Seemingly each and every year there is one player who takes advantage of his opportunity to impress his club in Spring Training. The classic examples for Mets fans are Butch Huskey and Benny Agbayani. This year it seems as if that honor is going to Phillip Evans, who has looked like Mike Schmidt during Spring Training.
So far this Spring, he has made a number of highlight plays at third base. In five games this Spring, he has hit two home runs. This is causing fans to take notice of Evans and wonder who he is.
Evans was the Mets 2011 15th Round Draft Pick out of La Costa Canyone High School in Carlsbad, CA. While the round he was drafted would suggest Evans wasn’t a highly thought of prospect, the signing bonus would differ. Evans received a $650,000 signing bonus which was the equivalent of either supplemental first round or second round money. Evans draft stock had dropped mostly because Evans had committed to play for San Diego State, which was in the backyard of his hometown.
This is now Evans’ seventh year in the Mets organization. For much of the first five, it was an uneasy development process. Up until last season, Evans was just a .236/.304/.310 hitter. While he was drafted as a shortstop, the 5’9″ Evans would no longer be a shortstop in the Mets farm system by 2015. Certainly, entering the 2016 season, you could argue his star had diminished.
Evans turned things around in 2016. In 96 games for the Binghamton Mets, he hit .335/.374/.485 en route to winning the Eastern League batting title. He did that while playing well defensively at both second and third base. He also managed to play a respectable shortstop in his limited opportunities there as well.
Typically, when you are coming off a promising season like that, you get protected in the Rule 5 Draft. Unfortunately for Evans, he is in a Mets farm system stacked with middle infield prospects, and some of those prospects, like Amed Rosario, needed to be added to the 40 man roster. This caused many to speculate Evans would be taken by another team in the Rule 5 Draft.
Somewhat surprisingly, Evans wasn’t.
According to Mets Minors, Evans is the 31st best prospect in the Mets farm system. While some believe in his bat, others point to his extraordinarily high .384 BABIP, his low 4.9% walk rate, his general lack of power, and his propensity to pull the ball. However, if Evans is able to replicate his 2016 season, and he continues to build off his success from Spring Training, he will start turning some of those doubters into believers. Time will tell.
For now, Evans is getting noticed in Spring Training, and that can only help his prospects of making it to the major leagues.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on Mets Merized Online
When I think back to my youth, I fondly remember shows like He-Man and Thundercats. As a father, I wish my son could enjoy these shows like I once did. Once my son began watching shows like Paw Patrol, I really wanted my son to begin watching shows like He-Man and Thundercats.
With He-Man on Netflix, it is certainly possible for him to do so. And yet, I don’t sit down and watch He-Man with him because that was my show growing up. Paw Patrol is his. When he goes and he plays with his friends, they all want to do play and talk about Paw Patrol. The other kids don’t know He-Man, and I don’t want to make my son the outsider of the group. So, with that, I eschew He-Man in favor of Paw Patrol. It’s not pleasant.
Recently, I discovered there may be some middle ground for my son and I. Growing up, I also watched DuckTales. It was a great cartoon, and perhaps an even better video game. To this day, I remember every line to the DuckTales theme song. Who doesn’t? It was catchy.
The diving into the money pit and the whole ordeal. It was great. It is a show I would love to share with my son. That goes double with him loving Mickey’s Christmas Carol as much as I did. At this point, my son knows all of those Disney characters, and I think he would love DuckTales. Again, the problem is his friends don’t watch.
But maybe they will start this summer as apparently Disney is relaunching DuckTales. Naturally, it isn’t going to have any of the original voices, but that’s not a big issue. What’s important is they are going to relaunch DuckTales. There’s a trailer for it and everything now:
So yeah, about that.
Maybe I’m just being a bit too nostalgic, and maybe I’m being too much of an old man. But man, that doesn’t look great. It certainly doesn’t look anywhere near as good as the original. And yet, I think I’d rather watch this than Paw Patrol again, and again, and again. So, in that sense, beggar’s can’t be choosers.
