Minor League Press Releases

 

Syracuse, NY –The Syracuse Mets took an early lead but couldn’t hold on during Saturday night’s game against the Omaha Storm Chasers, dropping the contest, 6-3. Omaha has now won three out of the first five games in the six-game series. 

Syracuse (44-54) struck first in the bottom of the first, taking advantage of some strong swings at the plate and sloppy defense from the Storm Chasers. With nobody on base and one out, Francisco Álvarez pounded a double off the base of the left-center field wall on one bounce, upping his hitting streak to four games. Nick Plummer then sliced a sharp single into right field, initially holding Álvarez at third base. However, right fielder Nate Eaton threw the ball away from right field on the throw back into the infield, allowing Álvarez to prance home with the game’s first run for a 1-0 lead. 

After that, Omaha (49-48) took control, plating single runs in the second, third, fifth, and seven innings to take a commanding 4-1 lead. In the third and fifth, Drew Waters launched solo home runs to push the Storm Chasers to a 3-1 lead all by his lonesome. The 23-year-old from Georgia has had an outstanding week in Syracuse, going a combined 8-for-18 at the plate with three home runs, two doubles, seven runs scored, and five runs driven in. 

In the top of the seventh, José Briceño doubled to start the inning, moved up to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Michael Massey sacrifice fly to the center-field warning track. The run came off of the rehabbing Big Leaguer Trevor May who made his second rehab appearance with Syracuse this week on Saturday night. May has allowed two earned runs combined between his two relief innings so far this week. 

In the bottom of the seventh, the Mets got a run back from a familiar face. Mark Vientos entered the game as a pinch-hitter with nobody on base and one out and wasted no time, lining the first pitch he saw over the fence in right-center field for his team-leading 19th home run of the season. 

Omaha scored single runs in the top of the eighth and ninth innings to make it 6-2 and essentially put the game away. Brewer Hicklen hit a solo homer in the eighth, his second home run of the week. Briceño doubled and scored in the ninth, finishing the night 3-for-4 with three doubles and two runs scored. 

Syracuse tried to mount a rally in the bottom of the ninth as Daniel Palka singled to start the inning and moved up to second and then third with nobody out on a pair of wild pitches. After consecutive outs dimmed the comeback hopes, Deven Marrero singled with two outs to score Palka and keep the late rally alive at 6-3. However, it would die there. JT Riddle struck out to end the game and hand Omaha its third win of the week.

 

BINGHAMTON, NY – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (7-18, 35-59) held a 4-3 lead going into the ninth inning, but Cam Eden’s two out single scoring Luis De Los Santos in a two-run ninth gave New Hampshire a 5-4 win on Saturday night at Mirabito Stadium as the Ponies left runners on first and third in the bottom of the ninth. 

The New Hampshire rally started with a single from Addison Barger and a double from De Los Santos. Phil Clarke followed with a sacrifice fly off Ponies reliever Antonio Santos (2-3) scoring Barger to tie the game at four. Eden’s single with two outs off Dedniel Núñez was the go-ahead tally. Barger went 4-5 with a run scored. 

After falling behind 2-0 in the first on a Zach Britton two-run home run, the Ponies took a 3-2 lead in the fourth. Cody Bohanek’s RBI double scoring Wyatt Young put Binghamton on the board. Johneshwy Fargas’s sacrifice fly brought Zach Ashford home to tie the game and Bohanek scored on a wild pitch for the lead. 

New Hampshire (12-14, 43-52) found the equalizer on a Sebastian Espino home run to left off Ponies starter Jose Butto in the fifth. Addison Barger’s fielding error off the bat of Luke Ritter put the Ponies ahead 4-3 in the bottom of the frame as Ronny Mauricio scored on the play. 

Ponies reliever Willy Taveras threw two and a third scoreless frames giving up four hits while striking out one and working out of three jams with runners on in the fifth, sixth and seventh. 

POSTGAME NOTES: Brett Baty’s 12-game hit streak came to an end tonight… Ronny Mauricio had a multi-hit game. 

 

Wappingers Falls, NY (July 30, 2022) – The Cyclones scored early and held on late to defeat the Hudson Valley Renegades by the score of 7-5 on Saturday evening at Dutchess Stadium. The Brooklyn bats pounded out 14 hits, led by three-hit efforts from Jose Peroza and Rowdey Jordan. With the win, Brooklyn improves to 17-12 in the second half and leapfrogs the Renegades to take a ½ game lead in the division. 

Brooklyn jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, scoring twice in the bottom of the first. With two outs and Rowdey Jordan on third, Nic Gaddis lofted a flyball to deep right field that eluded Aldanis Sanchez and allowed Jordan to score the game’s first run and the Cyclones catcher to cruise into second. After a wild pitch moved him over to third base Jose Peroza had an infield single to score Gaddis and make it 2-0. 

The lead would grow in the top of the 4th after Joe Suozzi and Shervyen Newton led off the inning with back-to-back singles and the pair moved into scoring position on a ground out from Matt Rudick. Rowdey Jordan took advantage of the scoring chance with a triple that split the gap in right-center field to double Brooklyn’s lead to 4-0. 

