Looking back at the top moments and stories from the 2015 season in
Mets minor league baseball
Let's dig right into the list!
#10 – Minors GIF’s of the year
I’ve
limited myself to 10 total, with no more than one GIF per player, and 9 of the
10 GIF’s are defensive plays. And yes, I'm starting my top-10 list with a top-10 list, deal with it.
#9 – The Binghamton Mets are staying put; The Sand Gnats are moving to a new stadium in Columbia, SC
These
are two very different situations, and neither worked-out as those involved
would have initially liked. The Sand Gnats situation was a
long time coming, but it seemed like both the city and the ownership
would’ve loved something to work out in Savannah, they just had very different
plans. The Sand Gnats owners, Hardball Capital, wanted a new stadium
(understandably so), but were happy to stay, and argued their presence and a
new waterside stadium would help the city. City officials wanted the Sand Gnats
to stay too, but didn’t agree with the owner’s estimates of the teams value to
the city, and weren’t willing to foot the bill for a new stadium – it was
estimated in the $30-35 million range. It worked out great for the Mets though,
as their prospects no longer have to play in the power-sapping hell that is
Historic Grayson Stadium – and just in time for Dash Winningham too!
The
B-Mets situation did not look promising for the city of Binghamton initially,
as the previous owners had been looking to sell the team, and it was widely
speculated that new owners would want to move the franchise – it almost
turned out that way. The franchise eventually sold to Evans Street Baseball
Inc., in a deal
finalized just before 2015 ended, and new ownership would quickly pledge
their commitment to staying in Binghamton, signing a lease with the city
through the end of the 2021 season. Instead of moving the franchise, the new
owners plan to rebrand the B-Mets, announcing a naming
competition in the middle of Spring Training this year.
#8 – Seth Lugo and other breakouts
Players
break out unexpectedly in the minors every season, and some of them turn out to
be flash-in-the-pan one-year wonders, but Seth
Lugo’s 2015 was legit. I took a look back at his 2015 previously
(lots of GIF’s linked at the bottom), so I’ll quickly recap the unexpectedness
of his breakout here. The Mets selected Lugo out of the Centenary College of
Louisiana in the 34th round of the 2011 draft thanks to the persistence
of team scouts Jimmy Nelson (associate) and Tommy Jackson (amateur). Centenary
College is best known for former closer B.J. Ryan and few other players of
note, and Lugo is one of the few players from that 34th round still
playing. Lugo then missed all of 2012 recovering from Spondylolisthesis, which
is a back injury that had him barely mobile and resigned to bed rest for three
months. Against long odds, he made it back for 12 starts in 2013, but was then
moved to the St. Lucie bullpen for most of the 2014 season, although he was
more of a long man/piggyback starter than pure reliever. He might’ve started
the year in the Binghamton bullpen too, but Michael Fulmer needed extra time to
recover from an injury coming out of spring training, and he became the teams 6th
starter. Good thing too, as he went out and struck out 13 against just 1 walk
over his first two starts (11.2 IP, 10 H, 2 R), which quickly changed the Mets
plans for him. Lugo would finish the season with a strong stretch in Las Vegas,
and as one of the top starting prospects left in the system.
There
were other breakouts in the system, most notably the group of shortstops
discussed in story #6 below, but also the following prospects:
-
Wuilmer Becerra had a strong
year at the plate in his intro to full-season ball with Savannah, as did
his teammates 3B Eudor Garcia (report here),
SS Luis Guillorme (report here),
and John Mora (report here).
Of the 4, Mora’s breakout is easily the most surprising, as he was signed out
of the Dominican Republic and spent two years in the DSL before earning his
chance to come stateside in 2014.
-
In Brooklyn, there were several key injuries to
starters, and they had one of the lowest team averages in the minors, but Tyler
Badamo and some teammates in the bullpen – Christian Montgomery, P.J. Conlon,
Alex Palsha, and Corey Taylor – were bright spots during an otherwise dark
year.
-
Looking further down the ladder, Kingsport had
some big performances. On the mound, Harol Gonzalez turned heads with his
stuff, Nabil Crismatt tied for the league lead in K% (I dive into his
background in this
post), and Thomas McIlraith finished 2nd in ERA at 1.71. At the
plate, Dash Winningham tied for the APPY lead with 12 homeruns, while 2015
picks OF Kevin Kaczmarski and C Patrick Mazeika both finished with .350+
averages, and teenaged shortstops Milton Ramos and Luis Carpio (probably more
of a 2B) both had .300+ averages.
