Mets Daily Farm System Report - 8/22: Spotlight on Satin

New York Mets Daily Farm System Report - Results from the afternoon/night of Saturday August 21, 2010

The Usual Suspects

AAA - Buffalo (69-56)

• RF Fernando Martinez: 1-3, 2 K (.256/.320/.461)
• CF Kirk Nieuwenhuis: DNP (.235/.328/.392) That's two straight days off
• LF Lucas Duda: 0-3, 3 K (.314/.389/.650) Ended a sixteen game on-base streak
• 1B Nick Evans: 1-3, HR(4), 2 RBI, R, K (.321/.391/.577) 
• SP Fernando Nieve: 3 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 3 K, HB (2-0, 5.24, 22.1 IP, 26 H, 8 BB, 17 K, 1 HR) It was a worthwhile experiment but I think we can all agree that he's just not very good
• RP Michael O'Connor: 3.2 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 6 K (4-1, 2.51, 61 IP, 57 H, 14 BB, 61 K, 5 HR) He's quietly joined Alvarez & De La Torre as solid middle relief candidates going into 2011
• ROSTER MOVES: With Rod Barajas (thankfully) on his way out, Bisons OF Jesus Feliciano will once again get the call up.  To replace him, the Herd will welcome Binghamton's RHP Josh Stinson into their rotation as he gets today's start.

AA - Binghamton (60-64)

• 1B Josh Satin: 1-3, HR(6), 2 RBI, R, K (.323/.411/.504) 
• LF Eric Campbell: 1-4, 2B (.292/.350/.477)
• 3B Zach Lutz: 1-4, HR(16), 2 K, E(6) (.284/.396/.600) See
• 2B Jordany Valdespin: 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 K, CS(2) (.300/.317/.375) His bat's coming around but this guy gets caught way too much on the basepaths (15 for 27 in sb attempts in 2010)
• SP Eddie Kunz: 3 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K, HB (6-7, 5.20, 98.2 IP, 98 H, 63 BB, 57 K, 5 HR) Don't be fooled, this guy ain't a prospect

Hi-A - St. Lucie (55-69)

• SS Wilmer Flores: 1-3, BB (.294/.317/.411) 
• CF Pedro Zapata: 0-4, BB, 2 K (.239/.257/.294)
• C Kai Gronauer: DNP (.333/.388/.409)
• SP Eric Beaulac: 6 IP, 5 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 K, WP (5-5, 3.59, 102.2 IP, 93 H, 55 BB, 76 K, 5 HR) Despite the decent numbers and solid GB:FB (1.44), hard to take him seriously until he brings those walks way down
• RP NIck Carr: 1 IP, 1 ER, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 K (0-1, 7.04, 15.1 IP, 21 H, 15 BB, 15 K, 2 HR) Awful since re-joining St. Lucie

Lo-A Savannah (65-59)

• CF Matt den Dekker: 2-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI, 3 K (.391/.462/.522) Has had at least one hit in ten of his eleven pro games
• SS Robbie Shields: 3-5, 2 2B, 4 RBI, K (.267/.287/.400)
• 3B Brian Harrison: 2-4, R, 2B, K
• SP Collin McHugh: 4.1 IP, 4 ER (1 unearned), 8 H, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, WP, HB (4-8, 3.71, 116.1 IP, 131 H, 34 BB, 115 K, 7 HR) Very strange mix of extreme GB tendencies (2.16 GB:FB), ability to miss bats (12.78 K/9) and at the same time high hittability (1.13 H/IP).

 

SHORT-SEASON LEAGUES

 

SS-A Brooklyn (40-20)

• CF Darrell Ceciliani: 1-5, R, RBI, BB, K, CS(21) (.351/.409/.521)
• SS Wilfredo Tovar: 1-2, R, 2 R, BB, CS(1), E(2) (.375/.357/.357) 
• C Blake Forsythe: 2-5, 2B, HR(2), 3 K, PB(4) (.241/307/.392) Nice game but that BB:K (3:22 in his last ten) won't fly at higher levels unless he's hitting a lot more homers
• SP Angel Cuan: 5 IP, 0 ER (1 unearned), 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K (5-0, 1.91, 70.2 IP, 59 H, 15 BB, 58 K, 2 HR) Back to normal after a hiccup in his last start
• RP Ryan Fraser: 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 3 BB, 1 K (0-0, 1.35, 26.1 IP, 20 H, 7 BB, 31 K, 1 HR)

