METOYER!
Everybody follows their top 10 or top 20 ranked Mets.
Me? I like to root for the guys who are off-radar but have major potential.
Like I did with Jeff McNeil and TJ Rivera in seasons past.
Let me cover a current one today.
Brian Metoyer - A METS' 40TH ROUND PICK:
At draft time, Mack wrote:
RHP Brian Metoyer - R/R, 11/13/96 - LSU 6'4", 160 lbs...the lanky righty.. walks a lot of guys but also gets his strikeouts. He posted a pretty high, 5.60 ERA in a tough league but clearly the Mets think they can work with his stuff.
He is the last pick of the day. Overall pick # 1,190.
Scouts described Metoyer as having a big, fast arm, which was key to drawing their interest. Mets fans watching Metoyer as he comes up the ranks can expect him to immediately throw a 93-94 MPH fastball that can touch 97 MPH, a breaking ball that runs 79-81 MPH with good depth, and a change-up that ranges from 86-89 MPH. Scouts were also excited about the potential for continued growth by Metoyer, both physically and in the game of baseball.
Thanks, Mack.
Well, then Metoyer's career started and not much changed - 2018 and 2019, he threw 41 innings and walked 32 guys, ERA above 5.00.
But for Brooklyn in 2019, he threw 29 innings, fanned 40, and allowed just 15 hits. Something was happening...
In 2019, I wrote this about Metoyer:
"His last 5 relief outings? 11.1 IP, a mere 2 hits, 2 runs, 7 walks, 14 Ks. 2 hits in 11.1 IP? Intriguing. Not to mention NO hits in last 3 appearances (6.2 IP). Guys like Nolan Ryan and Randy Johnson once walked guys in bunches. But didn't allow a lot of hits. Then they didn't walk a lot of guys and got to be pretty decent."
Hey, remember that there was a guy in 2010 in Kingsport who threw 26 innings, allowed 35 hits, and struck out just 22, with a 5.19 ERA. Not very good. His name? Jake deGrom. Hard throwers can improve. No clearer example than Jake.
Fast forward to 2021, and he had one rocky outing, but 4 excellent ones, a ratio most fans can embrace. In those 4 outings, with High A Brooklyn, Metoyer went 8.2 innings and allowed 1 runs, 2 hits, walked 2 and fanned 7. It sure seems that high walk rate is a thing of the past.
Add 2019 and early 2021 together, and you get 38 innings, 20 hits, 49 Ks. Hey, doesn't every 40th rounder pitch like that? Actually, no. Most are thrilled to be drafted, but then get shelled in the minors and quickly depart the scene of the crime.
Metoyer is now listed at 6'3", 173, which is still lanky, but less so. Hey, they list Jake at 6'4", 180, so frame-wise, in the same ballpark.
Maybe there is a real pitcher there in Brian Metoyer after all.
I have a feeling we'll soon find out.
Seth Lugo made it, and made it well, as a former 34th rounder.
Maybe Metoyer can show that life begins at 40 - the draft round, that is.
COLORADO SERIES AND METS HITTING:
The Mets' hitting went from bad to obscenely worse of late, as Alonso, McNeil, Davis, Pillar, Almora, Conforto and Nimmo all decided to take a joint sick-out.
The antidote may have arrived, in two ways:
1) Davis is back
2) The Rockies are 2-17, 5.58 ERA ON THE ROAD! 107 runs allowed in 156 innings.
Time to start hitting.
I still hope Mason Williams did not play Sunday in AAA because he was hurt, but because he was being flown to NY to replace Cameron Maybin. Maybin (majors and minors) is 4 for 55 this year. Quite an achievement, to be that washed up.
Mason Williams was 10 for 32 with 4 walks and just 5 Ks for Syracuse. Lifetime .272 MLB hitter in limited action. Just 29. making him a neophyte compared to Maybin. Try it, Sandy, you may like it.
The Mets' two free agent acquisitions of renown and major cash flow (Lindor and McCann) ranked 149th in the majors in RBIs. Oh, I'm sorry that is them COMBINED, with 17 RBIs, while Trey Mancini alone has 41.
Lindor (with 9) is tied for 252nd place. McCann (with 8) is tied for 273rd place.
Mets fans watching those two are simply fit to be tied.
33 guys, in fact, have as many or more HRs as Lindor has RBIs. I did not try to figure out how many of those 33 are paid as much as Lindor.
49 guys have as many or more HRs than James McCann has RBIs. Consider that atrocity for a moment.
