Ten Best Relief Pitchers in the Mets System in 2012

by John Vittas

 1. Armando Rodriguez

Rodriguez’ move to the bullpen in 2012 was a huge success. Pitching in smaller doses made him much more effective and accelerated his development, transforming Rodriguez from an average Minor League starter into one of the best relief prospects in the system.

He K/9 ratio came in at 9.23 and he only allowed 61 hits in 77 innings in his first year of Double-A. On top of that, Rodriguez has backed up his summer season with an even stronger performance in the Dominican Winter League, allowing only 11 hits in 25 and two-thirds innings.

Armando is a large, large man with a powerful arm. He is a high-effort thrower with a big fastball who can intimidate any hitter. Therefore, the bullpen always seemed like a more logical fit, but his quality stuff kept the Mets hopeful he could be a starter. If he can limit his walks and continue to develop his off-speed repertoire, the sky is the limit for the big righty from the Dominican.

Rodriguez is likely to begin 2013 in Triple-A, and as long as he performs well there, we could be seeing him in Flushing at some point this season.

Armando Rodriguez

2. Bobby Parnell

Bobby Parnell had a breakout year in 2012 and was the only bright spot in a bullpen of disappointments.

The North Carolina fireballer has finally figured out the Major Leagues, and is now widely considered a legit Big League set-up man.

And there are three reasons why.

One, he finally developed a good off-speed pitch. The best thing the Mets got out of Jason Isringhausen in 2011 was the knuckle curve he taught Bobby Parnell. It has made Parnell a different pitcher.  Instead of a 92-mph power slider to keep hitters off-balanced (which was really more of a cutter), Parnell can now drop a mid-80s hammer that has so much more break and is capable of devastating knees.

The second career-changing reform was that Parnell knows when he needs to dial up his triple digit fastball and when he should dial it back to focus on location. He has shown a greater propensity to paint the outside corner each and every season since he came up.

The third reason is that he learned how to pop hitters inside with that big-time fastball. The combination of his knee-buckling curve and handcuffing fastball equaled a 2.49 ERA, easily the best season of his career.

The best part about Parnell’s campaign was that he finished strong, not allowing a run over the final four weeks of the season. He didn’t give up more than one earned run in any appearance after June 10, and never gave up more than two runs in any game. Second Half ERA: 2.14

Writers have attached Parnell to the term “untouchable” when it comes to trade offers the Mets have fielded for him. He’s under team control for three more years and is as valuable as any player on the team.

Bobby Parnell

3. John Mincone, LHP

John Mincone came out of nowhere in 2012. The Mets found him struggling in the Frontier League prior to signing him to a Minor League deal earlier this year.

The Long Island native was assigned to the New York-Penn League’s Brooklyn Cyclones, likely because the Mets did not sign a single left-handed draft pick in 2012.

Well, he dominated. Mincone pitched 29 and one-third innings, giving up just 19 hits and six walks. That’s a WHIP of 0.84, good for second best of any reliever in the Mets organization. Oh, and if you’re thinking lefty specialist, Mincone held left-handed hitters to a .119 average.

John grew up just 45 minutes from Shea Stadium, residing in Dix Hills and graduating from Half Hollow Hills High School. He stayed in New York to play college ball as well, pitching for Suffolk Community College West.  It was from there that he transferred to JMU and was drafted by the Cubs in the 11^th round in 2009.

Chicago shattered Mincone’s dreams within three years, which proved to be nothing a little home cooking couldn’t cure, as he signed with New York. Mincone’s still not considered a Major League prospect, but at the very least he’s earned himself another shot.

4. Logan Taylor

Remember how Mincone had the second best WHIP in the system in 2012? Well Logan Taylor was #1.

The professional sample size is small (less than 20 innings), but the results have been staggeringly good. The righty out of East Oklahoma State proved that the NYPL was no match for him, posting an ERA below 1 and striking out a batter per inning.

With a heater that touches 94 miles an hour, this 11^th rounder could prove to be a steal.

5. Jack Leathersich

Pitching with High-A St. Lucie wasn’t a total success for the lefty from Massachusetts, but Leathersich can still strike out the world, punching out 113 hitters in 72 innings. No, that’s not a typo.

