Mets Minors MiLB.tv Series Preview: New Hampshire Fisher Cats @ Binghamton Mets

Round 3

Dates: May 14-17

Current Record: 19-14, 2^nd place, 6.5 GB of New Britain

Probables

All times are EST

Thursday at 6:35 PM

Taylor Cole (0-3, 5.46 ERA, 4.51 FIP, 19.9 K%: 6.1 BB%, 1.21 HR/9)

@ Luis Cessa (3-1, 2.67 ERA, 2.14 FIP, 20.2 K%: 3.5 BB%, 0 HR/9)

Friday at 7:05 PM

John Anderson (1-2, 5.22 ERA, 4.25 FIP, 15.4 K%: 9.2 BB%, 0.61 HR/9)

@ Michael Fulmer (1-0, 3.60 ERA, 4.60 FIP, 18.6 K%: 9.3 BB%, 0.90 HR/9)

Saturday at 1:05 PM

Austin Bibens-Dirkx (1-2, 16.50 ERA, 6.90 FIP, 28.6 K%: 14.3 BB%, 3 HR/9)

@ John Gant (1-3, 4.78 ERA, 4.16 FIP, 16 K%: 12.6 BB%, 0.34 HR/9)

Sunday at 1:05 PM

Matt Boyd (2-1, 1.21 ERA, 1.93 FIP, 30.8 K%: 7.7 BB%, 0 HR/9)

@ Seth Lugo (2-1, 2.45 ERA, 2.50 FIP, 25.5 K%: 3.8 BB%, 0.35 HR/9)

Last series for B-Mets

Lost 2/3 in Richmond: L 4-3, W 4-1, L 2-1

Top prospects for the Toronto Blue Jays with New Hampshire

Organizational rankings are from the 2015 Baseball America Prospect Handbook

Dwight Smith Jr., LHH OF, 22
Ranked #14, BA Grade: 45, Medium risk
.302/.355/.450 with 12 XBH (8 2B, 3B, 3 HR), and 10.6 K%: 7.8 BB%

            Although he has played some CF early in his career, scouts expect him to move to the corner in time due to his average speed, and LF specifically due to a weak arm – he’s only played LF so far in 2015. He doesn’t have any true plus physical tools, but makes up for it with an advanced approach at the plate, stroking line drives all over the field, and displaying above average K: BB rates. He’s more of a doubles threat than a homerun threat, but his ‘quick, compact and direct stroke’ makes him a real threat. He’s off to a hot start for New Hampshire, and he’s been one of the EL’s most consistent hitters.

Matt Boyd, LH SP, 24
Ranked #29, BA Grade: 45, High risk

            Boyd throws the standard four pitches, with his fastball sitting 88-91 (topping out at 93 MPH), and his secondaries considered average offerings coming into the season. Of the three, his changeup shows swing-and-miss potential, as it has late fade. He has been the top-strikeout pitcher in the EL so far, with a ridiculous 30.8 K%, which has helped him post a 1.21 ERA/1.93 FIP.

Recent Injuries/Transactions

            The Mets purchased the contract of former Major Leaguer David Cooper from the Indy league and have assigned him to the B-Mets roster. It’s not clear what his role will be, or why the Mets are bringing him in. With Jack Leathersich heading back to NY, it’s possible Jon Velasquez will be heading back to Las Vegas.

Storylines

            The Fisher Cats are one of the best offensive teams in the league, and the B-Mets have four solid starting pitcher prospects to send at them in this series, so it should be a good battle. The Cats took 3 of 4 games in New Hampshire the first time these two teams met, and then the B-Mets took 2 of 3 games in their next series in Binghamton.

            Brandon Nimmo and Gavin Cecchini are moving up the EL statistical leaderboards, as they have been hitting all season. Nimmo started with an 0-fer-3-games, but he’s only been hitless in 4 games since, and has reached base in 30 of 32 games this season. Cecchini has been controlling the strike zone (3^rd in K%) and hitting for power (16^th in ISO) while playing great defense at SS – someone is flying up the top prospect lists. The B-Mets haven’t faced many lefties yet, but Cheech has a double and both of his homers off LHP in just 14 PA.

            I can’t imagine anybody guessing that Luis Cessa and Seth Lugo would be the top-2 starters in the Binghamton rotation to this point, but they have been, and nothing suggests either will be slowing down anytime soon. Lugo would be right next to Cessa on the leaderboards below if he had enough innings to qualify, but Binghamton has been using a 6-man rotation, and Lugo had one of his starts cut short due to rain.

League Leaders

Top-20 EL, qualified players only

R: Josh Rodriguez, t-7^th (20); Gavin Cecchini, t-15^th (17)

H: Brandon Nimmo, 8^th (38)

2B: Jayce Boyd, t-2^nd (11); Dustin Lawley, t-2^nd (11)

3B: Nimmo, t-5^th (2); Eudy Pina, t-5^th (2)

HR: J Rod, 1^st (7); Lawley, t-15^th (3); Aderlin Rodriguez, t-15^th (3)

RBI: J Rod, t-2^nd (24); Jared King, t-14^th (18)

SB: Lawley, t-16^th (5)

AVG: J Rod, t-14^th (.311); Cecchini, t-18^th (.302); Nimmo, 20^th (.297)

OBP: J Rod, t-8^th (.405)

ISO: J Rod, 5^th (.252); Lawley, 11^th (.206); Cecchini, t-16^th (.174)

BB%: J Rod, 10^th (13.2%)

K%: Cecchini, t-3^rd (8.5%); Boyd, 9^th (10.3%)

wRC+: J Rod, 4^th (175); Cecchini, 18^th (140)

W: Rainy Lara, t-9^th (3); Luis Cessa, t-9^th (3)

ERA: Lara, 9^th (2.51); Cessa, 12^th (2.67)

FIP: Cessa, 3^rd (2.14); Matt Koch, 17^th (3.30); Lara, t-19^th (3.40)

IP: Gabriel Ynoa, 14^th (36.1)

K%: Cessa, 14^th (20.2%)

BB%: Koch, 4^th (3.2%); Cessa, 5^th (3.5%)

AVG: Lara, 17^th (.238)

S: Jon Velasquez, 2^nd (8); Paul Sewald, t-5^th (5)

Earth-size planets around other stars have calm, Earth-like orbits--good news for alien life. http://t.co/pIPbF3ifjS pic.twitter.com/HHKia8pUbT

— Corey S. Powell (@coreyspowell) May 14, 2015