The Gamers vs. The Gifted: Cohoon vs. Morris

This is one of the biggest quandaries in my list. First there's Mark Cohoon, who blew through Low-A Savannah before stumbling in Binghamton... then blew through Binghamton before stumbling in Buffalo could be a year away from finding himself and getting back on the radar as the lefty Dillon Gee. Then there's Akeel Morris who's the exact opposite of the spectrum. He's not yet ready for Savannah but based on PURE stuff... he's one of our best.

Full Name: Mark E. Cohoon

Born: 09/15/1987

Birthplace: Burleson, TX

College: North Central Texas Col

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 195

Bats: L

Throws: L

Size-wise, Cohoon projects to be healthy and reliable physically. Stuff-wise, there just isn't a ton to love. His offerings are back of the rotation stuff, AT BEST, and he's not exactly "READY" for his major-league debut.

Yet, I still have faith that Cohoon will have uses in the major leagues. One, he's a lefty and lefties get an extra tick of confidence from me. Two, he's stumbled along the way through his progression but usually rights the ship in his second pass through a level. Three, he doesn't have a single iota of pressure.

He's not a member of Generation 2K and he's not even the first man on deck should the big club need a temporary arm. He's just gotta reestablish himself and focus on AAA for an entire year. If he can regain his form in 2012, he could be working his way into the back of the rotation OR bullpen for 2013.

Cohoon's Scouting Report:

Fastball: Featuring an 86-88 MPH fastball, topping out at 89, Cohoon can cut the pitch to either side of the plate. When at his best, he is able to use the pitches glove-side run and drop to give both right and left-handed hitters fits. It’s late action makes it difficult to barrel the ball and causes more than its share of ground balls and soft contact. Due to his ability to throw multiple breaking pitches for strikes, his velocity plays up at this level giving him an unfair advantage over younger, less seasoned wood-bat hitters.

On an isolated occasion, Cohoon struggled to locate his fastball to the point he dropped his velocity to 84-86 MPH just to throw strikes. A handful of 2-seam fastballs registered at 82 MPH which served as a strong reminder of just how little margin for error Cohoon has. In other leagues, he would have made an early exit.

Curveball: More of a slurve than true 12-6 offering, he was careful not to challenge hitters with the pitch, instead choosing to backdoor right-handed hitters and sweep it away from lefties. His least impressive pitch, it’s a fringe average to below offering at 70-74 MPH. Without enough bite to make batters swing-and-miss, it’s a pitch he may be forced to shelve has he climbs the ladder to focus on his fastball/changeup combination.

Changeup: With excellent arm action and the ability to spot on the outside corner to right-handed hitters seemingly at will, Cohoon’s changeup can be a weapon. At 81-83 MPH, he pulls down on the pitch which gives it excellent drop and fade away from righties. At present, he’s comfortable throwing it any count and has shown the ability to backdoor the change to lefties without risk of centering the plate.

Full Name: Akeel J. Morris

Born: 11/14/1992

Birthplace: St. Thomas, Virgin Islands

Height: 6' 1"

Weight: 170

Bats: R

Throws: R

I've heard it said that Morris can get the radar gun to show three digits. That alone is going to get someone listed on my "Gifted" group. Morris might have been the hardest TO HIT pitcher in Kingsport this season. Sadly... you don't need to HIT his pitches to get on base.

Akeel is a touch on the wild side and will need a year in Brooklyn (or repeating Kingsport) before I'll think he's ready for Savannah. He needs to learn to hit the strike zone with his pitches and... if he's going to be a starter, work on some secondary offerings. If he can do that, we should be getting excited.

I see most hard throwers like this and assume they'll be relievers. The same way some people heard Dan Warthen mouth off and assume Mejia is one. I'm not going to peg Akeel just yet but I'm really pulling for him to start as long as he can.

Morris' Scouting Report:

The only high school player taken by the Mets in the first ten rounds—actually, the first twenty rounds—Morris actually has some upside. Short and lanky, he’s just six-one, 170 pounds, and I don’t think he even looks that heavy. He does have a little projection left, but as a shorter guy, I wouldn’t expect too much more. According to Baseball America, he’s been clocked regularly at 87-89, touching 91, but a Virgin Islands newspaper mentioned him as touching 94, which jibes with MLB’s scouting video. He has a violent delivery that ends with him falling dramatically toward the first base side. He really has a rear-back-and-chuck-it type of delivery, and it will require some toning down. As is, I could see him having shoulder issues in the future, and his command looks pretty dreadful in its current format. In terms of polish, he’s very, very raw, not unexpected from a kid from the Virgin Islands. He throws a soft curve that has break, but he has no idea how to control the pitch, and it could use tightening and more velocity besides. I doubt the changeup is in his repertoire. There’s a lot of potential here, but he’ll need time, which he has, being one of the youngest players in the draft—he won’t turn 18 until November. The tenth round is the last round I draft in my shadow, and while I was looking at a couple college arms, I’ll follow the Mets’ lead here and select Morris.

