Stop Rolling the Dice-K.

I know that being a Mets fan can be full of torture and rage. It comes with the territory. But for God's sake, please, someone stop Daisuke Matsuzaka.

His first game gave us a glimpse into the void. Five innings and five earned runs to the tune of 86 pitches. I initially thought it was the exception rather than the rule. There was no way he could replicate his completely lackluster performance again. There was no way he could be that sluggish again and sluggish is putting it mildly. Glacial might be better, but I actually felt time stood still every single time Matsuzaka looked in for his sign. I had hope for a better start in his next turn.

What does Dice-K do? He throws more pitches in less innings with 110 pitches in 4.1 innings. Almost too crazy to believe if you weren't watching and I'm sorry if you did. I would not have wished that game on my worst enemy. I was quite astonishing to see so many pitches and batters in such a small amount of time. Four walks, six hits and an eternity of time spent feeling miserable as a Mets fan. I feel sick as I play it back in my head. That may be because I might not have enough brain cells to retain that one game.

And yesterday, Matsuzaka outdid himself,  taking his turn down to three innings while giving up six runs in a 72 pitch effort. You almost have to admire how horrid that is. I couldn't stop laughing. Dice-K was brought on to eat innings on a club that is afraid of exposing young arms to extra work on the mound and yet, through three starts he has logged a total of 12.1 innings. Yikes.

If you need to take some time to soak in the irony, maybe you should wait until Matsuzaka's next and hopefully final start. You'll have plenty of time to break down just how ridiculous this situation has become. Terry Collins has pledged at least one more start for him before turning to other options like an equally as burnt out Aaron Harang or the very irrelevant Chris Schwinden.

Terry, don't do this to us. Daisuke Matsuzaka has taken sitting on a couch to watch a Mets game an all day affair. He is a master of passing time and not innings. I don't even think I can fit the game into my schedule. I would follow the play by play on my phone, but my battery only has so much energy. Bring someone, anyone in to take Dice-K's slot in the rotation before we lose entire days waiting to see a Mets loss. If any of you brave souls intend on watching, cancel all of your appointments for tomorrow...

And maybe the next day.

 

I May Be Wrong, But… Gary Carter, R.A. Dickey, Chris Schwinden, Lucas Duda

The Mets announced they plan to honor Hall of Famer Gary Carter on April 5 prior to the season opener vs. the Braves at Citi Field. Members of his family will throw out the first ball. Carter should have died pulling a Mets paycheck. If you can employ Wally Backman… well, you know where I’m going. Carter had his hiccup with the Mets when I was “out of the loop” recovery from a brain injury. David Rubin filled me in a few weeks ago and I then went on line and read all about the Art Howe-Keith Hernandez thing. With respect for the dead, it did seem that Carter went too far but guess you have to be there to determine if it was enough to be removed from the organization he loved. And, wasn’t it Hernandez that cried on camera when Carter died? Hmm. I hope he calls in sick on opening day. 

 R.A. Dickey wrote in his book that came out this week that he was abused as a child. Some of us that follow this team still thing he is. It takes a lot of strength to write something like this and then, publish it. Most just write it to get it off their chest and then throw the manuscript in the bottom draw of their desk. R.A. has had a hell of a twelve months… Mets, mountains, and memoirs (Dickey pitched in an intrasquad game Tuesday: 8.0IP, 7-H, 1-ER, 1-BB, 5-K, 105-P, 70-strikes). 

 Well, Chris Schwinden had one of those outings yesterday that every prospect dreads. You’re just about to be told to pack your bags and you’re coming north and you go out and toss a bad outing. I have had Chris as a long guy/SP6 that would come along in case either Johan Santana needs relief, or Mike Pelfrey doesn’t come around. Will this outing hurt him? It won’t help. 

It’s starting to come quite apparent that Lucas Duda is going to be the home run leader of this team in 2012. That makes you a #4 hitter in my book. There seems to be a good chance that Duda, David Wright, Daniel Murphy, and Ike Davis can combine for 100-HRs and 400-RBIs this season. Now, all we have to do is get 20/80 out of Jason Bay and this team may just win a few games they lost last year.

Minors Report - Chris Schwinden, Brian Harrison, Cam Maron, Reassignments

• Spoke to Chris Schwinden. He said that camp was “awesome” this year, which seems to be the general opinion of all the team members. He graded his own spring as “going well” which I pretty standard shit for players in camp being interviewed. Chris is right there with one year to go before the onslaught on projected arms start hitting Queens. This has to be his year and he knows it. 

 • Talked with Mets prospect Brian Harrison last night. I asked him how things are going down there: “It's going really well. I've been swinging the bat well and am playing both first and third. They've got me in group 2 right now. Overall I feel great.” I’m thrilled they are working him at both positions. Brian got screwed a little last year after starting the season with some dings. He found himself blocked at third by Aderlin Rodriguez. He’s going to have to fight through a couple guys at both positions and I have the confidence in him that he’ll break through this year. 

 • I also spend a few minutes with C Cam Maron via the computer. He advises that everything is A-O in camp and he has been working out with the Savannah team. Cam has had no trouble adjusting his game to the pros (2009: .293, 2010: 3.13, 2011: .317). He just needs a full time gig he can sink his teeth into. He will play 2012 as a 21-year old so there’s still plenty of time. 




