6/29/10

Juan Urbina, Mitch Houck, Pedro Zapata, Robert Carson... and Darrell Ceciliani

Juan Urbina:



Super-prospect Juan Urbina continues to impress at the GCL-level. On Monday, Urbina tossed: 4.2-IP, 1-ER, 6-K and finished the day with a seasonal 0.93 ERA for his first two starts.


I wrote last year:

                                      Urbina was signed this past year as a 16-year old international free agent. Reports are that he is already “hitting 90”, but that’s what everybody says about everybody, including their grandmother.

The same experts have said that he was the top pitcher to come out of the international kiddie signing day. In the past, the Mets used to start these newbies off in Latin America, but not anymore. Watch for him to debit in Florida with the GCL Mets.


The Mets may be clogged with low-level SPs, but that won’t prevent them from holding Urbina back, especially if he keeps pitching this way. My guess is he will finish this season in Brooklyn so Queens will get a good look-see.



Mitch Houck:


Mitch Houck pitched his second gem in a row Sunday for the Cyclones, 7.0-IP, 2-ER, 8-K, 2-BB.


Houck was drafted in the 17th round of the 2008 draft by the Mets.

He pitched most of the 2008 season for GCL, going 2-2, 1.08, 0.84 in 6 appearances.He was called up to Savannah for the last week of their season, where he went 0-0, 2.25 in 2 appearances.

Houck had TJS in the off-season and spent the entire 2009 season on the DL. Frankly, I didn’t think he’d be back.


So far this season he has stats of: 2-0, 1.32, 1.24, 13.2-IP, 14-K, .324-BABIP, 2.98-FIP

Pedro Zapata:


As pointed out on the Gnats’ pre-game press release on Monday:


Pedro Zapata had his nine-game hitting streak snapped Saturday night. He’s still hit safely in 19 of his last 21 contests. In his last nine games, Zapata is still hitting .415 (17-for-41). He’s up to fifth in the SAL in hits (81) and is hitting .354/.409/.418 in 19 completed games in June. His OPS by month: April- .645, May- .728, June- .827.


Zapata was signed in 2006 as an undrafted international free agent.

Zapata’s 2007 pro debut with the DSL Mets was an impressive one: .325/.382/.425 in 160 at bats. He also had 23 stolen bases and an OPS of .807. Had 17 multi-hit efforts in 41 games and stole 23 bases in 29 attempts.

Zapata was named the winner of the Sterling Award for the Mets MVP for the DSL Mets in 2007.

He had a disappointing year in 2008 with Kingsport, hitting only .221 in 226 at bats. He did lead the team with 12 stolen bases.


The Mets send Zapata back to Kingsport in 2009 to do it again, and he did: .329/358/.421 in 152 at bats.

From the Kingsport Mets web site at the end of this season:

The outfield, led by, Cesar Puello (.296/5/23/15), RJ Harris (.293/5/25/13), Pedro Zapata (.329/0/21/15) and Kurt Steinhauer (.364/5/22), was collectively an outstanding unit


Forecast I wrote in January 2010:: Zapata is one of the fastest Mets in the system, but you know what that means. No pop. Actually, Zapata has never hit a home run as a professional. The Mets will probably send him to Savannah, though Brooklyn is an option.

Robert Carson:

Carson did everything he could to throw a shutout Monday night… his first seven innings were close to perfect, but he eventually tired in the 8th inning, giving up four runs (7.2-IP, 4-ER, 9-H, 4-K, 1-BB). He did get the victory (6-4), and his ERA ended up at 4.54.


There’s been a bunch of negativity in the scouting world involving Carson… many question whether he has that “something special”needed to make it someday in the Bigs. No one has every questioned his confidence (his Facebook name is Robert “Imdestinedforgreatness” Carson.) Let’s hope this is another sign that his game is returning.


My notes of Carson:


Carson had a disappointing senior season at Hattiesburg, finishing 3-5 with only 36 Ks. The bright spot was his 2.65 ERA. As a junior, he went 5-2 with 2 saves and a 2.15 ERA with 60 Ks.

The Mets drafted Carson in the 14th round of the 2007 draft. He signed and was placed on The GCL Mets roster, where he went 1-0, 5.00 in 4 games, 1 start.

Scouts say he has a “big time arm” and throws a “heavy” fastball. Carson features 4 pitches, a fastball, changeup, cutter and curveball. His fastball sits 90-92, and has topped out at 94. His changeup sits around 75-80, while his curveball is low to mid 70s.

In 2008, Carson started out with the GCL Mets and pitched impressively: 1-0, 1.57, 0.74. He was promoted to Kingsport, where he went 2-3, 1.76 in 6 starts.

