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Travis Taijeron, Andrew Church Among Mets’ Minor Leaguers Released

Matt Mancuso — Fri, 29 May 2020 07:10:56 +0000

Christian James/Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

Thursday was a rough one for Major League Baseball with multiple teams releasing a significant amount of minor leaguers. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that there could be upwards of 1,000 minor leaguers released over the week.

The Mets released 39 players on Thursday according to Mike Mayer of MMO. One of those players is pitcher Andrew Church and he shared his thoughts about the Mets system on social media.

Below is the list of players the Mets let go:

Mets Minors Recap: Dominic Smith Makes Left Field Debut

Sam Lebowitz — Tue, 22 May 2018 15:15:43 +0000

Photo by Ed Delany

Las Vegas (18-27) 9, Sacramento (22-23) 1 Box Score

Cody Asche 3B: 2-4, HR, 2B, RBI, BB, .246/.333/.590
Dominic Smith LF: 0-3, RBI, BB, K, .270/.377/.409
Johnny Monell C: 2-4, 2B, RBI, .265/.342/.388
Christian Colon 2B: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, .188/.188/.375

The 51s offense scored at least a run in each of the first six innings, scoring nine runs total despite only going 2-12 with runners in scoring position. They were aided by four wild pitches from River Cats starter Tyler Beede. Colon hit his first home run of the season for any team, while the 51s also got RBI doubles from Ty Kelly and Patrick Kivlehan.

Monell continued his solid production since returning to the organization as well. Smith, who played right field for the first time on Saturday, got his first career start in left field as the team tries to increase his versatility. He caught three fly balls hit his way without incident.

51s’ manager Tony DeFrancesco on Dominic Smith’s first couple games in the outfield to Betsy Helfand of the Las Vegas Review Journal after the game, “He looks pretty athletic. He’s moving around. He made a couple nice plays today. Two throws to home plate. With the situation in New York, it just may be another option down the road if he can handle that.”

RHP Cody Martin (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 4.0 IP, H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K
RHP Andrew Church (W, 1-0, 1.80 ERA): 5.0 IP, 5 H, R, 0 BB, 3 K

As one of multiple former Major Leaguers to sign minor league deals with the Mets recently, Martin pitched very well in his first start of the season for any team. He allowed only one hit through four innings on 76 pitches, although his control was not perfect. Church, who was recently promoted from Binghamton for the first time ever, took over and pitched very effectively to finish off the final five innings of the game. Church is usually a starter and has the type of stuff that would typically get hit hard in Vegas, but he made it through five strong innings on 65 pitches, allowing only one run.

West Virginia 3 (24-17) Columbia 2 (22-21) F/11 Box Score

RHP Marcel Renteria (2-1, 5.73 ERA): 0.2 IP, 1 H
RHP Darwin Ramos (0-0, 4.56 ERA): 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Nicolas Debora (1-1, 2.81 ERA): 3 IP, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K
RHP Trey Cobb (2-1, 2.81 ERA): 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K
RHP Stephen Villines (2-3, 6.38 ERA): 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K
LHP Taylor Henry (L, 0-1, 0.00 ERA): 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 K

Starter Marcel Renteria departed after just three batters, so it was up to Columbia’s bullpen to piece together this one. Darwin Ramos and Nicolas Debora provided length for the Fireflies, allowing just a run on two hits over sixth and a third combined innings. West Virginia scored its lone run off Debora in the sixth following a walk and a pair of wild pitches.

Trey Cobb held Columbia’s one run lead through the seventh and Stephen Villines worked a quick eighth. The sidewinder looked to close it out in the ninth, but a walk and a pair of singles plated the tying run. Taylor Henry took an unfortunate loss as he was unable to keep the automatic runner from scoring in the eleventh inning after a Calvin Mitchell double plated the go-ahead run.

Blake Tiberi 2B: 0-for-5, K, .275/.416/.368
Jeremy Vasquez 1B: 1-for-4, K, .307/.423/.485
Matt Winaker LF: 1-for-4, 3B, BB, K, .239/.367/.336
Edgardo Fermin SS: 1-for-5, RBI, K, .205/.269/.342

Columbia got both of its runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Matt Winaker led off with his third triple of the year, and was promptly plated by a Scott Manea groundout. Later in the inning, Edgardo Fermin scored Raphael Gladu after the Fireflies’ right fielder was hit by a pitch and stole second. T

he Winaker triple was the lone extra-base hit for Columbia in the game, and Ali Sanchez was the only Firefly to record multiple hits, as he notched two singles. Columbia had men on third with less than two out in both the tenth and eleventh innings, but failed to score in each instance.

St. Lucie’s game was postponed due to rain. They will play a doubleheader against Clearwater on Tuesday. Binghamton had a scheduled off day.

