Mets: Travis Traijeron, Jefry Marte, Ryan Fraser, Jeurys Familia

1-30-12 - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/ - Taijeron showed power in his professional debut.  He led the New York Penn League in slugging (.557), and finished third in OPS, at .943 (behind only teammate Daniel Muno, and the Yankees’ Tyler Austin) and third in home runs.  His extra-base hit rate of 12% in his debut season was superb.  He walked in almost 10% of his plate appearances. He looks like a baseball player at 6’2″, with 200 lbs of muscle. Those gaudy numbers argue for a higher placement.  However Taijeron is held back by three factors.  1. At 22, he was on the old side for the New York Penn League and will be 23 to begin his first season of a-ball in 2012. 2. Despite playing 35 games in center field and 21 in left, I think his eventual home will be on the corner as his speed isn’t special enough to play centerfield every day at the upper levels. 3. The strikeouts.  Taijeron whiffed in over 28% of his at-bats in the New York-Penn League. I’m less worried about his .398 BABIP.  Yes, of course it will come down.  However, if he can strikeout less, puttin more balls in play, he can survive a BABIP dip. 

1-30-12 - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/30/2757346/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects-21-30 3B Jefry Marte - At 20, the enigmatic third baseman continued to provide more questions than answers in 2011. Unlike most seasons, Marte started the year like a house afire, showing the kind of development in his plate discipline and power that made it look like he was finally putting it all together. By the end of May he was hitting .285 with nearly an .800 OPS. That's when things took a turn as he deviated from his typical trend and had an awful second half. Suddenly he wasn't hitting at all let alone hitting for power and his improved walk rate sunk like a rock. Ultimately, he ended up with a pretty ugly line which left 2011 looking like a step backwards.Then a surprise call out to the AFL changed things. For four weeks he was one of the top hitters in the talent-heavy circuit, once again slugging the ball while posting a superb 1:1 K-to-BB rate against older more seasoned competition. Scouts marveled over his raw hitting ability and suddenly Marte's stock as a pure right-handed power hitter was once again rising. Unfortunately he broke his wrist before the end of the season but he'd already done enough to once again make people wonder. I'm still a little more on the short side with him right now as his fielding is still a question mark and I've got to see at least one full good season before I buy in; but even I will admit that the talent is clearly in there somewher

1-23-12 - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/23/2693134/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects  #48) RHP Ryan Fraser - For Fraser, 2011 meant a shift in roles as he went from a dominant Brooklyn closer in 2010 to a mainstay of the Savannah rotation this season. And though he proved capable at a higher -- full-season -- level, he still drops five spots from last year's rankings due to one number: 5.86. That was his K/9 in 2011, down from 11.20 in '11. Now that wasn't the only reason but it tells a lot of the story. Basically, Fraser was far less effective against Lo-A hitters as his .271 opponent average will attest. As does his FIP (4.75) which ended up over a run higher than his ERA. I said that he resembled Bobby Parnell last year and I'll stick with that statement as he will pick up steam and once again profile as a big leaguer if the organization moves him back to his long-term role in relief. 

1-27-12: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6509 3. RHP Jeurys Familia -Baseball-Reference Player Profile - Familia is the third member of the big armed trio of right handers, with Harvey and Wheeler, that could form the core of the Mets rotation for the next decade. Like Harvey, Familia has experienced a half season of success at the AA level, putting him a bit ahead of Wheeler in terms of experience. The trio is all within 10 months of each other in age. In terms of velocity and quality of fastball, Familia rates first among the three, with a heater that will frequently hit 96 mph and will peak at 99 mph. He has been able to simply overpower hitters when he’s consistently in the strike zone, something he improved dramatically at in 2011. He also throws a slider and change up but those offerings definitely rank below what Harvey and Wheeler throw as off speed pitches. It would be surprising if the Mets don’t start all three in AA to begin the 2012 season, something that Mets fans should pay very close attention to as the year develops.

