Draft 14 - A Quick Look At - OF - Brad Zimmer - San Francisco

Bradley Zimmer

8-14-13 – Through The Fence – Top 50 Prospects – 30. Bradley Zimmer, OF, San Francisco - The younger brother of Royals prospect Kyle Zimmer, Bradley is a 6’-5”, 205-pound, left-handed hitter who has tremendous speed for his size. He also has a great arm and instincts in the field. Over 58 games as a sophomore, he hit .320/.437/.512 with 12 doubles, seven home runs and stole 19 bases. He also shows a great approach at the plate as he drew 29 walks to 31 strikeouts and was hit by a pitch a whopping 16 times, proving he’ll do whatever it takes to get on base. He showed off his wheels for The Collegiate National Team, swiping 11 of 12 bases over 21 games while also hitting an even .300. An exciting player who could shoot up draft boards with another impressive junior season. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-top-50-prospects/36463#mwWwsFxSUZy7YC5V.99

9-30-13 – TTF Mock 2.0 - 33. Baltimore Orioles — Bradley Zimmer, OF, San Francisco  The younger brother of Royals prospect Kyle Zimmer, Bradley is a 6’-5”, 205-pound, left-handed hitter who has tremendous speed for his size. He also has a great arm and instincts in the field. Over 58 games as a sophomore, he hit .320/.437/.512 with 12 doubles, seven home runs and stole 19 bases. He also shows a great approach at the plate as he drew 29 walks to 31 strikeouts and was hit by a pitch a whopping 16 times, proving he’ll do whatever it takes to get on base. He showed off his wheels for The Collegiate National Team, swiping 11 of 12 bases over 21 games while also hitting an even .300. An exciting player who could shoot up draft boards with another impressive junior season.  http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-mock-draft-2-0-draft-order-set/38280#5E3F5j1jWOgE69bJ.99

 

Draft 14 – Jeff Hoffman, Tyler Kolek, Andrew Karp, Brady Aiken, Tyler Beede

10-9-13 – Early Pick for Cubs - Jeff Hoffman, RHP, East Carolina - Carlos Rodon is left off the 2014 MLB draft list because the only way he falls out of the top three is if he has an injury or decides to give up the sport altogether — neither of which I hope happens. Jeff Hoffman, a 6’-4” right-hander, impressed some scouts so much in the Cape Cod League that some have put him in the discussion for 1-1 with Rodon. With more than 24.1 innings, he had 33 K/5 BB and showed off his great stuff, headlined by a mid-90s fastball and the makings of a plus curveball that sits in the 80-84 mph range. Hoffman also adds an above-average change-up and solid slider, giving him a quality four-pitch mix. His command still needs to be a little more consistent but he shows a smooth, effortless delivery so the mechanics are there. At 185 pounds, there is still projection left and he could actually gain more velocity as he fills out. It is no secret that the Cubs organization lacks starting pitching depth and, if Hoffman is still on the board for the 2014 MLB draft, he could be a huge addition to one of the best farm systems in baseball. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-early-targets-chicago-cubs-fourth-overall-pick/38723

9-30-13 – TTF Mock 2.0 - 5. Minnesota Twins — Tyler Kolek, RHP, Sheppard HS (TX)  After selecting flamethrower Kohl Stewart fourth-overall this year, the Twins can add another power arm in Kolek, a 6’-6”, 240 pound right-hander who can touch triple-digits with his fastball. I got to see him throw at Wrigley and he was hitting 99 mph with ease. He also shows a good feel for a slider that has plus potential. His size suggests even more velocity could be coming, and he has great body control considering his frame. He has been timed at 4.8 in the 40, showing great athleticism. He is another in a long line of country strong, hard throwers from the state of Texas. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-mock-draft-2-0-draft-order-set/38280#5E3F5j1jWOgE69bJ.99

9-11-13 - Sully’s 2014 Top 100 MLB HS Draft Prospects – 94.Andrew Karp – RHP, West Orange (FL) HS http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/sullys-2014-top-100-mlb-hs-draft-prospects/

9-29-13 – XMLBScout – 4.)LHP, Brady Aiken, Cathedral Catholic HS, Cardiff by the Sea, CA, 6'3 1/2 205, nice frame, long arms and legs, upper 3/4 arm slot has improved 2-3 mph on his fb and sharp downer type cb, most fb were 89-90, touched 93 a few times, cb nice bite and rotation which enticed hitters to chase, some deception, pitched up in zone rushing himself a few times, something here to work with, top 25 candidate for 2014 for sure, keep an eye on him, UCLA commit?  http://xmlbscout.angelfire.com/

