One quick thought on yesterday's game.
I fully understand why everyone jumped on the Kill Seth Lugo bandwagon, but let's try to remember he probably shouldn't have been placed in the position.
Try to imagine the fan reaction if last year's manager left a starter in after 100 pitches through seven innings.
I'm just saying...
Catcher Nick Meyer had five runs batted in last night for AAA-Syracuse. Let’s take a dive in to fill everyone in on who this guy is.
Nick Meyer is a RHH 6-2, 195-lb catcher that was born on my birthday in 1997 (25).
He was drafted by the Mets in 2018 in the 6th round ($350,000 bonus), out of Cal Poly.
He has played for five Mets minor league team in the past three seasons, filling in where needed. His combined batting average in those five assignments is .218, while he is currently hitting .231 for Cuse.
Meyer was born with a condition called pre-axial polydactyly. That’s the name they give someone who is born with two thumbs on one hand. In Nick’s case, it is his left, or catching hand. He had one of those digits removed when he was two, but it left him with not being able to bend the remaining thumb all the way.
None of this prevented him from becoming an exceptional defensive catcher. Case in point… he won THREE John Orton Gold Glove Awards while playing for Cal Poly.
He’s known as a pitcher’s catcher and his college coach tagged him as always being the smartest person on the field. He takes command from pitch one.
Every affiliate team needs a catcher like Meyer to help develop their young pitchers and, though I don’t see a future for him in Flushing, I do see a long career for the Mets. He will eventually make room for Francisco Alvarez, which could cause for him to help Alvy develop his defensive game.
Oh... currently in June, through 6-18, Meyer is hitting .300/.405/.805.
Let’s look at another prospect that should be around when the M
ets pick in the second round.
6-3. 208 Jacob Melton is a 21-year old outfielder, out of Oregon State.
From MLB.com:
Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 60 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 50
After a stellar high school career at South Bedford High School in Oregon, Melton began his college career at Linn-Benton Community College, also in the Beaver State. From there, Melton moved on to Oregon State and after barely playing in the shortened 2020 season, he hit .404 over 32 games in 2021. He’s continued to swing the bat well in 2022 while becoming the everyday center fielder.
Melton has the chance to do some damage from the left side of the plate. He has an advanced approach at the plate and makes a ton of contact. He also has a good amount of juice to his pull side, and he’s tapped into that power even more in 2022, leading some scouts to think he might have better than average pop in the future. A plus runner, Melton can take the extra base and is an efficient base stealer as well.
2022 Oregon State stat line -
63-G, 261-AB, .360/.424/.670/1.094, 17-HR, 83-RBI
Why not Meyer over Mazeika? Also I don't get EE getting more AB than Canha as he's been hot 1 week this year and he's .229 .293 to Canha's .296 .385 and Mark takes much better at Bats. We're stronger with McNeil at 2nd Luis G. at 3rd and Canha in LF. By the way LG is at .320 .404 and also takes much better at bats than EE.
ReplyDeleteDon't understand their lineup construction sometimes. Must be trying to get everyone reps.
DeleteAs for Meyer. best defensive catcher in chain.
Hey, Mack, hope you had a good Father's Day, and wishes for good health for all.
ReplyDeleteJacob Melton looks good indeed.
Lugo was facing a deadly line up - oh, I'm sorry, he faced the Marlins. After he got lit up, I just saw some Yankee pen guy I never heard of (Clay Holmes, if I remember correctly) has over 30 consecutive scoreless innings and is unscored on in his last 29 outings, or something to that effect. What the heck are they drinking in the Bronx?
I think an Alvarez/Meyer tandem could be possible by 2024 - Alvarez later in 2022 and Meyer in 2024, once McCann and Nido are gone or expendable. Meyer just has to keep improving his hitting. I touch on him in my 7 AM tomorrow, not a full profile, but as a point of comparison. His mantra needs to be: catch like Grote, hit like Grote.
And let's remember that Holmes was a 7th round.pick.
DeleteRe: Jacob Melton
DeleteA name you don't hear much of but stats don't lie.
Re: Nick Meyer
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't be surprised to see him someday head up the minor league catchers in the chain.
His college coach said he is like having another coach in the duhout.
Escobar might be helped by a short stint in AAA a la Dom Smith. It actually is not working out too well for Smith. One would hope he would be devastating AAA pitching, but so far, 15 games, .266/.347/.438. Maybe he has regressed into a AAA hitter?
ReplyDeleteMoving on from Nick Smith, Nick Meyer instead of Mazeika? In a few days, it will be McCann instead of Mazeika. I wonder, once he is sent down, if that is the last we'll see of Patrick and his substandard bat.
Moving on in the nick of time to a 3rd Nick. Nick Plummer, his 0 for 20 shows he is not ready for prime time and may never be. But he needs 100s of at bats in AAA before I want to see him in a Mets uniform ever again. It's time for Jake Mangum. Or Daniel Palka.
Mets called Palka to Queens this morning
DeleteGary, however, it will likely be Smith being recalled. Mediocre or not, 15 games in purgatory is enough when your Plummer went on a hitting strike.
ReplyDeleteI am very happy for Palka - out of MLB since 2018, he has torn it up in June and deserves another shot.
ReplyDelete