John From Albany: 10 Years Ago - Braves Beat Verrett, 9/22/2015

 

Logan Verrett, 2015 Topps Baseball Card

2015, the last year the Mets made the World Series.  This daily post will detail the game by game journey to the Fall Classic.  Click here for More Mets History and Calendar Classics.

Year: 2015; Game #151; Tuesday;  Sep 22, NYM 2  Vs. ATL; 6; boxscore;   WP: Wisler; LP: Verrett; Time: 02:56; NIGHT; Attendance: 26,227; Record: 85-66; Standings: 1; Games up/behind: up 6.5; L;

Curtis Granderson RF: 0 for 3; 1 run; 1 walk; David Wright 3B: 2 for 4; HR; 1 run; 1 RBI; 1 K; Daniel Murphy 2B: 2 for 4; 2·2B; Yoenis Céspedes CF: 0 for 3; 1 walk; 2 Ks; Lucas Duda 1B: 0 for 3; Michael Cuddyer PH-1B: 0 for 0; SF; 1 RBI; Wilmer Flores SS: 1 for 4; 1 K; Michael Conforto LF: 1 for 4; 1 K; Kevin Plawecki C: 0 for 3; 1 K; Rubén Tejada PH: 0 for 1; 1 K; Logan Verrett P: 0 for 1; 1 K; Kelly Johnson PH: 0 for 1; 1 K; Kirk Nieuwenhuis PH: 0 for 1; 1 K; Travis d'Arnaud PH: 0 for 1; Logan Verrett, L (1-2): 5 innings; 4 runs; 4 ERs; 5 hits; 2 HRs; 1 walk; 3 Ks; Sean Gilmartin: 2 innings; no runs; 2 hits; 3 Ks; Hansel Robles: 1 inning; no runs; 1 K; Tyler Clippard: 1 inning; 2 runs; 2 ERs; 2 hits; 1 walk; 

NY Post: Mets slip again as Terry Collins says team seems ‘tight’. "Two days after the Mets dropped the Subway Series finale trying to manage Matt Harvey’s innings, they lost Tuesday trying to limit Jacob deGrom’s. They skipped deGrom’s turn in the rotation, and in his third spot start, Logan Verrett (1-2) finally fell short, coughing up four runs in the fifth on a pair of homers. After Jace Peterson hit his full-count pitch for a solo shot, Verrett intentionally walked Nick Markakis with two out, and then — upon falling behind Hector Olivera 0-2 — surrendered a three-run blast to left to put the Mets behind 4-1."

ESPN.com: "David Wright homered as the Mets lost for the fifth time in seven games. They stayed 6 1/2 games ahead of Washington, whose loss to Baltimore cut New York's magic number to six for clinching the division. 'Looks like we're tight,' Collins said...But other than Daniel Murphy's two doubles, New York rarely dented Wisler in finishing 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position."

NL East Standings 9/22/2015

Tm	W	L	W-L%	GB	RS	RA	pythW-L%
NYM	85	66	.563	--	634	576	.544
WSN	78	72	.520	6.5	673	598	.554
MIA	64	87	.424	21.0	560	628	.448
ATL	61	91	.401	24.5	533	726	.362
PHI	57	94	.377	28.0	573	773	.366

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/22/2015.

The Morning Report 9.8.2015 | Niese Continuing to Make Mistakes, Cespedes Scorching HOT = Payday is Rising, Harper Calls Out Nationals Fans, More Reinforcements from AAA

Marc Carig | Newsday- Jonathon Niese retreated to the dugout, where he waved his arms and muttered as he slammed his glove into the bench. "We're going to get this thing right," said Niese, who was shelled for five runs in 31/3 innings in the Mets' 8-5 victory. Niese's anger stemmed from the curveball he threw to Wilson Ramos, which came to rest above the Mets' bullpen. The grand slam shaped Niese's five-run implosion in the fourth. "I promise you guys I'm not insane because I've been making the same mistake the last three games trying to get different results," Niese said. "It's just not working."

(Chris Soto: As of right now...Johnathan Niese is not in this club's playoff rotation. Colon's improvement over the past few starts at the same time of Niese's demise has all but sealed the deal. Even if Niese does right the ship during the rest of the season, it's going to take a massive collapse by Colon to jump over him in the depth chart at this point.)

Kristie Ackert | NY Daily News- Yoenis Cespedes may not be in a Mets uniform next season, but the slugger is certainly doing everything to extend his time with the team this season. “I don’t really know what they are thinking, but my plan is to go out there and have fun,” Cespedes said of possibly re-signing with the Mets. “I enjoy the team. It’s a really great team. I love the city of New York, I love the fans and what we’ve got going here is a really good thing.“I don’t really think about (the future), I just want to go out there and do my job and produce and get great numbers.”

(Chris Soto: Folks...I'll be the first one to say it....With Cespedes performance since coming over to NY, I don't think there is any way imaginable that the club is going to be able to re-sign him. If you remember back in 2004, Carlos Beltran had an unbelievable September and October for the Houston Astros. Despite hitting .267 on the season his ridiculous .417 AVG and 8 HRs in October led to a massive contract offer from the Mets that many others were willing to match. Cespedes may be looking at a $22-25M payday per year with his performances, something I'm not sure the Mets can, nor wish, to match.)

Mikah Sargent | TCPalm-  Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is known for his brash attitude, but on Monday he may have crossed a line — by calling out the home fans. Asked after the Nats' Monday loss to the New York Mets about the game's atmosphere, he quipped, "I mean, [the fans] left in the seventh, so that was pretty brutal." Harper isn't even the only Nats player to call out their fans recently. Closer Jonathan Papelbon said he had a "bone to pick" with fans who weren't enthusiastic during a recent extra-inning win Friday.

