MLB

Hitter of the Month: Jose Reyes

.364/.421/.555 | 9 2B | 6 3B | 18 R | 10 RBI | 11/13 SB | 11:8  BB:K

One of two things is sure with how well Reyes is playing right now. (1) The Mets are going to get a very good package of prospects for him, or at least one much better than the Homer Bailey/Zack Cozart package Buster Olney felt they would get before the seasons, or (2) The amount of money the Mets will have to give Jose is going through the roof. Hopefully it is the later of the two.

Pitcher of the Month: Dillon Gee

3-0 | 3.48 ERA | 33.2 IP | 25  H | 13 R | 13 ER | 13 bb | 27 so

Gee has been a Godsend for this Mets team much like R.A. Dickey was last year. His performances were just terrific this month. He showed he has what it takes to be a major league pitcher in the game against the Cubs when he got rocked early on, but made the necessary adjustments and settled everything down to pick up the seven inning “complete game” victory.

Triple-A

Hitter of the Month: Kirk Nieuwenhuis

.302/.394/.488 | 6 2B | 2 3B | 2 HR | 14 R | 8 RBI | 3/4 SB | 13:29 BB:K

Captain Kirk missed the last week of the month after making one of the best catches you’ll see in the minors this year and was still was by far the best hitter on the Bisons. He could actually have some competition for the month of June with Lucas Duda and Fernando Martinez.

Pitcher of the Month: Chris Schwinden

2-3 | 3.89 ERA | 34.2 IP | 24  H | 16 R | 15 ER | 13 BB | 27 SO

Schwinden was hurt by the last two starts of the month, but like Nieuwenhuis there just isn’t a lot of competition. Schwinden does get the benefit of the doubt in the last start because he was working on 10 days rest.

Double-A

Hitter of the Month: Josh Satin

.280/.395/.540 | 12 2B | 1 3B | 4 HR | 17 R | 20 RBI | 1/1 SB | 20:23 BB:K

Satin has been doing it all year long for the BMets. In a common theme there wasn’t too much competition for Satin, still his power numbers this month were outstanding. I will keep saying these till it happens, but he needs to be in Buffalo for his own sake and to allow Reese Havens and Jordany Valdespin to play everyday for Bingy.

Pitcher of the Month: Jeurys Familia

0-2 | 2.25 ERA | 24 IP | 18 H | 8 R | 6 ER | 9 BB | 21 SO

Familia continued his breakout year in the month of May with his promotion from St. Lucie to Binghamton. The control numbers went up a bit and the strikeout numbers down a bit, but that is just me nitpicking and is expected with his promotion. Still relatively young for Double-A so this numbers are outstanding.

High-A

Hitter of the Month: Juan Lagares

.365/.392/.568 | 2 2B | 2 3B | 3 HR | 12 R | 12 RBI | 1/3 SB | 4:14 BB:K

Why hello there Mr. Juan Lagares! After having been a pretty big disappointment in April and over the last couple of years he finally seems to be coming into his power. He is controlling the plate better than he ever has before and in return getting better power numbers. I would still like to see more doubles and with his speed better numbers with the steals, but a great move in the right direction.

Pitcher of the Month: Darin Gorski

2-0 | 1.35 ERA | 26.2 IP | 21 H | 6 R | 4 ER | 10 BB | 39 SO

This month came seemingly out of nowhere and is by far the most pleasantly surprising. I liked Gorski coming out of college as he was a big lefty with decent stuff and great strikeout numbers thanks to his breaking ball, but he taken it to a whole other level this year. If the reports he gained a tick on his fastball are true, which is very possible given his frame, than he goes from being a fringe prospect to a legitimate major league prospect.

Greg Peavey in the Cape Cod

Low-A

Hitter of the Month: Cory Vaughn

.356/.496/.510 | 7 2B | 3 HR | 20 R | 15 RBI | 4/9 SB | 21:23 BB:K

This was call between Vaughn and Robbie Shields who both had amazing months. Vaughn’s ridiculous on-base percentage that was almost .500 got him the edge. I still cannot figure out where he found this plate discipline from, but it is absurd. His ISO is slightly below average this year, but he is walking in 13.5% of his plate appearances. There are onle 15 players in the MLB with a higher walk percentage.