Still, I wish this looked better. Here’s hoping it’s a giant success and not the equivalent of the remake of The Longest Yard.
So, in case you missed it yesterday, and I am not sure how you did, Mets shorstop prospect Luis Guillorme did this:
The man didn’t even flinch. Everyone is scurrying for shelter, and he just calmly and coolly grabs Adeiny Hechavarria‘s bat . . . MIDFLIGHT . . . and just tosses it back to him. This certainly is going to be replayed over and over again. It is almost definitely going to be the defensive play of the year. It could also be the beginning of his own legend.
For those that follow the Mets minor leagues, Guillorme is considered to be a better defensive prospect than Amed Rosario, which is saying something as Rosario is seen as a potential Gold Glover at short. If Guillorme ever develops as a hitter the way Rosario did over the past season, the Mets could have just an insanely good defensive infield in a few years. Where Guillorme and Rosario would play if that ever occurred is an interesting question.
However, for right now, the question is whether this was a Gold Glove or a Silver Slugger caliber play.
Speaking of Gold Gloves and Silver Sluggers, Yoenis Cespedes did this after Guillorme making everyone forget about the Guillorme play:
Check back in a few hours when this ball actually lands pic.twitter.com/tMDtAc6ceV
— SportsNet New York (@SNYtv) March 2, 2017
Watching Michael Conforto rake during Spring Training, you can once again imagine him becoming the MVP candidate we all thought he was going to be when he was hitting home runs in the World Series. The only things in his way right now are his manager Terry Collins and Jay Bruce. If those hurdles are cleared, it is possible that Conforto could well emerge as the best oufielder on the Mets.
If he does, he will join a varied group of Mets outfielders who put up the best season in the outfield. From year to year, there have been good seasons to MVP caliber seasons to nothing to write home about. Can you name the best outfielders on the Mets since 2000? Good luck!
Jay Payton Tsuyoshi Shinjo Cliff Floyd Mike Cameron Carlos Beltran Angel Pagan Scott Hairston Marlon Byrd Juan Lagares Curtis Granderson Yoenis Cespedes
* adapted from “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street” by Dr. Seuss
When I leave home to go to Citi Field,
Dad always says to me,
“John, keep your eyelids up
And see what you can see.”
But when I tell him where I’ve sat
And what happened each at-bat,
He looks at me and sternly says,
“You did not see all of that.
Stop telling such an outlandish story.
Juan Lagares cannot cover that much territory.”
Now, what can I say
About what I saw today?
All the long way to the game
And all the way back,
I’ve looked and I’ve looked
From the outfield to the bat rack,
But all that I’ve noticed,
Except the green infield,
Was d’arnaud and Matz
At Citi Field
That’s nothing to tell of,
That won’t do, I know . . .
Just the starting pitcher Steven Matz
Hurling pitches to Travis d’Arnaud.
That can’t be my story. That’s only a start.
I’ll say that a GAZELLE was pitching instead of a Bart!
Add that is a story that no one can beat,
When I say that I saw it at Citi Field.
Yes, the Gazelle is fine,
He gives batters a migraine,
There’s another marvelous pitcher
Who’s stuff is much more insane.
The story could be so much more
If the pitcher I saw were Thor.
An orange and blue capped pitcher’s fastballs are profound,
Rumbling like thunder from the mound!
No, it won’t do at all . . .
There’s another with the ball.
Zack Wheeler is better;
He’s come back round,
And he’s ready to for a start
On the Citi Field mound
Hold on a minute!
There’s something wrong!
The bullpen is the place for this dealer
It’s off to the bullpen for Zack Wheeler,
It’d be much better, it might,
If the start went to the Dark Knight.
Hmmm . . . A Dark Knight . . .
Say – anyone could think of that,
Dick or Kevin or Dan or Pat –
Say, even Terry could think of that.
But it isn’t too late to make one little change.
This story is about Yoenis Cespedes! No longer on the driving range!