(Chris Soto: The frustrations continue to boil over for the Nationals. Anytime they score 5 runs with Max Scherzer on the mound....they expect to win. However, the Mets offense came out and punched the Nationals right in the gut by scoring 5 on Scherzer and another 3 on their bullpen to drop the magic number by 2 in one night. With Harvey and deGrom scheduled for the next two games...the Nationals have their backs to the wall and are going to be swinging like hell. It's the Mets job to kick them through that wall and FINISH THE JOB!)

Avery Decker | Metsmerized Online- The Mets announced they have recalled infielder Dilson Herrera, catcher Johnny Monell and RHP Logan Verrett from Triple-A Las Vegas following Monday’s game. The Las Vegas 51′s season came to a close after they were eliminated from postseason play, so the timing here made sense. Verrett appeared in 10 games for the Mets in 2015, going 1-0 with a save and a 1.93 ERA. Monell hit .178 with four RBIs in 24 games earlier this season for the Mets. Herrera was with the Mets at the beginning of the 2015 season, hitting .195 with two homers and four RBIs before being sent to the minors in June.

(Chris Soto: Some more reinforcements for Terry Collins bench. Verrett may be the most important guy here as they look to continue to limit Harvey's innings. Verrett and Harvey may end up in a piggyback system like the ones used down in the Savannah and Port St. Lucie minor league teams; Harvey for 4 IP, Verrett for 3IP, then turn it over to the bullpen.)

The Morning Report 5.5.2015 | Monell Called Up, Welcome Home Verrett, Time for Flores to Reset, Wright's Return Uncertain.

Transactions | Chris Soto

• The Mets announced that they will be calling up C Johnny Monell to the MLB club today. With only 2 games in between 2 off days, the club intends on carrying an extra bat that can provide some left handed power to help jump start the offense. Monell has had a really good start in his first month with the Las Vegas 51s, hitting .397/.455/.638 with 4 HRs. 
• The Texas Rangers announced that Rule 5 draft pick RHRP Logan Verrett has cleared waivers and will be returned to the Mets organization. The front office will reassign Verrett to Las Vegas. It is not immediately know if Verrett will return to the rotation, to replace the recently injured Matt Bowman, or remain in the bullpen.

Patrick Albanesius | Mets 360- In games the Mets have won so far in 2015, they have walked 60 times and struck out an even 100. In those games the team line has been .260/.340/.395 with 13 home runs. In games lost by the Mets, the team has walked just 18 times, and struck out 80. That team batting line is .198/.248/.281 with just four home runs. It’s a complete role reversal from the winning baseball the team was playing, and it’s not even hard to see! If Kevin Long is going to earn his paycheck, he needs to calm the fire before it engulfs the team. Strikeouts are to be expected, as they are a sign of aggressiveness. But if that aggressiveness is causing pitchers to adjust to your team strategy, and you don’t adjust back, you’re dead.

(Chris Soto: Patrick is absolutely right. The past few games I have seen more guys swinging and missing at the first pitch or chasing balls out of the zone. This puts hitters into unfavorable counts and forces them to abandon the team philosophy of "hunting for your pitch." I am hoping that this day off was used to calm everyone down so that we can go into this short Baltimore series and take both games. If there is ever a time to get the offense hot again, it's these next two games against the MLB's 3rd most inefficient starting rotation.)


Kristie Ackert | NY Daily News- There is no hiding that the 23-year old has gotten off to a bad start this season. In 25 games, Flores has more errors (7) than he did in the 51 games he played at shortstop last season (4). As the Mets have struggled recently, the pressure on Flores has grown more intense, especially after his bobbled ball on Thursday cost the Mets a game. “He’s handling it well. He’s a pretty relaxed kid, so it doesn’t look like he needs to talk yet. He just needs a pat on the back,” Cuddyer said. “Eventually, I will tell him I had to get through the same thing. It was 2005 and they had me playing third. It was awful, It just keeps coming at you and you feel like you can’t do anything right...all you can do is go through it. I was not swinging the bat like he can though, so he is going to be fine.”

(Chris Soto: For anyone who still has doubts about why the front office signed Cuddyer, here is an example of why he was signed to be more than just a bat. It was only a week ago when Flores was riding a 8 game hitting streak and was in the Top 5 among MLB SS in batting average and OPS. A 3 day head clearing day is probably exactly he needed as the errors he was committing were just silly under throws and lack of focus plays.)


Zach Braziller | New York Post- David Wright’s return remains uncertain. The Captain, out since April 15 with a hamstring injury, is at the team’s minor-league complex in Port St. Lucie, Fla., working to get back, but he’s still not at 100 percent, general manager Sandy Alderson told The Post.
“It’s just hard to say,” Alderson said, when asked about a possible return. “He could be a week away, could be 10 days away. Until he gets into a game situation and feels confident with the leg, we’re not going to know. Once Wright is 100 percent confident in the leg and is running at 100 percent, he would be five days or less away from getting back to Queens.“We haven’t gotten to that threshold yet,” the general manager said.

(Chris Soto: The Mets front office is continuing to be cautious with Wright leg hamstring. Also based on Sandy's comments about getting him into a game situation, it sounds like once Wright feels 100%, he could get send out for a small minor league rehab assignment to get his legs back under him. Don't expect the captain back for at least another 10 days in my opinion.)

The Morning Report 3.3.2015 | Intra-Squad Game, Logan Verrett, Gee for Profar?, RIP Jeff McKnight, Juan Lagares ceiling?

