2016 Monday Morning Mets Minors Players of the Week

P.J. Conlon practicing in the State Mutual Park outfield in April

May 30 – June 5, 2016

            Keeping track of the hottest minor leaguers in the Mets farm system. Wasn’t home much this past week if the coverage seemed light, and I still have to go through and see what’s worth sharing from when I saw the Fireflies in Rome last Monday.

Hitter of the Week: Patrick Biondi. It was a light week for offense around the system, but Patrick Biondi didn’t get the memo. Bondo had more XBH and walks than strikeouts last week, and finished with a pair of stolen bases to boot. He gets high marks for his defense in the outfield and was moved up to the leadoff spot for St. Lucie Sunday.

Starting Pitcher of the Week: P.J. Conlon. There were several starts that would win this most weeks, but only one start that would win this every week. A starter going 10 innings on less than 100 pitches is something I may never see again at any level, but that’s exactly what P.J. Conlon did for the Columbia Fireflies Saturday night. Conlon’s been changing speeds against SAL batters like a boss, but they shouldn’t have to worry about facing him for much longer – the SAL All-Star game is in a few short weeks, and I doubt he’s still with the team after that.

Relief Pitcher of the Week: Seth Davis. Davis had the Hagerstown Suns whiffing like crazy on Friday night and has been a beast against lefties so far - .413 OPS allowed, 42 K%: 8 BB%.

Seth Davis

Team of the Week: The Binghamton Mets started the long road back to .500 with a winning week for the first time since April ended.

2016 Minors Players of the Week: 4/7-4/17, 4/18-24, 4/25-5/1, 5/2-5/8, 5/9-15, 5/16-22, 5/23-29

2016 GIFs of the Week: 4/7-14, 4/15-21, 4/22-28, 4/29-5/5, 5/6-12, 5/13-19, 5/20-26, 5/27-6/2

Las Vegas 51s 30-26

3-4 week

Pitchers

Erik Goeddel - 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 TB, 5 K (5 K/Sw), 1 GB: 2 FB: 3 LD, 48 Pitches (34 Strikes), 7 Swinging, 9 Called, 14.6% SwStr, 28% Whiff/Swing, 14.4 Pitches/IP, 13 BF

Goeddel had a very rough start to his season but has turned it around lately, which has earned him the closers role in the 51s pen

Batters

Roger Bernadina - 14 PA, 0.417/0.462/0.750, 3 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SAC, 2 K, 1 GIDP, 1 CS, 15% SwStr, 28.6% Whiff/Swing, 2.9 Pitches/PA, 0.444 BABIP

Bernadina yanked his homer into the Reno pen in the 10^th inning of the 51s only win against the Aces.

Eric Campbell - 17 PA, 0.308/0.471/0.615, 5 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 SB, 3.8% SwStr, 10.3% Whiff/Swing, 4.6 Pitches/PA, 0.273 BABIP

The Soup is always hottest in the desert

Brandon Nimmo - 24 PA, 0.350/0.417/0.600, 4 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 1 SF, 4 K, 1 GIDP, 1 SB, 6.5% SwStr, 15.2% Whiff/Swing, 3.2 Pitches/PA, 0.375 BABIP

Good news, we found Nimmo, turns out the 51s have been using him as a line-drive machine the past few weeks! A diving catch in CF robbed him of extra bases Sunday at Cashman Field, but Dilson picked him up by scoring from 2B on the play – reminder that it’s 433’ to CF at Cashman

Johnny Monell - 22 PA, 0.300/0.364/0.550, 6 R, 2 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 K, 3 GIDP, 10% SwStr, 21.1% Whiff/Swing, 3.6 Pitches/PA, 0.294 BABIP

Good to have Money Monell back

Dilson Herrera - 27 PA, 0.320/0.370/0.480, 6 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 5.6% SwStr, 12.1% Whiff/Swing, 4.6 Pitches/PA, 0.368 BABIP

Nothing left for Dilson to prove at this level. Whenever the Mets are ready, so is he

Gavin Cecchini - 25 PA, 0.375/0.400/0.417, 4 R, 1 2B, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 GIDP, 7.7% SwStr, 17.1% Whiff/Swing, 3.1 Pitches/PA, 0.429 BABIP

Spraying the ball nicely but need to see more consistency in the field

T.J. Rivera - 31 PA, 0.345/0.387/0.414, 3 R, 2 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 CS, 8.1% SwStr, 14.3% Whiff/Swing, 3.2 Pitches/PA, 0.385 BABIP

