Photo: Allen Green, Kingsport Mets

Las Vegas 51s 6 (49-44), Iowa Cubs 2 Box Score

• Dilson Herrera 2B 3 for 4, 2B, BB, RBI, .278/.323/.475
• Kevin Plawecki C 2 for 4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, .327/.400/.615

This was Plawecki’s 4th homer of the year in Vegas.

• Duane Below LHP 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K  (ND, 4.57 ERA)
• Paul Sewald RHP 2 IP, 3 K (W, 5-2, 3.86)

Duane Below doesn’t have overpowering stuff and won’t blow you away, but has looked solid considering he has pitched in the PCL for the past three seasons.

Hartford 7, Binghamton Mets (41-51) 6 Box Score

• Champ Stuart CF 1 for 5, 2 K,  .241/.313/.345
• Amed Rosario SS 1 for 4, BB, R  .405/.471/.568
• Dominic Smith 1B 3 for 5, 2 RBI, BB, R .289/.352/.449

Victor Cruzado had another big day with the bat going 3-for-5 with a 2-run double. Smith has four straight multi-hit games.

• Mickey Jannis RHP 6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, HR
• Alberto Baldonado LHP 1 IP, 3 BB, 1 K

St. Lucie Mets (49-41) 4, Tampa 1  Box Score

• Kevin Kaczmarski LF 1 for 3, BB, R, .421/.500/.632
• David Thompson 3B 1 for 4, 2B, K, .237/.326/.316
• Vinny Siena 2B 2 for 4, 2 R, K .254/.357/.282
• Jhoan Urena 1B 1 for 3, HR, RBI, .225/.285/.356

Urena continues to add on to his strong second half as he homered for the 2nd straight game.

• Scarlyn Reyes RHP 7 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, BB, 7 K, W (7-8, 6.44)
• Corey Taylor RHP 1 IP, 2 H, K (14 SV, 2.02)

Rome 5, Columbia Fireflies 3 (42-52)  Box Score

• Vicente Lupo LF 0 for 3, BB, 3 K .244/.335/.393
• Eudor Garcia DH 1 for 4, K, .209/.244/.302
• Tucker Tharp RF 2 for 4, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI, .322/.359/.508

Tharp hit his 2nd homer of the year and continues to hit well in Columbia.

• Kevin Canelon LHP 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 K, 3.10 ERA

Canelon got a no decision in this one, but continues to pitch deep into games as he went 7 or more innings for the third straight start.

Hudson Valley 4, Brooklyn Cyclones 1 (13-17) Box Score

• Blake Tiberi 3B 2 for 3, .206/.282/.265
• Peter Alonso 1B 0 for 3, R, .265/.342/.441

Brooklyn only collected two hits off of Hudson Valley starter Travis Ott. Blake Tiberi had those two hits and has looked good in the past two games at the plate and defensively.

• Joel Huertas LHP 2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K (L, 2-3, 8.03)
• Austin McGeorge RHP 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K
• Justin Dunn RHP 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (1.50 ERA)

Joel Huertas continues to struggle in the rotation, so perhaps a move to the bullpen is likely soon. McGeorge continued his scoreless streak as he has now pitched seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts to start his pro career. Unfortunately, Teddy and I missed Justin Dunn by a day. He allowed his first earned run of his pro career but still has a sparkling 1.50 ERA to begin his career.

Kingsport Mets 8 (11-12), Burlington Royals 1 Box Score

• Jose Maria 1B 0 for 3, 2 R, BB, K .383/.446/.596
• Walter Rasquin 2B 3 for 4, 3 R, HR, 2 RBI .404/.483/.558

Rasquin is 13 for his last 15 and continues to impress with the bat.

• Thomas Szapucki LHP 7.1 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 9 K  (W, 2-1, 0.62 ERA)

Szapucki continues to absolutely dominate and baffle hitters in Kingsport, he was hitting 95 MPH in the seventh inning. Hopefully we’ll get to see him in Brooklyn soon as their starting staff hasn’t been that great with the exception of both Harol and Merandy Gonzalez. Here is video taken by Josh Norris of Szapucki pitching last night.

