Old notes on J-Rod:
The Mets drafted Rodriguez in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft. In June 2008, BA did a post-draft adjustment of their top 10 Mets prospects and Rodriquez was ranked #9, with the comments: “9. Javier Rodriguez, of - 2008 second-rounder is a lean athlete with speed and projectable power.”
In 2008, Rodriguez batted .193 for the GCL Mets.
In February 2009, Toby Hyde said: #15 - CF Javier Rodriguez - Why Ranked Here: Athleticism, athleticism and athleticism. The lanky Rodriguez lopes across centerfield with plus range already. It’s like he’s built with springs in his cleats. As Mets fans who watch and appreciate Carlos Beltran’s play should know, playing center is not just about being a burner and Rodriguez already gets good reads of the bat. Rodriguez’s long swing prevented him from making good consistent contact, although once underway, he showed fine batspeed. He has room to fill out on his wiry frame, which will bring more power into his game. 2008: Hitting .193/.258/.237 is fine in a 38 game professional debut in the GCL, but would be acceptable for a prospect in almost no other league. Projected 2009 Start: Savannah with a good Spring Training. XST is a possibility as well.
In February 2009, World of Baseball ranked J-Rod the 7th top prospect out of Puerto Rico: 7. Javier Rodriguez OF (Mets) - He’s still a teenager, drafted in the second round in 2008. His first exposure to rookie ball he only hit .193, but he shows all five tools. Whether he can put them together will decide how far he advances. Despite his poor average he only had 27 K’s in 38 games so he was making contact. A good spring will give the Mets confidence to start him in low A, otherwise he will have to play in extended spring training until the Rookie leagues begin, or Javier shows the readiness to handle low A.
In March 2009, Joe DeMayo wrote: Mets Prospect #14: OF Javier Rodriguez - Rodriguez, a Mets 2nd round draft pick in 2008 out of Puerto Rico is the one of, if not the most athletic prospect in the Mets system. At the young age of 18 he is already playing center field like a pro. Unfortunately hitting wasn’t a strength for “J-Rod” in his pro debut. He hit a mere .193 in the Gulf Coast League, but he still has immense potential. He is very rail thin at this point(163 pounds), but at his young age, he is still very likely to build up some. A major issue with Rodriguez’s offensive game is the length of his swing, which is what led to 27 strikeouts in 38 games in his professional debut. He needs to either work on shortening his stroke, or develop more bat speed or he’s going to get a real lot of strikeouts throughout his minor league career. There is no doubt though about Rodriguez’s defense and speed. I don’t like to compare anyone to Beltran, but scouts say Rodriguez has the graceful range similar to that of Beltran. He was a very high pick by the team, and they see a lot of potential in him.
http://myworldofbaseball.com/wordpress/?m=200910 - Javier Rodriguez OF (Mets) - Javier was a second round selection of the Mets in 2008. He attended the Puerto Rican Baseball Academy that was created to renew the baseball talent in Puerto Rico. His best tool should be his speed, though his stolen base totals his last two years have been just two. He only hit .230 in the Rookie Gulf Coast League this year and he struck out 39 times in 36 games. If Javier wants to take advantage of his speed he needs to improve that OBA (.285). He won’t be hitting out of the leadoff spot if he doesn’t get on base.
Jan 2010 Forecast: Many Mets sources say that J-Rod is real prospect material, though he has gotten off to a slow start. My guess would be that he is showcased in Brooklyn come next spring.
So… you get drafted by the Mets and you sign a deal, hop in your ride and make your way to your first professional game. You step into the batters box, dig in, and, just before you’re about to hit your first professional ball, a 95mph heater smacks you right in the face.!
Well, that was Pugh’s start of his professional career earlier this month for the GCL Mets.
Pugh was operated on earlier this month and is now recovering. He should begin working out again in the next couple of weeks and we should see him back in the GCL Mets lineup by the end of the month.
Old notes on Tillman:
6-14 from: - http://tdn.com/sports/article_51482606-777d-11df-aff5-001cc4c002e0.html - Tillman Pugh didn't stick around long enough to see his Cowlitz Black Bears teammates put up their best offensive night of the fledgling wood-bat season. Pugh exited Sunday's game against the Portland Lobos in the first inning, setting off to begin his Major League career with the New York Mets. Meanwhile, Pugh's Black Bear teammates sent 25 batters to the plate in the first three innings, en route to an 11-0 shutout of the Lobos. Pugh started the game in center field and made one final appearance as leadoff hitter before getting in a car with his father and heading back to his hometown of Oakland. On Wednesday, Pugh will leave California for Florida, where he will become part of the Mets' minor-league system. "As a coach, you hate for your team to lose a player of his caliber," Cowlitz coach Bryson LeBlanc said. "But we all wish Tillman the best. The game comes easy to him. He's a physically gifted athlete. He can throw. He can run. He can hit. Really, what can't he do? I just told him to be sure to give me a call when he made the big leagues."
