Mets Minor League Blog Report 10-3-08
Toby Hyde
In this issue:
- Thursday in HWB
- Flores Love
- 2008 Savannah Review
1. Thursday in HWB
Honolulu Sharks 6, @ North Shore Honu (7 innings)
DH Ruben Tejada: 1-4, R, K
2B Greg Veloz: 2-4, R, 2 RBI, K, SB – E
Veloz is 7-for-17 and has hit safely in his first four HWB games.
RHP Josh Stinson: S, 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K – 1.42 ERA
2. Flores Love
Kevin T. Czerwinski wrote about Wilmer Flores for Mets.com. He quoted Adam Wogan, the Mets Director of Minor League Operations as saying of Flores: "He's a very impressive young player. He's a very talented player and he's making great strides. He certainly is an impressive individual."
3. The 2008 Savannah Sand Gnats
The 2008 Savannah Sand Gnats finished 61-76. The Gnats were 33-37 in the first half, 13 games out in fifth place, but slipped a little to 28-39 in the second half into 8th (last) place in the SAL Southern Division in the second half.
The Savannah offense was the league’s lowest scoring unit, plating only 540 runs (3.94 r/g). The team’s AVG (.250) and OBP (.308) were second from the bottom, while the Gnats were last in the league in slugging (.357) and homers (62).
The Gnats hard-throwing pitching staff was the strength of the team. seventh in the league with a 3.88 ERA with the seventh most strikeouts (1006) with the fifth-most walks (438), but the fifth fewest hits (1145).
The Mets have been affiliated with the Gnats for two years, ’08 and ’09 and have re-upped for two more years with a new PDC that covers the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Savannah Catchers
Francisco Pena – R/R – 6’2” 230 lbs – NDFA ’06 – b. 10/12/89
|
|
G |
AB |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
AVG |
OBP |
SLG |
|
A – ‘07 |
103 |
367 |
77 |
12 |
0 |
5 |
24 |
76 |
1 |
1 |
.210 |
.263 |
.283 |
|
A – ‘08 |
105 |
397 |
105 |
22 |
3 |
6 |
25 |
95 |
0 |
0 |
.264 |
.308 |
.380 |
What, Pena’s ’08 was so disappointing – no stolen bases! Ok, ok, we kid.
Pena added 14 extra base hits and 14 singles to his 2007 production at the plate. That’s some kind of progress. Pena is a strong kid with plus raw power, don’t forget he’s just 18.
On the other side of the ball, Savannah pitchers and coaches were unanimous that his work behind the dish, in both game calling and the mechanics of catching had made major improvements since 2007 as well. Pena has the arm for catcher – but he threw out just 23% of basestealers against him.
Pena must get serious about his weight and get himself in better shape. Doing so will help his agility behind the dish and at the plate.
Likely ’09 start: A+
Savannah Infielders
Greg Veloz – S/R – 6’0” 175 lbs – NDFA ’06 – b. 6/3/88
|
|
G |
AB |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
AVG |
OBP |
SLG |
|
A |
111 |
455 |
130 |
25 |
5 |
6 |
32 |
93 |
28 |
12 |
.286 |
.339 |
.402 |
|
A+ |
21 |
77 |
18 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
20 |
1 |
2 |
.234 |
.298 |
.247 |
Good stuff first: Veloz just keeps getting better. In 2007, the then-18 year old hit .171/.243/.235 in 66 games in Savannah before the Mets sent him down to Kingsport where he hit .271/.344/.450 in the season’s final 66 games. In 2008, Veloz turned his .258/.304/.352 (267 AB) pre-All Star Break line into .324/.388/.473 (188 AB) and a late-season promotion to St. Lucie where he struggled. The second baseman runs well and shows some gap power, but that’s below average MLB power. Veloz was no favorite of scouts who saw him as struggling with better stuff.
Veloz is limited by arm strength to second base limiting his value as a utility man in the future.
Likely ’09 start: A+
Juan Lagares – R/R – 6’1” 175 – NDFA – b. 3/17/89
|
|
G |
AB |
H |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
SO |
SB |
CS |
AVG |
OBP |
SLG |
|
SSA |
19 |
72 |
18 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
1 |
3 |
.250 |
.280 |
.389 |
|
A |
46 |
181 |
46 |
9 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
28 |
3 |
4 |
.254 |
.285 |
.337 |
The scout who signed Juan Lagares and Jose Reyes said that Lagares was ahead of Reyes at the tender age of 16. It’s just an unfair thing to say publicly. There simply aren’t 10 Jose Reyes’ in the world.
The Mets have pushed Lagares to Savannah and the 19-year old has yet to produce despite significant hype coming out of instructs last fall. Here’s the first problem. He’s not Reyes. He’s not that fast. He doesn’t have the same lightning quick bat or arm or first step quickness. Lagares should go back to the SAL in 2009, but that would make it his third year in the league. Prediction: the Mets will promote Lagares to St. Lucie where he will struggle in the season’s opening half.
Likely ’09 start: A+
Savannah Pitchers
LHP Michael Antonini – R/L – 6’0” 190 – 18th Rd ’07 – b. 8/6/85
I wrote about Antonini’s excellent season in the St. Lucie wrap.
LHP Angel Calero – L/L – 6’1” 210 lbs – NDFA ’04 – b. 9/25/86
|
|
W-L |
ERA |
G/GS |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
BB |
SO |
|
A |
3-5 |
2.57 |
12/12 |
66.2 |
54 |
30 |
19 |
3 |
15 |
59 |
|
A+ |
1-1 |
7.07 |
4/4 |
14.0 |
18 |
11 |
11 |
3 |
7 |
10 |
I was told in early July that Calero’s shoulder problems were not serious and that the team was just being cautious with his good arm… and yet he didn’t pitch again the rest of the season. Add him to the list of things I need some more information about.
