ANGRY MIKE: Should Cohen Run the Mets Like a Hedge Fund or MLB Franchise?

 ANGRY MIKE 

MLB franchises, like hedge funds, have fundamental investment strategies that govern how they operate in order to maximize their chances for success. Each entity might define success differently, MLB teams its defined as winning, for hedge funds its defined as profits, but how they go about ascertaining success is fundamentally the same. 

Choosing the right investments is the cornerstone to being successful.

Each potential investment requires meticulous research, analysis, and being able to accurately forecast potential performance. 

Most importantly, being able to account for “variable change”, hiring the right personnel who can navigate through the volatility of market conditions. 

Three pillars of success for successful investing or owning a Major League Baseball Franchise. 

Right now all eyes are on New York Mets owner, Steve Cohen, to see how he intends to navigate through arguably the most volatile market conditions he’s faced during his tenure as owner. When the Mets had a successful 2024 season, exceeding all expectations, the biggest problem wasn’t coming up short on winning a World Series. The successful 2024 season awakened one of the most volatile, success-starved fanbases in pro sports, activating their blood-lust yearning for the World Series title that has alluded them for over 40 years.

When that championship wasn’t delivered during the 2025 season, despite the acquisition of one the sport’s greatest hitters, Juan Soto on a record $800 million free agent contract, the fanbase does what it does best, it activates “Zombie-Mode” and starts cannibalizing its own. 

“Every player sucks. Our owner only cares about money. Our team is cursed.” 

An incredible transformation from unbridled enthusiasm to ever-lasting rage, introducing the Mets fanbase.

Cohen and his President, David Stearns, find themselves at a pivotal crossroads, where they must decide what can be done to prevent a repeat of last season’s catastrophic collapse, but also put them in a position to compete for a championship. A hedge fund manager and his analysts aren’t successful because they can predict the future, it’s because they have the ability to adapt, like a General commanding his troops on the battlefield. In order to adapt, you have to accurately assess the strengths and weaknesses of the troops under your command as well as those of your opponent.

Accurately assessing the capabilities of the Mets roster requires not just looking at next season, but the next couple seasons, starting with which players represent valuable investments and which players might need to be replaced. Similar to how a hedge fund manager tries to decide which investments to take long positions or short positions.

The following players represent investments the Mets will undoubtedly move on from after the 2026 season or even prior to next season. 

#Mets have $74+ Million scheduled to come off the payroll after 2026 season & another $40 million after 2027:

Expiring Contracts -> After 2026 Season:

F. Montas              ->           $       17.0 M   

D. Peterson           ->           $        9.2  M  

J. McNeil               ->           $       12.5 M    

A.J. Minter            ->           $       11.0 M   

L. Torrens             ->           $        2.9  M   

T. Taylor               ->           $         3.8 M    

H. Brazoban         ->           $         2.0 M   

T. Megill               ->           $         2.0 M    

R. Lovelady          ->           $         1.0 M   

OPT-OUTS:

C. Holmes            ->           $      12.7  M 

Expiring Contracts -> After 2027 Season:

K. Senga             ->            $      17.0  M  

S. Manea             ->            $       9.2  M   

The Mets have an incredible opportunity to create payroll flexibility that can enable them to capitalize on generational talents scheduled to hit free agency over the next couple off-seasons. That is why it’s imperative Cohen doesn’t overreact to public sentiment or negative media coverage pertaining to last season. Quite frankly, there aren’t any players the Mets can acquire this off-season which will truly help them become contenders. 

Should the Mets retain Edwin Diaz? Absolutely. Pete Alonso? Negative Ghostrider.

Alonso made his decision to not be a part of the Mets future when he rejected an above market extension offered to him during the 2023 season. 

At the time the extension was offered, retaining Alonso seemed to be the best move for the franchise. Fast forward to now, after seeing the progressions of a multitude of high-upside prospects and the impending availability of players like Tarik Skubal, Shane McClanahan, and Mackenzie Gore, the Mets simply can’t afford to allocate tens of millions to a first-basemen. There are only two players who have the ability to exponentially raise the Mets ability to compete for a World Series title:

Tarik Skubal and Shane McClanahan

Two legit “ACES”, both left-handed, both capable of hitting triple digits, both with career K-rates of at least 28%, career walk BB-rates no high than 8%, and fortunately for the Mets, they are scheduled to hit free agency in consecutive years. Skubal will hit free agency first, and I believe Cohen will not lose the bidding war for the MLB’s most talented pitcher. Most teams would be finished after signing Skubal to a contract that could total $400 million, but most teams don’t have the ability to create the type of payroll flexibility like the Mets can, by continuing to integrate high-upside youth into their pitching staff and lineup simultaneously.

