Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

With the minor league season now three weeks in, we will take our first look at the state of the Mets farm system. As a whole, the four active full season teams enter today with a 40-37 record. The best of that group is the Syracuse Mets at 13-8.

Week in Review

The Triple-A Syracuse Mets won five of their last six games to improve to 13-8 on the season, they currently sit second in the Internal League North division. The new Mets affiliate team is loaded with veterans given them the oldest average age for hitters (30.7) and pitchers (28.4). Their offense has been led by Travis Taijeron (playing first now) with a 1.087 OPS including a league-leading seven homers and Drew Gagnon with his 0.51 ERA in 17.2 innings has been the teams best pitcher.

Despite being no-hit on Thursday night, the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies lead the Eastern League’s Eastern division with a 9-6 start. They are currently second in the league scoring 4.87 runs per game. Their pitching has been solid as well with a 3.10 ERA through 133.2 innings. Infielders Sam Haggerty (acquired in Kevin Plawecki trade) and Andres Gimenez (4.3 years younger than league average) have been the Ponies’ best regulars with a .780 OPS and .740 OPS respectively. Sidearmer Steve Villines has yet to allow an earned run in 6.2 innings while Anthony Kay leads the rotation with a 1.89 ERA.

It’s been a season of ups and downs so far for the Advanced-A St. Lucie Mets to get to their 11-10 record. They started the season getting swept as they scored only four runs, then went on to win seven of eight games, proceeded to go 3-6 (including running into Tigers top prospect Casey Mize) in their next nine, and on Thursday night won on a two-run walk-off homer by Carlos Cortes. Their two best hitters have been infielder Blake Tiberi (.850 OPS) and outfielder Quinn Brodey (.857 OPS). On the pitching side Tony Dibrell has been their best starter (2.08 ERA, 0.83 WHIP) and Ryley Gilliam their best reliever (2.53 ERA and 0.94 WHIP).

The Class-A Columbia Fireflies were billed as the most exciting team in the Mets minors to watch this year, 18-year olds Ronny Mauricio and Simeon Woods-Richardson has helped the team live up to that. Despite some of the individual prospect excitement, the team has struggled to a league worst 7-13 record and a league worst .581 OPS. Mauricio, shortstop and leadoff hitter, leads the team with .745 OPS. Third baseman Mark Vientos has struggled (.636 OPS) and infield Shervyen Newton is just 1-for-10 after missing time with shoulder injury. Woods-Richardson has posted a 1.23 ERA over 14.2 innings and five starts, the Mets are limiting his pitches/innings after throwing only 47 innings in 2018.

Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

News and Buzz

Veteran infielder Ruben Tejada is currently still playing in extended spring games after signing a minor league deal with the Mets in late March. He has been playing all over the infield in preparation to being moved up to an affiliate soon.

Infielder Gavin Cecchini is also working out in extended spring as well, he’s rehabbing a quad injury. The former first round pick was booted off the Mets 40-man roster this offseason and will have a tough ladder to climb into playing time. In limited time in MLB camp before the injury, he went 2-for-5 with a double, five walks, and two stolen bases.

Lefties David Roseboom (groin injury) and P.J. Conlon (undisclosed) are also participating in extended spring as they work back from injuries.

St. Lucie Mets outfielder Desmond Lindsay sustained a non-contact leg injury on March 20 and was immediately placed on the IL. The former second round pick has struggled at the plate this year with a .599 OPS in 15 games.

Mets gave Francisco Alvarez a new team record $2.7 million IFA bonus last year. The 17-year-old was impressive when I saw him in the PSL, both behind the plate and at the plate. He’s expected to make his pro debut stateside this season in rookie level ball. Another 2018 IFA signee to watch is William Lugo. The powerful infielder hit one of the longest home runs I’ve seen in the back fields.

Stats that Stick Out

Fireflies’ starter Simeon Woods-Richardson is the only pitcher in the minor leagues that has eclipsed the 20 strikeout mark and has not allowed a walk.

The Mets farm system has just a combined 37 home runs, the second fewest in Minor League Baseball. Their pitching staffs have only 658 strikeouts, ranking them 28th out of 30.

Right-hander Bryce Hutchinson has the fourth lowest (out of 1020) fly ball rate in the minors at 12.5% through 14 innings. His 18.1 swinging strike percent is second best among Mets pitchers.

