Pre-Game Tweets 9/6/2021: Dom Smith back; Chance Sisco sent down;

 

Ready for the series finale. #LGM pic.twitter.com/NSYMgP5dJW

— New York Mets (@Mets) September 6, 2021

Dominic Smith is back from the bereavement list today. Chance Sisco is sent down to Triple-A Syracuse.

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) September 6, 2021

Luis Rojas said it was difficult to leave out J.D. Davis, who has had success against Nats lefty Patrick Corbin in limited chances (28 at-bats). But he couldn’t bring himself to take out Jonathan Villar. https://t.co/f3I1d5QOZP

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) September 6, 2021

TODAY! Williams, Alonso 🐻‍❄️, and the #Mets take on Corbin, Soto, and the #Nationals at 1:05 PM @ Nationals Park in Washington DC! Watch on @SNYtv! #LGM pic.twitter.com/wd9OQ25rbr

— GENY Mets Report (@genymets) September 6, 2021

9/6/21 Game Preview: New York Mets at Washington Nationals https://t.co/ciRveDRtrI

— Mike Phillips (@MPhillips331) September 6, 2021

Monday matinee. #LGM

🆚: Washington
📍: Nationals Park
🕢: 1:05 p.m.
💪: @MeLlamoTrevor
📺: @SNYtv
📻: @wcbs880
🔗: https://t.co/jFXRFJ8fDU pic.twitter.com/DngzxtbzXa

— New York Mets (@Mets) September 6, 2021

Per sources, third baseman Mark Vientos – Mets No. 6 overall top prospect – has been promoted to Triple-A Syracuse.

In 72 games for Double-A Binghamton this season, Vientos crushed 22 home runs and slashed .281/.346/.580 with a .927 OPS.

— Deesha (@DeeshaThosar) September 6, 2021

Baseball Reference Links: J.D. Davis; Chance Sisco Mark Vientos; Dominic Smith;

11.18.2015 Winter Leagues Results | Carrillo Catching Fire, Torres' Poor Venezuela Debut, Lara Gets 1st Win in DR

USA Premier12 Baseball

- No Games Scheduled 

Side Note: Team Korea defeated Team Japan early this Morning 4-3 and will move on to face the winner of tomorrow's semi-final game between Team USA vs Team Mexico.

Arizona Fall League

- Glendale Desert Dogs 6 - 8 Surprise Saguaros

- Peoria Javelinas 0 - 5 Scottsdale Scorpions

- Salt River Rafters 1 - 6 Mesa Solar Sox

• 1B Dominic Smith: 0 for 4, 2 K
• LHP Kyle Regnault: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K

Mexican Pacific League

- Naranjeros de Hermosillo 0 - 1 Caneros de los Mochis
- Yaquis de Obregon 2 - 4 Venados de Mazatlan
- Charros de Jalisco 1 - 3 Mayos de Navojoa

- Tomateros de Culiacan 0 - 9 Aguilas de Mexicali

• C Xorge Carrillo: 2 for 3, 2 R, 2 2B, 2 RBI(13, 14), K, Runner Thrown Out (Hits in 8 of his last 10 games)

  

Venezuela Professional Baseball League

- Navegantes del Magallanes 5 - 1 Caribes de Anzoategui
- Bravos de Margarita 3 - 1 Tiburones de La Guaira
- Tigres de Aragua 13 - 7 Cardenales de Lara

• LF Jairo Perez: 1 for 4, R, RBI(24)

- Leones del Caracas 6 - 1 Aguilas del Zulia

• C Albert Cordero: 1 for 3, R, RBI(4)
• LHP Alex Torres: 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB

Dominican Baseball League

- Gigantes del Cibao 2 - 4 Toros del Este
- Estrellas de Oriente 3 - 10 Tigres del Licey
- Leones del Escogido 3 - 2 Aguilas Cibaenas

• RHP Rainy Lara: 2.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K, Win(1-0) 

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League

- Gigantes de Carolina 13 - 5 Cangrejeros de Santurce

• RHP Jon Velasquez: 1.0 IP, 2 BB

- Criollos de Caguas 0 - 5 Indios de Mayaguez

• C Johnny Monell: 0 for 4, 2 K

11.17.2015 Winter League Results | Surprise Return for Dom Smith, Mejia Earns 1st Win, Busy Day for Monell

USA Premier12 Baseball

- No Games Scheduled 

Arizona Fall League

- Surprise Saguaros 1 - 4 Glendale Desert Dogs

- Scottsdale Scorpions 8 - 2 Peoria Javelinas

- Mesa Solar Sox 2 - 4 Salt River Rafters

• DH Dominic Smith: 2 for 4, RBI(6), K
• RHP Mike Hepple: 1.0 IP

Mexican Pacific League

- Naranjeros de Hermosillo 3 - 4 Caneros de los Mochis
- Yaquis de Obregon 4 - 5 Venados de Mazatlan
- Charros de Jalisco 7 - 5 Mayos de Navojoa

• RHP Octavio Acosta: 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 2 K

- Tomateros de Culiacan 6 - 3 Aguilas de Mexicali

• C Xorge Carrillo: 1 for 4, R

  

Venezuela Professional Baseball League

- Navegantes del Magallanes 3 - 2 Caribes de Anzoategui
- Bravos de Margarita 2 - 3 Tiburones de La Guaira
- Cardenales de Lara 7 - 2 Tigres de Aragua