• Today is the first Spring Training Game of the Year! The club is scheduled to play an internal intra-squad game against each other at 12pm today. On the mound for Team Blue will be Jon Niese, Rafael Montero, Sean Gilmartin, Carlos Torres and Vic Black. For Team Orange, Zack Wheeler, Jenrry Mejia, Buddy Carlyle and Jeurys Familia will be on the mound. David Wright, Michael Cuddyer and Curtis Granderson are all scheduled to play but Daniel Murphy, Juan Lagares, and Lucas Duda will all sit.

Rich Dubroff | CSN Baltimore - "the Orioles have a Rule 5 draft choice who threw a scoreless inning. Logan Verrett, taken by the Orioles from the New York Mets, has pitched at a much higher level than Garcia. Because he’s a Rule 5 pick, Verrett has more eyes on him.“I definitely feel like I’m going to get plenty of opportunities to be seen on the mound. I, for, appreciate that opportunity. Being able to get out on the mound, just getting out there, the more times I get out there on the mound, the better I can be. I hope I get as many opportunities as humanly possible to pitch this spring training,”

(Chris Soto: It's been said that the Orioles LOVE what they are seeing from Logan Verrett and that he has a legitimate shot of sticking with the club as their long man out of the bullpen. He's also in the competition for the 5th starter role but is more of a long shot there. We continue to wish Verrett the best of luck. When your in a system that has so much good pitching, naturally there are going to be guys who end up on other teams.)

Chris Cotillo | MLB Daily Dish - "There is an expectation around baseball that Mets' starter Dillon Gee could be traded at some point during spring training, and some in the game believe the Rangers may make a push to acquire him, according to major-league sources.One scenario that is being thrown about in baseball circles is a deal that could send Jurickson Profar to the Mets for Gee and some additional pieces. Profar is likely to miss the entire season due to labrum surgery, though the Mets may be looking to buy low on him.

(Chris Soto: If this rumor has any legs whatsoever.....I am all for it. Gee has made it very clear that he is not a fan of the idea of pitching out of the bullpen. Meanwhile, after Darvish, Gallardo, and Holland, the Rangers have serious question marks in the back end of their rotation. It's a natural fit and the Rangers have additional depth in the middle infield with Rougned Odor and Elvis Andrus. We have to remember that Profar was once a consensus Top MLB prospect. If there truly is a buy low scenario here.....you take it.)


Associated Press | ESPN New York - Jeff McKnight, a versatile player who spent six seasons with the New York Mets and Baltimore Orioles, has died. He was 52. McKnight's family told the Mets that McKnight died Sunday after battling leukemia for 10 years. McKnight made his big league debut with the Mets in 1989 and hit .233 with five home runs and 34 RBIs in 218 games. He singled in his final at-bat for the Mets in August 1994, on the final day before a players' strike wiped out the rest of the season.

(Chris Soto: Our condolences to the team's Joe McEwing has his time. I remember McNight being one of the 1st player's I watched when I first started rooting for the Mets when I was kid [1993 I think]. He was a small scrappy guy who always gave the game everything he had. )



TIM ROHAN | nytimes.com “Several characteristics distinguished Juan Lagares’s outfield glove last season. It was orange with blue trim — Mets colors — along with a patch of black on the back. His son’s name, “J Lagares Jr.,” was stitched into the side. Lagares used his glove to win two prestigious awards — a Gold Glove and a Fielding Bible. He used his glove to establish himself as perhaps the best defensive center fielder in baseball. Lagares, 25, is still building his reputation. The Mets signed him as a teenager out of the Dominican Republic. He is entering his third season with the team as a cornerstone, a young player whom they can build around. Consider some metrics. Baseball Info Solutions, one of the sport’s most respected analytics outfits, evaluates outfielders on the number of plays they make in three areas — shallow, medium and deep. The company found that Lagares ranked among the top center fielders in all three categories. Perhaps more impressive, the company concluded that Lagares also saved 52 runs over the last two years, best among center fielders. As a rule of thumb, said John Dewan, the founder of Baseball Info, about 10 runs saved equal about one victory. Lagares’s defense alone, then, could be credited for about five Mets wins over the last two years, and he played center field for only about 68 percent of the Mets’ games in that period. Dewan said Lagares’s impact was comparable to 40 home runs in half a season. Lagares, it should be noted, can do more than field. He hit .281 last season, 39 points higher than his rookie year, and started showing promise as a base stealer. As a defender, though, he is probably at the height of his powers right now.”

(Herb G.  I have the distinct feeling that Lagares has the makings of a future star. His stellar glove, of course, goes without saying. But offensively, he can be a force as well. Kevin Long recently likened him to Robinson Cano, which I think may be a stretch. I see more of a likeness to Carlos Gomez. Lagares demonstrated his hitting potential in his last few minor league seasons, and perhaps with Long’s tutelage he can even improve on his already satisfactory results of last year at the major league level. Additionally, he seemed to finally learn how to use his speed to advantage on the base paths in the final months of last season. With Lagares batting lead off, as Terry Collins suggested, it could be an exciting season. It even makes one wonder if young Juan could be the player who finally makes Met fans forget the pain of losing Jose Reyes.)

MMs Top 25: #16 RHSP Logan Verrett

#16 RHSP Logan Verrett (LR: #18)
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 2" Weight: 190 lb
Age: 24
Acquired: 2011 Rule 4 Draft, 3rd Round, Baylor University

2014: (AAA) 10-5, 4.35 ERA, 147.0 IP, 6.3 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, 1.429 WHIP
2013: (AA) 12-6, 4.25 ERA, 146.0 IP, 8.1 K/9, 1.3 BB/9, 1.021 WHIP
2012: (A/A+) 5-2, 2.70 ERA, 103.1 IP, 8.1 K/9, 1.1 BB/9, 0.968 WHIP

   The Mets seem to have a lot of pitchers in the minor leagues right now who all fit the same mold. Unsexy, control-oriented, low ceiling but high floor right handers who just know how to pitch. Verrett is another one of these guys that fit that mold.

