Here’s a look at 10 Mets minor league hitters who received a midseason promotion. Each of these players accumulated at least 100 PA for two different teams in the organization.
Gavin Cecchini – 12/22/93 (20)
SAL – 259 PA, .259/.333/.408
FSL – 246 PA, .230/.325/.344
Got off to a brutal start in the Hi-A Florida State League but in his last 27 games, has an .862 OPS with a .278 BABIP with an impressive 20 BB and 10 Ks in 113 PA.
Dilson Herrera – 3/3/94 (20)
FSL – 309 PA, .307/.355/.410
EAST – 261 PA, .342/.410/.564
Really started hitting well his last two weeks in Hi-A and has hit even better in Double-A. It’s not far-fetched to imagine him making his MLB debut next September, as he has to be added to the 40-man roster this winter.
Jared King – 10/12/91 (22)
SAL – 132 PA, .231/.371/.375
FSL – 172 PA, .285/.337/.392
A fifth-round pick out of Kansas State in 2013, King has heated up over his last 15 games, batting .333 with an .817 OPS in his last 59 PA. He’s a corner outfielder.
L.J. Mazzilli – 9/6/90 (23)
SAL – 284 PA, .292/.363/.428
FSL – 247 PA, .308/.364/.460
Like King, Mazzilli is a collegiate pick from the 2013 draft. He hit right away upon his promotion and after a brief slump, Mazzilli has a .916 OPS over his last 89 PA.
Jeff McNeil – 4/8/92 (22)
SAL – 265 PA, .332/.401/.461
FSL – 232 PA, .251/.333/.327
Stop me if you’ve heard this before – McNeil was a collegiate pick from the 2013 draft, where he was the club’s pick on the 12th round. It’s been a tough road since his promotion and currently McNeil is in a deep slump. In his last 11 games, he has a .410 OPS.
Brandon Nimmo – 3/27/93 (21)
FSL – .279 PA, .322/.448/.458
EAST – 246 PA, .246/.361/.420
Like Cecchini, Nimmo got off to a tough start after his promotion. But over his last 113 PA, Nimmo has a .900 OPS. He has 11 XBH in this stretch, along with a .394 BABIP. Overall in Double-A, Nimmo has a .781 OPS with a .296 BABIP.
Kevin Plawecki – 2/26/91 (23)
EAST – 249 PA, .326/.378/.487
PCL – 151 PA, .284/.349/.396
Another slow starter, Plawecki had just two hits in his first 23 at-bats in Las Vegas. Since then it’s been a different story, as he’s put up an .806 OPS with a .358 BABIP. Plawecki is making excellent contact but his lack of power in the PCL is a bit of a concern. Even ignoring the terrible start, he has just 7 XBH (5 doubles, 2 homers) in his last 111 ABs.
Matt Reynolds – 12/3/90 (23)
EAST – 242 PA, .355/.430/.422
PCL – 273 PA, .340/.395/.488
Without a doubt the biggest surprise on this list, Reynolds has transformed himself from afterthought to someone who has to be considered in the mix for the starting shortstop job in Queens in 2015. The scouting reports on his defense have not been bad but we should keep in mind that his offensive numbers in Las Vegas were accumulated with a .417 BABIP.
T.J. Rivera – 10/27/88 (25)
FSL – 274 PA, .341/.383/.452
EAST – 196 PA, .367/.403/.452
Rivera has seen time this year at 2B, 3B and SS. He’s played mostly SS for Binghamton, with 29 starts. He’s hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games and has an .888 OPS in that stretch, albeit with a .451 BABIP.
Cory Vaughn – 5/1/89 (25)
EAST – 199 PA, .190/.281/.293
PCL – 215 PA, .220/.321/.371
It looked like the sky was the limit for Vaughn after he hit 14 HR for Brooklyn the year the Mets took him with a fourth-round pick. But it’s been all downhill since then. He does have 3 HR in his last 41 ABs.
*****
The Mets have to be pleased with the overall performance of their hitters who received a mid-year promotion. Herrera is the star of the group and it looks like he’ll force his way onto the MLB roster by age 22. And the adjustments made by Cecchini and Nimmo have also been impressive. As one of the biggest Cecchini detractors around, his recent play has been shocking to me. His success earlier this year in Savannah was all BABIP-fueled. If he can maintain what he’s produced over his last 27 games – and how he’s produced it – going forward, he’ll live up to his draft position.
I know they won’t, but I would bring up Herrera in September and play him at 2B, since he has to be added to the 40-man roster anyway. Collins also probably wants Murphy to get 200 hits, so Herrera would probably sit on the bench.
I’m not sold on Gavin Cecchini he will not be more than two years in MLB, if he does get to the big leagues. The only thing going for him is that he may be the great white hope at SS.
A very good summation of the ten promotions. McNeil is a slight physical person and needs to add some strength and weight and should repeat St Lucie. I don’t think Vaughn will ever make it to the majors. The others have all progressed. I especially liked that the article showed how the promotions were trending because the stat line alone does not tell the story.