Good morning, good afternoon and good night from #mets lefty Thomas Szapucki #SzapucK pic.twitter.com/pPWdxd6Jwf

— Josh Norris (@jnorris427) July 17, 2016

For more about out Mets prospects, go to MetsMinors.net for your daily fix.

The post Mets Minors: Szapucki K’s Nine In Another Gem, Smith Collects Three Hits appeared first on Metsmerized.

Las Vegas 51s 11 (48-44), Iowa Cubs 5 Box Score

• Michael Conforto LF 2 for 4, 2B, 3B, BB, 2 RBI, 2 R .344/.420/.623
• T.J. Rivera 3B 3 for 5, 2B, RBI, R, .351/.390/.502

Both of Conforto’s hits were down the right field line.

• Robert Gsellman RHP 4 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, K 13.50 ERA

Gsellman is struggling thus far at Triple-A.

Hartford 4, Binghamton Mets (41-50) 2 Box Score

• Champ Stuart CF 0 for 4, 3 K, .250/.333/.375
• Amed Rosario SS 1 for 4, .414/.475/.586
• Dominic Smith 1B 2 for 4, 2B, RBI, .284/.348/.447

Victor Cruzado hit his fifth home run of the season in the ninth inning.

• Josh Zeid RHP 5 IP, 5 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, L (2-3, 4.89)
• Kevin McGowan RHP 2 IP, H, 0 ER, 2.29
• Tim Peterson RHP 2 IP, H, 0 ER, K, 3.60

St. Lucie Mets (48-41) 8, Daytona 1 F/7 Box Score

• Kevin Kaczmarski LF 2 for 4, 2B, 2 R, .438/.500/.688
• David Thompson 3B 1 for 2, BB, 2 R, .235/.333/.294
• Luis Guillorme SS 1 for 2, sac bunt, RBI, R, .269/.332/.321
• Jhoan Urena DH 1 for 3, HR, 2 RBI, .224/.284/.346

Urena continues his strong second half but has been relegated to mostly first and DH duty with Thompson now on the team. Kaczmarski has an 8-game hitting streak in which he has gone 16 for 32 wit five walks.

• Chris Flexen RHP 6 IP, 5 H. 0 ER, BB, 4 K, W (6-9, 3.64)

Columbia Fireflies (42-51) 4, Rome 0 Box Score

• Vicente Lupo LF 3 for 4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, .250/.338/.402
• Eudor Garcia DH 1 for 4, HR, .209/.244/.302

Lupo is hitting .304/.365/.482 in 56 at bats during the second half. He had been battling an injury that inhibited his play prior to this success.

• Andrew Church RHP 9 IP, H, 0 ER, BB, 10 K 0.42 ERA

Church moved to 3-0 with a 0.42 ERA in three starts for the Fireflies, and threw the first ever complete game shutout in Fireflies history. MMN as a whole, agree that he should be at High-A instead of Columbia.

Lowell Spinners 4, Brooklyn Cyclones 0 (13-16) Box Score

• Ali Sanchez C 1 for 3, .262/.308/.328, threw out one runner
• Colby Woodmansee SS 2 for 3, CS .291/.340/.384

According to Teddy and Kevin, who were at the game, Woodmansee was impressive at shortstop and at the plate.

• Nabil Crismatt RHP 6 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 5 K 3.68 ERA
• Joseph Zanghi RHP 2 IP, 2 H, 4 K 1.46 ERA

Crismatt threw a impressive breaking ball, according to the people at the game. Zanghi continues to overpower the New York-Penn League.

For the full night’s recap including video of 2015 third round pick Max Wotell head over to MetsMinors.net.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Conforto Triples, Church Twirls Gem appeared first on Metsmerized.

pressprosmagazine.com

Full Season Single-A

Delmarva Shorebirds 7 (Baltimore, 50-38), Columbia Fireflies 3 (41-48) Box Score

• Dale Burdick PR-2B 1 for 3, HR, 2 RBI, K .222/.263/.444
• Vicente Lupo LF 2 for 4, 2 K .250/.345/.383
• Milton Ramos SS 2 for 3, K, E .231/.297/.285

Lupo has been doing a lot better since returning to Columbia on June 24th, raising his line from .203/.314/.324 to .250/.345/.383. Ramos committed his 16th error of the season. Burdick has been a guy transferred up and down, after being a 40th round pick in 2014, but he is praised by coaches for his leadership qualities.

