MACK - MY Sunday Observations - Chain Position Analysis - Shortstop

 

Good morning 

The journey down the road of my current analysis of Mets chain players, by position, now continues with shortstop.

Time for a meal at Peter Luger’s.

If you can’t find talent here, turn your phone off. The following names could someday be Mets starters at THREE positions in the same lineup.

They are:

Jett Williams –21/yrs old – 5’-7” -  1^st round draft pick (1-14) in 2022 by Mets, out of Rockwell-Heath HS (TX) -  (playing AA ball – currently listed as the Mets top prospect. Also has the ability to be a future starter in center.

4-season .253-BA/.827-OPS. Impressive 2023. 3-team stat line: 410-AB, 108-H, 13-HR, 55-RBI, 45-SB, .263/.425/.451/.876. Did you notice the SB’s?

Far less impressive in 2024… 3-team BA: only .215. Put on B-Mets shelf in June after wrist surgery.

Hitting has begun to take off this past week.  Seems to be starting to show why the Mets drafted early. 

Me? I’m sorry. I hate short baseball players and, even if he was 6’2”, I need to see more here.

My guess is, if hits, he will eventually get a one way ticket to LaGuardia. 

Boston Baro – 20/yrs old – drafted in 8^th round of 2023 draft , by Mets, out of Capristrano Valley HS (CA) – also plays third and short - sort of playing A+ ball –

Had a very impressive 2024 with St. Lucie: 323-AB, .288-BA. Promoted late to Brooklyn for typical new level slow start: 44-AB, .205.

Repeating A+ this year and duplicating last year’s slow start here.

Me?

Friends and sources of mine rave about this guy. Where? How? The best stat I see so far is his height. I don’t see this happening.

Jeremy Rodriguez – 18/yrs old – 2023 IFA signee by Arizona for $1.25mil – rave reviews for majority at that age. Traded to Mets for DH Tommy Pham. Also plays second and third - playing A ball.

Now… let’s talk prospects.

3-seasons: .287.384/.416/.800

195 at-bats last season for FCL Mets:  .282/.355/.400/.755. Only 37-K.

Around the same stat line so far this season. Don’t ever say that J-Rod isn’t consistent.

Me? I rate this guy as the highest middle infielder prospect in the chain. Definitely no reason to rush him, but there is no reason he can’t end this season playing at A+ level.

I have him with a 2B ETA of OD 2027. Lots of initials. Lots of praise from someone that knows nothing about this game. 

Colin Houck – 20/yrs old – 2023 first round draft pick (1.32) by NYM, out of Parkview HS (GA). – also plays second and third - playing A ball – Was projected as a steal at 1.32. Even I had him at around 1.15. But he dropped. Why? Well, 471 at-bats later for St. Lucie last season, he went into the off-season with a.206 batting average + 171 strikeouts. Maybe he should have dropped lower and the Mets could have picked pitcher Charlee Soto, or pitcher Tommy White, or P Ty Floyd, or 3B Myles Naylor, or… I’m stopping.

Me?

Didn’t I say earlier in this series that shortstop was deep in talent? Well, as that old guy in Caddyshack once said… “Well… I’m waiting!”

We now have reached the level where projected players are very busy playing on their Nintendo and still sheading their baby teeth. No pro games yet. Lots of promise, which could turn out to be lots of bullshit:

 Christopher Larez – currently in Florida complex – projected to open up for the FLC Mets later on this year – suspended last season for 56 games for a positive test for the performance-enhancing Boldenone.

No, boldenone is not that guy from Harry Potter.

Boldenone is a synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) derived from testosterone, primarily used in veterinary medicine, especially for horses, to promote muscle growth. So there. So. Mr. Larez thought he was Mr. Ed. Things men will do to woo the ladies.

Looks like he will open up in Florida, so hang on to, and barn, your fillies down there. 

Elian Pena – currently in DSL camp – projected to begin playing in 2026 –

This is the kid all of Met-land is raving about. Pena was signed by the Mets in January. He was the 3^rd highest ranked international prospect for 2025, making him the highest ranked IFA to sign with the Mets, like ever.

The bonus was five million dollars. Yes Louise, That’s five followed by six zeros. That's sometimes like 80% of their pool money so we know how the rest of this lot will play out. 

Like most top Latin kiddos, he’s a shortstop. Plus he already grades out as a 65 hit tool with an additional overall rating of 60.

Scouts rave about his already developed bat speed, pounding the ball, and the “most advanced plate discipline seen on the International scene in years”.

Grades out to remain a shortstop. Above average run speed.

