Mets: Cory Vaughn, Ruben Tejada, Jason Bay, Mike Nickeas

2-10-12 - http://seedlingstostars.com/2012/02/10/s2s-2012-team-prospect-lists-new-york-mets/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter   - #7.) Cory Vaughn, OF. A gigantic right fielder, Vaughn has a classic high-walk, high-strikeout profile, but his power stroke hasn’t quite come around yet, as he homered just once every ten games in 2011. He’ll be 23 on May 1, so while the tools to be a starting right fielder are here, he needs to quickly improve at getting everything working at the same time. Grade; C+

Ruben Tejada might have the most thankless job of the group by replacing a popular homegrown All Star. His .360 OBP at the age of 21 was similar to Rafael Furcal and Alex Rodriguez at similar ages. Nobody is suggesting he is A-Rod, but Furcal without the power numbers might be reasonable. Another comparison, made by NYBD contributor Joe Delgrippo on my show last night, is Elvis Andrus. Last year, Andrus hit .279 with 5 HRs and 60 RBI. That seems to be a reasonable offensive ceiling for Tejada. His defense may not be on par with Andrus or Reyes, but he certainly appears to be a solid shortstop on both sides of the ball for a winning team. http://nybaseballdigest.com/2012/02/23/young-mets-hitters-could-develop-into-solid-core/

A tweak here, an adjustment, another tweak. Another. As Jason Bay sifted through the muck of last season and looked back on his lost months of tweaks and adjustments, he realized that all that tinkering had whisked him so far away from his old productive self. He was no longer Jason Bay, power hitter. In his mind, he was no longer even Jason Bay.  "I didn't really know who I was there for a bit," Bay said Thursday, appearing relaxed in a backwards cap and flip-flops after arriving two days early at Mets camp. "That is the tough part, is just trying not to be your own worst enemy." http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120223&content_id=26815538&vkey=news_nym&c_id=nym&partnerId=rss_nym

Mike Nickeas spent the winter working out at Georgia Tech and e-mailing video of his swing to Dave Hudgens, the Mets' hitting coach. The two also had a continuing dialogue over the phone, with the aim of revamping Nickeas’s swing and plate approach in time for spring training. "I'm removing all the inefficiencies from my swing, so I have more time to recognize pitches and see the ball,” Nickeas said. "My goal is to be an extremely tough out. I don’t want to be the guy they get to, put a couple of pitches in, and be done." http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/sports/baseball/a-mets-catcher-knows-his-bat-holds-the-key-to-his-future.html?_r=2&ref=baseball

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

Cutnpaste: - Lenny Dykstra, Chris Young, Josh Satin, Zack Wheeler, Mike Nickeas

In his first sit-down interview since copping a plea in his grand theft auto case, Lenny Dykstra — who earned his nickname as a hard-playing, hard-partying Met during the team’s wild days in the 1980s — says he learned his destructive addictions and major league ego cost him his fortune, his marriage and his freedom. “I really for the first time understand humility,” he said Thursday while smoking a cigarette on the patio of his private bungalow at The Hills rehab center. “It’s not everybody else’s fault. It’s not a coincidence that I’m here. It happened because I was using drugs and alcohol. It was a reality check.”Wearing a fleece sweatshirt and a court-ordered ankle monitor, Dykstra said his demons were wine, vodka, pain pills, party drugs and the rush he got blowing through his millions. www.nydn.com

For those who can remember that far back, Chris Young was the key “low-risk, high-reward” signing the thrifty Mets made last winter. Oodles of beat writers, bloggers, and fans couldn’t praise the move enough. After all, when healthy, Chris Young was an outstanding pitcher — a legitimate #2 starter on a championship club. Young would top a rotation that included the surprising R.A. Dickey, the improving Mike Pelfrey, and the poised-for-breakout-season Jonathon Niese. Further, that formidable foursome would be led by superstar Johan Santana, who was sure to be joining the team by June — or the All-Star Break, at the latest. http://www.metstoday.com/7223/2011-mets-evaluations/2011-evaluation-chris-young

11-25-11: - http://risingapple.com/2011/11/25/2011-season-in-review-josh-satin  - Defensively, Josh Satin is kind of like Daniel Murphy-he can play a bunch of positions, but not that well.  In the minors, he spent the most time at second base (250 games) while also seeing action at first (80 games) and third (68 games).  In the Majors, Satin played eight games at first base and one at third.  To quote Toby Hyde of MetsMinorLeagueBlog, “He started playing third, although he doesn’t have the arm for the position. He doesn’t really have the power for first, where he played in the big leagues.” Hyde goes on to say that he sees Satin “as the 25th guy,” especially if he can learn to play left field.  Given that he doesn’t hit for power or play any position particularly well, the bench seems like the most logical fit.  He could serve as a right-handed pinch hitter and stay in the game to play defense if necessary.  While he might not make a huge impact on the team, Satin provides an internal candidate to fill a utility role and add some much needed depth to the club.

