The State of Mets Minor League Pitching:

The State Of Mets Minor League SP’s

Half-Full:

Dillon Gee – Gee signed with the Mets and played the 2007 season with Brooklyn. He had an outstanding season, going 3-1, 2.47, 1.06 in 14 games, 11 starts. He also had 56 Ks in 62.0 IP.

In 2008, Gee began the year with St. Lucie (8-6, 3.25), but ended with Binghamton (2-0, 1.33).

Gee won the Sterling Award as the the top Met player for the 2008 St. Lucie team.

2009 was not kind to Gee. He was off to a decent start (1-4, 4.10, 9 starts, 42-K, 48.1-IP) until he went down with a season ending injury. Even with the injury, Gee was ranked 29th in 2009, in the AAA out percentage leader poll, with a 0.658 0ut%,, 20.1 K%, and only a 7.7 BB% .

Gee’s professional stats over three seasons are: 14-10, 3.03, 1.09.

No sick speed or 5- tools here. Just gold old Tom Glavine-like control. And, it works. Gee still charts out as the SP5 in 2012 and he should prove his value again in 2010 for Buffalo.

Kyle Allen – Allen pitched the 2008 season for the GCL Mets, going 1-1, 2.12, 1.00 in 11 games (5 starts). This included 45 Ks and only 10 BBs in 34.0 IP.

Jeurys Familia and Robert Carson got all the press in Savannah, while Allen quietly put up a season which deserves a promotion. Kepp an eye on this kid in St. Lucie in 2010. He may emerge as the team’s SP1.

Robert Carson – The Mets drafted Carson in the 14th round of the 2007 draft. He signed and was placed on The GCL Mets roster, where he went 1-0, 5.00 in 4 games, 1 start.

In 2008, Carson started out with the GCL Mets and pitched impressively: 1-0, 1.57, 0.74. He was promoted to Kingsport, where he went 2-3, 1.76 in 6 starts.

In 2009, Carson pitched a full season for Savannah and went: 8-10, 3.21, 1.40, but only 90-K in 131.2-IP. He also walked 45 batters.

Carson’s 3 year pro stats are: 12-13, 2.87, 1.34.

Carson already has big market stuff and just needs more time and more experience. He’ll get that in St. Lucie in 2010, with a good chance of ending the year at AA. His ETA, if successful, will be 2012.

Jeurys Familia – “Family” signed with the Mets during the October 2007 International signing period. 2008 was spent with with the GCL Mets, where he went 2-2, 2.79, 1.14 in 11 starts. He quickly became the dean of the staff.

In 2009, Familia pitched for the Savannah Sand Gnats: 10-6, 2.69, 1.16, 109-K, 134.0-IP.

His two year professional stats are: 12-8, 2.72, 1.16.

There’s nothing but blue sky for the 19-year old, but his job is just beginning. We’ve seen many a pitcher do well in rookie and A ball, only to fade away by the time they compete AA. Familia definitely loos like the real deal, but it is too early to tell. He’ll rotate with his Sand Gnat buddies for a new coach in Flordia and everyone should, and will, keep an eye on him.

Brad Holt – The Mets picked Holt in the supplemental portion of the 1st round in the 2008 draft. College stats: 3.18 ERA, 11-1, 93.1 IP, 78 H, 36 BB, 95 K, .225 BAA, 8 HR allowed

In 2008, Holt was spot on for Brooklyn, going 5-3, 1.87 in 14 starts. He also struck out 96 batters in 72.1 IP. Holt won the Sterling Award as the the top Met player for the 2008 Brooklyn team.

Holt struck out 54 batters in 43.1 innings for St.Lucie in 2009 before being called up to Binghamton. However, his run of great pitching ended there. He only struck out 45 in 58 innings and walked 23 while giving up nine homers, leading to a 5.01 FIP.

Yes, Brad had a difficult time making the jump to AA, but it was also a year where he was learning additional pitchers other than his fast ball, and, you have to throw them in order to perfect them. He will return to AA this year against last year’s A+ class, and he currently still ranks as the top Mets SP prospect in the pipe.

Half-Empty:

Jenrry Mejia – Mejia pitched for the 2007 DSL Mets, going 2-3, 2.47 in 14 games (7 starts). He also struck out 47 batters in 43.2 IP. Mejia's arsenal includes a 91-95 MPH fastball that when low in the zone has tons of movement, sometimes tail and sometimes sink. This sets up his 77-80 mph hook that drops off the table.