My brain was telling me that I had to go with Cohoon based on his proximity to the majors and success at higher levels. My heart told me to dive deeper. What did I find?

Opposing hitters managed just a .166 AVG against Morris in 2011 and this, in turn, led to a 1.32 WHIP. Considering that control can be learned over time I'm willing to give this round to the Gifted.

Cutnpaste: Mark Cohoon, Chris Schwinden, Manny Acosta, Bobby Parnell, Juan Lagares

9-3-11: - http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/09/prospect-pulse-buffalo-2012-help-on-the-way.html  - SP5: Mark Cohoon - What can you say about the season that the Mets’ 2010 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, has had to endure? He has really, really struggled. Just when it seems like he is on the verge of finding his old form, he gets his brains beat out by International League hitting. Since joining the Herd rotation, in mid-May, the south-paw has been remarkably ineffective. In 17 AAA GS over 88 IP, he has a dismal record of 4-10, with an ERA of 6.01. He has been raked for 110 hits, 59 ER’s, 9 HR’s, 38 walks and only 49 K’s, and opponents are hitting .316 against him. Now some would say, “this guy is awful just get rid of him!” But what are we actually talking about here? The 5th rotation spot on the Buffalo Bisons? If you don’t live in Buffalo, then who cares? After all, he was pitcher of the year last year, he is left-handed, and he is breathing. Cohoon has shown himself to be a resourceful pitcher before. Last year when he first joined Bingo, he got his lunch eaten a few times, but he managed to make the necessary adjustments to succeed there. With luck he can possibly do the same thing again next year, but he needs the opportunity first, so lets give him a couple months worth of starts, and see if he can do more than just hold down the fort until Mejia returns around mid-season. As for helping the Mets next season? It ain’t gonna happen, but if he does pitch well for the Herd in 2012, he could be in this conversation for real, this time next year.

9-14-11: - http://www.minorleagueball.com/2011/9/14/2423353/prospect-of-the-day-chris-schwinden-rhp-new-york-mets  - (Chris) Schwinden was undeterred however, and ended up having a fine season this year for Triple-A Buffalo, with a 3.95 ERA and a 134/48 K/BB in 146 innings, allowing 138 hits. He was promoted to the majors for this month and gave up eight hits and five runs in five innings in his first start, though he walked just one and fanned four. There is nothing special about his velocity, his fastball is just in the 86-90 range. He mixes in a cutter, curveball, and changeup, relying on sharp command of his secondary pitches to succeed. He has little margin for error and needs a strong defense behind him, but there are pitchers with worse stuff who have made careers for themselves due to superior command, and he's shown the ability to make adjustments to higher level competition. Schwinden really snuck up on us this year, but I don't see him as a total fluke. I think he projects as a fifth starter or long relief type as long as his command remains strong.

As for underappreciated players, there are a few who come to mind on the 2011 Mets. The circumstances surrouding the players and the Mets certainly differ from those of the A's at the turn of the century, but acquiring or retaining underappreciated players can only be a good thing for any organization. If a player can be had at a price below the value he'll provide, he will benefit the team. (Manny) Acosta was a Braves castaway when the Mets picked him up on waivers early in the 2010 season, but he's been nothing short of a very good reliever in his time with the Mets. Although the "Acostalypse" nickname created in his Braves days has stuck with him, Acosta has struck out 84 in 79.2 innings of work, a rate of 9.5 per nine innings, while posting a 3.05 ERA. Control has never been Acosta's speciality, but over the same span he's walked 3.4 per nine innings. Both numbers are a marked improvement from his time with the Braves. His splits show an ability to handle left-handed hitters without issue, and his salary is quite low by major league standards. Acosta rarely gets credit, but he's a great fit for medium-to-high leverage situations out of the bullpen. - http://www.amazinavenue.com/2011/9/14/2423158/the-moneyball-mets-underappreciated-players-on-the-2011-team  

The question never is, should (Bobby) Parnell be closer or not. It isn’t a binary choice. If not Parnell, someone has to close. And clearly, there are plenty of relievers who wouldn’t be likely to perform as well as Parnell next season, closer or otherwise. But there’s a decent chance the Mets can find someone better, too. Meanwhile, as he struggles late in the season, let’s not pretend it says anything other than that Parnell sometimes struggles. Look no further than Ryan Madson in Philadelphia, a pitcher talked about as effective but not, somehow, closer material. He’s saved 30 games this year. And unfortunately for the Mets, he’s a much better pitcher than Parnell. And that has nothing to do with role. If the Mets can get a pitcher like Madson, he should close. If not, Parnell is a good bet to be a middling, Leo Nunez-type closer. And when the Mets are ready to contend again, Parnell should be a mid-level bullpen contributor. - http://mets.lohudblogs.com/2011/09/14/who-is-bobby-parnell  

