Minor League Baseball

20-year-old Tejada could be Mets' Opening Day starter

March 12, 2010 , ι By TIM BONTEMPS

After a good season as a 19-year-old with Double-A Binghamton, Ruben Tejada was expected to begin this season as the starting shortstop with Triple-A Buffalo. But now that the Mets have lost Jose... Read on

After a good season as a 19-year-old with Double-A Binghamton, Ruben Tejada was expected to begin this season as the starting shortstop with Triple-A Buffalo.
	 
But now that the Mets have
	 lost Jose Reyes for an undetermined amount of time because of his thyroid condition, the door has opened for Tejada to become the Opening Day shortstop in Queens.
	 
Tejada has been pushed aggresively through the Mets' system, as often was the case with talented international signings during the Tony Bernazard Era. At the beginning of last season, it seemed to many observers that the Mets were forcing their hands with Tejada by promoting him to Double-A. As an 18-year old with High-A St. Lucie, Tejada suffered through an abysmal 2008 season, hitting .229 with two home runs and 37 RBIs.
	 
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But Tejada, who entered the season ninth on Baseball America's Top 30 list of Mets prospects, exceeded all possible expectations with Binghamton, and put together arguably his best season as a pro. 
	 
After representing Panama in the World Baseball Classic during spring training, Tejada hit .289 with five homers, 46 RBIs and 19 stolen bases, along with a .351 on-base percentage, 24 doubles and three triples in 134 games (488 at-bats). He has carried that success to this spring, hitting .364 (8-for-22) with a double and three RBIs.
	 
Now it seems Tejada (5-11, 160) has a legitimate chance to beat out utility infielder Alex Cora for the Mets' Opening Day job, depending both on Reyes' health and how well Tejada and Cora perform over the last few weeks of spring training.
	 
“The good thing is Tejada is playing pretty well, so Jerry is playing him,” Mets general manager Omar Minaya
	 told the Post's Mike Puma in St. Lucie yesterday.
	 
The guess here would be that Cora wins the job, and Tejada begins the season starting in Triple-A. Despite his success last year, there are some concerns about Tejada's bat being good enough to hold down a starting job on a major-league team long-term.
	 
Plus, given his struggles in 2008, and the fact Bernazard is no longer part of the organization's hierarchy, there has been an expectation there will be less rushing of prospects through the system. And with Tejada turning 20 last October, combined with the immense pressure the Mets will be under at the start of the season to win right out of the box, I would be surprised if Jerry Manuel didn't give dependable Cora the job, rather than a talented, but very young, Tejada, who hasn't had a major-league at-bat in his career.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Yankees Top 30 Prospects: No. 25 - David Phelps

March 07, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox. In the second part of my season preview, I'm... Read on

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox.

In the second part of my season preview, I'm reviewing Baseball America's Top 30 prospects for the Mets and Yankees organizations for the upcoming 2010 season.

----------
	 
Since being drafted in the 14th round of the 2008 draft, David Phelps has achieved nothing but success in the minors. Between the New York-Penn League's Staten Island Yankees, Low-A Charleston and High-A Tampa over the past year and a half, Phelps went 21-6 with a 2.49 ERA in 41 appearances (all starts). The Notre Dame product struck out 174 and walked 49 in 224 innings.
	 
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The 23-year-old right-hander will get a chance to prove his numbers over the last year-and-a-half were legitimate this season, as he should begin the year with Double-A Trenton. After jumping from Charleston to Tampa last season, it wouldn't be a shock to see Phelps get to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre - if, of course, he contiues to pitch like he has so far as a professional.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Mets Top 30 Prospects: No. 25 - Eddie Kunz

March 07, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox. In the second part of my season preview, I'm... Read on

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox.

In the second part of my season preview, I'm reviewing Baseball America's Top 30 prospects for the Mets and Yankees organizations for the upcoming 2010 season.

----------
	 
It's not often when a player is entering his third full season as a professional baseball player and it can truly be considered a "make-or-break" year.
	 
For Eddie Kunz, however, that's exactly what the 2010 season is.
	 
