Mack Ade – AM Report – 7-8-13 – Pitching Prospect Update

 

Pitching Prospect Update –

                There are other pitchers in the system that have impressed, but these are the guys that can  possibly get us to the playoff some day. We have Harvey, Wheeler, and Niese. We need two more:

AAA – 22/y. old  Rafael Montero – The Montero machine rolls on in Vegas at the level you expected him to be at. Tucson was another learning experience in this mountain region, tossing 2-ERs in 6.0-IP. That’s great pitching in Tucson. Was stationed there at Lowry AFB in Denver back in the 60’s and played on the base softball team, tennis intramurals, and base basketball team. I was in absolutely buff shape and still liked to die every time I put a uniform on. It just sucked there. Well, the atmosphere in Denver is the same as what these guys play in every day and I give Montero all the credit in the world keeping his ERA below five. – ETA – September 2013

AA – 19/yr. old Noah Syndergaard – ‘Thor’ continues to dominate at the AA-level (3-starts, 1.50, 18.0-IP, 23-K) and we all know how hard it is to do that in the ‘prospect’ Eastern League. Every scout I have talked to that has seen him pitch is impressed with him and projects him past Zack Wheeler (however, I caution that some of these guys are the same ones that projected Wheeler past Harvey). Jeremy Hefner said yesterday that he has never seen a pitcher improve as much as Harvey has in the last 24 months. Well, this could possibly be said for Syndergaard as well. It seems all we have to do here is patiently wait. ETA – August 2014

A+ -  21-yrs. old Domingo Tapia – It’s impossible to judge Tapia on stats alone this year. Yes, he has a season ERA of 3.76 after 14 starts with St. Lucie, but this includes a torturous outing on May 24^th in which he gave up six earned runs in 0.1-IP (162.00). He had a wonderful outing on July 3^rd (6.2-IP, 0-R); however, the three outings prior resulted in 11-ER in 14.1-IP. There’s a control problem here 34BB/64.2-IP which is going to prevent him from moving up this season. ETA – Opening Day 2016

 

A – 22-yrs. old Steven Matz – Matz ‘completed’ his 14^th start Saturday night with a 7-inning shutout of Greenville. He’s given up only two earned runs in his last four starts (26.1-IP), striking out 29 while walking 9. Matz is done with A-ball, but he’s caught behind the 6-man St. Lucie rotation that currently exists. – Opening Day 2016 (photo by Allan Greene)

 

GCL –20-yr. old - Michael Fulmer – Fulmer continued his rehab with the GCL Mets. He’s had two outings and his total stats were: 2-starts, 12.0-innings, 4-ER, 3.00, 13-K, 1-BB. He was returned to St. Lucie yesterday and got off to a shaky start, giving up three runs in the first inning. He then settled down. Opening Day 2016

(the Mets need to clean out the system a little here either through a couple of trades or by releasing some of the institutional pitchers at AAA (D.J. Mitchell, Matt Fox). You move Darin Gorski and Erik Goeddel to AAA, opening up room for Angel Cuan and either Matt Bowman or Alex Panteleodis to Binghamton. All of these are secondary moves designed to make room for the prospects in the system. Fulmer and Matz can then slot into Lucy and all is well in the

 

 

GCL – 23-yr. old Jenrry Mejia – This is your wild card. First, is the 23-yr. old still a prospect? Secondly, he may be rehabbing as a starter, but where is his future with the Mets. And third, when the rehab is done, is this a AAA pitcher or does he go directly to the airport and purchase a plane ticket with the initials LGA on it? His 2-game rehab is meh: 3.18, 5.2-IP, 2-ER… let’s face it, he should be dominating at a level he hasn’t pitched at since 2008. I list him here because of his raw talent, which, if harnessed, would still make a damn good major league starter. ETA – August 2013

                Rich MacLeod ‏- "He's the best pitcher in baseball, without question." -Dan Plesac on Matt Harvey

Mack Ade - In your opinion, what can we get for Marlon Byrd?

 

Jon Presser ‏@metsjetsnets88 - that's a good question. i would think maybe a B/C level prospect. I definitely would like to get something for him, for sure

Andy Brill – NBC -  nothing worth dealing him for.

Marc Carig ‏@MarcCarig  - I don't know. But a rival exec said a few days ago it wouldn't be anything more than a bench or bullpen piece down the road.

Dan Kirby ‏@DanMKirby - Well, we got nothing for him. He is having a good year for you guys, though. I still don't don't see him fetching much.

Rich MacLeod ‏@richmacleod  - Likely a B-level prospect, close to or already MLB ready.

John Coppinger @Metstradamus – It won't be another Wheeler. Probably a second level MiLB reliever or something. Somewhere between Wheeler and Danny Herrera.

 

I had expected a little more positive response here. Maye we just get too close to the tree sometimes and never see the forest.

 

Rick Giolito ‏@RickGiolito  - Big S/O to Lucas Giolito, who's doing great w his rehab, touching 97 today. To follow Luc, @lgio27  

 

Mack Ade  ‏@JohnMackinAde  hey Rick, it's Mack...  long time and good to hear things working out

 

Rick Giolito - Hey Mack. Good to hear from you. Yes, Luc is healthy again, on the hill & shaking off the rust