The Mets' # 1 pick in 2021, Kumar Rocker, still has not started his minor league career, just in case you didn't know.
Maybe in 2023, who knows.
I know I need not remind you that Wyatt Young, 15th rounder from 2021, hit .370 last year in his debut cameo. This year? Got on base 195 times in 122 games in AA and AAA. Not sure what made me bring him up, since I never do. And no one else does, either.
Also from 2021's draft, 4th rounder righty Dom Hamel and 10th rounder lefty Keyshawn Askew also had terrific 2022 seasons.
What, though, about our 2022 Mets draftees?
How'd they do?
Round, position, bonus and stats are reflected. Not a ton of games, but 2022 play gives a sense of who might be real good going forward.
1 (11): Kevin Parada, C, college: $5,019,735. Feared. 11 for 40 with 12 walks in the regular season, 8 RBIs anyway. Playoffs? 6 for 15, 2 walks. Looks like the bat of a future star. Fielding? 3 for 11 in caught stealing, 3 passed balls, no errors.
1 (14): Jett Williams, SS, high school: $3.9 million. 8 for 32, double, triple, HR, 4 walks, 6 steals, HBP 3 times, 2 sac flies, just 6 Ks in 41 PAs. A regular variety show, one I look forward to when the sequel comes out in spring 2023. I hear Jett is getting filled up with rocket fuel for 2023.
2 (52): Blade Tidwell, RHP, college: $1,850,000. Pitched great - 5 outings, 9.1 IP, 11 Ks, 1.93 in the regular season, then 9.2 scoreless innings in the St Lucie playoffs, with 5 hits, 2 walks, and 13 Ks.
2C (75): Nick Morabito, OF, high school: $1,000,000. Rough debut. 2 for 22, with 14 Ks. But he's young (and a millionaire).
3 (90): Brandon Sproat, RHP, college: Did not sign (Bum!)
4 (119): Jacob Reimer, 3B, high school: $775,000. 6 for 23, with a HR and seven RBIs!
5 (149): D'Andre Smith, SS, college: $379,400. 11 for 50, but 4 for 16 in the St Lucie playoffs.
6 (179): Tyler Stuart, RHP, college: $200,000. He gave up 4 earned runs in 3.2 IP, but fanned 7. Two hit batsmen and 3 walks allowed.
7 (209): Jonah Tong, RHP, high school: $226,000. Did not pitch in 2022.
8 (239): Dylan Tebrake, RHP, college: $146,430. Four outings, 4.2 IP, 8 Ks, no earned runs. Nice.
9 (269): Chase Estep, 3B, college: $125,000. Just .218 but also 14 walks in 25 games. Four doubles, 4 HRs (most for any 2022 Mets draftee). Two for 12 with 3 walks in the playoffs.
10 (299): Zebulon Vermillion, RHP, college: $20,000. Just one scoreless inning. Hope he more than doubles his workload in 2023.
11 (329): Rhylan Thomas, OF, college: $180,000. .208 on 10 for 48, 2 RBIs, but his 8 walks gave him a .333 OBP. And 1 for 5 in post-season play.
12 (359): Paul Gervase, RHP, college: $170,000. The 6'10" Gervase got into 8 regular season games, 11.1 IP, 16 Ks, 5.56 ERA.
But, in the post-season, two outings, 5 IP, 2 H, 4 Ks - nice, and 10 outings? Heavily used in his debut season.
13 (389): Dylan Ross, RHP, college: Amount unannounced. The lad did not get into a game.
14 (419): Cameron Foster, RHP, college: Amount unannounced. The lad did not get into a game.
15 (449): Jackson Jaha, 3B, high school: Did not sign (Bum!)
16 (479): Jimmy Loper RHP, college: Amount unannounced. The lad did not get into a 2022 game.
17 (509): Connor Brandon, RHP, college: $200,000. In FCL, 2 IP, 1 walk, 1 BB, 1 K, no runs. Let's go....Connor.
18 (539): Chris Santiago, RHP, college: $125,000. 3 outings, 3 hitless innings, 3 walks, 2 Ks, no runs in the FCL.
19 (569): Jackson Lovich, SS, HS: Did not sign (Bum!)
20 (599): Eli Ankeney, LHP, college: $100,000. 3.1 IP in FCL...no runs, no walks, no hits, 6 Ks in 3 outings.
THREE BIG QUESTIONS FOR YOU:
1) RUF VS. VIENTOS
Vientos shakes the welcome-to-the-bigs jitters with strong games on Friday and Saturday, and in 8 plate appearances, has a single, double, HR, and 2 walks. So, with a lefty going again on Sunday, they…sit Vientos…and start the 4 for 44 veteran Ruf instead. Mets had 19 hits, but Ruf went 0-4 and ended the day 4 for his last 48, with 4 hits and 2 RBIs over the last 44 days. Really?
a) Who would you have put in the lineup Sunday? (Me? Vientos 100%).
2) Jake went 1-2, with a no-decision against 3 of the worst teams in baseball over a 4 start stretch.
a) What do you think about that failure at a key juncture, against decidedly inferior opponents? (Me? He lacks Max’s ferocity.)
