10/15/17

Mack's Apples - 10-15-17 - Nimmo, Scout Mock, BA Mock, Kickball, Brain Cancer


Nimmo - 


Brandon Nimmo just posted a .300 tAV over 200-odd plate appearances. Small sample size sure, but it’s better than the .298 mark that Jay Bruce posted during his 2017 Mets tenure. That speaks to the difference between Bruce’s .321 OBP and the elite .390 OBP that Nimmo produced. Is that sustainable? Who knows. Is it worth giving the 24-year-old former first-round pick first crack at an outfield spot over a 30-year-old Bruce? My sources say yes, even without considering what’s likely to be a nine-figure difference in salary.



 Scout came out with their ‘way too early’ mock draft on Oct 2nd. The first six picks were –

1.     Detroit Tigers - Kumar Rocker, RHP, North Oconee HS (GA)
2.     San Francisco Giants - Brady Singer, RHP, Florida
3.     Philadelphia Phillies - Casey Mize, RHP, Auburn
4.     Chicago White Sox - Nick Madrigal, SS, Oregon State
5.     Cincinnati Reds - Brice Turang, SS, Santiago HS (CA)
6.     New York Mets - Shane McClanahan, LHP, South Florida


The Mets have turned into one of the most conservative teams in all of baseball. When they were at their peak in the draft, they went for upside athletes. The last two years, they have had 21 picks in the top 10 rounds and taken one high school player, Mark Vientos. In addition, they have taken a left-handed college arm in the first round the last two years. 

McClanahan is the top college lefty, though he has had consistency issues, and pitching for a smaller program and not dominating is always a big red flag for me. His ceiling is as high as any of the college pitchers in this class but, among the top arms, he is also the biggest risk by a rather large margin. I often find it funny how teams might view prep players as too risky, but then go ahead and draft college players who are even riskier than many prep players.



Baseball America also rolled out their first official mock draft.
First six picks –

1.     Tigers – RHP Brady Singer, Florida
2.     Giants – RHP Ethan Hankins, Forsyth Central HS (GA)
3.     Phillies – SS Brice Turang, Santiago HS (CA)
4.     White Sox – SS Nander De Sadas, Montverde Academy (FL)
5.     Reds – 3B Nolan Gorman, O’Connor HS (AZ)
6.     Mets – LHP Shane McClanahan, South Florida


The Mets have been curiously cautious in recent years, sticking to college picks, and until ownership changes, there's no reason to believe that direction will change. Injury concerns may dog McClanahan (who already has had Tommy John surgery) and Mize (limited to seven innings this summer by a forearm strain), but the Mets have had their eyes on McClanahan for a while. They drafted him in the 26th round out of Cape Coral (Fla.) High in 2015 and will have reason to take him again.



How To Play Kickball


In order to know how to play kickball, firstly you need to understand the game setup, rules, and regulations. Secondly, you might also want to gear up properly. The game, which is also known as kick baseball can be played indoors and outdoors. It is similar to baseball in terms of setup, field/pitch, rules, and scoring points. The main difference is that you kick the ball instead of hitting it with a bat. Also, the ball, which is made out of rubber, is much larger and is nearly the same size to that used in football or soccer.


The Brain Cancer That Keeps Killing Baseball Players

Since Darren Daulton succumbed to brain cancer on Aug. 6, heartfelt tributes have honored the way he led a raucous Phillies team to the World Series in 1993.

And unanswered questions have surfaced about the way he died.

Daulton and several prominent contemporaries in baseball — including at least three other Phillies who played at Veterans Stadium, the team’s home from 1971 to 2003 — have died of glioblastoma, according to news media accounts. It is considered the most aggressive and frequently diagnosed form of malignant brain tumor.

Researchers who have examined the baseball cases for years say there is insufficient evidence to determine whether they represent anything more than coincidence. Possible cancer clusters are notoriously hard to prove. Most of the time, upon rigorous examination, no cause can be identified and the cases are considered random.

24 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

A lefty pitcher? Is there no 49 homer bat available to us in our hour of dire need?

Mack Ade said...

1B/DH/OF Seth Beer. Clemson

Tom Brennan said...

Beer night at Citifield. Nice.

Mack Ade said...

Have a Seth

Tom Brennan said...

Why stop at just one? Seth is the one Beer to have when you're having more than one, right Mr. Schaefer?

Tom Brennan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Tom Brennan said...

And we criticize Travis Taijeron:

The two main culprits are Judge and Sanchez.

Judge, who set a major-league record with 52 homers, has 2 hits in 27 at-bats (.074) since the start of the ALDS and whiffed 19 times.

In addition to being in a 4-for-30 (.133) slide since Game 1 of the ALDS, Sanchez has struck out 15 times.

Somewhere Dave Kingman is laughing.

bgreg98180 said...

And....how un-Mets-like.....the Yankees still won the series against the Indians.

TexasGusCC said...

Let me not even answer about another reach pitcher in the first round, especially the sixth pick in the draft.

Tom Brennan said...

TexasGusCC, thank you. Draft...a...bat.

TexasGusCC said...

Nimmo deserves a chance to start, but my preference for the Mets to add a OF/1B type is due to Conforto's injury and Smith's lack of preparedness for MLB pitchers. The jump from AAA to MLB is quite large and we cannot give Smith "time to get up to speed". If he were a slick fielding SS, then sure, bat him 8th. But at his position, "Buddy, Bellinger just put up a monster year in about 4 1/2 months".

Nimmo however has shown he is prepared and needs to be batting firstly second. My question is, do you need Aoki? Maybe until Conforto comes back, but then what? Can he learn first base? Do we want another walks guy? Not sure on that guy.

That Adam Smith said...

Aoki will cost around $8 million. There’s absolutely no way the Mets pay that for a 4th/5th OF, even as insurance for a couple month delay in Conforto’s return. I have a feeling that Sandy actually likes the potential of the offense he already has, will leave the catchers in place, and will not spend $ on a big time bat in the OF. I don’t think they want Conforto in CF, and there are no CF available for reasonable cost that will definitively be better than Nimmo/Lagares. Likewise, there are no real 3B options out there. The one move he might make would be at 2B, which is unlikely to be a real impact bat, but, assuming they keep Cabrera (I hope not, but believe they will) would put Flores back on the bench. Look for one new member of the rotation, one swing arm, and one new bullpen addition. The sad fact is that i wouldn’t trust the FO judgement on either a FA or major trade acquisition at this point (and we have few if any trade chips) so, there we are.

Unknown said...

I know this is outside the box but why not offer the Fish who are looking to cut payroll a Cespedes for Stanton deal and I'm sure we'd have to throw in a few players not named DeGrom, Rosario or Thor but wouldn't that kind of deal make a statement. Cespedes gives them a replacement bat and a player made for Miami and saves them some serious $$$ going forward.

Unknown said...

Wasn’t Eddie Kunz a first round pick (ducks)

Tom Brennan said...

Gary, works for me.

Mack Ade said...

And do what... Pay him 700billion over the next 40 yrs

Mack Ade said...

Ed

Yes he was

Unknown said...

I still don’t understand Omar’s rationalization on that pick

Tom Brennan said...

We have a poor record on first round picks...just ask Reggie Jackson

Unknown said...

Or Shawn Abner

Reese Kaplan said...

Or Gavin Cecchini...or Reese Havens...

Unknown said...

Reese you can be such a buzzkill sometimes .. like Gregg Jeffery’s without the overbearing father lol

Unknown said...

*Jefferies

Reese Kaplan said...

Says the guy who brought up Shawn Abner :)