John’s #6: - Cory Vaughn, OF, Grade B-: Tools are excellent. If he maintains the improved approach he showed in the NY-P, he'll blossom.
I currently have Vaughn at #34, which is a hell of a lot higher that I had him on draft day.
Just to keep things honest, this was my analysis written the day after the draft of the Vaughn pick:
“Well, it didn’t take long for the Mets to pull one out of their arse. I have basically nothing on Vaughn, other than a couple of 200+ round picks on some early mocks. It is very hard to find anything positive about this guy, other than the fact that his father was named Greg. He seems to swing at anything that’s thrown his way and has been one of the divisional strikeout leaders, both in school and the Cape Cod League. Had 55-K in 180-AB and 180-K in 592-AB career wise. Multiple scouting services have reported that his hitting mechanics are horrible. Projection: Boy, who the heck knows. Personally, I’m pissed that left on the board were RHP Sam Dyson and LHP James Paxton, and, if you wanted a toosy outfielder, what about Cody Hawn or Austin Wilson? Look, I have no problem drafting someone that shows potential, but save these kind of picks until the 15th round. There is no way of projecting any kind of ETA on this kid. Everything I have read said he is not a potential major leaguer. ETA: never Draft Grade: F”
I believe, at this point, that I was a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit harsh with Vaughn and this might be a great pick. I’m nowhere ready to place him in the top 10. Yes, I have younger and less experienced players in my top 10, but that’s based on their tools. Vaughn still had a miserable college and, if I was wrong on draft day, then so were all the so-called experts that didn’t pick him on any of their mock drafts.
Cory will have a chance to continue to prove us all wrong in April when he plays for Lucy.
UPDATE: - Congratulations to Cyclones slugger Cory Vaughn, who was named the 2010 Topps NYPL Player of the Year!
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My initial thoughts on J.P. Ricciardi:
I’m very happy he has been hired, but I am also very happy he isn’t the General Manager.
He is so much better of an Assistant to Sandy Alderson as Omar Minaya was to Steve Phillips, but he has had a long history of creating bad contracts.
He also has had some difficulty communicating ABOUT potential players in the media, rather than communicate TO the media about the same players… go Google his name and Adam Dunn…
I don’t think a team like the Mets can have enough good heads around, but I assume this is a six-figure job with a ton of perks. What if more “assistants” that used to be General Managers are also hired? How much money can be spent on this? Add in Ricco’s salary and don’t you have enough for a pretty decent ballplayer from the free agency list?
I know, I can’t have it both ways, so, like I said, I’ll take the suits and wait and see how the team builds.
I have this feeling that there won’t be any players named Frank Cantalanotto on this roster.
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I see online that Adam Rubin/ESPN is catching some heat for some of his comments about Wally Backman.
No one understands the backlash more than I when it comes to writing information based on “sources”. My story on the Mets signing Oliver Perez was both an exclusive and correct, though I caught a ton of crap when I posted it (interesting was no one gave me credit when it proved to be true…). My recent incorrect posting was due to my confusion with the information given me, but it cost me big time in the community.
“Source” material is tempting to print.
I know Adam. He was very kind to me when we first met. He has been very successful and, in my opinion, seems to out-scoop the other Mets beat reporters more often than they scoop him. I was surprised he dropped his guard on a question and answer session which, frankly, was unnecessary. Adam works long into the day and, IMO, is one of the hardest working Mets reporters in the business.
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I hate off-season minor league cuts.
And I especially hate off-season cuts of guys that have been on the DL list.
I know there are only 25 men on a 25-man squad (duh), and I write about 300+ kids on the minor league rosters, so most of the people I get to know go away.
Doesn’t mean I have to like it.
RHP Sal Aguilar: - Aguilar is a very good pitcher who got hurt:
Aguilar played College ball at Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho, where he was tied for 1st in team wins in his senior year (8), struck out 55 and compiled a 2.92 ERA. He also was 9th all time in strikeouts per 9 innings (minimum 40 IP), with 10.10.
