Mack Ade – AM Report – 7-3-13 – Anonymous Comments, Matt Harvey, Craig Mitchell, Jose Fernandez, Int’l Players, Etc.

I’m going to try to open up the ‘anonymous’ comments portion of the web site again, in hopes of generating some more chatter. There’s a lot of great original writing accomplished here at Mack’s Mets and it’s a real bummer when no one comments about what was written. I try to always say something to my fellow writers, but even I forget sometimes. Hopefully, the negative kids will stay away. If not, I’ll just quietly erase their comments and keep up the good ones. And to the rest of you out there… all a write ever asks is recognition for a story told well.

We talked today on Twitter about the process of whether or not it is right for the MLB to allow 14-yr olds to be taken from their family... forced into baseball camps, and then signed as 16-yr olds with no proper education when the MLB would never do this in America. My hopes are to create a dialogue there that can result in some good answers from some of my followers, that can be posted here. Like these two:

Kev © ----- ‏@MrMetKevC    - @JohnMackinAde one of the strangest rules in baseball, never understood it.

Josh Jackson ‏@ussoldado  - @JohnMackinAde always thought this was stupid. I kinda get it but also think it's dumb. Some kids get more at 16 than draftees at 21. I'm ok with baseball academies, kinda like magnate schools, but i don't approve of the current system. It's exploitation.

I know that MLB can’t tell another country how to do their business, but they sure as hell can prevent children from becoming adults before their time. The opposite side will remind you that the changing of this in Puerto Rico and making their kids go through the same draft rules ruined the sport there and made families look to other ways of getting their kids out of the ghetto.

Hopefully, we can generate some interest over there with this feature.

OF Gregory Pron was promoted to St. Lucie and OF Maikis De La Cruz was activated from DL and assigned to Savannah.

Nothing against Greg, but the Mets just promoted a .186 hitter. I know for a fact that Savannah loves De La Cruz, who was on the roster earlier when Brandon Nimmo was put on the DL. They want this guy in the lineup so the only place for Pron to go was either up (Lucy), down (K-Port), or back to Extended. He also played Savannah last year

From Fangraphs –

Rafael Montero (Mets) vs Noah Syndergaard (Mets) - New York fans are clammoring for the two org-mates to earn the starting nods for their respective Futures Game squads. Syndergaard’s prospect value is currently ahead of Montero’s, but the 22-year-old Dominican Republic native is coming on strong. A year ago, both pitchers were enjoying the bus rides in Low-A ball. Today, Montero has leap-frogged over Syndergaard on this way to Triple-A, while the tall Texan is at Double-A. For now, Mets fans can dream of a future starting rotation that has Syndergaard placed in the third and fourth slots behind Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler. LINK

MLB Power Rankings –

NL Pitcher Of The Week – Matt Harvey (NYM) 1 – 0, with a 0.69 ERA in 2 Game Starts – with 17 SO in 13 IP.

26.  New York Mets  33 – 45 (26) Even:  Matt Harvey Starting in the ALL – Star Game will be the best highlight of the season.  -  

LINK

                                             Since May 26, Mets pitchers are fifth in the majors with a 3.31 ERA

A great story on the Marlin’s Jose Fernandez –

Jose Fernandez was born in Cuba, but he never played for his country’s national team, like Yasiel Puig, Yoenis Cespedes or Aroldis Chapman did. That’s because at age 15, Jose Fernandez was on a leaky boat with his mother and sister, hoping to flee the oppressive regime of Fidel Castro. Instead of preparing to sign a pro contract like teenagers in the Dominican Republic, Fernandez and others were dodging a hail of bullets fired by Cuban authorities. When the boat capsized, the youngster rescued his mom from drowning when she fell in the water. Both, however, were returned to Fidel’s shores where they served prison time. That was their third attempt to achieve freedom, something that Americans sometimes take for granted. Read more at LINK


                                                   

Chattanooga's Joc Pederson hit his 14th HR

Craig Mitchell, of Facebook’s ‘NY Mets Forum’ https://www.facebook.com/MetsForum?fref=ts  , has joined Mack’s Mets as a contributor writer. Craig will post his game recap after every Mets game and, if you are familiar with it, it pulls no punches. I’m thrilled to have him as part of the MMs team and please welcome him aboard when you see his first posts. 

