Mack’s Apples – Ronny Mauricio, Michael Conforto, Top 10 Rotations, White Sox Groundskeeper, Guide to CitiField

Good morning.

John Sickels on –

           16) Ronny Mauricio, SS, Grade C+: Age 16, signed out of Dominican Republic for $2,100,000 in 2017; hasn’t played yet so this is all July 2nd scouting reports; I’m putting him here to change the palate after the batch of relievers; switch-hitter with projectable frame, reportedly has arm and range to stay at shortstop as well as good potential as a pure hitter; ETA: ??? QUESTION MARK: all projection with no data.

https://www.minorleagueball.com/2018/2/14/17015250/new-york-mets-top-20-prospects-for-2018

Fangraphs https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2018-positional-power-rankings-center-field/ on Michael Conforto –

            When Conforto first hurt his shoulder, there were concerns he might miss a whole lot of 2018. Right now, it looks as if he could come back as early as the middle of April. That's the fantastic news -- the return of Conforto isn't far off. And, the last time, anyone saw Conforto, he had a 249 wRC+ to the pull side, and he had a 241 wRC+ to the opposite field. The most recent healthy version of Conforto was a monster. Maybe he doesn't have the classic center-field profile, but heaven knows he can hit plenty. You make it work. Who cares about traditional position profiles, anyhow? If it's defense you need, well, that's what Lagares is for.

The open question is whether Conforto will come back with all of his strength. It would only make sense if he needs time to build back up. He went through something serious. He's sufficiently young that his recovery should work out. You'd think that, say, second-half Conforto would be fine. There's just a certain air of mystery. There always is, with this team.

MLB’s https://www.mlb.com/news/top-10-rotations-for-2018/c-269492154  top 10 rotations –

           9. Mets

SP1: Jacob deGrom

SP2: Noah Syndergaard

SP3: Matt Harvey

SP4: Steven Matz

SP5: Seth Lugo

With Zack Wheeler optioned to Triple-A on Saturday, Mets fans will once again be deprived of their "dream rotation." That said, Jason Vargas is really the fifth man here, and he might not miss more than one turn after breaking a bone in his non-pitching hand. Last year I made the mistake of betting purely on projection and not letting the realities of risk affect my ranking of this unit as No. 1 going into the regular season. You know what happened next. But so long as this group is together, they deserve a spot in the top 10, and the Mickey Callaway magic could rub off here. Still, let's put them in a slightly lower-profile spot this time around.

This is why I’ve always said that you should build a team with 7-8 rotation pitchers. There are always injuries and hiccups with live arms. Always.

White Sox http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/22920398/chicago-white-sox-rehire-groundskeeper-wrongly-spent-23-years-prison?sf185531500=1 rehire groundskeeper who wrongly spent 23 years in prison –

                       The Chicago White Sox have welcomed back a former groundskeeper who spent 23 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. The Chicago Tribune reports that DNA evidence led prosecutors last year to vacate the conviction of Nevest Coleman, 49. He had been convicted in a 1994 rape and murder. He was released from prison in November, and this month, a Cook County judge granted him a certificate of innocence. Coleman's friends and family reached out to the White Sox after his release. The team offered him a job interview and then welcomed him back to the job.

The ultimate guide to Citi Field https://ny.curbed.com/2018/3/26/17116672/citi-field-guide-seating-transportation-food-parking  -

                       There are solid picks from Danny Meyer (Shake Shack, Blue Smoke), David Chang (Fuku), and Josh Capon (Bash Burger) to be had, along with more classic stadium eats like Nathan’s hot dogs and nachos. If you don’t want to wait on the lines those eateries usually have, check out Mama’s of Corona, a Queens institution that has an outpost in the ballpark. And for vegans or vegetarians, there’s pizza (Two Boots) and other fare at Melissa’s Produce.