Down on the Farm, @MetsProspectHub’s bimonthly look at what’s been happening in the farm system.
Las Vegas 51s
Pregame 07/18/14: 56-43
Pregame 08/15/14: 71-56
Record: 15-13
Games Played: 28
Matt Reynolds, who was promoted to AA on June 19th, took off in the past month, hitting a torrid .346/.403/.570 over his 26 games played, with 11 XBH in that span. While I’m inclined to believe the HRs (5 in 107 ABs) are absolutely a PCL mirage, the high average is somewhat sustainable, due to his swing being 100% geared for contact, and with him having some speed (13/20 SBs in 109 games), he could be a gap doubles/occasional triples guy in the majors. His BB/K has deteriorated from AA to AAA (no surprise…), going from 12.0/16.9 to 7.7/21.7 (percentages), but his overall offensive production has remained steady (.391 wOBA in AA, .395 in AAA). All right, all right, that’s a .852 OPS in AA and a .903 OPS in the heavily-slanted-towards-offense PCL. I could see him being the stopgap for Dilson Herrera next year after Murphy is traded by Sandy for a haul.
Quick blurb on Matt den Dekker, who hit .392/.489/.633/1.122 in the 21 games he played in AAA during this stretch, finally forcing Chris Young out (a month to 6 weeks too late for it to matter). He had a steller 14/12 BB/K ratio and 14 XBH in 79 ABs.
After a very uneven season which has seen Noah survive two attempts by the Baseball Gods™ to take him out, he has finally kicked it into gear late, starting with his first outing during this 28 game stretch, a 6.1 inning effort in which he held the Tacoma Rainiers scoreless while stiking out 5. His latest effort was another 6.1 inning outing, against the stacked Iowa Cubs order (with the likes of Kris Bryant, Mike Olt and Jorge Soler), he gave up 3 runs on 5 hits, but struck out 8 for a ND. Those two starts bookended a fantastic 5 start stretch for Thor, in which he allowed just 9 runs (6 earned) over 28.2 innings (1.88 era), and held opponents to a .665 OPS (.271/.347/.318/.665), and struck out 32. In my opinion, Noah’s ML ready, and ready for the final stage of the player development chain, the major leagues.
Binghamton Mets
Pregame 07/18/14: 59-38
Pregame 08/15/14: 73-50
Record: 14-12
Games Played: 26
I would be remiss if I didn’t start off here with the 1-2 punch that’s been consistent from St. Lucie to Binghamton. Brandon Nimmo and Dilson Herrera. Nimmo hit .282/.391/.449/.840 over this 26 game stretch, playing in 21 of them. He totalled 8 XBH in 78 ABs, along with 14 walks and 2 steals. His overall AA line looks depressed by a very rocky introduction to the level, but since that adjustment period, he’s right back to being the Nimmo he was in St. Lucie. He should open 2015 in AAA, but in my opinion, whatever they do, I hope they keep this duo together, all the way to the majors. That would be pretty cool to see, and may even prove valuable to keep them rolling together.
For his part, Dilson has needed no adjustment period to AA, he hit the ground running and has not looked back. After posting a good .765 OPS in St. Lucie (.784 since 4/9), he’s gone off and destroyed the EL for a .970 OPS, including a 1.035 over these 23/26 games that he played in. He hit .348/.417/.618 over the past month, with 6 2b, 3 3b, and 4 homers, as well as 10 walks and only 16 strikeouts. There are few adjectives left to describe the breakout Herrera’s put on in Binghamton. While we’ve seen this type of thing before (Nick Evans, Daniel Murphy, even David Wright) due to pitcher’s parks in Brooklyn, Savannah and St. Lucie, having it occur in season is pretty unprecedented. Herrera absolutely should open next season in AAA, and could be in the majors by midseason.
The third of the prospect trifeca in Binghamton is lefty Steven Matz, who got four starts during this 28 game sample, and was very good, posting a five to twenty walk to strikeout ratio in twenty five and a third innings, while allowing twenty-seven hits (two of them homers, the first two he’d given up this season). Matz is a solid bet to be a major leaguer, and has a good chance (in my opinion) to be a middle of the rotation starter (or better) with a solid three pitch mix (fastball, changeup, curveball).
St. Lucie Mets
Pregame 07/18/14: 16-8
Pregame 08/15/14: 27-25
Record: 11-17
Games Played: 28
I’m going to cheat a little here, and push the date back a few days for Gavin Cecchini, from pregame on July 18th, to pregame July 23rd, because from that game onwards, Cecchini has totally stopped striking out. In the 22 games from July 23rd to August 14th, Cecchini struck out twice in 88 PAs, 69 ABs. And, even more encouraging, he’s walked fourteen times in that span, and put up an outstanding .290/.398/.507/.905 line in those 69 ABs, with a .239 BABIP (BABIP does not count HRs as “IP” since, by definition, homers are out of play).
