At what point does T.J. Rivera finally get his shot?
In his minor league career, Rivera has hit everywhere he’s gone. In his minor league career, he’s hit .320/.367/.423. For the past three years, he’s played Winter Ball hitting .307/.361/.445. Bottom line is Rivera has hit everywhere he has played in his entire minor league career. He had gotten better each and every year. For example, he’s hitting .318/.348/.505 in Triple-A right now.
Even with Rivera hitting so well and improving, it seems like the undrafted 27 year old may never get his shot.
He didn’t last year. The Mets were more comfortable with a struggling Dilson Herrera. They were more comfortable with Danny Muno. They didn’t protect him in the Rule 5 draft despite his offensive production. The Mets were able to keep him because no one thought he was worthy of a Rule 5 pick. Seeing what the Braves put on the field, it makes you question what are we missing with Rivera?
Admittedly, there is a tendency to scout a player’s minor league statistics. The belief is that if a player can hit in the minors, they can hit in the majors. The inverse of that is deemed to be true as well. However, there are many more factors at play like level of competition, approach at the plate, level of experience and age compared to the competition, etc. When taking a totality of the circumstances, a player who hits well in the minors but isn’t deemed good enough to hit in the majors is tagged as a AAAA player.
Is that the case with Rivera? Is he really just a AAAA player? That would be the most logical explanation as to why he still hasn’t gotten his shot.
To answer that, we need to look at what he is. Rivera is a utility player that can play second, third and short. In reality, given his range and arm strength, he’s best suited to second base. He has also played some first base this year and made his pro debut in left field. Overall, no matter where you play him, he’s not that great defensively. Despite his relative versatility, it’s Rivera’s bat that would carry him to the majors.
As discussed above, Rivera has hit everywhere. There’s good reason for that. He’s a disciplined hitter. He has a good compact swing, and he’s a gap to gap line drive hitter. He doesn’t generate much power, but he’s capable of the occasional double. In short, Rivera shows the skills to be able to get on base no matter what the level.
What we don’t know if that ability will ever translate. At the major league level, the Mets have Wilmer Flores (recently placed on DL) and Eric Campbell. Campbell, in particular, is what Rivera aspires to be. Campbell can play a multitude of positions. He doesn’t generate much power, but he has shown the ability to get on base. So long as Campbell gets on base, the Mets aren’t sending him down.
In the event Campbell ever gets sent down, it’s highly unlikely Rivera ever gets the call. He’s buried at the upper levels of the Mets minor league system behind guys like Herrera, Matt Reynolds, and Gavin Cecchini. Worse yet, Rivera isn’t on the 40 man roster thereby further decreasing his chances of ever getting a shot.
Unfortunately, it appears Rivera may never get his shot with the Mets. He may never get an opportunity to show he has the tools to hit and get on base in the major leagues. It’s a testament to a deep Mets farm system. It’s an indictment of the rest of baseball, who apply AAAA tags to players without ever giving them the chance that they’ve earned.
T.J. Rivera has earned a shot to play in the major leagues. Hopefully, he will get that shot someday. Now with Wilmer Flores on the disabled list and the Mets short-handed on the bench it seems like a perfect time for Rivera to finally get his big league opportunity.
Agreed. If they cant use him, trade him to someone who can.
Meta have signed more than a few minor league free agents in recent seasons. What makes you say the Mets aren’t using him?
Whether he gets called up or not he is still useful to the organization and little reason to trade him. Other teams had their chance at him this year in the Rule 5 draft.
He has killed it every year and has “top prospects” passing and getting promotions over him when not deserved. Seems like they just want to use him as an organizational filler. He deserves to be in the bigs and if its not going to be with the mets it should be with someone.
Every team had the option to do so and didn’t. Have you seen what Campbell has done in Vegas? It’s not always about numbers. And why do the Mets owe it to him to move him is he is valuable depth?
So make a guy who could have a sucessesful career as a uñitily guy in a mlb organization a minor league player Forever? Makes no sense. All im daying is if they will never call him up let him go somewhere else.
Why woule a team risk putting a guy with barely any AAA experience on thier 25 man roster? That is the only way he could have gone. I am sure if eligible this year he will be taken.
Not what I said at all, in fact I am the one that asked to have this article written. Rivera should get a chance over Campbell but if not right now the Mets shouldn’t trade him simply because he isn’t better than some players currently on the Braves. He is good depth for the Mets, no reason to just up and trade him.
And guys are taken all the time without AAA experience in the Rule 5.
Ya mostly pitchers
First pick in the draft this year was OF Tyler Goeddel who has never had a AAA at bat.
Ya a 23 yr old first round pick in 2011. Rivera 27 undrafted free agent. Nobody was going to take that chance espesially looking at the rate mets premote him.
I know this a minority opinion, but I would rather Rivera play everyday in AAA and be ready for a Flores type role than get 2 PA a week and rust on the bench role.
Whatever opinions one has of Soup, having options has value.
Colin walsh, joey rickard, travis jankowski, no one wanted to even spend 50k to bring tj to Camp and not bc of where or how mets used him
Colin walsh- 13th round, AAA
Campbell stinks, jack of all trades, master of none. He does not deserve to be at the big league level. At least Rivera can hit for a high average.
If Verrett gets 6+ on Saturday I think you see a roster move sending Gilmartin back down and bringing up one of the utility guys.
Reynolds is struggling once again
Kelly has done everything needed, and I think would be Terry’s choice
Rivera is well suited for the Flores spot and his play deserves it as well.
What I am going to say may be uncomfortable for some but true in my view. Right now the Mets have better players in Vegas than both Flores and Campbell. As much as I love Flores, he just doesn’t seem to get better. Even now his swings are out of balance and seems to be falling down all the time at the plate. Campbell? I don’t even know why this guy is here. Reynolds can play all over the infield and has a better bat. TJ deserves a chance too.
I guess I don’t understand having Gilmartin hang around, when and how much can he throw again after going three innings last night?
Terry logic applies. He is a LH in the pen, which automatically means he is able to be up and ready 100 times in a season
For the purpose of having the BP depth for Verretts start, Goeddel or Edgin would be suitable though
Flores has gotten better every year at the major league level and no reason to think that he couldn’t again this year despite a slow start. I agree that Rivera deserves a chance but there is little reason for Flores to be anywhere but on the big league club when he is healthy.
Reynolds has a better bat? Than who Tejada maybe
I see what your saying but I don’t see Gilmartin pitching on Saturday after three innings, that is more than a side session. And he has been working as a starter all year. Talk about a good way to make a shoulder/elbow cranky.