Potential SP options to choose from:

N. McLean | J. Tong | B. Sproat | J. Santucci | Z. Thornton 

C. Scott

Potential RP options to choose from:

W. Watson | D. Ross | R. Lambert | B. Banks | T. Pauley 

J. Wenninger 

Potential Lineup options: -> E. Pena will be ready by 2028

J. Williams | C. Benge | J. Reimer | R. Clifford | N. Morabito 

A.J. Ewing | C. Suero

No other playoff contender have the ability to outfit their pitching staff & lineup with as many high-upside players & pitchers that we can, creating historic payroll flexibility.

Having the organizational depth in your farm system to potentially fill 10-12 roster spots with impact talent from the minor leagues is as rare as it gets, and the timing is perfect because it enables the Mets to take advantage of another frontline “ACE” hitting free agency after the 2027 season. 

Shane McClanahan was arguably one of the most talented pitchers in baseball, who had better career numbers during the first three years of his career than Skubal or Red Sox ace, Garrett Crochet.

• - 74 career starts -> 36 Quality starts
• - Could’ve been 51 Quality starts -> if not for strict pitch counts
• - 69% of his first 74 outings -> he surrendered 3 or fewer runs
• - Arsenal on par with Skubal & arguably better than Crochet’s
• - Triple digit velocity, plus curveball, plus slider, plus changeup
• - 7% career BB-Rate is better than Skubal’s
• - His 28% Career K-Rate is only 1% lower than Skubal’s

If you compare McClanahan and Skubal from 2021-2023, “Sugar Shane” actually has a higher K-Rate and an identical BB-Rate, and they both faced a little over 1400 batters faced. If it wasn’t for McClanahan needing TJ surgery, he might have very well continued to challenge Skubal for the A.L. CY Young awards he won, even though he plays for a Rays team that is in the midst of a rebuild. You’re talking about a pitcher who has only 16 recorded losses despite playing on a team that really isn’t trying to win.

That is why the Mets have to go all in and sign not just Skubal, but also McClanahan. They’ll have the ability to not only deploy arguably the deepest rotation in baseball, but also the most talented. Having Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong functioning as your #3 and #4 starters, takes a tremendous amount of pressure off of them, as well as giving the Mets a huge competitive advantage by allowing them to face the opponent’s weaker starting pitchers, not their #1 and #2 starters.

Yes, it will be a massive financial commitment signing both pitchers, but when you have impact talent like McLean, Tong, Benge, Jett Williams, Santucci, Lambert, Ross, and a host of others being paid the league minimum, the timing is perfect to re-allocate considerable resources towards securing two of the most talented pitchers in baseball to anchor the top of your rotation. It also frees up the Mets to utilize a combination of other premium talents such as Brandon Sproat, Jonathan Santucci, or Zach Thornton to fortify their bullpen, saving them tens of millions in the process.

It’s time for Cohen to ignore the fanbase, ignore the media, and leave last season in the past. The worst thing he can do is to ignore the opportunity in front of him, by overreacting to what happened during the 2025 season. The opportunity to sign two pitchers of this caliber won’t come around until the winter of 2028, and that’s only if Hunter Brown and Cole Ragans don’t sign extensions before then. They will also hit free agency the same year, further complicating things, as they both will be offered qualifying offers, increasing the penalties the Mets will be forced to pay that are associated signing multiple free agents who rejected qualifying offers. 

Potential NLCS pitching matchups after we acquire Skubal and McClanahan:

Game 1 -> Skubal vs Ohtani 

Game 2 -> McLean vs. Yamamoto 

Game 3 -> McClanahan vs Snell 

As bad as the 2025 season might have been, the next decade has a chance to be exponentially historic, if Cohen starts running this franchise like a hedge fund and not just like a MLB franchise. His greatest strengths are patience and being ruthless when it comes to capitalizing on potential market opportunities that can be identified before others catch on, and by using that same calculated approach that made him a monster in the Hedge fund industry, he can create the dynasty he’s always wanted too.

