The Morning Report 6.15.2015 | Surprising Roster Moves, Syndergaard to the Bullpen?, d'Arnaud's Impact Return, Ceciliani Earning His Spot.

Roster Move Surprises | Chris Soto 

     Alright, first thing's first, the Mets surprised the whole world this weekend with a flurry of transactions  no one saw coming. First, the team decided to hold onto Kevin Plawecki and optioned Anthony Recker down to AAA. The team gave off the impression that this would be temporary, for at least the next 10 days, as the club continues to ease Travis d'Arnaud back into the 5-6 day a week catching role. Once he's settled we will likely see Recker and Plawecki switched to get Plawecki more consistent playing time. 

     Second, the Mets announced that they will be promoting RHRP Akeel Morris to the MLB straight from Port St. Lucie. While Morris certainly deserves a look at the MLB level, this promotion was more out of necessity than actual desire. With Gee's stinker last night burning 5 guys last night and the next off day still 7 days away, the club needs some additional support in the pen. A quick look at the 40 man roster will show that the Mets only have 3 RP left in the minors eligible for promotion (Vic Black, Dario Alvarez, and Morris). Black is dealing with an new injury he sustained last week and Alvarez is both left handed AND has not been good down in Binghamton. That said, Akeel Morris has been SUPERB down in A+ ball and could potentially hold his own. Now the really important thing is....who gets demoted? Gee?


Mike Puma | New York Post- The fragile state of the bullpen has the Mets concerned to the point there was recent discussion within the organization about Noah Syndergaard’s viability as a reliever.
But team brass remains committed to Syndergaard in the rotation and is unlikely to make the radical switch that would have involved promoting stud lefty Steven Matz to take Syndergaard’s rotation spot, according to an industry source.

(Chris Soto: What? No No No NO NO! How could anyone in the organization even think of this as a possibility? You ruined Jhenrry Mejia once, then you dicked around with Rafael Montero and look what happened to him! Whatever low level executive thought of this idea should be fired on the spot by Sandy Alderson for his incredulous thinking. Parnell is back now and is slowly being eased back in, the club just promoted Morris, and [even though he's dealing with another minor issue] Black should also be right around the corner.)


Bill Madden | NY Daily News- Amid all the trade speculation involving Milwaukee third baseman Aramis Ramirez and, to a lesser extent, Oakland’s soon-to-be-available handyman Ben Zobrist, the best “trade” Alderson made of late was a week ago when he activated Travis d’Arnaud from the disabled list. It is becoming more and more apparent the Mets are a different team when d’Arnaud, the center piece of Alderson’s Met rebuilding job, is in the lineup. As Mets manager Terry Collins said, just having d’Arnaud back and hitting cleanup behind Duda enables him to stretch out his lineup.

(Chris Soto: Man...having Travis d'Arnaud back just completely changes the whole look of this team's offense. Your talking about a guy with  .280 AVG, 15-20 HR power potential guy just suddenly reappearing in your line-up everyday, any team would kill to have that happen to them. When Daniel Murphy gets back, All of a sudden,  the line-up looks formidable again. Especially when you recognize the fact that the MLB average stat line right now is a .252 AVG with a .708 OPS. Everyone is close to or above that line outside of Lagares and the hodge-posh of guys who have been playing 3B. Lagares had been dealing with an injury so I'll give him a pass there and the front office is actively trying to upgrade at 3B with Wright out.

Granderson: .249 AVG, .350 OBP, .745 OPS
d'Arnaud:  .310 AVG, .901 OPS
Duda: .278 AVG, .876 OPS
Cuddyer: .268 AVG, .725 OPS
Murphy: .283 AVG, .749 OPS
Flores: ..249 AVG, .716 OPS
Lagares: .278 AVG, .674 OPS
Tejada: .268 AVG, .727 OPS


James Newman | Mets 360- Last season, it seemed that the Mets had plenty of depth for the outfield, as Matt den Dekker and Kirk Nieuwenhuis were given chances to play in the majors, but struggled to take advantage. Ceciliani [on the other hand] has the chance to be a special player for the Mets, even if it is off the bench. Hopefully he continues to improve and experience success when he is given the opportunity.

(Chris Soto: Ceciliani has been a god send for the bench since he was called up. Since his call up he is hitting .270 AVG with a .730 OPS, 1 HR, 3 SB, and a +4 Defensive Runs Saved Metric. This is EXACTLY what the Mets need from the classified "4th OF" bench guy. Someone who can provided both speed and defensive value off the bench as well as handle himself well when needed for a spot start.)

MMs Top 25: #11 RHRP Akeel Morris

#11 RHRP Akeel Morris (LR: #23)

Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 1" Weight: 170 lb

Age: 22
Acquired: 2010 Rule IV draft, 10th round,  Charlotte Amalie HS (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands)

2014: (A) 4-1, 0.63 ERA, 16 SV, 57.0 IP, 14.1 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, 0.719 WHIP
2013: (SS-A) 4-1, 1.00 ERA, 1 SV, 45.0 IP, 12.0 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 1.156 WHIP
2012: (Rk) 0-6, 7.98 ERA, 2 SV, 38.1 IP, 11.7 K/9, 5.2 BB/9, 1.565 WHIP
2011: (Rk) 3-2, 3.86 ERA, 0 SV, 51.1 IP, 10.7 K/9, 6.7 BB/9, 1.325 WHIP
2010: (Rk) 1-1, 2.19 ERA, 0 SV, 24.2 IP, 10.2 K/9, 6.2 BB/9, 1.216 WHIP

     Baseball is a game of balancing success with failure. Its the one game where an individual can fail 70% of time and still be a superb .300 hitter. For Akeel Morris, his early success was quickly destroyed by mechanical flaws which led to a massive failed 2012 season. However, rather than throwing in the towel, he adjusted. Recognizing that Morris had mounds of talent, the front office him converted from a starter to a reliever full time in 2013 and the results were astounding.

