The Keepers - #3 - P - Jeurys Familia

3.             SP Jeurys Familia

“Family” signed with the Mets during the October 2007 International signing period. 2008 was spent with with the GCL Mets, where he went 2-2, 2.79, 1.14 in 11 starts. He quickly became the dean of the staff.

In 2009, Familia pitched for the Savannah Sand Gnats: 10-6, 2.69, 1.16, 109-K, 134.0-IP.

His two year professional stats are: 12-8, 2.72, 1.16

1-1-10 Forecast: - Nothing but blue sky for the 19-year old, but his job is just beginning. We’ve seen many a pitcher do well in rookie and A ball, only to fade away by the time they compete AA. Familia definitely loos like the real deal, but it is too early to tell. He’ll rotate with his Sand Gnat buddies for a new coach in Florida and we wish him well.

5-22-10: - SP Jeurys Familia: Famila started off the season with a horrendous outing in which he gave up 7-ER in 3.2-IP (17.18). Four outings later, he’s worked his ERA down to 7.06, but he definitely has settled down his last two outings, giving up only 3-ER in 9.0-IP. You won’t see him pitching for anyone other than St. Lucie this season. One good sign is his K/IP ratio has remained high (23-Ks in 21.2-IP). He’s only 20-years old so there’s plenty of time. (update… five more decent innings tonight, giving up only one run…)

6-22-10: - Familia has had a tough time this season and some have speculated that he might be returning to Savannah to get his game together; however, he put together a good outing Monday night, with stats of: 6.2-IP, 1-ER, 7-K, 3-BB. His yearly ERA is now 6.16 and this was especially a heart breaker, since it was a 7-inng game. Jeurys was one out away from a complete game victory, but was relieved and the game was lost eventually to Bradenton. Bad game, but good outing.

6-28-10: - Giving up three earned runs in 6.1-IP may not be considered the best of outings, but it’s a good one for Familia, who’s been struggling all year long. He struck out five, but walked four. Regardless of the tough year, he still is considered a top pitching prospect

7-28-10 from: - we don’t have to talk about what a frustrating year it’s been for Familia, but he did manage to put together a decent outing last night against Brevard County. Familia went: 6.0-IP, 6-H, 2-ER, 7-K, 2-BB and lowered his season ERA to 6.13. Let’s remember he is only 20-years old and did come off two great years in 2009 (Savannah: 2.69) and 2008 (GCL: 2.79). We’ll give him a push this season and it sure looks like he will repeat Lucy in 2011.

4-8-11: - Up – SP Jeurys Familia – we’ve talked about this a number of times. The only difference between Familia and Jenrry Mejia is Jenrry can hit the barn. Jeurys has all the velo and sickness needed to make it in the pros; now all he needs is control, and he sure made a statement in his first outing in 2011:  7.0-IP, 1-H, 0-R, 0-BB, 7-K

SP Jeurys Familia – 4-19-11 – I’ve done some checking on Familia and people in St. Lucie tell me that this is a brand new version of this pitcher. One, he’s confident, but more important, he seems to be in total control of every one of his pitchers. Obviously, the transformation so far this season is making Mets fans dance in the stands. Some stats so far this season: 6.2-BB/PA, 26.2-K/PA, .140-BABIP, 56-GB%, 0-HR/Air%, 2.27-FIP, 0.54-BsRA9

4-29-11: - I had hoped that Jeurys Familia would have been promoted into this start, but instead, RHP Edgar Ramirez makes his first start of the year. Edgar has pitched in 144 games at six levels and has only started seven times. He is one of the nicest, most articulate Mets I have ever had the pleasure to meet. He always has a smile on his face and an answer to a question. I wish him well.  36th round draft pick in 2006 out of LSU. Has consistently been a “good” reliever, but just hasn’t taken that next step.

5-5-11 - SP Jeurys Familia continues to prove that he has made that critical stage. AA baseball is a dream killer and no one understood that more than he did last season, but he worked hard in the off-season and is showing the kind of control and consistently to move on. Tonight: 6.2-IP, 1-ER, 6-K, 0-BB. ERA is now a buck forty nine.  Minor league pitchers are asked to throw pitches they haven’t mastered. That’s how you get better. You sacrifice your personal stats so you can see the results of what you are trying to learn. This is what Familia went through last year and the average fan, that only looks at stats, though he was cooked. He wasn’t. He simply was learning, and what he learned is being applied this season.

