Tom Brennan - The Undisputed Mets Minors Champeen Is....

HEY MACK!  I SEE A JETT APPROACHING!  

WOW!  IT'S COMING FAST!

Jett Williams, in my book, is the undisputed Mets minors champeen.

(That's champion, if you don't talk like your from one of the outer boros.)

Jett is my Numero Uno in the Mets farm system.

At age 19, the burgling Jett stole 45 of 53, and I read that he had an OBP of .433 or higher in all but one month of 2023.

With 104 walks in 131 games, too.

Frankie Valli's "Walk Like a Man" comes to mind: 

"Walk like a man, fast as I can."  

He no doubt intends to walk his way into the majors in 2024 at age 20.

And then run fast as he can.

Jett was also hit by pitches 15 times in 2023.  

So those 119 walks + HBPs = almost one per game.

Little guy?  So he's a bit short - so what?  

After all, he smacked a healthy 46 extra base hits. Gotta love that at 19.  

Of course, that XBH total would have been higher if he didn't walk or get HBP in so darned many plate appearances.  

In fact, his walks and HBPs alone were good for a .223 OBP! So, in only 77.7% of his plate appearances did he have non-walk, non-HBP at bats to produce those 46 XBHs.  

Compare to Amed Rosario at roughly that same age in 2016 when, at the time, he was one of baseball's highest rated prospects.  

In virtually the same number of plate appearances (527) as Jett (534) had in 2023, Rosario walked or got HBP only 35% as much as Williams (42 times vs. Jett's 119).  

What a huge difference...big-time advantage to the Jett. 

(I bet that Jett, were he to play the whole 2024 season with the Mets, would end up with a very acceptable .300 OBP, even as raw as he is).

Williams is working his tuchus off this off season, no doubt, to further narrow the gap between himself and what is big league ability level.  

His motivation and focus level is extreme.  

Reminiscent of the drive that a teenage Bryce Harper had to get to the majors ASAP.  Which he did.

Jett's goal as a 19 year old was to reach AA in 2023: goal achieved.  

His goal in 2024 as a 20 year old is to reach the majors. 

I say that happens before July.  What say you?

His fellow top Mets prospects are ahead of him in AA plate appearances. 

So far, Jett has just 44 plate appearances in AA, reaching base a very respectable 15 times.  

But...

#2 Drew Gilbert has 436 PAs at the AA level.

#3 Luisangel Acuna has 586 PAs at the AA level.

Logic says they both should beat him to Queens in 2024, just because they've already had much more pro playing time at the AA level.

We'll see.  

Acuna had a slightly above .350 OBP at AA, Gilbert .380.  

Jett just seems to have the knack of getting on base more. And running.

So I'd not be surprised if the order of Mets' debuts turns out to be: 

1) Williams, 2) Gilbert, 3) Acuna.  All in 2024, of course.

Don't dawdle with the call-up of these 3 soon-coming stars in 2024.  

We need them to gain invaluable experience in the bigs, so they can play on the level of accomplished and dangerous veterans in 2025.

Hopefully, in 2025, all 3 will play like true champeens.

WE GOT BADER, THEY GOT HADER

So, the Astros go 5 years, $95 million to ink the elite Josh Hader.

Without him, the Mets are much more likely to be a Fader and a Playoffs Evader. The Mets without Hader may reach their Nadir.

But at least he’s in the AL. 

Now that the key reliever signing has likely awoken the reliever FA market, let’s hope the Mets sign a few reliever FAs, and don’t try to improve the pen by being a Trader.

OK, that’s it for me.

Later.