Mets: Ryan Fraser, Fernando Martinez, Pedro Martinez, David Wright

1-11-12 -  metsmerizedonline.  45.  Ryan Fraser (RHP) The 6’3″ right-hander has so far shown quite a bit of versatility in his two years since the Mets made him their 16th round pick in the 2010 draft. After hurling 92 innings as a starter for the University of Memphis the Mets decided to limit his innings by making him the Brooklyn Cyclones closer. He responded by pitching very well in the role, notching 12 saves to go with a 3-3 record and a 1.44 ERA. The 2011 season found Fraser in the Savannah Sand Gnats rotation, and he was one of their mainstays, leading the team in innings pitched with a 138.1, while going 7-9 with a 3.58 ERA. In a recent interview here on MMO, Ryan had this to say about his pitches: “I throw a fastball, curveball, and change-up. Some people question my curveball and think its a slider. I would like to call it a “power slurve” if there’s such a pitch. I don’t like to know the speed of them cause it doesn’t matter as long as you get the hitters out.” Despite the glut of starting pitching at the single A level, the Mets would be wise to keep Fraser in the rotation for the time being, as he could develop into a true “innings eater” down the road.

Martinez's career isn't just special to me on a personal level, but it also has clear metaphorical value to me as a Met's fan. His signing harkens back to a time of great optimism for the Mets. Yet, his fall from grace has seemingly echoed the similar path of the Mets. Small aliments became great obstacles, great obstacles became chronic ones and Martinez, like the Mets, has quickly become irrelevant. If only it was so easy for the fan base could cut bait so easily.   No, the Flushing Faithful, even the most jaded and cynical, will stand by and watch the death spiral the organization has embarked on. The final chapters are yet to be written but the end is coming. The pressures of baseball's largest market will soon engulf the Wilpons and organization will be sold. http://bullpenbanter.com/

As long as Pedro Martinez keeps getting asked the same question, he'll keep giving the same answer: He's not going to pitch in the major leagues again. "I wish everybody would stop thinking about that," he said with a chuckle before a charity event on Friday night. "I don't think I'm going to go." The 40-year-old Martinez has not pitched since 2009, a season in which he compiled a 3.63 ERA in nine starts for the Philadelphia Phillies -- plus three starts in the playoffs. He hasn't made more than 20 starts in a major-league season since 2006 http://blogs.providencejournal.com/sports/red-sox/2012/01/pedro-on-potential-comeback-i-wish-everybody-would-stop-thinking-about-that.html#.TxDmyPmLXAx

photo by Mack Ade

David Wright is optimistic about everything that will occur on the field at Citi Field this season. It's the off-the-field action that he's bracing for. "Obviously, I'm not looking forward to it," Wright said of the almost inevitable drama surrounding Mets ownership and the talk surrounding his contract and a potential trade. "I'm going to try to deal with it early, get it out of the way. It'd be one thing if I was a free agent, and it was up to me, but it's not my decision." Wright is entering the final year of his contract and the Mets hold an option for 2013. http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/david-wright-not-looking-forward-to-talk-on-his-status-1.3451354

Mets - Ryan Fraser, Daniel Murphy, Boof Bonser, BizOfBaseball Loser, Jack Leathersich

12-19-11: - .amazinavenue.  - RHP Ryan Fraser - STOCK DOWN - Like Cecilliani, Fraser didn't quite live up to his stellar 2010 as a Cyclone. However, for Fraser 2011 meant a shift in roles as he went from a dominant closer to a mainstay of the Savannah rotation this season. And while the numbers might looks ok on the surface, dig a little deeper and you'll see that Fraser didn't exactly master Lo-A hitters. Take his FIP which ended up over a run higher than his ERA (4.75). Or his K/9 which you figured would drop as he moved to starting, but not as much as it did ('10: 11.20 | '11: 5.86).

Part of Murphy’s defensive deficiencies are physical — he has slow, uncoordinated feet, inaccurate arm, and an overall awkwardness in body movement; he looks like what might happen if Hunter Pence tried to play the infield. Further, he suffers from both mental lapses and the simple fact that he sometimes doesn’t know what to do — which is completely understandable considering that he’s been moved all over the diamond at the big league level with little to no minor league training at any position other than 3B. I can’t entirely blame Murphy for his defensive struggles, because the Mets have colossally failed him in their inability to identify his skill set during his developmental stage. After failing as a third baseman, he should have been moved either to 1B or the outfield (not both) and left there for 2+ years to learn how to play at least one position adequately. With enough experience and confidence at one position, Murphy could have then focused more on developing his hitting http://www.metstoday.com/7325/11-12-offseason/2011-evaluation-dan-murphy/

The Giants signed right-hander Boof Bonser to a minor league deal, his agency, Reynolds Sports, announced on Twitter. Bonser has a 5.18 ERA with 7.2 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 416 2/3 career innings and hasn't pitched at the Major League level since 2010. Bonser underwent Tommy John surgery early in the 2011 season and likely won't be ready to pitch for San Francisco until midway through the 2012 campaign. The Giants selected Bonser, now 30, with the 21st overall pick of the 2000 draft  http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

Loser – The New York Mets. Stung by the Bernie Madoff scandal, high player payroll and dwindling attendance, the Mets will see losses of $70 million by the end of the season. Struggling for cash, and taking out loans from both BofA and MLB, by the end of 2011 Sterling Equities isn’t being pushed out by MLB, but they may not stand in the way of the banks doing so.