If Cohen lets the media and fanbase force him to act impulsively, signing players this winter and essentially removing the Mets from having the payroll flexibility to sign both players, he essentially gift wraps one or both players to the Dodgers.

It’s right there for the taking, and no franchise is in a better position to create a dynasty, than Steve Cohen and his New York Mets.

The game is afoot. 

MACK. - DIRTY LAUNDRY

 

So. The Mets have put second base (Marcus Semien) to bed for, at least two years. This position goes into the vault, next to short (Francisco Lindor), catcher (Francisco Alvarez), right (Juan Soto), closer (Devin Williams) and SP2 (Nolan McLain). Sadly, that’s it for now. Oh, there are guys under two-year contracts, prospects everyone are excited about, and others that look like they will secure their position this year, but the fact is that the Mets only have six current players on the 40-man roster that are locks.

Sort of pitiful, really,

For this reason alone, I think the Mets are far from done this off-season. IMO, securing both first baseman Pete Alonso and RP/CL Edwin Diaz, are tantamount to any success in 2026, as well as beyond. Past that, I’d like another proven reliever under, at least, a two-year contract, a real multidimensional third baseman and leftfielder, and another proven starter.

I would do everything in my power to secure Fernando Tatis Jr. He only turns 27 in January. 27. Yes, he plays the same position as Soto, but you gotta think he could convert to left, right? The Dodgers and Blue Jays are building two teams in a whole different class than the rest of the league, I want the Mets to be the third to do this.

So, how does the Padres line up?

1B – Luis Arraez is a free agent and probably gone.

2B – Jake Cronenworth hit only .246, with 11-HR. He’s under contract through 2030. More importantly, he also plays a proper first base and could slip into the void left when Arraez signs with another team.

SS – Xander Bogaerts isn’t going anywhere and is under contract through 2023.

3B – Manny Machado is under contract through 2033

LF – Ramon Laureano produced 3.8-WAR, 24-HR, .281. But. He’s a free agent.

CF – Jackson Merrill signed a 10-year contract, through 2035. Doesn’t matter what he produced in 2025. He’s not going anywhere.

RF – is wide open if Tatis is traded to the Mets.

C – 36-year old Elias Diaz produced a -0.2-WAR.

RHSP – Nick Pivetta went 13-5, 2.87 last season and is under contract through 2028.

RHSP Dylan Cease is gone.

Soon to be 40-year old RHSP Yu Darvish (0.0-WAR, 5.38) should be.

RHSP Michael King, and the Padres have a mutual option, so he could be gone too.

RHSP Stephen Kolek (2.0-WAR, 3.51) won’t be a free agent until 2031.

RHSP Randy Vasquez (2.2-WAR, 3.84) is pre-arb eligible and won't reach free agency until 2031.

(what happened to lefties here?)

The Padres are, depending on how you look at it, burdened or blessed with long term contracts. IMO, they seem secure enough to NOT beat the Dodgers.

Prospect wise…

The Padres only have TWO top prospects that either finished the season at the AAA or MLB level:

RHSP Bradgley Rodriguez – reliever and we don’t care about them in this article.

OF Tirso Ornelas – another reliever, so we don’t give a shit about him either.

So… if they traded Tatis, they would need either a first or second baseman, a new right fielder, a left fielder, a major league catcher, and, at least one seasoned starter.

My offer would be:

2B – Jett Williams, LuisAngel Acuna, or Jeff McNeil (half salary paid my Mets)

RF – either A.J. Ewing or Carson Benge

LF - Nick Morabito

C – Luis Torrens (they have a top catcher prospect in the wings with a 2027 ETA).

Established starter OR prospect starter – either Kodia Senga or Sean Manaea (with Mets paying half of either of their future salaries), Brandon Sproat, or Jack Wenninger.

Dollar amount of salaries paid by Mets could be negotiated.

Steve Sica- Reviewing the Mets First Round Draft History

The MLB Draft Lottery will take place later tonight. The Mets currently sit as the 17th overall slot. Unless the Mets get over tremendous odds and land a pick in the top-six (less than a 5% chance) their pick, by virtue of the luxury tax, will drop down ten spots to the 27th overall pick.

