The Mets Minor League/Player Development Thread

I think it's high time we had a single unified thread here discussing any and all things regarding the Mets farm system, and Mets Minor League Baseball.

This should be an ongoing discussion as I often find myself scouring the internet looking for updates and information on guys like Matz, Davis, Holt, etc. We should have a thread where we can post and share links and stats and updates.

I'll kick it off by asking about Steven Matz. Is he really any good, or did we just draft him because he's a local?

http://mlb.mlb.com/media/video.jsp?t...ent_id=4758483

Great idea mongoose, thanks.

Here's some sad news from yesterday;

Mets minor leaguer dies of apparent heart attack -

http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/arti...t-heart-attack

Quote:

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NEW YORK — New York Mets minor league pitcher Rafael Castro has died of an apparent heart attack. He was 18.

Castro died Friday at the Mets' academy in Carabobo, Venezuela. The Mets announced his death Saturday.

Castro had spent two years with the Mets' team in the Venezuelan Summer League. The right-handed pitcher was from Colombia.

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Originally Posted by Mongoose

I'll kick it off by asking about Steven Matz. Is he really any good, or did we just draft him because he's a local?

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Braves have done phenomenally well drafting amateurs in Georgia.

AFL Update

With his second HR in yesterday's game, Ike Davis is also batting .394 for the AFL season. Ruben Tejada was 1-4 and is batting .310. You can follow the AFL Mets season stats here.

I love the idea behind this thread, and I can envision it being an enduring one. Kudos, Mongoose. :happy:

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Originally Posted by ReyesOfHope

Braves have done phenomenally well drafting amateurs in Georgia.

AFL Update

With his second HR in yesterday's game, Ike Davis is also batting .394 for the AFL season. Ruben Tejada was 1-4 and is batting .310. You can follow the AFL Mets season stats here.

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Davis is picking up where he left off, as he had a fine second half.

Jenrry Mejia is on the same team, too - The Surprise Rafters:

http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats....=t_ros&cid=527

He seems to have regressed somewhat - especially as far as control is concerned. His numbers at Binghamton were not good (about 5 BB/9) and he was hammered in his two starts in the AFL so far - 6 walks in a total of 3 innings. Stats don't tell everything, though.

Does anyone know anything beyond just the numbers? Do they have him working on mastering difficult new things, or is it just a matter of the step up in the level of competition?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mongoose

Davis is picking up where he left off, as he had a fine second half.

Jenrry Mejia is on the same team, too - The Surprise Rafters:

http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats....=t_ros&cid=527

He seems to have regressed somewhat - especially as far as control is concerned. His numbers at Binghamton were not good (about 5 BB/9) and he was hammered in his two starts in the AFL so far - 6 walks in a total of 3 innings. Stats don't tell everything, though.

Does anyone know anything beyond just the numbers? Do they have him working on mastering difficult new things, or is it just a matter of the step up in the level of competition?

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He had a finger injury that really affected him right around his promotion to Binghamton......and despite his walks going up....his Groundball % went up actually (a GREAT sign) and his home run % is almost non-existent. So definitely some positives there

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mongoose

Davis is picking up where he left off, as he had a fine second half.

Jenrry Mejia is on the same team, too - The Surprise Rafters:

http://www.mlb.com/milb/stats/stats....=t_ros&cid=527

He seems to have regressed somewhat - especially as far as control is concerned. His numbers at Binghamton were not good (about 5 BB/9) and he was hammered in his two starts in the AFL so far - 6 walks in a total of 3 innings. Stats don't tell everything, though.

Does anyone know anything beyond just the numbers? Do they have him working on mastering difficult new things, or is it just a matter of the step up in the level of competition?

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ESPN's Keith Law had the following to say about Mejia after his first start which didn't yield great results.