TJ Rivera has hit at every level and may be an under the radar player like Reynolds. I am very high on Herera and Plawecki, as I see them both as above average major league players. I am glad they are working Plawecki at first base so that in the future, when his time comes, he could occasionally spell Duda as a RHB at first base.
Mazzilli is another infielder that can hit.
I would be concerned about the power numbers for Plawecki in the hitter friendly PCL, not so much for Reynolds.
The distressing news that the Mets are extending their contract with Las Vegas does not bode well. The impact on the development of pitchers disturbs me even more than the inflation on hitters stats. Young pitchers have to learn their craft and the thinner air makes it harder to gain confidence when ball movement is impacted.
This is another example of ownership/front office dropping the ball so to speak.
In an ideal world the Mets would not have their Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas.
But after getting run out of Norfolk and Buffalo and leaving New Orleans as quickly as we could — perhaps re-upping with an affiliate that has apparently been a good partner is not the worst thing in the world.
I don’t see where pitching in a hostile environment has been detrimental to the development of Wheeler, JDG, Torres, Montero and a bunch of bullpen arms.
It may actually have the opposite effect in that it hurts the hitters more than the pitchers.
The pitchers are humbled in the PCL posting what seem to be mediocre numbers, and also lowering fans expectations.
Meanwhile, the hitters are mashing away feeling great about themselves with high hopes from the fanbase, and then they come up here and realize what they did at Vegas is just a mirage.
totally agree
also agree. If a pitcher can keep the ball in the stadium in Vegas….they should also be able to keep the ball in Citi Field.
Also, also agree. It’s tough enough going from Triple-A to MLB without having to add a huge drop in power to go along with it. Totally screwing with our hitters.
Just announced Matt Reynolds playing in the AFL, which i’m guessing means that he won’t be in the majors this year.
The Dilson gets the call from Bingo to Queens!!!!!
W O W !
too soon? We are starting the clock on what is our best positional prospect at such a young age, in a meaningless season, when we could be working with at least three other players for middle infield.
Not the least of which is his teammate TJ.
just a side note … assume he doesn’t do well in his short time. That would the most likely outcome of what will happen, and that the Mets decide to sign Murph to an extension.
Alternate outcome: Dilson Herrera completes the year in AA, ends up with 14 HR in 290 ABs, then goes to AAA and hits 25-28 in LV. We have Murph signed up long term and probably the fifth best AAA infield prospect in all of baseball.
What is the trade value of Herrera in both situations? I just see this move as incredibly bad strategy longer term, a move that reeks of short term thinking.
So i’m assuming you’re trashing the Cubs front office for bring up guys like Soler and Baez this season too?
There’s nothing wrong with bringing up a guy for a taste of the big leagues. We’ve grown accustomed to Sandy’s style of “once he’s up, he should never go down” style, but there’s nothing wrong with letting a guy get a taste and then demoting him.
He’ll likely start for 2 weeks until Murphy returns, if he tanks, no harm no foul it’s just 2 weeks. If he hits, he gets some confidence heading into the 2015 season and we may feel better about moving Murphy
Soler and Baez? You must be talking about players that, you know, actually played at AAA. But that said, yes, I think that Baez in particular didn’t need this sort of pressure.
As I’ve stated, it amounts to destroying trade value in the intermediate future. If Dilson Herrera goes 1 for 34 with 16 Ks, you’ve taken away the mystery of what he might be.
I can see the value in possibly having the Mets “know what they’ve got” before making a decision on Murph. To me, that’s the only argument on bringing up Herrera – but they should already have a pretty darned good idea about that.
Again, there are other players that have hit nearly as well as Herrera that also need exposure to ML pitching.
If you’re still high on Flores after he has only hit .217 with a .547 OPS over 268 PAs as a 21/22 year old in the major leagues (https://mets360.com/?p=22837) why are you gonna freak out if Herrera might go 1-34 as a 20 year old coming up from AA?
Also, Herrera needs to be added to the 40-man after this season. Not sure who the other players you think need ML are, but they might not need to be added.
As a side note, the Braves bring a lot of their prospects straight from AA to MLB, and they seem to have good success with that…
Name, thank you for making my point for me.
Yes, I am high on Flores. Very much so. And I think the Mets absolutely crushed his trade value by pushing him up the ladder so fast. By your admission, not even mine, he’s worthless in a trade now.
I just think a player should get at the least one full season at AAA before he comes up. There are plenty of examples where I can be proven wrong (the Cardinals as well have had success in moving pitchers up. They got trashed waiting on Taveras too long.).
And of course, adding to the 40 does not mean you expose him to pitching at the ML before his time. But you knew that.
One last point on this:
He’s 20. Do we think he is roughly on par with Trout, Harper, Cabrera, Gooden, The Kid? Mays, Mantle? Players that come up that soon are a very special breed of player and (I’m not saying this applies to you) I really think most fans don’t understand how much a dividing line that age is.
Only one year ago, he was a pretty good prospect, someone you wanted to keep your eye on.
Now he’s ready to hit against Kershaw. OK (yeah, TC won’t play him against that guy). Let’s just say I think there were better options here for the organization.