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SS Campbell
2021 Campbell stat line - 44-G, 173-AB, .405/.488/.746/12-HR, 58-RBI, only 30-K
Mack's spin -
Already moving quickly up the boards.
Yes, he comes from a small school, but you can not ignore a season were someone hit .405.
Came up string at the Cape this summer as well, against big time competition.
Great glove.
Currently my 5th SS in a talented field.
8-24-21 - Prospects Live - top Cape players -
SHORTSTOP
EAST
Zach Neto (Campbell)
Coming off a big year at Campbell, scouts were looking for Zach Neto to impress them against stiffer competition and impress he did. Neto showed at least above average power with advanced feel for hitting and projection. His .304/.439/.587 slash with three homers highlights a mature approach at the plate with plenty of thump. Neto was a consistent defensive performer with the arm and glove to be an asset at shortstop long-term at the highest level. He currently tracks as a first rounder in the 2022 draft and represents some of the highest ceiling on this list for my money.
8-13-21 - Cam Lanzilli @LanzilliCam
Sit back and watch it! Zack Neto (2022 elig.) gets every bit of this one for a 2-run BOMB. Really fun player to watch at the plate and on the dirt. Love the actions at SS and a ton of juice in the bat.
7-27-21 - Prospect Love Top 100 2022 Prospects -
#30 Zach Neto SS Campbell
Neto really exudes confidence and athleticism at the plate. He extends really well and has a knack for catching the ball out in front, tapping into a lot of his raw power. He's a good hitter with a track record of success at school and on the cape as well. Really good feel for tempo on the dirt with soft hands and body control. Can also steal a bag. Arm might only be average. Whether he ends up at second base, shortstop or anywhere else on the diamond, Neto has a pretty complete profile that will appeal to teams.
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Click here for the full list of Mack's 2022 MLB Draft Scouting Reports.
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Stats:
8-25-21 - Prospects Live - Top Canadian Prospects -
OWEN DIODATI
University of Alabama, OF/DH
The former catcher originally drafted by the Blue Jays (2019, 29th rd) has a strong, well-built body with burgeoning power potential. He’s a good athlete and moves well for someone his size. That said, Diodati likely projects to a corner outfield position with a plus arm at the next level. The lefty bat needs to continue refine his plate discipline, carrying a K-rate close to 30 percent in the Cape this summer and in the spring for the Crimson Tide. While the swing and miss is a concern, he’s a promising hitter with a power bat and good character. Definitely a name to watch as the NCAA season arrives next spring.
2021 Crimson Tide stat line - 56-G, 200-AB, .230/.314/,420, 11-HR
Mack's spin -
Prospect Live ranks Diodato as the 88th overall prospect in this draft.
I love the 11 home runs. but the .230-BA prevents me from getting behind this guy yet.
Right now he's my 11th outfielder and, at best, a late 3rd round pick.
8-25-21 - Prospect Pipeline @TheProsPipeline
A look a the arsenal of Dylan Lesko of Buford High School (2022) w/ a little Pitching Ninja type overlay.Lesko is the top ranked pitcher in the country and a Vandy boys commit. FB worked mostly 95/6 Touching 97, CB 78, CH 80-83
Brian Sakowski @B_Sakowski_PG
Seen a lot of “oh man, Lesko is really good, might be a top 10 pick” recently…welcome to each of the last 4 years. Been a dude for a long time. PGAAC was just the latest entry in the dude diary.
Mack's spin -
Nothing has changed here.
My #2 RHP and a top 5 five pick in the draft.
8-24-21 - Joe Doyle @JoeDoyleMiLB
Why is nobody talking about Tennessee OF Drew Gilbert for the 2022 MLB Draft? .274/.341/.437 w/10 HR, 13-percent K-rate. 80% contact-rate. Aggressive approach, covers every zone. 55+ raw, enormous bat speed, 55 run, 60 arm, explosive athleticism/twitch. Top 100 upside, easy.
Mack's spin -
"A top 100 upside, easy"?
The fact is the only ink I have on Gilbert is two blurbs written by Joe Doyle.
Only my 23rd outfielder.
8-23-21 - Perfect Game All-American Classic @PGAllAmerican
Jurrangelo Cjintje (Curaçao) with a fun inning! 93-95 from the right side & 88 mph from the left side, good SL too w/ 2500 rpm of spin
Mack's spin -
Love the name. but only ink, and far too early to rank.