• Bryce Beeler RHP 2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K 2.74 ERA
• Witt Haggard RHP 2.1 IP, H, 3 BB, 3 K 2.76 ERA

Beeler had two very good starts prior to this one, but was beaten up and had his ERA balloon to 2.74. Haggard has given up only two earned runs since returning from an injury on 6/2.

Short Season Single-A

Brooklyn Cyclones 6 (12-13), Aberdeen Ironbirds 1 (10-15) Box Score

• Gene Cone RF 2 for 5, 2 K .264/.338/.306
• Nick Sergakis 2B 3 for 5, HR, 3 RBI, SB .257/.356/.392
• Peter Alonso 1B 2 for 3, 2B, RBI, BB, K .313/.353/.500

Alonso broke the ice, doubling home Sergakis in the first inning. Sergakis broke the tie with a homer in the fifth inning.

• Erik Manoah RHP 6 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 2 K 5.33 ERA
• Raul Jacobson RHP 3 IP, H, BB, 6 K 2.60 ERA

Manoah bounced back after allowing nine runs last outing. Cyclones have won three in a row.

Rookie Complex League

DSL Indians 3 (16-16), DSL Mets 2 (15-17) Box Score

• Hansel Moreno DH 2 for 4, CS .280/.358/.380
• Guillermo Granadillo CF 3 for 4, .259/.346/.310
• Gregory Guerrero SS 0 for 3, SF, 3 K .275/.358/.300

Guerrero is 0 for his last 11 with five strikeouts after collecting three singles and striking out four times in a 17 inning game on July 8th. Moreno has an 11 game hitting streak, going 19 for 48 with two triples.

• Briam Campusano RHP 6 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 10 K, 2.15 ERA

Campusano received the tough luck loss.

DSL Phillies2 8 (17-15), DSL Mets2 6 (13-20) Box Score

• Shervyen Newton 3B 1 for 4, 2B, BB, K .231/.474/.423
• Andres Gimenez SS 2 for 4, 3B, BB, K, 2 E .361/.466/.537
• Edinson Valdez RF 1 for 5, RBI, 2 Outfield Assists, 3 K .333/.397/.395
• Raul Beracierta LF 2 for 5, 2 RBI .340/.404/.436

Newton doubled for the second time in two days. Gimenez with his third extra base hit since returning from a multiple game hiatus, but committed his eighth and ninth errors. Valdez has eight outfield assists this year.

• Jaison Vilera RHP 6 IP, 4 H, BB, 5 K 2.73 ERA

This is Vilera’s debut after being signed this past spring.

Minor League Notes:

• Triple-A, Double-A, High-A, Rookie Leagues Kingsport and Gulf Coast League Mets affiliates had the day off. The Las Vegas 51s and Binghamton Mets will reconvene on Thursday after their All-Star break. T.J. Rivera, Travis Taijeron and Gabriel Ynoa be participating in the Triple-A All-Star game tonight at 7 PM ET which will be on MLB Network.
• 11th rounder Cameron Planck signed today for $1,000,001. Read about it here.
• The deadline for players signing to drafting teams is on Thursday. Mets have $1,017,199 in their pool left to sign #31 pick Anthony Kay or go overpool as a penalty for not signing him and being overslot already.
• Catcher Brandon Brosher was sent back to full season-A Columbia after homering twice in a game on Monday.
• Outfield Prospect Desmond Lindsay reappeared in the Gulf Coast League on Monday and will be in Brooklyn shortly,

The post Mets Minors Notes: Planck Signs for $1 Million, Sergakis Homers appeared first on Metsmerized.

