New York Mets

New York Mets 40-Man Roster Overview: Hansel Robles

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New York Mets 40-Man Roster Overview: Hansel Robles

Hansel Robles, the 27-year old reliever, is one of the more interesting pitchers the New York Mets have on their roster. His struggles with consistency and the long ball has not put his Mets future in question as he continues to struggle.

Robles Road to the Big Leagues

Robles was originally signed as an international free agent in August 2008 out of the Dominican Republic. He spent 2009 and 2010 with the Dominican League Mets where he had a 2.91 and 3.09 ERA as a starter. He spent the next year with the Kingsport reliever and pitched 37 innings as a reliever and had a 2.68 ERA.

Robles returned to being a starter in 2012 with the Brooklyn Cyclones. He has his best year in the minors going 6-1 with a 1.11 ERA and only walked 10 batters in 72.2 innings. His strong year earned him a New York-Penn League All-Star selection. Next year was not as strong as the year before, but was still good.  He had a 3.78 ERA in a year he spent mostly with the St. Lucie Mets.

Robles Finally Makes it to the Show

Robles arrived to the Binghamton Mets in 2014 and split time as a starter and reliever. His ERA rose to 4.31 but pitched a career high 110.2 innings. After pitching 7.2 innings out of the bullpen with the Las Vegas 51s he earned the call-up to the New York Mets. His rookie season was a successful one going 4-3 with a 3.67 ERA and 61 strikeouts.

2016 was his first full season in the big leagues and he was very solid out of the Mets bullpen. In 77.2 innings pitched he struck out 85 batters with a 3.48 ERA. The team had high hopes for him in 2017 but he struggled to a point where the Mets optioned him back to Las Vegas. After two months in the minors he made his return in mid-July. He came back better than ever but completely imploded in the September. Overall he finished the season with a 4.92 ERA in 46 games.

His struggles have carried over into Spring Training by allowing 13 runs in 11.2 innings. He has also given up an alarming five home runs. He has been scored upon in four out of his eight outings this spring. Robles will have a tight leash on him this season if he does end up making the team this season and there is no guarantee of that happening.

New York Mets 40-Man Roster Overview: Jacob Rhame

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New York Mets‘ Jacob Rhame was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 6th round of the 2013 MLB Draft. He spent the rest of the year with the Ogden Raptors where he had eight saves in the 20 games he pitched that season.

The next year he played with the Great Lakes Loons and had a 2.00 ERA in 51 games and was established himself number 23 prospect in the Dodgers organization.

Moving Up The Ranks and Facing Speed Bumps

In 2015, he played five games with the Tulsa Drillers and finished the game with the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes where he continued his success with a 2.68 ERA and struck out 70 batters.

He moved up to the number 18 spot on the Dodgers prospect list heading into 2016. With the Oklahoma City Dodgers he saw his ERA rise to 3.29 as most pitchers do in the Pacific Coast League.

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His struggles continued in 2017 where he had a 4.31 ERA and dropped off the Dodgers prospects list before he was traded. Upon his arrival to the Mets he pitched six innings with the Las Vegas 51s and only allowed one run.

When he was brought up to the Mets as part of the September roster expansion he struggled giving up nine runs in nine innings and had an alarming 2.11 WHIP.

Rhame barely makes the Mets top prospects list at number 30. He is very reliant on his fastball which sits at 95-96 mph and can hit the upper-90s. His secondary pitches are mediocre but his slider show some bite on it every once in a while and his change-up still needs work. He walked too many batters in his short MLB stint but he usually has had decent control.

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Decent has summarized his Spring Training allowing four runs in the nine innings he has pitched. Seven of his nine outings this spring has been scoreless.

The Mets see potential in Rhame since they have kept him with the team while most of the minor league guys have been sent down already. If he makes the team he likely will not see too many high leverage situations until Mickey Callaway feels he is ready for them.

New York Mets 40-Man Roster Overview: A.J. Ramos

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Before he came to the New York Mets, A.J. Ramos was drafted by the Marlins in the 21st round of the 2009 MLB Draft from Texas Tech University. After four very strong years in the minors he made his Marlins debut in 2012. He only pitched 9.1 innings and allowed four runs.

