Morning Report: - 5.19.11 – Mets Minor League Ranking, Jason Bay, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Mark Cohoon, Cesar Puello, Cory Vaughn

Mets Minor League Ranking:


Two of my most loyal readers, Joe Spector and Sagar Parikh, have contacted me this week with questions regarding where the Mets rank, talent wise, in the minors.


This isn’t the easiest thing to do these days due to all the injuries on the Mets. Currently, eight players (Nick Evans, Dillon Gee, Mike O’Connor, Jason Pridie, Justin Turner, Fernando Martinez, Pat Misch, Ruben Tejada) that began this season in Buffalo now play in Queens.


Currently, the Mets are bottom-heavy when it comes to prospect talent, but one must remember how many of the current team came out of this season in the past. Ike Davis, Daniel Murphy, Josh Thole, Mike Pelfrey, Jon Niese, Bobby Parnell, Gee, Evans, Lucas Duda, Angel Pagan, and Martinez have all joined David Wright and Jose Reyes as home grown talent.


Right now, the prospects that project someday to become a major league player are:


Buffalo: SP Jenrry Mejia


Binghamton: 2B Reese Havens, SP Jeurys Famila


St. Lucie: OF Cesar Puello, SP Matt Harvey, SS Wilmer Flores


It is impossible to project players below the A+ level.


In addition, there are players that have stepped up this season and could possibly develop into a major league player some day. They are:


Buffalo: P Chris Schwinden


Binghamton: P Robert Carson, P Brad Holt, P Mark Cohoon


St. Lucie: P Scott Moviel, CF Matt den Dekker, 3B Jefry Marte.


Lastly, players below the A+ level that show promise are:


Savannah: P Greg Peavey, OF Cory Vaughn, 3B Aderlin Rodriquez


Extanded Camp: P Juan Urbina, OF Gilbert Gomez





Queens:


I see that the Mets are now considering moving LF Jason Bay to the #2 slot in the lineup. I like this idea… you sign some big time sluggers and give him a zillion dollars over a hundred years and when he farts out power wise, you hit him second. God, I miss Omar.


Buffalo:


Considering 12 of their opening day players are either now on the Mets or on the IR, a 6-1 loss doesn’t look that bad. The only prospect left in this lineup is CF Kirk Niewenhuis (.304). RP Bobby Parnell finally pitched a scoreless inning and lowered his AAA ERA to 5.79.





Binghamton:


Remember, there isn’t much past some pitching on this team and the last thing a starter like Mark Cohoon needs is two errors from two non-prospects (Allan Dykstra and Jose Coronado) that cost the team five unearned runs (out of seven) in the second inning. He didn’t let that be a factor in the game and followed that horrendous inning with giving up four more and finishing the night: 3.2-IP, 11-R. Now, that’s staring into the abyss.



St. Lucie:


Good signs from Angel Pagan. He homered in his first rehab at bat here last night.


OFs Cesar Puello was both removed from the lineup before game time. Check back later and you might see a roster move here.


Well, well, well… RP Nick Carr is back from the suspension no one will talk about. It must have beena good one to sit down a sub-one ERA…





Savannah:


OF Cory Vaughn had three more walks last night which made me smile. It was on the same day that Keith Law was back in the news dissing Vaughn who he said after the draft pick that the only time Cory walks is when the pitcher makes mistakes. Law thought that was funny but now he says that Vaughn continues to prove nothing because he has played “too old” at every level. Cory is leading the Sally League in OBP and the three walks might be a message to Mr. Law. I’ll find out Friday when I sit down with him.


Two more home runs by A-Rod tonight. That’s 9 in 32 hits this season, plus 11 errors. Can’t wait until this kid learns how to play this game.