Khalil Lee hit three home runs, including a 468-foot bomb, and Jose Butto struck out eleven in Binghamton. Here’s a deeper look into both performances and other standouts this week in the Mets’ system.

Triple-A Syracuse

Syracuse split their series with the Worcester Red Sox. The Triple-A Mets are now 18-34 on the year.

Khalil Lee went 9-for-26 in the series with seven extra-base hits (four doubles and three home runs). The 23-year-old outfielder now has a seven-game hitting streak and is slashing .333/.429/.708 in 48 at-bats since his recall from St. Lucie with four home runs and three stolen bases.

Jake Mangum also kept up his strong start in Triple-A going 6-for-18 with a pair of doubles. He’s now slashing .349/.378/.465 through 43 at-bats in Syracuse.

Dominic Smith had a solid first week in Triple-A going 4-for-14 with a home run.

Pitching was up-and-down again in Syracuse this week. Mike Montgomery had his best start of the year allowing just an unearned run over six innings. Thomas Szapucki allowed two runs on three hits and two walks while striking out six over four innings.

Double-A Binghamton

The Rumble Ponies also split a six-game set with the Somerset Patriots. Binghamton is now 19-31 this season.

Francisco Álvarez continued his recent power surge, hitting a pair of home runs in a 6-for-19 series. Ronny Mauricio showed off some pop as well, going 5-for-19 with three home runs. Mauricio is now slashing .253/.282/.478 with nine home runs and seven steals while Alvarez has 10 homers and a .274/.342/.514 line.

Brett Baty returned to the lineup after a seven-game stint on the injured list and went 4-for-12.

Jose Butto had an encouraging start after a couple of mediocre outings, allowing just three runs (two earned) on three hits and three walks while striking out a career-high of eleven in six innings. Butto is now 2-4 with a 3.86 ERA.

Tylor Megill made a rehab start with the Rumble Ponies allowing two runs on three hits in 3.2 innings while striking out five.

High-A Brooklyn

In an emerging theme, the Cyclones split their set with Jersey Shore and now sit at 22-26 on the year.

JT Schwartz led Brooklyn with eight hits, including a double and a triple, in 25 at-bats. Brandon McIlwain also stayed hot, going 7-for-22 with two doubles, a triple, and a stolen base. The 24-year-old outfielder is slashing an impressive .291/.375/.449 this season.

Rowdey Jordan had an impressive series as well going 6-for-18 with three doubles, a home run, and two stolen bases.

Mike Vasil was solid in his second start with Brooklyn. The 22-year-old right-hander allowed four runs (just two earned) on three hits and a walk over five innings while striking out seven. Junior Santos impressed as well, striking out six in five innings and allowing just a run on four hits.

Low-A St. Lucie

St. Lucie has now won seven straight as they swept Daytona in a six-game set.

Carlos Dominguez had six hits, including his 11th home run, in 16 at-bats and stole a pair of bases. Omar De Los Santos went 5-for-19 with a double and a home run. De Los Santos now has a .833 OPS on the season with seven home runs this season.

Javier Atencio allowed just an unearned run on two hits and two walks while striking out five in five innings. The 20-year-old southpaw has a 0.90 ERA in his first three starts.

Dominic Hamel and Luis Moreno were both excellent this week, allowing just a run with eight strikeouts each over six innings.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

AVG – Alex Ramirez (SLU) – .307

OPS – Francisco Alvarez (BNG) – .856

HR – Carlos Dominguez (SLU) – 11

SB – Omar De Los Santos (SLU) – 23

Pitching (min. 20 innings)

ERA – Josh Hejka (BNG) – 0.42

SO – Jose Butto (BNG) – 58

WHIP –Hunter Parsons (BNG) – 0.86

Players of the Week

Offensive:  Khalil Lee – OF Syracuse

It’s already been quite a season for the Lee. After going 11-for-74 with a 36.8% strikeout rate to start the year, he was sent down to St. Lucie for a developmental stint. Clearly, the move was effective as Lee has a 1.137 OPS in 12 games since he returned to Syracuse.

Lee came into the season as Baseball America’s number seven prospect in the Mets’ system. He’s demonstrated an intriguing combination of power and speed but faces questions about his hit tool as strikeouts continue to be a problem.  Limiting swings and misses will be key for Lee’s future as a Major League outfielder, enabling him to tap into his impressive raw power.

Hopefully, Lee’s explosive week marks a step in the right direction. While he was overmatched in his brief stint with the Mets last season, the lefty could still become an important depth piece sooner rather than later.

Pitching: Jose Butto – RHP Binghamton

Butto was dominant this week in his eleven-strikeout performance. The 24-year-old right-hander now has a 3.86 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP and a career-best 12.43 K/9.

Butto is the most compelling pitching prospect in the upper levels of the Mets system, so his start this week is especially encouraging. While he doesn’t offer top-of-the-rotation upside, Butto throws an elite changeup in the low-80s that plays off a mid-90s fastball. The development of his curveball as a third option will likely determine whether Butto has a future as a big-league starter or as a reliever.

We’ve already seen the Mets’ need for pitching depth this year, so Butto could become a name to watch as an option later this season.

Transactions

  • C Fernando Villalobos to High-A Brooklyn from Low-A St. Lucie
  • C Hayden Senger to AAA Syracuse from AA Binghamton
  • RHP Luis Moreno to High-A Brooklyn from Low-A St. Lucie
  • LHP Nathan Lavender to High-A Brooklyn from Low-A St. Lucie
  • RHP Hunter Parsons to AA Binghamton from High-A Brooklyn
  • 1B Dominic Smith optioned to AAA Syracuse
  • RHP Anthony Vizcaya released
  • RHP Trey Cobb to AAA Syracuse from AA Binghamton

Upcoming Schedule: June 7-12

AAA Syracuse: vs. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

AA Binghamton: vs. New Hampshire Fisher Cats

High-A Brooklyn: vs. Aberdeen

Low-A St. Lucie: @ Jupiter

Both the Florida Complex League and the Dominican Summer League seasons got underway on Monday, here’s the full recap.