However, some individuals check multiple boxes. David Stearns is one. He was a highly sought-after individual and came from both the Guardians and Astros executive trees, having been part of the then Cleveland Indians’ front office under Mark Shapiro and Chris Antonetti before being hired by Jeff Luhnow as his assistant general manager with the Astros.

Jeff Luhnow came from the Cardinals executive tree, which is mainly defunct at the moment as there are no other top executives from the Cardinals organization besides the president of baseball operations and general manager.

Stearns’ first move after being hired by the Brewers was to hire an executive away from the Rays to be his top lieutenant, Matt Arnold, now the GM of the Brewers. This is just one example of how David Stearns likes to surround himself with a diverse group of baseball minds all of whom can contribute slightly different, yet complementing perspectives. Now with the Mets, he’s made three major hires in an attempt to retool the front office and achieve the same kind of diversity he had in Milwaukee. Stearns recently brought in Kris Gross, Andy Green, and Eduardo Brizuela, a move that was publicized a couple of weeks ago.

Kris Gross

Kris Gross not only has a ton of experience scouting for one of the better scout-and-develop teams of the last decade, but he also worked with Stearns for nearly four years with the Astros.  Gross was one of many top minds brought in by Jeff Luhnow after he was hired as the GM of the Astros over a decade ago. Luhnow hired away many talented baseball personnel from the Cardinals front office and Gross was one of them. Since then, Gross has continued to advance in his career, ultimately becoming the Astros director of amateur scouting.

He continued to run amateur scouting for the Astros across three regimes, working under Luhnow, James Click, and Dana Brown most recently. He remarkably achieved successful amateur drafts throughout all the internal turmoil and upheaval within the Astros’ front office. Yet, when Brown was hired last offseason, Gross’ role within the amateur scouting deportment changed dramatically. With Brown’s scouting background, Gross was no longer the voice of authority over the amateur draft. Adding insult to injury, Brown brought in close ally and longtime scout Russ Bove which further reduced Gross’ influence within the Astros front office.

Hence, the Mets present a perfect opportunity for both the Mets and Gross. Gross gets to work with Tommy Tanous and David Stearns, and will have plenty of authority within the entire Met scouting operation. The Mets obtain yet another sharp scouting mind, one who excels at drawing amateur talent from all over the country.

Andy Green 

Andy Green is a very interesting, out-of-the-box choice to run player development. He doesn’t have a lot of front-office experience. While it is unclear a the moment what Green’s title will be, he was hired to be an integral part of player development. We don’t currently know if his title will be VP, Assistant GM, or Director. What Green does bring is plenty of experience in player development. He coached in the minors for several years but also managed and coached the San Diego Padres during their rebuild phase.

This is a classic David Stearns kind of hire and is the kind of hiring Mets fans should get accustomed to from him. As MLB has seen a meteoric rise in managers being hired straight from their front office jobs he, in turn, has hired someone from the dugout into a top-level executive position. Applying the same logic, yet in reverse, if the game has moved to a place in which front office members are directly qualified to manage, managers should in turn be directly qualified to impact and inform the front office. With the idea that as a former coach and player, Green will provide a unique perspective, one that the Mets have lacked in the upper tier of their front office.

Green, who was hired by Kevin Towers, started his coaching career for the D-Backs within the milieu of their minor league affiliates. After Towers was fired and Tony LaRussa was brought in, Green was rewarded for his excellence in coaching, twice winning minor league manager of the year, and was hired to the Major League staff. After only one season, Green became the first of many managers hired by AJ Preller. Green, unfortunately, oversaw four seasons where the Padres retooled their major and minor league rosters, and was unceremoniously let go. He immediately latched on with the Cubs as their bench coach, which too happened to be the dawning of a new era in Chicago following the departures of Theo Epstein, Joe Maddon, and recently David Ross.

Now that he’s been hired by David Stearns, Green has achieved a very rare feat of being hired five times by executives and managers whom he had no previous professional relationship with. This is not only a testament to Green’s intellect and baseball acumen, but also a testament to his character as a person. Maybe the most fascinating tidbit regarding Green’s major league journey is the sheer diversity of by whom he was hired.

Green has been hired by both old-school and new-school mindsets. He was twice hired by classic baseball minds of yesteryear in LaRussa and Towers, while also hired thrice by new-age, analytically savvy, young Ivy League executives. This extraordinary diversity of thought shows how Green is considered an asset no matter who may be running the show.  It also bought Green the privilege of familiarizing himself with some of baseball’s greats and let him develop as a branch on the mushrooming Theo Epstein front office tree.

Hoyer, whom he worked for with the Cubs, and Preller, are both well respected around the league, especially in terms of drafting and developing. Their track record of assembling an immense wealth of prospects predates their times as PBOs. Both have led or helped forge tremendous classes of top-flight prospects on multiple occasions, spanning different franchises, over the last decade. Being able to learn from these very different, yet successful minds can only be seen as a feather in Green’s proverbial cap.

