Thole continues to make all of us that cover the Savannah Sand Gnats proud with another two hits Wednesday night in Queens. Okay, he may have less than 15 at bats in Queens, but when was the last time the Mets had a catcher hitting .538?
Old stuff on Josh:
Thole was drafted straight out of High School in the 13th round of the 2005 draft by the Mets. He was scouted and signed by Quincy Boyd, the Midwest Scouting Director for the Mets. As a senior at Mater Dei High School, in Illinois, Thole batted .545 (36 hits in 66 at-bats) with eight doubles, five triples, 10 home runs, 40 RBIs and 30 runs scored. He walked 28 times, many intentionally, and struck out just once in 95 plate appearances. His on-base percentage was .681 and his slugging percentage was 1.273. He was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (local newspaper) player of the year. Originally a first baseman, Thole was converted to a catcher last year at short-season Kingsport; however, he has returned to 1B in Savannah, where he had an outstanding 2007 season (.267/.372/.311 in 389 at bats).
The Mets have always seem to have a bunch of young, talented, 1st base prospects who can swing a bat, but for whatever reason, none ever are taken serious by the home office to play full time at Shea. Mike Jacobs had 100 at bats a couple of years ago and put up a .600 slugging percentage; however, all that got him was being traded to Florida.
Thole is currently behind a long talented pecking line, with names like Mike Carp, Brett Harper, and Nick Evans first in line for their shot. It’s far too early to project him, but being able to be a 3rd string emergency catcher can only help his quest for the majors.
In September 2008, Thole was assigned to the Peoria Saguaros team in the Arizona Winter League.
In 2008, Thole had an all-star year for St. Lucie, hitting .300/.382/.427 in 347 at bats. He also became the top Mets catcher prospect by the end of the year.
February 2008: - Baseball America wrote: Josh Thole, c, Mets: A 13th-round pick in 2005 out of Mater Dei High in Breese, Ill., Thole was a light-hitting first baseman in low Class A in 2007, when he batted .267/.311/.372 in 117 games for Savannah. Last year, Thole had a mini-breakout as he hit .300/.382/.427 in 111 games for high Class A St. Lucie in the FSL. Thole has always controlled the strike zone (he has 133 walks and 131 strikeouts in his minor league career). He has excellent bat-to-ball skills, as the 21-year-old lefthanded hitter struck out last year only 38 times (nine percent of his 402 plate appearances). Thole also became a full-time catcher, the position he played in high school and dabbled in sparingly in his previous three pro seasons. Scouts have concerns about Thole’s defense and his below-average power. Thole hit only hit five home runs in 2008, but that’s an improvement from the goose egg he posted in that category in ‘07. He’ll likely start this season in Double-A and play all year at age 22 as a relatively under-the-radar prospect
In March 2009, Rotoworld ranked the Mets Top 10 Prospect: Showing a hint of power for the first time, Thole, who wasn't far away from being turned into a minor league reserve, took a big step forward last season. The 2005 13th-round pick finished at .267/.372/.311 in low-A ball in 2007 and had just two professional homers before coming up with five in the big ballparks of the FSL. Plate discipline has long been his strength, as he's walked two more times than he's struck out over the course of his career. He's still not much of a catcher, as he spent most of the previous three seasons as a first baseman, but he has the raw tools to turn into an acceptable backstop. That teams are always looking for left-handed-hitting catchers will give him a great shot at a career if he can last at the position.
2009 was Thole’s year to blossom. He adjusted his batting stance and took off after AA pitching, finishing the season .328/.395/.422/.816 in 384-AB. As important, he improved his throwing out runners to second to over 30%. His BA ranked him third in the league and he was the first Met called to Queens on September 1.
9-9-9 From http://www.hardballtimes.com/ : - Thole, a converted first baseman, is an extremely interesting player. After moving to catcher in St. Lucie last year, he put up a line of .300/.382/.427. In Double-A Binghamton as a 22 year-old this year, he took off, batting .328/.395/.422, and has been brought up to the major leagues where he has gotten off to a nice start. Thole has little raw power (ISO of just .094 in Binghamton), but is an extreme contact hitter (BB:K of 1.24) who sprays the ball to all fields. My favorite comp: Paul LoDuca; contact hitter who hits line drives and derives his power from his doubles.
