Tom Brennan - Mets' Minor Leaguers Who Finished Strong; and Ronny Mo

Upon closer examination, these 14 strong finishers deserve recognition.

I don’t care all that much about a minor leaguer’s full season stats.

Most times, anyway.

Nor am I much impressed by a player who starts strong but falters.

What I do love is a player who has a truly strong finish. Not just for several games, but for a long stretch…a season within a season.  

Here are my favorite 14 in that regard.

Francisco Alvarez - he had a great first few games of 2022, then entered a prolonged slump, and as of May 25, he had just 4 HRs and a .229 average.  After that, and despite his AAA initial slump, in 265 at bats, drilled 23 HRs and drove in 59. I repeat: 23 HRs in his last 265 at bats.  It's OK to start drooling. And his .378 OBP?  Excellent. Promoted at the tail end of 2022, he hit a few rockets portending good things to come in 2023.

Brett Baty - the progeny had just 3 HRs and 10 RBIs in April and May in 36 games.  What?? What kind of supposed top prospect is this?  

Well, one who exploded in his next 53 games, hitting .351 with 16 HRs and 49 RBIs, resulting in an injury-interrupted debut with the Mets that would have been unfathomable at the end of May when he was hitting. frankly, like a wimp.  From Wimp to Wonderful.  His June 1 flipping of the switch was reminiscent of 1985 John Tudor, who was a horrible 1-7 by the end of May, but an unconscious 20-1 afterwards.

Sadly, a hand injury shortened his Mets debut.

Jose Peroza - a guy who I'd considered a rival to Brett Baty, when Peroza faltered over the first 3 months in High A this year, I wondered if he had hit his ceiling. At the end of June, he was hitting just .199.  One point below the Peroza Line!

Then, July arrived. So, suddenly, did his bat.  From July 1 onwards, 71 for 210 (.338). Wow.  He went from .199 to finish the season at .271, and then in 3 playoff games, stayed blistering hot, adding 5 hits, including 2 HRs, and 2 walks.  Super Strong Finish.  

Way to go, Jose.  Good glove, too.

Wyatt Young - yeah, me writing about him again. Annoying, for sure. It's just envy - I wish I was as Young as he is. 

Young, the 15th rounder from 2021, played last year in the Mets’ rookie league, but vaulted to AAA Syracuse in April and hit superbly while no one else on the team did. He had a .446 OBP in his 19 games there. Bumped down to AA, he swooned for a while, but on June 25, he once again turned into an on base machine. 

He went 8 for 16 in his last 4 June games, and then, from July 1 through mid-September, 104 times on base via hit and walk in 57 games.  Pretty sensational stretch.  The little fella also smacked a surprising 6 HRs in that 53 game stretch.  

Ended up 2022 with 195 times on base in 122 games in AA and AAA in his first full season (which equates to 260 times on base over a 162 game schedule).  Little guy, huge strides, big-time production.

I think the Mets thought highly of him from the start by compensating him with $200K, more than guys normally get in that round.  At the time he was signed, this was posted by someone:

"Mid-Pacific alum and @Mets 15th round #MLBDraft pick Wyatt Young has signed for $125,000, plus an additional $75K for an extra year of schooling at Pepperdine."

Joe Demayo then clarified that by saying the Mets "reportedly have a deal for $125K with 15th round pick SS Wyatt Young from Pepperdine. Anything above $125K in rounds 11-20 count towards the bonus pool. The schooling does not count unless I am mistaken". By the way, Jacob deGrom, when drafted years earlier, got $95,000 from the Wil-Punks.

For Wyatt It’s Worth, Wyatt was worth the $$, absolutely.  

Moving on...

William Lugo - a cruddy St Lucie April, but after that, the 20 year old IF had 13 HRs and 56 RBIs and hit .270 in St Lucie and Brooklyn.  You go, Lugo!  If Seth could make it big, why can't William?

Matt Rudick - admit it, Matt, you were lousy, frankly, until mid-August. Starting August 10, though, you started spraying a whole lot of hits and drawing a whole lot of walks, helping catalyze the Cyclones pennant surge as their lead off hitter.  Rudick finished STRONG at .249 with 70 runs scored, and 48 walks in 90 games.  

Daison Acosta - started miserably in 2022: he sat at 0-6, 9.29 ERA on June 15. From then thru Sept. 11, he’s gone 5-0 and given up very few runs, including no runs allowed in his last 11 outings, and dropped his ERA to 4.84. Very Jekyll and Hyde.  Add in a perfect inning of relief in the playoffs? All equals a strong rebound.

Dom Hamel - he doesn’t belong on this list, technically - he was great all season - no rebound necessary. 10-3, 3.25, 145 Ks in 119 IP. Maybe he can be our Spencer Strider and pitch in Citifield in 2023.  We wouldn't mind.

Grant Hartwig - undrafted in 2021, but that was clearly a mistake - like, maybe he should have been a 1st rounder.  I think so.  Here's why.

He started a bit slow this year - just an itty bitty bit slow, due to his 4.30 ERA for St Lucie, but he was 2-0 there, with 2 of 3 in saves.  Since then, he's hurtled through Brooklyn and Binghamton, and ended up tossing the rock for Syracuse, all in his first full season!  At those 3 levels, he not just survived, he thrived - 28 games, 40 innings, SIXTY ONE K'S, and just 4 earned runs.  Like I said, pitching like a 1st rounder. (Struggling in Arizona Fall Ball, though).

For the full year, 38 games, 55 innings, 82 Ks, just 38 hits, 22 walks, and a 1.80 ERA, while going 5-2 with 13 of 14 in saves!  Strong candidate, I'd think, for Mets minors pitcher of the year.  See you in Queens in 2023, Grant?  