     Morris built on that superb 2013 season with an video game caliber 2014 season as the organization's newest top minor league closer. Morris faced 211 batters last season and gave up hits to 19 of them. That's right folks.....only 9%!!! of the batters he faced succeeded in reaching base via base hit. Meanwhile 42% of them failed to even make contact as Morris sent them back to the bench via the all powerful K. He was even ranked as Baseball America's top relief pitching prospect in the South Atlantic League.

     Morris brings to the table some superior stuff. While his fastball isn't the hottest around, coming in between 92-94 mph with a max of 96, it possesses superior movement that makes it almost impossible to hit for minor leagues. There are some scouts who believe that his fastball can play in the MLB right now. His other pitches have gotten better year over year but still need some work. His change-up is his best secondary offering right now, coming in between 83-85 mph. While the pitch can seem "stiff" at times, when right, it has some excellent down and away tilt to it. The 10 mph speed differential while maintaining his arm speed gives it the opportunity to turn into a plus pitch. His 3rd pitch used to be a curveball but he scrapped it last year in favor of a slider. The pitch is a better fit for his delivery as he can maintain his arm speed while still getting break on the pitch. The slider produces some excellent horizontal movement but currently lacks that ideal downward action that gets batters to swing over the top. 

     I'm surprised that it took the club so long to convert him full time to the bullpen as his max effort delivery was also a better fit for a relief role. Now that he's there, I would expect the front office to start accelerating his progression through the minor leagues. While I believe he starts 2015 in Port St. Lucie, I would not be surprised if you see him in Binghamton come June and maybe even Las Vegas if Binghamton is not competing and the AAA squad needs bullpen help in pursuit of a Pacific Coast League title.

Ceiling: MLB Closer (Dellin Betances)

Floor: Medium Leverage RP

Anticipated Assignment: (A+) Port St. Lucie Closer.

MM's Top 25: #24 RHRP Akeel Morris

#24 RHRP Akeel Morris (LR: N/A)
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 1" Weight: 170 lb
Age: 21
Acquired: 2010 Rule 4 Draft, 10th round, Amalie HS (St. Thomas, Virgin Islands)

2014: (A) 4-0, 0.80 ERA, 45.0 IP, 13.8 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 0.756 WHIP
2013: (SS-A) 4-1, 1.00 ERA, 45.0 IP, 12.0 K/9, 4.6 BB/9, 1.156 WHIP
2012: (R) 0-6, 7.98 ERA, 38.1 IP, 11.7 K/9, 5.2 BB/9, 1.565 WHIP
2011: (R) 3-2, 3.86 ERA, 51.1 IP, 10.7 K/9, 6.7 BB/9, 1.325 WHIP
2010: (R) 1-1, 2.19 ERA, 24.2 IP, 10.2 K/9, 6.2 BB/9, 1.216 WHIP

     Hey!! Look who's made his way back onto the list! Morris regularly appeared on Mack's Keeper List in 2010  before debuting on the site Top 25 in 2011 at #25. However, the wheels fell of him and he lost his spot on the list in 2012 when he lost all control of his pitches and put up a 7.98 ERA in Kingsport.

     Well, now he's back but this time as a reliever not a starter. The move was made permanent in 2013 after it became clear to the Alderson organization that his violent max effort delivery and inconsistent command was not a fit for more than 1 or 2 innings at a time. However instead of giving up on Morris the front office challenged him in his new role with an unearned promotion to the NY-Penn League. Morris didn't disappoint as he carved up college level hitters with ease.This season he got his first crack at full season baseball and has been even better. He has finally learned to harness his control and has tightened up the spin on his 12-6 curveball.

     Now that he's able to maximize his full effort motion in the bullpen, Morris' fastball has been sitting in the 95-96mph range with the ability to hit triple digits if he needs to bring a little extra. Even though he's been progressing slowly through the system so far, if he continues his performance in Savannah, the team may fast track him through St. Lucie to Binghamton in 2015 with plans to debut him in 2016 if another power bullpen arm is needed.

Ceiling: High Leverage Late Inning Reliever.

Floor: Struggles at the upper minor league levels.

(As a side note....Morris is Rule 5 eligible this off-season so we'll get a good sense of the organization's plan for him if they protected him. With his stuff, a lower skill AL team may take the chance and hide him in the back of the bullpen for extreme low leverage situations.)

Mack Ade – AM Report – 8-15-13 – Akeel Morris, Noah Syndergaard, Brian Custer, Terry Collins, 2014 Draft

 

Brian Custer/SNY –

This is a little emotional for me but I felt compelled to let you know what's going on. In June, I had my annual health/prostate exam. In July, I was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. I was truly shocked! My doctor told me had I not gotten my annual exam and not been in the shape I'm in now, I would've been dead within 5 years. My doctors have expedited my surgery and I'm having it today! The Bible talks about redemptive suffering and God wants you to help other people going through the same hurt. I'm imploring all black and latino men 40 years old or older to get an annual prostate exam, and get your PSA checked (its just a simple blood test). I need all white men 50 years or older to do the same. They call prostate cancer the silent killer because many times you don't know you have it until its too late! My goal is to kick this and bring awareness to this disease. Lets beat Cancer! I'm holding on to my faith, family, good friends, and evictus!  God Bless, I will beat this...

 

Some random thoughts...

-Don’t look for many moves in August from the minor league franchises. Most of them are involved in their own pennant race and they will keep their best playoffs for their post series.

 

                -Also, don’t look for starters to be shut down in August. Instead, their innings will be lowered so they too can be used in the playoffs.

 

                -Las Vegas SP Rafael Montero seems to be peaking at the right time. He’s now given up only two earned runs in his last three games (22.0-IP), while striking out 21 and walking only two. He’s at 138.2 innings pitched so I can’t see him coming north after any playoff games he may play out west. Still, he has definitely complicated the formulation of the 2014 rotation while, at the same time, thrust his name out there as major trade bait.

