12/31/21

Player Profile: Carlos Cortes


Carlos Cortes - Photo Courtesy of Ernest Dove


Carlos Cortes 

Background, Stats, Videos.

Background:

OF/2B, Bats Left, Throws Both, DOB 6/30/1997; 5' 7", 197 pounds; Drafted: 2018 June Amateur Draft - Round: 3, Pick: 5, Overall: 5, Team: New York Mets.  Rule 5 Eligible. All three Minor League Options remain.

Carlos started off real hot in 2021, had a tough July but rebounded in August to finish with a solid year.  Always a very good hitter with men on base (.327/.422/.545 with runners in scoring position and 2 outs & .289/.352/.513 overall with runners in scoring position in 2021), the Mets decided to bat him leadoff.  I thought the Mets were not using him correctly. However in 255 plate appearances in the leadoff spot vs. 77 hitting 3rd - he hit .285/.365/.534 in the leadoff spot Vs. .182/.234/.352.  Even hitting leadoff for most of the year, he had the 5th highest RBI total in the Mets minor league system (57) behind Francisco Alvarez (70), Ronny Mauricio/Jose Peroza (64) and Mark Vientos (63).

His solid 2021 led to Carlos being selected to represent the Mets in the Arizona Fall League.  In 17 games he hit .236/.358/.309 with 5 RBIs, 2 doubles, 1 triple.  

After being chosen as one of the 7 to represent the Mets in Arizona, it surprised many that he was not added to the 40 man Mets roster and is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this Winter. 

If he stays with the Mets, I expect him to start the year in Syracuse and possibly make it to Queens as a lefty off the bench if not in 2022 then in 2023.   

Sam Dyksta MiLB.com Meet the Mets' 2021 Organization All-Stars: "Known for his ambidextrous throwing -- righty at second base, lefty in the outfield -- Cortes’ positionality was settled this season when the Mets played him exclusively in the outfield corners with Binghamton....257/.332/.487 line and 14 homers in 79 games. That resulted in a career-best 120 wRC+, making him a solidly above-average hitter for Double-A."

Fangraphs: “'When I was around eight years old, my dad told me that my chances of playing a position would increase if I was able to throw right-handed,'” explained Cortes...“'I didn’t really like it at first — he kind of forced me to do it — but by the time I got to high school, I was pretty natural with it. I caught my first couple years, then played second my junior and senior years, as well as in the outfield. I kind of played everywhere.'”

Mets.com has Carlos as their #11 Mets Prospect.

Mack's Mets Tom Brennan had Carlos as his #8 Prospect saying: "42 XBHs in just over 300 AA at bats? Little guy, with a big XBH bat.  His playing only 34 regular season games after June stifled his stats for 2021; thru June he had a crazy-good 27 XBHs in his first 45 games of 2021."

SNY.TV: Mets top 20 Prospects for 2022 season: #13 Carlos Cortes - "Cortes is a natural hitter packed into a 5-foot-7, 195-pound frame. He has a big effort swing that leans power over contact that led to 26 doubles and 14 home runs in 79 games with Double-A Binghamton."

Mack had Carlos as one of his "Red" prospects in July: "I’m not sure if Cortes is a potential starter in Queens, but he sure is starting to look like a qualified power bat off the bench."

Carlos Cortes' Baseball Savant page: 



FanGraphs:

Hit

Game Power

Raw Power

Speed

Field

FV

40 / 55

45 / 50

55 / 55

40 / 40

20 / 30


40


Stats:

Hitting:


Hitting Splits: 


Fielding:


Videos and Audio:

Before each Binghamton Rumble Ponies game, Announcer Jacob Wilkins interviews the Rumble Pony players, coaches, and staff.  Below is an interview he did in 2021 with Carlos Cortes. 

For all of Jacob’s pregame interviews go here.  

You Tube: Carlos Cortes Reflects on His 2021 Season



MLB.com: Carlos Cortes' three hit Arizona Fall League Game.