By the way, the actual Mets first rounder in 2021, Kumar Rocker, has yet to throw his first pro inning.  By my calculus, Heart Wig > Rocker.

Jake Mangum - the quick, switch hitting center fielder, who can go get 'em (see for yourself: Mangum Big-Time Catch), Mangum started slowly (.200 in April in 60 at bats).  After that, while healthy, he hit roughly .340 in AA and AAA.  Stay focused, dear reader, that's .340, before you rush along.  Mangum is on the cusp...

Bryce Montes de Oca - Wild Thing got better and better as the season progressed and was fanning them with great aplomb in AAA as a closer, earning BMDO a promotion to the Mets. 3.2 innings, 6 Ks, wild, a bit rocky.  Get that control tightened and the 102 MPH Giant Oak will be a Met bullpen arm in 2023.  He has been a strikeout - and walk - machine and just completed his second season; keep in mind, he is still under 100 innings as a pro.  

He fanned 47 in his last 24 innings, which only seems normal because Edwin Diaz does that, too. There's 17 of 20 in career saves for BMDO, which is impressive. I firmly believe he is a fast-coming freight train, arriving on in the Queens railyard on track 102. ETA April 2023.

Kevin Parada and Blade Tidwell - after getting drafted, Parada hit great and Tidwell pitched great in the Mets Class A minors, with both truly "finishing strong."  Huge things are expected from both in 2023, and not just from me.  Two future stars that Mack, our draft guru, gushed over pre-draft.  I expect both in Citifield some time in 2024.

Keyshawn Askew - he finished strong in Brooklyn, but he also started strong.  The 2021 10th round lefty was 5-0, 2.44, an impressive 92 Ks in 66 innings, too.  He was kind of wild, with 28 walks and 10 hit batters, but his first full year, at St Lucie and Brooklyn, all-in-all was excellent.  Hopefully better someday than NFL wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson - who was pretty darned good.

Fourteen Mets goodies who finished strong, I'm imagining you'll agree.

Of course, a guy who was a Steady Eddie throughout 2022 also belongs on the list. Ronny Mauricio in 550 at bats through late last week (minors and offseason games) had 31 doubles, 28 HRs, 100 RBIs and 25 steals.  The last minor league SS they had that did that was....well, none of them.  So, his overall strong season is a smile-inducer, as well.  

BUT, WHAT ABOUT HIS HOME PARK?

Oddly, he hit just .239 in Binghamton, but a much better .276 away from it.  Shouldn't players hit BETTER at home?

In fact, the whole Rumble Ponies team hit .225 in Binghamton and a much better .247 away from there.  Another offense-suppressing Mets organization park?  Possibly.  In 2021, they hit 60 road homers but just 48 in Bingoville.  

Hmmm....so, could it be that Mauricio's seeming home park-suppressing conditions are understating his strong statistical results somewhat?

Adding a thought....about "bad-fielding Ronny", we all know Ronny can’t field, right?

He made 25 errors in 2022...did he improve as the season progressed?   

Yes...he made errors in only 2 of his last 31 games at SS in 2022, a clear sign (to me) of improvement.  And just one error in his last 19 games at SS.  

Watch out when tempted to conclude re: season totals.  That could mislead you.

Jake Circa 2013

I looked back at an old post involving Jake deGOAT on this website as he was pitching in the minors in a somewhat mediocre fashion.  It shows that we assess based on what we know at the time, and sometimes, that assessment could be slightly askew as speculation turns to subsequent performance:

7/30/13

Post Draft: MM's Top 25- #7 RHP Jacob DeGrom

Now that the draft is over, Mack’s Mets will be reviewing the performances of our organizational Top 25 prospects and re-ranking them based on their individual performances, perceived place on the depth chart, and recent draft signings.

Look to the top of our page to find the current rankings that we have done already

Mack’s Mets #7 organizational prospect is……

#7 RHP Jacob DeGrom (LR: #13)
Bats: L Throws: R
Height: 6′ 4″ Weight: 185 lb
Acquired: 2010 Rule 5 Draft, 9th round, Stetson University

2013: (A+/AA/AAA) 6-6, 4.44 ERA, 2.9 BB/9, 7.5 K/9, 1.461 WHIP
2012: (A/A+) 9-3, 2.43 ERA, 1.6 BB/9, 7.8 K/9, 0.997 WHIP
2011: Tommy John Surgery
2010: (R) 1-1, 5.19 ERA, 2.1 BB/9, 7.6 K/9, 1.577 WHIP

Here we all though we were heavily drinking the Kool-Aid when we ranked DeGrom 13th in our last prospect listing. Turns out not only were we right, but we obviously weren't drinking enough! DeGrom has sped through the middle levels of the organization making spots in St. Lucie and Binghamton before finally settling into Las Vegas. 

During his 10 starts for Binghamton, DeGrom wasn't great as he saw his K/9 rate drop by almost 3 and his BB rate double. However he did show flashes of potential like in his 5/27 start against the Portland Sea Dogs when he lasted 6 innings and struck out 9 while giving up only 2 earned.

Roster shortages in Las Vegas forced the Mets hand into offering DeGrom a promotion he seemingly wasn't ready for, but he took the opportunity to go on a 3 start good performance streak giving the Mets confidence that perhaps he could become a contributor in the near future. 

Let's begin to curb our enthusiasm though as he still only has a ceiling of at best a #4 starter, but, at least his floor has been upgraded from AAA cannon fodder to serviceable middle reliever. 

That, combined with his near MLB readiness, earns him this spot on the prospect list. DeGrom is Rule 5 eligible this winter so look for the Mets to add him to the 40 man roster and call him up September 1st when roster expand.

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