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6/22/22

Tom Brennan - Mets Minors Guys Who've Astounded Me This Year

You watch some guys who so out-perform, all you can say is "Great Scott!"

You know, when Pete Alonso hit 46 HRs and drove in 146 runs in 159 minor and fall league games in 2018, I considered that astounding.

Last year, when Mark Vientos hit 22 HRs in his last 210 at bats in AA and AAA, that astounded me, for sure.

Some folks don't care if a guy does well in the minors - like quite a few folks on Facebook where, when you post about a minors guy doing something amazing, they can't keep their mean nature in check, but instead you get their favorite two words to share: WHO CARES.  They only care about the Mother Ship in Queens.

But me? I like following the kids, and marvel at those who astound me.

Francisco Alvarez is pretty darned astounding, with his 11 homers in his last 22 games.  Most starting in one zip code and landing in another.

BUT I wouldn't say he astounds me - because if someone asked me in March what his numbers would be this season by June 20, I'd have said, "right about where they are now." 

Guys who astound me are guys who severely out-perform whatever normal expectations one might normally have.

Five guys fit that bill in 2022:

WYATT YOUNG: My MAP of 2022 so far - MOST ASTOUNDING PLAYER.

Here's a diminutive 5'7" kid drafted in the 15th round in 2021, who gets 92 at bats in Complex League Rookie Ball (the fifth rung below the majors) and hits .370.  You think, "that's really nice, almost astounding, but it's rookie ball."  

Then he shows up in spring training and has a single and double in 4 at bats, while almost the Mets' prospects who got in spring games didn't hit a lick when they got their handful of ABs.  

Then they skip him over St Lucie and send him to Brooklyn for 3 games, with 3 hits.  They were convinced....then they skipped him over AA straight to AAA, where he hits .352 with a .446 OBP in 19 games.  Now THAT'S astounding.  Who does that? He then got shuffled down to AA and is hitting .227 there in 32 games, but by all rights, he should be in low A ball, not AA.  So even that .227 stretch is astounding, considering his 2021 level.

In 305 career at bats, he is hitting .298 with a .365 OBP, most of it in AA and AAA.  Astounding.

JUNIOR TILIEN: Another kid who had a little rookie ball earlier this year, gets promoted to Lucie, and in his 14th game there, the 19 year old SS hits 3 HRs in a game (when many Mets farmhands don't have 3 HRs all season). Six homers in a span of 12 games, at age 19, in a pitcher's league where HRs are not plentiful. Cooled off a bit of late, but that burst was... ASTOUNDING.

OMAR DE LOS SANTOS: Speed is his game. 36 steals in 53 games - a 110 steal pace over 162 games.  And 63 of 70 (90%) as a pro?  ASTOUNDING!  

And his 28 doubles 12 triples, and 15 HRs in 153 career games shows Omar is not a one-dimensional speedster.  The entire Mets team has 27 steals in their first 69 games.

Omar is the Road Runner, while most guys are in a far slower gear.  Cut the Ks and he'll get on ore and be doubly astounding.

NATE LAVENDER: the 14th round 2021 lefty gave us a 6.1 IP, 12K, 1 earned run tease in 2021 post-draft.  

In 2022, he upped the ante: 14 games, 27.2 IP, 2 earned runs, 5-1, 0.65 ERA, 41 Ks.  Hitters career-wise are hitting a paltry .140 against him. ASTOUNDING.  Lavender will earn a lot of green in his career if he keeps this up.

DANIEL JUAREZ: 2-0, 4 saves, 1.61 ERA, 43 Ks in 28 IP?  Not bad for a 5'11, 155 lefty 21 year old. The pride and joy of Guigue, Vz.

Honorable Mentions: 

Grant Hartwig - 4-0 in relief, stellar all season except for one bad outing.  

Calvin Ziegler, still searching for his first pro win (gotta go 5 as a starter to get a W), but a profusive 57 Ks in 35 innings.

You readers?  You astound me most of all.


14 comments:

  1. Wyatt, Junior and Omar got into cation last nigh. Young walked twice and lined to deep left. Tilien had 2 hits and a walk. And Omar stole another bag.

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  2. We are getting Max and McCann back and Jake soon to follow.

    Has anyone heard about Holderman's progress?

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  3. No on Holderman. He was considered week to week when it happened a week or so ago.

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  4. Mack you want an impossible long shot lefty call up? Lavender or Juarez.

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  5. Could Young's and Tilein's progress make Mauricio a better trade chip? O'Neil should be the 2nd baseman for the next several years. This will allow the two to develop to replace O'Neil. BY the All-Star break 2024, Could one of the two be joining Alverez, Baty, Ramirez and Vientos with Lindor, Alonso, Nimo and Marte in Citi Field? Could be a young competitive and exciting team.

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  6. Hi,

    I like what Brandon McIiwain has been doing this season. He hit .298 in High A and was recently promoted to AA. In three games at that level he is hitting 0.417 with I think a couple of home runs. I think he needs to be watched and maybe added to someone’s prospect list.

    In addition you should look at what some of the pitchers have been doing in the FCL. Jose Acuna has a 0.73 as a starter so far. Then there is Layonel Ovalles who is a reliever with an era of 0.00. His last outing he threw 3 innings and struck out every batter he faced. I would say that is a Wow. I know you would say they have a long way to go and I would agree but in the meantime it is exciting to see.

    What is your feeling about the dreaded TJ surgery. It seems all pitchers have to go through that ordeal these days. When it comes to the MLB draft it would seem better to take a pitcher once he has had that surgery and just work with him to get back to where he was. In this case a high school pitcher would have more time to develop in the minors.

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  7. Steev, just based on size, I lean more towards Tilien being an impact player than Young, who is listed at 5'7" 160.

    What both have done in such a short time is remarkable. Let's see how they finish up the season.

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  8. I think getting a guy who recently had "the surgery" is a good guy to draft at a discount. Especially since the recovery time clock has started to run. Matt Allan, we got him pre-TJS and now we miss him for 2 full years. Syndergaard? Two full years. Matz? Wheeler? All out a really long time.

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  9. Acuna and Ovalles are new names to me. Wow.

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  10. Actually, Ovalles' last 2 outings 16 of his 17 outs by Ks! Double wow!

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  11. Do you think trying Szapucki as a middle RP is worth a try? His stuff might work better an inning or 2 at a time than trying to go deep as a SP.

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  12. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  13. Bill, the only way I'd recall Szapucki any time soon is if he was pitching against a bottom 3 offensive team. He had quite a tough assignment in San Francisco, to be fair. But he made a real mess of it.

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