 

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RIGHT NOW! The Top 13 LHPs in the 2022 Draft (UPDATED)



(previous rank)  research through 12-29-21

 

1.  Brandon Barriera (1) 

    6-1     170     American Heritage Plantation HS (FL)

        82-IP, 125-K, 1.02 WHIP

92-94, T97, FB, low-80s wipeout slider, mid-80s change-up, 76-78 curve

Comes right at hitters with a bulldog mentality,

Slider seems to be setting up as his go-to pitch. 

Lots of projection left here.

Vandy commit

 

2.  Jackson Ferris (2)

    6-5      190     IMG Academy

        66 1/3-IP, 90-K, 1.12 WHIP

90-94, T97 FB, low-80s change

High spin breaking ball at 75-77.

The fastball is definitely his signature pitch. Downhill angle late riding life.

Has superior control of all three pitches.

@B_Sakowski_PG - “Ferris is the top lefty on our ‘22 PG Draft Board.”

Ole Miss commit

 

3. Carson Whisenhurst (3) 

        6-3     205     East Carolina

2021 ECU stat line -

13-G, 6-2, 3.77, 62-IP, 79-K

Works downhill from a high ¾ slot.

90-94, T-95 fastball. High spin (2,300-2,400 RPMs).

Curve is a low 80s pitch (max 2,600s).

This summer a 71% whiff rate.

Elite change-up.

Will be ECU’s Friday starter.

Many consider him the top college lefty in draft.

 

4. Reggie Crawford (4) 

        6-4     230     UConn

2021 Univ. Connecticut stat line -

51-G, 210-AB, .295/.349/.543, 13-HR

6-games, 1-start, 1-1, 2.35, 7.2-IP, 17-K, 3-BB

Legitimate 2-way prospect.

Ranked as 4th first baseman also.

Loose arm action with a ¾ release.

Fastball sits in upper-90s, tops 101.

High spin fastball (+2,500 RPM).

Low 80s slider and good change.

Out 2022 (TJS).

 

5.  Nate Savino (5) 

       6-3      195     Virginia

2021 stat line -

16-G, 10-starts, 3-3, 3.79, 54.2-IP, 34-K, 16-BB

Mid-90s FB (heavy sink), hi-70s sweeping curve, 80s curve

His slider looks like bread and butter pitch.

 

6.  Noah Shultz (6) 

     6-9     220     Oswego Vandy commit

        18 2/3-IP, 24-K, 1.39 WHIP

89-91, T93 FB (with life), mid-70s slider. 

Low- 80s change, slurvy massive spin breaker.

Slider is a difference maker.

Max Scherzer type release

Very intimidating on the mound. Fastball spins up to 2500 rpm. Super high ceiling.

Vandy commit. Could be tough sign.

  

7. Connor Prelipp (7) 

        6-1      195     Alabama

2021 Alabama Stat Line -

3-starts, 1-1, 3.86, 7-IP, 12-K

0.96 ERA with a 47/7 K/BB ratio in 28 college innings

Monster 2020, beginning with:

26-IP, 0-R, 43-K, 6-BB, 9-H.  

Elbow gave out in 2021 after one start.

Came back too early - TJS - will miss 2022.

FB  93-96, T-97, with command.

88-90 slider, with late break. 

 

8. Parker Messick (8) 

        6-0     230     Florida State

2021 FSU stat line -

23-starts, 3.10

One of the most impressive changeups.

  Two distinct breaking balls.

Sneaky fastball. Sits low 90s.

 

9. Tristan Smith (9) 

        6-2     200      Boiling Springs (SC)

47 1/3-IP, 79 strikeouts, 1.25 WHIP

FB sits low 90s, T-95 - high spin - 2,600 RPM’s

Curve is one of the top secondary pitches in the 2022 prep class. 3,000 RPMs

Slider with elite power and spin.

