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| Luke Ritter Brooklyn Cyclones 2019 Team Card |
Alvarez, Baty, Mauricio - all highly visible.
I like to highlight achievers who, to most, are invisible.
To many Mets fans, Luke Ritter is a totally unknown name.
Yet, the 1B/2B/3B has pushed his way up to AAA.
When he got promoted from Binghamton earleir this month, he had a .360 OBP there.
He went 0 for 18 in his Syracuse debut. Ouch.
Since then, through Friday, he'dgone 9 for 23, and his Syracuse OBP? .360.
Starting out as a 7th rounder in 2019, his career stats are:
681 ABs, 101 runs, 108 RBIs, 36 doubles, 26 HRs, .239/.339/.413.
Really, not bad.
And, considering the limited ABs, that is a fast climb to AAA. After all, it took Pete Alonso 690 at bats before he reached AAA.
Ritter hits lefties much better than righties, so he has to improve against righties.
He hit miserably in Brooklyn last year, but great on the road, so his career stats are probably a little lighter than if he could have avoided the “hitters' hell by the ocean” in Brooklyn, and played somewhere else like Hoboken or Batavia.
His one bugaboo, besides being baffled and beaten down in Brooklyn, has been strikeouts. 197 career games, 215 Ks. Not terrible, not great. But just 10 in his first 12 Syracuse games.
Defensively? Statistically solid - 1 error in 21 games at first base, 8 in 28 games at 3rd (not good), but 15 in 134 games at his primary position of second base (which ain't bad).
Me? If I were the Mets, I'd get him some time in the outfield too. Turn him into a utility stock.
The 5'11" 190 righty hitter missed 2020 like most guys, which hurt, but he has been fighting his way up since.
Maybe this guy has a big league future. An infielder with pop.
Who?
Luke Ritter. Remember the name. I do.
METS YESTERDAY:
Bassit was great, but he listened to Mack and tried to go at least 7. Loaded ‘‘em up, Lugo promptly unloaded ‘em and allowed 2 more of his own. 6-2 loss. Can’t win em all.
Plummer 0 for 3, 3 Ks. Send him down, with a thank you. He needs 500 more AAA plate appearances, in my opinion.
MINORS YESTERDAY:
I love stuff that makes me say, “WHOA!”
Jordany Ventura of St Lucie threw 2.1 IP, 1 hit, no walks, 6 Ks. WHOA!
Lucie pitchers fanned 17, remarkably, and whiffed 12 times themselves. St Lucie? Shut out. 4-0. Can’t hit ‘em all.
Syracuse: Blankenhorn 3 run shot. He had a horrible season start, but has hit quite well of late. Smith 0 for 4 (down to .266), and Vientos had 2 hits and a walk. Call him up. Montes de Oca gave you a few runs in the loss, and is finding AAA to be tougher.
Binghamton: Alvarez the Unstoppable: naturally, a 3 run bomb. A homer a day keeps the doctor away.
McCann had a few hits. Brandon McIlwain also hit a 3 run jack, his 1st in AA. Boy, he’s been hot. Bingo won 8-4.
Brooklyn: Schwartz on fire, too, 2nd season HR, 3 RBIs. Up close to .280. But they lost a close one. Newton/Palmer 0-7, 4 Ks didn’t help (contact, fellas).
Schwartz is starting to set.up perfectly as as an emergency first basement in case Pete goes down.
ReplyDeleteWhat grabbed me the most about Ritter was his playing in AAA with fewer at bats than it took for Alonso to get there. Not to in any way equate the two players, but it shows that Luke's lower numbers are due in part to fast promotion. He also had that Brooklyn thing.
ReplyDeleteOddly, when Brooklyn was rookie ball in 2019, he hit very well there. In 2019, though, he was terrible at home in Brooklyn when it was High A. The latter is what stuck in my mind. On the road in 2021, he had 12 HRs and 37 RBIs in 139 at bats! At home, 2 HRs and 7 RBIs.
Schwartz seems like a competent, if low-powered bat. My recommendation for him would be, keep hitting, worry about power later. .349/.397/.460 in June so far. That says "promote soon" to me. Suozzi can play first base if he does get that promo to AA.
ReplyDeleteWe have to remember how little he's played as a pro - just 333 plate appearances. 6'4", 215 lefty - maybe a good comp is Ed Kranepool?
Just 4 errors in 56 games at first for him, too. A feather in his cap.
ReplyDeleteTom that Alvarez guy sounds like a real player to me how about you? I really hope your staying away from that facebook site. Lets see Ritter at second hmmmm won't that put Luis, Jeff and Ritter in a second base rotation kind of like Three's Company...come and knock on my door. I know Tom the first step is admitting I have a problem.
ReplyDeleteRitter humor is the best. But Alvarez will be even bester.
ReplyDeleteEE got a hit!!!! so 1 for 24.
ReplyDeleteJeff out with hamstring tightness.....hopefully not a pull.
ReplyDeleteSorry but it's me again. We have to find out how the Evil Empire has 3 Relievers with Whips under 1.00 because it can't be just luck. Epplier and co. that's your #1 job because to win in the playoffs we need a killer pen so make it happen fellas.
ReplyDelete