Jayce Boyd

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Now that Dock Doyle's drug-taking, Facebook-unfriending and sucking has gotten kicked off the Mets and out of my family, I've decided to replace him with a clean-cut Chrsitian, Jayce Boyd.

He's a righthanded hitting first baseman from FSU famous for being comfortable enough with his masculinity to play Miley Cyrus songs as his walk-up music. Here he is signing a Mets contract at home with scout Jim Bryant.



I like this guy because as a first baseman, he'll have to hit like crazy to move up the ladder. The knock on his game was a seeming lack of power but the Mets seem to believe he's got it in him. His batting eye and glove are already well thought of so he could be a mover.

Boyd going pro Tate High grad leaves FSU, signs deal with N.Y. Mets by Bob Heist Just inside the front door of David and Cyndi Boyd’s home near Cantonment sits an entry room devoted to their three children. It’s impossible to miss the one wall covered with photos of Maegen, Crystal and Jayce. And that’s what stood out most Monday, as Jayce Boyd officially left Florida State following his junior year to sign a professional baseball contract with the New York Mets. Tucked in the middle of all those photos was Boyd, just 5 or 6 at the time, with gelled up hair, the collar up on a leather jacket, doing an impersonation of Arthur Fonzarelli. Professional journeys have to start somewhere, right? “He watched baseball on TV all the time, and when he was 10, that’s the first time he figured out you could make money playing baseball — that it could be a job,” Cyndi said. “And that’s when he decided baseball is what he wanted his job to be. “That makes this all so special. It’s very special when you get to see your kids reach their goals.” Selected in the sixth round of the recent Major League Baseball draft, Boyd — a 6-foot-3, 200-pound first baseman — agreed to a $150,000 bonus Monday, signing a contract brought to the family home by Mets area scout Jim Bryant. From the first home run he hit for the Sun Belt Mariners at age 5 at the NEP Ball Park off Nine Mile Road, to becoming a high school All-American at Tate, to two College World Series appearances in three seasons at FSU, a dream became reality at 5:49 p.m. with the stroke of a pen. Next stop, Brooklyn. Boyd leaves Wednesday to join the Mets’ short-season Class A club in the New York-Penn League. “It’s just one of those steppingstones that you finally reach. And knowing that you actually got to it, that’s awfully special to me,” said Boyd. “It’s not a surreal thing, because this is what I’ve wanted to do my whole life. But to know that I get to start that in the next couple of days, that’s really awesome.” Boyd certainly takes a full resume with him to the pros from FSU. In three seasons with the Seminoles, he had a career batting average of .349. In 2012, Boyd led the ACC in the regular season, batting .395, was a first-team all-conference pick and a second-team All-American by Louisville Slugger. “I think he’s a station-to-station guy (climbing through the minor leagues). I think you’ll see him in the (Advanced-A) Florida State League next year ... and then it’s just a matter of time before he’s with Binghamton, our Double-A club,” Bryant said. “From there, it’s a very short jump to the big leagues. “I don’t see any problem with Jayce handling the minor leagues ... I honestly see him in the big leagues in three, three and a half years.” But back to the “Fonzie” get up. Who would have ever thought that little boy in the picture would some day be on a journey to New York City and, possibly, one day standing at first base at Citi Field for the Mets. “I’ve been playing baseball forever, and there are so many moments that standout in my mind,” Boyd said. “I remember playing T-ball and hitting my first home run ... and my mom is freaking out. “It’s all kinds of things like that through the years, those really special things you’ll never forget because of baseball, that make today so special.” Then he added: “This has always been my dream, but it’s also part of the journey. I can’t wait to see what’s next.”

[Edgy MD]

Got to ask him to scan in that Fonzie photo.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I believe that passage reads: Thou shalt not use steroids.