     Verrett has long been one of Mack's Mets sneaky sleepers. He's always put up strong K to BB ratios despite not having premium velocity and he mixes all 4 of his pitches well. In fact he's earned his way onto MLB.com's Top 20 for the team despite not having a single pitch that grades out as MLB "plus." His plus command helps play up his largely average arsenal making him an effective innings eating guy. 

     His best pitch continues to be his 2 plane slider which he relies on heavily to generate strikeouts. He couples it with a low 90's fastball that he surprisingly likes to work up in the zone with. This leads to heavy Fly-ball Rates which, while it doesn't play well in Vegas, could be very effective in Citi Field with the Mets top flight defensive OF. Unfortunately, his lack of a plus pitch does prevent him from being used as a high leverage relief pitcher. 

     With the massive amount of pitching depth the club has, Verrett is more likely to be part of a trade than to pitch for the Mets. Once he does reach the majors though, he should at the very least be an effective #5 starter for someone with the chance to top out as a Dillon Gee type pitcher. 

Ceiling: Effective #4 MLB SP (Dillon Gee)
Floor: Innings Eating #5 MLB SP (Jeremy Guthrie)

MM's Top 25- #18 RHSP Logan Verrett

#18 RHSP Logan Verrett (LR: #20)
Bats: R Throws: R
Height: 6' 2" Weight: 180 lb
Age: 24
Acquired: 2011 Rule 4 Draft, 3rd Round, Baylor University

2013: (AA) 12-6, 4.25 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 1.9 BB/9, 1.144 WHIP
2012: (A/A+) 5-2, 2.70 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 1.1 BB/9, 0.968 WHIP

Sleeper Alert! Verrett is my selection for pitching breakout candidate of 2014. While some traditional fans will scoff at the idea of using advanced sabermetrics to evaluate a player, they do provide some usefulness when analysed properly. We see here that Verrett's K rate was essentially the same and while his BB rate did rise, it was still under 2.0. So why did Verrett's ERA skyrocket? You can thank the abnormally large amount of Home Runs he gave up. 

As a flyball pitcher Verrett is more likely to give up HR's. However that doesn't mean batters are getting better swings on him. Line Drive % rate is a better indicator of that and his rate remained unchanged (27% in 2012, 27% in 2013). His HR per FB rate however jumped from 6.7% last year to 8.9 % last year. When you couple that with the fact that games played at NYSEG Stadium produced A) almost a full run more and B) 1 HR more per 2 games than other stadiums in the Eastern League, you have yourself the definition of bad luck.

Tools wise, Verrett is pretty unsexy, albeit effective. He brings to the table a below average fastball that only sits at 90 mph but he has excellent command of it. His breaking pitches include a very nice low 80''s slider that has both horizontal and vertical (2-plane) break, a 2-plane break change-up, and a slow curve that he uses sparingly as a surprise pitch to get ahead of right handers. Overall he has the secondary arsenal to be an effective back-end rotation guy but without a strong fastball he'll need to continue being crafty in widen his usage of all his pitches. 

Anticipated Assignment: (AAA) Las Vegas starting rotation
Ceiling: #5 MLB starter 
Floor: Low to medium leverage reliever (6th/7th innings)

Position Battles Worth Watching: 13 Pitchers, 3 Bullpen Spots

One of the largest fights this Spring Training, as it is every season, will be for the final spots within the bullpen. This year only 4 guys are really guaranteed spots going into the season; RH Bobby Parnell, RH Victor Black, RH Carlos Torres, and LH Scott Rice. That leaves 3 spots left in a normal 7 man bullpen. Let's break this battle into two separate sections and assume that the team will carry 2 lefties this year.

Battle to be the 2nd Lefty

Favorites- Josh Edgin

Guys w/ a Chance- (none)

Longshots- Adam Kolarek

This is more of a minor ST battle that probably won't be a fight at all. While Josh Edgin is the incumbent and most likely winner, he was heavily criticized last season for his atrocious start. In 11 April appearances, Edgin held a 9.64 ERA and allowed a .325/.386/.525 batting line in mostly low leverage situations. Even worse, after being sent down to both AA and AAA, Edgin did not improve posting ERA's of 7.88 and 5.91 respectively. Edgin also suffered a season ending injury in August 

Adam Kolarek, meanwhile, had a career best year for the Binghamton Mets making appearances in 44 games and posting a 1.71 ERA and holding lefties to a .214 AVG and only 3 extra base hits all season. His low 90's fastball has a two plane break away from lefties which induces plenty of weak contact. He combines it  with an advanced change-up and a newly added slider which makes him just as effective against righties as well.

While Kolarek has looked good, Edgin has looked good in bursts at the MLB level and is on the 40 man roster. The team is almost certain to give Edgin at least one more chance while Kolarek gets some work in at AAA but he'll give Edgin a run for his money this ST. Don't be surprised if you start to hear his name more often if Edgin gets off to another rough start.

Royal Rumble over Last Two Spots

Favorites- Jeurys Familia, Gonzalez Germen

Guys w/ a Chance- Ryan Reid, Joel Carreno, Miguel Socolovich, Kyle Farnsworth

Longshots- Jeff Walters, Chasen Bradford, John Church, Cory Mazzoni, Logan Verrett, Jack Leathersich

Both Familia and Germen are expected to be major players in the bullpen this season but they may receive some stiff competition from recent minor league contracts signings in Reid, Farnsworth, Carreno, and Socolovich. 