8-16-21 - Prospects Live - Pacific Northwest Prospects -
WILLIAM KEMPNER
Right-Handed Pitcher
Gonzaga
William Kempner throws an electric fastball up to 96 with a changeup in the upper-80s with diving action. His slider made strides in 2021 and is now a sharp breaking ball up to 83. Kempner must continue to show improvements with his command, as well as show pitchability and perform at a high level.
Mack's spin -
Now ink continues to pour in which is just great.
Another 'far too early' name.
--------------------------------------Click here for the full list of Mack's 2022 MLB Draft Scouting Reports.
As a mere fan on the outside looking in, there are things I will never know, but would love to. The following is a rambling of a few questions that I have asked myself and anyone else that might be in earshot. Some have answers, some do not. Some will become known with time, others may or may not.
Here goes, in no particular order.
OK, wrong, I'll focus first on something that has really been bugging me a lot. I believe these fall under the category of 'somebody knows, but I never will'.
The saga of Kumar Rocker.
- Should the Mets have known about his medical info prior to the draft?
- Did the other team selecting ahead of them? If so, why and how?
- What is the nature of the medical issue that was so bad it submarined the whole process?
- If it was something fixable, why not just sign him and fix it?
- The guy is a seemingly athletic at 22 years old very good pitcher when healthy. Why is six million dollars in Steve Cohen and other baseball money too much to fix him? They have wasted a lot more than that on a lot less reward.
- What role did Boras have is (a) his drop to #10 selection and (b) his non-signing. Seems counter intuitive to think that this would have been in anybody's best interest.
- Obviously this looks bad from a team PR perspective, but who is really at fault? Should we go through life believing that the front office fumbled it, and if so, why?
- And anything else, because I don't know jack about this fiasco, and wish I had a reasonable story to rest with.
Moving on to other more random baseball queries:
- Will David Peterson ever live up to his first round draft status?
- What is really wrong with the Mets offense with almost every batter doing poorly? Is it a coincidence that the entire team is going through a full year slump?
- What kind of a hitter/player is Jeff McNeil? Can he find the missing magic? Is he a Daniel Murphy?
- After all the bashing Pete Alonso took for his 'poor' year in 2020, is he really better in 2021?
- What is Michael Conforto's statistical ceiling?
- What is Michael Conforto's next contract ceiling?
- While we all were optimistic in April that 2021 would be the Mets best year in a long time, it has proven to be anything but. How far away is this team from winning?
- Back in June when the Mets got to 10 games over .500, it seemed that they were playing with a lot of character and energy with many last or late inning rallies. That all has changed after the all-star break. Now they seem to be flat and energy-less. Did they go down with Lindor? Something else? Or was it my imagination that they actually looked like a pretty good team at one point?
- Is Brandon Nimmo a useful player going forward? With only four homers on the year but an OPS north of .810, is that good enough to be a starting outfielder?
- Is Tylor Megill a long term member of the rotation? Does he need a little rest? The pitches that resulted in a couple of the homers he gave up the other night looked really flat - no movement on them at all. He has thrown a lot of innings of late (for him). I think I saw someone suggest that he be shut down .. perhaps that would be the best?
There are many more questions popping up daily, but I'll save some for later. Every player on the roster could be included.
I could picture, if the Mets changed their name to the New York Bravehearts, and Mel Gibson became their Scottish-accented manager, he might ask exactly that question.
"WHAT ARE WE, MEN?
SLUGGERS?
OR SLUGGARDS?"
We all know what the answer is.
Sluggards.
"Are we mice or men?"
Avoid the mousetraps, fellas.
Doth I protest too much?
Well, through Thursday night, the Mets had played 127 games, with 35 games to go, and had scored 473 runs...only AAA Pittsburgh is worse, and not by much at all.
Let's hypothetically say the Mets have to play the full 162 games, but the top 10 scoring teams in baseball were given the last 5 weeks off as a reward for their scoring prowess.
What would it take the Mets to catch up in runs? Here goes:
ASTROS 683 RUNS: the Mets would need to score 6 runs a game to catch the vacationing Astros.
TAMPA 674 RUNS: shocking to me that the low budget Rays are such a potent scoring team. To catch up to the chillin' Rays, the Mets would have to score 5.7 runs over their last 35 games.