9-15-09 from: - http://myworldofbaseball.com/wordpress/?cat=42 - Josh Thole C - You have to wonder if the numbers that Josh put up in AA (.328) is an aberration. His four year minor league average is only .276, though he did hit .300 last year for Saint Lucie. You have to like his 42 to 34 walk to K ratio, which means he makes solid contact. He only started catching in 2008 (though he did catch in high school) so moving up to the major leagues as a catcher in his second year is high testament to his development. In six games with the Mets he is hitting .421, but then the Mets had Piazza as a catcher for a number of years, so they are a team used to good hitting catchers who can’t play defense. Any team could have had him this year with a Rule V selection but no one took the bait.
1-1-10 Forecast: Thole needs another year at AAA, to work on his fundamentals. Remember, this was a first baseman first and it takes some time to get catching mechanics down. There’s no question he can .350+ OBP… look for him to start opening day, in Queens, in 2011.
I wrote on 2-10-10: - Josh Thole – boy, there’s no pressure on him, is there? The whole Met world awaits the arrival of Prince Josh, younger brother of King David. Will he hit .360+ again at AAA this year? Will he jog into Citi Field after the all-star break and lead the team to the playoffs? Or will he flap his ears and fly to the moon? My money is on Josh.
6-19-10: - Thole has managed to play through his first professional slump in which he batted .172 in April. He has now followed that with a .323 May and a sizzling .440 June. The overall numbers are back to Tholian levels: .284/.357/.459/.817. Still only two home runs, but his 18 doubles leads the team. Just as important, he has committed only three errors. I’m sure Josh will finish the season in Queens, and my guess at this point he will be the Mets’ backup to Rod Barajas for the 2011 season.
7-7-10 from: - link Baseball America has confirmed that UCLA righthander Erik Goeddel has agreed to terms with the Mets, who drafted him as a 24th-round pick. MLB Trade Rumors reported the deal is believed to be worth just less than $500,000, but BA has yet to confirm the bonus. It is certain to be an over-slot bonus, however, which is significant because no player has officially signed an above-slot deal yet in 2010, and the Mets aren't known for bucking the slot recommendations of the commissioner's office. A blue-chip prospect in high school, Goeddel needed about 24 months—longer than usual—to recover from Tommy John surgery his senior year of high school. He threw eight innings as a redshirt freshman in 2009, then went 2-0, 3.12 with 58 strikeouts and 23 walks in 49 innings of relief this spring, emerging as a key piece of UCLA's stellar bullpen. He came on especially strong down the stretch, catching scouts' attention in regionals and sitting in the mid-90s with a wicked 86 mph slider in the College World Series.
From: - http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/goeddel_erik00.html - 2009 (summer)- Made three starts for the New Bedford Bay Sox of the New England Collegiate League...went 0-1 with a 1.98 ERA in 13.2 innings, recording seven strikeouts and eight walks...limited the opposition to a .182 batting average...New Bedford finished 17-24 in the Eastern Division of the New England Collegiate League.
2009 - Made nine appearances, all in relief...posted a 3.38 ERA, recording six strikeouts and four walks in 8.0 innings...did not record a decision...notched two strikeouts and allowed one hit in 1.2 scoreless innings in an 8-3 victory over UC Irvine (April 7)...recorded two strikeouts and did not surrender any hits in one scoreless innings against Cal State Bakersfield (May 5)...also tossed one scoreless frame against Long Beach State (May 12)...made his collegiate debut against UC Riverside (Feb. 25), allowing one hit in one scoreless inning.
2008 - Redshirted.
