Tom Brennan - METS ROOKIE BALL PUNCHOUT RELIEVERS

Tom Brennan: METS ROOKIE BALL

PUNCHOUT RELIEVERS

Every rookie ball season, there seem to be Mets rookie ball relievers who put up tremendous strikeout stats and dominate the hitters in their respective leagues.   Must be something in the water...

Putting the water bottle aside, I think it's high time to list the several best performers among them (stats thru Thursday):

GCL METS:

We’re so sorry, Uncle Albert, there are no standout relievers (at least yet) in the land of the GCL Mets.  When one does stand out, I will be relieved, I don't know about you.

 

KINGSPORT METS:

Two standout relievers who I dub as the 20/20 Boys – the 2 each have 20 Ks and combined are fanning 14.6 / 9 IP:

AARON FORD, 2017 21st Rd. Kingsport Lefty: 11.2 IP, 1.03 WHIP, 1.54 ERA, 20 Ks

JOSHUA PAYNE, 2017 22^ND Rd. Kingsport Righty: 13 IP, 0.54 WHIP, 1.38 ERA, 20 Ks

BROOKLYN CYCLONES:

The BC Boys have several relievers that look to their opponents like, well, Raging Cyclones:

CANNON CHADWICK, 2017 9th Rd. Brooklyn Righty: 1.45 ERA in 18.2 IP, 27 Ks.  An arm like a Chadwick..err..cannon.

STEVE VILLINES, 2017 10th Rd, Brooklyn Righty: 7 IP, 14 Ks, 2 runs, after he fanned 11 in 10 fine innings starting out his career first in Kingsport.

TREY COBB, 2017 8th Rd. Bklyn RHP: 16 IP, 16K, 1-1, 2.70.  Short reliever gets a short update.

CONNER O'NEIL, 2017 7th Rd. Brooklyn Righty: 14.2 IP, 3.07, 0-1, 18 Ks.  Arnold says he is not related to John or Sarah Conner, just to be clear. (Mack will Terminate me after that one LOL).

NICOLAS DEBORA:  Nicky D, as I and no one else calls him, has been used as both a short starter and reliever, has had a few hiccups, but apparently changed his diet to cut down on those hiccups: the 23 year old's last 2 relief outings spanned 7.1 IP, in which he did not allow a run, surrendered just 4 hits, and fanned 11.

In addition to these guys, some other rookie ballers have pitched well also.  And besides these hombres, there were 20 guys I highlighted pitching very well in relief in the higher full season leagues. 

I would say that the Mets Minors Bullpen Pipeline is pretty stocked at the moment.  

And of course the deck can shuffle at any time in pitcher rankings - for example, Kingsport's pitching has been pretty awful this season, so on Saturday, what do they do?  2 shutouts in a double header...quite a relief.