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!
Great interview Michael. Thanks!!
Two quick questions. First, how does his defense look? Does he have the tools to stick at catcher or is he likely headed for a corner IF or OF position?
Second, I would have thought that a 21 year old out of college would have started at Brooklyn. Was that a little overly conservative for him?
So cool! I love seeing you land these types of interviews!
Patrick played here in Kingsport and was immediately noticed for what he brought to the game on both offense and defense. I was one of many that could not believe he stayed here his entire season and not moved up. What this article leaves out is that he did not play in his last 6 regular season games as he was nursing a sore shoulder and trying to get it ready for the playoffs. He played in 62 of 68 games. He was either the catcher, 1st baseman. or the DH. The article also leaves out, with much respect to Kacz, is that Patrick finished with a .354 to Kacz’s .355 Avg. Kacz has 47 R’s to Patrick’s 44, and Patrick also had many balls that hit the fence out in deep right but still managed 5 HR’s. (3rd on team) Dash Winningham was first with 12, Darrell Knight second with 7. Patrick also had 48 RBI’s, second on team behind Dash Winningham(51) and Kacz was a very respectable 3rd(34). Kacz also led the team in stolen bases with 20. The Cardinals intentionally walked him 2 times in one game while in extra innings. He was also one of the leagues players who had the most HBP numbers. He and his father, Joe, became fan favorites here rather quickly. This young man is someone to watch and one of the best picks the Mets have made in a long time.
http://www.kmets.com to see more.
Thanks for all the detail. Great stuff and much appreciated.
is there a murphy in the mix?
I hope he sticks at Catcher, we’re starting to get thin back there with the graduations of d’Arnaud last year, and Plawecki this year.
Definitely thin at the top but some serious talent in the lower levels with Sanchez and Mazeika. Plaia is a solid catcher too and the wild card in Brosher.
That’s a great point. Just because the higher levels appear thin, it’s not enough to discount all the young guys. Brosher’s terrible 2015 makes him even more of a wild card, but I hope that bat still develops. Sanchez seems to be the new “it” prospect behind the plate. I forgot about Plaia, but yeah, Mazeika only adds to the talent on the lower levels.