Now, 10 years later, Team USA will have Canada and Mexico in its pool again along with Colombia (Team USA faced in pool play in 2017) and a newcomer to the international stage in Great Britain. Here is the schedule for Pool C:

March 11

Colombia vs. Mexico (2:30 p.m ET, FOX)

Great Britain vs. USA (9 p.m, FOX)

March 12

Great Britain vs. Canada (3 p.m, FS1)

Mexico vs. USA (10 p.m, FS1)

March 13

Colombia vs. Great Britain (3 p.m, FS2)

Canada vs. USA (10 p.m, FS1)

March 14

Canada vs. Colombia (3 p.m, FS2)

Great Britain vs. Meixco (10 p.m, FS1)

March 15

Mexico vs. Canada (3 p.m, FS2)

USA vs. Colombia (10 p.m, FS1)

Trayce Thompson. Photo credits: Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA Today

5. Great Britain

Great Britain is in the World Baseball Classic for the first time after winning Pool A of the Qualification Round back in September. While the expectations are low for this group to get past pool play, there is some intriguing storylines to watch with individual players.

Behind the plate, Great Britain will have Mariners’ top prospect Harry Ford. Seattle’s first-round pick (12th overall) back in 2021 shows good power from behind the plate (23 doubles, 11 home runs in Single-A in 2022) along with a good speed tool (23-for-28 on stolen base attempts). He will get the chance in this tournament to face some strong major league competition and show what he can do.

Meanwhile, in the outfield, the most recognizable name for fans is Trayce Thompson, who is currently with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has been in the big leagues for six years and has a career slash line of .221/.303/.434 with 39 home runs and 109 RBIs. He will provide good versatility for Spencer’s squad with his ability to play all three outfield positions.

There are some current and former Mets’ on this Great Britain squad. Left-hander Cam Opp will be in the bullpen. The 27-year-old made it to Double-A Binghamton at the end of last year. He spent the bulk of the year at High-A Brooklyn and went 1-3 with a 5.23 ERA and had 26 strikeouts to 19 walks in 31 innings of work.

Vance Worley is also with the Great Britain squad and could see a start during pool play. Worley never got to the big league club while with the Mets, but he did pitch at Triple-A Syracuse in 2021 (4-6, 5.23 ERA, 39 strikeouts to 32 walks in 86 innings over 16 games).

Great Britain doesn’t have the same amount of high-end talent as the other four countries in this group and they do have to play four games in four days. However,, they do have players that can keep a game close into the later innings. If that happens, then you can’t necessarily rule out a surprise upset in a tournament like this that could shape who comes out of the group.

Freddie Freeman. Photo via USA Today

4. Canada

In the four previous World Baseball Classics, Canada has a record of 3-8 and has never advanced past pool play. Ernie Whitt has been the manager in every installment of the tournament.

On the mound, Canada’s rotation took a hit with Nick Pivetta dropping out of the tournament due to an illness. That will put a lot of pressure on Cal Quantrill to get the tournament off to a good start. The Guardians right-handed starter is coming off a strong 2022 where he went 15-5 with a 3.38 ERA and had a career-high total in strikeouts (128) and innings pitched (186 1/3). While he lost both of his starts against the Yankees in the ALDS, he only allowed three earned runs in each of those two outings.

Going to the bullpen, Canada does have some veteran options in John Axford and Adam Loewen. However, the names to watch are Mariners relievers Matt Brash (69 strikeouts in 50 2/3 innings in 2022).

Freddie Freeman is the mainstay for this Canada offense, which failed to hit a single home run in 2017 and only had one long ball in 2013. With Freeman’s power along with Bo Naylor behind the plate, and outfielders Owen Caissie (Cubs) and Tyler O’ Neill (Cardinals), Canada should be able to surpass that total this year.

Caissie is probably the most intriguing prospect to watch on this team. The 20-year-old left-handed hitter had 11 home runs and 21 doubles at High-A South Bend a year ago. He has a career .OPS of .808 in his two years in the minor leagues.

If Canada can get to that Mexico finale game with a 2-1 record, then that could be a fun win-and-in game to end pool play. Further, after the two sides had a brawl in 2013 on this same field, you know tensions can be high when these two countries face each other.

Jose Quintana. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

3. Colombia

If there is a sleeper that can come out of Pool C other than the two favorites, it would be Colombia. The country won the 2022 Carribean Series and made it to the finals this past February before losing to the Dominican Republic.

While they did not make it to the Championship Round in 2017, Colombia ended up pushing the United States to the last out before losing 3-2. Also, they defeated Canada and lost to the Dominican Republic in extra innings. It’s a country that isn’t afraid to face some of the top teams.

On offense, Colombia only hit one home run in the 2017 WBC and that was by one of their catchers on this year’s team, Jorge Alfaro. They do have some intriguing players on offense such as Oscar Mercado and Harold Ramírez in the outfield and Gio Urshela at third base, but that isn’t the strength of this roster.

That strength is going to be on the mound with José Quintana. Quintana is going to take the ball in the opener against Julio Urías. The Mets left-handed pitcher did well against Team USA in 2017 (5.2 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 4 SO). Quintana is joined by Julio Teheran, who also only allowed one run in his only WBC start.

Colombia doesn’t have a set closer that will be recognizable to most fans (Elkin Alcalá), but they can bring some velocity out of the bullpen with pitchers such as Tayron Guerrero, Ezequiel Zabaleta, and Jhon Romero.

As for Mets’ ties on this roster, there are plenty. Former Met Dilson Herrera will see some time at the middle infield spots and right-handed pitcher Nabil Crismatt will see some key innings out of the bullpen.

Randy Arozarena. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

2. Mexico

Mexico has not made it to the second round in the last two editions of the WBC, but they have a chance to buck that trend this year because of the starting rotation. With Urías, Patrick Sandoval, José Urquidy, and Taijuan Walker, Mexico has arguably the best rotation in the tournament.

Their offense took a little bit of a hit when catcher Alejandro Kirk pulled himself out of the WBC. Six years ago, Mexico’s offense scored 22 runs and hit .312 as a team, but only had three players record a home run.

If you look at the power options that Mexico has, it starts with Rowdy Tellez, who can be used as either the designated hitter or at first base. Tellez was one of ten players in all of baseball last year to hit 35-plus home runs and he was tied for the fourth-most home runs in the second half of last year (17) trailing only Anthony Santander, Albert Pujols, and Aaron Judge. You would think that Tellez will be plugged into the middle of the order for most, if not all games in pool play.

Mexico also has a good outfield for this tournament led by Randy Arozarena. Arozarena has a good history of performing on the big stage. The 2020 ALCS MVP has a slash line of .333/.417/.705 with 11 home runs and 17 RBIs in 31 career postseason games. He would be able to provide good speed as well with his 52 combined stolen bases in the last two years.