Eduardo Brizuela 

Eduardo Brizuela, who was hired as VP and Special Assistant to the GM, brings decades’ worth of experience and has an extensive history with Stearns. Brizuela brings strong ties to Venezuelan baseball and has had a myriad of roles over the years with the Brewers. He’s worked as the Brewers VP, director of minor league operations, farm director, and director of Latin American scouting and operations during his tenure in Milwaukee, spanning almost two decades. He is yet another unique voice of reason within the Mets front office and will provide a crucial opinion on all things scouting.

Brizuela predated David Stearns in Milwaukee, yet became a mainstay and a dominant figure during his tenure in Milwaukee. He was eventually elevated to third in command there and will assume a similar role with the Mets. While the Mets have had a robust international scouting department for years now, dating back to the Minaya regime, they never had as big of an impact in Venezuela as they had elsewhere, specifically in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

With these three important hires, Stearns has revamped both the scouting department as well as the player development department and it will now be up to these three individuals to execute Stearns’ long-term vision for this team. They will be entrusted to meticulously hire their own deputies and complete their staffs as a means to infuse the Mets’ organization with new ideas and new perspectives.

A Front Office For The Future

These moves will dramatically impact how the Mets run their organization for the foreseeable future. They will ensure Stearns has a few of his own lieutenants to accompany the bevy of bright minds already in place and will blend savvy minds with Steve Cohen’s money. Guys like Ian Levin, Tommy Tanous, and Ben Zauzmer all run different facets of the Mets’ front-office operations and are very well respected throughout the game. Along with key special assistant Carlos Beltran, the front office is shaping up to be a powerhouse of differing and balancing opinions.

Stearns’ vision of blending the old with the new, analytics with both scouting and developing is what gave credence to these hires. Hiring an expert in amateur scouting, an expert in international scouting, and Green who has substantial on-field experience as both a former player, coach, and manager will provide the franchise with a healthy mix of competing viewpoints. This will aid in the process of making correct decisions about both the present and future of the Mets. Headed up by Stearns, this should ensure the perfect environment for long-term success and a winning culture, as well as shaping the Mets’ future GM search into one of the most sought-after roles in the MLB. Mets fans have waited a long time for stability. David Stearns and his legion of minds will bring it.

The post Providing Context for Stearns’ First Three Hires appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets are still searching outside the organization for a president of baseball operations but they’ve discussed promoting assistant general manager Ian Levin or vice president of amateur/international scouting Tommy Tanous to the position, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post.

Levin was promoted this season to the assistant GM role in July. In the same announcement, the Mets said Bryn Alderson, son of Sandy, would be promoted to the role of assistant GM as well. Prior to his promotion, Levin was the senior director of baseball operations.

Levin has been with the Mets since 2005 when he was a media relations intern. Since he has served as the coordinator of amateur scouting, manager of baseball analytics, director of minor-league operations, and director of player development. He’s worked for five Mets GMs.

Tanous joined the Mets as a professional scout in 2011 and took over as the scouting director before the 2012 season. He was promoted to his current role in 2017. He’s been directly involved in the drafting and signing of Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil, and Pete Alonso to name a few.

The post Mets Discussing Internal Candidates for Baseball Ops Position appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Terry Pierson, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG

For a second straight year, the New York Mets’ draft strategy was to infuse their system with high-end, high-impact talent that included taking risks on players with signability questions.

And while teams prioritize talent over need, the Mets were able to add two exciting players within their first three picks of the 2020 MLB Draft that fill a major void in their system: high-upside outfielders.

With their first pick (19th overall), the Mets selected Pete Crow-Armstrong, an outfielder from Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles. That’s the same high school that has seen a trio of starting pitchers get drafted in the first round in recent years: Max Fried (2012), Lucas Giolito (2012), and Jack Flaherty (2014).

After drafting Mississippi State right-hander J.T. Ginn with the 52nd overall pick in the second round, the Mets selected another outfielder with the compensatory pick they received when Zack Wheeler signed with the Phillies last offseason in Isaiah Greene, a California prep outfielder.

Greene, 18, is a speedy, left-handed hitter who can impact a game with his speed both on defense and on the basepaths and is generally lauded for his great contact-oriented approach at the plate.

Tommy Tanous, the Mets’ vice president of amateur scouting, summed up what the club felt about their selection of Greene with the 69th overall pick: “He does NOT belong where we took him.”

Greene grew up idolizing Ken Griffey Jr., mainly watching YouTube clips of the Hall of Fame centerfielder, as Greene was born in 2001 when Junior was already in his 13th big league season.

His father and older brother, Elijah, introduced Greene to the game of baseball, as Greene looked up to his brother on the diamond.

“I used to always watch my brother play when he was younger, and I always just followed in his footsteps,” Greene said.

The first sport Greene played as a youth was soccer, though he admits that was just so he could get out of the house. Greene played basketball for one year as well, but baseball soon became his passion.

One of Greene’s best tools is his speed. His 6.48-second 60-yard dash time ranked in the 99th percentile among potential 2020 draftees recorded by Perfect Game. Speed has been an element of Greene’s game that he’s worked on at a high-end level since he was 14-years-old.

He started working with a personal trainer, Kyle Hatton, at former NFL running back Toby Gerhart’s house.

“It first started off with my brother and cousin working out there, and then I started to go along with them. And ever since then, that’s when I started working out and just running with him on treadmills either once or twice a week.”

