A few have pitched well.
Several are newly drafted (no, Kumar Rocker was only temporarily added to the list before being removed, but the draftees were collectively not bad, based on performance).
Several below have had significant injuries.
A few have struggled.
Overall, not a glowing picture, at least as I see it. Som rays of hope.
But in a few cases....woeful.
Let's take a gander:
PITCHED WELL, OR AT LEAST SOLIDLY:
JT Ginn (#5) - a very nice bounce back season after returning from TJS in June 2021: between St Lucie and High A Brooklyn, he was 5-5, 3.03 in 18 starts and finished out strong. Big hopes for 2022. Best healthy starter.
Jose Butto (#13) - in the Mets' system since 2017, the 23 year old was 4-6, 3.83 in 20 starts, with 10 Ks per 9 innings and a fine 1.09 WHIP. Half his season was in AA. Bad note: 17 HRs allowed in 98 innings. So have him less aggressively ranked in the mid-30s.
Junior Santos (#14) - no, he did not pitch great, but hurled pretty well (6-6, 4.59 ERA) at his age (20), The giant righty's pitching at St Lucie was decent - but he needs to get better in 2022 in AA. He was on an upswing, with a 3.75 ERA in August and September, so I am quite hopeful the new and improved Whopper Junior will be on the scene in 2022.
Josh Walker (#16) - heckuva start in AA, then alternated great and bad starts in AAA. Overall a very good season for the lefty Walker, who will be 27 in 2022. 9-4, 3.73, 1.02 WHIP, and almost 8 Ks per 9 IP.
Eric Orze (#25) - did a great job in relief in his 2021 debut - why he is as low as # 25, I am not sure. I have him much higher. Orze was 4-2, 3.08, 67 Ks in 50 innings. Best healthy reliever in the Mets minors.
OUT WITH TOMMY JOHN SURGERY OR OTHER INJURY:
Matt Allan (#4) the Hope Diamond of the Mets minors got chipped in 2021 - add some Crazy Glue and, hopefully, he comes back from his TJS 100% in mid 2022. And ready to make a debut with the Mets at some point in 2023.
Tom Szapucki (#19) - slip-sliding down the top 30 because he has averaged roughly a paltry 30 innings per season since joining the minors in 2015, and he ended his season with ulnar nerve relocation surgery after a frankly weak season. Can 2022 finally be an impressive year for Szapucki?
I have bumped out of my Top 30, down to # 33, because, as I noted the other day his 190 career innings since 2015 are one less than Nolan Ryan threw in 1974 prior to that year's All Star Break. There is a big difference between fragile and agile.
Jordany Ventura (#20) - TJS - last pitched in 2019.
Joander Suarez (#22) - 0-3, 7.66 ERA in 25 innings in 2021 before TJS.
STRUGGLERS:
Robert Dominguez (#9) - the 19 year old righty struggled briefly, with an 8.25 ERA in 12 innings. No place to go but up.
Of course, he is only 19 - he could yet dazzle in 2022 - his 2021 sample was far too small to reach any early conclusions.
But…Nolan Ryan pitched against Hank Aaron and Joe Torre at age 19, so age is just a number.
Michel Otanez (#29) - now 24, he fanned a ton of guys but walked more than a man per inning in his 40+ innings. How that gets fixed, I am not quite sure, but 2022 is a new season.
Ryley Gilliam (#30) - could have put him in the injury list, but has not pitched well at all in quite some time. Not sure why he is still in the top 30. I would have suggested Adam Oller and Brian Metoyer for the Top 30 in place of Otanez and Gilliam.
THE NEWBIES:
Drafted in 2021 were the following excerpted from my recent Top 30 article - for those included in the Mets' own Top 30 Prospects List, it is clearly indicated:
2nd rounder, P Calvin Ziegler (#12 PROSPECT)- 18 year old righty did not pitch. I do not mind a cautious approach with an 18 year old high value draftee. Love to see him start out in low A next year, but that may be too aggressive. As you read on below, the Mets were putting just-drafted guys in low A.
3rd rounder, P Dominic Hamel (#11 PROSPECT) - short, but very sweet. He threw 3 perfect innings in the rookie ball Florida Complex League (FCL), fanning 7. What's not to like?
5th rounder, P Christian Scott (#27 PROSPECT) - 22 year old 6'4" righty in the FCL fanned 1 in 3 IP, and allowed 1 run. How's that for dipping the toe in - 3 innings?
THEN THERE ARE THOSE BELOW THE TOP 30 METS' PROSPECTS OFFICIAL LIST, BUT WHO DID WELL ENOUGH IN BRIEF 2021 DEBUTS TO DESERVE SPECIAL MENTION:
8th rounder, 6'5" lefty P Mike Vasil - FCL dazzler: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 10 Ks. Gotta love that.
10th rounder, lefty Keyshawn Askew - great FCL debut, 9 IP, 1.00 ERA, 14 Ks, 2-0. Keyshawn!!
14th rounder, P Nate Lavender - the 6'2" lefty in 4 FCL games, 6.2 IP, 1 run, 12 Ks. Excellent!
17th rounder, lefty P Nick Zwack - FCL dazzler: 7.1 IP, 13 Ks, 0.00 ERA. Sweet! A Big Zwack Attack!
I am adding all four to my Top 30.
So, there you have it. Not the strongest cadre of pitching prospects I've ever seen - although by this time next year, maybe they will have completely changed my opinion - hopefully, for the better.
Lastly....WHOA! It's my birthday.
