2/3/12

Mets: Travis Traijeron, Jefry Marte, Ryan Fraser, Jeurys Familia

1-30-12 - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/ - Taijeron showed power in his professional debut.  He led the New York Penn League in slugging (.557), and finished third in OPS, at .943 (behind only teammate Daniel Muno, and the Yankees’ Tyler Austin) and third in home runs.  His extra-base hit rate of 12% in his debut season was superb.  He walked in almost 10% of his plate appearances. He looks like a baseball player at 6’2″, with 200 lbs of muscle. Those gaudy numbers argue for a higher placement.  However Taijeron is held back by three factors.  1. At 22, he was on the old side for the New York Penn League and will be 23 to begin his first season of a-ball in 2012. 2. Despite playing 35 games in center field and 21 in left, I think his eventual home will be on the corner as his speed isn’t special enough to play centerfield every day at the upper levels. 3. The strikeouts.  Taijeron whiffed in over 28% of his at-bats in the New York-Penn League. I’m less worried about his .398 BABIP.  Yes, of course it will come down.  However, if he can strikeout less, puttin more balls in play, he can survive a BABIP dip. 

1-30-12 - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/30/2757346/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects-21-30 3B Jefry Marte - At 20, the enigmatic third baseman continued to provide more questions than answers in 2011. Unlike most seasons, Marte started the year like a house afire, showing the kind of development in his plate discipline and power that made it look like he was finally putting it all together. By the end of May he was hitting .285 with nearly an .800 OPS. That's when things took a turn as he deviated from his typical trend and had an awful second half. Suddenly he wasn't hitting at all let alone hitting for power and his improved walk rate sunk like a rock. Ultimately, he ended up with a pretty ugly line which left 2011 looking like a step backwards.Then a surprise call out to the AFL changed things. For four weeks he was one of the top hitters in the talent-heavy circuit, once again slugging the ball while posting a superb 1:1 K-to-BB rate against older more seasoned competition. Scouts marveled over his raw hitting ability and suddenly Marte's stock as a pure right-handed power hitter was once again rising. Unfortunately he broke his wrist before the end of the season but he'd already done enough to once again make people wonder. I'm still a little more on the short side with him right now as his fielding is still a question mark and I've got to see at least one full good season before I buy in; but even I will admit that the talent is clearly in there somewher

1-23-12 - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2012/1/23/2693134/2012-amazin-avenue-top-50-mets-prospects  #48) RHP Ryan Fraser - For Fraser, 2011 meant a shift in roles as he went from a dominant Brooklyn closer in 2010 to a mainstay of the Savannah rotation this season. And though he proved capable at a higher -- full-season -- level, he still drops five spots from last year's rankings due to one number: 5.86. That was his K/9 in 2011, down from 11.20 in '11. Now that wasn't the only reason but it tells a lot of the story. Basically, Fraser was far less effective against Lo-A hitters as his .271 opponent average will attest. As does his FIP (4.75) which ended up over a run higher than his ERA. I said that he resembled Bobby Parnell last year and I'll stick with that statement as he will pick up steam and once again profile as a big leaguer if the organization moves him back to his long-term role in relief. 

1-27-12: - http://www.perfectgame.org/Articles/View.aspx?article=6509 3. RHP Jeurys Familia -Baseball-Reference Player Profile - Familia is the third member of the big armed trio of right handers, with Harvey and Wheeler, that could form the core of the Mets rotation for the next decade. Like Harvey, Familia has experienced a half season of success at the AA level, putting him a bit ahead of Wheeler in terms of experience. The trio is all within 10 months of each other in age. In terms of velocity and quality of fastball, Familia rates first among the three, with a heater that will frequently hit 96 mph and will peak at 99 mph. He has been able to simply overpower hitters when he’s consistently in the strike zone, something he improved dramatically at in 2011. He also throws a slider and change up but those offerings definitely rank below what Harvey and Wheeler throw as off speed pitches. It would be surprising if the Mets don’t start all three in AA to begin the 2012 season, something that Mets fans should pay very close attention to as the year develops.

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