Lastly, the Red Sox have 173 extra base hits. If you double the Mets total of just EIGHTY FIVE EXTRA BASE HITS, you get to 170. So, if you double the Mets' total, they still trail the Red Sox! Another way to see it: if the Mets had 8 extra base hits in each of their next 11 games, they'd only tie the Red Sox total.
I guess the dead ball only is used in Mets' games.
Interesting info on Brian Metoyer. Thanks, Tom
ReplyDeleteAfter a recent win, a few folks here posted about a 1969 feeling.
ReplyDeleteI didn't say, but thought, that 1987 was the year that's been troubling my mind.
I realize it's because of injuries, but this is the worst lineup I can remember witnessing.
It will take a miracle for them to stay out of last place by June 1st.
On Davis: Take some Advil and come to NY. He does not need one more AB in Syracuse. If he can play, it must be with the Big Club. These are dire circumstances, not time for fine-tuning.
(Note: Reports have him staying in Syracuse for the neck to get better and more games.)
Mets last in SLG.
Dom Smith is lucky -- very -- for all the injuries. When this team gets right, he needs to sit and watch until he wakes up. He's not helping at all. At least Lindor and McCann are positive defensively.
Jimmy
Mike, thanks. Metoyer has so far proven he is making strides. Can they continue at higher levels? Always the challenge. Look for instance at Joe Zanghi for instance. He was solid in lower minors, getting pelted now.
ReplyDeleteI want hidden kids who are performing well to get a little sunshine - they deserve it.
Jimmy, so right. Davis - get back here today and feast on Rockies pitching. The offense badly needs electric shock paddles.
ReplyDeleteAnd, no offense - but the offense of Lindor and McCann has gone missing long enough - time for their bats, and Dom's, to show up.
I don't know about Davis "feasting" out of the box, by any means, but I do support the idea of Major League players in the lineup.
ReplyDeleteJimmy
The Here and The Now
ReplyDeleteThere is currently light at the end of this tunnel too because key Mets players like for instance here Jacob, Noah, JD, Brandon, and hopefully too the "Hamstring Twins" are all right around the corner to being back and at 100% again. And this will change everything for this team. It will rebound itself wonderfully. But we got to see a lot of new faces who were given a sort of desperation trial run by necessity. Guys like J. Fargas (I still cannot spell his first name from memory so please forgive me here), Drew, Tomas, Kevin, Jonathan, Joey (and not the old fat guy from "Friends" either here), Sean, Aaron, Trevor, and even Khalil got their chance to play regularly. Some of these players would not have had this opportunity if there wot so many injuries.
So yes, the Mets lost a few more games than they probably would have if everyone had stayed totally healthy. But with the 2020 season being a total minor league washout, due to Covid19, this time now (I felt) was well utilized and most beneficial.
Possible Suggestions
Certain substitute players stood out. Their transition to here was more seamless than others. Guys like Drew Smith stood out to me, despite Saturday's homerun towards the end of the second Marlins game which really wasn't that bad of a pitch at all. Drew impressed me as did Sean Reid Foley.
Perhaps avoid using pitchers from the minors that are too "stat iffy" to start games here. I would instead prefer using pitchers with a little more MLB experience under their respective belts, especially to start these games. Guys like Jeurys Familia, Drew Smith, Sean-Reid Foley, and Robert Gsellman come to mind first. The Mets could use each one of these, say 2-3 innings depending on how they are doing, like a set tag-team.
I would not object seeing one or two of the above pitchers mentioned above stretched out for longer starting purposes either. I think that they could be.
On Player Conditioning
I have never seen anything like this rash of injuries here before, not ever. Sure, the Mets always lose a starter or two for 2-6 weeks each season with a barking arm. Always. Every season really. But three of the teams' five starters like now? No.
So what's up.
Smarter conditioning should be able to prevent most of this. Bulk football type hamstrings don't work so well in baseball where smooth and quick running is required. Perhaps this needs to be really looked at more closely. The other factor entering into this could be both the off season regiments being used, game time temperatures, and the fact that 2020 provided only an abbreviated season.
It's worth a look.
Good points. I think Jake and Taijuan and even Stroman’s side injuries are due to swinging the bat. We need a DH.
ReplyDeleteJimmy, if Davis can’t feed on their crappy pitching...
ReplyDeleteIsn't Mason Williams the guy that had that hit Classical ⛽?
ReplyDeleteClassical Gas Boss song Mack but it really dates us
ReplyDelete