Spring Training Invitees: Francisco Peña

Since today marks the beginning of the Mets 2010 spring training, we will take a deeper look at non-roster invitees. Today we will get a look at a catcher filled with potential.

Francisco Peña

2009 Minor League Stats (A+): 100 G, .224 AVG, 8 HR, 44 RBI, 78 K’s, 15 BB

Fun Fact: He was the catcher for the Little League baseball team that featured Danny Almonte, the pitcher who dominated the LLWS, but then was disqualified for his age.

What he needs to do to make the team: A Miracle. The fact that he is only 20 years old and Omar decided that catchers were the best way to spend money this offseason doesn’t bode well for the young guy. No one is really expecting a young guy who has never played above A-ball to make the team, but since he’s shown great potential it doesn’t hurt to give him a taste of the Majors and possibly get some tips from the likes of Henry Blanco and Chris Coste. Peña has been compared to Geovany Soto, but “has shown more power than Soto did at the same age against tougher competition.” He still needs to improve his defense behind the plate and his discipline at the plate, but considering he is younger than most people reading this, including myself, he has plenty of time to improve.

Where he’ll most likely end up: The Minor Leagues

Spring Training Invitees

The Mets announced yesterday that they have invited 11 players to spring training. The non-prospects invited are infielders Jolbert Cabrera and Luis Hernandez and pitchers Bobby Livingston and Travis Blackley, all of whom were signed to minor league contracts. Along with the 4 signings, the Mets also invited prospects Carlos Muiz, Eric Niesen, Francisco Pena, Ruben Tejada, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Ike Davis, and Jenrry Mejia.

So who are these guys? Well if you don’t know who Ike Davis or Jenrry Mejia are by now, then you should definitely get to spring training this year. Davis is a 22-year-old who is said to be the Mets first baseman of the future. Though he hasn’t played a large amount of games in the minors, he has caught the attention of everyone in the organization, especially Omar Minaya. He’s also a gamer, he won the AFL home run derby using a wooden bat while his opponent used an aluminum bat. Jenrry Mejia is a 20-year-old pitcher who can throw in the upper 90s. Almost every scout who watches him says he will be a top of the line starter, or an extremely effective closer. For those who don’t know about Jolbert Cabrera, look here. He could the 2010 version of Julio Franco. Ruben Tejada is also another player some people know about. Tejada, 20, is a Double-A  SS, but he could be moved to 2B because of Jose Reyes. For his age, he has been playing surprising well in the Double-A level and has gone through the Mets farm system faster than a Gary Sheffield foul ball. Kirk Nieuwenhuis is probably a name you’ve heard, but just forgot because his name is impossible to remember. Kirk, 22, is a quick footed outfielder who can hit for power and drive in runs as well as steal bases. His average isn’t anything to brag about, but he’s been working on his swing in Double A, so he shows a lot of promise. 

The rest of the players you may have not heard of, like Luis Hernandez. Hernandez is a 25-year-old infielder who came up with the Braves, but more recently has made appearances with O’s and Royals. He isn’t the best hitter in the world, but his defense is what keeps him in the Majors. He’s most likely insurance for the Mets infield after what happened last year. What about Bobby Livingston? Bobby is a 27-year-old LHP who has played a total of 13 games in the Majors. He has bounced around between 6 teams and now he is with his 7th, the Mets. An interesting fact about him is that he holds the record for most hits in a game for a pitcher with 4 and has a career .280 avg, so maybe he could be coming off the bench, not really. Travis Blackley is also a 27 year old LHP who strikes out a lot of guys. He stats are mediocre at best, but could be brought in from the bullpen to get lefties out. Carlos Muniz is a 28-year-old RHP. We’ve seen Muniz a couple times before in the Majors, going 1-1 with a 5.61 ERA. Muniz could be something, and it doesn’t hurt to invite him to spring training to see what he’s got. Eric Niesen is a 24-year-old left-handed pitching prospect who has a great fastball and a good slider. I watched him pitch once and I’m surprised he hasn’t been getting more hype, he just needs to work on his control and mixing his pitches better, hopefully that will come with experience.  Last, but definitely not least we have Francisco Pena.  Pena, 20, is a catcher with huge potential. For a guy his size, he’s great behind the plate and has an even better arm. He’s a big powerful guy, but that hasn’t translated at the plate. He is said to be a future All-Star backstop, but his progress at the plate is what is holding him back. He’s a young guy though, so the hitting will come. I look forward to watching these guys at spring training and into the future.