6-8 from: - http://tdn.com/sports/article_3f50b04c-736a-11df-a5f9-001cc4c03286.html - Tillman Pugh's summer odyssey to Cowlitz County will likely be a short one. The Cowlitz Black Bears center fielder and leadoff man learned from a newspaper reporter midway through Tuesday's workout at David Story Field that he had been selected in Major League Baseball's amateur draft earlier in the day. He was stunned. And honored. "That's awesome," said Pugh, who was selected by the New York Mets in the 15th round (452nd overall pick). "I didn't know if I'd get drafted again. I am excited about the opportunity." Pugh, 21, batted leadoff and started in center field in the Black Bears' first two games. He scored the first run in team history on Friday when he led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk and later scampered home on a single by Jason Mahood from the University of San Francisco. Pugh, who is 6 feet and 190 pounds with blazing speed, said he will sign with New York "once everything has been talked over on both sides." He worked out for the Mets in Los Angeles earlier this year and said "things went really well."
http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/pugh_tillman00.html - 2008 (Freshman): Appeared in eight games, batting .500 with one homer and one RBI...went 2-4 and scored three times...played for the Battlecreek Bombers of the Northwoods League over the summer. High School: A 2007 graduate of De La Salle High School in Concord, California...earned two letters in both football and baseball...earned Second Team All-League honors in 2005 and First Team honors in 2006...Second Team All-Metro in 2006...played running back for traditional high school football power De La Salle, scoring 15 touchdowns and gaining 1,137 yards.
6-11-09 from: - http://www.leaderherald.com/page/content.detail/id/513096.html?nav=5014 - With the 473rd pick in the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, the Seattle Mariners selected Tillman Pugh, who plays in the outfield for the Amsterdam Mohawks.Pugh recently completed his sophomore year at GateWay Community College in Phoenix,?Ariz."Tillman was adamant that he was not going to sign," Spagnola said Wednesday. "I don't know if he thought he'd go that high, though. As of yesterday [Tuesday], he was 100 percent not going to sign." Spagnola said he is happy for Pugh whether he decides to return to college or sign. If he signs, his career as a Mohawk will be short-lived, as he will leave when assigned by the Mariners. Pugh learned he was drafted in the 15th round as the Mohawks traveled to Watertown to play the Wizards Wednesday. "I really wasn't expecting it," Pugh said. "I wasn't expecting to go so high, so I'm thrilled. Someone overheard [the phone conversation] and everyone on the bus was congratulating me." Despite the surprise, Pugh said he was able to put his excitement aside and concentrate on Wednesday's game.
Schwinden has had a hard time solidifying himself within the Binghamton rotation, but that might be all in the past after last night’s first game of the doubleheader. Schwinden had a no-hitter after six innings and finished up the 7-inning game with a two hitter. He also struck out five and did not give up a walk.
Old notes on Chris:
Selected by New York Mets in 22nd Round (674th overall) of 2008 amateur entry draft.
From: http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080513/SPORTS/805130322/1006
"Chris Schwinden, Fresno Pacific baseball: The Golden West graduate ended the season with a 6-1 record on the mound and a 2.48 ERA. He had 96 strikeouts in 90 2-3 innings."
In 2008, Schwinden went 4-1, 2.01, 14 games, 8 starts, 70Ks, 62.2 IP, only 12 BBs, for Brooklyn.
From: http://www.dembrooklynbums.com/ : - Drafted by the Mets in the 22nd round of this year’s draft, many baseball insiders didn’t know what to expect from right-handed pitcher Chris Schwinden. Despite having great numbers in his last year at Fresno Pacific, going 6-1 with a 2.48 ERA, the Clones staff was so full of talent before the season started that it was impossible to know what the 21-year-old was capable of doing once he reached the pros. Regardless of that notion however, Schwinden has managed to thrive out of the Brooklyn bullpen so far this season, going 0-1 with a 1.88 ERA in four appearances and a start, after a college career that saw him mostly as a starter.
September 2008: Brooklyn pitching coach Hector Berrios on: Scott Shaw and Chris Schwinden: “These guys are both tacticians on the mound and they rely on spotting the ball. Their game is being able to locate their pitches and change speeds. They did an impressive job of that this season. I think Shaw was one of our most underrated pitchers and if you take two or three bad innings away from him, he was the best pitcher in the league this season.”
In September, Patrick Hickey wrote on: Chris Schwinden- Every season in Brooklyn, there’s a player who relies on command and ends up having a monster year. In 2006, it was Eric Brown. In 2007, it was Dylan Owen and Dillon Gee. Simply put, Schwinden is a sleeper prospect with a great attitude that I see rising through the organization. Is he the next Brian Bannister, Joe Smith or promising prospect to get to the Mets in a year or so? Probably not, but he’s still going to fun to watch develop. Final Grade- A
In 2009, Schwinden became one of the “Savannah 5”, posting a 9-6, 3.28, 1.22 record in 21 games, 17 starts. He also went 1-0, 3.97 for Lucy in the last week of the season.