10-6-13 – Kendall Rogers/PG – College Prospects -  5. Tyler Beede, rhp, Vanderbilt (Drafted: 2011, Blue Jays -- 1st round) - Beede’s past is well-documented after turning down the Blue Jays out of high school. The impressive 6-foot-4, 215-pounder, has an elite fastball that sits anywhere from 90-95, along with a sharp breaking curveball at 80-83 and a fast-developing changeup that made serious strides for the Commodores in the spring. Should Beede show improved command in the spring, he could rise a few spots. http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=9081

The War Room - Matt Kemp

 Michael Scannell -  

 

With how anemic the Mets' offense was in 2013, improving it is obviously a top priority.

 

Over the last few weeks we've been subjected to various names on the hot stove.  I'm wondering specifically about Matt Kemp:

 

1) Do we think the Dodgers will move him?

 

2) Do we think they'd be willing to eat some of his contract and if so, how much?

 

3) What would the cost in terms of prospects be?

 

4) Taking into account the above three questions and assuming the Mets could and would insure his contract, do we want him on the team?

Draft 14 - A Quick Look At - OF - Marcus Wilson - Serra (CA) HS

Marcus Wilson

7-2-13  -  2014  - Top 100 High School Prospects -  81. Marcus Wilson- OF, Serra (CA) HS http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/jeff-sullivans-top-100-2014-prospects/

7-24-13  -  Marcus Wilson, of, Junipero Serra, Los Angeles/SGV Arsenal - Wilson offers projection as he fills his lean, wiry 6-foot-3, 180-pound frame. He has broad shoulders, a tapered waist and leans legs. Wilson, who is uncommitted, has athleticism, fluid actions and plus speed capable of 60-yard-dash times in the 6.5 range and home-to-first times around 4.1. The member of SGV Arsenal has arm strength and defensive prowess in center field. A righthanded hitter, Wilson has good bat speed and has shown the present ability to hit in games. Wilson is young for the class and will not be 18 until two months after the draft. http://www.baseballamerica.com/draft/tyler-koleks-heavy-fastball-among-tournament-of-stars-standouts/

7-25-13 – Top 30 High School Prospects For 2014 Draft - 22. Marcus Wilson, CF, Serra HS (CA) - 6'3/175, R/R, Draft Day Age: 17.81, No college commitment - Quick Take: Wilson is another projection bet that's very young for the class with a very projectable, long-limbed, broad-shouldered frame that's he's still growing into. He posted plus-plus run times in the 60 and in games and shows some feel to hit in games with gap power than should improve with age. http://sbb.scout.com/2/1310090.html

8-14-13 – Through The Fence – Top 50 Prospects – 48. Marcus Wilson, OF, Serra HS (CA) - At 6’-3” and 180 pounds, the right-hander is raw in areas but has a lot of upside based on his plus speed and ability to drive the ball to all fields. His size implies more power will come. He also has a plus arm and is one of those players that gets better every time out. One of the youngest players in the 2014 MLB draft and one of those quick-twitch athletes that scouts love. Committed to Arizona State. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-top-50-prospects/36463#mwWwsFxSUZy7YC5V.99

9-11-13 - Sully’s 2014 Top 100 MLB HS Draft Prospects – 20.Marcus Wilson – OF, Wilson (CA) HS http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/sullys-2014-top-100-mlb-hs-draft-prospects/

 

Draft 14 – Brett Austin, Marcus Wilson, Karston Whitson, Michael Conforto, Jesse Lepore

9-29-13 – XMLBScout – 12.)C, Brett Austin, N C State, 6'0 195, S/R, a cannon for an arm and handles the dish as a fielder well, sub 2.0 pop times to 2b and can pick off runners that aren't alert when they least expect it, he's had some adjustments to make as a hitter in the collegiate ranks since leaving HS, but Brett shows some pop to the alleys and makes enough contact to be a 240-250 hitter at the ML level. 8-15 type HR power numbers will come in time, this kid will get there on his glove and arm alone as well as handling pitchers. 1-3 round type projection again in 2014. http://xmlbscout.angelfire.com/