Greene attended Corona High School in California, where he thrived as a sophomore, slashing .389/.494/.597 in 89 plate appearances, while a perfect nine-for-nine in stolen base attempts. His batting average and on-base percentage took a dip in his junior season in 2019, with his batting average falling 62 points (.327) and his OBP 103 points (.391).

Greene bounced back during the Area Code Games that summer, posting a slash line of .429/.438/.714, which impressed scouts.

What aided Greene in his summer turnaround? Hunting the fastball.

“I just focused on fastballs and being ready to hit those,” Greene said. “At showcases like that, that’s pretty much all they’re going to throw to just light up the radar guns.”

Greene realizes what that summer showcase did for his value heading into his senior season and the 2020 Draft.

“It was very important for me because, honestly, I didn’t have that big of a name before that. Once I did good there, that’s when my name started blowing up.”

Following his strong performance in the Area Code Games, Greene once again stood out as part of a scout team that played against USA Baseball’s 18-and-under team, which Crow-Armstrong was on. Greene’s performance against top competition over the summer and fall helped boost his draft stock back up.

Greene played in only five games in his senior year of high school before COVID-19 prevented the speedy outfielder from building off his rising stature. With his season cancelled, Greene continued to train and utilized the opportunities he had around him.

“Lucky for me, I have a batting cage in my backyard. I usually hit back there with my dad pretty much every day,” Greene said. “Then on the weekends I have a key to the baseball field to my high school, so I’d go hit on the field on the weekends. I have a workout place called Winner Circle, and I’m there four times a week.”

As the Draft approached, Greene was excited yet nervous about what to expect. He knew the Mets had interest but felt a sense of relief with his family and some friends by his side once he finally heard his name called on the second day of the Draft.

“It was stressful a little bit because you never know where you’re going to end up, but once I finally heard my name called, it was like a weight off my shoulder.”

With no Minor League Baseball season this year, organizations are holding their players responsible for staying in shape and performing baseball activities without the watchful eye of coaches and instructors around.

“All they want me to do pretty much is send them videos of me hitting and all that,” Greene said about what the Mets have asked him to do to stay fit. “That’s pretty much all they want me to do.”

At six-foot-one and 180 pounds, Greene already has an athletic build with room to add muscle to increase his power production. That’s a specific area of focus for Greene, who did hit four home runs in his junior season after not hitting any during his freshman and sophomore seasons.

The Mets signed Greene for $850,000, an underslot deal that ended up saving the Mets around $80,000 (the slot value for the pick was $929,800). Greene had been committed to the University of Missouri but decided the time was right to go pro.

“Playing in the SEC was my dream, so it was kind of hard for me to turn it down,” Greene said. “But honestly, playing pro ball was also my dream. So once I saw everything was right and everything was right for me and my family, that’s when I made the decision to go sign my contract.”

The California native is excited to embark on his professional career and is eager to visit the Big Apple for the very first time. As a kid, the only part of New York Greene visited was Cooperstown, though when asked what he’s most looking forward to seeing in New York, Greene’s a young man that knows what he wants.

“I just want to play in the Big Apple.”

Follow Isaiah Greene on Twitter: @Isaiah24greene

The post MMO Exclusive: Mets’ Second-Round Compensatory Pick, Isaiah Greene appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Perfect Game

According to MLB Pipeline the Mets have inked their first-round pick from this year’s amateur draft, outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

The prep bat agreed to sign for the full slot value for the 19th overall pick, so $3.359 million will be docked from the Mets’ total bonus pool.

“I know I’m going to love the city, and I think I’m going to thrive there,” Crow-Armstrong told MMO’s Mathew Brownstein.

“I think it’s my kind of city, Queens is incredibly diverse and lively. New York City is obviously an incredibly fun and jumping place. The fans are crazy loyal, and I can’t wait to play in front of them one day.”

The Mets have now signed five of their six draft picks, with Mississippi State right-hander J.T. Ginn being the outlier.

Ginn, a first-round talent who slipped to the 52nd overall pick due to March elbow surgery, is likely to command a bonus significantly higher than the $1,403,200 slot value.

With the figures from five picks on the books, the Mets can offer Ginn up to $2,934,435 before being charged with the loss of future draft picks. No team has ever crossed that threshold.

While it’s possible that Crow-Armstrong joins the Mets’ Player Pool for the shortened season, it’s likely that he’ll begin his pro career in Port St. Lucie this fall once the details on an instructional league are hammered out.

Known for his strong glove, speed, and contact-oriented approach at the plate, here’s what Mets vice president of international and amateur scouting Tommy Tanous said after the draft:

“All spring I called him the left-handed magician in center field. He would fool around in center field, catching balls between his legs and kind of showing off. When I see a defensive player, whether it’s a shortstop, a catcher or a center fielder who likes to show their tools and likes to show off in pregame, while he is getting his work done, I know you have a pretty advanced defensive player.”

Welcome to the New York Mets, Pete!

The post Mets Sign First-Round Pick Pete Crow-Armstrong appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo via Perfect Game

With the 19th pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the New York Mets selected left-handed-hitting center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong from Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, California.