Moving to the rest of the outfield, Alex Verdugo performed well in 2017 (5-for-14, three runs scored) and he led the Red Sox in hits in the second half of last season (78). In center field, options are either Diamondbacks second-year player Alek Thomas or Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran.

In the infield, Isaac Paredes (Rays) is the most intriguing player to watch on the team. Paredes can play three different positions in the infield and the 24-year-old right-handed hitter has good power (20 home runs, 17 doubles in 2022). He might have to play shortstop when you consider Luis Urías (Brewers) is probably better defensively at third than he is at shortstop.

Some former Mets to watch on Team Mexico are left-hander Oliver Pérez and right-hander Luis Cessa (former Mets prospect).

Pete Alonso. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

1.  United States

Team USA will look to defend its 2017 WBC title with a new manager and former Team USA player in Mark DeRosa. In DeRosa’s first managerial role, he has one of the best offenses in the tournament as any lineup card he puts out there is probably going to be a great one.

The outfield is probably Team USA’s biggest strength as you can expect Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, and any combination of Cedric Mullins, Jeff McNeil, Kyle Tucker, or Kyle Schwarber. If Schwarber ends up being the designated hitter, then there’s good defense in the outfield in addition to the offense.

When you look at the infield, you have a corner spot duo of Cardinals in Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt with Pete Alonso likely getting some playing time at first. Then, you add a great amount of speed with Trea Turner, Tim Anderson, and Bobby Witt Jr.

If you had to pick a weakness on this squad, it’s probably the starting rotation. Even though they have solid arms with Adam Wainwright, Merrill Kelly, Lance Lynn, and Brady Singer among others, there is no true ace like the Dominican Republic has with Sandy Alcántara. That being said, with the pitch count rules early in the tournament, they can combine a couple of good arms to piece together a game.

Down in the bullpen, there are a couple Mets in Brooks Raley and Adam Ottavino. In addition to those two pitchers, Team USA has a few closer options such as Daniel Bard, Kendall Graveman, Ryan Pressly, and Devin Williams. If Team USA can hold a lead, they have good depth to hold that lead.

 Most Intriguing Game: Colombia vs. Mexico

One game fans should certainly keep an eye on is the first game between Colombia and Mexico. Yes, Mexico versus USA would be a good choice as well due to the rivalry and history between the two sides, but it’s safe to say Team USA should be able to easily advance out of this group. As for these two countries, it won’t be as easy.

The winner of Colombia versus Mexico might only need two more wins in their next three games to advance. The loser would have to maybe run the table to advance depending on tiebreakers. That puts Mexico at a disadvantage because they play Team USA the next night while Colombia doesn’t play the United States until the final game of pool play.

When you consider the pitching matchup in this one is Quintana vs. Urías, you are going to have a tough time finding a better matchup in pool play than this one. These teams have never faced each other in the WBC up until this game.

Prediction

Team USA might run into some close games in this tournament, but expect them to win this group and play the runner-up in Pool D in the next round. While we ranked Mexico’s roster ahead of Colombia due to the rotation, we are going to go with a surprise pick and select Colombia to advance as the runner-up. They will benefit from getting to face Team USA last.

The post Previewing The 2023 World Baseball Classic: Pool C appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

For any baseball fans looking to watch some live games before spring training begins later this month, the Caribbean Series just might be the thing to focus on. The tournament begins on Thursday in Venezuela as eight nations will go for the title.

While there are no current Mets major leaguers or prospects on any of the rosters that feature the champions of each country’s winter league squad, some of the names that you will see will get fans reminiscing on players who wore orange and blue in recent years.

For the host country, Venezuela (Leones Del Caracas), Wilson Ramos is one of the catchers. Ramos spent two years as the catcher in Flushing (2019-2020) and had a slash line of .276/.339/.410 with 19 home runs and 88 RBIs in 186 games.

One of the favorites, the Dominican Republic (Tigres del Licey), they are managed by a man who had a brief cup of coffee with the Mets in Jose Offerman (.250/.316/.319, 1 home run, 10 RBIs in 53 games in 2005). The former outfielder will get to manage Robinson Cano (.765 OPS, 24 HR, 72 RBIs in 3 years in Flushing), who has been known for having success in winter ball, especially in the Caribbean Series.

As for team Colombia (Vaqueros de Monteria), one player Mets fans will remember well is former infielder Dilson Herrera. Once a top prospect in the Mets organization, Herrera only played 49 games for the Mets in 2014-2015 (.215/.308/.383, 6 HR, 17 RBIs) before being traded to the Reds for Jay Bruce in August 2016. Colombia will look to try to repeat their title run from a year ago.

Here are the teams participating and players with Mets ties on their roster:

Mexico

• RHP Matt Pobereyko
• C Juan Uriarte
• 1B/OF Joey Terdoslavich

Colombia

• INF Dilson Herrera
• LHP Fernando Abad

Panama

• No Mets ties

Cuba

• No Mets ties

Puerto Rico

• RHP Rob Whalen

Dominican Republic

• 2B/DH Robinson Canó
• LHP Raul Valdes
• RHP Yennsy Diaz
• INF Gustavo Nunez

Venezuela

• C Wilson Ramos
• INF Wilfredo Tovar
• RHP Anthony Vizcaya
• RHP Miguel Socolovich

Curacao

• LHP Nelmerson Xavier Mariano Silvano Angela
• OF Roger Bernadina

Mets prospect Ronny Mauricio has decided to not play in the series after a full season in the minors and playing a full schedule during the Dominican Winter League regular and postseason for the champion Tigres del Licey. Mauricio, recently ranked as the No. 56 prospect in baseball by ESPN, was the regular season LIDOM MVP when he hit .287/.335/.468 in 46 games.

The games will be split between two stadiums including the picturesque Estadio de La Rinconada.

The view for the Caribbean Series is unreal! 😯

📹: https://t.co/MsVFTmrNYW pic.twitter.com/NhNFuetMC7

— MLB (@MLB) January 31, 2023

The games start today at 9:30 a.m. ET when Cuba takes on Curacao. The eight countries will play a round-robin format and then the top four will meet in the semifinals a week from today (February 9) with the champion being crowned on February 10.

This year, ESPN+ along with ESPN Deportes will have coverage of every single game during the series. If you are looking to get your international baseball fix before the World Baseball Classic next month, this might be the event for you to see some high-stakes baseball and a lot of emotion all at the same time.

The post 2023 Caribbean Series Begins Today appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Brooklyn Cyclones closed out this decade of Mets minor league baseball by becoming the third affiliate to win a league championship in the 2010s, joining the 2014 Binghamton Mets and 2013 Savannah Sand Gnats. Between one name change, two new franchises, and one Tim Tebow, it was quite the ten years in the organization.

While the Mets’ system produced major league stars like Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, they don’t crack our list of the most notable minor league players from the decade – that is, those who stood out regardless of how their big league careers unfolded.

Without further ado, here’s MetsMinors’ best 25-man roster from the 2010s, a nod to the rule that is also staying behind in this decade.

