Good
morning.
Most of this morning's report was compiled prior to Game 5 of the Mets LAD game. I will have detailed thoughts on that series in tomorrow's report.
The Mets beat the Dodgers by playing the odds correctly. They started their best pitcher (Jacob deGrom), followed by someone that could easily excel as a closer (Noah Syndergaard), and then tossed up two innings by their current premier closer (Jeurys Familia).
You just knew as soon as this game was tied 2-2 that it would end 3-2 in somebody's favor.
Regardless of all the talented bats in both dugouts, these are pitcher teams and, for this series, deGrom/Thor bested Kershaw/Grienke.
Hero of the game... future free agent Daniel Murphy.
Boy, am I going to have a lot to say about this tomorrow.
Most of this morning's report was compiled prior to Game 5 of the Mets LAD game. I will have detailed thoughts on that series in tomorrow's report.
The Mets beat the Dodgers by playing the odds correctly. They started their best pitcher (Jacob deGrom), followed by someone that could easily excel as a closer (Noah Syndergaard), and then tossed up two innings by their current premier closer (Jeurys Familia).
You just knew as soon as this game was tied 2-2 that it would end 3-2 in somebody's favor.
Regardless of all the talented bats in both dugouts, these are pitcher teams and, for this series, deGrom/Thor bested Kershaw/Grienke.
Hero of the game... future free agent Daniel Murphy.
Boy, am I going to have a lot to say about this tomorrow.
The Lottery Ticket: Wuilmer Becerra, OF: A lesser-known piece of the R.A.
Dickey trade, Becerra may not be operating in the shadows for much longer. A former
large-bonus signee out of Latin America, a broken jaw (suffered from an errant
pitch) cost him valuable development time before his change in employer. His
breakout began in 2015 in his first full pro season. He showed the ability to
hit for average, run a little bit and displayed gap power that should develop
into over-the-fence pop as he further matures. He’ll move up to High-A ball in
2016 and could be an average or better right-fielder in the Majors.
Mack – As of right
now, without signing any outside free agent or orchestrating some major trade, the
2016 Mets outfield would consist of some combination of Curtis
Granderson, Michael Conforto, Michael Cuddyer, Juan Lagares, and
Kirk
Nieuwenhuis. It’s a good outfield and will
probably improve as Conforto becomes a full time player, but any loss of a
quality player like Yoenes Cespedes will
be felt.
As for the system,
right now, five guys could project out as possible major league outfielders
someday… Brandon Nimmo, Darrell Cecilliani,
Becerra, Kevin Kaczmarski, and Desmond
Lindsay. Currently, I can only project
Ceccilini having any chance to work his way to Queens in 2016 and that would be
probably only as a backup replacement for Nieuwenhuis.
For now, Becerra’s
conservative projection would be to start the season in St. Lucie and end it in
Binghamton… but remember last year when Conforto started in St. Lucie and no
one had him making Queens during the regular season.
When the Mets drafted him in the 13th
round in 2006, he displayed such a smooth swing that upon reaching the major
leagues just two years later they began shuffling him from one position to
another in an effort to keep him in the lineup. Whenever Murphy made a
defensive gaffe or a base-running blunder, the Mets essentially shrugged
because, as David Wright said, Murphy was
“programmed to hit a baseball.”
“The guy is just always thinking
about baseball, especially hitting,” Wright said. “We’ll go out to dinner and
all he wants to talk about is hitting. It’s always something about hitting.
You’re like: ‘Murph, Murph — enough! Shut up! Let me enjoy my meal!’ ”
Mack – I wonder how
much the possible career ending loss of Ruben Tejada could impact the Mets
decision on resigning Murphy to a one or two year deal in the off season. He is
still one of the top bats on the team.
Jon
Heyman @JonHeymanCBS
Moving Starlin
Castro to second was a stroke of genius. seems like new man.
Mack – Thought I’d
bring up the name one more time during the week no one has any idea who is
going to play in the middle of the Mets infield next season.
Steve Sypa
on Travis Taijeron -
MVP - Coming off of a fairly
successful 2014 season, Taijeron was promoted to an offensive-friendly league
in which his weaknesses would be downplayed and his strengths amplified. Lo and
behold, the 26-year-old outfielder proceeded to have his best minor league
season to date, setting a career high with 25 home runs, which were the fourth
most in the entire PCL. Taijeron's strong play earned him a spot on the PCL
All-Star squad.
Mack – I consider
Taijeron, at best, a long shot of making next year’s squad.
16 comments:
I still like Murph at 1B next year. Duda brings back what in a trade?
Wuilmer Becerra and Taijeron - 2 interesting minor leaguers to watch in 2016. People will write that he led the Mets Minors with 25 homers...but was that in 600 official at bats? Nope, only 394, in which he had 22 doubles and 3 triples as well. He was platooned for a while with the now-released Cory Vaughn, suppressing his 2015 ABs.
