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8/28/21

Tom Brennan - Real Hitting Talent Can Be Found in AA Binghamton


At a time when Mets' fan screech and bellow for hitting, any hitting, what would you think of a player who in 550 at bats had 41 doubles, 36 HRs and 113 RBIs after a slow start?

Hall of Famers have seasons like that.  

Or almost HOFs like DAVID WRIGHT.



Well, that is in fact the combined stat line through Wednesday night of Carlos Cortes and Mark Vientos, despite slow starts for both.

Seems to me there is a real future for them there fellers.

Cortes? .270/.333/.512, and in 289 ABs, 26 doubles, 1 triple, 14 HRs, 57 RBIs.  212 of those at bats have come in games he has batted lead off - yet, he has 57 RBIs in 289 ABs?  

Wow.  I mean...Really. WOW.

I am not on the ground in Binghamton, but as I've written here, Cortes seems to be a far superior hitter batting lefty, and might want to go all lefty after this season.  Terrific left numbers: .299/.368/.612.


Vientos? .280/.342/.590, in a mere 261 ABs, with 14 doubles, 22 HR and 57 RBIs.  Pretty Alonso-like, if you ask me.  

Thunderous, frankly, since he shook off early season doldrums.

In fact, over his last 194 at bats, he is hitting .310 with TWENTY HOME RUNS.  WOW.

For all the talk of the Big 3 of Alvarez, Mauricio, and Baty, seems like there's a Big 5 to me. Just include Cortes and Vientos to the mix, shake and stir and you'll have a banquet.


Oh, and let's not forget CF Jake Mangum. 

.438 in August (34 for 78 in 20 games). .296 so far in AA.  Coming along very fast.  Good speed, with 29 steals in 500 career ABs.  Mets going into Wednesday's game had 34 steals.  He is considered a lower power guy, but 9 HRs in 318 ABs in 2021 is not bad nor is it low power, if you ask me.  22 doubles, 4 triples, 9 HRs?  Not bad at all.

Of course, they have Brett Baty, too, who is adjusting and holding his own pretty nicely since his promotion to AA.

Those are 4 I am greatly interested in, in terms of how they finish out the final month.

Carlos Rincon is interesting, too.  The 23 year old acquired OF has 112 AA at bats and 15 extra base hits, 21 RBIs, and .277/.314/.545.  Watching him with interest as well.

Because. like other Mets fans, I want some day yo stop screeching and get back to cheering. 

But, due primarily to all of that hitting, the Rumble Ponies, who started the season 2-17, are 42-34 since then.

8 comments:

  1. Just wait for our (on) crack major-league "analytics" hitting coaches get a hold of them. They'll turn them into mush. :(

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  2. Mack, I still can't figure out how to save pictures on my I MAC, so I figured out I can copy and paste old article pictures :)

    Yes, yo 100% correct - it was your picture!

    Bob W, you likely have that nailed

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  3. Wonder if Mangum is a legitimate ML prospect?

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  4. So who do you think gets called up?

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  5. Ray, I think of Mangum as a 4th OF.

    Gary, I think mid-2022 on these call ups, possibly OD 2023 on a few. Article in a few days on that matter.

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  6. Nice piece, Tom. Yes, I am encouraged by these five guys (hey, isn't that a restaurant?) in Binghamton, plus Alvarez, Mauricio, Peroza, and possibly Ritter in Brooklyn. Should be interesting to watch over the next couple years.

    I only wish Vientos had a better glove at third.

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  7. We can only hope Vientos can improve defensively.

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