High School - Four-year varsity letterwinner at Bellarmine Prep under head coach Gary Cunningham...named to the 2006 AFLAC All-America team...has been ranked as high as the No. 2 high school player in the Class of 2007 by Prospect Plus/Baseball America...tabbed the seventh-best pitcher among Perfect Game's National Top 100 Pitchers...a two-way player in high school, hit .344 with five home runs, 22 RBI and 23 runs as a senior...an injury in April of 2007 forced him to miss the remainder of his senior season...earned first-team All-West Coast Athletic League (WCAL) honors as a junior and sophomore...captured 2006 Central Coast Section Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors...posted a 6-1 record as a junior, recording a 1.47 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 47 innings; hit at a .411 clip and collected nine home runs, 38 RBI and 31 runs...listed as the 17th-best player at the 2006 Area Code Games in Long Beach, Calif., by Baseball America...also rated as the Area Code Games prospect with the "best breaking pitch"...totaled a 9-1 record in 2005, posting a 1.21 ERA and 111 strikeouts in 69 innings his sophomore season...was the MVP of the 2004 15-and-under World Wood Bat Association Tournament...played for the Brewers Area Code Team and the Reds Scout Team.
From: - http://www.brewerfan.net/ViewAmateurPlayerProfile.do?playerId=685&draftId=5 - Goeddel is all about polish, showing an advanced knowledge of pitching and a well-rounded arsenal. His fastball sits in the 89-93 range, and he has touched the mid-90s on occasion. He commands his fastball very well, and mixes in a sharp curveball and a nice sinking changeup. When his fastball and curveball are working together for him he records outs in bunches while maximizing pitch counts. He has a slender, projectable build with a strong mid-section and well-defined upper legs. He employs a slow, deliberate windup that offers a fair amount of deception while lulling hitters throughout his delivery. Goeddel has committed to play at UCLA.
7-7-10: - Binghamton’s Kirk Nieuwenhuis is on fire… he led off Wednesday’s game with a double for the third game in a row and followed that with another double in his second at bat. At that point in the game he had nine doubles, a home run, and four singles in his last 20 at-bats.
Old stuff on 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 Feb 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.
4-28-10: - Kirk Nieuwenhuis – OF – AA – Binghamton – Kirk is off to another of his typical productive years: .313.360/.475/.835. I happen to think that he’s the top Mets outfield prospect and will get to Queens ahead of Fernando “Day-To-Day” Martinez, who I understand is once again dinged up.
5-27-10 - Stock up: Nieuwenhuis has quietly been putting together a decent year in AA, but there just wasn’t that home run pop we got used to last season at St. Lucie. Well, that’s not true anymore. Kirk hit #7 of the young year last night, which is his third in the past five games. His slugging percentage is up to .500 and his OPS is .837. It will be interesting to see what the Mets do with him next season. They gave him a taste over Fernando Martinez at ST and I can speak firsthand about how much he enjoyed being part of the Mets locker room with the Queens boys. Martinez will obviously not be ready to play centerfield at Citi Field, but Nieuwenhuis is earning playing CF in Buffalo, over F-Mart. As I said, interesting decision coming up for the Mets.
6-11-10: - CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis hit his 9th home run of the season in the opening game of a twin bill Thursday. Don’t look for him to be heading to Buffalo any time soon. Pedro Feliciano will be returning there as soon as Carlos Beltran is activated. Still, Captain Kirk is on pace for a 20+ HR season at AA.
7-3-10 from: - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2010/7/2/1548506/minor-league-notes-july-2nd-2010#storyjump - The Mets have drafted several small college players in recent years, and one of their finds is outfielder Kirk Nieuwenhuis, an NAIA star at Azusa Pacific drafted in the third round in 2008. He's making the Double-A transition this year at Binghamton with mixed results, hitting .275/.317/.468. He's got power (17 doubles, 10 homers, .193 ISO) and speed (11 steals in 14 attempts; scouts back up the numbers with positive reviews of his athleticism and strength. He also has a good throwing arm. His main problem is strike zone judgment, as shown by his low OBP and 16/66 BB/K ratio in 265 at-bats. Reports from Eastern League sources indicate that he handles fastballs well, but still has problems recognizing breaking pitches. At age 22 he still has time to work on this, but if he's rushed too fast he will struggle; he'll likely need a good dose of Triple-A. I gave him a Grade C+ in the book and see no reason to change that at this point, but I'd like to see improvement in that BB/K.
7-3-10: - 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.
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