3/14/12

Mack Ade - Getting To The Bigs


By - Mack Ade

Most of you realize that I know a lot of high school, college, and minor league ballplayers. That means a lot of them read what I write. I know this when I post the wrong picture up next to a story about them. I then, almost instantaneously, get a comment from an anonymous poster.

This post if written for them.

There is no secret formula to get from the Pony to the Major Leagues. You simply have to excel at the level you are currently playing at. You do that, someone will send you to the next level.

Forget how many other pitchers there are in the system, or the coach doesn’t like me, or what do I do now that they just signed that other third baseman to an eight year deal? None of this means a damn thing.

You throw a season with a WHIP below 1.20 or post up an ,800 OPS, you’re going to the next level somewhere.

Oh, you’re going to have to do a lot of things to put up numbers like that. You better learn to hit the corners and keep your fastball down. Or, plate discipline will have to be mastered before you lead your team in hitting. Still, >1.20 or .800.

Here’s an example of how that works:

       David Price -     2005 – Vanderbilt -     1.20 WHIP
                           2006 – Vanderblit -     0.83
                           2007 – Vanderbilt -     0.95
                           2008 -     A+    -     1.01
                           2008 -     AA   -     1.02
                           2008 -     MLB  -     0.93

You put up numbers like this, consistently, level after level, and you will play major league baseball, either for the team that owns you, or the team they trade you to.

What about hitting?

       Ryan Howard -    2001 -     A-    -     .840 OPS
                           2002 -     A     -     .828
                           2003 -     A+    -     .889
                           2004 -      AA   -     1.033
                           2005 -     AAA  -     1.157

Again, you can’t ignore these numbers and no first baseman is going to get in the way of Howard’s progress.

Look, you are going to have to do some things that seem a little boring to you. No one likes running the cones nor have I ever heard anyone explain properly why it is necessary to be in the clubhouse six hours before game time. Managers are going to ask you to do things you don’t want to and roving coaches are going to try and change everything you’ve been doing naturally since birth. Still, do what they tell you or not. That’s your decision. But, if you go >1.20 or .800+, everyone is going to stop telling you what to do. I promise.

So, where are the Mets top prospects right now:

       Matt Harvey -    2008 -     college      1.46
                           2009 -     college      1.73
                           2010 -     college      1.20
                           2011 -     A+           1.20
                           2011 -     AA          1.36

       Zack Wheeler -   2010 -     A            1.45
                           2011 -     A+           1.32

       Kirk Nieuwenhuis – 2008     A-           .744
                           2009 -     A+           .824
                           2010 -     AA          .847 
                           2011 -     AAA         .908


       Oh yeah... one more thing...




In 18 years, Chipper Jones has never had less than an 800 OPS.





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