BOOMING METS ROOKIE LEAGUES OFFENSE
- Tom Brennan -
The 2018 Mets left port this season like the maiden voyage of the Titanic did, in majestic fashion. 11-1, smooth sailing.
It, however, hit some icebergs, and is sinking fast.
Avert our gazes, then, to METS ROOKIE BALL!
Last season, the Mets' 3 rookie league teams (Brooklyn, Kingsport, and the GCL Mets) produced quite poor hitting.
The 2 DSL developmental league teams below them in 2017 hit quite well, however, an indicator that the 3 rookie squads might hit much better in 2018, as the successful DSL lumber laddies climbed to the next level this season.
So far, so great.
It is a new season, it is a new time.
Team and individual stats thru Sunday:
BROOKLYN:
8-2 W/L through Sunday. In their first 10 Games, 59 Runs, .273/.345/.412.
Through Sunday, 8 Gus hitting .300 or more, including Oliver Pasqual (.381); Jose Medina (.368); and Wagner Lagrange (.343). 12th round OF Ross Adolph (.269) has 9 RBIs in 7 games, too.
KINGSPORT:
6 Games, 5-1, 50 Runs, .363/.435/.547, wow!
Through Sunday, 11 gentlemen hitting over .300. Notable?
Luis Santana .480 (12 for 25); Sherveyn Newton 12 for 28 (.429) with 6 extra base hits; power hitting Anthony Dirocie (.412) having struck out just once in 19 plate appearances after a very high rate last year; and highly ranked Mark Vientos starting the season 0-5 but going 7 for 17 since, with a homer and 6 ribbies.
GCL METS:
6 Games, 4-2, 44 Runs, .280/.357/.430
Which hitters doing well with the lumber on the GCL squad?
Jarred Kelenic hits like a #6 overall pick, with 5 for 9 in his first 2 games!
Co-prodigy Ronnie Mauricio showing he's got the goods, going 8 for 22 with 3 doubles, a homer, and 8 RBIs in his first 6 games; and Sebastian Espino (.429), Wilmer Reyes (.375) and Jhoander Saez (.308) all contributing nicely.
In total, that is 17-5 for the 3 squads, with a robust 7 runs per game (153 runs in 22 games), which is a SCORING EXPLOSION in anyone's books!
Has to be some real hope of future impact major leaguers coming out of such a strong start. Don't you agree?
Singapore's Dirocie and Santana were each on base 4 times Monday night in another blow out. Seven games and the team is hitting .364. Pretty amazin'.
ReplyDeleteAutocorrect woes? Dirocie from Singapore? :)
ReplyDeleteHa ha. Yes, I think this tablet was made in Singapore!
ReplyDeleteOK...I was in Singapore a few years ago and didn't think to scout for outfielders. :)
ReplyDeleteNext time, look for Singapore Slingers
DeleteTom:
ReplyDeleteThe lack of fundamental baseball skill knowledge is not just something new to these NY Mets. It has been going on awhile throughout MLB, and includes most teams now if you watch a lot of games you will see this.
I totally agree with you, and I too wonder how some of the MiLB players even make it up to the majors with such obvious deficiencies in their basic skill knowledge. But again, it isn't just with this MLB team.
Amed Rosario's batting style is what I call a "free wheeling one." He has an ingrained batting style that may not be possible to change at this point, I am not certain. But he hit exceedingly well last year at AAA with it. Whereas Dominic Smith has very good and smooth batting mechanics that are second nature to him, but for whatever reason he has not been shown and then allowed to utilize much his bunting skills coming up through the minors. He can learn to bunt now.
On Michael Conforto's shoulder and arm strength from his last injury...
Arm and shoulder injuries are annoying. Once you start back hitting, after resting the injury or an operation, it honestly feels like someone sewed on a cadaver arm where your own arm used to be. It is so weak that it can be made sore again very easily by doing too much and too soon in exercise.
Exercises geared specifically for these type of arm injuries include either a hand weight or a fitness center machine that exercises specifically your shoulders, back, and abdomen. It is a pull down machine.
