2/18/12

Mets: Jeurys Familia, Lucas Duda, Daniel Murphy, Sean Ratliff


2-10-12 - http://seedlingstostars.com/2012/02/10/s2s-2012-team-prospect-lists-new-york-mets/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter   - Starting Pitcher #3: Jeurys Familia. In 2008 and 2009, Familia didn’t walk too many batters, but also didn’t strike out a whole lot. In 2010, both his strikeout and walk rates shot up. In 2011, he finally put the low walks and high strikeouts together and came up with a 2.90 ERA and 3.24 FIP between High-A and Double-A at age 21. Like Harvey and Wheeler, he has a strong fastball and breaking ball, but his changeup lags behind, as evidenced by his 5.00 FIP against lefthanded batters. He also has major mechanical issues that make him an injury risk, so many feel he’s destined for the bullpen. Still, though, there’s enough talent here that he could put up some good numbers as a starter even if he doesn’t have a traditional starter’s repertoire, a la Alexi Ogando in 2011. Grade: B+

Ike Davis - We're not worried about Ike Davis, but it seems that some fantasy owners are. Here's a guy with the upside to hit for a strong batting average and a home run total past 25, and he's being picked 173rd on average. Why would you pick Justin Morneau ahead of Davis? Davis' injury was a one-time freak occurrence, at least until he proves that he's injury-prone. Morneau might never play again. Why would you pick Adam Lind ahead of Ike Davis? Davis might not hit .300 with neutral luck, but he won't struggle along to a .250 batting average either. We like Ike and so should all fantasy owners. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/2/14/2795663/fantasy-mets  

Lucas Duda: MDC: 227.1, Yahoo!: 222.6  Duda's triple slashes in the final three months of 2011, after seeing regular playing time: July: .300/.383/.529 - August: .319/.382/.527 - September: .311/.416/.514 - Good for wOBAs of .387, .392, and .401, respectively.  Now, Duda did suffer a concussion on September 21st, 2011. We know how dreadful concussions can be. Yet by October 31st, 2011, Adam Rubin reported that Duda was symptom free. With the Flushing fences pulled in and a spot on the roster set, Duda could do some very nice things in 2012. Let us not forget the half-season Duda registered in 2010 at AAA, after having been promoted: .314/.389/.610 in 298 PA. http://www.rotoauthority.com/

Murphy set the bar of reinvention for himself awfully low in 2009 when he crashed and burned in left field, just as Piazza and Hundley and HoJo did once upon a time at their "new" positions. It remains to be seen whether Murphy's athletic or durable enough to serve as Ruben Tejada's double play partner in the near or far term, and we're a long ways away from thinking of second base without a question mark. Considering that this could be his last shot at sticking with the Mets (because where else can you play him if Ike Davis and David Wright are healthy?), he's a long shot in every sense of the word. As are his employer, whose present sorry state grants me the ability to exhale from time to time in exaltation whenever Murphy doesn't trip over his feet on a grounder up the middle. I'm certainly not sold on him, but I'll refrain from selling him short, too. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/2/16/2801460/mets-second-look-suits-daniel-murphy

Sean Ratliff, who was standing in the on-deck circle, was struck in the face during a Triple-A game in Jupiter, Fla. The blow broke six bones, nearly fully detached Ratliff's retina and left him immediately fearing he might lose his right eye. The incident happened only three weeks after Atlanta Braves minor league manager Luis Salazar also was struck with a foul ball. Ratliff immediately worried because he knew Salazar ultimately lost his left eye. Four surgeries later, however, Ratliff is back at the Mets' complex in Port St. Lucie going through a regular workload with fellow players, and hoping to pick up where he left off in 2010. In the season immediately preceding the accident, the former fourth-round pick out of Stanford hit .298 with 21 homers, 80 RBIs and 10 steals in a combined 503 at-bats with Class A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7581581/new-york-mets-following-eye-injury-sean-ratliff-hopes-pick-where-left-off?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

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