The MLB Draft isn’t for another seven more months, around the MLB All-Star game, but by later tonight, we’ll have more of a sense of what players will be available for the Mets to select in their slot. Before we start looking at some way too early mock drafts, let’s take a look at how the Mets have fared with their last five first round draft picks.

2025: TWP Mitch Voit (38th Overall Selection)

After getting their pick bumped down by ten slots, the Mets used their first round pick on University of Michigan product, Mitch Voit. Drafted as a two-way player, Voit, was only used as an infielder during his short time in St. Lucie. 

During his senior year at Michigan, he batted .346 with an OPS of 1.140 and had 14 home runs and collected 60 RBIs. Voit has yet to show off that power in his brief 22 game stint with St. Lucie this year, but he has shown something else. His blazing speed. Voit stole 20 bases and was caught just one time. 

Voit is another in the line of what is starting to become a trend in the Mets' draft strategy. Contact hitters, with speed, who know how to work a count and draw as many walks as they do hits. It’s still far too early to tell how this pick has panned out.

2024: OF Carson Benge (19th Overall Selection) 

What more is there left to say about Carson Benge? After the season he had in 2025, he’s proven time and time again why the Mets made him their first round selection in 2024. The Oklahoma State University product tore apart High-A and Double-A pitching all season long. At just 22 years old, his OPS sat at .978 in Double-A, a league that has humbled many players in the past. 

Benge is ranked as one of the Mets best prospects going into 2026, and often seen as one of the best outfield prospects in the sport. He made the Futures Game roster in 2025, and is projected to join the big club as early as the summer of 2026. Benge is one of the most exciting prospects in their system, and for a team that’s struck out on a lot of first round draft picks in the past, Benge looks to buck that trend.

2023: SS Colin Houck: (32nd Overall Selection)

For the third year in a row, the Mets saw their first round slot fall ten spots down. At the 32nd pick, the Mets drafted Colin Houck out of high school from the Atlanta suburbs. Houck struggled in his first full season with St. Lucie in 2024. Batting just .206 with 171 strikeouts. His prospect stock took a hit and barely made it onto the top-30 Met prospect list as 2025 began.

Houck though improved mightily on his second go-around in St. Lucie. Through 62 games, he batted .252 with an OPS of .812. That was enough to earn him a promotion to High-A Brooklyn, which no doubt pleased the Mets brass that their first round pick was moving up the ranks.

While he struggled in High-A, it’s important to remember that Houck is still just 21-years-old, and even though it’s been two full seasons, I still think it’s too early to close the book entirely on him.

2022: C Kevin Parada (11th Overall Selection)

With their highest pick in five years, the Mets selected Kevin Parada a catcher out of Georgia Tech. There was plenty of hype around him after his senior year where he batted .360 and mashed his way to an OPS of 1.162. Unfortunately for him and the Mets, those numbers never translated into success at the MiLB level.

In four minor league seasons, Parada has batted just .237, put up a slugging percentage of .399 and an OPS of .720. Now in the organization for four years, he’s eligible to be taken away from the Mets via the Rule 5 draft. So by this time tomorrow, he might not even be a Met. If this does wind up happening, there’s sadly no doubt the Parada will be seen as a first round bust for the Met organization. 

2022: SS Jett Williams (14th Overall Selection)

Kumar Rocker was drafted by the Mets in the first round in 2021 but didn’t sign. So the Mets received two first round picks in 2022. They spent it on Jett Williams and it’s paid off well so far. 

Standing at just 5 '7, Williams makes up for his lack of height with a tremendous amount of solid contact, great plate discipline and speed on the bases. In four MiLB seasons, Williams has an OPS of .827, has drawn 206 walks to 290 strikeouts, and has stolen 90 bases while being caught just 19 times. In 2025, he passed the daunting test of Double-A ball with flying colors. In 96 games with Binghamton, Jett put up an OPS of .868 with 10 home runs, 32 stolen bases, and 37 RBIs.

Jett, like Benge, is in the Mets’ top-five prospects and is often seen as a key member of the Mets’ future plans. It’s likely that he could be the first of this group of recent draft picks to make his Citi Field debut. 

