Senga worked 4 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and one run. He walked three batters while striking out three. His four-seam fastball sat between 93 and 96 mph, averaging 94.7 mph on the afternoon. Senga was able to induce 10 swings-and-misses.

The trouble for Senga occurred in the game’s fourth inning after three facing the minimum, thanks to a double play, through three innings. After a walk and single, Senga allowed a sacrifice fly before getting out of the rest of the fourth frame unscathed. He finished up his work after two outs in the fifth inning inducing his third swinging strikeout of the game.

In all, Senga tossed 66 pitches (40 strikes). The next step is, “to be determined,” as per manager Carlos Mendoza. The next we see the Mets’ ace may either be in the majors or via another rehab start.

Through the three rehab outings, Senga’s numbers are as follows: 8 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 12 SO.

The post Kodai Senga Allows One Run In Third Rehab Start appeared first on Metsmerized.

Triple-A
Syracuse Mets (48-29) 1, Buffalo Bisons (38-39) 5

BOX SCORE

• 3B Brett Baty 1-for-4, BB, R (1.149 OPS)
• SS Luisangel Acuña 0-for-4, 2 K (.696 OPS)
• DH Rylan Bannon 2-for-4, RBI, 2B (.866 OPS)

The Mets produced only three hits on Thursday, and two of them came in the top of the ninth inning.

• RHP Dom Hamel (6.64 ERA) 7 IP, 7 H, 4 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 9 K

Hamel came into the game with more walks (28) than strikeouts (26) in his last eight starts, so Thursday night was an important start for the right-hander.

Brandon Sproat, Photo by Bronson Harris of Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A
Portland Sea Dogs (34-37) 0, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (36-33) 8

BOX SCORE

• CF Alex Ramírez 2-for-5, RBI, 2 R, 2B (.684 OPS)
• RF Duke Ellis 2-for-4 (Mets system debut)
• 1B JT Schwartz 2-for-4, BB, 2 R (.789 OPS)
• C Kevin Parada 2-for-4, R, 2B (.653 OPS)

The 21-year-old Ramírez has a .996 OPS over his last nine games. Both Rowdey Jordan and Wyatt Young had two RBIs in the game for Binghamton.

• RHP Brandon Sproat (1.94 ERA) 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
• RHP Paul Gervase (3.63 ERA) 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Sproat lowered his season ERA down to 1.61 and his impressive Double-A WHIP is 0.89 through seven starts. His fastball was up to 100 mph on the night.

High-A
Brooklyn Cyclones (34-38) 1, Aberdeen IronBirds (39-33) 6

BOX SCORE

• SS Jesus Baez 2-for-4 (.833 OPS)
• CF Nick Morabito 0-for-3, HBP, 2 K (.744 OPS)

The Cyclones continued their offensive struggles on Thursday, mustering only five hits and striking out 15 times. Second baseman Junior Tilien knocked in the only Brooklyn run with a double.

• RHP Kade Morris (4.54 ERA) 6 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K

Low-A
St. Lucie Mets (23-49) 5, Palm Beach Cardinals (40-31) 3 

BOX SCORE

• 2B Boston Baro 1-for-4, R (.758 OPS)
• 1B Ronald Hernandez 1-for-3, BB, 2 R (.770 OPS)
• CF A.J. Ewing 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2B (.744 OPS)
• SS Colin Houck 1-for-3, HR (.627 OPS)

Houck gave the Mets a ninth-inning insurance run with his third homer of the season. Catcher Vincent Perozo also hit a solo home run in the third inning.

• RHP Saul Garcia (5.58 ERA) 3.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 5 K
• RHP Juan Arnaud 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, Save

Arnaud threw the hardest pitch of the night in the Florida State League at 98.3 mph.

The DSL Mets lost both of their games on Thursday and combined for only five hits.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Brandon Sproat Throws Six Scoreless appeared first on Metsmerized.

His path back to Queens is more complicated now with the emergence of Mark Vientos (nine homers, .925 OPS in 118 at-bats). Vientos started the season at Syracuse.

Baty, 24, has taken reps at second base since his demotion (four games), so the Mets could be preparing him to take over for Jeff McNeil, who has a .579 OPS, the lowest on the club by far among players with at least 200 at-bats. (The second-lowest would be Harrison Bader at .723.) Though, Jose Iglesias has a .905 OPS in limited action since being called up from Syracuse and getting playing time at second.

Baty hit nine homers in 234 at-bats in 2023 and the Mets hoped he was ready to man the hot corner full-time in 2024. But after a good start, he slumped to a .229/.306/.327 slash line for the season in the majors.

Before the pair of homers, he entered Wednesday hitting .333/.388/.700/1.088 in 15 games at Syracuse.