9-29-13 – XMLBScout – 22.)OF, Marcus Wilson, Junipero Serra HS, Los Angeles CA, 6'2 180, R/R, live body with good running speed straight away, showed arm strength, played LF, projects in the OF, either corner, has bat speed and strength in upper body to development further with more exposure, definite tools to keep an eye on in 2014. No college commit yet. http://xmlbscout.angelfire.com/

10-2-13 - Kendall Rogers ‏@KendallRogersPG  - O'Sullivan said P Karsten Whitson is progressing very well. Looks good, will take things slow this fall, but on track

9-30-13 – TTF Mock 2.0 - 18. New York Yankees — Michael Conforto, OF, Oregon State Maybe the best pure hitter available in the 2014 MLB draft, the 6’-2”, 215-pound right-hander uses the whole field and has a great approach at the plate. Surprising that he falls this far in the 2014 MLB mock draft, I got a chance to see him hit when the Collegiate National team played at Kane County, and I was extremely impressed by the way he handles himself at the plate — waiting for his pitch and driving it to the gaps with ease. He hit .328/.447/.526 over 65 games as a sophomore with 11 home runs and 41 walks. He’s not going to steal many bases, and he will most likely end up in left field. His bat is what will land him in the first round. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-mock-draft-2-0-draft-order-set/38280#5E3F5j1jWOgE69bJ.99

9-11-13 - Sully’s 2014 Top 100 MLB HS Draft Prospects – 95.Jesse Lepore – RHP, Trinity Catholic (FL) HS http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/sullys-2014-top-100-mlb-hs-draft-prospects/

Mack Ade – Morning Report – 10-26-13 – John Hart, Daniel Murphy, Wally Backman, Stephen Drew, Jose Medina

 

Q: Do you think the Mets will make a significant move this offseason?

John Hart - A: If they had a healthy (Matt) Harvey to go along with (Zack) Wheeler it might be different, but I think they are a year away. There are some pretty significant holes among the position players. That doesn’t mean they aren’t going to jump out, if they target the right guy, who they think can help next year and down the line.

                Mack – Hart seems to have a good grasp of this situation. Look, Dillon Gee and Jon Niese are good pitchers, but no one expects them to carry the Mets to the World Series. They are SP3’s at best. The Mets can not return to the top third of this sport without an all-star one-two punch in the rotation and, frankly, with the future addition of Noah Syndergaard, it might even go 1-2-3.

I agree with Hart. Make selective trades and free agent signings that can help the team fill immediate holes and target your goals to 2015.

 

Daniel Murphy  -

Murphy is a converted corner infielder whose bat played a role in landing in the middle infield.  Brought through the system as a third basemen, his hitting proved too valuable to leave off of the lineup card.  With the corner spot taken by David Wright, the Mets needed to find somewhere for him to play.  After a failed experiment in the outfield, Murphy has settled in nicely at second base.  The transition came with a learning curve, but over the last few years his defense has turned from a liability, to a very serviceable attribute.  For the moment, second base seems to be one of the few questions the major league team has going into the 2014 season. http://metsminors.net/mets-organizational-depth-chart-second-base/

                Mack – This may be a typo. I consider second base one of the few area the Mets don’t have to work on for 2014. You have Murphy and Wilmer Flores and they should be able to work out one of these guys here. I always liked Murphy here and have learned to realize that Flores just may be a man without a National League position.

 

The Mets expect Wally Backman to return as manager of Triple-A Las Vegas in 2014, a team insider said (Rubin, Oct. 19). According to Rubin’s source, no other organization has asked to interview Backman for a manager, although it’s possible Backman could still be hired to be part of another big league coaching staff. http://metsblog.com/metsblog/nationals-to-hire-matt-williams-as-manager/

                Mack – I would have expected that two old war horses like Wally and TC would be tight, but I guess I’m wrong. People in both Binghamton and Las Vegas have said he has done great work with the kids, but he just doesn’t seem to fit into the Sandy-Mets anymore. I will be surprised if he’s 2014. I really will be.

 

Eric Simon -

If I’m making an educated guess on which player from the 2013 World Series rosters was most likely to be a New York Met in 2014, my pick would be Boston Red Sox shortstop Stephen Drew. Drew is a free agent this offseason and fits a number of the Mets' parameters: He fills a position of significant need, he has skillsets the Mets like and he will come at an affordable price. http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/79068/most-likely-a-met-stephen-drew

                Mack – I can see this happening.

