hitter, Carlos Moncrief, and then a deep home run to right-center field to the second batter of the inning, Jesus Aguilar, which signaled that Verrett’s day may have been over. He then walked the following batter, and then was replaced by John Church.

Verrett pitched an excellent game, and really only made a couple of mistakes the entire game. It was an excellent outing that Verrett will be able to build on. He pitched six complete innings (did not retire an out in the seventh), allowing three runs on four hits, and only walked two batters.

The Binghamton Mets are the only undefeated team in the Eastern League

Key Stats

• Blake Forsythe - 3 for 5, 2B, 3B, 3 RBI
• Alonzo Harris - 2 for 4, 2B, R, BB
• Daniel Muno – 2 for 5, 2B, 2 R, RBI
• Josh Rodriguez – 3 for 5, R, RBI
• Darrell Ceciliani – 2 for 5, 2B, 3B, R
• Cory Vaughn – 2 for 4, 3B, 2 R, RBI, BB
• Logan Verrett – 6 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K, W

Tomorrow’s Game

Tyler Pill takes the hill for the B-Mets tomorrow afternoon, as they close out their four game series with the Akron Aeros at Canal Park. The game is slated for a 2:05 PM start.

Rafael Montero headlines the B-Mets 2013 roster.

While, for most of the season, it will be the St. Lucie Mets grabbing the headlines, the Binghamton Mets have an intriguing roster as well. Bingo will feature a solid pitching staff, headlined by Rafael Montero, as well as some prospects that have largely flown under the radar in their careers, but have talent, such as Wilfredo Tovar and Alonzo Harris. The B-Mets will also feature two interesting names who haven’t been able to put it all together yet: Cory Vaughn and Cesar Puello, both of whom have very high ceilings. Now, let’s get to the players.

The Big Names

• Rafael Montero (RHP)- Montero has risen through the minors unusually quickly, playing for seven of the Mets’ minor league affiliates after signing with them before the 2011 season. Although he had a fine 2011 season between the Dominican Summer, Gulf Coast, Appalachian, and New York-Penn leagues, he didn’t really put himself on the map until last season. Last season between Savannah and St. Lucie, he posted a 2.36 ERA in 122 innings, striking out 8.1 per nine while walking just 1.4. Scouts credit his strong secondary pitches for his successes so far in his career. His changeup and slider are both well-developed, which is why he has dominated and moved up so quickly. 
• Wilfredo Tovar (SS)- Until last season, Tovar looked like a weak-hitting shortstop with a good glove, but also a bat that would keep him from the majors. In 2011, Tovar hit .251/.318/.318 in a full season with Savannah. He was moved up a level to St. Lucie last season, in which he started to look like more than a weak-hitting shortstop. In half a season with St. Lucie, he upped his batting line to .284/.377/.385 with 12 stolen bases in 65 games, earning himself an FSL All-Star Game selection. What was especially promising was his strikeout and walk rates, which were better than ever. He walked in 11.3% of his plate appearances, compared to his career-best of 8.0%, and struck out at a 6.6% clip, also the best mark of his career. He struggled in Binghamton last year, which is why he is repeating the league, but if he can harness the patience that we saw out of him over the first half of 2012, he could become a Ruben Tejada-type player.
• Cory Vaughn (RF)- The Mets don’t have many pure power hitters in their system, but Cory Vaughn is one of them, and among the best. He is the definition of a power hitter: getting on base, and hitting a ton of extra-base hits. Last year, he hit 51 extra-base hits in 126 games with St. Lucie, 23 of them home runs. Vaughn, however, has speed that most power hitters don’t have. He swiped a career-best 21 bases last season. Vaughn’s biggest weakness right now is his hit tool. Everything else is there. If he starts hitting for a higher batting average, everything will come together.
• Cesar Puello (RF)- Once dubbed the next Carlos Beltran, Puello may have the best tools in the entire Met system. He has speed, power, and is a solid defender in the outfield. It’s the health that will dictate his future. Last season, Puello hit .260/.328/.423 with 26 extra-base hits in 66 games.