Aguilar was drafted by the Mets in the 29th round of the 2005 draft and was immediately signed and assigned to Brooklyn, where he went 5-0 2.24 ERA. He was used as a reliever in Brooklyn except for 2 games which he started… and posted a 0.00 ERA. Guess what? In 2006, he was turned into a starting pitcher at Hagerstown, where he had no decisions in 5 starts; however, he was then promoted to St. Lucie (A+) and started 19 games, going 7-5/3.25/1.37.
His 2 year minor league stats on 3 teams total to 12-5/2.87/1.26. A true pleasant surprise in 2006.
In 2007, Aguilar pitched the entire season for Binghamton, going 7-9, 5.81, 1.72 in 20 appearances, 2 starts.
On July 30, 2008, Aguilar was placed on the DL with a “right elbow ulnar collateral ligament tear”. There’s a good chance he won’t be back until the 2010 season. He was having a wonderful season: 10-3, 3.14, 1.25 in 24 games, 14 starts.
RHP Jake Goldberg: - Jake was 146th on “The Keepers” list:
Goldberg was drafted by the New York Mets in the 36th round of the 2008 draft.
From www.cofcsports.com: - 2007 - Appeared in 17 games ... made seven starts ... had one complete game ... 6-1 with a 3.72 ERA ... 82.1 innings pitched ... 88 hits ... 45 runs ... 34 earned runs ... 26 walks ... 49 strikeouts ... opponents hit .270 ... 1-1 with a 5.40 ERA in six SoCon assignments ... pitched a complete-game, five-hitter in Charleston's 7-0 win over The Citadel with five strikeouts ... allowed two runs over eight innings with four strikeouts against Charleston Southern ... had a career-high eight strikeouts against Davidson ...
Goldberg pitched the 2008 season for the GCL Mets, going 1-4, 7.52, 1.82 in 12 appearances (1 start). He had 29 Ks in 28.1 IP.
In 2009, Goldberg split time between Brooklyn (0-0, 1.93, in six appearances, 11-K, 9.1-IP) and Savannah (1-2, 2.89, 25 appearances, 27-K, 37.1-IP).
2010 Forecast: Goldberg put together a very nice season in 2009. He helped Brooklyn in their playoff run and cominated for Savannah. It’s far too early to project him, but I look for him tobe an important part of the St. Lucie bullpen.
10-19-10: - Pitchers Jake Goldberg and Dylan Owen also checked in. Goldberg was a 36th rounder in the 2008 draft that had a wonder 2009, splitting time between Brooklyn (0-0, 1.93, 6-G, 11-K, 9.1-IP) and Savannah (1-2, 2.89, 25-G), when back problems set in. He missed the entire 2010 season due to surgery and said today that he feels great, has finished up with his rehabbing, and throwing in August. Jake says he’s ready for the beginning of ST.
RHP Brian Needham: -
28th round pick in the 2009 draft:
2009 for Kingsport: 1-3, 5.72, 15-appearances
2010 for Brooklyn/St. Lucie: 0-0, 5.68, 16-appearances
RHP Trey Rackel: - Trey was 147th on “The Keepers” list:
Rackel was signed as an undrafted player right after this year’s draft and was assigned to the GCL Mets.
From www.lamarcardinals.com: Trey Rackel is a 6-2 right-handed combo pitcher and infielder who is in his sophomore season at Angelina Junior College. He was named to the Region XIV All-Conference team and invited to the Texas Junior College All-Star Game following his 9-2, 3.20 ERA freshman season. He attended Mayde Creek HS in Houston where he was an All-District 19-5A pick.
