Cyclones' 6/29 news and notes

The Cyclones are in first place in the McNamara Division after 11 games, with a 7-4 record. The team is undefeated at MCU Park with a 5-0 record in front of Cyclone fans. Brooklyn travels to Hudson Valley Tuesday night, before returning home for two games.

Who’s hot

The two highest-drafted hitters on the Cyclones have not disappointed in Brooklyn after 11 games. Darrell Ceciliani, a fourth-round pick in 2009, and Cory Vaughn, this season’s fourth-round selection, have led the Cyclone offense. Ceciliani, a centerfielder, has been a great top-of-the-order threat and tablesetter for the Coney Island squad. His .409 on-base percentage and 1.023 OPS make him one of the league’s best players through two weeks. After a somewhat disappointing stint in Kingsport in 2009, Ceciliani has exploded in Brooklyn; hitting a whopping .476 at MCU Park. His 14 runs lead the New York-Penn League. Vaughn is providing plenty of power in the middle of the Cyclone order. He is tied with Batavia’s Nick Longmire for the league lead in home runs with three, and has driven in 10 runs. An impressive athlete, the problems scout have with Vaughn is his plate discipline and ability to make contact, but the former San Diego State standout has only struck out five times in 40 at bats, while walking six times—which is a very good sign. The right fielder has shown in the short time he has spent on Coney Island that he has star potential and if he can make contact at a good rate as he progresses through the system, he could be a good Major Leaguer one day. One of his best tools is his power. His OPS is 1.343 at MCU Park, traditionally a pitcher’s park.

Third baseman Joe Bonfe and shortstop Rylan Sandoval have opened eyes in Brooklyn. Bonfe is continuing his success after posting a .888 OPS at Kingsport in 2009. A 21st-round pick in 2009, Bonfe is batting .357 at Brooklyn thus far. Sandoval, originally drafted by the Mets in 2007 out of junior college, before opting to attend Long Beach State for two seasons, the shortstop was picked up in 2010 by the Mets as an undrafted free agent. He is sporting a .982 OPS through 10 games with the Cyclones, with five doubles and a home run. Hot hitting by Bonfe and Sandoval have kept former Mississippi State star Jet Butler from getting consistent at bats. Butler was drafted in the 26th round of the 2010 draft.

First baseman Jeff Flagg, down from Savannah, has hit well, too. He is batting .341 with a team-high 12 RBIs. Catcher Juan Centeno has been a nice surprise after struggling mightily in Brooklyn last season. The 20-year-old is batting .278 while splitting time with Tyler Freeman behind the plate.

Strong pitching

Good starting pitching has been the back bone of the Cyclones for the past nine seasons, and this one is no different. Lefties Chris Hilliard, Angel Cuan and Mitch Houck all sport sub-2.00 ERAs after two starts. Hilliard and Cuan have 1.50 and 1.64 ERA’s, respectively, while Houck has the team-best 1.32 ERA. He also has 14 strikeouts in 13.2 innings pitched, but he has walked six. Hilliard has done a good job keeping hitters off base with a 0.92 WHIP. Wes Wrenn, who is in Brooklyn for the second straight season, has posted a 2.25 ERA so far. Hamilton Bennett and A.J. Pinera have been reliable relievers with 1.80 and 2.57 ERAs. Pinera has five strikeouts and one walk through seven innings pitched, while Bennett has struck out two in five innings. Johan Figuereo has three saves, along with 10 strikeouts in just 4.2 innings, but he has given up four earned runs, too.

Struggling

J.B. Brown was a popular pick in 2010, but the second baseman has not started hitting yet. Brown has just three hits in 32 at bats, while striking out nine times. He was the Mets’ 14th-round pick in 2010. Outfielder Cody Holliday is hitting .208 in nine games. Pitcher Yohan Almonte has given up eight earned runs over 16.2 innings pitched, for a 4.32 ERA—a high number for a pitcher-friendly league.

More help to come?

Four of the Mets’ top five picks remain unsigned. First-round pick Matt Harvey, third-round pick Blake Forsythe, fifth-round pick Matt den Dekker and sixth-round pick Greg Peavey all could potentially be assigned to Brooklyn upon signing.