• LF Jairo Perez: 0 for 4, R, K

- Leones del Caracas 5 - 2 Aguilas del Zulia

• C Albert Cordero: 1 for 4, R, BB, K

Dominican Baseball League

- Leones del Escogido 7 - 2 Estrellas de Oriente
- Toros del Este 3 - 4 Aguilas Cibaenas
- Gigantes del Cibao 2 - 8 Tigres del Licey

• RHP Jenrry Mejia: 6.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, Win(1-2) 

Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League

- Gigantes de Carolina 2 - 8 Indios de Mayaguez
- Cangrejeros de Santurce 2 - 3 Criollos de Caguas

• C Johnny Monell: 2 for 5, RBI(4), 3 SB allowed, 2 Runners Thrown Out
• OF Arnaldo Berrios: Pinch Runner
• LHP Joel Huertas: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, Loss(0-2)

10.29.2015 Winter League Results: 2nd Straight 0-fer for Smith, Wheeler Blows Save but Gets Win, Puerto Rico League Starts Today

Arizona Fall League
- Scottsdale Scorpions 4 - 2 Glendale Desert Dogs
- Surprise Saguaros 3 - 5 Mesa Solar Sox
- Peoria Javelinas 2 - 5 Salt River Rafters

• 1B Dominic Smith: 0 for 3, RBI(5)
• SS Jeff McNeil: 0 for 2
• RHP Beck Wheeler: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 K, Blown Save(1), Win(2-0)

Mexican Pacific League

- Charros de Jalisco 6 - 3 Yaquis de Obregon
- Venados de Mazatlan 1 - 2 Caneros de los Mochis
- Naranjeros de Hermosillo 2 - 1 Aguilas de Mexicali

Venezuelan Winter League

- Tiburones de La Guaira 6 - 1 Tigres de Aragua
- Aguilas del Zulia 12 - 4 Leones del Caracas

- Navegantes del Magallanes 7 - 1 Bravos de Margarita

- Caribes de Anzoategui 5 - 13 Cardenales de Lara

• LF Jairo Perez: 1 for 4, R, BB

Dominican Winter League
- Tigres del Licey 1 - 4 Toros del Este



Roberto Clemente Puerto Rican League
Side Note: Regular Season begins TODAY, October 30th.

10.28.2015 Winter League Results: Rafters Shut Out, Carrillo Ejected and Suspended?, Bad Day for Mets Prospects In Venezuela

Arizona Fall League
- Glendale Desert Dogs 4 - 5 Scottsdale Scorpions
- Mesa Solar Sox 11 - 10 Surprise Saguaros
- Salt River Rafters 0 - 2 Peoria Javelinas

• 1B Dominic Smith: 0 for 4, K
• SS Jeff McNeil: 0 for 2
• RHP Mickey Jannis: 5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 2 K, Loss(0-1) 

Mexican Pacific League

- Charros de Jalisco 4 - 3 Yaquis de Obregon
- Mayos de Navojoa 2 - 4 Tomateros de Culiacan
- Venados de Mazatlan 3 - 4 Caneros de los Mochis
- Naranjeros de Hermosillo 5 - 6 Aguilas de Mexicali

Side Note: I received an update on C Xorge Carrillo. During the Oct. 25th game, a bench clearing altercation occurred and Carrillo was one of 4 players ejected from the game. I am assuming a suspension came with it as he has not started a game since the altercation.

Venezuelan Winter League

- Leones del Caracas 5 - 6 Tiburones de La Guaira

• C Albert Cordero: 0 for 4, BB, 2 K
• RHP Jose Celas: 0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, Blown Save

- Navegantes del Magallanes 8 - 6 Bravos de Margarita

• RHP Zach Thornton: 0.2 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, Hold(7) 

- Caribes de Anzoategui 2 - 3 Tigres de Aragua

• RF Travis Taijeron: 0 for 3, BB, 2 K

Dominican Winter League
- Estrellas de Oriente 2 - 1 Tigres del Licey
- Gigantes del Cibao 12 - 4 Toros del Este
- Leones del Escogido 4 - 3 Aguilas Cibaenas



Roberto Clemente Puerto Rican League
Side Note: Regular Season begins Thursday, October 30th.
Side Note #2: LHP Adam Kolarek is listed on the Gigantes de Carolina roster. However the Mets released Kolarek earlier this month and he is now a part of the Orioles organization. Thus we will not track his stats.

10.26.2015 Winter League Results: Dom Smith Goes O-fer, Jairo Perez Clutch off the Bench

Arizona Fall League
- Mesa Solar Sox 10 - 9 Glendale Desert Dogs
- Surprise Saguaros 6 - 1 Peoria Javelinas
- Scottsdale Scorpions 10 - 3 Salt River Rafters

• 1B Dominic Smith: 0 for 4, K

Mexican Pacific League

- Mayos de Navojoa 7 - 0 Tomateros de Culiacan

Venezuelan Winter League

- Bravos de Margarita 0 - 1 Tigres de Aragua
- Bravos de Margarita 4 - 5 Tigres de Aragua
- Tiburones de La Guaira 3 - 6 Cardenales de Lara

• PH Jairo Perez: 1 for 1, R, HR(3), 2 RBI(14, 15) 

Dominican Winter League
- Estrellas de Oriente 1 - 6 Aguilas Cibaenas



Roberto Clemente Puerto Rican League
Side Note: Regular Season begins Thursday, October 30th.

