I’m Looking…Where Are You Guys?
Nastier sliders and the like, and better hurler pitch selection…
Pitchers, on the other hand…
Guys, you’ve been pitching for years…years…
You know you need control, command, and a variety of pitches to succeed…
Why on earth does it take you so long to learn those things…
After all, you’ve been pitching for years…years…
Some do make quick work of the tutelage phase of their pro pitching careers…
How about Spencer Strider, much as I know Mack hates it when I bring up Atlanta players…
Spencer threw 63 innings in 2021 in AA, 4.71 ERA, 3-7…
But he threw just one AAA inning…then got promoted to the majors…
Did great…
And is 32-10 as a major league pitcher since his rapid promotion in 2021…
He learned super quick, didn’t he, Mr. Tidwell, Mr. Vasil, Mr. Hamel, Mr. Stuart, Mr. Scott…
Just 5th round Strider firing strikes and missing bats….
So why does it take you so long to get your poop together…
Get the lead out, you guys…c’mon…
Queens needs winning starters…
I saw the Help Wanted ads posted by David Stearns myself…
Why aren’t you ready…
I guess that’s just a baseball-ignorant question…
Strider is the reverse Appel
ReplyDeleteThis is a non star in college that is now a star because he or someone else taught him/himself to harness his velocity
The Mets don't seem to have someone either at the coaching or scouting level that can do that
Chatter this morning is that Pete wants a long term extension from the Mets but only at very big bucks
ReplyDeleteWell, Mack, they did get Pete cheaply for years.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I do not understand really is WAR.
Pete was drafted just before Bo Bichette. Bo has a much higher "WAR per plate appearance" than Pete. But BR shows Pete's 162 game career average is 45 HRs, 118 RBIs. How that adds up to 17.3 in 2912 PAs career WAR is beyond me...and I do realize his lack of speed and mensa mensa fielding. Bichette has 17.7 WAR in 600 (20%) fewer PAs.
Matt ALlen?
ReplyDeleteMatt Allan is Tom Szapucki until proven otherwise.
ReplyDeleteMack, to the point of my article, you knew Paul Skenes threw hard - but I just looked and he has an 80 fastball.
ReplyDeleteThe Mets have one arm at 65, 3 arms at 60. Not...even...close.
None of the Mets prospect starters are in the MLB top 10 starters.
Scott Boras rarely loses. He does his homework, I guess. If he thinks Alonso is going to get a big deal, then Alonso will. Someone out there will give it to him. Rockies? Cubs? Reds? Someone. And honestly, if the Mets trade him, how much would they get back? Why wouldn’t they do it in July when they were trying to? If Alonso was on, say the Twins, and he had this circumstance, what would y’all trade for him? Parada and Scott or Stuart. Would you give much else? Maybe Scott and Stuart, but that’s it for me.
ReplyDeleteMy point is that the Mets can maybe get something for him now rather than risk getting nothing for him later. I can’t blame Alonso, but I really didn’t like the Nimmo deal and I don’t think the Mets should keep stretching out contracts.
Tom, the Mets have quite a few mid-rotation arms, but that because they were always drafting best available. They couldn’t pass on Parada or Williams, so they didn’t take Lesko. They also didn’t take Ferris, who I liked very much. But, I can’t complain about their logic either. Develop the bats, buy the arms. Tidwell was good. Allen was good. Just keep trying. I like Hamel and Vasil. Let’s see how Joel Diaz recovers and a few other guys.
ReplyDeleteTom . I think Jake fits your requirements of meh (or worse) minor league stats and then wow-ing at MLB.
ReplyDeleteAs for the WAR, defense matters. I also believe (may be wrong) that there are position adders. (3b > 1b)
All I know is it is a complex calc that is not possible to do from stat sheets.
Credit Frank Viola for much of the work done with Jakr in the minors
DeleteGus, it is interesting to note that the Mets Top 30 prospects have Mike Vasil as their top prospect pitcher right now - behind 8 hitters.
ReplyDeleteWonder who else in the minors that Frank Viola could fix.
ReplyDeleteFrank's reward was that the Mets failed to renew his contract a few years later
DeleteViola wasn’t renewed for some kind of comment about wanting to be the major league pitching coach. I don’t know what was said, nor why BVW fired Alfonzo and wouldn’t bring him back for something he said, but…
DeleteI wish the team had both those guys and Lee Mazzilli teaching.
Whose Tom Szapucki.
ReplyDeleteKoos, this is Tom. Tom Szapucki is a former Mes prospect who was perennially injured and rarely pitched. But even he pitched more than Allan.
ReplyDeleteMets altered the whole draft to get
ReplyDeleteALlen. What are chances he pitches this season?
Allan should pitch in 2024 - I believe his last surgery was the nerve realignment surgery, so hopefully he is good to go. Will the surgeries have curtailed his pitching abilities? We'll find out soon enough.
ReplyDeleteAny team that wants to build from within must be ready to deal with the growing pains.
ReplyDeleteThe Mets want to do both at the same time instead of taking incremental steps to get and be able to compete on a yearly basis.
It was the lack of ML talent in the minors that kept the Mets from competing in 2023. The Braves always seem to have players they can tap in an emergency but not the Mets.
The way I see it, sign Yamamoto and only after that, trade Alonso if the right trade comes along. Use 2024 to see what players like Vientos, Mauricio, Baty can do while building a proper BP.
Sign Justin Turner and if Vientos can't handle and produce at 1B, you have Turner. If Baty can't produce at 3B, you have Turner. If Mauricio can't perform at 2B, you have Turner. If they are all performing, you have Turner as the DH. Talk about a perfect player for these Mets.
Yamamoto, Lugo?, take a chance on Luis Severino on the cheap?, fix the BP and get better bench players.
2025 will have Soto and Alonso if they want to bring him back (if traded). That's the year to go all in.