Take a look at Calero’s nice 2.57 ERA at Savannah. Now add the unearned runs back in and his runs/game jumps up to 4.05. Still, his K/BB ratio was almost four (3.93) before he ran out of gas and into injury in St. Lucie.
Likely ’09 start: A+
RHP Nicholas Carr – R/R – 6’0 200 lbs – 41st Rd ’05 – b. 4/19/87
I wrote about Carr in the St. Lucie wrap-up earlier this week.
RHP Maikel Cleto – R/R – 6’3” 220 lbs – NDFA ’06 – b. 5/1/89
|
|
W-L |
ERA |
G/GS |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
BB |
SO |
|
A |
5-11 |
4.25 |
25/22 |
135.2 |
140 |
78 |
64 |
8 |
34 |
81 |
|
A+ |
0-1 |
9.00 |
1/1 |
5.0 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
Maikel Cleto throws hard, 93-96 the night I saw him. I wrote about one his starts here. That’s plus MLB velocity. His second pitch was a hard changeup that was about 87 mph that didn’t have much movement or deception thanks to a slower armspeed on the offering versus his heater. He has trouble locating the gas and the secondary stuff is very far away. Sounds like a reliever profile, no?
Likely ’09 start: A+
RHP Junior Guerra – R/R – 6’0” 200 lbs – NDFA ’07 – b. 4/17/89
|
|
W-L |
ERA |
G/GS |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
BB |
SO |
|
R-App |
0-0 |
2.25 |
3/0 |
4.0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
|
SSA |
0-0 |
54.00 |
1/0 |
0.1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
A |
1-1 |
1.75 |
10/0 |
15.2 |
14 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
34 |
|
A+ |
0-0 |
0.00 |
4/0 |
4.0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
In the SAL, Junior Guerra recorded 47 outs, a ridiculous 72% of which came via the strikeout. His K/BB was a goofy 17. How did he do it? Simple. Two potentially plus pitches: a 93-95 mph fastball and a slider that had some bite at 83 mph. He’s a reliever who could move quickly.
Likely ’09 start: A+. However, with a good showing in HWB and a nice spring, Guerra could find himself in Binghamton.
RHP John Holdzkom R/R – 6’7” 225 – 4th rd ’06 – b. 10/19/87
|
|
W-L |
ERA |
G/GS |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
BB |
SO |
|
R-App |
3-1 |
3.66 |
8/7 |
39.1 |
38 |
19 |
16 |
3 |
12 |
44 |
|
A |
2-3 |
5.89 |
20/5 |
47.1 |
45 |
40 |
31 |
1 |
45 |
56 |
Look closely at that walk column. Yes, Holdzkom really walked 45 batters in 47.1 innings in the SAL in 2008. Scouts were unsurprised and did not forecast improved control in the future from the erratic Holdzkom based on his trouble repeating his mechanics. He throws hard, so he’ll be given chance after chance to learn to throw strikes.
Likely ’09 start: A
LHP Elvin Ramirez – L/L – 6’3” 183 – NDFA ’04 – b. 10/10/87
|
|
W-L |
ERA |
G/GS |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
BB |
SO |
|
A |
6-7 |
3.67 |
18/18 |
81.0 |
81 |
38 |
33 |
1 |
36 |
62 |
The most important column above: 1 HR allowed in 81 IP. That’s impressive stuff. In his final start of the season, on July 9th, Ramirez showed a fastball at 91-94, sitting 92-93 with a curve (77-80) and a changup. At the time I wrote that the curve “showed flashes of promise.”
Likely ’09 start: A+
Brant Rustich – R/R – 6’6” 230 lbs – 2nd rd ’07 – b. 1/23/85
|
|
W-L |
ERA |
G/GS |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
BB |
SO |
|
A |
3-4 |
3.62 |
20/8 |
49.2 |
42 |
26 |
20 |
1 |
16 |
48 |
Few pitchers in the system can match a healthy Rustich’s stuff and few can match his injury history. The Mets converted Rustich, who was a reliever at UCLA and in his pro debut in ’07 into a starter for 2008. However, his season started late after over exerting himself in big league camp in the spring and coming up with a sore arm. He worked his arm back into shape out of the Savannah bullpen before making his first start in a rough outing on June 20th in which he allowed seven runs in 2.1 innings. However, after that he didn’t allow more than two runs in any of his subsequent starts. The problem was that he only made seven more starts. He missed three weeks at the end of July with a blister problem and then sat down after August 16th with a stress fracture.
When he was healthy, Rustich offered up a fastball that was regularly low 90s and touched 95 this summer with a slider that came a long, long way in the last year. His changeup is his third pitch.
Likely ’09 start: A+ rotation
.
Nathan Vineyard – L/L – 6’2” 200 lbs – 1s rd ’07 – b. 10/3/88
|
|
W-L |
ERA |
G/GS |
IP |
H |
R |
ER |
HR |
BB |
SO |
|
A |
0-2 |
14.63 |
2/2 |
8.0 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
1 |
6 |
3 |
Vineyard, the Mets second pick in the 2007 draft, in the supplemental round had shoulder surgery in April, ending a lost year.
Happy 20th Birthday Nathan.
Likely ’09 start: A rotation
Toby Hyde has covered the Mets organization since 2004. Please visit www.metsminorleagueblog.com for more information.