Crow-Armstrong, 18, watched the Draft at his best friend’s house, with his mom sitting to his right and his dad on the left as friends and family stood around and cheered as his name was announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred.

This was a day Crow-Armstrong had been waiting for his entire life, with all the hard work and countless hours of training and playing in elite competitions such as Team USA in their 12U, 15U and 18U teams coming to fruition.

A big smile crossed Crow-Armstrong’s face before he dropped his head in his hands after hearing his name called to a place he can’t speak glowingly enough about.

No, Crow-Armstrong has never been to New York City; he’s only ever visited upstate New York. But his confidence in being able to handle the largest media market in the country and playing on the grandest of stages doesn’t faze this heralded prospect.

“I know I’m going to love the city,” Crow-Armstrong tells me emphatically, “and I think I’m going to thrive there.”

That type of confidence comes from a player who’s had terrific success at the amateur level while also getting rave reviews for his attitude and makeup. Sean Casey managed Crow-Armstrong in the Under Armor All-Star Game at Wrigley Field in 2019 and heaped massive praise towards Crow-Armstrong’s play while calling his mental side of the game “advanced.”

At six-foot-one and 180 pounds, Crow-Armstrong still has room to fill out, which means added power to go along with his plus speed and glove, in addition to his strong recognition of the strike zone. In 42 at-bats this spring, Crow-Armstrong was hitting .514 while striking out only once before the season was shut down due to COVID-19.

Crow-Armstrong is one of a select few players to have participated on all of USA Baseball’s youth national teams, playing on the 12U National Team in 2014, the 15U National Team in 2017 and the 18U National Team in both 2018 and 2019. He won gold medals with Team USA as a member of the ’17 15U National Team that won gold at the COPABE “AA” Pan American Championship, and the ’18 18U National Team that claimed the title at the COPABE “AAA” Pan American Championships. He owns a lifetime batting average of .365 with Team USA.

The hype is certainly warranted for a player that’s not only viewed as a speedy, top of the order-type bat, but is also known for his superb defense in the outfield. Mets vice president of amateur scouting Tommy Tanous called him a “left-handed-hitting magician in center field,” and that’s something Crow-Armstrong takes very seriously when evaluating his overall game.

Even before he was born in 2002, Crow-Armstrong already had roots in baseball. His mother, Ashley Crow, played Billy Heywood’s mother Jenny in the 1994 family film Little Big League. His father, Matthew John Armstrong, was also an actor, appearing in such shows as American Horror Story, Heroes, and The Young and the Restless. According to Justin Toscano of The Record/NorthJersey.com, both parents are now teachers, with Matt teaching English at Sierra Canyon, while Ashley privately coaches actors.

Coming from Harvard-Westlake High School, which has seen a trio of recent first-round picks in Max Fried (2012), Lucas Giolito (2012) and Jack Flaherty (2014), Crow-Armstrong hopes he can follow in their footsteps, just on the position player front.

I had the privilege of speaking with Crow-Armstrong, where we discussed his interest in Buddhism, playing for Team USA and his thoughts on getting drafted by the Mets.

MMO: Who were some of your favorite players growing up?

Crow-Armstrong: My favorite player of all time is Ken Griffey Jr. I don’t remember watching all that much of him when I was a kid, but I don’t know how you don’t love the guy, first of all. And second, once I did really get a good grip on who he was, I kind of wanted to get to know him as best I could, whether that was through YouTube, the Internet, or having my dad talk to me and watching his highlights with me.

I’m a Cubs fan, and I remember watching Carlos Zambrano all the time, as crazy as he was. I wouldn’t call him a role model or someone I looked up to, but he was somebody that I remember seeing a lot of. I was a huge Alfonso Soriano fan; I thought he was great. I liked Johnny Damon a lot when I was growing up; I liked a lot of guys.

I would say the players I remember really liking were Soriano, Damon, Derek Jeter and then Griffey being my all-time favorite. Guys that I look up to now are Javy Báez and Ronald Acuña Jr.

MMO: Who introduced you to the game?

Crow-Armstrong: Both of my parents. They both played a big part in my love for baseball. My mom was just as athletic as my dad and they both would stay in the backyard with me until we literally couldn’t see anymore. They’d let me dive all over the place and kind of go crazy and just be a kid. Both of them really got me into the game.

MMO: I’m curious, given that both of your parents are actors, did you ever think about getting into that profession yourself?

Crow-Armstrong: Nope! [Laughs.] No, not interested at all. They never wanted me to be either, I don’t think they wanted me to get into that field.

MMO: In Molly Knight’s article in The Athletic, she writes how you read Thich Nhat Hanh and you call him the most influential thinker in your life besides your parents. Can you talk a bit about how you initially started reading Hanh’s work, and some of the biggest takeaways you’ve gotten from it?

Crow-Armstrong: My dad has the books, and he grew up loosely religious; he grew up Catholic, but he didn’t really take that with him. And that’s kind of the same with my mom. They never really raised me on one religion, and as I got older and more mature, I started seeing a ton of different ones that I just liked.

I didn’t need to follow one to appreciate them all. I ended up taking a liking to Buddhism when we learned about it in eighth grade history, and since then I’ve always been pretty interested. I really just started reading it, and the biggest things that I took away were things that I can apply to baseball as well as just walking around every day. Everybody should read the book.

