As I have written before and as experienced baseball writers have reminded me—if not outright warned me—the more I tend to write about Mets prospects, the personal connection you acquire either through family members or simply following their ascension up the minor league ladder makes it hard to stay impassive. Yes, I kind of just dropped an atomic bomb on the ethical pillars journalism that I would like to say I am mostly privy to while relentlessly criticize other writers for not adhering to them, but now the cat’s out of the bag. So when you see that potential breakout candidate coming into the year flounder into obscurity, a phenomenon present in just about every organization, it is a shame to say the least.

Lately, Bobby Parnell looks an awful lot like that guy.

Of course, Parnell’s early season struggles aside, the fact that there is the possibility that Parnell will earn the “disappointing prospect” tag is almost an accomplishment in itself. Parnell was selected in the ninth round of the 2005 draft despite sporting an 8.86 ERA in his senior year of college. In his first year of pro-ball, Parnell struggled with his command but put up satisfactory numbers in 2006 between Hagerstown and a brief stint in St. Lucie. His prospect status did not take off until 2007, however, when the twenty-two year old posted excellent numbers with St. Lucie (25.6% strikeout rate, 9.1% walk rate, 2.50 FIP), with reports of him lighting up the radar gun at 97 mph and utilizing a nasty slider along with a developing changeup.

Parnell gradually seemed to improve as the year went on Binghamton, but his overall numbers were decidedly mediocre (18.5% strikeout rate, 9.5% walk rate, 4.35 FIP). Still, I myself thought highly of him and began to push for his promotion to the Mets struggling bullpen, particularly when rosters were set to expand in September. When I asked B-Mets reporter Brian Moritz to share his thoughts on Parnell, this is what stood out: (block quote)

“The big thing he has been working on with the coaches in Binghamton has been his poise. He has tended to rush when he allows a couple guys to get on base. The coaches have worked with him to take a step or two back, take a second to collect himself and that seems to work.”

It was not until this past spring training that Parnell finally caught the eye of most observers. Matt Cerrone of Metsblog wrote a glowing report on him, as Parnell not only put up impressive numbers for such a young, under-the-radar kid on a big stage but fiercely attacked hitters with a solid, repeatable delivery, a la John Maine. He began to throw his changeup more often, a habit that carried into this past season, yet the results thus far (13.6% strikeout rate, 12% walk rate, 7.15 FIP) do not indicate that Parnell has done much to ameliorate his performance.

A few key things seem to be driving Parnell’s lack of effectiveness this year. For one, as I mentioned before, Parnell tends to lose focus under high-pressure situations. While most young pitchers have a propensity to pitch worse in these circumstances, Parnell has been exceptionally so:

                     ERA     IP
Bases Empty         3.12   17.1
Runners on         10.80   11.2
Scoring Position   25.20    5.0

A very small sample size to be sure, but the large disparity between the numbers reflects a major problem for Parnell. Former pitching prospect Philip Humber seemed to suffer from this same issue throughout his Mets career. What is interesting is that, in most cases, Parnell actually seems to perform best when he is working quickly (as he was in spring training), but it probably would not hurt for him to slow down slightly as the barometer rises.

More importantly, Parnell’s command has become the most vexing issue for him. He help smooth the transition from High-A to Double-A last year by throwing his sinking fastball with less velocity, as hitters become much more disciplined at Doublr-A, but that does not seem to be an issue for him this year. Once again, what he showed in spring training- this time his aggressiveness- has not showed up this year, as Parnell is walking hitters at an astonishing rate. B-Mets manager Mako Oliveras has been stressing since day one that Parnell needs to stop being cute and pound the strike zone more often, including on both sides of the plate.

Hopefully Parnell’s last outing against Connecticut (6.1 innings, two earned runs, one homerun allowed, two strikeouts, three walks) are a sign of things to come, no matter how deceptive those peripherals really are. Far from shockingly, here is what first baseman Nick Evans had to say about Parnell’s relatively solid performance:

“He was pounding the zone, throwing strikes, working fast, and when your starter does that, everyone feeds off it.”

To paraphrase what has now become a very boring cliché, will the real Bobby Parnell please step up?

Notes

• Lots of Sand Gnat news, mainly pointing out that my crystal ball really does occasionally work. Pitcher Scott Moviel had a much better time around in his outing on Friday, tossing a season-high 6 inning and allowing three runs on seven hits, while walking just one and compiling two strikeouts.
• Nathan Vineyard, the Mets’ most highly sought-after southpaw on the farm after Jonathan Niese, is scheduled to have season-ending shoulder surgery on Friday after he went down with a shoulder strain in the middle of April.
• Left-hander Julio Polanco will now likely join catcher Tony Maccani in Brooklyn in June after both were demoted and replaced by infielders Michael Parker and Joaquin Rodriguez. Polanco has shown more than a glimpse of his potential on several occasions, but has been wildly inconsistent. This year, Polanco had a 5.02 ERA while Maccani, a tremendous defensive catcher noted by coaches for his enthusiasm, had .248 OPS in 21 at-bats last year.
• Elsewhere, we have some puzzling roster moves. Power-hitting outfielder Caleb Stewart was demoted to Binghamton to make room for the newly signed Opera singer outfielder Valentino Pascucci. In addition, after seemingly trying to hard to fine him some playing time, the Mets demoted Josh Peterson, who had hit .321/.387/.446 for Binghamton, down to St. Lucie.

Around the Minors

• Cardinals left-hander Jaime Garcia has been promoted to Triple-A Memphis after posting a 28.35% strikeout rate, 11% walk rate, and a 2.63 FIP for Double-A Springfield. Garcia is also a fan favorite of Project Prospect columnist Adam Loberstein for his ability to both induce grounders and compile strikeouts.
• Royals right hander Ed Cegarra might be repeating A Burlington after 59 inning there last year, but the 19 year-old Venezuelan has 28 strikeouts and just one walk in 28 innings of work so far this year.
• Mariners infielder Carlos Triunfel is hitting just .234/.280/.330 in A-ball right now, but he is currently on a seven-game hitting streak, going 11-for-30 with five doubles. It’s easy to forget he is just 18 years old.
• Phillies right-hander Antonio Bastardo was recently promoted to Double-A Reading after posting a 39.2% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate with Clearwater in the Florida State League.

Chad Bowen Dies

I and all those at Mets Geek would like to share their condolences for the family of former Brooklyn Cyclones pitcher, Chad Bowen, who passed away on April 21st just a week shy of what would have been his 26th birthday. The Mets’ eighth-round pick in the 2000 draft was credited with Brooklyn’s first win in their first game ever at Jamestown, New York, on June 19, 2001. Chad’s cousin has an especially touching piece on her blog, which I highly suggest you all read. Rest in peace Chad, and thanks for all the memories at Keyspan.