Tom Brennan: I’ll Say It ‘Til I’m BLUE IN THE FACE; And…Voit; Amick; Parada

Jack Nicholson taking in an early, comfy April Binghamton night game.

I will say it until I am blue in the face. 

• Do not consider Mets prospects’ offensive stats in Binghamton, Brooklyn, and Syracuse in the first two months of the season when evaluating players. They are virtually meaningless.

Why? Because the weather is awful for much of those two months in those locations, particularly considering how many night games they play in those months. Also, Brooklyn and Binghamton are not hitter-friendly parks by any stretch of the imagination.

So, do yourself a favor: take the time to calculate how it hitter has done only since June 1 when evaluating any Mets minor league hitter.

Billy Amick the slugger recently got traded to the Mets, as one example. He previously played in Wichita, where he was in a southern league where the weather is warm. In Wichita, in April, the average high temperature is 69°. Much more hitter-conducive. His league earlier this year, and his home park, were conducive to good hitting. And not surprisingly, he SLUGGED. 

In the first two months of the year, Syracuse, Binghamton and Brooklyn home games (and many road games) are the opposite. 

As in…

Collectively terrible for hitters.

Take three Mets prospect hitters, Mitch Voit, Nick Lorusso, and Corey Collins:

All three struggled in April and May. 

All three thereafter have been on tears over the last several weeks to 2+ months.

They are that quality, and are not the guys they were with weak numbers while playing Eskimo Legue baseball in April and May.

One easy change for these 3 locations is to only play day games in April, and fewer night games in May than in June-September.  

For the South Atlantic League, it would help to start Brooklyn out in its first two weeks of baseball on the road against opponents whose home park is in the Carolinas.

A dozen degrees warmer in daytime starts vs. nighttime starts helps. A lot.

Or just ignore early season stats when trying to evaluate players from afar.

AJ Ewing was able to tear up Binghamton and Syracuse in April and early May because he is TERRIFIC.

ALL the other hitters there (and in Brooklyn) scuffled. 

Then many improved. A lot.

No surprise.

Their finger tips were no longer bl-bl-bl-blue in J-J-J-June.

CROW POOP

With 43 games to go in season, Perry the Crow Armstrong has 7.5 WAR. Projects to 10.2 WAR. WHAT A TRADE. 

Soto’s highest WAR year ever was 8.0. Crow’s WAR over just 73% of this season is already higher than Soto compiled in any other full year.

VOIT WATCH

Mitch Voit on Sunday had (for him) a terrible game. 1 for 3 and a walk. His average in AA dropped to .550.  On base just twice? He’s been on base 31 times in his first 11 AA games.  

Don’t start slacking off, Mitch LOL. On base 3 times per game, or bust.

Saw this:

“Voit has quickly settled in as one of the main table-setters atop Binghamton's new-look lineup, earning himself back-to-back Eastern League Player of the Week honors. 

New York's first-round pick in last year's draft has reached safely in all 11 games up at the new level thus far, and he's recorded a hit in all but two of those. 

 - Back-to-back-TO-BACK, anyone? I’m up for a Trifecta.

AMICK MASHING

Banging Billy Amick has 5 HRs and 13 RBIs in his first 7 Mets’ AA games.

Some guys go out with a bang.  

He comes in with a bang.

PARADA POPPING

It is nice to be surrounded by real hitters. Kevin Parada is a nice 5 for 10 in his last 3 games. He is joining the post-trade deadline hitting party in Binghamton, which is hitting .302 with 66 runs in 9 August games. Hitting is contagious. Slumping is, too.

NICK LORUSSO ROCKS

Nick rocks, with 7 for 18 with 3 HRs, 7 RBIs, and just 4 Ks in his first 20 AAA plate appearances.  

No one talks about Nick, and about his 22 HRs and 62 RBIs in 331 at bats, despite a predictably frigid season start in frigid Binghamton through mid-May.

His last 240 at bats, 20 HRs, 52 RBIs. BANG! Stop ignoring Nick!

Mets 2027 first baseman, even if only in a platoon? Maybe.

Yeah, thanks for reminding me, he also plays 2nd and 3rd.

HITTING THE BALL HELPS

Colin Houck, former 32nd overall pick, was moved to development list when all the better contact hitters from trades arrived. Houck was hitting just .206, which nonetheless was amazingly high since he had fanned 135 times in 331 plate appearances. 

He hit .340 when he actually put balls in play. So there seems to be talent there. 

But, new draftee Aidan Robbins, and trade acquisition, are at the other, better, extreme.  Those two have been up 48 times as new Mets farmhands and fanned a total of 4 times.

BATY BOMB, AND HONEYMOON PERIOD

First inning grand slam for Baty, boosting him to 0.2 WAR for 2026.

BUT…SWINGING AT THE FIRST PITCH!

Man, do I love first pitch strike swinging.  It leads to first strike HITTING.

Mets are HOT!  Despite shedding lots of pitching, and Devin Williams to IL.

The way they are HITTING, I asked Jackie Gleason “Who needs pitching?”

He bellowed back, “YOU…are a WEISENBURGER!”

Hey Ralph, let me enjoy this Honeymoon period while it lasts.

NAME CHANGE

Cole Mathis, from the Peterson deal, finally recuperated. Since his minors return, he is 4 for 29, with a double.

Call him Cold Mathis instead.