Las Vegas portion of recap done by Mojo Hill.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Dominic Smith Makes Left Field Debut appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mets Minors Recap: McNeil Homers For Second Straight Day

MMO News Desk — Thu, 17 May 2018 17:00:57 +0000

Jeff McNeil/Photo by Rick Nelson, MiLB.com

Erie (15-23) 10, Binghamton (19-18) 3 Box Score

RHP Andrew Church (1-5, 6.44 ERA): 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, BB, 8K
RHP Adonis Uceta (0-0, 3.57 ERA): 2 IP, 2 H, 3 R (1 ER), BB, 4 K
RHP David Roseboom (0-0, 5.40 ERA): 2 IP, H, BB, 2 K
RHP Austin McGeorge (1-1, 4.34 ERA): IP, 2 H, ER, BB, K

Church had an unusual outing on the mound for the Rumble Ponies, striking out eight SeaWolves over four innings, but still allowing six earned runs on eight hits. He struck out the leadoff batter, but Erie immediately hit three consecutive singles to drive in the first run. Church then struck out the following two batters to get out of the first inning. He walked the leadoff batter in the second inning and gave up two run-scoring extra base hits. Following a mound visit, he struck out the next three batters. In the fifth, Church loaded the bases before recording an out.

Uceta replaced Church with the bases loaded and allowed three runs to score on a sacrifice fly and a double. A fielding error by third baseman Nick Sergakis cost him two more runs, giving Erie an 8-1 lead.

Roseboom pitched two scoreless innings while allowing only one hit, completing his fifth consecutive scoreless appearance. He has not allowed a run in his last seven innings, and he lowered his ERA in Binghamton down to 2.08 after getting hit to the tune of a 17.18 ERA with Las Vegas.

McGeorge entered and promptly served up a leadoff home run before wrapping up the top of the ninth inning. Binghamton pitchers struggled, surrendering 13 hits and 10 runs.

Jeff McNeil, 2B: 2-for-4, HR, RBI, .316/.405/.702
Peter Alonso, DH: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K, .362/.478/.685
Jhoan Urena, RF: 0-for-4, K, .276/.306/.431
Levi Michael, SS: 2-for-4, 2B, HR, .250/.313/.441
Tim Tebow LF: 0-for-4, 2 K, .250/.328/.429

The Rumble Ponies offense struggled to find any consistency, and three solo home runs accounted for all of their scoring.

Jeff McNeil had another successful day at the dish, slugging his ninth home run of the year and his second in as many days. The 26-year-old is now slashing .316/.405/.702 on the year, and he seems destined for a return to Las Vegas after a brief stint there in 2017. McNeil, a 12th round pick from 2013, may be forcing his name into the mix for a utility role on the Mets soon.

McNeil also entered the night ranked eighth in the minor leagues with his 201 wRC+ behind names like teammate Peter Alonso, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cavan Biggio and Juan Soto.

Levi Michael and Nick Sergakis contributed the other run-scoring swings of the game. Michael slugged a home run, his fifth of the season, in the seventh inning. That was followed by a Tim Tebow strikeout, after which Sergakis hit his own bases-empty home run. Sergakis’ home run was his first of the year, and he has struggled to a .162/.220/.324 batting line in only 11 games this season.

Tebow now has 52 strikeouts in 112 at-bats this year and saw his OPS slip to .757 for the season. Outfielder John Mora was on base twice with a single and walk.

Peter Alonso managed to work two walks, improving his on-base-percentage to .478 for the season. He continues to impress with the Rumble Ponies and is competing with Dominic Smith to be the Mets’ first baseman of the future.

The St. Lucie Mets were rained out on Wednesday while the Las Vegas 51s and Columbia Fireflies had a scheduled day off. All four teams will be in action on Thursday including St. Lucie playing a doubleheader.

The post Mets Minors Recap: McNeil Homers For Second Straight Day appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mets Minors Recap: Familia Fans Three, Clocks 98 MPH

Dilip Sridhar — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 17:00:28 +0000

Photo courtesy of Ed Delany.

Las Vegas 51s (50-77) 10, Salt Lake Bees (64-62) 5 Box Score

Phillip Evans SS: 2-for-5, Run, 2B
Jayce Boyd DH: 3-for-3, 2 Runs, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, BB
Josh Rodriguez 3B: 1 for 4, Run, HR, 3 RBI, K

The 51s were in a hole early before a big three run shot from Rodriguez. That started a huge rally which saw the Las Vegas soar past the Salt Lake Bees.

RHP Jonathan Albaladejo (1-2, 5.03 ERA): 5.2 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, BB, 4 K
RHP Ben Rowen (2-3, 4.40 ERA): 1.1 IP, 2 H, ER, K
RHP Neil Wagner (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 1 IP
RHP Jamie Callahan (1-1, 2.57 ERA): 1 IP, H, BB

Albalajedo has now struggled in two straight games. Rowen’s been very good since the All-Star Break. Wagner was throwing 95 according to the Vegas radio feed. Callahan has made his case as a September call-up.

St. Lucie Mets (57-67) 6, Dunedin Blue Jays (65-60) 3 Box Score

Anthony Dimino DH: 2-for-3, RBI, K
Peter Alonso 1B: 0-for-3, RBI, BB
Wuilmer Becerra RF: 1-for-3, two runs, HR, RBI, BB, K

Becerra homered for just the fourth time this season. He has yet to regain that elite pop that made him so appealing a few years ago. Dimino continues to be a OBP machine, raising it to .389 this year.