The Mets haven’t had a position player drafted in the first round make a substantial impact at the Major League level since they drafted Michael Conforto in 2014. Jett has all the tools and potential to end that drought.

The draft lottery is the first step to finding out who the future of your Major League team will be. By tonight, the Mets will find out where they’ll be drafting and so will begin the seven months of scouting, analyzing, and predicting who the next big prospect will enter the Mets’ system.

Mack's Mets Feature: Hot Thread

 

We are in the “Hot Stove” season, where every conversation centers around the latest news in MLB trades and free agent acquisitions.  

Often we will include a feature where our writers discuss what is happening, but this year we want more involvement from the readers.

We have combined two traditional features, “Hot Stove” and “Open Thread”  into this year’s “Hot Thread” which will run every Tuesday at 6:00am EST.

Considering the recent market activity and knowing your team’s needs, what would your next move be?  Hope we have sparked your interest! Tell us in the comments below.

Last week’s transactions:

Mets signed free agent Carl Edwards Jr. to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training.

Arizona signed Michael Soroka one-year, $7.5M contract.

Pittsburgh traded RHP Johan Oviedo, LHP Tyler Samaniego and C Adonys Guzman to Boston Red Sox for CF Jhostynxon Garcia and RHP Jesus Travieso.

Tampa Bay signed Cedric Mullins. 1 year, $7.5M.

          The Washington Nationals sent RP Jose Ferrer to the Seattle Mariners, in exchange for pitcher Issac Lyons and catcher Harry Ford

                             Thomas Nestico                     @TJStats

                             Harry Ford (acquired by WSH) is a catching prospect with a great sense of the zone        and solid power. Scouts believe he has the tools to be an above-average catcher, yet his framing and blocking results have been well below average

                             Ford is my #62 Prospect in MLB

Harry Ford

C/DH/LF    5-10    200    RHH    FA 2032

MLB:

    2025:    0.0-WAR    6-AB    .167

MiLB:

    2025:  AAA – 458-PA, 16-HR, 74-RBI, 74-BB, .283/.408/.460/.868

Highly touted professional baseball catcher known for his elite athleticism, speed (uncommon for catchers), and plate discipline.

High School:

Graduated from North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia, where he was ranked as the No. 13 prospect in the 2021 MLB Draft class by MLB.com. He committed to Georgia Tech before turning pro.

MLB Draft:

Selected by the Seattle Mariners in the first round (12th overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft, Signed for a $4.366 million bonus.

Prospect Rankings:

Entered 2025 as the Mariners' No. 6 prospect and No. 95 overall (Baseball America). Ranked as the No. 7 catcher prospect league-wide. MLB Pipeline had him as the No. 4 in Seattle's system and No. 40 overall earlier in the year.

Scouting profile:

Ford's scouting profile emphasizes his "unicorn" status: explosive bat speed, plus arm strength, and 60-yard dash times around 6.50 seconds—elite for a catcher. He's versatile enough to play outfield or DH if needed, with a contact-oriented swing that prioritizes on-base skills over raw power (though he has 20+ HR potential).

Minor League:

2021 (Rookie - ACL Mariners): .291/.400/.436, 16-for-55 in 19 games.

2022 (High-A Modesto): .274/.425/.423, 11 HR, 65 RBI, 23 SB in 104 games. Named MiLB.com Organization All-Star; No. 93 overall prospect.

2023 (Double-A Arkansas): Strong on-base showing; awarded Dan Wilson Community Service Award for Everett AquaSox.

2024: Continued development at Double-A/Triple-A.

2025 (Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers): Excelled with .283/.408/.460 slash line, 16 HR, 74 RBI, 7 SB in 97 games. Named top prospect in the Pacific Coast League by Minor League Baseball.

MACK –

Followed this guy extensively when he was in school. He was blocked in Seattle by Cal Raleigh, who is signed through 2030, so any decent return would have been a good one… which Ferrer is. He needs to desperately work on his D Game, or he is going to windup as a DH only for the Nats. 

 

Last week’s rumors:

Pittsburgh has offered Kyle Schwarber a four year deal. 

Many teams are showing interest  in former Padres' right-handed pitcher Michael King.

Several teams are interested in trading for second baseman Ketel Marte. 

