“WOW! THERE IS SUCH A SWISHY BREEZE DOWN HERE!”
One clear and present danger to minor league hitters is striking out too much.
I used the example the other day of former Mets minor leaguer Luke Ritter, who a few years back in AAA hit 29 homers and drove in 93 runs in 134 games, which was a “WOW”, and would really project out to big #s if projected over 162 AAA games.
He, however, played exactly 0 (zero) games in the major leagues. Why?
He struck out way too much. 174 times in 134 games that season.
I can name MANY K KINGS who never, or barely, made it.
K’S KILL KAREERS!
Former Mets prospect 3B Aderlin Rodriguez never made the major leagues
In his case, however, he put up good minor league power and hitting stats, and didn’t strike out too much. He just never quite made it.
What A Rod did make, though, was the Asian pro leagues, where he extended his pro career. Did that happen because he did not strike out too much, making him attractive to Asian leagues? Yes, I’d speculate.
His total career, in the minors and foreign ball, totals 344 HRs and 1,250 RBIs. In that respect, he’s done very well for himself.
However, if his strikeouts were 30% to 50% higher, he would most likely not have gotten that (presumably reasonably lucrative) foreign opportunity.
Circling back to Mets minor leaguers, which guys this year are falling into what I consider the danger zone, which I arbitrarily set at 1.25 strikeouts per game or higher? (Based On Stats Thru Sunday)
I want to name each of them, not because I want to vilify them, but because I want them to succeed.
After all, AJ Ewing fanned 20 times in 132 PAs in AAA this year, but 24 times so far in 74 PAs (thru Sunday) with the Mets - twice the rate. That MLB pitching is SO MUCH TOUGHER.
How will the fanning prospects below succeed? Only ONE way:
Cut the Ks down, by a whole lot, by any means possible.
Or become the next non-MLB Luke Ritter, if they even get that far.
Below, I count 8 whiffers extraordinaire + two top 30 prospect near misses:
AAA
Ryan Clifford: 78 Ks in 55 games.
Cristian Pache: 67 Ks in 51 games. (Former major leaguers).
The duo added FIVE MORE K’S on Tuesday.
AA
Chris Suero: 57 Ks in 41 games.
(Two top 30 dudes, Serrano and Reimer, are both under 1.25 Ks per game, but have combined for 101 Ks in 86 games, so they are uncomfortably close (1.18) to that 1.25. Frankly, too close).
HIGH A
Colin Houck: 75 Ks in 43 games (red alert).
(In 2015, Jeff McNeil in High A, by comparison, fanned 59 times in 119 games.)
Corey Collins: 49 Ks in 36 games.
Yonaton Henriquez: 43 Ks in 25 games (red alert).
Yohairo Cuevas: 48 Ks in 36 games.
FULL A
Simon Juan: 53 Ks in 36 games.
That is 571 Ks in 409 combined games for the 10 players above.
And 470 Ks in 323 combined games for the eight of the 10 above dudes in the “1.25+ Club”. That’s an average of 1.46 Ks for these eight gents. Over 162 games, that would work out to 237 Ks per 9.
FCL
NO ONE striking out at high rates! Whoo Hoo!
There are a boatload of other Mets minors guys who are fanning less than 1.25 times per game, but fan more than once per game, which is still a prospect’s real danger zone.
In some cases, they just don’t have that “it” to be a major league talent.
Sometimes, tho’, hitters may be too selective, trying too hard for walks.
Maybe they’d rather choke than choke up on two strikes.
Not most of the hitters in Syracuse.
They are swingers who are dead last in walks, with over 10% fewer than the second lowest team. But they are 13th out of 20 in runs.
Binghamton? It is second highest in walks in its league, but dead last in hitting by a country mile at .201. Hit a lot more, walk a lot less, I suggest.
Brooklyn? Basket case.
Last by a wide margin in both walks and batting average (.188). (But the average, it should be noted, is inching up). And the Cyclones are leading the league in hitter Ks. MAKE…CONTACT.
St Lucie?
Almost last in walks, but 5th out of 10 teams in scoring, Ks, and homers. Smart guys down there, those hitters.
FCL Mets?
Good, too. Bottom half in Ks and walks, 6.4 runs per game through 18 games.
If you are going to fan a lot, perhaps you should find another line of work.
It won’t get you to the majors. Trust me.
Syracuse, Binghamton, and Brooklyn combined for 12 hits.
Looking ahead…what’s the plan, Monsieur?
“I SAY, HOLMES…”
This is Clay Holmes’ MLB injury update:
Injury: Fractured right fibula
IL date: May 16 (60-day IL)
Expected return: August
Status: Fractured his leg on a comebacker May 15.
Will need 6-8 weeks to heal.
Will need another six or so weeks for a Spring Training-style build-up.
That should take him well past the All-Star break in a best-case scenario.
MY QUESTION REGARDING MY “CLAY HOMIE”?
Should the Mets, who are paying Holmes $13 million this year, cut the length that rehab time by a month (returning roughly in mid-July instead of mid-August), by having him return not as a fully stretched out starter, but instead as a reliever of fine pedigree?
Fewer innings to get back to the Mets, gradually stretching out after he returns to the Mets.
Staying committed to him starting next year, of course.
- Makes great sense to me. His early return would be quite a “relief”.
ALVAREZ OUT OF REPAIR SHOP:
Alvarez shocking baseball again tonight by healing from his meniscus injury at super human speeds and catching the game in AAA tonight. Doubled TWICE!
The rest of Syracuse, Binghamton, and Brooklyn hitters totaled 10 hits.
Ten. Just ten. The Suckitude (my word) is astonishing.
I LOVE THE DSL METS BLUE - THEY HIT LIKE TYSON:
Trailing 9-0 early in their second season game today, the DSL Blue Bombers of the Mets rallied a mighty long way to win 15-14.
They also scored 7 runs in the last 2 innings of their first game, making it 22 runs scored in their last 11 innings. Love that offense!
Demote Bo to the DSL, bring up a real DSL bat to replace him. Why Bo?
Because…
BO BLOWS:
How frankly can the $42 mil per year Baffling Bo be hitting .219, with a sickly .271 OBP, through June 2?
Even Vientos (.219), Semien (.225), and Baty (.233) are not as bad.
It is called Suckitude.
Suck on THAT.