His deceptive delivery, plus slider and low-90s fastball has proved to be a lethal combination, but he got much more hittable after his promotion to St. Lucie. His H/9 numbers went from a ridiculous 3.75 with Savannah to 7.69 at the next level.

He was still very effective, which is why he’s #5 on this list, but Leathersich struggled with runners on base, which explains his 4.13 Florida State League ERA despite his great peripheral numbers.

I’m interested to see if the Mets launch the Leather Rocket in Double-A to start the season.

Jack Leathersich

6. Paul Sewald

Paul Sewald was one of many dominant relievers for Rich Donnelly and the Cyclones in 2012, but he may have been the most reliable, going more than an inning in the majority of his outings.

The tenth rounder out of San Diego had, quite frankly, the best strikeout to walk ratio I’ve ever seen: 17.5 (35 Ks, 2 BBs in 28 2/3 IPs)

That bodes very well for his Major League potential. The Mets may even consider moving him to a full-season rotation in 2013 to see what he’s really made of.

The Bishop Gorman H.S. grad went 8-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 14 starts with San Diego in 2012, with much more modest peripheral numbers.

Paul Sewald

7. David Wynn

I don’t know what you would call a 5-foot-10-inch NAIA pitcher who posted a 7.14 ERA for Mid-American Christian University, but a Major League prospect would not be one of them.

Well, the Mets scouts seemed to have found a diamond in the rough with David Wynn. Minor League pitching instructors turned Wynn, the man who fits that description, into a shutdown professional reliever.

He allowed just 12 hits in 25 innings, after giving up 98 in 80 innings in his final season at MACU. Wynn allowed only one home run in 21 outings and finished up his first Minor League tour with a 1.44 ERA.

8. Josh Edgin

If you perform well in the Minor Leagues, you will progress rapidly until you reach the Major Leagues. No player exemplifies that principle more than Josh Edgin.

Edgin went from Rookie-ball Kingsport to the Major Leagues in two years by dominating every level, posting a career 2.38 Minor League ERA and striking better than 10 batters per nine innings.

Edgin started the year in Double-A and made it to Flushing by mid-July.

He is one of only three relievers to be guaranteed a spot on this year’s squad, primarily because he held left-handed hitters to a .164 average in the Majors.

All three levels added up, the Francis Marion grad struck out 75 batters in 69 innings and maintained that pace at the Major League level. He’ll have a chance to blossom into a true set-up man in 2013, and with his repertoire considered, I bet he will.

Josh Edgin

9. Tyler Vanderheiden

The 19^th round submariner has a long way to go with his secondary offerings, but Vanderheiden has proven he can dominate the lower levels with his nasty sinker.

It’s hard to fathom that the Southern Conference handled Tyler better than the New York-Penn League, but that’s exactly what happened. Vanderheiden pitched to a 3.34 ERA at Samford, but lowered that to 0.82 with Brooklyn (similar innings totals at both).

He saved 12 games for the Cyclones despite a high WHIP, showing he can handle a little pressure.

Not that this term is thrown around very often, but Vanderheiden projects as a righty-specialist who comes in and rolls groundball double plays for a living.

10. Adam Kolarek

Kolarek is another guy whose pro numbers far surpass his college statistics. Two years removed from a mid-4’s ERA and walk rate in the 5’s, Kolarek has developed into a legitimate Major League relief prospect.

The 11^th round pick out of Maryland did not allow a single run for over a month to begin the season. He finished his time in St. Lucie with a 2.37 ERA and struck out 70 batters in 57 innings, the second best K-rate of any full-season reliever (best: Jack Leathersich).

Adam has continued to develop his slider and two-seamer to complement his already-reliable fastball-changeup combo. His velocity and numbers suggest he should factor into the Big League club at some point.

Adam Kolarek

Top 10 Mets Minor League Surprises of 2012

by John Vittas

10. John Mincone

When the Mets signed southpaw John Mincone as a Minor League free agent in 2012, they couldn’t have expected him to be much more than the local guy Long Islanders could root for when they made the drive to Brooklyn to see a Cyclones game.  The Mets rescued him from the Frontier League, where he was stinking it up for the Windy City Thunderbolts, and walking more hitters than he struck out.

