Mets Minors Weekly Report: Binghamtom Readies Playoff Run

Only two affiliates are still in action, and while Syracuse is limping toward the finish line, Binghamton is looking stronger than ever as they gear up for a postseason run. Here are the biggest developments throughout the organization, including a strong end of the regular season for Drew Gilbert and a Herculean effort from the entire Binghamton starting rotation.

Drew Gilbert. Photo by Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso of NorthJersey/USA TODAY NETWORK

Triple-A Syracuse

The Syracuse Mets split their six-game series away at the Worcester Red Sox. Syracuse has a 58-82 record entering their final series of the season next week.

Jaylen Palmer hit a home run in three straight games this series. He has an .866 OPS and five home runs in his first 15 Triple-A games.

Mike Vasil struck out 10 batters over six strong innings of two-run ball on Thursday. He lowered his Triple-A ERA to 5.48, and he has 130 strikeouts in 120 innings on the mound this season–over 30 innings more than he had all of 2022.

Double-A Binghamton

The Rumble Ponies won four of six games at home against the Reading Fightin Phils. Binghamton finishes the regular season with a 74-61 record and begins their three-game divisional series matchup against the Somerset Patriots on Tuesday.

Drew Gilbert went 7-for-15 with one triple, two doubles, four walks, three runs, and three RBI. He finished the regular season with 18 homers and an .868 OPS, hitting .325 with a .984 OPS in 35 games with Binghamton.

Luisangel Acuña went 2-for-17 with two stolen bases. Acuña finished the regular season with a .294 average and 57 stolen bases, but he hit just .243 with a .621 OPS in 37 games with Binghamton.

Jeremiah Jackson went 5-for-18 with one double and two stolen bases. Jackson finished the regular season with 22 homers and a .768 OPS, posting an .801 OPS in 37 games with Binghamton.

Jett Williams went 5-for-22 with one double, two RBI, five runs scored, and one stolen base. He also struck out 10 times and drew two walks in his first six career Double-A games.

Kevin Parada went 2-for-14 with one double. He hit .185 with three homers in 14 games since a late-season call-up to the Rumble Ponies.

Blade Tidwell struck out nine batters across five scoreless innings in his start on Tuesday. He followed that up by allowing two runs in just 1/3 of an inning of work on Sunday. He had a 4.72 ERA in eight Double-A starts and a 3.57 overall ERA this season with 153 strikeouts in 116 innings.

Christian Scott pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out five in his start on Wednesday. He finished the season with a 2.57 ERA across 19 starts with 107 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings and a 0.86 WHIP. He’ll start the first game of the playoffs.

Joander Suarez struck out nine batters across five scoreless innings of work on Thursday. He has pitched 18 consecutive scoreless innings to begin his Double-A career and he finished the season with 137 strikeouts in 108 1/3 innings.

Dominic Hamel pitched five scoreless innings and struck out eight batters in his start on Friday. He did not allow a run in 14 innings on the mound in September and finished the season with a 3.85 ERA and 160 strikeouts in 124 innings. He’ll pitch Game 2 of the playoffs.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

AVG – Luisangel Acuña (BNG) – .294

OPS – Jett Williams (BNG) – .876

HR – Luke Ritter (SYR) – 27

SB – Luisangel Acuña – 57

Pitching

(Among qualified players)

ERA – Tyler Stuart (BNG) – 2.20

SO – Dominic Hamel (BNG) – 160

WHIP – Christian Scott (BNG) – 0.86

Players of the Week

Offense – Drew Gilbert, OF Binghamton

Gilbert has had by far the most success of any of the prospects acquired by the Mets at this season’s deadline, and he had yet another outstanding week to round out his regular season. He hit nearly .500 and reached base 11 times across the five games he played in, recording three extra-base hits including his third triple of the year. He hit .325 with a .984 OPS in 35 games with the Rumble Ponies, and he looks to be in top form entering the Double-A postseason.

As one of two high-profile prospects acquired in the Justin Verlander trade, there was quite a lot of pressure on Gilbert to perform right out of the gates. Despite that, it is fair to say that he has surpassed those lofty expectations with superb play both at the plate and in the field. The 22-year-old outfielder will likely start the 2024 season at Triple-A with a legitimate shot at being promoted to the major league roster by the end of next season.

Pitching – The entire Binghamton starting rotation

The Rumble Ponies rotation as a whole deserves top billing here for just how dominant they were throughout the series. The starting pitcher in each of the first five games of their series pitched a scoreless outing, combining for 22 scoreless innings and 35 strikeouts. Three of those starters went five innings, and none of the five allowed more than three hits.

The Binghamton roster has nearly every top arm in the Mets’ system, and even at less than full strength they were able to put together this incredible run of starts. The rotation is firing on all cylinders, and they will need to keep up that form going into a pivotal postseason matchup against an incredibly strong Somerset Patriots squad.