His name is Yusmeiro

Kazmir or no Kazmir, the most interesting pitcher in the Mets' low minor leagues might just be Yusmeiro Petit. He pitched his third start of the season for the Capital City Bombers today and struck out nine over six scoreless innings, walking just one and allowing two hits, both singles. His ERA now stands at just 0.53 through seventeen innings, and he's struck out twenty-two while walking only four. He has also allowed one unearned run, putting his RA at 1.06.

But that paltry ERA might remind discerning Mets fans of Scott Kazmir's first year in professional baseball, when he allowed just one run in eighteen innings for the Brooklyn Cyclones for an ERA of 0.50. Petit's not striking batters out quite as often as Kazmir, but he's not walking them as often either. Of course, this isn't Petit's first year in the Mets organization, as he split last year between Brooklyn and Kingsport. But he's also ten months younger than Kazmir and starting out this year at the same level Kazmir started last year. In 2003 he struck out 10.3 batters per nine innings while walking just 1.2 through 74 total innings. Compare that to the 17.0 K, 3.5 BB rates Kazmir posted in just eighteen innings as an eighteen year old.

Petit doesn't get a lot of press (he wasn't even included in this year's Baseball Prospectus) and like Kazmir a year ago, he's a long way from the major leagues. But with his dominant strikeout and walk rates, he definitely merits keeping an eye on. If he keeps pitching like this, he may just wind up in St. Lucie before the year is through, just like Kazmir did last year.  ¶ joe | 10:01 PM |