-
Finally, unheralded and undrafted, but signed
as a college free agent in 2014, Michael Gibbons took a surprising
and successful welcome tour of the Mets system. On the opposite side of the
spectrum, once a first-round pick whose career was derailed by injuries, Josh
Smoker surged through 3 levels of the system. Gibbons started his pro career
with 7 shutout innings for St. Lucie, made two starts for Brooklyn, got a spot
start for Binghamton, made 6 starts with Savannah, and then finished the year
with two more starts with St. Lucie. After the dust settled, Gibbons found
himself #30 on the BA Mets prospect list. Smoker’s mid-90’s heat from the left
side pushed him to a key role in the B-Mets bullpen by the end of the season,
and must’ve at least tempted the Mets to give him a September look. He’ll begin
the year in the Las Vegas bullpen, and in a suddenly heated competition for a
lefty spot in the Mets bullpen.
#7 – Dominic Smith (FSL) and Luis Guillorme (SAL) win league MVP awards
After
such a strong
year at the plate, Dom Smith’s MVP award was a strong possibility, but
considering he was overlooked for the SAL All-Star team, Luis Guillorme’s MVP
award kind of came out of nowhere. Dom Smith turned his season around after a
poor April and became a doubles machine, and one of the best oppo-taco hitters
in the league. Guillorme was a consistent table-setter at the top of the Sand
Gnats lineup, a rock at shortstop, and a leader on the infield. They both had
great camp experiences this year – Smith had a nice showing in major league
camp, while Guillorme started for Spain in the WBCQ – and are among the most
exciting prospects in the system to watch out for. Smith is due to start the
year in Binghamton, so I’ll be able to post a lot of updates and GIF’s of him
throughout the season, but it’ll be hard to get video coverage of Guillorme
with St. Lucie.
#6 – Shortstops Breakout from AA to rookie ball: Gavin Cecchini, Amed Rosario, Luis Guillorme, Milton Ramos, and Luis Carpio all had great seasons
While
the Mets struggled to find a solution for shortstop at the major league level,
their affiliates were getting breakout performances from their shortstops –
except at Las Vegas, where Matt Reynolds numbers
went the wrong way in 2015. Gavin Cecchini had his best
season at the plate, and while he made plenty
of errors, he also made a number of great
plays. After a strong
year with St. Lucie, Amed Rosario is considered the best of the group, and
will be one of the youngest hitters in the AA to start 2016. I’ve mentioned
Luis Guillorme multiple times at this point, so you probably get the point that
he had a great year in 2015. Milton Ramos and Luis Carpio spent most of the
short-season splitting time between shortstop and 2B, though Ramos did spend a
stint in the GCL. Carpio probably won’t stick at SS, and unfortunately he’ll
miss most of 2016 after shoulder surgery, but he stood out enough to make most
top-10 prospect lists for the system. Ramos is considered a good defensive shortstop
with some offensive upside, so 2016 could be a breakout year for him in
Columbia.
#5 – Young prospect Merandy Gonzalez throws a no-hitter in the GCL
It
was only a 7-inning
no-hitter, but his July 9th start against the GCL Marlins led to
a promotion to Kingsport for the young hurler. It was his fourth appearance
with the GCL Mets of the year, and the second time he had allowed 0 hits for 5+
innings. The Mets signed Gonzalez in March, 2013, and last year was his first
stateside after 2 seasons in the DSL. He’d finish with a 2.82 ERA in 9
appearances with Kingsport, but the 20-year old will probably stay back for at
least some extended spring training to start 2015, and I’d guess he eventually
starts in Brooklyn.
#4 – Savannah goes on an 18-game winning streak and wins 5th division title in the last 6 years
The
Sand Gnats went on a 10-game winning streak to end the first half of the
season, which helped them clinch a playoff spot on the last day of the first
half, but they still had some magic left in them. Between August 2nd
and August 22nd, the Sand Gnats won 18 straight games, and their
streak was only snapped when rain led to a tie
game. The Sand Gnats went on a 29-4 stretch at one point during the second
half, which is just madness. They went into the postseason with their team at
full strength, but couldn’t get past Asheville, who they were facing because
they eliminated Greenville with a victory on the last day of the season. They
didn’t have enough magic to bring one last title back to Savannah, but the Sand
Gnats gave the city a great team to cheer for before leaving town.
#3 – Jon Leroux hits and then allows a walkoff homerun in the same month
Jon
Leroux’s career may not have turned out as he hoped, but he did something in
May, 2015 that few players will ever do. This was hardly a story, especially
since I doubt few others noticed it, but I’d bet it’s a less likely occurrence
than the 18-game winning streak, which is why it's ranked so high. It’s rare enough to hit or allow a walkoff
homerun in ones career, and few players are presented with both opportunities
during their career, so to be involved in both sides of the walkoff homerun
within a month is incredibly improbable. On May
9th, the Sand Gnats were involved in a game that dragged on to
the 17th inning, so manager Jose Leger went to infielder Jon Leroux
for the 17th, and Jose Cardona ended the game with a solo blast two
batters later. On May
28th, the Sand Gnats were locked in a 1-1 tie into the bottom of
the 9th, when Leroux came up with one out and launched a solo blast
to end the game. Leroux’s story would not have a happy ending though, as the
Mets would release him in July, but he'll always have this piece of minor league history (and trivia) attached to his name.
