Mets’ Mazeika Adjusts Quickly To Pro Ball

NEW YORK—The Mets selected Stetson product Jacob deGrom, the 2014 National League Rookie of the Year and 2015 playoff ace, in the ninth round of the 2010 draft.

Just as deGrom was validating his rookie success in New York, the Mets went back to the Stetson well to draft catcher Patrick Mazeika in the eighth round in 2015.

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The 22-year-old Mazeika thrived in his pro debut at Rookie-level Kingsport. He hit .354/.451/.540 in 62 games to lead the Appalachian League in on-base percentage and doubles (27) while finishing second in average and RBIs (48).

“Early on (in pro ball) it was an adjustment,” Mazeika said. “After having a month off (after the draft), I was just getting back into my approach and gaining confidence after facing some different styles of pitching . . .

“It was a little different in college, (where) a lot of guys throw a three-pitch mix. A lot of guys (in pro ball) are hard-throwers with a few good offspeed pitches—but they like to use the fastball.”

The lefthanded-hitting Mazeika started 30 games at catcher, where he threw out 27 percent of basestealers, and 11 at first base at Kingsport. During his first two years at Stetson he was blocked by Garrett Russini behind the plate, so he played primarily first base. He moved to catcher in 2015, his junior season.

“I came in as a catcher (at Stetson), but we had an older, more-experienced catcher,” said the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Mazeika, who hails from Wilbraham, Mass. “They wanted to get as many bats in the lineup as possible, so for the first year I played first base. And the second year I caught a little bit.”

Mazeika led all Atlantic Sun Conference players with a .439 average in league play his first year to earn freshman All-America honors.

Russini moved to the outfield in 2015, allowing Mazeika to become the primary Stetson catcher.

“The position I love is catcher,” Mazeika said, “and I’ve always been a catcher. It’s good to get back there in pro ball again.”

METAMORPHOSES

• Vice president of scouting and player development Paul DePodesta, who ran the organization’s draft and farm system from 2011-15, departed for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. He will serve as chief strategy officer.

• Righthander Rafael Montero, who spent most of 2015 on the disabled list nursing a shoulder injury, logged one inning for Escogido in the Dominican League on Dec. 21.