Tom Brennan - METS MINOR LEAGUE TEAMS UPDATE
Special pre-article shout out to JHOAN URENA, who had 3 HR and 9 RBIs last night after a 2 homer game over the weekend!
Now, on to the article:
Now, on to the article:
I like to split the Mets minors into 3 categories:
1) Full Season Ball - AAA Vegas, AA Binghamton, High A St Lucie, Full A Columbia
2) Rookie Ball - Brooklyn, Kingsport, Gulf Coast Mets
3) Developmental (Dominican) - DSL 1 and DSL 2
Three very different and tiered talent development levels.
So how is each of the three doing, in the aggregate, where it counts most, wins and losses (through Friday) ?
1) Full Season Teams - 234 Wins, 275 Losses
For good reason...lots of sub-par pitching and sub-par hitting.
Las Vegas is 63-67, 3rd in scoring (732, 5.6 RPG), and hitting .268, but pitching has been the league's worst (ERA of 6.06, 833 runs, or 6.4 RPG). Surprisingly good record, considering the 101 run deficit.
Binghamton (61-69) has hit .251 (mid-pack) with 548 runs (4th lowest). Scoring has slackened after Pete and Jeff moseyed out of town. Pitchers have the 4th worst ERA (4.34) and have allowed 603 runs.
St Lucie (51-75) has been last in runs (417, compared to league-leading Charlotte's 662) and 2nd to last in average (.237) and homers with 59. The Lucites are mid in ERA at 3.77, but have allowed 520 runs due to 71 unearned.
Columbia (59-64) is 13th in hitting (.239) and 10th in scoring (504), while pitching to a 10th best ERA (3.82) and runs with 548, and 93 of those unearned.
2) Rookie Ball Teams - 91 Wins, 92 Losses.
I'd say these 3 teams are better than the overall record, with above average hitting and pitching. But fielding has been shaky.
Brooklyn has a solid 35-30 record in a league with great parity - one 3 games behind the league's best squad. And quite a switch from seasons past - leading the league in runs (312, 4.8 RPG) and average (.261). And 2nd in ERA with a 3.22.
Kingsport is 32-31, well behind Tampa's league-best 40-21 farm team. In 63 games, the K Mets are trouncing the league in runs scored with 416 (6.6 runs per contest). But they've allowed 366 runs, including 77 unearned runs. Tom's take? ENTERTAINING!
Gulf Coast Mets? Season just ended.
Their 24-31 record put them 15 games behind the Cardinals. Middle of the pack in hitting (.255), runs (252, 4.6 RPG), and ERA (3.91), but 66 unearned runs.
3) DSL Teams - 81 Wins, 62 Losses
The two teams have wrapped their seasons up.
DSL 1 - 47-25. 360 runs and .247 average are middle of the pack. Team ERA of 2.91 is one of the DSL's best and a big reason for the fine team record.
This team is the only one of the 9 Mets minors teams more than marginally above .500.
DSL 2 - 34-37. 293 runs and .209 average are in the bottom quartile. 4.02 ERA and 335 total runs allowed.
Last year's DSL teams were somewhat better, especially in hitting but these 2 teams combined have done quite well.
CONCLUSION:
One can see overall why the Mets farm system is weakly ranked - it is weak in wins and losses. But the rookie and DSL levels are pretty impressive and inspire some hope for quality to come in a few seasons.
The Mets hope to sove their pipeline problems by stocking the basement with draft picks and international 16 year olds.
ReplyDeleteLooks like the Mets will add to that if they accept intl money from Philly for Joey Bats
Not a perfect solution but a step in the right direction
Nice breakdown, Tom.
ReplyDeleteThe pantry is a bit bare in the upper levels, although there are a few talented players to keep an eye on.
The lower levels and the developmental leagues look more promising, but they are also a few years away.
Tough being a Mets' fan sometimes!
Mike -
ReplyDeleteWe may need to keep an eye on Urena.
He could be a late bloomer like McNeil.
I really would like to see more talent at the upper levels which shows more staying power. Many excel in A ball but can't take the higher levels of competition.
ReplyDeleteUrena is still 23, so there is still hope he will have an epiphany. Maybe this is it right now.