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The right-hander, who was the Mets' first over pick in the supplemental first round of the 2007 draft out of Oregon State, has struggled each of the past two seasons in Triple-A. A contributor to two national championship teams out of the bullpen with the Beavers, Kunz has looked lost since getting shelled in a brief call-up to the big leagues in 2008. Last year, in a full season with Triple-A Buffalo, Kunz went 4-5 with a 5.02 ERA, striking out 38 in 61 innnings.
	 
The two most important numbers for Kunz last year, however, were walks (31) and home runs allowed (eight). Both of those numbers will have to improve dramatically in a return trip to Buffalo this year if Kunz wants to ever come close to fulfilling the potential the Mets saw in him when they drafted him.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Yankees Top 30 Prospects: No. 26 - Adam Warren

March 07, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox. In the second part of my season preview, I'm... Read on

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox.

In the second part of my season preview, I'm reviewing Baseball America's Top 30 prospects for the Mets and Yankees organizations for the 2010 season.

----------
	 
Warren is the kind of player who can be overlooked in the annual First-Year Player Draft. With most of the top picks being either high school players or college juniors, a college senior like Warren, a right-hander who doesn't throw extroardinarily hard, can slip past the draft's first couple of rounds - despite the fact that he went 32-4 in his career at North Carolina, one of the top four or five college baseball programs in the nation.
	 
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The Yankees nabbed Warren in the fourth round of last year's draft, and watched him tear through the New York-Penn League for the Staten Island Yankees last summer. The 6-foot-2 right-hander went 4-2 with a 1.43 ERA in 12 starts, striking out 50 and walking 10 in 57 innings. He should start the season with either High-A Tampa or Double-A Trenton, and if he performs anywhere near like he did last season, he could fly through the Yankees' system.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Mets Top 30 Prospects: No. 26 - Josh Stinson

March 07, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox. In the second part of my season preview, I'm... Read on

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox.

In the second part of my season preview, I'm reviewing Baseball America's Top 30 prospects for the Mets and Yankees organizations for the 2010 season.

----------
	 
Josh Stinson was a 37th round pick by the Mets out of high school in Shreveport, La. in 2006. After struggling through two seasons as a starter, the Mets turned him into a full-time reliever in 2008 and saw him have his best season as a professional in 2009. After putting up solid numbers with Low-A Savannah (2-2 with a 3.61 ERA in 45 innings), Stinson shined after a midseason promotion to High-A St. Lucie. He went 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA in the second half of the season there, striking out 35 batters in 36 innings, and also recording six saves.
	 
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One thing Stinson has to work on is his control - he had 19 walks in his 36 innings with St. Lucie. He'll get a chance to improve on those numbers as a 22-year-old with Double-A Binghamton this season.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Mets Top 30 Prospects: No. 27 - Eric Beaulac

March 07, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox. In the second part of my season preview, I'm... Read on

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox.

In the second part of my season preview, I'm reviewing Baseball America's Top 30 prospects for the Mets and Yankees organizations for the upcoming 2010 season.

----------

Eric Beaulac grew up as a Mets fan in Troy, N.Y., and was drafted by them in the ninth round of the 2008 draft after pitching for three years at Division II LeMoyne. He has had pretty consisent success in the minors, with his best stint coming last year with Low-A Savannah. In 26 appearances (19 starts) spanning 116 innings, Beaulac went 7-7 with a 2.95 ERA, striking out 133 and walking 41 in 116 innings.

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After his success with Low-A Savannah last year, Beaulac will look to do similar things this season, and will likely start the year with High-A St. Lucie. A repeat of his success last season could see the 23-year-old begin to rise a little more qucikly through the organization, possibly seeing Double-A Binghamton before the end of the year. It also would make a potential debut in the majors sometime in the 2011 season a real possibility.

tbontemps@nypost.com

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Yankees Top 30 Prospects: No. 27 - Kevin Russo

March 04, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox. In the second part of my season preview, I'm... Read on

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox.

In the second part of my season preview, I'm reviewing Baseball America's Top 30 prospects for the Mets and Yankees organizations.

----------
	 
Kevin Russo is the definition of a utility player on a major league team. During his time in the minors, Russo has seen action at second base, shortstop, third base and the corner outfield spots, and has done a decent job of hitting no matter where he has been playing.
	 