10.22.2015 Winter League Results: Smith and Taijeron Go Yard, Thornton Continues Strong Winter

Arizona Fall League
- Peoria Javelinas 5 - 3 Mesa Solar Sox
- Surprise Saguaros 7 - 6 Scottsdale Scorpions
- Glendale Desert Dogs 7 - 5 Salt River Rafters

• 1B Dominic Smith: 3 for 4, 2 R, HR(1), 2 RBI(2, 3), BB
• 2B Jeff McNeil: 2 for 4, RBI(2) 
• RHP Mickey Jannis: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• RHP Mike Hepple: 1.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 BB

Mexican Pacific League
- Mayos de Navojoa 4 - 3 Charros de Jalisco
- Caneros de los Mochis 7 - 1 Naranjeros de Hermosillo
- Venados de Mazatlan 1 - 5 Yaquis de Obregon
- Aguilas de Mexicali 5 - 2 Tomateros de Culiacan

• C Xorge Carrillo: 1 for 4, 1 SB allowed, 1 Runner Thrown Out

Venezuelan Winter League
- Leones del Caracas 3 - 4 Aguilas del Zulia

- Navegantes del Magallanes 9 - 10 Tiburones de La Guaira

• RHP Zach Thornton: 1.0 IP, 1 BB, Hold(6)
• RHP Cody Satterwhite: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB 
• RHP Edioglis Villasmil: 0.1 IP, 1 H, Win(1-0)  

- Bravos de Margarita 0 - 3 Caribes de Anzoategui

• DH Travis Taijeron: 1 for 4, R, HR(2), RBI(5), 2 K

- Tigres de Aragua 5 - 8 Cardenales de Lara

• LF Jairo Perez: 2 for 3, 2 R, 2 2B, RBI(9), 2 Errors(2, 3)   

Dominican Winter League
- Gigantes del Cibao 0 - 6 Estrellas de Oriente



Roberto Clemente Puerto Rican League
Side Note: Regular Season begins Thursday, October 30th.

10.21.2015 Winter League Results: Carrillo Goes Deep, Taijeron Showing More Patience, Hat Trick for Smith

Arizona Fall League
- Mesa Solar Sox 3 - 5 Peoria Javelinas
- Scottsdale Scorpions 0 - 10 Surprise Saguaros
- Salt River Rafters 0 - 1 Glendale Desert Dogs

• 1B Dominic Smith: 1 for 4, 3 K

Mexican Pacific League

- Mayos de Navojoa 9 - 7 Charros de Jalisco

- Caneros de los Mochis 1 - 3 Naranjeros de Hermosillo

- Venados de Mazatlan 1 - 2 Yaquis de Obregon

- Aguilas de Mexicali 9 - 2 Tomateros de Culiacan

• C Xorge Carrillo: 1 for 4, R, HR(1), 2 RBI(6, 7), K

Venezuelan Winter League

- Bravos de Margarita 4 - 6 Caribes de Anzoategui

• LF Travis Taijeron: 1 for 2, 2 BB, 1 K

- Leones del Caracas 13 - 0 Aguilas del Zulia

• C Albert Cordero: 0 for 6, R, RBI(3), K
• RHP Jose Celas: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 K

- Tigres de Aragua 8 - 2 Cardenales de Lara

• PH-LF Jairo Perez: 0 for 2

Dominican Winter League

- Toros del Este 1 - 8 Leones del Escogido

- Tigres del Licey 5 - 4 Aguilas Cibaenas

• LHP Dario Alvarez: 0.0 IP, 1 BB

Roberto Clemente Puerto Rican League

Side Note: Regular Season begins Thursday, October 30th.

10.19.2015 Winter League Results: Cecchini and Smith Account for All the Rafter Runs, Satterwhite Takes Tough Luck Loss, Mejia on Winter Ball team

Arizona Fall League
- Scottsdale Scorpions 10 - 6 Mesa Solar Sox
- Glendale Desert Dogs 4 - 2 Peoria Javelinas
- Surprise Saguaros 1 - 2 Salt River Rafters

• SS Gavin Cecchini: 1 for 3, 2 R, 2B, BB
• 1B Dominic Smith: 3 for 3, RBI(1), BB 
• RHP Beck Wheeler: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K, Win(1) 

Mexican Pacific League

No Games Scheduled

Venezuelan Winter League

- Aguilas del Zulia 5 - 2 Tiburones de La Guaira

• RHP Cody Satterwhite: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, Loss

Dominican Winter League

No Games Scheduled

Side Note: An interesting name added to one of the Dominican teams yesterday. The Tigres del Licey announced that RHP Jhenrry Mejia will pitch for them this Winter. This is going to be important as he is likely going to be non tendered by Alderson this winter. He will have to show potential interested clubs that, even with essentially a full year off, that he still has the dominant stuff to be the type of late inning RP that gets nice paydays on the free agent market.

Roberto Clemente Puerto Rican League

Side Note: Regular Season begins Thursday, October 30th.

10.15.2015 Winter Leagues Results: Cecchini's Fast Start, B-Mets Catchers Stay Hot, Jairo Perez Crushing Venezuelan League

Arizona Fall League
- Glendale Desert Dogs 2 - 9 Scottsdale Scorpions

- Mesa Solar Sox 0 - 3 Surprise Saguaros

- Salt River Rafters 9 - 7 Peoria Javelinas

• SS Gavin Cecchini: 2 for 3, 1 R, 2 BB, SB(1), CS
• DH Dominic Smith: 1 for 2, 2 R, 3 BB, 1 K
• 3B Jeff McNeil: 0 for 4, 1 R, 1 K
• RHP Mickey Jannis: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K

Mexican Pacific League

- Caneros de los Mochis 7 - 2 Tomateros de Culiacan
- Venados de Mazatlan 4 - 2 Mayos de Navojoa
- Yaquis de Obregon 1 - 5 Aguilas de Mexicali