Talking With a Prospect

Right-handed pitcher Christian James was taken by the Mets in the 14th round of the 2016 draft out of East Lake High School (same as Eric Hanhold) in Florida. He posted a 0.52 ERA during his pro debut for the GCL Mets in 17.2 innings. He would then spend the entire 2017 season with the rookie level Kingsport Mets, with a 4.18 ERA, 10.1 K/9, and 9.4 H/9 in 51.2 innings.

Then things started getting a little weird for the 20-year-old in 2018. Double-A Binghamton needed a spot starter and James had fared well in extended, so he made his full season debut with four innings of one-run ball and four strikeouts. The St. Lucie Mets needed a starter the next, and yet again James was impressive allowing no earned runs over five innings with five strikeouts.

After two successful starts in full season ball, James was sent to short season Brooklyn, where he was originally scheduled to spend the season. He pitched to a 2.01 ERA there, but only struck out 45 in 71.2 innings.

James was happy he landed on a full season roster to begin the season for a first time this year with Columbia, “It was exciting. I worked really hard during the off-season to get in great shape so I could compete and do the best I can during the season.”

The starting pitcher saw some changes in spring training this year with a new regime, “Everything felt like it had a purpose. We would have everybody out watching and putting their time and effort with us and as a player we loved that because we are giving it our all out there all the time.”

James has a 3.93 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in 18.1 innings this year for Columbia, though he has struck out 22 batters in that span and has yet to allow a home run. The 6’3”, 210 pound righty told me what he was working on in 2019, “My mechanics and being consistent with it. I know they are funky but they feel normal with me and if I can repeat them all the time I know I will have the results I want.”

Photo by @KristinBasnett

That’s A Spicy Mets Prospect 

Binghamton catcher Ali Sanchez entered the season as our No. 24 prospect despite not doing much with the bat in 2018 (.681 OPS). The gifted defender is 8-for-18 with three doubles, two walks, and seven RBIs. For the season, he’s hitting .293/.326/.366 in 43 plate appearances. The 22-year-old is over two years younger than the league average age in the Eastern League.

The Mets took left-handed Anthony Kay in the first round of the 2016 draft and he’s starting to make some noise after missing more than a season recovering from TJS. In his last start for Binghamon, the Stony Brook native pitched six shutout innings in which he allowed only one hit and struck out 10. Nine of the 10 strikes out were swinging and numerous were on his high spin-rate curve.

St. Lucie Mets infielder Luis Carpio struggled to find consistent playing time early in the season with the rehabbing Todd Frazier playing almost everyday. He’s finally playing and he’s certainly hitting, Carpio is 9-for-19 with a homer and four walks in his last six games.

Video of The Week

Organizational Leaders

AVG – Quinn Brodey (STL) .355, Adeiny Hechavarria (SYR) .348, Ronny Mauricio (COL) .324, Blake Tiberi (STL) .318

OPS – Travis Taijeron (SYR) 1.087, Brodey .857, Tiberi .850, Braxton Lee (BNG) .848, Luis Carpio (STL) .818

HR – Taijeron 7, group of seven players with two including Dilson Herrera (SYR) and Will Toffey (BNG)

RBI – Brodey 16, Taijeron 15, Danny Espinoa (SYR) 12, Hechavarria 12, Tiberi 10

R – Tiberi 14, Taijeron 13, Brodey 12, Gregor Blanco (SYR) 12, Toffey 11, Andres Gimenez (BNG) 11

SB – Herrera 6, Rajai Davis (SYR) 5, Sam Haggerty (BNG) 4, Hansel Moreno (STL) 4

Starter ERA – Drew Gagnon (SYR) 0.51, Simeon Woods-Richardson (COL) 1.23), Anthony Kay (BNG) 1.89, Tony Dibrell (STL) 2.08

Starter K/9 – Dedniel Nunez (COL) 13.8, SWR 13.5, Michael Gibbons (BNG) 11.5, Christian James (COL) 10.8

Reliever ERA – Steve Villines (BNG) & Paul Sewald (SYR) 0.00, Joseph Zanghi (BNG) 1.04, Andrew Mitchell (COL) 1.08

Reliever K/9 – Matt Blackham (BNG) 14.7, Ryley Gilliam (STL) 13.5, Billy Oxford (COL) 12.6, Mitchell 11.9

Saves – Arquimedes Caminero (SYR) 5, Villines, Ezequiel Zabaleta (COL), Blake Taylor (STL) 3

WHIP – Harol Gonzalez (BNG) 0.720, Briam Campusano (STL) 0.732), SWR 7.50, Blackham 0.818