Luisangel Acuña had two hits and an RBI in the Syracuse 7-4 win. He has 26 hits, 12 RBIs and six stolen bases over his last 15 games.

The post Two More Triple-A Homers by Brett Baty appeared first on Metsmerized.

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (39-24) 8, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (25-31) 3
BOX SCORE

• 3B Brett Baty 3-for-5, R, HR (3), 3 RBI (6) (1.400 OPS)
• LF Luke Ritter 0-for-3, 2 BB, 2 K (.870 OPS)
• C Hayden Senger 2-for-3, 2 R, HR (3), 3 RBI (17), BB (.781 OPS)
• SS Rylan Bannon 2-for-5, 2 RBI (40) (.883 OPS)

Photo Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Brett Baty continues raking in Syracuse, going 3-for-5 on the day with his third home run of the season. Despite the offensive output, only three Syracuse Mets managed hits. Veteran outfielder Ben Gamel returned to the lineup after missing time with an undisclosed injury.

• RHP Blade Tidwell (4.76 ERA)  4 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, 3 K, 3 HR allowed (47 of 91 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Matt Festa (2.79 ERA) 1 1/3 IP, 2 BB, K
• RHP Max Kranick (3.32 ERA) 2 IP, K
• RHP Cole Susler (2.33 ERA) 1 IP, H, 2 K

Blade Tidwell struggled yet again with his control, as the ABS system has seemed to affect him, having allowed four walks in three of his four starts in Syracuse. The bullpen finished the game with 4 1/3 scoreless innings.

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (29-27) 6, Somerset Patriots (28-30) 3
BOX SCORE

• RF Ryan Clifford 1-for-3, 2B, 2 R, BB, K (.783 OPS)
• CF Alex Ramirez 0-for-4, 4 K (.635 OPS)
• C Drake Osborn 2-for-4, R, HR (1), 4 RBI (10), K (.592 OPS)
• DH Nolan McLean 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, 2 K (.588 OPS)
• 1B JT Schwartz 0-for-3, BB, K (.744 OPS)

Drake Osborn blasted a grand slam home run for his first of the season. Despite his early success, Alex Ramirez has fallen back to earth very fast, dropping his OPS to .635. Ryan Clifford joins Jackson Holliday as the first minor leaguers in 2024 to hit the 50-walk plateau. Clifford has a 1.104 OPS over his last 12 games for Double-A Binghamton. Clifford had 17 (out of 25) multi-K games in May, but he doesn’t have any (out of 8) games in June so far.

• RHP Luis Moreno (4.59 ERA) 5 IP, 3 R (1 ER), 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K (51 of 83 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Justin Jarvis (3.71 ERA) 4 IP, H, 4 K

Justin Jarvis has been much better this season in Double-A, striking out 30 batters over 26 2/3 innings with six walks.

High-A

Hudson Valley Renegades (30-27) 13, Brooklyn Cyclones (30-28) 4
BOX SCORE

• LF Nick Morabito 3-for-6, R, SB (16),  (.806 OPS)
• C Christopher Suero 2-for-5, R, (.819 OPS)
• RF Wilfredo Lara 1-for-4, BB, 2 SB (8), (.673 OPS)
• CF Stanley Consuegra 1-for-3, 2 BB (.770 OPS)
• 2B Jefrey De Los Santos 2-for-5, RBI, (.763 OPS)

The 20-year-old Suero has been incredible recently with a 1.108 OPS over his last 17 games and has a .391 OBP for the season between St. Lucie and Brooklyn. He was our position player of the week for last week.

• RHP Jawilme Ramirez (3.32 ERA) 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 3 K

The Cyclones’ bullpen imploded, allowing 13 runs over the final four innings.

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (19-39) 10, Jupiter Hammerheads (32-26) 11
BOX SCORE

• 2B Jesus Baez 2-for-4, RBI, BB (.783 OPS)
• SS Colin Houck 2-for-5, HR (2), 2B, 3 RBI (.646 OPS)
• CF A.J. Ewing 1-for-4, RBI, BB, (.872 OPS)
• DH Ronald Hernandez 2-for-5, 2 RBI, (.750 OPS)
• 3B Boston Baro 1-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R, (.715 OPS)

Houck continues to turn his season around after an awful start; the former first-round pick has a .865 OPS over his last 28 days.

• RHP Bryce Montes de Oca 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

The line doesn’t look good, but the key for BMDO was getting back on the mound and looking healthy after missing the entire 2023 season. His fastball was up to 97.5 mph and his cutter up to 92 mph.