[Edgy MD]

"I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

[Frayed Knot]

Is that guy in the black windbreaker the real scout or just someone they got out of central casting to sit in as a scout for the photo op?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jayce is making his pro debut tonight on SNY, playing first base. Tuned in to see his first professional hit, a bouncer along the third baseline that got by the infielder and went for an RBI double.

Nimmo, Plawecki, etc also playing.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Boom! Now he goes oppo with a double down the right field line. Woulda had another RBI but the ball bounced over the fence for a grounds rule double.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jayce Boyd ‏@JBoyd016 Gunna miss my new teammates, bright future ahead for the #Mets organization with this group of guys coming up! Great first pro season! Expand

.239/.320/.368 // .688 at Brooklyn won't get him onto many top-prospect lists so we have to hope God inspires more power from him next year.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

7th in the South Atlantic League with a 1.0169 OPS, 4th in OBP (Nimmo leads).

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Savannah first baseman Jayce Boyd was 2-for-4 with a double last night and has now raised his batting line to.394/.476/.549 to go with 11 walks and only 9 strikeouts in 18 games this season. The 22-year old is currently riding an eight-game hitting streak and he may just be ready to make the jump to St. Lucie. Unlike Nimmo who is three years his junior, Boyd is a polished college player and will move quickly.

[Benjamin Grimm]

He may have a chance at a big league job with the Mets. If Ike Davis continues to be a 30-homer, .220 guy he'll be the type who could get an arbitration award that's significantly higher than the Mets want to pay. Boyd's arrival time may coincide with, should it come to that, the time that the Mets will cut ties with Ike similarly to the way they did last year with Pelfrey.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Well, it's a long time before we can count on something like that. There are an awful lot of first basemen who can hit their way up to St. Lucie and are never heard from again (Jim Burt Jr., Ian Baldergroen etc). The one thing Boyd has going for him, from what I've read, is a very good glove already. But he needs to keep hitting AND improve power as he advances.

[Edgy MD]

Man, Ian Bladergroen. Did that guy wreck the joint in Capital City or what? Seventy four ribeyes in a short season league (72 games!). That's some baseball. Gets traded for Doug Mientkiewicz in a deal that drove headline editors crazy, and they both end up being fool's gold at their respective levels.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

.360 BA -- 3rd in SAL
.458 OBP -- 2nd in SAL
.518 SLG -- 9th in SAL
.976 OPS -- 5th in SAL
13 2B -- 4th in SAL
24 BB -- 5th in SAL

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jayce has been promoted to St. Lucie but he's continued to hit, albeit not at the 360 clip he finished with in Savannah.

3-16-310/361/506 // 867 in 23 games/87 ABs.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

4-29-286/371/456//826 in 41 games at High-A. He's serving as the DH exclusively however since he's scheduled for offseason shoulder surgery. He could still use more powa but prolly has hit well enough for a look at AA next season.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jayce is having a hard time adjusting to AA in the early going.

.188/.291/.292 in his first 55 PA

[Edgy MD]

Just clubbed his first homer for Bingo.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Jayce has improved with the stick considerably but still ain't hitting for powa, a no-no for a minor league first baseman.

265/364/370

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

293/.382/.414

Improved all year long, but still there in Bingo. Still short on the power.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Underrated but not anything those of us in the Boyd Family haven't known for some time.