RK Kingsport (24-32)

• LF ZeErika McQueen: 0-3, 2 K (.276/.325/.369)
• CF Chase Greene: 0-4 (.226/.297/.304)
• 3B Aderlin Rodriguez: DNP (.299/.338/.551) Out of the lineup after leaving the game early yesterday
• RF Javier Rodriguez: DNP (.319/.353/.513) Ditto
• SP Gonzalez Germen: 8 IP, 0 ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 8 K (2-5, 3.69, 61 IP, 64 H, 11 BB, 54 K, 3 HR) Dominant of late including an active fifteen inning scoreless streak and a 1.35 ERA in August

RK GCL Mets (28-22)

• SS Randoll Santana: 0-2, R, BB, 2 K (.252/.331/.316) Left the game after six innings
• LF Julio Concepcion: 2-4, 2B, RBI, R, K (.302/.344/.517)
• CF Tillman Pugh: 1-4, BB, 3 K, SB(6), CS(3) (.229/.422/.333)
• SP Edioglis Villasmil: 6 IP, 1 ER (1 unearned), 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 0 HR, WP, Balk, E(5) (1-3, 3.28, 49.1 IP, 53 H, 24 BB, 23 K, 2 HR)
• REHAB ALERT: DH Francisco Pena: 2-3, R, 2 BB (.273/.407/.273) 

Star of the Night

Let's go with Bingo 3B Zack Lutz who just keeps on amazing with his tremendous power explosion in 2010.  The '07 fifth rounder has shown this kind of power potential before but has always been derailed by injuries.  This year he suffered another long-term DL stint but he hasn't let that stop him as he's blown by  his previous high of eleven homers in '09.  He's basically gotten to the point where he's hitting a homer once every eleven ab's which is unheard of for anyone but the cream of the crop-type sluggers.  Honorary Mention goes to the quietly solid Buffalo reliever RHP Michael O'Connor who saved the Bisons 5-4 victory with a tremendous 3+ inning relief outing where he struck out six batters, including striking out the side after he came into a bases-loaded, no out jam.

Goat of the Night will go to (as it so often does) a Binghamton relief pitcher, namely RHP Carlos Muniz.  He has been straight up awful in his five games since returning to Double-A and doesn't look like a guy who will ever find his way back into a major league 'pen.

 