Winter League Baseball started some time ago and I thought we’d check in on the several Mets scattered across each league:

Venezuelan League

Vicente Lupo – Has Not Played

Leon Canelon – 6 G, 2 AB, 2 R, .000/.000/.000

Jairo Perez – 20 G, .208/.269/.417, 3 2B, 4 HR

Wilfredo Tovar – 19 G, .295/.295/.372, 6 2B

Ryan Reid – 9 G, 4.82 ERA, 9.1 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 9 K

Albert Cordero – Has Not Played

Miguel Socolovich – 6 G, 1.50 ERA, 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K

Oswald Caraballo – .000/.000/.000, 5 G, 3 AB, 1R

Brandon Allen – .304/.448/.565, 19 G, 4 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR

Mexican League

Brian Burgamy – .236/.313/.361, 20 G, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR

Cory Vaughn – .246/.359/.462, 20 G, 1 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR. 4 SB

Xorge Carrillo – .255/.338/.527, 17 G, 6 2B, 3 HR

Dominican Winter League

Hansel Robles – 7 G, 6.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 2 H, 2 BB, 7 K

Gonzalez Germen – 3 G, 16.20 ERA, 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB

Cesar Puello – .154/.231/.241, 7 G, 13 AB, 2 H, 1 2B

Rafael Montero – 1 G, 6.75 ERA,  2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 K

Rainy Lara – 4 G, 2.35 ERA, 7.2 IP, 9 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K

Darwin Frias – 3 G, 10.12 ERA, 2.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Puerto Rican Winter League

Jon Velasquez – 0.00 ERA, 2 G, 2 SV, 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 3 K

Arnaldo Berrios – Reserve

Carlos Alvarado – 1 G, 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 K

Randy Fontanez – Reserve

Seth Lugo – Reserve

T.J. Rivera – 4 G, .167, 2 H, 12 AB

Joel Huertas – 54.00 ERA, 0.2 IP, 4 H, 4 ER

Each year, several players from the minors and majors play in the winter leagues for a few months in their home countries, and for their hometowns. The actual competition varies, because of varying levels of professional experience ranging from Rookie Ball to the Major Leagues.

To learn the history behind the Dominican, Mexican, and Venezuelan leagues, last year I wrote comprehensive articles in a series called “Lessons in Latin America“.

Mexican Baseball History

Venezuelan Baseball History

Dominican Republic Baseball History

The post Winter League Update: Robles and Lara Off To Solid Starts appeared first on Metsmerized.

Last Night’s Quick Scores

• Las Vegas 6, Iowa 4
• Erie 7, Binghamton 4 – Game 1
• Erie 8, Binghamton 6 – Game 2 (Makeup 8/12)
• St. Lucie 6, Fort Myers 1 – Game 1
• Fort Myers 7, St. Lucie 3 – Game 2 (PPD from 6/27)
• Savannah 4, Asheville 1
• Lowell 3, Brooklyn 2 – Game 1
• Brooklyn 3, Lowell 2 – Game 2 (Makeup from 8/12)
• Kingsport 10, Bristol 4

Prospect Pipeline

• Matt Reynolds had two triples in five at bats, scoring a run and driving in three. In his last ten games he is batting .366 (15 for 41).
• Josh Satin doubled in three at bats, scored a run and drove in one.
• In game one, Brandon Nimmo was 2 for 4, with an RBI and in Game two he singled in four at bats to extend his current hit streak to four games. He is batting .333 in his last ten.
• Dilson Herrera was 2 for 4 with two RBI’s in game one and 3 for 2 with three walks in game two. He is batting .341 on the season.
• Darrell Ceciliani was 2 for 4 in game one and 2 for 3 in game two and has hit safely in nine of his last ten games batting .366 in that span.
• In game two, Travis Taijeron hit his 14th home run on the season for the B-Mets.
• Jayce Boyd has hit safely in nine of his last ten games batting .424 (14 for 33) in that span.
• Michael Fulmer earned his sixth win against ten losses. He pitched six innings allowing one run on five hits, walked two and struck out five.
• Batting lead-off in game one, Maikis De La Cruz, was 2 for 5, with a double and in game two batting in the two hole, he finished 2 for 4 and has hit safely in eight of his last ten games batting .350 (14 for 40).
• Jared King was 4 for 4 with a double and 1 for 3 in the nightcap. He has hit safely in eight of his last ten games batting .350 (14 for 40) in that span.
• Cam Maron was 2 for 4 in game two and currently has a five game hitting streak.
• Octavio Acosta, who was just recently called up from Brooklyn, earned his first win for Savannah, tossing eight innings, and allowing one run on five hits, walking three and striking out two.
• Akeel Morris picked up his 14th save, pitching one scoreless inning, while striking out two, to lower his ERA on the season to 0.68. He has not allowed an earned run in his last 13 appearances and has 84 K’s in 53 innings.
• Michael Conforto was 2 for 6 in the doubleheader and in his last ten games he is batting just .250.
• Jhoan Urena went 3 for 7 in the doubleheader and currently has a nine game hitting streak batting .378 (14 for 37) in that span.
• Martires Arias, who won his previous four starts, earned a no decision tossing 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits, while striking out seven batters for Brooklyn.
• Amed Rosario was 3 for 6 in the two games and has hit safely in seven of his last ten games, but batting just .220 in that span.
• Wuilmer Becerra hit his seventh home run on the season for Kingsport and finished 1 for 5.
• Vicente Lupo had a big game at the plate, going 4 for 5, with two doubles and launched his fourth home run on the season. He also drove in four runs and score a run in the K-Mets lopsided victory.
• Zach Mathieu singled in four at bats and has hit safely in nine of his last ten games batting .371 (13 for 35) in that span.

