zack wheeler

Link Roundup: Tempered Optimism

by

Spring Training is always the time of year when every team feels they have a chance.  Fans of each team concentrate on their strengths, and say, “hey, maybe this is our year.”  As a Mets fan, I begin to get those thoughts once again, and then think, “Naaah.”  It would probably take a miracle that … Read more

Blog Roundup: Mets > NFL Replacement Refs

by

Don’t look now, but the Mets have won 4 in a row.  How’d they do it?  By beating up on teams that are even less competent than they are.  They swept the hapless Marlins in a series that Mets’ radio announcer Josh Lewin described as “schadenfreude theater.”  It was nice to see another team implode … Read more

Sandy Alderson: GM or Caretaker?

by

So, are the Mets expecting to contend for a playoff spot this year? I can’t fathom why they’d hold on to pieces like Tim Byrdak, Scott Hairston and Chris Young if they thought otherwise. We heard from one source that Sandy Alderson “monitored” the list of available players, while another source claimed he “had his … Read more

Down on the Farm: Wheeler, den Dekker, Flores impress

by

Here are four questions/statements that you might be asking yourself two months into the minor league season.

Is there a true ace in the Mets system?

One of the biggest weaknesses within the Mets organization is the lack of a bonafide #1 starting pitcher. Many fans believe that Matt Harvey is going to be that ace. But the rest of the league looks at him differently. Most see Harvey as a 2/3 starter. But that doesn’t mean there’s not a true ace down in Binghamton. There’s the case of Zack Wheeler, the lone piece acquired for Carlos Beltran at the deadline last season.

Wheeler has dealt with control issues throughout his career and he’s dealing with them again. However, the walks tend to get lost behind the blazing fastball, and strikeout totals he pumps out in each start. After a rocky debut, Wheeler has really shined in Binghamton. He’s K’d 29% of the batters faced, keeping hitters in the Eastern League at a .189 AVG. He has a WHIP of 1.17 and his BABIP is .279, a huge improvement from last season (BABIP .361).

The negative part of Wheeler’s game is his inability to control all pitches. He walks 4.54 per game, a 3-walk increase from last season. Keep this in mind when you try to explain that he deserves a promotion to Queens. It’s one thing to have the shiny numbers, but real success is when you can locate and control all pitches. He’s starting to come into his own and Mets fans should be excited. Wheeler has dominated Double-A hitters and looks destined for a call-up. Get ready for Wheeler in 2013.

Read more

Mets Spring Training Question 10: Who Will Be the Phenom?

by

With ten days before pitchers and Molinas report, let’s look at who might be the PSL “phenom”. Nearly every spring training, there is one youngster who tears it up, or lights up the radar gun, and performs so overwhelmingly impressively that we fans are convinced we’ve seen the next Mets superstar … or at least, … Read more

Will Wheeler, Familia, and Harvey Repeat History?

by

NOTE: this is a guest post by Jimmy Prinzler. Enjoy. The Mets’ top three pitching prospects at this time are Zack Wheeler, Jeurys Familia, and Matt Harvey. Assuming they remain with the organization, what will they bring to the Mets? My best guess is that all three will pitch together in the 2013 rotation — … Read more

Down on the Farm: St. Lucie Mets

by

With summer closing and my second year of college approaching, I picked up another job. This job is on a farm. The description says I must weed and harvest. So I’ll do the same with the Mets, as I take a look “on the farm” at some of the Mets prospects (or weeds — it depends on your perception).

Read more

Zack Wheeler Struggles in St. Lucie Debut

by

Last night’s pitching debut by Zack Wheeler as a minor leauge Met didn’t go as smoothly as the young pitcher might have wanted it to. Wheeler allowed four runs on seven hits in four innings, striking out four and walking none in a rain-shortened 9-1 loss to the Dunedin Blue Jays. Coming off a highly … Read more