He’s got plenty of power and size,
You can see the opposing pitcher with fear in his eyes.
A then, the sound system emits a loud tone,
Cespedes the Lion King! Perched high on a throne!
Say! That makes a batter that no one can heel,
When I say that I saw it at Citi Field.
But now I don’t know . . .
It still doesn’t seem right.
A Cespedes swinging a bat that’s so light
Would hit balls around in the air like a kite.
But he’d look simply extreme
With a great New York Mets team!
A team that’s that good should have someone to see it,
Wins coming so fast, the Nationals finding it hard to keep near it.
Nationals always the trailer! They’ll be out of their mind
Not even Daniel Murphy can get them out from behind.
But now is if fair? Is it fair what I’ve done?
Before they take the field, they’ve already won.
That’s really too heavy a load for one beast;
I’ll give him some helpers. He needs two, at least.
Michael Conforto to do the trick,
To guide them after the intentional walk schtick –
It takes a lineup to do the trick.
They’ll never lose now. They’ll race at top speed
With Curtis Granderson, himself, in the lead.
The Manager is there
And he thinks it is grand,
And he raises his hat
As they rise from their seats in the stands.
The Manager is there
Sandy Alderson too,
All waving big banners
The stands are becoming a zoo.
And that is a team whose championship is sealed
When I say that I saw it at Citi Field!
With a roar of its motor an airplane appears
The pitcher steps off the mound and everyone jeers.
And that makes a story that’s really not bad!
But it still could be better. Suppose that I add . . . . . . . . .
. . . A David Wright
Who can stay upright . . .
A big Duda
Swinging sticks . . .
A Jacob deGrom
And his garden gnome . . .
No time for more,
Cespedes’ coming home.
He swung ’round third base
And dashed towards the plate,
The Mets ran up the steps
And I felt simply GREAT!
FOR I HAD A STORY THAT NO ONE COULD YIELD!
AND TO THINK THAT I SAW IT AT CITI FIELD!
But Dad said quite calmly,
“Take the parking pass off the windshield
And tell me the sights
That you saw at Citi Field”
There was so much to tell, I JUST COULDN’T BEGIN!
Dad looked at me sharply stroking the beard at his chin.
He frowned at me sternly from there from the front seat,
“Was there nothing to look at . . . no great feat?
Did nothing excite you or make you jump out of your seat?”
“Nothing,” I said, now becoming more even-keeled,
“But a Matz pitching to d’Aranud at Citi Field.”
The End.
Last year’s story “One Strike, Two Strikes, Three Strikes, You’re Out!” can be found here
Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!
Unfortunately, it comes as no surprise David Wright is not going to be ready for Opening Day. No one realistically knows when Wright is going to be ready to play this year. With that in mind, the Mets now have an open roster spot on the Opening Day roster. On the 40 man roster, the Mets have T.J. Rivera and Matt Reynolds. Ty Kelly would also be an option should the Mets be willing to make a 40 man roster move, which could include putting Wright on the 60 day disabled list.
The argument for Kelly would be the fact that his switch hitting ability would present the Mets with a left-handed hitting option for a team that promises to have a completely right-handed bench. His versatility in the field may also prove to be important. With that said, if you are willing to make an important roster move for Kelly, why not go ALL-IN and bring back Kelly Johnson.
Over the past two seasons, Johnson has hit .260/.319/.441 with 14 homers and 37 RBI in 131 games. Over those 131 games, Johnson has played every position for the Mets except pitcher, catcher, and center field. He could prove to be a very important player for the Mets.
Fact is, Johnson has been vitally important to the Mets over the past two seasons. In 2015, he was able to serve as an everyday player until the team got healthy. In 2016, he worked diligently to become a better hitter with him hitting .268/.328/.459. When Neil Walker went down, he and Wilmer Flores joined to make an extremely effective platoon at second base. As we’ve seen, he’s also capable of playing third, which just became an important issue again with Wright being unable to play on Opening Day.