Manager – Luis Rojas

Our team needs a manager, and few are more qualified than Rojas, who made stops in the Gulf Coast League (2011), Savannah (2012-14), St. Lucie, (2015-16), and Binghamton (2017-18). He compiled 549 wins and captured a South Atlantic League championship with the Sand Gnats in 2013.

Wins aren’t the ultimate goal in the minor leagues, but Rojas’ track record of development is just as notable. He skippered the 2017 Eastern League Pitcher of the Year (Corey Oswalt), the 2015 Florida State League Player of the Year (Dominic Smith), and the Mets’ four most recent all-stars.

Rojas, the brother of former Met Moises Alou, was deservedly promoted to the major league staff as the quality control coach for the 2019 season and was a preliminary candidate for the 2020 managerial gig.

Bench Coach: Pedro Lopez 696-701 (.498), 5 playoff appearances

Catcher – Kevin Plawecki

Plawecki had all the makings of a future starting catcher when the Mets selected him 35th overall in 2012. Though things never fully materialized at the major league level, he excelled throughout his time in the minors.

Plawecki hit .307 with 19 home runs and 144 RBI over his first two full seasons, which he began in Savannah (where he was an all-star) and ended in Las Vegas. Mets fans were given a glimpse of what they hoped would be their battery for years to come in the summer of 2014 when Plawecki and Syndergaard represented the organization at the Futures Game in Minnesota.

All told, Plawecki posted a 125 wRC+ in 1,779 minor league plate appearances with the Mets. His bat never came around in four major league seasons (77 OPS+) and was shipped to the Cleveland Indians for Walker Lockett and Sam Haggerty prior to the 2019 season.

Backup: Patrick Mazeika (1801 PA, .278/.371/.424, 40 HR, 131 wRC+)

First Base – Pete Alonso

Alonso had the 92nd-most minor league plate appearances in the organization this decade, but his home run hitting prowess (59 long balls in two-and-a-half seasons) landed him in the top ten. The 2016 second-round pick parlayed that success into one of the greatest rookie seasons in Mets franchise history.

Alonso burst onto the scene in his first professional season, hitting .321 in 30 games with Brooklyn. In just that short time he earned an all-star nod there and the next season in St. Lucie, where he maintained strong numbers even after missing six weeks with a broken hand. In 2018 he earned a non-roster invite to major league spring training and enjoyed a season that put him on the national map. His 36 home runs and 119 RBI were the most by a Mets minor leaguer since Brett Harper in 2005.

During those 30 games with Brooklyn, Alonso’s power profile was frequently compared to that of Mike Napoli by Tom Gamboa, who managed both players. Through just one major league season, Alonso is already 20 percent of the way to Napoli’s respectable 267 career home run total.

Backup: Allan Dykstra (1691 PA, .271/.418/.479, 63 HR, 148 wRC+)

Second Base – Dilson Herrera

Herrera was projected to be the second baseman of the future in Queens when the Mets acquired him from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the deal that sent away Marlon Byrd and John Buck. Injuries, however, prevented Herrera from ever getting an extended chance in the majors.

After hitting .323 with 13 home runs between St. Lucie and Binghamton in 2014, he joined Jose Reyes, Fernando Martinez, and Ruben Tejada, and Jenrry Mejia as the only Mets to debut in their age-20 season since 1989. In 2015, between brief major league stints, Herrera hit .331 with a .899 OPS in 84 games in Las Vegas. He had not reached the majors in 2016 when he was dealt at the deadline to the Cincinnati Reds for Jay Bruce.

Herrera rejoined the Mets for the 2019 season but did not earn a call-up despite hitting a career-high 24 home runs for Syracuse. He finished the decade with a 125 wRC+ and 61 home runs in the organization and was signed by the Baltimore Orioles this December.

Backup: Luis Santana (611 PA, .329/.426/.465, 7 HR, 153 wRC+)

Shortstop – Wilmer Flores

Before he captured the hearts of Mets fans through his 2015 heroics and strong play in a utility infield role for six seasons, Flores was a perpetual prospect. Signed on his 16th birthday in 2007, he was the rare international minor leaguer to debut in Kingsport, and though his ascent through the system was gradual, he was still only 21 when he reached Triple-A in 2013.

Had Flores grown up in the United States, he would have been preparing for his junior year of high school when he hit .307 between Kingsport, Brooklyn, and Savannah in 2008. The Venezuelan made Futures Game appearances in 2009 and 2012 and garnered midseason all-star selections with Savannah in 2010, St. Lucie in 2012, and Las Vegas in 2013.

Flores stood out with low strikeout rates and gap-to-gap power over 2,450 plate appearances. Among players who hit that 2,000 PA threshold this decade, Flores’ .464 slugging percentage was fourth-best.

Backup: Andres Gimenez (1657 PA, .278/.356/.405, 22 HR, 123 wRC+)

Third Base – Zach Lutz

Lutz was a talented hitter throughout his time in the organization but struggled to stay healthy and ultimately played in just 22 major league games. Somewhere in between two foot fractures, a quadriceps strain, two concussions, a hamstring strain, and a broken finger, Lutz posted a 135 wRC+ and 62 home runs in the minors.

Added to the 40-man roster ahead of the 2011 season, Lutz was released in 2014 and joined the Rakuten Eagles in Japan. The Mets brought him back to serve as Triple-A depth in July of 2015. He joined the Marlins in 2016 and retired following the season.

Backup: Eric Campbell (2427 PA, .300/.395/.446, 133 wRC+)

Left Field – Michael Conforto

At 582 plate appearances, Conforto was the quickest to the majors among players on this dream team. The tenth overall pick in 2014 was a standout with Brooklyn in his debut season and, after just 91 games with St. Lucie and Binghamton in 2015, was promoted to join the big club.

Conforto hit .161 over a 63-game stretch in 2016 so he was sent to Las Vegas and proved that it was simply an aberration, posting a 1.209 OPS in 33 games and earning a recall.

Even with qualification standards set as low as 200 plate appearances, no Mets minor leaguer topped Conforto’s 167 wRC+ over the past decade. He will be a fixture in the Mets’ lineup for years to come.

Backup: Dustin Lawley (2080 PA, .252/.308/.457, 76 HR, 109 wRC+)

Center Field – Brandon Nimmo

Nimmo, like Flores, joined the organization carrying high expectations at a young age. It took him a while, debuting in the majors in June of 2016 after being drafted five years earlier, but the wait seems to have been worth it.

Nimmo earned three straight all-star nods from 2013-2015 and bookended that same stretch with Futures Game appearances. Despite a time-consuming injury in 2012 and a pair of “down” years, he still finished his minor league run with a 130 wRC+ and, of course, 354 walks, second-most in the decade.

Backup: Matt den Dekker (2324 PA, .288/.347/.477, 62 HR, 121 wRC+)

Right Field – Travis Taijeron

Though Taijeron’s major league career is unlikely to consist of more than 52 at-bats in late 2017, he will go down as the premier masher among Mets minor leaguers in the 2010s. Aderlin Rodriguez, who hit the second-most home runs in the organization this decade, would have to rejoin the team and hit 79 balls over the fence to catch Taijeron, who hit 159 in eight seasons.

