The Dark Knight, Matt Harvey
The Dark Knight, Matt Harvey, was drafted seventh overall in 2010 by the New York Mets.
In 2011 he started out great in the lower minors, and then was promoted to AA.
For the majority of 2012, he pitched in AAA. He did great in the lower minors, but in his 2012 and 2011 segments in AA and AAA, his ERA was close to 4.00 and his WHIP was 1.35, not eye popping.
He then was called up and proceeded to become the Dark Knight of Gotham almost immediately. He was the toast of the town, along with David Wright, in 2012 and 2013, before he needed Tommy John surgery. He returned well from it in 2015, but thereafter had thoracic problems and was never the same again. But in 2012 and 2013, he was just about the Mets’ comparable to Max Scherzer of Washington.
Brandon Sproat was drafted by the Mets in 2022, didn’t sign, and then was drafted again in 2023. He first pitched for the Mets in the minors in 2024, and was great in A ball and in AA.
In his 29 innings and AAA, late in 2024, he certainly had his ups and downs, but the fact that he was pitching in AAA in his first minor league season at all is very impressive.
Essentially, he outpitched Matt Harvey over the same stretch of time in their respective early careers.
I believe that Brandon Sproat in his “second term” in AAA in 2025 will dominate the league, and be ready for his”inaugural” call up to Queens in June.
He will shortly thereafter become the Mets’ White Knight.
SPROAT?
SP = starting pitcher
ROAT = really outstanding and terrific.
ORZE FOR SIRI
The Mets traded Eric Orze for Jose Siri. Orze got called up once, briefly, in 2024, but in 2025, Fangraphs projects he will log 44 innings, with a 3.97 ERA and a K per inning. So acquiring Siri was not a freebie.
SHORT TERMERS?
Read this in Mets Trade Rumors: “a report from Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic this evening (1/11) suggests that some of the major free agents still available are weighing the possibility of turning towards short-term deals with high average annual values, as the so-called “Boras Four” of Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, Matt Chapman, and Jordan Montgomery did last winter after not finding the long-term pacts they were hoping for in free agency. Per Rosenthal and Sammon, outfielder Anthony Santander and right-hander Jack Flaherty are both now open to considering that sort of deal.”
- What about Santander on a 1 year deal for $30 or $35MM, to play 1B?
- He’s played 16 games at 1B in his career, so why not add a 44 HR man?
- And/or add Jack Flaherty for a 1 year deal, adding him to the rotation?
OH, THE TRIVIALITY
My mind seeks out the trivial at times. Here's one trivial tidbit...Detroit led all of MLB in triples in 2024, with 47. The White Sox, on the other hand, were in little hurry - they totaled just 9. But somehow stole 14 more bases than the Tigers.
NOW THEY HAVE BOTH
In 2013, the Mets drafted Dom Smith in the first round, and the Yanks grabbed man-mountain Aaron Judge about 20 slots later. Now…the Yanks have both,
They signed Smith to a minor league deal. Can he resurrect his career with “the porch.” He’ll probably hit 30 HRs this year.
The 29 year old Smith has hit 64 HRs, Judge only 62. I know you understand the difference.
13 comments:
Sproat.is already in camp
That's good, Mack - he is serious. I saw another post that Matt Allan is throwing too. It could be conceivable that despite the long hiatus, he could return to his prior 55 overall rating abilities, and as a man, and not a teenager, progress quickly thru the system.
Mack, I also saw that Elian Pena will likely sign tomorrow. $5 million. I am very excited to see what the Mets' first big bucks international signee ever accomplishes. It will of course take at least 3-4 years of play for him to be ready.
Pena could be a good one...
In about 5 years
Somebody to be excited about when I approach my 90th birthday.
Tom, what’s the difference in HR’s from your last paragraph? I’m missing it.
The Mets lost $1MM signing bonus when they signed Soto. If they sign another QO, they will lose another $1MM and not be able to sign Peña. I’m tired of seeing the Mets not care about penalties, but I admire their swagger.
Sasaki wants to join the Dodgers… shocking. So much for his “I want to be recognized as the best in the world” mantra. He will just blend in and do well.
Tom, I understand the temptation to add a 40+ HR bat to the lineup, and we obviously still need a DH, preferably LH. But if I were working within some kind of budget (guessing that Stearns is, but who knows), I think I’d rather spend $10mm per for two seasons on Winker. I believe he’s a better overall hitter than Santander, much less all-or-nothing, has proven himself clutch over his career, and seemed to fit in well with the core group here. Happy to have him hitting 4th against righties, behind Vientos and ahead of Alonso. This would also discourage opposing managers from bringing in a lefty to face him specifically in the 6th/7th. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t complain if we sign Santander, but given the likely difference in money, I don’t think that his bat is worth 3X Winker’s.
If we’re going to allocate $30 more mil or whatever to someone this season, let it be Flaherty. As to Sproat, here’s hoping you’re right and he breaks through the Syracuse ceiling and into Queens this season.
Gus, the difference is that the 64 HR Smith career total is being compared to an Aaron Judge one year total.
Adam, I am still a Winker guy, which may be a more plausible add.
Very interesting that scout grades for ElianPena are very high: Scouting grades: Hit: 65 | Power: 50 | Run: 50 | Arm: 50 | Field: 60 | Overall: 60
How did I overlook this??? The White Sox announced that they have signed catcher Omar Narváez to a minor league deal with an invite to major league spring training.
I would love to see Matt Allan some day pitch in Citi Field.
I'd like Sproat never to see Syracuse and make the Mets opening day roster.
I sort of agree on Winker. I would rather them sign Alonso and Winker, but I don't see Winker ever hitting cleanup ahead of Pete. There will already be 3 lefties ahead of Pete. Maybe put Winker between Alvarez and Vientos (or vice versa), but let the big bats hit ahead of him.
But, yes, Winker rather than Santander, unless they can somehow trade Marte and all his salary. I don't have much issue with Marte and Winker in the DH slot.
I loved Winker’s energy. He really helped rev up Mets’ swagger.
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