The Mack Attack - 2-15-9

Mets News:

From: http://metsmerizedonline.com:

Did you know Brian Schneider's production from the #8 hole compared to production from other NL teams 8th hole was among the best in the NL. Schneider's batting average out of the 8th hole was 4th in the NL (2nd in the NL East), his OBP was 3rd in the NL (2nd in the NL East), his Slugging % was tied for 3rd in the NL (tied for 1st in the NL East) and his OPS was 4th in the NL (2nd in the NL East). These numbers where brought to a stadium near you by none other then Brian Schneider, catcher for the New York Mets. Yes, that Brian Schneider.


Prospect :

From Kevin Goldstein: Top 100 Prospects

44. Fernando Martinez, OF, Mets

54. Wilmer Flores, SS, Mets

94. Jefry Marte, 3B, Mets

Mack: he's got the right ones, though I was surprised Bradley Holt didn't make the list. Slso, it's no surprise to me that Martinez is falling on many of the lsits, due to constant boo-boos and dings.

From Adam Rubin:

Scott Moviel, the 6-foot-11 right-hander who is ranked the No. 13 prospect in the organization, had surgery on Jan. 23 to repair torn meniscus cartilage in his right knee and should be out until May. Moviel, 20, has been at the Mets' complex this week, navigating the territory on crutches. It's the same injury Johan Santana gutted through in September and had surgery to repair after the season.

Mack - I really like Moveil. He's big ass dude with lots of nasty. Let's slow him down and push his ETA back a year. In fact, send his ass back to Savannah so I can hang with him.

From Fanhouse:

Jon Niese, LHP: With the Mets' rotation seemingly set, Niese will most likely start the season at Triple-A Buffalo, but if Tim Redding struggles, or if John Maine's injury woes from last season continue, Niese will be the guy to fill in. His cup of coffee with the Mets last season should prove to be beneficial to pitcher and team alike. He had three starts in September of '08, which included two stinkers wrapped around an impressive eight inning gem in a 5-0 win against Atlanta. What you can expect from Niese is a guy who will rely on his curveball rather than his fastball, and a guy who has a competitive streak a mile long. His issue going forward will be keeping his pitch counts down. In his two starts which only lasted into the fourth inning, he approached the 80-pitch mark.

Fernando Martinez, OF: You may remember Martinez as the guy who the Mets wouldn't place in the Johan Santana deal. That's how much the Mets thought and still think of him. Statistically, he doesn't jump out at you. But the Mets rarely let prospects dominate the minor leagues before promoting him, and they've done no different with Martinez. In fact, it's been injuries more than stats that have been Martinez's downfall during his minor league career. He was impressing people during his stint in the Caribbean World Series before going down with an injury and was sent back to New York largely as a precaution. The lefty power hitter is also due to start at Triple-A Buffalo, but a combination of a big start to the season by Martinez and the Mets' platoon of Fernando Tatis and Daniel Murphy becoming a bust could lead to Martinez reaching the majors this year at the ripe old age of 20.

Eddie Kunz, Bobby Parnell, RPs: Kunz and Parnell are listed together because it may take two prospects to stabilize the back end of that horrible Met bullpen. Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz go a long way toward stabilizing the later innings, but pretty much everybody else has been purged, with nobody brought in from the outside to replace them. That's where Kunz and Parnell come in. What the Mets lack are swing and miss guys. Kunz and Parnell average over 7.5 strikeouts per nine innings with their plus fastballs. Both had brief stints with the Mets last season, with Parnell impressing and Kunz struggling. But both are considered not only a big part of the future, but a big part of the near future, as they were both drafted out of college with the hopes that they would reach the bigs sooner rather than later.

Toby Hyde's #8 - 3B Jefry Marte - Why Ranked Here: The well built Marte has the potential to be a middle of the order run producer at third base in baseball's version of the distant future. The fact that the Mets are well stocked at third does not matter to Marte's value at this point. Marte showed bat speed, strength and pull-side power while leading the Gulf Coast League in OPS as a 17-year old in 2008. Marte has the arm for third, but as he matures, it is possible that he will lose the first-step quickness that the position demands. However, he will continue to play third for the foreseeable future in the hope that he develops at the position where he has the most value. 2008: Marte had a very successful 2008. He hit just .250/.357/.375 in 24 AB against lefties, while maiming righties at a .338/.405/.562 clip. Young hitters often just don't see quality LHP when they are growing up. Marte drew one walk in his first 35 AB, and then 12 in his next 119, a strong rate for such a young player. Projected 2009 Start: Savannah, based on the Mets history of aggressive assignments for their most talented players.

Mack: Hope Toby is correct about Savannah .I've currently have Marte as the 5th prospect, but I'm sure all of agree he is one of the current top 10… lots of rumors of him playing the OF once he gets to A+… we'll see… ETA… hard to guess…. Probably will finish this year at Lucy, then finish 2010 at the B-Mets… I would think he'll spend at least one more year in the minors, thus his Mets ETA, if he isn't traded, would be 2012, in an outfield of Cesar Puello, Fernando Martinez, and Jefry.


#7 - C Francisco Pena - By Toby Hyde - Youth: Pena turned 19 in October 2008. At the age when many players drafted out of high school would be beginning their first full professional season, Pena will be beginning his third. More germane than the experience he's garnered, is the room (and time) that he has to improve. Position: Catchers, as a whole, were the least productive MLB position at the plate in 2008, combining to hit .257/.325/.390 with a .715 OPS, three points lower than SS. Just four catchers in baseball hit 20 homers in 2008 (Brian McCann, Geovany Soto, Kelly Shoppach and Mike Napoli). Only 15 hit double digit homeruns. Pena, who led the SAL with 28 passed balls has work to do to become MLB caliber defensively, but the same can be said of almost all minor league catchers. On the plus side, he has soft hands and a strong arm. His footwork and anticipation must continue to progress. Power: Pena has the plus power that only a few MLB backstops possess. When he grows up, he is capable of 20 HR annually on the high end. He has bat speed, strength and the ability to drive the ball comfortably. Of the catchers who hit 20 HR in the majors in 2008, only Soto was an international signee like Pena, who has shown more power than Soto did at the same age against tougher competition. Soto his first three seasons to hit the same number of HR (6) as Pena did in 2008. Soto never hit more than nine HR in a season until exploding for 26 at AAA Iowa in 2007 as a 24 year-old. 2008: The Mets had Pena begin his professional career as a 17-year old in the SAL in 2007. In 2008, as an 18-year old, which is still very young for the league, Pena added 14 extra base hits and 14 singles to his 2007 performance. Teammates and coaches alike agreed that Pena made major strides defensively both the mechanics of catching and the nuances of game calling. Projected 2009 Start: St. Lucie

Mack: - I'm still being told he's coming back to Savannah. I have a call into his agent and will let you know. No place for him to go with the log jam in Lucy and B-Town. Plus, it would be a hoot to see Pena, Marte, Flores, Mejia, and Puello in the same lineup.

Mets Alumni:

The Orioles signed infielder-outfielder Ty Wigginton, who had been with the Astros, to a two-year, $6 million contract

THT on: Carlos Gomez - Gomez was no Iwamura with the bat in 2008, and that's really saying something. While he stole 33 bases in 44 attempts, he had an awful .296 OBP and a wOBA to match. He was 16 runs worse than average on offense. But if he was a sink hole offensively, he was the Old Faithful defensively, saving 17 more runs than the average center fielder, which itself isn't an easy job.