Mets Minors Weekly Report: Peterson Excelling for Columbia

Jeff McNeil/Photo by Rick Nelson, MiLB.com

Week In Review

The Las Vegas 51s (17-27, fourth in the Pacific Coast League Pacific Southern division) were swept in Tacoma over the weekend, where former Mets Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Daniel Muno, and Rob Whalen helped the Mariners affiliate help outscore the 51s 20-9.

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (22-20, fourth in the Eastern League Eastern division) took two out of three from Erie, then three out of five from New Hampshire, one of Double-A’s hottest squads. Binghamton’s 50 home runs, which include 23 between Peter Alonso and Jeff McNeil, are tops in the league.

The St. Lucie Mets (17-20, fifth in the Florida State League South division) split a doubleheader with the Florida Fire Frogs on Tuesday and squeaked out a 2-1 victory over the Fort Myers Miracle on Friday; the rest of their scheduled contests were disturbed by rain.

The Columbia Fireflies (22-20, fourth in the South Atlantic League Southern division) won a thriller on Tuesday, scoring three runs in the bottom of the tenth to beat Delmarva 9-8.

Mets Minors News & Buzz

Dominic Smith made his first professional appearance in the outfield on Saturday, starting in right field for Las Vegas. There hasn’t been any indication that this experiment will coincide with an internal promotion.

The Mets signed a pair of minor league free agents on Friday, bringing infielder Christian Colon and outfielder Ezequiel Carrera into the fold. Carrera, who was originally signed by the Mets in 2005, has the most Major League experience between the two, although Colon did play for the Kansas City Royals in the 2015 World Series. Both players will join Las Vegas.

Infielder Joey Wong has also joined the organization, as he’ll join Binghamton from the independent Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, the team announced. A career minor leaguer, Wong has reached the Triple-A level with Seattle and Colorado.

Outfield prospect Wuilmer Becerra made his 2018 debut with Columbia on Friday. No longer on the 40-man roster, Becerra had been rehabbing an injury in Extended Spring Training.

Rumble Ponies catcher Patrick Mazeika was named to MLB Pipeline’s team of the week for the period ending on May 13.

Tom Priddy/Four Seam Images

Who’s Hot, Who’s Not

Who’s hot:

David Peterson, the Mets’ first-round draft choice in 2017, has finally been unleashed, after only working 3.2 innings in his pro debut last summer and having to rehab a knee injury to begin 2018.

Since he got going, the 6’6″ southpaw has been as advertised, outsmarting Low-A hitters and posting above-average South Atlantic League numbers. Peterson’s specialty is inducing weak contact (13.7% FB rate, 21% pulled FB rate), but his strikeout numbers are not lacking, as the man who once punched out 20 as an Oregon junior has fanned 32 thus far (26 swinging) in 37.2 innings with a 1.91 ERA.

The organizational plan for Peterson has him staying in Columbia at least through the All-Star break, at which point they’ll determine whether he’s ready for the jump to the Florida State League, a promotion that the likes of Merandy Gonzalez (pre-trade) and Jordan Humphreys (pre-surgery) succeeded in. Should Peterson keep pitching the way he is, however, a jump to Double-A will be in the conversation sooner rather than later.

Who’s not:

Rigoberto Terrazas is 3-for-his-last-26 and is down to a .208/.268/.243 line for Columbia. Vance Worley was placed on Las Vegas’ disabled list, but not before allowing nine runs in back-to-back starts. The Major League veteran has yielded 29 hits in 16.2 innings.

Organizational Leaders

AVG — Peter Alonso .345 (BNG), Jeff McNeil .328 (BNG), Jeremy Vasquez .309 (COL), Kevin Taylor .302 (BNG), Gene Cone .299 (STL)

OPS — McNeil 1.118, Alonso 1.110, Vasquez .908, Bryce Brentz .878 (LVG), Scott Manea .871 (COL)

HR — McNeil 12, Alonso 11, Zach Borenstein 8 (LVG), Brentz 7, Matt den Dekker 7 (LVG)

RBI — Alonso 35, McNeil 31, Quinn Brodey 28 (COL), Borenstein 26, Ty Kelly 24 (LVG)

SB — Andres Gimenez 10 (STL), Ian Strom 8 (STL), Jacob Zanon 7 (STL), Anthony Dimino 6 (STL), Raphael Gladu 6 (COL), Champ Stuart 6 (BNG)

STARTER ERA — David Peterson 1.91 (COL), Justin Dunn 2.15 (STL), Joe Cavallaro 2.21 (COL), Nabil Crismatt 2.80 (BNG), Harol Gonzalez 3.15 (STL)

RELIEVER ERA — Joseph Zanghi 0.48 (STL), Matt Pobereyko 1.06 (STL), Carlos Hernandez 1.17 (COL), Aaron Ford 1.59 (COL), Joshua Torres 1.80 (BNG)

SO — Tony Dibrell 52 (COL), Drew Gagnon 49 (LVG/BNG), Cavallaro 44, Crismatt 44, Tim Peterson 38 (LVG)

SV — Tyler Bashlor 6 (BNG), Trey Cobb 5 (COL), Eric Hanhold 5 (STL), Peterson 4, Stephen Villines 4 (COL)

WHIP — Ford 0.71, Hernandez 0.72, Peterson 0.86, Stephen Nogosek 0.87 (STL), Pobereyko 0.94

Transaction Report

5/14

Joander Suarez and Jan Cabrera signed as international free agents….Justin Dunn reinstated from St. Lucie’s disabled list….Thomas McIlraith transferred from St. Lucie to Extended Spring Training….Dominic Smith optioned to Las Vegas.

5/15

Dominic Smith added to Las Vegas’ active roster….Corey Oswalt optioned to Las Vegas….Jacob Rhame and Buddy Baumann recalled from Las Vegas….Jeff Glenn reinstated from Las Vegas’ disabled list….Gavin Cecchini placed on Las Vegas’ disabled list….Chase Ingram and Colin Holderman transferred from Columbia’s 7-day disabled list to the 60-day disabled list.

5/16

Corey Oswalt added to Las Vegas’ active roster….Phillip Evans recalled from Las Vegas.

5/17

Jose Garcia reinstated from St. Lucie’s disabled list; transferred to Binghamton….Tyler Moore placed on Binghamton’s disabled list.

5/18

Ezequiel Carrera and Christian Colon signed as minor league free agents….Vance Worley placed on Las Vegas’ disabled list….Wuilmer Becerra transferred from Extended Spring Training to Columbia….Jay Jabs transferred from Columbia to Extended Spring Training….Andrew Church transferred from Binghamton to Las Vegas….Scott Copeland transferred from Las Vegas to Binghamton.

5/19

Tomas Nido and Chris Flexen recalled from Las Vegas….Buddy Baumann optioned to Las Vegas.

5/20

Oliver Pascual transferred from Extended Spring Training to Binghamton