Apparently this is T.J. Rivera having a down week…

Binghamton Mets 23-32

4-3 week

Pitchers

Casey Delgado - 8 IP, 3 H, 1 R (1 ER), 1 2B, 1 HR, 7 TB, 3 BB, 7 K (7 K/Sw), 11 GB: 5 FB: 1 LD: 1 PU, 101 Pitches (63 Strikes), 13 Swinging, 20 Called, 12.9% SwStr, 30.2% Whiff/Swing, 12.6 Pitches/IP, 28 BF

Delgado has been looking more and more comfortable in Double-A with each passing start. He’s held Double-A batters to a .188 batting average over his last 4 starts Recap

Rainy Lara - 12 IP, 9 H, 3 R (2 ER), 2 2B, 1 3B, 13 TB, 2 BB, 10 K (8 K/Sw), 10 GB: 13 FB: 7 LD: 4 PU, 182 Pitches (122 Strikes), 12 Swinging, 40 Called, 6.6% SwStr, 14.6% Whiff/Swing, 15.2 Pitches/IP, 47 BF

Lara had 3 K’s over his previous 3 starts, when he allowed 16 runs on 21 hits, so this is more than a step in the right direction for him Recap 1

Mickey Jannis - 6.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R (3 ER), 2 2B, 1 HR, 13 TB, 1 BB, 5 K (5 K/Sw), 13 GB: 4 FB: 5 LD, 98 Pitches (70 Strikes), 16 Swinging, 14 Called, 16.3% SwStr, 28.6% Whiff/Swing, 14.7 Pitches/IP, 28 BF

Jannis has been much more effective over his last 3 starts, and it’s no coincidence that he has just 3 walks over 18.2 IP during the span. He had issued multiple walks in 6 straight starts before the recent stretch, and Double-A batters tagged him for an .855 OPS and 7.39 ERA Recap

Robert Gsellman - 14 IP, 12 H, 4 R (4 ER), 3 2B, 15 TB, 2 BB, 6 K (5 K/Sw), 25 GB: 8 FB: 9 LD: 3 PU, 187 Pitches (120 Strikes), 12 Swinging, 29 Called, 6.4% SwStr, 13.2% Whiff/Swing, 13.4 Pitches/IP, 55 BF

Sinker/curve are still looking like the best pitches in Gsellman’s arsenal, but the slider should be a nice pitch for him eventually too. Dip in strikeouts last week, but hard to complain about that 56% groundball rate Recap 1

Luis Mateo - 2.1 IP, 1 H, 1 TB, 1 BB, 2 K (1 K/Sw), 3 GB: 1 FB: 1 LD: 1 PU, 29 Pitches (19 Strikes), 3 Swinging, 5 Called, 10.3% SwStr, 21.4% Whiff/Swing, 12.4 Pitches/IP, 9 BF

Mateo is quietly having a nice season out of the B-Mets pen, he just hasn’t had the swing-and-miss stuff working yet

Batters

Derrik Gibson - 25 PA, 0.458/0.480/0.625, 6 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 1 HBP, 3 K, 2 SB, 1 CS, 2.1% SwStr, 6.1% Whiff/Swing, 3.8 Pitches/PA, 0.524 BABIP

Gibson had back-to-back 4-hit games

Phillip Evans - 27 PA, 0.444/0.444/0.630, 1 R, 5 2B, 6 RBI, 2 K, 1 SB, 1 CS, 9.5% SwStr, 17% Whiff/Swing, 3.5 Pitches/PA, 0.480 BABIP

Evans has been on a doubles tear recently, but he still hasn’t taken a walk in Double-A

Niuman Romero - 9 PA, 0.444/0.444/0.556, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 K, 7.7% SwStr, 15.8% Whiff/Swing, 4.3 Pitches/PA, 0.571 BABIP

Romero has stayed effective at the plate in limited time between Las Vegas and Binghamton the past few weeks

Victor Cruzado - 14 PA, 0.429/0.429/0.500, 4 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI, 1 K, 1 SB, 7.1% SwStr, 16% Whiff/Swing, 4 Pitches/PA, 0.462 BABIP

Cruzado got some burn in CF last week. He has just 11 appearances there as a pro

Stefan Sabol - 21 PA, 0.316/0.381/0.526, 4 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K, 2 CS, 12.9% SwStr, 31% Whiff/Swing, 3.3 Pitches/PA, 0.385 BABIP

