The Keepers - #75 - RP - Brandon Sage

75. Brandon Sage – RP –

Sage was selected by the Mets in the 37th round of this year’s draft.

From his school’s web site on draft day:

Coach Kittrell on Brandon Sage – “Brandon Sage is a hard-throwing left-hander that is developing a change-up. He’s showing a lot of leadership skills, and we expect big things out of Brandon this year.”

Fall 2008: Made four appearances and posted a 3.21 ERA in 14.0 innings pitched ¨ Struck out 12 and issued just three walks ¨ Ranked third on team behind Greg Johnson (.929) and Matt Jackson (1.05) with a 1.07 WHIP ¨ Allowed just one hit and struck out four in 3.0 innings in first intrasquad game (9/19) ¨ Allowed two runs on three hits in 3.0 innings in game two of Red and Blue World Series (10/5) ¨ Started game five (10/11) and allowed three runs in 5.0 innings of work, but did not factor in the decision ¨ In second game of doubleheader vs. Meridian (10/18), started and picked up win with just one hit allowed in 3.0 innings ¨ Struck out four and did not issue a walk.

Sage played the 2009 season for Brooklyn and got off to a wonderful starts. He appeared in 6 games, had an ERA of only 2.03, and an even smaller WHIP of 1.19. One down side, only 15-Ks and 11-BB in 31.0-IP.

From: http://www.brooklynpaper.com/:

He can jam a left-handed batter with a slider, freeze a lefty with a curve — and take down a deer at 40 yards with a bow and arrow. Meet “Hunterman,” the lefty specialist in the Cyclones bullpen and the deadliest deerstalker this side of the Brooklyn Bridge. Hunterman — Brandon Sage, if you insist — is holding lefties to a .071 average and has a 0.64 ERA, second on the Clones. Clearly, the Mets got something right when they drafted the 22-year-old in the 37th round, despite his 4.64 ERA for the University of South Alabama. The 6-foot-2 southpaw doesn’t talk much, but he quickly earned the trust of manager Pedro Lopez with his aggressive approach on the mound and the affection of his teammates with his slowwww ’Bama drawl.

Forecast: This is about as best as it gets for a 37th rounder, and Sage will move on to probably Savannah for his 2010 season. Everyone loves a lefty specialist and, hopefully, the Mets have found one.