The New York Mets added new talent at the trade deadline, and Binghamton and Syracuse are the beneficiaries.
The New York Mets have had an extraordinary amount of activity involving their farm system this season, and it’s affected the performance of their minor league affiliates. The Mets had a remarkable series of winning efforts across the system last year, but that also resulted in the promotion of players like outfielders Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing, pitchers like Nolan McLean and so on.
But the Mets' housecleaning at deadline has flipped the script in a big way, bringing in new players who are helping teams like Syracuse and Binghamton make a run for the playoffs. The Mets aren’t winning the way they want to at the big league level yet, but they have been playing well over .500 since the deadline.
The prospect names to remember here are middle infielder Emilian Pitre, who came over in the Freddy Peralta trade, and Billy Amick, the prize corner infield the Mets landed in the A.J. Minter deal. Syracuse won 13 of 16 to get within striking distance of a playoff berth, and Pitre summed up their approach in a piece written by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.
“I hate losing so much,” Pitre said. “So being a part of a team that wins a lot is great. We did it in Binghamton, and now we’re doing it here. I just try to bring positive energy to the team. I’ll do anything to win a ballgame.”
Indeed, the Mets teach winning and playing winning baseball at their lower levels as part of their development process. Pitre was part of a team that won 11 of 12 games at Binghamton, and then he moved up to join Amick at Syracuse.
“We all were kind of new, so it was easy to get to know everybody,” Amick said. “We were all in the same situation. We’re obviously all deep in the season, so we’re just trying to have fun, stay healthy and win some games.
Fellow infielder Jefferson Rojas is another name Mets fans are becoming familiar with, along with pitcher Jonathn Santucci and second baseman Mitch Voit. Gary Gill Hill is a pitching entry who’s now with Binghamton, and Amick’s power potential is being duly noted as well.
“I’d say it’s a pretty good feeling, knowing that people are looking at us as the future,” Gill Hill said.
“It’s been really fun to watch and be a part of,” Amick added. “It’s just been nice to meet everybody and get to know the culture that they’re trying to bring. Everybody’s working hard to try to win ballgames.”