RHP Andrew Church (10-8, 4.93 ERA): 7 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 4 K
RHP Jeurys Familia (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 1 IP, H, BB, 3 K
LHP Tom Gorzelanny (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 1 IP, K

Church has been up and down this year. Impressively, he has only walked 23 in 137 innings. He has been impressive at working deep into games even when he struggles. Familia was hitting 98 on the radar gun and fanned three in the inning. He still has ways to go but this is a huge step forward for him.

Columbia Fireflies (63-60) 1, Rome Braves (67-57) 0 Box Score

Luis Carpio SS: 1-for-3
J.J. Franco 2B: 1-for-2
Ian Strom RF: 1-for-2, Run, HR, RBI, K

Only three baserunners for the Fireflies, but fortunately it was the big homer by Ian Strom that let them win the game.

RHP Justin Brantley (2-1, 3.52 ERA): 6 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 7 K
RHP Matt Blackham (4-2, 1.59 ERA): 1 IP, H, 2 K

Nice start for Brantley who has been good since becoming a starter in Columbia. Blackham continues to be darn near automatic.

Rome Braves (67-56) 8, Columbia Fireflies (62-60) 2 Box Score

Andres Gimenez SS: 1-for-3, Run, 2B, BB, K
Dash Winningham 1B: 0-for-3, RBI
Ian Strom LF: 2-for-3, RBI

The Fireflies scored two early but could not muster anything afterwards. The team ended up going 1 for 6 with RISP.

RHP Gabriel Llanes (5-10, 4.19 ERA): 4 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 ER)
RHP Keaton Aldridge (0-1, 5.54 ERA): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, BB, K
RHP Joseph Zanghi (0-2, 2.26 ERA): 1.2 IP, H, BB, K

Wheels really fell off for Aldridge. Zanghi is quietly having a very good season with the Fireflies.

Tri-City Valleycats (28-27) 4, Brooklyn Cyclones (15-41) 1 Box Score

Dylan Snypes SS: 2-for-4, BB, K
Walter Rasquin 2B: 1-for-4, 2B
Jeremy Vasquez 1B: 2-for-3, Run, BB

Jeremy Vasquez has not slowed down since moving up. His plate discipline is still there and he has shown the ability to get his doubles. His home runs have decreased but his advanced approach is very impressive.

RHP Luis De Los Santos (0-5, 11.00 ERA): 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
RHP Joe Napolitano (0-1, 7.79 ERA): 2.1 IP, BB, 2 K
RHP Steve Villines (0-1, 3.27 ERA): 2 IP, 2 H, R (0 ER), 2 K
RHP Conner O’Neil (0-2, 3.04 ERA): 1 IP, H, BB, K

Nice showing from the 2017 draftees, Villines and O’Neil. De Los Santos has been an absolute wreck this season.

Danville Braves (28-28) 5, Kingsport Mets (25-29) 3 Box Score

Juan Uriate DH: 2-for-4, Run, RBI
Wagner Lagrange LF: 2-for-4
Gavin Garay 1B: 1-for-3, Run, 2B

Uriate is now slashing .306/.362/.446 on the season with four home runs. He is only 19 years old making his season impressive in many forms. The team went 3-for-14 with RISP on the day.

RHP Briam Campusano (0-1, 1.50 ERA): 6 IP, 5 H, 3 R (ER), 2 BB, 5 K
RHP Garrison Bryant (0-5, 9.46 ERA): 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 2 K
RHP Ronald Sanchez (0-3, 6.60 ERA): 1 IP, K

Campusano came up from the GCL to make the start. He made a case to stick with the team.

DSL Mets2 (46-18) 6, DSL D-backs2 (22-42) 3 Box Score

Cristopher Pujols 1B: 4-for-5, Run, 2B, RBI
Yoel Romero LF: 4-for-5, Run, 3B, 2 RBI, K

Pujols and Romero are having great seasons. They are each repeating the league but have faired much better the second time through.

RHP Marcus Correa (2-1, 4.31 ERA): 4 IP, 5 H, 6 K
LHP Daniel Guzman (5-2, 2.43 ERA): 1 IP, H, 2 K
RHP Luis Vasquez (3-0, 3.29 ERA): 2 IP, 2 H, R (0 ER), BB, 2 K
LHP Nelmerson Angela (0-0, 2.50 ERA): 1 IP, H, K
LHP Jefferson Escorcha (3-0, 2.13 ERA): 0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB
RHP Miguel Pinedo (3-0, 0.50 ERA): 1 IP, BB, K

Lots of pitchers go their work in for this one. Pinedo has been very good as a reliever this year.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Familia Fans Three, Clocks 98 MPH appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mets Minors Recap: Tebow, Alonso Tearing Up St. Lucie

Dilip Sridhar — Sun, 30 Jul 2017 18:00:34 +0000

Las Vegas 51s (39-68) 3, Colorado Springs Sky Sox (63-41) 0 Box Score

Amed Rosario SS: 0 for 3, Run, BB, 2 K
Dominic Smith 1B: 2 for 3, Run, 2B, RBI, BB, K
Kevin Plawecki C: 2 for 2, Run, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB

Rosario tied his career high in steals with 19. Plawecki has been elevating the ball more and might get a shot soon. Smith continues to dominate the league.