DODGERS 661 RUNS: you'd figure they'd be a top 3 scoring team. While they spent the last 5 weeks at Disneyland in masks, the Mets would have to score 5.4 runs per game over their last 35 to catch them.
RED SOX 655 RUNS: while the Red Sox ground crew tore up and replanted the grass at Fenway, the Mets would need 5.2 runs per game to catch up.
REDS 647 RUNS: while the Reds hung out on a 35 day cruise with Johnny Bench and Pete Rose, the Mets would have to score 5 runs per game to catch the Reds.
BLUE JAYS 636 RUNS: the Jays could fly south for the winter right now and the Mets would need to average 4.7 runs per game to catch up to them birdies.
White Sox 634 RUNS: the White Sox could get away from murderous Chicago for 7 weeks, and the Low Socks Mets would need to average 4.7 runs per game to catch up to them.
GIANTS 617 RUNS: the SFG players could spend 5 weeks listening to the stories of the Say Hey Kid, and meanwhile, the Mets would need to score 3.8 runs per game to draw even.
BRAVES 616 RUNS: while Acuna Jr heals more, and Ozuna serves more of of time in the penalty box, the Mets would need to score 3.8 runs per game to draw even.
PADRES 596 runs: San Diego could go on a 5 week padre-led spiritual retreat, and the Mets would need 3.5 runs per contest to have a prayer of catching up.
Those 10 teams averaged 642 runs.
The Mets? 473.
Which is 3.5 Mets runs per game.
The Mets' Hitters are Sluggards.
The Mets' hitters are Mice.
The Mets are one of 3 teams under 500 runs. The 4th worst, Miami, has scored 38 more runs. The 20th ranked Yankees have scored 81 more runs than the Mets.
You know what the wonder is?
How the heck were the Mets still so close to .500 as I write this?
Because the mousey, sluggardly hitting Metsies have been that woeful.
Saturday night, the sluggers showed up. They will need to become sluggers extrordinaire in September to climb back into the race.
But then we see this ultra-bizarre occurrence:
SANDY ALDERSON SAID THE FOLLOWING:
In a post-game press conference today, Javy Baez stated that his “thumbs down” gesture during the game was a message to fans who recently have booed him and other players for poor performance. These comments, and any gestures by him or other players with a similar intent, are totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
Mets fans are understandably frustrated over the team’s recent performance. The players and the organization are equally frustrated, but fans at Citi Field have every right to express their own disappointment. Booing is every fan’s right.
The Mets will not tolerate any player gesture that is unprofessional in its meaning or is directed in a negative way toward our fans. I will be meeting with our players and staff to convey this message directly.
Mets fans are loyal, passionate, knowledgeable and more than willing to express themselves. We love them for every one of these qualities.
BEYOND BIZARRE: I wonder how the Mets will “not tolerate” this. Me? Absent a profuse apology, and perhaps suspensions, one thing I won’t do…
WASTE A SINGLE MOMENT MORE WATCHING THESE MORONS.
So what kind of team do fans really want to see come 2022? Certainly everyone wants one that is competitive with a chance to win every game. They no longer want to assume it’s a lost cause once they fall behind by a run or two. They want to see energy, enthusiasm, fundamentals and smiles. Fans are tired of the drudgery of players seemingly sleepwalking through the 9 innings until it’s time to retire to the clubhouse spread of food and the big paycheck awaiting them at the end of the month.
Getting back to the original question, how should the club start to assemble itself to become this type of team? Some folks want Steve Cohen to channel his inner George Steinbrenner and overpay for every free agent available to become a part of the Mets. There’s some merit to that approach when you put a past All Star at every position on the field, but there’s no guarantee either. Wasn’t Francisco Lindor an All Star? Wasn’t Javy Baez an All Star? Wasn’t Michael Conforto an All Star? Wasn’t James McCann an All Star? Putting former All Stars on your roster sounds good in theory, but the backs of baseball cards aren’t what makes teams win now.
Then there is the polar opposite approach, building up through the minors and bringing in more high level minor leaguers from other teams in salary dumping trades. This philosophy has also been known to work where teams who are unexpectedly good play small ball, emphasize fundamentals, steal bases, bunt runners over, hit behind people, go against the shift and create a long term success based upon low cost and youth.