12-28-11 - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/12/mmo-2012-mets-top-prospects-s-21-30.html  - 30.   Jack Leathersich (LHP) The Rocket put up some scintillating numbers in his brief debut at Brooklyn after the Mets took him in the 5th round of the 2011 draft. After throwing 57 innings during the 2011 college season for UMass/Lowell, the Mets used him out of the pen to limit his innings before they had a chance to assign him a workout plan to build strength and stamina. In 12.2 innings in the New York Penn League, the Rocket, throwing mid 90′s gas, struck out 26, while walking only 3, giving up 6 hits, and 1 ER. The plan next year and going forward will be for him to start, and he should be in the mix for the rotation at high-A St. Lucie. If at some point he falters as a starter, the Mets would not hesitate to put him back in the pen, where his fastball picks up a few mph.

Five Long-term Solutions for Closers

A few days ago, I posted here about five options the Mets need to consider to fill their hole at closer. They are all free agent options, but the Mets only need a short-term answer for this void. They have several key options for a longer-term.

Of the dozen or so players throughout the farm system that could develop into something special at the back end of the Mets bullpen, here are five names you may not know that have a good chance at this point. As before, this is in no particular order.

Dale Thayer: Thayer was called up twice this season to the Mets. While there, he under-performed. He posted a 3.48 ERA in 10.1 innings. He was much more dominant in Buffalo,

however. In AAA, he had a 2.66 ERA with 21 saves in 54 games overall. He had 66 strikeouts to just 15 walks or a four to one clip.

That ratio was certainly good enough to earn him a spot in the Mets bullpen for next year. If he is like Nick Evans and just needs playing time to warm up, he could solidify that position for

the next few years.

Rhiner Cruz: In just 38 games at Binghamton, Cruz posted seven saves. His 4.14 ERA is not an indication of a lack of talent in the role, but rather simply a period of adjustment to a higher level of competition. He had a 2.77 ERA in St Lucie.

If he continues to show improvement and adjust to better hitters, he could develop into that 9th inning option in Queens for years to come. At just 25, he's still young and he's still in need of time to mature as a pitcher. Cruz could be on pace for a 2013 siting at Citi Field. It all depends on how he develops.

Josh Edgin: Edgin was promoted during the season from Savannah to St Lucie. Between both teams, he totaled 27 saves (16 in Savannah and 11 in St Lucie). He posted a 1.50 ERA bet-

ween both stops. He posted 76 strikeouts to 23 walks in 66 innings.

That three to one ratio is exactly what teams look for in a dominant closer. As he continues to hone his skills, he could develop into what the Mets have needed for so long. He has the potential to be in Queens by 2013 if he continues his current pace.

Jack Leathersich: This man is young (21) and raw. He has pitched nine games at Brooklyn and has one save to show for it. His 0.71 ERA was a good start for a young career. The team sees him as a viable option down the road. He may move up the system quickly and we could see him in 2014 if all goes well for him.

Ryan Fraser: Of all these options, Fraser may have the farthest road to get to the Mets. He pitched in Savannah this season, mostly as a starter. He posted not so great numbers, but in the minors, it's not really about the numbers. His 3.58 ERA is deceiving. As is his 7-9 record and his 90 strikeouts in 138.1 innings.

He does have one save this year. The team has started to learn where he is most useful. As he settles into the role of closer in the minors, he will only get better. He could reach the Mets by 2014 or 2015 at the latest.

Building 2012 Rosters Prospects First - Picks 51-55:

51: - SP Steve Matz – The best at thing I can say about Steve at this point in his professional career is he gives a great interview. Oh yeah, he’s from New York too. That’s two things. I had very little on him when the Mets drafted him and a lot of the fans have forgotten he’s still in the system. Hopefully, he will heal up this winter and we’ll see him in the spring. No sense in printing old velo stats; the kid is basically starting over here. He’ll start with baby steps. I have him in K-Port. ETA: ???

