Toby Hyde, Mets Minor League Blog:

Is this the start of new era? Yes and no, but more no, than yes. David Wright’s consistent excellence aside, Matt Harvey’s brilliance has been the storyline over the season’s first half that makes Mets’ fans hope that there can be a playoff berth at the end of this 2013 mess. As of 7 pm tonight, it will become the Wright/Harvey/Wheeler era. Soon, Travis d’Arnaud, a fourth potential All-Star will join the mix. This is simply the next step.

Wheeler has an electric arm. He is 94-96 with a fastball with big time explosion out of his hand. Given his adrenaline for his debut, I almost expect multiple 98 mph offerings. His slider can be a wipeout pitch down in the zone. His curveball can be vicious. However, at times he has trouble throwing his breaking stuff for strikes and keeping it in the zone. At best, the changeup is ordinary. In 2013, it will not be a major piece of his arsenal. His fastball command is nothing special. In the minors, he often survived and thrived, on the velocity without needing to locate the pitch precisely. In the big leagues, he will get away with fewer mistakes. However, his natural ability will carry him through.

Piece-by-piece the Mets are shedding the useless and adding. A major piece joins the team tonight. Wheeler is here.

]]> http://metsminorleagueblog.com/zack-wheeler/the-zack-wheeler-era-begins/feed/ 0 tobyhyde http://metsminorleagueblog.com/dominic-smith/mets-to-sign-first-round-pick-dominic-smith/ http://metsminorleagueblog.com/dominic-smith/mets-to-sign-first-round-pick-dominic-smith/#comments Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:14:46 +0000 Andrew Vazzano, SNY.tv http://metsminorleagueblog.com/?p=21339 ]]> MetsBlog

He will help to fill the void from Zack Wheeler and Carlos Torres joining the major league team and Collin McHugh designated for assignment.

In 10 starts for Double-A Binghamton, deGrom has a 4.80 ERA and 1.483 WHIP. He’s walked 20 and struck out 44 in 60 innings of work.

Keith Law at ESPN:

A scout I spoke to who saw him recently said that Wheeler’s curveball, once a plus pitch in my view, was just average for him as Wheeler was throwing both a curveball and a slider and seemed to be caught between the two of them.

…

He still has plenty to recommend him, as he works with plus velocity and fills up the strike zone, with just 12 walks in his past eight starts, but I’d like to see him settle on just one breaking ball so he can miss bats in the majors the way he has done in the minors so far.

The thing is that Wheeler’s two breaking balls both have their uses. I do not buy that he should focus only on one. 

Mark Anderson and Bret Sayre at Baseball Prospectus are much more positive about Wheeler’s breaking pitches:

His bread and butter is a mid-90s fastball that can reach 97-98 without losing the natural life that makes it a true plus-plus offering. His fastball jumps out of his hand and can explode in on right-handed hitters. Wheeler has struggled with maintaining his angle and working low in the zone in the past but he made significant strides in that regard this year.

…

His curveball is the feature secondary pitch sitting in the low- to mid-70s with tight rotation and hard break. After years of scouts projecting his curveball out to plus-plus levels, Wheeler finally put it together this year with consistent 70-grade hammers that buckled the knees of PCL hitters. His slider is a harder offering, sitting in the upper-80s and featuring multiple looks. He can vary the sharpness and tilt of the pitch without sacrificing velocity, giving him an unpredictable weapon that marries well with the rest of his power arsenal.

At Fangraphs, Marc Hulet saw Wheeler in Fresno on June 1. Wheeler’s line that day: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. 

He flashed his mid-90s velocity and two breaking balls but his changeup was seldom used, which disappointed me given that it was identified as something he needed to work on in 2013. The first curveball he threw during the game was quite possibly his best and he struggled to command both his curve and fastball throughout the contest. He telegraphed the curveball early in the game and slowed his arm down but it was less noticeable as the game progressed. His slider was average but I’d like to see a tighter break to it.

Wheeler’s fastball showed good velocity but his command of the pitch was average-at-best.

…

I expect him to be susceptible to the home runs at the big league level because of his lack of consistent fastball command in the upper half of the strike zone.

Emphasis added.

At Minorleagueball, John Sickels named Zack Wheeler his “Prospect of the Day.”  His conclusion: “Overall, even if he doesn’t get there right away, Wheeler projects as a number two starter.” Here’s the thing: if Wheeler reaches his full potential, he’s a #1, a legitimate ace – his fastball, slider and curve are that good. There’s nothing wrong with a good #2 and that might be his middle of the road projection, and that’s a marvelous thing.

At NorthJersey.com, Mike Kerwick focuses on Steve Kline, Wheeler’s former pitching coach advice,  for his debut: “Don’t look up.”

