(Mets were tied 5-5 going into the 12th. Acuna was 3-0 with the bags full, but couldn’t get the run in, ending the 11th. Bedtime for me, Bonzo. Woke up, 7-5, 13 inning loss. Just 7 hits, as the hitting futility continue to cause the Mets to swoon. Baty catches up to Alvarez and Soto in batting average in the .230s. Tyrone Taylor at .252 has surged past them.)
Anyway…when the Mets falter…I love to look at the METS MINORS and smile.
Don't you love the words:
"I've got another one for you to watch"?
Well I do.
The Mets have a 20 year old lefty hurler in the FCL named Daviel Hurtado.
Daviel WHO? Well…
In 2023, Daviel Hurtado signed a 1 year, $500,000 contract with the Mets.
That's a whole lot of money, so he must have been HIGHLY coveted. Saw on line that he had hit 97 on the gun in 2024.
His velocity in 2025? I have no data on that. But he is dealing in 2025.
He missed 2023 and most of 2024. Yeah, Tommy John. Missing time for pitchers is like a rite of initiation. They should all get “I’m A Tommy John Survivor” tattoos.
When he pitched in 2024, his 15.2 IP were shaky, but he promisingly fanned 23.
In 2025, so far, he has NOT been shaky. Yes, he’s been dealing.
As in 12 innings, 4 hits, 3 walks, 15 Ks, 0.00.
He went 5 scoreless and was an 8-0 winner on Wednesday.
REPEAT AFTER ME….
“HURTADO IS ONE TO WATCH".
Daviel - could he become a lefty version of Dedniel?
Maybe even better. Could a promotion to St Lucie come soon?
His fellow FCL Mets, meanwhile, have started to hit much better, after hitting just .168 in the first 10 games. Up to .198 after 13 games. Some guys are off to brutally bad starts, but….
Through Wednesday, four hombres were wielding hot bats, and all 4 are "worth watching" - on Wednesday, the 4 continued to rake, as they combined to get on base 10 times, with 6 RBIs in the 7 inning game.
Randy Guzman - he frankly hit poorly in 2023 and 2024 and entered this season with a career average below .200 and 84 Ks in 253 PAs. I'd see that and think: "This guy has no chance." 2025, however, has been much different so far for Guzman. Raking.
Julio Zayas - catcher and RBI machine. The 19 y/o is raking.
Eddie Lantigua - a $950,000 bonus baby in 2024, the 18 y/o is raking.
Dangelo Sargento - a $700,000 signing in 2022, he hit .295 in the DSL that year, but played sparingly in 2023 and missed most of 2024 with injury. He is a reputed defensive whiz (playing 2B and 3B this year) whose hitting tool is catching up. He started slowly this year at 3 for 28. Then he had 3 hits in his first 3 ABs on Wednesday, and then added a walk, so through Wednesday, for the season he had 6 hits and 8 walks, giving him a solid OBP.
May the hitting boost continue. It is early for the FCL cohort, just 14 short games.
IT’S SPOTLIGHT TIME!
SPOTLIGHT ON…NICK MORABITO
When Nick was hitting .193 through April 23, I was starting to worry.
Maybe AA was too tough? Or maybe Binghamton was just too cold.
Since then, he’s “hot hitting Nick” again, hitting .330 in his last 84 at bats. On an 11 game hit streak with 18 hits in that stretch. Already up to 15 steals, and 74 steals in 157 games over this year and last.
NICK IS ONE TO WATCH. “See that speedy blur, Pop? That’s Nick.”
SPOTLIGHT ON….TRACE WILLHOITE
The 24 y/o in St Lucie first baseman has been an RBI machine through Wednesday, with 24 in 27 games and a .513 slug %. Seven homers, too. And .303/.385/.606 in May so far. He had 53 HRs in 636 at bats in college. A late start in his college playing days, and likely the reason he went Undrafted. Go for it, Trace.
SPOTLIGHT ON….TREY SNYDER
He’s 19, and a 5th rounder in St Lucie. He was struggling early, hitting .156 going into the last day of April. The infielder then revved it up with 20 for 61 since, through Wednesday’s game. In 36 games, 14 steals in 16 tries, 18 RBIs. An incredible 28 walks already. I did mention he’s 19, right?
Then, 2 more hits, 2 more walks, and a steal Friday night! A .470 May OBP.
Seemingly another great draft pick.
He was highly coveted last year by the Mets at draft time - I saw this:
“Mets sign 5th-round pick Trey Snyder for $1,322,500. He gets the third-highest bonus in their draft class at $846,300 over slot. He was a prep SS, mature hitter, contact profile w/15-20 HR pop, solid arm.”
REPEAT AFTER ME:
ONE TO WATCH.
SPOTLIGHT ON…TY ADCOCK
I have to admit, I thought this guy was a journeyman. He is after all 28 years old. Then I looked at his stats page, saw he was drafted in the 8th round in 2019, but first pitched…and then barely so…in 2022??
He made his organizational debut in 2022 after missing the 2019 (right shoulder impingement syndrome) and 2021 (recovering from Tommy John surgery) seasons. 2020, of course, was the COVID BLIGHT year.