9-14-11: - http://www.metsminorleagueblog.com/juan-lagares  - Defensively, (Juan) Lagares can play both left and right field, and also is a good enough athlete to play some center-field in a pinch. While Lagares would not be a liability in centerfield, he is not an everyday centerfield type mainly due to lack of foot speed. Lagares shows good instincts in the outfield to go along with smooth clean actions. Lagares does not fit the mold of a starting corner outfielder in the big leagues (on a championship type team). His lack of power is the biggest reason for this. Lagares would need to hit a ton in order to make up for the lack of power to be an everyday corner outfielder. The closest comparison I can see Lagares becoming is perhaps a Jose Tabata type. Lagares looks the part of a solid fourth outfield type. His ability to play all three outfield positions to go with his ability to hit, gives Lagares a chance to be a future solid bench contributor to the Mets organization

Building 2012 Rosters Prospects First - Picks 91-95

91 – 1B/3B Michael Fisher – Fisher was a good pickup in 2010. He plays a bunch of infield positions and has always hit well and fielded better. The problem here is there is so many other guys in this system that do the same thing and he’s totally blocked out going into a year he will play at 27-years old. I have him next year in Buffalo, playing first, second, or third. ETA: AAAA

92 – C Blake Forsythe – I was excited when the Mets drafted Blake. He had just come off a bad year in school, but I remembered the killer year he had had the prior year and my belief was the Mets had stolen one. So far, that hasn’t come true. Forsythe has lost his starting position to Albert Cordero and looks to be his backup again in 2012, this time in St. Lucie. Good pop, but disappointing overall hitting. ETA: AAAA

93 – C Fernando Pena – The Mets had an opportunity a few years ago to either offer $2mil to Jesus Montero, or $500K to Fernando Pena. The rest, as they say, is history. Pena has never lived up to his genetics and is now a backup catcher in the system. He will be the 2nd catcher in Binghamton in 2012, behind Juan Centeno, unless the Mets cut him. ETA: OOS 2015

94 – IF Eric Campbell – Campbell is a younger version of Michael Fisher. Plays a lot of positions, though he has had less hitting success than Fisher. He will join Michael in Buffalo next spring as the other utility infielder. ETA: AAAA

95 – SP Mark Cohoon – Cohoon is the poster child for A-level phenom that is moved far too fast.Cohoon owned the Sally League in 2010 and was bumped two levels to Binghamton. Big mistake. 2011 has been a miserable year for Mark in Buffalo (6.11), but he’ll get another chance next season to start. After that? ETA” AAAA



Rosters So Far:


Buffalo: (20) –SP Chris Schwinden, Collin McHugh, Brandon Moore, Mark Cohoon, RP Daniel Herrera, Robert Carson, Rhiner Cruz, Eric Beaulac, Jose De La Torre, IF Kai Gronauer, Alan Dykstra, Reese Havens, Jordany Valdespin, Zach Lutz, Michael Fisher, Eric Campbell, OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Fernando Martinez, Mike Baxter, Juan Lagarus


Binghamton: (21) – SP: Mike Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Jeurys Familia, Darin Gorski, Armondo Rodriguez, RP Mike Powers, Brandon Sage, Jeff Kaplan, Nick Carr, Josh Edgin, Brad Holt, IF Juan Centeno, Fernando Pena, Stefan Welsh, Rylan Sandoval, Wilfredo Tovar, Jefry Marte, OF Matt den Dekker, Cesar Puello, Pedro Zapata, Travis Ozga


St. Lucie: (24) – SP Greg Peavey, Taylor Whitenton, Angel Cuan, Tyler Pill, Ryan Fraser, RP Brant Rustich, Hamilton Bennett, Cory Mazzoni, Jack Leathersich, Yohan Almonte, Adam Kolarek, Gonzalez Germen, Chase Huchingson, IF Albert Cordero, Blake Forsythe, Sam Honeck, Alonzo Harris, Wilmer Flores, Robbie Shields, Aderlin Rodriguez, OF Cory Vaughn, Gilbert Gomez, Darrell Cecilliani, Joe Bonfe


Savannah: (14) – SP Akeel Morris, Alex Panteliodis, Erik Goeddel, Logan Verrett, Marcos Camerena, RP Orlando Tovar, John Church, Chris Hilliard, Mike Hebert, T.J. Chism, IF Cam Maron, Brandon Brown, Richard Lucas, OF Javier Rodriguez,


Brooklyn: (5) – SP: Michael Fulmer, Juan Urbina, Domingo Tapia, IF Phillip Evans, OF: Brandon Nimmo


Kingsport: (5) – SP Luis Mateo, Christian Montgomery, Steve Matz, OF Vincente Lupo, Eudy Pena


GCL: (0) –


DSL: (1) – IF Elvis Sanchez