Gonzalez Germen, Domingo Tapia, Juan Urbina, Bernard Gilkey, Cory Vaughn

12-19-11: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/12/19/2622862/2011-mets-minor-league-season-in-review-savannah-sand-gnats - RHP Gonzalez Germen - STOCK UP - Another interesting season for the 24-year old Dominican who continues to post strong results on the strength of a big fastball and not much else. He's currently active down in the DWL pitching for Este and continuing to miss bats, having K'd 21 batters in just 14 innings. One of a number of Gnats pitchers who has to prove that he wasn't living on their big home ballpark.

12-28-11 - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/12/mmo-2012-mets-top-prospects-s-21-30.html    21.   Domingo Tapia (RHP) This 20-year-old, 6’4″ righty from the Dominican Republic opened a lot of eyes this past season, throwing his fastball all year in the mid to upper 90′s, at times touching 100 mph. He also has a change-up with some potential, but his breaking ball is still in need of a lot of work. The role of future closer may be what’s in the cards for Dom, but a lot will become clear as he progresses through the 2012 season. I have him competing with about seven other pitchers for the rotation in Savannah to open the year. If he gets squeezed out because of the log-jam there, he will open up in Brooklyn.

1-2-12 – http://baseballinstinct.com/2012/01/01/baseball-instinct-360-top-prospects-360-to-321/  - 345° . Juan Urbina, LHP Mets 5/31/1993  - The son of Ugeth Urbina, Juan has the bloodlines of an MLBer. He’s still growing into his 6’3″ frame and should work in the low 90s from the left side in time. It’s his CU, already an above average offering, that makes him one to watch. He repeats well and the CU has hard fade. He also has a SL in the arsenal which is in development. He’s a long way off and things will need to click, if they do he has mid-rotation SP upside. ETA 2015.

Otis Bernard Gilkey was a man of many firsts.  He was the first player in Mets history to go by the name Bernard (or Otis for that matter - Amos Otis doesn't count since that was his last name).  He was also the first Met to be bopped in the head by a fly ball while an alien spaceship flew over Shea Stadium.  (He can thank Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones for that fielding error.)  Despite all that, it was his first season as a Met that really opened eyes in Flushing.  Prior to the 1996 season, the Mets were desperately seeking a cleanup hitter.  With most available power-hitting free agents already off the table, GM Joe McIlvane traded for the best available player who wouldn't cost him too much talent.  The Cardinals had just signed outfielder Ron Gant to a five-year contract and were looking to cut payroll to have the finances to acquire 41-year-old closer Dennis Eckersley.  Gilkey became the odd man out in St. Louis despite having a solid year for the Cardinals in 1995 (.298, 33 doubles, 17 HR, 69 RBI in 121 games). http://networkedblogs.com/sgh8S

1-3-12 - mets360.com  - 10. Cory Vaughn, OF, Lo-A/Hi-A, .286/.405/.408 in 297 PA - This is Vaughn’s line in Lo-A. His OPS was 110 points lower in Hi-A in 241 PA but the majority of that dropoff was from BABIP issues. Vaughn posted just a .247 BABIP in Hi-A, a decrease that dwarfed his ISO gains. In Lo-A, Vaughn posted a .122 ISO but in Hi-A he upped that to a .176 mark. And while he showed more power at the advanced level, he also showed virtually no change in his strikeout rate. After fanning 21.5% of the time in Lo-A, Vaughn posted a 22.0% mark in Hi-A. Vaughn played with a heel injury, which possibly caused some of the problems after his promotion. Many wonder if Vaughn has the bat speed necessary to succeed in the majors. He’s not a great speed/defense guy, so he’ll have to hit well to make it.