52: - 3B Elvis Sanchez – No, I’m not going to say that Elvis is in the house. Oh, shit. Sanchez was signed last year as a 16-year old and was hyped with having similar power as Aderlin Rodriguez. You can’t ask for more when he went yard on opening night for the DSL2 team. He wound up having one of the strangest seasons and might go down in history as the most patient teenager in baseball: 198-AB… 73-K… .157-BA… but, 62-BB! That translates to an OBP of .367 with a slugging percentage of .222. The Mets plan on working on removing his bat from his shoulder, and if they are smart, they’d leave im in the DR for another season. ETA: ???

53: - RP Jose De La Torre – The 25-year old had a banner year in 2010, relieving in 51-games for Binghamton and Buffalo and combining for a 3-2, 2.69 record. This included 80Ks in 70.1-IP. This year, most of the year was spent on and off the DL, but he did get in 20 games for GCL/Clones/Bisons and has a stat line of: 2-2, 1.09, 25-K, 24.2-IP.ome April 2012, but I might change that before this report is done. He really deserves to be in Queens. ETA: - Queens pen sometime in 2012.



photo by Allan Greene

 54: - SP Domingo Tapia – I probably have Tapia too low. He’s making quite a name for himself this season, throwing at 100 for K-Port. 2012 will be the 5th year in the Mets system for Dom, who will play 2012 as a 21-year old. I have him starting for Savannah next season, but this is a closer in waiting. You give him one more season throwing 100+ heat, plus control on some pitch with sink, and you watch how fast this kid moves. ETA: Projected Mets closer 2014.

55: - SP Ryan Fraser – I can’t wait for the off-season so I can have another interview with Ryan. This is a career reliever that was pumped at the end of 2010 when he was told he was going to start for the Sand Gnats in 2011. I thought it was just a way of getting him more innings so he can be evaluated in the future. Let’s face it, the kid just hasn’t thrown a lot in his career and his arm could use a good, seasonal test. Well, he got what he wanted, and did a good job, earning him another starting slot next spring, this time with Lucy. ETA: Mets pen 2015


Rosters So Far:


Buffalo: (14) –SP Chris Schwinden, Collin McHugh, Brandon Moore, RP Robert Carson, Eric Beaulac, Jose De La Torre, IF Alan Dykstra, Reese Havens, Jordany Valdespin, Zach Lutz, OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Fernando Martinez, Mike Baxter, Juan Lagarus


Binghamton: (9) – SP: Mike Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jeurys Familia, Darin Gorski, RP Josh Edgin, Brad Holt, IF Jefry Marte, OF Matt den Dekker, Cesar Puello


St. Lucie: (13) – SP Greg Peavey, Taylor Whitenton, Angel Cuan, Tyler Pill, Ryan Fraser, RP Cory Mazzoni, Jack Leathersich, Chase Huchingson, IF Wilmer Flores, Aderlin Rodriguez, OF Cory Vaughn, Gilbert Gomez, Darrell Cecilliani


Savannah: (6) – SP Akeel Morris, Alex Panteliodis, Erik Goeddel, Logan Verrett, RP T.J. Chism, IF Cam Maron


Brooklyn: (5) – SP: Michael Fulmer, Juan Urbina, Domingo Tapia, IF Phillip Evans, OF: Brandon Nimmo


Kingsport: (4) – SP Luis Mateo, Christian Montgomery, Steve Matz, OF Vincente Lupo


GCL: (0) –


DSL: (1) – IF Elvis Sanchez,

Cutnpaste: Brian Valenzuela, Jordany Valdespin, Jorge Rivero, Josh Edgin, Ryan Fraser

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  - Brian Valenzuela – This 5’10″ LHP was the Mets 10th round draft pick back in 2008, out of Vista Murrieta (Calif.) High School. Things were tough the last 3 seasons when he threw only 28 IP combined, and missed a season due to injury. This year he has tossed 32 IP, so far, with very poor results. He’s 2-4 with a 5.97 ERA in 6 starts, and the league is raking against him to the tune of a .318 BA. Valenzuela has to show some positive signs soon or the new regime may not keep around for another season.