MMO: Knight specifically mentioned how you learned a lot about breathing and mindfulness from Hanh.

Crow-Armstrong: Yeah, definitely. The breathing thing has been not only in baseball but it’s been the biggest thing for me in bringing my heart rate down and it helps me see things clearly, think clearly. It’s the best thing I’ve picked up for sure.

MMO: At what point during your development did you start to think that perhaps baseball could be a career to seriously pursue?

Crow-Armstrong: People ask me that question, and I want to give them an answer, but I don’t really know. I always thought I could do it, but I think it’s hard to answer that because I haven’t done anything yet. I’m still working my way up; this is just another step in the process.

I think I always knew that I could do it; I always knew I’d get to the point where I’d have the opportunity to try. But I think it really came full circle in the summer going into my junior year was when I was like, I think I have a real chance to get picked pretty high.

Pete Crow-Armstrong/Photo by Perfect Game

MMO: Can you talk about your experiences playing for USA Baseball at every level on their 12U, 15U, & 18U teams?

Crow-Armstrong: Besides my high school games and my high school coaches, the USA coaches and those teams were the most important baseball games I played in my high school career, and even before that with the 12U. The 12 and 15 teams were fun, and once you get to 18, that’s when it’s like, this is real-life baseball, and this is as good as it’s going to get until you play in college or the pros.

Being able to play with guys like Bobby Witt Jr., CJ Abrams, Brennan Malone, Corbin Carroll, dudes who I’m now friends with, who I was kind of looking up to going into that summer. Getting to play with and learn from them on Team USA was huge for me.

I think that no matter what age level you’re on, whether it’s 12 or 15, you learn something from someone, whether that’s a teammate, coach, or an opposing teammate. It’s really cool to get to play against kids from different backgrounds than you and get to see what their life is like and why they want to win so bad versus why we want to win so bad. Or why they do this on the field and why we do that on the field.

Every USA experience was so eye-opening, and I’m so fortunate to have done them. Those were the best four different teams I played on.

MMO: You attended Harvard-Westlake High School which has recently seen a trio of talented players drafted in the first round in Jack Flaherty, Max Fried and Lucas Giolito. Did you or do you have any interactions or relationships with those guys?

Crow-Armstrong: Yeah, I played with Jack’s brother Grady [in Little League], and I also played with him in high school. All three of those guys are super kind, and they’re all very generous with their time when they come back to the field. They’re all very willing to talk to people, help them out and give advice.

I think that’s especially cool as an aspiring draft prospect like I was recently to have those guys who made it and are doing it right now. To see how they go about their offseasons and to see how they choose to try and inspire guys like me and how I can continue that and pay it forward when I’m in their position.

Those are three of the most inspiring people that I get to look up to just because they came from where I came from. They’re not the same position as me, which is a fun thing to have just because now I get to try and be the first position player to make it in a while. They’ve done a lot for Harvard-Westlake baseball, and it’s nice that I have something to shoot for and hopefully follow in their footsteps.

MMO: You’re a hitter that has terrific plate discipline and a strong recognition of the strike zone. Can you talk a bit about your development as a hitter over the last few years?

Crow-Armstrong: I think that I’ve always been able to go to every part of the field with the ball, but honestly, the last couple of years I really kind of honed in on having a really good understanding for the strike zone, at least in high school. And obviously, just like how it’s going to change at every level, that’s going to keep developing. I think I set myself up well with the improvements I made offensively for what comes next.

I would say the biggest adjustment was being a more patient hitter. I love to attack and be aggressive, but I think I started finding more success when I was able to work the count or I just knew exactly what I wanted and I was really committed. And then this year I started showing a lot more power, so I know that’s coming, and as I grow and fill out naturally, it’ll also come.

I’m super excited to see what the next couple of years has in store for me based on the last couple of years.

MMO: With your senior season cut short due to COVID-19, how did you continue to train?

Crow-Armstrong: It started with my dad and me just hitting in my family friend’s backyard. They have a cage back there, and we beat that cage up pretty nice for a good month and a half, maybe two months.

Once things started slowly opening up, I got to social distance at this place called the Sports Academy in Manhattan Beach. There, I got to start hitting live off of guys and got to start working out. My trainer is great, so I’m at a really good spot right there. That was my quarantine progressions with working out and hitting and throwing.

MMO: Your defense is one of your calling cards & a skill that set you apart in the draft. Tommy Tanous called you a “left-handed magician in center,” and praised how you would show your defensive skills off pregame. Can you talk about your defense and how you’ve become such a plus defender in center?

Crow-Armstrong: I just love it, and more than a lot of other people do, I think. When you’re a younger baseball player, you love to hit, and that’s what you want to do. Hitting home runs and offense is kind of your priority. That’s the cool thing about baseball; defense isn’t always considered flashy or cool, the hitting part is.

I really took that stigma and ran with it just because I always loved playing defense; I always loved roaming the outfield and running free and stuff like that. I think that set me apart initially, plus the work I put in defensively. It’s not an insane number of hours more than offense or anything like that; I think I just take more pride in my work defensively than the next person. That’s no shade to anybody; that’s just because I love it so much.

