:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46582802/ramos1_BRYANGREEN.0.png)
The Kingsport Mets open their season today, Tuesday, June 23, taking on the Johnson City Cardinals in a three-game series split between Hunter Wright Stadium and Howard Johnson Field. Luis Rivera, who served as Kingsport hitting coach in 2011 and as a hitting coordinator with the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2012, 2013, and 2014 will be at the helm in his first season as manager. Jonathan Hurst will be returning for his sixth season as pitching coach, while former outfield prospect Sean Ratliff will be making his minor league coaching debut as Kingsport's hitting coach.
Pitchers
| Name | B/T | Height | Weight | Age (DOB) | 2014 Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almeida, Adrian | L/L | 6’ | 150 | 20 (2/25/95) | RK (GCL) |
| Becker, Dillon | R/R | 6’3" | 225 | 21 (4/21/94) | NCAA Div II (Angelo State University) |
| Buchmann, Connor | R/R | 6’1" | 190 | 21 (7/11/93) | RK (GCL), RK (APPY) |
| Crismatt, Nabil | R/R | 6’1" | 200 | 20 (12/25/94) | RK (GCL) |
| Davis, Seth | L/L | 5’10" | 185 | 22 (5/08/93) | NCAA Div III (Augustana College) |
| Feliz, Gabriel | L/L | 5’11" | 160 | 22 (11/12/92) | RK (GCL) |
| German, Audry | R/R | 5’11" | 160 | 22 (8/16/92) | RK (GCL). RK (APPY) |
| Gonzalez, Harol | R/R | 6’ | 160 | 20 (3/2/95) | FRK (DOSL) |
| Haggard, Witt | R/R | 6’2" | 205 | 23 (12/09/91) | NCAA Div II (Della State University) |
| Henry, Taylor | L/L | 6’2" | 185 | 21 (7/06/93) | NCAA Div III (Centenary College) |
| Ingram, Chase | R/R | 6’3" | 190 | 20 (4/17/95) | NJCAA Div I (Hillsborough Community College) |
| Jaquez, Ricardo | R/R | 5’9" | 160 | 22 (5/6/93) | DNP (Restricted List) |
| Manoah, Erik | R/R | 6’2" | 215 | 19 (12/22/95) | RK (GCL) |
| McIlraith, Thomas | R/R | 6’4" | 185 | 21 (2/17/94) | NJCAA (Midland College) |
| Nuez, Yoryi | R/R | 6’1" | 150 | 22 (2/13/93) | RK (APPY) |
| Ramos, Darwin | R/R | 6’2" | 195 | 19 (11/23/95) | RK (GCL) |
| Shaw, Joseph | R/R | 6’5" | 215 | 21 (12/20/93) | NCAA Div I (Dallas Baptist University) |
Catchers
| Name | B/T | Height | Weight | Age (DOB) | 2014 Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knight, Darryl | R/R | 6’2" | 220 | 22 (2/26/93) | RK (GCL) |
| Mazeika, Patrick | L/R | 6’2" | 220 | 21 (10/14/93) | NCAA Div I (Stetson University) |
| Rodriguez, Dionis | R/R | 6’ | 180 | 20 (2/15/95) | RK (GCL) |
| Ramos, Natanael | R/R | 5’10" | 170 | 22 (9/19/93) | RK (GCL) |
Infielders
| Name | B/T | Height | Weight | Age (DOB) | 2014 Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canelon, Leon | R/R | 5’11" | 150 | 23 (9/10/91) | RK (APPY) |
| Carpio, Luis | R/R | 6’ | 165 | 17 (7/11/97) | FRK (DOSL) |
| Marte, Santo | R/R | 5’9" | 170 | 21 (9/30/93) | RK (GCL) |
| Ortega, Luis | R/R | 5’10" | 190 | 22 (4/05/93) | RK (APPY) |
| Ramos, Milton | R/R | 5’11" | 160 | 19 (10/26/95) | RK (GCL) |
| Valencia, Gregory | R/R | 6’3" | 185 | 22 (3/19/93) | RK (GCL) |
| Winningham, Dash | L/L | 6’2" | 230 | 19 (10/11/95) | RK (GCL) |
Outfielders
| Name | B/T | Height | Weight | Age (DOB) | 2014 Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berrios, Arnaldo | S/R | 5’9" | 175 | 19 (1/15/96) | RK (GCL) |
| Figuera, Jose | R/R | 6’2" | 180 | 22 (6/10/93) | RK (GCL Mets), RK (GCL) |
| Kaczmarski, Kevin | L/R | 6’ | 190 | 23 (12/31/91) | NCAA Div I (University of Evansville) |
| Marquez, Bradley | R/R | 6’1" | 185 | 22 (12/14/92) | DNP (Restricted List) |
| Ramirez, Raphael | L/L | 5’11" | 175 | 19 (12/15/95) | RK (GCL) |
| Rojos, Hengelbert | R/R | 6’1" | 190 | 21 (10/27/93) | RK (GCL) |
Players to watch
Signed for $300,000, Luis Carpio was named the 30th best prospect during the 2013-2014 International Signing Period. An athletic player with a line-drive swing, good glove, strong work ethic, and hard-nosed style of play, the Venezuelan middle infielder will be the youngest member of the Kingsport Mets. Will his advanced tools allow him to hang with older players or does the soon-to-be 18-year-old need more time with competition his own age?
Within 30 minutes of going undrafted, Bradley Marquez signed as a rookie free agent. What makes his signing interesting? The team that signed him wasn't the Mets. The team he signed with wasn't even a baseball team. Marquez signed with the St. Louis Rams. The wide receiver is still a member of the Mets, despite not having played since 2013 in order to pursue his dream of playing professional football. Should that not work out for him, the team still seems interested in retaining his rights and developing him as a baseball player.
With plus instincts, plenty of agility, soft hands, and an above-average arm, Milton Ramos was seen one of the best defensive players in the entire 2014 MLB Draft, if not the best. The Colombian born shortstop dropped to the third round of the draft because of his offensive profile. Can Ramos overcome his over-aggressive approach and the mechanical flaws in his swing and become more than a glove-only player?
Drafted in the 8th round of the 2014 MLB Draft, Dash Winningham possesses plenty of in-game power, hitting five home runs for the GCL Mets last season—as many as the rest of the qualifying team combined. But while he has power in spades, the first baseman has a swing that could make him prone to strikeouts and/or weak contact. Can the slugger smooth out his swing or will he struggle against the more advanced pitching of the Appalachian League?