 

                Every summer some high school baseball player comes along and wows the scouting world in the showcases that go on throughout the summer. This year, it started with RHP Michael Gettys, until a lefthander from Hilo, Hawaii named Kodi Medeiros turned heads at all the showcases he pitched in. In 2011, it was ex-Lawrence Central (IN) HS RHP Christian Montgomery who, early on, was ranked in the top 15-20 players on all the mock drafts coming out in June and July 2010. He easily sat around 94 and he looked like a shoe-in to go early in the first round. Well, all of a sudden his arm went what was described as ‘head’ and he didn’t pitch the rest of his senior year. The Mets, taking a page out of the success that Washington has had drafting ‘reclamation projects’ like Anthony Renaudo, Matt Purke, and Lucas Giolito, picked him in the 11^th round and walked away thinking they had a steal. As it turned out, Montgomery was juicing and wound up suspended for 50 games. It was the second time he tested positive.

                Well, now Montgomery is back and he pitched last night for the GCL Mets… one inning… our hits… 7 runs… five earned… 45.00, 6.00.

                I always wished I had a little more information about the drugs taken in these suspensions. Are they designed to make him throw it harder so he looked better that summer of 2010, or was it something he used to help heal the injury he suffered during his senior season. Either way, like others in the past, this looks like a failed pick, though, at 11, WTF, right?

 

                Brooklyn SS Gavin Cecchini continues to come out of his shell…  2-4 last night, raising his seasonal BA to .290. Monthly splits… June: .292, July: .077, August: .400… guess what month he was injured? The Mets have a decision to make here in 2014. 20-year old  Phillip Evans (.211) hasn’t made too many headlines in Savannah and the Mets might want to let him repeat there and jump Cecchini directly to St. Lucie.

 

                Ex-Haines City (FL) HS RHP, 19-yr. old Robert Whalen continues to throw up quality starts after quality starts for Kingsport. He’s started ten games for K-Port now and his ERA sits at 1.67 (64-K, 16-BB, 59.1-IP). So far, this looks like a tremendous 12^th round pick in 2012.

 

Akeel Morris – Brooklyn – 11-G, 3-0, 0.54, 0.96, 1-SV, 33.1-IP, 47-K, 14-BB

                                       Mack – It will interesting what the Mets do with the 20-year old come winter ball. He’ll pitch somewhere, but will he be returned to a starter role?

 

Shannon –  ‏@Miss_Met   

“The amount of time I've wasted watching meaningless Mets games in my life.”

I’ve seen so many young people start life off so excited about this team only to eventually come to realize that there is more to life than sitting up late three nights in a row to watch west coast baseball games (no less extra innings games).

 

Dave Caldwell –

Syndergaard, acquired in the R.A. Dickey deal with the Blue Jays in December, said of being compared to Harvey and Wheeler: "Just to be mentioned in the same sentence as them, I can't really describe it." But he also knows he is not quite ready to join them. One of the reasons the Mets want to limit his innings now is so he can pitch for the B-Mets in the postseason, giving him some additional big-game experience. He has almost everything else.  As delicious as it is to think of a Mets rotation with him in it, the idea is for him to learn a little more, mix in his pitches, hold base runners better and continue to overcome what he calls "shaky" outings. It is all cool with him. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323455104579012541669365628.html?mod=itp

 

Terry Collins –

                "We've got a lot of guys playing on low petrol."

Mack – Am I missing something here? Doesn’t every team in baseball play the same amount of games and do the same amount of travel? Now, I give TC this… there’s been an awful lot of extra inning baseball, but all that would have changed if someone knocked in one more fucking run per game.

No, I’m sorry here. I love this team and will defend it to the end, but being ‘out of petrol’ is a manager’s excuse, especially on the same day you can that you are going to play the veterans during the remainder of the season and sit the kids.

The one thing I’m starting to realize is that Collins is capable of talking out of every orifice on his head. This was a tough loss… tougher than most of the other tough loses. ‘Out of petrol’ is a poor way of putting things.

The Mets are now 18.5 games out of first place, and 12 down in the loss column for a wild card slot with a month and a half to go. 

Stop making excuses and just play the string out with some dignity.

Try to make a deal before the end of the month.

Bring up Travis d’Arnaud and John Church who are full of petrol.

 

I’ve been doing a lot of work compiling information on the various baseball tournaments (New Balance Area Code Games, East Coast Showcase, Perfect Game Nationals) that go on this time of the year, plus I’ve been comparing notes with other draft dudes like Jeff Sullivan and Matt Grabusky. The one thing we all agree on is that the 2014 draft is going to be much more talented, and deeper, than 2013. We continue to see a huge return of African-Americans to this sport, which simply increase the talent pool and make more teams competitive. There’s a bunch of talents players here, but, conservatively, there are at least 20 high school starters in this draft that are already sitting in the 93-96 range. It’s simply amazing how much
talent is coming out of these ‘baseball schools’ (Harvard-Westlake, Clovis, Serra) that literally recruit their players from throughout the country. Five names to remember…  RHPs Touki Toussaint, Dylan Cease, Tyler Kolek and LHPs David Peterson and Kodi Medeiros.

 

Dominican third baseman Anderson Franco, the No. 29 international prospect for July 2, has signed with the Nationals for $900,000. Franco became eligible to sign today, his 16th birthday. At 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Franco’s best tools are his raw power and his arm strength, with steady defense at third base. Franco trained with Arquimedes Guerrero (who is known as “Pla”), was represented by Rob Plummer and plays in the International Prospect League.

 

Paul West –

Travis D’Arnaud seems to be just what they’re looking for in this department, and bringing him up would not only generate fan excitement but give him a chance to get his feet wet as an everyday major-league player. If he struggles mightily, they can deal with the situation accordingly. But if he prospers, then not only will the Mets’ offense address a glaring necessity but he’ll gather a bit of seasoning down the stretch. This will help build his confidence and make him a bit more comfortable when he begins his first full year with the team. In the meantime, Recker can be sent back to the minors, to further cultivate his game and possibly explore his own upside. If Travis D’Arnaud is truly healthy enough to play, there’s almost no downside to promoting him immediately. Whether he starts, platoons or begins as a second-stringer, the experience will be valuable for him — and the excitement will be valuable for the fans.  http://throughthefencebaseball.com/promote-travis-darnaud/36548#CLzb0dqFkBUBT1OV.99

 

Lastly...  still looking for a couple more writers here on The Mack Report. It no longer has to be weekly or monthly. You can just write what you want, when you want. It also doesn't have to be Mets related, as long as it's about baseball in general. Please come and join us. It's a good adult site with no drama and we could really use your thoughts in writing. I can't tell you how many times I read the comments here and wish you guys were writing the same way for the site.