• C Xorge Carrillo: 2 for 3, 2 R. 2B, 1 RBI(4)

Venezuelan Winter League

- Tiburones de La Guaira 1 - 3 Tigres de Aragua
- Aguilas del Zulia 4 - 1 Leones del Caracas

• C Albert Cordero: 2 for 3, R, 2B, 2 Runners Thrown Out

- Caribes de Anzoategui 4 - 2 Bravos de Margarita

• LF Travis Taijeron: 2 for 4, 1 RBI(2)

- Navegantes del Magallanes 2 - 5 Cardenales de Lara

• 3B Jairo Perez: 1 for 4, 1 RBI(8)
• RHP Zach Thornton: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER

Side Note: Winter League Rosters are not always 100% accurate so I scour the box scores in detail everyday just to make sure I get everyone. Jairo Perez was 1 guy that I missed...on the Cardenales roster, he is listed as a non-MLB player when we all know he is a NY Met farmhand. So what has he done so far? Well he's played in all 7 games so far and he is raking to the tune of a .321 AVG with 1 HR, 8 RBI, and a fabulous 10.3% K rate.

Dominican Winter League

- Tigres del Licey 9 - 3 Leones del Escogido

Side Note: The following players are listed on the Leones del Escogido roster: RHP John Church, RHP Rainy Lara, RHP Luis Mateo.

Roberto Clemente Puerto Rican League

Side Note: Regular Season begins Thursday, October 30th.

2015 Winter Leagues: 10.13.2015 Results

Arizona Fall League
- Mesa Solar Sox 7 - 8 Glendale Desert Dogs

- Surprise Saguaros 5 - 6 Peoria Javelinas

- Scottsdale Scorpions 3 - 5 Salt River Rafters

• SS Gavin Cecchini: 2 for 3, 2 R, BB
• 1B Dominic Smith: 2 for 3, R, 2 doubles, BB
• LHP Kyle Regnault: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

Venezuelan Winter League

- Aguilas del Zulia 3 - 5 Navegantes del Magallanes

• RHP Zach Thornton: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 K, Hold(3)

Mexican Pacific League

- Caneros de los Mochis 8 - 5 Tomateros de Culiacan
- Charros de Jalisco 3 - 0 Naranjeros de Hermosillo
- Venados de Mazatlan 5 - 6 Mayos de Navojoa
- Yaquis de Obregon 7 - 8 Aguilas de Mexicali

• C Xorge Carrillo: 2 for 3, R, double, RBI(2), BB

Dominican Winter League

Side Note: Regular Season begins Thursday, October 15th.

Roberto Clemente Puerto Rican League

Side Note: Regular Season begins Thursday, October 30th.

The Morning Report 9.17.2015 | Cespedes Extremely Happy in NY, The Entire Mets Offense Producing, Cecchini and Smith Assigned to Arizona Fall League.

Ken Davidoff | New York Post- I asked the outfielder whether he knew about the team’s fans lobbying  for the Mets to re-sign Cespedes, who can be a free agent this offseason. “Yes, I’m aware,” Cespedes said through an interpreter, “because my driver usually tells me what’s going on.It’s been the best month I’ve had in the last four years.Because of the results that I’ve had, and because currently, I’m in the playoffs. I was very surprised with the way the fans received me. I’m very happy here. This has been the most complete team that I’ve been a part of. So I’m definitely really happy to stay here. I feel really good about being here.”

(Chris Soto: For all we know...this could be just free agency speak...but multiple outlets have been reporting that Cespedes is EXTREMELY happy here in New York. Does that mean he would cut a deal to stay with the Mets? Probably not, but the chances sure seem like they are increasing in likelihood that he would stay should the Mets make a fair market offer.)

Mike Petriello | Mets.com- The Mets' month-by-month exit velocity, with Cespedes excluded, is stunning. Unsurprisingly, the offensive performance has made a considerable jump along with the batted-ball velocity. In July, when the 88.16 mph represented a season low, the Mets had a .671 OPS, the 23rd-highest mark in baseball. So far in September, that's .894, which is not only easily the best in baseball -- the second-place Orioles are at .844 -- but would be the best month in Mets history if they were able to keep it up.

(Chris Soto: Cespedes has not been the only addition post July 31st. Kelly Johnson, Juan Uribe, Michael Conforto, Travis d'Arnaud, and David Wright have all provided massive upgrades over what the Mets were trotting out there during the months of June and July when the offense was in the bottom 3rd of baseball. Having guys healthy and producing not only fuels improvement at their position, but, it also has a trickle down effect on the rest of the line-up. For example, Travis d'Arnuad is a solid #2 hitter, but with so many new solid bats in the line-up....now we have a capable #2 guy hitting in the 6 hole providing a massive amount of line-up depth.)

Adam Rubin | ESPN New York- Former first-round picks Gavin Cecchini and Dominic Smith are the latest additions to the New York Mets' Arizona Fall League contingent. They will join previously announced Mickey Jannis, Jeff McNeil and Beck Wheeler with the Salt Lake Rafters. Pitchers Mike Hepple and Kyle Regnault also have been added. Cecchini,  hit .317/.377/.442 in 489 plate appearances with AA Binghamton this season. He also committed 28 errors at shortstop. Cecchini finished the season sidelined with a hip injury. Smith  hit .305/.354/.417 in 497 plate appearances with Class A St. Lucie. Smith ended the season idle with a shoulder injury. AFL play begins on Oct. 13.