Ramos in his Miami Marlins Years

Ramos had a breakout year in 2013 as he pitched 80 innings and has a 3.15 ERA which established his role as their set-up man. His 2014 was even better where he had a perfect 7-0 record and a 2.11 ERA in 68 games. He earned the closer role in 2015 and did not skip a beat. He pitched in 71 games, had a 2.30 ERA and was ninth in the NL with 32 saves.

2016 was his best year of his career, he had a 2.81 ERA in 67 games and had 40 saves which was good for fourth in the NL. Ramos also earned his only All-Star selection of his career. The Marlins had high hopes for Ramos in 2017 but he had a 3.63 ERA and 20 saves before he was traded to the Mets. After trading Addison Reed and with Familia’s health in question the Mets needed a better arm in the bullpen which is why they acquired Ramos.

As a Met, Ramos struggled a little bit with a 4.74 ERA in the 19 innings he pitched. Ramos is expected to rebound and be a huge part of a revamped Mets’ bullpen. He is a free agent after the season so if the team is out of contention he will likely be a trade piece at the trade deadline. In Spring Training, he has struggled in his last two outings but strung together a few strong outings before that. Overall Ramos looks good to go for the season and will be a huge part of the Mets bullpen.

New York Mets Injury Report

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Jason Vargas (right hand) sustained a fracture of the hamate bone in his right hand. Vargas is scheduled to get surgery Tuesday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan and will involve the removal of the bone. He will look to resume throwing five days later but is very doubtful for the beginning of the season. This gives new life to Steven Matz, Zack Wheeler, Seth Lugo and Robert Gsellman as it gives them another rotation spot to earn.

Yoenis Cespedes (wrist) is set to return to Grapefruit League action Monday. He originally aggravated the injury last week in a game that he homered in. When asked about the injury he said “I am not going to be able to play anymore, ever,” meaning he is likely feeling better. The Mets played Wilmer Flores in left field Saturday just incase the Cespedes injury was not healing as expected after playing in a minor league game.

Jacob deGrom (back) looks ready to go for Opening Day. He tossed five scoreless innings on Friday and struck out eight on one hit. deGrom says he feels healthy and he will be ready to start the second game of the season. He will likely get another start or two before Spring Training ends.

Dominic Smith (quad) is regressing in his recovery from the injury. Smith has not been able to run and does not look like he will be able to play another game before Spring Training ends. All signs point to Smith starting the season in Triple-A and Adrian Gonzalez being the everyday first baseman for the Mets at the moment.

T.J. Rivera (right elbow) is still on the rehab process from Tommy John Surgery and there is no real timetable or new news coming out of the Mets organization.

David Wright (shoulder and lower back) still has about two months to go until he will be resuming baseball activity.

Michael Conforto (shoulder) has progressed very nicely and has already played in two minor league games. He played in the outfield Sunday and is very much on track to make an early May return. Conforto has been late on the ball but that comes with the adjustment of being on the sidelines for over six months. Conforto says his body feels great and if Brandon Nimmo is producing they will have a very difficult outfield decision to make.

New York Mets 40-Man Roster Overview: Corey Oswalt

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After Corey Oswalt was drafted, he was assigned to the Kingsport Mets and struggled with an 8.15 ERA in 9 games. Oswalt battled injuries in 2013 with Kingsport and only was able to pitch 13 innings.

Breakout to breakdown:

2014 was his breakout year with the Brooklyn Cyclones where he went 6-2 with a 2.26 ERA in 12 games. He became known for his control and was named a Short Season All-Star by Baseball America.

Oswalt continued his success in 2015 by winning 11 of his 23 starts and putting up a 3.36 ERA. He only walked 21 batters in 128.2 innings and moved up to the St. Lucie Mets for the 2016 season.

Outside of one inning he spent with the Gulf Coast Mets, he saw his ERA rise to 4.06 in 68 innings, this still allowed Oswalt to be named the 27th best prospect in the Mets organization going into 2017.

Oswalt put up his best numbers with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in 2017. He had a 12-5 record, 2.28 ERA and pitched a career high 134.1 innings.

He earned MILB.com organization All-Star honors, Baseball America Double-A All-Star honors, Eastern League All-Star honors and was name the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year. The Mets placed Oswalt on the 40-man roster after the conclusion of the 2017 season.

Oswalt was recently sent back to minor league camp but has only allowed two runs in 6.1 innings this spring.

He will likely start the season in Las Vegas with the 51s and could see time with the Mets this season because of injuries or his performance. Worst case scenario is the Mets will bring him up in September for the roster expansion.

