Mack Ade – Morning Report – 5-8-13

Everybody is going to write about Matt Harvey this morning. Last night was one of the top pitching stints I have ever seen by a New York Mets pitcher and I go back to Sherman "Roadbock" Jones. I have totry and keep you focused on the near future. Close your eyes and image another one just like this (Zack Wheeler) and three more almost this good (Noah Syndergaard, Rafael Montero, Domingo Tapia) And, I didn't even mention Jonathan Niese. It's going to get real better real soon. I promise you.

After six years as a writer for Mack’s Mets, Wally Murphy has joined Joe D over at http://metsmerizedonline.com/ . Wally is a good friend (still trying to find you a job, Wally…) who never missed posting information about a Sand Gnats home game. I wish him nothing but the best and he will be sorely missed here at MMs.

The Houston Astros DFA’d OF Fernando Martinez. Do you have any idea how bad you have to do to lose a job with the Astros? I can’t believe he is only 24-years old. And Francisco Pena seem ageless. He does have a lifetime stat line of .279/.337/.474 in AAA. Is that worth a resign, a plane ticket, a bag of quarters for the slots?

It was interesting to read Herb’s comments on Monday night’s B-Mets game:

I was at tonight’s Binghamton – Trenton game, and I am here to tell you that our B-Mets looked absolutely impotent against the Thunder and pitcher Matt Tracy. The loss broke a second place tie, dropping Binghamton into 3rd place in the Eastern League’s Eastern Division. Binghamton starter Cory Mazzoni (L, 0-1) just didn’t have it tonight. Although his FB topped out consistently at 95 and 96 MPH, it was flat and hittable. Even his outs were hard hit, several fly balls backing Bingo outfielders to the wall. In 3.0 innings he allowed 5 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits and a walk, with 2 strikeouts.

-we probably need to give Mazzoni a push since he just came off the DL, but, once again, we keep proving that the Mets minor league system just doesn’t have enough potential major league bats. Great pitching, but, after Nimmo and Flores… 

William James -

Hey Mack,

Will you be posting anything on the potential players the Mets could draft in the 2013? With your opinion about each and every player?  It seems like things are working out special for the Mets with the availability of Austin Wilson at draft pick 11, If he was healthy all year long he would be a top five pick probably, We need outfielder and he has a world of talent. Who are your picks and why?

I will be featuring, every day in May (starting next Monday), a breakout of a player that the Mets may draft with one of their first four picks. As for Wilson, he has gone underground to my emails so I have no idea who he’s working out for. He will probably not be picked in the first ten picks. The pitchers will be Appel, Gray, Stewart, and Manaea… C Denney will go… Bryant, Meadows, and Frazier are sure shots as OFers… that’s eight picks. Then, anything goes, but don’t forget that some smaller teams (and teams with limited draft pools) are going to under-slot their first pick with a less ranked player. The ‘pool’ of the best at that point will be:

                Pitchers – Braden Shipley, Chris Anderson, Jonathan Crawford, Trey Ball, Ian Clarkin

                Catchers – Reese McGuire

                1B – Dominic Smith

                2B – none

                SS – J.P. Crawford

                3B – Collin Moran

                OF – Austin Wilson, Ryan Boldt, Phillip Ervin

One of these will be the Mets first pick, unless there is some weird shit out of Flushing.

Gary Seagren -

Hi Mack, Just a few questions for you after an off day by the big club.

What are your thoughts on the following players going forward: Puello, Vaughn, Koch and that post about you liking Tapia more than Montero....interesting.

Puello – He was the end-all in Savannah and I just don’t understand what has happened to him since then. He has such God-given talent.

Vaughn – Last year he was a home run king. This year he’s working on his OBP and BA. Nobody has ever questioned his hitting ability and he plays great defense (super arm too). I think he’s bored with the game. He’s so close to a regular day major league outfielder, but he just has to keep his head in the game (remember… most of what I say here are thoughts from the scouting community).

                Koch – Frankly, I don’t know enough about him to offer an educated opinion.

Tapia vs. Montero – Tapia throws it faster, harder, and with more movement. He hits 100 and has a slider that can hit 97. Every scout I have ever talked to about these two have Tapia ranked higher (and so did the Sand Gnats pitching coach)

Again I agree as far as Baxter (and frankly Byrd too) goes and it’s what bothers me about  Sandy's "plan". Why are we giving AB's to players who won't be here for the  magical  2014 season?

Who else are you going to play? The team has already gone through their AAA squad and the AA outfielders need reps against AAA pitchers that have been to the dance before. This is the deck you have to play with.

If we're punting this season then let’s give Spin, Lagares and say Vaughn and Den Decker at some point regular playing time.

Gary, nobody believes me when I say this, but no one in the clubhouse wants to write Jordany Valdespin’s name on the game card. Juan Lagares has earned a shot in Queens because of the weakness on the parent squad. He would not be playing every day for Philadelphia, 

Washington, or Atlanta. Vaughn and den Dekker (when healthy) have to stop swinging at bad pitchers. These things take time and you can’t solve them at the major league level.

The Mets have no answer for this problem. Maybe Brandon Nimmo in 2016, Vincente Lupo and Wuilmer Becerra in 2017. 

The rest (IMO) (den Dekker, Puello, Vaughn, Nieuwenhuis, DC, Harris, Gomez) all have holes in their game that need to be filled before they can be considered a full time major league outfielder.