Now that the 2022 season is over, Minor League Mondays will take a look at each of the New York Mets’ minor league affiliates over the next several weeks. This series will take a look at each affiliate’s season highlights, top prospects, interesting promotions, and more. We continue our climb up the minor league ladder today with a look at the Low-A St. Lucie Mets, who play in the Florida State League.
Minor League Mondays Affiliate Review: St. Lucie Mets
2022 Record: 73-56, Won Florida State League Championship
Story: While player development is an important focus of minor league baseball, being able to win at the same time is extra sweet. The St. Lucie Mets experienced both in 2022 after a strong first half helped them lock up a playoff spot. The second half saw some more struggles due to the graduation of top performers to higher levels of the system, but the Mets managed to infuse St. Lucie with some intriguing talent out of the draft class. St. Lucie caught fire in the playoffs, sweeping the Palm Beach Cardinals to reach the Florida State League final before upsetting Dunedin with a two-game sweep to claim their first league title since 2006. Manager Robbie Robinson did an excellent job shepherding his talented roster through the season to win a championship.
Top Promotion: The St. Lucie Mets hosted Boo Bash on August 27, an early Halloween celebration for the fans. The day began with a charity softball game to benefit the local Boys and Girls Clubs and there were also costume contests and trick or treating available for the youngsters. The Mets also wore special jerseys that were auctioned off to benefit charity.
Top Prospects:
RHP Dominic Hamel: Hamel, the Mets’ third round pick in 2021 out of Dallas Baptist College, had a tremendous year in 2022. The Mets assigned Hamel to St. Lucie to start the year and he went 5-2 with a 3.84 ERA in 14 appearances, including 13 starts, for the Mets before earning a mid-season promotion to Brooklyn. Hamel, the Mets’ 12th best prospect according to MLB.com, was named the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year for his efforts.
C Kevin Parada: Parada, the Mets’ first-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Georgia Tech, debuted with St. Lucie late in the season and was able to hit the ground running. In 10 games for St. Lucie, Parada batted .276 with a home run and five RBIs as he played a key role in the Mets’ postseason run. Parada is currently rated as the Mets’ third-best prospect according to MLB.com.
RHP Blade Tidwell: Tidwell, the Mets’ second-round pick in the 2022 draft out of Tennessee, made a strong impression during his brief stint with St. Lucie. In four starts for the Mets down the stretch, Tidwell recorded a 2.16 ERA and struck out nine batters in 8.1 innings pitched, limiting opposing hitters to just a .143 batting average against him. Tidwell is currently rated as the Mets’ eighth-best prospect according to MLB.com.
Check back next week as we continue to climb the minor-league ladder with a look at the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones!
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