Though his power was undeniable, Taijeron would have had brighter major league prospects had he not struggled to put the bat on the ball. His 1,048 strikeouts were 415 more than Champ Stuart in second place.

Taijeron, a 2011 draft pick, became a free agent after the 2017 season, played for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2018, and rejoined the Mets to play in Syracuse in 2019. He finished the decade as the organization’s leader in games, at-bats, hits, doubles, home runs, runs scored, runs batted in, walks, and strikeouts.

Backup: Kevin Kaczmarski (1668 PA, .290/.373/.402, 13 HR, 120 wRC+)

Starting Pitchers – Steven Matz, Robert Gsellman, Rafael Montero, Gabriel Ynoa, Michael Fulmer

Of the 52 Mets pitchers who topped minor league 350.0 innings in the 2010s, only Matz recorded an ERA under 3.00. It’s impressive, considering the 2009 draft pick didn’t reach full-season ball until 2013 following surgery to repair a torn UCL. Once healthy, Matz was excellent, striking out 359 batters in 352.1 innings in two-and-a-half seasons before joining the major league team for good. He will forever be revered in Binghamton, where he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning of the clinching game of the 2014 Eastern League championship.

Before becoming a mainstay in the Mets’ bullpen, Gsellman rose through the minors as an effective starting pitcher. The 2011 13th-rounder posted sub-3.00 ERAs in three straight years beginning in 2013 and was named the organization’s Sterling Pitcher of the Year in 2015.

Montero’s performance never quite reached the level of his prospect hype, but few Mets minor leaguers were better than he was from 2011-2014. His 3.26 ERA and 5.7% home run rate in the decade, though, would have looked much better had he not fallen apart in Las Vegas and Binghamton in 2016. Montero will still only be 29 for all of the 2020 season and is looking to build on a strong return to the major leagues in 2019 with the Texas Rangers.

Ynoa did not have overpowering stuff but used craftiness to be consistently solid from his debut in 2010 through his last year in the organization in 2016. He was saved from minor league free agency in August and appeared to have a chance at a roster spot in 2017 but was traded to the Baltimore Orioles before spring training opened. For the decade, Ynoa recorded a 3.36 ERA and minuscule 4.1% walk rate in 136 games (128 starts) with the Mets.

Fulmer battled injuries throughout his time with the Mets, but when healthy it was evident that his future was bright. He became expendable in 2015 when, after developing arms like deGrom, Syndergaard, and Matz, the organization had the opportunity to acquire Yoenis Cespedes to bolster the major league lineup. Fulmer headed to Detroit and lived up to – or exceeded – expectations, winning the 2016 AL Rookie of the Year and earning a spot on the 2017 AL All-Star team. He missed the 2019 season after Tommy John surgery but should be able to contribute at a high level again once healthy.

Relief Pitchers – Paul Sewald, Luis Mateo, Akeel Morris, T.J. Chism

No Mets minor leaguer consistently held down a closer role over the past decade like Sewald, who led the organization with 75 saves. He was an all-star at Binghamton in 2015, where he finished with 24 saves and a 1.75 ERA over 51.1 innings.

Despite always being older than his peers due to MLB penalties that prevented him from signing until he was 21, Mateo broke out as a top prospect in the organization with Brooklyn in 2012. His career took a turn for the worse when he needed Tommy John surgery in 2013, and didn’t pitch a full season until 2016. Mateo became a free agent after the 2017 season. His career numbers were strong, even with underperformance and the aforementioned injuries sprinkled in. He finished his time in the organization with a 3.08 ERA and 4.27 K/BB ratio.

Morris seemed destined for a bright major league future as a middle reliever but never mitigated control problems that had plagued him since the Mets drafted him as a starter from the Virgin Islands in 2010. Morris was a midseason all-star with Savannah in 2014, where he allowed just four earned runs in 57.0 innings, and with St. Lucie in 2015, before earning a call-up straight to the majors on June 17. That night in Toronto, he allowed five earned runs and recorded just two outs and never donned the orange and blue again. Morris was immediately optioned to Binghamton and traded to Atlanta for Kelly Johnson in 2016.

Chism, a 32nd round pick in 2009, outperformed expectations before hitting a wall in Double-A and earning a release in 2014. He spent his first three pro seasons bouncing between Kingsport and Brooklyn, and excelled once reaching full-season ball in 2012, earning an all-star nod with Savannah after posting 2.34 ERA. He found similar success as St. Lucie’s closer in 2013, saving 20 games. Chism ultimately recorded a 2.78 ERA with 49 saves in six seasons.

The post Mets Minors: All-Decade Team appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

According to Jon Heyman of MLB Network, infielder Dilson Herrera has opted out of his contract with the New York Mets.

Herrera, 25, has spent the entirety of the 2019 campaign with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate Syracuse. The infielder appeared in 117 games for Syracuse, owned a triple slash of .248/.330/.501 with 24 home runs and 64 RBI.

The Colombia native opted out of his deal with the Mets in July, but signed back on before opting out again Sunday. He is now a free agent and is free to sign with any team.

While the MLB rosters expanded on Sunday, Herrera was not on the Mets 40-man roster. With Robinson Cano and Jed Lowrie nearing returns as well, it was unlikely Herrera would have received a promotion.

The post Dilson Herrera Opts Out of Contract with Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Matthew Allan/Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

Syracuse Mets 1 (65-61), Lehigh Valley 0 Box Score

• 3B Arismendy Alcantara 1 for 3, BB, K .302/.362/.522
• 2B Dilson Herrera 1 for 4, 2 K .257/.333/.533
• C Rene Rivera 1 for 4, HR .257/.319/.509

Alcantara may be a guy to call-up as a utility depth piece. After having no where near 11 homers in any given season, Rene Rivera has 25 homers in Triple-A.

• RHP Corey Oswalt 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 K, 2.25 era
• RHP Stephen Nogosek 2 IP, 3 K, 0.00 era

Oswalt has a 2.85 era in 75.1 innings, the qualified league leader is at 3.56. Syracuse has inched closer to a playoff spot as they sit only two games back of the division leader.

Bowie Baysox 11, Binghamton Rumble Ponies 4 (60-65) Box Score

• SS Andres Gimenez 1 for 4, 2B, 2 K .235/.301/.362
• 1B David Thompson 2 for 3, 2B, RBI .255/.323/.398

Gimenez needs to finish strong to not make this is a lost year.

• LHP David Peterson 2.2 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 6 K, 4.50 era

Peterson’s August has been hard, with a 4.86 ERA after a 3.94 era in July.

Brooklyn Cyclones 5 (35-27), Tri-City 0 Box Score

• CF Jake Mangum 1 for 2, BB, R .255/.341/.315
• C Jose Mena 3 for 4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, K .296/.337/.444

Gavin Garay also went yard for the Cyclones. The Cyclones are only half back from the division leader.