This week’s questions:

1. With newly acquired Marcus Semien the heir apparent for 2026 Mets' second baseman, what would you do with Jeff McNeil?

2. With newly acquired Marcus Semien the heir apparent for 2026 Mets' second baseman, what would you do with LuisAngel Acuna?

3. The relief pitching market is still wide open.  Would you still go aggressively after Edwin Diaz, or take a broader look at the relief options with Devin Williams already locked up?

Tom Brennan - Where Are Today’s Audacious Knuckleball Entrepreneurs? - JEFF KENT

 

CY YOUNG WINNER RA DICKEY

I wrote this article previously, and thought I’d tweak and repost it. 

Can you imagine what these knuckle guys below would have made in career earnings if they played today? 

Bazillions.

Where are today’s aspiring pitchers, who are good, but know their normal stuff won’t give them a REAL MLB CAREER, in terms of adding a knuckleball in pursuing that chance to earn mega-millions in a long career in America’s pastime game?

The first guy below pitched incredibly well in recent years with the knuckler, and made lots of $$$ doing so.

On to my repost: 

WHERE ARE TODAY’S KNUCKLEBALLING CY YOUNG CONTENDERS?

HALL OF FAME CONTENDERS?

20 YEAR MLB PITCHING KNUCKLE MEN?

WHERE ARE THE ENTREPRENEURIAL TYPES WHO WANT TO TRY MASTER A FORGOTTEN TOOL AND TAKE A CHANCE AT BECOMING A MULTIMILLIONAIRE?

It eternally puzzles me why more young pitchers, many of whom never make the majors, do not try to leapfrog the competition by developing that seldom-used weapon, the knuckleball. 

What would some of the guys who follow below make in $$$ in this day and age of Brinks Truck Baseball? 

Plenty.

I never thought much about the knuckleball, until the Mets acquired a guy who a) threw one and 2) won a Cy Young award doing so. His name?

RA DICKEY: 

Not much was expected of him when the Mets snatched him off the trash heap. He looked like high minors filler.

But on a cold, damp AAA night in Buffalo early in 2010, televised on regular TV because he NY Mets were off, he gave up a first inning hit…and nothing else.  A 1 hit shutout. He went 4-2, 2.23 in AAA, and got called up. He fooled them all, all the doubters, going 11-9, 2.84 after the call up. His Mets record that year would have been better but he (so typically) got poor run support. 

In very short order, though, he went 20-6 for the Mets in his 2012 Cy Young season.  He did that when he was 37.  Pitched until he almost turned 43.  

As a Met, he was 39-28, 2.95. With good run support, he should have won 45-50 games. 

Wouldn't you love that now?

He was drafted 18th overall in 1996, as a non-knuckleballer. But he wasn’t that good. He was 16-19, with an ERA of close to 6, with Texas over a few seasons, then similarly struggled to a 5.21 ERA with Seattle.  

Instead of giving up, he tried the knuckler, studiously and in earnest, was excellent in AAA in 2010 with the Mets, called up to exceedingly skeptical fans, and excelled. 

He added years to his career and lots of salary to his bank account because he had the guts to develop and stick with that pitch. 

He won 120 games, started 300 games, and relieved in 100 games.

Great decision by R.A. 

While others chuckled, he knuckled, and hitters’ knees buckled.

He joined heady company. 

Seven other knuckleballers of great renown:

CHARLIE HOUGH:  Per Wikipedia: 

After pitching in the low minor leagues from 1967 to 1969 with limited success, Hough's career and fortunes changed dramatically when he learned how to throw a knuckleball in spring training in 1970, leading to a successful season with the Spokane Indians in AAA, where he led the Pacific Coast League in saves and posted a 1.95 ERA.  

He made his major league debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1970 but did not join the Dodgers bullpen full-time until the 1973 season. He pitched until 1994, 28 years after his pro career began, winning 216 games, losing 216 games, 418 relief appearances and 440 starts, 61 saves, and a 3.75 ERA.

He might well have never made the majors without that specialty pitch.  I guess he could have skipped the knuckleball and gone into selling insurance or pet food for a living instead.  Or invented the internet before Al Gore did.

HOYT WILHELM: 

Hoyt missed 3 years in WW II, and received a Purple Heart when he was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge. P

itched his entire career with shrapnel in his back. Remarkable.

