TOM'S TIDBITS
I LOVE PROMOTIONS!
In the past, it seemed the Mets always promoted at a snail’s pace.
One example of that was Harvey, Wheeler, deGrom, Syndergaard and Matz, as I recall, each having roughly 200 innings in AA and AAA before being promoted to the Mets.
Slow promotions nowadays?
Nope. Not this year.
Righty relievers Ryan Lambert and Anthony Nunez both got promoted to Binghamton very recently.
Not at all at a snail’s pace for them.
Lambert, who has been clocked above 100 MPH, had all of 9 pro relief outings and 11 innings (21 Ks) in A ball before he was promoted to Binghamton, where thru Tuesday he already had 4 stellar outings spanning 6 IP, with just one run run allowed.
Nunez, the former infielder turned pitcher, had tossed just 10 pro innings in the FCL and St Lucie in 2024.
This year, he was nearly unhittable while fanning a ton of batters in 14 relief innings in Brooklyn and just got promoted, after a total of 25 pro pitching innings, to Binghamton, where his first outing there this week was a scoreless inning.
Remarkably fast promotions.
And I like it.
That made room for the guy everyone is pulling for, Matt Allan, to be promoted to Brooklyn, also rapidly following his 5 year hiatus. I like that, too. Matt has been WILD, with 11 walks and 4 HBPs in 15 innings, so hopefully he is ready to tighten that up.
Naturally, I loved the promotion to AAA of one Nolan McLean, whose Mets career has been simply great as a starter this year (4-1, 1.08).
I still, though, miss McLean’s 9 HRs in 146 at bats in 2023-24, many of those of the tape measure variety, as was the one in the link below. But, I prefer quick pitching promotions for McLean.
Nolan McLean Opposite Field BOMB
I just hope they will soon promote Totally Terrific Tong, who is insanely good, and Jacob Reimer, who has put up marvelous offensive numbers (.333/.424/.642, 6 HRs, 28 RBIs) while the team he’d like to be promoted to, namely Binghamton, mostly hits like garbage.
On the converse, I again recommend temporarily demoting Kevin Parada TWO LEVELS to St Lucie. He is (not) hitting .122 (10 for 82), and needs a lifeline. Go to warmth and sunshine for 2 to 4 weeks to re-experience some hitting success. And then come back to Binghamton. I’d do it “remarkably fast.” Brooklyn is out. Send him to Florida. So his hitting results can return to a “Sunshine state”.
METS LOSE 4-0
Can’t win them all.
Yanks up next. Do not falter. The Mets did falter against Falter, who gave up 8 runners in 3.2 IP V. the Mets, but no runs. The Mets are 26th in hitting with RISP at .224, a big early season flaw. Change that dramatically this weekend, please.
SPROAT WATCH
Playing against the best team in the AAA International League, the 28-12 Lehigh Valley squad, Brandon was brilliant for the first 3 innings, allowed 2 solo homers in the 4th. Two hits and two runs through 4, along with 2 HBPs and 2 walks and 4 Ks. All divisible by 2.
In the 5th, though, it went downhill like an Olympic ski champ. The first hitter up, strike one, strike two, then 4 pitches well out of the strike zone, then a double to LHV's leadoff (.300+) hitter, then a THIRD HBP. Then....Sproat coughed up a grand slam. Sputum and phlegm.
A 7-2 lead heading into the 5th turns into a Sproat ND.
Syracuse bumped their lead up to 8-6 before surrendering TWELVE unanswered runs for an 18-8 loss.
Grant Hartwig gave up a big bunch of unearned runs, and is a prime example as to why the ERA stat is sometimes misleading. 13 of the 19 runs that Hartwig has allowed this year are unearned. That Is Crazy.
Sproat? Actual performance trumps fan speculation. In AA in 61 innings in 2024 and 2025, 6.64 ERA. WHO’D A THUNK IT?
Joey Meneses has been a doubles generator this year, with an insane 17 2Bs, but HRs, not so much. But he hit his first HR, a 3 run shot Wednesday, off of Alan Rangel, no relation to former NYS Congressman Charles Rangel of Harlem.
Also, the FCL Mets are off to a slow 1-5 season start. They lost in a 7 inning shutout today despite the FCLM hitters walking 9 times. Just 2 hits.
CONTINUATION OF TWO TRENDS
The thundering Cyclones scored 7 more runs in their win yesterday. Hitting like a juggernaut.
THE listless Binghamton bats compiled just 3 runs in a doubleheader split.
Our guy Jack Wenninger pitched great in the Binghamton DH opener - 1 run over 6 clean IP - but lost 1-0.
4 comments:
Binghamton shut out in 4 of their 13 games this month. Anemic.
I mentioned this to Paul and Tom yesterday
Both Brandon Sproat and Blade Tidwell seem to be hitting the AAA wall...the same wall we have watched so many other Mets pitchers fail to excel at.
AAA lineups are full.of ex-MLB bats that know how to expose young meat.
At this point, I expect the 2026 additions to the roster to be a returning Christian Scott and an emerging Nolan McLean
Don’t forget the Roadrunner, Jonah Tong. Meep meep.
I think Sproat will come through this OK. I agree that there is a AAA wall, and he needed to deal with some adversity because the rest of his ride was waaay too easy. Build up some mental toughness, learn how to adjust, then start blowing 'em away again. It won't take 200 innings for this guy. Glad it happened here and not on a big league diamond. That is harder to recover from.
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