This lefty was OK, too.
Eli Ankeney is your typical 20th round lefty pitcher.
No, not really. Why?
Career to date:
16.1 IP, 2 hits, 2 BBs, 22 Ks, 0.00 ERA, 0.24 WHIP.
Read that again. Read it one more time.
In 2023, he started out with St. Lucie, then Brooklyn.
For the Cyclones, he has faced 12 batters.
All despondently returned to their seats.
Keep it going, Eli.
Or, should I call you Sandy?
STRIDER MAGIC
While all these old farts (you know the names) are getting mega millions for mediocrity, going into Thursday’s Mets game, Spencer Strider in his career was 18-7, 2.78, 315 Ks in just 203 MLB innings.
As a 4th rounder in 2020.
His only minor league time was the first half of 2021, where he fanned 153 in 94 innings.
So, that's 468 Ks in 297 pro innings.
Atlanta Freak. ANOTHER Atlanta freak, to be clear.
In the 3rd round of 2020, the Mets instead drafted SS Anthony Walters.
He hit a resounding .161 in rookie ball in 2021 and got cut - pronto.
JT Ginn in round two? Sputtering badly. Can't carry Strider's jock strap.
Love that Mets' scouting.
Yes, the Mets got to Strider last night, surprisingly, but he still fanned 8 in 4 innings. A strikeout machine.
And they still lost 13-10.
DSL and Florida Complex Yesterday:
A good deal of offense in those teams' 3 games. Nice to see.
But the star of those 3 games was a pitcher:
Jose Chirinos, an 18 year old in the DSL. He threw 4 perfect innings, fanned 5, and needed just 22 pitches to do it. 22!
Karell Paz?
He added two hits for the St Lucie Mets. The 23 year old former Cuban (who turns 24 in August) signed with the Mets last year after a journey thru several countries, at which time he confirmed his signing thusly:
“Welcome to the Mets. Glory is to God, Amen!”
Me? I like it.
A player exuberant to join our organization, and not afraid to proclaim it.
Paz is a 6’0”, 215 switch-hitter with reported power and a strong arm. In 2022 and 2023, Paz has been to the plate as a pro only 142 times so far, and is hitting .322/.315/.568 career. In 2022, DSL and FCL, and one AB for the St Lucie Mets - a bases-clearing triple! Amen to that.
Just 7 games played so far this year thru the first game of last night's DH (7 for 20), as he was on the restricted list until the end of May, likely due to visa issues. Hopefully, no more delays, and tons of plate appearances.
My guess? One to really watch.
But his advanced age for just starting out is a factor to keep in mind.
When it comes to generating hits, though, one can only hope he'll be a Paz Dispenser.
HOME VS. AWAY THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
I HATE CITIFIELD.
The Wilpons and Cohen may have made it look attractive, but I literally hate it. Why?
I'd rather be in a dump where the hitters can RAKE.
On the road, Mets are hitting .246, but at home .228.
- 15th in road average, 17th in road OPS.
- 28th in home average, 26th in home OPS.
Arrggh!
Year after year after year, there is either little home field hitting advantage, or a hitting DISadvantage.
Is there a correlation between that and the infrequency of Mets' playoff appearances?
I surely and absolutely think so.
Another perspective:
Alonso career, on the road? .273, 96 HRs.
Alonso career, at Citifield? .241, 72 HRs.
Gaping disparity, wouldn't ya say?
If I am Pete Alonso, I want to play NOT IN QUEENS, but in, say, Texas, a park well-suited to his power, and his ticket to the Hall of Fame. Texas hitters have slugfests frequently.
His HOF ticket won't get punched in Queens. Due only to hitting conditions.
I cease to offer potential home hitting solutions.
I've done so on many occasions in my columns.
The Mets' brain trust simply need to do their jobs and fix it.
On this issue, the brain trust's track record, since the park was built 15 years ago, has been that of an abject home hitting failure.
For shame.
CRUSHING 13-10 LOSS.
Three straight games vs. Atlanta lost after jumping out to big leads.
Season has been torpedoed. No meaningful July baseball, folks.
Alvarez, though…he’s something special.
A HR every 10 at bats after his 1 for 15 season start. Ruthian.
And let’s mention AA’s mighty Matt Rudick one more time.
On base 93 times in 47 games after getting on 3 times last night.
.460 OBP. CRAZY.
JUNE SWOON
The Mets so often swoon in June. No doubt, as the play prior to June puts them in a weakening position, they move into swoon mode.
In 2015-2019, they went 53-83, according to someone's post (unverified).
Then 15-15 in June 2021, not the month they needed to get back in that race.