Frankly, it is surprising that it would come to this for the Mets to make a move to add Johnson. This is the same player the Mets have traded prospect after prospect for in successive years. The ultimate reason these trades were necessary was because the Mets had built flawed, if not weak, benches heading into the 2015 and 2016 seasons. While the Mets bench in 2017 promises to be deeper than year’s past, it is still flawed for the aforementioned reasons. The addition of Kelly Johnson would go a long way in resolving the issues the bench currently has.
Right now, the Mets have a need for another bench player. There is a veteran who has not only played well coming off the bench, but he has also played well in New York. Both are more difficult than many believe, and that is why a player like Johnson is important. Realistically speaking, with Sandy Alderson already telling the media, the Mets are “all-in” this year, he should put his money where he mouth is and re-sign Johnson.
That’s what teams who are all-in do when a need arises.
All offseason long, in trade discussions, the first player other teams inquire about is Amed Rosario. Based upon reports, those requests are met with swift refusals as the Mets see Rosario as untouchable. While we don’t know where the conversations go from there, assuming a conversation does in fact continue, it could be assumed teams eventually inquire about Dominic Smith.
For what it is worth, the Mets have shown no willingness to include Smith in a deal. However, the team has not given him the label of untouchable. They should.
Smith was the Mets 2013 first round draft pick, 11th overall, out of Junipero High School in Gardena, California. While the Mets under the Sandy Alderson regime have been cautious in their handling of prospects, Smith’s play has pushed the team to have him progress rather quickly through the Mets minor league system. Last year, Smith was the youngest player who played the entire season in the Eastern League. If not for Rosario’s late call-up, Smith would have been the youngest player in the Eastern League for the entire 2016 season.
During Smith’s rise through the minor leagues, there are been things that stick out with him. First, Smith is a slick fielding first baseman. Second, he gets on base at a very high clip. Third, he is durable. Fourth, he has always been on the heavy side. And fifth, he has the potential, but he has not quite developed power like a traditional first baseman.
That was at least until the second half of the 2016 season. Despite the Eastern League being a pitcher’s league, Smith was able to show off some power in the second half of the season. From July 1st until the end of the season, he hit .348/.429/.525 with 13 doubles, one triple, seven homers, and 40 RBI. If you extrapolate the numbers from that 56 game stretch, Smith would hit 38 doubles, three triples, 22 homers, and 116 RBI. That’s a bat that can definitely play at first base.
Numbers like that should get you excited, and it should make you wonder where Smith’s ceiling actually is. With him posting numbers like that as a 21 year old in the Eastern League, anything could be possible for him next season in Las Vegas.
And anything is possible especially with Smith having a more rigorous workout routine leading to Smith losing more than 20 pounds this offseason. The hard work should come as no surprise with Smith. As reported by the New York Times, Smith was one of many players to work out with Barwis in the offseason. Smith did this because ” they said it was good for my career.” And the workouts have been good for his career. Smith has been durable, and now he is moving away from a player with body issues to a player with a much better physique.
Ultimately, when you have a player like Smith, who is willing to do the hard work to help improve the areas of his game that needs improvement, while still maintaining those areas of his game that make him a good player, you have someone who is special.
When you add up Smith’s ability and makeup with Lucas Duda being a free agent this offseason, Smith should absolutely be labeled as untouchable by the Mets in trade discussions. In fact, with Duda’s back, Smith could be the Mets first baseman as early as this year.
Catching prospect Patrick Mazeika was the Mets 2015 8th round draft pick. In his brief time in the Mets organization, he has shown he is a promising hitter and receiver. Due to this production, he was named a 2015 MiLB organizational All Star for the Mets. Recently, he was named the Mets 29th best prospect by MLB Pipeline, and he was named the 44th best prospect by MMN.
While preparing for what promises to be another successful season, Mazeika took some time to discuss with me about his development as a player:
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. One of the things that will stand out to many Mets fans is the fact you were drafted out of Stetson University like current Mets starter Jacob deGrom. What is it about Stetson University that prepares its players for professional baseball?