 • We do now know the exact teams certain players were optioned to, though this doesn’t mean that these assignments are etched in stone: 


Optioned to Triple-A: RHP Jeremy Hefner, RHP Jenrry Mejia, RHP Josh Stinson, 3B Zach Lutz, OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis 


 Optioned to Double-A: RHP Jeurys Familia, LHP Robert Carson, 2B Reese Havens, OF Juan Lagares 


 Optioned to high Class A: RHP Armando Rodriguez, SS Wilmer Flores, OF Cesar Puello

Mack On: Reese Havens. Trey Rackel, Robert Carson, Chris Schwinden

      ·         The Mets announced that 2B Reese Havens was shut down and will get a cortisone shot in his back. So, let me understand this. His back hurts the day he arrives to camp? Fernando Martinez even showed up healthy, right? The Mets need to make a very important decision here. Both Havens and Jordany Valdespin are scheduled to play AAA this year and every scout will tell you that Valdespin is really a second baseman. Send Havens back to Binghamton until he’s 100% (if ever) and let Spin get a fair shot.

·         Trey Rackel checked in. Trey was an undrafted free agent that signed with the Mets in 2009. He went 2-2, 3.37, 1.24, 15-G, 26.2-IP, 26-K for the 2009 GCL Mets, was promoted to St. Lucie (1-0, 0.00, 0.33) and then disappeared after the injury bug set in. He simply never got another chance. “Rack filled me in where he is:

Hey long time no talk hope all is well!! Bet your excited for baseball to be back... I have finally found a place to play again here at home in Houston the new team in the Atlantic League called the Sugarland Skeeters. Hope all is well

 Check him out this season at: http://www.sugarlandskeeters.com/index.cfm

·         Adam Rubin reported that RP Robert Carson has been cleared to pitch again which is good news for both him and the Mets. Statistically, Carson hasn’t proven he can make it to the dance, but he is one of the few left handed pitchers in a system that currently has only one on their parent team. He’s got an outside chance of making it to Queens on opening day, but it’s going to take a stellar spring to get there.

·         I asked Chris Schwinden if he was happy with the results of his first outing in the second intrasquad game:

“Ya! There are some minor adjustments to be made of corse. It was good to get on the mound again and face hitters.”

Chris is probably destined to start the season back in Buffalo, though everyone knows that there is a slot open in the rotation once the “Johan Santana push for opening day” comes to a screeching halt.

He’ll well aware of what is coming behind him (Harvey, Familia…) and knows the Rule 5 Draft is right down the road. I don’t expect him to be converted to a reliever. This will be Schwinden’s defining season.

Mets: Chris Schwinden, Ruben Tejada, Ike Davis, New Fences

2-10-12 - http://seedlingstostars.com/2012/02/10/s2s-2012-team-prospect-lists-new-york-mets/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter  - #6.) Chris Schwinden, RHP. Schwinden is similar to Gorski, and has the advantage of already being in the majors, but he’s also a righthander, so if he can’t stick in an MLB rotation, he’ll probably spend a bunch of years as a Triple-A rover. The cutter specialist did have a 3.03 FIP in four MLB starts last year, and his Triple-A season was quite strong, so perhaps he’ll exceed expectations. Grade: C+

Ruben Tejada will have a doghouse awaiting him when he arrives to Mets spring training on Saturday. Though the shortstop isn’t technically be late in reporting to camp, manager Terry Collins views it differently, considering Tejada is a young player starting a new job as he replaces Jose Reyes. “I am a little surprised,” Collins said Wednesday. “A lot of it is just selfishness on my part. I take great pride in the game itself and respecting the game and I wish everybody had the same respect for it where they wanted to get started as early as possible.” http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/metsblog/collins_surprised_tejada_yet_to_acBM8iE9yb4hPgrbd3jqZP#ixzz1n98RkThj

That psychological boost is exactly what the Mets are hoping for by taking batting practice early and often on Field 7. Just as Citi's cavernous dimensions took a mental toll on the team's power hitters during its first three years, Terry Collins believes this downsizing effort will have the exact opposite effect. "It's going to change the way these guys think when they're at home plate," Collins said. "I just think this is going to ease some minds. This past year I saw many guys thinking they have to pull the baseball to hit a homer; therefore we came off some balls, hit some routine fly balls, swung and missed a bad pitch. The same goes for lefthanded hitters. Our guys are going to hit on that field a lot. Hopefully it makes a difference." http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/mets/mets-hitters-happy-about-fences-coming-in-1.3550324

Ike Davis was robbed of a huge season when he went down with an ankle injury in April. On pace for 32 HRs and 112 RBI, Davis was conjuring up memories of Carlos Delgado, but with a gold glove. Just 24, Davis already is averaging 23/85/.271 line for his short big league career. My only question is the impact of the ankle injury that nearly required microfracture surgery. http://nybaseballdigest.com/2012/02/23/young-mets-hitters-could-develop-into-solid-core/

Mets – Chris Schwinden, Wilmer Flores, Greg Peavey, R.A. Dickey

Chris Schwinden:  The only home grown option on Rubin's list, Schwinden was drafted in the 22nd round of the 2008 entry draft.  Probably the most realistic option of the group, Schwinden started four games for the Mets in the fall of 2011, going 0-2 while pitching to a 4.71 ERA and striking out more than seven batters per nine innings.  Ideally, Schwinden projects to be a Dillon Gee type of pitcher who could possibly aid in shoring up the back half of the Mets rotation in the event that someone goes down due to injury.  He will not be over powering, but it does appear that he can be effective. http://www.metsfever.com/2012/01/what-options-do-mets-have-if-johan.html 