RHP Jonathan Albaladejo (1-0, 0.00 ERA): 7 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 8 K
RHP Kevin McGowan (5-3, 4.15 ERA): 1 IP, 2 BB, K
RHP Chasen Bradford (1-1, 4.15 ERA): 1 IP, K

Well, Albalajedo could be the 51s best pitcher right now. Good outing for the journeyman minor leaguer. McGowan stumbled but recovered.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (59-44) 7, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (42-64) 2 Box Score

Luis Guillorme SS: 2 for 4, Run
Tomas Nido C: 1 for 3, Run, HR, 2 RBI
David Thompson 3B: 2 for 4, Run, 2B, HR, 3 RBI

Good signs for Nido. His home run was his sixth and has a .705 OPS since the break. Nice to see a big game from Thompson who had been slumping a little bit.

RHP Scarlyn Reyes (2-0, 4.02 ERA): 6 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 3 K
LHP Kelly Secrest (0-1, 4.78 ERA): 2 IP
LHP Ben Griset (3-1, 2.41 ERA): 1 IP, 2 H, ER

Another start for Reyes, perhaps in place of Chris Flexen. The MLB rotation will likely impact who pitches next time through the rotation.

St. Lucie Mets (48-56) 10, Charlotte Stone Crabs (49-54) 3 Box Score

Michael Paez 2B: 0 for 2, 2 Runs, 3 BB, K
Peter Alonso 1B: 3 for 5, Run, 2B, HR, 5 RBI, K
Tim Tebow LF: 1 for 5, Run, HR, 3 RBI, 2 K

The Peter Alonso show continued. His overall numbers are very good now especially considering how bad they were to begin the year. Tebow time continues, he .298/.381/.510 at St. Lucie now.

RHP Andrew Church (8-7, 4.87 ERA): 7 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 4 K
RHP Johnny Magliozzi (4-1, 3.78 ERA): 2 IP, 3 K

Good start for Church, who has had two nice starts since his brief Binghamton appearance. Church has shown good command through out this season.

Columbia Fireflies (55-47) 3, Augusta Greenjackets (37-63) 0 Box Score

Luis Carpio SS: 1 for 4, 2 K
Jacob Zanon CF: 0 for 2, Run, BB, K
Colby Woodmansee DH: 1 for 3, RBI, K

The Fireflies manufactured three runs despite only five base runners. Their best offensive player, Andres Gimenez was absent from the lineup.

RHP Harol Gonzalez (8-7, 3.70 ERA): 6 IP, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K
RHP Adam Atkins (2-0, 0.72 ERA): 2 IP, K
RHP Matt Pobereyko (1-1, 2.08 ERA): H, BB, 2 K

Harol Gonzalez has a 2.71 ERA his last ten starts which spans 71 innings. He has only walked 15 batters in those 71 innings.

Lowell Spinners (16-21) 10, Brooklyn Cyclones (12-26) 7 Box Score

Dylan Snypes DH: 1 for 3, 2 Runs, BB
Quinn Brodey CF: 1 for 3, 2 Runs, RBI, BB
Carl Stajduhar 3B: 1 for 3, 2B, 3 RBI, BB

Stajuduhar has hit well this season when he’s played. He has a .737 OPS on the year and was ranked a top 500 draft prospect. It will be interesting to see if he can stay at third long term.

RHP Nicolas Debora (0-3, 3.22 ERA): 3 IP, 6 H, ER, BB, 4 K
RHP Gregorix Estevez (2-1, 4.91 ERA): 1 IP, 2 H, ER, 3 K
LHP Jake Simon (0-3, 7.76 ERA): 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, K
RHP Conner O’Neil (0-1, 3.38 ERA): 1 IP, 2 H, ER, BB, 3 K

Debora gave up five unearned runs which proved to be the difference in the game.

GCL Mets (9-19) 9, GCL Astros (16-12) 3 Box Score

Gregory Guerrero 2B: 2 or 6, 2B, 2 RBI, K
Mark Vientos SS: 1 for 4, Run, 2B, RBI, K
Matthew Foley DH: 2 for 4, Run, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 K

Mark Vientos has struggled lately but had a good game yesterday which hopefully sparks something for him.

RHP Dedniel Nunez (1-1, 5.40 ERA): 5 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
LHP Placido Torres (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 1 IP, K
RHP Matt Cleveland (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 1.1 IP, H, BB, K

Nunez really had his A+ stuff in this game. Good to see both Torres and Cleveland back after missing time to injury earlier on.

