AAA: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (4-1) vs. Syracuse Mets (1-4)

For the second time in their opening series against the RailRiders, Syracuse’s game was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Wednesday, June 8. The Mets will begin their next series at Columbus on Tuesday, April 12.

AA: Hardford Yard Goats (2-1) 10, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (1-2) 8  Box Score

• Brett Baty 3B: 2-for-5, R, 2 K, .357/.357/.643
• Ronny Mauricio SS: 2-for-5, R, 2B, .286/.286/.357
• Matt Winaker 1B: 1-for-4, 2 R, HR, 5 RBI, K, .286/.400/.714

One day after being blown out 13-2, the Rumble Ponies’ offense returned to form, even if the pitching left plenty to be desired. Six of the teams eight runs came off of two big swings: a two-run blast to left center field by Johneshwy Fargas and Winaker’s grand slam to right field in the fifth inning.

Fracisco Álvarez was out of the lineup during Sunday’s game, but this just gave Binghamton’s other two top prospects a chance to shine. Both Baty and Mauricio had multi-hit games and, after striking out six times over the first two games of the season, Mauricio was able to put the ball in play in all five of his at bats. Every player in the lineup except for Jeremy Vasquez  had at least one hit in the game.

• RHP Alex Valverde (0-0, 23.14 ERA) 2.1 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, BB, 4 K
• RHP Willy Taveras (L, 0-1, 9.00 ERA) 1.0 IP, H, 2 R, ER
• RHP Brian Metoyer (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1.0 IP, K

Valverde’s first appearances in the Mets organization – he was selected in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft this offseason – did not quite go as planned. Working mostly out of the bullpen since 2019, with the exception of a brief 10-start run at the end of 2021, it was a bit surprising to see him in the Binghamton starting rotation to start the season.

Taveras had a very strong 2021 season as a full-time reliever but struggled in his 2022 debut. The two-run homer he gave up in the seventh inning drove in the deciding runs of the game. Metoyer, who impressed with his high spin rate curveball during the Arizona Fall League, had the best outing of any Binghamton pitcher as he needed just 12 pitches to get through a perfect eighth inning.

Wilmington Blue Rocks (2-1) 4, Brooklyn Cyclones (1-2) 1  Box Score

• Jaylen Palmer CF: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI, .100/.100/.200
• JT Schwartz 1B: 1-for-3, R, BB, K, .111/.200/.111
• Brandon McIlwain RF: 1-for-3, 2B, .200/.200/.400

Brooklyn’s offense struggled mightily in Sunday’s game as the lineup was shut out until the ninth inning. They especially struggled with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-6 in those rare situations when a runner made it to second base. The lone run in the game came when Schwartz singled with two outs in the ninths and Palmer drove him home with a double in the next at bat. Schwartz and Palmer are among the more promising hitters on the Cyclones this season, but these were the just the first hits of the season for both of them.

• RHP Carlos Ocampo (L, 0-1, 81.00 ERA) 0.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, BB, K
• RHP Oscar Rojas (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 4.0 IP, H, BB, 6 K
• RHP Reyson Santos (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1.0 IP, BB, 2 K

Like Valverde, Ocampo was taken by the Mets in the minor league Rule 5 draft this past offseason, primarily worked as a reliever in his former organization, and was penciled into the starting rotation to start 2022. And, like Valverde, he had a rough go of it in his first start in the Mets organization. Ocampo only got one out before his pulled from the game; he threw 32 pitches before being pulled from the game.

The bullpen largely limited the damage over their eight and two-thirds innings and kept the Cyclones in the game. Rojas, who was probably scheduled to piggyback Ocampo on Sunday, was the best of the bunch, allowing just two baserunners over the four innings he pitched.

Daytona Tortugas (1-2) 9, St. Lucie Mets (2-1) 2  Box Score

• Alex Ramirez DH: 2-for-4, R, 3B, RBI, K, .462/.500/.615
• Stanley Consuegra CF: 2-for-4, RBI, K, .385/.429/.385
• Raul Beracierta 1B: 1-for-3, R, .333/.333/.333

The Mets’ offense couldn’t get much going in Sunday’s loss, scoring just two runs on five hits. Almost the entire offense came from the lineup’s two top prospects: Ramirez and Consuegra. Back-to-back hits by the two of them in the eighth inning brought home St. Lucie’s only two runs. Both have gotten off to strong starts in the opening series and Ramirez, considering he spent the majority of last season with St. Lucie, may be in line for a quick promotion to Brooklyn if he keeps this up. Consuegra, a former top international signing, has had injury issues but is still just 21 years old and had impressed in minor league spring training, so it’s good to see him with a strong opening weekend.

• RHP Calvin Ziegler (L, 0-1, 4.91 ERA) 3.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
• RHP Joshua Cornielly (0-0, 13.50 ERA) 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB, 3 K
• RHP Brendan Hardy (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1.0 IP, H, BB, 3 K

Zielger, the Mets’ 2nd round draft pick in 2021 and one of the top pitching prospects in the system, made his professional debut in Sunday’s game. He had a rough first inning, in which he walked two batters and gave up both of the runs he allowed, but for the next few innings before he was pulled with 56 pitches in the fourth inning. His fastball was reportedly sitting 94-96 MPH in the game.

Cornielly was making his first appearance since 2019 after missing all of last season following a shoulder surgery.