Dominican Summer League

DSL Mets Blue (2-4) 8, DSL Rangers Red (4-3) 3
BOX SCORE

• 3B Yensi Rivas 1-for-3, 2 R, BB, K (.631 OPS)
• C Daiverson Gutierrez 0-for-4, K (.724 OPS)

The six through nine hitters of the DSL Mets Blue accounted for all of the RBIs on the day. Jose Subero scored 2-for-4 with two runs, pushing his OPS to 1.009.

• RHP Joel Lara (2.25 ERA)  2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K

The post Minors Recap: Brett Baty Homers Again appeared first on Metsmerized.

Blade Tidwell, Photo by Bronson Harris of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Here are the matchups tonight and when they start:

Syracuse Mets (28-17) vs. Scranton Wilkes-Barre RaikRiders (30-16) – Game 1 at 5:05 p.m. Game 2 to follow

• The Syracuse Mets offense has been on its game lately, with Jose Iglesias and Joe Hudson homered on Wednesday in their loss. Luisangel Acuña had two hits and Rylan Bannon was on base four times. Bannon has a 138 wRC+ for Syracuse and has walked (31 times) almost as many times as he’s struck out (32).
• Newly promoted pitching prospect Blade Tidwell (2.41 ERA) will make his Triple-A debut as the Game 1 starter for Syracuse.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (21-18) vs. Reading Fightin Phils (18-23) — 6:45 p.m.

• Mets top catching prospect Kevin Parada got off to a miserable start to the season with a .546 OPs in his first 24 games of the season. He’s been much better of late though, with four home runs, 13 RBIs, and a .874 OPS in his last 11 games.
• 1B/COF prospect Ryan Clifford hit his first Double-A home run on Wednesday night.

Hudson Valley Renegades (19-19) vs. Brooklyn Cyclones (22-19) — 7:00 p.m.

• The Cyclones won 3-1 on Wednesday night behind Kade Morris tossing six innings of one-run ball in his Brooklyn debut. The Mets drafted Morris last year in the third round.
• This game is on SNY.

Clearwater Threshers (28-13) vs. St. Lucie Mets (14-27) — 6:10 p.m.

• Outfielder Willy Fañas made a great first impression when he tripled and homered on Wednesday night in his St. Lucie debut.

All games can be watched through MiLB.tv or the Bally Live app and followed along on Gameday. Chat below!

The post Mets Minors Game Chat: Blade Tidwell Making Triple-A Debut appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mauricio’s 6.6 BB% is the highest of his career, albeit still only half that of league average. His 18.2 K% is the lowest he’s had since his days in the GCL and is 4% better than the Triple-A league average. In August, his walk rate was 8.7%, and in the last two weeks, it’s league average at 11.3%. His adjustments have been impressive this season in what has surely been a frustrating campaign, with teammates hopping up to Queens left and right when his stat line and abilities were equally deserving. His improvements have been particularly noticeable on pitches below the strike zone. Traditionally, he chases on breaking balls down and is a good high-ball hitter with lower miss rates up in the zone. Lowering the chase rate on two-strike breaking balls has been a game changer as he’s never had particularly bad in-zone whiff rates.

Photo by Herm Card

While his plate discipline has improved, he’s been taking out his frustrations on the baseball, routinely reaching the mid-110 mph exit velocity range. He recently hit a home run that got out of the park in the blink of an eye, measuring 115 off the bat. His exit velocities rank in the top few percentage points of the MLB ranks, and he can reach those velocities from both the right and left sides of the plate.

Ronny Mauricio a race car driver honing his skills with the nicest car on the track. The horsepower in his engine is close to that of Francisco Alvarez‘s, but he needs to keep refining the skills like he’s shown he can in August.

His plate discipline has long been the biggest scapegoat for evaluators in explaining why he is underserving of the MLB Top 100 Prospect lists at this point in his career. At just 22 years old, however, Mauricio has time to change the narrative of who he is as a player.

Notable changes to hitter walk rates from 2022 to 2023.

Notable changes to hitter strikeout rates from 2022 to 2023.

If we can learn anything from the trend of hitters improving their walk and strikeout rates, it’s that an athlete as gifted as Ronny Mauricio can join them. Not only can he continue his improvements, but he can likely join the tops of these leaderboards as he has both age and bat speed on his side. The biggest help that the Mets could give Ronny is time to make these adjustments in the show and proper communication that these metrics are his main goals.

If Mauricio swings at better pitches, his ability to hit the ball at ridiculous velocities will make him the star that he’s been heralded as for so long. In fact, his bat speed is actually an encouraging variable for future improvement of swing decisions. Players with higher bat speed have an easier time making good swing decisions as they have longer to decide whether or not to swing at the pitch before they need to start their swing. Without having Ronny’s bat speed on hand, his exit velocities are a strong predictor for high bat speed, so one can assume he has the ability to improve his chase rate down the line significantly.