8-22-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/814874-new-york-mets-who-the-mets-should-add-to-their-40-man-roster-on-september-1st  - Jordany Valdespin SS Buffalo Bisons: 119 games combined between Buffalo and Double-A Binghampton 16 HRs, 56 RBIs, .288 BA, 34 SBs Now if you're looking for a speedy shortstop with loads of power, Valdespin is your kind of player. Since signing with the Mets as a non-drafted free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2007, Valdespin has quickly risen through the ranks of the Mets farm system and has stolen bases and driven in runs at every step of the way. With the uncertainty of current Mets star shortstop Jose Reyes' contract beyond 2011 and the chronic injuries of star prospect shortstop Reese Havens, Valdespin enters the very top tier of potential Reyes replacement shortstops in the Mets minor league system. Valdespin deserves a long, hard look from Terry Collins and the rest of the Mets front office during September baseball for his future prospects at the position with the Mets.

8-23-11: - DSL 2011 End of Season Wrap-Up - http://www.nyfuturestars.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=35808&sid=e8719b8eddffd9bc033d0ab708d8aff5  - - Jorge Rivero: 22 year old infielder who started out playing all 4 IF positions for the Mets 2 this spring. He put up a .292 AVG with a .823 OPS. A switch hitter, the 22 year old also went 10-13 swiping bags in the DSL. Since his promotion to the GCL Mets, hes gone 0-6. His new batting AVG in the states is .242 while playing mainly 2B and occasionally DH. Stateside, he has hit the only homer of his year, and also has 12 walks compared to 10 Ks. He is after all, a 22 year old in the GCL.




photo by Allan Greene

 8-24-11: - http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/32947/farm-repeat-mound-of-praise-for-edgin  - Mets VP Paul DePodesta said he hesitated to mention left-hander Josh Edgin’s name when the subject arose of minor leaguers who may have an impact with the Mets in 2012. But DePodesta went ahead and named the southpaw as a candidate, even though Edgin has not yet pitched above Class A St. Lucie. “He’s got major league stuff and he’s left-handed,” DePodesta recently said. “Again, you just never know how quickly those guys can come. He’s in Port St. Lucie right now, which is why I’m squeamish about talking about 2012."

8-24-11: - https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/131fc54efd5f8374  - RHP Ryan Fraser, who is ninth in the SAL in ERA (3.50) and seventh in innings pitched (131), is scheduled to make his 22st Savannah start today. Fraser has allowed three earned runs in each of his last two outings. In August, he’s pitched to a 2.95 ERA (6 ER/18.1 IP) in four starts with nine walks and 14 strikeouts. At home, Fraser has a 3.14 ERA (23 ER/66 IP) compared to 3.88 (28 ER/65 IP) on the road. In part this is due to his home run rate which is 0.55 HR/9 IP (4 HR/66 IP) at home and 1.24 HR/9 IP (9 HR/65 IP) on the road. Last year with short-season Brooklyn, Fraser struck out 39 batters in 31.1 innings pitched, a rate of 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings. This year, he’s fanned 83 in 131 innings, a rate of 5.7 K/9. With the Cyclones last year, working exclusively out of the bullpen, he was 3-3 with a 1.44 ERA and 12 saves in 31.1 IP and allowed more walks (20) than hits (16). The Mets drafted Fraser in the 16th round of the 2010 draft out of Memphis where he led the Tigers with 93 strikeouts and 92 IP in 2010 on his way to three C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors and a Second Team All C-USA selection. In the classroom, he was a member of the C-USA All-Academic Team in 2010 and ran a 4.0 grade point average in high school. The Gnats are 9-12 when Fraser starts, and have supported him with 2.76 runs per game (58 runs/21 games), the lowest mark of any Savannah starter.

Stock: Cory Vaughn, Luis Mateo, Travis Taijeron, Greg Peavey, Ryan Fraser

Cory Vaughn:


8-3-11: - Twitter exchange between Cory and I today:


SugarFreeCV Cory Vaughn - Growing out the stache #ilookmexican http://t.co/V4FPzxg


MackAde Mack Ade - @ @SugarFreeCV - you look like Hamilton Bennett


SugarFreeCV Cory Vaughn - @ @MackAde i might have to get rid of it now since u compared me to him ha lol


Luis Mateo,


8-3-11: - Stock Up – 8-3-11 – Mateo was a big time international signee last May and the Mets gave him a $150,000 bonus. I haven’t followed the DSL league much this season because just about everything is premature at that level. I did peek in at Mateo and the stats look fantastic: 5-1, 1.46, 0.65, 49.1-IP, 61-K, and only 3-BB. This is a first year DSL player that is 21, so it’s nice to see someone finish school for a change and tell the truth about their age.