Stetson is a great place to get better as a player. It’s a good program with a great coaching staff. You can’t beat the weather and facilities they have. It’s a professional environment that helps transition into pro baseball.
Speaking of the transition to pro ball, what have you found to be the biggest difference over the past two years?
The pitching is just more polished in pro baseball. They throw harder with better off-speed pitches. Consistency is the biggest thing. As you move up, you notice pitchers can consistently make pitches that guys at the lower levels won’t make as often. Everyone is very talented, but the higher level guys execute more often.
How has that affected your approach at the plate?
I wouldn’t say that it has really affected my approach at all. As a hitter, you’re getting better at recognizing pitches with more at bats against good pitching. The one thing it has changed is trying to be aggressive on my pitches. You get fewer mistakes in pro baseball and even fewer as you move up levels.
Could you walk me through a typical at-bat? What is your approach? What specifically are your type of pitches?
Everything depends on the situation. Looking for a fastball in the heart of the plate and reacting to off-speed pitches up in the zone. Trying to take good “pitcher’s pitches.”
Going back to your statement that pitchers execute better as you’ve risen through the minor leagues, how does that impact you as a catcher?
It makes it a little easier as you progress as a catcher. The better a pitcher can execute the easier it is to have a game plan.
How have you improved as a catcher since joining the Mets?
I’ve improved in every aspect defensively – definitely improved a lot receiving especially this offseason after instructional league. My throwing has improved with better mechanics back there. This offseason I’ve also gotten more flexible and I feel I’m moving better.
At 6’3″ you’re taller than most catchers. How do you feel your height behind the plate helps and hinders you?
Bigger guys have longer legs so you have to spend extra time on your mobility to be able to get low and receive well. That’s been the biggest thing for me, and I think I’ve made a lot of progress because of that. It helps because I’m a bigger target for pitchers to throw to back there.
In your time catching for Kingsport and Columbia, which pitchers have impressed you the most?
Obviously, P.J. Conlon was very impressive. Also Nabil Crismatt was very solid both years I’ve played with him. We had some great relief pitchers as well. Our entire bullpen in Columbia was impressive.
Overall, who would you say has had the biggest impact on your career?
I wouldn’t say any specific advice has been key. It’s everything I’ve learned since being drafted. I didn’t really know how to approach receiving or blocking. The biggest thing was having a catching coordinator to work with every day. Getting good reps and learning what works and what doesn’t behind the plate has been big.
What has been your favorite memory as a baseball player?
Besides getting drafted it’s probably my walk off home run in college my freshman year.
Who was your favorite player growing up?
Probably Jason Varitek or Vladimir Guerrero.
Would you say you try to model your game after Varitek, or was he a favorite of yours for other reasons?
I grew up watching the Red Sox. I always liked how he played. I don’t model my game after anyone specific though.
Last year, your former teammate Nicco Blank made a name for himself for leaving tickets for Taylor Swift to see him pitch. What famous person would you like to come see you pitch?
Tom Brady. It doesn’t get better than him.
If Brady does come, what kind of player is he going to see?
Hopefully a player who’s going to control the game behind the plate and a fun guy to watch hit.
What are your goals for the 2017 season?
Continue to get better in all aspects of my game defensively. Also to drive the ball and to do more damage offensively.
Personally, I’d like to thank Mazeika for taking the time to speak with me while he is preparing for the 2017 season. Hopefully, the interview illuminates just how hard working and dedicated he is. If he continues to improve the areas of the game like he has been doing, we can expect big things for Mazeika in years to come.
Editor’s Note: this was first published on Mets Minors
Ever since T.J. Rivera lined out to Denard Span, it has been an excruciatingly long offseason. Somehow, we have navigated through the offseason, and now it is Spring Training. Finally, on Friday, there was a game being played. On what was a pleasantly surprising Spring day in the middle of February, there was a baseball game being played. It was the perfect day for baseball.
