Taking a closer look at how the Kingsport Mets finished the season with
a 29-37 record but just 3.5 games out of a playoff spot
What’s in this post:
-
Season Summary
-
Astro’s Awards
-
Coaches
-
Team Stats
-
Mets on the APPY Leaderboards
-
Promotions
-
Links to 2017 highlights (34)
What Happened
Kingsport
has long been a staple of the Mets farm system, offering New York a Rookie ball
squad in the Appalachian League for all but one season since 1980 (stadium
renovations in 1983 forced the Mets to the GCL for a season). And Kingsport has
been the first minor league stop for some of the best talent to come out of the
Mets system: from Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden in the early 1980’s to
Jose Reyes and David Wright in the early 2000’s. While it’s unreasonable to expect
any rookie ball player to reach the peaks those Mets legends reached, there
were plenty of interesting Mets prospects playing in Kingsport last year that
could be ready to put their name on the prospect map in 2018.
The
2017 Kingsport Mets started the season with a 3-game winning streak, but those
good feels quickly went away as they went on to lose 8 straight after that. The
long losing streaks became a recurring problem for Kingsport, as they would go
on to lose 8 of their final 11 games in July and then 8 of their final 10 games
in August. So, what happened?
As
you can see from Tables 1-3 below, offense was generally not the problem,
pitching and defense were. While it doesn’t compare to the PCL, the Appy league
is still one of the highest offensive environments in affiliated ball. The
league posted a .732 OPS in 2017, which ranks fourth highest among affiliated
summer minor leagues, so keep that in mind when assessing a player’s stats.
Kingsport had the lowest team strikeout tally in the Appy league last year,
which helped them rank in the top half of the league for almost all of the
offensive categories in Table 1 below. There were 11 players who finished with
at least 100 PA for Kingsport in 2017, and 8 of them finished with a wRC+ of at
least 97 (100 is league average).
Leading
the way offensively for Kingsport was someone who started the season as a backup
per his
Manager: Rigoberto Terrazas. As Baseball America’s Justin Perline said,
“3B Rigoberto Terrazas tore the cover off the ball as a switch-hitter with an
above average plan at the plate.” Perline added that while Terrazas “doesn’t
have flashy tools,” he thinks he has major league upside as a backup infielder
at multiple spots.
Terrazas’
breakout earned him a spot on the Appy postseason All-Star team, but he wasn’t
alone, another player with a great name also earned the honor: Wagner Lagrange.
Lagrange was more of a known quantity coming into the 2017 season, and while he
was a bit old for the Appy league at 21, he stood out offensively (127 wRC+) and
as a corner outfielder (finished the season with 11 outfield assists in 66
games between Kingsport and Brooklyn). His walk rate (7.4%) was a little below
average for the league, but his strikeout rate (8.9%) was 2nd best
among qualified batters.
Lagrange’s
strong season earned him a bump to Brooklyn for the last couple of weeks, where
he joined former K-Mets teammate Jeremy Vasquez. Vasquez had slugged 7 homers
and 8 doubles in 160 PA with Kingsport, which was good for a 139 wRC+ and a
quick promo to Brooklyn (where he replaced the injured Matt Winaker in
Brooklyn’s lineup).
Vasquez’s
7 bombs were a top-15 total in the Appy League last year, but they were not
enough to lead the team. Anthony Dirocie tied for the league lead with 11
homers on his way to a 101 wRC+. The 20-year old Dirocie struck out way too
much in 2017 (37.1%), but he’s full of potential. From the BA/Perline link
above: “CF Anthony Dirocie has a bunch of tools that could play as major league
average or above, but is lacking in his approach and overall hit tool.”
The
K-Mets got another 5 homerun’s from a talented young teenaged catcher named Juan
Uriarte. Uriarte has a good defensive reputation behind the plate and finished
2017 with a top-10 strikeout rate (13.7%) in the Appy and a slightly above
average ISO of .150 (Appy average was .130 ISO). From what I’ve seen of Mets
prospect lists so far this offseason, Uriarte is probably the most overlooked
prospect in the system.
After
playing in just 22 games the previous two seasons, 23-year old Dionis Paulino was
Kingsport’s majority right fielder and finished with a 111 wRC+.
Two
K-Mets batters just missed the 100 wRC+ cutoff: middle infielder Hansel Moreno
(99 wRC) and 16th round pick (2017) Raphael Gladu (97 wRC+). Moreno
is another athletic type who could easily shoot up the Mets top-prospects list
in 2018, with Justin Perline describing him as, “a 55 runner with a 55 arm who
could grow into more power as he fills out his 6-foot-4 frame.”
