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Update: 11:05 pm
T.J. Rivera capped off his hot month of August finishing Monday night going 2 for 4 to extend his current hitting streak to 11 games and raising is batting average to .409 (18 for 44) in that span.
The countdown is on to see if the Mets will reward him for all his hard work, so I will start my own Rivera hash tag – #CallUpTJRivera, maybe it will speed things along; never hurts to try.
Original Post: 12:00 pm
I have said this before and I will say it again, T.J. Rivera, infielder for the Binghamton Mets, is the most underrated minor leaguer in all of baseball.
In my opinion and I am sure I one of many that think this way, Rivera should be one of the call-ups to the big club when rosters expand in September.
The main thing with Rivera is that he hits, and hits and hits and with that type of impact player on any roster, it brings a great commodity even off the bench, and there is no question that he deserves the opportunity.
Rivera, the 2013 hits king in the Florida State League, started the 2015 season with the Mets Double-A affiliate B-Mets and in 22 games he batted .317 (27 for 85) mostly playing second base.
On May 16th, he was promoted to the Mets Triple-A affiliate Las Vegas 51s and during his stay through July, the Bronx, NY native batted .306 (56 for 183) with two home runs, 21 RBIs, .345 OBP% and a .443 SLUG%.
For the month of August, Rivera was moved back to Double-A and so far with one day left in the month, he is tearing it up batting .364 (40 for 110), with four home runs, 16 RBI’s, .402 OBP% and .527 SLUG%. He also currently has a 10 game hitting streak batting .400 (16 for 40) in that span, that also included a 4 for 4 game.
Rivera, who is not known for his home run power, swatted two in one game back on August 11th against the Altoona Curve finishing 4 for 6 and three RBIs.
I can go on and on about all of Rivera accolades, but the truth of the matter, he doesn’t have anything else to prove in the minors. If a major league club is looking for an experienced hitter who knows how to put the ball in play, Rivera is the guy.
If the Mets do not call up Rivera in September and give him a shot to prove himself, they are just wasting him in the minors and maybe it’s time he joins an organization that will truly give him that shot.
I really hope that isn’t the case, because Rivera is a homegrown talent, raised in New York and nothing better than debuting in your own backyard. The Mets have a prized possession in their grasps, now is the time to allow him to strive on the big level and show all the Mets fans what a special ball player he is.
Being a Mets fan myself, I haven’t always agreed with the moves the Mets have made pertaining to their prospects who aren’t highly rated, but with baseball also being a business, there is always a reason for a decision.
But come September the decision the organization needs to make is to finally give Rivera the opportunity he has been working very hard for, a chance to debut in his hometown, an honor he truly deserves.
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