Mets Minors Recap: Parada, Mauricio, Williams Tally Huge Days

Ronny Mauricio. Photo by James Farrance

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (36-51) 9, Rochester Red Wings (41-46) 8 (10 Innings)

LF Ronny Mauricio: 2-for-5, R, HR (14), 4 RBIs (52), K (.865 OPS)
RF Abraham Almonte: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR (6), 2 RBIs (10), BB (.913 OPS)
CF Rafael Ortega: 1-for-4, R, HR (3), RBI (10), BB, K (.925 OPS)
DH Danny Mendick: 2-for-5, RBI (36), K (.748 OPS)
SS Jonathan Araúz: 1-for-4, RBI (47), 2 K (.798 OPS)
3B Mark Vientos: 1-for-5, R, 2B, 4 K (1.031 OPS)

In a back-and-forth ball game, the Mets found a way to walk it off in extra innings thanks to a walk-off single by Mendick in the bottom of the tenth. It was Mauricio who helped get them to extra innings as his 100^th hit of the year was a game-tying single in the ninth.

Two innings later, the 22-year-old hit a two-run home run to tie the game at six at the time. It was his 14^th of the year and his second in as many games. He has driven in nine runs in the last five games he has appeared in going back to July 4.

Almonte had two home runs of his own, which is the second time he has had a multi-home run game this month.

LHP Joey Lucchesi (3.99 ERA): 5 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 4 K (48 of 83 pitches for strikes)
LHP Josh Walker (1.44 ERA): 2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 1 K
RHP Jimmy Yacabonis (2-0, 4.05): 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, K

The last three starts have not been the greatest for Lucchesi at Triple-A. The southpaw has allowed at least five earned runs in each of his last three starts (16 in 14 1/3 innings). In addition, he has walked three or more batters in four consecutive outings.

Yacabonis was able to throw a scoreless 10th inning thanks to a great throw by Ortega to double up the runner trying to go to third at the beginning of the inning.

Brandon Mcllewan. Photo via Brooklyn Cyclones

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (39-43) 3, Somerset Patriots (48-33) 1

BOX SCORE

CF Brandon McIlwain: 3-for-4, R, RBI (44) (.754 OPS)
3B Jose Peroza: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI (43), K (.863 OPS)
C Matt O’Neill: 1-for-3, RBI (11), K (.631 OPS)
2B Rowdey Jordan: 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 BB, SB (.809 OPS)

McIlwain had the bulk of the hits for the Rumble Ponies in Saturday’s win. Not only did he have his third three-hit game of the year (first since June 2), but his RBI single in the first got the team on the board first. The 25-year-old has a multi-hit performance in four of the last five games.

As for Jordan, he picked up his 18^th stolen base of the year and he has swiped a bag in five of the last seven games.

RHP Tyler Stuart (1.50 ERA): 6 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, BB, 5 K, HBP (61 of 93 pitches for strikes)
LHP Daniel Juarez (1-2, 2.95): 1 2/3 IP. 0 ER, 1 H, 2 K
RHP William Woods (1.93, 2^nd save): 1 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 3 K

Outside of allowing a solo home run to Jasson Dominguez in the fifth, you couldn’t ask for a better performance from Stuart in his Double-A debut. The 23-year-old got six groundball outs in the no decision and went at least six innings for the fifth-straight outing dating back to his time in Brooklyn.

Out of the final 10 outs that were recorded by Juarez and Woods, five of them came via the strikeout.

Kevin Parada. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (41-41) 3, Greensboro Grasshoppers (39-41) 0

BOX SCORE

C Kevin Parada: 2-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR (10, 2 RBI (34), K (.823 OPS)
3B William Lugo: 2-for-4, 2B, K (.678 OPS)
LF Rhylan Thomas: 1-for-3, BB (.575 OPS)
CF Alex Ramírez: 0-for-3, BB, K (.652 OPS)

The Cyclones had just five hits and were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in Saturday’s win. However, they only needed two big swings from Parada who hit solo home runs in the bottom of the first and in the fifth against two different pitchers.

The Mets’ top catching prospect has at least one hit in six of the last seven games and as the team tweeted out, his 76 total bases since May 28 are the second-most in the South Atlantic League.

RHP Jordany Ventura (0.00): 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 3 BB, HBP (16 of 36 pitches for strikes)
RHP Robert Colina (2-2, 3.58): 2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, K
RHP Dylan Hall (0.00, 1^st save): 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, K

The Cyclones used seven pitchers on Saturday, but all of them combined to allow three hits. In Ventura’s High-A debut, he allowed four of the eight batters he faced to reach base without allowing a hit. He was able to get double plays in both of those innings to escape trouble.

Colina picked up the win in relief while Hall picked up the save in his Brooklyn debut (third affiliate he has played in this year).

Jett Williams. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (30-52) 11, Jupiter Hammerheads (42-41) 9

BOX SCORE

SS Jett Williams: 2-for-2, 2 R, 3 BB, 2 SB (.790 OPS)
RF Wilfredo Lara: 2-for-4, 3 RBIs (27), BB, K, SB (.789 OPS)
1B Yeral Martinez: 3-for-5, 3 R, 3B, HR (7), 3 RBIs (29) (.741 OPS)
2B Kevin Villavicencio: 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI (23), BB, 3 SB (.592 OPS)
3B Jacob Reimer: 1-for-4, 2 RBIs (31), BB, K (.787 OPS)
LF Dyron Campos: 2-for-5, 3 R, HR (4), 2 RBIs (19), K (.613 OPS)

The Mets’ offense was all in full force with the power on the basepaths Saturday night. The team stole six bases in the win as Williams padded his total to 28 steals on the year (tied for fourth in the Florida State League). His 58 walks are the second-most in the FSL (six in the last four games).