I remember I was watching Ichiro take batting practice and shag during BP when I was probably 10-years-old in Chicago when he was with the Mariners. My dad and I went to a White Sox game, and I remember watching him play around and doing over the head, behind the back and through the legs.

It just so happened that my high school coach loved the whole kinesthetic drill, which is like letting the ball lead your line of sight where you just have to feel for it and put your glove where you think it’s going to be. It just so happened that you can kind of screw around and have fun, but it’s actually really good work at the same time.

I think if more people realize that, then they’d have the kind of fun that I have with playing defense.

MMO: Talk to me about the day of the Draft. What was that day like for you, and what were your emotions watching it all unfold?

Crow-Armstrong: I had the camera in my house, but we actually had the draft party at my buddy’s house, my best friend Sam Hliboki; he’s a reliever at Vanderbilt. He was their best reliever, and he didn’t give up a run in 15.2 innings this year as a young freshman.

He hosted it, and I had to get there at 11-11:30 to set up the camera, and the camera was on from 12 to 4, and there was a lot going on that day. It was a little overwhelming at first, but then you just sit down for the Draft and at that point, it’s all happening from there, so you can’t do anything about it.

I would definitely say I was nervous; I don’t get really nervous normally in those situations, but I was sweating a little bit. And it was the biggest relief of my life when I heard my name called.

But it was a great time, and I got to see some people that I haven’t seen in months because of quarantine. This was the first time I had seen a lot of people in that long, and I had my people there that I love that I got to celebrate with, and that’s really because it was just as much of their accomplishment as it was mine. I mean, I wanted them to feel like they got picked too.

It was a great day; it started off stressful but ended better than I ever could’ve expected. Being able to go to New York now, that’s what you dream of. I couldn’t have even thought that up, and I just want to win with the New York Mets. I want to get up there and start winning with them.

MMO: What was the scouting process like? Were the Mets a team that was consistently keeping tabs on you?

Crow-Armstrong: Yeah, I think if you’re a guy that’s projected in a similar position, then most teams are going to be talking to you. I actually don’t think we had an area scout at the time when I was doing my winter meetings, so I didn’t hear from them until kind of recently honestly.

But at the end of the day, who cares? I kind of knew going in that they were a possibility, but I chose to take the mindset that you have no idea until you actually know. Anything can happen, so until you’re picked, you have no clue what’s going to go down.

I knew I could’ve gotten picked by them, and I knew I could’ve gotten picked by a few more teams. But again, if I could do it all over again, I would get picked by the Mets.

MMO: Have you ever been to New York before?

Crow-Armstrong: I have, but not to the city; I’ve only been upstate. It’s crazy, my mom lived there for 14 years, and I’ve never been. So that’s what I’m excited about!

I know I’m going to love the city, and I think I’m going to thrive there. I think it’s my kind of city, Queens is incredibly diverse and lively. New York City is obviously an incredibly fun and jumping place. The fans are crazy loyal, and I can’t wait to play in front of them one day.

I want to make the Mets the talk of the town; I want us to be who everybody loves. I want to get to New York as fast as I possibly can.

MMO: Have you started any negotiations with the Mets as of yet? *(Question was asked on June 18th)*

Crow-Armstrong: No, we haven’t. I don’t have an answer for you as to why, but no we have not. Some guys have, some guys haven’t; it’s all such a long process.

I’ve kept in contact with Brodie and Marc [Tramuta] and other people, and I’m just excited for that day to come so I can officially start. We have a lot of time on our hands right now, so I’m not thinking about that too much until it actually happens.

MMO: With the increased usage of analytics in the sport, I’m curious if you’re a player the utilizes any of that data, and if so, how do you incorporate it into your game?

Crow-Armstrong: I’m not your biggest data user. I’ve used it before for sure, but I like to simplify things as best as I possibly can. At the end of the day, if you’re going to use all the data, you still have to hit the ball. I just think, why not start there and stay there.

I’m completely open to using data, I’ve used it before and I love it. It’s a really cool advancement, but I haven’t been a player that’s used it a bunch up to this point. But again, I think it can be incredibly useful, so I’m all for it.

MMO: Thanks so much for taking the time to speak with me, Pete. Congratulations again on the Draft!

Crow-Armstrong: Thank you. Thanks for taking the time.

Follow Pete Crow-Armstrong on Twitter, @petecrowarm

The post MMO Exclusive: Mets’ First Rounder, Pete Crow-Armstrong appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

HT: 6’3” WT: 225 Date of Birth: 04/17/2001 (18)
School: Seminole (Florida)
Bats/Throws: R/R

Stats: Senior Year – 56 Innings, 0.99 ERA, 14 Walks, 108 Strikeouts

Background

Widely regarded as the top prep arm going into the 2019 draft, Allan had an arm that many teams coveted.  Holding high draft prospect rankings – 13th on MLB.com; 16th on Baseball America; 20th on Fangraphs – it was widely expected that Allan would be one of the first pitchers taken on day one, and certainly the first prep arm. Quinn Prestor, who was drafted 18th overall by the Pirates, and signed for a 3.40-million dollar bonus, ended up being the first prep pitcher taken. Then Daniel Espino (24th to Cleveland). Then Blake Walston (26th to Arizona). Then Brennan Malone (33rd, Compensatory Round C to Ariona). Then JJ Goss (36th, Competitive Balance Round A to Tampa). Then we were out of the first round entirely without Allan being selected at all. To put this into perspective, ten prep arms went in this draft, including Mets second-round pick Josh Wolf, before Matthew Allan was selected by the Mets with the 89th pick in the draft.