The 29 yr old Reid had a career year in AAA last year and earned an 11 inning cup of coffee at the MLB level where he performed well in all but 1 of his appearances. 

The former Blue Jay, Joel Carreno, brings eye popping K rates into the competition thanks to a plus slider that's extremely tough on righties. In 2013 he held righties to a .101 AVG while striking out 41% of them. 

Lastly, there's the journeyman, Miguel Socolovich. The 27 yr old Venezuelan spent time in Boston, Chicago, Baltimore, and most recently in Japan for 2013. He didn't rack up many innings there (11.1) but he only allow 1 ER in his short time there.

The rest of the guys are longshots to make the team but, with chance to showcase their abilities, good performances could lead to potential promotions to the MLB level in case of injuries or ineffective by the other guys. Walters should be the 1st in line though since he is on the 40 man roster already. 

The Keepers - #20 - P - Logan Verrett

20.    Logan Verrett        RHP

3-9-12 – We haven’t written anything about Logan. I expect him to be part of the St.Lucie rotation come April. 

The Keepers - #20 - RHSP - Logan Verrett

20.    Logan Verrett        RHP

2009:  Logan Verrett, Baylor Bears. RHP, 6' 2", 170 lbs. Verrett came on in relief of Shawn Tolleson, and I was immediately impressed. Verrett showed command of three pitches, each of which was at least solid-average. When I saw him, all three pitches were working, and it was impressive to watch him mow down the University of Houston hitters with excellent command. His change up had great fade to it, and his fastball was 91-94 mph. His slider also showed good potential. (Baylor's coach said Verrett has command of four pitches, but in this outing, I couldn't identify a fourth.) Verrett has very traditional mechanics, so the common flaws are present including late forearm turnover, reverse forearm bounce, and some forearm flyout. He opens up his front shoulder a little early, but it doesn't seem to affect any of his pitches. His arm is up an ready before his shoulders turn even though his front foot hasn't landed yet. This keeps his arm from having to play "catch up." He repeats his delivery very well and seems to be quite an athlete. Verrett must have had a very strong commitment to Baylor because he went undrafted out of high school in 2008. He looked so good when I saw him in Houston, that it was easy for me to imagine him leaving Baylor for a junior college in order to gain eligibility for the 2010 draft. If his arm and stuff hold up for the next two years, I think he could jump into the mix with Gerrit Cole and Bryce Harper at the top of the 2011 draft class.  http://www.texasleaguers.com/home/2009/4/13/freshmen-to-watch-taylor-wall-trevor-bauer-and-logan-verrett.html

A big right-hander with some projection left to dream upon (listed at 6-foot-3, 185 lbs.), Verrett throws three pitches for strikes. His fastball sits 89-92 on most days but has topped out at 95 in short bursts in the past. A slider that occasionally misses bats is probably his second best offering, though a sinking changeup in the mid-70′s might also stake a claim to that title. Verrett relies more on command and setting hitters up than pure stuff, but it’s a solid mix of pitches with good probability. His delivery is sound and he’s a big time competitor. http://riveraveblues.com/2011/06/2011-draft-logan-verrett-49374  

Logan Verrett has good command and throws in the low 90′s.  He has a plus slider, but it is still inconsistent at times.  His change is also a quality pitch.  Verrett is a good athlete and repeats his delivery well.  - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/05/13/logan-verrett-draft-profile  

4-11-11: - http://bullpenbanter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=408:college-baseball-weekend-08-observations&catid=18:articles&Itemid=11   – Logan Verrett: - Average height to a tick above; athletic build; doesn't look projectable  High 3/4 arm slot, smooth delivery with a fast arm  Fastball has good downward plane and some late arm side run; 92 & 93 in the 1st, 88 in the 3rd (via announcer)  Fastball is livelier down in the zone, getting more sink to go with the run; Can be a ground ball inducing pitch; tendency to get hit hard  Slider has significant downward break, occasionally 1-7 movement, esp when thrown low & away from RH; at times has hard late break; 83 in the 2nd & 82 in the 6th (via announcer)  Slider most effective as a chase pitch early on, but he can also throw it for strikes; later in the game, it worked as more of a ground ball pitch; did occasionally flash the swing and miss movement late that was evident early  12-6 curve ball with good drop, lacks sharp break, rolling type of action  Change-up has some drop, but it's gentle and was easily picked up by the batter; 80 & 75 in the 5th (via announcer)  Started to mix change-up in regularly in the 5th inning; threw one with good action, but the rest were unimpressive  Fastball command was mediocre throughout the game, leaving pitch up in the zone often  Good pick off move

Mets: Garrett Owens, Logan Verrett, Jon Niese, Johan Santana, Mets Pitching

 • Dec 13: LHP Garrett Olson - Olson was considered a top prospect for the Orioles for a number of years after being drafted in the first round in 2007. The 28-yr old soft-tossing lefty moved quickly through the minors, boasting a career 3.18 minor league ERA based on the strength of highly developed secondary offerings -- namely a power curve and an excellent change -- as well as pinpoint command. But as we've seen so many times before, as a finesse lefty Olson had trouble at the major league level, posting a 6+ ERA in parts of six seasons. Stuff-wise Olson is a clone of current Mets farmhand Mark Cohoon and may join him as part of the Bisons staff. However, Olson has already begun the transition to the bullpen and having had great success against lefties may audition for that role with the big club. http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/31/2753903/taking-inventory-of-the-mets-minor-league-free-agents

2-1-12: - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com  -    Ranking guys who have not begun their professional career is difficult.  Logan Verrett made it more difficult by an inconsistent last 18 months, with a slow start to his junior year dropping him out of the first round.  According to Baseball America, he throws 88-92 and can touch 94, but it “lacks life.”  The Mets were very pleased with his arm strength at instructs in the fall.  That’s a very controlled environment, and I’m eager to see how he handles a full professional season. (Note: I’ve moved Verrett around the rankings a bunch: 30 felt too high, and the guys between here and there have some professional track record.  Again, it’s not too precise at this point.)