Travis Taijeron:


8-3-11: - Stock Up – Taijeron (pronounced “Tyrone”) had two more hits today for Brooklyn raising his 2011 batting stats to: .303/.415/.598/1.104, 7-HR, 29-RBI. Travis was a home run machine out of Cal Poly and may be a diamond in the rough. We’ll keep an eye on him.


Greg Peavey:


8-3-11: - Stock Up – Peavey continues to pitch below the hype radar (hypdar). He went into Wednesday’s game 10-4 combined for A/A+ and had pitched 5-of-7 A+ starts with 1-ER or less. Well, he did it again on Wednesday, pitching a seven inning complete game shutout. Greg had a couple of rocky outings earlier this season for St. Lucie, but he has easily passed the rotation test while, at the same time, leaving all the prospect hype… err… hypdar… to others.


Ryan Fraser:


8-3-11: - Stock Up - We first started writing about Ryan when he was a successful closer last season for Brooklyn. This year he’s attempting to master starting for Savannah, and if Wednesday at Savannah was any indication, the Mets may have another starter to drool over: 5.0-IP, 0-R, 3-H, 5-K, 3.44. This was Fraser’s 22nd outing this year for the Sand Gnats and he’s an easy choice to begin next spring in the St. Lucie rotation.

Terry Collins, Zack Wheeler, Robert Carson, Ryan Fraser, BaBip

Terry Collins:


Thats a lot to deal with for any manager, but Terry Collins has maintained the team's course and they continue to win in spite of these difficulties. Plugging in different players, moving them around and basically putting them in positions where they can succeed, Collins has managed to extract every last ounce of effort from a variety of players who were never expected to sniff the Major League level this season. Collins has also excelled in preemptive strikes against his ball club. As recently as this week, Collins informed his players that should they feel sorry for themselves and struggle as a result of Carlos Beltran's departure, they will not be here. Earlier this year when the team was struggling, he took the media and threatened to basically blow up the roster in order to find more wins out of his team - http://www.metsfever.com/2011/07/collins-continues-to-push-right-buttons.html  


Zack Wheeler:


7-29-11: -  http://bullpenbanter.com/  - Wheeler's stuff is top notch. His final pitching line was ugly: 5 1/3 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K's, but the takeaway was that Wheeler has the stuff to pitch at the front of a major league rotation. The videos above will show that he can make pretty drastic adjustment to his delivery and I expect him to continue to make progress which will lead to improved command/control. The development of the change will be the main thing to keep an eye on in his development as he looks for a pitch to neutralize left handed hitters. Keep in mind that he has only logged 146 2/3 professional innings. There aren't a lot of minor league pitchers that have his type of upside. I was very surprised that Wheeler was traded for a playoff run "rental". These types of prospects aren't often traded.


Robert Carson:


7-26-11: - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/7/26/2287253/mets-mid-term-farm-system-review-2011-binghamton#storyjump  - LHP Robert Carson - STOCK DOWN - Look, he's definitely been better in Double-A in 2011 than in 2010. His K/9, BB/9 and HR/9 are all better. He's improved, just not as much as you'd like from a top pitching prospect. At 22, he's no longer that young and the Eastern League is having no poblem hitting him as he's allowed a .292 average against thus far. Even worse, one of the hallmarks of his game, an excellent GB%, has deteriorated since the promotion to Bingo. It's never wise to \ disregard a 20-something, 6'3" lefty that can consistently hit 93mph but I must say that I expect a better results from someone with that profile. He still shows reasons to hope -- see, last night's performance -- but I continue to envision Carson's realistic major league ceiling as a late-inning lefty a la Antonio Bastardo.


