Thursday, April 15, 2004
Down on the farm
First of all, the best news from the minors comes from NYFS as apparently Scott Kazmir's abdomen and "both [his] groins" are fine, as he's scheduled to make his second start of the season in St. Lucie on Friday. The St. Lucie Mets are 6-1 through seven games, but haven't seen any real standout pitching performances yet. Brian Bannister leads the team in strikeouts with eleven through ten innings in two starts, and he's only walked one batter, but his ERA is still a robust 6.30. No other starter has gone twice yet, but Mike Meyers (2.25 ERA, 3 Ks, 0 BBs, 4.0 IP) and Robert Paul (1.93, 2 Ks, 3 BBs, 4.0 IP) have been the most succesful so far. The St. Lucie offense has been more obviously succesful so far, with 22 year-old first baesman leading the way, hitting .333/.462/.714 with two doubles, two home runs and five walks through 21 at bats. Third baseman Aaron Baldiris is looking good early as well, hitting .333/.394/.519, with a double, two triples and four walks through 27 at bats. Outfielder Bobby Malek is hitting .310/.394/.586 and Alhaji Turay is leading the team with three home runs though hitting just .286/.286/.714. Justin Huber is struggling so far in his rehab assignment, hitting just .148/.281/.370, though he has hit two home runs.
Down in Capital City, the 5-2 Bombers have gotten some good starting pitching thus far. Stealth prospect Yusmeiro Petit went five innings striking out seven and walking three in his first start, also giving up one home run to win up with an ERA of 1.80. Matthew Lindstrom has started twice and has an ERA of 2.00 after striking out fourteen and walking just one through nine innings. Tanner Osberg has also struck out fourteen through none, and without walking anyone, but has given up two homers and has an ERA of 4.66. And at least a few of the Bombers have lived up to the team name with the bats, as first baseman Ian Bladergroen leads the way hitting .500/.519/.958 with three doubles, one triple and two home runs through 24 at bats. Outfielder Tyler Davidson is right behind him, hitting .464/.484/.821 with five doubles, a triple and home run. Andrew Wilson (.391/.417/.652), Shawn Bowman (.250/.400/.500) and Dante Brinkley (.250/.348/.500) are looking good early as well.
Of course, the biggest on-field story comes to up from Binghamton where third baseman David Wright is just obliterating Eastern League pitching for the 5-2 B-Mets. At .480/.552/.920 through 25 at bats, nine of Wright's twelve hits have gone for extra bases, including eight doubles and one home run. Yep, that Ty Wigginton will make a nice bat off the bench come 2005. Shortstop Crhis Basak (.353/.476/.647) and outfielder Prentice Redman (.316/.480/.421, 5/6 SB) are also acquitting themselves well against what, for them, is much younger competition. Outfielder Angel Pagan at .286/.348/.524 with a triple and a home run is also hitting well.
Matt Peterson was the first of the minor league Mets' opening day starter to take the mound for a second time, and through ten innings, he's posted a 2.70 ERA with thirteen strikeouts, just one walk and two home runs. Joselo Diaz has also started twice, posting a 1.04 ERA over eight innings, with eleven strikeouts and six walks.