The most impressive arm so far has been Jenrry Mejia of the New York Mets, who was on a short pitch count but showed two above-average pitches and a chance for a third. Mejia’s fastball sat from 93-96 mph and touched 98, he also threw a plus changeup that looked more like a two-seamer at 85-87. It should be noted, though: the latter pitch was a little inconsistent. His curveball was even less consistent, but he threw one very sharp one for a called third strike at 78 mph, with good depth and clear two-plane break. He comes from a slot just below 3/4 and needs to focus on staying on top of the ball. He missed a chunk of the second half with a strained finger, which could impact how he grips the ball even now. He has a strong, thick build. The velocity comes easily, and if his command is better than what he showed on Wednesday and he can snap off that good curveball more frequently, he’s a potential No. 1 or No. 2 starter.

Josh Thole is off to a .409 start ( 18-44, 2 2B, 1 HR) for Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League.

Mejia had a solid start in the hitting friendly AFL yesterday.
3 IP, 4 H, 1 W, 3K's, 1 ER.
Good to see him get his walks under control again.

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Originally Posted by ReyesOfHope

Josh Thole is off to a .409 start ( 18-44, 2 2B, 1 HR) for Leones del Caracas in the Venezuelan Winter League.

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I sure hope he can develop even a little bit of power and learn to play a decent catcher.

To be honest, I don't want Thole concentrating on power. Mr. Contact Hitter can continue just putting the ball in play, and I think we'll all be happy campers. Berras, Benches, and Piazzas are far and few between, but so is a catcher who can hit over .300.

Naturally, though, I agree he's still quite rough around the edges when it comes to defense, so I do hope he can continue striving to improve on that. If he develops into even a halfway decent Major League catcher, I'll be happy if he's merely one of the toughest batters in the leagues to strikeout. :nod:

:twocents:

In the "for what it's worth" department".....Ike lined out hard to 2nd base on a Steven Strasburg 98 MPH fastball.

Hey its the offseason....it's news :D

http://www.metsblog.com/2009/10/23/p...t-mejia-davis/

Mets 19–year-old SS prospect Ruben Tejada had a walk-off hit for the Surprise Rafters in the Arizona Fall League.

Tejada is batting .320, with three doubles, one walk, five strikeouts and two stolen bases in six games during the AFL.

Yesterday, in a chat for ESPN.com, Keith Law said Tejada could be a solid, starting shortstop in the big leagues, but, “He’s not a star.”

Speaking of Mets prospects…

Also in his chat for ESPN.com, Law said he believes Brad Holt should be a relief pitcher, not a starter, because he is a ‘one-pitch guy, while Jenrry Mejia is a ‘starting pitcher,’ who is two, full years away from the major leagues.

Last week, Adam Rubin of the Daily News said Jerry Manuel watched Mejia’s first start in the Arizona Fall League, “to gauge whether he may be able to help the Mets in the bullpen in early 2010.”

Lastly, Law sees 1B Ike Davis as a starting first baseman in the major leagues, but, he adds, “I’m not calling him more than that till I see him hit a breaking ball.”

Here's the interview with Keith Law:

http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/28940

Holt's numbers took a plunge in Binghampton, as well as Mejia. It's said Binghampton is in more of a hitter's league than the single A affiliate. Why exactly is this and would this be enough to account for his statistical drop in effectiveness?

Holt still needs a lot of work on his secondary pitches so it wasn't surprising to see him get knocked around a bit after the promotion. Mejia's stat line at Binghamton is a little misleading IMO. He was 0-5 with a 4.5 e.r.a. but he didn't give up a ton of hits and only let up 2 HR's in 44 innings to go with 47 k's. His walks were up and that hurt him more than anything. He still had a high ground ball rate. He is now without a doubt the Mets top pitching prospect since Kazmir.

John Sickels at Minorleagueball.com has posted his top 101 prospects list. He doesn't exactly have the clout of Baseball America or Baseball Prospectus but it looks like a relatively fair list at first glance.
Here's the link:
http://www.minorleagueball.com/2009/...pects-for-2010

Mets prospects on the list:
#18 Fernando Martinez
#22 Jennry Mejia
#44 Ike Davis
#99 Wilmer Flores

Jon Niese is excluded. Not sure if Sickels forgot him but he should be on the list.

Sickels' Mets Honorable Mentions:
Brad Holt
Kyle Allen
Josh Thole

btw, I'm a little surprised to not see Familia on the HM list. I would have thought that he'd be above Allen in the current pecking order.