Martinez started the scoring with a two-run home run in the bottom of the second and he later added an RBI triple in the sixth. The 20-year-old outfielder has had at least one hit in six straight games.

RHP Candido Cuevas (5.03): 2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 3 K (16 of 25 pitches for strikes)
RHP Jawilme Ramirez (4-6, 4.59): 4 2/3 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 K (58 of 96 pitches for strikes)
RHP Elliot Johnstone (4.76, 3^rd save): 2 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, K, HBP

After Cuevas made an abbreviated start, Ramirez entered the game, but Jupiter found a way to cut an 11-2 deficit down to 11-9 with seven runs in the top of the seventh.

Johnstone had to get the final seven outs, but he was able to keep the Hammerheads off the board. The 24-year-old right-hander has gone a combined 9 2/3 IP in three outings this month.

Florida Complex League

FCL Mets (16-9) 8, FCL Nationals (11-14) 3

BOX SCORE

DH Joe Suozzi: 2-for-3, 2 R, 2B, BB, K, HBP (Rehab assignment)
3B Jose Peraza: 1-for-3, R, 2B, 2 RBI (3), BB, K, HBP(Rehab assignment)
RF Yohairo Cuevas: 1-for-3, R, 3B, BB, 2 K (.968 OPS)
SS Jesus Baez: 1-for-5, RBI (8), 2 K (.727 OPS)
LF JT Schwartz: 2-for-3, RBI (2), BB (Rehab Assignment)

Like the St. Lucie Mets, the FCL complex offense wreaked havoc on the bases as they swiped five bags (two by Francis De Leon). The rehabbers played a key role as Suozzi had a mullti-hit game, Peraza had an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth, and Schwartz had two hits and an RBI single in the fifth.

On a non-rehab note, Baez extended his hit streak to seven games with an RBI single in the first.

RHP Landon Marceaux (3.18): 3 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 4 H, 3 K, WP
RHP Jonah Tong (15.00): 1 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, BB, 3 K
RHP Cristofer Gomez (1-0, 2.16): 1 1/3 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, K

Marceaux made his second FCL start on Saturday (third since joining the Mets’ organization) with both of them coming against the same Nationals squad.

After his start ended, Tong (seventh-round pick in 2022) was able to have his best professional outing of his young career.

Dominican Summer League

DSL Mets Orange (11-19) 8, DSL Rockies (15-13) 7

BOX SCORE

SS Samuel Camacaro: 4-for-6, R, 2B, 2 RBIs (9) (.588 OPS)
DH Jeffry Rosa: 3-for-4, R, HR (8), 4 RBIs (19), K (1.130 OPS)
CF Heriberto Rincon: 3-for-5, 3 R, 2B, HR (1), RBI (11), BB, K (.774 OPS)
1B Yohenny Mata: 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI (4), BB, K (.720 OPS)

The top of the order played a key role in the orange squad’s victory as they combined for 10 of the team’s 15 hits. Rincon led off the game with a solo home run.

In the top of the fourth, Rosa hit a three-run home run as part of a four-run fourth. He would later tack on a key insurance run with an infield single in the eighth. The 18-year-old is now second in the DSL in home runs and seventh in OPS.

As for Camacaro, the 19-year-old had a four-hit game for the first time in his career dating back to 2021. His RBI single in the fourth was the beginning of the big inning that the offense had.

RHP Elwis Mijares (3.22): 4 IP. 0 ER, 1 H, BB, 4 K
RHP Jhon Nunez (2–1, 5.03): 2 IP, 1 R, 2 H, BB, 3 WP
LHP Rogert Cortez (71): 2 IP, 2 R (1 ER), 3 H, BB, 4 K, 2 HBP, WP, Balk
RHP Yoralbert Cadiz (5.87, 1^st save): 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, K

The only hit that Mijares allowed came on a one-out double in the second. Saturday’s outing was the first start he has had this year and the longest he has gone in any outing.

DSL Mets Blue (13-16) 2, DSL Pirates Black (11-17) 1

BOX SCORE

3B Daris Cordero: 1-for-3, 3B, RBI (15), K (.760 OPS)
DH Branny De Oleo: 1-for-2, BB, K (.870 OPS)
SS Keiver Garcia: 1-for-2, R, BB (.660 OPS)

The blue squad only had three hits against the Pirates, but they did just enough to secure the victory. Cordero had one of those hits with an RBI single in the third that put the team up 2-0. The 17-year-old has driven in 11 runs this month (15 total for the year).

RHP Wellington Aracena (2-1, 1.84): 5 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, BB, 6 K, HBP
RHP Ellian Nunez (4.67): 1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, K
RHP Miguel Mejias (3.00, 1^st save): 1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H

In the eight starts Aracena has made this year, the 18-year-old has yet to allow more than two earned runs in any outing. On Saturday, he went five innings for the third time this year (second this month). He has 17 strikeouts to three walks in three starts in July (12 innings pitched).