1-3-12 - mets360  - 6. Wilmer Flores, SS, Hi-A, .269/.309/.380 in 559 PA - Everyone wants to write off Flores but while his stock has dropped considerably it’s way too early to dismiss a guy who played most of last year at age 19. For a comparison, David Wright batted .270 as a 20 year old in St. Lucie. As for Flores’ future, he’s four months younger than Puello, they put up similar-type seasons at the same level and Flores still has a chance to stick in the infield. Everyone is burned out on hearing about Flores, especially given that he hasn’t had a monster year yet in full-season ball. But neither has Puello. Flores will start the season in Double-A and if he fails to put up good numbers in hitter-friendly Binghamton than we’ll know that his ship has passed.

metsmerizedonline  - 33. Greg Peavey (RHP) It was a very successful season for the 23 year-old right-hander despite the fact that his performance was over-shadowed by other highly regarded pitchers in the system. With the sizzling professional debut of Matt Harvey, the continued development of Jeurys Familia, the meteoric rise of Darin Gorski, and the outstanding acquisition of Zack Wheeler, it was easy to forget what a terrific season Peavey had on the farm. Drafted by the Mets in the 6th round out of Oregon State in the 2010 draft, Peavey signed too late to pitch that season. He made his professional debut in 2011 pitching out of the Savannah rotation. There he went 6-2 with a 3.12 ERA over 78 innings, and 14 game starts. He surrendered 75 hits while striking out 69, and walking 11, and his WHIP was 1.10. After making the SAL Mid-Season All-Star Team, he got a call-up to Advanced-A St. Lucie, and continued to pitch well, finishing the year with a combined record of 11-6 with a 3.48 ERA over 24 game starts, and 137 innings. His fastball sits in the low 90′s, and he also throws a slider, change-up and curveball. Although quite advanced, Peavey will, probably need two more seasons, but by then, should definitely be in the discussion about joining the big league team.

An American baseball player scaling an African mountain for an Indian charity might seem an odd way to draw attention to human trafficking. But that’s just what R.A. Dickey is doing. The Mets pitcher is climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro, which peaks at more than 19,000 feet above sea level (and documenting it on Bats, The New York Times’ Baseball blog) in part to bring awareness and money to stop sexual slavery thousands of miles away in the gritty lanes of Kamathipura – Mumbai’s largest red light district. About 100,000 to 200,000 women and girls are working in brothels in Mumbai, according to the latest government estimates, which are a decade old. Activists say the number has since reduced to 75,000 to 100,000 in the city. http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/whats-r-a-dickey-climbing-for/#more-14717

Anticipated 2012 Buffalo Bisons Roster

So here is my first of a series of post listing which prospects I think will be playing for which teams. These lists are of course coming out far too early but i think it will give viewers better look at the talent that is making its way to Flushing within the next few years. First up is the 2012 Buffalo Bisons.

• Catcher- Mike Nickeas

I initially had Nickeas as my MLB back-up catcher until the club signed Vinny Rottino. Rottino's flexibilty and the pop he has in his bat will get him into Flushing though leaving Nickeas back in Buffalo. The Canadian product batted .214 with only 2 HR's in 168 AB's for the Bisons so there's not much to write home about for him. On the flip side he did throw out 39% of would be base stealers.

• Infielders- Val Pascucci, Reese Havens, Jordany Valdespin, Zach Lutz

There's a nice mix of power and contact hitters here. The return of Pascucci at 1B brings back a legitimate power threat to the Bisons line-up. With 21 HR's and 91 RBI's in 443 AB's all he needs is some guys in front of him to get on base.

At 2B, I have Reese Havens making the jump up from AA. Now i know the guy has only 2 incomplete AA stints to his name and some will start he will start in Binghamton again in 2012 but the stats speak for themselves. When Havens was healthy he was mashing AA pitchers with a .301 avg and a SLG of .505 over his 2 stints. The guy can hit so why not challenge him with AAA.

At SS, I have Valdespin getting a full season's work with Buffalo. In his brief 2011 stint, he batted .280 but struck out almost 25% of the time. Defense will be a major concern with "Spin" as his 32 errors at SS last year in AA/AAA makes us wonder if he should change positions but his bat and speed in the Bisons line-up should make up for it.

Lastly at 3B, I have Zach Lutz returning. Like Havens, he can definitely swing the bat but has had trouble staying healthy. In 220 AB's, Lutz hit .295 with 11 HR's but was extremely unlucky after landing on the DL with a hamstring strain, and then being on it even longer when he broke his finger after being struck by a foul ball while sitting in the dugout. He also suffered two concussions from HBP's.

• Outfielders- Raul Reyes, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Fernando Martinez

In LF I have 24 yr old Raul Reyes being promoted from AA. Reyes hit an unimpressive .292 when compared to Lagares .370 however he does have 137 more career games at the level than Lagares does. He'll keep the seat warm till Lagares is done mashing AA pitching.

In CF i have Captain Kirk returning for his second stint. Kirk was on the 7 express train to Flushing going from St. Lucie to Buffalo in a short yr and a half. He would've probably been promoted before Duda had it not been for a season ending surgery. However if he can continue to hover around the .300 avg line and continue to play good defense in CF he'll be in Flushing sometime this season.