ETA? Far too early to project. I expect the Mets to keep him in camp throughout this season, working on his skills rather than play in meaningless FCL games.

Nice find, guys.

In summary –

I started out this piece saying we were about to partake in a prime dinner, when after being served a meal of undetermined promise with a side of injuries and disappointment, my thoughts now are maybe we should have stuck to lunch at Longhorn’s. Don’t get me wrong… J-Rod looks to be the real deal, and if that’s all we get out of this position for the next five seasons, I’ll be satisfied. The only middle infielder this team needs for the rest of this decade is a second baseman.

Rating -       INC

Clay Holmes has matched expectations. Can he sustain it all season?

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6305527/2025/04/25/mets-mlb-clay-holmes-expectations/

Asked to assess himself after his first start in Houston in late March, Holmes said he wouldn’t begin that process until he had five outings under his belt. Last Sunday against St. Louis was his fifth start. So, how do Holmes and the Mets feel about his conversion to the rotation?

“This is what we thought he was going to be able to do,” president of baseball operations David Stearns said.

“It’s kind of exactly what we thought might happen,” pitching coach Jeremy Hefner said.

“I kind of like where we’re at right now,” Holmes said.

 

2025 MLB Draft: Bonus Pools

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2025-mlb-draft-bonus-pools-slot-values-for-each-team/?s=03

Mariners      $17,074,400

Mets              $5,465,900

 

The Mets are playing like baseball’s best and they’re not surprised at all

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6303339/2025/04/23/mets-mlb-record-2025-baseball-best/

The Mets’ No. 1 through No. 3 hitters will collect more than $120 million this year, and they are all under 32 years old. Add Marte and Brandon Nimmo, and that’s more than $160 million for five players. Half of all MLB teams don’t spend that much on their full rosters.

What makes the Mets so formidable, though, is that while none of their five highest-paid players is a pitcher, their pitching staff is the best in the majors, with a 2.34 ERA. That underscores the kind of sound decision-making that should never go into a slump.

Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning have been the stingiest rotation in MLB. Mets starters have allowed just five home runs all season; every other rotation has allowed at least 10. And they’re doing it without Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas, who have been on the injured list since spring training.

 

Reasons for all 30 MLB teams to be optimistic, pessimistic based on early season returns

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6304393/2025/04/25/mlb-teams-hope-best-worst-early-season/

New York Mets

Reason for optimism: The Mets have the best record in baseball and lead the majors with a team ERA of 2.34. Kodai Senga is pitching like an ace, Clay Holmes has been spectacular early in his transition from reliever to starter, Tylor Megill has impressed with a 1.09 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings, and closer Edwin Díaz has converted all six of his save opportunities. We all knew the Mets would have one of the best offenses in the league, but the pitching staff (without Sean Manaea) is showing they’re a serious World Series contender. In addition, the Mets have put together one of the best analytics departments in the sport.

Keith Law - Scouting Mets prospects

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6295481/2025/04/23/mets-orioles-scouting-carson-benge-griff-oferrall/

The Mets took Oklahoma State outfielder Carson Benge in the first round last year in a bet that they could help convert his strong batted-ball metrics into some real in-game power. I saw him play for High-A Brooklyn at the Aberdeen Ironbirds on Saturday night, and while Benge’s bat speed is legit, he is still utilizing the same swing that made him more of a slap hitter in college than he should be.

Benge’s hands are incredibly quick, and he showed advanced pitch-type recognition Saturday, squaring up two offspeed pitches for hard flyouts to center. They were flyouts, though, because he rolls his front foot over completely — I got both of those swings on video and at the moment of contact I can see the entire underside of his front cleat. His back leg is only touching the ground at the tip of the cleat, so he can’t get any force from his legs at all because there’s no way to push down into the ground with either of them. He was slugging just .293 in a very small sample, not even 50 PA through Sunday’s games, which wouldn’t even be worth mentioning were it not for the questions about his swing mechanics.

Pitching questions? Streaking Mets, Canning have the answer

https://www.mlb.com/news/griffin-canning-sharp-in-mets-sixth-straight-win

Through nearly one month of the regular season, Mets starters not only lead the Majors with a 2.29 ERA, but they’re more than a full run better than the next-best National League team. Every member has contributed in significant ways -- not least of all Griffin Canning, who held the Phillies to one run Tuesday night in a 5-1 win at Citi Field.

It was the Mets’ sixth consecutive victory, their second such streak already this season.

“It helps when your pitching staff is as nasty as ours,” outfielder Tyrone Taylor said.