The ‘Clones tacked on two more runs in the fifth courtesy of a Joe Suozzi RBI triple and a Shervyen Newton RBI single to make it 6-0 headed to the bottom of the fifth. 

Nick Zwack made the start for Brooklyn and cruised through the first 4.0 innings, but after a very long top of the fifth, the southpaw struggled in the bottom of the frame. TJ Rumfield singled to start the frame and Grant Richardson followed with a one-out double to put runners on second and third. Carlos Narvaez then ripped a double on the first pitch he saw to score a pair and trim Brooklyn’s lead to 6-2. Aldenis Sanchez then singled and Trey Sweeney walked to load the bases and put an end to Zwack’s night. LHP Cam Opp (1-2) entered the bases loaded situation and was able to limit the damage getting the second out of the inning on a sac fly before getting Jasson Dominguez to ground out to end the frame with the Cyclones ahead by the score of 6-3. 

Brooklyn tacked on another run in the top of the eighth on a no-doubt homer from Stanley Consuegra – a solo shot – to extend Brooklyn’s lead to 7-3. 

Nolan Clenney followed Opp out of the Brooklyn bullpen and struck out the first eight batters he faced before allowing a single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth which was followed by a two-run home run from Grant Richardson that cut the Cyclones lead in half at 7-5. 

Justin Courtney came on to strike out Carlos Narvaez for the final out of the game to collect his sixth save of the season.

 

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (July 30, 2022) – The St. Lucie Mets shut out the Palm Beach Cardinals 2-0 on Saturday at Clover Park. 

A trio of pitchers combined for to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard. Tony Dibrell, making his third MiLB rehab start, stranded runners at third base in both of his innings. He gave up on hit, walked one and struck out three. 

Keyshawn Askew took over in the third inning and thoroughly dominated. He pitched six innings and allowed just two infield singles while striking out eight. He got the win to improve to 4-0. 

Trey McLoughlin struck out two batters in a perfect ninth inning for his fourth save in July. He lowered his July ERA to 0.79 ERA (1 ER in 11.1 innings). 

Tanner Murphy drove in both runs for the Mets. He hit a two out solo home run off Cardinals starters Hancel Rincon (0-2) in the third inning. The homer was the second for Murphy in as many games. 

Justin Guerrera led off the fifth inning with a double and Murphy drove him in with a two-out single against Rincon for a 2-0 lead.

The Mack Report - Sunday, July 31st

 

“Because He Gets On Base” 

I have to admit that I was one of the many out there that raised an eyebrow when the Mets traded away a reliever that was throwing well, for Daniel Vogelbach. 

Like most old school fans, I ran to my phone, punched his name up, and clicked on his Baseball Reference site to confirm what I already knew. Vogelbach was not one of the league leaders in batting average. 

But then I dug a little more and read what his walk percentage was and just how many times he gets on base. 

So for, as a Mets (and after going hitless last night), he has 17 plate appearances. This includes four hits (two doubles), and five base on balls. End result: .333/.529/.500/1.029. 

Can you imaging if your entire team had a .529 on-base percentage for the season? 

Going forward, I have lowered that eyebrow on this guy. 

 

A story on the confirmed signing of Kevin Parada HERE  

 

The Cincinnati Reds sent star pitcher, Luis Castillo, to Seattle, for IF Noelvi Marte, IF Edwin Arroyo, RHP Levi Stoudt, and RHP Andrew Moore. 

Castillo has current stats of 3.3-WAR, 4-4, 2.86, 4-starts, 85-IP, 90-K, 8% walk rate, 47.1% grounder percentage. 

He is eligible for free agency in 2024. 

Marte, MLB’s 47^th top prospect, is a 20-year old shortstop out of the D.R. 

This year, in A+ ball, he has a stat line of: 

342-AB, .275, 15-HR, 10.8% walk rate, 21.1% Strikeout rate. 

Arroyo, MLB’s 48^th top prospect, is an 18-year old middle infielder, who was drafted in the 2^nd round of the 2021 draft. 

This year, in Low-A he has a stat line of: 

.316/.385/.514, 14-HR, 21-SB 

Stoudt is a 24-year old RHP, that was drafted by Seattle in 3^rd round of the 2019 draft. 

So far this season, in AA ball, his stat line is: 

18-starts, 6-6, 5.28, 87-IP, 82-K 

Moore is a 28-year old righty drafted by Seattle in the 2^nd round of the 2015 draft. 

So far this season, for Seattle he has gone: 

-0.1-WAR, 1-5, 5,51, 11-G, 9-ST, 59-IP, 31-K 

 

2023 MLB DRAFT - TOP 100 COLLEGE PROSPECTS here - 

4. Wyatt Langford Outfield, Florida 

Langford has been an offensive force for the Gators providing plenty of punch and impact at the plate in Gainesville. This is a premium power bat with easy plus raw power to all fields. He's a fringe-average, maybe average runner, but the legs play up thanks to strong instincts and burst on the base paths. He's destined for left field where his speed and lack of a strong throwing arm will play best. It’s not a liability, squarely fringe-average, but probably not suited for right field as a professional. Still, it doesn’t matter, this may be a plus hit, plus power bat and those are incredibly difficult to come by in any draft. 

