Mets Daily Farm System Report - 8/2: Lutz Gets Physical

New York Mets Daily Farm System Report - Results from the afternoon/night of Sunday August 1, 2010

The Usual Suspects

AAA - Buffalo (54-53)

AA - Binghamton (54-55)

• CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis: 1-4, 2B, RBI, R, BB, K (.291/.340/.514)
• LF Sean Ratliff: 0-3, 2 BB, 2 K, E(5) (.331/.366/.602) Third straight game with an error for the natural center fielder
• 2B Josh Satin: 2-5, 2 R, BB (.311/.408/.437) Seven game hit streak, fourth straight with two hits
• DH Zach Lutz: 2-4, 2 HR(13), 4 RBI, 2 R, BB, K (.293/.416/.612) Ridiculous .300 ISO in 2010
• SP Josh Stinson: 6.2 IP, 1 ER (1 unearned), 5 H, 1 BB, 2 K, HB (9-1, 3.47, 103.2 IP, 95 H, 43 BB, 67 K, 4 HR)
• RP Manny Alvarez: 2.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, 5 K, 1 HR (3-1, 2.78, 5 S, 32.1 IP, 24 H, 5 BB, 38 K, 2 HR)  After going his first 43 appearances (57.2 IP) without surrendering a bomb he's now done so in his last two consecutive games

Hi-A - St. Lucie (51-54)

• CF Pedro Zapata: 0-4, BB, 2 K (.258/.303/.355)
• 2B Jordany Valdespin: 1-4, 2B, RBI, R, 3 K (.304/.340/.457) Has at least one hit in all five games since the suspension
• SS Wilmer Flores: 0-4, RBI (.310/.319/.411) 0 for last 16
• 1B Stefan Welch: 1-4, HR(7), 2 RBI, R, K (.270/.339/.414) After a .190 July, this Aussie was glad to turn the calendar page
• SP Jeurys Familia: 5 IP, 5 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 5 K, WP, HB (2-8, 6.30, 84.1 IP, 85 H, 62 BB, 83 K, 4 HR) The 1.70 GB:FB rate is still nice but just about everything else stinks
• Especially with the recent loss of OF Juan Lagares, I wouldn't be shocked to see OF Darrell Ceciliani skip Savannah and join the reeling Mets 

SS-A Brooklyn (30-13)

• CF Darrell Ceciliani: 2-4, CS(8) (.391/.444/.562) Ten game hit streak
• RF Cory Vaughn: 2-5, R, K (.309/.395/.568)
• SS Rylan Sandoval: 3-5, RBI, R, CS(5), E(8) (.333/.406/.564) Nine game hit streak
• C Blake Forsythe: 1-3, HR(1), 2 K (.242/.333/.394) First pro homer
• SP Angel Cuan: 5.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 1 BB, 10 K, 1 HR (5-0, 1.68, 53.2 IP, 44 H, 10 BB, 41 K, 1 HR) High K total hurt the pitch count but no matter, Cuan was dominant tonight (though that was his first HR allowed in 2010)
• The 'Clones will be giving out these awesome, upside-down Ike Davis bobbleheads to the first 2,500 fans tonight.  Question:  Does the head still bobble?

RK Kingsport (18-21)

• 3B Aderlin Rodriguez: 2-4, K (.297/.345/.555)
• RF Javier Rodriguez: 0-2, BB, K (.329/.361/.514) The walk nearly cancels out 0-fer
• CF Chase Greene: 0-4 (.304/.350/.429)
• LF ZeErika McQueen: 1-4, RBI, R (.281/.327/.373) Batting .190 in over last ten; even worse, he (and Dock Doyle) were eliminated in the second round of the Minors Moniker Madness tourney

RK GCL Mets (17-17)

• LF Julio Concepcion: DNP (.301/.341/.522)
• CF Matt Den Dekker: 0-3; Pro debut from the fifth rounder out of the U. of Florida; you may remember him from this sensational catch, or maybe this one
• RF Tillman Pugh: 2-4, BB, K; first pro hits for Pugh who can handle the leather himself, as you can see here or here; damn that's gonna be a good defensive OF
• SS Randoll Santana: 1-5, 2 RBI, K (.257/.341/.330)
• SP Marcos Camarena: 6 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 4 K (1-2, 3.27, 22 IP, 22 H, 4 BB, 12 K)