Granted, September was meaningless and Jon Niese had already begun showing signs of fatigue before suffering the strain in his side; there wasn’t any point in bringing him back even if he was 100% healthy.  But still, the fact that he didn’t return in 2011 puts a tiny shred of doubt as spring training opens — a shred that can be easily eliminated after one simple bullpen session. I don’t know enough about the specifics of Niese’s strain, but I know too much about the failure rate of Mets players coming back from injury — setbacks seem to be expected. Hopefully, Niese took enough time off to allow the strain to heal, and went through a proper rehab to prevent the injury from ever happening again. Further, we hope that the injury is completely out of Niese’s mind; if it’s lingering in his thoughts, it could affect his mechanics. Finally, we must hope that he doesn’t injure himself again. Reportedly, it occurred as a result of swinging the bat, not pitching, but still the question must be asked: why? Was he swinging too hard? Were his swing mechanics out of whack so badly that it caused the strain? Whatever it was, has it been corrected? http://www.metstoday.com/7414/11-12-offseason/mets-spring-training-question-19-jon-niese/

Johan Santana (LHP): In 1997 & 1998, Santana posted a combined 7-5 record with a 4.27 ERA in 16 starts with Auburn during his first and second professional seasons. Santana was signed by the Houston Astros in 1995 as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela by legendary scout Epy Guerrero and coming through the Astros Venezuelan Academy. The four-time All-Star (2005, 2006, 2007 & 2009) has pitched in 339 career regular season MLB games over eleven seasons, as a member of the Minnesota Twins and New York Mets. Santana won the 2004 and 2006 American League Cy Young Award. http://seedlingstostars.com/2012/02/02/major-league-alumni-auburn-doubledays/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

Then there's the pitching...oh dear lord the pitching. I know I make a comment every year about the team not having enough pitching depth, but this season will set the bar pretty low. As it stands today, the team doesn't have five healthy starters because no one can provided a definitive answer on Johan Santana. Even if he is ready for opening day, someone will eventually fall to injury. The Mets will be left with...with who? The Mets are so thin at starting pitcher that I fear they may prematurely promote from within when their less than mediocre "major league ready" options run dry. http://networkedblogs.com/twoZZ

Building 2012 Rosters Prospects First - Picks 41-45:

#41 – OF Juan Lagares – This is one of the great positive stories of the 2011 season. Lagares almost played himself off the map after the 2009 season, but what do you expect from a teeneage who originally came up as an infielder. Right now, he’s the top hitting outfielder in the system. He has a combined A+/AA BA of .354/.391/.508/.899, with 9-HR and 67-RBI. The Mets have already announced that he is playing winter ball in Arizona which is probably a combination of more experience plus an opportunity to showcase. Where is he going? Well, I have him in Buffalo in 2011 with F-Mart, Captain Kirk, and Mike Baxter (though Baxter may be in Queens). This is a real good problems. ETA: part of a pre-2012 trade.

#42 – 3B Zach Lutz – Yes, Lutz has been on the DL alot the past two seasons, but none of the injures were genetic or career threatening (broken wrist, broken finger, hit by ball). When he does play, he hits. He currently is hitting over .300 again (.302) and has 11-HR, 31-RBI in 212-AB. Like his predecessor, Shawn Bowman, he only plays third base which doesn’t give a Mets prospect that much to look forward to each spring. He’ll be back at AAA next year as an insurance policy and you’ll probably see him in Queens next month for a peek. ETA – 2013 MLB team

#43 – SP Logan Verrett – Verrett was a 2011 draft pick that didn’t get any play this season. He’s a three-pitch guy with a fastball that hits 95. His slider has been inconsistent and he does need some control work. His junior year stat line at Baylor was: 17-G, 15-St, 7-6, 2.93, 101.1-IP, 96-K, 31-BB. Like Greg Peavey and Erik Goeddel this season, the Mets will send many of their college draft pitches to Savannah next spring. One, IMO, will be Logan. ETA: - 2016 Pen

#44 – P Christian Montgomery – Montgomery was consistently placed in the first round of all the early mock drafts last June through August. Andy Seiler had him as the 27th overall pick. Sully Draft had him 33rd. The scouting reports had him in the 94-95 range coming out of his junior year in high school. He led the USA 18U team to victory and more mocks posted him: MLBProspects: 28th… Pat Hickey: 38th. Then, something happened. He lost his velo and was eventually shut down. The Mets found him still around in the 11th round, did their due diligence, and signed him on the last day for a $250,000 bonus. Could be either the dark horse of the draft or the second coming of Nathan Vineyard.. I have him doing baby steps next spring in Kingsport. ETA: TBD




photo by Allan Greene

 #45 – RP T.J. Chism – TJ has been taking baby steps since coming out of LaSalle University in 2009. He explained to me last season that a chance in delivery turned things around that are still going well this season in Brooklyn: 3-0, 1.27, 25-G, 4-SV. We joked then about him being #109 on the Keepers list and his desire to crack the top 100. He doesn’t have to worry about that anymore. Chism will start the season as a 23-yr. old, so there’s no reason to come to Savannah. I have him playing Lucy come the spring of 2011 – ETA: 2015 pen.