 

2023 MLB DRAFT - TOP 100 HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECTS HERE - 

14 SS George Lombard Jr. Gulliver Prep, Miami, FL 

Lombard possesses just about every tool a team could ask for in a prep prospect. There's a hit tool here, significant power in a long, athletic frame, and a the abiliity to really run the bases with present above average speed. He's a pretty big kid, so his future may ultimately be at second base or left field; his arm strength and throwing motion adding to that notion. Regardless, this is one of the premium bats available on the prep side in the 2023 class with a definitive chance of going on day one.

 

Yesterday’s Tweets - 

Tim Ryder @TimothyRRyder 

In July, the Mets have the most valuable starter (Max Scherzer, 1.5 fWAR), reliever (Edwin Díaz, 0.9), and the 11th-ranked position player (Starling Marte, 1.2) in the major leagues

 

Michael Baron @michaelgbaron 

Mets are now 62-37 on the year and have won four games in a row. They’re 15-8 in July,  25-7 in series openers, 14-3 in series openers on the road, 29-12 vs the NL East, 53-0 when leading after 8 innings, 44-4 when scoring 5 or more runs, and earned their 23rd comeback win.

 

Anthony DiComo @AnthonyDiComo

Daniel Vogelbach has reached base safely eight times in 13 plate appearances since joining the Mets.

 

The Buck Show @BuckYourself11 

Francisco Lindor is putting together a great year. The month of July has been an eye opening month. The last 15 days for Francisco… he’s been hitting .333 and OBP at .450… been waiting for him to get very hot. Looks like he’s getting hot at the right time.

 

Brooklyn Cyclones @BKCyclones 

Dominic Hamel capped his 6 shutout frames this evening with his 6th strikeout. 

Hamel is now 7-2 overall in 2022 with 99 punchies in 83.1 innings

 

#Luplow2NYM @ZruizeMickey 

Brett Baty AA stats:

81 G

355 PA

152 wRC+

.405 wOBA

.397 OBP

26.2 K%

11.3 BB%

26.8 LD% (best in AA)

44.1 GB% (17% decrease from last year)

 

Mathew Brownstein @MBrownstein89 

Adam Ottavino over his last 19 appearances: 

21.2 IP, 11 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 21 SO, 0.83 ERA 

10 inherited runners, 0 scored

Paul Articulates – Looking down the road

The Mets played their 100th game of the season last night, and that means that they have 62 games remaining.  They maintained their 3 game lead over the Atlanta Braves and 9.5 games over the Philadelphia Phillies.  Given the strength of those two teams, the Mets have done well this year to position themselves for the race to the finish.  

Mets fans are optimistic about the road ahead, as we have our pitching back, finally boasting a lineup of Scherzer, deGrom, Bassitt, Walker, and Carrasco every five games, with David Peterson there to fill on double-header days.  That also allows for the bullpen to be embellished with not only trade deadline acquisitions, but also Trevor Williams, returning Trevor May, and by mid-August Tylor Megill.

Baseball is anything but predictable, so even with the renewed pitching strength and trade-deadline acquisitions; anything can happen in the remaining two months and four days. Sometimes it matters who you play, who is hot, and who your competition is facing.  So today I will take a look at the remaining schedules (data as of Friday night) to give some insight into how things stack up.

As of Friday night, the Mets had 63 games remaining.  33 are home and 30 are away. It breaks down as:

• 35 games against division rivals (12 ATL, 9 WSN, 7 PHI, 7 MIA)

• 16 games against NL central teams (7 PIT, 3 CIN, 3 CHC, 3 MIL)

• 7 games against the NL west (4 COL, 3 LAD)

• 5 games against American League teams (3 OAK, 2 NYY)

Of those remaining games, 27 will be played against rivals that are currently above .500 (NYY, ATL, MIL, PHI) and 36 will be played against sub-.500 teams.  The weighted average of the winning percentage for their remaining opponents is .482. That seems to bode well for the Orange & Blue.  Of course those division games and particularly the 12 Atlanta games will have a huge impact on the standings when the playoffs roll around.

The Mets are currently scoring 4.67 runs per game and tout a staff ERA of 3.59.  Their opponents have a weighted average of 4.32 runs per game and give up 4.54 runs per game.  One can only expect that with their full pitching staff back and a little more pop from the DH position that they can increase their statistical advantage over their rivals.

Speaking of their rivals, who do the Braves and Phillies have left?  How about those other wild card contenders the Padres and Cardinals?  Yes, I looked them up too.  It looks like the Cardinals have the easiest remaining schedule while the Braves have the toughest.