Teams were concerned about two big things regarding Allan on day one, and none of them were related to his ability. First, it seemed that Allan was all but certainly following up with his commitment to Florida. Secondly, it was widely speculated that he would want a four-million dollar signing bonus to sway him from his commitment. Nevertheless, the Mets took him in the third round, and got him to sign for 2.5-million dollars flat, the largest bonus a third-rounder has ever received. Mets Vice President of Amateur Scouting, Tommy Tanous,  was quoted saying that he was “very surprised” that Allan was available where he was taken, and that it was “too good to pass up.”

While compensatory and competitive balance picks picks are able to be traded, your standard picks still cannot. Nevertheless, the Mets getting two top-15 talents in one draft is probably as close to “trading up” for a pick as one could get in baseball.

Scouting

MLB.com gave Allan the following scouting grade:

Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55

They note that Allan hits 97 MPH on his four-seam fastball consistently, and maintains velocity deep into games. While mentioning the control ability of his top two pitches, his fastball and curveball, MLB.com also mentions that his changeup “has also taken a step forward, giving him a third at least above-average pitch.”

Baseball America said of Allan’s fastball and curveball combo that “both pitches could project as 70-grade offerings down the line.” Baseball America also believes that Allan’s changeup could become an “average third offering.”

Fangraphs also had this to say about Allan: “Allan was one of the top few pitchers in the class for a while, including all summer. He flashed 55 or 60 with all three pitches in short stints at multiple events, then came out this spring with more arm speed, sitting 93-96 and hitting 97 mph in most of his starts. His curveball also ticked up and flashed 65 or 70 on his best outings, and though he didn’t throw his changeup much in high school, it did flash 55 over the summer.”

Allan is seen as a pitcher with a clean delivery and repeatable motion. All concerns about his physique seem to have been put to rest.

Improving his command in his college season, Allan has shown the ability to challenge hitters, as well overpower them with his arsenal. Running 97 MPH against high school competition almost isn’t fair, and  Perfect Game had his fastball in the 99.79 percentile among all high school pitchers. Beyond just velocity, Allan has been able to command the pitch well, and it immediately becomes one of the best fastballs in the Mets organization.  His 12-6 curveball is already a solid out pitch, and he possesses the ability to throw it in and out of the strike zone.

For reference, enjoy with video of Allan’s perfect game in the Division 2 Semifinals, in which he struck out 17 batters, and lead the Seminoles to their first Regional Finals appearance since 2001:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do_ZPYPFtPA

Video Courtesy of Max Preps

Development

On July 12, Allan was assigned to Mets rookie ball affiliate the Gulf Coast League Mets, joining second-round pick Josh Wolf. Allan is following the same trajectory as Simeon Woods-Richardson, the Mets 2018 second-round pitcher out of high school. Like Woods-Richardson, he is getting a late start to short-season ball (Woods-Richardson pitched his first game for the Mets affiliate on the 22nd of July). Also similarly, he could move to Kingsport rather quickly with an impressive early performance.

Expect Allan to start the 2020 season with Mets A-ball affiliate the Columbia Fireflies. The rest of the 2019 season should be a showcase of what Allan is able to do with his current arsenal, and potentially working in his changeup in a bit more. Afterwards, during the 2020 season, one could expect the Mets to try to add another pitch to his arsenal much in the way that they have with 2018 seventh-round pick Kevin Smith, and his new two-seamer.

Allan has the make-up of a frontline starter, but the difference in what kind of player he will become is likely going to depend on how he is able to extend and advance his ability in pro ball. Maintaining the improved control that he found this season against, but against better hitters will be of prime importance for Allan. Sitting on two plus pitches, it’s what’s going to come between those two pitches that will hold the reins of his destiny.

The post Scouting the Draft: Mets Staged a Coup Signing Matthew Allan appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Florida prep right-hander Matthew Allan wasn’t selected on Day 1 of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft because teams felt they wouldn’t be able to sign him and he would instead fulfill his commitment to the University of Florida.

The Mets decided to take a risk with their third round pick and drafted Allan with the 89th overall pick. The pick has a slot value of $667,900 and Allan was rumored to be looking for around $4 million to sign.

Despite the signability concerns that slid a first round talent to the third, Mets vice president of amateur scouting Tommy Tanous is confident they will sign Allan as he told Tim Britton of The Athletic, “We fully expect Matthew to sign.”

The Mets finished off day 2 of the draft with seven straight college seniors in an effort to save money to sign Allan. College seniors have no leverage in bonus negotiations and all of the ones selected by the Mets would’ve went significantly later in the draft if taken on talent alone.

For example, the Mets took Jack Mangum in the fourth round. If they sign him for $10,000, the Mets would be getting him for $487,890 underslot. Adding that to the slot value assigned to the third round pick and the Mets would then have $1,115,790 to offer Allan. The Mets will look for similar savings with picks from rounds 5-10.