Organizational Pitching Leaders

Saves

(Content Photo: Fred Devyatkin/Milb.com)
(Feature Photo: Mark LoMoglio/Tampa Yankees)

The post Mets Minors Report: Reynolds Triples Twice In Vegas Win, Morris Saves 14th appeared first on Metsmerized.

When signing a young player from an international market, you never really know what you will get.  They haven’t gotten a lot of fanfare like most of the players that come straight from the draft out of college and high school. Most fans do not hear much about international ballplayers until years later if they are lucky to establish themselves as legit prospects as they advance through the minor league system.

So understanding the journey that these players face is a bit difficult to comprehend, but very interesting when they share their own unique stories.  Coming from another country, not knowing the language and trying to adapt to a new culture is always the most difficult part of their journey, but playing baseball is the easy part.

When I asked Mets outfield prospect Vicente Lupo, if it was an easy transition to adapt to a new culture, he said, “It was not difficult to adapt to the United States,  but like everything else, it’s a process of adaptation, it’s the culture and language among many other things that are different.”

Lupo also continued to share about his family and being away from them for so long and how that also is a part of the transitioning and accepting of following his dreams, “I miss my family at times, but when I chose to play professional baseball, I knew it would be one of the sacrifices I had to make.”

The Mets signed Lupo at the age of 16 out of his native land of Venezuela in July, 2010.  He was then sent to the Dominican Summer League and in 49 games he batted .197, with 21 runs, 7 doubles, 5 home runs in a 132 at bats.  In 2012, he remained in the DSL and in 65 games he batted .343, 58 runs, 18 doubles, 3 triples, 10 home runs, 45 RBI’s, .500 OBP, and .608 SLG in 204 at bats.  Clearly the power hitting outfielder showed what the Mets saw in him with a great second season in pro ball.  But in 2013, he would take a step backward, but it was mostly due to an injury he suffered to his left wrist which limited him to only 37 games. In that span, he batted .220, with 13 runs, 4 home runs in 109 at bats.

Lupo has a lot of talent and it showed in 2012.  The next step is to prove that he can produce in 2014 as he has shown prior to his injury.

This interview was originally conducted in Spanish, but I translated it for publication on MMO. Another talented athlete for the fans to get to know:

David – While growing up in Caracas, Venezuela; who introduced you to the game of baseball?

Vicente – I was 10 years old when my dad told me, “Son do you want to play baseball,” and I said yes and I was very happy. Today I thank God because I am in professional baseball, but the thought from my parents was to play baseball and to grow healthy.

David – Who was your favorite player growing up and did you model your game after him?

Vicente – Really, I always like to be a home run hitter and hit the ball hard.  I liked how Magglio Ordonez played and he was my favorite player.

David – Which part of your game do you feel is your strongest offensively; hitting for average or hitting for power?

Vicente – I have power and I know I can hit the ball hard, but it depends on the situation of the game and it’s the situation I want to be in, like moving a runner over by hitting the ball or with a sacrifice fly.