Ryan Fraser:


7-29-11: - https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/131778f24f2bdfef  - RHP Ryan Fraser, who is tied for ninth in the SAL with 107.2 innings pitched, is scheduled to make his 17th Savannah start today. Fraser gave up a personal season-high 10 hits and six runs in his last start versus Lexington. He has walked nine batters in his last 10.2 innings. Last year with short-season Brooklyn, Fraser struck out 39 batters in 31.1 innings pitched, a rate of 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings. This year, he’s fanned 66 in 107.2 innings, a rate of 5.5 K/9. With the Cyclones last year, working exclusively out of the bullpen, he was 3-3 with a 1.44 ERA and 12 saves in 31.1 IP. He struck out 39, walked 20 and yielded just 16 hits. The Mets drafted Fraser in the 16th round of the 2010 draft out of Memphis. The Rays originally drafted Fraser out of Walker Valley HS in the 49th round in 2006, but he chose to attend Gulf Coast Community College and then Memphis. At Memphis, he led the Tigers with 93 strikeouts and 92 IP in 2010 on his way to three C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors and a Second Team All C-USA selection. In the classroom, he was a member of the C-USA All-Academic Team in 2010 and ran a 4.0 grade point average in high school. The Gnats are 8-8 when Fraser starts, and have supported him with 3.00 runs per game (48 runs/16 games), the lowest mark of any Savannah starter.


BaBip:


BaBIP - “Batting Average on Balls in Play”. Whereas batting average takes into account the percentage of at bats which become hits, BaBIP takes this a step further to determine the percentage of balls hit into play which become hits. By removing strikeouts from the equation, BaBIP can be a good indicator of how “lucky” either a pitcher or hitter has been, based upon the number of balls the opposing defense was able to handle (or mishandle as the case may be). Since baseball is comprised of a long season where statistics often regress to the mean, BaBIP can often be used to predict a player’s future statistics. For a hitter with a BaBIP much higher than the league average, it may indicate a dip in batting average is due. Conversely, a pitcher with a low BaBIP rate may be predicted to see an increase in hits allowed in upcoming games. - http://baseballreflections.com/2011/07/28/sabermetrics-101-gaining-the-fantasy-baseball-edge/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sabermetrics-101-gaining-the-fantasy-baseball-edge

Ryan Fraser, Manny Acosta, Jake Lowery, Erik Turgeon, John Stilson

- There was no one in the Mets organization more excited about the 2011 season than Ryan Fraser. He had just come off of a very successful season in Brooklyn, where he went 3-3, 1.44, 12-SV, in 26 appearances. The powers to be told him that he would get a chance to start in to 2011 and his grin was ear to ear when he confirmed that to me at the pre-season luncheon in Savannah. Things were going along just fine until the team couldn’t decide who would be the five starters. To this date, they still seem to be piggybacking and yesterday, Fraser was placed back in the reliever role. It didn’t work out (5-ER in 2.1-IP) and we’ll have to wait five days to see what his role is then.


- The Mets returned RP Mike O’Connor (0-1, 2.70, 8-K, 6-2-IP, 9-G - ???) to Buffalo and replaced him with Manny Acosta. Acosta deserved the return shot; however, not at O’Connor’s expense. Manny had a wonderful year last season in Queens (3-2, 2.95, 41-appearances) but didn’t win an invite back when opening day rolled around. He has been pitching bison-ball very well (1-0, 1.77, 20-G, 27-K, 20.1-IP), though his walks (17) are a little high. I “graduated” him off the Keepers list last season.



- As many of you know, I did a lot of work on the old “Mack On Baseball” site about the 2011 draft. There were a handful of players that I fell in love with, one being catcher Jake Lowery of James Madison University. No one has Lowery on any of their prospect lists, but, trust me, the boy can hit. He has led the 40-17 Dukes into the NCAA tournament with 23-HRs (hit another one yesterday in the playoffs) and 85-RBIs (.363) in 57-games. Hopefully, one of the Mets suits is reading this and will jot his name down for a mid-round pick come Tuesday.

- RHP Erik Turgeon was transferred from Binghamton (AA) to Buffalo (AAA) yesterday. Erik was a 25th round pick in the 2008 draft, out of Connecticut. This is his fourth season in the Mets organization and, frankly, it is has been his most challenging. The promotion seems to more due to RHP Manny Acosta being recalled to the Mets from Buffalo, and being replaced on the roster with LHP Mike O’Connor. You may see a domino effect here with Jeff Kaplan due to be the next reliever promoted in St. Lucie.

Texas A&A RHP John Stilson has received two more opinions regarding his SLAP (superior labrum from anterior to posterior) tear in his throwing shoulder. Seems he will only need six weeks rehab and not surgery. This throws him back into the mix for being picked in the first 50 players picked in the draft next week. I expect him to be available when the Mets pick 13th but he definitely is a steal at the 44th pick if this is truly a small injury.