The Norfolk Tides are the only Mets' affiliate not off to a hot start as far as wins and losses are concerned, having compiled just a 2-3 record. They haven't gotten a whole lot from their starting bats yet, as Cedeño-bait Wilson Delgado is leading the team with his .412/.474/.529 line through seventeen at bats. Rightfielder of the future Victor Diaz is hitting just .200/.200/.350 with one home run through twenty at bats. But in addition to Aaron Heilman's good first start, the Tides have gotten some good starting pitching. Randy Keisler has a 1.80 ERA through five innings in which he struck out six and walked none. Matt Ginter didn't allow an earned run through four inningsof starting work, striking out six and walking one. And Jeremy Griffiths has a 1.80 ERA despite not striking anyone out through five innings while walking one. James Baldwin, on the other hand, had a rough first outing, giving up four runs in five innings, striking out three and walking two for an ERA of 7.20. ¶ joe | 4:37 PM |
First of all, the best news from the minors comes from NYFS as apparently Scott Kazmir's abdomen and "both [his] groins" are fine, as he's scheduled to make his second start of the season in St. Lucie on Friday. The St. Lucie Mets are 6-1 through seven games, but haven't seen any real standout pitching performances yet. Brian Bannister leads the team in strikeouts with eleven through ten innings in two starts, and he's only walked one batter, but his ERA is still a robust 6.30. No other starter has gone twice yet, but Mike Meyers (2.25 ERA, 3 Ks, 0 BBs, 4.0 IP) and Robert Paul (1.93, 2 Ks, 3 BBs, 4.0 IP) have been the most succesful so far. The St. Lucie offense has been more obviously succesful so far, with 22 year-old first baesman leading the way, hitting .333/.462/.714 with two doubles, two home runs and five walks through 21 at bats. Third baseman Aaron Baldiris is looking good early as well, hitting .333/.394/.519, with a double, two triples and four walks through 27 at bats. Outfielder Bobby Malek is hitting .310/.394/.586 and Alhaji Turay is leading the team with three home runs though hitting just .286/.286/.714. Justin Huber is struggling so far in his rehab assignment, hitting just .148/.281/.370, though he has hit two home runs.
Down in Capital City, the 5-2 Bombers have gotten some good starting pitching thus far. Stealth prospect Yusmeiro Petit went five innings striking out seven and walking three in his first start, also giving up one home run to win up with an ERA of 1.80. Matthew Lindstrom has started twice and has an ERA of 2.00 after striking out fourteen and walking just one through nine innings. Tanner Osberg has also struck out fourteen through none, and without walking anyone, but has given up two homers and has an ERA of 4.66. And at least a few of the Bombers have lived up to the team name with the bats, as first baseman Ian Bladergroen leads the way hitting .500/.519/.958 with three doubles, one triple and two home runs through 24 at bats. Outfielder Tyler Davidson is right behind him, hitting .464/.484/.821 with five doubles, a triple and home run. Andrew Wilson (.391/.417/.652), Shawn Bowman (.250/.400/.500) and Dante Brinkley (.250/.348/.500) are looking good early as well.
Of course, the biggest on-field story comes to up from Binghamton where third baseman David Wright is just obliterating Eastern League pitching for the 5-2 B-Mets. At .480/.552/.920 through 25 at bats, nine of Wright's twelve hits have gone for extra bases, including eight doubles and one home run. Yep, that Ty Wigginton will make a nice bat off the bench come 2005. Shortstop Crhis Basak (.353/.476/.647) and outfielder Prentice Redman (.316/.480/.421, 5/6 SB) are also acquitting themselves well against what, for them, is much younger competition. Outfielder Angel Pagan at .286/.348/.524 with a triple and a home run is also hitting well.
Matt Peterson was the first of the minor league Mets' opening day starter to take the mound for a second time, and through ten innings, he's posted a 2.70 ERA with thirteen strikeouts, just one walk and two home runs. Joselo Diaz has also started twice, posting a 1.04 ERA over eight innings, with eleven strikeouts and six walks.
The Norfolk Tides are the only Mets' affiliate not off to a hot start as far as wins and losses are concerned, having compiled just a 2-3 record. They haven't gotten a whole lot from their starting bats yet, as Cedeño-bait Wilson Delgado is leading the team with his .412/.474/.529 line through seventeen at bats. Rightfielder of the future Victor Diaz is hitting just .200/.200/.350 with one home run through twenty at bats. But in addition to Aaron Heilman's good first start, the Tides have gotten some good starting pitching. Randy Keisler has a 1.80 ERA through five innings in which he struck out six and walked none. Matt Ginter didn't allow an earned run through four inningsof starting work, striking out six and walking one. And Jeremy Griffiths has a 1.80 ERA despite not striking anyone out through five innings while walking one. James Baldwin, on the other hand, had a rough first outing, giving up four runs in five innings, striking out three and walking two for an ERA of 7.20. ¶ joe | 4:37 PM |