Sabol had his best week of the year and crushed his second homer of the year in Erie

Matt Oberste - 22 PA, 0.333/0.364/0.476, 3 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 SB, 6.7% SwStr, 15.8% Whiff/Swing, 4 Pitches/PA, 0.375 BABIP

Oberste, 24 until August, has been having a big season so far for the B-Mets, but it could become an even bigger breakout if the untapped power starts coming out. He went oppo taco for his 4^th homer of the year in Erie just a few batters before Sabol went deep

St. Lucie Mets 27-29

2-4 week

Pitchers

Chris Flexen - 7 IP, 1 H, 1 TB, 3 K (3 K/Sw), 10 GB: 6 FB: 1 LD: 2 PU, 92 Pitches (61 Strikes), 9 Swinging, 17 Called, 9.8% SwStr, 20.5% Whiff/Swing, 13.1 Pitches/IP, 23 BF

Flexen tossed a one-hit complete game shutout and still didn’t earn the weekly award because P.J. Conlon is a boss, and because Conlon needed just a few extra pitches to go 3 innings deeper in his start. Flexen has now allowed just 2 hits over his last 13.1 IP. The only knock on his season to date is the shockingly low strikeout total

Kevin McGowan - 2 G, 1 GS, 6 IP, 1 H, 1 TB, 2 BB, 4 K (3 K/Sw), 9 GB: 3 FB: 1 LD: 1 PU, 83 Pitches (48 Strikes), 11 Swinging, 13 Called, 13.3% SwStr, 31.4% Whiff/Swing, 13.8 Pitches/IP, 20 BF

McGowan made his second spot start of the year Sunday, taking Josh Prevost’s spot after Prevost took a liner to the head in his last out – Prevost walked off on his own and is reportedly OK. Both of McGowan’s spot starts have been excellent, and he held the Manatees hitless during his 5 innings of work

Ricky Knapp - 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 2B, 1 HR, 10 TB, 3 BB, 1 K (0 K/Sw), 10 GB: 5 FB: 3 LD: 4 PU, 96 Pitches (58 Strikes), 4 Swinging, 13 Called, 4.2% SwStr, 8.9% Whiff/Swing, 16 Pitches/IP, 26 BF

Knapp relied on the great defense behind him to toss another gem for St. Lucie

Paul Paez - 4 IP, 2 H, 1 2B, 3 TB, 4 K (2 K/Sw), 3 GB: 3 FB: 3 LD, 48 Pitches (33 Strikes), 7 Swinging, 10 Called, 14.6% SwStr, 30.4% Whiff/Swing, 12 Pitches/IP, 14 BF

Paez hasn’t had too many opportunities yet in 2016, but this all came in one outing, and likely opens the door for the little lefty to get more looks

Batters

Patrick Biondi - 21 PA, 0.444/0.524/0.667, 1 R, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 RBI, 3 BB, 2 K, 2 SB, 7.2% SwStr, 16.7% Whiff/Swing, 3.3 Pitches/PA, 0.500 BABIP

Biondi is 25 and listed at 5’9”

Tomas Nido - 15 PA, 0.400/0.400/0.667, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 K, 7% SwStr, 10.5% Whiff/Swing, 3.8 Pitches/PA, 0.417 BABIP

FSL All-Star Tomas Nido has improved his K% a lot this year without sacrificing quality of contact. Still as aggressive as ever at the plate, but becoming a force behind it: he’s thrown out 44% of 63 would be basestealers thanks to a cannon installed where his arm should be

Jonathan Johnson - 13 PA, 0.333/0.462/0.556, 2 R, 2 2B, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 1 SF, 1 K, 1 SB, 3.6% SwStr, 15.4% Whiff/Swing, 4.3 Pitches/PA, 0.333 BABIP

Maybe Johnson should just change his last name to Walkson, because he just doesn’t stop taking them

Amed Rosario - 24 PA, 0.348/0.375/0.565, 3 R, 1 2B, 2 3B, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K, 2 GIDP, 2 SB, 7% SwStr, 15.8% Whiff/Swing, 3.6 Pitches/PA, 0.381 BABIP

Was named to the FSL All-Star Game, which should be his last game in the league for the foreseeable future

