Adopted: Jeurys Familia

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Never let it be said that I'm only after white adopted children with serious lank, serious fastballs, and serious secondary-pitch issues.

Seriously, this guy's still homeless? Come in out of the cold, Hyoo-rees, and into the Familia.

International signee from the Dominican (should we call them "Pedro's Kids?"), 6-foot-2-and-change, 180-190 lbs. For those of you unfamiliar with the kid, think of him as "Lil' Jenrry." At 20, he's got a fastball that keeps on ticking upward, velocity-wise, with good-- if sub-Mejian-- movement (from 88-90 two years ago to 90-91 last year to mid-nineties this ST), and he pairs it with a funky, mid-80s slurve thing that flashes plus (breaking sharply down and in to lefties/away from righties), but, like your attitude in middle-school gym class, needs improvement.

Nice, tidy numbers-- 2.69 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, finishing top-5 in the SAL last year, while holding the K/BB sorta steady and ratcheting up the K/9 slightly to 7.3 for the year-- for St. Lucie last year after a similarly solid debut in Savannah the previous year. In fact, in his last 10 starts, his K/9 climbed to about 8.4. Plus, Scouting the Sally's tireless Mike Newmancalls him the "leader of the Gnats... staff... show(ing) the ability to bare down in tough situations." (He also has a nice scouting report on JF from last July right here at MetsGeek.) Flame on.

We likes. We may actually get to sees him in big-league togs, too, by late next year or so. Bullpen? Mebbe. If he can get his secondary offering-- hell, even one of 'em-- he's potential mid-rotation help.

Edited April 14, 2010 by Guest

[Ceetar]

Seriously, this guy's still homeless? Come in out of the cold, Hyoo-rees, and into the Familia.

That was my first thought when I saw the topic. This guy has been quietly touted as impending awesome for the last couple of months, if not longer.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Two starts, one shakier than the other (which was his last, and saw rehabbin' Kiko Calero* get the win with 2.1 innings of solid work). And even the more solid one saw him walking five dudes (while whiffing 7).

10.13 ERA, with 8 walks-- and 10 Ks-- in 8 innings so far. But it's early yet.


*OE: Whoops. That's Mets minor-leaguer Angel Calero.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Five runs on seven hits in 4 2/3? The 7 K and 2 BB are sort of encouraging, but come on... this is start #3, awready. You need to shape up, Wild Thing.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Against Bradenton yesterday: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K. But-- here's the real cherry-- 12 GB outs, zero FB outs.

Atta f'ing boy. After that wretched start, ERA's down to 7.71 and dropping, WHIP's at 1.4 and dropping.

I'm kind of a helicopter Metdad with this one, aren't I?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

WATCH THAT STOVE, SON!

7-day DL as of yesterday (5/1), thanks to a burned left wrist suffered while cooking.

[Edgy MD]

Why is he cooking for himself in A-Ball? He should have some shiny happy family cooking for him.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Two weeks tomorrow. No word on the burn-- or a return-- to be found.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

No more tears!

The burn healed, and he's been back in business providing rotation balm for St. Lucie since May 16, eased back into duty with 3 starts averaging 4 IP per, with a 2.25 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 11-to-5 K/BB ratio in those starts.

He's at 5.58 ERA/1.63 WHIP for the season, with a K/BB just shy of 2-to-1. Those numbers are dropping/rising respectively, though.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 5 WP (!)

So, yeah, he had some control issues last night against the Tampa Lil' MFYs.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 5 K, 3 WP (!!) against Dunedin last week. That's 9 walks in his last 8-plus innings, along with uncorking 8 wild pitches.

STOP THROWING BALLS! START THROWING STRIKES!

He goes again tonight, ah b'lieve.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Actually, it was Tuesday.

And it wasn't pretty: 4 IP, 4 H, 8 R (5 earned), 3 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, a balk and an error (along with a free summer sausage, yours for ordering the "Discouraging Pitching Performance Sampler").

Over the last three games, he's 0-2 with a 10.22 ERA, with 12 walks in his last 12+ innings pitched.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Better yesterday... much better: 6 2/3 IP, 4 H, 2 R (1 earned), with 7 Ks in a rain-shortened loss. 3 walks still, but still...

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

GOOD: After a little barkiness and a freak injury, he's been healthy for the lion's share of the year, and is striking out dudes (8.8 K/9)! Also, he's added a decent change this first half.

