April Stat Review: St. Lucie Mets

Luis Rojas led his team to a 13-10 record in April

            The St. Lucie Mets season started with a bang thanks to Amed Rosario, who hit a walkoff homerun against Jupiter on opening night and has been red-hot ever since. They would’ve finished the month in 1^st place, but a 3-game losing streak to end April dropped them behind Palm Beach temporarily.

            On offense, this lineup is arguably the most exciting in the Mets farm system, although that’ll probably be true of wherever Rosario plays until he reaches New York. But other than Rosario, Wuilmer Becerra is the #1 or #2 outfield prospect in the system, same for Jhoan Urena at 3B. There’s also John Mora and Luis Guillorme, who are both top-25 prospects in the system playing everyday, and my potential breakout pick Tomas Nido is off to a nice start.

            The pitching staff isn’t as loaded, but the new guys are pitching well in this league, and the bullpen was lights out for most of April. Chris Flexen and Josh Prevost are off to nice starts in their FSL debut, but former Indy pitcher Casey Delgado was the staff ace in April. In the pen, everyone has pitched well except Jimmy Duff, which is surprising since he was great in his 12-game stint with St. Lucie last year.

            Below are the April stats for all players, with comments added for select individuals.

April

MVP: Amed Rosario. Wuilmer Becerra’s high average made this a close call, but Rosario’s 11 XBH are too good to overlook. Rosario is emerging as a special talent, so it’s OK to start getting excited.

Cy: Casey Delgado made this an easy choice for me by pitching well and giving the St. Lucie Mets depth.

Fireman: Tim Peterson put up silly numbers in April and appears to be back to the way he was pitching in 2014, before a PED suspension forced him to sit out for most of last year.

Offense

Wuilmer Becerra - 67 PA, 0.367/0.424/0.450, 6 R, 5 2B, 8 RBI, 6 BB, 1 SAC, 10 K, 1 GIDP, 1 CS, 12.3% SwStr, 22.7% Whiff/Swing, 3.3 Pitches/PA, 0.44 BABIP

His numbers are nice so far, but he hasn’t hit for power after an outage in the 2^nd half last year. He dealt with leg injuries down the stretch last year and has been limited to DH duties so far with a sore throwing shoulder, which could explain the outage. But given the improvements in his K-rate during the stretch, I wonder if he’s not just selling out power for contact

Kevin Taylor - 49 PA, 0.275/0.408/0.450, 5 R, 4 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 8 BB, 1 HBP, 6 K, 2.8% SwStr, 8.1% Whiff/Swing, 4.4 Pitches/PA, 0.303 BABIP

Amed Rosario - 106 PA, 0.296/0.330/0.520, 11 R, 3 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 5 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SF, 18 K, 5 SB, 2 CS, 11.6% SwStr, 24.7% Whiff/Swing, 3.3 Pitches/PA, 0.333 BABIP

11 XBH in April is impressive, and the only ‘flaw’ in his game you can point to so far is the low walk rate

Tomas Nido - 71 PA, 0.313/0.338/0.403, 7 R, 6 2B, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SF, 6 K, 1 GIDP, 2 CS, 12.1% SwStr, 21.7% Whiff/Swing, 2.9 Pitches/PA, 0.339 BABIP

Don’t think anyone could’ve predicted Nido suddenly putting up an elite K-rate, but he’s taking a new two-strike approach this year, and the results speak for themselves. Can he keep it up? If so, can he start hitting for power a little more often too?

Champ Stuart - 94 PA, 0.238/0.337/0.388, 11 R, 2 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 12 BB, 2 SAC, 25 K, 8 SB, 1 CS, 11.9% SwStr, 30.1% Whiff/Swing, 3.6 Pitches/PA, 0.321 BABIP

Jonathan Johnson - 12 PA, 0.250/0.455/0.250, 3 BB, 1 SAC, 3 K, 8.7% SwStr, 28.6% Whiff/Swing, 3.8 Pitches/PA, 0.4 BABIP

Jhoan Urena - 91 PA, 0.226/0.286/0.321, 10 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 7 BB, 16 K, 5 GIDP, 2 CS, 10.1% SwStr, 20.8% Whiff/Swing, 3.3 Pitches/PA, 0.269 BABIP

