The Cactus is Our Friend: AFL Action in 2024

[Edgy MD]

While the top Mets names toiling with Scottsdale Scorpion in the AFL (just underway over the last three days as you surely had bigger things to attend to) are undoubtedly Jett Williams and Drew Gilbert — top prospects who missed a big chunk of the regular 2024 season — they will also be joined by Saul Garcia, Noah Hall, Jonathan Pintaro, Jawilme Ramirez and Dylan Ross, and infielder Jacob Reimer.



Most immediately relevant is the Mets have also sent Jeff McNeil out to join the underclassmen in Arizona, as he tries to get in shape to join them for hot, sexy post-season action.



This Venezuelan righthander Saul García has been mostly a starter and has been around since 2021. He had a soggy 5.43 ERA with St. Lucie this year. That was mostly due to high walk content, giving 40 free passes to go with 79 strikeouts in 66 1/3 innings. What intrigues is his one start for Brooklyn, striking out seven and walking only one in five innings of shutout ball.



Competing with him for a spot the all-Bible team is fellow righty Noah Hall, a 2023 seventh-round pick out of South Carolina. Injuries kept Noah at sea for the first year and a half of his pro career, gathering just 13 2024 innings, flooding the scoreboard with a 9.69 ERA between St. Lucie and Brooklyn, so this trip west is hopefully some sort of pro reset for the SEC vet.



Indy league refugee Jonathan Pintaro was finally given a crack at affiliated ball by the Mets in 2024, rescuing the righthander from the Pioneer League Glacier Range Riders of Kalispell, Montana, and damned if he didn't seize his opportunity, putting up a 2.68 ERA — mostly as a starter — across 74 innings in High A, AA, and AAA. JP is pitching for an invite to camp next spring.



Twenty-one-year-old Jawilme Ramirez is a big hit with Dominican teenagers, and having also pitched at Brooklyn, Bingo, and Syracuse this past season, you can see why. Splitting time as both a starter a fireman, Jawilme rocked a 3.58 ERA across the three levels. Striking out but 61 batters while walking 37 in 73 innings, you may wonder how he did it, and then you see that he only allowed three homers and you say "WOW!! This might be our next Doug Sisk!"



More sweaty-hot desert previews to come!

[Benjamin Grimm]

How does Gary Cohen pronounce "Jawilme"?

[MFS62]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: How does Gary Cohen pronounce "Jawilme"?

Just like you spell it.

BA DA BUM!

Later

[Edgy MD]

Dylan Winton Ross might just be a bad student or he might be really ambitious, transferring twice, from Eastern Kentucky University (alma mater of Gene Walter) to Northwest Florida State College (a school that has never produced a Met) all the way to the ACC and The University of Georgia (famed factory outputting the likes of Jack Fisher). Finally ending his collegiate odyssey in 2022, the Mets took him in the 13th round of the 2022 draft. They must've seen something in him, because 10 collegiate innings at three different colleges, and 18 1/3 more for two different summer leagues, doesn't make for much of a calling card. And things haven't gotten richer, as he's thrown all of one inning since being drafted two and a half seasons ago.



Likely, a big part of what they saw was a 6'5" 251-pound frame, but sooner or later, the rubber has to hit the road.



He's 23 — older than the catcher who the Mets have started every game in the post-season. What is keeping his professional prospects alive? Well, that one inning was with St. Lucie, and he faced three batters and whiffed them all.



If you only throw one inning, make it count.



Jacob Reimer is hopefully a poet, with a name like that. But when he's not writing verse, he's a corner infielder who has spit each of the past two seasons between St. Lucie and Brooklyn, but that .392 on-base percentage will play. Will these be the Mets who promoted Dave Magadan with that profile, or will these be the Mets that buried Alan Dykstra's beautiful OBP at AA for years?



Only time — and the Arizona Fall League — will tell.



Take care of your little buddies, Jeff.



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[Cowtipper]

Look at those faces.