But the Dix Hills native and former James Madison University standout found a level even he didn’t know he had. Not only did Mincone put up solid numbers in the New York-Penn League, he put up some of the best numbers in the entire Mets organization.

In 29 and one-third innings, Mincone allowed only six runs, while striking out 29 and walking only six. That’s good for an ERA of 1.82 and a walk rate that ranks in top ten of all Mets relievers.

But the best part of Mincone’s season was that he was nearly unhittable, giving up just 5.78 hits per nine innings, ranking fifth out of about 55 eligible relief pitchers in the system.

Mincone and his remarkable comeback may have just earned himself another chance at The Show in 2013.

John Mincone

9. Brooklyn Cyclones Rotation

The Brooklyn rotation was every bit of spectacular, splendid, sensational, whatever positive “S” word you select. Including six. The six-man rotation of young, Hispanic aces proved to embarrass every New York-Penn League opponent.

Hansel Robles was the best one statistically, although they all were great. Robles, a 22-year old Dominican, allowed just nine earned runs in over 72 innings, surrendering only 47 hits. That equates to a 1.12 ERA and a WHIP of 0.79. He led the league in ERA and opponent’s batting average (.184). Robles capped his monumental campaign with a 4-hit shutout with 10 strikeouts in a playoff game against the eventual NYPL champions, Hudson Valley Renegades.

Even though Robles has never pitched above A-ball, the Mets added him to the 40-man roster this winter, presumably to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.

But it’s also a possibility Robles could be given a chance to make the Mets bullpen this year. His fastball reaches the mid-90s, he can throw four pitches and has very sound mechanics. So, the Mets could give him a fighter’s chance this Spring.

Gabriel Ynoa touched 93 on the gun and features a very effective changeup, making him unique to many of the Mets prospects.

At 19-years-old, Ynoa appears to be ahead of the game, also recording tremendous numbers in Brooklyn (2.23 ERA, 0.93 WHIP).

The third best starter statistically was Luis Mateo, who led the Cyclones in strikeouts, with a crazy-high total of 85 in 73 innings.

Mateo can dominate with his slider and mid-90s fastball, and could progress very quickly, potentially as a reliever.

Baseball America recently named his slider the best in the system and shockingly ranked him as the 4^th best prospect in the system. He hasn’t even sniffed the top ten in any other rankings, but if nothing else, it shows Mateo is starting to make some noise.

Rainy Lara also has a good changeup and Luis Cessa has shown solid command and good velocity as well.

Julian Hilario was the weak-link of the staff, posting a 3.24 ERA and a .500 record. I kid.

All in all, the Brooklyn rotation posted an ERA of 2.37 and a WHIP right around 1. Downright dominating.

Cyclones pitching coach Marc Valdes deserves a ton of credit, as does the entire Mets pitching development staff. This group young pitchers is a true testament to the coaching the Mets have in their farm system. All of these guys have been nurtured by the team since they were signed as young teenagers.

Gabriel Ynoa dominated the NYPL at 19-years old

8. Cam Maron

Maron posted his third straight .300 season, but this time it was with a full-season team and in a league known for it’s pitching.

The South Atlantic League is usually a pitcher’s paradise, so Cam’s .300 average distinguishes itself nicely.

He still has a long way to go, but the Hicksville High School star is making his way up the latter by consistently hitting. Given his position is catcher, his progression will be brisk if Maron keeps hitting.

Kid’s a die-hard Mets fan, so you’ve got to root for him. He turned down college scholarships for 34^th-round money so he could play for the team he loved growing up on Long Island.

7. Dustin Lawley

In his first full professional season after being drafted out of West Florida in 2011, Dustin Lawley was a man of production in the pitcher-happy SAL.

The Alabama-bred righty occupied several positions on the diamond and was virtually never on the bench. Lawley finished top-10 in the organization in RBI (66), hits, at bats, doubles, runs and total bases.

After a long, healthy season, Lawley continued to flex his durability muscles by spending October in the Arizona Fall League, where he acquitted himself nicely against the game’s top prospects.

If Dustin shows the same type of production in St. Lucie in 2013, he could become a very interesting prospect as a reliable, utility-man.

Dustin Lawley in his West Florida days

6. Alonzo Harris

After four years slogging through the lower levels of the system, Alonzo Harris has finally made a name for himself thanks to a breakout season in year number five.

