Daily Archives: June 5, 2008
The Game:
The Mets (30-28) face the Padres (24–37) tonight in San Diego at 10 pm, in the first game of a four-game series.
The Lineup:
- SS Jose Reyes
- 2B Luis Castillo
- 3B David Wright
- OF Carlos Beltran
- OF Ryan Church
- 1B Carlos Delgado
- C Brian Schneider
- OF Endy Chavez
- SP Mike Pelfrey
The Pitchers:
Mike Pelfrey (2-6, 4.98 ERA) will start for the Mets. He will be making his first start against San Diego, and looking for his first win since April 15. Pelfrey is is 0-6 with a 5.77 ERA in his last seven starts. He’s 0-2 with a 9.64 ERA in three road starts.
Josh Banks (2-0, 0.00) will start for the Padres. He has not allowed an earned run in 14 innings pitched this season, while striking out 10 and walking five.
The Bleachers:
For a live chat, head over to The Hot Foot Bleachers.
…this will be an interesting game, in that the Mets rarely hit the young pitcher who they’ve never faced before…hopefully, this will not be the case tonight…let’s go Mets…
MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo will appear as a guest tonight during 
‘s Pre Game Show, prior to tonight’s game, which airs live starting at 9:30 pm EDT.
Mayo will talk with Matt Yalloff by phone, live from the draft in Orlando, about the players selected by the Mets this afternoon.
…i have had the chance to talk with a few people connected to the team, as well as some minor league gurus, and the consensus seems to be that the Mets did well with their first three picks…
…i’m finding that most people feel OF-1B Ike Davis was the best bat available, who could reach the majors sooner than later, and so he fit right in with what the Mets had hoped to do on the day…also, the Mets seem to be getting a lot of love for selecting 2B-SS Reese Havens, since a) he is said to have great instincts, b) is more than capable of playing multiple positions, and c) he is quite refined, meaning he could move quickly through their farm system, given the talent that will be ahead of him…from what i can gather, several teams, including the Red Sox, were very high on reese…
…i can’t get a read on RHP Brad Holt, who a) is not a hitter, which most people still expected the Mets to be targeting at that point in the draft, and b) he was not necessarily viewed as the best available pitcher at that point either…so, i can only assume they saw something in him that other teams did not…
…personally, it all sounds good to me…i don’t put a whole lot of stock in to the actual talent, since the odds of any one of these kids panning out are so little…to me, what’s most important is that the Mets went about the draft in the best possible way, and it appears that was the case today…
Tagged Reese Havens |
The Mets selected OF Javier Rodriguez from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy High School in the second round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Ranking him the 102nd best prospect in the draft, Baseball America writes:
He is the best pure hitter from Puerto Rico and has good bat speed. With a lean, athletic body, Rodriguez should have the ability to add muscle to his long frame. He shows above-average raw power to the pull side, though there is some length to his swing. Rodriguez is an average to above-average runner, clocking in at 6.7 seconds in the 60-yard dash.
The Mets have promoted infielder Abraham Nunez from Triple-A New Orleans, and have demoted Nick Evans, who will return to Double-A Binghamton.
Nunez will wear No. 6 and be available for tonight’s game.
The Mets have drafted RHP Brad Holt from UNC-Wilmington with the third pick in the supplemental first round.
Calling him a fast riser, Baseball America wrote:
His fastball has improved since arriving in Wilmington and now sits between 92-94 mph, touching 96… He is able to maintain his velocity deep into games. [He has] vastly improved command. Holt at 6-foot-4, 195 pounds, has a perfect pro body with a clean delivery and a first-round arm… The only thing holding him back is the lack of a usable secondary pitch…. Even though his secondary stuff is in need of refinement, teams will not walk away from the pro body, strong arm and life on the fastball.
…hard throwing righty with upside… I like the pick…
The Mets have drafted SS Reese Havens from South Carolina with their second first-round pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.
For video and information on Havens, go to MLB.com, where they write:
“A legitimate prospect in high school, teams were scared off because of a strong commitment to South Carolina. He’s improved steadily in his three years there and has evolved into a good all-around hitter with outstanding plate discpline. He may need to move to third down the road because of his lack of range, but his smarts in the field may at least give him the opportunity to play his way off of short as a pro. At either spot, he’s sure to go off the board pretty quickly.”
According to ESPN’s Keith Law, during his appearance on ESPN 2, Havens is a ‘great baseball player,’ with ‘great eye-hand coordination, and ‘great instincts.’
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Peter Gammons noted that most teams view Havens as a potential catcher, ‘like a Russell Martin type.’
…Update… 4:34 PM…
John Manuel of Baseball America writes about Reese:
Tagged Reese Havens |Havens resuscitated his career in the Cape Cod League last summer, changing his approach and moving his hands in his swing, and his power took off this spring. He takes a healthy hack but after struggling for two seasons, he took off this year and profiles as an offensive infielder. More than likely, he fits better at second base or third.
The Mets have drafted 1B-OF Ike Davis from Arizona State with their first pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.