Lastly in RF, I have the one and only Fernando Martinez. I refuse to write anything else on him as i have officially given up on him and am willing to place Kirk, Lagares, and Puello above him in any OF prospect rankings.

• Starters- Mark Cohoon, Jeurys Familia, Chris Schwinden, Jenry Mejia, Dylan Owen

The rotation is going to be a pivotal point of interest this year for the Bisons. For now I only have 2 of the "Generation K 2.0" guys starting here. Once Mejia is back from his surgery he probably be placed in the bullpen to ease his way back but eventually i would think they put him back into the rotation for at least until September when they call him up for bullpen work. Now that Familia is on the 40 man his clock is ticking in terms of options. He's got 3 years to solidfy his spot as a MLB caliber pitcher or risk being claimed on waivers. Schwinden, Cohoon, and Owen are all returners from the 2011 team that posted a 4.36 ERA. Expect Harvey to join the group after 7 or so dominating starts in AA and for Wheeler to join after the AA All Star Break.

• Bullpen- Josh Stinson, Robert Carson, Jack Egbert, Erik Turgeon, Armando Rodriguez, Bradley Holt, Rhiner Cruz

I'm not going to lie, I dont spend too much time reading in relievers stock and potential. However Stinson is an interesting name who can possibly help out the Big League club from the right side. The same can be said abour Carson from the left side. It'll be interesting to see if Holt gets claimed via Rule 5 draft this year. If not it really shows how much his stock has fallen from his days of dominance in St. Lucie.

• Bench- Kai Gronauer, Luis Hernandez, Michael Fisher, Johnathan Malo, Russ Adams

No big names here. Just a couple of organizational guys.

All in all the 2012 Bisons season should have a lot of energy running through out the year. With Generation K 2.0 arriving and lots of impact positional young guys they should see a pretty successful 2012 season. Although i worry about the team defense and the bullpen, the rotation and line-up should be enough to at least propel the team to an above .500 record and put the talks of leaving the Mets organization to rest.

Cutnpaste: - Mike Pelfrey, Jenrry Mejia, Chris Schwinden, Joaquin Arais, Heath Bell

When given the Opening Day assignment be Terry Collins, Mike Pelfrey spoke about what it felt like to replace Johan Santana and he said he was up for the challenge and looking forward to it. On Opening Day he folded like a cheap chair. On April 1st he only lasted 4.1 innings against the Marlins allowing five runs, and it got worse from there. Truth be told, if he is still on the team next spring he should not be assured of a rotations spot and he should earn it along with the rest pitchers vying for a spot. As far as tendering/non-tendering goes, the better question is why didn’t Alderson try and move him last season. Teams take chances on pitchers with potential all the time and if you’re waiting for Pelfrey to boost his value that may never happen while he’s a Met. I could think of a dozen other productive things the Mets could do with $5 million dollars than give it to Pelfrey. http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/11/2011-player-review-mike-pelfrey.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MetsMerizedOnline-GetMetsmerized-NewYorkMets+%28Mets+Merized+Online%29

10-25-11: - http://www.minorleaguerundown.com/2011/10/25/2011-top-20-new-york-mets-prospects - 2011 Top 20 New York Mets Prospects - 1.Jenrry Mejia, RHP (AAA, Majors): At the ripe old age of 22, it’s clear that Mejia still needs a good bit of development time. It would certainly help if he was given some quality time down in the AA rotation to work on the finer points of pitching, as opposed to random action out of the major league bullpen. I hope Mets management won’t continue to view Mejia as a bullpen piece with quality starters like Matt Harvey and Zach Wheeler on the way, as he deserves a shot at starting before they start knocking on the door. His 11 strong starts between AA and AAA the past two years (3.49 FIP, 44.1 IP/2.83 FIP, 27.1 IP) are a good indicator of his talent level as a starter, more so than his 4.72 FIP in 39 major league innings. 

11-8-11: - http://risingapple.com/2011/11/08/2011-season-in-review-chris-schwinden  - While his four starts in 2011 were a small sample size (4.71 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, and 2.83 K/BB in 21 innings), Chris Schwinden showed some undeniable talent. He mixed in his four promising pitches well (fastball, cutter, curveball, and change-up), without relying on any one of them too much (he threw his fastball 45.3% of the time). Granted, his fastball’s average MPH was a little underwhelming (89.1 MPH), both his change-up (average of 81.3 MPH) and curveball (average of 74.4 MPH) kept hitters off-balance. There’s a good chance the 24 year-old will start 2012 in the Minor Leagues, but Schwinden showed enough poise to at least earn a look during Spring Training and throughout the season.

But there’s a specific look that comes from that sort of feeling, and that’s the look I saw on Joaquin Arais’ face. Here’s Arias, right — he had just been traded to a new, far away team with a month left in the season. He’s in a foreign country. He doesn’t speak English well, he didn’t seem to know any of his new teammates, and he wasn’t playing and he probably wasn’t going to play. His career hasn’t quite gone as expected. And now it’s raining and he’s trapped here for God knows how long tonight and he doesn’t have anyone to talk to or anyone who wants to talk to him and it can be paralyzing to be surrounded by people not talking to you. So he went outside and sat on this giant cube thing in the cold, just trying to run out the clock until he could come up for air again. http://www.patrickfloodblog.com/2011/11/08/another-brick-in-the-wall-part-1

Heath Bell: 3-4, 2.44 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 43 saves - Bell almost left San Diego last year on two occasions. He was rumored to be headed to Texas, and San Francisco claimed him off waivers, but could not work out a deal. Bell remained in San Diego where he has saved 132 games the last three years. Bell made $7.5 million and could be due for a significant raise. Bell has publicly stated his desire to stay in San Diego, but is reportedly believed to be seeking a three-year deal worth more than $25 million while the team is thinking of a two-year deal with an option. http://www.metro.us/newyork/sports/article/1019347--mlb-free-agency-fire-up-the-hot-stove

Q and A with Mack and... SP Chris Schwinden

Mack:  Good morning folks. I've been looking forward to this one. Today we have... (he's gonna love when I write this...) ONE OF THE NEW YORK METS ROTATION PITCHERS... Chris Schwinden. Hey Chris. Music in your ears, huh?