The Braves, who are currently scoring 4.74 runs/game and tout a 3.65 ERA had 61 games left with only 26 of those at home.  The weighted average of the winning percentage for their opponents is .505.  Their opponents are scoring 4.3 runs per game and giving up 4.3 runs per game. 

• 37 games against division rivals (12 NYM, 6 WSN, 9 PHI, 10 MIA)

• 8 games against the NL west (3 COL, 3 SFG, 2 ARI)

• 6 games against NL central teams (3 PIT, 3 STL)

• 10 games against American League teams (2 OAK, 3 HOU, 3 SEA, 2 BOS)

The Phillies, who are currently scoring 4.66 runs/game and tout a 3.80 ERA had 62 games left with 30 of those at home.  The weighted average of the winning percentage for their opponents is .476.  Their opponents are scoring 4.275 runs per game and giving up 4.581 runs per game. 

• 36 games against division rivals (9 ATL, 11 WSN, 7 NYM, 9 MIA)

• 15 games against NL central teams (5 PIT, 7 CIN, 3 CHC)

• 6 games against the NL west (3 SFG, 3 ARI)

• 5 games against American League teams (2 TOR, 3 HOU)

The Padres, who are currently scoring 4.38 runs/game and tout a 3.75 ERA had 61 games left, with 34 at home.  The weighted average of the winning percentage for their opponents is .499.  Their opponents are scoring 4.48 runs per game and giving up 4.42 runs per game. 

• 36 games against division rivals (12 LAD, 9 SFG, 7 ARI, 8 COL)

• 10 games against the NL east (7 WSN, 3 MIA)

• 3 games against NL central teams (3 STL)

• 12 games against American League teams (2 MIN, 2 CLE, 3 CHW, 2 SEA, 3 KCR)

The Cardinals, who are currently scoring 4.6 runs/game and tout a 3.85 ERA had 62 games left, with 32 at home.  The weighted average of the winning percentage for their opponents is .463.  Their opponents are scoring 4.34 runs per game and giving up 4.76 runs per game. 

• 35 games against division rivals (7 MIL, 9 PIT, 11 CHC, 8 CIN)

• 15 games against the NL west (6 COL, 3 LAD, 3 ARI, 3 SDP)

• 9 games against NL east teams (6 WSN, 3 ATL)

• 3 games against American League teams (3 NYY)

That is a pile of information, but it helps you understand what is down the road.  The Mets have a favorable schedule ahead in terms of opponents records and number of home games, but have 12 difference makers against the Braves.  Who gets hot and who gets hurt will have a lot to do with the end game.  Let’s Go Mets!

Tom Brennan - My, My, My, Francisco

                                                                    (PC - Ed Delany)

I could just hear Tom Jones singing that, can’t you?

Quiz question: 

Which Mets prospect in 781 career ABs, has 51 HRs and 154 RBIs?

Alvarez.

But I digress.

Many say Alvarez is struggling in AAA.

I say, “Not so fast!”

.382 on base % in AAA. That is the 6th highest OBP in the International League.

Almost an RBI per game, too.

He was also critiqued for allowing 7 steals the other night. All were in the 5 innings pitched by deGrom and May, who may have been more focused on pitching mechanics than in holding runners on. 

When Cobb pitched, he nailed a runner.

Take out the 7 steals while May/ Jake were pitching and Alvarez is 21 for 80 this year in steals. Not great, but better, I believe, than all MLB and minors catchers this year.

My, My, My, Francisco….Why Oh Why, Do They Dis Ya?

BRETT BATY BLASTING AWAY…

Last 2 months, .350/.435/.615. 13 HRs, 39 RBIs.

Assuming he is not traded, get him to AAA ASAP. 

RONNY MAURICIO BY THE NUMBERS…

Half of a 162 game season is 81 games.

In 81 games in 2022, R-Mo has 20 doubles, 18 HRs and 58 RBIs. 

Impressive. Still just 21.

Mack - Minor League Press Releases -

 Syracuse 9 - Omaha 4

Syracuse, NY – The Syracuse Mets roared ahead early and never looked back, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the second inning on their way to a 9-4 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers on an 80-degree sunny Friday night at NBT Bank Stadium. The Mets have now won the last two games in the series after dropping the first two. 

After a scoreless first inning for each side, Syracuse (44-53) exploded for seven runs on six hits in the bottom of the second inning to blow the game open early. The Mets would send 12 batters to the plate by the time the frame was done, starting the inning with a Travis Blankenhorn double and a Gosuke Katoh triple for a 1-0 lead. After that, however, all the damage for the home team was done in slow drips. Four singles, two walks, a fielder’s choice, and an error would plate the other five runs as the Mets led 7-0 after two innings. 

Other highlights from the second-inning scoring barrage included Francisco Álvarez, fresh off his walk-off home run on Thursday night, singling home a run. Mark Vientos brought home two more with a single of his own. Finally, Blankenhorn completed the scoring with an RBI single himself, his second hit of the momentous inning.   

