MLB: New York Mets, July record of 9-17, overall record of 53-52, third place in NL East, seven games back
Position Player of the Month: Outfielder, Angel Pagan
In a month in which the Mets plummeted down the standings, Angel Pagan was one of the lone bright spots on an otherwise anemic offense. The switch hitter managed to get on base even during the roughest of patches for the Mets and has continued to hit will with runners in scoring position.
During July, Pagan hit .337 with five home runs and nine stolen bases. His .402 OBP was all the more impressive. He showed Mets management that he had no business losing out on playing time despite the return of Carlos Beltran. With health has come production from Pagan.
Pitcher of the Month: Left-handed pitcher, Johan Santana
After a great July, Johan Santana appears to have returned to form. In six starts, he posted a 3-0 record, giving up just 10 runs in 43 innings of work. His walk totals were down slightly from June and he has clearly regained the command that fans have grown to expect. Five of his six starts were of the quality variety, including a complete game shutout against the Reds.
Santana got rocked in his last outing of the month, but had been nearly flawless in July up until that point. He’ll be looking to bounce back from that start to post his second consecutive excellent month of pitching.
AAA Buffalo Bisons, July record of 13-14, overall record of 54-53, third place in INT North, 8.5 games back
Position Player of the Month: Outfielder, Lucas Duda
Just like last month, Duda has proven to make an outstanding adjustment to AAA pitching, and has continued his hard hitting. In 26 games in July for Buffalo, Duda amassed 31 hits while posting a .313 batting average. He crushed nine home runs and drove in 25 runs.
He’s looking like a reliable middle-of-the-order type hitter who has plenty of pop and can drive in runners regularly. Again, his plate discipline will need some work, but he continues to be shooting in the right direction.
Pitcher of the Month: Left-handed pitcher, Pat Misch
Misch also repeats as pitcher of the month for the Bisons, putting up stronger numbers in July than June. In six July starts, Misch went 3-1 with a 2.74 ERA and 35 strikeouts. The command is there. He walked just six during the month and appeared in the AAA All-Star Game.
If the Mets are ever in need of another reliable southpaw arm on the big league club, Misch will no doubt be the next name on the call-up list.
AA Binghamton Mets, July record of 12-18, overall record of 54-55, fourth place in EAS Eastern Division, 11 games back
Position Player of the Month: Outfielder, Kirk Nieuwenhuis
After having some severe ups and downs, Nieuwenhuis has really gotten back into shape after pounding the ball in July. His plate discipline is emerging. He did strike out 24 times, but he drew 13 walks in July. He smacked six homers and drove in 17 runs while batting .328 and swiping two bases. His 38 hits are equally impressive.
The Mets clearly value him highly, especially after they turned down a trade in which they would have sent him to Toronto for lefty setup man Scott Downs.
Pitcher of the Month: Right-handed pitcher, Josh Stinson
His ERA seems inflated in July in comparison to his record, but he gets run support. His high walk totals have contributed to some of his struggles, but nonetheless, Stinson knows how to pitch out of trouble and turn in some wins.
In five July starts, he put together a 4-0 record despite a 5.19 ERA. He struck out 19 batters in 26 innings pitched. Despite all the runs he gave up in July, he didn’t allow a single home run.
He really just has to clean up his command before he gets more consideration from scouts.
A Adv. St. Lucie Mets, July record of 14-15, overall record of 18-19 (second half), third place in FSL South, 1.5 games back
Position Player of the Month: Shortstop, Wilmer Flores
One of the Mets’ top prospects at his level, Flores seems to adjust quickly to each level after every call-up. Moving up to St. Lucie has only seen Flores continue to post consistent hitting numbers.
In 29 games in July, he hit a solid .279 with three home runs, 18 runs knocked, 34 hits, and 13 runs. A righty batter, he is also mashing against left-handed pitching, batting over .400 against southpaws.
This kind of all-around game will assist him in rising the ranks very quickly in the Mets farm system.
Pitcher of the Month: Right-handed pitcher, Erik Turgeon
On a team of struggling starters, relief pitchers have been given a chance to stick it out at St. Lucie. Turgeon is a young righty arm and is developing his stuff in a late inning role for the Mets.
He converted on four save opportunities in July and posted a 2.87 ERA in 12 appearances while striking out 14 and walking only six. Turgeon throws pretty hard and will stand out even more if he can put up larger save totals.
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