11-26-11: - http://seedlingstostars.com  - Zack Wheeler - Wheeler made some nice strides this season, and his arsenal of pitches suggests that he could evolve into a well-above-average starting pitcher, but he’ll need to prove a) that he can hold up for a full season and b) that he can maintain his control for a whole season. His immediate improvement upon switching organizations is a positive sign, and he looks like a great acquisition for a Mets team that is still building toward the future. There’s obvious upside here, and if he can erase the two lingering concerns about him in 2012, Wheeler could become one of the top pitching prospects in the game.

11-26-11: - http://www.metstoday.com/7226/11-12-offseason/2011-evaluation-mike-nickeas  - As much as I like Mike Nickeas, I was completely stunned that the Mets included him on the offseason 40-man roster; did they really think that another team would jump at the chance to pick a 29-year-old, .180-hitting, third-string catcher in the Rule 5 Draft? Seems to me to be a waste of a roster spot, since there are at least two dozen catchers exactly like him throughout AAA. That’s not to say I’m upset; in fact, I’m pleased to know that Nickeas is likely to be in Port St. Lucie come February, and presumably part of the organization’s catching depth in 2012. My guess is he’ll be exactly what he was in ’11: a defensive-minded, backup backstop who can be shuffled between AAA and the bigs as necessary. And within the next 3-5 years, we may see Nickeas move into a minor-league managing post — perhaps in preparation toward a more successful MLB career.

I May Be Wrong, But…

1. When the Mets pitching coach tells you that Johan Santana’s velo is “around last year”… that’s MetsSpeak for “it still sucks”. Santana’s velo has been diminished for two years now and the only effective pitch he has left is his change-up. I sure hope no one in the organization is hoping for a miracle here.

2.Regular readers here will remember that I have consistently said that Mike Nickeas is not only the best defensive catcher in the organization, but that pitchers love to be “managed” by him. Through 9-7’s game, Nickeas has a 2.87 ERA, while Josh Thole comes in a7 4.26, and Ronnie Paulino 4.37. Interesting.

3. I saw where http://www.deepleagues.com was the first site that ranked P Zack Wheeler ahead of Matt Harvey. It came BEFORE Wheeler threw 98 in St. Lucie’s playoff game on Wednesday. Frankly, some scouts are questioning whether Harvey has that plus-plus pitch needed to be an ace, and the comparisons to Mike Pelfrey scare the hell of me. I think we all are going to see a maturation process of these two, next season, which is going to determine the fate of this team for many years to come.

4. I’m very proud of what RP Josh Stinson is doing. It goes to show you that anyone can reinvent himself with the right amount of confidence and talent. And, it makes you wonder how many other pitchers in the organization (Brandon Moore, Colin McHugh, Mark Cohoon) could do the same thing. Remember, all a reliever needs is two plus pitches, one of which is a plus-plus. It doesn’t have to be a fastball. Just twitter Mario Rivera and ask him.

5. I tried getting the Mets to do something special for a friend of mine who is dying. I was met with “what do you want from me now? I do all this for free, one reason being because people like you enjoy it. It has nothing to do with the organization. It is all about the players.

I May Be Wrong, But…

1. I’m taking SP Dylan Owen, RP Roy Merritt, and RP Josh Stinson off the “Keepers” list. The all are over 24-years old which is the unwritten limit one can be considered a prospect; however, I’m also removing them due to their lack of progress. All the information will be saved, if needed in the future.

2. Terry Collins and I got on the same page about Lucas Duda. No one knows for sure if he can handle RF on a daily basis, especially in the confines of CitiField, however, if he hits 30-HRs and knocks in 110-RBIs, don’t sweat the small stuff. Captain Kirk has to be kicking himself in the ass for trying to catch that ball.

3. I wouldn’t be surprised if we didn’t see either Scott Hairston or Jon Niese again this season. TC is looking for every chance he can get to bring some different players to Queens to start the evaluation process for 2012. There’s no reason to rush either of these guys. Hairston will get multiple offers in the off-season and Niese could use the additional rest.

4.I’m thrilled Nick Evans hit a 3-run homer on Wednesday against the Phillies. A few years ago, I sort of adopted a Mets minor league pitcher named Jake Ruckle. Jake and Nick used to ride together from out west to spring training every year and I was hoping they would both become Mets someday. Jake is long gone after injuries and Nick is showcasing for other teams and a good three-run bomb is going to help get that done in the off-eason. Way to go, Nick.

5. Right now, the Mets are toying with a 2012 draft pick in the 11-15th overall selection. There are the obvious names that won’t be around by then (Lance McCullers, Mark Appel, Kevin Gausman); however, there is a good chance that the Mets could find their future catcher here, either in the name of Mike Zunino or Stryker Trahan.