Forecast written in Jan 2010:: Everybody spent the entire 2009 season bragging on Jeurys Familia and Robert Carson, while Schwinden stayed under the radar. Hey, this is a guy with a lifetime 1.17 WHIP! So far, in two seasons, he’s 14-7, 2.90, 1.17. I’ll take that at any level. We may have ourselves another pitching prospect here.
Nieuwenhuis continues to strengthen up after his short stint on the disabled list. He hit his 11th home run of the season in the first game of a Friday night doubleheader and it’s interesting that the team management continues to have him lead off. Right now, he is the top Mets’ outfield prospect in the system.
Old stuff on Captain Kirk:
From: http://www.apu.edu/ : Junior center fielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Baseball America’s 2008 NAIA Preseason Player of the Year, returns after a standout sophomore season to lead the Azusa Pacific offense … Had a breakout summer campaign in which he earned Alaska Baseball League MVP honors … Will be the centerpiece and hit in the middle of the Cougar lineup … Possesses a dangerous power/speed combination … Will make a run at several program career records.
Also from http://www.apu.edu/: Nieuwenhuis, Baseball America’s 2008 NAIA Preseason Player of the Year and a 2008 NAIA All-American first team selection, batted .400 (90-for-225) with 20 doubles, 15 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a program single-season record 84 runs for the Cougars as they advanced to the NAIA World Series for the second straight season, just the second time in program history the program had made back-to-back World Series trips. Through 3 seasons at Azusa Pacific, Nieuwenhuis has also set 2 career marks with 12 triples and 190 runs.
The 6-foot-3 centerfielder was named the 2007 MVP of the prestigious Alaska Baseball League, a summer collegiate wood-bat league that regularly showcases future professional baseball talent. Nieuwenhuis batted .333 (52-for-156) in 40 games for the Athletes In Action Fire squad, registering 8 doubles, 4 triples, 4 home runs, and team-highs of 35 runs and 30 RBIs.
From: http://naia.cstv.com/ : - Azusa Pacific (Calif.) University junior centerfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis was selected by the New York Mets with their third-round selection, the 100th overall pick of the 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Nieuwenhuis was the lone NAIA baseball player selected on Day 1. The second and final day of the draft continues on Friday (June 6) from the Disney Sports Complex. For complete coverage of the draft, click here.
"I really had no idea who was going to pick me, or even if I would go the first day (of the 2-day draft)," said Nieuwenhuis. "I had gotten calls from a lot of different teams, and I didn't guess it would be the third round, but God is good, and it came earlier than I expected. I was ecstatic."
Nieuwenhuis, Baseball America's 2008 NAIA Preseason Player of the Year and a 2008 NAIA All-American first team selection, batted .400 (90-for-225) with 20 doubles, 15 home runs, 68 RBIs, and a program single-season record 84 runs for the Cougars as they advanced to the NAIA World Series for the second straight season, just the second time in program history the program had made back-to-back World Series trips. Through through seasons at Azusa Pacific, Nieuwenhuis has also set two career marks with 12 triples and 190 runs.
In August 2009, Nieuwenhuis made the Baseball America Hot List with: “Sorry Kirk, but we just blew the lid off your stealth campaign in the Florida State League. Only a five-homer showing by Brett Wallace in Triple-A stood in the way of a No. 1 ranking. Batting .259/.346/.441 with 15 homers, 27 doubles, 64 RBIs and 16 steals (in 20 attempts), Nieuwenhuis leads the FSL in home runs, extra-base hits (46) and runs scored (81). And he's just four off the leaders for RBIs and doubles. Don't be fooled by that age; the physical, lefty-swinging Nieuwenhuis celebrated a birthday two weeks ago and actually spent most of the season as a 21-year-old. An '08 third-round pick, he skipped right over low Class A on his way from NAIA Azusa Pacific (Calif.) to the FSL this season. It's hard to argue with the results.”
9-9-9 From http://www.hardballtimes.com/ : - Nieuwenhuis, a centerfielder out of Azusa Pacific University, was having a pretty good year until August started. Then he had an excellent year. Nieu's combination of speed and power was a lethal combination, leading to a .193 ISO and sixteen stolen bases in twenty tries. With a .383 wOBA in St. Lucie, the lefty, who spent most of the year as a 21 year-old, moved up to Binghamton and finished the year strong, hitting .406/.472/.656 in 36 plate appearances.
I wrote on 2-10-10: Kirk Nieuwenhuis – Nieuwenhuis has very quietly become the top outfield prospect in the organization. He was a 3rd rounder in 2008, out of Azusa Pacific, and has a lifetime .807 OPS after two professional seasons. Kirk either led or was in the top five in just about every offensive category last year in the Sally League.
Free agent right-hander Orlando Hernandez will begin pitching in a Peurto Rican winter league in the next week or so. Hernandez, 44, has little-to-no chance of landing a major league contract, but a desperate team might take a chance on him becoming a middle reliever. The righty posted a 2.45 ERA and a .121 opponents batting average in eight appearances at Triple-A Oklahoma City this season.
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