Schwinden:  Well, I like the sound of it that's for sure.

Mack:  Boy, you've come a long way from a year ago when they couldn't find a rotation slot for you in Binghamton. We’ll get to your high point of the season in the next question, but early on relieving for the B-Mets, were those your darkest moments?

Schwinden:   Absolutely not. I mean, don't get me wrong I wanted to be a starter, but I said to myself ( after hearing I was in the pen) that when it was my turn to pitch I'm going to pitch. There was no reason to be mad over not starting. To tell you the truth I kinda liked coming out of the pen as well.

Mack:   Watch what you wish for...   Okay, now, let's get to the good part. First, I sort of remember that there was a scare that had had a rumor going around that you were going to have sport start in late August.  Was that stressful waiting for someone to tap you on the shoulder?

Schwinden:  Well, having the carrot dangled in front of me this year was a roller coaster of emotions. By the end of august I got used to the stress. But I kept telling myself when the time comes be ready.

Mack:  And then, the day came...  walk us through...

Schwinden:  We just finished our last game in Scranton. And I was making room in my luggage to fit my baseball stuff. Then Rickey Bones comes up to me and asked what I was doing. I told him and then he says come with me. And Tuff was waiting in the office and tells me I going up to the big leagues.

Mack:  And lastly... walk us through that first outing/pitch...

Schwinden:   Well, just being nervous about the hitters was the big shock for me. Being thrown into a game facing a lineup like that was very overwhelming. But nerves getting the best of me is something that I don't go through a lot. I defiantly don't like feeling like that. But it was amazing pitching against guys like Uggla and Jones and McCann. If I was dying tomorrow I'm proud to say I've pitched against those guys.

Mack:  Chris, I gotta give it to you. That's a unique way of putting it...  So here we are... you're a big time major league and I have to drop you from my "Keepers" list... I love it. So, what are you working on during the off-season?

Schwinden:  Obviously work on commanding all my pitches a little bit better. Reaching near 100 pitches in 5-6 innings isn't where I want to be. Command is a big must this off season.

Mack:  Chris, it's simply fantastic to see you have succeeded where so many of us have failed. I want to thank you for taking my readers through those great days and I wish nothing but more success in the future.

Schwinden:  Thanks Mack I appreciate it.

More Schwinny  stuff...

Selected by New York Mets in 22nd Round (674th overall) of 2008 amateur entry draft.

In 2008, Schwinden went 4-1, 2.01, 14 games, 8 starts, 70Ks, 62.2 IP, only 12 BBs, for Brooklyn.

In 2009, Schwinden became one of the “Savannah 5”, posting a 9-6, 3.28, 1.22 record in 21 games, 17 starts. He also went 1-0, 3.97 for Lucy in the last week of the season.

Forecast written in Jan 2010:: Everybody spent the entire 2009 season bragging on Jeurys Familia and Robert Carson, while Schwinden stayed under the radar. Hey, this is a guy with a lifetime 1.17 WHIP! So far, in two seasons, he’s 14-7, 2.90, 1.17. I’ll take that at any level. We may have ourselves another pitching prospect here.

7-3-10: - Schwinden has had a hard time solidifying himself within the Binghamton rotation, but that might be all in the past after last night’s first game of the doubleheader. Schwinden had a no-hitter after six innings and finished up the 7-inning game with a two hitter. He also struck out five and did not give up a walk.

10-2-10 interview:

Mack: – Hey folks. We’re here this morning with the 22nd round pick in the 2008 draft, starting pitcher Chris Schwinden. Hey Chris, thanks for spending a few minutes with us. First up, are you home or down in Ft. Myers in Instruction Camp? .

Schwinden: – Thanks for having me. I’m back home here in Visalia, CA.

Mack: – I have to ask you the same question I ask all of you… take us back to that classic day you found out you were drafted… what was that all about? .

Schwinden: – I was just sitting at home watching TV, Fish-eyeing my computer every round. Then I saw my name popped up under the Mets. I kind of double-taked for a second and I knew it was for real. and I was really excited.

Mack: – Chris, you signed and went straight to Brooklyn, where you went 4-1, 2.01, in 14 games, eight starts. Nore importantly, you had 70-Ks in only 62.2-IP, with only 12-BB. The new grind of rotating every five days didn’t seem to affect you at all….

Schwinden: – Well…Its the same game where ever you go.You have to throw the ball over for strikes and try and get guys out. I was fortunate enough to have a season like Brooklyn. Pitching every five days was some getting use to, but it’s what you do with those extra days to try and get yourself better for the next outing.