David – Which position in the outfield do you prefer to play?

Vicente – I like to play outfield, I don’t have a favorite position, but I have always liked Center Field.

David – Is there anything in your approach to the game that you feel you need to improve on?

Vicente – Since I started playing professional baseball, I have been making changes and improving.  I think I should continue to work on all the areas because we can never stop learning.

David – Do you feel you are ready to make the jump to Brooklyn or beyond?

Vicente – I feel confident that I can play where ever they send me, but they will know where I need to be and where ever they send me to play I want to do the best possible.

David – Do you have a regular workout routine or do you follow the organizations workout regimen?

Vicente – Before I start the daily workout that the Mets indicate during the season, I have a specific routine, and it’s what gives me confidence and it helps me to feel good and in shape every day.

David – Do you want to share anything with the Mets fans?

Vicente – I send a great hello to all the fans and many thanks for the huge support. I hope they remain that way always.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

MMO wants to thank Vicente for taking the time to talk with us and share a little but about his journey. Lupo is another player in the line of many I have chatted with that are just living out their dream of one day playing on the biggest baseball stage in the world.  I am thankful that they would allow me to share their stories with the great Mets fans that read this site.  Vicente Lupo is another great talent that the Mets were lucky to get their hands on and from what I continue to see, he isn’t alone.

(Photo Credit: Bryan Green)

The post Outfield Prospect Vicente Lupo Shares His Journey With MMO appeared first on Metsmerized.

From September 24th to October 4th, the Mets will be running their instructional league down at the Spring Training complex in Port St. Lucie. There are 49 players attending for the next two weeks, including first-round picks Dominic Smith, Brandon Nimmo, and Gavin Cecchini.

In his first full season of professional ball (extended spring training and Brooklyn), Cecchini had a decent year despite missing a significant chunk of time with an ankle injury. He endured a slow start at the plate before he went on the disabled list, but rattled off a 16-game-hitting streak shortly after his return to the lineup. For a short period of time, his batting average crept over the .300 mark, but he cooled off to finish 2013, ending up with a .273/.319/.314 triple slash, including no homers, eight doubles, and 14 RBIs.

Unlike Cecchini, Brandon Nimmo got off to a quick start for the Sand Gnats in Savannah, hitting .322 in April. Injuries also hampered a significant chunk of his season, playing just four games in the month of May. It took him a while to get back to his April production, and his next time he hit over .250 in a month was August, when he hit .324. For the season, Nimmo hit .273/.397/.359 with two home runs, 16 doubles, and 40 RBIs. He helped Savannah capture their first SAL Championship since 1996.

Dominic Smith had a very successful first season in professional baseball, and Satish R. outlined it nicely in an article he wrote yesterday here on MMN. Upon finishing his year in the GCL with a .287/.364/.407 line, he earned a late-season promotion to experience the Appy League playoffs with Kingsport. He finished the regular season hitting .667 with four doubles in six at-bats.

Courtesy of Adam Rubin, here is a list of players at the instructional league in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

Pitchers
Gaby Almonte
Eucebio Arias
Martires Arias
Tyler Bashlor
Andrew Church
Chris Flexen
Dawrin Frias
Daniel Herrmann
Ricky Jacquez
Ricky Knapp
Kevin McGowan
Jose Medina
Casey Meisner
Craig Missigman
Marcos Molina
Yoryi Nuez
Darwin Ramos
Persio Reyes
Scarlyn Reyes
Ismael Tijerina
Rob Whalen
Ty Williams

Catchers
Adrian Abreu
Brandon Brosher
Jose Garcia
Colton Plaia
Dioni Rodriguez

Infielders
Gavin Cecchini
Phillip Evans
Luis Guillorme
Dilson Herrera
Branden Kaupe
L.J. Mazzilli
Jeff McNeil
Matt Oberste
Pedro Perez
Alfredo Reyes
Amed Rosario
Yeixon Ruiz
Dominic Smith
Jhoan Urena

Outfielders
Wuilmer Becerra
Michael Bernal
Jared King
Vicente Lupo
Brandon Nimmo
Hengelbert Rojas
Champ Stuart
Ivan Wilson

There is a ton of talent among this group of players with each one of them bringing something different to the table. Again, this list is for the Mets Instructional League in St. Lucie, which you can read more about right here, courtesy of Matt M. Games begin Tuesday and run through Oct 4. Here are a few notes on the roster.