(Chris Soto: The Mets usually send 1-2 big time prospects to the AFL team so it's nice to see that both Smith and Cecchini are going to get cracks in the heavy prospect laden league. Both had very strong 2015 seasons but were missing big parts in their performances despite being lauded for it. Scouting reports all agree that Cecchini is a solid defensive SS, but the 21 year old suffered a severe cause of the yips that the Mets are trying to break him out of by sending him to Arizona. The same scouts think very highly of Dominic Smith's bat and believe that he will develop solid league average power at 1B. However, in almost 300 games so far, Smith only has hit 10 HR's total.)

The Morning Report 5.19.2015 | Nimmo Examined and OK, Ceciliani Promoted from AAA, Dom Smith Heating Up, Alderson Not Panicking Yet.

David Wright Injury Tracker | Worked Out in Port St. Lucie yesterday

Michael Baron | Just Mets- The Mets breathed a sigh of relief on Monday with one of their top prospects. Brandon Nimmo was examined at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan today, and was diagnosed with a sprained ACL in his left knee. Nimmo can resume baseball activities when he is pain free. Nimmo was placed on the disabled list after Friday’s game in Binghamton after stepping on first base awkwardly beating out an infield single..

(Chris Soto: Glad to see that Nimmo is ok. As I reported on Saturday, even though he was in a brace, it was a SOFT brace which allowed him to walk around and put some sort of weight on the knee. Nimmo looked like he was in good spirits and was joking around with some of the other players in the dugout during the game. He'll probably take another week or 2 off before returning to the line-up. Hopefully Conforto is there with him by that time.)


David Hong | Metsmerized Online- The New York Mets announced after Monday’s game that they will promote outfielder Darrell Ceciliani from Triple-A Las Vegas and add him to the major league roster. Ceciliani, 24, is batting .336/.389/.584 in 113 at-bats for Triple-A Las Vegas and has a nice combination of power and speed. He’s played the majority of his minor league career in center field and is regarded as a fine defender.

(Chris Soto: FINALLY! The move that I have begging the Mets to make is finally happening. While no corresponding move has been announced yet, it is extremely likely that we will see CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis designated for assignment. This will open up room on both the 25 and 40 man rosters in order to add Ceciliani. For those of you who don't know Darrell, he is an above average defensive CF with good speed capable of stealing 30 bags in a season. His speed and quick first step gives him superb range in the OF but his throwing arm is below average. Offensively, he has very little pop but does put the bat on the ball and keeps his K rate at a reasonable 18-20%. Probably his best attribute is that despite being a lefty, he does not carry any significant L/R splits making him a good candidate for a late inning pinch hitter situation.)


Bryan Zarpentine | Rant Sports- Many of the New York Mets’ top prospects have gotten off to great starts in the 2015 season. However, the lone exception to that has been first base prospect Dominic Smith. When evaluating Smith’s performance this season, one has to remember that he is facing older and more polished pitchers, including a few that may very well reach the big leagues within the next year or so. In fact, it would be surprising if Smith had gotten off to a fast start this year. Smith’s 2014 season actually unfolded in a similar fashion, as he started slow in April, but put together a solid middle of the season in May, June, and July, before tiring out late in the season. Smith has started to show signs of breaking out of his early-season slump with nine hits and nine RBI’s in his last eight games.

(Chris Soto: Bryan does bring up 2 interesting points. 1) This is Dom Smith's 2nd consective extremely aggressive assignment. Most players his age are in training camp preparing for the Short Season A leagues.  2) This season's trend is almost identical to his 2014 season trend. This means we were likely to see an adjustment phase, just like we saw last year when he was assigned to Savannah as a 19 yr old, and he is now finally starting to heat up. Over the past 7 days, Smith has hit .273 with a .742 OPS and only 2 K's. Half of his hits during that time frame are of the extra base variety too.)


Mike Vorkunov | NJ Advance Media- As of now, before the Mets begin a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals — who own the best record in baseball — they are 22-16 and hold a half-game lead over the Washington Nationals in the division. Their run differential (+27) is third-best in the National League. "Nobody's ever pleased. You always look back at things," Alderson said. "Nobody cares whether your players are on the disabled list or not. All they care about is the won-loss record so that's really what we have to look at. At one point we were 10 games over. We're six over now. We've gotten back to nine before the Cubs series. So we've got to hopefully climb back and get back to where we were. I think we have the pitching and the offense is starting to pick up too.

(Chris Soto: While there should be not urgency to panic...the Mets do need to pick it up here soon. The Nationals, riding the scorching hot bat of Bryce Harper, are 12-4 so far this month and have closed the division gap to only 1 game. Even worse, that 1 game lead is also the edge the Mets have on the Cubs for the 1st Wild Card spot with a 2.5 game lead on the San Francisco Giants for the 2nd WC spot. It's time to get HOT boys. )

MMs Top 25: #8 1B Dominic Smith

#8 1B Dominic Smith (LR: #8)

Bats: L Throws: L
Height: 6' 0" Weight: 200 lb

Age: 20
Acquired: 2013 Rule IV Draft, 1st Round,  Junipero Serra HS (Gardena, CA)

2014: (A)   .271/.344/.338, 1 HR, 44 RBI, 2 SB (33%), 51 BB, 77 K
2013: (Rk) .301/.398/.439, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 5 SB (55%), 26 BB, 37 K

     I am extremely surprised in regards to the amount of people who are labeling Dom Smith a "bust" after his 2014 season. "He showed no power!," "his SLG was below his OBP," "he hit only .217 in August!" Those are just some of the comments received when you bring up Dominic Smith's name. It's a perfect case of focusing on singular statistics vs. the whole package as well as knee jerk reacting to one season. 

