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| Photo by Michael G. Baron |
Duda had a career .275 batting average at USC and hit .278 in 2007, with a team-high 6 home runs. He also performed very well last year with a wood bat in the Northwoods League.
Duda was drafted in the 7th round of the 2007 draft by the Mets. He was signed and assigned to the 2007 Brooklyn Cyclones roster, where he batted .299/.398/.462 in 234 at bats, 4 HRs, 32 RBIs, 20 doubles, only 6 errors.
Duda played the entire 2008 season for St. Lucie, hitting .263/.358/.398 in 483 at bats, 11 HRs, 66 RBIs.
In 2009, Duda made a great career move, giving up his first baseman’s glove and moving into the outfield. He finished the season on the disabled list, but produced stats of .281/.380/.428/.808, with 9-HR, 53-RBI in 395-AB.
1-1-10 Forecast: Things are actually starting to heat up a little when it comes to Mets minor league outfielders. The trio from St. Lucie, Brahiam Maldonado, Kurt Nieuwenhuis, and Carlos Guzman, were all ranked in the league’s top 6 home run hitters in 2009. Duda was dead in the water as the furutre Mets first baseman, and by switching to the outfield in 2009, he gets a one year jump of the Three Amigos. The only outfield prospect ahead of him is Fernando Martinez.
4-17-10: - Lucas Duda - OF/1B - AA-Binghamton - I remember some of the Sand Gnats reporting a couple of years ago that the sweetest bat on the cyclones roster was Duda's... Lucas was a 7th round pick in the 2007 draft, out of USC. Three year totals to date: .277/.374/.422/.796, with only 24 homeruns in 1,112 at bats. Duda was moved from first to the outfield and had a decent AA season last year, going .281/.380/.428/.808, with 53-RBIs in 395 ABs. So far this season, he leads all Mets organizational players with 14 ribbys in only 34 at bats.
7-4-10: - As I have already posted, Duda is a home run machine this week and everyone is pulling out their computer, trying to find out some more info on this guy. I remember being in the Savannah lockerroomtwo seasons ago and a couple of pitchers just arrived from Brooklyn. I was yacking with them when one told me about what, in his opinion, was the best swing he had ever seen. It was Duda’s, playing for the Cyclones.
7-28-10: - Duda not only continues to hit at the AAA level, but his hitting is timely as well. Last night, he kocked in three runs to seal the victory against Columbus, which included his 12th home run of the season. Seasonal stats: .313/.376/a whopping .679/1.055. You can’t do much better than this and it will be interesting to see what the Mets do with this 24-year old one- dimensional player.
8-11-10: - Another possible addition to the Queens roster come September may be OF/1B Lucas Duda. He hit another home run yesterday for Buffalo, which made him tied for the AAA_International league lead in extra base hits (31) and slugging percentage (.663).Duda has also scored a run in 13 of his last 14 games and is hitting .414 (12-29) in the past week. His combined B-Met/Bison 2010 stats are: 345-AB, .304/.401/.588/.989, 21-HR, 78-RBI. Remember now, the Mets define a “utility player” as someone that can play both in the infield and the outfield (my theory on that is simply because they carry an extra relief pitcher due to the lack of innings eaters in the rotation). Because of this, Duda joins a list that included Mike Hessman and Daniel Murphy as possible 2011 25-man men (say that three times fast). The knock on Duda has always been that he can’t hit lefties (66-AB, .242), but that isn’t as critical in a utility role. What is important is his .354 batting average with runners on base. I’ve told this story a few times before, so skip to the next paragraph if you heard it before. I remember talking in 2007 to some of the guys that came out of Brooklyn and to a man they all said that Duda had the bext swing they had ever seen in organized baseball. Keep an eye on him.
3-30-11: - Up: OF – Lucas Duda – Duda has to be thrilled that he broke camp and made the 25-man. He really has excited Terry Collins and, under this new leadership, he is the current top outfield prospect on the team. He’s scheduled to start against Florida on Saturday and Sunday and, past that, nobody knows. I wish him well, but I also wish him a lot of work. The last thing we need is another Mets prospect sitting on the bench all year.