PLEASE email me at: macksmets@gmail.com and we'll get you all set up on the site.

Mack Ade – AM Report – 7-9-13 – Akeel Morris, Michael Fulmer, Jeremy Hefner

I talked with P Akeel Morris and he has confirmed that he is being piggy-backed right now in Brooklyn. This is potential great news for the ex-starter prospect who has once again turned some heads with his blazing speed. This time he’s doing it with command and the results so far: 4-G, 2-0, 0.00, 10.2-IP, 18-K, 3-BB. Watch out world… Akeel is back!
 

MLB Power Ranking – 25.  New York Mets 37 – 48 (26) +1:  Sending Ike Davis to Las Vegas may have worked. LINK
 

Still hot for K-Port is starter Carlos Gomez who still hasn’t given up a run in three starts (3-starts, 17.IP, all goose eggs only 7-K’s but a flawless control game.
 

The Cubs trade OF  Scott Hairston to the Nationals for 21-year-old RHP Ivan Pineyro (A-ball: 5-3, 3.14, 1.12, 66IP/65K) – non top 20 prospect
 

We were looking to see how St. Lucie would handle the rotation once Michael Fulmer came back. Well, Fulmer pitched 5.0 on Sunday, followed by ex-starter Angel Cuan (2.0-IP, 3-K, 0-R, 4.04). This leaves Fulmer, Hansel Robles, Domingo Tapia, Rainy Lara, Matt Bowman, and Alex Panteleodis in their 6-man rotation. Next up should be Steven Matz and, since none of these guys are ready to step up to AA, my guess is that Pants will hit the pen later this month.

We have to stop looking for a new home for SP Jeremy Hefner. He continues to do very little wrong in June. Since June 4^th, he leads the majors with a 1.64 ERA. We’re not talking about Matt Harvey here. He just turned 28 in March and is under team control until way past 2018. The name just doesn’t roll off our tongue because he never was considered a prospect of this organization. He’s also not one of those speed freaks so we don’t drool when his name hits the box score, but what you have to do is come up with a new name for this guy if you have to make you realize that he’s for real. Call him Jerry Koosman, or Rafael Montero, or someone who immediately brings a smile to your Mets face. Your team has just found a future member of your rotation who isn’t going to break the bank. And… and this is the most important part of this… this is not someone that should be traded. Rotations work when you have different kinds of pitchers following each other.
 

Five guys that throw 96-98 is high speed batting practice and, eventually, in a 3-4 game series, the other team’s batters will hit your pitchers. But, if you put up some heat (Harvey), follow it with finesse (Hefney), go back to heat (Wheeler), go lefty (Niese) and then end with control (Gee), you have an excellent major league rotation.
 

What this does is set up 2014 as a workable excellent rotation that could be enhanced with someone like Montero. It also serves up Montero as possible trade bait which makes much more sense than trading someone that has already proved he can dominate at the major league level.

Let’s go back and review this again… ‘Jerry Koosman’ or whatever the hell you call him, leads the major league since June 4^th with the lowest ERA. That’s something already proved, not something wishfully thought of.

Troy Renck        ✔ @TroyRenck  - Are looking. Not many arms available. A lot of buyers RT @halljw9: With Oswalt out, Nolasco a Dodger. #Rockies Hand forced to make a trade?

                Hmm… the Rockies looking for a starter… how about Jeremy Hefner for Kyle Parker or Tim Wheeler?

 

By the way, we are currently working on an upgrade of the Mack’s Mets web site to Word Press. There’s a good chance it will be completed by the end of this month and we will ‘double post’ all the good stuff on this old Blogspot site as well as the new one. We will let you know when to change your address to our site.

Mack Ade – AM Report – 7-5-13 – Reese Kaplan, Andrew Church, Akeel Morris, Wuilmer Becerra, and Stuff

 

We’ve had a couple of injuries here on Mack’s Mets… I’ve been down for two days with a recurring virus that comes and goes ever since I blew out my immune system a year ago after being bit by a spider (don’t walk your dog on the edge of a river). Additionally, Reese Kaplan broke seven ribs in a motorcycle accident and he has to shelve his posts for a couple of healing weeks. 

(could always need a few more writers on a weekly basis... one post per week minimum... you write it, I'll schedule it Sat or Sun 12noon...  email me at: macksmets@gmail.com 

  

A couple of our recent pitching draft picks made it to the GCL Mets mound on Wednesday. Round three pick Casey Meisner (0.00) pitched a scoreless inning in the 6-2 loss to the Marlins, while #2 pick Andrew Church (27.00) debuted in the twin bill 5-4 win by giving up three earned runs in one inning.  

 

 

 An interesting pair of pitchers in Wednesday’s Cyclones game. The starter was Carlos Valdez (6.0-IP, 3-H, 0-R, 0-ER, 1-BB, 5-K, 2.93), a late blooming 22-year old, first out of the LAA DSL system and then ours, but the other pitcher was Akeel Morris (4.0-IP, 1-H, 0-ER, 1-BB, 5-K, still 0.00 for the season) who supposedly is now a member of the pen. Four innings sure look like a piggy-back to me. I’ll check with Akeel and see…

 

I’m starting to realize that the ‘throw-in’ in the R.A. Dickey trade just could turn into the hidden jem in this deal. RF Wuilmer Becerra is currently impressing everyone associated with the GCL league, hitting .324 (19^th in the league)/.366/.378/.744. Yes, it’s a small sample (37-at bats) and most of the hits are singles (12), but there’s only eight strikeouts for this ex-bonus boy 19-year old (BTW, teammate 3B Jhoan Urena (.351) is 13^th in the league). 