The Sleepers

• Danny Muno (2B/SS)- Muno was suspended for PED use last year, after hitting .355 in Brooklyn in 2011. The 2011 eighth-round pick still put up solid numbers, even after the suspension. He hit for a little bit of power, knocking 16 doubles, two triples, and six homers in 81 games with St. Lucie. He put up a .280/.387/.412 batting line. Muno walked an excellent 14.2% of the time while striking out only 15.1%. Oh, and he stole 19 bases.
• Tyler Pill (RHP)- Pill is seeing his stock rising fast, and although he isn’t put in the same group as Wheeler, Fulmer, or Syndergaard, he has made a name for himself as a top-30 prospect. He only throws in the high-80s, but uses his excellent command to get hitters out. Last season, he put up an impressive 4.77 K/BB rate with a 2.31 ERA in 113 innings between St. Lucie and Savannah.
• Jack Leathersich (LHP)- Leathersich has put up amazing strikeout numbers out of the bullpen since being drafted in 2011 in the fifth round out of UMass-Lowell. Leathersich is on the fast track to the major league bullpen, and will continue to move quickly if his strikeout numbers remain this high. Last season he struck out 14.1 batters per nine. Some call his delivery deceiving, which may explain why his ERA in the Florida State League this year was 4.12. Maybe more advanced hitters are catching on. Perhaps his high walk numbers are hurting him. Or maybe the high ERA was just a result of a small sample size, as so often happens with minor league relief pitchers.
• Alonzo Harris (OF)- Harris, once deemed ruined after an aggressive promotion by Omar Minaya went horribly wrong, has re-gained his prospect status with a much-improved approach at the dish over the last few seasons. Promoted too quickly because of his athleticism and raw tools, Harris hit .224/.270/..342 as a 20 year-old, second-year player in Savannah. He was overly-aggressive and struck out over in over 20% of his plate appearances. Since then, he has seen his walk rates rise and strikeout rates fall steadily and now he has a solid approach at the dish. His success in 2011 in Savannah were attributed to him getting used to the league, but the even better walk and strikeout numbers in 2012 with St. Lucie have some people believing that he’s not done yet.

Other Names to Watch

• Cory Mazzoni (RHP)- Mazzoni was the Mets’ second-round pick of the 2011 draft out of NC State. After a little over a year in the minors, it appears that that Mazzoni, with a limited arsenal, is headed to the bullpen. He will start for the forseeable future to get more in-game action, but his 6.5 K/9 last year leave much to be desired.
• Logan Verrett (RHP)- Verrett only made six starts in St. Lucie after coming back from a shoulder strain, but will move up this year anyway. His 7.15 K/BB ratio last year was stellar. The only concern is the lower strikeout rate in the six St. Lucie starts, which fell to 6.1 K/9 from 9.3 in Savannah.

DOMINGO TAPIA: Looks like he’s on the Mets fast-track…

Mack emailed me last night and told me the “Group 2″ starters were announced and he posted them on his site tonight. Here they are:

1. Rafael Montero
2. Domingo Tapia
3. Jacob deGrom
4. Tyler Pill
5. Chase Huchingson
6. Alex Panteliodis
7. Logan Verrett

He correctly points out, that is normally the group of pitchers that usually begin the season at Double-A Binghamton.

As you know, I’ve posted my own projected minor league rotations and have updated them a few times already since January. But suffice it to say I’m a little shocked to see two particular names on this list – Tapia and Panteliodis.

I wrote Mack back and said:

Wow, didn’t expect to see a couple of those players listed there.

I didn’t think Tapia or Pants would be placed this high and so soon… They are both basically skipping right past High-A St. Lucie which is tough for any pitching prospect to do.

I could potentially see Pants skipping a level because he’ll be 23 and has shown lots of potential and savvy, but Tapia just turned 21 and I had him slated for a full season at Lucie in 2013…

I can only assume that the team is extremely high on both of them… EXTREMELY high…

DeGrom of course is no surprise, and  I’ve mentioned many times that he will move quickly through the system. He’ll be 25 in June and is far more advanced and we need to see what he can do against players his own age. I like him a lot..

Montero and Pill are no-brainers…

I’ll probably update my projected rosters on Monday. This changes a few things, plus it looks like Jenrry Mejia and Jeurys Familia are both heading to Vegas to start the season.

