The Mack Report - Mauricio, Gutierrez, Ghost Fork, Escobar, Ridings

Mauricio, Gutierrez, Ghost Fork, Escobar, Ridings

 

30 prospects who have turned heads this spring -

Mets: SS Ronny Mauricio

It’s not easy to be hotter than Mauricio, who hit three home runs in his first seven Grapefruit League at-bats. He later added a double to go 4-for-9 over the first week of spring games, with all four hits going for extra bases. Mauricio, the Mets’ sixth-ranked prospect who has gained more than 50 pounds since signing his first professional contract in 2017, seems destined for another position since Francisco Lindor is locked down at shortstop for another nine years. The Mets also have Brett Baty, who’s performed well this spring, vying for reps at third base. But if Mauricio continues to hit like this, the Mets will find a place for him. -- Anthony DiComo 

Mack - Everybody needs to take a step back regarding Mauricio. Yes, he looks ready, but let’s remember that most of his spring at-bats have been against pitchers that aren’t going to make their team’s respective 26. 

I want the Mets to desperately take the time in Syracuse to teach him the nuances of playing left field. Starling Marte owns right and Brandon Nimmo will play center until Alex Ramirez is ready. Only left offers both Mauricio and Mark Vientos to play every day in the field. 

Boy, I’m ready starting to fall in love with this depth.

  

Top 50 International Prospect Rankings For 2023 -

Daiverson Gutierrez, C NYM

The thought of comparisons to fellow Mets catching prospect Francisco Alverez will get any dynasty manager salivating. It seems the Mets are at it again with Daiveson Gutierrez, a 6’3” 206-pound baseball-crushing machine. Gutierrez is an advanced hitter with good plate recognition and raw plus power resulting in solid offensive production. As is the case for most taller hitters, there can be a loop in his swing at times but when the mechanics are on Gutierrez will produce. The defense is a work in progress similar to Alverez before him but if he shows he can hit there is 25 to 30 home run potential for Gutierrez and the Mets. 

Mack - Does the Mets really need another catcher that can hit home runs? Sure… pile it on. 

One could ask why the Mets don’t sign top international pitching prospects instead. Well, probably because there just wasn’t anyone available to them. Remember, there are 29 other teams out there trying to beat you out on the good stuff here. 

Take what you can get your hands on and, if you wind up with three starting catchers, you own the trade wires. Catching is the hardest position to fill in baseball. There just isn’t 30 great ones in the league. Having three of your own would give you the trade control to fill two other positions on your 26.

 

 

What is the ghost fork? Kodai Senga's unreal pitch with so much movement, explained -

Why does it have that name? 

Because it disappears like a ghost when thrown, and also it’s a forkball, which is kind of like a splitter but it’s slower. MLB.com has some more info on it: 

Although folks back home tend to call the latter pitch a forkball, Senga clarified that technically speaking, it’s probably a splitter. (He doesn’t use the term “ghost fork” himself.) Senga does not jam it as deep into his fingers as true forkball practitioners do; due to the injury risk, few have attempted that stunt since the days of Dave Stewart and Gaylord Perry. In fact, Senga’s grip is almost identical to the splitter grip of teammate Carlos Carrasco, who calls his variation a split-changeup. But Senga stuffs the ghost deep enough into his right hand that, when combined with an appropriate release point, it tumbles with a flight path unfamiliar to Major League hitters. 

Mack - I like everything I see so far about Senga. He doesn’t just look like an MLB pitcher. He is one. 

 

5 Mets players who need to bounce back in 2023 MLB season -

2. Eduardo Escobar – 3B

Escobar’s 2022 stats were in line with his MLB career averages. But that’s because he had a monster month of September that elevated his final totals after a largely disappointing season. 

Where Escobar could bounce back the most is with his consistency. He batted .321 with eight home runs and 25 RBI over his final 30 games last season. He had just 12 homers and 44 RBI in the first five months. 

Mack - I went into this spring season believing that EE would be the starting third baseman this season, but the more everyone is exposed to Brett Baty, the more he is making a strong case for replacing Escobar in this role. 

It would be so much easier if Escobar could just slip into a DH role. Maybe even from both sides. 

 

https://theathletic.com/4245052/2023/02/24/mets-bullpen-candidates/?source=user-shared-article -

Stephen Ridings (27)

Acquired: Claimed off waivers from the Yankees, November 2022

Status: On the 40-man roster with options. Ridings is still recovering from a lat tear at the end of 2022 and won’t be ready for Opening Day.

Repertoire: Fastball, slider

2022: 0.00 ERA with four strikeouts in two minor-league innings 

While Ridings won’t make the club out of spring training, he probably has the highest performance ceiling of anyone in this group for 2023. Velocity has proliferated across the sport, but few things remain as intimidating as a 6-foot-8 man who can throw above 100 miles per hour. Ridings complements that with a sharp slider. Both Showalter and Hefner have mentioned the electricity of Ridings’ repertoire. 

“I throw hard, and then I throw in a wrinkle,” Ridings summed up succinctly. 

“For Stephen, it’s health,” Hefner said. “It’s making sure that that shoulder is bulletproof and in some ways slow-playing his rehab to make sure we set him up for the whole season and not get too shortsighted because we get wowed by the stuff. But it is special.” 

Mack - The 6-8 Ridings was originally drafted by the Cubs in the 8^th round of the 2016 draft, out of Haverford College (PA). 

Career MLB stats - 0.1-WAR, 0-0, 1.80