Stock: Mike Nickeas, Mike Pelfrey, Phillip Evans, Mark Cohoon, Reese Havens

8-24-11: - Stock Up: - C Mike Nickeas – Mike was called up today to replace the DL’d Scott Hairtston. Let’s revisit some history on Mike: Nickeas attended college at Georgia Tech. He was selcted in the 5th round of the 2004 draft by Texas. In 2005, He batted .202 (49-242) with 7 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs and 24 RBI in 68 games with Frisco in 2005. He also, hit .286 (6-21) with 1 double, 1 home run and 1 RBI with the rookie-level Arizona Rangers. Nickeas was named the best defensive catcher in the Rangers' organization by Baseball America in 2005. In 2006, Nickeas appeared in 17 games with Bakersfield (A) of the California League this year, batting .297 (19-64) with 6 runs scored, 4 doubles and 6 RBI. Mike missed three weeks of action in May with a pulled hamstring before he was promoted to Frisco (AA) of the Texas League on May 28th. Nickeas hit .248 (28-113) with 15 runs scored, 7 doubles, 2 home runs, 15 RBI with 21 walks and 22 strikeouts in 39 contests with Frisco

8-24-11: - Stock Down – SP Mike Pelfrey – what bothers me is watching the post game press conference and hearing about all the good things Mike Pelfrey did today. Excuse me, but is a 4.50 ERA for the day the best we’re going to get here? I never expected Mike to be an SP1 but I did expect more than this.

8-24-11: - Stock Up – SS Phillip Evans – Yeah I know, Brandon Nimmo hit his first professional home run today and even Eudy Pena went yard, but the start of this game was Evans, going 2-4 and now batting .429. I told you that you were going to like this pick.

8-26-11: - Stock Down – SP Mark Cohoon – Cohoon started again last night for Buffalo and had once of his worst outings of the season. In 1.2-IP, he walked six batters, gave up four earned runs and raised his season ERA to 6.37. It’s been downhill for Mark since he jumped two levels in 2010 (Savannah to Binghamton) and I’m not sure where he goes now. Cohoon’s a finesse pitcher, which just isn’t working at this level.

8-26-11: - Stock Up – 2B Reese Havens – Havens is up to full speed again and he’s smokin’. Last night’s stats: 2-3, 5th home run of the year, three runs scored, a walk and two ribbies. He’s .295 for the year with a .454 slugging percentage. Once again, this is your best second baseman in the organization. Now, all he has to do is stay away from Fernando Martinez.

Marcos Camarena, Greg Pron, Brad Holt, Matt den Dekker, Mike Nickeas

Marcos Camarena:


Camarena first turned our head in 2009 when he went 7-2, 1.74 for the DSL Mets. Do you have any idea how hard it is to pitch that well in that league? Anyway, he continued his success last year (3-3, 2.68) for the GCL Mets and we were looking for big things from him this season in Brooklyn. Last night, he was almost unhittable for the Cyclones, going: 6.0-IP, 4-H, 0-R, 1-BB, 7-K.


Greg Pron:


Normally, you don’t write much about 42nd round draft picks, but I keep noticing the Kingsport box and Pron’s stats keep screaming out. Last night, he hit his 6th home run of the season and raised his BA to .310. We’re going to keep an eye on this 6-6 rookie.


Brad Holt:


Holt’s been trying to make the conversion from starter to pen and, frankly, he started out as inconsistent as a reliever as he’s been in the rotation. Last night; however, was his third plus outing, throwing 2.0 scoreless innings. That’s five scoreless innings in his past three outings. Boy, wouldn’t it be great if this worked out.


Matt den Dekker:


7-26-11: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/7/26/2287253/mets-mid-term-farm-system-review-2011-binghamton#storyjump  - OF Matt den Dekker - STOCK HOLDING - Den Dekker showed many of the tools that make him such an easy bet to make the show. His glove in CF has lived up to all expectations. He has solid speed on the bases. He's even showing the kind of home run power that many thought would only translate to doubles in the pros. But for me to really feel good about his prospect status he's going to have to cut down on the strikeouts. At St. Lucie they were high but acceptable and as a four year college player he they should have been. In Bingo they're pushing 30% which will not cut it in the majors, let alone the high minors. The development of his plate discipline is the key. It is what will determine if he can maintain a passable OBP as he climbs the ladder. It is what will allow his surprising power to either continue to blossom or to fizzle. And it is ultimately what will determine whether he's Jordan Schafer or Drew Stubbs.


Mike Nickeas:


The Mets tried to quietly promote Mike Nickeas to Queens as the third catcher, but some of the online blogs have questioned why Nickeas and not a big bat. Well, you’re welcome to go to www.milb.com and check out the Bisons roster and look for that bat. To be honest, the Mets are quite concerned with the catching defense, which is a specialty of Nickeas. I may be wrong, but doesn’t Josh Thole lead the league in passed balls?