2015 Mets Minor League Review: Binghamton Mets

Season Record: 77-64

The Binghamton Mets had a proverbial target on their back coming into the season, having won the 2014 Eastern League championship and being considered the "team to beat." Pedro Lopez's 2015 Binghamton Mets had seventeen players returning from the 2014 roster, twelve of whom appeared on the 2014 Eastern League champions' postseason roster. Suffice to say, expectations were high.

Binghamton lost the first game of the season, but recovered by winning its next four. By the time the month was over, the team had a 12-8 record. The B-Mets then slowed down, posting a 13-14 record in May, and a 13-13 record in June. By the Eastern League All-Star Break in mid-July, they were only a few games over .500 (45-39), mired in the middle of the standings, a few games out of first place.

Binghamton lost its first game after the All-Star break, but won its next six in a row, the team's most substantial winning streak up to that point. The B-Mets closed out July with a 19-10 record, making it their most successful month, and found themselves in a much closer race for the Eastern League East Division.

Ultimately, Binghamton fell short in its quest for the division, ending the 2015 season three games behind the Reading Fightin Phils. The team did clinch a playoff berth, however, which was their third in three years. The stars aligned so that Binghamton would play those same Fightin Phils in the Eastern Division Championship series. The B-Mets had most recently played Reading at the beginning of September, winning two of three.

On September 9, the two teams met once again. Reading won in convincing fashion, beating Binghamton, 9-4. B-Mets starter Tyler Pill could not contain the Fightin Phil offense, allowing four runs in the first inning and seven total in his five innings of work. Game Two was postponed for a day due to rain, giving both teams a little time to rest. Reading starter Jake Thompson utilized the rest especially well, as the right-hander came out strong and threw a complete game shutout. The B-Mets found themselves with their backs against the wall, down 2-0 in the best-of-five series. The inevitable occurred the next night, and Reading completed its sweep of the Binghamton Mets to end their season.

MVP

Gavin Cecchini

Gavin Cecchini's potential finally manifested itself all at once in 2015 as the shortstop had a breakout year, the best of his young professional career. The 21-year-old set career highs in most offensive categories, including batting average (which was the ninth-best in the entire league) and on-base percentage (which was sixteenth). For his efforts, Cecchini placed second in Eastern League MVP voting, and won the league's Rookie of the Year Award.

Runner Up

Josh Rodriguez

Minor league veteran Josh Rodriguez had his best season since 2012, the first year that he played for the Binghamton Mets. His nineteen home runs were tied for second most in the Eastern League, while his .493 slugging percentage ranked eleventh, and his .860 OPS ranked tenth. With those numbers, he earned a spot on the Eastern Division All-Star team.

Cy Young

Michael Fulmer

Michael Fulmer was traded mid-season to Detroit as part of the Yoenis Cespedes deal, but the right-hander was so dominant with the Binghamton Mets that he was still their best pitcher by the end of the season, despite the fact that four other starters threw more innings than he did.

Runner Up

Paul Sewald

Competing with Jon Velasquez for the honor of shutting the door in the ninth, Paul Sewald had a strong 2015 season, posting almost the exact same numbers as he did in his successful 2014 campaign. His 24 saves led the team, and his 1.75 ERA was the lowest among all Binghamton pitchers. In addition, he was named an Eastern Division All-Star.