http://www.amazinavenue.com/2015/1/23/7773733/new-york-mets-prospects-jayce-boyd

As we continue to profile the most underrated Mets prospect at each position on the diamond, we stumble upon a name you might find familiar: Jayce Boyd. Drafted out of Florida State in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, all he's done in his pro career is flat-out hit. A bit too slow for the hot corner, Boyd profiles as an excellent defender at first base. He backed up this reputation in 2013, ranking as the best defensive first baseman in the Class-A South Atlantic League. Boyd's batting average and glove are not holding him back from attaining legitimate prospect status. Rather, analysts and fans have dismissed the 2012 draftee due to seemingly mediocre power that will not allow Boyd to become the stereotypical middle-of-the-order first baseman. However, it is too early to deliver a verdict on Boyd's power ability after just three professional seasons. Baseball America liked what they saw from Boyd in batting practice, noting his "plus power" that would likely develop into major league average in the future. Furthermore, BA profiles Boyd as a player that "emphasizes contact" and does "an expert of job of working pitchers for a fastball he can hammer to the gaps." The righty's gap power and advanced approach were evident last season in Binghamton, when he reached base in 38.2% of his at-bats, posted a .365 wOBA, and created 26% more runs than the average ballplayer. Concerns about Boyd's over-the-fence power (or lack thereof) do seem valid. He only knocked eight home runs in 119 games last season. However, Boyd compensates for his lackluster home run totals with an excellent batting eye. Last year, he walked at an 11% clip and struck out only 14% percent of the time. In 2013, the Florida native actually had more walks than strikeouts for the Savannah Sand Gnats. Ten years ago, I may have believed the claim that Boyd's lack of power would restrict him from developing into a major league starting first baseman. But in the new power-starved MLB, Boyd's contact ability is more suited for first base than it may appear. The median 2014 National League first baseman (Adam Laroche) posted an .817 OPS. Boyd's career minor league OPS stands at a not-too-distant .808. Obviously, minor league numbers do not directly translate to the bigs. Still, a player like Boyd, who has had no trouble swiftly advancing levels thus far in his pro career, could very realistically develop into a solid big league contributor in the near future. Considering Boyd's defensive prowess and contact-oriented approach, I can envision the 24-year-old ballplayer developing into a James Loney-type player a year or two down the road. Boyd's minor league numbers actually compare quite favorably to Loney's. So far, Boyd has batted three points higher than has the current Rays first baseman (.299 to .296), has reached base in two percent more of his at-bats (.382 to .363), and has averaged the same amount of home runs (seven) as Loney did per season during his MiLB career. Boyd is no guarantee to achieve the same success as have atypical first basemen like Loney. But the mere fact that Boyd could realistically replicate a longtime major league first baseman's production should warrant the former Seminole more prospect consideration. Boyd's chances for success improve even more when you consider how pitching dominant (and therefore offensively depressed) the league has become. It may be the perfect time for a prospect like Boyd to emerge as a future big league regular; after all, the average first baseman's production is as low as it has ever been in terms of power. Couple a stellar defensive reputation with an advanced plate approach, a compact swing, and gap power, and Jayce Boyd is the easy choice for most underrated first base prospect in the Mets organization.

[Edgy MD]

Space Face Jayce called up to AAA after going .306 / .363 / .420 // .783 to start the season in Binghamton.

Over two seasons (a convenient 160 games) he's been a consistent .296 / .377 / .416 // .792 hitter in the Eastern League.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Thanks, I'd been neglecting Jayce while he learns a new position -- left field. I guess that means that they're prepping him for a possible reserveish role in MLB and don't think of his power as a Major League thing but those on-base and doubles are nice.

[Edgy MD]

Seems like some Josh Thole numbers with the stick. If it won't play at first, it won't play much better in left, but better to be versatile, I guess.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

He does lefty stuff righthanded, that somehow seems potentially useful too.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

.296/.377/.389//.766 so far in Vegas (~60 PA). Still drawing those walks and hitting those doubles.

[Guest themetfairy]

I was going to take some photos of Jayce tonight during the B-Mets game in Trenton, but he didn't last long. Twice after getting to a 3-1 count he thought he drew ball four, and twice the umpire called the pitches strikes. After strike three he argued with the ump, threw his helmet, etc., and after getting thrown out of the game he kicked some dirt at the ump.

Hopefully the next time I see him he'll hang around a bit longer....

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I'd have figured Jayce was too much of a Jesus-loving milk-drinker to do something like that, so I'm glad his skill set is rounding out.

But I don't know about this guy anymore. Repeating AA at 25, still no power and on the Interstate for now. Do or die year!