Tom Brennan: Syracuse Mets Season Recap; Arizona Fall Roster

ROLLER COASTER IN BROOKLYN, ROLLER COASTER IN SYRACUSE

It is hard to believe that Mark Vientos and Jose Iglesias, both indispensable to the 2024 NY Mets, started out in Syracuse at the start of the season, and for a considerable length of time.

Both have been key factors in the NY Mets’ season and pennant run. 

Let’s not also forget that Reed Garrett and Dedniel Nunez, two other significant contributors, started out there. Garrett pitched one Syracuse game in March and got called up.

They started out 12-11 early on, then went a remarkable 48-24 to climb to a record of 60-35.

After that, the wings fell off as they went 17-36 to finish at 78-71, with a 4.96 ERA.

Offensively, 203 HRs in 149 games, as the team hit well in large put due to using so many MLB or older import veteran hitters (like Rhylan Bannon and Trayce Thompson, just to name two) during the season.  SO many at bats from the veteran types - I'll guess 30% at a minimum.  In part of course, because of Gilbert's and Williams' extended absences.

The 2 non-veteran studs were Luisangel Acuna, who got to the plate nearly 600 times and hit .260 with 40 steals, and Luke Ritter, who ended up with 26 HRs, 93 RBIs, and .257/,369/.480 - but 174 Ks.

Acuna got a late season call up when Francisco Lindor forgot what he learned in his Introduction to Sliding class from 10 years ago - he needs a refresher. 

Surprisingly, when Iron Man Lindor turned to gristle when he injured his back failing to slide, LA Acuna stepped in and had some great games.

Also of note offensively that excluded veterans were Mark Vientos and Bret Baty. Sadly, Baty has demonstrated a penchant for starting hot and then fading, and breaking bones late in seasons. Vientos had 30 RBIs in 31 AAA games, and Baty had 16 HRs and 43 RBIs in 230 ABs while hitting  in 62 AAA games, but also had an extended slump just before his broken bone.  Baty returned for a few games; a disappointing season.

Drew Gilbert was 6 for 25 when he really hurt his hammy, missing well over 3 months.  His return was frigid, with power, as he was 8th on the team with 10 HRs in just 214 at bats, with a late HR surge. AFL lies ahead.

Carlos Cortes played reasonably well when not hurt, but he is 27 now and moving into that veteran status. The ambidextrous switch hitter needs to find another gear.  It is called "playing every day." The 5'7" Cortes had strong power numbers playing in the equivalent of just a half season in 2024.  He scored 52 runs, drove in 52, and hit 16 HRs in just 281 at bats.

JT Schwartz hit .219/.287/.381 in 48 AAA games.  The 1B has to ramp it up sharply in 2025 to be relevant. 

Oddly, Austin Allen, Joe Hudson, and Hayden Senger combined to give the S-Mets solid catcher offense. Tommy Nido, too, in 9 AAA games before he went to the land of Wrigley Gum.  His season could not be described as Doublemint.  All the Syracuse catchers totaled 90 RBIs.  Senger, the youngest at age 27, hit .252/.323/.401.

Pitching-wise, it was an absolute turnstile, with 51 pitchers and 2 position players getting to pitch.

It was a season, pitching-wise, that was tinged with disappointment,

Christian Scott was great in his 42 AAA innings, other than his 10 HRs allowed, and pitched decently for the Mets until he hurt his arm.

Mike Vasil and Dom Hamel were AAA starters all year and were well short of mediocrity.

Hamel had a tale of 2 seasons: 1) All of his many starts prior to his last 2 starts (3-9, 7.22 ERA), and 2) his last 2 starts (2-0, 10 innings, 2 runs).  Hopefully, only the second season guy shows up in 2025.  Even with those last two suppressing outings, his final ERA was 6.79 and WHIP for the season was 1.75. 

Blade Tidwell pitched most of the season in AAA (after briefly hurling in AAA) and was mostly miserable.

Brandon Sproat fanned 11 straight in his last AA start, then unexpectedly stumbled pretty badly in AAA.  He ended his first pro season at 7-4, 1.11 WHIP, 3.40 ERA - but a very hittable (.313) 28.2 IP in AAA, where he had a 7.53 ERA.  Surprising and disappointing, but 2025 is payback time and a restart towards stardom.

Those 5 starters gave up 81 long balls in 415 IP in 2024 in AAA.

 - The rest of the squad gave up "just" 98 HRs in 860 IP.

