MAJORING ON THE
MINORS: TOP 30 PROSPECTS – DANNY MUNO - VOL.11 – Tom Brennan
I’m doing my Top 30 Prospects articles
a bit differently – in 2 lists:
·
A
top 10 list of lower minors guys who likely won’t show up until 2017 or later. See list at end of this article.
·
Followed
by my top 20 list of guys who are closing in on the big leagues. Guys who could help in the near future or be
trade bait.
DANNY MUNO: Yes, Muno gets my pick at #20. Quit
yer groaning.
It may be a
contrarian pick, as Danny has been a bit of a Rodney Dangerfield, no respect
guy since being drafted in the 8th round in 2011, including his self-induced 50
game suspension for PED use, which soured some people.
I, though, have
appreciated Danny's ability to get on base, show some pop, drive in and score
runs ever since he turned pro.
His playing time was,
in my opinion, foolishly curtailed to let Anthony Seratelli also play part
time. The 5'11', 190 switch hitter had only 435 plate appearances in a
144 game season. Playing every day on that Vegas offensive team should
have netted him 600 plate appearances in 2014.
Ever get annoyed by a
Met who often does not come through in the clutch? Danny seems to have a
clutch gene in him. For instance, how about.303/.452/.545 in 84 plate
appearances with 2 outs and runners in scoring position last year? Give
me some more of that!
Averaging his stats
based on a 150 game schedule, Danny's career runs scored and RBIs approach 100
and 80, respectively, pretty fine for a guy who usually hits high or low in the
order, and he has a penchant for getting on base (an excellent .395 career %),
drawing a boatload (245) of bases on balls in just over 1600 career plate
appearances.
He has also been a
guy who improves as time goes on during a season, as his 2013 and 2014 seasons
both were much better from June 1 forward. While not a speed-burner, he
has stolen 52 of 75 in his minor league career, which is quite competent.
While his defense at
SS, 2B and 3B in his minor league career has been a bit less than average, he
is competent enough there.
The Mets have a lot
of middle infielder types in their system, and had Mazzilli not gotten a 50
game suspension to start 2015, maybe Danny gets squeezed for at bats.
Maybe if Herrera and Reynolds are both playing every day in Vegas, he still
gets squeezed, or moves to 3B. But my take? Danny will have a big year in
AAA, or as Ed Sullivan might say, a REALLY BIG YEAR, and in doing so, Danny
will make not respecting him a whole lot harder to do.
Yep, #20 on my
close-to-major-league top prospect list, Danny Muno. In this
organization, a #20 ranking is nothing to sneeze at. Nineteen more to go, folks. Please keep reading in the days to come.
MY
TOP 10 LOWER MINORS LIST:
#
1 - Marcos Molina
#2
– Michael Conforto
#3
– Amed Rosario
#4
– Dominic Smith
#5 - Jhoan Urena
#6
– Vicente Lupo
#7
– Wuilmer Becerra
#8
– Luis Guillorme
#9 - Casey Meisner
#10 - Milton Ramos
16 comments:
You've got my vote for a 2015 Mets infield of Muno and Reynolds. I smell playoffs ;)
Ernest, Tejada can take their place in Vegas. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas - especially if Reese keeps Tejada there.
Actually, if we were going to win just 60 games, and playoffs were off the table, those 2 would be an interesting experiment.
Reynolds to Muno to Duda. Nothing to "Tinker" with there.
I never understood why Muno never got more love - maybe because he is a poor man's Daniel Murphy.
If he can prove to play a passable SS, I think he definitely has utility player in him.
Ernest, Lew, and especially Tom -
I stay away from talking about Muno because Brennan says enough about him for 10 of us.
And I'm sure Muno is a nice person...
But...
he was an 8th round pick after playing 4 years of college ball...
he hit only .249 in Binghamton in 2013
and followed that this past season in AAA hitter crazy Las Vegas with a .259 batting average.
