Mets Minors MiLB.tv Series Preview: Savannah Sand Gnats @ Charleston River Dogs

'Subway Series South' taking place at the same time as 2015's first Subway Series

Dates: April 23-26

Current Record: 5-7, 2.5 GB of Charleston

Probables

All times are EST

Thursday

TV coverage starts at 6:05 PM

Brad Wieck (0-2, 3.00 ERA, 4.91 FIP, 15.4 K%, 20.5 BB%, 0 HR/9)

@ Andre Del Bosque (0-0, 2.84 ERA, 3.58 ERA, 23.1 K%: 15.4 BB%, 0 HR/9)

Friday at 7:05 PM

Casey Meisner (1-0, 2.45 ERA, 3.94 FIP, 25.5 K%: 10.6 BB%, 0.82 HR/9)

@ Jordan Foley (0-1, 4.50 ERA, 2.22 FIP, 23.3 K%: 5 BB%, 0 HR/9)

Saturday at 6:05 PM

Josh Prevost (0-1, 7.15 ERA, 2.70 FIP, 21.6 K%: 5.9 BB%, 0 HR/9)

@ Joey Maher (0-0, 1.86 ERA, 3.27 FIP, 16.2 K%: 5.4 BB%, 0 HR/9)

Sunday at 5:05 PM

Martires Arias (1-0, 3.60 ERA, 3.88 FIP, 20 K%: 13.3 BB%, 0 HR/9)

@ Justin Kamplain (1-1, 3.60 ERA, 5.11 FIP, 19.7 K%: 9.8 BB%, 1.2 HR/9)

Last series for the Sand Gnats

Won 2/3 at home against the Rome Braves: W 6-5, L 2-1, W 9-5

Top prospects for the New York Yankees with Charleston

Organizational rankings are from the 2015 Baseball America Prospect Handbook

Jorge Mateo, 19, RH SS

Ranked #3, BA Grade: 60, Extreme risk

            An 80-speed shortstop who has drawn comparisons to Jose Reyes, Mateo is one of the best prospects in the SAL. He was slowed some by an injury in 2014, but still posted a solid line in the GCL. He's a bit over aggressive offensively, but he's got some pop in his bat and will take advantage of his tremendous speed whenever he can. I think the Yankees surprised some people by sending him to the SAL to start 2015, but he has not disappointed early.

Abiatal Avelino, 20, RH SS

Ranked #15, BA Grade: 55, Extreme risk

            This speedy defensive whiz “stands at or near the top of the developmental chain” among the Yankees young SS prospects according to BA. Scouts like his range and arm at SS, but there are concerns about his reactions on the field. Offensively, he hasn’t hit much yet, but he’s combined an average BB-rate with his great contact rate to suggest there is some promise in his bat. His biggest asset offensively has been on the base paths, where he’s 59 for 70 in stolen base attempts during his 169 games. Stolen bases get tougher as you move up the minor league ladder, so I don’t put much stock into them until AA and higher. He missed time in 2014 due to a quad injury, so he’s repeating in Charleston, although he’s still 1.5 years younger than league average per baseball-reference.

Storylines

            They’ll finish the game from 4/19 before starting game 1 of the series Thursday.

            It may just be their A-ball teams, but anytime the ‘Yankees’ and ‘Mets’ face off, there will be added interest to NY baseball fans. At this level, it’s more about which team has the better prospects than who comes out on top in the game, but the rivalry is something that’s brought up as soon as players reach the NYPL. 

            Luis Guillorme is off to a strong start offensively, hitting .325/.449/.350 through his first dozen games, with 7 K: 9 BB. I don’t think he’ll maintain a 17.5% walk rate all season, but he’ll probably offset that with more doubles and hopefully a few triples. Considering his elite defensive ratings, I feel like Guillorme is being underrated in the Mets farm system. He’s never going to be a power hitter, but he’s maintained a nearly .280 average so far in the minors thanks to a good eye at the plate (minor league career 10.2 K%: 8.7 BB%) and a quick, compact stroke that lets him get his bat to the ball. O, and he’s just 20, so he’s still growing physically and learning as a hitter. And the kid is a baseball nut, taking extra fielding practice after batting practice, and even working on the unusual plays you’ll see in the highlight reels in case he needs to pull something unusual during the game.

            Wuilmer Becerra only has 9 hits so far with Savannah, but five have gone for extra bases (2 2B, 3B, 2 HR). He’s had a rough week coming into this series, going 2-16 with 6 SO, but it’s a big jump from the Appalachian League to the SAL, so an adjustment period is expected. We’ll see what kind of angles Charleston has, but I just want to get some GIFs of his swing up, and I’ll post GIFs of his outs this time if I have to.

            Finally, Casey Meisner will pitch this weekend, and he is easily the most interesting arm in the rotation, as he’s still just 19 and has middle of the rotation upside. Meisner had a very good 2^nd start for Savannah this past Saturday, striking out 8 over 6 IP, with only one run allowed on 4 hits and 2 walks. Announcer Toby Hyde said he was hitting his spots much better after the 1^st, which is when Charleston did much of their damage against him. Facing the same lineup for a second straight start is always an interesting test for both sides, but it’s generally the hitters who benefit from the added exposure to a pitcher. Charleston generally uses a CF camera, so I should get some good GIFS from this start.

League Leaders

Offense

R: John Mora, t-2^nd (10)

3B: Jean Rodriguez, t-3^rd (2)

HR: Wuilmer Becerra, t-8^th (2); Stefan Sabol, t-8^th (2)

RBI: Jon Leroux, t-5^th (9)

BB: Luis Guillorme, t-2^nd (9); Mora, t-7^th (7)

OBP: Guillorme, 5^th (.449); Sabol, 7^th (.444); Mora, 8^th (.434)

SLG: Sabol, 8^th (.600)

Pitching

ERA: Casey Meisner, t-11^th (2.45)

IP: Corey Oswalt, 4^th (16.1)

SO: Oswalt, t-4^th (16)

In one week, NASA's @MESSENGER2011 probe will blast a new, 50-foot-wide crater on Mercury. pic.twitter.com/SpS3jElSaE
— Corey S. Powell (@coreyspowell) April 23, 2015