Rosters So Far:


Buffalo: (11) –SP Chris Schwinden, Collin McHugh, RP Robert Carson, IF Alan Dykstra, Reese Havens, Jordany Valdespin, Zach Lutz, OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Fernando Martinez, Mike Baxter, Juan Lagarus


Binghamton: (9) – SP: Mike Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jeurys Familia, Darin Gorski, RP Josh Edgin, Brad Holt, IF Jefry Marte, OF Matt den Dekker, Cesar Puello


St. Lucie: (10) – SP Greg Peavey, Taylor Whitenton, Angel Cuan, RP Cory Mazzoni, Jack Leathersich, Chase Huchingson, IF Wilmer Flores, Aderlin Rodriguez, OF Cory Vaughn, Gilbert Gomez


Savannah: (5) – SP Akeel Morris, Alex Panteliodis, Erik Goeddel, Logan Verrett, RP T.J. Chism,


Brooklyn: (4) – SP: Michael Fulmer, Juan Urbina, IF Phillip Evans, OF: Brandon Nimmo


Kingsport: (3) – SP Luis Mateo, Christian Montgomery, OF Vincente Lupo

The Keepers: - #47 - Logan Verrett

47. Logan Verrett RHP



2009: Logan Verrett, Baylor Bears. RHP, 6' 2", 170 lbs. Verrett came on in relief of Shawn Tolleson, and I was immediately impressed. Verrett showed command of three pitches, each of which was at least solid-average. When I saw him, all three pitches were working, and it was impressive to watch him mow down the University of Houston hitters with excellent command. His change up had great fade to it, and his fastball was 91-94 mph. His slider also showed good potential. (Baylor's coach said Verrett has command of four pitches, but in this outing, I couldn't identify a fourth.) Verrett has very traditional mechanics, so the common flaws are present including late forearm turnover, reverse forearm bounce, and some forearm flyout. He opens up his front shoulder a little early, but it doesn't seem to affect any of his pitches. His arm is up an ready before his shoulders turn even though his front foot hasn't landed yet. This keeps his arm from having to play "catch up." He repeats his delivery very well and seems to be quite an athlete. Verrett must have had a very strong commitment to Baylor because he went undrafted out of high school in 2008. He looked so good when I saw him in Houston, that it was easy for me to imagine him leaving Baylor for a junior college in order to gain eligibility for the 2010 draft. If his arm and stuff hold up for the next two years, I think he could jump into the mix with Gerrit Cole and Bryce Harper at the top of the 2011 draft class. http://www.texasleaguers.com/home/2009/4/13/freshmen-to-watch-taylor-wall-trevor-bauer-and-logan-verrett.html  


A big right-hander with some projection left to dream upon (listed at 6-foot-3, 185 lbs.), Verrett throws three pitches for strikes. His fastball sits 89-92 on most days but has topped out at 95 in short bursts in the past. A slider that occasionally misses bats is probably his second best offering, though a sinking changeup in the mid-70′s might also stake a claim to that title. Verrett relies more on command and setting hitters up than pure stuff, but it’s a solid mix of pitches with good probability. His delivery is sound and he’s a big time competitor. http://riveraveblues.com/2011/06/2011-draft-logan-verrett-49374  


Logan Verrett has good command and throws in the low 90′s. He has a plus slider, but it is still inconsistent at times. His change is also a quality pitch. Verrett is a good athlete and repeats his delivery well. - http://mlbdraftguide.com/1/2011/05/13/logan-verrett-draft-profile  


4-11-11: - http://bullpenbanter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=408:college-baseball-weekend-08-observations&catid=18:articles&Itemid=11  – Logan Verrett: - Average height to a tick above; athletic build; doesn't look projectable High 3/4 arm slot, smooth delivery with a fast arm Fastball has good downward plane and some late arm side run; 92 & 93 in the 1st, 88 in the 3rd (via announcer) Fastball is livelier down in the zone, getting more sink to go with the run; Can be a ground ball inducing pitch; tendency to get hit hard Slider has significant downward break, occasionally 1-7 movement, esp when thrown low & away from RH; at times has hard late break; 83 in the 2nd & 82 in the 6th (via announcer) Slider most effective as a chase pitch early on, but he can also throw it for strikes; later in the game, it worked as more of a ground ball pitch; did occasionally flash the swing and miss movement late that was evident early 12-6 curve ball with good drop, lacks sharp break, rolling type of action Change-up has some drop, but it's gentle and was easily picked up by the batter; 80 & 75 in the 5th (via announcer) Started to mix change-up in regularly in the 5th inning; threw one with good action, but the rest were unimpressive Fastball command was mediocre throughout the game, leaving pitch up in the zone often Good pick off move


2-21-11: - http://bullpenbanter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=387:college-baseball-weekend1&catid=18:articles&Itemid=11  - Player: Logan Verrett College: Baylor University Position: Starting Pitcher Bats/Throws: R/R Simple delivery with high leg kick High 3/4 arm-slot Fastball had more life (arm-side run) when kept low in the zone, but tended to straighten out when elevated Change-up had good action: arm-side run and downward movement Disguised slider very well with late vertical break Also showed 12-6 curve ball; less advanced than other two secondaries Pitched off of his fastball Generally around the strike zone, but didn't have much command in this outing

Cutnpaste: Fernando Martinez, Zach Lutz, Julio Concepcion, Logan Verrett, Drew Pomeranz

Fernando Martinez:


8-11-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/08/baseball-americas-mets-top-10-list-prior-to-2011-where-are-they-now.html   - OF – Fernando Martinez: What can you say? This guy has not played a full season in his pro career, and because of that he has not been able to show his full potential. Minaya was able to keep him out of the Johan Santana trade because of his 5 tool potential. However, since that time has has been on the shelf as much as he has been on the field. Started 2011: Triple-A Currently: Triple-A


Zach Lutz:


8-14-11: - http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/32042/projected-prospect-call-ups  - ZACH LUTZ, third baseman (.301, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 156 at-bats with Buffalo): A solid hitter whose father Yogi coached him at Alvernia College before Lutz was drafted in the fifth round in 2007, injuries have been Lutz’s biggest obstacle. Early in his pro career, Lutz dealt with stress fractures in his feet, which required surgery. This year, he originally landed on the disabled list with a right hamstring strain. And while on the DL, he was struck with a foul ball in the dugout, breaking the ring finger on his non-throwing hand. Lutz also has suffered a pair of concussions this season -- both the result of being hit in the head with pitches. Lutz, not a gifted fielder, also has been exposed to first base during his minor league career.