Bottom line, Mets fans should be excited, Ronny has a star personality and All-Star potential.

The post Ronny Mauricio Rides Hot Streak to Queens appeared first on Metsmerized.

Triple-A: Buffalo 9, Syracuse 4, Box Score

• 2B Ronny Mauricio 3-for-5, HR (21st), SB (22nd), 2 RBI, .841 OPS
• 3B Brett Baty 0-for-5, 2 K, 1.124 OPS
• LF Carlos Cortes 0-for-2, 3 BB, .826 OPS
• 1B Joe Suozzi 1-for-3, HBP, .908 OPS

Ronny Mauricio, Photo by Herm Card

Mauricio has reached base safely in 17 straight games and he has a 1.005 OPS in his last 13 games. Mauricio played his eighth straight game at second base and committed his 22nd error of the season. Mets minor league home run leader Luke Ritter did not play in the game after appearing to hurt himself during a swing on Wednesday. Ritter is having the extent of an oblique injury determined.

Dariel Gomez hit a pinch-hit homer in the game, his first career in Triple-A.

• LHP Joey Lucchesi 5 IP, 10 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 4.46 ERA

Right-handed reliever Jeff Brigham returned from his sticky substance suspension to throw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts.

Double-A: Binghamton 7, New Hampshire 6, Box Score

• 2B Luisangel Acuña 2-for-5, R, .616 OPS
• LF Drew Gilbert 1-for-4, RBI, .899 OPS
• SS Jeremiah Jackson 2-for-5, HR (20th), .758 OPS
• RF Agustin Ruiz 2-for-3, HR (16th), 2B, BB, .685 OPS

Mets prospect Jeremiah Jackson (Dominic Leone trade) has homered in three straight games for Double-A Binghamton. He has 20 home runs on the season.

The 23-year-old has played 2B, 3B, SS, RF, & LF since joining Mets organization.
pic.twitter.com/fvSknqJjh0

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) August 25, 2023

Acuña is now 12-for-29 with four stolen bases over his last seven games. He has played three of those games at second base, his first action there since joining the Mets organization. Jackson has now homered in three straight games and has 20 home runs on the season. The Mets acquired him from the Angels for reliever Dominic Leone.

• RHP Luis Moreno 5 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 5.17 ERA
• LHP Tyler Thomas 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, SV, 0.79 ERA

Thomas has a ridiculous 0.71 WHIP in 15 relief appearances for Binghamton after the Mets signed him out of Indy ball.

High-A: Brooklyn 13, Asheville 12, Box Score

• SS Jett Williams 2-for-6, 3 R, SB (41st), 1.079 OPS
• C Kevin Parada 1-for-5, 2 RBI, HR (11th), .787 OPS
• DH Ryan Clifford 1-for-5, HR (21st), .846 OPS
• RF Stanley Consuegra 1-for-4, HR (19th), BB, .776 OPS
• 3B William Lugo 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R, .685 OPS

Parada, Clifford, Consuegra, and Omar De Los Santos all homered in the game for Brooklyn. Consuegra has homered in three straight games and his third among Mets minor leaguers this season with 19 home runs.

Williams is 27-for-28 in stolen base attempts since June 3.

• RHP Dylan Hall 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K, 2.77 ERA

Right-hander Jawilme Ramirez had his first bad start with Brooklyn, giving him seven runs in 2 2/3 innings.

Low-A: Dunedin 9, St. Lucie 5, Box Score

• CF Nick Morabito 1-for-3, 2 BB, R, SB, .677 OPS
• 3B Wilfredo Lara 2-for-5, 2 RBI, R, 2B, .817 OPS
• 1B Yeral Martinez 2-for-3, BB, 2B, .747 OPS

Right fielder Carlos Dominguez homered and threw out a runner at home in the game for St. Lucie. The 19-year-old Lara has a 1.050 OPS over his last 22 games.

• RHP Christopher Vasquez 2 IP, 0 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 6.36 ERA

The St. Lucie Mets pitching staff walked more (10) than they struck out (8) on Thursday.

Florida Complex League: Braves 7, Mets 1, Box Score

• DH Colin Houck 2-for-4

Houck, the Mets 2023 first round pick, struggled to the tune of a .699 OPS in the FCL this year but did reach base multiple times in four of his last five games. The Mets offense had only five hits in the playoff game, with Marcos Vargas, Ronald Hernandez, and Dyron Campos each collecting one hit.