     As a high schooler, Smith only played in 27 games his senior season. In 2013, he almost doubled that to 51 games with Kingsport and in 2014, he doubled it again to 126 Savannah games. One of the added benefits of Short Season A Ball is that it makes this massive spike in playing time more gradual. Rather than going straight from 50 to 130 games, you make a stop at 75 with a short season club. However, the Mets front office agreed that Smith was too advanced for Brooklyn and sent him to dreaded Grayson stadium where power goes to die. 

      "He hit only .217 in August!" Your right, he also started slow, hitting only .212 in the month of April. Yet, despite those two horrid months, he still finished the year with a respectable .271 AVG on the year. Once Smith got going he showed scouts just how impressive his bat really is. Utilizing "the smoothest, cleanest left-handed swing in the draft class," according to scouts, Smith hit .305 across the months of May, June, and July. It has been reported that pure physical exhaustion was mostly to blame for his August numbers as he just wore down from the massive spike in playing time.Across the 136 games season, Smith played in 126 of them. The next closest was Pat Biondi with 115 of 136 games played. Surprise, surprise....he also suffered the same fate batting .190 in the month of August.

     "He showed no power!" Again....your right, only 1 HR all year long is paltry even for Grayson Stadium standards. However, it's not like he wasn't driving the ball. his 26 doubles were amongst the Top 20 hitters in the SAL in 2014. While the hard data to prove it out isn't tracked in the minors, I bet you this is a case of a HR to FB ratio being way below the league average. Maybe he wasn't strong enough to get it out of the big stadiums, maybe he kept hitting fences. If that's the case, Smith may have already solved it. Dom spent the off-season working out at the Barwis facility and is reported to have gained about 15 lbs of pure muscle. My gut feeling says you are going to be treated to a show this year if you live in Port St. Lucie.

     When you look at Dom Smith as a full package, there's not a ton of risk. The only question mark that surrounds him not "will he hit' but "how much power will he develop." This eliminates the AA prospect "wall" but he'll need to tap into the power to become an MLB contributor. No changes to his Ceiling/Floor this time around. 


Ceiling: 15-20 HR Solid OBP MLB 1B (Eric Hosmer)
Floor: No power Career AAA 1B.
Anticipated Assignment: (A+) Port St. Lucie starting 1B 

2015 MLB Top Prospects: Dominic Smith 4th Amongst 1B

     MLB.com has begun released there annual 2015 prospect rankings. After reviewing the Top right handers, left handers, and catchers. Today MLB Pipeline released the top 1B prospects. Among them is 19 year old Dominic Smith, who despite displaying a power outage in Single A Savannah, has a bright future ahead of him.

"While he swung the bat well for part of the 2014 season, he tired by the end of his first full year of pro ball as one of the youngest regulars in the South Atlantic League. Smith is still plenty young enough to rebound and produce as expected. The left-handed hitter has the chance to hit for both average and power. He has excellent hand-eye coordination and an advanced approach at the plate. He still drew a fair amount of walks and didn't strike out much in 2014. Smith didn't exhibit much in the way of extra-base pop, though some of that can be attributed to hitting in a very pitching-friendly ballpark. He's limited to first base but has excellent hands and range and should be an above-average defender at the position."

MMs Top 25: #7 1B Dominic Smith

#7 1B Dominic Smith (LR: #9)
Bats: L Throws: L
Height: 6' 0" Weight: 185 lb
Age: 19
Acquired: 2013 Rule 4 Draft, 1st Round, Junipero Serra HS (Gardena, CA)

2014: (A) .271/.344/.338, 1 HR, 44 RBI, 5 SB (55%), 51 BB, 77 K
2013: (R) .301/.398/.439, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 2 SB (33%), 26 BB, 37 K
  
     Baseball America's "best pure prep hitter in the 2013 Draft class," has truly impressed Mets minor league followers in his 1st two years. As one of the youngest players in the South Atlantic League, Smith is amongst the Top 30 in batting average and doubles. He has also shown to be a solid defender converting 99.3% of the plays which he has been a part of.

      Critics will be quick to point out that Smith's power has been non-existant. While this is certainly the case, fans need to remember that Grayson Stadium, as well as, much of the SAL is a very difficult place to hit and carries many of the MLB's top pitching prospects. At only 185lbs, the young man also has at least 20 pounds on his frame to fill out as he gets older and grows stronger. As long as he can maintain his hand-eye coordination and advanced pitch-recognition skills, he should develop into someone who gets on base often, while still driving balls.

    Scouts and analysts, more advanced I, continue to jump onto Smith's bandwagon. MLB.com has pushed Dominic into their Top 100 Prospects listing, slotting him at #84. They have also named him the #1 1B prospect in all of baseball with the promotion of Jon Singleton. Scouts are confident he will provide enough offense to make him a solid Major Leaguer in time while providing excellent defense at 1B.

Ceiling: 20-25 HR, .290+ AVG, low K, high BB bat in the #3 spot (Joey Votto)
Floor: Makes the MLB, Good Bat/Defense but not enough power develops (Eric Hosmer)

MM's Top 25- #9 1B Dominic Smith

#9 1B Dominic Smith (LR: #17)
Bats: L Throws: L
Height: 6' 0" Weight: 185 lb
Age: 19
Acquired: 2013 Rule 4 Draft, 1st Round, Serra High School (California)

2013: (R) .301/.398/.439, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 2 SB (33%), 26 BB, 37 K

Without question, Dominic Smith has been Sandy Alderson's most successful draft pick so far and he only has 1 rookie season under his belt so far. Smith has already been voted as the MLB's #2 1B prospect in the game and narrowly just missed making it on the MLB Top 100. Scouts absolutely RAVE about his advanced plate presence that generated a 12.6% BB rate and a 17.9% K rate at the Rookie Ball Level. Numbers like those this early in a career is astounding for a teenager.