It took him years in the minors before he was called up, along with his knuckler, at age 29. Despite that advanced rookie age, he remarkably, due to the knuckler, pitched in 21 MLB seasons, posting a 2.52 ERA, pitching in a remarkable 1,070 games and going 143-122 with 228 saves. He started just 52 games, with half of those being in 1959, when he went 15-11, 2.19. 

As a rookie in 1952, he went 15-3 with an excellent ERA. 

His knuckler got him into the Hall of Fame. 

PHIL NIEKRO: 

Phil and his brother Joe learned how to throw a knuckler from a coal miner. Neither, to my knowledge, married the Coal Miner’s Daughter.   

Phil, though, won 318 games, sported a 3.35 ERA, and pitched 24 years, from age 25 to age 48. He pitched in 24 MLB seasons.

He too made the Hall of Fame.

JOE NIEKRO: 

Brother Joe’s knuckleball was good enough to allow him to pitch in the majors from age 22 through age 43, 22 seasons.

He started 500 MLB games and relieved in 202 more, with a 3.59 ERA, and 221 career wins. He was a 20 game winner in back to back seasons, at ages 34 and 35. It also got him 1,165 plate appearances, which many major league hitters would be happy to achieve.

WILBUR WOOD: 

My cousin Wilbur was having at best marginal success early in his career, then developed the knuckler with Phil Niekro’s tutelage, and became a fine and very heavily used reliever in 1967 through 1970.   

In 1971, he became a starter and remarkably won 90 games in a 4 season span, averaging almost 350 innings a season.  

He suffered a fractured kneecap from a line drive in 1976 and was only 17-21 in 1976 through 1979 and retired, but was in 651 games, won 164 and had a fine 3.24 career ERA.

TIM WAKEFIELD: 

200 game winner, 627 games, 19 seasons,  

He was drafted in the 8th round as a hitter, was told he’d never make the big leagues, decided to develop a knuckleball and pitch, and had 19 major league seasons to show for it. He was solid in 8 outings against the Mets, but just 12-18, 5.01 against the juggernaut Yankees teams of his day.  Which lousy Mets minor league hitter wants a 19 year MLB career?  Here is the roadmap.

TOM CANDIOTTI:

Undrafted, he struggled through Indy Ball, and his perseverance paid off in 151 career wins, and a 3.73 career ERA. He debuted at age 26 in 1982, and retired at age 42 in 1999. Overall, 410 starts, and 41 games in relief, spanning 16 MLB seasons.

These 8 guys pitched in so incredibly many games, and ended up with so many wins and saves.  And so many innings, and so darned many years. 

Imagine what Hoyt Wilhelm or Phil Niekro would have earned today?  

Boggles the mind.

Two made the Hall of Fame. Dickey won the Cy Young award. 

The game of baseball pays so incredibly much to star players today.  

And still, with potential mega millions there for the taking for those who might be the next Wilhelm or Niekro, it is almost as if using the pitch has been outlawed. 

FINALLY…MICKEY JANNIS

More recently, Mickey Jannis pitched in the minors in AA and AAA for the Mets, with decent success, but couldn’t replicate the Dickey Knuckleball Magic.

Jannis (imagine if he had been from Mantle’s old hometown of Joplin, which would make him Jannis Joplin) had a single unsuccessful cup of coffee game in the majors with the Orioles. 

The knuckleball isn’t a sure-fire ticket to success and fame. But at least he made it for that one MLB game, something the former 44th rounder would have never pulled off with just his traditional insufficient pitching repertoire.

Thoughts???

AND NO…

I am not learning the knuckleball.  

I’ve already mastered the screwball. You all know that instinctively.

But I am throttling down my off season article scribbling….one a week in December, then see you when the season starts next April.  Mack’s Mets has recently added friggin’ killer writers, so I am taking a long overdue sabbatical after a reduced pace of December missives.  

And, heck…Ray is back, after making so many holes-in-one he got bored. 

As I throttle back, I will never, though, stop asking for shorter Citi fences.  

People started thinking about Kyle Schwarber possibly becoming a Met…but he has hit .198 in Citi Field.  

The fence depths - are they Kyle’s culprit? I dunno.  