Other guys who likely received some consideration (IMO) would be Ruben Tejada, Reese Havens and Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

Baseball America (Adam Rubin) posted its Mets top 10 prospects list today.
1. Jenrry Mejia, rhp
2. Wilmer Flores, ss
3. Fernando Martinez, of
4. Ike Davis, 1b
5. Brad Holt, rhp
6. Jon Niese, lhp
7. Reese Havens, 2b/ss
8. Josh Thole, c
9. Ruben Tejada, 2b/ss
10. Juan Urbina, lhp

Surprised to see Urbina on the list over Familia and Allen. Ugie's kid is just 16 and has yet to throw a pitch in the US.

FWIW, I expect the Mets to have 6 or 7 in the top 100 when it comes out in the winter. They had 4 last year in Martinez, Flores, Niese and Holt. Probably still won't have anyone in the top 20-25 though unless Mejia finishes up the AFL real strong.

This: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaYzRD8BC2I

From Baseball America:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/

AFL Notebook: Mejia Showing Signs Of Life

Posted Nov. 13, 2009 12:22 pm by Ben Badler
Filed under: All-Star Games, At The Ballpark
SURPRISE, AZ.—Jenrry Mejia signed with the Mets two and a half years ago in relative anonymity.

His $16,500 signing bonus looks like a clearance-aisle price today for the organization’s No. 1 prospect, a power-armed righthander who reached Double-A in June before just turning 20 last month.

Pitching for Surprise yesterday after missing his last scheduled start due to illness, Mejia touched 96 mph with his fastball once, otherwise ranging from 90-95 mph and mostly sitting 92-95 (he’s been clocked as high as 98 mph in previous outings here in the AFL and during the minor league season).

His fastball is a swing-and-miss offering, not just because of its velocity but because of its outstanding movement. Mejia generates tremendous cutting action on his fastball, and he’ll also put some sink on his heater as well. Between the velocity and movement, Mejia has a pitch he can use as an out pitch or to induce grounders—71 percent of his outs on balls in play were groundouts during the minor league season.

“It has a lot of power—it gets on you quick,” said Surprise pitching coach Tom Phelps, the Yankees’ Double-A pitching coach at Trenton during the 2009 minor league season. “He has a fastball that will cut, and he also has a fastball that will sink. As long as he keeps it down in the zone, he gets a lot of ground balls and a lot of early outs and quick innings. The big thing for him is controlling it in the zone and not getting behind hitters and walking hitters.”

I was in Arizona this week to watch some games. None of the Mets played in Tuesday's game but Davis (HR), Tejada, Havens and Moviel got into Wednesday's game (they all signed autographs, too). I thought I'd share some pictures for those of you missing baseball rght now:

Edit: Removed dead links. Full gallery here:
http://www.jsarnerphoto.com/Sports/A...20654598_DDMLb


More of Davis:
http://joshuasarner.smugmug.com/Spor..._eXnsQ-L-1.jpg

Awesome pics! Well, except for the last one of Ike swinging and missing. =)

Thanks for posting them. Are the crowds always so sparse for AFL games?

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Originally Posted by tomzpc

Awesome pics! Well, except for the last one of Ike swinging and missing. =)

Thanks for posting them. Are the crowds always so sparse for AFL games?

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Pretty much, and it's a shame because at least 1/2 the players are A/AA All-Star quality.

As of today Josh Thole continues to lead the venezuelan winter league in hitting (batting .417AVG with a .533 OBP .548 SLG)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tomzpc

Awesome pics! Well, except for the last one of Ike swinging and missing. =)

Thanks for posting them. Are the crowds always so sparse for AFL games?

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Thanks!!
As ReyesOfHope said, the crowds are very small. I went to 4 games in two days with crowds ranging from about 150 to 600. The tickets are $6 and its all general admission, which was great for photography - you can get a front row seat in any section in any inning.
One of the best baseball experiences I've ever had.

Thought I would add a couple more that I just got around to processing:


Edit: Removed dead links. Full gallery here:
http://www.jsarnerphoto.com/Sports/A...20654598_DDMLb

The Mets have named Jack Voight to be the hitting coach for the Buffalo Bisons.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/transactions