I can't see any reason to come close to ranking him as a top prospect in the Mets system, no less 20th
Just back from spring training and want to say you are spot on about Danny Muno. Why doesn't he get the Love. On Sunday he made the play of the spring at 3rd base and is currently leading the team in hitting and on base percentage with a 660/840 line. He played SS/2b and 3rd in AAA with solid fielding and hit 14 homeruns. If he'd had the at bats you suggested, he'd have hit 20 HR and would have driven in 90. One HR every 20 AB'S.... Who else does that ? At the All Star break he was hitting 271 and when they came back he split time with Quintinilla and Seretelli.Where are those guys now ?
You did great work on his backround, I want to hear more about this kid. Thanks.
Tom Morris
Great feedback on Muno, Tom. (And Mack, I promise it is not me signing in under a pseudo-name :)
Tom, I think Danny will see the light of day in the majors somewhere soon enough. Maybe here, maybe not, as there is a big crowd of talented middle infielders.
All I can tell you is I watch the performance every time he gets to play and in official games, he is hitting well in rare chances.
He had better play every day in AAA this year - if he does, I'd be disappointed if he does not end up with .300 or more, .400 on base, 20 HRs, 100 runs, and 80 RBIs. He'll have everyone's attention then.
Of course, there is one way he'll never reach those stat levels - if the Mets call him up during 2015. Unfortunately, with Flores, Reynolds, Tejada, Murphy and Herrera already in the picture for those 2 positions, his path sure does appear blocked at the moment.
Thanks for the response Tom. Muno just keeps rolling, yesterday he draws a walk from Craig Kimbrell, arguably the best closer in baseball and comes right back today and gets what the broadcasters said was a smoking line drive to center off of Andrea Rienzo
Sping line: Avg. 667 OBP 727
Tom
@ Tom Morris and Ernest - Ernest, you tongue-in-cheek posted back in mid-January to my article that a Danny Muno / Matt Reynolds combo was a ticket to the playoffs.
The likelihood of those 2 being the 2015 starting combo is extremely remote, but I'd be remiss in not noting that thru yesterday, they are a combined 14 for 26. Which is .538.
What I really want to know is how 2 such talented players could have made out 12 times already!
(Writers note: bosom buddies Wright and Cuddyer have 12 less spring hits than Matty and Muno. But it is early).
FROM SPRING TRAINING
MAYBE I've MISSED SOMETHING BUT DANIEL MUNO HAS ONLY MADE THREE OUTS. ONE WAS A STRIKEOUT ON AN EYE-HIGH FASTBALL THAT EVERYONE IN THE JOINT BOOED. THE OTHERS A HARD GROUND BALL AND A LINE-OUT. IT'S TIME TO LET THIS GUY START A GAME. WE HAVE THE SAME OLD THING, ALDERSON IS AFRAID TO PLAY OUR YOUNG PLAYERS EVEN THOUGH THE FARM SYSTEM IS RATED THIRD IN BASEBALL. LAST YEAR WE HAD THE YOUNG EXPERIMENT, CHRIS AND E.Y. TOTAL GONE: 10 MILLION .THIS YEAR WE HAVE MICHAEL CUDDYER (36), MAYBERRY JR AND COSTELLANOS. WHY DO WE HAVE TO TAKE CAST OFFS FROM THE DODGERS,ROCKIES AND ROYALS ?? WE HAVE CECILIANI, PUELLO, NIEUWENHUIS AND DEN DEKKER LET EM PLAY. THE OTHER OVERRATED PLAYER I SEE IS DILSON HERRERA. THIS GUY IS 0 FOR THE SPRING AND CAN'T HANDLE BIG LEAGUE STUFF.....AT LEAST NOT YET. LAST QUESTION, WHO'S OUR CLOSER?
THANKS,
JOE CONFORTE
THE VOICE OF REASON
@ Joe Conforte:
Thanks for your observations and questions.
I'd love to see Muno start some games. I can't see him getting much time due to the fact that Tejada, Flores, Murphy and Tejada are the lead 4 for the 3 spots related to SS and 2B. He is #5 and trying to climb over people. Dilson, again, needs more seasoning, so I do not have him in top 5 near term, although he could be our everyday 2B a half a season to a full season from now.