ReplyDeleteAll of the above being said in my article, how cool is it to have drafted Kelenic and Richardson? Could be the best 1-2 draft punch the Mets ever had.
Wright news: https://nypost.com/2018/08/28/david-wright-getting-closer-to-majors-with-promotion/
ReplyDeleteHe may not get promoted. If not, call it a day. Take the ins $$$.
Around the Acorn
ReplyDeleteComments on other's posts of recent...
1. It seems that every baseball anal-yst and sports talking head thinks that what Jeff McNeil is currently doing here since his call up is some sort of amazing since he wasn't supposedly on the Mets radar screen before this season. That is false. If you check Jeff's stats again, Jeff was injured for the better part of two seasons (true), but he hit right under .300BA or more each of the seasons he has played in the minors. He has an over .300BA for his time in the minors at the various different levels he played at. Now the power and homerun thing this season in the upper minors is new for Jeff, but that will reappear as his career on the Mets goes along. Jeff McNeil is a professional career hitter and this is not anything new despite what so many believe.
2. Patrick Kevlihan went to the Arizona Snakes. The Snakes got a heck of a good hitter in Kivlehan. He had 20 homeruns this season. he won't qualify for the playoffs, but keep an eye on him in 2019.
3. I concur with Dave Eiland on the Mets definitely having a playoff rotation now. Just do not re-sign Harvey and everything will be fine.
4. I agree that Jhoan Urena is now a player to watch. The Mets could have a fourth or fifth outfielder opening come 2019. Jhoan may get a look for that.
5. Mack has always liked Mets kid Pat Mazeika. He started slow in 2018, but came on much stronger second half. His other prior seasons with the Mets MiLB were "very impressive." Pat might be a good idea now for Winter Ball.
The 2019 Mets catcher position is still nebulous. Many fans have been leaning towards signing either free agent Wilson Ramos or Y. Grandal. After seeing Grandal recently against the Mets, I really do not want him here. My gut tells me that Mazeika may be a similar hitter to Grandal power wise, but average wise Pat easily could be much better.
Good observations all season long Mack on Mazeika! (Thank you) I think Mazeika could be that .280+ batting average catcher and because he is still so young, he too could develop seriously more homerun ability as time goes along.
With Tomas Nido, I just haven't seen from him enough improvement yet. But like Mazeika, he too is very young. We'll see.
On the 2019 NY Mets roster building...
ReplyDeleteBecause of the costs, and budgeting needed to run an entire organization, I think that there could be maybe one really big hitter acquisition added in for 2019 through free agency. And then maybe (and who knows here) a trade or trade package for another player acquisition. Two at the most.
Travis d'arnaud is averaging about 63 games per season over his six years as a NY Met, and has a .245 MLB BA to show for it. I am not certain how his elbow is right now or how it will be in 2019, but let's assume (for sake of argument here) that his throwing elbow will be fine. These may be a couple of things to consider now.
What am I trying to get at?
Between Travis d'arnaud and Yoenis Cespedes there exists two very large Mets question marks. Questions that may not be answered anytime soon.
So, what about a team with great starting pitching, great defense, and a batting lineup more like "small ball" should the Mets management decide not to go out and add anymore homeruns hitters to their lineup this off season?
Can the Mets even play successful small ball?
They really had not this season until after the second half had begun. And what I find very impressive, is that they are beating up on some really good teams doing this.
With small ball, a team does need really good hitters, but the Mets have that now already in their younger players. Personally, I do think that a 2019 small ball offense could win big in the NL East, especially with great pitching and defense behind them.
The logic here does go back to some ideas prior mentioned, like catcher Pat Mazeika possibly platooning at catcher sometime in 2019.
Pat Mazeika's stats impress me, and at his very young age he could fit in well with a small ball type team, then later on he could be a homerun guy as well. You have to admit here that with the newer Mets players (McNeil, Nimmo, Comforto, Rosario, and maybe soon Peter Alonso at first base too) a nice melding is being constructed here on the Mets and not unlike how the Oakland A's are constructing their own team.
Yoenis Cespedes and Travis d'arnaud will weigh into what happens I think this off season. We'll see.