- I found it ironic that we talk all the time about how great the pitching is on this team and what happens on the first game they play (against each other)? The game finishes 0-0 after eight innings.
-14 hits on Wednesday against the Braves was the right way to get this pre-season started. It was just the first pre-season game of the season and it was a lot of Mets batters facing Braves pitchers that aren't going to make the 25-man squad, but a win is a win and a lot better than starting with an 8-2 loss.
-Is SS Matt Reynolds real? We've joked with Tom Brennan about this subject for well over a year and this reminds me so much of the days I doubted that Juan Lagares was ever going to make it at the major league level. I'm starting to think I've had this guy pegged wrong all this time and nothing would make me happier to find that the Mets have solved the solution of a star shortstop with finding one within their system. We'll keep an eye on this one and see if Reynolds hits his way into the heart of the coaches and replace the doubles and home run potential that Flores could bring to the plate (nice walk-off home run on Friday though).
-Bartolo Colon and Josh Edgin both had impressive first outings on Thursday which strengthens the belief that the Mets have chosen the correct pitchers to be on their 25-man squad. Colon faced only six batters in the two innings he pitched while Edgin did yield one single with runners on base he inherited but wasn't charged with (you know how I hate that a pitcher walks away with a 0.00 ERA after doing that).It became stronger as the work load got deeper
-I'm not that concerned with what happened to Noah Syndergaard on Friday. He threw a perfect first inning and, after yielding a lead-off single, everything went to hell in his next inning after he tossed a routine ball over to Michael Cuddyer, who seemed to take his eyes off the ball, causing a two-base error. Without this, a ground ball could create a double play and close to being out of another impressive inning, but because of Cuddyer's hiccup, there's a runner on third, no ont, and everything becomes defensive pitching. Shit happens, especially on your first (Syndergaard, Cuddyer) spring game.
-Matt Harvey's debut was impressive. Try to imagine the difference of the final win-loss record on this team if Harvey could deliver 16-20 wins this season? All of baseball is starting to remember just how good he was before he went down and I want to be a believer here also, but I'm still a little scared of a relapse. I'll get back on the Harvey train after around 4-5 starts. I promise.
-One must be impressed that 19 Mets pitchers have made it to the bump this spring and left with a 0.00-ERA, That has to be some first week team record. More importantly, it includes many member of our proposed 12-13 pitching staff going to Queens... Harvey... Colon... Edgin... Familia... Gilmartin... Majia... and Torrez.
Morning, mates. There may still be snow on the ground, but with spring training games and now daylight savings time, winter is on very thin ice.
ReplyDeleteHey Mack, I was as down as anyone else on Matt Reynolds after 2013, but he won me over early in 2014 in terms of being on my radar because he came out of the gate HITTING.
Once he got promoted he not only kept hitting, but addressed another large Qu mark by hittin9 9 or 10 homers thru about 60 or so late season and winter games and the walk off homer.
He Still trails Wilmer in the power category, but maybe by tbis time next year or sooner, our SS and 2B and utility IF roles are filled by him, Flores and Herrera, and Murph and Ruben are employed elsewhere.
I am starting to wonder if Tejada joins Gee on the out of town bus before Spring Training ends. My guess is Ruben stays as backup and Reynolds to AAA for a while...but does he last as long as Ike did last year?
Not everybody I gush about is doing well. Leathersich followed a shaky first outing with a really bad one yesterday (5 runs). No Ks in 2 outings. Maybe they are trying some things to fix his issues. Or he just is going to fail at the highest levels. We'll see.
Conforto's performance was exciting. And very dark horse Danny Muno hascome out of the gate very fast (4 for 7 and a walk?)
Anyway, fun time has returned.
This has been an exciting ST so far... much more hits than I'm used to
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of hitting, Kirk started today 2 for 2 and is hitting .615, which I believe is 7 for 11. Making a statement.
ReplyDeleteFlores is 1 for 2 and hitting .500, just the way Ruben Tejada always would (not).
Hansel has joined to Jack Leathersich doghouse.
Does anyone remember Darren Reed, the spring training superstar? That's Kirk Nieuwenhuis for you. Remember, he's a guy who fans in 35% of his ABs.
ReplyDelete