Matt Den Dekker turned in his third multi-hit game in his last four appearances on Sunday, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a run and an RBI. In his last 15 games, Den Dekker has a .396/.442/.542 line for a .984 OPS in 52 PA. However, his strong play has lasted longer than that. Den Dekker was terrible when he first landed in Triple-A this season, opening up his season with the 51s in a 1-for-25 skid.
But since that miserable beginning, Den Dekker has a .358/.413/.568 line for a .982 OPS over his last 104 PA.
In life, timing is everything. Den Dekker was turning heads in Spring Training until he suffered a wrist injury that landed him on the DL to start the season. While he was recovering from his wrist injury, Juan Lagares put up a .929 OPS in 82 PA for Las Vegas and got a call to the majors. While Den Dekker was working his way back into playing shape, Lagares found consistent playing time and does not appear ready to let go of a starting job anytime soon.
Meanwhile, there are serious issues with Den Dekker. He strikes out too much, he has difficulty against southpaws and like every player in history who’s ever played for the 51s, his stats show a huge home/road split.
Still, if a .929 OPS got Lagares a shot, hopefully a .982 OPS over a longer stretch for Den Dekker will do the same thing. There’s no room on the major league roster right now but hopefully once rosters expand in September he will get a chance. Den Dekker is not currently on the 40-man, which now has just 38 players due to the suspensions for Cesar Puello and Jordany Valdespin. If Den Dekker keeps up his strong play, look to see if the Mets add him to the 40-man later this month, especially since he needs to be added before this year’s Rule 5 Draft, in order to remain in the system.
Triple-A Las Vegas
While he’s expecting a recall to the majors any day, Travis d’Arnaud had his rehab moved to Las Vegas with the Mets playing on the West Coast. In three games with the 51s, he’s 4-for-8 with two doubles and four runs scored.
Robert Carson has now gone six appearances without allowing a run and has picked up two Saves in that stretch. But since his demotion, Carson has a 6.15 ERA and a 2.051 WHIP in 26.1 IP.
Double-A Binghamton
After opening the season with two months to forget, Daniel Muno has been on fire since the beginning of June. He’s got a .933 OPS over his last 259 PA and he’s doing most of his damage on the road.
Last year Alonzo Harris had a fine season and gave hope that he might end up a contributor for the Mets one day. But it’s been a different story this year. Harris has a .589 OPS and is hitless in his last 21 ABs.
After being highlighted by David Groveman last week, Darin Gorski threw 7.2 shutout innings and upped his record to 4-1 with a home win against the Altoona Curve.
Single-A St. Lucie
It was another tough night for Domingo Tapia, who allowed 7 ER in 1.1 IP on Wednesday. It was the third loss in as many games for Tapia, who is 0-7 since recording his last win on April 30th.
It’s not been a particularly good year for toolsy outfielder Gilbert Gomez and July was a month he’d like to forget completely. But after sitting out for a week to start August, Gomez has gone 6-for-14 in his last three games, with two doubles and three runs scored.
Dustin Lawley clubbed a 3-run homer on Saturday and followed that up with a two-hit game Sunday. Both games came in Port St. Lucie, where Lawley has a .933 OPS this season. The 24 year old has a .762 road OPS here in 2013.
Single-A Savannah
Brandon Nimmo has reached base safely in 10 of his 11 games this month. In 50 August PA, he has a .359/.500/.487 slash line. For the season the club’s 2011 top pick has a .747 OPS in 391 PA.
Baseball America recently came out with its annual “Best Tools” issue and Gabriel Ynoa took home honors for “Best Control” in the South Atlantic League. Tuesday he hurled 6.2 shutout innings and did not allow a walk. Ynoa has allowed just 14 BB in 116.2 IP this year. He leads the league with a 1.08 BB/9 and also tops the loop with 13 Wins.
Steven Matz struck out nine batters in five innings Friday night against Hickory. He now has 100 Ks in 91.1 IP for a 9.85 K/9, the fifth-best rate in the league among pitchers with 90 or more innings.
Short-season
Gavin Cecchini (NYP) extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a two-hit game Sunday. During his hitting streak, the 2012 first-round pick has a .383/.408/.468 line.
Chris Flexen (APPY) won his sixth straight decision. He allowed 2 ER in 7 IP in a win against Pulaski on Thursday. It’s the second season in Kingsport for the 18 year old, but he’s seem his ERA drop from 5.62 last year to 2.39 here in 2013.
Octavio Acosta (GULF) won his first game of the year when he allowed just two hits over six scoreless innings Monday against the Marlins. In five games as a starter, the 23-year-old Acosta has allowed 7 ER in 30.2 IP for a 2.05 ERA. Acosta played in the Dominican Summer League in both 2010 and 2012 but missed the entire 2011 season due to injury.
Each day that Lagares performs at near NL average offense is another nail in the coffin for MDD’s Met career. It would be wise to add him to the 40 man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft but a call up in Sept to only take time from Lagares is not wise at this time. MDD will probably be insurance for CF tucked away in AAA in 2014.
d’Arnaud belongs up now. Soon as Buck’s wife has her fawn, we should see Travis up permanently with Recker back in September.d’Arnaud should also get 75% of the playing time.
Muno has put up nice OPS #’s in the minors and each year has played a few games at SS. Next year he will 25 yoa and in AAA so the question is can he be a ML backup middle infielder? Maybe organizational insurance also.
Tapia has an electric arm and is young but if he doesn’t straighten out by mid 2014 then he should go the bullpen route.
Ynoa and Matz, the next wave of Met young arms.
Brian, you forgot to add that our newest minor leaguer has auditioned at 1B at AAA. Finally someone in the front office has seen the light.