Julio Concepcion:


8-14-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/08/kingsport-mets-team-report-stretch-run-edition.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+MetsMerizedOnline-GetMetsmerized-NewYorkMets+%28Mets+Merized+Online%29&utm_content=Twitter  - Julio Concepcion - This 6’4″ 194lb. 21 year old LF from the Dominican Republic is having a very good year with the bat for Kingsport. He leads the team in BA with a .317 (11th in the league), and also in Hits with 59 (5th in the league), and he’s 3rd on the team in TB’s (80), and in RBI’s (23). Signed by the Mets as an IFA in March of 2007, the RH hitting Concepcion, who is a very raw talent, has spent the last two seasons at the GCL level. A big finish to his season at Kingsport in 2011, is very important for him to use as a springboard to the long season leagues next year.



Logan Verrett:


8-17-11: - http://www.metstoday.com/6911/mets-minors/reviewing-the-mets-draft  - 3rd-round selection Logan Verrett out of Baylor signed at midnight for $425k. A college arm, Verrett is advanced enough to start out in High-A and could be on the same work plan that 2010 first-rounder Matt Harvey faced this season. Verrett sits at 88-92 mph with the fastball, but his best pitch is his slider. Expect to see him start in St. Lucie next season.


Drew Pomeranz:


8-18-11: - http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20110817&content_id=23369180&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&tcid=tw_share  - Drew Pomeranz hadn't pitched in almost a month, but he looked anything but rusty on Wednesday night. MLB.com's No. 31 prospect retired the first 19 batters he faced in a Drillers uniform en route to a seven-inning, two-hit performance. Double-A Tulsa went on to blank Midland, 6-0, to snap a six-game losing streak. Pomeranz, who had not pitched since July 25, struck out four without issuing a walk in front of Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd.

Callis on Mets Draft, BTBS on Beato, Bullpen Banter on Logan Verrett, Scott Kazmir, BA On Duda

Jim Callis: I like the way the Mets came out and went after upside. They loved Brandon Nimmo and grabbed him at 13, or else someone would have taken him at the bottom of the first round. Michael Fulmer got overshadowed by Dylan Bundy and Archie Bradley in Oklahoma this spring, but he has a quality arm. If they sign Phillip Evans (15th round) and Mason Robbins (20th), that would be a nice coup. http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/chat/2011/2611932.html  



Pedro Beato: The four-seam fastball has just average movement, but has very good velocity, averaging almost 94MPH. The two-seam fastball has solid velocity while possessing a terrific amount of sink. The curveball possesses decent movement, while also having really good velocity, ensuring it will be a pretty good ground ball pitch as well as potentially a good pitch for whiffs. The slider, which seems almost like a cutter, has solid movement to go along with terrific velocity. Really the only pitch that's nothing special is the change-up, which still has the same sink as the two-seamer without the great velocity. So it would seem that Beato seems like he has the potential to be the next breakout pitcher from the Rule 5 draft, more so than the other three pitchers above. However, he's FAR from a sure thing, considering: 1. If he was converted back to a starter from a reliever, he's likely to lose 1-2 MPH on his pitches, reducing their value by a good bit. 2. He never seemed able to succeed in the minors as a starter in multiple years in the Orioles organization. Certainly he could turn out to just be a mediocre reliever, even despite his potential. However, he clearly has the potential to be more - at least a top notch reliever. http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2011/6/10/2216536/analyzing-the-pitches-of-the-remaining-four-2010-rule-5-drafted#storyjump 



2-21-11: - http://bullpenbanter.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=387:college-baseball-weekend1&catid=18:articles&Itemid=11  - Player: Logan Verrett College: Baylor University Position: Starting Pitcher Bats/Throws: R/R Simple delivery with high leg kick High 3/4 arm-slot Fastball had more life (arm-side run) when kept low in the zone, but tended to straighten out when elevated Change-up had good action: arm-side run and downward movement Disguised slider very well with late vertical break Also showed 12-6 curve ball; less advanced than other two secondaries Pitched off of his fastball Generally around the strike zone, but didn't have much command in this outing

 There seems to be a pretty good chance that Scott Kazmir will be released by LAA. He’s pitching horribly in his rehab assignment and there’s a good chance the Angels will just eat his $14.5mil contract. Should the Mets consider signing him for Buffalo? Look, I love what the team did with Jason Isringhausen this year, and it would be nice to see Kazmir back in a Mets uniform. He can’t ve worse than Brain Sweeney, can he?



Lucas Duda won't have the International League to kick around anymore. The Mets intend to recall the 1B/LF today to replace Nick Evans, the replacement for the inured Ike Davis. The 25-year-old Duda belted three homers and three doubles this week for Triple-A Buffalo as part of a 10-for-25 (.400) week that included a solid 4-to-5 walk-to-strikeout ratio. He's been one of the IL's hottest hitters since May 1, hitting .390, compiling a 1.415 OPS (74 PA) and bashing nine homers in 19 games . . . With a pair of home runs this week - http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/prospect-hot-sheet/2011/2611933.html