Omaha (48-48) got a run back in the top of the fourth to trim the Syracuse lead to six, 7-1, but the Mets immediately tacked on two more tallies later in the game via the long ball. In the bottom of the fourth, Katoh lined a no-doubt drive over the right-field wall to make it 8-1. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, Blankenhorn pounded a drive beyond the wall in left-center field to make it 9-1 and complete the Mets’ scoring on the evening. It was the 13th home run of the season for Blankenhorn who finished Friday night’s game a triple shy of the cycle.   

While Syracuse’s offense grabbed plenty of headlines on Friday night, the pitching staff also needs some shine in the spotlight. Nate Fisher, Locke St. John, Eric Orze, Yennsy Diaz, Thomas Szapucki, and Michel Otanez combined to allow just four runs on seven hits with 11 strikeouts. Fisher started the game strong, tossing two and two-thirds scoreless innings with just two hits allowed and four strikeouts. 

 

 Binghamton 12 - New Hampshire 8

BINGHAMTON, NY – Brett Baty’s magical month of July continued as he went 3-5 with two home runs and seven RBI as the Binghamton Rumble Ponies (7-17, 35-58) defeated the New Hampshire Fisher Cats 12-8 on Friday night at Mirabito Stadium. Baty is now hitting .375 with 33 hits, eight homers and 27 RBI in the month of July and extended his hit-streak to 12 games. 

Baty drove in runs nine, 10, 11 and 12 with a grand slam in the eighth inning which put the Ponies ahead 12-5. He also added a mammoth solo home run in the first over the batter’s eye and a two-run single capping off a six-run fourth which put Binghamton ahead 7-4. 

Matt Winaker registered the first RBI in the fourth on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch and Carlos Cortes scored on a wild pitch. Matt O’Neill tied the game at four with an RBI single and Nick Meyer’s RBI single gave the Ponies a 5-4 lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Meyer also walked in eighth with the bases loaded which brought home a run. 

New Hampshire (11-14, 42-52) took a 4-1 lead in the second as Davis Schneider hit a two-run homer to left field going back-to-back with Zach Cook and Ryan Gold’s homer off Garrison Bryant (1-0) capped off the inning. 

POSTGAME NOTES: Baty now has 11 RBI over his last two games… Meyer had two RBI… Bryant picked up his first win as a Rumble Pony… Grant Hartwig pitched a scoreless inning of relief.

Palm Beach 6 - St. Lucie 4

 

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (July 29, 2022) – The Palm Beach Cardinals beat the St. Lucie Mets 6-4 on Friday at Clover Park. 

The Mets hit four solo home runs in defeat. That gives the Mets a total of 100 home runs through 93 games this season. Justin Guerrera hit his eighth homer of the season, Junior Tilien smacked two homers and William Lugo hit his third home run of the series. 

The two homers for Tilien was his second multi-homer game of the season. He hit a St. Lucie record three home runs on May 29th at Dunedin. Tilien now has 11 long balls on the year. 

The Mets struggled on the mound despite the offensive power surge. Through the first six innings three Mets pitchers combined to walk eight batters and struck out just four. There were also two errant pickoff throws to first base. 

The Cardinals scored three runs against Mets starter Franklin Sanchez in the third inning. Elijah Cabell hit a RBI single to start the scoring, a second run scored on a double play and Thomas Francisco knocked Sanchez out the game with a two-out RBI single that made it 3-1.

Tilien and Lugo hit consecutive homers in the fifth inning off Cardinals starter Trent Baker to tie the game 3-3. 

The Cardinals scored twice in the sixth off reliever Raimon Gomez (3-3) to retake the lead. Leonard Bernal hit a RBI double and Jhon Torres registered a RBI ground out that made it 5-3. 

A walk, error and a passed ball helped to score Nathan Church in the seventh inning to put the Cardinals up 6-3. 

Tilien launched his second homer of the game in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-4. 

The game entered a 1 hour and 33 minute rain delay in the top of the ninth. When play resumed the Cardinals lined into a double play and the Mets went down in order vs. Andrew Marrero in the bottom of the ninth to finish the game.

Reese Kaplan -- Billy Eppler's Building Blocks Suggest More to Come

Earlier this week I mentioned the somewhat puzzling acquisition of Daniel Vogelbach by Billy Eppler.  Some folks took a very different perspective feeling that as an inexpensive platoon piece he is a .264 hitter against right handed pitching and has good power while working out a number of walks which are good but not great when you have the base running challenge his size creates.  They also pointed out that in very limited action Colin Holderman has been good but already is showing signs of shoulder strain, hence the price paid was not astronomical.  While I am still unclear what the rest of the subsequent moves expected will do to enhance the roster, at best I can give the front office is an incomplete.

Then yesterday Eppler struck again, this time securing the services of an over-30 poor outfielder named Tyler Naquin and a challenged pitcher named Phillip Diehl.  Taking a quick look at the metrics for each makes you once again start the head scratching as to what exactly these folks are contributing to help the 2022 team other than perhaps being fallback options should other more conspicuous major or minor league players get shipped out in trades yet to occur.