Then there’s a hybrid solution in which you grow or acquire the youngsters to build for the future and supplement them with proven talent you already have or you acquire. This method doesn’t put all your eggs into the basket of youth nor does it require you solely to dig deep into your pockets for the salary requirement for past accomplishments of veterans. You kind of hedge your bets through both extremes and seek to balance things out.
Now the problem with that third option is how you manage it. Right now there are no folks printing jerseys demanding Luis Rojas return. It means you need a creative, energetic and effective leader who can motivate the young ballplayers to work hard and perfect their techniques. However, this same manager must also be able to keep the veterans from becoming prima donnas who are too lazy to work on their game.
As much as I hate to place the player performance responsibilities on the manager, changing from the top down has got to help. It’s clear that Rojas is not the person who is influencing these players effectively. Whether it’s the veteran stars like Lindor or the up and comers (if the Mets actually had any), the fact is they are all falling flat on their faces. I find it hard to believe every man would slump at the very same time for the course of an entire season. A leader would be able to motivate some improvement out of somebody. Rojas is proving he’s not the man for the job.
Good Morning. Born Today Tug McGraw. Happy Birthday to Marlon Byrd. and Sean Reid-Foley. Mets win while giving fans thumbs down. Syracuse ties, Binghamton wins, Brooklyn and St. Lucie fall.
Section Links: Mets Links, MLB Links, Minor League Links, This Day in Mets History and Comments.
JAVY BÁEZ FOR THE LEAD!! pic.twitter.com/cxs4vz3mPp
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 29, 2021
Dom Smith comes through off the bench! The Mets take a 5-3 lead! pic.twitter.com/mElN1BpwoA
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 29, 2021
A home run is a home run. AND THIS WAS A 2 RUN SHOT FROM JONATHAN VILLAR!! pic.twitter.com/F1YY2UvuRM
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 29, 2021
LINDOR! A 2 run double extends the Mets lead and it's 9-4!! pic.twitter.com/GHaHUveJu2
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 29, 2021
THE METS WIN!! pic.twitter.com/rzmPPJdU0h
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 29, 2021
Jonathan Villar says "we forgot about the past" when asked about the team's recent approach pic.twitter.com/syoJ3NEYLl
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 29, 2021
Javier Báez says the thumbs down celebration is in response to the fans booing the team
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 29, 2021
"I play for the fans and I love the fans but if they're gonna do that, they're putting more pressure on the team" pic.twitter.com/cjUER4M2Pt
Javier Báez talks more about the booing and if he wants to remain in New York past this season
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 29, 2021
"The boos don't bother me" pic.twitter.com/EFFZFcH1iN
Luis Rojas after being asked how he feels about fans booing
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 29, 2021
"They have the right to react however they want" pic.twitter.com/ZSeteBJ6Kx
More from Luis Rojas on Javier Báez and his comments
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 29, 2021
"He's a really good kid so it's something that'll be apart of his learning experience" pic.twitter.com/rQiUcrQ91f
Does Luis Rojas need to address the players about the booing?
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 29, 2021
"It's something we can definitely talk about" pic.twitter.com/6Qjbu5Gkx7
Mets president Sandy Alderson condemns the Mets' "thumbs-down" gesture in a statement:
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 30, 2021
"The Mets will not tolerate any player gesture that is unprofessional in its meaning or is directed in a negative way toward our fans." https://t.co/4fE3q2Fdys pic.twitter.com/9zWRcUO36Y
.@AnthonyMcCarron joins @CWilliamson44 to discuss Javy Báez's "thumbs-down" comments, Sandy Alderson's forceful response, and how this situation impacts the team going forward:
— SNY (@SNYtv) August 30, 2021
➡️ @GEICO pic.twitter.com/lFj4L99y47
Francisco Lindor, Javier Báez and Kevin Pillar were among those Mets players to flash thumbs-down signs after their hits today.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 29, 2021
"When we don't get success, we're going to get booed," Báez explained afterward. "So they [the fans] are going to get booed when we get success." pic.twitter.com/TGX55fQM2O
Here's an early look at Monday's back pages from the NY Post, Daily News and Newsday. pic.twitter.com/ngYuvidrLb
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 30, 2021
Mike Piazza: “Getting booed is not fun. And you can do one of two things: You can rebel and let it defeat you, or you can focus and let it motivate you."