3) Pete Alonso has 128 RBIs, a new Mets record. An astonishing 23 HRs and 72 RBIs in 77 road games, just 16 HRs and 56 RBIs in 76 home games. Lindor has 14/57 on the road, 11/46 at home.
a) Should Citifield fences be moved in to accommodate these phenomenal Mets' sluggers, to allow them to rightfully push their numbers to Ruthian heights? (Me? Yes. Moving the fences in is a no-brainer). As far as Alonso is concerned, it took the Mets 14 seasons to have their first 100 RBI season (Staub - 1975 - 105 RBIs), and finally, another mediocre all-time team record (124 RBIs) gets toppled. Previously, Pete crushed the awful 41 HR team record by hitting 53 in 2019. Love that Pete.
15 comments:
thanks fir the draft recap
as they say, three great ones make more a successful draft
it looks like we may reach this
my vote: Vientos
Against an inferior team, I would take a chance by starting Ruf. He has not been a bad hitter during his career, and needs to break out of a slump - you can't do that from the bench. So give him some at-bats now to see if he can get on a hot streak before Atlanta. If not, he doesn't make the playoff roster.
Mack, I agree on this draft. We'll have a much clearer picture when these newbies play full seasons in 2023.
Paul, I do not like the "inconsistent playing time" excuse for a guy like Ruf. I look first at the age. He did well at 35 last year, but was poor with the Giants this year before the Mets got him. He is 36 now, and it reminds me that Jose Reyes was solid at 34, horrible at 35, and retired. Cano, it hit later, but he completely lost it this year. You get old quickly in baseball.
My guess is, besides the pressure of failure, Ruf has gotten old in 2022 in baseball terms. His services should be terminated. Either Dom or Vientos going into post-season. Not Ruf.
Bonds used to be a great hitter.
He isn't anymore.
I think you understand my point.
I've seen enuf of ruf
Mack, on Sunday, when the Mets other 8 Ruf took an 0-fer. Again. Again, to my point, in Reyes' last season, I kept thinking, this guy is fast twitch - he's got to bounce back. He never did. I think Sunday may have been his last chance. I never seem to be right with these things, but very hot and versatile Jake Mangum was out of the line up last night for Syracuse. Might he have been headed to NY to replace Ruf?
I watched some film clips of Mangum - besides speed, he can really go get them in the outfield, and at least from the clips, looked a lot like prime time Juan Lagares. We could do worse.
Lastly, I go back to Jake. He seems to be a quiet guy who wants his pitching to do hit talking. I just think Max inspires his starting 9 more - you just want to go to war with Max. It was the same with Michael Jordan. I think Max's amazing career win loss record over the past decade shows that. For Jake to win just 1 of 4 against junk teams in the closing weeks of a high stakes pennant race leaves me annoyed, very disappointed, and befuddled. The Braves could easily have been buried. They are still Hurricane Ian.
Vientos is not seasoned enough to make definitive conclusions but his potential is almost unlimited unlike Ruf who has shown after years in Korea he's buried in the ground like a pot of kim chee. He was a poor selection to bring in for the DH position, a poor performer since arriving and does not belong on the playoff roster. I saw a mention today that they're hoping Baty can make a comeback for October, but his record in the majors isn't much better than what Vientos has done (even if the perception of him is much more positive). I'd rather have the healthy Vientos and let them battle it out in Spring Training for who gets the lion's share of appearances.
You can't judge all by age. The 36 y.o. versions of Cano, Pujols, Bart, Verlander and others show that it's an individual thing.
Ruf may just be slumping, or may be done. It could be the latter, or he could wake up and help us. After all, in his multi-year career he's got close to .900 OPS, including this year. Vientos ' history has been slow starts at each new level. I like him overall, but is he ready? I dunno.
As for Jake, I would keep him for the rest of his contract (I think it's 2 years at around $30 mil per), but given his health problems over the years I'd let someone else give him the 5 years at $4mil per he's reportedly looking for. If we're giving anyone that AAV, I'd pick Judge.
And while I am an "offense+" fan, we'd better think twice before pulling in the fences. Do we want to be another Coors or Wrigley?
Reese, Vientos had gotten on base 5 times on Fri/Sat, and they sat him against a lefty for Ruf. SMH. I’d have much more wanted to see if Vientos could string together 3 straight strong games than trying to recharge a dead battery.
Bill, I’d move the fences in a little, just to make them average difficulty, not Wrigley.
Jake, I believe, has an opt out. He may do so.
Ruf? I see where stats deteriorate, and they have in his case. Then I look for reasons. Age could well be the main answer.
Estep appears to be the best pick for the Mets based on his draft position. Leave the fences alone except for the weird cutouts. I hope they aren’t playing Ruf just to try and justify their brain fart trade. I don’t have a problem with Ruf, it isn’t his fault Eppler screwed up.
Magnum is a potential gold glove centerfielder
Letting DeGrom walk and using the money on Correa, Turner,Boegarts, might be smart. Cohen is smart.
The fences should be like Shea but Jeffy had "better" ideas lol. Mack how many QOer's will we have? Ruf was a MISTAKE period and please Buck don't pull a TC and play this guy to the detriment of our winning the division.
Ruf is not enough, time to slough him off.
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