Tom Brennan - METS MINORS: WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT SO HOT

Tom Brennan
METS MINORS: WHO'S HOT, WHO'S NOT SO HOT

We're very early in the 2018 minor league season timeframe, even earlier than our scorching Metsies from Queens, since the minors guys started a week later, on April 5 .

Overall, through Thursday's action, the 4 Mets minors active squads (Vegas, Binghamton, St Lucie, and Columbia) are a combined 14-16, with Vegas sputtering to a 2-6 start thanks (once again so far this year) to horrific pitching. How horrific?  Allowing an average of 8+ runs per game so far. 

Columbia was a best-of-the-bunch at 4-3.

Stats thru Wednesday, except where noted otherwise:

PCL HOT HITTERS AND PITCHERS:

Ty Kelly: after a huge game Wednesday night, Ty amazingly had to date compiled a double, triple and 3 homers and is 8 for 20 (.400). Then, Thursday night, "Ty Ruth" adds 2 triples and his 4TH homer, to climb to .440.  

Dominic Smith: despite a few hitless games, the slimmed-down Smitty is 7 for 23 (.304), with 6 of his 7 hits for extra bases (4 doubles, 2 dingers).  He'll fight his way back.

Gavin Cecchini started slow, but in 19 plate appearances, is now .353/.421/.529. Two more hits Thursday: .381.



Besides one-start-in-AAA Zach (I'm back in Queens)
Wheeler, two stellar pitching performers:



Tim Peterson: 4 IP, 3 hits, 3 walks, zero runs, NINE K's!!!!!



PJ Conlon: 1 start, 6 IP, 1 run, 1 walk, 9 Ks.

Matt den Dekker: hitting just .200, but pitched a scoreless 9th Wednesday after the first 3 pitchers got obliterated, with Matt allowing just a walk.

PCL NOT SO HOT HITTERS AND PITCHERS:

Dave Roseboom, Mickey Jannis, Kyle Regnault, Jamie Callahan, Matt Purke, and AJ Griffin: these 6 fellas have thrown 18.1 innings and allowed 41 runs - that truly qualifies as (to put it kindly) NOT SO HOT.  Tough to fix those ERAs.

Luis Guillorme: off to a tepid 3 for 23 start at the plate, with an uncharacteristic 6 Ks.

AA RUMBLERS HOT HITTERS AND PITCHERS:

Pete Alonso: hot in the frigid Northeast - .364/.440/.773 in 6 games.

Tomas Nido: 5 for 18, 5 RBIs in 5 games??? Call him up - oh wait, the Mets just did.

Nabil Crismatt: one doozy of a start - 6 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 9 Ks - a Greg Maddox line.

Drew Gagnon: almost as good, with 6 IP, 2 H, 0 runs, 5K.

And the killer 4 in the bullpen (I am not surprised):

Tyler Bashlor: 4 perfect innings, 4 Ks.

Adonis Uceta: 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 7 Ks.

Gerson Bautista: 3 IP, 8 Ks, 1 H, 0 R.

Drew Smith: 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 6 Ks.


AA RUMBLERS NOT SO HOT HITTERS AND PITCHERS:

Tim Tebow - just 3 for 18, with 9 Ks....but:

He does have a homer and 3 RBIs, and 7 fellow teammates Levi Michael, Kevin Taylor, Jhoan Urena, Andrew Eli, Pat Mazeika, John Franco, and Champ Stuart are a combined 11 for 100 (.110) with 3 RBIs, and Urena has fanned 8 times in 14 at bats...so, comparatively speaking, Tebow is tearing it up, wouldn't you say?

ST LUCIE HOT HITTERS AND PITCHERS:

Ian Strom - by far the best hitting start for the SL Mets, in just 4 games, he is 5 for 14, including POWER - a double, triple, and 2 homers.

Andres Gimenez - despite 11 Ks in just 31 plate appearances, the youngster is hitting a robust .321/.394/.536.  I think he is pretty good, how about you?

Justin Dunn - 2 excellent 5 inning starts, 10 IP, 0 R, 14 Ks.  Maybe he is ready to ZOOM!

Harol Gonzalez - nice first start - 6 IP, 0 earned runs, 4 K.

Similar to Binghamton, SLM has 4 killer relievers so far:

Matt Blackham, Ryder Ryan, Matt Pobereyko, and Joe Zanghi have combined for 18.2 IP, allowing just 2 earned runs while fanning 23.  Nice - and as expected, ' cause these are high quality dudes.

ST LUCIE NOT SO HOT HITTERS AND PITCHERS:

Jacob Zanon, C Jose Garcia, Luis Carpio, and Brandon Brosher thru Wednesday combined to go 7 for 73 with 4 RBIs.  Brosher is 0-16, Carpio 1 for 17.  Zanon did, however, add 3 hits Thursday - good for the speedster.

COLUMBIA HOT HITTERS AND PITCHERS:

Blake Tiberi - .429/.467/.571 after 7 games - but has fanned 9 times, too.

Jeremy Vasquez - this seemingly promising 1B is .304/.385/.522 after 6 games.

Tony Dibrell continues to fan guys: in 2 starts, 13 punched out in 10 innings, 3 earned runs, but 7 walks.  I think he will have a huge season and be awarded a TONY.

Anthony Kay, Jake Simon, Chris Viall, and Joe Cavallaro also had strong first starts.

Pen Strength So Far: Josh Payne and Trey Cobb have gotten off nicely in 3 appearances each, with just 1 earned run in 8 IP.

Scott Manea, with a hot game Thursday, is 7 for 16, 2 walks, 3 doubles.

Eduardo Fermin (age 19), also letting it rip on Thursday, climbed to .313 with 2 doubles and 3 triples, with 6 Robbins in 7 games.

COLUMBIA NOT SO HOT HITTERS AND PITCHERS:

Jay Jabs - 1 for 12.

Darwin Ramos - 4 IP, 15.75 ERA.

Bad stats for players at such an early stage can be misleading, but I sure love to see the guys who came out of the gate HOT, HOT, HOT!  Many pitchers above, as you can plainly see, fall into the Fuego Hot category.

Until next time, your humble statistician.