Then 13-12 in June 2022, in a season that the team otherwise was 88-48.
And a crushing 1-6 this year.
Hopeful fans pray for quick reversal.
Others without rose-colored glasses know this team's June Swoon history all too well.
MY PAL JOEY
Joey Lucchesi went 7 innings last night, allowing 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks, and fanning 9 in a AAA win. And he is not in Queens because????
12 comments:
Per your and Ernest Dove's thoughts on this guy, I added him to my weekly minors report as a prospect
Remarkable career start for the 599th overall selection. Compare to Matt Allan and Kumar Rocker. Two of the 3 were top draft picks. One of the 3 actually pitches. Dynamically.
Lucchesi should be in Queens soon. The failure of the well-paid "old guys" this year has left the Mets in need of a long reliever almost every night. Right now they have Nogosek and a bunch of guys that are only good for an inning or so. Might as well face it, we need at least a couple of pitchers that can give us 3-4 innings in the pen.
And we need a couple of solid ML hitters. It’s the hitting not bottom of the BP that’s killing the team. The starters are almost as big of a problem.
2-2 for starts today
This team has 4 simple problems: 1) starting pitching, 2) relief, 3) hitting, 4) clutch.
Bring back that guy Peterson. He’ll fix it in 10 minutes.
Part One: Mets in Big Canoe
No paddle.
Jump everyone.
Water Fall ahead.
Jump. Save yourself.
Please jump now!
Go! Go! Jump!
Part Two: Another Fine Mess Stanley
Man, what a fine mess this all has turned into lately. I saw only good things in the off season and even preseason for these NY Mets. But man, what the heck happened Ernest T?
Justin Verlander "almost" looks like damaged goods coming in. Almost, but not quite. My thought back in the off season in regards to him was, "Why would Houston give up on Verlander so easily, especially after an 18-4/1,75 ERA in 2022?" It didn't make great sense to me.
Justin was out all of 2020 and 2021 with TJ surgery. Justin to me may have something really wrong with his arm. It could be from Jake's locker.
Jake is walking again. Just not well. I feel sorry for the bait Texas bought. Glad it wasn't the Mets. And what about Max? How long will that arm hold up?
Moral Of The Story
Build the minor league system first, then the Mets. It was probably very hard to do both simultaneously, after the Wilpons left town. I understand. But now the Mets have two potentially dead older arms laying around the locker room floor, where once they only had Jake's.
Sometimes life isn't fair.
Anon I though we cut that guy Canoe lose except of course we're still paying him. Stupid guy why didn't he work out another Bonilla deal. Is anyone else wondering how long after he's done we'll be paying Lindor? Uncle Stevie you have to be smarter than this or us fans will be jumping ship.
So What's The Fix Einstein.
A: Row faster. Row faster I tell ya'!
The NY Mets have very little good to pin hope onto in Syracuse. Joey Lucchesi and David Peterson may be AAA stars only. Like forever even. You want to bank your boat on that, go ahead mi amigo. So what's missing here with both of them actually. A: One more serious out-pitch to use in their respective arsenals. Can that not be taught here somehow by the Mets pitching coaches staff?
The three pitchers I like more in the Mets farm are: (1) Mike Vasil (2) Josh Walker and (3) Nate Lavender. But maybe only Walker can make it up full time to the Mets in 2023. Not sure. The other two might be more like 2024.
What about Trade Possibilities.
Well first, it looks like first baseman Pete Alonso will have a new left wrist and hand attached tomorrow morning at city hospital. They found an old Jerry Lewis replacement one out back by the hospital bird bath. Evidently dropped there by accident by very overly thirsty birds during the Canadian fire mishap thing most recently.
The Mets may have enough talent here to trade for Alexis Diaz from Cincinnati. I would expect so. Alexis is solid and only 26 years old. But are there really a lot of solid trade chips here within this Mets organization beyond doing that? I don't think so Lucy.
What else might I try doing
Bring up Ronnie Mauricio for second base. Move Jeff McNeil to left field. Keep playing Francisco Alvarez at the catcher position until both his arms fall off. Bring back Louis Guillorme to pitch in relief.
So what needs to come from outside this organization?
A: A lot of beer actually. A lot. The Mets need to trim down the duplicate type players. Trade some for AA solid players from other teams so that this mess, does not ever happen again. Build the MiLB first.
One 17 yr old catcher/IF, Julio Zayas, in DSL has 4 doubles, a single, and 4 RBIs in his first 3 games. Impressive start.
Folks
Past these 4 super prospects could be little more for 2 yrs
Can't trade any of them
Post a Comment