Who's Hot, Who's Not – Minors Mid-July Edition - Tom Brennan

Who's Hot, Who's Not – Minors Mid-July Edition - Tom Brennan 

Lots of minor league teams playing right now... 

4 Mets full season minor league squads, 3 short season teams, and two developmental teams for the young at heart.   

9 teams means lots of players. What to do? 

Got it! This week, I list guys who have been scorching of late, with data shown through Tuesday's contests in this All Star week.   

Other guys not listed this week have done well all season, like 2 of my top ten 2015 performers:

Jeff McNeil leads the FSL in hitting at .320, but cooled off a bit of late, so he misses out on today's list. Michael Conforto, Futures Game superhero, likwise has cooled slightly (only slightly) in the midst of a great growth year, so he is not on this week's list either.  (But I got their names in my article anyway - pretty sneaky of me!) 

Here are the 20 guys serving time in the "fuego-tentiary" 

for being unlawfully hot of late, list in descending league order: 

Darin Gorski - he just won PCL Pitcher of Week, with 2 very fine starts, so he is one of my two PCL reps on the hot list.The other is: 

Alex Castellanos, who shook off a May slump to resume his robust power hitting game. His average and power #’s over the last 30+ games are off the charts.  Will we see him in Queens?  Hope so.

Michael Fulmer - sizzling hot in AA, the hard throwing 22 year old 2011 supplemental first rounder is pitching like a high pick should.  Last 6 starts, 2 earned runs in 36 IP.  To me, sounds like another pitching stud coming off the Mets super arms factory conveyor belt and moving to the pacKing dept. for a shipment to Queens.

Gabe Ynoa - as Stephen Guilbert, fellow Mack's Mets writer supreme, detailed recently, Ynoa is really getting it done.  8 earned runs and a mere 2 walks in his last 6 starts.  I am guessing that where he grew up, his bedroom window faced a flashing DON'T WALK sign and he took it seriously.  Early season struggles behind him, and his ERA below 4.00. The 21 year old is 44-22 lifetime.

Gavin Cecchini - our error-prone-in-2015 shortstop has an on base % just under .500 in 13 July games. Qualifies as FUEGO. The B Met's lead off hitter moonlights too, setting tables at a local Applebees to improve on his table setting abilities at the top of the B Mets order...now that's dedication.  The tips are good, too.

Dario Alvarez - last year's meteoric rise from Savannah to Queens was followed by a lousy April and May this year.  But come June 1, and that all changed drastically: he has since thrown 14 scoreless relief IP, with just 3 hits & a18 Ks in AA. The meteor ascends again.

Paul Sewald - never a slump for this stellar reliever. ALWAYS HOT. Paul is 3-0, 1.67 ERA this year, plus 14 of 15 saves.  Career, he is 11-5, 1.82 ERA in 173 IP.  A+ performer.  Just once, Paul, have a bad game, you don't have to be so darned mean to all these hitters…I promise I’ll be kind.

John Gant is having an excellent season and is 4-1 with 62 Ks in the same number of innings in his last 10 outings.

Dominic Smith - the dude with one double and hitting in the .140s on May 8 currently leads the FSL in doubles with 27 and is 4th in batting average at .300 (yes, Jeff McNeil still comfortably leads at .320, you don’t need to remind me.)

Casey Meisner - astounding year for the very tall, recently turned 20 year old ace. He is 10-2, 2.14 this year.

Kelly Secrest is 6-2, 2,82, and 1.69 in the last 10 of his 26 relief appearances this year. Good to go for the lefty.

Christian Montgomery - the man who threw a whole lot of "awful" in 2012-14 is now as good as he was bad, with 8 scoreless IP with just a single walk and 16 Ks. Last year, 33 innings with 32 walks and 32 hits. He must watch a lot of Transformers flicks. WOW.

Alex Palsha is another Brooklyn pen ace.  11.1 IP, 3 H, 4 BB, 0.00. Palsha, in 25 appearances since turning pro, has given up just 2 earned runs, sports a 0.63 ERA, and converted 16-17 save opps.

Vince Siena - a 21 year old from the 2015 draft, Vince is hitting in cyclonic fashion. In 22 games, .361, with a .424 OBP, and 5 of 6 steals. Reminiscent of the career start of Danny Muno in Brooklyn.

Patrick Mazelka, a 2015 draftee who is catching for Kingsport, is terrific so far with a .328/.430/.567 slash with 15 RBIs in 19 games and less than a K every 10 ABs.  No errors, either. So far, so great. 

Luis Carpio is a SS loving life as a 17 year old in Kingsport, hitting .309 in 78 at bats and just 9 Ks. Terrific season start. 1 to watch.

Merandy Gonzalez tossed a 7 inning no hitter with 1 qwalk.  Nolan Ryan approves. He is 2-1, 2.05, 9 hits and 25 Ks in 22 IP this year.

Ali Sanchez catches like a butterfly net…and hits like a son of a gun. The 17 year old in GCL is hitting .368 in 57 ABs and just 1 walk and 9 Ks. Like Carpio, amazing at that age.

Wagner Lagrange is a 19 year old OF doing some dynamic hitting, with a .356/.425/.456 slash in 26 games.  Only 11 Ks so far. Leader of the DSL pack.  Grabiel Jiminez almost as good so far.

Nick Debora: best DSL Mets hurler so far at 4-0, 0.97 in 37 IP with 32 Ks.  He's almost 22, so get him stateside, see what he's got.

That's 20 guys, and like I said, it includes games thru Tuesday.

But I woke up Thursday and saw one more guy who deserved it: 

Dash Winningham went 3-4 with a walk and his 5th homer Wednesday. The 19 year old 1B Kingsport slugger climbed to .297 and 17 RBIs in just 20 games. On the list, very well deserved.

I repeat, as I close, that other guys are having wonderful seasons, but these are the FUEGO BOYS of recent weeks. 

Who’s not hot?  Taking a pass this week, but one special mention:

SS/3B Phil Evans went from not hot to almost making the Hot List this week, with 10 recent hits (2 each in his past 5 games) to jump from .186 to.228.  Keep that up, Phil, and you'll be batting clean up in Queens by month end.

Have a great day.  It's no Minor thing when you do.