NO SO GOOD: 5.85 ERA. 48 BB in 64.2 IP, 1.67 WHIP. 1.3 K/BB ratio.

GOOD: Selected for and threw an inning in the MLB Futures Game! At 97-98 MPH!

NO SO GOOD: 7 out of 12 pitches were balls, and he gave up three doubles to A-to-AA level hitters.

DIAGNOSIS FOR SECOND HALF: Throw some F-ing strikes, my boy.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 1 HBP, 1 WP. That�s 58 (!) walks, 20 wild pitches and 71 strikeouts in 73.1 innings for Mi Familia Loca. He�s walked 7.1 batters per nine. He's 2-6, 6.38. Cripes.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Holy shipoopi-- you didn't decapitate any mascots! A quality start (and not just in name only): 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 7 Ks and just 2 BB... along with the tough-luck loss to Brevard County.

May this be the start of a strong stretch run.

[Edgy MD]

Jeurys and Brad Holt are something of a 1-2 punch of disappointment this season.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

True.

Familia's not progressing as they'd like, though, where Holt seems outright regressive. Plus, Runaway Jeurys is still a scant 20.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Hey, don't be talkin' shit about my boy just because he can't get anyone out. That's my job.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Jeurys' selection a few days ago? Potent, it seems. He threw his finest ball of the season in knocking off MFTampa: 6 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K. Let's see some more of that, kiddo.

He also opted to talk to Robert Knapel from something called Mrmetsdaily.com. Pretty prosaic stuff-- again, he idolized Pedro (and now, Josh Beckett), and reads his bible every day-- although Knapel praises the kid's work ethic. Well, yeah... we do our best to raise 'em right.

[Edgy MD]

Jeurys' selection a few days ago? Potent, it seems. He threw his finest ball of the season in knocking off MFTampa: 6 2/3 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 9 K. Let's see some more of that, kiddo.

Done and done. Against first-place Palm Beach, no less

7.0 IP, 1 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 9 K, 0 HR

Who the heck was that?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Ha. Was JUST about to post that.

His last 4 games (including a 5-inning, 8 H, 5 R "meh" start):

2.91 ERA
1.01 WHIP
5.00 K/BB ratio

[Edgy MD]

I guess it wasn't too late for him to salvage this season after all.

[Frayed Knot]

Good enough recently to make BA's 'Hot List' at #9

Team: high Class A St. Lucie (Florida State)
Age: 20
Why He's Here: 1-0, 0.66, 13 2/3, 11 H, 1 R, 1 HBP, 2 BB, 18 SO
The Scoop: Where has this been all year? Familia is one of the hardest throwers in the minor leagues, but when he pitches, balls have been been flying out faster than they've been coming in most of the year. Not so in his last two outings, his best two of the season. Familia still needs to develop a reliable breaking ball, and with nearly six walks per nine innings, his control has also gotten him in trouble this year. With his stuff and the effort in his delivery, the bullpen might be in Familia's future, but his most recent starts might be encouraging signs of progress.

[MFS62]

And the beat goes on.

Familia the last 3 games:

20 1/3 IP
30 Ks
16 H
3 ER
6 BB

That is ace type stuff especially when you consider he's only 20 until October. The kid just needs to keep that walk rate, or even something close, and everything else will fall in line.

Later

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Last night, my boy was a little wilder than he's been of late (4 BB, 1 WP)... but 12 strikeouts and just 5 hits allowed in 6 2/3 IP will help limit the damage from that.

Oh, I'm busting.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Sunday was again afun day.

6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (yay), 2 HRs (boo) in a win over Jupiter. (And it would have been 6 shutout innings if not for Wilmer Flores' error in turning an inning-ending DP.)

Still... guys get hit. 48 K/11 BB for the last month-plus. 6 straight solid-to-dominating starts with great control.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

End-of-year totals:

6-9, 5.58 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 10.19(!) K/9, 5.50 BB/9 over 24 games/121 IP. But oh, that second half.

Also, he's 20.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

He'll stay in High-A PSL. If he can build on last year's second half... he could end up in Buffalo by year's end.

[MFS62]

Pretty good start to the new season:
7 IP, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 0 HR, 8-4 GB-FB

I rate it as "pretty good" until I find out if he also sold tickets and helped sweep out the stadium after the game.

Later