Tom Brennan: SILVER LININGS: SZAPUCKI, KINGSPORT
Hey, where were the SF Giants a week earlier when we needed them? If you haven't looked at the MLB standings lately, some years, you're just in the wrong league and wrong division. Unless a miracle happens. But I was happy to see the often struggling RAFAEL MONTERO toss his 3rd straight strong outing, a SILVER lining in his cloudy career and one we hope will become his norm. Montero loves June: 12.1 IP, 15 K, 2 runs.
TOM SZAPUCKI: he was the Mets lefty assassin in rookie ball last year. This year started slow, with a shoulder impingement and a few recent OK starts. Yesterday, the Assassin returned: 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 10 K. Exciting stuff.
KINGSPORT: 3-0, .380 hitting start. Impressive. 3B Rigoberto Terazzas is 8 for 13 (.615). and assured me he can hit like that all season. Well, he didn't assure me, but a .615 hitter would be nice.
Lastly, JOHN MORA of St Lucie is 16 for 33 over his last 8 games. We need Mora that.
OK, OK Hobie, I'm getting to him: Victor Cruzado pulled a Ricky Henderson and homered leading off, but hapless Vegas lost again anyway. A SF Giants-like 29-47.
I'm sorry, but I'm a numbers guy and Cruzado's body of work simply doesn't jump out at me. He did not play in the games I saw here in El Paso when the 51s came to visit, so I can't see if there is more there than what's in black & white. For his career he's averaging about 10/70/.275 with 11 SBs over the course of a full season -- nice but not the stuff that screams star (or even starter).
ReplyDeleteReese, you and I are in the same place - he has a lot to prove. He has hit well in Vegas in limited at bats, but needs to kick it up a few notches - sorry, Hobie.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Szapucki, if he can stay healthy, has the chance to bypass both Humphreys and Gonzalez in the Mets starter potentials.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Mack. SZapucki is my favorite
DeleteWe need a starter in the farm to take over as a top 3 starter for the big club asap...
ReplyDeleteSzapucki is the guys it think that could...
we cannot give up on Matz / wheeler or Gsellman but we cannot count on them either...
Man I wish we sold high on Gsellman last offseason... I wasn't sold on him ... the Great GM's know how to move their assets and when to move them...
Even mediocre GMs know that unless you win the World Series in 4 straight there is room for improvement. Not Sandy Alderson -- no acquisitions whatsoever that changed the roster from 2016 into 2017 and no plans for injuries that can and did occur.
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