Tom Brennan - What Did My 4 Favorite Mets Minor League Hitters Do Yesterday? And Baseball Is a Weird Game Sometimes

Matt Rudick keeping guys off base, as he gets on - a lot. (Photo: Richard Nelson)

Why write about these guys, unless you're also a fan as well?

OK, I know you're busy. Let's cut to the chase.

My favorite 4 Mets minor league hitters this year are Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, Jose Peroza, and Matt Rudick.

Did they disappoint yesterday?  

Same answer as for all of 2023: 

NO DISAPPOINTMENT.

HERE’S WHY…

VIENTOS: Hit his 12th HR on Mom’s Day, ladies.   He may not send you all flowers, but he provides plenty of souvenirs.  Now at .331, with 12 HRs (2nd highest in IL) and 35 RBIs in only 37 games and 135 at bats.  

MAURICIO: Single and double in 4 at bats. Hitting .353, 2nd in the International League, which is pretty sick, with a sick 26 extra base hits in 39 games. And hitting an equally sick .413 in 11 May games.  Not sickening at all.

PEROZA: In his first 75 AA career at bats, Jose (.307) is thundering with with 7 doubles, 5 HRs, and 20 RBIs in 20 games.  He is 4th in the Eastern League in RBIs, despite the 3 guys ahead of him having averaged 10 more games played.  Quite the debut for a hitter who still hasn't turned 23. 

And a .600 AA slug % after another 2 hit game on Sunday.  Did I mention he has a fine glove at 2nd and 3rd, too?  He is turning doubters into shouters.

RUDICK: .293/.440 on base after getting on base 3 more times on Mothers' Day. "Mom, I can't talk to you right now, yeah, yeah, I'm on base again.  I'll have to get back to you.  Love you, Ma." 

Rudick now has been on base 50 times in his first 28 AA games, after getting on base twice a game in his last 20 games in Brooklyn in 2022.  He is 2nd in the IL in OBP, yes sir.  The guy ahead of him is only ahead of him because he's been hit by pitches 3 more times.

Some folks like Matt have a real problem - they simply hate sitting on the bench, and love standing on or near bags. I think the diagnosis is Acute On Base Fixation.  No known cure, says Brandon Nimmo. Well, there are worse things than getting on base constantly, you just have to adapt, I guess.

That's it - I like to write about prospect hitters' success.  I like it a lot.

Did I miss anyone?

Oh…despite the fine exploits of these 4 assets, the Mets’ 4 minors teams? A combined 49-85.

That is .365 win %.  Uhh-ohh. That is a barren system.

MANGUM STILL HITTING:

Jake Mangum is hitting .324 for the Marlins' AAA team. He can't get no respect - or MLB call-ups.  Matt Rudick has to be happy not to have Mangum as competition for a 2024 or 2025 MLB Mets outfield call up.  

BASEBALL IS JUST A WEIRD GAME SOMETIMES:

The Mets have experienced significant offensive weakness at the catcher position in 2023.  Omar Narvaez naturally, as a Met, immediately sustains a serious injury.  Nido "steps up" by hitting .118 with 1 RBI and is put on the shelf with a dry eye condition. Alvarez is still adjusting and hitting .217.  To replave Nido, they temporarily call up Michael Perez, who was hitting .153 in Syracuse this year after hitting .143 in 210 at bats in the majors last season.  Obviously, his stay will be short, because he clearly cannot hit.

So, they sign former sometimes MLB start catcher Gary Sanchez about a week ago, and in his first 4 Syracuse games, produces 6 hits (3 for extra bases) and 6 walks.  Getting on base 3 times a game seems to be an indicator of readiness.  

Seems he deserves an immediate call up, except for one thing:

Michael Perez, who this year and last had gone 39 for 269 in the majors and minors (.145) drills 4 hits in 4 at bats on Sunday in his Mets debut, all 4 balls hit over 100 MPH.  That 4 for 4, keep in mind, only boosted his career MLB average from .173 to .180.  

Also keep in mind he is such a bad hitter, his averages in his last 3 spring trainings were .185, .125, and (a Nido-like) .118.  Just 9 for 60 in those 3 spring trainings.

Perez is a lefty hitter, but shockingly is a .226 hitter career vs. lefties, just .171 vs. righties.

So...do you call up Sanchez and send down "4 for 4, but can't otherwise hit worth a lick" Michael Perez?  

I would, but that is just me.  Why?

I am a firm believer that lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place. 

Baseball is just weird sometimes.  Don't buy into weird.

Two examples of not quitting while you were ahead:

Logan Verrett - in April 2016, Verrett, who was a mediocre, HR-prone minor league pitcher, went 3-0 with the Mets in April.  I suggested then that the Mets quit while they were ahead.  They didn't.  He was winless in his 8 decisions after April.

Kirk Nieuwenhuis - hitting .106 in mid-July 2015, Kirk hit 3 HRs in one game on July 16.  He then, like Michael Perez, went 4 for 4, and added  4 RBIs, in a game in late July.  Emerging superstar?  Hardly.

Despite that 7 for 8, two game deluge, he hit .200 in all other games with 1 HR and 2 RBIs for the Mets, who smartly moved him to LAA that season, for whom he went 3 for 22.  I coulda told you so. 

Don't be deceived by a sudden squall.  Squalls are prolific, but quickly pass, and the sun comes out and things revert to normal.

Call up Sanchez, and thank Mr. Perez for his very fine "squall".

EMBARRASSING METS' POWER NUMBERS:

Pete Alonso is pounding and astounding with an excellent 13 HRs.  Lindor has a decent 6 HRs.  

The entire rest of the team, though, has a totally sub par 22 HRs.

Keep in mind that despite Pete's 13 HRs, the Mets are 40 HRs behind Tampa already.  

JD Davis and Michael Conforto, two alumni now playing for the Jints, have combined for 14 dingers, 7 apiece.

Inconsequential?  No. The Mets are 24th in runs scored.  

(Note to Mets: each home run results in 1 to 4 immediate runs scored).

Embarrassing. Very disappointing.  Very "Mets".