In September 2008, Toby Hyde wrote: LHP Robert Carson – 1-0, 1.57 ERA, 5 GS, 23 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 25 K - A pair of dominant outing in July, 12 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 16 K, proved that big lefty was ready for challenges beyond the GCL and earned him a promotion to Kingsport. Carson missed much of 2007 after being struck on the head by a ball, but had a healthy and productive ’08. Carson is the only player in this GCL review who I didn’t see play live, since he threw the day before I arrived in Florida. His fastball sat was 90-93, and his secondary offerings were a slider and a changeup. He told me in July that he was very pleased with the development of the slider this year. As a lefty with good size and velocity, I really like Carson’s ceiling – which could be an MLB rotation sometime around 2012 or so. Projected 2009 Start: Savannah

9-9-9 From http://www.hardballtimes.com/ : - Speaking of that 2011 St. Lucie rotation, Carson is another young pitcher who impressed for Savannah this year. Jumping from Rookie ball in 2008 to A ball this year, the 20 year-old lefty features a low 90's fastball (tops out around 92 MPH) that helped him to a 3.21 ERA and 3.37 FIP. Carson has to work on getting more whiffs if he wants to compete at higher levels.

In 2009, Carson pitched a full season for Savannah and went: 8-10, 3.21, 1.40, but only 90-K in 131.2-IP. He also walked 45 batters.

Carson’s 3 year pro stats are: 12-13, 2.87, 1.34.


Forecast on Jan 1, 2010: - Carson would have been ranked higher if he finished the season strong, but he didn’t. The Mets should have bumped him to St. Lucie at least two months prior to the end of the season, but they didn’t, and that could have been hanging over Carson. There’s a hell of a lot of talent here along with his confidence and bravado. I look for a tremendous season at St. Lucie in 2010.
Darrell Ceciliani:


Cecilliani went 3-4 Monday night, which raised his 2010 Brooklyn batting average to .409. Yes, all three were singles, but he still has produced six extra base hits this season, only two less than he did all last season for Kingsport. Cecilliani was a questionable fourth round draft pick last season and most draft experts had him in the 8-15th round projected area. That being said, he’s off to a great start this season, and hopefully we’ll see his first professional home run soon.


My notes on Cecilliani:


Cecilliani was drafted in the fourth round of the 2009 draft by the Mets.

6-10-2009 from: - http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2009/06/10/608528/mid-columbia-talent-ready-for.html  - Darrell Ceciliani has waited his whole life to be a professional baseball player. "Ever since I could hold a bat," said Ceciliani, a 6-foot-1 right-fielder for Columbia Basin College. He put himself on the radar of many a major league scout with a solid season at the plate while leading CBC into the NWAACC championship game. The left-hander hit .364 and led the Hawks with six triples, four home runs and 40 RBIs as the team's No. 3 hitter. Ceciliani is expected to be chosen somewhere between rounds 4-6 of Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft, which began Tuesday with the first three rounds and concludes today with rounds 4-50 in Secaucus, N.J.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/ : - Darrell Ceciliani, a freshman out of Columbia Basin College, hopes to begin a professional career with the New York Mets after being selected in the fourth round, 134th overall. The 6-1 right fielder out of Madras, Ore., hit .364 and led the Hawks with six triples, four homers and 40 RBIs as the team's No. 3 hitter. But unlike Conley, Ceciliani missed his own selection while sitting in his business salesmanship class at CBC. Once he found out about his selection, however, "I ended up just leaving," he laughed. "I'm definitely leaning toward going pro right now. We're still kind of negotiating contracts and money right now. "I probably won't go for anything less than $250,000."

http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090611/SPORTS05/906110387/1009/NEWS01&nav_category=NEWS01  - After not getting drafted out of high school, Ceciliani, a left-handed outfielder, turned heads immediately at Columbia Basin with his speed and athleticism. The former White Buffalo led CBC in runs scored, doubles, triples, home runs, runs batted in, walks and slugging percentage while helping the Hawks to a 44-7 record. “Being in the Pacific Northwest, you’re under the radar,” said Ceciliani’s father, who also is named Darrell Ceciliani. “Plus, he was in Central Oregon. … He was a three-sport athlete, so he didn’t go to a lot of camps and he had to work (on the family) ranch. But my deal always was, ‘If you’re good enough, you’ll get noticed. They’ll find you.’ ” With a hot start at CBC in the wood-bat Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC), Ceciliani’s name spread like wildfire among pro baseball scouts.

He immediately signed and played the entire season for Kingsport, going .234/.313/.310/.623 in 158 at bats. Only eight of his 37 hits went for extra bases.

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