Tom Brennan - KIDDIE AUDITIONS

Tom Brennan - KIDDIE AUDITIONS

Every spring training, minor leaguers get to strut their wares in spring training contests.  It's audition time!

Many not currently on the big league cusp have basically no chance of making the big league club out of spring training this year, but making a great impression while the eyes of Sandy, Mickey, et al are trained upon them is nevertheless worth its weight in gold.

So: who (through Wednesday's spring games) is acing his audition?  Who is forgetting his lines?  Only 6 games in, but first impressions count, folks. 

My take? Lots of audition aces, fewer flubbers so far.

THOSE CLOSEST TO THE BIGS:

AUDITION ACES:

Gavin Cecchini: 3 for 6, double, HR, 4 RBI and 2 BBs? "Where is the real Gavin, and what have you done with him?"  The reportedly bulked up Cecchini CLEARLY came in with a chip on his shoulder. 

Corey Oswalt: 2 outings, 2.1 IP, 1 hit, 4 K, no stinking runs.  Wow. Keep it up.

Chris Flexen: 2 outings, 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, NO BB, 3 K.  Very early, but it looks like he's much more comfortable and ready.

PJ Conlon: OK, not great so far, but not bad either: 3.2 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 2 R, but 5 K.  My guess is Mickey knows a crafty pitcher when he sees one and is still impressed.

Jacob Rhame: similar to PJ, but better in a small sample:
3 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 6 K.   6 out of 9 outs via K is sweet.

Phil Evans: 2 doubles, 2 BBs in 9 plate appearances. Nice. 
(P.S. Evans is the only guy for whom I considered Thursday's game results...why? Besides the nice #'s above, which were prior to Thursday, he was up twice Thursday and homered and walked...WHOOSH!! Methinks Phil is THE REAL DEAL!)

Luis Guillorme: 3 for 6 AND MORE HR'S THAN AARON JUDGE SO FAR, and a walk and no Ks, keeping up the stellar low strikeout approach everyone saw in the Arizona Fall League in 2017, when he struck out just once in about 50 PAs, I seem to recall.  Someone look it up for me, will ya?

Jeff McNeil: the versatile Jeff is 1 for 2 and a run and RBI.

Tomas Nido: the young catcher closest to the bigs, Nido is 2-6, double, 2 RBI, walk, 2 K.  So far, so good.

AUDITION STRUGGLERS:

Dominic Smith: nice half a game there. Smith may be hanging out at the local college Quad while he heals, just a guess.  Dom, at least no one will wonder if you are the next Lou Gehrig - just don't be the next Wally Pipp.

Kevin McGowan: a 47.25 ERA is surely not how he envisioned the first week going.  A return engagement to Vegas is a virtual certainty, which Wayne Newton thinks is pretty cool, even if Kevin does not.

Drew Smith: not too bad - 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 HR, no BB, 3 K.

Marcos Molina: weak so far: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, HR, 2 BB, 2 K.

Kevin Kaczmarski: a single in 10 ABs, one walk?  Meh.

Zach Borenstein: 2 for 12, with a walk and 5 Ks.  Yes, he is the lefty hitting version of dearly departed Travis Taijeron.

THOSE FURTHER OFF IN THE DISTANCE:

AUDITION ACES:

Patrick Mazeika: on base 4 out of 5 times.  The way catchers can get hurt, maybe the offensively gifted Mazeika is not all that much "further off in the distance."

Gerson Bautista: 2 outings, 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K, 100 MPH?  Mickey must like what he sees.  Does he do shirtless interviews too, like the other 100 MPH guy?

Patrick Biondi: the 27 year old low power speedster hit .235 in Binghamton last season, but 4 for 9 with a walk and a steal this spring is a nice how-do-you-do.  In fairness to Patrick, he went 24 for 67 in August and September, so that .235 in 2017 may have been nothing more than a first half slump.

Jeremy Vasquez: considering he only played briefly as high as Brooklyn last year, and only 237 ABs in his first minors season in 2017, Dom Smith's injury has given this 1B a unique chance to play a bit, and his 1 for 5 and a walk and RBI is not a bad acquitting of one Jeremy Vasquez.

Peter Alonso: probably wishes he had those 6 Vasquez plate appearances to add to his much more pertinent audition, but he will continue to play a lot with Smith sidelined - so far, Alonso is 2 for 7, BB, 2 K.  Like Mazeika, that Alonso object in the rear view mirror may be closer than he appears.

David Thompson: a healthier 3B than the other David, he is 3-10, double, walk, K, RBI, steal - filling up all the stat columns - an error, too.  Where's my triple and HR, David?

Arnaldo Berrios: very consistent player in the lower minors in 2016 and 2017 - in a bad way - he hit .185 both years!  But so far this spring, Arnie has defied odds just getting ABs, and WOW, he's 2 for 4, double, HR, and 2 RBI - say what??

Jamie Callahan: 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R (HR), 1 K.

Corey Taylor: reliever has 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K...nice.


AUDITION STRUGGLERS:

Tim Tebow: hitless in 4 ABs, with a K.  Small sample, but the paying (praying) crowds are still excited.  Ankle sprain (tripping on sprinkler) - hey, the Mick once stepped in a storm drain and came out of it a whole lot worse.  BTW - can a 30 year old have a kiddie audition?

Luis Carpio: the Luis Guillorme wannabe is not - 0-5, 2 K.

Tyler Bashlor: control is his career question mark, according to Jack Leathersich, who would certainly know, and so far (very early), Bashlor has totaled 3 walks and 3 hits in 3 innings, 2 runs, 2 Ks.  Not terrible, and it is early.

Overall - pretty respectable.

Now - if only the Mets' veterans can play this well...