Welcome to the 2014 version of the MMN Player of the Week feature, as we pick the most deserving and standout player from the Mets farm system and highlight their amazing week.
So far this season the Mets affiliates have had a great start with each team in first place in their respective leagues. Triple-A Las Vegas 51’s are at 8-3, both Double-A B-Mets and Class A Savannah Sand Gnats are 7-3 and Class A Advanced St. Lucie Mets, who started the season at 1-4, have gone on to win five straight games and now stand at 6-4 and tied for first in the Florida State League.
The reason for the great start to the season, has been the tremendous play by the Mets prospects. It was really difficult to pick one winner for our first 2014 MMN Player of the Week edition, especially with everyone playing so well. But after a long look at each candidate, we have chosen to reward St. Lucie center fielder Brandon Nimmo.
Nimmo, who was the Mets 1st round draft pick in the 2011 Amateur draft out of high school, not only played in the 2013 Futures game at Citi Field during All-Star weekend, but also holds the seventh spot on the Mets Top Prospect list. Nimmo has continued to show progress in every level that he has been sent to compete in. This season is no different, as he is off to a torrid start which has helped the Mets turn their early funk around into winning baseball.
In the last week, Nimmo batted .400 (10 for 25), with seven runs scored, a double, home run, four RBI’s, four walks and three multi-hit games. He also ended the week with a six-game hitting streak. Overall, in 10 games this season, he is batting .378 (14 for 37), 12 runs, 3 doubles, a home run, 5 RBI, 8 BB.
Congratulations to Brandon Nimmo as the first recipient of the 2014 MMN Player of the Week honors.
Honorable Mentions:
Savannah Sand Gnats – OF Stefan Sabol
It was very difficult not to pick Sabol as this weeks winner. He, like Nimmo, had a tremendous week at the plate and Sabol’s patient at-bats also helped the Sand Gnats to a great start to the season. The Mets 17th round pick of the 2012 draft, returned to Savannah for the 2014 season and has had the best start in his minor league career. In the last week, he batted, .400 (8 for 20), with three runs scored, three doubles, two home runs, eight RBI’s, two walks, and has three multi-hit games in that span. Overall in eight games the outfielder is batting .370 (10 for 27), 5 runs, 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 9 RBI, 6 BB, 2 SB.
B-Mets – 1B Matt Clark
Clark was signed by the Mets in the off season and the thought was that he would add insurance to the big club, just in case Ike Davis and Lucas Duda couldn’t get the job done and secure their spots on the big league roster. Well, we all know what is happening up in New York with the first base situation still a work in progress, so in the meantime, Clark has found himself playing in Double A with the B-Mets, and showing the organization that he too could be one to count on to help produce. In the past week, the first baseman batted .353 (6 for 17), with five runs scored, three home runs, five RBI’s and five walks. Overall in nine games he is batting .345 (10 for 29), 7 runs, 3 doubles, 3 home runs, 7 RBI’s, 8 BB.
Savannah Sand Gnats – OF Patrick Biondi
Biondi has also has a great start and has is another big reason why the Sand Gnats are having a good start to the season. The outfielder, in only his second year in the Mets organization, played in 2013 with the Brooklyn Cyclones and finished that season on a high note when he batted .321 in August. He has started 2014 where he left off and in the last week he batted, .350 (7 for 20), with eight runs scored, a double, triple, two RBI’s, two walks and three multi-hit games in that span. Overall in nine games he is batting .355 (11 for 31), 10 runs, double, triple, home run, 4 RBI’s, 2 SB.
St. Lucie Mets – SS/2B Dilson Herrera
Herrera, the Colombian native, was brought to the Mets in the trade with the Pirates that sent Marlon Byrd and John Buck to Pittsburgh and in return the Mets received the young infield top prospect and relief pitcher Vic Black. In 2013, upon his arrival, Herrera was sent to the Savannah Sand Gnats, and he solidified himself on the roster and helped the team win the SAL Championship. This season the Mets promoted him to St. Lucie and after a slow start he has done nothing but hit. In the last week hitting lead-off, Herrera batted, .321 (9 for 28), with seven runs, two doubles, a triple and two RBI’s. He has also hit safely in the Mets five game win streak by with four multi-hit games that included going 4 for 5 in Sunday afternoons game. Overall in 10 games he is batting .333 (14 for 42), 7 runs, 2 doubles, triple, 5 RBI’s, 2 BB.
(Photo: ESPN.com)
