Met 2008 Minor League Awards

[stevejrogers]

From LoHud Mets Blog

] The Mets announced their 2008 Sterling Award Winners, given to the organizational players of the year. The club named co-players of the year in Dan Murphy and Nick Evans. Jon Niese was named the pitcher of the year. Here are the particulars on all the recipients: CO-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR � Dan Murphy, INF/OF, Binghamton: Mets� 13th round pitck in 2006. � Murphy was the �07 winner from Port St. Lucie. � He hit .308 with 56 R, 26 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 67 RBI, 39 BB and 14 SB in 95 games. � He started at third base for the Northern Division in the 2008 Eastern League All-Star game. � He was promoted to the Mets on Aug. 2nd. Nick Evans, INF/OF, Binghamton: Mets� fifth round pick in 2004. � Evans hit .311 with 52 R, 18 2B, 7 3B, 14 HR, and 53 RBI in 75 games with Binghamton. � He was named to the 2008 Eastern League All-Star game but did not appear because he had been promoted to the Mets. PITCHER OF THE YEAR � Jon Niese, LHP, Binghamton/New Orleans: Mets� seventh round pick in 2005. � Niese split time at Double-A and Triple-A before his promotion on Sept. 1. � In seven starts with New Orleans Niese went 5-1 with a 3.40 ERA. In 39.2 IP he allowed 15 R, 15 ER, 34 H, 14 BB and had 32 K. � He made 22 starts at Binghamton. He went 6-7 with a 3.04 ERA. STERLING AWARD WINNERS New Orleans (AAA) � Brian Stokes, RHP: Stokes was acquired from Tampa on Nov. 28, 2007 for cash. � Before joining the Mets on Aug. 9, Stokes, 29, went 10-8 with a 4.41 ERA in 23 games, 22 starts. � Over 130.2 IP, he allowed 74 R, 64 ER, 124 H, 48 BB, 97 K. Binghamton (AA) � Mike Carp, 1B: Mets� ninth round pick in 2004. � 6-2, 195, left-handed hitter. � The 22-year-old led the B-Mets with 17 HR and 79 RBI. He batted .299 and had 67 R and 29 2B. � Carp�s .403 OBP ranked fifth-best in the Eastern League. � He was the organization�s player of the year in 2006. St. Lucie (A) � Dillon Gee, RHP: Mets� 21st round pick in 2007. � 6-1, 195. � The 22-year-old went 8-6 with a 3.25 ERA in 21 starts at Port St. Lucie prior to his promotion to Binghamton. � Over 127.1 IP with St. Lucie, he allowed 49 R, 46 ER, 117 H, 19 BB and had 94 K. � His 19 BB were fewest among starters in the Florida State League with at least 117 IP and his ERA ranked fifth in the league. � In four starts at Binghamton, Gee went 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA, allowing four ER in 27 IP. Savannah (A) � Gregory Veloz, 2B: Signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2006. � 6-0, 175 switch-hitter from the Dominican Republic. � The 20-year-old posted a .286 average with 68 R, 25 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR and 52 RBI in 111 games. � He was promoted to St. Lucie in August and finished by batting .234 in the final month. Brooklyn (A) � Brad Holt, RHP: Mets� first round supplemental pick in 2008. � 6-4, 194, 21 years old. � Went 5-3 with a New York-Penn League-best 1.87 ERA and 96 K in 14 games. � In 72.1 IP, he allowed 43 H, 18 R, 15 ER, and 33 BB. � His K-total set a new franchise record. Holt finished the season with 10.7 K/9 IP. � He was named to the NY-Penn League all-star team in August. � He K�d 10 batters in a game four times and tied a Cyclones record with 14 K in a game. He did it in only six innings against Vermont on July 24. Kingsport (Rookie) � Wilmer Flores, SS: Signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2007. � 6-3, 175, right-handed hitter, 17 years old. � Flores, who is from Venezuela, began the season at just 16. He hit .310 with 36 R, 12 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 41 RBI in 59 games. � Flores ranked fourth in the Appalachian League with 76 hits. � He was promoted to Brooklyn for the final eight games of the season and became the youngest player in franchise history. � He batted .267 (8 for 30) with three runs scored. GCL Mets (Rookie) � Jefry Marte, 3B: Signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2007. � 6-1, 187, right-handed, 17 years old. � Marte, a native of the Dominican, began the season at just 16 as well. � He hit .325 with 29 R, 14 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, and 24 RBI in 44 games. � His average was sixth-best in the GCL and his .532 slugging percentage was second-best. Dominican Summer League Mets � Gonzalez German, RHP: Signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2007. � 6-1, 175, 20 years old. � The Dominican righty went 5-2 with a 1.34 ERA in 15 games, 14 starts. � In 74 IP, he allowed 21 R, 11 ER, 41 H, 15 BB and had 70 K. � He limited the opposition to a .159 average and did not allow a home run in 258 AB against. � In the first two months he was unbeaten, going 5-0 with a 1.09 ERA. Venezuelan Summer League Mets � Jhonathan Torres, LHP: Signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2007. � 5-11, 170, 18 years old. � Torres, who is from Venezuela, went 5-2 with a 3.39 ERA in 13 starts. � In 63.2 IP, he allowed 30R, 24 ER, 63 H, 13 BB and had 42 K. � He allowed two earned runs or less in nine of his 13 starts. � In seven starts to begin the year, Torres went 5-0 with a 1.77 ERA.

Per usual, they had their ceremony at Shea today, and took part in the Shea Games Remaining countdown.