It gets better. Michael Conforto was being allowed to hit against a left-handed pitcher. Gavin Cecchini was playing second base. Gold Glover Juan Lagares was going to be patrolling center field. Personal favorite, Seth Lugo, was getting the start.
Wait, it gets better. Uber prospects Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith were slated to appear in the game.
This is the type of day where you align your lunch with the game. You get in your car to listen to Howie Rose do the play-by-play. You find a place to eat where you can watch an inning or two.
Except, you can’t. With the Mets traveling to Fort Myers to play the Red Sox, the game was not going to be televised. Typically speaking, road Spring Training games are not telecast for a myriad of very justifiable reasons. With that said, it would have been nice to watch some of the game during lunch, and it would have been great to watch the replay with my son when I got home. However, I didn’t get that opportunity because, like the revolution, this game was not televised.
With baseball looking for more and more ways to improve the sport, it should find a way to televise all of their Spring Training games. At the very least, it would be an olive branch to your most die hard fans who may take real issue with the rule changes you want to put in place.
In what is masked as an attempt to make games move at a faster pace, MLB with approval of MLBPA has agreed that pitchers will no longer have to throw four balls to issue a walk. Rather, now, the manager in the dugout will simply make a signal, and the batter at the plate will take first base.
While the rule seems benign, it does go against one of the basic tenents of what baseball great. It it the idea that at any moment, no matter how seemingly insignificant it is, you can see something special, something bizarre, or something you have never seen before:
As you can see, you never now what is going to happen. Except now, you do. Each one of those players will automatically be awarded first taking away the potential that something will happen. Baseball is doing this despite the fact that your average intentional walk lasts less than a minute. Baseball is doing this despite teams not issuing many intentional walks.
As reported by Newsday, there were only 932 intentional walks last year. Considering there are 2,430 games in a baseball season, baseball is looking for a resolution for something that happens less than once per game. It happens less than every other game. In essence, baseball, issued a rule change that eliminates the possibility of anything happening on a play that doesn’t even happen every game. This is like the NFL issuing a rule change with regards to the kick-off after a safety, the NBA issuing a rule change on what to do when a ball gets stuck between the backboard and the rim, or the NHL changing what type of shots are permitted on an in-game penalty shot.
Essentially, it is a rule change that affects something that rarely happens. It is a rule change that will have little to no impact on the casual fan. It will have no impact on fans that dislike the sport. More importantly, it only serves to anger your most ardent fans. At the end of the day, you have to ask why this was done?
For expediency? Pace of play? Make games go quicker?
In reality, it has no impact on that.
If Manfred really wants to make an impact might as well eliminate the home run trot. According to ESPN Home Run Tracker, there were 5,610 homers hit in the major leagues last year. This means that on average there are two home runs hit in an average baseball game. If you were to eliminate, the home run trot, you could really shave some time off of games, especially with some of the slower home run trots:
If everyone is being intellectually honest, removing the home run trot from games will make games move along much swifter. Given the fact that there are many more home runs hit than intentional walks, removing the home run trot would have a far greater impact than removing the intentional walk.
Also, if we’re being honest, no fan really cares about the home run trot except when they are looking for the celebration at home plate after a walk-off. However, that celebration could be heightened without the home run trot. Imagine a player hitting a home run and then immediately getting mobbed by his teammates on the field. It would look something like this:
Pure jubilation. Except, here is the strange thing. This celebration turned a home run that probably would have been a highlight of a six game series to an all time baseball moment. It was the Grand Slam Single. With that Robin Ventura will be forever immortalized because of Todd Pratt and the rest of the Mets tackling him on the field.
That’s what we lose when we eliminate throwing four balls or home run trots. You lose the impossible. You lose the potential or chance for the next great moment. Ultimately, this is why the rule is dumb. You’re changing what makes baseball great.
No, intentional walks do not make baseball great. Rather, it is that something amazing could happen during those four pitches. For most fans, you may not feel like you are missing anything when in reality you are missing everything.