First, the Mets’ hitting woes continued into a 2-2 9th, but 9th innings count, too, and the Mets plated 3. Good thing, too, as Edwin gave up a 9th inning run, so the final score was 5-3, gaining a game on the Braves. Winker 3 hits, the two Francisco’s each had 2 hits. Paul Blackburn and Jose Butto were great.
So, elsewhere, Starling Marte started his formal rehab today with St Lucie, and was 1 for 3.WITH A STEAL? Leg must feel good.
Messrs. Hamel and Jarvis sadly got hammered for Syracuse. 2024 has not been kind to them when attempting to pitch effectively at the AAA level. Dom in his career has a 6.35 ERA in 89 AAA innings and a 1.67 WHIP. Jarvis, career in AAA? 7.97 in 66 IP.
NOW…
Which Higher Minors Mets Are Future Impact MLB Hitters?
David Stearns does not have the luxury to be subjective like we fans.
He has to make clear, unequivocal roster decisions.
Putting on my “clear, unequivocal, non-fan, David Stearns” hat, here are some thoughts about upper minors system bats:
FIRST, BATY AND SCHWARTZ THOUGHTS
IF THE METS LET PETE WALK…
Brett Baty, drafted in the first round 5 years back and who turns 25 in 3 months, went 15 for his first 29 in AAA. Torrid.
Since then, though, he is just 30 for 144 (.208) through Sunday against AAA pitching of far lower quality than the majors.
- Do you want to trust him to replace Pete in 2025 in the line up? Not me.
He was 12th overall in 2019. Nolan Schanuel was the 11th pick in 2023, and totaled just 22 games in the minors. Since jumping to the majors, 475 at bats, .257. We never draft “quick success” hitters like Schanuel, who is apparently already a better hitter than Brett Baty.
Moving on…
JT Schwartz was hot in AA going into his promotion to AAA, but has gone just 11 for 60 with one HR in 18 AAA games in the hitter-friendly International League.
- He won’t be replacing Pete, IMO, from what I am seeing.
I hope BB and JTS both prove me wrong.
I commented this morning on another article today that, in my current view, no AA hitters are showing upwards projectability to the major leagues except Parada (iffy, but a catcher, but he fans too much) and Clifford (just turned 21, so he deserves time to show if he can build upon his recent solid AA offensive output). I wish I could conclude differently.
In Brooklyn, just OF speedster and “hitster” Nick Morabito looks like a future MLB bat to me. Only him. A future Pete Rose? One can only hope.
Jacob Reimer, too, maybe, but his mere 42 at bats this year due to injury are not helpful with my prognostication. He is, however, 3 for 10 in Brooklyn, now that he has finally gotten back to Brooklyn post-rehab assignment. And he is still 20.
St. Lucie? Boston Baro and Ronald Hernandez look promising.
But it’s low A, so they’ve got a long way to travel before their career storm surge might reach land in Queens.
Circling back to the top 4 hitting prospects.
Gilbert and Acuna should be major leaguers, and perhaps starters, in 2025 at some point, and Jett Williams is a wait-and-see as to how he plays post-surgery. Hopefully, just a prolonged bump in the road, with the Jett soaring, rather than just sore, again soon.
Jett and Gilbert in 2024, through Tuesday? 21 for 112, 1 HR, 5 RBIs. Wow.
Of course, Ronny Mauricio should be a 2025 major leaguer, but after his ligament crap is behind him, will he be a starter or sub longer-term? Unclear.
It is “remarkably Metsy” for 3 of their top 4 prospects, Gil, Jett, and Mo, who had us all excited last November, that they may struggle to combine for 200 at bats this year due to the trio’s nasty injuries.
And, finally, Luke Ritter…
His K rate (30%) clouds his ability to ascend higher than AAA, despite his otherwise very fine AAA hitting his year. Get that rate down to closer to 20% and you are a future major leaguer.
14 comments:
Rest Baty fans 3 times, slumped to .254. Cold for a long time in Syracuse. I think your 2025 infield additions might well be Acuna and Mauricio, not Baty.
Interesting that in the Wild Card race, Arizona and San Diego are red hot, and both are 3 back of LAD for the division. Atlanta is in danger of missing the Wild Card. The Mets will have to play better to get in.
Looking around the Mets’ landscape, Alonso’s replacement may be… Alonso. First, he will be QO’d. will he accept? Probably not. But, I don’t know if he will find a contract he really likes, so, maybe 4 years at $25 per year? Honestly, I don’t know if I want Pete back the way he has distanced himself this year, but Mauricio will be at 3B and I just don’t know if the light bulb will go on with Baty or not.
Vientos is not the answer at 3B. A cheap signing like Wilmer Flores can work at 1B and let Vientos DH while Mauricio plays 3B.
The Mets need to take a lesson from both the Padres and D Backs
THIS is how playoff teams play August
I'm not sure but I think Vientos has only 3 errors at third this season
Still, playing McNeil at second and Mauricio on third might work better
Mack, it’s not the errors, it’s the range. Earlier, he was looking like Brooks Robinson. Now, he barely picks up balls off the bat and you can see ball get passed him that are only six feet away! I don’t know what to say to that… what happened?
Garrett should be back tomorrow… man, it would have been nice to trade Severino last week.
Of course, we will need to see where Mark Vientos ends this season. Hopefully so well he will earn a contract extension, but there are many games left to play. And Mauricio may need a month or two in the minors to re-fire the engines. A lot depends how his winter goes. A VERY unfortunate injury for him. Does anyone know if this lost season for him qualifies as service time towards his free agency?
Gus, we need the good Garrett - but who gets sent packing?
You have to wonder how close Marte is to returning. He was only 1 for 3 with 2 Ks for St Lucie yesterday, but my guess is he is back after this weekend. He clearly needs a few games in the field first.
As much as I love JD Martinez, the man does strike out a ton. Let's see if the cooler upcoming weather revitalizes him.
My brother and I talked about how the Mets never, or rarely, utterly trounce weaker teams. The Mets in the 1960s got TROUNCED by the top teams. After Colorado today, they have 3 against an average Mariners squad, followed by 3 at home against the As and 3 against the Marlins. How about 8-2? If not, Wildness may not be in the Cards.
What is with Baty? Last year, in fairly limited early at bats, he hit .333 with the Mets thru May 3, then ended up all the way down at .212. In 2024 with the Mets, playing a lot, he was hitting .316 on April 15, but slid to .215 and was sent down. In Syracuse, he starts out 32 for 97, but then goes 13 for 84. In that 84 at bat stretch, he had a 4 for 5 game, so all the other 79 at bats, he was 9 for 79, against AAA pitching. If you write him into the Mets' 2025 plans, you may find you are writing with disappearing ink. This dude disappears. I know I am being blunt.
Baty's MLB career stats seem not much different than those of recently deceased, and former Mets first round bust, Billy Beane, who hit .219 in roughly 300 at bats.
Say what you want, Luke Ritter is having a MUCH better go of it in AAA this year than Brett Baty.
Tom, Billy Beane, the former first round pick and very long time GM of the A’s that looked like a genius in Moneyball, is still the A’s GM.
The guy that died was Billy Bean, who protested how homosexual players get treated, so MLB gave him a job on overseeing how it should be handled.
Different people, different spelling, sounded the same.
Yes, Tom, we do have the question of who gets sent packing when Garrett returns. But SRF is right behind him, and Nunez hopefully will be here soon.
So we'll need THREE spots in the pen, making the designs tripled.
Good problem to have, yhough.
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