A 20th round selection out of Baylor in 2006, Russo has seen his batting average rise each of the past three years -- from .281 in 2007 to .307 in 2008 to .326 in 2009 -- all while jumping up from High-A Tampa to Double-A Trenton to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre each of those years. Equally impressive has been his ability to increase his walk totals each of those seasons, from 15 to 23 to 42, while keeping his strikeouts at about the same level.
	 
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Russo was added to the 40-man roster after last season, and will likely battle for a roster spot in spring training. But because of the presence of Ramiro Pena, along with the fact that Yankees look like they could enter the regular season with five outfielders (Nick Swisher, Curtis Granderson, Randy Winn, Brett Gardner and Jamie Hoffmann), Russo could very well find himself back with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre once again in 2010.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Mets Top 30 Prospects: No. 28 - Brant Rustich

March 04, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox. In the second part of my season preview, I... Read on

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox.
	 

	 
In the second part of my season preview, I'm reviewing Baseball America's Top 30 Mets and Yankees prospects for the upcoming 2010 season.
	 

	 
----------
	 
Brant Rustich is part of the Mets' very disappointing - at least to this point - top of their 2007 draft. A second round pick that year out of UCLA, the 6-foot-6 right-hander has struggled to stay on the field through his first two-plus seasons as a pro. When on the field, however, Rustich hasn't done a bad job.
	 
In 48 innings with High-A St. Lucie last year, Rustich aws 1-1 with a 2.45 ERA, with an impressive 46-17 strikeout-to-walk ratio. At 24, however, he was pretty old for the league. That, combined with the fact that he's combined to pitch 98 innings over the past two years because of various injuries (including a stress fracture in his humerus, the bone in your upper arm), has to temper the enthusiasm over the success that he's had.
	 
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Rustich will all but certainly begin the season with Double-A Binghamton. Given the amount of depth the Mets have in the bullpen at the moment, it's hard to envision Rustich making a leap all the way to the majors this season, outside of a potential September call-up. However, if he is able to stay healthy and pitch a full season in 2010, it's very possible he could find himself with Triple-A Buffalo by midseason, and that he could be in the Mets bullpen on Opening Day in 2011.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Yankees Top 30 Prospects: No. 28 - Dellin Betances

March 04, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox. In the second part of my season preview, I'm... Read on

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox.

In the second part of my season preview, I'm reviewing Baseball America's Top 30 Mets and Yankees prospects for the upcoming 2010 season.
	 
----------
	 
A local product, the Yankees gave Dellin Betances an eighth round record $1 million bonus in 2006, and it looked like that was beginning to pay off when he went 9-4 with a 3.67 ERA in 22 starts with Low-A Charleston in 2008, striking out 135 and walking 59 in 115 innings.
	 
Unfortunately, the 6-foot-8 right-hander took a huge step back last season. In 11 starts with High-A Tampa, the 21-year-old went 2-5 with a 5.48 ERA, before eventually being shut down before the end of the season due to Tommy John surgery. That surgery will most likely cost Betances all of the 2010 season.
	 
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The Yankees will have a big decision to make about Betances after this season, because they will either have to put him on their 40-man roster or leave him exposed in the Rule V Draft. My guess is that he won't be placed on the 40-man roster, but because of the Tommy John surgery, no one will take a chance on him. The Yankees will hope that he is able at least make a few appearances by the end of the season.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com

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Yankees Top 30 Prospects: No. 29 – Jairo Heredia

March 02, 2010 , ι Tim Bontemps

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox.In the second part of my season preview, I'm... Read on

Beating the Bushes is counting down to the start of the 2010 baseball season, which kicks off April 4 at Fenway Park when the Yankees take on the Red Sox.
	 
In the second part of my season preview, I'm reviewing Baseball America's Top 30 prospects for the Mets and Yankees organizations.
	 
----------
	 
Last year was a lost year for right-hander Jairo Heredia. The 20-year-old, who was ranked 12th on this list a year ago, threw only 38 innings last year after struggling with shoulder troubles.
	 
He went 3-3 with a 3.99 ERA in 10 starts between the GCL Yankees, Low-A Charleston and High-A Tampa. However, those numbers got worse and worse as he went up the ladder, to where he went 2-2 with a 6.91 ERA in four starts with Tampa.
	 
After last year's struggles, Heredia will likely beging this season with High-A Tampa, where he will hope to put last year's issues behind him.
	 
tbontemps@nypost.com