Dom Smith brings excellent bat speed, some raw power, and a smooth swing with only a mild uppercut hitch. He already plays average defense and could end up being a plus defender at 1B. Early MLB projections already see him as a future .280 -.300 AVG, 20 -25 HR type hitter which would be a wonderful considering what the Mets have gotten from the 1B position over the past few years.

Baseball America rated him as "the best pure prep hitter in the 2013 Draft class." His batting line his senior year backs that claim. Just look at these numbers: .493/.644/1.030, 7 HR, 28 BB, 8 K. MLB.com also stated that "He looks like the total package at first base, combining solid athleticism and defense with a sweet left-handed swing." So far everyone seems to be in his corner.

Many in he organization feel that his approach is far advanced enough that he warrants a promotion to a full season league next year. With all the talk I have heard so far about him, I'm inclined to agree. The only other 1B that could possibly make the jump up to Savannah as well is Matthew Oberste, but his poor performance in Brooklyn leads me to believe that the club could keep him in Extended Spring Training until Brooklyn opens back up.

Anticipated Assignment: (A) Savannah Sand Gnats starting 1B
Ceiling: Multiple time All-Star/Gold Glove MLB 1B. Premium #3 hitter talent.
Floor: Bust

FLASH: Keith Law's Top 100 Prospects; 5 Mets on the List.

1. Byron Buxton, Twins, CF

2. Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox, SS

3. Addison Russell, A's, SS

4. Carlos Correa, Astros, SS

5. Oscar Taveras, Cardinals, OF

6. Francisco Landor, Indians, SS

7. Javier Baez, Cubs, SS

8. Miguel Sano, Twins, 3B

9. Archie Bradley, Diamondbacks, RHSP

10. Kyle Zimmer, Royals, RHSP

24. Noah Syndergaard, Mets, RHSP

36. Travis d'Arnaud, Mets, C

37. Dominic Smith, Mets, 1B

60. Rafael Montero, Mets, RHSP

92. Brandon Nimmo, Mets, OF

Syndergaard had an awesome 2013 season from start to finish, improving in multiple ways as the season went on while putting up superb numbers as a 20-year-old in high Class A and Double-A, and still has room for further improvement.

He already has the build of a workhorse starter, with velocity up to 98 mph that’s easy like Sunday morning and the ability to get downhill plane on it when he stays on top of the ball. His changeup is comfortably plus already, but his curveball, a grade-40ish pitch in high school and early in his pro career, is already solid average, and plays up because he gets on top of the ball and releases so close to the plate; hitters swing and miss at it like it’s a sharper, harder pitch.

It’s very unusual to have a pitcher this young show this kind of athleticism, present command and pure stuff and even if Syndergaard doesn’t improve further, he’s at least a quality third starter who can handle 200-inning workloads, but the curveball could get a little tighter and push him up to a No. 2 or better.

d’Arnaud would be a top-10 prospect if he could stay on the field, but 2013 was yet another injury-shortened year for the twice-traded prospect who has reached 400 plate appearances in just two of his six full pro seasons.

When he’s on the field, he’s an impact player on both sides of the ball, featuring outstanding receiving (including pitch-framing) ability, an above-average arm, and good relationships with pitchers, as well as above-average power that should lead to 20-25 homers if he plays a full season. His hand-eye coordination is excellent but his approach isn’t as polished, as he’s not a patient hitter and struggled terribly against both sliders and curveballs in his brief major league time in 2013.

A premium defensive catcher who even hits .240 with power is still a highly valuable commodity right now, as replacement level at catcher is low enough to give a GM the bends, so for d’Arnaud the main issue is just trying to avoid the trainer’s room so he can get 450-500 plate appearances in 2014.

Smith was the best pure hitter in the 2013 draft class, sporting a beautiful left-handed swing and flashing above-average power, along with plus defense at first base and an arm that reached 92 mph when he was on the mound in high school.

When Smith keeps his weight back, he generates big-time power from his lower half, with hard contact thanks to quick, strong wrists. He had a habit of drifting too quickly over his front leg, something the Mets seem to have worked on eliminating. He’s a low-heartbeat hitter, approaching at-bats as if he were much older and more experienced. Smith is athletic but not a runner, and his footwork has limited him to first base, where he projects as a 70-grade defender thanks to incredibly soft hands. He has areas to work on, mostly recognition of breaking stuff and keeping his focus on using the whole field, which is minor stuff compared with the bigger issues of swing mechanics and plate discipline.

His ceiling is an impact bat at first, a cleanup hitter with 25-30 homer power and .300-plus averages to go with outstanding defense. I’d like to see him challenged with an assignment to the low Class A Sally League this year, as he’s too advanced a hitter for short-season ball.

Montero has a lower ceiling than the pitchers ahead of him on this list — and even many of the pitchers behind him — but he’s extremely advanced right now and has better stuff than your standard “command right-hander,” which is often a euphemism for a guy with a light fastball.

