The Keepers: - #98 - P - Orlando Tovar

photo by Allan Greene

98.                   P        Orlando Tovar

The Venezuelan lefty started his Mets career in 2006 with the VSL Mets: 1-0, 2.20, 1-SV, 6-G.

He returned to the VSL team in 2007 and three’s a charm in 2008 with the VSL Mets, stating out at: 0-1.1.54, in 8 starts. This included a whopping 52-K in 41.0-IP. 2009 bought a trip stateside to the GCL mets, where he debuted with a 1-5, 4.31, in 12 games, 9 starts.

8-28-10: - Stock Up: - You veteran Mack’s Metters know I’ve been talking about Tovar for well over two years. The toughest thing on some of these kids is getting back into the role they naturally play better in. Tovar has always been a natural starters, who has put up his best games in the role, but, at the same time, he has had to wait out his turn in the past three years of excellent lower level SP performances. Well, he’s getting another chance in Kingsport late in the season and he’s making the best of it. Last night, he pitched: 7.0-IP, 4-ER, 4-K, 1-BB, and raised his seasonal record to 4-0, 3.43. More importantly, he’s now 3-0, 2.92 in his four starts this season. Let’s hope the powers to be recognize this and send him to Savannah next spring to join their rotation.

9-29-10: - 2011 Forecast: - The 23-year old Tovar has already spent five years in the Mets organization, though three of them were with the now defunct VSL team. He pitched well for Kingsport in 2010 (4-0, 3.43, 13-G, 4-starts), but he's a little long in the tooth for this level. There's a bunch of pitches ahead of him, but my guess is he will be converted full time into a reliever and wind up in Savannah for 2011.