One of the New York Mets hitting prospects is finally realizing some of his potential as a hitter, and he's still only 20 years old. Find out who it is, and which pitcher performed well in this week's Mets Minor League Update.
Pitcher Of The Week: Cory Mazzoni (13 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 12 Ks, 2 Wins)
Mazzoni was a two-start pitcher this week, winning both outings. He sported a good strikeout:walk ratio, despite allowing eight base hits. He nice week improves his record to a perfect 5-0 on the season, with an ERA of 3.09. It should be noted that both of this week's wins came against two of the three worst offensive teams in the Florida State League.
Outside of one start, Mazzoni started only one game in the Mets system in 2011 – he was used strictly as a reliever. This year, the 22-year-old second round pick in 2011, has started all 11 games he's appeared in. His fastball sat in the mid-to-high 90s out of the bullpen, but is a bit slower as a starter – as expected.
To go along with his fastball, he has a nice slider and controls both pitches well. He projects as a back-end starting pitcher in the major leagues.
Hitter Of The Week: Aderlin Rodriguez (.417, 1 Double, 4 HRs, 4 RBIs, 1 BB, 2 Ks)
Here's what I wrote about Rodriguez a few weeks ago:
He has some of the best raw power in the Mets system, but severely lacks almost every other tool necessary to be a major leaguer, at this point in his career.
Because Rodriguez is a terrible defender and baserunner, he'll have to be very good with the bat to be a serviceable major league player. The power has always been there, but over the past month and change, he's shown a new-found plate discipline.
In May, Rodriguez hit .315, with five homers, and a stellar on-base percentage of .406, and his BB:K ratio of 14:19 was incredibly encouraging. He's even hotter over his last 10 games, sporting a slash line of .351/.419/.730 – all three above average numbers.
He's hitting for average, for power, and getting on base at an elite clip. If he can continue this streak, he could finally tap into some of his potential. He's still only 20 years old.
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