HAPPY MINOR LEAGUER MINI-UPDATE!
I am not doing the DSL update today, that happens on Thursday, but I happily note that the $5 million man, Elian Peña, had his second 3 HR game of the DSL season yesterday, both in the last 40 games. Bravo.
And another interesting note: the DSL Mets Orange team scored 15 runs. And the DSL Mets Blue team ALSO scored 15 runs. Oh, to be 15 again.
MY ARTICLE:
The top 4 Mets minors squads are roughly 80 games over .500, collectively. So there naturally would be (and is) plenty good to write about.
I won’t cover every good Met minors player in this article.
It could take hours. Days, perhaps. Many there are.
Let’s start with Jacob Reimer who, in the 2nd half, thru August 12 was hitting just .191.
He was really struggling. Since the start of June, actually.
Then, just like that, he got HOT:
In his last 5 games though? A sizzling 10 for 19, with 2 HRs.
Just like that, he was hitting .233 in the second half. Keep the faith.
And, as one would expect when playing in Brooklyn and Binghamton, he is hitting 77 friggin’ points higher on the road than in home games.
Jonah Tong, henceforth, will be referred by me as The Prospect Superstar Who Still Is Somehow Exiled In The Minors.
Tong continued to have the best minor league season any Mets minors pitcher has ever had with a blistering AAA debut: 5.2 IP, 3 hits, no runs, 9 Ks.
Take out his first two season starts in a Frigidaire, and since then, 98 innings, 160 Ks, 45 hits, 12 earned runs. Good gravy, Ms. Davey!
How can anyone do better?
McLean Was Ready. Tong Is Ready.
His other AAA promoted future stars?
Brandon Sproat was sizzling, but his last two outings, a 7.71 ERA.
Dylan Ross continues to show he is the boss in the bullpen. .2.88 in AA and AAA and 66 Ks in 41 IP. “SIT DOWN, SUCKER!”
The 3 recently promoted (to AAA) stud hitters? Benge and Williams have a .400 OBP in brief post-promotion action, and Clifford clocks in with a .333 OBP. So far, so good.
Back to AA:
Kevin Parada? .251 in 275 at bats, but 59 for his last 193 (.306). Dang!
The Devil May Wear Prada, but thank heavens we have Kevin Parada.
Nick Morabito sizzles since his icy season start and is at .288/.357/.418 in 94 games, with 36 swipes in 94 games, and well over .300 since mid-May.
Recently promoted AJ Ewing? Through Saturday, 7 for 21, with 3 more steals to boost him to 61. Roger Maris is impressed.
Hitting .309 for the season, too. What’s not to like?
Pitching?
Jon Santucci has been utterly superb over his last 13 starts (1,89), and Jack Wenninger is 10-6, 2.72, with 126 Ks.
Another two gems in the pitching gem box.
Wait, there’s more…
Ryan Lambert has fanned 63 in 40 innings of relief with a 2.01 ERA. What’s not to like?
We promoted Nolan, let’s promote Ryan, too.
And 28 year old multi-injury 40th rounder Brian Metoyer is putting up a fine year. 2.30 ERA, 40 Ks in 31 IP, and a major off base improvement with his 0.99 WHIP. If not for one bad outing in mid-July, his ERA would be well under 2.00. If he doesn’t Rule 5 this December, he might well be amongst Stearn’s cast of 1000s of Mets pitchers to be used in Queens in 2026.
Recently promoted to AA righty Saul Garcia this entire year has a 1.89 ERA and 62 Ks in 38 IP. Could be ready for the Big Show by late 2026? Not surprisingly, his BAA is .179.
Binghamton has a team 2.92 ERA. CONGRATS!
Back to hitters…
Chris Suero? A fine season, with 16 HRs, 63 RBIs, 29 steals. And, as one would expect when playing in Brooklyn and Binghamton, he is hitting 40 friggin’ points higher on the road than in home games.
Nick Lorusso (.263, 49 RBIs) and D’Andre Smith (.280, 23 swipes) are having solid AA seasons, too.
Brooklyn promoted a bunch of their best hitters, and the rest of the squad is scuffling, hitting .216 over the past 30 games as the unfortunate team assigned to play in Nightmare Park.
As another indicator of how pitcher friendly Cyclones Park is, Brooklyn pitchers at home have a 2.66 ERA, but on the road, a 3.69 ERA.
The G Boys, Girton, Garcia (discussed above), and Gordon (all recently promoted) and Brooklyn’s Will Watson have all pitched great.
St Lucie has been hot, too, but I have simply run out of ink.
If I said I had writers’ cramp, Stearns would put me on the IL for 3 months, so to be clear, I am fit as a fiddle, David, just out of ink.
Another day, I will recap the Lucites, my friends.
Lots of good news, huh?
40 comments:
A video of Peña’s 3 HRs here. One was opposite field. https://www.mlb.com/mets/news/mets-elian-pena-hits-three-homers-in-game-for-second-time?t=mlb-pipeline-coverage
The article noted he hit .442 in August. It would be nice if he could play with the St Lucie Mets fora few weeks, now that the DSL season is over. Get a taste of real pitching. After all, Ed Kranepool made his MLB debut at age 17.
