8/5/24

Tom Brennan: Pitching for Syracuse is Tough!


INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE HITTERS DO THIS TO PITCHERS

Maybe it’s the strike zone. With automated balls and strikes, lots of walks. Only 4 of the 20 I.L. teams have allowed under 4 per 9 innings, and none under 3.5 per 9 innings.

Syracuse pitchers have allowed 511 walks in 106 games. Pretty high.

And it is a big HR league. In 106 games on average, the range of HRs allowed is 155 (high) down to 110, so all 20 teams are allowing over a HR per game. Syracuse is 11th at 122.

ERAs? 4.22 to 5.39 with Syracuse at 4.50, 4th best of the 20 teams.

Whatever it is, Mets pitching prospects have had a rough time pitching for Syracuse in AAA this year.

Imagine a pitcher in AAA throwing 228.2 innings, allowing 235 hits (41 of which are home runs), 119 walks, 160 runs allowed (6.3 total runs per 9 innings) and a 1.56 WHIP.  

Pretty bad, you’d say.

Well, that was the AAA combo stats of Dom Hamel, Mike Vasil, and Blade Tidwell.

Christian Scott was clearly better, but he allowed 10 AAA homers in 42 innings, so that foursome, in 271 innings, has allowed 51 AAA home runs. Bombs away!

As a point of comparison, the number of AAA HRs allowed by Tylor Megill in his 22.2 IP? None.

So if Tylor Megill has irked you while pitching in Queens, keep this comparison in mind when wondering if and when Tidwell, Vasil, or Hamel might realistically be worthwhile additions to the Mets staff in 2025. 

The answer might be “not at all”, and that would not be a helpful answer to the Mets 2025 season hopes.

There is this Sproat guy, though…promoted to AAA. Hear he’s pretty good.


METS CHOKE

I say “choke” because once again, they struggle against a team with a weak record, losing 2 of 3. C’mon, guys.

6 comments:

D J said...

Tom,
Mets pitchers are extremely inconsistent. For some reason they cannot string hits together when there are men on base. Is a pitching approach taught by their pitching coaches? Pressing under pressure to drive in runs? Thoughts?

Tom Brennan said...

D J, I wish I could tell you. VERY disappointing. And, of course, the microscopically small distance that Lindor’s otherwise game tying shot was ruled foul.

Paul Articulates said...

This is potentially a warning for MLB if they are thinking about adopting the robo umps soon. The cameras are not fooled by the amount of break on balls that break around the plate - many human umpires may be.

If balls that break close to the plate are called strikes, batters must swing at them. If they are called balls pretty consistently, batters will wait for better pitches to hit. Therefore pitchers have to pitch closer to the middle and get hit or else run up their walk totals.

So we should expect the same in a MLB that uses camera over eye - more walks, more hits, more homers.

TexasGusCC said...

Paul, it will be a challenge system, just like replay on the bases is now. You can protest a certain amount of pitches each game.

Ever since AAA changed to this full time, our pitchers are faring better. Wondering how the other teams’ AAA pitching is handling it.

Rds 900. said...

Maybe it's time to rethink how we evaluate our guys in Syracuse.

Tom Brennan said...

I’d like to see the computerized zon expanded by half an inch on each of 4 sides of the strike zone o compensate for automated balls and strikes stinginess. Butthat won’t happen.