Lastly, I saw this in a Mets Trade Rumors article the other day - this is why the Mets collapsed in 2025:

“Only the Rockies, Nationals and Angels had a higher second-half ERA from their rotation than the Mets’ 5.31 mark.”

“Nolan McLean looks like a budding frontline starter, but he’s their only pitcher who allowed fewer than 4.20 earned runs per nine after the All-Star Break.”

- Where is R.A. Dickey when you really need him?

WINTER MEETINGS IN ORLANDO STARTED LAST NIGHT.

Ex-New York Mets second baseman, Jeff Kent, was voted into Baseball’s Hall Of Fame on Sunday night. He received 87% of the votes. He will be inducted in Cooperstown, New York, on July 26, 2026.

Jeff Kent

2B/3B/1B    RHH    6-1    185    20^TH rd. 1989 by Toronto

Career:    55.4-WAR    8,498-AB    377-HR    .290

Jeff Kent is a retired American professional baseball player, widely regarded as one of the greatest offensive second basemen in Major League Baseball (MLB) history.

Early Life and College Career

Kent grew up in Huntington Beach, California, where he attended Edison High School. A standout hitter, he set a school record with a .500 batting average as a junior in 1985 but was briefly dismissed from the team after clashing with his coach over a position change to second base.

He later starred at the University of California, Berkeley (Cal), helping the Golden Bears reach the College World Series in 1988.

MLB Career Highlights

Kent debuted with the Blue Jays in 1992, quickly establishing himself as a power threat at second base—a position not typically known for home runs. His career spanned six teams: Toronto Blue Jays (1992), New York Mets (1992–1996), Cleveland Indians (1996), San Francisco Giants (1997–2002), Houston Astros (2003–2004), and Los Angeles Dodgers (2005–2008).

Key achievements include:

2000 NL MVP: With the Giants, Kent hit .334 with 33 home runs and a league-leading 125 RBIs, powering San Francisco to the best record in baseball. He was the first second baseman to win MVP since Joe Morgan in 1976.

All-Star Selections: Five times (1998, 2000–2001, 2003, 2005).

Silver Slugger Awards: Four (2000–2002, 2005).

World Series Appearances: Mets (2000) and Giants (2002).

Kent's tenure with the Giants was his most productive, where he formed a potent duo with Barry Bonds—despite their well-documented tensions.

He retired in 2008 after a postseason slump with the Dodgers, ending his career with a .290 batting average.

Career Statistics

Kent holds the all-time record for home runs by a second baseman (377), surpassing Ryne Sandberg's mark. He ranks 20th in doubles (560), 47th in RBIs (1,518), and 62nd in home runs among all players at retirement. Below is a summary of his season-by-season performance.

My thoughts?

JEFF KENT IS IN THE HALL OF FAME BECAUSE….

I’LL JUST BLURT IT OUT…

HE ESCAPED THE METS.

THERE, I SAID IT.

He escaped from the team from Queens that has never had a home grown Hall of Fame hitter, nor a hitting MVP.

Darryl? No. 

David? No. 

Jose? No. 

Pete? No, at least most likely no.

Sure, Kent technically wasn’t home-grown, the Mets got Kent early on in a deal…but he had fewer than 200 at bats from his original team before migrating to Queens.

He came to pitchers’ park Shea Stadium, and did OK with the Mets in his 1,831 at bats, but clearly not a HOF pace:

.279/.327/.453. 

We hope even sure-fire non-Hall of Famer Brett Baty can do that in 2026.

Thereafter, in 6,657 ABs, after his daring Queens escape, Kent ROCKED!  

He put up clear-cut HOF caliber numbers…as a post-Met…

.293, 462 doubles, 37 triples, 310 HRs, 1,251 RBIs, 82 of 126 in steals.

Being a Met for 498 games almost cost Kent the Hall of Fame.  

He escaped in the nick of time.

It was his Shawshank Redemption.

Parks do matter.  

After all, in the ultimate hitter’s paradise, Coors Field, Kent did this:

.368/.436/.686. 

Compare that to his “nice” .279/.327/.453 numbers as a Met.

Steve Cohen, if you ever want a Mets hitter MVP, or a home-grown HOF Mets hitter…

Move the fences in. 

Or just rename the park Shawshank Stadium.

The place Hall of Fame candidates want to escape.