From http://www.dibollfreepress.com/ : There's a good chance Angelina College sophomore pitcher Trey Rackel will have every opportunity to ply his skills at the mythical next level of collegiate baseball. He's been a mainstay in the Roadrunner pitching rotation all season. Yet it's hard to imagine Rackel ever pitching a bigger game than he did on Saturday in Carthage. With the Roadrunners needing a single win against Panola to clinch the fourth and final playoff berth in the Region XIV East Zone, Rackel spun a real gem against the high-powered Ponies, allowing just one run over eight innings of work.
He impressed throughout the season, converting to relief and producing stats of: 2-2, 3.38, in 15 appearances. He also had 26-K in 26.2-IP, while walking only 11. He was rewarded at the end of the season by being promoted to St. Lucie, where he pitched a scoreless inning on September 2nd.
Rackel loves to pitch at home… 0.56 ERA… which means he doesn’t at away games… 7.59.
2010 Forecast: It’s always a hoot when an undrafted kid does well. The Mets actually found three of them that made this list this year, and though it’s impossible to tell how far they will go, we can safely say that Rackel deserves a bump, at least to Kingsport, but probably Brooklyn.
C Michael Moras: -
20th round pick in 2008
2010 for Savannah/St. Lucie/Binghamton: .167 in 90-AB
OF Charlie Hinojosa: -
Charlie was 134th on “The Keepers” list:
Hinojosa was drafted by the Mets in the 38th round of the 2009 draft.
From: http://www.insidesocal.com/ : - Don Lugo High School's Charlie Hinojosa is going pro. The third baseman drafted in the 39th round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the New York Mets on June 5, confirmed he will sign with the organization. The rocket-armed Hinojosa, who was a good quarterback for Don Lugo and an even better punter, didn't receive much attention from colleges on the football or baseball front despite batting .495 with 38 RBI and six home runs this season. He said it was an easy choice to elect to sign with the Mets, from whom he expects to receive a signing bonus in the $40,000 range.
From: http://www.redlandsdailyfacts.com/ : - Don Lugo third baseman Charlie Hinojosa will celebrate his 18th birthday Monday by signing a contract with the New York Mets, who drafted him in the 39th round of last week's MLB First-Year Player Draft. After that, Hinojosa will fly to Port St. Lucie, Fla., where he'll play for the Mets' Rookie ball team. But starting his professional career isn't going to be the only highlight of Hinojosa's trip. "I've never been to Florida," Hinojosa said. "I went to Montana once for American Legion and have been to Arizona, but besides that, I've stayed in California my whole life."
Hinojosa played sparingly for the 2008 GCL Mets, going .226/.241/.340 in 53 at bats.
In 2009, Hinojosa returned to the GCL team, this time as a third baseman. His stats were fantastic: .323/.387/.441/.828 in 127-AB. He wound up ranked fourth in the league in batting average.
2010 Forcast: - Hinojosa was a pleasant surprise in 2009 and has become one of the top infield prospects down the road. Remember… he was drafted as a catcher. It will be interesting to see where he winds up in 2009. Things are getting a little crowded on third base, prospect wise. Richard Lucas had a great season, and Aderlin Rodriquez, who split time with Hinojosa at GCL, finished strong. Add to that the fact that Jenry Marte will probably repeat Savannah due to a sub-par year there, and no one has any idea who’s going where. Good problem.
I wrote on Feb 10: - Charlie Hinojosa – I love baseball cube’s rating on this kid… batting: 95… speed: 6. Even Rube Walker, the slowest player ever in baseball, had a higher rating than 6! That being said, the dude can hit (.323/.387/.441/.828 for the 2009 GCL Mets). Look for him to play, at least, Brooklyn in 2010, and bite up Marte’s arse at Savannah.
OF John Semel: -
26th round pick in 2009
2009 for Kingsport: .215 in 121-AB
2010 for Kingsport/St. Lucie: .286 in 182-AB
We touched on Semel last week when we discussed the deepness of minor league outfielders roght now. He was slotted to go to St. Lucie, but even a .286 batting average wasn’t going to take a job away from Cory Vaughn, Matt den Dekker, or. Cesar Puello.
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