NORTH PORT, Fla. — Mike Vasil went from facing up-and-coming minor league hitters in the Arizona Fall League to facing the Atlanta Braves’ deep group of elite home-run hitters in a matter of months. Spring training means being prepared for anything, even if that means punching above your weight.
But Vasil looked like he belonged for the most part. Other than the changeup that Matt Olson got ahold of for a two-run homer in the bottom of the third, the 24-year-old Boston native handled a tough lineup well. Vasil allowed two runs on six hits and struck out three in the Mets 2-2 tie Thursday at CoolToday Park.
Those strikeouts might stick with him: Olson, Eddie Rosario and Ronald Acuna Jr.
“When I got the lineup [Wednesday night], I kind of looked at it and gave myself a little laugh,” Vasil said. “It doesn’t really get much better than that.”
The changeup he threw to Olson had some run on it and the first baseman took it over the fence for his seventh of the Grapefruit League season. However, Vasil saw some swings and misses on the pitch that he has been working on for more than a year. It’s not quite a new addition to his arsenal, but Vasil changed the grip on the pitch about a year and a half ago and was tinkering with it right up until Thursday.
“The grip is fairly new in terms of the way I’m approaching it,” he said. “It’s going to come along and develop the more I throw it and throughout the season, as well.”
Drafted out of the University of Virginia in the eighth round of the 2021 draft, Vasil is ranked the Mets’ 11th-best prospect. The organization is trying to get the pitching pipeline flowing to the Major Leagues and the big righty could be in Queens in another year or two. His velocity has already increased since starting professional baseball, with his fastball having reached the upper-90s in spring training this year.
Vasil attributes the uptick in velocity to the conditioning program he’s been on with the Mets and an improved mental approach to his time in the Arizona Fall League. He went 3-0 with a 2.93 in the prestigious prospect league last year and came away with a better understanding of how to pitch to his strengths.
“The fall league really set me up for better mental preparation,” he said. “I think what I took from the fall league was, who am I as a pitcher and what is my identity? And how do I succeed against better hitters? I think that was a huge, huge part of my development as a player, as a person — everything. The fall league is an awesome experience.”
Vasil hasn’t been told where he’ll start the season but he’s likely headed for Double-A Binghamton, which would be a step up from last season when played for Class-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn.
Darin Ruf hasn’t exactly lit up the Grapefruit League, but manager Buck Showalter was encouraged by his double off Atlanta’s Jared Shuster on Thursday. The left-handed Shuster is the Braves’ best candidate for the No. 5 starting job, so should the Mets keep Ruf after spring, he’s likely to face him again at some point.
The double brought Ruf’s average up to .160 for the spring. Outfielder Tommy Pham, who the Mets also plan to use at DH against left-handed pitching, went 0-for-3 to drop to .143 this spring.
However, Showalter said the two have been putting in work on the back fields and have seen much better results.
“Ruf is hitting .600 back there,” the manager joked. “Nobody wants to talk about that.”
Infielder Jeff McNeil returned from the World Baseball Classic and reported to Port St. Lucie. He had nine at-bats on the back fields of the Clover Park complex and will continue playing in minor league games Friday. … Right-handed reliever Adam Ottavino also returned from the WBC and worked out in Port St. Lucie. … Brandon Nimmo (right knee and ankle sprains) had five at-bats on the back fields and ran the bases.
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