Mets Minors Recap: Elian Peña Hits First St. Lucie Homer

Elian Peña started off 0-for-26 last season in the Dominican Summer League before finding his footing. This year, he is hot from the get-go. The 18-year-old homered, doubled, and made a nifty backhanded catch at shortstop Friday in Low-A St. Lucie’s 9-2 loss to Dunedin. Peña is 9-for-24 with a home run and three doubles in six games (1.069 OPS). He is also 3-for-3 stealing bases.

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (6-7) 1, Buffalo Bisons (5-6) 7, 6 innings

Box Score

• RF Ryan Clifford, 0-for-1, 2 BB, K (.560 OPS)
• LF MJ Melendez, 1-for-3, R, CS (.606 OPS)
• DH Christian Arroyo, 1-for-3, RBI (.773 OPS)

Clifford is still looking for his first home run (47 plate appearances) after hitting 24 to lead the Double-A Eastern League last season. The game was called in the sixth inning due to rain.

• LHP Anderson Severino (0.00 ERA) IP, H, 2 K
• RHP Joander Suarez (13.00 ERA) 3 IP, 7 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 5 K, 2 HR, L

Suarez, 26, performed well at Double-A last season (3.05 ERA over 82 2/3 innings) but was hit hard after he earned a promotion to Triple-A. The growing pains have continued into his first three outings this season (13 earned runs over nine innings for an ugly-but-even 13.00 ERA).

Double-A

Somerset Patriots (2-4) 1, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (4-2) 13 

Box Score

• CF A.J. Ewing, 1-for-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K, CS (1.101 OPS)
• 2B Marco Vargas, 2-for-5, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 K (.633 OPS)
• 1B Chris Suero, 1-for-2, HR (3), 2 RBI, 3 R, 3 BB, K, CS (1.116 OPS)
• RF D’Andre Smith, 2-for-4, 3B, 2B, 5 RBI (1.012 OPS)
• C Kevin Parada, 0-for-3, RBI, 2 R, SB, 2 BB, K (.306 OPS)

Ewing threw out a runner at the plate trying to score on a sacrifice fly. Suero hit three homers in 41 games last season at Binghamton. He’s got three in four games this year. The minor leagues seem to bring out a lot of wacky line scores. Binghamton had 13 runs on eight hits and no errors. (The Rumble Ponies walked 13 times.)

• RHP Bryce Conley (1.29 ERA) 4 IP, 4 H, BB, 6 K
• LHP Gabriel Rodriguez (0.00 ERA) 2 IP, H, 4 K, W

Conley, 31, was selected in the 22nd round of the 2017 draft by the Athletics. He entered Friday with a career 4.55 ERA in 496 2/3 innings over eight minor-league seasons.

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (1-5) 6, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (4-2) 4, 10 innings

Box Score

• SS Mitch Voit, 0-for-5, K, SB (.304 OPS)
• 2B Colin Houck, 0-for-3, RBI, 2 K (.591 OPS)
• DH Corey Collins, 2-for-4, 3B, RBI, R, BB, K (.591 OPS)
• 3B Kevin Villavicencio, 2-for-4, 3B, 2 RBI (.846 OPS)

Houck, a first-round pick in 2023 out of Parkview (Georgia) High School, is 3-for-21 with a double and nine strikeouts. He posted an .812 OPS at St. Lucie last season, but his numbers tumbled after he was promoted to Brooklyn. His slash line in 54 games at High-A was .198/.269/.289.

• RHP Noah Hall (3.86 ERA) 4 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K
• RHP Juan Arnaud (0.00 ERA) 2 IP, 2 K, W
• RHP Hoss Brewer (0.00 ERA) IP, H, R (0 ER) BB, K, SV

Hall, 25, pitched to a 2.72 ERA over 112 2/3 innings last season for Brooklyn. He was a seventh-round pick in 2023 out of the University of South Carolina.

Low-A

Dunedin (3-3) 9, St. Lucie Mets (3-3) 2

Box Score

• SS Elian Peña, 2-for-5, HR (1), 2B, 2 R (1.069 OPS)
• LF Tommy Pham, 0-for-2, BB (.533 OPS)
• 1B Randy Guzman, 1-for-4, RBI (.325 OPS)

Pham, 38, was drafted by the Cardinals out of high school the year before Peña was born.

• RHP Frank Camarillo (5.40 ERA) 5 IP, 3 ER, 7 H, L

Camarillo, 22, was a 13th-round pick last year out of UC-Santa Barbara.

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