DSL Mets2 (33-15) 6, DSL Cubs2 (21-26) 4 Box Score

Jhoander Saez CF: 1 for 5, Run
Luis Santana 2B: 1 for 2, 2 Runs, 3B, RBI, 3 BB
Yoel Romero SS: 1 for 4, RBI

The DSL Mets scored four in the eighth and ninth to secure victory. Had a .832 OPS going into this game.

RHP Oscar Rojas (0-1, 1.80 ERA): 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 ER), 5 K
LHP Jefferson Escorcha (2-0, 1.83 ERA): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, K
RHP Miguel Pinedo (3-0, 0.64 ERA): 1.2 IP, 2 BB

Pinedo is having a very nice year, his only issue is command. Escorcha is very young and has shown a lot this season.

Kingsport Mets (15-21) 5, Burlington Royals (16-21) 4 Box Score

Raphael Gladu LF: 2 for 4, Run
Juan Uriate C: 1 for 3, Run, 2 K
Anthony Dirocie CF: 1 for 3, Run, HR, 2 RBI

Dirocie had four home runs his entire minor league career before this one. He has seven already with still another month to go. This new found power could make him an interesting prospect going forward.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Tebow, Alonso Tearing Up St. Lucie appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mets Minors Recap: Smith Shines, Mazeika Has 13-Game Hitting Streak

Mathew Brownstein — Wed, 10 May 2017 19:00:43 +0000

Las Vegas 51s (15-18) 12, Albuquerque Isotopes (17-15) 9 Box Score

Dominic Smith 1B: 4 for 5, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 3 R
Desmond Jennings RF: 3 for 5, 2B, BB, 2 R
Amed Rosario SS: 2 for 6, 3 RBI
Brandon Nimmo CF: 2 for 5, 2B, RBI, BB, 3 R

The offense came alive early for the 51s, as they scored seven runs on nine hits through two innings Tuesday afternoon. Every one in the starting lineup minus Phillip Evans recorded at least one hit, including starting pitcher Sean Gilmartin. Evans did walk, so every starting player in the lineup reached base, and six players had multi-hit games.

Dominic Smith had his second four-hit game of the season, with run scoring doubles in the first and second innings. Smith drove in his third run in the sixth with a single to right. Shortstop Amed Rosario had two hits and three RBI, and now has 16 multi-hit games on the season. The rehabbing Brandon Nimmo led off and played center, doubling in his first at-bat and coming around to score on Smith’s double in the first.

LHP Sean Gilmartin (0-1, 5.63 ERA): 4.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
RHP Kevin McGowan (2-1, 3.48 ERA): 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, (Win)
RHP Ben Rowen (1-0, 7.16 ERA): IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
RHP Chasen Bradford (0-0, 4.02 ERA): IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB

Gilmartin made his second start in over a month for the 51s, as he was optioned back to Las Vegas on May 3. He worked in and out of trouble all afternoon, as he allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits through 4.2 innings. Right-hander Kevin McGowan relieved Gilmartin in with two outs in the fifth, and earned the win with 2.1 innings of two run ball on 36 pitches (24 for strikes). Righty Ben Rowen relieved McGowan in the eighth, and gave up two earned runs, the first time he’s given up more than an earned run since April 23 (total of six appearances).

Portland Sea Dogs (16-11) 6, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (17-11) 5 Box Score

Kevin Taylor LF: 1 for 4, HR, RBI, R
Matt Oberste 1B: 2 for 4, 3B, 2 R
Jio Mier SS: 1 for 4, 2 RBI
Luis Guillorme 2B: 2 for 5

The Rumble Ponies blew a 5-3 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth, allowing four singles to score three runs and give the Sea Dogs the eventual 6-5 victory. The Sea Dogs grabbed the early 2-0 lead in the first, before right fielder Kevin Kaczmarski had an RBI groundout to cut the Sea Dogs’ lead to one. Left fielder Kevin Taylor tied the game up at two for the Rumble Ponies in the fourth with his second home run of the season, a solo shot. Luis Guillorme added two singles for his eighth multi-hit game of the year.

RHP Casey Delgado (1-4, 7.28 ERA): 5 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
RHP Luis Mateo (0-0, 4.66 ERA): 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K (Hold)
LHP Kelly Secrest (0-0, 1.29 ERA): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB (Hold)
RHP Corey Taylor (2-3, 5.84 ERA): IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, BB, SO (Loss, Blown Save)

Right-hander Casey Delgado has his second consecutive start of allowing no more than two earned runs, however, the nine hits given up were a season high for the 26-year-old. Delgado was ejected while the Rumble Ponies were hitting in the top of the 6th inning, he was arguing a balk call made in the previous inning. Corey Taylor had gone four straight appearances without issuing a run before entering the eighth of Tuesday’s game with a two-run lead. A 31-pitch inning ensued, and four singles by the Sea Dogs amounted to Portland regaining the lead, 6-5. It was Taylor’s third blown save of the season. Taylor was hitting 95-96 MPH with his fastball, but had trouble commanding his slider.