Commitment: Clemson

 

10.       Bryce Hubbart (10) 

    5-11     180     Florida State

2021 FSU stat line -

16-G, 14-ST, 6-5, 3.80, 71-IP, 94-K

Plus athlete with some potential to add strength.

Really impressed in the Cape this past summer.

Primarily 3-pitch guy

89-92, T-96 FB, 78-80 SL, 74-75-12/6 curve

Been inconsistent at times. 

 

11. Hayden Mullens (new) 

    6-1     195     Auburn

2021 Auburn stat line -

7-appearances, 2-0, 2.38, 11.1-IP, 19-K

Low 90s fastball that projects more coming.

Slider, change-up combo improving.


12. Hunter Barco (new) 

    6-4      208     Florida

2021 stat line -

16-starts, 10-3, 4.01, 83-IP, 94-K

Low-90s, T95 FB, 80-86 slider, splitter and change-up

3/4 arm slot and deceptive delivery

Starting to really fill out his projectable 6’4/220 frame with strength. 

 

13. Cooper Hjerpe (new) 

    6-2     190     Oregon State

2021 Oregon State stat line -

17-G, 16-ST, 3-6, 4.21, 1.17, 77-IP, 98-K

Four pitch mix, and the ability to throw strikes.

Low-90s FB, a cutter, a slider and a changeup.

Some trouble remaining consistent.

Grading systems:

FaBIO score of 99 (100 is the max)

DIGS grade of 89 (100 is the max).

 

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Reese Kaplan -- There Are Pitches Other Than the Fastball


In the quest to find effective pitchers it always seems as if the only metric that major league scouts and teams value is velocity.  No one can deny the rush you get when a batter can't catch up to a hurler's near-100 mph bullet coming over the plate and the loud thwack it makes when it strikes the catcher's glove.  We've all enjoyed the high heat from guys like Doc Gooden, Nolan Ryan, Jacob deGrom and others who have worn Mets uniforms.  


The issue here is that there is more than one way to retire hitters than throwing it by them.  Do you remember the days of R.A. Dickey on the mound throwing his knuckleball that danced and weaved its way around the plate?  How about the sidearm delivery of Jeff Innis who for seven years pitched to a 3.05 ERA out of the bullpen?  What about John Franco's movement on his pitches?  How about the pitchers who got swings on the illusion of a strike?  None of these guys hit 100 on the radar yet they were highly effective at their jobs.

It seems nowadays that pitchers who come up through the minors are hurting themselves even more often than in the past by throwing harder than they should and more often than would be advisable too early in their careers.  The rationale is understandable as they realize that high velocity gets the attention of internal development people and scouts more than any other pitching statistic.  

Back in 1979 Rotisserie League creator of Fantasy Baseball Daniel Okrent developed what he called the Innings Pitched Ratio which evolved into what we now call WHIP.  This new metric is calculated with a simple mathematical formula by adding together Walks plus Hits and dividing that sum but the number of Innings Pitched.  The acronym WHIP reflects the result of this math.  The stat is used for all pitchers, both starters and relievers.

What puzzles me (and brings me back to the obsession with velocity) is that the WHIP numbers usually provide the best indication of a pitcher's ability, more than strikeout totals or the speed of a fastball.  Think for a moment about some of the hard throwing relievers the Mets have had recently like Armando Benitez and Jeurys Familia.  It's great that they could blow the ball by people attempting to hit it.  However, what about all the free passes?


Take Nolan Ryan as a classic example.  No one will deny his fastball was world class though where it was headed was often a bit of a mystery.  There were some seasons during which he issued as many as 5.7 walks per 9 innings pitched.  How much more difficult was he making his job by putting people on base due to poor control?  No one is denying his Hall of Fame career but his final ERA of 3.19 was good but not great.  