Wrapping
up with the regulars, another 2017 draftee – 26th round pick Gavin
Garay – needed about a month to adjust to pro ball before getting comfortable
at the plate (.803 OPS in 72 PA during the month of August), so he finished
with an 81 wRC+. Infielder Angel Manzanarez – who is listed at 5’10, 160 pounds
– surprised everyone by hitting a walkoff homerun on 7/15,
but he still finished with just a 68 wRC+. It’s his only homerun in a minor
league career that spans 154 games and 630 PA, and it snapped a 473 PA
homerless streak. The little apple also hit his first two triples as a pro in
2017, and he posted an 11.5 K%: 9.2 BB%. Bringing up the rear is Grabiel
Jimenez, who finished with a 53 wRC+ for Kingsport in 2017, which led to his
release in the offseason.
Of
the players who had less than 100 PA with Kingsport, Mark Vientos is the
headliner and Edgardo Fermin is a name to keep an eye out for. Vientos, the
Mets 2nd round pick from last year, finished his season with 4 games
in the Appy and stroked 2 doubles while playing as a 17-year old.
The
K-Mets offense put a lot of crooked numbers on the scoreboard in 2017, scoring
at least 10 runs in 10 of their 66 games. Unfortunately, they lost 2 of those
games and opponents scored at least 10 runs against Kingsport 6 times last
year. To be blunt, the K-Mets just didn’t have the same level of pitching
talent as they had offensive talent. Kingsport saw 11 different pitchers make
at least one start in 2017, four of which also saw plenty of time in the
bullpen.
As
far as pitching talent is concerned, the conversation has to start with righty
Christian James, who made 11 starts for Kingsport. Perline described his
repertoire as, “a sinking fastball from 90-93 mph that he pairs with a nice
slider and a developing changeup.” James started the season on a tear, posting
a 0.74 ERA through 5 starts (24.1 IP), with 24 K: 7 BB and just 13 H allowed.
He then hit a 3-start rough patch (16 ER over 12 IP), but bounced back with one
of his best starts of the year on 8/12
(9 K: 1 BB over 6.1 scoreless), and then finished the season with his third 9-K
performance of the year.
Carlos
Hernandez’s season had its ups and downs, but he proved to be Kingsport’s
second most reliable starter. He was generally able to give the team some
length, averaging nearly 5.5 IP/appearance (11 starts, 1 long relief), but was
occasionally bit by the big-inning bug. Ezequiel Zabaleta was the only other
K-Mets starter with at least 10 starts and he led the team with 12.
Unfortunately for Kingsport, while he did give them 62 IP, he had a 6.68 ERA.
Three
pitchers were used exclusively as starters while with Kingsport, but spent at
least half of their season on another team. Briam Campusano’s tour of the
system included a 2-start stop in Kingsport, which included a 9 K: 1 BB outing
on 8/25.
Lefty Aneury Olivo spent the first half of the short-league season bouncing
between St. Lucie and the GCL, and the second half in Kingsport’s rotation.
Righty Jose Geraldo was effective without great stuff over the first half of
Kingsport’s season, and then finished the season with a successful stint in the
Brooklyn Cyclones rotation. Of the three, Campusano is the only one to keep an
eye out for in the Mets system next year, as the other two were released in
October.
Of
the remaining five starters, Joe Cavallaro had (by far) the most success.
Cavallaro was the Mets 24th round pick last year, so he started the
season on a tight innings limit. The Mets decided to stretch him out, however, and
so five of his last six appearances were starts, and his workload increased by
1 IP for his final four appearances (22 IP, 1.23 ERA, 18 K: 7 BB, 11 H).
While
Cavallaro pitched his way into the rotation last year, Garrison Bryant pitched
his way out of it. Bryant was always going to be more of a long-term project and will just be 19
this upcoming season, so I wouldn’t dwell too long on his Rookie ball stats.
The
final 6 starts were effectively all spot starts split between Ronald Sanchez,
Edwin German, and Luis De Los Santos.
In
addition to the part-time relievers mentioned, there were another 9 pitchers
who made at least 8 relief appearances for Kingsport last year. Steve Villines
and Aaron Ford led the way with ERA’s just north of 1.00, but both were
promoted and finished their seasons at a higher level. 31st round
pick (2017) Ryan Selmer finished the season with a 2.14 ERA in 21 IP, but he’ll
have to improve upon his 8 K: 11 BB ratio moving forward.
2017
draftees Joshua Payne (22nd round) and Billy Oxford (27th
round) were given regular rest between their appearances, and both finished
with sub-4 ERA’s and strong strikeout rates: Payne finished at 39.7 K%: 6.4 BB%
with just a .443 OPS allowed, Oxford finished at 29 K%. Another 2017 draftee –
Mac Lozer (33rd round) – led the team with 3 saves and 9 games
finished across his 16 appearances.