Mack: – You said it perfectly. I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked “how do I get to the majors”… if they’re a pitcher, I tell them “well, you first have to throw strikes…”

Anyway, it was on to Savannah in 2009 (9-6, 3.28) and then finishing up with St. Lucie (1-0, 3.97), where you continued to shine in 2010 at (3-0, 1.83)… had you added anything new to your repertoire during this period?

Schwinden: – This past off-season I really wanted to work on my curve. It wasn’t that great in 09. So I really wanted to bring that back into play. This year mark brewer taught me how to throw a cutter and had lots of success with it. So I have another pitch that is going to be fun throwing.

Mack: – Last question… Chris, you’re at that place I call “the point of no return”. Minor league players really have two steps they must take to get to the Bigs…. one, they have to get to the AA level… and two, they have to get past it.

A coach told me once that there are no bad baseball players in AA. You’ve already had a taste of that this past season. Is it true and what are your off-season plans to get ready for your next step? .

Schwinden: – Well… I would say that there are guys that have experience where they have found success in what they have learned and there are some that haven’t found it yet. But they have done something great to get themselves where they are. I’m going to work on the cutter and try to establish that to the best I can get it. Also work on little mechanical problems that I endured over the season and go from there.

Mack: – Great ideas. The cutter turned out to be the difference for Mike Pelfrey. It’s a killer pitch with no predictable outcome. I always called it a fast-knuckler…

5-14-11: - No one seems to be able to give any explanation for what SP Chris Schwinden is doing different at the AAA level. His fastball remains in the 90-92 range, but it especially has good tail motion down and in to right-handed hitters. The changup did raise up last year to the 80-84 range, and he has an average slider (84-86) at best. His last and least used pitch is his overhand curve, in the high-70s. Anyone that has followed Chris’s game knows that the key here is command, and the ability to mix his pitches to his liking. I have to assume at this point that he is currently, as we say, in command.

6-9-11: - http://www.metstoday.com/6564/mets-minors/mets-minor-league-update-buffalo-bisons-starting-pitcher-chris-schwinden - Although he has been in a mini-slump lately in the International League, Schwinden looks like the next Mets pitcher to break the aforementioned rule. On the season, Chris has compiled a record of 3-3 with an era of 3.20. The record may not look very promising but considering the Bisons’ poor 26-34 record on the year, it is very respectable. In addition, Schwinden doesn’t allow many base runners — witnessed by his 1.08 WHIP on the season. (For those of you who don’t know, WHIP is a stat that counts the amount of walks and hits a pitcher  averages each inning. It is calculated simply by dividing the total amount of walks and hits the pitcher has allowed in one season by the amount of innings the pitched in the same season. Generally speaking, a really good WHIP is anything below 1.10 and Schwinden’s falls into that category).

6-26-11: - It’s going to be very interesting to see what the Mets do with this guy if he keeps this up. He pitched his 14th start for Buffalo yesterday, going 7.0-IP, 7-K, 2-BB, 3-ER, 3.12. Seasonally, he has only struck out 67 in 80.2-IP and has walked 30 batters. We assume Johan Santana comes back next season and we’re still trying to figure out if Dillon Gee survives a needed rotational cut, so what about Schwinden? Long relief?

6-30-11: - press release - The International League today announced that Buffalo Bisons RHP CHRIS SCHWDINEN has been selected to the IL’s 2011 All-Star Team. Schwinden and the IL’s best will face the Pacific Coast League All-Star Team at the 24th Annual Triple-A All-Star Game on Wednesday, July 13 at Spring Mobile Ballpark in Salt Lake City, UT. Next season’s 25th annual Triple-A All-Star Game will be played in Buffalo, NY at the home of the Buffalo Bisons, Coca-Cola Field. Schwinden, 25, is having a breakout season with the Bisons, his first career time at the Triple-A level. He leads the Bisons’ staff in all pitching triple crown categories with five wins, a 3.12ERA and 67 strikeouts. His ERA also ranks 10th-best in the International League Overall, Schwinden is 5-3 in 14 games with 63 hits allowed in a team-high 80.2 innings of work. Schwinden began the 2011 season in the bullpen for Double-A Binghamton. He was promoted to the Herd on April 16 and struck out a season-high nine batters that night in his Triple-A debut in Pawtucket. He picked up his first Triple-A win in his third start with 5.2 shutout innings on April 26 in Rochester. He has also won his last two starts, which included retiring 17 consecutive batters on Sunday in a victory over Norfolk. Schwinden has pitched five innings or more in 13 of his 14 starts and allowed three of fewer runs in 11 of his appearances

7-2-11: - Schwinden continues to impress with Buffalo, going 7.0-IP Friday night: 0-R, 5-H, 8-K, 0-BB. His AAA ERA is now 2.87 and he has definitely earned his all-star status. Even more important is his increased K/IP ratio over the last few games.

7-3-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/07/best-mets-minor-league-surprises-mid-season-edition.html   - Chris Schwinden – Buffalo, after two relief appearances with Bingo to start the season, the 6’3″ righty was quickly called up to Buffalo and placed in the starting rotation. He is the only prospect to show positive development at AAA this year while at the same time staying healthy. In 15 game starts, he is 5-3 with a 2.87 ERA. In 87.2 IP, he has given up a paltry 67 hits, with 75 K and 30 BB. His AAA opponents are hitting only .211 against him, and his WHIP is 1.11.