Here are the slot values for the seven college seniors the Mets drafted following Allan:

4th: $487,900
5th: $364,400
6th: $277,100
7th: $216,600
8th: $174,400
9th: $154,600
10th: $145,300

The Mets took prep third baseman Brett Baty with their first round pick (12th overall), which has a slot value of $4,366,400. Mets could have some savings here as Baty was expected to go later in the first round. Also possible the Mets are able to get second round pick RHP Josh Wolf under his slot value of $1,370,400.

If the Mets were able to sign Baty, Wolf, and Allan, it would be quite the coup as noted by Tanous, “You throw Matthew Allan with Brett Baty and Josh Wolf, and I can’t remember starting the draft with the Mets, or any other team I’ve been with, better than that.”

According to MLB Pipeline’s top 200 draft prospect rankings the Mets would be getting three of the top 36 players in the draft. They had Allan ranked No. 13, Baty No. 17, and Wolf No. 36.

Would certainly be a great way for Brodie Van Wagenen, Tanous, and the rest of the Mets front office to improve the farm system.

The post Mets Confident They Will Sign Third Rounder Matthew Allan appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, folks!

deLatest Mets News

Jacob deGrom is the NL Cy Young. He won in a pretty decisive manner, securing 29-of-30 first place votes. deGrom had a 1.70 ERA, 10.0 bWAR, 1.98 FIP, 217 ERA+, and 269 strikeouts over 217 innings. Yeah that is pretty good.

Many Mets and both Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez, congratulated Jacob deGrom for winning the Cy Young.

The entire Mets staff including Mickey Callaway, Omar Minaya, Tommy Tanous, and John Ricco watched the announcement in Brodie Van Wagenen’s office:

We piled in my office to watch the historic announcement. Congrats @JdeGrom19 on the #NLCyYoung! pic.twitter.com/hMSQqR9ybI

— Brodie Van Wagenen (@RocBVW) November 15, 2018

Mark Simon of Sports Info writes about what made Jacob deGrom so good in 2018.

In other news, Ed Kranepol is still looking for a kidney.

Jay Horwitz has a podcast out now.

Latest MLB News

Alex Cora was extended through 2021 with an option for 2022.

According to Jacob Resnick on Twitter, Juan Centeno signed with the Red Sox, Eric Campbell is with Oakland, and Wilfredo Tovar is with the Angels.

The Indians and Pirates completed a minor five player trade.

Latest NL East News

Mark Bowman explores relievers for the Braves.

Max Scherzer lost the NL Cy Young to Jacob deGrom, he did receive one first place vote.

The Phillies placed Justin Bour on waivers.

Aaron Nola also lost the NL Cy Young to Jacob deGrom.

Latest on MMO

Josh Finklestein writes about Peter Alonso‘s relationship with Brodie Van Wagenen.

Josh also looks at the top moments of deGrom’s career.

Jack Ramsey has the latest Hot Stove News.

This Day in Mets History

2006: Traded Heath Bell and Royce Ring to the Padres for Ben Johnson and Jon Adkins.

2012: Signed right-hander Carlos Torres.

Birthdays: Randy Niemann turns 63

The post Morning Briefing: Long Live DeKing appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Following Paul DePodesta’s departure, John Harper of the NY Post says that Tommy Tanous will likely take over his role as the head of player development. Tanous originally joined the organization as a professional scout in 2010, and he was named the Director of Amateur Scouting the following year.

This decision seems to make the most sense as he was heavily involved in the draft the past several seasons with DePodesta. He has done a great job helping build the Mets minors, and should be able to adjust to the new role just fine.

“Whatever Sandy decides, I think it will be a seamless transition,” J.P. Ricciardi said yesterday. “We have enough people in place. Even though Sandy wasn’t at the Winter Meetings, this has been business as usual for us this winter. It’s always a team effort, with Sandy listening to everyone’s opinions and making decisions from there.”

The post Tommy Tanous Will Likely Replace DePodesta appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Here’s a summary of the Mets draft through ten rounds. On Tuesday, the Mets stocked up on pitching, taking three right-handers and two southpaws including highly regarded Max Wotell.

Round 2 (53) – OF Desmond Lindsay, Out of Door Academy, Florida

Round 3 (88) – LHP Max Wotell, Marvin Ridge High School, North Carolina

Round 4 (119) – 3B David Thompson, University of Miami

Round 5 (149) – LHP Thomas Szapucki, William T. Dwyer High School, Florida

Round 6 (179) – RHP Chase Ingram, Hillsborough Community College

Round 7 (209) – RHP Corey Taylor, Texas Tech

Round 8 (239) – C Patrick Mazeika, Stetson University

Round 9 (269) – OF Kevin Kaczmarski, University of Evansville

Round 10 (299) – RHP Witt Haggard, Delta State

The final 30 rounds of the draft will take place on Wednesday. When it’s all over we’ll post a complete review and roll out an updated Mets Top Prospect ranking.

The post Draft Wrap: Mets Stock Up On Pitching, Grab Highly Regarded Max Wotell appeared first on Metsmerized Online.