Mets Minors Weekly Report: Rudick, Stuart Continue to Shine

Matt Rudick, Photo by Rick Nelson

The bigger names throughout the system had quieter weeks, but players off the top prospect radar made some serious noise in what was a strong week overall. Here are the biggest developments, including statement weeks from Matt Rudick and Tyler Stuart.

Triple-A Syracuse

The Syracuse Mets lost five of six games at home against the Louisville Bats. Included in that series was a five-game losing streak for the Mets, who are back to having the worst record in the International League at 20-31.

The Ronny Mauricio experience took a brief hiatus this week. He went 6-for-21 with one double, two RBI, and five runs scored, getting caught stealing on his lone attempt.

Mauricio reached base in all five games he played in, though, extending his on-base streak to 18 games entering play on Monday, and he managed to draw two walks while striking out just once. (Spoiler: he got on base Monday, too.) Even when his extra-base hitting is not up to snuff, he still finds ways to contribute on offense.

Jonathan Araúz slugged three homers in the series, while DJ Stewart and Carlos Cortes each hit two of their own. The power is starting to pick up throughout the lineup, but it has yet to translate to wins.

The best start of the week came from Joey Lucchesi, who allowed three runs (two earned) across six innings. His Triple-A ERA is sitting at 1.95 through five starts.

Jose Butto had a week to forget, allowing 12 runs in 6 2/3 innings across his two starts. David Peterson managed to strike out 10 batters in his lone appearance on the mound, but he also issued five walks and allowed four runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Josh Walker and Nate Lavender both picked up their first loss of the campaign. The two southpaws are still well-positioned as the best options for bullpen help should the major league team need some reinforcements in the weeks and months ahead.

Double-A Binghamton

The Rumble Ponies won five of six games at home against the Richmond Flying Squirrels. They are currently riding a four-game winning streak and are back to .500 with a 22-22 record.

Matt Rudick went 6-for-18 with two home runs, one double, four RBI, and six runs scored. He has been the catalyst for the Rumble Ponies offense all year, and his OPS sits at an even 1.000 mark two months into the season.

Mike Vasil was responsible for the only loss of the series, allowing six runs on six hits in four innings before leaving the mound with trainers. He collected just two strikeouts and allowed two home runs. His removal was considered precautionary, and he will take a 3.29 ERA and a 0.78 WHIP into what will hopefully be a regularly scheduled start this week.

Dominic Hamel allowed four runs across five innings in his start, striking out eight batters and picking up his second win of the year. Jose Chacin looked excellent in his start, firing off six scoreless innings and striking out seven.

High-A Brooklyn

The Cyclones won four of six games at home against the Winston-Salem Dash. They are 8-3 in their last 11 games and have improved their season record to 19-23.

Alex Ramírez went 5-for-19 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs scored, reaching base safely in all five games that he played. Kevin Parada went 3-for-19 with two doubles and two RBI, splitting time at catcher with Omar Narváez who was starting his rehab assignment.

Tyler Stuart is having himself quite the year, and he was sensational again on Sunday. He allowed just one run on seven hits across seven innings, and his season ERA sits at an organization-best 1.15 mark.

Blade Tidwell allowed two runs in five innings of work during his start, striking out seven and picking up a win. Cameron Foster and Christian Scott each put together a scoreless five-inning start, with Scott allowing just one hit and racking up eight strikeouts.

Low-A St. Lucie

The St. Lucie Mets won three of five games at home against the Clearwater Threshers. They won three straight games against the league-leading Threshers but still sit in the basement of the Florida State League with a 13-31 record.

Jett Williams went 4-for-15 with two doubles, four RBI, two runs scored, and two stolen bases. He also drew three walks in those five games, helping to raise his season OPS to .716.

Jordany Ventura allowed two runs in five innings of work in his one appearance on the mound, striking out five batters but also issuing four walks. He picked up his second win of the season and has a 4.70 ERA.

Eli Ankeney pitched two scoreless innings across two outings, bringing him up to 12 1/3 professional innings without allowing a run to begin his career. He has 20 strikeouts and a 0.32 WHIP in that time.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

AVG – Ronny Mauricio (SYR) – .341

OPS – Mark Vientos (SYR) – 1.104

HR – Mark Vientos – 13

SB – Omar De Los Santos (BRK) – 17

Pitching

(Among qualified players)

ERA – Tyler Stuart (BRK) – 1.15

SO – Mike Vasil (BNG), Dominic Hamel (BNG), and Tyler Stuart – 48

WHIP – Mike Vasil – 0.78

Players of the Week

Offense – Matt Rudick, OF Binghamton

Both Player of the Week awards have gone to unsung heroes, guys who have frequently shown up in the “Honorable Mentions” section but who managed to stand out above the rest this week. The first is Rudick, the anchor of the Binghamton lineup that has done nothing but rake all year. A 13th-round pick in the 2021 draft, the diminutive Rudick (listed at 5’6”, 170 lbs) may not have the pedigree of a top prospect, but he has a career .804 OPS across two-plus seasons in the minors and has been crushing Double-A pitching.

He has never really hit for power in his career, but he has seven long balls on the year to go along with ten doubles. He has great speed (eight steals on nine attempts) and has demonstrated impressive positional flexibility (he’s played all three outfield positions this year), so the recent pop that he’s shown at the plate is an eye-catching and exciting development.

Honorable mentions go to Ronny Mauricio for continuing his long on-base streak and Jonathan Araúz for his three-homer week.

Pitching – Tyler Stuart, P Brooklyn

A towering presence on the mound at 6’9” and 250 lbs, Stuart has continued to frustrate batters across the High-A circuit. His seven-inning outing this week was the longest of his career and continued a stellar month of May that saw him post a dazzling 0.71 ERA in five starts.

His WHIP and ERA both sit at 1.15, a testament to his ability both to limit baserunners and to work out of trouble when batters do reach base. The 2022 sixth-round pick has racked up 48 strikeouts in 39 innings and has put himself squarely in the conversation as one of the organization’s most exciting pitching prospects.

Honorable mentions go to Christian Scott for allowing just one baserunner across five innings and Eli Ankeney for extending his scoreless innings streak to begin his career.