St. Lucie Mets (14-19) 9, Lakeland Flying Tigers (16-17) 1 Box Score

Lucas Duda 1B: 2 for 4, HR, RBI, BB, 2 R
Patrick Mazeika C: 3 for 4, 2B, RBI, BB, 2 R
Wuilmer Becerra DH: 3 for 4, 2 RBI, R
Jhoan Urena 3B: 3 for 4, 2B, RBI, R

It was a collective offensive output for the St. Lucie Mets on Tuesday, as they put together 15 hits and all but right fielder Jeff Diehl collected at least one hit. Rehabbing first baseman Lucas Duda got the scoring going early in the first, with a solo home run to right. The hot hitting catcher Patrick Mazeika continued to rake at the plate, collecting three more hits including his 11th double, and his 27th RBI, tied for first in the Florida State League with Alex Jackson. Mazeika is also carrying a 13-game hitting streak, dating back to April 26. Wuilmer Becerra drove in two with three singles on the day.

RHP Andrew Church (2-3, 4.38 ERA): 7 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, (Win)
RHP Joshua Torres (0-1, 3.71 ERA): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, 2 K

After lasting just three innings in his previous start on May 4, Andrew Church tossed one of his best games of the season allowing only one run on four hits in seven innings of work. The only mistake Church made was serving up a solo home run to third baseman Zac Shepherd in the second inning. Otherwise, Church was in command for the rest of the game. With the victory, the St. Lucie Mets won their first series since April 28-30 against Clearwater.

The Columbia Fireflies had the night off.

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2017 Mets Top 30 Prospects: #26-30 Led By Crismatt

Mathew Brownstein — Thu, 02 Feb 2017 22:00:55 +0000

26. RHP Nabil Crismatt

Ht: 6’1″ Wt: 200 Level: Brooklyn Cyclones (Short-A), Columbia Fireflies (Full-A), Binghamton Mets (Double A)

B/T: R/R Age: 12/25/1994 (22) Age Dif: -3.5 (Double A)

Last year: #50

Acquired: Signed by the Mets as a non-drafted free agent on Aug. 3, 2011

2016 Statistics: 13 G, 65.2 IP, 1-4 W/L record, 2.47 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 74/7 SO/BB

Profile: The 22-year-old right-hander was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of Colombia in 2011, and spent the first four years of his professional career playing with the rookie levels of the Mets’ minor league system (DSL Mets, GCL Mets, and Kingsport Mets). During that time, Crismatt was utilized mainly as a reliever, except for eight starts he made in 2015 with Kingsport. Crismatt posted a record of 6-1 with a 2.90 ERA in 62 innings in 2015, and ranked third in the Appalachian League in strikeouts (63) and in WHIP (1.03).

Crismatt opened the 2016 season with the Brooklyn Cyclones, appearing in eight games, three of them starts, and posted a 3.19 ERA with a 0.97 WHIP, along with 35 strikeouts to only four walks. Had he qualified, Crismatt would’ve been second in the New York-Penn League in WHIP.

He earned a promotion to Columbia on August 5, and pitched in four games with the Fireflies as a starter. He pitched at least 6.2 innings in each game, and had two double-digit strikeout performances (August 13 and 26). He held opponents to a .191 average, and continued to impress with his strong strikeout to walk numbers, averaging 10.05 K/9 and 0.63 BB/9, (a career best). He finished the year in Binghamton, making one start, allowing one run over six innings with seven strikeouts.

Mike M adds…

Crismatt is a personal favorite of mine because he attacks hitters and has a plus changeup that he will use in any count. Also has clean mechanics that are easily repeatable and has shown the ability to pitch effectively in any role. His 26.2 K-BB% was 20th among 1,877 minor league pitchers who threw at least 50 innings in 2016.

2017 Outlook –

The Mets have steadily increased his workload, as Crismatt pitched the highest number of innings this past year (65.2) of his five-year career. He’s shown that he has excellent control (9.7 K/9 to 2.0 BB/9 for his career), however, he’s not a hard thrower, routinely sitting in the 88-92 MPH range. If he can continue with his success limiting walks and adding a strong third pitch to go along with his fastball and changeup, then he could be an arm to keep an eye on during his progression through the system. He should open the year with Columbia, and could reach Binghamton before the 2017 season concludes.

27. SS Luis Guillorme

Ht: 5’9″ Wt: 190 Level: St. Lucie Mets (Advanced-A)

B/T: L/R Age: 9/27/1994 (22) Age Dif: -1.7

Last Year: #16

Acquired: Selected by Mets in 10th round of the 2013 Draft from Coral Springs (Fla.) Charter High School.

2016 Statistics: 123 G, 441 AB, 16 2B, 2 3B, HR, 46 RBI, 47 R, 43 BB, 63 SO, .263/.332/.315

Profile: Luis Guillorme’s claim to fame even before he was selected in the 10th round of the 2013 Draft by the New York Mets was his superb defense up the middle. Praised for his accurate arm, speed, and soft hands, Guillorme has excelled at shortstop during his four-year career thus far.

