2014 IPP: Jeff Walters

[Benjamin Grimm]

It was moderately popular last year, so we'll try it again this year. IPP stands for Individual Player Predictions. These will be threads where we share our expectations of how a player will perform in the current year. Feel free to make your predictions as specific or as vague as you like. (You can find a listing of the 2013 IPPs here.)

I know little about Jeff Walters, other than the following, which I had to look up: He's a 26-year-old right-handed reliever who had a 2.09 ERA in 53 games in Binghampton in 2013. He saved 38 games. 16 walks and 60 strikeouts in 56 innings. Kevin Burkhardt spoke highly of him on a Mets Hot Stove this offseason, and it seems like he may have a good shot at a spot in the Mets bullpen. (He's lasted longer in camp than Josh Edgin, anyway.)

I'll say he makes the team, goes back-and-forth to Las Vegas a few times. (I almost typed "Tidewater." Boy, am I old!)

[Frayed Knot]

He's going to lead the team in hair.
Whenever he comes up that is; prior to that he'll spend a bunch of the year closing in Vegas.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

His career looked fairly nondescript until last season when he had a terrific year in Bingo. I'd definitely give him the opportunity to repeat that in AAA and if he's doing it in June or July, ask him up.

OK, so I predict he will in fact have a good year and arrive in July with rock-star hair and a fu manchu, be issued No. 77, and enter games at the 0:50 mark of "Space Station #5" by Montrose.

2-3, 3.33, 2 saves, 26 G, 27 IP, 25-8

[youtube:28tccdto]s6BTTJo1KmM[/youtube:28tccdto]

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

That would be fuckin' EXcellent.

Midseason arrival. No such theme-song exellence, but a whole lot of dumb Mets Weekly jokes. And he'll sure throw a mean ground-ball. (Also, think-- Mejia's the best hair on the team, people.)

21 G, 27 IP, 3.67 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 6.6 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 2 HR allowed

[Ceetar]

This is the last time you think about Jeff Walters.

[MFS62]

Starts the year in the Vegas bullpen. If he gets called up before September he will have pitch well enough to leapfrog several other pitchers. He'll be good out West, but not that good.
September callup - 14 G, 16 IP, 3BB, 14 K, 2.25 ERA. Maybe 2 saves. Maybe.

Later

[Edgy MD]

Led all the minors in saves last year with 38. I believe that's the most in the Eastern League since the legendary Brent Stentz logged a mighty 43 of them for the New Briton Rock Rock Cats in 1998.

But, you know... saves. Problem is, Stentz never made the bigs and I fear... I don't want to say what I fear.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

It's not just the saves. I know the eyes lie and all, but from the two appearances I've seen this spring, well... his fastball is really good. Like, funky run and sink and everything. Provided he has enough control, he's usable.

Whatever he ends up being, he's ready to become it now. I think the organization agrees.

[Guest d'Kong76]

There won't be a 2014 1/2 follow-up IPP for him.

[Guest themetfairy]

We're long past 2014, but Jeff is back. Today was his first post-TJ surgery outing, and he pitched a scoreless inning in Binghamton's 8-0 trouncing of the Trenton Thunder.