When the Mets called up Travis Taijeron on Saturday, he represented the 10th player from their 2011 draft to play in the majors this year. That is three more than any other team (the Giants and Padres both had seven).
That was the first draft of the Alderson administration and that begins to take on greater and greater meaning because it usually takes 4-8 years to fairly assess drafts. The vast majority of drafted players in the majors currently came from the 2008-13 period, with the largest number of players who appeared in the majors in 2017 being the 118 from the 2011 draft.
Now, there is a difference between attendance and impact. If you are looking for why the Red Sox are in first place in the AL East, three of the five players they took in 2011 who have played in the majors this year are Matt Barnes, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts, plus they also selected Travis Shaw. The Indians picked Francisco Lindor and Cody Allen. The Pirates drafted Gerrit Cole first overall plus Josh Bell and Tyler Glasnow. The Yankees only have three players from that draft in the majors this year, the most prominent being Greg Bird.
The best Met from that draft was Michael Fulmer, a supplemental first-round selection, who was the key piece used to obtain Yoenis Cespedes from the Tigers. The true quality of the Mets draft will probably be determined by Alderson’s first ever pick, Brandon Nimmo (taken just before Jose Fernandez and five before Sonny Gray), plus Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo proving to be depth pieces or more than that.
For what it is worth, eight players the Mets drafted in 2012 also have played in the majors this year – which is the most, as well.
Niese job?
Jon Niese, who will not play at all this year, is going to try again next year, his agent, Tom O’Connell, told The Post.
Niese underwent left knee surgery last year, and the Yankees signed the southpaw to a minor league contract in spring training to see if they could rehab him and get him into their bullpen this season. But he did not progress enough and was released in June.
Niese, now a free agent, is currently trying to strengthen the muscles around the knee, O’Connell said.
Aaron Judge finished the weekend with 96 walks, the eighth-most ever by a rookie. The record is within reach – Ted Williams’ 107 in 1939. Judge also is in striking distance of the rookie strikeout record – Kris Bryant’s 199 in 2015. Judge’s 174 were fourth most.
The Royals were swept and shut out over three games by the Indians as their wild-card chances took a broadside. One of the main Kansas City offenders was Alcides Escobar, who went 1-for-11 against Cleveland. His OPS-plus is now 50, which means 50 percent below average factoring in ballpark and league. That would be the worst by a player allowed to qualify for the batting title since Clint Barmes (53 percent worse than league average) for the 2006 Rockies.
It certainly doesn’t help the Royals that the second-worst figure in the majors this year for a qualified hitter belongs to left fielder Alex Gordon – 47 percent under the league average.