• RHP Nathan Jones 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K, 1.80 ERA
• RHP Hunter Parsons 2 IP, H, 0 R, 2 K,  4.26 ERA

Jones and Parsons shut it down for Brooklyn, both were 2019 draft picks.

Kingsport Mets 8 (29-30), Danville Braves 2 Box Score

• 3B Brett Baty 2 for 5, HR, 2 R, 2 K .198/.314/.427
• 2B Gregory Guerrero 3 for 4, HR, 2 RBI, 3 R, K .226/.321/.378

Baty’s seventh homer of the year, and Guerrero’s fifth. Baty has homered in two of three games.

• RHP Andres German 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 K, 3.94 era

Connor Wollersheim, Christian Tripp, and Reyson Santos all contributed scoreless innings closing out the game.

GCL Mets 11 (24-22), GCL Cardinals 1 Box Score

• CF Blaine McIntosh 1 for 3, 2 BB .203/.257/.203
• DH Kenedy Corona 1 for 4, HR .295/.393/.443
• 3B Warren Saunders 3 for 5, 2 2B .316/.378/.398

Corona has hit 4 homers in 35 games for Gulf Coast, after hitting none in the DSL. William Lugo and Zach Ashford also went deep.

• RHP Matthew Allan 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 K, 1.42 ERA
• RHP Robert Colina 4 IP, 3 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 3.96 ERA
• RHP Jace Beck 2 IP, H, 2 K, 3.60, ERA

Allan has struck out 8 in 6.1 IP, and has only allowed one earned run. Jace Beck is a nice 6’9″ righty selected at the latter half of the last draft.

DSL Mets1 1 (32-28), DSL Rockies 0 Box Score

• RF Freddy Valdez 0 for 3, K .269/.357/.435

Valdez is one of the only prospects on the DSL Mets1 as other players have moved up to Gulf Coast.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Matthew Allan, Corey Oswalt Spin Scoreless Outings appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

Buffalo (58-54) 9, Syracuse (56-56) 7   Box Score

• Arismendy Alcantara LF: 2-5, 3B, RBI, K, .303/.367/.542
• Rene Rivera C-1B: 2-4, RBI, BB, .248/.307/.456
• Travis Taijeron DH: 2-4, BB, K, .242/.380/.556

Alcantara recorded his second consecutive multi-hit game in which he also hit a triple. Dilson Herrera continued his solid season with a two-run homer, and was pulled from the game, signaling that a possible promotion may be in his future. Ali Sanchezreplaced his spot in the lineup and went 1-2; he is now 3-8 since his promotion to Syracuse.

• RHP Zach Lee (L, 4-3, 6.99 ERA): 3.0 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 0 BB, 3 K
• RHP Chris Flexen (5-2, 4.07 ERA): 1.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Brooks Pounders (2-2, 3.78 ERA): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K
• RHP Paul Sewald (3-3, 3.61 ERA): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
• LHP Ryan O’Rourke (2-3, 3.40 ERA): 1.0 IP, H, R, 0 ER, BB, K

Lee gave up five runs in his second straight start, his last one occurring with Binghamton as his struggles continued. Flexen now has a 5.93 ERA in 12 games as a reliever in Triple-A this season, compared to a 3.59 ERA in 10 starts.

Akron (50-62) 3, Binghamton (57-53) 0   Box Score

• Patrick Mazeika 1B: 1-4, K, .257/.320/.442
• Andres Gimenez SS: 1-4, K, .243/.312/.375

The Rumble Ponies got shut out, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. They collected only six hits, all singles by six different hitters. Gimenez is just 1-for-9 in August after finishing up his big July in which he posted an .837 OPS.

• LHP David Peterson (L, 3-4, 4.37 ERA): 3.1 IP, H, R, BB, 3 K
• RHP Darwin Ramos (0-0, 9.00 ERA): 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, BB, 0 K
• RHP Ryder Ryan (2-1, 3.82 ERA): 1.2 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 2 K
• RHP Steve Villines (0-1, 1.11 ERA): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K

Peterson made a solid return from the injured list, being limited to only 44 pitches. Ramos gave up two runs in two innings in his Double-A debut, while Villines continued his Double-A domination.

Daytona (55-54) 4, St. Lucie (60-50) 3   Box Score

• Carlos Cortes DH: 1-3, 2B, BB, .249/.325/.381
• Manny Rodriguez SS: 2-3, HR, 2B, 2 RBI, .261/.341/.335

Despite an RBI triple from Jacob Zanon in the first inning, and a go-ahead two-run homer in the fourth, the Mets couldn’t come up with enough to win as they did not record a hit after the fourth inning. Rodriguez has been hot his last three games, going 5-for-9 with a homer, two doubles, and two walks.

• RHP Luc Rennie (L, 6-5, 4.00 ERA): 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, BB, 5 K
• RHP Marcel Renteria (1-2, 4.02 ERA): 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K

Rennie had another solid start for St. Lucie, where he has fared much better compared to his three starts with Binghamton. Renteria has turned his struggles around, now having allowed only one earned run over his last 17.2 innings.

Columbia’s game was suspended in the bottom of the seventh with the game tied 2-2. The game will resume at 2:05 ET on Sunday.   Box Score

Williamsport (18-29) 4, Brooklyn (26-21) 3   Box Score

• Kennie Taylor CF: 2-5, K, .333/.333/.500
• Luke Ritter 2B: 1-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K, .245/.361/.353

Ritter hit an RBI double in the fourth and came in on an error, and Jake Mangum drew a bases loaded walk in the eighth, but the Cyclones fell short, 4-3. Taylor has gotten off to a nice start in his first three games since being promoted to Brooklyn, going 4-for-12 with a triple.

• RHP Nathan Jones (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K
• RHP Corey Gaconi (2-1, 3.60 ERA): 4.0 IP, 4 H, R, 0 BB, 4 K
• RHP Nelson Leon (1-0, 0.82 ERA): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
• RHP Luis Silva (L, 1-2, 6.60 ERA): 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 BB, K
• RHP Brian Metoyer (2-2, 5.73 ERA): 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

In his first two professional appearances, Jones has now pitched three hitless innings with six strikeouts. Despite struggling with Columbia, Leon has thrived since his demotion to Brooklyn, as he looks to get back up there soon.

Kingsport (20-23) 5, Burlington (24-20) 4   Box Score

• Francisco Alvarez C: 3-3, BB, .355/.437/.500
• Scott Ota RF: 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, .252/.338/.435

Alvarez extended his hitting streak to 14 games with his second consecutive multi-hit game. He reached base all four times in the win, and now has a 1.073 OPS in 24 games this season. Tanner Murphy also helped out with a solo homer in the second inning.