In 2008, Mejia pitched for both the GCL Mets, and Brooklyn, going a combined 5-2, 2.89, in 14 starts. He struck out 67 batters in 71.2 IP.

In 2009, Jenrry had a miserable year at AA and an even worse one in winter ball.

Everybody loves Jenrry Mejia. He was the talk of the winter leagues, both for his speed and the speed the ball went off opponent’s bats. He still has a long way to go and will start again at AA, but anyone who has spent any time observing him says he’s a can’t miss. Me? He’s a closet closer. The kid had one pitch and misses the barn sometimes.

I look for him to begin a conversion to become the 8th inning guy for the Mets in 2011, possibly 2012.

Mike Antonini – The Mets selected Antonini in the 18th round (573rd overall) of the 2007 amateur draft out of Georgia College & State University. He has been assigned to Kingsport to kick off his pro career. Antonini is a native of Aston, PA

In 2007, Antonini started the season with Kingsport (1-1, 3.71, 1.06 in 5 appearances, 3 starts), but finished it with Brooklyn (0-0, 0.46, 0.92 in 7 appearances, 2 starts).

Antonini had a meteoric rise in 2008, pitching for Savannah (4-4, 2.71), St. Lucie (4-0, 1.84), and Binghamton (1-3, 3.74), all of which combined for 9-7, 2.77.

Antonini seemed to get his game back on track at the end of the 2009 season, and it will be interesting to see if he is: A) sent to AAA to start, B) sent back to AA to start, or C) sent to the pen. I see him as a middle reliever for a couple of reasons… one, he hasn’t pitched lights out as a starters, and two, there are many kids biting up his arse. Look for him to be packaged or put in the 2011 pen.

Eric Niesen – The Mets drafted Niesen in the 3rd round of the 2007 draft. He was signed and immediately assigned to the Brooklyn Cyclones.

Niesen got bumped to St. Lucie near the end of the 2007 season and posted stats of 0-0. 0.00 in 1 appearance.

Niesen disappointed in 2008, going 6-12, 4.64 for St. Lucie.

In 2009, Neisen pitched both for the St. Lucie team (3-4, 3.28 in 11 starts) and Binghamton (4-7, 4.66, in 6 starts. He especially was strong in his last ten starts for the B-Mets, going 4-3, 3.67.

Combined for the year, he went 7-11, 4.09, 134-K, 57-BB, 140.2-IP.

Niesen should rotate at AAA in 2010, but I can’t see ahim earning a rotational sopt in Queens. The math just doesn’t work.

Scott Shaw – Shaw was drafted by the New York Mets in the 13th round of the 2008 draft.

In 2009, he continued his winning ways (8-8, 3.73, 1.32) with Lucy and goes into the 2010 season with 2-year combined pro stats of: 14-11, 3.43, 1.25, 197-K, 223.2-IP.

Shaw bores you to death with his efficiency. 2009 was not a good year for Mets’ AA-A+ pitchers, but Shaw was a bright spot. He will never win you the strikeout leader, and he’s probably projected as a SP5 at best (think Brian Bannister), but the Mets will stick with this kid unless things go ga-ga in AA. I’m thinking his future is in the Citi-pen because of his lack of pizzaz.

Ryan Coultas – Coultas was a sixth round heralded draft pick in 2004 by the Mets, who received a $135,000 bonus to play shortstop.

From 2004-2007, Coutlas played 123 games at SS, 103 at 2B, 16 at 1B, eight in the outfield, and seven on third base. He rose as high as AA, but his combined stats were .243/.286/.339/.625, not what it takes to make it to the majors.

So, let’s make him a pitcher.

2008 was his first full season as a pitcher, going 1-5, 4.17 in 47 relief appearances for St. Lucie. Not super numbers, but fantastic for a shortstop.

2009 brought a conversion to a starter and a bump up to Binghamton, where he was easily the best pitcher on the staff until he went down with a bum wing. His stats, for a very bad team, were 4-3, 2.78, in 11 starts.

Nobody ever writes shit about this kid (sort of like Jake Ruckle), and yet, he seems to have created a new future for himself in baseball. A control pitcher, you won’t see a lot of strikeouts here, but I expect him to be back healthy in the Buffalo rotation this spring. Look for him to join the Mets pen in 2011.