7-4-11: - http://mets360.com/?p=7171&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mets360%2Ffeed+%28Mets360+Feed%29  - In his last start, Schwinden threw seven shutout innings against Lehigh Valley, and allowed four hits and no walks. He struck out eight batters and ran his scoreless innings streak to 15.2 IP. Schwinden got a no-decision in the game, as Buffalo lost 2-0. But even though he did not get rewarded with the win, there’s no doubting how well he has pitched this season. In his last four games, Schwinden has allowed 5 ER in 25.2 IP (1.75 ERA) and has allowed 6 BB and notched 25 Ks. In Friday’s game against the Iron Pigs, Schwinden retired the first 10 batters he faced and ended his outing by setting down his final eight hitters

7-5-11: - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/7/4/2258798/prospect-spotlight-chris-schwinden-mets - While Schwinden isn’t the most overpowering pitcher on the planet, I do not like when people refer to him as not having enough "stuff" to get Major League hitters out. He is much like Gee, in that the overall command of his fastball and good off-speed pitch should be enough to keep hitters honest at the next level. In Gee’s case the pitch is a changeup, but for Schwinden it will be good old Uncle Charlie and being a guy who gets a lot of flyballs he could benefit greatly from pitching in Citi Field. He is still just a C prospect, but I don’t think it is out of the realm of possibility for him to have a Gee type of impact at some point this season or next."

7-27-11: - Schwinny pitched a gem Wednesday afternoon, with stats of 7.0-IP, 2-R, 6-K, 1-BB. He now has 101 strikeouts for the Bisons and has become the 16^th pitcher in modern-era with 100+ strikeouts for the Bisons (Dillon Gee holds the record with 165, set last year).

8-14-11: - http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/32042/projected-prospect-call-ups - CHRIS SCHWINDEN, rhp (7-6, 3.53 ERA in 23 appearances, 21 starts, with Buffalo and Binghamton): The Dillon Gee-type feel-good story of the current crop of prospects, Schwinden came out of nowhere. A 22nd-round pick in 2008 from Fresno Pacific, even Schwinden has been pleasantly surprised by his success. “I didn’t think I was going to do as good as I am now. It’s kind of shocking. It’s turned out for the best so far,” Schwinden said earlier this season.

8-19-11: - Stock Up – SP Chris Schwinden – Schwinden wanted to make sure everyone still is considering him for the 2012 Mets rotation. Friday nights stats: 5.2-IP, 0-R, 4-H, 6-K, 1-BB. The season ERA is now 3.60.

8-23-11: - #22: -          SP  Chris Schwinden – Anyone that has had the privilege of covering the Mets minor league system is very proud of what Chris has done this season. Every organization has a bunch of pitchers that peak at 91-92, sit in the high 80s, and rely on mixing their pitchers. Their go to pitch is usually not the fastball and many never get the opportunity to join a big league rotation. Like Dillon Gee, Chris relies on his pitching intelligence which made him an all-star this season in the AAA. That’s a big deal, folks. Where does he go? Well, it depends on the rehabbing of Johan Santana, the iffy return of Mike Pelfrey, and the possible resigning of Chris Young. His worst case… he will anchor Buffalo come spring.

8-22-11: - http://bleacherreport.com/articles/814874-new-york-mets-who-the-mets-should-add-to-their-40-man-roster-on-september-1st  -

Chris Schwinden SP Buffalo Bisons: 23 GS 7-6, 3.60 ERA, 119 Ks, 130.0 IP Schwinden, a 22nd-round draft pick in 2008, has had a truly breakout season this year for the Bisons. He has emerged into one of the best-performing starting pitchers in the Mets farm system.  Like current Mets pitcher Dillon Gee, Schwinden doesn't have overpowering stuff but still manages to get batters out. This is one of the reasons why he was named to the International League All-Star Game in 2011.  Schwinden is a smart pitcher and as evidenced by Dillon Gee, those kind of guys manage to be successful for the Mets.

8-24-11: - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/8/24/2381743/minor-league-notes-august-24-2011#storyjump  - New York Mets prospect Chris Schwinden is having a solid year for Triple-A Buffalo and could receive a promotion for the stretch run. The 25-year-old right-hander has a 3.60 ERA with a 119/44 K/BB in 130 innings, with 115 hits allowed. He's given up 12 homers and has a 0.61 GO/AO ratio. Drafted in the 22nd round in 2008 from Fresno Pacific, Schwinden struggled last year in Double-A (5.56 ERA, 100 hits in 79 innings) but has been more effective this year. His velocity is mediocre (88-90) for a right-hander, but he throws strikes and mixes in a curveball and cutter. He has little margin for error and could be a Quadruple-A type, but there's at least some chance he could develop into a fifth starter or long reliever

9-3-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/09/prospect-pulse-buffalo-2012-help-on-the-way.html - SP4:  Chris Schwinden - Schwinden has emerged as the “ace” of the Buffalo rotation this year, going 8-7 with a 3.95 ERA in 25 GS. He has put himself squarely on the “prospect map” as a RHP in the Dillon Gee mold. The chief difference between the two, is where Gee relies heavily on his change-up as an out-pitch, Schwinnie uses a hard-breaking curveball. He will be a super long-shot to make the Mets out of ST next year, and will probably be a “holdover” in the Herd’s rotation, but should definitely get his first big league opportunity at some point during the 2012 campaign, whether in the rotation or the bullpen is tough to say.