Joey Lucchesi was unimpressive (4.70). I expected better. Will he retire?  (Well, his 4.70 LOWERED the team's ERA, so there is that).

Joander Suarez finally got to AAA and his highlight game there was pitching 5 innings, surrendering 8 runs, leaving the game trailing 8-0, only to have Syracuse hitters put up a nine spot in the bottom of the 5th, allowing him to secure a W. He pitched solidly in AA, but found AAA a steep challenge (1-1, 12 runs in 9 innings).

Tyler Zuber, acquired for strikeout monster Paul Gervase, earned the title of Terrible Tyler the Uber Zuber for his awful post-trade AAA pitching.  Meanwhile, Gervase pitched great after the trade and walked just 3 in 18 innings.

Relief-wise in AAA, Dedniel Nunez was great, as was Jose Butto, and both have pitched admirably when healthy for the NY Mets. 

A real blow was lefty reliever Nate Lavender needing TJS early on in the season, as everyone expected he'd make his MLB debut in the first half of 2024 - except his elbow. He should be ready to go by, or before, mid-2025.  In his minors career, in AAA in 2023 and early 2024, he has 76 Ks in 51 IP.

Justin Jarvis in AAA had an ERA circling like a buzzard over the 6.00 mark.

Shintaro Fujinami was way down below awful early on, then had some good outings, then didn't.  If he returns, it will have to be to AAA and for cheap.  He proved nothing this year, other than that he is unreliable.

Bryce Montes de Oca briefly returned from his second TJS, was wild, and then was put back on the IL for the rest of the season.  Getting old - was he healthy and they just told him they were shutting him down to be ready for 2025, and will he even resurface in 2025?

Tylor Megill rode the Syracuse to NY shuttle, getting several outings for the AAA affiliate. He was 3-0, 3.68 for AAA.

Wilkin Ramos was decent in AAA, but wild. He was 4-2, 5.40 in his games there.

Eric Orze was excellent after his first two relief outings in wind chill factor games.  6-1, 2.92, 84 Ks in 61 relief innings.  He will pitch in the majors next year.

Simply, other than Orze, who was 6-1 in relief with a BAA of under .200, the only guys who pitched well in AAA were major league mainstays Scott, Megill, Peterson, Butto and Nunez.  

The rest of the staff had a collectively horrific ERA, which I don't care to try to recalculate.  Probably 6.00 or thereabouts, if that low.

So, Syracuse was a more heavily-laden a veteran hitting squad than ever, but the younger hitters did only OK.  The young pitchers mostly got pounded, which is not helpful to building a 2025 NY Mets team.  

Add to that weak hitting at the next 3 levels down (AA, High A, and Low A) and the relatively sparse real pitching prospects in the minors, and the club will have trouble reinforcing their MLB roster next year with call ups from existing talent. Stearns will be shopping aggressively for arms.

And likely be putting very heavy reliance on Peterson and Megill to produce many quality innings in Queens in 2025.  300-350, possibly?

AAA season?  It's a wrap.  And that's no minor thing, people.

That said, my future writing will focus on NY Mets' playoff efforts.

And a future Top Prospects analysis.

TWO RAIN OUTS, DOUBLE HEADER ON MONDAY?

Baseball is run by idiots.

Why not turn Tuesday’ single game into a doubleheader, when it was clear the Wed/Thur weather would be a deluge?

Very unfair to the Mets’ fans, and if the Mets advance, the staff will be worn out.

OUR ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE FELLAS

Thanks to our terrific reader D J for this list:

The Fall League rosters have been posted:

3 injured ranked hitting prospects:

Jett Williams- Inf

Drew Gilbert- Of

Jacob Reimer- 3rd

 - Those injured 3 totaled perhaps one full season equivalent.

5 pitchers:

Saul Garcia- P (4-8, 5.05 in 71 IP in 2024, 86 Ks.Work in progress).

Noah Hall- P (missed most of 2024…13 pro innings)

Jonathan Pintaro- P  26 year old rookie who had a fine season (2.68 ERA)

Dylan Ross-P (drafted in 2022…ONE pro inning)

Dylan Tebrake- P (I believe he is returning back from TJS. No 2024 IP)

Mostly, “The Return of the Injured.”

All will be playing for the Scottsdale Scorpions. 

Play starts Tuesday, October 8. As we root for them:

Let’s hope we are still also rooting for NY Mets games by then.