Alvarez MRI on Monday, but no news until today? Doesn’t feel good. Hopefully, we don’t hear today that “surgery was successful and recovery time is two months.”
Kevin Parada
You know how thrilled I was when he was drafted and you know how disgusted I was when he didn't produce
Now?
Wouldn't it be something if he turned out to be a legit backup to Alvarez?
Chris Suero
I am in love with his power
Open him up in 2026 in Binghamton while you open up Parada in Syracuse
Continue giving him some starts at both third and left too
And concentrate teaching plate discipline designed to up BA
Brandon Sproat
I don't think he will make the cut as a Mets starter
McLean, Tong, and Scott will
IMO Sproat's future is in the pen starting OD 2026
His fragility is beginning to concern me
Hey Mack, can you expound on that fragility comment on Sproat. I don't really follow the minors like you and Tom. I get all the goodies from some of the guys on this site.
Joe
The fragility comment was about Alvarez, not Sproat
Reading Mack’s Mets to start my day….very relaxing.
Martin, it is relaxing. I fell asleep in the middle of writing this one LOL.
Mack and JoeP, what I do not get with guys who are not veteran base stealers like Alvarez is, why slide hands first? Even more so for a guy with a history of hand injuries? Legs are more durable.
Thanks Mack. Yes, this is becoming an issue. Has to find a way to protect his hands. Like Tom said the other day, someone has to teach him to slide feet first.
I made the point with Reimer and Suero that you can’t judge these guys based on their batting averages, when Binghamton and especially Brooklyn are so anti-hitter. Even Parada has just 3 of his 9 HRs at home.
When I was a teen, I had decent power, but of course not like these guys. Maybe my best shot was 350. When the wind was blowing in, the ball traveled like it was metal and there was a magnet pulling it back. Such a joke. Move those fences in.
Sproat has had a ton of time to handle AAA hitters better. You won’t find Cal Raleighs in AAA. IT IS MUCH TOUGHER.
Home field doesn’t matter to Tong. He has allowed ONE HR on the road, and one HR at home. In 21 outings! Insane.
Tong has 3 more innings than Sproat, but 80 more Ks. Try to grasp that one.
Drew Gilbert 2 for 4 and a HR. SO IT BEGINS.
Nice starting rotation is 2026:
Senga, Peterson, Manaea, Maclean and Sproat. Manaea better come into camp in much better shape, or he will find himself out of the rotation.
Joe P, despite all is injuries, I have Megill ahead of Sproat..
Sorry Tom, I meant Tong. Sproat may wind up in the bullpen.
I just saw my guy Paul Gervase got dealt to the Dodgers. The 6’10” strikeout machine’s problem with the Mets minors was walks . But he has 13 walks and 72 Ks in 49 minors innings this year. Nothing wrong with that. I am guessing he will be a Sept call up for the Dodgers. 261 Ks in 162 minors innings, career.
Stop a young man full of piss and vinegar being a young man full of piss and vinegar???
How many games were won because walkoff run was scored with hand slide home?
I never used what power I still don't know if I had
Open stance
Choke up
Spray to get on
One more thing
It seems to me that the Mets will graduate almost a handful of quality bats next season from their DSL teams
Imagine if this becomes a trend?
You could then draft even more starters
Wow
Great breakdown Tom! Glad to see our pitching depth is as stacked as our next wave hitters.
Gilbert or Benge? I would go Benge. Gilbert, Morabito, or Ewing for fourth outfielder? I would go Ewing, Morabito, then Gilbert. Not going to look backwards on trade.
With his fragility, would you consider trading Senga in the right deal? Not sure what the right deal would be.
Mike, pitchers can break down at any age, but a bunch of very good, cheap ones coming up will help in the Finance Department. And in the win column.
Alvy also wasn't wearing the padded glove but for Gods sake SLIDE FEET FIRST! With all the money spent on coaches and medical personnel they haven't figured this out! Also does anyone really know that sliding head first gets you the base quicker?
Mack, I only see Pena and Yovanny as the two sure things coming out of the DSL this year. All others are hopes. The league ERA is close to 5.50, and some clubs surrendered as many as 2 unearned runs per game. The slope for hitters gets much steeper stateside. It is is one reason I like Josmir Reyes, since he struck out so little. Jefry Rosa led the entire DSL in homers in 2023, but he is 52 for 314 in two years stateside (.166). I do not think he gets a 3rd year stateside.
Gary, duh, right? Come on! Wear the glove. Slide feet first. Chase Utley agrees.
Still remember Roberto Alomar sliding head first into first base and we all know how that worked out
I was very happy to see Chris Suero start the second game of a double header last week. He showed off some skill behind the plate as well as a little speed on the base paths. Keep an eye on this guy!
I see that Benge was pulled from a game a few days ago, then was put on the IL. Do you have any info about the type and severity of his injury, or how much time he's expected to miss?
You need the relaxation, because watching a Mets game nowadays is filled with anxiety. :)
HBP
Thanks, Mack. That caused the injury, but leaves a wide range of severity and missed time. What part of his body was hit?
Don't know
Sorry
Randy Guzman was hit by a pitch also, in St Lucie, and has been out a week, but not put on IL. ONLY the ones I get excited about that are hot hitters…Alvarez, Benge, and Guzman.
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