4-7-11: - Down: - OF – Lucas Duda - Look, I’ve got nothing against Duda, but I’ve seen this so many times before with people like Nick Evans, Victor Diaz, and a 100 other guys rushed to the majors. Duda seems lost with a bat in his hand and I’d much rather see a more seasoned lefty fillinf this temporary position, like Jason Pridie or Jesus Feliciano.
4-23-11: - Down – OF Lucas Duda – As we all know, Duda got called up, didn’t do much in Queens, and now has returned to where he should have been all April. The problem is you screw with a young player’s head when you do this. Through April 23rd, he’s 7-44, batting a career low .159
5-3-11: - The New York Mets today announced that they have recalled OF Lucas Duda. He had 3-doubles, 3-HR, and 7-RBI in the last eight games for Buffalo. You have to assume he will stick for the remainder of the season. You simply can’t keep sending these kids back and forth.
6-2-11: - Buffalo’s Lucas Duda has been on a tear since coming back. Last night he went 3-3, which included a double and two home runs. That’s a .400 batting average in the last game, which includes five home runs. Interesting is most of this is coming at a time when he is back playing his natural position of first base. You think it’s a coincidence this position change has come during the same time Ike Davis is wearing a boot?
6-3-11: - http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2011/2611874.html - The Mets learned this week that first baseman Ike Davis will be out indefinitely with his ankle injury. That could clear a path for Duda to play his natural position in the big leagues—provided that he carries his recent Buffalo production to Queens. An injury to Jason Bay allowed Duda to make New York's Opening Day, but he played sporadically and didn't hit (2-for-20 with a double). His slump continued in Triple-A after his demotion—he went 7-for-44 (.159) with a double in his first 15 games. The numbers above indicate that he's found his swing with regular playing time, so the next time the Mets come calling they may find that Duda abides
6-11-11 - Lucas Duda won't have the International League to kick around anymore. The Mets intend to recall the 1B/LF today to replace Nick Evans, the replacement for the inured Ike Davis. The 25-year-old Duda belted three homers and three doubles this week for Triple-A Buffalo as part of a 10-for-25 (.400) week that included a solid 4-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He's been one of the IL's hottest hitters since May 1, hitting .390, compiling a 1.415 OPS (74 PA) and bashing nine homers in 19 games . . . With a pair of home runs this week - http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2011/2611933.html
6-27-11: - http://www.fangraphs.com/fantasy/index.php/lucas-duda-roger-bernadina-nl-of - Really, this blurb might as well start with Jason Bay and get it over with. Carlos Beltran will miss the occasional game, but if Duda wants to get enough plate appearances to be even deep-league relevant, he’ll need to steal some time from Bay. Lately, there’s been a few days where Terry Collins has given Bay ‘mental health’ days off, but if the expensive Omar Minaya acquisition returns to even 80% Jason Bay levels, Duda may find himself back in the minors shortly. Unfortunately, counting last year, we now have over 600 plate appearances of Bay sporting an HR/FB rate just around five. Hitting a career low in fly balls is not helping matters this year, either. Other than his expensive contract, there’s little reason to believe that he deserves time on a major league corner outfield right now. Which is not to say that Duda necessarily does either. He hasn’t found his power stroke just like Bay. But he’s only put up 65 plate appearances. Given time, he could hit .250+ with above-average power — his ISO has been .295 the last two years in Triple-A — and that’s more than you can say for Bay right now. Duda’s an okay flier in the deepest of leagues.
7-13-11: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/7/13/2272873/new-york-mets-batters-mid-season-grades - C- - There are, actually, things to like in Duda's line. He's now showing the ability to strike out at an average rate, as he did on the farm, and his 26.3% line drive rate is superb even in a small sample. Once he gets some loft on the ball (36.3% fly balls), his power should look better. It's not even that improbable that he could hit .250/.325/.430 if handed the every-day reigns. He just needs to lift the ball a little more. In San Francisco, he hit the ball out of triples alley in BP, about 430 feet deep. He has real power.
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