Should the New York Mets Be Concerned With a Bad Spring Training?

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Of course the New York Mets win/loss record is ugly this spring. but there is no reason to be concerned for this season.

Why we shouldn’t be concerned:

Between Tim Tebow, minor leaguers and players getting game action for the first time in months, everyone is working at different speeds in getting themselves ready for opening day. Veterans like Adrian Gonzalez and Jason Vargas likely take longer to get their bodies ready than a young guy like Amed Rosario.

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The record does not mean anything for the team’s success in 2018. The last five World Series champions have a combined record of 80-73 in their respective Spring Training and the five worst teams in baseball the last five years have a combined record of 79-73 in their respective Spring Training.

One win is the difference here between a contender and cellar dweller. A team can fully be evaluated until the season begins and a team is playing games with only 25 people on the roster and their starters throwing 100 pitches each start.

Spring Training is the only time in baseball where each player is playing for themselves and coaches, managers and fans should be evaluating each player.

Guys like Brandon Nimmo, Travis d’Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard have been playing great so far this spring and deserve their praise. Specific battles within the team and players recovering from injuries should also be looked at in depth.

d’Arnaud vs Plawecki, Nimmo vs Juan Lagares, the rest of the starting rotation behind Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom are the battles or games with in the games fans should concentrate their concerns with not wins and losses. If Steven Matz falters again, Adrian Gonzalez struggles at the plate, etc. are the big focal points of the spring.

Yes, wins are sexy but no one cares about a Spring Training record once March 29 comes. For those that still do not want to look past the wins and losses, there are still two weeks for the Mets to bring themselves out of the bottom of the Grapefruit League standings.

New York Mets 40-Man Roster Overview: Rafael Montero

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Montero signed with the Mets as an international free agent in 2011 out of the Dominican Republic. He immediately became one of the Mets top prospects because of his ability to strikeout batters with great control.

Montero’s Background:

Montero excelled in the minors, earning a Futures Game selection, Baseball America and MILB.com organizational All-Star selections. He peaked at #3 on the Mets prospect list and #94 on the MLB’s top prospect list.

In 2014, the Mets decided to call-up Montero but was overshadowed that season by Jacob deGrom’s dominance. Montero had a decent 4.06 ERA in 10 games, but lost the control that made him a top prospect.

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In 2015, he only pitched 10 innings with the Mets and struggled out of the bullpen. His season would end early because of a rotator cuff injury in his right arm.

2016 was another forgettable year for Montero, he allowed 17 runs in 19 innings and walked 16 batters. The Mets were running low on time with Montero and in 2017 he was given another chance to meet his potential.

He went 5-11 with a 5.52 ERA, so nothing to write home about, but he showed glimpses of what he could possibly be. Montero was third on the team in innings pitched, starts and second on the team in strikeouts. After two strong outings to start his spring, he has struggled in his latest two outings allowing seven runs in 1.1 innings.

Montero will likely make the team out of Spring Training and will have a longer leash than most relievers struggling to make a team. This is his last chance with the Mets and if he does not produce the Mets will have no other choice but to DFA him. There are younger and more talented pitchers in the Mets minor league system and the Mets are in a “win now” mode.

New York Mets Injury Report

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Injury Report (New York Mets):

Jeurys Familia (dead arm) is day-to-day after giving up five runs in his last outing against the Detroit Tigers. Familia’s injury history does raise a little concern for him but hopefully a couple of days off will right him. He previously had four scoreless outings before his implosion against the Tigers.

Jacob deGrom (back) fired 2.2 innings allowing two runs against the Houston Astros. He was throwing in the mid 90s and stuck out the side in the first inning. His status for opening day is looking brighter if he gets in a few more starts before the spring ends.

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Anthony Swarzak (calf) threw a simulated game on Sunday and hope to return to game action this week. Swarzak aims to be ready for opening day and be an important part of the Mets bullpen.

Dominic Smith (quad) has been sidelined since the first game of the spring and also is questionable for opening day. Manager Mickey Callaway says it would be tough for Smith to be ready for opening day and with Adrian Gonzalez playing over him they will not rush Smith back.

T.J. Rivera (right elbow) was placed on the 60-day DL about has a return date of late May/early June. The Mets will carefully work Rivera back and he hopes to have a chance to play everyday when he returns from his injury.