5-9-11: - There’s a lesson to be learned regarding the Jeurys Familia promotion yesterday. This has nothing to do with whether or not the B-Mets needed another pitcher, or St. Lucie should have held back until after they win their first-half season division race. Promotions come from Queens, after evaluating players themselves, with input from the local manager and coaches.  Yes, sometimes the team decides to hold up as in the case of the Sand Gnats last year, but again, it’s based on individual player development, not team standings. Anyone that has spent any time watching Familia pitch this spring has seen his maturity soar, regardless of age.

5-10-11: - SP Jeurys Familia made his AA debut on Tuesday night. Seemed to have terrific control. Fastball was 93-96 and mixed it up with low-80s soft stuff. Went: 7.0-IP, 5-H, 2-R, 1-ER, 6-K, 0-BB, 1.29.

5-22-11: - I guess this was a bad outing for Familia. He only went 5.0 innings, giving up two earned runs and four base on balls. His ERA “soared” to 1.42. This was the first outing, either with St. Lucie or Binghamton, that he gave up more than three walks.

5-24-11: - Mets Minor League Pitching Coordinator Rick Tomlin to Matt Eddy/BA on Familia: - “We wanted him to have the ability to use his athleticism, to be natural and not be so inhibited…The biggest thing we did was we stood him up tall. He’s a big, strong, tall guy (listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds), but last year he had a bit of a crouch in his delivery. He was bent over, so we concentrated on getting his arm on a better path. He really bought into what we were trying to do…Before, Familia would crouch over a bit and the path of his arm would get wide and swing away from his body. Now he’s standing taller and he’s got his arm on a better plane.”

5-27-11: - Okay, Friday night was Harvey’s 10th start in A+ and the league has seen enough. He put up seven more shutout innings while striking out ten and it’s time for him to join his pitching bud, Jeurys Familia, in Binghamton. These two guys, plus a fully healed Jenrry Mejia, represent the future of the Mets beginning in 2013. Some still have their doubts, while others think they could see Queens next year. I really believe at this point that both these guys are for real, but neither should be rushed in 2012. Let them finish 2011 in Binghamton. Bring them to camp with the big boys in 2012, and start them off in Buffalo on opening day. Mejia should be pitching there by June and the Binghamton staff will feature Greg Peavey, Matt Barnes, and Josh Osich. Familia didn’t have as great a night as Harvey (3-ER in 5.0-IP, 7-K), but the strikeouts are still there, and his AA ERA is still 2.25. That comes to 10 starts in A+/AA, 60.1-IP, 12-ER, and 57-K while only 17-BB. I have no problem with these numbers.

6-2-11: -      It was going to happen. SP Jeurys Familia fifth turn in AA ball wasn’t one for his scrapbook: 4.0-IP, 7-H, 3-ER, 3-BB. That’s okay… his AA ERA is still 2.89 and his combined stats for the season are 64.1-IP, 61-K, 20-BB, 2.10.  Reports from the team are that he’s been asked to throw more sliders so he can develop the pitch. You have to throw what you’re trying to master and, in doing that, stats will be affected.

6-29-11: - team press release:  -  Jeurys Familia has been selected to represent the Binghamton Mets at the 2011 Eastern League All-Star Game at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester, New Hampshire on July 13. Starting pitcher Jeurys Familia has made eight starts for the B-Mets, going 0-2 with a 3.35 ERA in his first taste of Double-A action. The right-hander’s ratio of 10.1 strike outs per nine innings pitched leads all active B-Met pitchers. The Dominican hurler was named the 13th best prospect in the Mets’ system entering the 2011 season. He received the Sterling Organizational Pitcher of the Year award in 2009 and was named to the World Team in the All-Star Futures Game last year.

8-13-11: - Stock Up: - SP Jeurys Familia – The best news about Saturday’s outing was the fact that Familia was on a strict 80/pitch/5-iP limit, whichever came first. Familia has very little more to prove this year and there’s no reason to over pitch him. That being said, his line was: 5.0-OP, 2-H, 0-R, 7-K, 0-BB, hit 95 consistently, touched 96.