I may get old, but birthdays never do.
I went undrafted out of high school in 1971. I never got over it.
Hey Uncle Steve…if you draft me, I’ll sign. I’m a crafty lefty.
22 comments:
Happy Birthday Tom.
Injuries to pitchers have been a part of the game since Abner Doubleday drew up the rules in Cooperstown. That's why Frank Cashen and then Sandy in his first years went for as many pitching prospects as possible. It is a numbers game.
Happy birthday Tom.
You need to find something better to do than stand next the that truck owned by that creep.
As for injuries and Mets pitchers... all teams gave around the same level of injuries. Not enough nicotine and beer during pre-game warm-up.
We have replenished the system with some good bats the past few years, sacrificing our pitching talent in the system.
In 2021 we came close to drafting an entire draft of pitchers. Hopefully, 2 or 3 of them will work out.
Thanks gents. I'm getting old, but if I brought a test paper home as a kid with a grade on it equal to my age, my mother would have slapped me and said to do better, so I guess I'm not that old yet!
I still wonder if the Mets would have signed Rocker, as is, at slot, instead of with the Boras premium. WOuld he have been healthy, or been headed for Dr Jobe?
In any event, Rocker is missing a year of his career, which I think on his part is short-sighted. Pitchers, as we all know, have limited shelf life - then the career goes in the dumpster.
Mack, it's weird. The truck was parked across from a body shop not far from where I live. Doesn't look damaged, no idea why it is there. Don't know the guy, but will go with your assesment.
And Mack, a few innings in rookie ball don't mean much, but I was really surprised at the great numbers put up by several of these guys in their brief cameos. Always better to get off on the right foot. But you tracked a lot of these guys so you have a good reading on them. Most guys don't make it to the Mets, good career start or not. It is a tough occupation. At least that is what General MacArthur told me.
Tom
Most of the "experts" putting out the mock drafts so far this year have Rocker going very low in the 40-50 pick range.
Don't sleep on this guy just because he had a knucklehead for an agent.
The talent is still there.
Happy Birthday Tom! Funny but today if you came home with a bad report card your mother would give you a hug and there would be an investigation of the teacher...sad times indeed. Does anyone really no what blew up the Rocker deal?
Maybe for a birthday present Steve Cohen will hire you a front office and an experienced manager (like Terry Collins) :)
The only ones that know have kept that info to themselves.
Doesn't this kind of sum up our Braves/Mets issues: Braves win World series but our headline is "Mets star grabbed teammate by throat during 'rat-raccoon' altercation and were still fans of this team because.......dammed if I know.
Green haired guy was in a violent tailspin when he grabbed McNeil - grabbing a guy by the neck is unacceptable. Sorry.
I agree with Mack. Boras won't bore us with the facts.
Thanks Gary. Mom definitely wasn't "woke" - she was nice, though, and had 9 kids, including 7 boys.
Reese, Tom Collins maybe, not Terry.
A Few Points
Another website that I just read, is promoting the idea of acquiring Clevelands' Jose Ramirez for the 2022 starting third base position.
Why Cleveland again, I ask. Lindor's other friend? Who knows. They also advocate having Lindor bat in the second spot next season, a guy who struggled to hit .230 BA in 2021. Makes no sense. Too much "dream stuff" for me.
I must be missing something here.
Why would you want another homerun hitting so-so batting average (.266 BA 2021) guy when consistency with a higher batting average is what was so totally missing here (aside from Brandon Nimmo that is) in 2021?
For once, can we not instead take a chance on a Mets drafted and developed homegrown player, like say Mark Vientos or Brett Baty for instance, two players that "yes" can actually hit for average, get on base more, bring impact, and have untapped potential to start on Mets' third base instead?
Would this move for Jose Ramirez be advisable then, or merely answer "the fears" and take away from going with a "youth movement" here that could pay off for years to come here?
"Voice from the Wilderness"
Happy BD Tom, you old curmudgeon you!
Great getting your articles and posts.
My understanding with the rotation.
Two choices.
1. If the Mets make Noah an offer, then the Mets "will have to" acquire two new top end starters (preferably lefties) to balance off the reality that Noah and Jake could revisit 2021's sickbay next season. Have to. Nothing else could be enough to off set this possibility. Doesn't matter if they signed Babe Ruth and Willie Mays either.
Sure, this could be expensive.
But how many of these Ramirez/Castellano false savior type ideas do we need enacted for the offense, when our rotation upgrades are what is actually the thing most needed this off season? The team has trade bait for other personnel moves.
From the offensive side, this team needs to shed their underperformers from 2021 now and not later on when their 2021 season downgrade could become also 2022's.
2. The Mets could not re-sign Noah and they try then to fill his rotation spot with say a FA acquisition. Good luck with that. The problems I see with this are these. When was the last time this organization acquired a new starter from another organization that was so great here? A: Noah (TBJ) lucky dog. But before that who? Carrasco (IR) and Stroman (bad record says it)? Not enough homework boys. Too much surface.
Losing Noah is a mistake.
Please stop posting info from other Mets blogs.
There are no other Mets blogs than this one
I just blew out the candles to avoid a global climate crisis. Hard doing that thru a mask.
Happy birthday Tom, many more!
Interesting list. Good to hang onto for next July and see how things are progressing.
Agree with Gus. . good list of prospects to follow. Nice write-up.
and Happy Birthday!
Thanks, Gus and R 1969, for your best wishes and feedback.
Happy birthday, Tom.
Thx, Ray
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