                Drew is obviously an improvement both defensively and offensively. He did hit much better in the band box they call Fenway, but he represents a cost effective solution to the position for the next 2-3 years ($20-30mil range).

                Add to this the fact that his beard is the same size as Daniel Murphy and that alone should end the debate, right?

                Look, go back and look at the tape of Game 2… this guy wound be a wonderful addition in the field and a WAR improvement over either Ruben Tejada or Omar Quintanilla.

                He also could hold the fort down until the kiddies grow (Gavin Cecchini, Amed Rosario).

 

Brian Joura -

Given Matz’ health issues, it’s entirely possible that 17-year-old Jose Medina is the best lefty starter in the system. While he pitched this year in the Dominican, Medina is from Mexico, where he was signed by scout Gabriel Low. This year in the DSL, he appeared in 12 games, all starts, and posted a 0.35 ERA with a 6.8 K/BB ratio. That performance led him to be the starting pitcher in the DSL All-Star game and also his selection as a Sterling Award winner. On the press release announcing the Sterling Awards, it said that his 0.35 ERA was the lowest in minor league baseball among pitchers with at least 50 IP. http://mets360.com/?p=19451

                Mack – Brian knows that if you have to reach into the DSL system to find your best current prospects, it speaks volumes to how bad your current system is stocked.

I can’t get excited about anyone in the DSL system. I remind people all the time… go to www.Milb.com and click on ‘stats’.  Tune up the DSL league and click on their stat leaders. You will see you can go back around 10 years and see the season leaders in all hitting and pitching categories. The bottom line is no one has heard anything from most of these guys since.

Medina has a good chance to come stateside in the spring. I believe he was in Florida last month. I clearly list Matz as the top lefthander in the system and I’ll revisit this guy around a year from now.

 

Terry Collins –

                “We’ve got to find us somebody who can keep the opposing pitchers from pitching around David Wright. That’s one of the things we will be looking for in the offseason.”

                Mack – Interesting quote today. Collins wouldn’t be saying this if it was in the plans.

                It doesn’t take much to make this a better offense. You place a viable #4 after Wright, followed by a rejuvenated Duda or Davis, all of a sudden you have a potential lethal #6 in d’Arnaud.

                But, of course, this was the 2013 lineup with Marlon Byrd.

Draft 14 - A Quick Look At - OF - Carl Chester - Lake Brantley (FL) HS

Carl Chester

 

7-2-13  -  2014  - Top 100 High School Prospects -  48. Carl Chester- OF, Lake Brantley (FL) HS http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/jeff-sullivans-top-100-2014-prospects/

7-25-13 – Top 30 High School Prospects For 2014 Draft - 15. Carl Chester, CF, Lake Brantley HS (FL) - 6'0/175, R/R, Draft Day Age: 18.48, Miami commit, Full Report & Video - Quick Take: Chester comes from the school that produced Mariners SS Nick Franklin and has another top round prospect for this year's draft, IF Tate Blackman, as one of the stronger teams in a completely loaded Orlando high school scene. Chester is a plus to plus-plus runner with great feel to hit in games and solid gap power. http://sbb.scout.com/2/1310090.html

2013 East Coast Pro Showcase Top 50 Prospects    - 47. Carl Chester – OF, Lake Brantley (FL) HS - Has game changing speed and a plus arm from the OF. http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/sullys-top-50-ecp-prospects/

8-14-13 – Through The Fence – Top 50 Prospects – 43. Carl Chester, OF, Lake Brantley HS (FL) - A plus/plus runner who has been times at 6.28 in the 60, the right-hander can wreak havoc on the base paths, as well as in the outfield where you’d be hard pressed to hit anything over his head. At 6’-0” and 170 pounds, he also shows some raw power in his swing and excellent bat speed. A quick-twitch athlete with a lot of upside. He stole 18 of 20 bases as a junior and struck out just 11 times over 110 plate appearances. Committed to Miami. http://throughthefencebaseball.com/2014-mlb-draft-top-50-prospects/36463#mwWwsFxSUZy7YC5V.99

9-11-13 - Sully’s 2014 Top 100 MLB HS Draft Prospects – 77.Carl Chester – OF, Lake Brantley (FL) HS  http://www.ninebaseball.org/Wordpress/sullys-2014-top-100-mlb-hs-draft-prospects/

Draft 15 – Brandon Rodgers, Kyle Dean, Jahmai Jones, Garrett Gray, Kyle Molnar

10-5-13 - Jeff Sullivan ‏@JSully12 - Brendan Rodgers is the real deal! Have him at 2 right now in the country for the 2015 class. Stood out big time at TOS.

