11-23-11: - http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.js p?ymd=20111110&content_id=25949502&fext=.j sp&vkey=news_milb&partnerId=rss_nym - Right-handed starting pitcher -- Matt Harvey, St. Lucie (14 games), Binghamton (12 games): In his first pro season, the seventh overall pick in 2010 led the organization in wins. His 2.37 ERA at St. Lucie ballooned to 4.53 in Binghamton, but his strikeout-to-walk ratio never wavered. The Futures Game selection fanned 156 and issued 47 free passes over 135 2/3 frames. "We were tremendously pleased," DePodesta said. "Matt obviously came with high expectations. Our goals for him were for him to get established on a five-day schedule. "There's no doubt in our mind he could go to St. Lucie and dominate without using his changeup. He went to Binghamton and continued to work on his pitches. There were times when I'm sure it would have been easier to throw a fastball by a guy and get out of an inning, but he knew it was more important to work on his craft." The University of North Carolina product showed improvement at Double-A in August, going 5-0 with a 2.67 ERA in five outings. Backman, who calls Harvey "intense," is impressed with his repertoire. "I compare him to [Jeurys] Familia, but he's got more stuff than Familia," he said. "They're both power fastball, power breaking ball guys [while their] changeup is a work-in-progress. When I graded [Harvey] out, I had him as a No. 2 starter on a championship-level, big league team." Familia won half of his 10 decisions and recorded a 2.90 ERA in 23 starts, 17 for Backman at Binghamton. The native of the Dominican Republic fanned 132 over 124 innings. Lopez said Harvey "has all the making of a great starter" but cautioned that he should be more aggressive earlier in counts, innings and outings. "The way he went about his business of getting guys out -- in college, you don't have a pitch count, but in the pros you do," Lopez said. "You have to manage your pitch count to be able to pitch deeper into games. His first couple ballgames, he was coming out early."
12-6-11: - Rhiner Cruz, Mets, RHRP, 6'2", 205 lbs, DOB 11/1/86 - 2011 Level: A+ (Florida State) and AA (Eastern) - The lure of something fast, cheap, and out of control can be difficult to resist. Every year, a few hard-throwing relievers with poor command get taken in the Rule 5 draft, and Rhiner Cruz is one of the better specimens of the type in this year's draft class. A Dominican, he originally signed with the Tigers, the same team that at that time employed his older brother Jose Cruz. Rhiner Cruz experienced elbow pain while there, however, and after two undistinguished seasons, Detroit cut him loose. Fortunately for Cruz, he caught the eye of the Mets' Latin American scouting director, who gave him a second chance, and he's been throwing heat for various Mets affiliates ever since. Cruz's defining attribute is his fastball. In 2011, it regularly sat around 95 with good movement, and often snuck into the high 90s, though it tended to flatten out at higher speeds. He complements it with a slurvy slider, which isn't exceptional but should be at least a workable secondary offering. The biggest obstacle Cruz faces is a lack of command. He struggles to keep his pitches inside the zone, and his ability to throw strikes can vary dramatically from day-to-day. In 2011 as a whole, he walked 5.7 batters per nine innings, with nearly as many walks allowed (47) as hits (52). That kind of command will be a serious obstacle for him when he faces MLB-caliber hitters. Still, Cruz's kind of pure heat doesn't grow on trees, and a team that's lucky and/or skilled enough to address his command and control issues would have the advantage of an inexpensive hammer for the back of their bullpen somewhere down the road.
The future is not bright for the Mets, but it is glowing for David Wright. Sure, this upcoming season is a year in baseball purgatory for Wright, if the Mets keep him the entire season. Perhaps, though, the Mets learned their lesson from misplaying the Jose Reyes situation and will trade Wright for prospects. The Mets are in a prospects’ world right now, and the sooner they accept that and get the fans thinking of the future, 2014 and beyond, instead of the ugly present, the better off they will be in the long run. Wright has many intriguing possibilities in front of him. If he is traded, he can void the $16 million club option on his contract for 2013 and become a free agent after this upcoming season. http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/wanted_man_xc42imFcboImiE4UFx0DuO#ixzz1fquEGpIi
Jeff Reese: The Mets system needs work, but there is enticing upside throughout the top 15. I have been high on Wheeler has a real argument for taking the number one spot; however I have been high on Matt Harvey since watching a few starts during his junior year at North Carolina. The fastball has a chance to be elite, missing bats and getting ground balls, and the only thing that may stop him from fronting a rotation is his command. Wheeler is not exactly far behind with a plus fastball of his own and a change-up that is a bit better than Harvey’s version. Jenrry Mejia has similar top of the rotation potential, but coming off of Tommy John surgery and needing to show a better breaking ball – he debuted an inconsistently good one during spring training – there is more risk that he will end in the bullpen than a year ago. Their top pick in June was Brandon Nimmo who, despite attending a high school that had no baseball team, has good tools across the board and room to add some more muscle to his frame. The bat should still play if a move to a corner spot proves necessary. Cesar Puello profiles best in right field. His 2011 season did not go as smoothly as most hoped; however, the power potential is still enticing, and cleaning up his plate discipline should allow it to shine through. Reese Havens has the bat to profile as an above-average regular at second base with the present refinement to win the job early in 2012… that is if he can finally put his extensive injury history behind him. Kirk Nieuwenhuis could also make a splash in 2012 as a solid-average corner outfielder who can play center in a pinch. Jeurys Familia’s best asset remains his well above-average arm strength; he took steps towards remaining in the rotation this year, but the secondaries, control, and command still need work to avoid the move to the bullpen. Michael Fulmer – joining fellow 2011 prep draftee Brandon Nimmo – owns a big fastball and a quality slider that gives him a chance to profile at the top of a rotation. The Kingsport Mets had one of the highest upside rotations in the Appalachian League with Juan Urbina, Domingo Tapia, and Akeel Morris – all of whom are very raw. Urbina is highly projectable with an easy delivery and an advanced change-up; Tapia has good size and elite arm strength without much else; and Morris – who was drafted out of the Virgin Islands in 2010 – has a similarly explosive arm. Valdespin emerged as a legitimate prospect with a decent power/speed profile if he can prove capable at second base. Wilmer Flores, meanwhile, continued to show underwhelming power and a too aggressive approach; the hit tool is good but given the defensive uncertainty, his stock is down. Finally, we come to Cory Mazzoni, a quality college starter out of North Carolina State. He doesn’t offer the same upside as the rest of the pitchers, but he works in the low 90s with a solid breaking ball and change-up; the breaking ball is commanded better than the fastball. http://bullpenbanter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=526:new-york-mets-2012-top-15-prospects&catid=18:articles&Itemid=11
Acquired from the Kansas City Royals for Tucker Ashford on April 1, 1984 right-handed pitcher Tom Edens spent 3 seasons in the Mets minor league system before making his major league debut on June 2, 1987. As the Mets starting pitcher that day he threw 5 innings allowing 3 runs and 8 hits. He earned a no decision in the Mets 6-3 loss. In his next start on June 7 he once gain gave up 3 runs but lasted just 3 innings. Following the game he was shipped back down to the minors where he spent the next two seasons before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies along with Roger McDowell and Lenny Dykstra in exchange for Juan Samuel. http://www.newyorkmetshistoryonline.com/all-time-mets/tom-edens-his-mets-career-1987
ween both stops. He posted 76 strikeouts to 23 walks in 66 innings.