By the way, Mack posted the B-Mets 2013 Schedule today.

The regular season is over for all three upper minors teams. That means no more baseball for the Bisons and B-Mets, and a best-of-three divisional series for the St. Lucie team. Let’s take a look at who finished up the season strong, and who didn’t.

Who’s Hot!!!

• Wilfredo Tovar 2B, Binghamton- Tovar had a strong first half with St. Lucie, but had a tough time adjusting in Double-A Binghamton. However, he was able to finish the season very strong. He hit .417 over his last ten games, driving in six runs and hitting four extra-base hits.
• Dustin Martin OF, Binghamton- Martin is heating up once again with Binghamton. He is hitting .359 over his last ten games to go along with three home runs and six RBI. He has a total of seven extra-base hits over that span.
• Wilmer Flores INF, Binghamton- Flores finished up the season very strong, hitting .359 over his last ten games and hitting .377 over the month of August. He hit five home runs last month, driving in 13 runs.

Honorable Mention: Logan Verrett SP, St. Lucie- Verrett has put together a dominant string of starts since being called up to St. Lucie from Savannah. In six starts in the FSL, he has a 2.09 ERA in 38.2 innings pitches. He has also struck out 26 batters and walked only four over that span.

Who’s Not!!!

•  Brad Emaus 2B, Buffalo- Brad Emaus struggled in Buffalo this season, hitting just .212 in 73 games. However, he finished up the season with a really tough stretch. Over his final ten games, he hit just .156 with a .229 on-base percentage and .219 slugging.
• Adam Loewen OF, Buffalo- Loewen is another guy who has struggled in less than half a season with the Bisons. Loewen is hitting .227 on the season with Buffalo, including a .148 average in his last ten games. He drove in just one run over that span and also struck out in nine of his 27 at-bats.
• Daniel Muno SS, St. Lucie- Muno caught fire after returning from a PED suspension earlier this season, but has struggled recently. He ended the season with a ten-game in which he .167. The good news for Muno is he drew ten walks during that span, making his on-base percentage .395.

Welcome to Who’s Hot Who’s Not, where every Tuesday, we take a look at the hottest and coldest players from the upper minors (St. Lucie, Binghamton, Buffalo).

Who’s Hot

• Wilmer Flores INF, Binghamton- Flores is just on fire right now. After earning himself an “Honorable Mention” on last week’s list, Flores has picked it up even more. Over his last ten, he is batting .447 with three home runs. During that span, he has driven in six runs and has a .500 on-base percentage.
• Darin Gorski SP, Binghamton-After a breakout year with St. Lucie last year, Gorski is doing it once again, this time with Binghamton. He has been having a very good season overall, but his last few starts have been stellar. Over his last three games (21.2 IP) he has a 1.66 ERA and has struck out 25 batters.
• Cesar Puello RF, St. Lucie- Puello has missed major time in his second season in the Florida State League, but seems to be finishing his year strong. He is hitting .355 over his last ten games to go along with a home run and four stolen bases.

Honorable Mention: Logan Verrett SP, St. Lucie- Verrett was stellar in his 11 starts with Savannah, earning himself a promotion to High-A St. Lucie. Since then, he has been even more impressive. He has a 2.27 ERA in 31.2 innings since getting the call. In his last start against Jupiter, he gave up just one run on three hits over seven innings.

Who’s Not

• Lucas May C, Buffalo- May has had a rough season overall with Buffalo. The power hasn’t been there this season, and this latest stretch has been particularly rough for Lucas. He is batting .138 over his last ten games with a .158 on-base percentage.
• Jefry Marte 3B, Binghamton- Marte was on last week’s list and has continued to struggle, putting him on it once again. Marte is hitting just .189 over his last ten games and .183 overall in the month of August. He is now hitting .253 on the season.
• Travis Taijeron OF, St. Lucie- After having a fantastic first half for Savannah, hitting 12 home runs in 64 games and showing patience at the plate, Taijeron has had a tough time adjusting to the very tough Florida State League. Taijeron is hitting .182 over his last ten games and has struck out 14 times in 33 at-bats.