• RHP Andres German (0-1, 5.63 ERA): 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• LHP Connor Wollersheim (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K
• RHP Nate Peden (W, 1-3, 6.16 ERA): 2.0 IP, 2 H, R, BB, K
• RHP Josh Hejka (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

German threw a season-high 70 pitches, passing his previous high of 45. Wollersheim had his second straight scoreless outing to start his professional career, while Hejka has pitched 9.2 scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts and two walks to being his professional career.

DSL Nationals (15-33) 9, DSL Mets1 (24-23) 8   Box Score

• Luis Castillo SS: 2-3, 2B, .270/.391/.348

Down 9-4 in the ninth, the Mets1’s comeback attempt fell just short. Four players each collected two hits in the loss.

• RHP Luis Silverio (L, 1-1, 13.50 ERA): 2.0 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 BB, K
• RHP Edward Sosa (0-2, 4.80 ERA): 4.0 IP, H, 0 R, BB, 0 K
• RHP Onil Lozano (2-0, 8.31 ERA): 1.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, BB, 0 K
• LHP Mauricio Lezama (0-1, 10.29 ERA): 1.0 IP, 0 H, R, 0 ER, BB, K

Silverio’s severe control problems continued to plague him, with three more walks in Saturday’s outing. Sosa pitched four strong scoreless innings in long relief despite not striking out a batter.

DSL Cardinals Red (20-34) 16, DSL Mets2 (25-29) 3   Box Score

• Omar De Los Santos CF: 2-5, K, .270/.349/.412

Despite the loss, all nine players in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit for the Mets2. They scored all three of their runs in the second inning, helped out with a triple by Samuel Marte and a double by Wilker Velasquez.

• RHP Ronny Rincones (1-0, 1.55 ERA): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, BB, 7 K
• RHP Melvin Arteaga (L, 2-2, 5.50 ERA): 2.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• RHP Eiker Huize (5-3, 5.14 ERA): 0.1 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 3 BB, K
• RHP Martin Rodriguez (3-2, 6.59 ERA): 1.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, BB, K
• RHP Moises Gonzalez (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K

Rincones had the best performance of his very young professional career, striking out seven and walking only one over five scoreless innings. The bullpen was ambushed however, as the Mets2 had to call on outfielder Gonzalez to get the final out, and Gonzalez struck out the only batter he faced.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Peterson Returns From IL In Binghamton Loss appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by @KristinBasnett

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (53-38) 4, Syracuse (43-48) 3  Box Score

• Dilson Herrera 2B: 2-for-4, R, HR, 2 RBI, K, .253/.346/.553
• Rene Rivera C: 1-for-2, R, HR, RBI, 2 BB, .271/.326/.479

Herrera and Rivera drove in all of the Syracuse’s runs with two swings of the bat. Herrera got the Mets on the board with his 18th home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second inning. Rivera pulled the Mets within one run in the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run. Over his last 10 games, Rivera is hitting .366 with an impressive six home runs.

• LHP Anthony Kay (0-3, 7.32 ERA) 5.2 IP, 5 H, ER, 3 K
• RHP Chris Flexen (4-2, 3.45 ERA) 1.0 IP, 2 H, ER, K
• RHP Tyler Bashlor (3-2, 4.67 ERA) 1.0 IP, 2 K

It had been a rough beginning to Kay’s time in Triple-A, but he posted his best start with Syracuse in Friday’s game. Not only were his 5.2 innings pitched and one earned run bests for him in Syracuse, this was also the first start all season in which he did not walk a batter. Flexen gave up his first run in Syracuse since being converted to a reliever. Bashlor has a 17:3 K:BB ratio over his last ten games (12.2 innings)

Binghamton (45-42) 2, Portland (36-52) 0  Box Score

• Andres Gimenez SS: 1-for-3, R, 2B, .245/.310/.368
• Gavin Cecchini 2B: 1-for-3, 2B, RBI, .242/.333/.394
• Luis Carpio 3B: 2-for-3, .246/.351/.331

Despite scattering 10 hits during the seven-inning game, the Rumble Ponies offense could push across just two runs in the first game of the doubleheader. Patrick Mazeika and Cecchini had RBI doubles in the first and fourth innings, respectively.

• RHP Joseph Shaw (0-3, 2.70 ERA) 3.0 IP, H, BB, 4 K
• RHP Matt Blackham (W, 5-2, 2.70 ERA) 2.0 IP, 4 K
• LHP Blake Taylor (S, 0-0, 1.72 ERA) 2.0 IP, BB, 2 K

It was a bullpen game for Binghamton, with three of the team’s top relievers pitching outstandingly. The trio struck out ten batters over seven one-hit innings. While all three have impressed this season, Taylor has taken a major step forward since his promotion from St. Lucie. Through 15.2 innings with the Rumble Ponies, he has a 22:3 K:BB ratio and has allowed just 3 earned runs. He is certainly making his case to be added to the 40-man roster before reaching free agency over the offseason.

Binghamton (46-42) 5, Portland (36-53) 0  Box Score

• Barrett Barnes LF: 1-for-3, R, HR, 3 RBI, K, .254/.370/.458
• Andres Gimenez SS: 2-for-4, 3B, K, .245/.310/.368
• Sam Haggerty DH: 1-for-3, R, BB, K, .279/.401/.416

Gimenez has been heating up this month: He has a seven-game hit streak and is hitting .364/.371/.576 with only 5 strikeouts in 9 July games. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a strong second half to turn around what has been an otherwise disappointing season.

• RHP Zach Lee (W, 1-0, 1.00 ERA) 5.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K
• RHP Steve Villines (S, 0-1, 0.36 ERA) 2.0 IP, 2 H, 3 K

For the second time in the same day, Binghamton pitchers shut out the Portland offense.. After struggling in Syracuse, Lee has been excellent in his two Double-A starts. Villines continues to shut down Double-A hitters and really should get another chance in Syracuse in the near future.

St. Lucie (48-42) vs. Dunedin (57-30)

The Mets’ game in Dunedin was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on July 13.

Charleston (47-45) 4, Columbia (35-53) 3  Box Score

• Mark Vientos 3B: 3-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBI, .262/.313/.410
• Shervyen Newton SS: 2-for-5, R, 2 K, .222/.290/.322
• Carlos Sanchez C: 2-for-4, 2B, 3B, K, .231/.231/.462

With Ronny Mauricio getting a rare day off, Newton was able to get an opportunity to play shortstop for just the 10th time all season. He also had his sixth straight multi-hit game and is now hitting .400/.400/.575 in July (albeit with 16 strikeouts and zero walks). Vientos is also heating up in July, with a .361/.452/.583 line for the month.

• RHP Willy Taveras (5-7, 5.32 ERA) 6.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, BB, 4 K
• RHP Danny Hrbek (1-0, 3.38 ERA) 2.0 IP, H, 3 K
• RHP Nelson Leon (L, 1.04 ERA) 2.0 IP, H, R, K

Hrbek has a 9:1 K:BB ratio over his last four appearances. Despite blowing the lead with an unearned run in the 10th inning, Leon has allowed just one earned run over 14.2 innings pitched between Brooklyn and Columbia this season.