The recruits surrounding have faces of those heading off to their first battle.



The veteran in the middle having already been through hell.



"War changes a man."

[Centerfield]

Look at those faces. The recruits surrounding have faces of those heading off to their first battle. The veteran in the middle having already been through hell. "War changes a man."

That's great. I think you nailed it.



Is that Jett in the upper left? Looks unlikeable.

[Benjamin Grimm]

http://leaptoad.com/mets/covers/2024/20240217_NSD_02.jpg>

[MFS62]

The cactus may be my friend, but I've never hugged one.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Big ol' little ol' Jett Airliner is 2-for-2 so far tonight, with a walk and a triple (and a caught stealing).



Jeff McNeedles is 1-for-3 with a walk.

[ashie62]

Jett looks like he will lose his teeth prematurely

[Edgy MD]

Jeff McNeil plays right McField and goes 1-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored as Scottsdale romps over Glendale 10-2. He also hit into a double-play.



Star of the game Detroit catcher/firstbaseman Josue Briceño hit three homers for the Scorpions.



Clearly, Briceño was pissing off Glendale pitchers, because batting behind him was Drew Gilbert, who went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, dropping his batting average down to .083 on the fall, with a .321 OPS.



Saul Garcia pitched a shutout neenth, striking out one and walking two.

[MFS62]

Thanks for the reminder, Edgy.

I now have the AFL scores page bookmarked.

Later

[Edgy MD]

The three-true-outcome scorpion is sure biting our prospects in the AFL, with all three putting up tiny batting averages attached to otherwise semi-respectable OPSes.

• Drew Gilbert (.188 / .278 / .500 // .778)


• Jacob Reimer (.158 / .448 / .316 // .764)


• Jett Williams (.206 / .357 /.353 //.710)

The same sort of productivity that got Dave Kingman ridiculed a generation ago is the norm. It's actually, like, the super-norm, with player after player racing to out-Kingman Kingman.

[ashie62]

This numbers mirror their 2024 full season numbers although the sample size is admittedly small

[Edgy MD]

The Arizona Fall League is experimenting this season with technology that takes the ruling on check swings away from the umpires.



As what is or isn't offering at the ball has always been undefined and subject to umperial discretion, for the purposed of this motion-detection system, they are defining the rule as any swing in which the bat reaches a 45-degree extension from home plate counts as an offer.



I'd've figured that, when we are working with the naked eye, we'd think that 25 or 30 degrees beyond the plane of the plate is an offer, but watching in slo-mo, reality suggests that many swings that seem to have only extended that far, but briefly extend 10 degrees or more limply beyond that, and are ruled as no swing.



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I think the system in place doesn't automatically turn the call over to the eye in the sky, but allows the catcher or batter to appeal the home plate umpie's call.



Obviously, most bunt offerings don't extend that far out, so I don't know how the implementation will affect judgments on bunts, but our reporters are on the ground, looking for answers.

[MFS62]

The first player to use that to challenge a swinging strike call was none other than out own Drew Gilbert.

And he was upheld .



Ain't technology grand?

The only thing is this will do away with what have been some very funny umpire/manager/player arguments.



Later

[Centerfield]

Edgy MD wrote: The three-true-outcome scorpion is sure biting our prospects in the AFL, with all three putting up tiny batting averages attached to otherwise semi-respectable OPSes. Drew Gilbert (.188 / .278 / .500 // .778) Jacob Reimer (.158 / .448 / .316 // .764) Jett Williams (.206 / .357 /.353 //.710) The same sort of productivity that got Dave Kingman ridiculed a generation ago is the norm. It's actually, like, the super-norm, with player after player racing to out-Kingman Kingman.

Updates.



Drew Gilbert (.200 / .347 / .450 // .797) (3HR)

Jett Williams (.217 / .345 / .391 // .736) (1HR)



Can't find Jacob Reimer. Maybe he's not playing anymore?