9-14-11: - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/9/14/2423353/prospect-of-the-day-chris-schwinden-rhp-new-york-mets - Schwinden was undeterred however, and ended up having a fine season this year for Triple-A Buffalo, with a 3.95 ERA and a 134/48 K/BB in 146 innings, allowing 138 hits. He was promoted to the majors for this month and gave up eight hits and five runs in five innings in his first start, though he walked just one and fanned four. There is nothing special about his velocity, his fastball is just in the 86-90 range. He mixes in a cutter, curveball, and changeup, relying on sharp command of his secondary pitches to succeed. He has little margin for error and needs a strong defense behind him, but there are pitchers with worse stuff who have made careers for themselves due to superior command, and he's shown the ability to make adjustments to higher level competition. Schwinden really snuck up on us this year, but I don't see him as a total fluke. I think he projects as a fifth starter or long relief type as long as his command remains strong.

9-23-11: - http://risingapple.com/2011/09/23/the-stuff-that-dreams-are-made-of-chris-schwinden-via-seedlings-to-stars  - Chris Schwinden was never considered much of a prospect, and FanGraphs’ Mike Newman, who had seen him pitch in Low-A years ago, was shocked that he ultimately made it to the big leagues. But here he is, and Schwinden’s made three starts, covering 16 innings. He hasn’t been that bad, either–he’s allowed just one homer with a 12/5 K/BB ratio. The 25-year-old righthander, who turned in a solid year in Triple-A this season, is not a hard thrower; the fastest pitch he’s thrown since his callup is about 91 mph. Schwinden throws three pitches: an 85-91 mph cut fastball (average: 88.1 mph), a 72-78 mph curveball (average: 74.4 mph), and a 79-83 mph changeup (average: 81.3 mph).

9-30-11: - With the season over for the Mets, Schwinden's offseason began Thursday as he flew back home to Visalia. He's been instructed by the New York Mets organization to not play winter ball and was told to rest during the offseason. He said he'll be in contact with the Mets' brass throughout the offseason and will follow the workout plan that he was given by the team's strength coach. "I reached and went over my innings pitched, so they're just going to have me relax and have me prepare for the offseason," he said. "The big thing, though, during the offseason is fine tuning my mechanics and getting my body in shape.  - http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20110930/SPORTS/109300333

Cutnpaste: - Jose Reyes, Mike Baxter, Angel Pagan, Chris Schwinden, J.J. Putz

Here's why I have no problem with what (Jose) Reyes did: SNY, for a little over a month, gave us Jose Reyes Batting Race Updates before and after every single game. Met fans wanted this. It was the only thing to look forward to at the end of another disaster of a season. Everybody who has a personal/professional stake in the Mets wanted this to happen. So when Reyes does something to ensure this happens, he gets killed for it? Met fans turn on him and root for Ryan Braun? Is this serious? I get that people were upset that they couldn't say good-bye to Jose Reyes one final time, but we knew his departure was possible for months now and had plenty of time to cheer for him. And if this was such a big deal, then were was the giant walk-up crowd for tickets? Tell me. - http://www.metstradamusblog.com/2011-articles/september/the-jose-reyes-manifesto.html

Mike Baxter — Baxter slammed his first major league home run in the team's final game of 2011, but that's not what makes his story special. He's a local kid, who grew up in Whitestone and attended Archbishop Molly High School in Queens. He even helped the Stanners win the Catholic High School Athletic Association city title in 2002 at Shea Stadium. Baxter is living proof that dreams do come true. -  http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ycn-9174449

Alderson did not offer a ringing endorsement of outfielder Angel Pagan, who is a candidate to be non-tendered. After two strong campaigns, Pagan floundered in 2011. His .694 on-base plus slugging percentage was nearly 100 points below his average from 2009-2010. His defense regressed, according to advanced metrics such as Ultimate Zone Rating.  Plus, Pagan’s injury woes resurfaced. After completing his first full big-league season in 2010, he played in just in 123 games this year. In all, he left the front office unimpressed. - http://www.nj.com/mets/index.ssf/2011/09/mets_constant_rash_of_injuries.html

9-30-11: - With the season over for the Mets, (Chris) Schwinden's offseason began Thursday as he flew back home to Visalia. He's been instructed by the New York Mets organization to not play winter ball and was told to rest during the offseason. He said he'll be in contact with the Mets' brass throughout the offseason and will follow the workout plan that he was given by the team's strength coach. "I reached and went over my innings pitched, so they're just going to have me relax and have me prepare for the offseason," he said. "The big thing, though, during the offseason is fine tuning my mechanics and getting my body in shape.  - http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20110930/SPORTS/109300333

J.J. Putz, Arizona Diamondbacks -- The D'backs meteoric rise to the MLB Posteason resulted in a thorn in Mets' fans sides finally being dislodged. With Arizona KOing any chance for the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants to repeat, it means this 2011 postseason will be the first since the Collapse of 2007 in which Guillermo Mota will have nothing to do over the next few weeks. Putz didn't exactly win the hearts and minds of the Shea Faithful with an injury-plagued and sub-par tenure, but it was the comments following his departure about his handling by the team's medical staff that finally made the media focus in on what Mets fans knew what a glaring problem under Minaya. That's more than current teammates and Mets expats Xavier Nady and Henry Blanco as well as current D'Backs hitting coach and former Mets bench coach Don Baylor ever contributed, and for that, we thank him. - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/9/30/2459916/a-mets-fans-guide-to-recognizing-your-saints-in-the-2011-mlb-playoffs