Harris had the rap of being a one-dimensional player, with that great trait being speed. Baseball America donned Alonzo the title of the best baserunner in the system, and with Jose Reyes and Angel Pagan a distant memory, nobody would argue with that.

The Mississippi missile stole a system-high 40 bases and legged out seven triples this past season.

But it’s not the speed numbers that surprised people in 2012; it was his hitting. Harris set new career-highs in many categories, including extra-base-hits, OPS, OBP, walks, stolen bases, triples and doubles.

When you look at his splits, the former football star is an even more encouraging hitter. Harris hit left-handed pitching at a .353 clip (!), which is something the Mets desperately need. He also got stronger as the season went along, batting .330 in the final month of August. Last but certainly not least, the McCombs High School grad raised his game with people on base, posting a .303 average in those crucial situations.

5. Jacob DeGrom

Often Tommy John surgery is a death sentence for Minor League pitchers, yet Jacob DeGrom has not only been salvaged, but improved.

The former Stetson star flashed a consistent mid-90s fastball after the surgery and got through the season healthy and effective.

How does a 9-3 record with a 2.43 ERA sound? How about a 7.36 H/9 and a walk rate so small you can barely see it? (1.62 BB/9) Well, that’s what DeGrom posted in his first year back from major surgery.

If he continues to refine his slider and changeup, this Florida boy could be an impact Major League pitcher within two years.

Jacob DeGrom

4. Steven Matz

Not sure what kind of fairy dust Dr. David Altchek keeps in his magical knife, but 2009 second-round pick Steven Matz has returned from Tommy John surgery good-as-new too.

His fastball has been clocked as high as 98 mph. this year and as you might expect, he dominated the Appalachian League with that kind of stuff.

Granted it was only six starts, but the Long Island phenom stuck out 34 batters in 29 innings and gave up just 16 hits.

The reason these kind of numbers are a surprise for a second-round pick is because most experts had written Matz off after he failed to reach a professional mound in his first three years since being drafted.

While he still has a very long way to go, it’s now clear that the Steven’s potential is still there.

3. David Wynn

Had he pitched more innings, David Wynn could have the biggest surprise in the system this year not just because of his results, but because of where he came from.

In his final season for Mid-American Christian University, the California native gave up 98 hits in 80 innings while recording an ERA of over seven!

With his career seemingly over, the Mets signed Wynn before the season in 2012. He took full advantage of the opportunity, adapting to the bullpen and earned a 1.44 ERA in Brooklyn this season.

Props to whichever scout found Wynn out in Oklahoma. It’s a great story that will only get better if David continues to succeed.

2. Rafael Montero

Montero has taken the ultimate fast-track through the system. He was signed much later than most Dominicans (Age 20) and has progressed through the six lower levels of the Mets system in a year and a half.

Some pitchers will take 3-4 years to get from the Dominican Summer League to the Florida State League, and Montero has done it in a shocking 16 months.

His best progress came this year when he dominated A-ball. Rafael made his first twelve starts with Savannah, going 6-3 with a 2.52 ERA and only walking eight batters.

His numbers in High-A St. Lucie were even better. Montero held opponents to a .196 average and improved his strikeout rate against even more advanced hitters.

His size (barely 6-feet) will always be a detriment to scouts, but his impeccable control and nasty changeup have propelled Montero into a top-10 prospect.

Rafael Montero

1. T.J. Rivera

It’s been a long and windy road for the Bronx native, but TJ Rivera is hitting his way to the up per levels of the Minor Leagues.

Rivera came out of Lehman High School and played two years for Wallace Community College before finishing off his eligibility at Troy University.

With seemingly no place to go upon graduation, Rivera got a call from the Mets and was signed to play rookie ball at the far-too-old age of 22.

Well Rivera is now 24 and has hit his way up to High-A ball. His 2012 campaign featured a .320 average and an OPS of .815.

He’s considered the biggest surprise because for a guy whose not even considered a prospect, his numbers are off the charts. His totals in RBIs, OBP%, Runs Scored, Total Bases, Doubles, Triples, OPS and strikeout rate all rank among the top-10 in the Mets system.

With numbers like that, he’s a prospect in my book. 

T.J. Rivera playing for Troy University