Oct 13 2010 07:57 AM
Re: Arizona Fall League
Read this this morning...
 10/12/10 8:11 PM ET Mets' Holt rebounds, wins AFL debut Former first-rounder yields one hit in three shutout innings By Danny Wild / MLB.com The relief in Brad Holt's voice was evident. The confidence and command that made him a first-round pick seem to be returning even if it's only the first day of the Arizona Fall League season. Other than Jenrry Mejia, Holt was considered the Mets' top right-handed prospect heading into Spring Training. But a rough season at two Minor League levels left him looking to straighten things. He's only three shutout innings into his AFL journey, but it's already been a positive experience. "It's good having a little success. It feels real good, it's nice," Holt said Tuesday. "It was a good start, it's good to get back out there." On the eve of his 24th birthday, Holt (1-0) allowed one hit in his Fall League debut as the Mesa Solar Sox beat the Phoenix Desert Dogs, 7-3, in the AFL opener for both teams. Holt is looking to move forward after a rough season at Class A Advanced St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton, where he combined to go 3-14 with an 8.34 ERA in 24 games. The struggles, he said, were all mental. He dug himself a hole and, as the season wore on, battled to regain his stuff on the mound. "I've been looking forward to [the AFL] a lot. That was the biggest thing toward the end of the year," Holt said. "I knew it, the coordinators knew it -- it was a mental year, I got caught in the quicksand and it's hard to come out of it. It was just all in my head, it was frustrating all year." Holt was one of the Mets' three first-round picks in 2008 along with first baseman Ike Davis and shortstop Reese Havens. Davis batted .341 in 21 AFL games last year, and the Mets would love to see Holt find similar success this fall. "I'm getting a fresh start out here," he said. "I went to instructs, and just being down there, it helped clear my head after the season and allowed me to get back in the zone. I felt comfortable, I started throwing strikes and I think it's continued." The North Carolina native threw 23 of 37 pitches for strikes, walking one and fanning one. He retired two of the first three batters he faced on fly balls to center fielder and fellow Mets prospects Kirk Nieuwenhuis, working around a one-out walk to Trayvon Robinson (Dodgers). Nieuwenhuis contributed an RBI double in the second off Phoenix starter Jon Link to plate Pirates farmhand Andrew Lambo for a 1-0 lead. "I got out to a fast start. I was filling up the zone, so it was a good start coming off a pretty rough season," Holt said. Brandon Laird (Yankees) reached on an error in the second for Phoenix, but Holt erased him by getting A's prospect Michael Taylor to hit into a double play. Holt said his top priority this fall is to find his groove again and consistently spot his pitches. "Just keeping my command and getting that back, that was the main thing this year. The whole year, there was no command with the fastball," he explained. "It would come and go with other pitches, but that's the main emphasis right now. "I'm throwing four pitches for strikes, keeping it down, and right now everything is positive. And I want to keep it that way. It's coming back together to the point where I feel like the old me." The "old" Holt is one who went 5-3 with a 1.87 ERA in 14 starts for short-season Brooklyn in 2008. The Mets pushed him along in his first full season in 2009, sending him to Double-A. The AFL likely won't be as easy for Holt as the instructional league -- the Fall League is a collection of the top talent in the Minors. Occasionally, players with limited Major League experience are sent to Arizona to get in some extra work against top talent. "It's exciting, this is the farthest west I've been. I've never been out in Arizona," Holt said. "I was looking forward to coming, just to get away from the humidity, and it's always fun to play with a new group of guys and see how they do stuff. You're making new friends and it's a lot of fun." Not too much fun. Wednesday is Holt's birthday, but he said he won't be out celebrating much with his new teammates. "I'm keeping it low-key," he laughed. "I don't do too much with birthdays anymore." NOTES: New Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly made his AFL managerial debut with Phoenix after serving as bench coach under Joe Torre. ... Holt will be working with Mesa pitching coach Ricky Bones, a former Major Leaguer who fills the same role at the Mets' Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo. ... Mesa RF John Mayberry (Phillies) left in the third inning with a leg injury. He was replaced by Texas League All-Star Jeremy Moore (Angels). ... Taylor, who was held to six longballs in 2010, homered in the fourth. He had 39 over the previous two seasons. Danny Wild is an editor for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs. |