#2 – Michael Conforto and Steven Matz
Steven
Matz starts and daily Michael Conforto updates made following the farm system
in the first half of the season a bit more exciting than usual, but it was
still a lot better to watch them kick butt for the Mets down the stretch and in
the playoffs. Matz had a few hiccups with Las Vegas, but held opponents to 1
run or none in 9 of 15 appearances, and took a no-hitter
into the 7th against Reno in April. He quickly proved that he
wouldn’t need a full season in AAA, and wasn’t even going to be slowed down by
the higher offensive environment of the PCL. His debut, his Grandpa, and his
pitching for the Mets down the stretch and in the postseason were among the
best Mets moments of 2015, and he’s just getting started. Quite frankly, Matz
is like, Half man, Half amazin’.
Conforto
started the year playing A+ ball with St. Lucie, and finished the year in the World
Series, so you could say that he had a good season. Some fans were ready to
promote straight from St. Lucie after he dominated for two weeks to start the
year, but he’d promptly cool down as the league adjusted to him. That didn’t
last too long though, as he caught fire again, got promoted to the B-Mets,
stayed hot, got promoted to the Mets, and never really stopped hitting. As an example of how crazy #MetsTwitter was for any Conforto coverage, this tweet from 6/30 of his third AA homerun had 81,000+ twitter impressions at the time this was posted. His
role should be expanded with the Mets this year, as he’s expected to face
lefties more often after only 15 PA against southpaws in 2015.
#1 – Recent top prospects help lead Mets to the World Series
While
everything above is nice, this is what the organization had been working towards
since Sandy Alderson was hired as GM after the 2010 season. It may not have
been ‘Moneyball with Money,’ but it
was better, because the 2015 Mets was a team built mostly from within. Even the
key player brought in down the stretch, Mr. Yoenis Cespedes, was only brought
in because the Mets had so much minor league depth leftover they could trade.
They weren’t all Alderson players – I looked at how the initial roster broke
down between Omar and Sandy players here
– but the team was very much of his design: great pitching, offense over
defense players, gaps filled with internal solutions, a few targeted free
agents that worked out (hello Bartolo Colon and Curtis Granderson), a key move
he didn’t make (cry your heart out Wilmer Flores!), and the fruits of a key
move he made over two years earlier (thanks R.A. Dickey). The best part is, the
2015 team wasn’t a one-year wonder, and there are still more prospects on the
horizon who have a chance to start for the Mets over the next few years.
2015 Mets who spent time in the system before debuting
2015 ML debuts: Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz, Michael
Conforto, Kevin Plawecki, Hansel Robles, Logan Verrett (initial debut with
Texas), Jack Leathersich, Daniel Muno, Darrell Ceciliani, and you can basically
include Erik Goeddel, since he only had 6 September appearances in 2014.
Honorable mention to Rule-5 selection Sean Gilmartin.
2013-14 ML debuts: Jacob deGrom, Travis d’Arnaud, Wilmer
Flores, Juan Lagares, Dilson Herrera, Eric Campbell, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Rafael
Montero, Dario Alvarez, and Jeurys Familia didn’t break through until 2014.
And then there’s The Dark Knight, Matt Harvey, who threw
nearly 60 IP in 2012 before bursting onto the scene in 2013.
Not
all of the players listed above were drafted by the Mets as amateurs, but 18
out of those 21 players spent most of their minor league career in the Mets
system – aka, everyone but Travis d’Arnaud, Sean Gilmartin, and Dario Alvarez. That’s
something for Mets fans to be proud of, but it also resonates at the amateur level.
For example, prospect Nabil Crismatt said he had been a Yankees fan growing up
in Colombia, but preferred signing with a team like the Mets that would give a
chance to young players.
2016 marks a fresh start for prospects and teams everywhere, but especially in Columbia, SC. Foreign players will make their stateside debut, young players their full season debut, and a lucky few will make their major league debut. Some guys will surprise, others will disappoint, and the unfortunate few will face season ending injuries out of the blue. It will be hard for the Mets and the system to top 2015, but they have some unfinished business to attend to, and a date with the AL champs scheduled for October. As always, LET'S GO METS!!
2016 marks a fresh start for prospects and teams everywhere, but especially in Columbia, SC. Foreign players will make their stateside debut, young players their full season debut, and a lucky few will make their major league debut. Some guys will surprise, others will disappoint, and the unfortunate few will face season ending injuries out of the blue. It will be hard for the Mets and the system to top 2015, but they have some unfinished business to attend to, and a date with the AL champs scheduled for October. As always, LET'S GO METS!!
Gamma-Ray Bursts: Crash Course Astronomy #40 with @BadAstronomer https://t.co/siO5lLfRnH pic.twitter.com/s5PVgJ0JEb— The SETI Institute (@SETIInstitute) March 19, 2016
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