• LHP Gregori Louis 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 BB, 7 K

The Mets pitching staff allowed only four hits, but the defense let them down with five errors.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Ronny Mauricio Homers in Big Night appeared first on Metsmerized.

This year, the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies have been employing a prospect-laden starting pitching staff that has been the envy of the Eastern League. How many minor league teams can run out five talented pitching prospects in their rotation? Unfortunately for Binghamton, the bubble burst a couple months ago when, after 10 starts with the Rumble Ponies Mike Vasil was the first to be promoted to Triple-A Syracuse.

Mike Vasil – Tip of the Spear?

For several seasons now we have heard a lot about the Mets position player prospects, while the pitching prospect front has been pretty quiet. Well, all of that is changing as we speak. With the recent promotion of Vasil to Triple-A and Blade Tidwell from high-A Brooklyn to Binghamton, Rumble Pony manager Reid Brignac has had the luxury of sending forth a very talented starting rotation this season. These players represent the five best Mets pitching prospects in the latest rankings according to MLB.com.

After the trade deadline passed and MLB.com released it’s revised player rankings and the Rumble Ponies rotation graded out very high. Mike Vasil (who was by then at Triple-A) came in ranked as the Mets 9th-best prospect while Tidwell and Christian Scott placed 10th and 12th. Rounding out the rotation is Dominic Hamel and Tyler Stuart,who slot in at 16th and 17th on the Mets prospect rankings. Here are some of the basics on these players:

Developing a front-line big-league starting pitcher. Photo Courtesy of metsminors.net

Mike Vasil

The Mets drafted the 23 year-old, 6-foot-5 225 lb. right-hander out of college in the 8th round of the 2021 MLB draft. His four-pitch arsenal features a four-seam fastball, slider, curve and change-up. The fastball has been sitting in the 93-95 mph range, while his upper 80’s slider and lower 80’s curveball show some decent downward bite. The changeup is undergoing a bit of a transformation this season, and in his most recent outing it was exhibiting good sink.

At the time of this writing, Vasil had made 10 starts this season at Double-A and then 10 starts at Triple-A. He saved his best for his most recent turn through the Syracuse rotation. On Tuesday August 8th, Vasil took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, having to settle for eight hitless innings when the lead-off hitter in the ninth struck a sharp single up the middle. However but he still got the win in a 3-0 victory over Scranton/Wilkes Barre.

Vasil is not the oldest player here, or the tallest. He wasn’t the highest draft pick here and he doesn’t throw harder than everyone on this list. However, he will probably be the first one to make it to Citi Field, and that could be as soon as sometime next season.

ETA: 2024

Blade Tidwell – Highest ceiling amongst Mets Pitching Prospects? Photo Courtesy of metsminors.net

Blade Tidwell

The 6-foot-4 right-hander was strongly coveted by the Mets during the 2022 MLB Draft. When he was still available in the 2nd round,  the Amazins’ grabbed him out of the University of Tennessee, and they even went above slot to sign him for $1.85 million. After signing last year, he finished off the season with Brooklyn, even making two postseason starts and helping lead the Cyclones to a League Championship.

His fastball has been clocked at 94-96, but has topped out at 98. His frame is still filling out, and the feeling is there maybe another level to his development. But, even right now, his heater is a plus pitch. He also throws a second plus pitch, a hard slider which breaks across two planes, as well as a high 70’s curve and a mid-80’s change-up.

Only 22 years-old, he pitched very well this year at high-A Brooklyn, earning himself a mid-season call-up to Double-A. Since the promotion, he has shown some growing pains with his first few starts, but has started to look more comfortable of late. His overall stats through 20 total starts this year are pretty slick though:

In 97 innings he’s 9-5 with a 3.62 ERA, 126/54 K/BB, 71 hits given up for a .205 average against, and a WHIP of 1.29.

The youngest player here, but perhaps the highest ceiling? Only time will tell.

ETA: 2025

Christian Scott – Coming on like a Bat-out-of-Hell. Photo Courtesy of metsminors.net

Christian Scott

The 6-foot-4 24 year-old right-hander, was taken by the Mets in the 5th round of the 2021 draft out of the University of Florida. He got his feet wet last year starting and relieving at both the low-A and high-A levels, and there wasn’t a lot to see as the numbers were fairly pedestrian. But this season is a completely different story. To say he’s having a good season would be an understatement. Scott has really rewarded the Mets confidence in him with his development at Double-A.

So far this season his stats look like this:

In 83 innings pitched across 17 game starts, his record is 5-4 with a 2.71 ERA, 99/12 K/BB, 59 hits surrendered for a batting average against of .197 and an 0.86 WHIP.