Speaking of Latin bonus baby prospects, 3B Pedro Perez was signed before the 2011 season began. He had a so-so season in 2011 (DSL-.262), played sparingly in 2012 (Kingsport-.119), and was off to a slow start again in Tennessee this season (.219 before yesterday). Well, the 19-year old broke out of his shell yesterday, hitting two home runs and knocking in seven runs. He finished the day with his BA up to .270 and we’ll  keep an eye out on him. 

Jonathan Niese’s follow-up MRI has been pushed off until next Monday because the doctor that is supposed to do it is vacationing in the Hamptons. Are you fucking kidding me? You can’t find an MRI-tech somewhere in the hospital to get this done and then FedEx it out to Dr. Who on the beach so we can get back to the business of baseball? 

 

Jon Presser –     

Rookie outfielder Juan Lagares has been a pleasant surprise for the New York Mets here in 2013, as Terry Collins' outfield roulette seems to land on "Lagares, center field" more often than not these days. The 24-year-old Lagares went relatively under the radar as he rose up the Mets' minor league system the past couple of years. He was a shortstop in his teenage years in A-ball, before moving to the outfield and steadily emerging as a legitimate plus defender in center. Since Lagares made his MLB debut, he's shown Mets fans that his defense in the spacious Citi Field outfield is for real, and it's probably been good enough to warrant an everyday spot in the lineup for the short-term, at the very least. http://thesheafaithful.com/articles/juan-lagares-and-production

 

Chase Bradford -

Today is a day we celebrate the freedom we have because of the few and proud who fought and died for what we have and hold true. I'm sad to say that we have gone away from what makes us the greatest country in the world. Sadly my generation but a few have no idea what it is to love your country and do anything for it. Instead of standing tall like the great nation we are this generation in my opinion has failed. This generation is lazy, entitled and scared to do anything for our future. Forget about our political parties and let's start doing things for each other and this nation. Happy fourth of July and please remember those who served and continue to serve.

Michael Scannell asked –

What do you think Jeremy Hefner could fetch?

                For every Frank Francisco lost there is a Hefner found. We talk about outfield prospects like the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Joc Peterson or Detroit’s Nick Castellanos all the time. Teams offer players like this every day for established, successful, major league players (Wheeler for Beltran). This increases even more when a pitcher is involved.

                What I wonder is… what if this guy is for real? We’re waiting for pitchers like Rafael Montero and Noah Syndergaard to develop. What if, long term, we have a better one on the roster already? I can’t think of a better pitcher to slot in between the speed of Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler during a three or four game series with another team.

The Keepers - #11 - SP - Akeel Morris

11.         SP         Akeel Morris:

7-17-10: - Morris is a newbie with the Mets and only pitched in his second professional game last night; however, it was his first start and he got off to a good one. Obviously on a strict pitch count, he went: 2.0-IP, 0-ER, 1-K, 2-BB. That gives him a two-game ERA of 0.00 which works for me. Too early to throw a parade, but worth writing about on a slow night for standouts.

4-1-11: - I had hoped that Morris would go to Savannah this season but he told me yesterday that he is remaining in extended camp when the teams break. I assume that means he will pitch SP1 in Brooklyn.

7-30-11: - I was quite disappointed that Morris didn’t start this season for a full season team. He is a true pitching prospect who brings a lot of heat to the table. Tonight, he pitched five more innings for Kingsport and produced nine more strikeouts. That’s 23 in the last three games and 49 for the season in 34.2-IP. This is Akeel’s game and, hopefully, he will refine the rest of it as he matures. Don’t forget this guy. He has the potential to go all the way.

8-12-11: - Stock Down – SP Akeel Morris – You know I’m big on this kid, but Friday night just didn’t happen…  0.1-IP, only one hit given up, 5-R (!), 4-BB… chalk it up to a bad night. Seasonal ERA now 4.28.

8-23-11: - #25: -    SP Akeel Morris – Okay, this is one we may be talking an awful lot about in the next 24 months. Morris has all the tools needed to be a mid-to-top starter in the pros. All that’s needed here is time, training, and health.  He’s still only 18-years old but his tools alone have him 56-Ks in 46.1-IP. There’s also 32-BB so there is room for improvement. The Mets will take their time with this raw product; however, he has spent two seasons stateside, so I expect him to start in Savannah next spring.

10-1-11 Interview:  

Mack:  Morning folks. This morning we have the pleasure of talking with one of the exciting young starters in the Mets system, Akeel Morris. Welcome Akeel. I assume you are home and winding down from the season?

Morris:          I was home and did reflect on the season, but right now as we speak I'm at instructional league.

Mack:  Okay... Akeel, you were a 10th round pick in 2010, out of Charlotte Amalie (VI) High School and played last season for the GCL Mets. Tell us what it was like going from school to the grind of pitching every five starts.

Morris:          For me it was a big transition. I had to commit myself to playing baseball at a higher intensity every day and condition my arm to pitch every 5 days instead 1 time a week.

Mack:  I was hoping to see you in Savannah this past season, but it seems that the right thing to do was play a year at K-Port (3-2, 3.86, 61-K, 51.1-IP). Were you happy with your season?

Morris:  Yeah, I think I had a good season. There are things I has to work on but in time those other things will come together.

Mack:  Akeel, I now live in a small community and have covered high school baseball in my county. One of the problems we have here in identifying prospect talent is the lack of competition many of these players have. It's the same kind of concern I showed at draft time for the choice of Brandon Nimmo. American Legion ball in Wyoming isn't a very good test. My question to you is... I assume the quality of competition in the Virgin Islands was below the norm. Did you find that to be true once you came "stateside"?

Morris:          I feel coming up playing baseball in the Virgin Islands was very competitive. There is no doubt there is a lot of talent down there, but, after a certain age, baseball start to slow down in terms of games played. And coming here stateside and playing baseball, to me the difference is players stateside takes the game really serious, and they play a lot more baseball.

Mack:  You are relatively a new name to many of my readers, so please... fill everyone in on "what you're throwing" and what you consider is your "go-to" pitch?

