Mets Minors: David Peterson Among Top May Perfomers

The minor league season is roughly a month and a half old.  In that time, we have seen players who have gotten off to hot starts have the league adjust to them, and there results are not at the same highs. Conversely, players who had gotten off to a poor start have had the opportunity to make adjustments and are now thriving. There is also Peter Alonso who has been great this entire season. With this as the backdrop, here are the Mets prospects who are currently thriving this month:

Las Vegas 51s

Luis Guillorme, MI (23-years old)
Season Stats: .300/.394/.433, 7 2B, 3B, HR, 15 RBI, 2 SB, CS
May Stats: .556/.586/.778, 2B, 3B, HR, 7 RBI

After struggling for most of April, Guillorme carried a hitting streak which ran up to nine games before he was called-up to the majors. With him beginning his MLB career going 3-for-3, that combined hitting streak is now 12 games. In that stretch he had a six-game streak with at least two hits.

Drew Smith, RHP (24-years old)
Season Stats: 3-0, 3.86 ERA, 3 SV, 21.0 IP, 24 K, 1.333 WHIP, 4.3 BB/9, 10.1 K/9
May Stats: 2-0, 2.35 ERA, SV, 7.2 IP, 1.435 WHIP, 4.7 BB/9, 7.0 K/9

After dominating in Binghamton to start the year, Smith was called up to Triple-A Las Vegas, where just like any other pitcher, he had an adjustment period.  That adjustment period seems over, and he is once again pitching well out of the bullpen. In all four of his relief appearances, he has not allowed a run, and he has recorded at least one strikeout.  In all of his relief appearances, he has recorded one or fewer walks and one or fewer hits.  In fact, his May numbers are skewed a bit by his having to go well outside his comfort zone by making a spot start. Taking that spot start out of the equation, in the Month of May, Smith is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 1.071 WHIP, 3.9 BB/9, and an 11.6 K/9.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Jeff McNeil, 2B/3B (26-years old)
Season Stats: .316/.405/.702, 11 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 21 RBI, SB
May Stats: .358/.443/.792, 6 2B, 3B, 5 HR, 15 RBI

Believe it or not, McNeil is actually outhitting Alonso in the Month of May besting him in batting average, OBP, SLG, OPS, doubles, triples, homers, extra base hits, HR, and RBI.  Maybe you can chalk this up to the joys of hitting in front of Alonso, but he is taking full advantage, and he is now fifth in the Eastern League in OPS and eighth in the entire minor leagues with his 206 wRC+.

David Roseboom, LHP (26 today!)
Season Stats: 0-0, 5.40 ERA, 16.2 IP, 1.500 WHIP, 5.9 BB/0, 13.5 K/9
May Stats: 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 7.0 IP, 0.857 WHIP, 14.1 K/9

Like many pitchers, Roseboom and Las Vegas do not mix, but Roseboom and Binghamton? Well, Roseboom completely owns the Eastern League. He’s in the midst of a five appearance and seven inning scoreless streak where he has struck out 11 while walking just two.  In this stretch, he’s struck out at least two in four of his five appearances. He’s limiting opposing batters to a .160/.250/.200 stat line meaning no one can do anything against him right now.  This is no fluke either because this is the dominance we saw from Roseboom two years ago before surgery made him miss most of the 2017 season.

St. Lucie Mets

Desmond Lindsay, CF (21-years old)
Season Stats: .233/.363/.320, 5 2B, 2 3B, 10 RBI, 2 SB, 4 CS
May Stats: .250/.400/.425, 5 2B, 3B, 5 RBI, 2 SB, 2 CS

Since he was drafted, everyone has been waiting for the player dubbed “The Offensive Machine” to take off.  Unfortunately, he’s dealt with a number of injuries, including season ending elbow surgery last year. The results early in the season were not promising, but as he has gotten into the groove of the season, Lindsay has begun to take off.  This stretch where he has gotten a hit in eight of his 12 games played and has recorded four extra base hits over his last four games looks more and more like the guy many believed the Mets were getting in the second round of the 2015 draft.

Harol Gonzalez, RHP  (23-years old)
Season Stats: 0-3, 3.48 ERA, 31.0 IP, 1.387 WHIP,  2.9 BB/9, 6.1 K/9
May Stats: 0-1, 1.50 ERA, 12.0 IP, 1.000 WHIP, 2.3 BB/9, 6.8 K/9

Since being drafted, Gonzalez has shown he both knows how to pitch and make adjustments. After two poor starts to close out the Month of April, he has been dominant in May allowing just two earned in his two starts. In those starts, he is giving his team some length and consistency pitching 6.0 innings in each start.  One pleasant surprise is while he’s been a pitcher who typically pitches to contact, he did strike out six in his last start.

Columbia Fireflies

Scott Manea, C (22-years old)
Season Stats: .295/.471/.487, 6 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI
May Stats: .290/.500/.484, 3 2B, HR, 6 RBI

Nothing shows how great Manea’s May has gone better than his reaching base in half of his plate appearances. It is a big reason why he’s leading the South Atlantic League in OBP, and third in OPS. Also impressive is his work behind the plate, where he has been seen as someone who can call a good game. When you combine that with his throwing out 63% of base stealers this year, you have the makings of a good all-around catcher.

David Peterson, LHP (22-years old)
Season Stats: 1-1, 2.05 ERA, 30.2 IP, 1.076 WHIP, 3.2 BB/9, 7.3 K/9
May Stats: 0-1, 0.47 ERA, 19.0 IP, 0.895 WHIP, 3.8 BB/9, 8.5 K/9

In three May starts, Peterson has certainly looked like the pitcher the Mets thought they were getting when they made him the 20th overall draft pick last year.  In the month, he has allowed one more earned run than extra base hits. For the record, he’s only allowed one earned. In two of three starts, he’s gone seven innings, and more impressively, he’s kept his pitch count down meaning he could have possibly have gone deeper into those games. In two of the three starts, he’s struck out six plus. Add all the stats and superlatives you want to him because he’s earned it with this stretch of dominance, and if he continues this, he should be getting called up to St. Lucie in the near future.