Tom Brennan - IT'S A MINOR LEAGUE FOG BANK

Tom Brennan – IT’S A MINOR LEAGUE FOG BANK

It has been quite a joy for this Mets minor league fan to see some of the current and very recently graduated minor league gents doing so well this spring - Reynolds, Muno, Matz, Syndergaard, Dekker, Flores, for instance. Even Jack Leathersich has done quite well after initial wildness.

But there is a netherworld of minor league intrasquad games and even minor league spring training game match ups that are mostly far off any real radar screen. 

A guy could hit 3 homers in one of these games - good luck hearing about it.  Won't see it in any stats column.  You see a guy like Travis Taijeron get cameos in a few real games, going 1 for 2 - and wonder how his other 30? 40? off-the-radar screen at bats are going. 

Jayce Boyd 0 for 2...sitting around watching the grass grow in his other time in Florida?  Or perhaps tearing it up.

Michael Conforto is 4 for 10 in the real games...is he terrorizing pitchers in his out-of-sight-out-of-mind games in the netherworld?

Some guys could be injured – who’d know who that might be.

I'd love to know now how these minor league guys are really doing, personally.  But the fog is thick, the lips are sealed.

I get it - the Mets are all for these guys preparing for 2015 with as little outside press/fan distraction as possible.  I'm sure the Mets already pretty much know who will be at each level - they just ain't spillin' the beans yet.  Tune in when the real minor league games start. Gotcha.

Meanwhile, the hitters in big league camp impressing the begeebers out of me.  I mean, through Sunday:

Mayberry, Nieuwenhuis, Lagares, Granderson, Muno, Monell, Reynolds, Wright, Flores, Cuddyer, and Tejada? Those eleven are hitting a combined .380 in 347 at bats, with 29 doubles and 17 homers. 

Wow!  Inspires confidence

But looking to the minors, I am equally confident that (despite the fog of info to date on those guys) we will have 4 teams rolling out - in AAA, AA, high A, and mid-A ball - that are going to demolish the opposition much like last year's squads did. 

Why? More good guys flowing within and up to those 4 levels than are flowing out...and those 4 top teams last year combined for 100 games above .500, give or take a few.

I'm excited about the Mets in 2015 – and about the minors too.  What about you?

A NOTE ON ANOTHER TEAM’S PROSPECT:

I don't often touch upon other teams' prospects...so please, indulge me.

Looking back, it is too bad the Mets did not totally tank in 2012 for a top spot in the 2013 draft.  I know, not sportsmanlike to suggest that, or to do it.  And we got Dom Smith.  Nice player - hopefully. 

Cubs stunk in 2012 – drafted early – and got Kris Bryant.  OMG! 

After a nice cameo in late 2013, in his first full year of minor league ball in 2014, all in AA and AAA, Bryant hit 43 homers, and batted .325 in less than 500 at bats. This spring through Saturday, .480, 8 homers. 8. 

So I watched him on tape.  He looks like Kingman without the hole in his bat.  Ruthian blasts.

He'll be torturing us for years...until we sign him as a free agent :)

He may be the NL's future superstar to the AL's Mike Trout.  Time will tell.  Maybe not.  It's a humbling game, as well as a fascinating one.

That’s all for today.

On Thursday I'll share my thoughts on Mets' spring progress and outlook. 

Until then, chime in, folks.