Brooklyn (14-12) 5, Mahoning Valley (13-14) 4  Box Score

• Ranfy Adon RF: 1-for-3, R, HR, 2 RBI, .241/.247/.361
• Branden Fryman SS: 2-for-3, R, RBI, .394/.429/.455

The Cyclones had just five hits in the game, but were still able to manage to push across five runs in the game, all of which came in the third inning. Adon has greatly struggled with his plate discipline this season (1:30 BB:K ratio), but has only struck out 3 times in his last 6 games.

• RHP Jaison Vilera (W, 2-3, 3.81 ERA) 6.0 IP, 2 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 7 K
• RHP Justin Lasko (0-1, 0.00 ERA) 1.0 IP, H, K

It was a bit of a strange start for Vilera: He gave up just two hits, but ended up allowing four total runs in the game, all of which were unearned. Lasko has not walked a batter in 7.0 innings pitched this season.

Mahoning Valley (14-14) 4, Brooklyn (14-13) 0  Box Score

• Jake Mangum CF: 1-for-4, 2B, .225/.295/.350
• Luke Ritter 2B: 1-for-2, 2B, BB, K, .263/.387/.434

There’s not much to say about Brooklyn’s offense in the second game of the doubleheader. The team scattered six hits throughout the seven-inning game, so they did have a handful of opportunities, but went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

• RHP Mitch Ragan (L, 0-2, 1.32 ERA) 4.0 IP, 3 H, ER, K

Ragan had pitched solely as a reliever since being drafted, but made a spot start in this game. He has been very good early in his professional career, striking out ten batters without walking anyone over 13.2 innings pitched.

Kingsport (11-12) 9, Princeton (10-13) 8

Jaylen Palmer and Francisco Alvarez both drove in runs in a six-run fifth inning. Cesar Loaiza picked up the win after allowing two runs over five innings pitched. Sidearmer Josh Hejka closed out the game after the margin had been reduced to just a single run over the final two innings.

GCL Mets (8-6) 5, GCL Marlins (9-6) 1  Box Score

• Warren Saunders 1B: 2-for-4, R, .429/.429/.429
• Anderson Bohorquez DH: 2-for-3, RBI, .263/.263/.368
• William Lugo SS: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, K, .192/.267/.231

Despite scoring a solid five runs, the Mets offense struggled a bit in this one, recording only a single extra-base hit and one walk. The talented Lugo has struggled early this season, but has cut down on his strikeouts over the past week.

• LHP Franklin Parra (1-0, 0.00 ERA) 2.0 IP, 2 K
• RHP Jhonfran Escalona (W, 1-0, 0.66 ERA) 5.0 IP, 4 H, ER, BB, 2 K

It has been an impressive start to the season for Parra: Over his first three outings he has faced 19 batters, struck out 10 of them, and only allowed two to reach base against him (one on a walk; the second reached on an error and was immediately picked off by Parra). Escalona has been similarly impressive as he had thrown 17 scoreless innings between the GCL and DSL prior to allowing a single run in this outing.

DSL Nationals (9-23) 5, DSL Mets1 (17-15) 1  Box Score

• Luis Castillo SS: 1-for-3, 3B, BB, .300/.406/.378

There wasn’t much offense for the Mets in this one, with the team combining for only three hits. Top prospect Freddy Valdez did not play in Friday’s game.

• LHP Alan Ramirez (L, 1-2, 2.70 ERA) 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, BB, 8 K

Ramirez has a 34:7 K:BB ratio in  23.1 innings pitched.

DSL Mets2 (17-19) 7, DSL Cubs2 (22-14) 2  Box Score

• Dyron Campos CF: 3-for-5, 2B, CS, .324/.397/.424
• Moises Gonzalez 1B: 2-for-3, 3 R, 2B, HBP, .234/.280/.404

With 13 hits in the game, the Mets offense had a solid day, but struggling on the basepaths as two players were caught stealing and two more were picked off while on base.

• RHP David Marcano (0-0, 0.71 ERA) 4.2 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K

Marcano has been much better this season after a lackluster debut season, although his 7:6 K:BB indicates that he may be getting a bit lucky with his outstanding run prevention numbers.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Anthony Kay Has Best Start Since Promotion to Syracuse appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

As per Jon Heyman of MLB Network, New York Mets minor-league infielder, Dilson Herrera, has opted out of his contract with the team, making him a free agent.

Herrera, 25, signed a minor-league contract with the Mets in November and has thrived in 2019, being named to the International League All-Star team last month.

The former Mets farmhand (acquired from Pittsburgh with Vic Black in the 2013 deal that sent John Buck and Marlon Byrd to the Pirates, then traded to Cincinnati in 2016, for Jay Bruce) was conspicuously absent from the Triple-A Syracuse Mets’ lineup in Monday’s 9-7 loss to Rochester. Now we know why.

Over 256 plate appearances with Syracuse this season, the Colombian native owns a .258/.355/.566 slash line with 17 home runs, 17 two-base hits, 38 RBIs, a .382 weighted on-base average, and 126 wRC+.

His 10.5% walk rate was the highest he’d posted since putting up a 13.8% mark with Triple-A Louisville (Cincinnati) in 2016, though his 27% strikeout rate is a bit of an eyesore.

Adeiny Hechavarria (.226/.398/.656 in 97 plate appearances with the Mets), while keeping his head above water but not shining by any means with the big club, is a major-league-capable bench player, but a call-up to the majors arguably wasn’t too far off for Herrera.

We’ll keep you posted as more information becomes available.

The post Dilson Herrera Opts Out of Deal With Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Utility man Dilson Herrera will be the lone representative from the Syracuse Mets in the 2019 Triple-A All-Star game.

Herrera, still only 25, is hitting .267/.364/.587 with 15 doubles, 17 homers, 37 RBI, and eight stolen bases in 239 plate appearances this year. His 17 homers rank seventh in the league and his .951 OPS is eighth.

The former Mets prospect has played all over the field, getting starts at first base, second base, third base, left field, and right field.

Herrera returned to the Mets this offseason after signing a minor league deal in November to provide depth. He was acquired originally by the Mets back in 2013 from the Pirates in exchange for Marlon Byrd and John Buck. The former Top 100 prospect was traded to the Reds in 2016 for outfielder Jay Bruce.

Right-handed pitcher Chris Mazza was the only other Syracuse player to make the team, but he was replaced on the roster after receiving a big league call-up by the Mets on Wednesday.

The post Dilson Herrera Named Triple-A All-Star appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Charlotte (37-33) 9, Syracuse (35-36) 7 Box Score

• SS Ruben Tejada: 4-for-5, CYCLE, 3 R, 2B, 3B, HR(4), 2 RBI(15), K | .359/.450/.576
• C Rene Rivera: 1-for-5, R, HR(8), 2 RBI(33), 4 K | .280/.339/.452
• 3B Dilson Herrera: 3-for-4, R, 2B, HR(16), 2 RBI(36) | .258/.352/.599

Ruben Tejada hit for the cycle last night with the rest of the Syracuse offense chipping in nine more hits including three additional home runs on the night. Herrera now has six homers in his last seven games.