Apparently hitting into a lot of hard-luck outs so far, but the Mets skipping him over the SAL last year has really backfired

Luis Guillorme - 94 PA, 0.256/0.344/0.268, 12 R, 1 2B, 5 RBI, 11 BB, 1 SAC, 13 K, 4 GIDP, 1 SB, 1 CS, 7.7% SwStr, 17% Whiff/Swing, 3.6 Pitches/PA, 0.292 BABIP

Off to a slow start but still getting on base at a good clip

Lednier Ricardo - 21 PA, 0.263/0.286/0.316, 4 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SF, 3 K, 2 GIDP, 10.1% SwStr, 19% Whiff/Swing, 3.8 Pitches/PA, 0.294 BABIP

John Mora - 101 PA, 0.228/0.297/0.304, 10 R, 3 2B, 2 3B, 7 RBI, 9 BB, 15 K, 1 GIDP, 2 SB, 2 CS, 8.4% SwStr, 20.2% Whiff/Swing, 3.9 Pitches/PA, 0.273 BABIP

He was red-hot for the first week but has done nothing outside of a few random games since

Michael Katz - 80 PA, 0.254/0.338/0.254, 7 R, 8 RBI, 10 BB, 3 SF, 23 K, 2 GIDP, 2 CS, 9.3% SwStr, 24.8% Whiff/Swing, 4.2 Pitches/PA, 0.362 BABIP

Surprising he has no XBH yet

Patrick Biondi - 66 PA, 0.218/0.308/0.255, 5 R, 2 2B, 5 RBI, 7 BB, 1 HBP, 2 SF, 1 SAC, 7 K, 3 SB, 3 CS, 5.1% SwStr, 12.2% Whiff/Swing, 3.6 Pitches/PA, 0.240 BABIP

Phillip Evans - 33 PA, 0.143/0.273/0.143, 2 R, 2 RBI, 5 BB, 3 K, 2 GIDP, 6% SwStr, 15.6% Whiff/Swing, 3.5 Pitches/PA, 0.16 BABIP

Raphael Ramirez - 13 PA, 0.154/0.154/0.154, 5 K, 15.5% SwStr, 32.1% Whiff/Swing, 4.5 Pitches/PA, 0.25 BABIP

Brandon Brosher - 6 PA, 2 K, 3.8% SwStr, 12.5% Whiff/Swing, 4.3 Pitches/PA

Pitching

Starting

Casey Delgado - 21 IP, 13 H, 5 R (4 ER), 1 2B, 14 TB, 4 BB, 16 K (12 K/Sw), 24 GB: 14 FB: 10 LD: 7 PU, 267 Pitches (166 Strikes), 25 Swinging, 50 Called, 9.4% SwStr, 21.6% Whiff/Swing, 12.7 Pitches/IP, 78 BF

Pitched into the 8^th in two of his three April starts

Ricky Knapp - 22.2 IP, 26 H, 6 R (6 ER), 3 2B, 2 HR, 35 TB, 5 BB, 14 K (11 K/Sw), 37 GB: 13 FB: 18 LD: 5 PU, 346 Pitches (214 Strikes), 32 Swinging, 50 Called, 9.2% SwStr, 19.5% Whiff/Swing, 15.3 Pitches/IP, 91 BF

Chris Flexen - 26.1 IP, 26 H, 11 R (11 ER), 2 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 35 TB, 6 BB, 19 K (13 K/Sw), 48 GB: 18 FB: 10 LD: 6 PU, 359 Pitches (242 Strikes), 31 Swinging, 59 Called, 8.6% SwStr, 16.9% Whiff/Swing, 13.6 Pitches/IP, 109 BF

Hurt by the big inning in 3 of his starts, but has only allowed a run in one inning during all 4 of his starts

Josh Prevost - 21.1 IP, 31 H, 12 R (10 ER), 5 2B, 1 3B, 38 TB, 4 BB, 19 K (14 K/Sw), 36 GB: 16 FB: 17 LD: 2 PU, 96 BF

No pitch stats because gameday wasn’t active for one of his starts, but the improved K-rate is nice, he’s just been hurt by a .411 BABIP allowed

