Wyatt Young and his biggest fan (photo: Richard Nelson)
DOUBLEHEADER DODGE: Thankfully, after dropping the first game 9-8, the Mets snatched a split. Baty and Alvarez are rocking and paving the way for thr guy who is “in perspective” below, today, and David Robertson does a great Edwin Diaz impersonation.
OK, to my article:
Two short AA players, both in the 5'6" to 5'7" range, have helped Binghamton play above what appears to be its pay grade.
OF Matt Rudick and IF Wyatt Young sit 1-2 in the Rumble Ponies' batting order.
In the first 17 games Young played through Saturday, he has gotten on base 29 times, including 14 hits and 14 walks and a HBP. He at the time was the proud owner of a .397 OBP. In 710 career plate appearances, nearly all of it in AA and AAA, he has a .380 OBP.
Matt Rudick finished last season in Brooklyn getting on base 56 times in his last 28 games. Wow. What could he do for an encore?
How about keeping up that on base twice per game stuff?
In the first 16 games Rudick played through Saturday, he has gotten on base 32 times, good for a .471 OBP in his AA debut season. In his career, despite a slow launch in 2021 and early 2022, he has an OBP of .382, but over his last 44 games, his OBP is nearly .500.
Both are good glove men - Rudick no pro errors in the outfield (zero is a good number, yes?), and Young a very capable defensive 2B.
Both bat lefty.
Heck, last I checked, Jose Altuve is short too, and he's fared pretty well.
Remember….Short doesn’t suck. Sucking sucks. Get on base? Awesome.
LAVENDER
The dictionary defines lavender as "a small aromatic evergreen shrub of the mint family, with narrow leaves and bluish-purple flowers. Lavender has been widely used in perfumery and medicine since ancient times. Also, a pale blue color with a trace of mauve."
Nate Lavender of the .Mets minors (now in AA) leaves batters heading back to the dugout looking pale and feeling blue.
The 6'2" lefty this year is 1.74 in 7 pen appearances in AA, with 19 Ks in 10 innings and a 0.77 WHIP.
In his brief career, spanning 37 relief outings, he is 6-3, 1.67 ERA with 98 Ks in 65 innings.
Lavender is my new favorite color.
Up to now, the 14th rounder in 2021 is pitching like a first rounder, wouldn't you agree?
A VIENTOS PERSPECTIVE
Mark Vientos seems to get less love than he should. Perspective helps.
Mark right now is a year younger than when Pete Alonso made his MLB debut.
Let that sink in.
Then remember that Vientos missed 2020 due to the COVID washout, slowing his progress. Take 18 months off and skip a grade. Tough to do.
Nonetheless, through 25 AAA games this year, he has a whopping 17 extra base hits, and is hitting .367/.449/.733.
Over the past 2 weeks, he is 20 for 44 with 7 walks and just 6 Ks.
“Ouch”, cried the baseballs, many of which became captive souvenirs.
On a longer arc of time, let's look at Mark in AA and AAA, with perspective.
He started AA in 2021, skipping High A and no 2020.
He hit poorly the whole first month of 2021, then whoosh, he went on fire.
In 2022, in Siberian weather, he again hit poorly in the 1st month in April.
Yet in 778 AA and AAA total at bats since the start if 2021, including those two tough slump months, he has 43 doubles, 57 HRs and 158 RBIs. Even more impressive, in just his last 688 minor league at bats, 54 HRs.
Name me another Mets hitter in the minors who did that.
I'm waiting...c'mon, there must be someone. Aww, c’mon, man.
Me? Can't think of anyone.
Pete was pretty close, I guess. Older, though.
Vientos didn't slump this first month in April 2023 - HE THUMPED.
Do you realize at his young age how incredibly good those numbers are?
Me?
I honestly don't see why he couldn't be every bit as good a hitter and fielder as Pete Alonso.
Maybe better. Yes, really. Maybe BETTER. Give him time and let's see.
Do not even THINK about trading him unless it involves Shohei Ohtani.
Because Mark and Pete in the same line up?
That is likely to be a double dose of sheer, unadulterated thunder.
11 comments:
If someone told you that Baty and Alvarez were going to start the season 22 for 79 (.279) with 4 HRs, you'd be happy, right? Time for Vientos to join the party.
Pham is 4 for his last 35 - maybe the Yankees, who desperately need an outfielder, would take Pham off our hands for a pen piece, and Mark can step in. I'd be willing to give it a try.
Escobar stays for now - 6 for his last 22, with 2 HRs, even if one of those hits was against a catcher. Signs of life. Escobar played 44 games in his career in the outfield, so the loss of Pham in the OF would hurt less.
Mets have paid nearly $1.2 million of the $6MM amount owed to Pham, since the season is nearly 1/5th over, so the Mets would eat less of his deal by the day - and if they traded him, eat little.
Remember, Pham had a 3 for 4 game. Otherwise, 7 for 45 this spring training, and 6 for 43 outside of that 3 for 4 game in regular season. Stats say he seems dead in the water at age 35.
but, But, BUT...he's a veteran player and they always are better than prospective rookie talent, right? Wait, I'm not playing the Wilpon/Collins game anymore...after all they set Darin Ruf free...the same could happen again though Pham might bring a small something in return for $4+ million rest of the season money.
Mistakes are made.
Ruf was a mistake and so is Pham.
No problem... cut fish... but don't let a mistake determine your future. It just is something done in the past
Remember... a pain in the ass is a lot different than total rectal destruction
Mack, my proctologist agrees.
Reese, desperate times call for desperate measures.
Star of the game: Megill for drilling Acuna. If you cant beat ‘em, hit ‘em.
Now that Baty and Alvarez have blended in time to bring up Vientos.
There no longer is such a thing as a "proctologist", Tom. They didn’t like that term, and now are known as "colorectal surgeons".
The world known to us geezers has changed. 😆
Bill, I stand colorected.
Gary, we all are familiar with age related decline even if only ever so slightly.
I said (and posted here and elsewhere) at the time of the signing that I was not a "Pham phan", though I hoped he would hit enough to change my mind.
He hasn't. The Bronx team is desperate enough for OF help, especially with Judge confined to chambers, that we can move him there for token pieces, or at least the proverbial bag of balls.
Move him by any means possible and open a roster spot. At this point, if Vientos isn't ready, even Locastro would opher more.
Wyatt Young is a very good ball player. He will get his shot. He has shown the ability to hit at every level in the minors and fields his position well. He is also a player with a strong baseball IQ. I watch how he positions himself for every play, how he navigates the basepaths, and wish all the prospects were so well coached.
Met Wyatt's mother (the one in the picture) in the stadium in Binghamton. She said she was "vacationing" here. I said, "From Hawaii?!" Well, I'll give her a pass on that choice because she certainly did everything right bringing up Wyatt.
Great feedback, Paul…thanks.
Pham? The Yanks might be intererested in Vientos but I don’t think they need Pham.
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