• RHP Zach Lee: 5.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 K, 1 BB | 4-2, 6.78 ERA, 1.74 WHIP
• RHP Louis Coleman: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB | 0-0, 7.56 ERA, 1.68 WHIP
• LHP David Roseboom: 0.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 K, 1 BB, Loss | 0-1, *INF* ERA, *INF* WHIP
• RHP Ryley Gilliam: 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 2 BB, Blown Save | 1-0, 12.46 ERA, 2.54 WHIP

Lee and Coleman pitched well enough to leave the Mets in position to win departing with a 7-4 lead after six innings. The bullpen would falter in the seventh though with the recently promoted Roseboom taking the brunt. After a lead-off single against Coleman, Roseboom entered the game and allowed two more singles and a walk, allowing the inherited run to score and leaving the bases loaded. Gilliam would enter the game and try to bail out Roseboom, but, after striking out the first batter, a sacrifice fly and a two RBI double allowed all three inherited runners to score giving the Charlotte Knights the lead.

Binghamton (35-29) 3, New Hampshire (31-37) 2 Box Score

• 1B Patrick Mazeika: 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI(37) | .262/.329/.421
• RF Barrett Barnes: 2-for-4, RBI(33), K | .260/.389/.458

With the game tied 1-1 in the top of the tenth inning, Mazeika came through with a bases loaded two RBI double to put the Rumble Ponies in front and win the game for them.

• RHP Mickey Jannis: 5.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 1 BB | 2-1, 3.18 ERA, 1.39 WHIP
• RHP Stephen Villines: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 1 BB | 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.04 WHIP
• RHP Matt Blackham: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 0 BB, Win | 4-1, 2.79 ERA, 0.97 WHIP

The trio of Jannis, Villines, and Blackham scattered seven base hits without allowing any extra base hits the entire game. The New Hampshire offense was only able to string together more than one hit once in the third inning.

St. Lucie (35-34) 5, Lakeland (29-39) 1 Box Score

• RF Matt Winaker: 1-for-3, R, HR(1), 2 RBI(14), BB, K | .154/.255/.246
• 1B Jeremy Vasquez: 2-for-4, RBI(25), K | .272/.363/.383

Winaker opened up the scoring for the Mets with his first home run of the season, a two run shot, in the bottom of the second inning. It’s been a rough season for him thus far but perhaps this performance could help him break out of his season long slump.

• RHP Tony Dibrell: 6.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 K, 2 BB, Win | 5-4, 2.67 ERA, 1.28 WHIP
• RHP Darwin Ramos: 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 K, 1 BB | 1-1, 0.69 ERA, 1.23 WHIP

Dibrell tossed his best game of the season tying a season high with 6.2 innings pitched and not allowing a run during his time on the mound. The one earned run against him came via an inherited runner scoring off of Darwin Ramos who balked a runner over from first to second and then allowed an RBI single.

Lowell (4-2) 4, Brooklyn (4-2) 2 Box Score

• 1B Joe Genord: 2-for-4, K | .250/.333/.500
• RF Guillermo Granadillo: 1-for-4, R, 2B, RBI(1), 2 K | .143/.250/.286
• C Jose Mena: 1-for-3, RBI(2) | .333/.429/.333

Granadillo and Mena teamed up to drive in both of the Cyclones runs in the bottom of the second inning to give the team an early 2-1 lead. The offense would go quiet the rest of the game though with only three hits the rest of the way.

• RHP Corey Oswalt: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 1 BB | 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 3.00 WHIP
• RHP Daison Acosta: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 K, 1 BB | 0-0, 2.00 ERA, 0.78 WHIP
• RHP Mitch Ragan: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB, Loss | 0-1, 3.00 ERA, 0.33 WHIP

Oswalt struggled with his command in the first inning allowing singles to three of the first four batters he faced. He would settle in though and struck out three of the next five batters he faced before reaching his assigned pitch limit for the game. The game’s original starter, Daison Acosta, was superb on the night with the only run scoring on a wild pitch.

Greenville (1-1) 3, Kingsport (1-1) 1 Box Score

• LF L.A. Woodard: 2-for-3, SB(1), BB, K | .667/.750/.667
• 3B Jaylen Palmer: 2-for-4, R, BB, K | .286/.500/.286

The Kingsport offense was able to get eleven runners on base but couldn’t capitalize on them as the team was 1-for-8 when those runners were in scoring position.

• RHP Junior Santos: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 1 BB | 0-1, 0.00 ERA, 3.00 WHIP
• RHP Nate Peden: 5.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB | 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.20 WHIP

Santos started the game for Kingsport but quickly reached his 25 pitch limit due to some poor defense behind him that resulted in three unearned runs scoring. Nate Peden was superb as the piggyback arm holding the Reds to only one hit in his five innings of work as he repeats the (Rk+) level.

DSL Angels (6-7) 8, DSL Mets1 (7-8) 5 Box Score

• 3B Luis Castillo: 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI(5) | .375/.459/.469
• DH Carlos Dominguez: 3-for-5, R | .324/.452/.441

Castillo and Dominguez combined for six of the team’s ten hits on the day but the team couldn’t capitalize with runners in scoring position going 2-for-16 in those situations.

• RHP Joshua Cornielly: 0.1 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 K, 1 BB, Loss | 1-2, 6.10 ERA, 1.26 WHIP
• RHP Luis Moreno: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 1 BB | 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.60 WHIP

Cornielly was BABIP’d to death in this game as the Angels collected six runs on seven ground ball singles in the first inning to knock him out of the game after only 0.1 innings pitched.

DSL Tigers1 (7-8) 7, DSL Mets2 (7-9) 6 Box Score

• RF Kenedy Corona: 3-for-6, 2 2B, 2 RBI(3), K | .346/.452/.500
• DH Omar De Los Santos: 3-for-5, 2B, 3B, RBI(8), BB, 2 K | .222/.382/.444

The DSL Mets2 offense racked up six runs on fourteen hits but left a small village on the bases going 4-for-19 with runners in scoring position and stranding fifteen guys on base.

• RHP Erickson Ortega: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 K, 3 BB | 0-1, 1.64 ERA, 1.27 WHIP
• RHP Antonio Villalba: 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 K, 1 BB | 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.68 WHIP
• RHP Edward Sosa: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 3 BB, Loss | 0-2, 3.86 ERA, 1.61 WHIP

Ortega was superb on the day holding the Tigers to only one hit through his first four innings of work. He would exit the game in the fifth inning with the shut-out still intact after issuing back to back walks, but, both inherited runners would score later in the inning resulting in the first two earned runs he’s allowed all season.

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