Tom Brennan: Large Hills with an Oak Forest on Top

A college picture of the the Oak-sized Fireballer

“Montes de Oca.” Huh?? Please translate. 

Googled it, and it says:

 'Large Hills With an Oak Forest on Top'.

Clearly something big and majestic. Nice name.

How about this one?

Tom Brennan de Mocha.  

Great coffee name. And a fair country writer, to boot.

But I digress.

I was asked the other day why I liked this prospect, this hulking wall of a man, Bryce Montes de Oca.

Well, 33 Ks in his last 17 IP in AAA, first of all.  

Wait…JUST HOLD ON...you can stop right there.  

I mention to people to stop…don’t rush by…and contemplate how amazing 33 Ks in 17 innings is. Picture the dominance. Visualize the hopelessness of flailing hitters. "How can I hit what I can't see?"

Just 9 hits and 4 earned runs in that span. He had 2 outings in that span with 2 walks apiece since July 1: otherwise, 5 walks in his other 15 innings. Evidence to me that his control is being harnessed.

1-0, 6 of 8 saves in that recent 8 week period as a newly minted AAA closer.

Not to mention 16 of 19 saves in his career.  Which tells me he relishes the challenge of high pressure.

Remarkably, he is doing this recent sensational stuff in AAA in just his 2nd pro season.

Remarkably, too, his 2nd pro season is at the advanced age 26. 

Drafted in 2018, 2018 & 2019 gone to arm injury, 2020 lost to that pandemic.

He was selected in the 9th round in 2018. $152,000 bonus.  

I was thrilled early on to get one of my favorite draft things, “a power arm.” 

Then sad he missed so much time.  Would he ever pitch?  Answer: yes.

Another 9th rounder once missed tons of minor league time to arm injury. Name? deGrom. Debuted at age 25 years, 330 days, while having the good fortune of not losing a year to a crazy pandemic. With some guys, starting their career late is better late than never. Jeff McNeil, 26 years, 107 days at his debut. Lots of people thought he was too old to be a prospect.  I can give them .315 reasons why they're wrong.

I still wonder if Jeff is doing so well because I interviewed him once. I also often wonder why the earth is flat, so at least I am consistently delusional.  

Anyway, the Mountain Oak was in just 28 games and just 34 innings in 2021’s pro debut year. He started out in High A Brooklyn and pitched almost the whole season there, before a short promo to AA.   It was an ease-in debut season.

Even at age 25, starting your career in High A ball is a recognition of real talent.  No FCL.  No St Lucie.  Right to Brooklyn in 2021.  I took note of that at the time.

Age 26, in 2022, he had a fine April but a shaky May/June. Growing pains?

But growing pains were followed by the gaudy July and August AAA stats noted at the start of this article.

SNY reported that “the Oak” tops out at 102 MPH. Nice slider, too. Sounds like I am describing Edwin Diaz.

Bryce MDO is not Edwin Diaz, of course, who is, but it sure seems Bryce has been coming on rapidly. 

Me? I like Oak.  He will (I am confident) be in the Mets’ pen before we know it, and will be fun to watch.

We don’t see too many 102 MPH hurlers in Mets’ history, other than Jake, Edwin, Ryan, and perhaps Doc (but I think Doc was high 90s).  Juan Berenger was another 100 MPH guy.  Bobby Parnell. Mets haven't had many triple digit dudes.

So I am looking forward to his 102 in Queens.  

And hope he soon will fan 102 batters in a season with these NY Mets. In, I dunno, about 65 innings.  

If he wants to fan 33 every 17 innings in the majors, I won't argue.

I look at the positive points of prospects like this, and try not to be a doubter, but rather a shouter about them

To get ready for the FOREST OF OAKS’ arrival, and hopefully long and successful career, of Bryce DMO, hug some oaks near your home. They're big, solid, sturdy.

I think we'll be mighty fond of this Mountain Oak when transplanted in Queens.

DAISON ACOSTA ALERT: 

Pitching for Brooklyn like he has been the next Paul Sewald.  Paul was 1-15 as a Met, remember?  Then he left and got real good. 

On June 8, Daison fell to 0-6, 9.23, and 4-18 career.  Ugh. Circling the drain.

Since then, though, he is 4-0, with one of those wins last night, and in that span, his ERA is down nearly 4 runs to 5.46.  So, now he's 4-6.

Maybe he’ll never lose again.  

It sure seemed for a while he'd never win again.

Meanwhile:

HOT! None other than Dom Smith with 7 hits and 2 HRs in his last 3 games.

HOT! Brett Baty with 2 big RBIs, proving the kids are all right.

NOT! Tyler Naquin, who fanned 5 times last night. (Not a career enhancer).

NOT! Francisco Alvarez: 2 for last 26 (with 5 walks, to be fair).  2023 ETA?

NOT! Harol Gonzalez gave up 7 runs in less than 2 IP.  Rehab ruckus.

BRAVES BEAT ASTROS.   

Braves are what, 51-20 in their last 71 games. Good grief.  Who plays .720 ball?  What is their record over that period against teams other than the Mets? .750?

COME ON, ASTROS.  HELP US OUT.