Don’t let the W-L record fool ya, the peripherals tell the story here. He’s hard to hit, he’s hard to score on, heck, it’s hard to even get on base against him. But best of all is that strikeout to walk ratio. Scott’s a strike thrower, so he should have no problem with the damn pitching clock.

If not the first player here to make it to Citi, then I’ll guess Scott is the second one to do it.

ETA: 2024

Dominic Hamel – Another solid season. Photo Courtesy of metsminors.net

Dominic Hamel

The 24 year-old 6-foot-2 right-hander was drafted out of college by the Mets when they grabbed him with their 3rd round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. Last season, Hamel was the minor league leader in strikeouts in the entire Mets system with 145 in 119 innings, and no one else was even close. His sparkling 3.25 ERA was second lowest in the system. His 2022 season was so good it propelled him up the prospect ladder.

Through 21 game starts this season for the Rumble Ponies, and 105 innings pitched, the going has been slightly tougher this year, but Hamel still shows that he has the propensity for strikeouts. Hamel’s peripherals are also fine. He’s got a record of 7-6 with a 4.29 ERA, 130 K’s so far against 41 walks. Opponents are only hitting .243 against him and he’s got a 1.31 WHIP.

His stuff is good. Around 91-94 on the fastball and sometimes touching mid-nineties. But what makes it hard to Hamel is his spin rate. It’s apparently pretty good, which enables it to not drop so much on it’s way through the zone and thereby giving the illusion of rise. What the old-timers used to refer to as a “high-riding fastball.”

Here’s a good question for ya, what do you call a low-80’s slider with a spin rate of 2,800-3,000 rpms? No, it’s not a flying saucer, it’s Hamel’s freakish slider. He’ll also utilize a mid-70’s curveball which, like his mid-80’s changeup, are works in progress, although the changeup has begun to show some late fade the opposite direction of his slider.

ETA: 2025

Tyler Stuart – 2023 ERA at 2.32 after 20 game starts. Photo Courtesy of metsminors.net

Tyler Stuart

The Mets took the 23 year-old right-hander in the 6th round of the 2022 draft out of Southern Mississippi. Before I go any further, I think you should sit down because the shock might bowl you over when I tell you this right-hander is 6-foot-9 and weighs in at 250 lbs.

Yup, he’s a big fella alright. He was dazzling them through 14 starts at Brooklyn the first half of this season, so the Mets moved him on up to Double-A where he could pick on somebody his own size. His overall stats for 2023 are:

104.2 IP over 20 starts, a 6-2 record with a scintillating 2.32 ERA, 106/32 K/BB, 88 hits for an average against of .228 and a 1.15 WHIP.

His stuff is not what you might think considering his size. He’s more of a sinker/slider guy than a fireballer. Think Rick Reuschel for all of you that go that far back. Stuart’s fastball is a two-seam sinker in the low-90’s, but he pitches backwards, which means means he relies on his number two, his low-80’s slider as his primary pitch, throwing it 50 percent of the time.

Stuart was a reliever in college and right up until this season, so he never had the need to refine his third pitch, a changeup. Up until now, his slider with it’s two-plane break has been his bread and butter pitch, but he’ll need that changeup if he’s going to stay in the starting rotation going forward.

ETA: 2025

Now, I go way back. I’ve been a Mets fan my whole life and I’m pretty old. My first game at Shea Stadium was 1967, I was ten, and I kept score. I know this because I still have that scorecard.

I remember when Tom Seaver was a puppy, and Jerry Koosman too. I remember when Nolan Ryan was a rookie Met, and Tug McGraw, and Gary Gentry and 1972 National League Rookie of the Year: Jon Matlack.

And, of course: Craig Swan and Generation K, and Doctor K.

I also remember a parade of expensive free-agent pitchers come along too. And there were some greats, players who contributed mightily to Metdom. But the home grown kids are always something special.

There’s something special about this group, too. Talents coming together like with these five kids is a true testament to hard work, great scouting and great player development. Let’s Go Mets.

The post 2024 Triple-A Rotation Might Be Glimpse Into Mets’ Future appeared first on Metsmerized.

Triple-A: Syracuse 6, Columbus 4, Box Score

• 2B Ronny Mauricio 1-for-3, BB, 2 R, .832 OPS
• 3B Brett Baty 2-for-4, HR (8th), 2B, 5 RBI, 1.317 OPS

Since rejoining Triple-A Syracuse, Baty has three home runs and 10 RBIs in 20 at-bats. Mauricio has now switched to playing exclusively infield over the last seven games after playing mostly left field the previous month.

• RHP David Griffin 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 6.92 ERA
• LHP Adam Kolarek 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 3.38 ERA
• LHP Nate Lavender 0.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, Save, 2.87 ERA

Lavender continues to pitch well as he works toward being a potential call-up this season. We recently noted included him as one of five potential September call-ups.

