The Mack Report - Monday, June 20th

First up, let’s take a look at one of the Mets newest international prospects.

 6-0, 160lb RHP 21-year old Jordany Ventura was an UDFA in 2018, out of the Dominican Republic. The Mets seem to have found a rough cut here, giving him only a $20,000 signing bonus. 

In September 2021, Prospect Live said: 

Ventura was another low budget signed from the 2017 class, and like Corniely, he's already had some success stateside. He lacks physicality, but still throws a low-90s fastball with one of the quicker arms you'll find. Both of his secondaries, a slider and a changeup project as at least future average offerings with his slider ahead of his changeup. 

He started his Mets career as a 17-year old in 2018, going 5.40 in three games for the DSL team. 

2019 brought participation for three teams… DSL, FCL, and Kingsport, going a combined .378, but it was his two appearances and 1.13-ERA for K-Port that first showed that the Mets may have something here. 

Then, COVID hit in 2020 and he went down with TJS in 2021. 

Now fully healed, cleared to pitch, and so far, using baby steps, Venture has been close to perfect for Lucy: 

3-games, 0-0, 0.00, 0.47, 6.1-IP, 11-K 

It’s far to early to determine if we have a live one here, and his age is higher than the level he is playing at, but still, I think there may be something here. 

Let’s hope the Mets use care as they stretch him out this season. 

 

The Mets flew OF Daniel Palka to Queens this morning. He wasn’t immediately activated, but he might be by the time you read this. 

My hopes is that the Nick Plummer experiment is over. 

15 home runs in 211 AAA at-bats is pretty impressive and Palka could be a nice bat off the bench. 

You’re gonna love what you see here when he comes up to the plate. Looks like a left hand hitting Peter Alonso. 

 

Let’s check out another top prospect that should be around when the Mets pick in the second round: 

Cal Poly 6-4 RHSP Drew Thorpe 

From MLB.com: 

Scouting grades: 

Fastball: 55

Slider: 45

Changeup: 60

Control: 50

Overall: 50 

Scouts have headed to Cal Poly on a very consistent basis in 2022 to see potential top of the first round talent Brooks Lee in the lineup. They can get a 2-for-1 deal on Fridays, when Thorpe takes the mound. The right-hander was the Mustangs’ Friday night starter in 2021 and has excelled serving in that role again this coming spring on the heels of a summer pitching for USA Baseball and a brief stop in the Cape Cod League. 

At 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, Thorpe is an intriguing combination of stuff and projection in a college arm. He’s missed bats consistently since joining Cal Poly’s weekend rotation in 2020, thanks largely to what might be the best changeup in the class. He throws it in the low-80s with excellent arm speed for deception and with a ton of sink, getting outs via the strikeout as well as weak contact on the ground. He throws it almost as frequently as his 91-93 mph fastball, a heater that has good riding action and sink at the bottom of the zone and could increase in velocity as he adds strength. 

Thorpe has been pitching off his fastball and has folded in his slider, which he now throws a bit harder in the low-80s, a bit more than in the past, something scouts wanted to see. They do like his projection and his feel for finding the strike zone. His steps forward on those fronts, to go along with his Kyle Hendricks-esque changeup, have helped him move up the college arm rankings. 

 

Monday stat reports: 

    Sam @Strome2Hell 

Francisco Alvarez in the month of June: 211 wRC+, .488 wOBA, .458 ISO 

 

NYM Stats @nym_stats 

The Mets have two players in the top 10 in the MLB in Average with RISP. 

Jeff McNeil is 4th at .411 (23 for 56)

Pete Alonso is 8th at .361 (22 for 61) 

 

Jon Heyman @JonHeyman 

Tomas Nido is hitting .353 with RISP and .471 w/RISP and 2 outs.