Outside of Cecchini, Michael Fulmer stands out as having pitched… better during this stretch, with a 3.54 era over twenty and a third, with twenty-three strikeouts and nine walks (.256/.337/.305/.642 against). Fulmer’s been a little bit disappointing in that he has not made it to Binghamton like his fellow rotation mates Matz and Ynoa (tho Ynoa’s been getting lit up something awful). Still, he should open his age 22 season in Binghamton, right on pace for a prospect.
Savannah Sand Gnats
Pregame 07/18/14: 16-11
Pregame 08/15/14: 34-20
Record: 18-9
Games Played: 27
No offensive standouts over the past month here, but there were a great many standout pitching performances (of course there were, Historic Grayson Stadium is an extreme pitcher’s park).
Robert Gsellman, a potential back of the rotation starter, posted a sterling 0.45 era in three starts, spanning twenty innings, with three walks (one per start) and fifteen strikeouts, holding opponents to a .203/.234/.270/.504 line.
John Gant, who’s future is also likely in the back end of a major league rotation, was simply dominant in his three starts during this stretch, working nineteen innings and striking out twenty two while issuing seven walks and holding opponents to a ludacris .138/.222/.200/.422 line.
And the closer, Akeel Morris, who has overwhelmingly overmatched the SALLY all season, allowed quite literally nothing during these twenty-seven games, pitching nine times and allowing ONE hit and an unearned run over ten innings (though with four walks). He struck out sixteen and held opponents to a (get ready) .033/.147/.033/.180 line. Yeah he’s been that unhitabble all season. His seasons numbers: 53 ip, 17 h, 5/4 r/er, 21/84 bb/k, 0.68 era, .099/.201/.140/.341 against.
Brooklyn Cyclones
Pregame 07/18/14: 15-18
Pregame 08/15/14: 32-28
Record: 17-10
Games Played: 27
First round pick Michael Conforto hit .320/.407/.443/.850 here over these twenty-seven games, homering twice and smacking six doubles as well. He also struck out just seventeen times and walked twelve times. He remains on pace to open next season in St. Lucie and get to Binghamton quickly.
Amed Rosario, the eighteen year old who has been pushed remarkably hard by this FO, hit .291/.325/.400 with four doubles and an equal number of triples over the twenty-five games he played here. He gathered thirty-two hits and five walks, while striking out just eighteen times.
A pair of teenager No Such Things have been lighting up the NYPL for the Mets, led by 19 year old Marcos Molina, who put up a 2.12 era over five starts (thirty-four innings), striking out fourty-two along the way and walking just five, while allowing opponents to hit just .216/.258/.256/.514 against him, and that with a somewhat high .325 BABIP.
Casey Meisner, ripped off three very good starts in this period, and one start he was rain delayed out of (2:16 rain delay on July 23rd), which we will not include here. In his three remaining starts, he posted an even ERA of 2, while allowing opponents to hit .257/.288/.357/.645 in eighteen innings. He walked three and struck out fourteen.
Instead of highlighting performances for the rookieball teams, I’ll highlight, again, names to keep an eye on here.
Kingsport Mets
Pregame 07/18/14: 11-15
Pregame 08/15/14: 28-26
Record: 17-11
Games Played: 28
RF Wuilmer Becerra: .298/.346/.485/.831 this season in 171 ABs, 9 2b, 7 HR, 10/50 BB/K
SS Luis Guillorme .292/.349/.344/.693 in 192 ABs, 10 2b, 14/23 BB/K
LF Vicente Lupo .257/.400/.446/.846 in 101 ABs, 7 2b, 4 HR, 23/42 BB/K
Andrew Church 3-4, 3.80 era in 9 starts, 45 ip, 58 h, 11/26 bb/k
Blake Taylor 2-1, 5.13 era in 6 starts, 26.1 ip, 30 h, 18/17 bb/k
GCL Mets
The Gulf Coast League is the lowest rung of domestic minor league ball, so unregarded that it gets unattended, except by maybe a scout or two per game. Having said that, the following names have been brought to my attention: of Arnaldo Berrios, 1b Dash Winningham, of Emmanuel Zabala, sp Adrian Almeida, sp Jose Medina, sp Tyler Badamo, sp Erik Manoah, sp Gabriel Feliz, sp Gabriel Llanes.
And that’s all for this edition of my Down on the Farm report. My next article will be after the minor league playoffs end, and will be a reactionary article to the season as a whole. Thanks, as always, for reading.
