(TCPalm.com/Helene Haessler)
For the first time this season, all teams in the Mets organization won, including the Mets. Vegas started early, Binghamton followed, then St. Lucie, and lastly Columbia eased their way into a lopsided victory
Vegas 7 (8-10), Albuquerque 2 Box Score
Vegas won again in a seven-run performance against the Albuquerque Isotopes behind a strong performance by Gabriel Ynoa, and home runs from Gavin Cecchini and T.J. Rivera.
Rivera led the offense with a 3 for 4 day, with a home run, double and a stolen base. He currently places eighth in the Pacific Coast League with a .367 batting average. Cecchini went 2 for 3 with a home run and a walk, to raise his batting average to .207. He currently has more walks (11) than strikeouts (10).
Dilson Herrera had his fifth double in seven games in a 1 for 5 performance, and is currently slashing .258/.279/.364, however, he did strike out three times. Brandon Nimmo had an abysmal day, with an 0 for 4, with four strikeouts, dropping his batting average to .206. Ty Kelly went 3 for 3 with a walk and drove in two. Kelly is slashing .478/.568/.588 with eight RBI in 34 at bats.
Gabriel Ynoa continues to pitch well, and went 6.2 innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on five hits, while walking two and striking out three. He currently leads the Pacific Coast League with a 1.48 ERA, and has given up only 15 hits in 24.1 innings pitched, but has only struck out 13. Josh Smoker pitched in and out of trouble in his inning of work, with a double and walk given up, however he struck out two.
Binghamton 3 (8-9), Portland 2 Box Score
Binghamton will be covered in another post by John Bernhardt this morning. Here is the link to the story over at MMO.
St Lucie 10 (12-7), Charlotte 5 Box Score
Amed Rosario led an offensive onslaught with 4 RBI from the 3-spot as St. Lucie scored 10 runs on 14 hits. Josh Prevost had a solid outing for St. Lucie.
Rosario went 3 for 5 with a home run, triple, drove in four while finishing a double short of the cycle. He is currently slashing .321/.345/.590 and is tied for the league lead in hits with 25, while leading outright in slugging with .590. He also leads the Florida State League with five triples and 46 total bases (8 more than the player in 2nd).
This was his second homer in three games as he hit a three-run shot to center field on Saturday. The third homer of the year matches a career high in his pro debut season in 2012 with Kingsport. However, he also was also caught stealing and had his fourth error of the year in the eighth inning.
Tomas Nido had a great day with a 2 for 5 with two doubles and an RBI, and is hitting .327/.356/.418. Wuilmer Becerra continues his hot hitting, with a double and two hits in five chances while driving in one and striking out one as well. Champ Stuart was 2 for 6 with a run, two RBI, and two strikeouts, while stealing his eighth base of the year. Luis Guillorme and John Mora also collected multi-hit games.
Josh Prevost went six innings in his start while giving up four runs on nine hits and a walk, while striking out four. Prevost has been very hittable this year with 31 hits in 21.1 innings. Alberto Baldonado shut down the Stone Crabs with one hit and two walks in two innings, sporting a .84 ERA.
Columbia 13 (11-8), Lexington 2 Box Score
Columbia will be covered by Al Rabon, and in a separate recap.
The obvious question: When do you think they´ll move Rosario to Bingy?
The non-obvious question: How does Becerra look? Is he showing growth in the weaker areas of his hitting game? Do you think he´ll se Bingy before the end of the season?
Thanks!
Rosario – should be moved up, along with Sienna to take his place as to when…honestly don’t know what they are waiting for
Becerra – The shoulder (strain?) slowed his start but has looked good, making solid contact and using all fields. He isn’t driving the ball consistently yet, though his 43 PA isn’t much of a sample size, he only has 3 doubles and is slugging .378. Really doubtful he sees anything more than a very late season call up to Binghamton
My guess is they’re waiting for the weather to get better in Bing. It was pretty brutal there especially at the start of the season. Can’t understand any other reason why he didn’t start the season there
He´s very young compared to his league, so that may have played a (small) factor too. But the weather is the main thing.
Showing some pop and some patience and wanting him to carry that success north.
St Lucie was an aggressive assignment last season, and just trying to protect him from those struggles that can get into a players head and make them think they need to change something that they haven’t yet mastered.
Let’s let the kid get some success. He is still on the young side for this league. If he continues, then consider it after the all-star break. That way if he needs time to adjust, he will have some success to fall back on. You don’t want to push to hard if you don’t have to. Conforto was a different story as a college player and more mature.
Who would have thought that Rosario would be leading the league in slugging?
https://twitter.com/stluciemets/status/724337284938629120
If Rosario continues this, he will be in Binghamton shortly. He is on pace to be in play for a MLB roster spot in 2 years. Coincidentally the same time Cabrerra’s contract expires. This franchise is loaded at the SS position down on the farm, and teams always value SS’s, trade bait and depth for years to come.
I expected a big jump in his development this year, but I did not see the power coming this quickly or to this degree. Great to see.
ex: D. Smith. That clamoring for power has changed his swing a bit. Not going opo as much as last year, and trying to yank balls over the right field wall to often.
they won’t push him to fast. He will get the call up after the break, then open 2017 at AA with a push for AAA at some point. He will be in play for a MLB roster spot come 2018 if his development continues. AA will be the big test. Guys at that level throw a lot more breaking pitches and locate well, and a ton more adjustments are made. If he can succeed there, then the sky is the limit
With TJ getting some reps at 1st, it’s only a matter of time before he replaces Soup on the MLB toster
10 balls to LF, 12 to RF so far, so not as disparaging as believed. I agree that he isn’t looking to spray the ball like he was last year. Him recognizing which and turning on pitches is the next step in his development.
I also wouldn´t discount the possibility of the Mets trading deAza and giving Rivera a shot at PH/UT guy. They´ll probably want to get him some more reps in the corner OF first though. He just hits whereever he goes. If that skill can translate to PH duties at the ML level it´d be great. With the extra bonus that he´s a NY kid.
Problem with that is De Aza is the only LH on the bench
I think him playing some in LF is key too, another position Soup “can” play.
I just don’t see the Mets trading De Aza with him being the only lefty bat off the bench and without a viable replacement.
Definitely see some of these guys getting traded, a few moved to 3B. With the development of Rosario and consistency of Cabrera I think Cecchini is the first guy traded.
Ya I never expected that at all, thought he would start strong but I don’t think anyone saw this type of power this early.
If you go back and look at the MetsMinor pre-season poll that the writers posted, Cecchini was my first pick to be traded as well.
As for the SS’s moving to 3rd, none project as high power guys suitable for the 3rd base position as of now, with maybe the exception of Guerrero. So he may be the 1 guy that moves to 3rd, plus at only 16 he is already 5’11 175 lbs, so as he develops muscle, and gets taller, he may be 3rd base bound one way or another.