Star of the Night

Easy choice today, Binghamton's 3B Zach Lutz off his two homer, four RBI performance last night.  Not only that but the kid is straight crushing since returning from the fractured foot that kept him on the shelf for over two months.  In his five games back he's 10-for-21 with five homers and eleven RBI's.  The most amazing part is that he's already surpassed his previous career high in homers (11 in '09) in less than 150 ab's.  Beyond that he's posting a very strong 40:27 K-to-BB rate and shows no L/R split issues.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, this kid can absolutely hit, it's just a matter of staying on the field with him.

One day after singing his praises I'm going to have to go with Binghamton's own LF Sean Ratliff off his 0-for-3 night with two K's and his third error in three days (fifth overall).  It wasn't a total loss though as he did draw two walks and plus now I get to talk about him more.  There was some discussion here yesterday about Ratliff's long-term role and the defensive side is tough to say due to the presence of a higher thought of center field prospect in Kirk Nieuwenhuis as well as further up, Angel Pagan.  But offensively I will go out on a limb and say that his long, lefty stroke, high K rates, improving L/R splits and most of all serious power make me think of an outfield version of Ike Davis.

System Roundup

• The Bisons took this one from the IronPigs 2-1 in ten innings.  It was a bullpen game tonight as RHP Fernando Nieve made his 2010 Buffalo debut and teamed with four other Bisons relievers to throw a gem.  The enigmatic RF Fernando Martinez continued his power streak with a game-tying homer in the seventh which would force extras.  The walk-off hero was Big Nick Evans as he singled home CF Jorge Padilla to win this one.   Boxscore
• Binghamton looked much better with a more seasoned starter at the wheel last night in their 8-3 victory over the SeaWolves.  Groundball machine RHP Josh Stinson got right back on track after a bit of a hiccup last week to give the B-Mets six very strong innings.  Add in 3B Zach Lutz's biggest game in a week of big games since returning and that was all Bingo would need in this one.  Boxscore
• St. Lucie was back to their losing ways last night as they dropped this one to the Lakeland Flying Tigers 7-5.  RHP Jeurys Familia had been dodging bullets all game until things caught up to him in a four-run fifth where he unraveled.  Like most other Mets top pitching prospects, there is certainly reason to be pretty concerned here.  The Mets tried to battle back with four of their own in the eighth, thanks in part to a 1B Stefan Welch longball, but in the end their comeback fell short.  Boxscore
• Savannah salvaged a split of their four-game set with Augusta as they took this pitcher's duel 2-1.  LHP Jim Fuller gave his usual six strong innings while the Gnats bullpen provided three more innings of spotless relief to close this one out.  Meanwhile RF Cesar Puello continues to play out of his mind as he extended his hit streak and tallied three more steals.  The best part about this white-hot streak is that in his last ten games Puello has just a single strikeout.  The athletic outfielder is already jumping up Mets prospect lists and if he ever starts hitting for power, look out.   Boxscore
• The Cyclones were once again just too much for the Yankees in this 7-4 victory on Sunday.  As usual this was a real team effort; strong starting pitching, good relief work and hits from all but one batter.  Also as usual, nice contributions from the Magnificent Three as well the first professional home run for the U. of Tenn. product C Blake Forsythe.  Boxscore
• The K-Mets 'feast or famine' lineup just never really got anything going in this 6-2 loss to Elizabethton.  To make matters worse, the first three Kingsport pitchers allowed runs, including four from underwhelming starter RHP Michael Hebert.  Boxscore
• The suddenly hot GCL Mets won their fourth in their last five, defeating the GCL Nationals 5-1.  After allowing a run early, Mets starter RHP Marcos Camarena locked it down over six strong innings, proving that not all pitchers from Culiacan, Mexico are A-holes.  2010 fifth rounder CF Matt Den Dekker also made his pro debut and joins RF Tillman Pugh and LF Julio Concepcion in what promises to be a heck of a defensive outfield.  Boxscore