At ESPN.com, Mark Simon has this ominous fact among many other fun ones: “Visiting starters are 0-7 with three no-decisions when making their major league debut at Turner Field.”

Last week, at the Daily News, Andy Martino wrote about difficulty his coaches and teammates have had trying to understand the naturally quiet, reserved Wheeler. Here’s the important part: the arm is special.

At MLB.com, Anthony DiComo has a chart of other important, Mets pitching prospect debuts.

Robert Brender

The 51s offense smacked around Colorado Springs pitchers for nine runs and 11 hits in the first five innings Monday, on their way to a 12-7 win at Cashman Field. The victory gave Vegas a split in the four game series before they back on the road to start a four game set in Tucson Tuesday.

Although every batter in the Vegas lineup had at least one hit, the unquestionable star of the night was Wilmer Flores. He’s reached a point this season in AAA where he’s proven just about everything he can with the lumber. Monday’s performance was on par with the general daily output for the 21-year-old; 3 for 4 with a single, double, triple, walk, two runs scored and two RBI. The double was his 23rd, which leads the PCL, and the two RBI give him 54, also enough to lead the league. Three additional hits give him 83, moving him two spots higher on the league leader board to third. It was Flores’ fifth multi-hit game in his last nine starts and the two extra base hits give him six in the last eight games.

Mike Baxter hit his first homerun since being demoted, launching a solo shot in the 3rd. He’s hit safely in all seven games with the 51s (.308 BA). The Whitestone native still profiles to be a good pinch hitter for the Mets or another big league club.

D.J. Mitchell, who was reinserted into the Vegas starting rotation when Collin McHugh was DFA’d and Carlos Torres and Zack Wheeler were promoted, was back to his old self; 5.1IP, 10H, 5R, 5ER, 0BB, 2K, 2HR. He was credited with the win because the official scorer had to give it to him.

Juan Centeno also had a huge night at the dish with three hits in four trips, including a double and three RBI. He raised his batting average from .275 to .301 and the three runs batted in give him 11 in 24 games at AAA.

Notes: Jack Leathersich made his second AAA appearance and allowed 2ER in 2IP with 4K….Ike Davis was 1 for 3 with a 2B and two BB. He’s hitting .192 in AAA….The 51s are 36-33.
]]> http://metsminorleagueblog.com/uncategorized/aaa-monday-flores-fantastic-in-win/feed/ 0 robertbrender Flores ST Stance (Baron) http://metsminorleagueblog.com/brooklyn-cyclones/a-ball-and-below-monday-matt-den-dekkers-return-bowman-beastly-cyclones-opener/ http://metsminorleagueblog.com/brooklyn-cyclones/a-ball-and-below-monday-matt-den-dekkers-return-bowman-beastly-cyclones-opener/#comments Tue, 18 Jun 2013 05:08:24 +0000 Toby Hyde http://metsminorleagueblog.com/?p=21306 ]]> A+: St. Lucie Mets 3, Charlotte Stone Crabs (TB) 0 

CF Matt den Dekker reappeared in a game for the first time since breaking his right wrist in spring training. The 25-year-old was 0-for-4 with an RBI and a strikeout.

RHP Matt Bowman was really strong again for St. Lucie: 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 8 K. Bowman’s results in the FSL are at least as good as those in the SAL. His strikeout rate is up from 20.9% to 25.8% while his walk rate is up from 3.2% to 5.3%. Bowman is a 6’0, 165 lb righty from Princeton. His fastball was 89-91 in the SAL and he works with a curve, a slider and a split-finger fastball that he uses as a changeup. He throws his off-speed stuff a whole lot. Bowman’s fastball will leave him little margin for error against more advanced hitters, but his strong control will give him a chance to keep moving up as a starter. His ceiling is as a backend starter.

A: Savannah Sand Gnats – Off. All-Star Break. 

SSA: @ Staten Island Yankees 2, Brooklyn Cyclones 1 

Robert Gsellman took the ball for the Cyclones on Opening Night and was fine, if undone by his defense: 5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K.

Akeel Morris, who has struggled with his control in years past, walked one and gave up a hit while striking out two in the eighth. Morris has a decent arm, but is very raw and walked 22 34 batters in 38.1 innings in Kingsport last year. A little more on Morris: he made six starts for Kingsport before moving to the bullpen. As a starter, he walked 10.6% of the batters he faced (12 BB/113 TBF) which increased to 15% (10 BB/66 TBF) out of the bullpen.

2B L.J. Mazzilli was 2-for-4 in his professional Brooklyn debut.

Rough Brooklyn debut for SS Gavin Cecchini who was 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.

