Tom Brennan - Season Recap: GCL Mets

Tom Brennan - Season Recap: GCL Mets

The lowest level rookie league ball team in Florida's Gulf Coast league had a low level season, going 19-37, 15 games behind the dreaded rival Nats' GCL squad.


A relatively weak offense had some real positive highlights:

17 year old 2nd round SS Mark Vientos (pictured above) in 47 games in the GCL had 4 homers and hit .259/.316/.397.  He also had a nice 4 game cameo with Kingsport, hitting .294 with 2 doubles.  He looks like a very nice draft pick.


If last year's 17 year old phenom Andres Giminez could skip 3 levels all the way from the lowly DSL to Full A ball this season, maybe Mr. Vientos can similarly fast track and skip 2 levels and play full season ball in Columbia in 2018.  

Incredibly, in 14 games at 3B and 23 at SS, he made only 6 errors, so the glove seems quite advanced for a 17 year old. 

My hopes is we see Vientos in Queens at age 20 in 2020 as a burgeoning star, but there is a whole lotta road to cover between now and then for him to do that.  More likely? 2021.

Before the Human Grenade, 20 year old CF Guillermo Granadillo, got promoted to Brooklyn late in the season, he hit .301 with 17 steals in 42 games - he added 5 more swipes in 19 decent games with the Cyclones.  Little power to date.

Another guy with the initials GG, 2B Greg Guerrero, had a very disappointing season, hitting .217 in 38 games with a mere 4 extra base hits, and not playing after August 13.  Hey, all the other Guerreros can hit, why not you, Greg?


SS/2B Hansel Moreno hit .387 in 16 GCL games and .295 overall between the GCL and Kingsport teams.  14 of 18 steals and a .462 OB % makes the 20 year old one to watch.


OF Kenny Bautista had miserable, short seasons with the GCL Mets in 2015 and 2016, but the 20 year old 23rd rounder from 2015 got it going in 2017: .264/.383/.450, with 9 hits and 5 walks in his last 7 games.  Encouraging, and maybe there is hope for him to do well and progress in 2018.

Pitching overall was weak, mirroring a troubling aspect for the other 2 Mets' rookie ball teams.


Three GCL Mets pitchers were comment-worthy:


Jaison Vilera was terrific: in 62 innings, the 20 year old recorded 56 Ks, 3-1, 1.88, 0.96 WHIP. 


35th rounder Kyle Wilson did well in relief, much better than the Mets' other late in the draft picks (see below).


Briam Campusano (yes, Briam with an M, I only misspell Mazeika) threw 33 solid GCL innings and then got promoted to both Kingsport AND Brooklyn.  Overall, the 21 year old was only 2-6, but with a 2.89 ERA and 63 Ks in 65 innings.  His last 2 starts were terrific, as he totaled 11 innings, with only 3 hits, 2 runs and 13 Ks.  My guess is he (and possibly Vilera) will be Columbia-bound in 2018.


The team's weak point?  16 pitchers with ERAs over 5.00 combined for 175 innings, allowed 168 runs, and went 7-22.  Where are the pink slips?  The song New York, New York has that line "if I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere."

If you can't pitch better in the lowly GCL, I am not very confident you can make it anywhere, and Frank Sinatra told me he mostly agrees. 


Among those Stinky Sixteen were the Mets' 13th, 20th, 29th, 37th, 39th, and 40th round picks. To be fair and positive, 5 of those 6 were only 17 or 18 years old this year, and could rock next year when they are much older and more mature at age 18 or 19, said Mr. Sinatra.


My next and final season recap will be a recap of the Mets' best minor league team in 2017, and the only one of the 7 teams to make the playoffs - the Binghamton Rumble Ponies.