Future Positional Analysis – Relief Pitching

Good morning.

The Mets have 12 relief pitchers on their 40-man squad: Dario Alvarez,  Josh Edgin, Jeurys Familia, Sean Gilmartin, Eric Goeddel, Jenrry Mejia, Akeel Morris, Addison Reed, Hansel Robles, Josh Smoker, Carlos Torres, and Gabiel Ynoa.

Very few of these guys are guaranteed an opening ay spot in Queens. Alvarez, Morris, and Smoker will open up in the minors... Mejia will be suspended for most of the season and then probably let go when he comes off the suspension.... and Edgin will open the season still recovering from TJS.

My guess is Familia will be joined by a couple of new names, a re-negotiated Reed, Gilmartin, Robles, and probably Goeddel. Torres and Ynoa could be odd men out here.

There are bunches of quality young relievers that will play this next season at all four full season team. Some you have heard of before, some are new names, but all are showing the ability to stat up with the best of them.

Las Vegas will most probably feature four prospects… Paul Seward, Akeel Morris, Josh Smoker, and Dario Alvarez.

We all know the LH Alvarez (AAA – 16-AP, 2.45, 11.0-IP, 19-K) we fell in love in Vegas, though his 10 appearances in Queens over the past two seasons have only produced a combined 12.60-ERA.

As for Morris, he too had a scary debut in Queens (1-appearance, 67.50-ERA), but his combined 2015 stats for St. Lucie and Binghamton last season were 47-appearances, 0-2, 2.05, 61.1-IP, 81-K.

Smoker is a recent addition to the 40-man after posting 14-appearances, 1.69 in St. Lucie and 21-appearances, 3.00. He also had 52-K in a combined 42.1-IP.

And lastly, Seward just hasn’t done anything wrong yet as a professional baseball pitcher. He’s thrown for four teams since 2012 (Brooklyn, Savannah, St. Lucie, Binghamton) and his combined stats are… wait for it… 138-appearances, 11-5, 1.82. 0.97, 192.1-IP, 227-K.

My guess is all four of these will open up in Vegas, led by Seward.

There looks to be four more relievers slated for Binghamton that you should keep your eye on. Robert Coles (St. Lucie: 40-appearances, 2.45,), undrafted Mike Hepple (St. Lucie: 38-appearances, 2.51,), Kelly Secrest (St. Lucie: 38-appearances, 3.14), and undrafted Kyle Regnault (St. Lucie: 39-appearances, 1.99, 1.06) have put up some outstanding professional numbers so far. The one downside is none have showed the ability to produce a K/9 ration above nine.

Four more will probably start the season in Florida with St. Lucie. The ex-starter prospect Luis Mateo (Sav: 10-appearances, 2.31, 0.94, 11.2-IP, 13-K), Paul Paez (Sav: 20-appearances, 1.36, 1.01), Cameron Griffin (Sav: 24-appearances, 1.67, 1.04, 27.0-IP, 26-K), and Ben Griset (Sav: 28-appearances, 2.97, 1.19, 39.1-IP, 41-K) produced wonderful stat lines for the lost Sand Gnats. I especially like the 23-year old lefty Griset that was picked up from Tampa Bay.

Lastly, P J Conlon (Brooklyn: 17-appearcnes, an incredible 0.00-ERA, 0.59, 17.0-IP, 25-K) , Alex Palsha (Brooklyn: 22-appearances, 0.36, 0.77, 24.2, 34-K), Carlos Valdez (Brooklyn: 24-appearances, 1.59, 1.09, 28.1-IP, 28-K Craig Missigman (Brooklyn: 21-appearances, 2.34, 1.15), and Corey Taylor (Brooklyn: 18-appearances, 1.50, 1.00, 18.0-IP, 16-K) will all travel to Columbia (check out Palsha and Conlon’s K/9 ratio).

It’s impossible to predict how many of these guys can someday be successful at the major league level; however, this is the first year I have ever emphasized so many names in a positive manner.

It looks to me that the Sandy Alderson scouting system is in full gear, especially in the low rounds at smaller schools.