10-4-13 – ScoutingBaseball.com - 50 Names To Watch In The 2015 Prep Class - 2. Kyle Dean   OF   Poway (CA)   San Diego http://sbb.scout.com/2/1332771.html

9-9-13 – BA Top 2015 HS Prospects – Jahmai Jones SS  6-0 205 R R Wesleyan Roswell GA   Georgia Roadrunners  -  Very good all around player. Hitting tools stood out at WWBA. Impressed at PG Jr. National

9-21-13 – C Garrett Gray (2015) came in to catch the final two innings for the Prospects National Team and showed well defensively. He has a very strong, accurate arm with a nice transfer and popped a 1.94 and 2.00 in his two in-between inning throws. A switch hitter at the plate, Gray has power potential in his strong, quick bat from the right side. .  http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=9017

10-4-13 – ScoutingBaseball.com - 50 Names To Watch In The 2015 Prep Class - 5. Kyle Molnar   RHP   Aliso Niguel (CA)   UCLA  http://sbb.scout.com/2/1332771.html

The LTJ Editorial: “It's just a game, right folks?”

“The LTJ Editorial”
Author: Luis Tirado Jr.
Date: 10-25-13
Twitter: @LTJ81
Website: http://www.TheNYExpress.com

“It's just a game, right folks?”

A few days ago, a man was arrested for tweeting severe threats to players of the NY Mets, other members of the team, and saying that Citi Field would be bombed. NY Giants Running Back Brandon Jacobs was threatened on Twitter as well yesterday. A man tweeted him that if he didn't run for a lot of yards and score touchdowns against the Philadelphia Eagles, it would be over for him and his family. This so-called “fan” even ended it using a racial slur. Some college football teams have banned players from even having their own Twitter accounts due to “distractions” off the field. Over the past few years personally, I've grown to love Twitter over any other social media outlet, even more than Facebook. It's a place where sports fanatics like me don't have to worry about silly statuses, thousands of pictures of food posted, or read how people enjoyed their lunches or naps. Twitter is all about information and having it customized just the way you want it. Lately though, it's been used as an outlet to violently vent some frustration directly to those that caused it... the players.

Many high profile sports athletes have an official Twitter tag. It's a way to advertise products, charity events, and just promote anything to your followers. Most of the time, you can actually tweet directly to your favorite athlete. This is an easy way to let them know you're a fan, how great they are doing, or lately, how much they need to disappear off the face of the planet. The latest involving the Mets fan who tweeted to almost every official Twitter player account of the team definitely took things way too far. I know these past few years have been really hard being a Mets fan, but nowhere near the extremes to start violating the livelihood of the players you root for. Could this fan have had some mental issues? Had he not been arrested, could he have done any serious damage to a Mets player? We'll never know, but I'm glad he's been taken into custody and away from the team I root for and the stadium I call my second home.

If you are frustrated with a player or team, then don't watch them. Don't attend their games, don't buy their merchandise, and just block them out of your everyday routine. To resort to threatening players on Twitter is sad since the majority of the time, they all tweet good things. I follow all my favorite teams/players and enjoy what they contribute. Even when the going gets tough, they show their human side and how they will practice harder to get that win. It's also pathetic how these so-called “fans” will threaten players based on something as silly as a Fantasy League. I've never done a Fantasy League before but am part of one for this NFL Season. I'm not going to lie, it's extremely fun and addictive. Every week I'm checking the ESPN Fantasy Football app on my iPhone to see who will be in my starting lineup and adjusting where need be. It's great, even more so since I play with a bunch of good friends of mine. You know the most obvious thing people forget about what makes Fantasy Leagues so great? It's actually in the name.... FANTASY!

Shocking I know. It's all a game when you really think about it. The players in any Fantasy League accumulate stats based on what they do in real life, nothing more, nothing else. To think that some so-called “fan” would tweet racial slurs and family threats over something as silly as that is beyond ridiculous. Hopefully fans remember that at the end of the day, it's all just a game. No need to tweet things that embarrass yourself and the organization you claim to be a fan of. Remember, part of being a fan is going through the ups and downs of sports. Your team won't win a championship every single year and some of your favorite players will get into slumps. Real fans root for them no matter what, not bash them on Twitter for something as minor as Fantasy League points.

Stay classy, folks.