SPOTLIGHT ON:
METS MINORS CATCHER JUAN URIARTE
He did well that year in the DSL (.267/.374/.395) and moved up to the stateside GCL in 2016 and hit .234 in 37 games.
In 2017, in Kingsport, he stepped it up - .305/.372/.455, a great season, and the excitement started in earnest.
2018, THOUGH? JUST ONE AT BAT!!
And out the rest of the season with an injury!
Fouls the ball off his leg, badly enough to miss all the remaining games.
He was now a true Met!
Jed Lowrie, David Wright, and Yo-Yo-Where'd-You-Go Cespedes agreed 100%.
Moving on to 2019, as a 21 year old, Uriarte got assigned up a couple of notches to Columbia in A ball - and the rust initially showed big time: he was just 6 for 60 (.100) with lots of Ks through late April!
From May 6 through May 28, though, the 6'0", 185 Uriarte's bat decisively came out of its coma:
15 for 44 (.341), raising him 102 points very quickly from .100 to .202, with a couple of long balls and just 12 Ks, too.
Much improved. Sighs of relief.
Much improved. Sighs of relief.
I'd prefer to expunge those first 60 rusty at bats and see how he hits from May 6 forward during 2019, myself.
Where's my eraser?
Where's my eraser?
Anyway, Uriarte is not a patient and discerning hitter yet, with just 3 walks vs. 34 Ks as of May 28. I'd rather see a young guy be aggressive and avoid Ks, and refine the selection as he goes along, anyway.
Now, on to defense - can he catch? Heck, yeah!
In his last 2 seasons, he has thrown out 33% of all would be bag swipers, with just 3 errors in 68 games catching over that span. Decent catching legerdemain - likely to get better. Considered a potentially above average defensive catcher.
And Uriarte is on the slow side. Like lots of Mets, right, Wilson Ramos?
His middle name happens to be Bernabe, like former Mets star Jose Reyes, so hopefully that Bernabe Reyes thing rubs off on him.
Will he be a major league catcher someday?
Too early to tell, but let's hope as he finishes up 2019 on the rise and plays in High A and AA in 2020 as a 22 year old.
The last 16 games show that the potential is there for him to be a possible future major leaguer....as long as he avoids any future "one-at-bat" seasons.
The last 16 games show that the potential is there for him to be a possible future major leaguer....as long as he avoids any future "one-at-bat" seasons.
Unrelated, but Ruben Tejada is sizzling: 18 for 37 since he started playing again. Nowhere to go in Queens, unless someone gets hurt, but I would call him up before Guillorme if need be, at this rate.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Rene Rivera in May? Also scorching...19 games, .400, 5 homers, 19 RBIs. Bring him up, send Nido down to play every day?