He will show plenty of 93s and 94s and commands the heck out of it to both sides of the plate, pairing it with an above-average slider and an above-average changeup, nothing knockout but all very effective because he can locate. His arm is quick, and while he’s got a slight build for a starter, there isn’t much effort involved in his delivery. My one concern on Montero is that he’s a fly ball guy and could be homer-prone in the majors, although in his favor is the fact that in Las Vegas, a brutal park for a fly ball pitcher, he gave up just four homers in 88 innings.

He has the stuff and control (walking just six men in his final six starts of 2013) to contribute in the majors right now, and if the Mets need an extra starter in April or May, he should get the call before Noah Syndergaard.

Nimmo was the Mets’ first-round pick in 2011 out of a high school in Wyoming that didn’t have a baseball team, which left him with limited experience, mostly Americal Legion ball and some showcases the summer before his senior year. Despite having several above-average tools, he didn’t have a lot of reps against decent pitching and moved slowly through short-season ball before reaching the hitter’s graveyard of Savannah this season.

He raked away from Savannah (.302/.421/.405) and showed great patience at the plate, a hugely positive marker for a player as inexperienced as he is. Nimmo has great rotation in his swing but can be a little long to the ball because he loads his hands high, behind his left shoulder. He’s a fringe-average defender in center — better with reads than with range — but he’ll be plus in either corner. The main areas for improvement for Nimmo are against left-handed pitchers — against whom he was better this season but still not where he’ll need to be to play every day — and staying healthy, as he had a nagging wrist injury last summer on top of knee surgery in high school.

High-OBP guys with other tools, especially defensive ability, are pretty uncommon, and a healthy Nimmo should be an average to above-average regular by the time he’s 24.

FLASH: Dominic Smith Among MLB.com Top 1B Prospects

Mets 1B Dominic Smith was named the #2 1B prospect in the MLB by Johnathan Mayo this morning.

Mack Ade – Noon Report – 8-23-13 – Masahiro Tanaka, Trace Evans, Chris Flexen, Zack Wheeler, Dominic Smith, Davey Johnson

Several teams expect Japanese righthander Masahiro Tanaka to make the jump to Major League Baseball next season, but there could be changes to the posting system on the way that affect his future. Earlier this year, MLB teams received a memo from the commissioner’s office stating that MLB and Nippon Professional Baseball were in discussions regarding potential revisions to the protocol agreement between the two leagues. Nobby Ito, the NPB chief of international baseball operations, also told The Japan Times this month that MLB and NPB are in negotiations about the posting system. Contrary to what some teams have believed, MLB confirmed that the posting system is still in existence, but declined to comment on any potential discussions to modify the agreement. http://www.baseballamerica.com/majors/as-teams-scout-masahiro-tanaka-posting-system-changes-could-be-coming/

 

 



 

A year ago, Carlos Gonzalez of the Colorado Rockies became the 22nd player in major league baseball history to hit a home run in four consecutive at-bats. Last week, a big kid with a mop of blond hair named Trace Evans hit a home run in 11 consecutive official at-bats to power the Las Vegas Baseball Academy Lightning to the championship of a 104-team tournament for kids 12 and under at Cooperstown Dreams Park, which is 5.3 miles up scenic State Route 28 from the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. While most 12-year-old baseball pitchers do not throw nasty sliders, I consider the young Las Vegas slugger’s the more impressive feat. http://www.reviewjournal.com/columns-blogs/ron-kantowski/las-vegas-12-year-old-swats-11-homers-row-cooperstown-tourney

 

 



 

After a rocky start to the season the Mets 2012 14th round draft pick, Chris Flexen, has stepped up his performance and developed into one of the most productive pitchers in the Appalachian League. Impressively, Flexen currently ranks among the top pitchers in the league in several  key categories. He ranks  fourth in ERA (2.14), fourth in strikeouts (56) and he is tied for third in WHIP (0.95). He is also tied for first in wins at 7 and is the only pitcher to throw two complete games this season (although one was in a 7 inning double header). http://metsminors.net/flexen-lighting-up-the-appalachian-league/

 

 

 



Wheeler is the future to Matt Harvey’s present, a guy with a big fastball and ace potential. He may never reach that apex -- he doesn’t yet have Harvey’s command, let alone his complete arsenal of secondary pitches -- but he has pitched much better than I expected after watching his first couple big league starts, with a 3.49 ERA through his first 12 spins in the rotation. Those outings included a 12-strikeout gem in his previous start in San Diego and a one-run, no-walk effort the game before that in Arizona. Wheeler’s fastball is a weapon almost by itself. Since his recall on June 18, only 10 pitchers have struck out more batters on fastballs. His other pitches -- slider, curveball and changeup -- are works in progress, with the slider looking like it will become his top off-speed pitch. Ask Jason Heyward about the one he struck out on in the third inning. http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/39340/team-of-the-future-in-n-y-its-the-mets

 



 

The Mets 2013 1s round draft pick, 1B Dominic Smith, continues to impress for the GCL Mets. Smith went 3-4, 1-R, 2B yesterday and raised his seasonal batting average to a season high .277. He went into that game with a .308 batting average in his last 10 games. It’s hard to project what team he will play for in 2014. My guess, because of his young age, will be Brooklyn where the suits can get a nightly look-see at him.

 

 

 

 



 

Davey Johnson did his weekly appearance with the Junkies on 106.7 The Fan today, and it produced yet another best-ever quote from the Nats manager. “I’ve got scouts out there that you guys have been really raunchy today,” Johnson scolded the Junkies shortly into their interview. Jason Bishop then explained that they had been discussing the news that Red Sox slugger Mike Napoli apparently is dating a porn star who goes by the name Rachel Starr. Johnson’s reply: “Well none of my guys could, ’cause we can’t score.”