First let's take a gander at the resume of Naquin.  The 31-year old lefty swinging outfielder has a solid .269 career batting average.  In his best season in 2021 he hit 19 HRs and drove in 70 while logging 411 ABs.  Baseball Reference suggests that performance is pretty much in line with what could be expected if he played as a regular -- .269 with 18 HRs and 71 RBIs.  That's not awful but it's also not markedly better than what Mark Canha is delivering.  He's earning $4 million and is slated to be a free agent at year's end.  I think perhaps he would be slated as the Dom Smith replacement on the roster but the mostly first baseman is currently on the IL and will not be moved in a pre-deadline trade.  

Then there's the dark horse of the deal, Phillip also-named Diehl.  The now 28-year-old southpaw has not exactly shined in his limited exposure at the major league level.  Delving into his minor league stats shows someone with potential that has not yet been realized.  Since his 21 year old season back in 2016 he's shifted from starting pitcher to the bullpen.  In years with affiliates for the Yankees, Rockies and Reds he's put together a decent resume that includes a record of 22-11 with a 3.26 ERA while striking out over 11 batters per 9 innings pitched and walking 2.5.  Since he has had very limited time in the majors, he's an inexpensive lefty for the next four years and could serve as a supplement to others in the system like David Peterson and Thomas Szapucki.

Neither of these players from the Cincinnati Reds cost the Mets a major fortune in terms of ready-to-play minor leaguers exchanged in the deal, though both at a very early professional level are pretty impressive.  At ages 18 and 19 righthander Jose Acuna appeared in 12 games, going 4-0 with a very nice 2.88 ERA while striking out nearly 4 times as many as he walks while maintaining a WHIP under 1.000.  Utilityman Hector Rodriguez has played at ages 17 and 18, combining to hit .321 with 6 HRs and 31 RBIs in about a half season's worth of ABs.  Obviously a lot can happen by the time either or both of these athletes attempt to make their way up the ladder to the majors, but it would appear that while the Mets gained experience in the deal the Reds took on potential.  Overall it was a deal that made a lot of sense for the Reds.  For the Mets it would appear to be another one in which everyone is waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Apparently some of the much rumored deals are still possible, including both Willson Contreras and David Robertson from the Cubs.  This particular deal would require Steve Cohen's deep pockets as Contreras is earning $9.625 million this year and the 3-time All Star is slated to be a free agent at year's end.  37-year-old Robertson is more than earning his modest $3.5 million contract, pitching to a 1.83 ERA with 14 saves.  He too is eligible for free agency at year's end.  Given that neither of these very good players are guaranteed to be anything more than late season rentals in the mold of Javier Baez, the price you'd pay to get them shouldn't be quite as steep as if they were acquired earlier in their careers.

Right now the jury is still out on Billy Eppler and the Mets.  While the Yankees went out to bolster their roster through the addition of an All Star player in Andrew Benintendi who is hitting .320, the Mets seemed to be building in baby steps which cannot be fully understood until all of the dust settles between now and Tuesday, August 2nd when the trade deadline occurs.  For now, another incomplete grade is the best I can offer.  

The Mack Report - Friday, July 29th

 

Yesterday’s Trade 

The Mets traded pitchers Jose Acuna and Hector Rodriguez to Cincinnati. In return, they received LHH OF Tyler Naquin and LHRP Phillip Diehl. 

Acuna is a 21/year old international free agent, out of Venezuela. This season for Brooklyn, he is 3-0, 3.16, 1.01, with 36-K, in 25.2-IP. 

Rodriguez is 26 years old and also hails from Venezuela.

This season for Syracuse, he is 1-3, 7.56, 41.2-IP, 39-K, and 21-BB. 

The veteran Naquin is 31/yrs. old and was a first round pick in 2012 by Cleveland, out of TAMU. 

Stats:

2022: 0.1-WAR 187-AB .246

Career: 3.6-WAR 1536-AB .269 

Diehl is 28/yrs old and was a 27^th round draft pick by the Yankees in 2016, out of Lousiana Tech. He has spent a limited amount of time in the majors so far. 

Stats:

2022: -0.2-WAR 0-0 11.12

Career: -0.5-WAR 0-0 9,67 

Thoughts - First, this won’t be the biggest trade made this off season, but it does improve the offensive output on the RHH bench. 

The adding and subtracting Diehl or Rodriguez is a gain for the Mets. Yes, Diehl hasn’t had any success at the major league level, but he can strike people out: 

Minors stats 

2022: 23.1-IP 30-K

Career: 452.1-IP 533-K 

Naquin is not a good defensive outfielder, but he is fast in the base paths. Replacing Travis Jankowski with Naquin keeps the pinch runner option intact and greatly increase the projected outage from the bench. 

Acuna is a talented mid-range prospect, but the Mets are deep in them and his loss is, well, fine in a pennant race year. 

The Mets still need a successful major league reliever and a LHH DH bat.