With a light hand weight (you can do even watching TV) use like 10 or 20 pounds to start. Pick up the hand weight with the palm of your hand facing you and the desired amount of weight you have chosen. Elbow should be bent with weight in your hand (palm facing you) to an even position parallel to the ground. Then very, very slowly and carefully bring the hand weight back slightly from this parallel position over your shoulder only a little bit at a time, and then lower slowly down your back. Repeat in a repetition that feels right for you (you decide how much weight) starting with one single repetition. In time, add slow reps and slightly more weight so that it always still feels comfortable and does not hurt you at all. By doing this, a person is very slowly stretching back out and strengthening those muscles (and muscle groups) that they had injured to being back normal and full again.
Or...
Fitness Centers have a two arm overhead pull down machine that you can adjust the amount of weight to as you go, that is used specifically for the back, shoulders, and abdomen. Unlike the above hand weight, it utilizes equally both arm's muscle groups. But with this too start slowly.
Thess two exercise approaches above are also great as a person ages. Lifting weights build hormone levels and keep people that are aging more active and feeling more energetic as well.
The trick is go slowly with rehabbing and be really careful because these types of arm injuries are not simple things to rehab back. They take time to do correctly.
Hitting is generally a full two arm athletic activity, hands, shoulders and a player's back. Either an arm, back or shoulder being hurt will greatly diminish a batter's overall strength and success hitting. It does not matter which arm is injured either. Arm injuries take time, and we are seeing Michael now getting back close to full strength. But it is an aggravating process requiring the overall patience of a Saint. But once Michael is back full strength again, it will be obvious.
As you know, I am always harping on finding really good and really young lefty starters for here. Well, I think that I may have found one. His name is Logan Allen and he pitches for the San Diego Padres AA farm team. His stats are solid, 8 wins/3 losses, 85 strikeouts in 77 innings, and a wholesome 1.13 WHIP. He's 6'3" and like 22 years old.
ReplyDeleteThere you go.
Why do I do this?
Honestly, I am a huge NY Mets fan too. I really like the three right handed starters here deGrom, Syndergaard, and Wheeler. But from the left side I think that Steven Matz can return to form fully, but we need one more younger lefty starter to sort of round this all out.
Then secondly, I think with a decent lefty starter more added in that perhaps Seth Lugo could then be returned to the bullpen and be instrumental (as he has been) from there. So for me, this one type of move, by adding in a lefty starter to the Mets rotation equation actually kills two birds with one stone. It bolsters the rotation and also the bullpen. Not bad!
Logan Allen is in AA ball right now, I do realize. But by scouting reports, he he may actually be ready to advance to AAA. If so, then by late August he could be ready for the bigs if everything were to go well. Maybe sooner.
Or I'll express it this way too. If Nabil Crismatt were 8-3 and striking out 85 batters he had faced in 77 innings, would you want him to come up to the Mets really soon? I would.
I believe that the bullpen can be ironed out, but additions there seem most likely. The Mets have added into their bullpen a few hard throwing righties of late taken from their own minor league internally. But the gem reliever to me, in the wake of whatever is actually wrong with Jeurys Familia, the ineffectiveness of relievers like Sewald, Swarzak, Robles (saw him last night on LA Angels and was so-so), and Blevins simply is the proven closer Seth Lugo.
Right now, the 2018 NY Mets team has no real closer. It has the impressive in control Tim Peterson and Robert Gsellman, plus newly called up Tyler Bashlor and Drew Smith, both of whom might greatly prosper by getting into more games just that so we can get a true read on each one. With Lugo added back in to the bullpen equation closing again, that would make for five pretty darn good arms for the Mets bullpen.
Hey, it's a start and we all know that the current 2018 NY Mets bullpen is broken and needs to be fixed. It starts by finding that all elusive young lefty starter this team has needed for quite sometime.
Then, if you really want to get greedy here, a lefty set-up man addition to the bullpen might be nice too! Then the skies will open up and the gods of baseball smile down on Citi Field. No doubt. YES!