[MFS62]

Reimer is 3 for 23 with 1 HR and 6 RBI.



Later

[MFS62]

Season to Date numbers for the kids playing in 'Zona: (From amazinavenue. com)





SAUL GARCIA: 6 G (0 GS), 6.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER (2.84 ERA), 4 BB, 7 K, 0 HBP, 0 WP, 0 BLK

NOAH HALL: 3 G (2 GS), 6.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER (5.40 ERA), 7 BB, 3 K, 0 HBP, 0 WP, 0 BLK

JAWILME RAMIREZ: 6 G (0 GS), 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER (3.60 ERA), 0 BB, 6 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 0 BLK

DYLAN ROSS: 4 G (0 GS), 3.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER (19.64 ERA), 5 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP, 2 WP, 0 BLK

JONATHAN PINTARO: 4 G (2 GS), 10.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER (3.48 ERA), 6 BB, 10 K, 1 HBP, 0 WP, 0 BLK

DREW GILBERT: 14 G, 51 AB, .216/.365/.471, 11 H, 1 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 10 BB, 7 K, 0/1 SB, .175 BABIP

JEFF MCNEIL: 2 G, 9 AB, .222/.300/.222, 2 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 BB, 0 K, 0/0 SB, .222 BABIP

JACOB REIMER: 10 G, 33 AB, .182/.372/.333, 6 H, 0 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 10 BB, 9 K, 1/2 SB, .217 BABIP

JETT WILLIAMS: 15 G, 58 AB, .224/.366/.448, 13 H, 3 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 11 BB, 21 K, 4/5 SB, .314 BABIP



Later

[MFS62]

Jett Williams will be playing in the AFL All-Star game.

Later

[Frayed Knot]

We couldn't just leave this thread incomplete forever





[media=youtube]8bjzuSO27fA[/media]

[Edgy MD]

That's some tasty tambourinin'.

[MFS62]

AFL Stats through week 5:



SAUL GARCIA: 7 G (0 GS), 7.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER (3.68 ERA), 5 BB, 7 K, 0 HBP, 0 WP, 0 BLK, .235 BABIP

NOAH HALL: 3 G (2 GS), 6.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER (5.40 ERA), 7 BB, 3 K, 0 HBP, 0 WP, 0 BLK, .320 BABIP

JAWILME RAMIREZ: 7 G (0 GS), 7.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER (3.86 ERA), 0 BB, 9 K, 1 HBP, 1 WP, 0 BLK, .375 BABIP

DYLAN ROSS: 5 G (0 GS), 4.2 IP, 10 H, 11 R, 11 ER (21.21 ERA), 7 BB, 3 K, 2 HBP, 2 WP, 0 BLK, .500 BABIP

JONATHAN PINTARO: 4 G (2 GS), 10.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER (3.48 ERA), 6 BB, 10 K, 1 HBP, 0 WP, 0 BLK, .310 BABIP

DREW GILBERT: 18 G, 64 AB, .219/.367/.438, 14 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 13 BB, 11 K, 1/2 SB, .175 BABIP

JEFF MCNEIL: 2 G, 9 AB, .222/.300/.222, 2 H, 0 2B, 0 3B, 0 HR, 1 BB, 0 K, 0/0 SB, .222 BABIP

JACOB REIMER: 14 G, 45 AB, .178/.356/.289, 8 H, 0 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 13 BB, 10 K, 1/3 SB, .217 BABIP

JETT WILLIAMS: 19 G, 72 AB, .222/.367/.403, 16 H, 3 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 15 BB, 27 K, 7/8 SB, .314 BABIP



Later

[MFS62]

Jett Williams was injured running into a wall and has been taken out of the game.



https://metsmerizedonline.com/jett-williams-hurt-after-crashing-into-wall-in-afl-game/https://metsmerizedonline.com/jett-williams-hurt-after-crashing-into-wall-in-afl-game/

Later