Corey Oswalt - 18.1 IP, 23 H, 12 R (12 ER), 3 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 38 TB, 7 BB, 23 K (15 K/Sw), 31 GB: 7 FB: 11 LD: 4 PU, 299 Pitches (189 Strikes), 38 Swinging, 49 Called, 12.7% SwStr, 27.1% Whiff/Swing, 16.3 Pitches/IP, 84 BF

Mixed April for Oswalt, as he’s putting up nice whiff numbers, but also getting allowing too much hard contact

Scarlyn Reyes - 16.2 IP, 20 H, 22 R (17 ER), 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 33 TB, 12 BB, 10 K (6 K/Sw), 22 GB: 19 FB: 13 LD: 4 PU, 318 Pitches (179 Strikes), 22 Swinging, 50 Called, 6.9% SwStr, 17.1% Whiff/Swing, 19.1 Pitches/IP, 84 BF

The bullpen has a spot reserved for Reyes once one of the Fireflies starters is ready to move up

Relieving

Paul Paez - 3.1 IP, 2 H, 1 2B, 3 TB, 1 BB, 5 GB: 2 FB: 2 LD: 1 PU, 32 Pitches (20 Strikes), 10 Called, 9.6 Pitches/IP, 11 BF

Tim Peterson - 10 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 2B, 1 HR, 7 TB, 1 BB, 16 K (10 K/Sw), 4 GB: 7 FB: 4 LD: 2 PU, 134 Pitches (90 Strikes), 19 Swinging, 36 Called, 14.2% SwStr, 35.2% Whiff/Swing, 13.4 Pitches/IP, 34 BF

He’s been lights out like he was in 2014

Josh Edgin - 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 TB, 1 BB, 7 K (5 K/Sw), 5 GB: 2 FB: 2 PU, 67 Pitches (44 Strikes), 11 Swinging, 13 Called, 16.4% SwStr, 35.5% Whiff/Swing, 15.5 Pitches/IP, 17 BF

Velocity has been creeping up, but sound like the slider has been his best pitch so far

Kevin McGowan - 13 IP, 5 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 2B, 1 3B, 8 TB, 1 BB, 18 K (9 K/Sw), 8 GB: 8 FB: 7 LD: 3 PU, 195 Pitches (131 Strikes), 23 Swinging, 45 Called, 11.8% SwStr, 26.7% Whiff/Swing, 15 Pitches/IP, 46 BF

Putting up some big numbers out of the pen because he’s been trusting his stuff more

Alberto Baldonado – 12.2 IP, 8 H, 2 R (1 ER), 1 2B, 9 TB, 6 BB, 13 K (7 K/Sw), 11 GB: 9 FB: 6 LD: 1 PU, 214 Pitches (140 Strikes), 34 Swinging, 32 Called, 15.9% SwStr, 31.5% Whiff/Swing, 16.9 Pitches/IP, 49 BF

Sitting 92-94 MPH from the left side with a nice hook, Baldonado should see time in the upper minors this year

Robert Coles - 10.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 HR, 10 TB, 2 BB, 8 K (6 K/Sw), 18 GB: 7 FB: 5 LD, 138 Pitches (90 Strikes), 9 Swinging, 36 Called, 6.5% SwStr, 16.7% Whiff/Swing, 12.9 Pitches/IP, 41 BF

Ben Griset - 9 IP, 5 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 2B, 6 TB, 4 BB, 9 K (5 K/Sw), 12 GB: 5 FB: 4 LD, 121 Pitches (75 Strikes), 20 Swinging, 19 Called, 16.5% SwStr, 35.7% Whiff/Swing, 13.4 Pitches/IP, 34 BF

Corey Taylor - 10 IP, 9 H, 4 R (2 ER), 1 3B, 11 TB, 3 BB, 9 K (5 K/Sw), 15 GB: 7 FB: 3 LD: 4 PU, 135 Pitches (90 Strikes), 14 Swinging, 20 Called, 10.4% SwStr, 20% Whiff/Swing, 13.5 Pitches/IP, 41 BF

Off to a nice start after a big jump from Brooklyn

Jimmy Duff - 10.2 IP, 16 H, 8 R (8 ER), 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 25 TB, 4 BB, 6 K (0 K/Sw), 19 GB: 6 FB: 9 LD: 3 PU, 139 Pitches (94 Strikes), 11 Swinging, 35 Called, 7.9% SwStr, 18.6% Whiff/Swing, 13 Pitches/IP, 48 BF

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