After hitting six bombs in 45 games in AA, Duda has eight in 21 in AAA. He’s hitting a combined .300/.406/.582 for the year and .329/.395/.750 in 21 games in AAA. Three of his eight homers have come against lefties against whom he’s hitting .200/.286/.640 compared to .392/.448/.804 versus righties.

– Toby Hyde, MetsMinorLeagueBlog.com.

I don’t want to bandy about unfounded rumors, but I believe it’s entirely reasonable to start speculating that Mets farmhand Lucas Duda has sold his soul to Satan for home-run power or is otherwise benefiting from a recent foray into the dark arts.

Duda’s previous career high was 11 home runs in St. Lucie in 2008. He averaged about one home run for every 46 at-bats in his first three Minor League seasons, but has stepped it up to about one per every 17 at-bats this season, including a downright Ruthian 1/9.5 rate since his promotion to Triple-A.

Will Duda keep that up? No. Not unless he really entered a contract with Lucifer. But the outburst has to at least earn him consideration as something more than organizational roster filler. By most accounts he’s a pretty terrible fielder in the outfield, and he’d be redundant on the big-league club with Chris Carter already in tow. But he’s probably a better option than Mike Jacobs to get a call if the Mets need left-handed pop in a pinch.