New York Mets fans should get their chance to see Gregory Soto in action this weekend regardless of whether or not the San Francisco Giants make any of the games competitive. The swap with the Baltimore Orioles was received favorably by the majority of fans. Knowing Brooks Raley is the main lefty in the bullpen helps us accept how wild he can get at times.
The Orioles had a vacant roster spot following the trade and decided it was time to award a former Mets prospect with a promotion. It was around this time two years ago when the Mets traded Dominic Leone to the Los Angeles Angels for infield prospect Jeremiah Jackson. After hitting .205 in Double-A last season for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, the Mets moved on.
Jackson caught on with the Orioles on a minor league pact. In his age 25 season, Jackson is putting it all together. His numbers in Triple-A are outrageously good.
Former Mets prospect Jeremiah Jackson gave the Orioles no choice but to give him a closer look
In Norfolk, former home to the Mets Triple-A team, Jackson had 162 plate appearances and seemed to make the most of it. Slashing .377/.398/.682 with 11 home runs, all expectations were completely shattered.
Swinging as freely as he always has, the power numbers have been unexpectedly high this year. Including his time in Double-A, he now has 30 doubles, 15 home runs, and 41 RBI in 351 trips to the plate. He has notably cut down on strikeouts with 50 of them total in his first 83 games. Last year in Binghamton he fanned 123 times in 122 games. The year prior, when splitting his time between the Mets and Angels Double-A squads, he struck out 144 times.
A versatile defender, the Orioles have used him primarily as a shortstop this year in the minors. The results haven’t been great. He has made 16 errors total this season and owns a .926 fielding percentage.
Playing time for Jackson should remain sparse as the Orioles are unlikely to open up any regular spots on their infield. He’ll have his opportunities, likely against left-handed pitchers, to prove the Mets wrong for letting him go. He had a recent opportunity to directly remind the Mets of it when just last week he went 6 for 13 with 2 home runs in a series against Syracuse. He drove in a run in each of the three games.