System Roundup

• The Bisons managed to hold off the PawSox in this rain-shortened 5-4 victory thanks to some stellar relief work.  The Herd jumped out to an early five run lead by the end of the second thanks in part to 1B Nick Evans second homer in as many days (not surprisingly it was off a lefty).  However, the Sox battled back against a mediocre RHP Fernando Nieve and with the bases loaded and no one out in the fifth, things looked bleak.  That was when Bisons reliever LHP Michael O'Connor came in and saved the day.  He struck out the side in the frame and went on to pitch 3.2 innings, striking out six batters, the most for any Buffalo reliever in 2010.  Oh and that's 17 wins in their last 20 games for anyone counting (and weirdly that's 9-0 when Nieve starts, including '09).   Boxscore
• In yet another of their insufferable bullpen tag team starts, the Binghamton pitching was predictably awful as they dropped this one 10-4 to Altoona.  The pitching as a whole was battered, allowing fourteen hits, seven of which were doubles.  RHP Eddie Kunz pitched the first three and was actually surprisingly fine, unfortunately for B-Mets fans RHP Carlos Muniz & RHP Edgar Ramirez were next in line and were both horrid.  On the bright side, 2010 B-Mets star performers IF Josh Satin & 3B Zach Lutz both knocked solo homers in this one.  And on an odd note, C Luke Montz took the last inning of this one, throwing a scoreless inning and allowing just one hit.  Now chances are they were just out of bullpen arms but Montz does have a cannon arm so maybe they're converting him?  It's doubtful though as he was quite effective offensively in the high minors as recently as 2008 (to the tune of a .908 OPS with 14 bombs in Double-A) and power-hitting catchers don't grow on trees.  But still, something worth noting.  Boxscore
• These St. Lucie games are getting tougher and tougher to recap.  They lost yet again yesterday by the score of 8-2 to Jupiter.  All three Mets starters allowed runs in this game, including five from starter RHP Eric Beaulac.  Beyond that, the lineup managed to match the Hammerheads with eight hits but with just a couple of hits for extra bases and a total of eight men left on base they fell out of this one early.  You think the real Mets suffer from a lack of power?  St. Lucie has now gone six straight games without a homer.  Boxscore
• Despite an exciting late-inning comeback, the Gnats had this one slip through their fingers as they lost to Asheville 8-7.  After scoring three runs in the top of the ninth to take a 7-6 lead thanks to clutch doubles from 3B Brian Harrison and SS Robbie Shields, errors from both Harris boys (Alonzo & RJ) led to the tying and winning runs coming around to score in the bottom of the frame.  Neither team played crisp defense as there were five errors combined leading to seven unearned runs in this one, but it was Savannah that cracked when it mattered most.  Boxscore 
• The Cyclones are in the midst of a thriller, up 8-7 over the Lake Monsters in the bottom of the twelfth with the game was suspended due to rain.  With just two outs to go, Vermont has men on first and second after a couple of RHP Ryan Fraser walks.  Once again, Brooklyn's defense failed them in this one as three errors have led to three unearned runs total.  Fortunately with Vaughn & Sandoval out and Ceciliani coming back to Earth a bit, All-Star sluggers 3B Joe Bonfe & 1B Jeff Flagg picked up the slack with a homers in this game.  Boxscore
• With both Rodriguez boys suddenly banged up, the K-Mets offense is quickly disappearing as they were shut out in this 1-0 defeat to Burlington.  They managed just three hits in this game, all singles, and two of them ended in a caught stealing.  Fortunately, Kingsport starter RHP Gonzalez Germen was dominant, putting up eight scoreless innings of his own but in the ninth RHP Michael Weldon allowed the game-winning run on two walks and a hit.  Boxscore
• The GCL Mets managed to hold onto this one, 5-4 over the GCL Nationals.  After pulling ahead in the first, the Mets 'pen allowed two runs in the top of the ninth to square the game up.  Fortunately, LF Julio Concepcion's double in the bottom of the frame drove in IF Yucarybert De La Cruz for the walk-off run.  Boxscore

Prospect Spotlight:  Binghamton IF Josh Satin

There has been quite a bit of enthusiasm around these parts surrounding one Josh Satin so far this season.  And most of it is well-deserved, garnered by a very strong 2010 season that has included a nice first half in St. Lucie where he batted .316 with an .865 OPS followed by an even stronger second half following a promotion to Binghamton where he's currently batting .323 with a .900+ OPS.  This all confirms many of the strong signs the '08 sixth rounder flashed last year at Savannah where he began the season on fire, batting well over .320 for the first couple months with very strong on-base skills and burgeoning power before he began to drag a bit as he blew past his previous career high in games played.  Satin is building on many of those skills this season, hitting for good average (as he always has), maintaining strong walks rates (14% in 2010) and showing even more increased power (.163 ISO versus .138 in '09).  His strikeout rate is climbing ('08: 19% | '09: 23% | '10: 24%) but that's probably a product of the improving power (though it does not portend well for his ability to maintain those high averages at the highest level).

However, there is reason to temper the enthusiasm a bit as far as his future role is concerned.  Basically I'm talking about his defensive value or lack thereof.  Though he is a natural second baseman, Satin lacks many of the requisite tools to stick at the position on an every day basis at the highest levels.  He is not fleet of foot nor does he possess the kind of agility or first-step quickness that you might see from Tejada, Valdespin or even Reese Havens.  What's more, he does not have the kind of soft hands/strong arm you want to see in order to consistently turn the double play.

Satin reminds me a lot of a right-handed version of Daniel Murphy:  He can clearly hit, for average and definite doubles power (as a result of extremely high LD rates) with the occasional pull-side homer too and what's more he'll take plenty of walks.  Unfortunately he just doesn't have the kind of defensive skill set or even that one plus offensive tool to profile as an every day player.  On the bright side for Satin though, like Murphy he too has been able to get comfortable all over the field which in and of itself creates some of that defensive value that he is otherwise lacking.  In addition to second, Satin has played a lot of first and third base this year with the B-Mets and profiles well as an offensive-minded major league utility man; though with guys like Murphy, Evans & Justin Turner in the fold, there may be a bit of a logjam in that role with the big club.  All in all, as long as Satin keeps hitting he'll find his way into a major league lineup, even if it isn't with the Mets.