His breakout performance came in 2015, where he spent the entire season with the Savannah Sand Gnats as a 20-year-old, earning the South Atlantic League’s Most Valuable Player Award with a slash line of .318/.391/.354, with 67 runs scored, 55 RBI, and 18 stolen bases in 122 games. Guillorme was 4th in the SAL in OBP (.391), 2nd in average (.318), and 2nd in hits (142). His splits were also solid against both righties and lefties, as he posted an OPS of .743 against RHP, and .752 against LHP. His impressive numbers in ’15 may have partially been attributed to his rather high BABIP (.374), a career high for the Florida native.

The high BABIP in ’15 came back down in 2016 with the St. Lucie Mets, as Guillorme saw decreasing stats in all the main categories, slashing .263/.332/.315 in 123 games. Guillorme continued to post strong strikeout to walk numbers though, as he drew a walk 8.5% of the time, and struck out 12.5% (down from 13.4% in his MVP ’15 season). He did finish the season strong in Florida, in his final 14 games he posted a .306/.364/.347 line.

Guillorme split his time between shortstop and second in ’16 to accommodate Mets top prospect Amed Rosario, the first season he’s played anywhere besides short in his professional career.

2017 Outlook –

With fellow shortstop and top prospect Amed Rosario inching his way closer to the majors, Guillorme’s best chance at sticking with the Mets might be to move to second permanently moving forward or in a utility role. His defense is what scouts rave about, as he grades well above average and is routinely chosen as the Mets’ best fielding shortstop in the minor leagues.

As of now, he profiles more as a solid bench or role player, though, if he can continue to get on base at a solid clip (career .355 OBP), and fill out and add a bit more power to his game, he could be an enticing top of the order hitter. He should begin the year with Binghamton in 2017 as their starting shortstop.

28. RHP Corey Taylor

Ht: 5’11” Wt: 245 Level: St. Lucie Mets (Advanced-A)

B/T: R/R Age: 1/8/1993 (24) Age Dif: -0.1

Last Year: N/A

Acquired: Selected by Mets in 7th round of 2015 Draft out of Texas Tech University

2016 Statistics: 45 G, 53 IP, 4-5 W/L record, 1.87 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 45/13 SO/BB

Profile: Corey Taylor got his career off and running in 2015 with the Brooklyn Cyclones, mere weeks after he was selected in the 7th round of the ’15 Draft out of Texas Tech (just the 5th player out of Texas Tech that the Mets have drafted in team history). Taylor tossed 18 innings in Brooklyn, posting a 1.50 ERA along with a 1.00 WHIP, and averaging 8.0 K/9.

Taylor’s journey wasn’t an easy one at times, he didn’t draw many college offers out of high school, instead attending Cisco Junior College for his freshman year. Texas Tech coach Tim Tadlock saw Taylor while he was playing in a regional at Texas Tech’s campus. When Taylor went to play for Texas Tech in his sophomore year, he went 2-5 with a 7.18 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in 52.2 innings pitched. Taylor transitioned more and more to the pen following his sophomore year, appearing in 40 games between his junior and senior seasons, while starting only 7 of them. In his final year in college, Taylor impressed, posting a 4-0 record with a sparkling 0.31 ERA and 0.85 WHIP over 57.1 innings.

Taylor followed up his strong ’15 season with Brooklyn by posting similar numbers just over more games in 2016 with the St. Lucie Mets as the team’s closer. In 45 games, Taylor posted a record of 4-5 with a 1.87 ERA (10th in the FSL), a 1.25 WHIP, and held opponents to a .252 batting average. Taylor saved 20 games out of 23 chances. Taylor was selected to the Arizona Fall League following the conclusion of the ’16 season, and in nine games Taylor posted a 1.93 ERA with 17 strikeouts and one walk in 14 innings pitched. He was also selected to the AFL All-Star Game.

Mike M adds…

Taylor really impress in the AFL flashing a plus sinker that topped out at 96 MPH and an improved that slider has become a swing and miss pitch for him. He will be in big league camp with the Mets and I wouldn’t be shocked for them to fast track him to the majors. Hitters have a tough time barreling up Taylor’s sinker, he’s allowed only two home runs in 71 innings.

2017 Outlook –

The sizable righties’ arsenal consists of a sinker, slider, and changeup, sitting in the low 90s with his fastball, and at times can reach back at 95 MPH. Since Taylor is an older prospect (just turned 24 in January), the Mets might be inclined to push him through the minors a bit more, pushing him and testing him at higher levels. Taylor should begin the season with Binghamton.

29. RHP Andrew Church

Ht: 6’2″ Wt: 200 Level: Columbia Fireflies (Full-A), St. Lucie Mets (Advanced-A), Las Vegas 51s (Triple A)

B/T: R/R Age: 10/7/1994 (22) Age Dif: -2.1 (St. Lucie)

Last Year: #79

Acquired: Selected by Mets in 2nd of 2013 Draft from Basic High School in Henderson, Nevada.