Drew Gilbert. Photo by Photo by Anne-Marie Caruso of NorthJersey/USA TODAY NETWORK

Double-A: Portland 9, Binghamton 6, Box Score

• SS Luisangel Acuña 1-for-4, BB, R, .455 OPS
• CF Drew Gilbert 1-for-4, HR, BB, .778 OPS
• 2B Jeremiah Jackson 1-for-4, BB, R, .603 OPS
• LF Rowdey Jordan 1-for-3, 3B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, .762 OPS

Gilbert slugged his first home run in the Mets organization and his 13th overall this year. Catcher Hayden Senger had two hits in the game and has a 1.346 OPS in his last nine games.

Drew Gilbert deep into the Binghamton night!

The No. 2 @Mets prospect (MLB No. 56) slugs his first roundtripper since joining @RumblePoniesBB. pic.twitter.com/ciXZUZr8fs

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 16, 2023

• RHP Blade Tidwell 3.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 6.46 ERA
• LHP Daniel Juarez 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 2.70 ERA

Tidwell struggled in his third Double-A start for Binghamton. It was the first time in 15 starts he had allowed more than three runs. Juarez continued his great season (career really), and you can learn more about him in this recent profile.

High-A: Hudson Valley 4, Brooklyn 2, Box Score

• SS Jett Williams 2-for-5, 2B, .898 OPS
• CF Alex Ramirez 1-for-2, 3 BB, .675 OPS
• 1B Ryan Clifford 0-for-5, 2 K, .876 OPS
• DH William Lugo 2-for-4, .669 OPS

The 19-year-old Williams has a .279/.456/.442 slash line in 13 games with Brooklyn. The Cyclones were shutout until left fielder Rhylan Thomas hit a two-run home in the bottom of the ninth.

• RHP Robert Colina 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 3.29 ERA
• RHP Joshua Cornielly 1.2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 3.40 ERA

Low-A: Jupiter 11, St. Lucie 6, Box Score

• 2B Jefrey De Los Santos 2-for-5, RBI, R, 3B, SB, .738 OPS
• LF Karell Paz 2-for-4, 2 R, 2B, SB, .732 OPS
• CF Nick Morabito 1-for-4, SB, HBP, .762 OPS

Designated hitter Carlos Dominguez hit his fourth home run of the season for St. Lucie.

• RHP Douglas Orellana 4.2 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 4.97 ERA

St. Lucie allowed six runs in the top of the ninth inning.

Florida Complex League: Mets 12, Cardinals 3, Box Score

• SS Marco Vargas 1-for-3, R, SB, .842 OPS
• 3B Yonatan Henriquez 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, .623 OPS
• 1B Ronald Hernandez 1-for-3, RBI, R, 2B, .930 OPS
• 2B Boston Baro 1-for-2, 2 BB, RBI, 1.094 OPS
• DH Nolan McLean 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 R, SB, 1.026 OPS

Outfield prospect Simon Juan hit his second home run of the season for the Mets. Hernandez has a .984 OPS with 11 walks in 10 games since coming over from the Marlins in the David Robertson trade. Mets 2023 eighth round pick Boston Baro has five walks and no strikeouts in his first five career games.

• RHP Jonah Tong 3 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 6.39 ERA
• LHP Franklin Gomez 4 IP, 1 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 BB, 7 K, 2.25 ERA, Win

Tong now has 25 strikeouts in 12 2/3 innings this season. The 18-year-old Gomez was making his stateside debut.

The Mets magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to one.

Dominican Summer League: Mets Orange 12, Rockies, F/11, Box Score

• DH Anthony Baptist 2-for-6, SB, .910 OPS
• C Julio Zayas 3-for-5, RBI, BB, 3 R, 2 2B, .881 OPS
• SS Jeremy Rodriguez 1-for-6, R, 2B, .821 OPS

Enderson Asencio (4th) and Railin Reyes (2nd) each homered for the Mets.

Dominican Summer League: Yankees 13, Mets Blue 6, Box Score

• LF Jostyn Almonte 2-for-3, 2 BB, R, .967 OPS

Center fielder Vladi Gomez hit a three-run homer, his third of the season.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Drew Gilbert Hits First Mets Home Run appeared first on Metsmerized.

Luke Voit. Photo via Buffalo Bisons

Here’s a recap of the Mets’ minor-league action on Thursday.

