Who says you can’t bring the dead back to life? Welcome to the newly resurrected Minor League edition of Who’s Hot, Who’s Not. Here is where we get a weekly snapshot of whose shaking and baking down on the farm, and who’s moving in the wrong direction. Enjoy…

Who’s Hot 

Bobby Scales, 2B (Buffalo) – And the crowd was on their feet screaming Bob-Bee, Bob-Bee! I love this guy’s name, it’s a great baseball name. At 34, Scales is not really a prospect, but he’s having a great week batting .389 with a 1.056 OPS through the first six games of the season. And in our WH-WN we reward excellence where ever we find it. Nice week Bob-Bee!

Darin Gorski, SP (Binghamton) – The reigning Florida State League Pitcher of the Year allowed one hit, walked three and struck out seven over six shutout innings on Saturday as Gorski made his Double-A debut with the Binghamton Mets who edged the Akron Aeros, 2-1. Word is his stuff was filthy.

Robbie Shields, SS (St. Lucie) – Shields currently leads the entire Mets organization in batting with a sizzling .462 average. Shields was selected by the New York Mets in the third round of the 2009 Draft and was a Mid-Season All Star for Savannah last season.

Greg Peavey, SP (Binghamton) – How long before other teams come knocking on our door for young pitching prospects? Peavey got off to a great start on Monday tossing 5.2 scoreless innings and allowing just two hits and no walks while striking out five. A sixth round draft pick in 2010, Peavey is coming off a solid season in 2011 picking up 11 wins in 24 starts for Svannah and St. Lucie with a 3.48 ERA.

Tyler Pill, SP (Savannah) – Pill was untouchable in his first start of the season pitching six scoreless innings and allowing just three baserunners while striking out seven. This guy is all kinds of nasty! He’ll move up quickly if he keeps this up.

Damn, I didn’t even mention Val Pascucci or Jack Leathersich! 🙂

Who’s Not

Matt Harvey, SP (Buffalo) – What the heck is Harvey doing here? Well after two starts, the promising right-hander has allowed 6 runs, 14 hits and 2 walks in 9.1 innings pitched. His ERA now stands at 5.79 and the league is batting .350 against him. It could just be the early jitters or that he’s working on some things. Or it could be he’s at the wrong place at the wrong time. We’ll know more in a few weeks.

Cesar Puello, OF (St. Lucie) – Puello is batting .111 and has missed a week of playing time since getting hit in the calf by a foul ball. Puello, an non-drafted free agent in 2007, has seen his stock fall a bit after a down year in 2011 when his averaged slipped to .259 after compiling a .301 average in his first three years with the Mets.

Alderin Rodriguez, 3B (Savannah) – Rodriguez is off to a slow start at the plate (.212 BA/.278 OBP) despite the two home runs and 10 ribbies. He is repeating at Savannah and after batting .221 for them in 2011, it’s time for him to make his move. His six errors to begin this season are also a big concern.

Pedro Zapata, OF (Binghamton) – What’s going on Pedro? If the 10 strikeouts in 24 at-bats weren’t scary enough, how does his .167/.259/.292 slash grab you? The 24 year old speedster had a nice season for St. Lucie last year batting .292 with 36 swipes, but is off to a dreadful start so far in his new diggs.

Quick Hits

  • Congrats to the St. Lucie Mets who won their fifth game in a row last night and now own first place with a one game lead.
  • Welcome back to Sean Ratliff who has worked himself back from getting hit in the eye by a liner while waiting in the on-deck circle in 2010. We knew you could do it!
  • If you want to join our exciting staff or have some ideas as we continue to expand our minor league coverage, give me a shout-out at [email protected]. Nevermind all that negative stuff you see elsewhere. These are exciting times for the entire Mets organization as they embark on a new era and build a brighter future… Join us and Get Metsmerized!