 

Francisco Alvarez 

One of the trusted members of the Mets group text feed went to the Syracuse game that Jake deGrom pitched in the other night. Naturally, he kept us up on developments during the game. 

I don’t remember any of those thoughts being positive. Obviously, they were directed at Jake’s performance and both his lack of control and velocity, but what we didn’t expect was a scathing report on the defensive woes of our top prospect, catcher Francisco Alvarez. 

Forget his under .200 hitting. The person viewing this saw one wild pitch that he thought could have been caught and I think, SEVEN successful stolen bases against Alvy. 

SEVEN, 

He did confirm the fact that he did have an arm like a canon, but it lacked any accuracy and direction. 

I write this to all of you that think this kid is ready to be called up. He isn’t both offensively and with a glove on his hand. 

The first thing he needs to do is adjust his offensive game while facing ex-major league pitchers. There are plenty down there to, hopefully, tee off on. 

But he shouldn’t be hid as a DH. Catch him daily and teach him to be better. Get him to come to the park earlier and throw 50 balls a practice to second base. 

In essence, make him into a major league catcher.

 

 BPJ  - 2023 MLB Draft: 10 College Players to Know 

Will Sanders RHP  South Carolina 

Sander is a 6-foot-6, 215-pound righty known for his exciting combination of size and pitch mix. The righty has solid command and has plenty of projection remaining. 

He boasts a mid-90s fastball and a putaway slider. He also shows a solid feel for his changeup. 

 

2023 MLB DRAFT - TOP 100 HIGH SCHOOL PROSPECTS HERE - 

13  3B Aidan Miller JW Mitchell, Trinity, FL 

Miller is one of the most physical preps in the 2023 class. He's big and athletic with explosive power that stems from a combination of raw strength and excellent bat speed. Miller is a consistent high-performer on the amateur circuit and his mammoth power finds it way into games already. He can run a fastball into the low-90s on the mound, but his future is likely swinging a bat. The body is already very thick and muscular, so he'll need to maintain his athleticism as he gets older. For now, it's comfortably a third base profile, with a corner outfield or first base role possible as he ages. 

 

Yesterday’s Tweets - 

Michael Mayer @mikemayer22 

Starling Marte is hitting .300/.349/.465 to start his Mets career. 

Leads Mets position players with his 3.1 bWAR.

 

Tyler Gallo @TylerAGallo 

Pete Alonso on ESPN broadcasted games this season: 

.437/.590/1.125, 3 HR, 8 RBI 

With that win, the Mets are now 5-0 on ESPN games this year.

 

Subway To Shea Podcast @SubwayToShea 

Last 15 games for Brandon Nimmo: 

.180, 2HR, 2RBI

 

Minor League Press Releases -

 

Syracuse, NY – Francisco Álvarez, the top prospect in minor league baseball, had a magic moment at NBT Bank Stadium on Thursday night. The 20-year-old catcher launched a two-run home run deep into the summer night in the bottom of the ninth inning, propelling the Mets to a 5-3 win over the Omaha Storm Chasers. 

Syracuse (43-53) entered the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied, 3-3, setting the stage for the signature moment of the 2022 season for the Mets. After a Tzu-Wei Lin lineout to start the frame, Robertson nearly end the game on his own, tripling off the top of the centerfield wall to put the winning run 90 feet away with one out in the ninth. Álvarez would do better than just ending the game, taking a hanging breaking ball and pounding it off the light tower beyond the left-field wall for a walk-off, two-run home run that gave the Mets a 5-3 victory. The 20-year-old catcher from Venezuela has two home runs in his Triple-A career, the other a grand slam at Worcester on Saturday afternoon. 

The game started quickly with both teams scoring in the first inning. In the top of the first, Omaha (48-47) manufactured a tally when Drew Waters walked to start the game, stole his way to second, then to third, and scored on a groundball out by Michael Massey as the Storm Chasers took a 1-0 lead. 

In the bottom of the first, Syracuse scored twice to take its first lead of the night. Kramer Robertson began the inning with a single, followed by an Álvarez walk that put runners on first and second with nobody out. Daniel Palka struck out, but a Mark Vientos walk loaded up the bases with one out. Travis Blankenhorn followed with an RBI groundout that plated Robertson to tie the game up, 1-1. Then, with Álvarez at third base and Vientos at second, a pitch crossed up Omaha catcher Freddy Fermin, skittering to the backstop for a passed ball that scored Álvarez and made it 2-1 in favor of the home team.   

It remained 2-1 until the fourth, when each team scored one more time. In the top of the fourth, Nate Eaton singled with one out and swiped his way up to second. The Storm Chasers ended up stealing eight bases overall in the game. After a Brewer Hicklen walk and a Clay Dungan lineout, Fermin looped a soft single into center field to score Eaton and make it a tie game, 2-2 

In the bottom of the fourth, the Mets regained the lead. After a Blankenhorn single, a walk by Khalil Lee, and a Deven Marrero fielder’s choice groundout put runners on first and second with one out, a throwing error by the pitcher Austin Cox on a pickoff attempt advanced Lee to third and Marrero to second base. Michael Perez then lofted a fly ball to the left-field wall just shy of a home run, but it certainly was deep enough for a sacrifice fly to score Lee and give Syracuse a lead again, 3-2. 