The
final three relievers all got their pro start in the DSL and were walk machines
out of the K-Mets pen. After a few spot appearances as a reliever in 2015 and
TJS in 2016, Pedro Perez spent his first season as a pitcher, but it did not go
well (12.94 ERA over 12 appearances, 19 walks in 16 IP). Marbin Montijo struck
out 37 over 28 IP, but he also walked 19 and posted a 5.46 ERA. Yeudy Colon
kept his ERA under 4, but he walked 23 batters in just 27.2 IP. These three
pitchers combined for just 12% of the K-Mets innings pitched in 2017, yet if
you remove their contributions, the teams walk rate drops by 0.5 BB/9-inn
(alternatively, from 10.1% to 9%).
In
review, most of the interesting Kingsport prospects were position players, and
the K-Mets were one of the better offenses in the league by most measures. In
that respect, 2017 was a success for this Mets Rookie ball affiliate. However, an
older K-Mets pitching staff was neither deep nor consistent, and they let a lot
of potential wins slip away en route to a 29-37 record.
Unlike
other teams within the system, Kingsport was not really bit by the injury bug
in 2017, but there was one player missing who could’ve made a major impact:
Cameron Planck. Drafted in the 11th round, Planck is one of the best
HS arms to come out of Kentucky and the Mets gave him a cool million to forego
a commitment to Louisville. Shoulder
surgery kept him out of the 2017 season, but he should be a name to follow
when he’s finally healthy again.
Missing
out on some Planck development was a big disappointment for Kingsport, but the
K-Mets still featured several prospects who could be in for a big bump in their
system ranking during 2018: Christian James, Juan Uriarte, Rigoberto Terrazas,
Wagner Lagrange, Hansel Moreno, and Anthony Dirocie.
Astro’s Awards
co-MVPs: Rigoberto Terrazas and Juan Uriarte (I just
couldn’t pick one)
Cy: Christian James
Fireman: Aaron Ford
(Might’ve been Cy or Fireman had he spent the whole season
in just one role, aka)
Honorable Mention: Joe Cavallaro
Honorable Mention: Joe Cavallaro
Coaches
Manager: Luis Rivera
Pitching coach: Josue Matos
Hitting coach: Ender Chavez
Team Stats/Rankings
W-L
Overall: 29-37 (.439)
Home: 16-18
(.471)*
Road: 13-19 (.406)
*Attendance: 29,742
(901 average)
June: 3-5 (.375)
July: 12-18 (.400)
August: 14-14 (.500)
East
Bluefield: 1-5 (.167)
Pulaski: 3-3 (.500)
Danville: 3-3 (.500)
Princeton: 3-2 (.600)
Burlington: 4-2 (.667)
Total: 14-15 (.483)
West
Elizabethton: 1-8 (.111)
Greeneville: 5-5 (.500)
Johnson City: 3-6 (.333)
Bristol: 6-3 (.667)
Total: 15-22 (.405)
One-run Games: 11-11
Shutouts: 6-1 (.857)
vs. AL: 17-25
(.405)
vs. NL: 12-12
(.500)
Offense
Table 1 – 10-team league,
stats below per BB-Ref
STAT
|
Mets
|
Rank
|
Average Batter Age
|
20.8
|
8
|
Runs/Game
|
5.53
|
4
|
Hits
|
626
|
3
|
Doubles
|
122
|
t-5
|
Triples
|
17
|
t-4
|
Homeruns
|
47
|
6
|
RBI
|
324
|
4
|
Stolen Bases
|
35
|
10
|
Caught Stealing
|
19
|
1
|
Strikeouts
|
515
|
1
|
Walks
|
223
|
7
|
Average
|
.275
|
3
|
On-base %
|
.343
|
4
|
Slugging %
|
.405
|
3
|
GIDP
|
44
|
t-5
|
Sac bunts
|
13
|
t-6
|
Sac flies
|
19
|
t-8
|
Pitching
Table 2 – 10-team
