Patience is not always a virtue, as learned with ex-Met Tom Szapucki.
NO DRAFT COMMENTS FROM ME…MACK IS THE DRAFT GURU
My article today:
I tend to be an impatient guy. Why?
64 years as a Mets fan, OK?
This year, I was admittedly losing a slightly little bit of patience with this year’s super $$$ bonus baby Elian Peña’s 0-28 start - not much, really, more wondering “WAZZUP?”, but that smidgeon of impatience was nonetheless short-sighted of me. My bad.
Elian followed that mystery drought with an offensive explosion.
As in 18 for 50 with 14 walks. And a 3 HR, 8 RBI game, too. BOOM!
Likewise, as last year’s big bonus baby, catcher Yovanny Rodriguez, was hitting a miserly .167 in his 2024 DSL debut season, through July, I was finding myself getting impatient, once again unnecessarily. My bad.
In August 2024, you see, he suddenly erupted, and went 15 for 44 with 7 extra base hits, 13 RBIs, and 5 walks.
Dang.
This season, Y Rod through Thursday in the DSL was a robust 17 for 46 (.370) with 15 walks, and 13 RBIs. That’s a .525 OBP.
DANG!
Now, I am again impatient with him, yes, even more so. Why?
I want to see him promoted to the FCL, that’s why. He sure seems ready.
BRANDON SPROAT?
Boy, was I losing patience with him. Lots of weak AAA outings in 2024 and 2025. LET’S GO, BRANDON, I impatiently thought to myself.
But young prospects can, and hopefully do, adjust. Sure enough:
In his last 3 starts, 18 scoreless innings, few hits, 18 Ks. DANG!
Patience is restored.
- Maybe he went from struggling AAA starter to MLB-ready in just 3 starts?
JONATHAN SANTUCCI?
I never got impatient with Santucci, last year’s 46th overall pick. The lefty got a high level pro debut assignment in High A Brooklyn. Turbulence on lift off, though, as his first 6 outings spanned 21 innings, with 19 earned runs, 33 hits, and 8 walks allowed, had me, let’s say, puzzled.
But, heading towards mid-May, with temperatures rising and spring blooming, Santucci bloomed, too.
His last 47 innings through July 11, 53 Ks and a mere 7 earned runs and 29 hits allowed! Koufaxian stretch for the lefty. Then, in his first AA start, 2 hits allowed over 6, 8 Ks.
Patience turned to our real exuberance. He was rewarded recently with that promotion to AA, mid way thru his first pro season. Well earned.
He almost feels like he is ready for the big leagues right now to me.
METS “FIRST HALF” HITTING STATS OF NOTE:
Yeah, I know, the “first half” ended with just 40% of the games left.
Somebody I know named Brennan mentioned before the season how Pete Alonso hits many more HRs on the road than at pitcher-friendly Citi Field. This year, just 8 bombs at home in 47 games, vs. 13 in 50 road games.
- Draw…your…own…conclusions.
Francisco Alvarez actually hit well on the road. But at home, 7 for 50, with no doubles, no triples, no HRs, and no RBIs. Not all was zero - he did score 2 runs.
- Draw…your…own…conclusions.
(He has just briefly, but convincingly, destroyed AAA. Time to come home.)
It’s probably a “catcher in Citi”+thing. After all, Torrens has hit .150 at home, but .253 in away games.
- Draw…your…own…conclusions.
Hayden Senger, the other masked man, has hit .178 this season with the Metropolitans. He has, as I see it, had his cup of coffee. Yummy. He can now take that cup and finish it on the next plane to Syracuse.
- He’ll have to get his first MLB RBI some other time. No RBIs, no alibis.
Soto stole 11 of 12, Acuna 11 of 12, Nimmo 10 of 11. THIEVES!
THE MINORS, ABOVE THE DSL?
The hottest Mets minors hitter since mid-May is (drum roll, please…):
KEVIN PARADA!
44 for his last 129 (.341), 12 doubles, 7 HRs, 26 RBIs! FUEGO!!
BRAVO!!
Catching solid, too.
METS PITCHERS?
We got our three most expensive starters back recently, and all are pitching well. Peterson and Diaz made the All Star team.
Clay Holmes went 8-4, 3.31 but didn’t get a star, but deserved to get one, and boy, did he need this week’s several days off.
DEVASTATING MINORS PITCHERS?
TONG (TERRIFIC)
MCLEAN (MARVELOUS)
SPROAT (SURGING)
ROSS (RIPPING)
SANTUCCI (SUPERB)
And many others.
6 comments:
I feel better about our minor leaguers than I have in many many years. Restores my faith in our personal that scout and do the drafting as well as our minor league coaches . The Mets are becoming a model franchise for drafting and developing young talent. This is how you become an elite franchise.
Les, I wrote for years how they drafted guys with no high level tools and, predictably, most cratered. I like seeing statement like this, which indicates that someone really woke up to the importance of high level tools in draftees:
“We were fortunate enough to take a blend of big, projection HS righties with some fastballs and some plus secondaries options, and then some college guys with some electricity in their arms,” VP of amateur scouting Kris Gross said.
Yes. They are drafting better.
In my opinion, that stopped the day before this draft
Tom
You know I'm up to my arse this morning writing draft shite
Once must remember that the Mets DID have an early first round pick this year and struck gold.
Elian Pena
I don't think it's a case of "someone woke", as much as it is the arrival of a new POBO, who was already awake and has a terrific history. And the scouts and minor league coaching talent he brought with him.
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