Mark Vientos, Photo by James Farrance
There have been a number of outstanding performances in the Mets minor leagues during the Month of May with some players starting to raise their profiles. While we cannot mention everyone who has had a good month, here are the staff selections for the top performers in each category.
Position Player – C Francisco Álvarez & 1B/3B Mark Vientos
June was another solid month for top Mets prospects. Top prospects Francisco Álvarez and Mark Vientos share this month’s co-Player of the Month award.
Vientos put together his best month of the season for the Syracuse Mets, putting up a line of .242/.375/.515 with 6 homers and 14 runs batted in. The slash line comes out to an OPS of .890. Vientos’ .890 OPS was the second-best mark he’s posted in a single month yet this year, as he continues to knock on the door of the Major League club.
Álvarez, however, posted his best month to date. He put up a line of .286/.389/.681 with a 1.070 OPS. The catcher also smacked 10 homers and drove in 24 runs. His success led to a recent promotion to Triple-A Syracuse, putting him just a step away from making it to the show.
Starting Pitcher – Nick Zwack
For starting pitching, Nick Zwack threw himself into the ring in impressive fashion. The 2021 17th rounder pitched to a 0.36 ERA in the month of June, giving up just one earned run in 25 innings and earning himself Starting Pitcher of the Month. He posted an opponents OPS of .458 last month and was by far the best starting pitcher in the Mets system last month. Only 21 base runners reached against him over the 25 innings, while he struck out 26.
Reliever – Grant Hartwig
And lastly out of the bullpen, Grant Hartwig takes home last month’s Reliever of the Month Award. Hartwig, a former non-drafted free agent (NDFA), pitched to a 0.90 ERA over the month of June, while posting an identical WHIP and a K/9 of 15.73. Overall, Hartwig has posted a 2.40 ERA on the season and has impressed as of late. Since his promotion to High-A Brooklyn, he has posted a 0.59 ERA in 15.1 innings.
