METS’ MINORS: FIREMEN AND FIRE STARTERS by Tom Brennan

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.

I'll check in on the relievers again around midseason, as things shape up further. 

Have a great day.