league, stats below per BB-Ref
STAT
|
Mets
|
Rank
|
Average Pitcher Age
|
21.2
|
t-10
|
Runs/Game
|
5.65
|
8
|
ERA
|
4.94
|
8
|
IP
|
574.1
|
8
|
Batters Faced
|
2,594
|
4
|
Hits
|
606
|
t-6
|
Homeruns
|
47
|
t-6
|
Strikeouts
|
543
|
7
|
Walks
|
263
|
9
|
HBP
|
41
|
4
|
Wild Pitches
|
83
|
10
|
Shutouts
|
6
|
2
|
Defense
Table 3 – 10-team
league, stats below per BB-Ref
STAT
|
Mets
|
Rank
|
Errors
|
93
|
t-7
|
Fielding %
|
.962
|
7
|
Passed balls
|
18
|
t-7
|
Stolen bases allowed
|
52
|
6
|
Runners caught
stealing
|
22
|
7
|
CS%
|
30%
|
6
|
Mets on the APPY Leaderboards
Offense
Top-10 among qualified
hitters, per Fangraphs
Runs
Rigoberto Terrazas, 45, 3rd
Hits
Rigoberto Terrazas, 73, 4th
Doubles
Anthony Dirocie, 19, 4th
Rigoberto Terrazas, 16, t-7th
Homeruns
Anthony Dirocie, 11, t-1st
RBI
Anthony Dirocie, 48, 3rd
Wagner Lagrange, 40, t-8th
Stolen Bases
Dionis Paulino, 10, t-9th
BB%
Dionis Paulino, 11.1%, 10th
K%
Wagner Lagrange, 8.9%, 2nd
Angel Manzanarez, 11.5%, 6th
Rigoberto Terrazas, 12.9%, 8th
Juan Uriarte, 13.7%, 9th
BB/K
Wagner Lagrange, 0.83, 5th
Rigoberto Terrazas, 0.81, 6th
Angel Manzanarez, 0.80, t-7th
Average
Rigoberto Terrazas, .348, 2nd
Wagner Lagrange, .335, 4th
Juan Uriarte, .305, 10th
OBP
Rigoberto Terrazas, .413, 4th
Wagner Lagrange, .379, t-9th
SLG
Anthony Dirocie, .489, 8th
Rigoberto Terrazas, .486, 9th
ISO
Anthony Dirocie, .245, 2nd
wRC+
Rigoberto Terrazas, 141, t-5th
Wagner Lagrange, 127, 10th
Juan Uriarte, 124, 11th
Line Drive%
Rigoberto Terrazas, 27.5%, 3rd
Swinging Strike%
Angel Manzanarez, 4.2%, 1st
Wagner Lagrange, 5%, 4th
Rigoberto Terrazas, 8.4%, 10th
Pitching
Top-10 per Fangraphs,
minimum 30 IP
IP
Carlos Hernandez, 64.1, 2nd
Ezequiel Zabaleta, 62, 6th
ERA
Joe Cavallaro, 2.34, 7th
FIP
Joe Cavallaro, 3.29, 7th
Strikeouts
Carlos Hernandez, 59, 4th
Christian James, 58, 5th
K%
Christian James, 25.7%, t-9th
Average
Joe Cavallaro, .183, 3rd
WHIP
Joe Cavallaro, 0.95, 2nd
Swinging Strike%
Ronald Sanchez, 14.2%, 8th
Joe Cavallaro, 14.1%, t-9th
Promotions
(Initial promo date)
-
Edgardo Fermin (7/14)
-
Luis De Los Santos (7/18)
-
Stephen Villines (7/29)
-
Jose Geraldo (8/5)
-
Jeremy Vasquez (8/5)
-
Ryan McAuliffe (8/16)
-
Aaron Ford (8/22)*
-
Wagner Lagrange (8/26)
-
Oliver Pascual (8/30)*
*Promoted straight to the Columbia Fireflies, the rest went to Brooklyn
Injuries
-
Cameron Planck (Missed entire season)
Free Agents/Released
-
Aneury Olivo (Released
10/12)
-
Yeffry De Aza (Released 10/12)
-
Grabiel Jimenez (Released 10/12)
-
Edwin German (Released
10/12)
-
Danny Hoy (Released
10/13)
-
Pedro Perez (Elected
Free Agency 11/6)
-
Ronald Guedez (Released 1/18)
GIFs
(34 total)
• 6/25
-
WJHL
• 7/4
-
WJHL
• 7/5
-
WJHL
-
WCYB
• 7/6
-
WJHL
• 7/9
-
WJHL
• 7/10
-
WJHL
• 7/15
-
WJHL
• 7/17
-
WJHL
• 7/18
-
WVVA
• 7/19
-
WVVA
• 7/21
-
WVVA
• 7/24
-
WJHL
• 7/26
-
WJHL
• 7/28
-
WJHL
• 8/3
-
WJHL
The first damage reports are in from the Arecibo Observatory after Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico. https://t.co/TPRfYrOLAC pic.twitter.com/aIy3T2oVFJ— Astronomy Now (@AstronomyNow) September 22, 2017
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