Statistically one of the worst pitchers in the Majors last season, Canning has been one of the league’s best so far in 2025, relying on improved sequencing and pitch-mix tweaks to keep opposing lineups off-balance. So it went Tuesday, in a game that saw Canning allow almost nothing after three consecutive one-out hits in the second.

Jim Koenigsberger            @Jimfrombaseball

“They say that Abe Lincoln freed the slaves about 93 years ago and delivered the 'Emancipation Proclamation'. But it wasn’t until Larry Doby threw that left hook to the chin of Art Ditmar that the Negro baseball player was  completely emancipated"

William Jackson writing in the black-owned Cleveland Call and Post

"Larry Doby is the first negro to fight on the diamond, despite not being dusted off because of pigmentation differences."

Sporting News

In the first inning at Comiskey Park, with two outs and two on in the bottom of the first inning, New York’s Art Ditmar threw a pitch behind the head of the Sox`s Larry Doby. As the pitch rolled to the wall, Ditmar ran to cover home. Doby  warned Ditmar about the pitch, and then threw a left hook which dropped Ditmar flat on the ground.

Chicago  native and future White Sox player "Moose" Skowron floored Doby with a  flying tackle from 3rd, which brought Walt Dropo into the fray. Dropo who was 6-5, 230 pounds and a monster for his time, sat on Skowron and put him in a head-lock. Enos Slaughter stood above them trying to lift  the 230 pound Dropo up by  pulling on his shirt.  Dropo got up, setting off a battering, hockey-style slug  fest with Slaughter.

At  various times, “Whitey” Ford, Casey Stengel, "Jungle" Jim Rivera and Enos "Country" Slaughter were in the middle of it. Slaughter’s jersey  and undershirt were ripped to pieces and his hat was  backwards in one of the most famous photographs of the 1950's.

After things settled down Billy Martin rushed into things and started in on Larry Doby.

It took nearly a half-hour to restore order, and four players were ejected.

 

"My first roommate was Robin Roberts, who had 270-some wins, and I didn’t have any. My first game, at Fenway, I came in with the bases loaded to face Tony Conigliaro, the first guy I ever faced in the big leagues. Hank Bauer was the manager, and he said,

“Are you nervous?”

I said, “Well, I’ve  never done this before,” because I was a starting pitcher in A-ball the  year before.

I said, “What do I do with this warm-up ball?” I had  brought the warm-up ball in with me because I was so nervous.

But I struck out Conigliaro, and 3,948 innings later I had never given up a  grand slam. That could have happened with the first guy I ever faced. I struck him out on three pitches. He swung at two high fastballs and John Flaherty called him out on a knee-high fastball low and away. Not that I meant to do that, it just went there."

Jim Palmer

 

"There were times, when you were flying up there and realized, that all you were doing was practising death. If my country needed me, I was ready.  Besides, the highlight of my life had always been, even including  baseball, flying for the Marines."

Jerry Coleman

"If the Japanese knew who they were fighting against, they never would have surrendered."

19-year-old Second Lieutenant Jerry Coleman, flying with his 18-year-old gunner.

Yankee`s Jerry Coleman smoking a cigarette in the locker room after learning he  had been called to active duty for the Korean War, 1952. During WWII, Coleman flew 57 aerial combat missions in the SBD  Dauntless, receiving two Distinguished Flying Crosses and seven Air  Medals.

When the Korean War began, Coleman returned to active Marine Corps duty, flying 63 additional aerial combat missions in the F4U & AU1  Corsair,  including close air support and interdiction/strike missions.

Hero!!

In 1939, Coleman was a bat-boy for the San Francisco Seals of the old Pacific Coast League.

From 1942 to 1957, he spent his entire playing career in the Yankees organization, where he played on 6 World Series teams.

Placed 3rd in the 1949 Rookie of the Year voting.

In 1950, he was voted to the All-Star Game and won the World Series MVP award.

From 1958 to 1960, he worked in the Yankees front office.

In 1960, he began his broadcasting career, where he did the CBS MLB game of the week.

In 1963, he began his 7 year tenure as part of the Yankees broadcast team.

In 1970, became part of the California Angels broadcast team.

In 1972, became the voice of the San Diego Padres, which lasted over 40 years.

In 1980, left the broadcast booth to manage the Padres for 1 season.

In 2005, was honored with the Ford C. Frick Award inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 2007, was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

In 2007, was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.

In 2012, in honor of “Jerry Coleman Day” in San Diego, a statue was built and unveiled in his honor at Petco Park.