Tom Brennan - Mets Minors Hitters - Sizzlers and Fizzlers

Tom Brennan - Mets Minors Hitters - Sizzlers and Fizzlers

Having recently written about Mets minor league starters who either went from Sizzle to Fizzle, or from Fizzle to Sizzle, it is the hitters' turn. 

I will not delve into rookie ball dudes here, since their time in the pros is too short for a meaningful sizzle/fizzle comparison.

I will say this: some guys in rookie ball are sizzling, but that is a story for another day.

FIZZLE TO SIZZLE

Obviously, Jeff McNeil went from the fizzle of 2016 and 2017's injury-plagued seasons to his sizzling 2018 ride from AA to AAA to the majors - well-chronicled on this website.

His buddy Peter Alonso fizzled in 2017 until June 18, 2017, to be precise, and has sizzled ever since.  Bombs away!

In fact, from June 19, 2017 on, Pete has hit .305 in 666 at bats, with 47 doubles, 44 HRs, 160 RBIs and 124 runs.  Pretty darned sizzling (and un-Met-like), if you ask me.  

Oh, and in his last 19 games: 28 RBI, 7 doubles, 7 HR, .360, 10 BB.  So much for that fizzle stretch in early July.

Levi Michael has sizzled in 2018, hitting .304 after last year's .262, as the 27 year old former first rounder tries to make his case for being a future MLB utility player.

Tim Tebow hit a sizzling .273 in AA in year 2, after a .226 debut in 2017 in A ball, though his season was cut short in 2018 when he entered the Injury Twilight Zone.

Ali Sanchez is sizzling in 2018 in 2 respects...only injured briefly, and a much-improved hitter.  After fizzling at .224 in just 102 games in 2016 and 2017, he has hit .272 in 77 games this year, including .297 in 27 games since being promoted to St Lucie.  In those 27 games, just 3 walks and 8 Ks, amazingly.

Tomas Nido - it is a little exaggerated to say he has gone from fizzle in 2017 to sizzle in 2018, because while his minor league average has spiked over 2017, his on base % is not up that much because he does not walk.  Amazingly, in his last 63 plate appearances back to mid July, NO strikeouts and just 2 walks.  

In 54 minors games this year, he has walked just 7 times.  Shades of Amed Rosario - and Ali Sanchez.  Of course, he hit just .185 in his cameo with the Mets this year, which could be viewed as premature promotion - or - fizzling.

SIZZLE TO FIZZLE

Gavin Cecchini sizzled in 2016, fizzled in 2017, and then drizzled in 2018 to date with only about a month of playing time before his foot injury put him on May 9 where so many Mets org employees exist, the Injury Twilight Zone.  David Thompson finds himself in that dreaded injury zone, too.

Dominic Smith - sizzled until his 2017 major league promo, then fizzled ever since...but he did lose weight at least.  Just .253 in 70 PCL games after his 1 RBI disappointment with the Mets this season is a total head-scratcher.  My advice to Smith: see ball, hit ball.

Champ Stuart has hit just .136 in a highly fizzling year, after a not-so-sizzling .222 in 2017.  He has spent over 3 weeks recently in the Injury Twilight Zone himself.

Desmond Lindsay has spent all too much time in the Injury Twilight Zone, and after a sizzling .303 in 2016, he has fizzled to an oft-injured .215 spanning 2017 and 2018.

Likewise, Wuilmer Becerra sizzled in 2015 and early 2016, then entered the Injury Twilight Zone with a major injury and has come out the other side as a low powered dude hitting around a sizzling .260 in 2017 and 2018. 

He still needs to show his injury did not permanently degrade his skills, but he is still 23, so even though he has played in 7 years (just 487 games), he is still young.  But so was Dash Winningham, and he never progressed and is now gone.

Of course, there are many who have not gone from fizzling to sizzling, nor from sizzling to fizzling.  But most of those are not currently sizzling, with a few notable exceptions like the little sizzler himself, Andres Gimenez (and if he adds 20 pounds this off season, he won't be so little anymore).

Next up: Bullpen Sizzlers and Fizzlers.