Morris:  I throw fastball, change up and curveball.  For my off speed pitches, my change-up is usually the go to pitch for me.

Michael S.:   Hey Akeel, this is Michael Scannell, who also writes here on Mack's Mets. Are there any pro pitchers (past or present) that you would compare yourself to and/or model your game after?

Morris:  Well, I like to see Josh Beckett and Tim Lincecum pitch. My favorite of the two is Lincecum because I try to model my game after him by the way he throw hitter off by mixing up his fast and change up and then still have a great curveball. He’s able to use as a put away pitch also.

Michael F.:  Akeel, this is Michael Freire, another writer here on MMs. I would like to know if the organization has given you any ideas on what level you would be starting 2012? 

Morris:  Hey Micheal, No, the Mets haven't given me any ideas of where I'll b going for the starting of 2012

Mack:  No, they never do, do they?  It's Mack. Akeel, I'm never a big fan of rushing things that are special, and you are one of them. What's your plans for the off-season? Are you working on anything special in the Instruction League or do you have to kill me if you tell me what you're doing?

Morris:          In the off season I plan on working on fastball command and repetition of my mechanics.

Mack:  Last question A K... Is there anything you want to say to your growing list of fans here at Mack's Mets?

Morris:   I don't know what to say, other thank you for rooting for me and thanks for the opportunity, Mr.  Mack.

Mets: Akeel Morris, Daniel Murphy, Jason Bay, Ike Davis

2-10-12 - http://seedlingstostars.com/2012/02/10/s2s-2012-team-prospect-lists-new-york-mets/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter   - #8.) Akeel Morris, RHP. Morris allowed more walks (38) than hits (30) in 51 1/3 innings in the Appalachian League last year. He’s a classic smallish young Latin American righthander with velocity and control problems. He does have some projectability left, and already throws consistently in the low 90′s with a curveball that makes him more effective to lefties than righties. Very possibly a reliever in the end, but possibly an impact one. Grade: C+ 

I talked about Daniel Murphy last week. When asked about his goals for 2012, he responded by saying he wants to win between 95 and 100 games. Murphy has the work ethic and winning attitude that breeds long-term success. What position? If he was going to start for this team, it appeared second base or bust, however the uncertain future of David Wright means any success he has at second could be short lived. Defensively, Murphy is best at one of the corner infield positions. Considering he has the potential to be a hitter that is consistently north of .300, it would make sense for him to get every opportunity to be somewhere on the field. http://nybaseballdigest.com/2012/02/23/young-mets-hitters-could-develop-into-solid-core/

The 2011 season was, by most statistical measurements, the worst of Jason Bay’s nine-year career. He finished with career-lows in batting average (.245) and on-base plus slugging percentage (.703). In 212 games with the Mets, Bay’s slugging percentage is .386. In 200 games with Boston, he slugged .534. ... Last August, hitting coach Dave Hudgens played dueling sets of video for Bay, a split-screen view of the 45 homers he hit with Boston and the 15 he had hit to that point with the Mets. Hudgens then ... forced the outfielder to relearn his old approach. So Bay did. He geared his entire approach to pull baseballs to left field. He straightened his back. He opened his stance. His hands rotated as a timing gesture before each pitch. The results were eye-opening. From April to August, Bay floundered along with a .660 OPS. After reverting to his old form, he scorched through the final month with a .954 OPS. http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/38567/mets-morning-briefing-2-24-12  

Ike Davis, Mets: Davis was carrying a .926 OPS through 129 at-bats before being lost for the year with an ankle injury, but he apparently is fully healthy and could be in line for a strong season. The team around him is mediocre, so that could limit his counting stats (runs, R.B.I.), but he has more power potential than Freeman, though he comes with a bit more risk because of the injury. http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/

Mets: Zach Lutz , Jeff Stevens, Erik Goeddel, Akeel Morris, Mike Nickeas

2-3-12: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/2/3/2760606/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects-20-16   3B Zach Lutz - I know I'm going out on a limb here, which I said I don't like to do. I also know I may be the last one on the Lutz bandwagon, but I still can't let go of his superior all-around offensive ability displayed thoroughly at the highest levels of the minors. I've said it before and it's still true today, the '07 fifth rounder has quietly become the best all-around hitter in the Mets farm system. The problem is that he just can't stay healthy, having surpassed 100 games in a season just once in his pro career. But hear me out: While I more than most try to take players to task for poor health -- as the ability to stay on the field is indeed a skill -- 2011 was not his fault. Yes he missed time with a hamstring, but the errant foul ball that broke his finger in the dugout? The wild pitch that concussed him after he returned? The second wild pitch that concussed him just two weeks later? I can't penalize him for all that, especially since when he played he raked as usual, posting yet another .200+ ISO. It's going to be easy to forget about Lutz going forward and if you're concerned about the long-term effects of the concussions, that's completely fair. But if he's healthy, in my opinion he's an easy top ten prospect.

RHP Jeff Stevens - On Dec. 16th the Mets signed another former top prospect in the hard-throwing Stevens. The 28-yr old is best known as the PTBNL in the notorious Minaya-authored Brandon Phillips to the Indians Brandon Phillips to the Reds deal. After some moderate success as a minor league closer, the hard-throwing righty made a handful of appearances with the Cubs between '09 and '11, but nothing of note (see, 6.27 ERA). However, he possesses a very good low-to-mid 90's fb and has always boasted good K-rates, but walks have been a real issue. To me, we could become another Brian Stokes-esque back of the staff reliever. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/31/2753903/taking-inventory-of-the-mets-minor-league-free-agents

2-2-12: - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/33-erik-goeddel/  - Erik Goeddel is smart, and the ability to think through at-bats and self-analyze will help him along the way. In 2011, he was very concerned with maintaining the tempo of his delivery.  He had a tendency to go too slowly, and lose fluidity and his release point.  His goal, at the urging of Sand Gnats’ pitching coach Glen Abbott was to speed up his delivery to stay in sync. 2011: Goeddel was absolutely lights out in May, and seemed to be well on his way to a second-half promotion to advanced-A St. Lucie before coming down with his shoulder soreness.  His May: 25 IP, 14 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 27 K.  Yum.  However, he just wasn’t the same pitcher when he returned to the Gnats in August.