He threw only 8 innings in his debut season in 2022! So 8 innings in the first 4 years after he was drafted.
But Ty's first major league call-up was the very next year in 2023, and he briefly appeared (but not well) for the Mets in 2024.
On Wednesday, he struck out the side in the 9th in Syracuse, where his ERA is 1.17 in 15 innings, with a 0.65 WHIP. Outstanding.
Remarkably, in his career, majors and minors, he has thrown just 93 innings!
Considering that lack of career innings, his ERA in 2025 is very impressive. Look at other AAA guys who struggle. He got in one game this year for the Mets, pitching 1/3 of one inning. He seems like a guy who will get more Mets chances in 2025. Why not?
When to use him in relief, you ask? In TY games, of course.
SPOTLIGHT ON….CRISTOFER GOMEZ
22 y/o pitching in relief for St Lucie.
Last 3 games, 5.2 IP, no hits, no walks, 10 Ks. What??
ONE TO WATCH.
SPOTLIGHT ON…JESUS BAEZ
He had a career on Friday: in two seven inning games, 6 for 8, 7 RBIs, helping Brooklyn’s unstoppable hitting squad to score 19 runs. Thunderous .350/.466/.600 in May for the 20 year old power-packed infielder.
SPOTLIGHT ON….JONATHAN SANTUCCI
He had his 2nd straight great Brooklyn start. Last 2 outings, 10 innings, 4 hits, one run, 11 Ks. Like I said in spring training, another Bruce Hurst.
These two started cold but are now killing it.
Baez and Santucci are “two ones” to watch.
SERIOUSLY…
I am starting to envision where you could trade the entire Mets team as currently constructed and replace it in 2027 with today’s farm system sizzlers - and perhaps have a better team. I LOVE these prospects!
Best quality/quantity of real Mets prospects at one time ever, IMO.
AAA has only a few prospects, as it is mostly veterans.
The three real prospect teams, though - AA, High A, and Full A?
Those 3 teams have a combined record of 76-50. WOW!
And all three of those teams are TRULY RED HOT of late.
FINALLY…A SHORT FCL INNINGS NOTE:
Just 7 innings per game over the first 13 FCL Mets games, which can make certain stats like player’s HRs and RBIs appear smaller than they would otherwise be. I think that is primarily due to rain, but hopefully they get to 9 innings soon. These kids need to play longer games.
21 comments:
New York Sports
Last night was not a good night to be rooting for a New York team
Don't worry...
the Knick thing will end next week...
and the next two Mets series are the White Sox and the Rockies while Philly plays the Braves and Brewers
Hurtado
I have had him as a BLUE prospect for around a year
Far too early to dance about, but I have written his name down on my dance card
Jesus Baez
Looks like it was far too early to write him off... hell of a doubleheader output. Puts him right bacjk from a BLUE to RED prospect
Tom,
Excellent column, we appreciate your research and spotlight on these players. I try to begin every day with a recap of the previous nights minor league games. For about 20 years my wife and I spent our vacations going to Mets minor league games while they were playing in the South Atlantic, Texas and Appalachian leagues.We are no longer close enough to travel see the teams in their present locations. So these "spotlights" are as close as we can get to keep up with our favorite teams. Thanks!
Thanks, DJ. I texted my brother this AM about the prospects. Last year, the only hot hitter it seemed in the entire system was Morabito. This year, the list exceeds 10. I've never seen so much hitting. Brooklyn? Scoring has doubled. How? Replacing extremely strikeout-prone sub-.200 hitters with HITTING MACHINES.
Mack, me too on Baez. He has exploded. Total hitting party in Brooklyn. 251 runs in 42 games. That is SIX RUNS per game. In a total pitchers' park. In a mostly cold early spring. Do I hear SEVEN RUNS PER GAME going forward?
Mack, do you realize the Mets may face mighty Mike Vasil in the Chicago series?
OMG so much talent,the future looks good.
Brooklyn is an all-star team in itself
THAT would be fun
Bring up his buddy Dom Hamel for a spot start
You may have something about this hot cold thingy
Shades
Adcock is pitching well in Syracuse where all other prospects go to fail. He could be a good one.
How about bringing up the Jett ANYTHING is better than watching our dreadful offense of the last few weeks and another Sot-0fer and I'll hurl dam that was painful. I know I know he will hit......someday but could it accually get worse than last night? Us ending up with the worst free agent signing in MLB history and I'll have to live with it the rest of my life keeps running through my mind. Mack I need help!
Paul, I still can't believe Adcock has < 100 pro innings and he's 28. Even Lambert got hit around a bit in AA last night, so Adcock's production, at such a low innings level, has my attention.
I do not think Jett is ready yet. Big difference between AA pitching and the big leagues. He WOULD be ready if not for his injury-riddled 2024.
I know Mack is highlighting some other hot prospects at 10 AM. I highlighted some in this article. But there are many more who have impressed. Never seen anything like it in Metsville Minors.
Far too early for Williams
This definitely seems to prove if you have the right guys in the front office doing this...
Before saying that … how many are stern’s
Adcock got shelled in extra innings on Sunday. Shake it off and move forward.
Post a Comment