METS’ MINORS: FIREMEN AND FIRE STARTERS by Tom Brennan
Firemen and fire starters…some relievers lock it down and others feed
fuel to the fire.
Who are the firemen and who are the fire starters so far in the minors
for the Metsies?
(Stats through Monday)The Two Best Relief Performers So Far: Tim Peterson and Paul Sewald. Read on please.
AAA:
Firemen:
Josh Edgin (in A and AAA), Paul Sewald, and Chase Bradford have gotten
it done:
Josh has been fantastic in rehab: 7.2 IP, 1 H, 3 BB, 12 Ks – how impressive
is that?
Paul, always superb, sits at 2-1, 1.89, 24 Ks in 19 IP, and 5 saves. No
earned runs in his last 9 outings.
Chase is low on K’s but great on control (2 BB in 18.1 IP), and is 2-1,
1.96, with 2 saves.
But A Bunch of AAA Fire Starters:
With ERAs ranging from 4.86 to 9.86, six relievers (Zach Thornton, Dario Alvarez, Josh
Smoker, Jeff Walters, Stolmy Pimental, and Eric Goeddel) have been the Molotov cocktail
tossers for Wally Backman. Pimental (the highest ERA) has also been awful
as a starter.
In 79 combined relief innings, those six have given up 98 hits, 47 walks,
and 66 runs. No wonder Vegas is
struggling to stay over .500.
AA:
Firemen:
Logan Taylor has been best of Binghamton breed, with 12
outings, 3-0, a 2.61 ERA and 27 Ks in 20.2 IP. Two bad outings, 10 really good
ones. Thirteen bases on balls are his key blemish.
Less than Firemen so far, but hardly better than Fire Starters:
Luis Mateo, Akeel
Morris, Mike Hepple, Kelly Secrest, Beck Wheeler and Dave Roseboom:
45 combined runs in 89 IP does not constitute disaster, but you’d like the
bulk of your bullpen to be surrendering well below 4.5 runs per 9 innings. Only 4 saves so far for this group. Hepple’s 18 walks in 15 innings is a real
concern, and Akeel Morris’ 11 BBs in 16 innings is also a continuation of his
past control issues.
HIGH A:
MANY ARE THE LUCIE FIREMEN:
Kevin McGowan, Alberto Baldonado, Robert Coles, Tim Peterson, Ben Griset, Corey Taylor, and (in limited innings) Paul Paez have collectively been dominant:
In 107 combined
innings, these crafty craftsmen have 9 saves and a 1.26 ERA. Gadzooks!
Peterson (0.55), Baldonado (1.02), McGowan
(1.37), and Taylor (1.29) have ERAs below a buck fifty.
McGowan (24 K / 1 BB)
and Peterson (28 K / 2 BB) have had superb strikeout to walk ratios.
Lucie's bullpen has been a true team strength.
Fire Starter:
Jimmy Duff: Duff
has surrendered 14 runs (11 earned) in 18.1 IP, with a 1.69 WHIP.
A BALL:
FIREMEN:
Tyler Bashlor, Alex Palsha, and Seth Davis are the haves, snuffing out brush fires:
Bashlor (1.20, 15 IP, 20 Ks, 2 SV), Palsha (2-1, 4 SV, 3.57, 17.2 IP,
28 Ks), and Davis (1-1, 2.79, 1 SV, 19.1 IP, 18 K) have been collectively
strong for the Fireflies.
FIRE STARTERS:
Chris Montgomery, Craig Missigman, Nicco Blank, Johnny Magliozzi, Witt Haggard: the have nots:
Combined, they've surrendered 10 HRs in 57 IP and 43 runs, and 33
walks. Bright side? Montgomery
(22 Ks in 15.2 IP) and Missigman (20 Ks in 17 IP) have rung up more than a K
per inning.
