2/8/12

Mets: Jack Leathersich, Rob Johnson, Cory Vaughn, Bobby Parnell


2-2-12 - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/35-lhp-jack-leathersich/   - 2011: It is nearly impossible to have a better professional debut than Jack Leathersich did for the Cyclones, when he struck out over half the batters he faced. After pitching to a 1.62 ERA with 126 strikeouts against 27 walks in 89 innings for Umass Lowell, the Mets held Leathersich’s innings down by working him one inning out of the bullpen every five days.  The starter’s schedule also allowed him to throw a bullpen and a side between appearances

• Dec 22: C Rob Johnson - The offensive woes of this 28-yr old defensive-minded backstop have been much publicized -- see, .197 career average in ~650 big league ab's. So he's here strictly as a defensive option in the backup catcher batter royale. He was actually considered a decent all-around catching prospect for the Mariners after batting .305 in Triple-A with an .800+ OPS in '08. However, at this point he'll likely only turn up with the Mets if the front office really places a high emphasis on defense, which isn't impossible for the backup position. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/31/2753903/taking-inventory-of-the-mets-minor-league-free-agents

2-3-12: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/2/3/2760606/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects-20-16 - OF Cory Vaughn - The 21-yr old son of former big leaguer Greg Vaughn is at a crossroads after a 2011 which can honestly give ammunition to either side of the debate on his future. On the one hand, in the first half of the season in Savannah he picked up where he left off in 2010, hitting well, showing good walk rates and featuring the kind of all-around athleticism that had scouts dreaming of a plus right fielder in the bigs the minute they saw him in a pro uniform. Conversely, he was far less impressive upon his promotion to St. Lucie. Specifically, for a college player Vaughn seemed surprisingly lost against A-ball pitching. That .219 mark was pretty damning, as was the continued increase of his K-rate up above 22%. And though you can give him a break for a BABIP below .250, you then must dock him for a mark above .350 with Savannah. There is some thought that his performance suffered thanks to a nagging heel injury, though Vaughn continued to play nearly every day so it’s tough to gauge. In short, there are certainly things to like about Vaughn as his combination of secondary skills and raw tools make it easy to envision an every day right fielder. But a decline in power as well as a K% bordering on unacceptable sinks his overall ceiling as well as the excitement he created during his pro debut with Brooklyn.
We’ve seen flashes of brilliance from Bobby Parnell, but those were intertwined with maddening inconsistency. He can reach triple digits with his fastball, but it’s as straight as an arrow and often left high in the zone. Similarly, his slider has at times looked devastating, but Parnell has yet to master it; for every time he drops it over the outside corner for a swinging strike, five times he’ll bury it in the dirt or leave it flat and floating over the heart of the plate with a “hit me” label. Last year he toyed with a change-up/forkball with mixed results. So what will be his focus this spring training? Will he scrap the slider, and continue developing the change? Or will he work on both? If he does work on two secondary pitches, is six weeks enough time to get handle on either, or is he better off concentrating on one?  http://www.metstoday.com/7417/11-12-offseason/mets-spring-training-question-17-bobby-parnell/

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