Tom Brennan - Dedniel Rocks; Dibrell Reset; Jason Bourne.

IS DEDNIEL NUNEZ INTERESTING TO YOU?  

WHAT IS A DEDNIEL, YOU ASK?

In a minor league system largely devoid of immediate pitching help, one guy who avoids discussion and attention is nonetheless a legitimate possibility.

Dedniel Nunez.

Nunez didn't pitch at all in 2020 or 2021 due to injuries, quite the hiatus, and then not that much in 2022, but is seemingly fully back, with 10 outings and 17.2 innings in long relief in 2023.

As I have long said, I don't like season-long pitching stats, as they can skew a view.  

So is the case with Dedniel.

In Dedniel's first outing in AA this year, he retired just 2 batters and allowed 4 hits and 3 runs.

OK, toss that one out.  

After that, through May 17, he threw 17  innings, and allowed a mere 7 hits and 2 runs, and fanned 21 in both AA and AAA.

Not all roses, as he has walked 11 in 11 innings in AAA, yet allowed just one run in the process.

Maybe that automated balls and strikes thing has been a factor there.  No matter, the walks have to come down.  

Of course, again, in his first AAA game (nerves?), the 6'2" righty walked 4 in 1.1 innings, so toss that game in the "forgotten bin", too; he has been borderline OK control-wise since.

And the last 3 games?  5.1 IP, 9 Ks.  Nice.  

Sit down, suckers.  Next time, leave your bat in the dugout so you won't be embarrassed. 

He is no doubt entering Eppler's radar system, which is finely attuned to spotting pitching talent.  Dedniel is not real close to Queens yet, but...

He should be on your radar, too, if you are as sophisticated a fan as I know you to be.

Because Dedniel ain't ded, he's very much alive and pitching.

MOVING ON FROM DEDNIEL…TO DIBRELL:

Tony Dibrell, a former 4th rounder and Tommy John survivor, was pitching awfully in Syracuse this season, and was put on the Development List on May 9. He returned and threw an inning Friday, a scoreless inning, and fanned 2. His ERA fell from 10.44 to 10.04.

My advice for Tony? Before May 18, it was all spring training. Make believe stuff. Never happened. Believe that the real season just started, and anything before it is a misprint.

You’ve pitched one inning, in the real season, fanned 2, and it’s all “wonderful” from here on out. I have a funny feeling you’re about to pivot, Tony.  And you know what they say about payback.

"YOU’RE NOW JASON BOURNE":

I love guys who hit dead ends in the minors, and as so few do, successfully re-create themselves.

Two failed hitters are being re-programmed as pitchers (and clearly are assassins in training): 

Former SS Manny Rodriguez has 8 games pitched in Brooklyn, a 2.95 ERA and 15 Ks in 18 innings. And, naturally, no errors.

Former OF Quinn Brodey has 10 outings and 18 innings in Cyclone Land.

A mighty impressive 3.00 ERA and 19 Ks for the transformed outfielder, debuting as a pitcher who skipped over the FCL and Low A and headed straight to High A.  (He did pitch in relief in summer league ball nearly a decade ago in 2015).  By comparison, there is just ONE actual pitcher in Low A St Lucie with as many innings and an ERA below 4.00.

Three of his relief outings this month included one where all 3 outs in an inning were strikeouts, another recent 2 inning outing on May 14, where he allowed 4 hits and 2 runs but fanned 5, and one last night where he hurled 3 scoreless and fanned 4. 

9 Ks in 5 innings over his last 2 outings. Last 4 outings, 1 walk, 12 Ks in 7 innings. Wow. 

Strikeouts and control that show he is becoming a dangerous Jason Bourne assassin dude from the bump.

Manny and Quinn are both Treadwell projects, being trained to take down hitting opponents. Don’t be bush league and misunderestimate them.

SYRACUSE SHOCKER:

A team that has scored a lot and allowed even more runs, the S-Mets won a highly unusual 1-0 game against a hard hitting Norfolk (30-12) team.  How, pray tell?

Behind 5 shutout innings with 7 Ks from Joey Lucchesi and a 1-2-3 9th for a Nate Lavender save.  Two lefties who likely will be quality spending time in Queens during 2023.

If you thought Ronny Mauricio (the one hitting .356, not some other impostor who might self-identify as Ronny Mo, but is actually Joe Schmo) would have a bad night in a 1-0 game, guess again.

R Mo had 3 more hits including (good gosh) his NINETEENTH DOUBLE in 174 at bats (62 hits).  We like .356 hitting doubles machines in Queens.  

His stats are tracking quite closely with those of David Wright in AAA in 2004 before he debuted in mid-2004.  Wright turned out pretty well.

DO THE "WRIGHT" THING...CALL MO UP, BILLY. 

Luis Guillorme meanwhile was 1-4 and left 5 on base while batting 5th.

BEFORE I SIGN OFF, A NOTE ON PETE, LINDOR AND THE KIDS:

In a game that mere days ago was a clear-cut Mets drubbing, the Mets scored 10 runs from the 5th inning on to actually win 10-9.  

While Cookie was crappy and may be from a cookie pack with an expired date, the kids did it again: 

Francisco Alvarez his 5th HR, another bolt, and had an equally important, yet another huge late-game hit, a single to tie it at 9-9 in the 10th.  Brett Baty homered to the opposite field and had 2 hits.  And Mark Vientos had a key run-scoring single.

The big bat boys are seemingly both challenged and inspired by these productive neophytes. 

So much so that Pete hit a granny and did not get arrested for it, but rather was celebrated, as he and 3 other baserunners got to score on his mammoth swing.

And Lindor had 3 hits against his old team, including the game-winner, to shut up former teammate and current loudmouth Jason Kipnis.

Pete, Lindor and the Kids are a truly and totally terrific cohort.

SPEAKING OF PETE:

Back in 2016, I was repeatedly begging the Mets to draft POWER arms and POWER bats.  Once in a while, they listen to me, and went out of character to draft Pete Alonso in Round 2.

So, I looked back, and here is what I wrote about him in February 2017:

TOP 25 METS' PROSPECTS: # 10 PETER ALONSO

 

Peter Alonso, the lumbering, hard hitting  6'3" righty batter who plays 1B, was drafted in the 2nd round in 2016. 

 

In his low A Brooklyn debut, he hit as well as almost anyone in the league - while healthy. 

 

In fact, he hit .400 over his last 9 games before a season ending broken bone injury on August 9 (now fully healed). 

 

Overall, he hit .321 with a .587 slug % in 30 games, with 18 extra base hits in a hard-to-hit-in park while surrounded by some very anemic hitters. 

 

In an organization where the top power hitters in their minors system have just modest power, he had 18 XBH in this 30 games. 

 

So, c'mon, man, stay healthy, and give us 125 games in full season ball in 2017 - let's see what you've got.

 

Maybe when he is ready for the majors in, say, 2019, he will be good enough to give 1B Dominic Smith some real competition for the starting 1st base Mets position. Or, maybe, he switches back to a position he frequented in college, third base.

Alonso, I have read, is extremely motivated, extremely hard-working at all aspects of his game, and extremely interested in excelling - and that makes me extremely interested in this guy.  

I expect him to do extremely well in 2017.