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Featured Post: MMN Exclusive With Mets 2015 Draft Pick Patrick Mazeika

By Michael Mayer

November 25, 2015 8 Comments

Photo by Allan Greene

Photo by Allen Greene

The Mets selected Patrick Mazeika this year in the 8th round out of Stetson University and assigned him to the Kingsport Mets in the Appalachian League. Mazeika had a fantastic pro debut hitting .354/.451/.540 with a league leading 27 doubles, five homeruns, 48 RBI and walked 24 times compared to just 26 strikeouts.

Patrick’s on-base percantage led the league, his average was second to teammate Kevin Kaczmarski (2015 9th rounder who hit .355) and second in RBI behind teammate Dash Winningham (51). His 80 hits were second, .991 OPS was third and sixth with his 44 runs.

The left-handed hitting catcher shared the Mets Sterling Award for best player for Kingsport with Kaczmarski. He was also named an All-Star by the Appalachian League and was Player of the Month in August. He also has experience at first base where in played 11 games for the Mets as well as playing there for Stetson.

Mike- First off want to thank you for taking your time to talk to me and congrats on a fantastic pro debut!

Patrick- No problem, thank you.

Mike– How dd you find out that the Mets were going to draft you and what did that feel like?

Patrick– I found out when my agent called me to let me know they were going to pick me. It was a great feeling because I really liked the organization. I was excited for the opportunity.

Mike– Before the draft did you know that the Mets were interested?

Patrick– I knew they were one of the teams that could draft me. I had met with some people in the organization and I attended a pre-draft workout in Port St. Lucie.

Mike– During the season did you and Kevin Kaczmarski know that you guys were battling for the batting title?

Patrick– We weren’t aware until the last game of the season. All season we worked together every day in the cage and we weren’t even worried about the stats. We just wanted to win games.

Mike– What was it like to make it to the playoffs in your first professional season although it didn’t end as you would have all liked?

Patrick– It didn’t end how we wanted but we put together a really great season and won our side of the division. I believe we had one of the best records in Kingsport so it was a great overall year.

Mike– Then you and Kevin shared the Mets Sterling Award for Kingsport, that must have been pretty awesome!. Did you get to talk to any of the big leaguers when you went to receive the award?

Patrick– Kevin is a really great player so sharing the award was only fair after both of our seasons. It was just a great year pushing each other to be better every day. I talked to some of the big leaguers while I was in New York and they are all really down to earth.

Mike– Have you talked to Jacob deGrom with you both being from Stetson?

Patrick– I talked to Jacob when I was in New York and shared some of our experiences from Stetson.

Mike– Obviously you had a great season at the plate this year but what is your approach when you are in the batters box?

Patrick– I try to get a good pitch that I can drive early in the count and battle with two strikes to make something happen.

Mike– What are you doing this offseason to get ready for the 2016 season?

Patrick– Currently I’m just lifting and doing some defensive work. I won’t be throwing or hitting for a few months. It’s always good to take some time off and rest from swinging and throwing.

Mike– What do you think you need to improve on next year to take the next step toward the majors?

Patrick– I just need to continue to consistently have good at bats. Also I need to keep getting better defensively. I’ve gotten better as a catcher already since joining the Mets.

Mike– Who in the Mets organization have you worked on your defense with?

Patrick– Bob Natal, he is the catching coordinator in the organization.

Mike– Did you follow the success the Mets had the big league level this year?

Patrick– i followed the Mets a lot more once our season was over in Kingsport. It was a lot of fun to watch.

Mike– Who was your favorite MLB team/player growing up?

Patrick– Growing up I liked the Red Sox because they were always on TV where I lived. My favorite player was probably Vladimir Guerrero because I played catch with him in Montreal when I was young. He was fun to watch.

Mike– Thank you for your time Patrick, good luck next year and hope to see you in Flushing in the future!

Patrick– No problem and thank you!

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