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) August 30, 2021
Johan Santana: “…but they’re also going to let you know when you’re doing bad. If you understand that, (you will) be fine.” https://t.co/0hxB6XiKcQ
You can stop the boos if you start the winning #LGM #LFGM https://t.co/qDwOXtzPNy
— Rising Apple (@RisingAppleBlog) August 30, 2021
Beaz needs to grow a pair. If you get booooooooooood in nyc you deserve it….because when you deliver you’re a god. That’s facts.
— Paul Lo Duca (@paulloduca16) August 30, 2021
— Metstradamus (@Metstradamus) August 29, 2021
Noah Syndergaard is asymptomatic, plus the standard timeline to return and other details in this updated story: https://t.co/Au3zuKKhMd
— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) August 29, 2021
Jonathan Villar is one of 13 National League players with at least 15 homers and 10 steals. It's a group that includes Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Fernando Tatis Jr., among others.
— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 29, 2021
Mets 7, Nationals 3, bottom six.
Mack's Mets: PRESS RELEASE: STATEMENT FROM METS PRESIDENT SANDY ALDERSON
NY Post:
Mets.com:
Brooklyn Trolley Blogger: Aberdeen Ironbirds Salvage Finale; Brooklyn Cyclones Still Take Series , 4-3
For the complete Mets Minor League statistics click here.
Here is yesterday's MLB Scoreboard.
MLB.com:
FOX Sports:
MLB Trade Rumors:
#SFGiants have released RHP Gerson Bautista.
— MiLB-Transactions (@tombaseball29) August 30, 2021
Yahoo Sports:
ESPN:
CBS Sports:
Braves.com:
Marlins.com:
Phillies.com:
Nationals.com:
Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:
Born on this date:
Transactions:
New York Mets sold Dale Murray to the Montreal Expos on August 30, 1979.
New York Mets traded Julio Machado and Kevin Brown to the Milwaukee Brewers for Charlie O'Brien and Kevin Carmody on August 30, 1990.
Montreal Expos claimed Orlando Mercado of the New York Mets on waivers on August 30, 1990.
New York Mets traded Nikco Riesgo and Rocky Elli to the Philadelphia Phillies for Tom Herr on August 30, 1990.
New York Mets traded Archie Corbin to the Kansas City Royals for Pat Tabler on August 30, 1990.
New York Mets traded Nelson Cruz to the Oakland Athletics for Jorge Velandia on August 30, 2000.
New York Mets traded Victor Diaz to the Texas Rangers for Mike Nickeas on August 30, 2006.
New York Mets traded Matt Koch and Miller Diaz to the Arizona Diamondbacks for Addison Reed on August 30, 2015.
1965 | Casey Stengel, who is recovering from a fractured hip suffered a month ago, officially announces his retirement as the skipper of the Mets, ending a 56-year career in baseball as a player, coach, and manager. At an hour-long press conference held at the Essex House, Casey's N.Y. residence, the "Old Perfessor' shares his disappointment in the team's performance during their first four and a half seasons in the National League and praises his interim replacement, Wes Westrum, the club's former pitching coach. |
1966 | Sandy Koufax, in his final decision facing the Mets, lasts only two innings, losing to Bob Friend at Shea Stadium, 10-4. The Dodgers Hall of Fame southpaw has compiled a 17-2 record against the lowly expansion team since their inception in 1962. |
1973 | The Mets lose to the Cardinals, 1-0, thanks to a Jose Cruz tenth inning walk-off single off Tom Seaver at Busch Stadium. The defeat drops the eventual National League champs into last place, 6.5 games behind the first-place Redbirds. |
1986 | New York releases Let's Go Mets Go!, a music video that features players, coaches, and fans, along with a cameo appearance by Joe Piscopo. Shelly Palmer, known professionally as Shelton Leigh Palmer, composed and produced the official team's theme song, that becomes a Gold Record, as well as directing and producing the accompanying music video, which will go triple platinum. |
1999 | At the Astrodome, Edgardo Alfonzo becomes the first player in the Mets' 38-year history to go 6-for-6, scoring six times, and drives in five runs. The second baseman hits three homers, two singles, and a double for a team-record 16 total bases in New York's 17-1 rout of Houston. |
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