• A large chunk of the Mets ’13 draft picks will attend this league, with 18 total players from the 2013 class taking part. The 1st – 8th round picks (Smith, Church, Wilson, Meisner, Mazzilli, King, Stuart, Oberste, Knapp) are all attending. Bashlor (11th) and Meisner are two pitchers that I am relatively high on for the future, and Ivan Wilson always gets a ton of love from me.
• Taking a general look at the outfielders on the list, it is good to see Wuilmer Becerra and Vicente Lupo get some extra work after underwhelming seasons. Both men harbor a lot of potential — as does Brandon Nimmo, who is joining them there.
• Somewhere, my colleague Teddy Klein is jumping because Amed Rosario, the potential shortstop of the Mets future, is attending as well. There’s a nice crop of names in the infield bunch that includes the newly-acquired Dilson Herrera and Gavin Cecchini.
• I am loving a lot of the names on the list of pitchers — especially a pair of right-handers from Kingsport: Chris Flexen and Rob Whalen. Frias is a guy that impressed me in person when I saw him in Brooklyn, by the way.

For the most comprehensive coverage of the Mets minor league system, pay a visit to MetsMinors.net!

The post Nimmo, Cecchini, Smith Among 49 Met Prospects Heading To PSL For Instructs appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets’ 2013 first-round pick Dominic Smith, made his professional debut today for the GCL Mets and went 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Smith started at first base for the Mets and grounded out in first at-bat in the second inning. But in the fourth inning he singled to drive home left fielder Vicente Lupo, picking up his first hit and RBI as a pro.

Smith would single again in his fourth and final at-bat in the bottom of the ninth.

Also starting was center fielder Ivan Wilson, whom the Mets selected in the third round of this year’s draft. Wilson walked and stole a base in the game which the GCL Mets lost 3-2 to the GCL Nationals.

The post First Rounder Dominic Smith Makes A Nice Splash In Pro Debut appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets used their first-round pick last year on shortstop Gavin Cecchini.

Last month, I had the chance to conduct an email interview with John Sickels of the well-known minor league blog, Minor League Ball. Sickels worked for ESPN many years ago, where he had his own column about minor league baseball. Here is some of what we talked about:

Q: Were the Mets too conservative with the Gavin Cecchini selection?

A: I thought Cecchini was a slight overdraft but I didn’t really think that about Nimmo. By slight, I think he was more of a late first round guy rather than 12 th overall, but that’s my opinion and obviously the Mets disagreed. Their thinking is that a premium defensive shortstop with excellent makeup and a chance to be at least a decent hitter is not easy to find. As with Nimmo, Cecchini is very young of course, just a college freshman age-wise, so it is way too soon to know who is right.

Q: What do you think of the prospects the Mets got for R.A. Dickey?

A: I thought they did well. D’Arnaud has the offensive and defensive ability to be an All-Star catcher, and at least a solid long-term regular. He just needs to stay healthy. I love Syndergaard, who has made a lot of progress with his secondary pitches. He could be a top of the rotation pitcher. They are both elite prospects.

Q: Jenrry Mejia and Jeurys Familia — bullpen or rotation?

A: Bullpen in both cases. I used to think that Familia might make it as a starter, but at this point I think his command and mechanical problems make him a better fit in the pen.

Q: Vicente Lupo wowed in the Dominican Summer League with a .343/.500/.608 slash line and ten home runs over just 65 games. He is a bit of a mystery to many Mets fans. What do you know about him?

A: Well Lupo was a big-bonus guy out of Venezuela who was supposed to hit for power and average. He was terrible in 2011, but supposedly he was sick most of the summer and not at full strength. As you know, he was outstanding last year, more in keeping with the original reports. However, Dominican Summer League performance is not very predictive, so at this point I think we just have to wait and see.

Q: Will changing Triple-A affiliates from Buffalo to Las Vegas have any impact on player development?