Do you want to know who were great?  The all-time leaders in WHIP include Addie Joss (career ERA of 1.89 but kept out due to 9 seasons, falling short of the commissioner's ten year minimum), Hall of Famer Ed Walsh, Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, Hall of Famer Christy Mathewson, Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman and Hall of Famer Monte Ward.  The other three in the top 10 are active pitchers on a prospective Hall of Fame track -- Clayton Kershaw, Jacob deGrom and Chris Sale.  Do you see something in common with keeping guys off base?  

What teams should be doing going forward is valuing control and movement as much as they do velocity.  The best of the best were able to keep players off base which made their overall pitching success easier to achieve.  Right now a pitcher who is not a flamethrower is always in the second or third tier of prospective promotion candidates to hit the majors.  


Even stranger is the disdain most organizations have for anything other than the fastball, slider and curveball.  When was the last time you saw a promotion of a sidearmer, a knuckleballer or a Greg Maddux type who in his 23 year career earned four consecutive Cy Young Awards from 1992 to 1995 and eventually a berth in the Hall of Fame without ever throwing in the upper 90s?  

Just as people tend to evaluate hitters almost exclusively on launch angle, pitching considerations need to be more than about how loudly the smack in the catcher's glove echos off the walls in the stadium.  While no one is advocating the rebirth of the EEphus pitch (also known as the Folly Floater), it would be nice to see contrasts from one pitcher to another to make it more challenging for the batters.  Good control has seemed to have fallen by the wayside and it appears to be time for it to have a renaissance. 

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Yesterday (12/30/21) in Winter Ball - Cano 3 for 5, HR

 


In the Dominican Republic:


Estrellas de Oriente 8 Gigantes del Cibao 0 (Box Score)


Robinson Cano, 2B, 3 for 5, HR, 2 runs scored, 2 RBIs, - hitting .333 with a 1.111 OPS in the playoffs.

Phillip Evans, RF, 1 for 4, run scored, 1 walk  - .400 playoff avg. with .900 OPS.

Jordany Valdespin, DH, 1 for 3, double - .250 playoff avg. with .900 OPS.

Jenrry Mejia, 1 inning, no runs, 1 hit, 1 walk - 18.00 ERA.

Gerson Bautista, 1 inning, no runs, 1 walk - 0.00 ERA.

Ramon E Ramirez, 1 inning, no runs, 1 hit, 1 walk - 0.00 ERA.



Aguilas Cibaenas 4 Tigres del Licey 1 (Box Score)

Juan Lagares, CF, 2 for 4, double, run scored, RBI - hitting .263 playoff avg. with a .632 OPS.

Orlando Calixte, 3B, 0 for 4, - .000 with .000 OPS.

Arodys Vizcaíno, 1/3 inning, 1 run - earned, 2 hits.

In Puerto Rico: 

Cangrejeros de Santurce 6 RA12 3 (Box Score)

Rene Rivera, C, 1 for 2 - .235 Avg.  with .610 OPS. 

Game 1: Criollos de Caguas 5 Gigantes de Carolina 2 (Box Score) 

Johneshwy Fargas, CF, 1 for 4, 1 run scored.

Game 2: Criollos de Caguas 8 Gigantes de Carolina 4 (Box Score) 

Johneshwy Fargas, CF, 0 for 2, 2 runs scored, 1 walk, 1 K - .278 Avg. with .740 OPS

In Venezuela:

Caribes de Anzoategui 8 Leones del Caracas 6 (Box Score)

Wilfredo Tovar, SS, 2 for 5, 2 doubles, run scored, 1 K - hitting .267 with a .712 OPS in the playoffs.  

Asdrubal Cabrera did not play.

No current or recent Mets or minor league Mets were in action last night in Mexico.

No Winter Ball games today. Mexico will be in action on New Years Day. All Leagues resume play on Sunday. Next Morning update will be Monday, next year.


Want t catch the action as it happens? Follow the latest Mets related games on Mack's Mets Gameday.

Have a safe and Happy New Year.
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