2-3-12: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/2/3/2760606/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects-20-16 RHP Akeel Morris- After flashing electric stuff in his pro debut with the GCL Mets in 2010, the former tenth round selection followed up by featuring some of the most dominant stuff in the entire Appy League last season. Morris dominated rookie league hitters with a mid-90’s fastball that touched 96 mph as well as a developing 12-to-6 curve that currently shows potential to be an average major league pitch. Even more impressive, for the second straight season he posted a 10+ K/9 while holding opponents to a completely ridiculous .166 average, by far the lowest mark in the league. You do not see dominance like that from a teenager often. However, the problem is Morris also posted a 6+ BB/9 for the second straight season, demonstrating the key issue for Virgin Islands native going forward. Although the big question I have about the 19-yr old Morris is that if/when he does begin throwing more strikes – which he will have to do to take the next step and become a blue-chipper -- does he have the stuff to continue to baffle more disciplined hitters? Obviously we know that his stuff is very, very good; but it most certainly plays up as a result of inferior competition that will swing at pitches anywhere near the zone. When he reaches the point where the hitters stop swinging, will his fastball be as effective when he has to put it in the zone? Well the short answer is that unless he’s the second coming on Gooden it won’t. But how big of a hit will he take? The answer to that question will determine whether he truly does have a ceiling as a future star or if he’s just another hard-thrower whose suspect command derailed his career.

Despite his offensive struggles throughout his career, the soon-to-be 29-year-old Mike Nickeas is penciled in as the Mets’ backup catcher for the upcoming season. Whereas the team looked for a platoon last year with Ronny Paulino and Josh Thole, the situation in 2012 figures to be one in which Thole is the starter and Nickeas is the backup. The one thing that Nickeas might be able to provide this year is defense, a topic he discussed with Ted Berg last year. If Thole stays healthy all year, Nickeas might be able to stick with the Mets, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see a rotation of backup catchers between Buffalo and Queens. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/2/3/2768339/2012-mets-player-profile-mike-nickeas

Mets – Zack Wheeler, Josh Stinson, Akeel Morris, David Wright, Ruben Tejada

1-3-12 - Mets360  - 2. Zack Wheeler, SP, Hi-A, 9-7, 3.52 ERA, 129 Ks in 115 IP - It’s a coin flip who to rank first and who to put second with the team’s top prospects. Wheeler has the edge with raw stuff but his control is an issue. In 2010, he had a 5.83 BB/9 and last year before being acquired by the Mets he had a 4.81 BB/9. But the Giants had Wheeler deploy a new windup. He went back to his old delivery and in 27 IP with the Mets he had just 5 BB. But are his control issues over or is that just a small sample size illusion? If Wheeler puts up a sub-2.0 BB/9 then he is hands down the top prospect in the system and likely one of the top prospects in baseball. I just want to see him do it over a longer period of time.

Metsmerised  - 37. Josh Stinson (RHP) The 2010 season really put Stinson on the map with a big year at Bingo, he finished the year at Buffalo, going 11-5 combined with a 3.90 ERA. The 2011 season started terribly for the 6’4″ right-hander. In 13 starts for Buffalo he was 3-7 with a 7.44 ERA. He was sent to Bingo to figure things out, was moved to the pen, and in his last 10 games there he went 2-1 with a 1.38 ERA and a K/BB ratio of 14/3, with opponents hitting .159 off him. That is how he earned himself a call-up to the Mets, making his MLB debut, going 0-2 with a 6.92 ERA, in 13 innings. He pitched effectively in ten out of 14 games though, giving up all his earned runs in just four of his appearances. Stinson is definitely in the bullpen mix in ST 2012, and will be on the Mets at some time next year.

Photo by Allan Greene

1-8-11: - http://nybaseballdigest.com/2012/01/07/most-intriguing-mets-prospects-in-2012 / 2) Akeel Morris (RHP)– Love his stuff. Strikes a ton of batters out, but even though the walks are high he doesn’t give up hits. Will get his first taste of full season ball. Control won’t be fixed overnight, but if it can be harnessed some while still striking guys out and continuing to induce the weak contact, he could be a top-10 prospect in the system next year.

photo by Mack

New York Mets third baseman David Wright was "bowled" over by community support at a Saturday fundraiser for Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. He, along with many 13News anchors went bowling Saturday. There’s no word yet on how much money was raised from the event at AMF Lynnhaven Lanes. In case you're wondering, David Wright threw a lot of strikes. His high game was 244, striking in all but two frames  http://www.wvec.com/news/Mets-David-Wright-throws-lots-of-strikes-for-CHKD-136932448.html

Ruben Tejada -  New York Mets - Technically entering his third major league season at 21 years of age, Tejada will be asked to fill the huge shoes of Jose Reyes as the Mets everyday shortstop. The likeable youngster from Panama subbed nicely for an injured Reyes last year, batting .284 with an on-base percentage of .360 in 96 games. Playing in New York is not intimidating for Tejada, who is used to performing on the big stage. He was a participant for Panama in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, and led his country to a birth in the Little League World Series back in 2000. http://www.throughthefencebaseball.com/best-blue-collar-hispanics-to-watch-in-2012/15945/

The Keepers: - #5 - RHSP - Akeel Morris

5.        SP         Akeel Morris:

7-17-10: - Morris is a newbie with the Mets and only pitched in his second professional game last night; however, it was his first start and he got off to a good one.

Obviously on a strict pitch count, he went: 2.0-IP, 0-ER, 1-K, 2-BB. That gives him a two-game ERA of 0.00 which works for me. Too early to throw a parade, but worth writing about on a slow night for standouts.

4-1-11: -  I had hoped that Morris would go to Savannah this season but he told me yesterday that he is remaining in extended camp when the teams break. I assume that means he will pitch SP1 in Brooklyn.

