Matt Reynolds is not a household name. He was drafted in the second round of the 2012 draft as a plus defender at third base that the Mets planned to try out at shortstop. He was an afterthought in a year the Mets drafted Gavin Cecchini (who is currently irrelevant in Port St. Lucie) but he’s certainly proving to be something more than some of us expected.
As a third baseman, Reynolds does not have the power to make it in the pros. He should probably top out at around 10 home runs a season and may never hit more than 5 in a professional season. As a shortstop he might be enough of an upgrade to make his lack of power a long-forgotten detail. The good news is, that the defensive reviews of Reynolds at short have all been positive.
2014 saw Reynolds begin the year in Binghamton where 211 at bats he managed a terrific line: .355/.430/.422. An OPS of .852 will play very nicely from a shortstop, but AA and the major leagues are two different things.
He was later promoted to AAA where he’s seen his OPS rise 34 points to .886 (due, in part, to the Las Vegas bump in SLG). The question will be if Reynolds will be given a shot, or if the Mets will look to free agency and the trade market to pick up a shortstop of the future. Ruben Tejada and Wilmer Flores have been put on notice.
AAA:
Noah Syndrgaard tosses another beauty – 6.0 IP, 8 Hits, 0 Runs, 0 BBs and 7 Ks isn’t perfect but it shows that he’s learning to not let hits hurt him.
Rafael Montero back to old tricks – In a good way, with: 6.2 IP, 3 Hits, 0 Runs, 2 BBs and 6 Ks. That is a very good thing to see as the Mets begin to think about their 2015 rotation options.
Kevin Plawecki gets things done – His 10 game OPS is a solid, but not earth shattering, .880 and he’s hitting pretty well in AAA. In those same last 10 games he has 7 runs scored and 7 RBI showing that he’s getting hits in a timely manner.
AA:
Dilson Herrera shows brief glimpses of patience – For a guy who doesn’t walk often he’s got four free passes in the last week.
Steven Matz hurls a gem – 6.0 IP, 6 Hits, 0 Earned Runs, 1 BB and 7 Ks. He’s going to be very much on Baseball America’s radar.
A+:
Michael Fulmer working on his feel – He had an okay outing this past week but, while he gave up no runs, he did give 4 free passes.
A:
John Gant pitches only one hit – 7.0 IP, 1 Hit, 0 Runs, 2 BBs and 8 Ks. That is a good outing. Why is he still in Savannah?
Robert Gsellman has no problem in the SAL – Make that three outings in a row over 6.0 IP with 1 Run or fewer scored.
Dario Alvarez promoted to Port St. Lucie – His numbers in Savannah were good and now he’s onto a level more fitting his age.
Akeel Morris racking up the saves – He’s picked up 12 saves since he earned the closer job a few weeks ago and his numbers are still amazing otherwise.
Robert Whalen back on top – 7.0 IP, 2 Hits, 2 Runs, 0 ER, 2 BBs and 7 Ks. He’s a young pitcher to keep an eye on.
A-:
Michael Conforto displays some power – 2 home runs in his last two games and 8 walks in his last 10 has added to an already outstanding initial review for this recent draft pick.
Amed Rosario seeing third often – He’s collected an impressive 4 triples in his last 10 games.
Marcos Molina has looked like a star – His most recent outing: 8.0 IP, 5 Hits, 1 Run, 1 BB and 9 Ks.
Luis Mateo rehabbing – About time.
I’m not sure which Double-A team you’re watching, but Kevin Plawecki is not on it.
Hooray for typos.
I get used to names at certain levels sometimes. The stats are still accurate, just the A’s are wrong.
How can .340 AAA Matt Reynolds displace .220 Tejada?
Right now I’d trust Reynolds glove and potential average over Flores’ Who Knows pop, and Tejada’s glove only talents. Conforto power is nice to see!
Great article, this minor league report is very encouraging. Love to see Rosario and Conforto playing well. Conforto may be on a fast path to the MLB, and may be moving through the system quickly next season. Matz is doing great this year as well, hopefully see him called up soon.
Reynolds intrigues me. He is a better glove than Tejada and Flores and a better bat than Tejada. There are only 50 games left. Flores should be getting the starts to see if he can hit in the majors. If Flores can’t field the position then Reynolds should be given the chance. Tejada’s .630 OPS and miniscule .281 SLG does not deserve the playing time he is getting when there are two viable options available. Wouldn’t it be ironic to spend big bucks on a free agent shortstop when there may be one right under your nose?
That Savannah staff of Gant, Gsellman, Whalen and Morris are the next wave of pitchers in the Met system.
I just read that Leathersich pitched back to back games for the first time this year. Why did they wait so long? The good news is that he then got promoted to AAA.
I could focus on so many of the Savannah pitchers that they need to have exceptional outings to make the short list. They’ve been really good. Pitching out of Savannah is always good though.
Conforto needs to be called up, even if it’s only for a short while. He’s destroying the NY-Penn league.
Called up to where? Savannah?
You don’t go from the NY-Penn League to the pros.
The Mets will promote him to another minor league team if Brooklyn falls out of the playoff hunt and he can get “big game experience”
I meant like high A or AA. Obviously Not the majors.
nah let him have fun in Brooklyn and destroy the inferior pitching. the real business can start in St. Lucie next spring.
I’m all for giving Reynolds a shot at the job, if the Mets are simply unable to pull the switch and play Flores regularly. Comparing Reynolds and Tejada at similar ages isn’t really possible; Ruben was brought up so young; but a player who can hit .325 in the Eastern League can hit major league pitching, period. That he has also hit with authority at Vegas certainly doesn’t hurt his case.
And, the Mets need hitting right now. Going into yesterday’s loss, the Mets had played sixteen games since the All Star Break, going 8-8……and batting .204. That is a lot of wasted pitching.
Bring him up!