8/16/11

Cutnpaste: Josh Thole, Matt Harvey, Cesar Puello, Josh Stinson, Mets Pitching




Josh Thole:


Josh Thole is one of the younger players on the team whose abilities as a major league hitter are still to be determined. Although he's gotten more time at the plate than Ronny Paulino, Thole still has a mere 569 plate appearances over two-plus seasons in the big leagues. In total, Thole's hit .273/.351/.355, which doesn't look great but isn't particularly awful considering his position. Catchers these days can't really hit. - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/8/15/2364130/mets-should-play-josh-thole-more-often-especially-against-lefties  


Matt Harvey:


8-14-11: - http://nybaseballdigest.com/?p=38578  - Harvey did show a very hard fastball, but it was mostly over the middle and appeared very hittable. The Thunder strung together three straight hits to lead off the second inning, scoring two runs. The toolsy Melky Mesa (more on him later) led off with a hard single up the middle on a 3-2 pitch, and advanced to second on a bullet line drive by Zoilo Almonte which struck Harvey and caromed over to the third baseman. Damon Sublett followed with a deep double to left center. Although Harvey did not walk anyone, he ran the count deep several times and had to come in with a meaty fastball to get the ball across.


Cesar Puello:


8-11-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/08/baseball-americas-mets-top-10-list-prior-to-2011-where-are-they-now.html  - OF – Cesar Puello: Speedster outfielder who has all the tools to progress through the ranks at a quick pace. Like Flores, he has not put up big numbers in the low minors and because of that he has not progressed through the system at the pace team officials had hoped. He has shown some pop this season which has surprised some, but the rest of his game needs more seasoning. Started 2011: Single-A Currently: Single-A


Josh Stinson:


8-14-11: - http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/32042/projected-prospect-call-ups  - JOSH STINSON, rhp (5-9, 6.36 ERA in 33 appearances, 15 starts, with Buffalo and Binghamton): Stinson had success at Triple-A Buffalo after a promotion late last season, going 2-2 with a 2.57 ERA in four starts. He stumbled this season in the International League as a starter, posting a 7.44 ERA in 13 starts. He then was reassigned to Double-A Binghamton, where he was assigned to the bullpen -- the role the Mets project for the Shreveport, La., native in the majors.


Mets Pitching:


Heading into the season, it appeared the Mets could be a particularly bad team thanks to an utter dearth of reliable pitching. Instead, the rotation has been solid top to bottom, and the bullpen has had its share of highlights, too. Looking forward, the Mets have to be happy with Jonathon Niese's solid season, which includes a 3.92 ERA and 3.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio. R.A. Dickey has put together a nice response to his 2010 breakout performance. The pair will provide two reliable arms to build around in 2012. The Mets have also received a solid performance from Chris Capuano. They could try to bring him back next year as a fourth starter, although he'll be more costly than his 2011 price tag. Dillon Gee has stepped in as a nice swing man option. The Mets may be forced to rely on him as a regular contributor next season, but they should look for a better option if they want to compete in the tough NL East. The big letdown has been Mike Pelfrey. The Mets may want to look into selling low while they still have the option of selling at all. Despite ERA fluctuations throughout his career, his peripherals seem to indicate he's a mid-fours ERA pitcher. - http://www.hardballtimes.com/main/article/nl-east-update1  

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