For video and information on Davis, go to MLB.com, who writes, “Davis has a sweet left-handed swing that should generate more power in the future. He’s not speedy, but he is a solid base runner and would be fine as a corner outfielder or first baseman at the next level.”
According to ESPN.com:
“Davis, the son of former big league reliever Ron Davis, is a hulking power-hitting first baseman with a plus arm and a long swing…When he connects, he has plus raw power and would easily hit 30-plus homers in the majors if he can make enough contact. At first base, he’s a good athlete and provides a big target for infielders’ throws, but is still raw and a little uncoordinated. Davis is also a prospect as a left-handed pitcher, throwing 92-94 mph with below-average secondary stuff, but prefers to go pro as a position player.”
During ESPN 2’s broadcast of the draft, Keith Law said that Davis was the best power-hitting, college hitter left on the board, adding, “He could be a 25–30 home run hitter if everything clicks.”
…hat’s off to MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, who had been predicting this selection for the last three weeks…
The Mets will draft at No. 22 in the first round as well.
MLB’s 2008 First-Year Player Draft has begun.
The Mets have three of the first 33 picks, including the No. 18 and No. 22 overall picks.
…Update…2:15 pm…
If you’d like to watch the draft on ESPN 2, go to MLB.com, as they’re streaming it live.
…Update…2:17 pm…
Why is this even important?
The Draft is extra important this season, because, as SNY’s Ted Berg just yelled in the office, “free agency is dead.”
I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but his point is understood, which is that when teams like the Rays are locking up Evan Longoria and his 80 major-league at bats to a six-year deal, at a low annual salary, it means the emphasis on home-grown talent is more important than ever.
Couple that to the fact the Mets have not had a first-round pick in two years, but now have three of the first 33 picks, and you’ve got a some-what important day here.
…Update…2:25 pm…
To follow each pick, go to MLB.com and load their Draft Tracker.
…Update…2:30 pm…
The Royals just selected 1B Eric Hosmer, who was among the highest rated players in the draft, a Scott Boras client and a player who likely command a large signing bonus.
And so, if the Royals are not fearful of the Commisioner’s Office, and the slotting system, the Mets should not be as well.
According to Peter Gammons on ESPN, Hosmer could end up becoming the best power hitter in the draft.
…Update…2:44 pm…
The Mets were said to be looking to draft a college bat.
So far, of the first six picks, only one has been a pitcher.
…Update…3:00 pm…
C Jason Castro has been drafted by the Astros.
ESPN and MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo had suggested the Mets may have drafted Castro had he been available.
…Update…3:40 pm…
The above statement can also be said for 1B Justin Smoak, C Brett Lawrie, RHP Ethan Martin and 2B Jemile Weeks, who were all just drafted.
The Mets are on deck, and should be making their first pick in the next 10 minutes or so.
…Update…3:45 pm…
The Blue Jays have selected 1B David Cooper, meaning the Mets are officially on the clock.
…Update…3:50 pm…
The Mets have drafted 1B-OF Ike Davis from Arizona State with their first pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.
For more on Davis, see my post here.
…Update…4:00 pm…
I would like to see the Mets go for another bat, thus maximizing their chances of developing a hitter.
Then, if he’s still available, I am really hoping they can select 2B-SS Cutter Dysktra, Lenny’s son.
…Update…4:16 pm…
The Mets have drafted SS Reese Havens from South Carolina with their second first-round pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.
The Padres then selected Allan Dysktra, who is not Cutter – they are two different people.
…Update…4:32 pm…
Jordan Zakarin, from MetsMinorLeagueBlog.com, will be blogging on this post from this point forward.
…Update…5:15 pm…
The Brewers have drafted Jake Odorizzi with the third pick in the compensation round, which means the Mets are on the clock.
…Update…5:15 pm…
The Mets have drafted RHP Brad Holt from UNC-Wilmington with the third pick in the compensation round.
…Update…6:45 pm…
The Mets have drafted OF Javier Rodriguez, from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy High School, with the 22nd pick of the second round.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, over the last three seasons, the Mets are 63–25 (.716) when Jose Reyes scores a first-inning run and they’re 144–137 (.512) when he does not.
In the same time frame, the 29 other major league teams have a .638 winning percentage when their leadoff batter scores in the first inning.
…first off, that is amazing research by the gang at Elias, who probably do not get enough credit for what they do…
…second, like my grandmother always says, “As Jose Reyes goes, the Mets must follow.”…good old, grandma…
According to Scott Lauber from the News Journal, Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins was pulled after the fourth inning after not running hard on a pop fly to shallow left field in the third.
Lauber writes, “It seems highly unlikely that Charlie Manuel would pull the reigning NL MVP for lack of hustle, but thus far, we’ve received no status report on any possible injuries. Typically, when a player is injured, we receive an update a few innings later.”
By the way, in searching for an image of Rollins, I stumbled upon his webpage, JimmyRollins.com, which, when the page loads, greets you with a song that sings, “M.V.P., the most valuable, M.V.P., oh, so infallible, M.V.P.”
…kill me…kill me, now…
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