Omaha came back once more, this time in the eighth. With nobody on base and two outs, Michael doubled down the right-field line to extend the inning. Nate Eaton promptly brought him home, slicing a single into centerfield to plate Massey and make it a 3-3 game late in the contest. Eaton finished the game 2-for-4 with a run scored, a stolen base, and a run driven in.   

Even with the run allowed in the eighth inning, the Mets bullpen was rock solid on Thursday night. Adonis Medina, Rob Zastryzny, and Bryce Montes de Oca allowed just two earned runs in six innings with nine strikeouts. Montes de Oca had six strikeouts on his own, working the eighth and nine innings for the Mets on Thursday night to put Syracuse in its position to win the game in the bottom of the ninth.

BINGHAMTON, NY – The Binghamton Rumble Ponies (6-17, 34-58) fell 17-8 to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (11-13, 42-51) on Thursday evening at Mirabito Stadium as the two teams paired up for 25 runs and 28 hits. 

Orelvis Martinez put New Hampshire ahead 1-0 in the second with a solo shot and he hit a three-run home run in the third. Martinez also had a sacrifice fly in the fifth and had five RBI. The five-run inning was capped off by a Chris Bec two-run double and the Fisher Cats had a 6-2 lead. 

The Ponies scored two in the second on a Ronny Mauricio solo home run and Luke Ritter coming around on an error. 

New Hampshire plated two in the fourth and fifth to take a 10-2 lead. Binghamton began to knife into the deficit scoring three in the fifth as Brett Baty’s two-run home run scored James McCann and Mauricio went back-to-back with his second homer of the night. 

The Fisher Cats tacked on four in the sixth as Addison Barger hit an opposite field three-run home run to left and New Hampshire increased the lead to 14-5. They scored three more in the seventh on Rafael Lantigua’s three run home run, his second home run in as many nights to hold a 17-5 advantage. 

Wyatt Young’s RBI double and Brett Baty’s two-run double in the eighth cut the New Hampshire lead to 17-8 and that score would hold. Four New Hampshire players had three hits. 

POSTGAME NOTES: Baty extended his hit-streak to 11 games and finished 2-5 with four RBI… Mauricio went 2-4 with two home runs. Jeremy Vasquez reached base four times.

 

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (July 28, 2022) – The St. Lucie Mets won a wild contest 9-8 over the Palm Beach Cardinals on Thursday at Clover Park. 

Both teams overcame deficits twice. The final comeback was by the Mets, who trailed 8-5 with two outs in the sixth inning but scored three times with two outs in the frame to tie the game 8-8. William Lugo hit a RBI ground out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh to plate Ronis Aybar for the winning run. 

The game featured three consecutive home runs for the Mets for the second time in team history. With one out in the third inning Fernando Villalobos, Tanner Murphy and Lugo went back-to-back-to-back over the left field wall against Cardinals starter Carlos Guarate. The homers for Villalobos and Murphy came on consecutive pitches. 

The Mets last accomplished the feat on August 11, 2011 vs. Jupiter. Wilmer Flores hit the middle home run. 

The three straight home runs provided the Mets a 3-1 lead. Palm Beach’s Adanson Cruz answered with a two-run homer of his own against Mets starter Joel Diaz to tie the game 3-3 in the fourth inning. 

Murphy hit a RBI single in the bottom of the fourth to put the Mets back in front. Junior Tilien drew a bases loaded walk later in the inning to make it 5-3. 

The Cardinals tied the game 5-5 in the fifth. Thomas Francisco hit a RBI single and Sander Mora hit a sac fly. 

Palm Beach scored three times against reliever Benito Garcia in the sixth inning. Patrick Romeri ripped a two-run double to make it 7-5 and Francisco brought in the last run when he hit into a double play. 

Cardinals reliever Jose Moreno got a double play ball in the bottom of the sixth and appeared like he would get through the inning with the 8-5 lead. However, Lugo sparked a rally with a sharp single. Tilien followed with a RBI double to make it 8-6. Raul Beracierta bashed a run-scoring single to bring home Tilien. Carlos Dominguez belted a double to score Beracierta to tie the game 8-8. 

Cardinals lefty reliever Nelfi Contreras hit two batters and gave up a single to Villalobos in the seventh to set up Lugo for a the run-scoring ground out to give the Mets the final run. 

Michael Krauza (1-0) got a strikeout and double play in the seventh inning to earn the win. 

Joshua Cornielly pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth for his second save. Villalobos threw out pinch runner Darlin Moquete trying to steal second base to end the game. 

The Mets pounded out 14 hits. Murphy, Lugo, Dominguez and Villalobos had two hits apiece. Beracierta went 3 for 5. 

Jeremy Rivas went 4 for 5 for the Cardinals.