A: Las Vegas is an extreme hitters park in a pro-offense league. In one sense, it can be a useful trial-by-fire thing for for pitchers: if you can survive in Vegas, you are better-prepared mentally and emotionally for the major leagues. On the other hand, it does introduce complications in player development for players on both sides of the ball. Breaking pitches don’t act the same. Hitters can get into bad habits that don’t harm them statistically in Vegas, but can come back to haunt them in the majors.

Read more of Sickels’ work at Minor League Ball.

The post Q&A With Prospect Guru John Sickels Of Minor League Ball appeared first on Metsmerized.

Vicente Lupo, OF

Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6’ Weight: 180 lb.
Position: Outfield
Age: 19
ETA: 2016
MMO Top Prospect Rank: #15

Background:

Here is a brief profile on Vicente Lupo from the recent 2013 MMO Top 25 Prospect series:

Signed as an international free agent in July of 2010, Lupo quickly showed a penchant for extra-base power at a young age. While his 2011 season was marred after a dangerous bout with malignant hypothermia that ruined his DSL season, the strongly built slugger came back with a vengeance the following season.

2012 saw Lupo explode in the Domincan Summer League, where he posted a .343/.508/.600 batting line while drawing as many walks as strikeouts –  something seldom seen in power hitters.

Of his 70 overall hits, 31 were for extra-bases. While not possessing top-flight athleticism, he has the bat you look for in a corner outfielder. According to what Mets executives said in response to some questions from Joe D., Vicente will be playing stateside in 2013, so look for him at Kingsport or possibly even Brooklyn this summer.

Everyone is super excited about Lupo. His .500 OBP in 2012 was completely ridiculous, and he had 1.108 OPS to go with that. If he continues to put up numbers like that, maybe he will live up to some early comparisons to Miguel Cabrera. Not much has been reported on Lupo thus far, but what little info is out there has many Mets fans excited. I am proud to say that thanks to fellow minor league analyst Teddy Klein, MMO is the first to have some video footage of Lupo, which you can see below.

Analysis:

We’ve all read the reports – great bat with plus-plus power, raw strength, solid frame and a good eye at the plate. At this point, it’s almost like Lupo is somewhat mythological, since not many fans have gotten a chance to see him play. This video was the first chance many of us got to see of Lupo, since he has spent the majority of his playing time in the DSL.

Vicente Lupo is a player who will need his bat to carry him through the system. He’s not considered speedy and doesn’t have a very strong arm which limits him defensively. He will most likely be relegated to a corner outfield position, probably left field.

Baseball Reference has Lupo listed as six feet, but after seeing him stand in the batter’s box he is probably closer to 5’10” or 5’11” tall. He does have a solid build, and seeing as he’s only 19 years of age, he’ll probably put on even more muscle as he matures.

Regarding his swing, he starts with his hands high and then quickly gets them into a good hitting position. Hitters have to be careful with starting their hands up high, because it could take them longer to get them into the hitting zone, leaving them susceptible to better fastballs. But Lupo does a great job of getting his hands down into the zone, and keeping his hands high is a good way to make sure he stays on top of the ball.

Unfortunately, the swing in the video attached is not his greatest effort. He looks like he was confused by an off-speed pitch, and is very off-balance. You can even see in the first pitch that he takes, he is out on the front foot a little. Keep in mind that it is only one swing, and he is 19 years old, so as he matures, he will learn to adjust to the off-speed stuff. He has probably made a living at this point of his career by eating a steady diet of fastballs for breakfast, so as he progresses through the system he will have to work on his pitch recognition and driving the off-speed pitch the other way.

In 2013, we will see how Lupo progresses during his first season playing stateside. Look for him to start with one of the short-season leagues (Kingsport or Brooklyn) and stay in extended spring training until then. He’s definitely a player you’ll want to keep an eye on in the coming seasons and could easily become a top ten prospect for the Mets if he continues on this torrid pace.

To read previous editions of this feature, go to our MMO Prospect Pulse Archives.

Follow MMO Minor League Analyst Mitch Petanick on Twitter at @FirstPitchMitch for even more Mets Minor League and prospect coverage.

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