Montgomery to me still has the most talent in the Fire Starter group,
and almost could have been in the Firemen group. After 2 horrendous outings at the start of
the season, he has had 8 mostly strong ones (13.2 IP, 3 runs, 6 BB, 18 K) to improve
his ERA to 4.60. He’s had a career of
really good outings coupled with really bad, and control issues. The
key for him is to lock into being a lot more consistently really good than bad for the
rest of 2016.
As it goes early in every season, the landscape of who may get
promoted, stall in place, or possibly get let go is getting closer. Clearly, at least a few St Lucie relievers
will be pushing up for promotion to Binghamton.
It seems 3 or 4 Fireflies may be ready for St Lucie later this
year.
Akeel Morris and Logan Taylor may get mid-season promotions from Binghamton to AAA,
possibly even Mateo if he picks up the pace.
So the Vegas bullpen laggards
will have to pick up their game if they want to stay in the game.
Oh, and in the "late breaking news" department, 3 guys tossed a perfect inning after my Monday cutoff, with Mateo, Peterson, and Wheeler striking out 1, 2, and 3, respectively, in the process.
Oh, and in the "late breaking news" department, 3 guys tossed a perfect inning after my Monday cutoff, with Mateo, Peterson, and Wheeler striking out 1, 2, and 3, respectively, in the process.
I'll check in on the relievers again around midseason, as things shape
up further.
Have a great day.
11 comments:
I forgot to add in that Logan Taylor, to add to his already commendable relief performance in AA, had an outstanding relief outing after my Monday cutoff on Tuesday, with 2.2 IP, 0 H, 1 BB, 4 K. He is intriguing. Big dude racking up lots of Ks.
It will be interesting what happens after the draft......new influx of talent, causing everyone to move up (or out) of our system.
Edgin should be in the big league pen before too much longer...once he gets his arm strength back to 100%.
Nice "problems" to have.....Mike
Aside from the pen boys, I'd be remiss without a minor league shout out to David Thompson (FORTY RBI'S IN MID MAY!) and PJ Conlon (6-0, 1.04, AFTER HIS 0.00 ERA IN 2015 IN RELIEF FOR bKLYN)
Agree, Mike, and when I see a guy like Tim Peterson crushing the opposition out of the pen, I immediately wonder what he could do a level higher and how soon he'll get there.
Tom,
Which hitter and which pitcher relief or starter on the farm would you say has best chance to make a significant impact with the Mets
Impact on the Mets currently, Herrera and Paul Sewald. Both could help right now if there were room. Both should be up by Sept the latest. Sewald is not the hardest thrower, but he has been excellent at every level, with almost no bad outings ever.
Biggest impact longer term, hitter-wise, take your pick on Herrera and Rosario, followed by Smith, Becerra and perhaps Thompson.
Biggest impact longer term, reliever-wise, take your pick on Peterson, Logan Taylor, and perhaps Alex Palsha.
Morris, Baldonado, and Montgomery on the next tier.
Of course, Gsellman may convert to relief on this team (if not traded like Gant was) and he'd then belong on this list.
If Taylor continues to succeed in AA, and then AAA assuming promotion, maybe a Sept call up?
None of the other AAA relievers impress me (of course, I consider Edgin a major leaguer essentially rehabbing until a slot is open to recall him, so I left him off this answer).
Great summary, Thomas.
I note that among PJ Conlon's sterling numbers as a starter this year in SC, he averages 6+ IP/start which is a rarity in lo A. He's 22 though, so I think he needs to be tested in A+ at least--soon.
I also note that beside the Taylors, Logan & Corey, performing well, we should see Blake Taylor pretty soon in Brooklyn. A Taylor-made BP some day maybe (sorry).
Nice write up bud. My sure fire position players are Dom Smith and Dilson Herrera for sure. I don't know enough about our pitching to comment. Thanks
Howie, that joke was Taylor-made.
Thanks, Bob. The more I see Duda's inconsistencies, the faster I hope Smith develops.
Beck Wheeler fanned 5 in 2 IP tonight, and has now fanned 10 in his last 4 IP.
Chris Montgomery nailed 4 in 2 IP, and has now fanned 22 in his last 13.2 IP.
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