Pitcher of the Month: Greg Peavey

4-1 | 1.75 ERA | 36 IP | 27 H | 8 ER | 7 R | 3 BB | 31 SO | 2.09 GO/AO

It might be too late to give him this title, but Greg Peavey is the top sleeper in the Mets farm system. I just love this guy. This was nearly a perfect month for him. He gave up no earned runs in four of his six starts and had a whip below 1.00 in all, but one of his starts. The craziest number is the three walks in 36 innings. He just refused to walk batters. Right up there with Familia and Erik Goeddel (when healthy) of pitchers whose starts I most look forward to.

I like Levi and ranked him 31st on my draft board, but I’m hoping the Mets don’t go in this direction, picking so early in the draft. He is no sure bet to stick at short as some think he is more of a 2nd baseman down the road which is a position he played as a freshman in college.

He showed some pop in previous years, but is one of those players whose power numbers have taken a big hit with the new bats. Season stats stand at .311 AVG, .461 OBP, 12 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 47 runs, and 46 RBI.

A polished player I like, but not at No. 13. Hopefully Gammons has this one wrong.

Season Predictions
AVG%: .293
OBP%: .352
SLG%: .447
HR: 15
RBI: 59
SB: 51

2010 Numbers: .282 | .321 | .428 |11 HR | 54 RBI | 30 SB

162 Game Averages: .286 | .335 | .434 | 13 HR | 66 RBI | 58 SB

Even if by default Reyes had one of the best seasons offensively of any Met.  He didn’t have anything close to his best season as his stolen bases came way down, but because this is a walk year for Reyes I see him getting those steals way back up into at least the 50′s.  I’m still a believer in the saying “As Reyes goes the Mets go” so a return to the old Reyes will help the Mets reach my prediction of 83 wins.  If he puts numbers similar to these he would bring back a lot in a trade near the deadline, which will be tempting for Sandy Alderson to move him but I really hope he does not.

The positives are that the Mets found out about this early in spring training giving Reyes time to recover before the season begins. Right now this injury is causing a “battle” for the shortstop position between Alex Cora and 20-year-old prospect Ruben Tejada. But there really shouldn’t be. Tejada still has to mature physically before coming up to the show and this isn’t a serious enough injury to waste precious service time on. The recovery process for Reyes isn’t asking for Tommy John surgery, it’s simply requires rest. Cora is more than capable of picking up the slack for a couple of weeks to a month at most.

The evidence is mounting rapidly. In the Bronx, 23 home dates and only one announced sellout, on Opening Day. In Flushing, the same number of dates, the same number of sellouts. Through Friday, the Mets and Yankees were leading their divisions. Yet there are plenty of seats available at both new ballparks despite a winter of priceless free publicity and an endless stream of hype during each team’s broadcasts.

Faith and Fear – Omir the Driving Force

Omir Santos drove home Gary Sheffield Friday night while driving away Ramon Castro. He may be our most versatile catcher ever.  As we click our heels over Santos, we are destined to remember Castro fleetingly…which is just about the only fleetness to be associated with Ramon. Yet in the annals of Mets backup backstops, he was actually quite the latter-day stalwart. By starting Wednesday when oh me/oh my/Omir was sidelined by a bruise to the shin, Ramon nosed ahead of Vance Wilson for ninth on the all-time Mets games caught chart, 256 to 255. I know —

Jose Reyes tells the Daily News he’s going to test his right calf running at Citi Field on Saturday. Assuming all goes well, he’s headed to Port St. Lucie on Sunday, and expects to play in an extended spring training game Monday.

When the Mets take the field against Josh Johnson and the Marlins this afternoon at Citi Field, don’t look for David Wright at third base. Instead, just peer into the dugout and you’ll be able to see him chumming it up with last night’s hero, Omir Santos, who will be sitting on the bench too.