The Brooklyn Cyclones kick off the 2013 season in Staten Island tonight, and will play their home opener tomorrow against the same division rival. 
Robert Gsellman struck out 6 over 6 IP in his last start, allowing 3 runs on 9 hits and 1 walk, pitching for Savannah on June 5th. He started the year with 8 K and 8 BB in his first four starts, but has struck out 11 and walked 3 over his last three starts. After filling in for St. Lucie and Savannah when a starter was needed, Gsellman now takes his planned assignment for the year, heading up the Cyclones rotation.

A+: Charlotte StoneCrabs [TB] (29-35) @ St. Lucie Mets (34-30) Listen
Monday 6:30 ET – RHP Roberto Gomez (3-6, 5.98) vs. Matt Bowman (3-0, 2.61)

Two teams out of the playoff race wrap up the first half schedule before gaining a new life, and probably some new players too,  on a playoff spot on Thursday.  Roberto Gomez faced St. Lucie on April 23rd (6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)
Matt Bowman reached the all star break without suffering a loss having struck out 65 and walked 12 over 68.2 IP across two A ball levels.  On June 2nd in Charlotte he allowed 3 runs on 5 hits over 5 IP, striking out 2 and walking 1.

AAA: Colorado Springs Sky Sox (38-30) @ Las Vegas 51s (35-33) Listen
Monday 10:05 ET – RHP Jeff Manship (3-5, 5.80) vs. RHP D J Mitchell (2-3, 8.27)

Jeff Manship allowed 1 run on 4 hits over 5.1 IP in his last start, striking out 4 and walking 3.
In two of D J Mitchell‘s last three starts he has allowed 5 walks, in the other he failed to make it out of the second inning.  With the recent departures of Wheeler, Torres, and McHugh; Mitchell’s rotation spot seems very safe for someone with an ERA over 8.

AA: Binghamton Mets (42-26) off

The B-Mets are 11-2 in June and have moved 6.5 games ahead of Portland.

A: Savannah Sand Gnats (43-26) off for SAL All Star Break

The first half division winners will have three days off before beginning the second half at Lexington on Thursday.

As a general rule, the Cyclones get way too much attention because they are: 1. based in Brooklyn, 2. the games are great fun, 3. they usually win while 4. the players are years from the big leagues. That does not mean things that happen at MCU Park do not matter.

The Cyclones’ roster will be an evolving document as many of the 2013 draftees have not joined Brooklyn yet. The full roster is here in pdf and html.

Top Prospect
SS Gavin Cecchini – The Mets first round pick in 2012, at #12 overall. A shortstop who the Mets think will be an average defender who will hit at the top of the order, Cecchini was my #7 ranked prospect pre-season. He hit an unexceptional .246/.311/.330 in 53 games last year for the Kingsport Mets in the Appalachian League. When I saw him briefly in 2012, I recall liking Cecchini’s swing more than I expected to, but thinking that he needed to get stronger. He says he got stronger all winter. I was expecting to see a little more pure speed out of Cecchini and when I saw him in the Appy League, on a wet track, he was at best an average runner. I’m curious how his footspeed looks in Brooklyn.

The Starting Rotation
RHP Robert Gsellman
RHP Miller Diaz
RHP John Gant
LHP Carlos Valdez
RHP Seth Lugo
LHP Dario Alvarez

The 19-year-old Gsellman, who gets the Opening Day nod, held his own in Savannah, working 88-92 with a changeup. His breaking ball is rudimentary.
Miller Diaz throws hard, but is pretty raw. I missed him in Kingsport last year.
John Gant was a 21st round pick in 2011 out of high school when he was throwing 85-87 mph. At 6’4″, 200lbs, he has a nice frame and has added a little velocity. I’m curious about what it looks like in games coming off a 2012 when he ran a 4.55 ERA with a 47/19 K/BB in 55.1 innings in the Appy League.
Alvarez, who is 24, is a cast-off from the Phillies system.
Lugo has been going by Jake Lugo and was a late (34th) round pick out of Centenary in 2011.

The Infield
Cecchini’s double-play partner will be L.J. Mazzilli. He’s a fun story for the Mets’ ties, and I expect him to hit a little in the NYP, but as one of the oldest players in the 2013 draft, who will turn 23 in September, he’s more name than prospect for now.

Eventually, 7th round pick Matt Oberste will play first for this unit.

The Outfield
At the moment, the outfield is all 23- or 24-year olds waiting for the 2013 draftees to sign. In particular, 5th round Jared King (who has not signed yet) and 9th rounder Patrick Biondi who has signed (for an undisclosed bonus) will make this group much more interesting.

The Catchers
Tomas Nido is the name here. Last year’s eighth round pick out of high school in Florida, the Mets paid him $250,000 to sign, $113 overslot to skip a committment to Florida State. He’s a young 19. There’s some power in his swing and enough arm to catch although his receiving is raw. He hit .242/.307/.339 in the Appy League last year with a 12/23 K/BB ratio in 38 games.