At this point it’s not Lagares or MDD. They should be playing at the same time because they both need ABs.
Should the Mets keep their present OF lineup in insignificant games in order to maintain a winning attitude? Practically you are correct and Young should sit but psychologically is this the right message to send to a team that sucked in May and June? Statistically you can easily prove that MDD should play, and a big part of me agrees but the other part of me says is MDD ever going to impact the Mets future anyway? The insignificant winning makes me feel better as a fan so how does it make the current squad? You can’t teach a winning attitude, you can only experience it. Young will probably be the utility OF and 2B in 2014. Why screw with his head.
How? How can show statistically that a guy with a 700 … SEVEN HUNDRED … point split is EVER going to be anything more than an 8th inning replacement? How can you show that a guy with that split AND that strikes out anywhere between 25 and 33% of the time (10 in his last 31 ABs) is going to be part of this team?
Just to level set here, does anyone think that MDD has a shot at playing time *anywhere* but in NY for the Mets? Yes, EYJ is below replacement (and barely). That doesn’t elevate Matt.
Honestly. I had to look that 700 number up three times because it seemed so completely unbelievable to me.
I don’t believe for a second that Matt has completely recovered from his injury. Let him finish the year out, get healthy, and instead of bringing him up to the majors and destroying what confidence he has in September, let him challenge Young in March.
OK, so if he hasn’t completely recovered from his injury, what kind of line is he going to put up when healthy? A .982 OPS over his last 104 PA is even more impressive for an injured guy.
There is nothing at all impressive about a 982 OPS. Really? Brown had a 1.1 didn’t he? What did JV have … a 1.7 OPS? Please.
It’s better than what Lagares did.
Why are you so down on Lagares? I just dont get it. He got called up before he was ready. Learned the game, got his chances, and making the most of it. There’s not one thing more about his accomplishments I could hope for. He’s playing the game right inside and outside (he is an ACES client and unlike Puello et al is not linked to being a cheater) the lines. So far every other person thats been put in CF has been a real disappointment, including Cowgill, Kirk, and den Dekker. I wouldnt take one AB from Lagares to test drive MdD in CF. Period.
If I come across as “down” on Lagares – I don’t mean to do that. I’ve been unbelievably pleasantly surprised at what he’s done.
If anything, I’m down on the extended shot he was given to find himself that others didn’t get. Be that as it may, I thoroughly enjoy what he’s given the club and I will continue to enjoy it as long as it lasts.
And as a side note … why are we going to give ABs to MDD, and not to Andrew Brown, who now owns 180 major league at bats with 9 HRs to his credit over the last two years?
Brown sports a 730 OPS. yeah, I don’t think he’s a starter either. But at the plate he’s light years ahead of DD. If you’re gonna sit Byrd, play Brown. He’ll strike out 40 times in September alone, but at least that itch will have been scratched and thoroughly.
Didn’t we learn anything by Colin Cowgill?
So, strikeouts are a problem for MDD but you’re willing to put up with 40 in September from Brown?
Brown’s reward is that he’s spent most of the season in the majors. Maybe he’ll be back in 2014 as a reserve outfielder for the Mets. But I’m not curious what he would do with more PT. For better or worse, I’ve made up my mind on Brown. I think MDD deserves a chance to show what he’s got – both at the plate and especially in the field.
I’m glad you’ve made up your mind on a guy with 20-25 HR potential (1 HR every 20 AB/500 AB season).
If DD has any ability, he can show it. Next year.
Let’s review two numbers one more time.
SEVEN HUNDRED.
THIRTY PERCENT.
No thanks.
Using all caps convinced me – no one in history has ever used capital letters and been wrong. Thanks for the clarification.
Is it really possible for the removal from the starting lineup of one player in September who did not even start the year with the team to kill the winning attitude? Does EY Jr. possess some magic elixir that spurs his mates to great heights, only it doesn’t work if he’s not starting?
Besides, there’s no reason that Young, Lagares, Byrd and MDD can’t split playing time in the final weeks of the season. Without looking at the schedule, let’s say there’s 20 games left when MDD gets promoted. With 60 OF spots available, that’s 15 games apiece if they split it equally. And that’s not even counting a spot start or two at 2B for Young.
MDD is pretty unlikely to more than a bench guy with the splits problems he has and the Ks. If he comes up, Id platoon him with Byrd to give him a rest against some righty pitching. Not a chance Id give him a single start in CF with Lagares playing so well, and hitting lefty/righty equally.
I have mixed feelings about the insignificant wins. The Mets fan in me always says “believe”, but the rational mind would cry over a higher draft.
They asked Keith Hernandez last night. “Let’s say the Mets are out of the playoff hunt but could finish the season around .500. Would you sit Byrd to let Den Dekker play?”
I side with Keith and play the kid.
Gorski is looking like he should be in the rotation discussion for the 2014 team. Mind you that: Dillon Gee, Jeremy Hefner, Jenrry Mejia, Rafael Montero, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard are also in the discussion for the final two rotation spots.
Tapia has shown a tendancy to break down in terms of IP without actually getting “hurt”. He needs to be moved into relief.
I’d like to see Nimmo run more often.
Ynoa and Matz (and maybe Rainy Lara) will be the headline starters for Port St. Lucie in 2014.
Also… as much as we don’t like the pick. It’s good to see Gavin hitting.
Talk about striking out too much,geez Nimmo!Way over a K per game in the low minors.
I think its safe to say Robert Carson’s days are numbered. I would be shocked to see his name on the 40 man roster next year. Actually, I’d be shocked if he was on any Mets Minor League team’s roster.