2016 Statistics: 16 G, 95.2 IP, 7-4 W/L record, 2.92 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 78/25 SO/BB

Profile: For his first three professional seasons, Church had a hard time finding consistency while also battling injuries. The second round selection in the 2013 Draft had an especially tough time limiting hits (12.6, 12.5, and 10.7 in 2013, ’14, and ’15), coupled with low strikeout totals (5.3 his career high in 2014). Church told Michael Mayer in an exclusive interview on MMN, that he found it difficult to repeat his delivery and during every start “something didn’t feel right”. Church underwent hip surgery following the 2015 season, and it seemed to do wonders for the 22-year-old right-hander in 2016.

Church opened the year with Columbia, starting in two games and winning both, tossing 12.2 innings while allowing just two runs, one earned, along with 15 strikeouts. He was promoted in early June to St. Lucie, where Church made six starts, going 2-1 with a 3.60 ERA in 35 innings. His strikeouts were down and walks were up while with St. Lucie (22-14 SO/BB), and was subsequently demoted in July back to Columbia. In seven starts from July 16 to August 24, Church went 3-2 with a 2.66 ERA while limiting the opposition to a .582 OPS. His first start back with Columbia on July 16 was a masterful complete game, one-hit shutout against the Rome Braves, with just one walk and 10 strikeouts, a career high.

Church pitches to contact and features a fastball that sits in the low 90s, slider, curve, and changeup. He works quickly on the mound, and has the old school mentality of wanting to pitch a complete game each time out. He keeps his pitch count low, only hitting 100 pitches once in ’16 (and that wasn’t even during either of his two complete games).

2017 Outlook –

After reaching career highs in innings pitched, games started, SO/9, ERA, and WHIP, it appears Church has found a consistent rhythm and routine on the mound. While he won’t be a strikeout machine, if he can continue to work quick, keep his pitch count low, and get his changeup to be a more consistent pitch for him, he could be a quick riser in the Mets’ system. While he made it all the way up to Triple-A Las Vegas in ’16 for what was supposed to be a spot start (his plane ended up requiring maintenance, and instead arrived in the third inning) he should begin the season with Double-A Binghamton in 2017.

30. LHP David Roseboom

Ht: 6′ 2″ Wt: 225 Level: Binghamton Mets (Double-A)

B/T: L/L Age: 5/17/1992 (24) Age Dif: -0.5

Acquired: Selected by Mets in 17th round of 2014 Draft from University of South Carolina Upstate (Spartanburg, SC)

2016 Statistics: 52 G, 57.2 IP, 1-1 W/L record, 1.87 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 54/18 SO/BB

Profile: A casual fan wouldn’t necessarily expect a 17th round draft pick to garner a ton of attention and be given high praise as a potential future cog in the bullpen. That’s exactly what left-hander David Roseboom has done in his short Mets’ career.

Taken in the 2014 Draft out of the University of South Caroline Upstate, Roseboom was mainly a starting pitcher in his four years in school (65 games, 56 of them starts), and had mixed results. A career 4.67 ERA along with 10.41 H/9 and only 5.88 K/9 left much to be desired, yet the Mets took a chance on the lefty, and wanted to see how he’d respond out of the pen instead. Roseboom started his professional career off strong with Kingsport after the draft, appearing in 16 games and pitching to a 1.59 ERA, picking up four saves, and averaging 11.9 K/9.

He began the ’15 season with Savannah, in which he posted superb numbers in ERA (1.15), WHIP (0.80), and K/9 (10.1). He earned a promotion to St. Lucie at the end of June, however, his early season success would not translate in Florida, as Roseboom’s ERA rose over three runs to 4.55, and his under 1.00 WHIP with Savannah jumped to 1.61. Roseboom attributes his struggles in the Florida State League to not being very aggressive, and trying to be too fine with his pitches at times.

Roseboom opened the ’16 season with Double-A Binghamton, and took pitching coach Glenn Abbott‘s advice of attacking the bottom part of the strike zone more.

“If I ever get hit, it’s because I’m up — not because I’m walking guys and falling behind,” Roseboom told ESPN.

Roseboom assumed the closer role for Binghamton in July, once Akeel Morris was traded to the Atlanta Braves for Kelly Johnson and Beck Wheeler earned a promotion to Las Vegas. He saved 14 out of 15 games and posted a 1.87 ERA in 52 games on the year. From July 2 to the last regular season game on September 5, Roseboom tossed 29.1 innings, holding opponents to a .130/.193/.383 slash line, and a 0.92 ERA. Roseboom was selected to participate in the Arizona Fall League, where he posted a 0.79 ERA over 11.1 innings of work, while holding left-handed hitters to a microscopic .083 batting average.

2017 Outlook-

Writer Logan Barer proposed on MMO last week that Roseboom might be a candidate to make the 25-man roster out of spring, especially considering the lack of bullpen moves the Mets haven’t made thus far. At the very least, the Mets and their staff will be able to get a good look at Roseboom and his repertoire of slider, sinker, and changeup up close. If Roseboom doesn’t make the opening day roster, I’d expect him to open the year with Las Vegas, and preparing for a potential call-up this season. Roseboom has the potential to be a solid back-end reliever, or could be a lefty specialist as MLB prospect guru Jonathan Mayo opined while watching him pitch in Arizona this past fall.