Kevin Taylor - 23 PA, 0.286/0.348/0.429, 7 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 1 K, 4.1% SwStr, 9.4% Whiff/Swing, 3.2 Pitches/PA, 0.263 BABIP

Taylor has been making contact at an unreal rate all season and I’m a little surprised he wasn’t promoted to the B-Mets last month

Columbia Fireflies 28-28

3-3 week

Pitchers

P.J. Conlon - 10 IP, 3 H, 1 R (0 ER), 1 2B, 4 TB, 1 BB, 5 K (5 K/Sw), 15 GB: 6 FB: 2 LD: 2 PU, 33 BF*

I want him shipped off to the FSL already, though I’ll miss watching him pitch, because he carries himself like the Cola Ace that he’s been Recap

Andrew Church - 7.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R (1 ER), 2 2B, 9 TB, 6 K (3 K/Sw), 8 GB: 6 FB: 6 LD: 4 PU, 84 Pitches (65 Strikes), 11 Swinging, 14 Called, 13.1% SwStr, 21.6% Whiff/Swing, 11 Pitches/IP, 30 BF

Scout I asked had him at 92-94 MPH throughout the game and he has pinpoint command of that heat.  Recap

Tyler Badamo - 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R (3 ER), 1 2B, 1 HR, 11 TB, 4 K (4 K/Sw), 10 GB: 5 FB: 6 LD: 4 PU, 93 Pitches (66 Strikes), 8 Swinging, 7 Called, 8.6% SwStr, 13.6% Whiff/Swing, 13.3 Pitches/IP, 28 BF

Badamo has 8 quality starts in 9 outings this year and has issued 0 walks to the last 54 batters to face him Recap

Kevin Canelon - 6.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R (2 ER), 1 HR, 11 TB, 1 BB, 3 K (3 K/Sw), 9 GB: 5 FB: 6 LD: 2 PU, 103 Pitches (72 Strikes), 12 Swinging, 14 Called, 11.7% SwStr, 20.7% Whiff/Swing, 16.3 Pitches/IP, 26 BF

The Rome announcers said Canelon was the top Columbia pitcher they had seen during the broadcast of Badamo’s start Wednesday Recap

Seth Davis - 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 2B, 2 TB, 2 BB, 7 K (6 K/Sw), 2 FB: 1 LD: 2 PU, 57 Pitches (34 Strikes), 15 Swinging, 5 Called, 26.3% SwStr, 51.7% Whiff/Swing, 15.5 Pitches/IP, 15 BF

Dat whiff/swing rate!

Craig Missigman - 3.1 IP, 1 H, 1 TB, 1 K (1 K/Sw), 6 GB: 2 FB: 2 LD, 40 Pitches (32 Strikes), 4 Swinging, 7 Called, 10% SwStr, 16% Whiff/Swing, 12 Pitches/IP, 11 BF

Missigman is not missing the zone much, man

Tyler Bashlor - 2 IP, 1 H, 1 TB, 1 K (1 K/Sw), 2 GB: 1 FB: 1 LD: 1 PU, 23 Pitches (16 Strikes), 1 Swinging, 2 Called, 4.3% SwStr, 7.1% Whiff/Swing, 11.5 Pitches/IP, 6 BF

Nice to see the high strike rate for Bashlor

Batters*

Dash Winningham - 23 PA, 0.333/0.391/0.571, 2 R, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 RBI, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 GIDP, 2 CS, 0.368 BABIP

Winningham was dropped to the 8-spot for a game last Monday and didn’t ever want to see that spot again. His triple in Rome came off the CF wall

Luis Ortega - 19 PA, 0.333/0.368/0.500, 2 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 HBP, 4 K, 2 CS, 0.385 BABIP

Ortega is a little old for the SAL but he’s showing some nice pop and has a little versatility – he’s played 3B/1B and made an emergency appearance at catcher. His homerun was a game-changer Monday in Rome

David Thompson - 23 PA, 0.238/0.304/0.524, 3 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 5 K, 1 GIDP, 1 SB, 0.267 BABIP

Thompson missed a game-winner for Conlon Saturday night by a few feet, as he pulled one just foul in the 9^th. Should be facing more advanced pitching soon

Honorable mention: Kevin Kaczmarski’s statline just missed the cut, but he had a pair of bases clearing extra base hits to push Cola ahead for 2 of their 3 wins in Rome last week.

*No official gameday pitch info available for Conlon’s start

  

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