2/20/18

Tom Brennan - METS MINORS DARK HORSES: JAYCE BOYD


Tom Brennan - METS MINORS DARK HORSES: 

JAYCE BOYD


It seems when an offensive player is evaluated in terms of offensive potential, statistics get extrapolated over 600 plate appearances in order to simulate what he'd do over the equivalent of a full major league season, so here goes:


For Las Vegas in 2017, 2012 6th rounder Jayce Boyd went to the plate 278 times and hit a surging .297; projecting his season totals up to 600 PAs would give you the following: 

39 doubles, 2 triples, 24 HRs, 100 RBIs, and a .371 OBP.

Even better, extrapolate to 600 PAs his numbers from July 1 forward and you get: 

.333, 43 doubles, 7 triples, 30 HRs and 130+ RBIs.  

Pretty sensational.

And yet, no one seems to ever discuss this formerly significantly injured dark horse as a current prospect.  

He's only played to outfield or DH since his thoracic surgery about 4 years back, so maybe he is incapable of playing 1B any longer due to impaired throwing ability...I am not sure.  


(P.S. I can't tell you how many times I told Boyd and Matt Harvey to stay away from Thoracic Park - they never listened to me, though, maybe because I am a dinosaur.  However, I am proud to say that I never clean with Ajax or Borax - Thorax works so much better on those sink stains).  Anyway:

In April 2015, Adam Rubin wrote this about Boyd, which makes it appear he can be a functional first baseman and presumably outfielder: 


  • ...Jayce Boyd is moving to the outfield. The Mets like Boyd as a 1B but are trying to diversify his positions because he is blocked at the major league level by Lucas Duda.  The previous year (2013) he underwent shoulder surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome. He is now throwing without pain. He also is showing improvement with the different throwing motion from the outfield.
With the bat, he kind of reminds me of the Natural - he hit like mad before the injury; playing time was drastically reduced during and after recovery from the injury; and finally had big, but part time, success at the dish years later in 2017.  

Why the added power? He started his minors career at just 185 pounds, but now is listed at 219, so he has added bulk which to me likely explains his 2017 power surge.

If he can in fact play a close-to-adequate 1B or OF, his righty bat could at some point come into play as a possible platoon partner with lefty Dominic Smith at 1B.  

Maybe Dark Horse Boyd can finagle his way to Citifield in late 2018 when rosters expand.  Just continue to improve at the plate and show he can still be adequate in the field.  And stay healthy.


12 comments:

Mike Freire said...

He is an interesting name and one that is often overlooked when discussing our prospect pool (or lack thereof).

My only question is the cluttered road ahead of him at the MLB level.

AG is the short term answer at first base, followed by DS and PA in the upper levels of the minor leagues. Then you have YC, JL/BN and JB in the outfield, not even mentioning MC who will be back soon.

Maybe he is a future bench piece? A player that can play 1B and a corner outfield spot?

If Sandy moves one of the young first basemen in a future deal (likely to be PA over DS, IMO), I could see Jace becoming the primary backup at 1B in 2019 and beyond.

Lots of alphabet soup in this response!

That Adam Smith said...

I’ve always been a Boyd fan. He was a serious college bat, and was showing a lot of promise before his disastrous injury issues. This is a very big year for him. There’s room in the OF in Vegas, so if he can stay healthy and continue his (interrupted) development, he’s still got a shot, I think.

Tom Brennan said...

Mike I grew up on alphabet soup - and that's AOK.

It seems the dacks are stacked against Boyd, with so much competition, but like TJ Rivera, his bat may help Jayce force his way in somewhere, if in fact his AAA hitting surge of 2017 was the real thing and not a temporary hot streak.

Tom Brennan said...

Adam, I hope he is 100% healthy in 2018 - but I wish I had better info on whether his throwing is impaired.

Tons of competition between him and a major league slot, but maybe he is a September pennant race pinch hitter call up, and maybe his ultimate next step is overseas pro ball.

Mack Ade said...

Hey guys -

Checking in from the hospital waiting room while the Mrs. sees here doctors.

I got to know Jayce in Savannah and observed him play there in 2013 (.361/.441/.494/.935). He went on the St. Lucie that year as a full fledged prospect.

The injury killed him. He simply couldn't throw. He then became a full time DH and his entire game never came around to what looks like last year in Vegas.

If someone goes down this year in the corner outfield... if... Boyd could offer the parent team a viable option to den Dekker as the OF5.

Mack Ade said...

Oh...

and bTW....

did someone write something about Tim Tebow while I was away?

Tom Brennan said...

Mack, I think Tim Tebow stole my sign on privileges - the article had my name on it, but I do not recall writing it :)

Robert Mueller just issued a subpoena for my records though.

Hope all goes well in the doctor visits.

Reese Kaplan said...

While I can't say much for Tebow's baseball future, my opinion of him as a person went up considerably last week. I was forced to watch one of those infernal home improvement shows my better half seemingly always has on the TV and during this particular one my ears perked up when I heard TT's name. Apparently his foundation contributed money to help renovate a home and build a wheelchair athletic field in the back yard for a family with two special needs children. That was highly commendable in and of itself, but then the man himself made a trip to Texas to greet the family and play with the kids upon the unveiling of the completed project. A class act.

bill metsiac said...

What do Boyd's #s look like with the Vegas factor adjustment?

Tom Brennan said...

Reese, I do not study Tebow's life, regardless of what Mack may think (smile), but he is truly a class act in an era where those active in their faith are often directly or indirectly ridiculed.

Tom Brennan said...

Bill, I do not think there is one adjustment factor for Vegas - one guy who really dropped sharply between PCL #s and Intl league #'s was our recently reacquired Matt den D.

Boyd's #'s in my article: "extrapolate to 600 PAs his numbers from July 1 forward and you get: .333, 43 doubles, 7 triples, 30 HRs and 130+ RBIs."

If he hit the same in the International League, I'd say .290-.300, 65% of the extra base hits, 90 RBIs.

Major league extrapolation - my guess: .240-.260, .320 OBP, .380-.390 slug %.

Reese Kaplan said...

A great many players who flourished in Las Vegas -- Eric Campbell, Brandon Nimmo, Gavin Cecchini, Matt Reynolds, etc. -- dropped off significantly, so Bill's point is well taken.