Tom Brennan - Homers by Mets Minors Outfielders

Pictured - JAYCE BOYD



Tom Brennan - Homers by Mets Minors Outfielders

In a year where the major leagues set a record for homers in a season (6,105, per Baseball Almanac), and in a season where Stanton just missed 60 and Judge hit 52, how exactly did the Mets minors do in homers? 

Are we developing home run hitters to joint that HR Hit Parade?

Well, that is kind of a broad question, so let’s focus on the outfield only for the 7 Mets minors teams in this article, since outfield is usually a category where home run hitters are most predominant.  I’ll save my comments – mostly – until the end.  You, the reader, can evaluate the raw data first yourselves.  I listed guys who were predominantly OFs.

LAS VEGAS 51’S

Travis Taijeron – 25 in 125 games (dropped from 40 man)

Jayce Boyd – 11 in 92 games (in just 246 ABs - surprise!)

Travis Snyder – 10 in 117 games (journeyman)

Victor Cruzado – 7 in 94 games

Brandon Nimmo – 4 in 42 games (5 for Mets in 177 at bats)

BINGHAMTON RUMBLE PONIES

Kevin Kaczmarski – 5 in 128 games

Champ Stuart – 5 in 101 games (speed and Ks)

LJ Mazzilli – 5 in 110 games (about half played in OF)

Kevin Taylor – 3 in 114 games (76 games in OF)

Patrick Biondi – 2 in 94 games

ST LUCIE METS

Tim Tebow – 8 in 126 games (former NFL QB)

Nick Sergakis – 6 in 65 games (.252/.371/.432 in 2^nd season)

Wuilmer Becerra – 4 in 128 games (surgery sucks)

John Mora – 3 in 133 games

COLUMBIA FIREFLIES

Desmond Lindsay – 8 in 65 games (surgery sucks)

Jay Jabs – 7 in 90 games (.206)

Jacob Zanon – 1 in 66 games (speedster)

Arnaldo Berrios – 2 in 84 games

Gene Cone – 0 in 84 games

BROOKLYN CYCLONES

Jose Miguel Medina – 1 in 91 games

KINGSPORT METS

Anthony Dirocie – 11 in 61 games (93 Ks)

Wagner Lagrange – 4 in 58 games (.330)

Rafael Gladu – 2 in 36 games

Dionis Paulino – 2 in 51 games

Guillermo Granadillo – 1 in 61 games

GCL METS

Kenny Bautista – 3 in 43 games

Raul Beracierta – 1 in 49 games (18 yr old)

Edinson Valdez – 0 in 25 games

Let’s exclude Travis Taijeron for just a moment, since he may well not be back with the Mets farm in 2018.

The other 28 guys hit a not-so-grand total of 116 homers. 

Those 116 HRs were in 2,208 games – that works out to a paltry average of 8 HRs for every 150 games.

Fifteen of those guys hit less than 5  - theirs totaled 33 in 1,159 games, or 4 per every 150 games.

Only 3 of the 29 OFs (Taijeron, Boyd, and Dirocie) hit more than 10 HRs, and latter 2 of the 3 hit just 11 (those 2, in fairness, did it in limited at bats).

I didn't look back at other major league teams to see how their minors did for HRs by OFs – but I have little doubt the Mets came in dead last.

My theory?

Part of it was a hangover from the deep fences at Citifield days, which only ended in 2014, leading back then to an over-emphasis on contact hitters vs. power hitters. 

Part of it could be they are training guys to make contact, and then encouraging them to swing for the fences more towards the end of their minor league careers.  Part of it certainly is playing in pitchers’ parks everywhere except Vegas. 

Finally, and very importantly, there has been a lot of STUPID METS DRAFTING THAT UNDERVALUES POWER BATS.

In that vein, my 9 part draft analysis, spanning the Mets’ drafts of 2008-17, starts on Friday.  Please read those.