Triple-A: Syracuse (30-40) 11, Durham (39-32) 1 Box Score

• 1B Mark Vientos 1-for-4, R, 2 RBI (39), HR (14), .336/1.118
• 3B Danny Mendick 2-for-5, R, HR (7), RBI (31) .260/738
• DH Luke Voit 1-for-3, HR (4), R, RBI (17) .267/1.174

Left fielder Ronny Muairicio went 0-for-3, but he did walk twice. Voit is hitting .278/.581/.944 with three home runs, nine RBIs, and 12 walks in seven games with Syracuse. DJ Stewart and Michael Perez also homered in the game for Syracuse. Stewart has 16 singles, five doubles, and 15 home runs this year.

• RHP Mike Vasil (9.45), 3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• RHP Hunter Parsons (0.00), 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, K
• LHP Nate Lavender (2.63), 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Vasil fared better in his second Triple-A start, though he threw a whopping 72 pitches in the short outing. Right-hander Eric Orze tossed two scoreless innings with two strikeouts.

Double-A: Binghamton (34-31) 8, Akron (32-33) 2 Box Score

• 1B Warren Saunders 3-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI (6), HR (1) .207/.621
• 2B Rowdey Jordan 3-for-5, RBI (33) .245/.791
• 3B Jose Peroza 3-for-5, R, RBI (37) .307/.941

The 24-year-old Jordan continued his monster June, and he now has a 1.028 OPS with nine extra-base hits this month. Peroza is seventh in the Eastern League with his 152 wRC+.

• RHP Dominic Hamel (5.34 ERA) 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
• RHP Nolan Clenney (4.35 ERA) 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K

The 24-year-old Hamel bounced back after his worst start (0.2 IP, 4 ER) of the season last time out. Hamel has struck out 28.4% of the batters he’s faced this season.

High-A: Brooklyn (28-37) 5, Hudson Valley (39-27) 1 Box Score

• LF Abraham Almonte 1-for-1, 2 RBI, 2 BB .500/1.357
• 3B William Lugo 2-for-3, HR (5), 2 RBI, R .190/.585

Alex Ramírez went 0-for-2 with two walks, stole his eighth base, and scored a run. The 20-year-old is posting a career-high 13.2 walk percentage this year. Kevin Parada went 1-for-4 as the DH.

• RHP Tyler Stuart (1.44 ERA) 7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K
• RHP Benito Garcia (1.46 ERA) 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Mets pitching prospect Tyler Stuart was masterful on Thursday night for High-A Brooklyn:

7.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K, 100 pitches/66 strikes

23-year-old lowered his minor league-best ERA to 1.44 for the season. Stuart throws his slider about 50% of the time. Fastball mid-90s. pic.twitter.com/vBVcNETqmT

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) June 23, 2023

The 23-year-old Stuart lowered his minor league-leading ERA to 1.44 for the season. He set a career-high with 11 strikeouts and now has 78 compared to only 20 walks in 62 2/3 innings this season. Stuart is throwing his slider about 50% of the time this year to go with a 93-95 mph fastballs (uses two & four-seamers).

Make sure to check out our TikTok of Kevin Parada hitting an RBI triple during fireworks during Wednesday’s game.

St. Lucie (24-41) 2, Jupiter 7 (35-31) BOX SCORE

• SS Jett Williams 1-for-3, BB .231/.779
• C Vincent Perozo 1-for-3, RBI, .250/.726
• DH Jonathan Hernandez 2-for-4, R, .292/.888

The 19-year-old Williams leads the Florida State League with his .423 on-base percentage.

• RHP Douglas Orellana (3.65) 6 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 7 K
• RHP Luis Montas (0.00) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Luke Bartnicki (5.40)  1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Orellana has a 2.93 ERA over his last six starts for St. Lucie.

Rookie: FCL Mets (8-5) 8, FCL Nationals (6-7) 15 BOX SCORE

• 2B Jefrey De Los Santos, 2-for-4, 3 RBI, BB, .409/1.053
• SS Diego Mosquera, 2-for-3, RBI, .353/.823

The 19-year-old Mosquera is second on the FCL Mets team with his .411 on-base percentage.

• RHP Ernesto Mercedes (4.50 ERA) 2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 0 K
• RHP Jeremy Peguero (10.80 ERA) 2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

DSL Mets Orange (6-7) 7, DSL COL (9-4) 8 BOX SCORE

• DH Enderson Asencio 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2 BB .167/.659
• RHP Arlison Rodriguez (1.80 ERA) 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

DSL Mets Blue (7-5) 4, DSL Marlins (3-10) 5 BOX SCORE

• LF Jostyn Almonte 2-for-4, 2 R, RBI .375/1.043
• RHP Wellington Aracena (1.35) 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K

The post Mets Minors Recap: Tyler Stuart Strikes Out 11, Luke Voit Homers Again appeared first on Metsmerized.