David Wright (shoulder) has continued to spend time on the 60-day DL and there has not been a lot of news surrounding the Mets captain. He still has a long way to go if he wants to make any impact in the 2018 season.

Michael Conforto (shoulder) has continued to work his way back into baseball activities. He is expected to “ramp up” his workouts this week and hopes to return in early May. Conforto is a key bat for the Mets and they certainly want to make sure he is at 100% before they let him play again.

New York Mets 40-Man Roster Overview: Steven Matz

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New York Mets, New York Yankees, Steven Matz

Matz was drafted by the New York Mets in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft from Ward Melville High School in Long Island. Before even making his professional debut he underwent Tommy John Surgery which kept him out for the whole 2011 season. Matz finally made his debut in 2012 with the Kingsport Mets where he had a 1.55 ERA in 29 innings.

How has Matz found success?


Going into the 2013 season he replaced his slider with his curveball and found success with it. With the Savannah Sand Gnats, he made 21 starts and had a very nice 2.62 ERA, which earned him an All-Star selection for the Mets organization and the nine spot on their prospects list.

2014 was another strong year for Matz as he split time between the St. Lucie and Binghamton Mets and made 24 starts with a 2.24 ERA. He was also an organization, Florida State League and Double-A All-Star. He was also named the organization’s pitcher of the year, the top spot on the Mets prospect list and number 15 on the MLB prospect list.

2015 was a big year for Matz, where after putting a 2.05 ERA in the minors he earned a call up to a Mets team that was in a pennant chase. Matz helped lead that team to a World Series birth going 4-0 with a 2.27 ERA.

Other than being sidelined in August with a shoulder injury, Matz had a 2016 season going 9-7 with a 3.40 ERA in 22 games. Matz would finish tied for sixth in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Just like many of the Mets pitchers in 2017 he did not live up to the high expectations he had and was often injured. He only pitched for a little over two months and had a horrible 2-7 record with a 6.08 ERA. Matz reported to Spring Training hoping to start with a clean slate but has struggled so far.

Matz has made two starts but only pitched 1.2 innings and allowed four walks, eight hits and ten runs. In his last start against the Washington Nationals, he could not make it out of the first inning. With every other option the Mets have to start pitching better than him he is likely heading to the bullpen. He still has time to right the ship but if he continues to pitch this bad it would be no surprise to see him start the season in the minors.

New York Mets 40-Man Roster Overview: Seth Lugo

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Lugo began his career nicely with the Kingsport Mets in 2011 with a 3.66 ERA in 11 games pitched. Lugo missed the 2012 season with spondylolisthesis, which required spinal fusion surgery. In 2013, Lugo split time between the Brooklyn Cyclones and Savannah Sand Gnats where he had a 3.39 ERA in 66.1 innings. He was not dominating in the same way the other Mets pitching prospects were but he certainly was showing very good consistency.

Lugo’s time with St.Lucia:

With the St. Lucie Mets in 2014, he spent most of the year in the bullpen where he had a 4.11 ERA in 27 games with a nice 8-3 record. In 2015, Lugo moved up the ranks and spent time with the Binghamton Mets and Las Vegas 51s and was solid putting up a 3.84 ERA in 24 starts. Things went downhill in the minors but uphill for Lugo in when he arrived to the New York Mets in 2016.

Lugo’s 51s numbers were not impressive putting up 6.50 ERA in 21 games pitched but the Mets were consumed with injuries which game him a shot with the big league club. For July and half of August he was sent up and down multiple times but was recalled on August 12 for good. After Jon Niese and Gabriel Ynoa were unsuccessful as starters, Lugo earned his first MLB start on August 19 against the San Francisco Giants. He gave the Mets 6.2 innings and allowed three runs.

Lugo would go on to make eight starts, 17 games in total, and had a 2.67 ERA and never allowed more than three runs in a start. He hoped to have the same success in 2017 but was a victim to the injury bug and had a 4.71 ERA in 18 starts. Along with the rest of the Mets pitchers they hope to stay healthy in 2018.

Lugo is a very versatile option with his ability to start and pitch out of the bullpen and he has a great opportunity to make the 2018 rotation. So far this spring he has pitched five innings and only allowed one run. Mets fans have seen how good of a pitcher he can be and when healthy Mets fans can expect Lugo to be a reliable pitcher for the Mets this season.