A 95 MPH fastball takes 0.4 seconds to reach the plate. Hitters have 0.15 seconds to decide to swing or not 

Some minor thoughts…

3B Jhoan Urena – GCL Mets - .320/.370/.440/.810 – the 18-yr old Urena was signed prior to the 2012 season (16-yrs old) and played pretty damn good in his first professional season (262-AB, .279/.330/.405/.734). There’s no pop here, but there’s plenty time for the 6-1, 200 pound switch hitter to bulk up some more. He signed with the Mets for around $400,000.

C Blake Forsythe – Binghamton – Forsythe hit his 5^th home run last night. Man, I thought this was going to be the year he turned it around and duplicated the great numbers he had as a sophomore in college. He went .333 in April and let the organization for most of the month in OPS. Remember, this was the same month that Savannah’s Jayce Boyd and Kevin Plawecki were leading the league in OPS. Well, his seasonal BA is now .213 and I don’t even want to go into OPS. Sadly, this looks like the last year any of us will look to him as providing a future inn this organization, as Plawecki passes him by next season.

SP John Gant – Brooklyn – There’s something bad… and good going on here. Gant was never known as a strikeout artist. He had 5-K in 8.1-IP for the GCL Mets in 2011, and 52-K in 59.2-IP for the combined Kingsport-Savannah team in 2012. This year, he is obviously having some control issues (who hasn’t at 20-years old), but something is going on here. He had nine strikeouts in the first five innings players. That’s 25-Ks in 16.0-IP. Is there a new pitch here? Is there increased velo? Talk to me John (or John).

 

Rich MacLeod ‏- Anthony Recker leads all Mets pitchers in home runs with 3

Robert Smiley -

Mack, Have you heard anything about the Mets being connected to any international players? The international signings begin tonight July 2 at midnight. The Mets have the 10th most money to spend on international players. Thanks in advance for any information you can provide.

                Hey Robert.

As I understand it, the main Mets interest is catcher Ali Sanchez, who is not on the BA top 10 list. He’s a six foot Venezuelan with a ‘decent’ arm, a ‘questionable’ bat, and ‘good hands’.

Also, SS Luis Carpio (can’t sign until 7-11)… 6-0, 170  who projects out to eventually be a 2Bman.

Others may be OF Ricardo Cespedes (can’t sign until 8-24), SS Yeffry deAza, and RHP Luis Silva.

All five of these are in the Baseball America hit list and we’ll start to find out today.

Mets Sign 16-Year-Old Venezuelan RHP Luis Silva - bit.ly/19R4nkY  - The Mets have signed Venezuelan righthander Luis Silva for $275,000. - Silva, 16, is 6 feet, 170 pounds with long arms, a high-waisted frame and a loose delivery. He throws strikes and generates sink on his fastball, which he can run up to the low-90s at times. He also throws a mid-70s breaking ball and a solid changeup for his age. Silva trained with Julio Bolivar.

 

Mets sign catcher Ali Sanchez ($690,000)  - Sanchez, 16, is 6 feet, 180 pounds with good catch-and-throw skills, quick feet and good hands. Scouts highest on him have been impressed with his ability to hit in games by staying inside the ball with a contact-oriented swing from the right side of the plate. Sanchez has traveled to the Dominican Republic to play in the International Prospect League and trains with Yhonson Lopez.

METS BRO ‏@METS_BRO  - Mets have now signed shortstop Yeffry de Aza for $475,000 from the Dominican Republic. Yeffry de Aza is 16 yrs old at 6 foot - 170lbs. Scouts say possible 2B in future with some power, good hands, plus arm & hard-nosed. BA:  The Mets have signed Dominican shortstop Yeffry de Aza for $475,000. Scouts highest on de Aza, 16, think he can become an offensive second baseman with some power to his pull side, although scouts were mixed on his game hitting. He’s 6 feet, 170 pounds with average speed, solid hands and an average to above-average arm. He’s earned praise from scouts for being a hard-nosed, high-energy player. De Aza plays in the Dominican Prospect League and trains with Pedro Nivar, who is known as “Nube.”