7-26-11: - http://mets.scout.com/a.z?s=228&p=2&c=1089454&ssf=1&RequestedURL=http%3a%2f%2fmets.scout.com%2f2%2f1089454.html - The Mets' pursuit and eventual selection of Akeel Morris in the 10th round of the 2010 Draft is an a typical story. But in a little more than a year, the hard-throwing teenager has opened eyes throughout the system with his repertoire and his quick growth. Inside Pitch caught up with Morris and the K-Mets coaches to find out more about his story.

7-30-11: - I was quite disappointed that Morris didn’t start this season for a full season team. He is a true pitching prospect who brings a lot of heat to the table. Tonight, he pitched five more innings for Kingsport and produced nine more strikeouts. That’s 23 in the last three games and 49 for the season in 34.2-IP. This is Akeel’s game and, hopefully, he will refine the rest of it as he matures. Don’t forget this guy. He has the potential to go all the way.

8-9-11 from Paul DePodestra: - “We’ve actually got a lot of good arms in short season that were here before I got here that are young, young kids, but with power arms and have a chance to come quickly. Guys like (U.S. Virgin Islands native) Akeel Morris, Miller Diaz, Domingo Tapia, there are a handful of them. These are guys who are consistently throwing in the mid-90s, some of them touching high-90s. Tapia is throwing 100 mph this year. Every outing has been in the upper 90s.

8-12-11: - Stock Down – SP Akeel Morris – You know I’m big on this kid, but Friday night just didn’t happen…  0.1-IP, only one hit given up, 5-R (!), 4-BB… chalk it up to a bad night. Seasonal ERA now 4.28.

8-14-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/08/kingsport-mets-team-report-stretch-run-edition.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MetsMerizedOnline-GetMetsmerized-NewYorkMets+%28Mets+Merized+Online%29&utm_content=Twitter - Akeel Morris - Morris is an unbelievable talent, who is still very raw. When you grow up in the V.I. and choose to play baseball, you are not playing against the best talent, and it is hard to challenge a pitcher with a skill set like Morris’. So despite his abilities, Morris is now facing much tougher competition for the first time in his life. Video: Akeel Morris- Live BP 2011 – YouTube Morris has shown flashes of dominance this year combined with rough spots where his command would break down. His uneven performance has resulted in a 2-2 record, and an ERA of 4.05. His peripherals are somewhat more encouraging, but even considering the high strikeout numbers, he walks too many batters, 30 in 40 IP. The really good news? He is only 18 years old, and Appy League opposition is hitting only .185 against him.

8-23-11: - #25: -    SP Akeel Morris – Okay, this is one we may be talking an awful lot about in the next 24 months. Morris has all the tools needed to be a mid-to-top starter in the pros. All that’s needed here is time, training, and health.  He’s still only 18-years old but his tools alone have him 56-Ks in 46.1-IP. There’s also 32-BB so there is room for improvement. The Mets will take their time with this raw product; however, he has spent two seasons stateside, so I expect him to start in Savannah next spring.

10-1-11 Interview:

         

Mack: Morning folks. This morning we have the pleasure of talking with one of the exciting young starters in the Mets system, Akeel

Morris. Welcome Akeel. I assume you are home and winding down from the season?

Morris:         I was home and did reflect on the season, but right now as we speak I'm at instructional league.

Mack: Okay... Akeel, you were a 10th round pick in 2010, out of Charlotte Amalie (VI) High School and played last season for the GCL

Mets. Tell us what it was like going from school to the grind of pitching every five starts.

Morris:         For me it was a big transition.. I had to commit myself to playing baseball at a higher intensity every day and condition my arm to pitch every 5 days instead 1 time a week.

Mack: I was hoping to see you in Savannah this past season, but it seems that the right thing to do was play a year at K-Port (3-2, 3.86, 61-K, 51.1-IP). Were you happy with your season?

Morris,         Yeah,  I think I had a good season... It has things I has to work on but in time those other things will come together

Mack:  Akeel, I now live in a small community and have covered high school baseball in my county. One of the problems we have here in identifying prospect talent is the lack of competition many of these players have. It's the same kind of concern I showed at draft time for the choice of Brandon Nimmo. American Legion ball in Wyoming isn't a very good test. My question to you is... I assume the quality of competition in the Virgin Islands was below the norm. Did you find that to be true once you came "stateside"?

Morris:         I feel coming up playing baseball in the Virgin Islands was very competitive.. There is no doubt there is  a lot of talent down there, but, after a certain age, baseball start to slow down in terms of games played. And coming here stateside and playing baseball, to me the difference is players stateside takes the game really serious, and they play a lot more baseball.

Mack:  You are relatively a new name to many of my readers, so please... fill everyone in on "what you're throwing" and what you consider is your "go-to" pitch?

Morris:  I throw fastball, change up and curveball.  For my off speed pitches,  my change-up is usually the go to pitch for me.

Michael S.:   Hey Akeel, this is Michael Scannell, who also writes here on Mack's Mets. Are there any pro pitchers (past or present) that you would compare yourself to and/or model your game after?

Morris:  Well, I like to see Josh Beckett and Tim Lincecum pitch. My favorite of the two is Lincecum because I try to model my game after him by the way he throw hitter off by mixing up his fast and change up and then still have a great curveball. He’s able to use as a put away pitch also.

Michael F.:  Akeel, this is Michael Freire, another writer here on MMs. I would like to know if the organization has given you any ideas on what level you would be starting 2012?

Morris:  Hey Micheal, No, the Mets haven't given me any ideas of where I'll b going for the starting of 2012

Mack: No, they never do, do they?  It's Mack. Akeel, I'm never a big fan of rushing things that are special, and you are one of them. What's your plans for the off-season? Are you working on anything special in the Instruction League or do you have to kill me if you tell me what you're doing?

Morris:         In the off season I plan on working on fastball command and repetition of my mechanics.

Mack:  Last question A K... Is there anything you want to say to your growing list of fans here at Mack's Mets?

Morris:   I don't know what to say, other thank you for rooting for me and thanks for the opportunity, Mr.  Mack.