But Danny, as you note, is making a fine case for himself. I still think he ends up in AAA - up to him then to tear it up.
I personally wish they'd have not signed Cuddyer, and let the OF sort itself out between Dekker, Puello and Kirk. And Cuddyer is 2 years, with Nimmo and Conforto coming on fast. Dekker did great from June on last year, and should have been given more major league at bats to show if he could handle platoon play as the OF starter vs. righties.
Mayberry is a fine career hitter vs. lefties, so I think he was a good one year pick up - Puello did not show enough to prevent that sort of signing.
Ceciliani had a decent 2014, but he needs a strong 2015 to really get considered in my opinion, and then he'll run headlong into a crowd of outfielders. Those hamstring issues lost him a lot of time in his career. I don't like guys running too much in the minors, even if they can steal. Injuries can cause them critical development time.
Closer? I liked Mejia's swagger last year, and he saved 28 games in little more than 3/4 of a season. He seems fearless to me.
There's been so many Danny Muno's in baseball that just don't rise to the top of the depth chart.
Sad
Dekker, Campbell and Puello ended the day at .294. Reynolds 1 for 1 and back up to .500. But the big question is can he maintain that .500 batting average for the remainder of the season? I am always optimistic, but I don't think he can maintain that past, oh, July :)
MACK,
HATE TO BRING UP A SORE SUBJECT BUT GOOD OLD "I'M SURE HE'S A NICE PERSON" MUNO STARTED TODAY AGAINST THE RAYS AND WENT 2 FOR 4 WITH TWO SPECTACULAR PLAYS AT THIRD.... NOW HITTING .467 TO PLACE HIM THIRD ON THE STAT LIST.
JOE "C" THE VOICE OF REASON
Imagine an infield of Flores at 1st, Herrera at 2nd, Reynolds at SS, Muno at 3B. I might just become a season ticket holder!
Of course, Dekker would have to start in CF - he was also on 2 more times today, and Kirk had 2 hits. The wannabes are kicking derriere this spring.
I will add, Joe C, that I think Muno could hit .600 this spring and not change anyone's mind about being on the team coming out of spring training. He can only keep plugging and be ready if a few injuries happen, or make himself trade-worthy.
It is a good thing for Mets fans that they have this much solid middle infield talent in the organization, just bad for Danny.
Having said that, he has to be getting some real attention from Mets higher ups in getting on base 11 of 21 times so far this spring. Assuming the likely move that Danny goes back to Vegas, he needs to play almost every game and see what he can do at the highest minor league level as an everyday guy. He's got a nice mix of pop, quickness, and on base %. Like Dekker in 2014, time for Muno to take that next stride from possible talent to "how do we keep a guy this good down on the farm" talent.
Hats off to you Tom, you know your talent, Danny Muno still hitting .400 and going strong in spring. This kid will not be denied. We need people like this at the major League level. Two hits today including a line drive RBI single against David Price. Handles the chances whether it's 2B, SS or 3rd. Played against his Grandpa Larry years ago and I know the genes. His brother Kevin was a four year starter and lead off man at the University of San Diego where he holds the stolen base record. His cousin Ryan is the 1st baseman at San Diego State where he won the Tony Gwynn award. His cousin J J is the 2nd baseman at UC Santa Barbara and his cousin Susanah is the number one rated volleyball player in So Cal and going to UCLA . There's more but this should be about Danny.
Last comment: He won a state championship at Loyola High school where he was MVP, He won the batting title at Brooklyn where they won the NY Penn league, He won a championship at St Lucie in High A, He won a championship at Binghamton where he drove in 70 runs as a leadoff man....Who does that. and last he won a Title with Wally Backman at AAA Las Vegas. And as you said, if he'd been given the games he needed he'd have hit 20 home runs.
Thanks,
Jimmy Canon
A winner every where he's been.
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