Mack the Pitching Coach

(yeah... that's me...)

Mark Mokris – Mack, as always thanks for the great job.  I always enjoy reading the articles on your website.   I was wondering how much say does a pitcher in the Mets system have to change his delivery? 

The reason I ask is because I remember Aaron Heilman was considered a bust and then Rick Peterson allowed him to go back to his college delivery and although he could have done better he did become a productive major league pitcher.  Zach Wheeler changed his delivery back to his high school delivery approximately three weeks before being traded to the Mets and he stopped thinking about his mechanics and his command improved.  Right now Brad Holt is in the position that Heilman and Wheeler were in.  My question is can Holt on his own revert to his old delivery?  He went from being on the fast track to the Mets and then his delivery was changed and he obviously was too busy thinking about his mechanics rather than pitching the ball.  Isn’t it ultimately Holt’s career?  I realize the Mets are paying him and in theory everyone wants him to succeed but even if his original delivery let’s say may shorten his career isn’t a shorter but productive career better than no career?  I know he now has been converted to being a reliever but he didn’t seem to have any idea where the ball was going last year. 

Second, how does an organization decide when is too much coaching?  I think some of the Mets pitchers seem to think too much.  It’s easy to say Pelfrey for example is a head case but isn’t the bigger issue that he tinkers too much and no one has just told him to pick what pitches he wants to pitch and just refine them.  Every year he is trying something different. He needs to just figure out what makes him successful and stick with it.  My last question has to do with determining progress of pitchers in the minors.  It’s easy to look at era and whip and say that is a good indicator of how a pitcher is pitching but if the organization is making that pitcher pitch a certain number of changeups in order to refine that pitch isn’t that going to skew those numbers?   

Can you perhaps right an article about what you think let’s say the Mets top 20 pitching prospects need to do in order to progress whether that’s a new pitch, better control, a different mental approach, or just mature physically.  Thank you.

Mack Ade – Wow.

First of all, you are welcome. We are making an effort to write more original material here and it’s nice to see it is appreciated.

Let’s take each point separately.

First, the fact is a Mets pitcher doesn’t have the option of changing his delivery, or the kind of pitches he throws, without the permission of the Mets. The Mets own the pitcher and what he does… and, what he does is what he is told to do.

In the case of Wheeler, I am sure he had the permission to change back to his natural (and, by the way, unconventional and could lead to future problems) delivery as part of the trade.

Yes, Heilman did make changes, but, as you pointed out, they either came from, or were approved by, the Mets.

Holt is a different animal. His mechanics and pitch arsenal were altered by Rick Waits, then minor league pitching coach. It never worked and is now in Brad’s head. He has been converted to the pen, but he continues to not find the zone. Some just never harness their talent.

Regarding the top 20 Mets pitching prospects, I have no idea what all these guys are working on in the off-season, nor do I profess to be a pitching coach.

In addition, the Mets have change their minor league pitching coordinator again, so most of spring will be spent getting everybody on the same page.

I will rank what I feel are the next 10 pitchers that can make a difference and some random thoughts on their progress.

1.     Zack Wheeler – Wheeler’s ERA is opening day 2013 and there’s no reason to rush him earlier than that.  He’ll spend all of his time in Binghamton perfecting the art of outthinking the batter. The arsenal and control are there.

2.     Matt Harvey – ditto with Harvey, though he could wind up in Queens after the all-star break. I hope not. Both Wheeler and Harvey look like the real deal and I have no problem waiting.

3.     Jeurys Familia – Familia made big strides last season, but he still needs to develop a plus secondary pitch to his 95-98 fastball. If he doesn’t he’ll wind up in the Mets pen.

4.     Jenrry Mejia – Jenrry needs to take his time and rehab in Florida until summertime in Buffalo. I’d abandon any plans for him to graduate in 2012 and add him to the 2013 squad, either as a starter or 8^th inning specialist.

5.     Elvin Ramrez – Elvin returns to the Mets with his 100-mph fastball. Two things have to be done before he works on secondary pitchers. One, heal totally from his past injury and, two, learn to pitch rather than throw that fastball.

6.     Josh Edgin -  Last season, Josh was the most successful Mets pitcher in the entire organization. Your job, Mr. Edgin, is to dominate at the level where so many before you have failed... AA. Do that well, and it's a shuttle to LGA.

7.     Pedro Beato - The Mets will announce, sometime next month, the worst kept secret. Beato is ging to return to Buffalo and join the rotation. The plan is for him to be stretched ut and return to Queens around the all-star break. My wish at this point is a better result than that Yankee dude.

8.     Jack Leathersich – 'Leather' impressed everyone in the short time he was a Met last season and the plan (I hope) is for him to remain in the pen.  My ony wish is that he'd answer one of my emails.

9.      Brant Rustich – Boy, I could do volumes here. Brant had surgery last year after finding out that he could repair a genetic flaw that prevented him from any feeling in his pitching hand, the same hand he throws a 97 mph fastball with. Watch out world... he's baaaaaaack....

10.   Darin Gorski -  How do I give someone advise when no one has figured out how he did what he did last year. Screw it Darin, just do it again.

This is a very exciting time for someone like me. I spent no time here on Akeel Morris, Juan Urbina, Michael Fulmer, Cory Mazzoni, Tyler Pill, Logan Verrett, or Domingo Tapia.

That’s how much pitching talent there is right now.