MACK - MY Thursday Observations - Meneses, Ramirez, Hartwig, Montas

 

Mets News and Links                   @JohnFromAlbany

 Joey Meneses with his 10th HR and 44th and 45th RBIs - he is now hitting.348 with a 1.048 OPS.

 

                                                1B/RF/LF Joey Meneses             “JoeyCaba”

            32/yrs old                6-3                  235                 2010 IFA Atlanta

            2024 salary:  $752K                      Free agent 2029

            2024:             -0.5-WAR, 281-AB, 3-HR, .231

            Career:          0.9-WAR, 1,114-AB, 29-HR, .274

            Elected free agency after Nats removed him from 40-man

            2023 scouting report –

Strong, filled-out frame with broad shoulders. No remaining projection. Quiet approach with a subtle toe tap. Uppercut swing path. Quick wrists. Overall average hit tool with solid plate discipline. Does not strike out a lot. Has shown solid-average raw power which has only translated to fringey in-game power. Fringe-average speed, but runs well for his size and position. Can take an extra base. 

Solid fielder at first base. A work-in-progress in the outfield with potential for improvement with better reads. Above-average arm. Pitched for the Mexican national team before signing with the Braves in 2011. Completely retooled his approach upon joining the Phillies organization in 2018. Was able to pull the ball more and get it into the air, increasing his fly ball rate considerably. Resulted in an International League MVP season in 2018. 

Signed with Orix Blue Wave of Nippon Professional Baseball for 2019 season. Received one-year suspension from NPB for testing positive for anabolic steroids after playing in 29 games for Orix. Signed with Boston in February 2020. Re-signed with the organization prior to becoming a minor league free agent in November 2020. Played for Mexico in the 2021 Olympics. Profiles as emergency high-minors depth.

           

John From Albany 

I think he is a good depth piece. A good bat to have at AAA.

He is currently tearing it up in the Mexican Pacific League - 10 HRs, 45 RBI in 39 games.  The last guy who tore it up in Mexico and landed in Syracuse was cut mid-season, Sebastian Elizalde. So, we can't bank too much on Winter Ball numbers.  Winter leagues tend to be around AA-AAA level.

 

Mack – I sure wish he would have played in the Dominican Winter League this off season. Still, good stats are good stats.

Still, first base at Syracuse is getting a little crowded what with JT Schwartz and Ryan Clifford already penciled in there. 

 

Mets have agreed to a minor league deal with Alex Ramirez 

                                                CF/RF/LF Alex Ramirez

            22/yrs old                6-3                  200                 2020 IFA

            2024:             481-AB, 5-HR, 46-RBI, 40-SB, 55-BB, .210/.291/.299

            Former top 10 Mets prospect

            Former top 100 MLB prospect

            No longer on Mets 40-man roster

 

            John From Albany  -

Alex Ramirez looked great when I saw him in 2022 for Brooklyn as he hit 2 HRS, made a great outfield play and a great throw. He has speed, power and an arm. He struggled the last two years but a guy with that much talent deserved another chance. Glad the Mets brought him back.

           

            Mack – Ramirez reached as high as the 4^th ranked Mets prospect and that was why they protected him from the Rule 5 draft and added him to their 40-man roster. He has had two very low performance years in 2023 and 2024, though he still knows how to get on base via a walk, steal a bunch of bases, and play decent defense in the outfield.

The key here is the raw talent and youth and a kind heart by the Mets. Can’t hurt to let him repeat AA.

 

 

Mets have agreed to a minor league deal with Grant Hartwig 

                                    RHRP             Grant Hartwig

            26/yrs old                6-5                  235                 Miami of Ohio

            2024:             -0.1-WAR, 0-0, 6.75 4-G, 6.2-IP, 4-K

            Career:          -0.5-WAR, 5-2, 5.14, 28-G, 35.1-IP, 30-K

            Minors (4):                     14-7, 3.42, 109-G, 139.1-IP, 175-K                  

            2024 injury – right knee – surgery to repair meniscus tear

            College – TJS and loss of year due to COVID

            Fastball, change, curve – needs 4^th pitch

            No longer on Mets 40-man roster

           

            John From Albany -

            Hard not to root for a guy like Grant Hartwig who was studying for Medical School entrance exams when the Mets called him in 2021. In 2022 he blazed through 4 levels of the minors from St. Lucie, Brooklyn, Binghamton and Syracuse (6-2, 1.75 ERA, 82 Ks in 56.2 innings) - making the Mets in 2023. Can he get back to that 2022 form?  What's to lose?

 

Mack – I have a funny feeling his release that happened in November was primarily a move to get him off the 40-man so, if no one claimed him, they could re-sign him as a minor leaguer only.

I had this dude as a BLUE prospect in 2023 and I still think he has the potential to be a successful major league reliever. Sure hope he develops some nastiness through the addition of either a cutter or slider. 

 

Mets sign RHSP Frankie Montas to a 2-year, $34mil

 ($17/mil per year) contract, with an opt-out fir the 2^nd year.

                                                Frankie Montas

            31/yrs. Old              6-2                  255                 2009-IFA

            2024:             0.6-WAR, 7-11, 4.84, 150.2-IP, 148-K

            Career:          7-6-WAR, 44-46, 4.09, 744.1-IP, 760-K

            2022:             shoulder injury lingered into 2023

            2021:             3.337-ERA in 187-IP – 6^th in Cy Young voting

            Repertoire:

                        4-seam – 33%

                        Sinker – 19%

                        Cutter – 19%           (.326-BA)

                        Splitter

                        Slider                         (.288-BA)

 

            John From Albany -

Montas - After missing almost all of 2023 with an injury, pitched 150 innings in 2024. Seemed to get better after getting traded to the Brewers - pitching well in August (2-1, 3.82 ERA in 6 starts) before a 7 run start against the D-Backs in September.  Good friends with Manaea. Could help bringing Manaea back. Hope Stearns has found another diamond in the rough.

 

            James Schiano        @James_Schiano

Love Frankie Montas for the Mets, Above average fastball velocity, over 150IP last season, five pitch-mix, and a plus splitter. The ERA was ugly, but his K% jumped to 28.7% after some adjustments with the Brewers, $17M AAV is cheap for a Starter, great move

 

Mathew Brownstein                    @MBrownstein89

 

Frankie Montas on 4-days rest in 2024:

8 GS, 8.29 ERA, 1.901 WHIP, .961 OPS against

 

Frankie Montas on 5 or more days rest in 2024:

22 GS, 3.85 ERA, 1.214 WHIP, .672 OPS against

 

Mathew Brownstein                    @MBrownstein89

Highest second-half K% by qualified National League pitchers in 2024:

Blake Snell: 39.6%

Chris Sale: 31.5%

Paul Skenes: 31.3%

Zack Wheeler: 30.6%

Sonny Gray: 30.1%

Brandon Pfaadt: 27.6%

Spencer Schwellenbach: 27.5%

FRANKIE MONTAS: 27.0%

 

Mack – I like this move. Not in love with it, but like it a lot.

I particularly like his five starts at the end of the 2024 season, in which he struck out 38 batters in 24 innings. There must have been some adjustments made that caught the Mets eye here.

For me, the current Mets rotation going into this move was an iffy Senga, Peterson, and an even more iffy Megill. This additional Mets pitcher named Montas immediately slots into a mid to low rotation piece and fits in as a perfect start of a rebuilt rotation.