In 2016, hopefully he gets another 150 more official at bats and hits 40 homers. Can he improve further in 2016? We'll see.
He hit much better in 2015 on the road than in the friendly confines of Vegas too, (.314/.421/.576), which is worth noting. Not all PCL parks are hitter friendly. Could he be another Scott Hairston?
Meanwhile, Nimmo has a .350 slug %.
What a game to watch. Murphy had one for the ages, and his superb hitting against elites showed he is a winner worth keeping. Winning dynasty teams have winners on their roster, not just guys who put up solid stats but look overmatched when facing the elites.
Jake reminds me of Tom Seaver, who had his share of gritty performances when he lacked his best stuff.
Turner was hitting like Barry Bonds and Thor's strikeout curve was unhittable by Turner or any other human. Jeurys was sensational. I wanted Thor in the 8th and second guessed Collins, but Familia was the right call. Whoo Hoo!
Thomas -
Taijerson, Beccera, Nimmo... ya know, we may be watching the Mets quietly making a transition to filling their outfield with established hitters like Cespedes that compliment their one true budding star (Conforto)
Tom -
What impressed me the most about deGrom last night was that he was in trouble for most of the night but he stayed within his game and gave up only those early two runs.
Also, great game called by d'Arnaud.
As a long time Met fan I've seen some magical moments with this team mixed of course with much heartbreak but last night was sooooo special. Thomas your post about Jake being Seaver like was spot on and Murphy..... what can u say except sign him and YC and lets try and keep the fun going forward as long as we can. To beat a team in a 5 game series when your facing Kershaw/Greinke in 4 of them gives me hope now that we have to face Arrieta in the Cub series.
Lets Go Mets !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (No further comment needed)
Who would have believed it before hand?
Daniel Murphy's base running skills made the difference between winning and losing game 5 last night?
Incredible!!!
How often has he been characterized as "bone-headed" or "not thinking" when running the bases.
Looking back at his base running gaffs (and yes there have been quite a few)
perhaps it has been his aggressiveness and wanting/needing to try to accomplish everything he possibly can, that has been the real cause.
Kind of like over-swinging to hit the 10 run homerun or committing to swing before the pitcher has even started to wind up
Last night was like a Hollywood movie with a happy ending. No intentional LA-connection there...
Tough start, long odds, surprise twist, unlikely heroes. OK, in Hollywood there would have been one last threat at the end, and Bartolo would have come out to rescue Familia.
I preferred it this way. What a game, what a series.
I saw a Spanish interview with Cespedes and our man Yoenis was going on about how great this team is and how he loves it. YC is totally ours to sign for a very small Mets Magic discount I think. But will he stop swinging at low and away sliders??!
anyway. Let's Go Mets. These guys are repaying us for so much misery.
oh and yes, I was completely wrong about Thor in relief. Very Happily wrong.
Alex -
All of us were wrong about some faction of this team this year (can't wait to read Reese's spin on TC).
Alexander...
I believe Cespedes is what he is....
Swinging is what he does.
It doesn't matter if it is low and away or high and in. Fastball, curveball, or slider....doesn't matter.
He simply goes with the "see the ball, hit the ball" approach.
He reminds me of Juan Gonzalez.
Everything he has into every swing.
Swings at the ball without thinking about missing.
Has some very ugly swings, but still keeps a good avg.
Some of Gonzalez's best hits were on balls that were well out of the strike zone.
Does anybody else remember Gonzalez practically golfing balls that were almost touching the dirt for homeruns?
Cespedes is a free-swinger. He is a free-swinger that makes good consistant contact though. I don't think he would be successful if that aggressiveness was curbed.
Bob, yes, I agree that some guys are just that way.
But I recall that during his blistering hot streak in August and early September, Yoenis seemed to be fairly disciplined. I remember thinking that here was someone who was not swinging at bad pitches. In my opinion what has changed is that he started getting a little too homer-hungry and falling for bad pitches.
No doubt that he swings and misses more than average, but I do think he can use a bit of coaching to go back to basics.
The thing I hate is how Cespedes taps his toes four times with his bat walking away from a strikeout... it's as if he does this enough times to arrange some kind of dance routine
I don't believe a Broken Fibula is a threat to Tejada's career---hoping for his health.
I like a Kelly Johnson Re-Sign as a bench bat..OF Lefty...etc.
I do believe that a Playoff Run obligates an ownership to keep the team intact and reward the performers--- that certainly applies to Murphy. Paying him 5 million a year more than you'd like might be un-doable---paying him 2-3 more than you feel he's worth becomes a different obligation... a necessary "reward".
Ditto for Cespedes, although he's likely to be a very, very big number--- but he SHOULD command a contract similar to the top FA's of recent years--- "Pay D'Yat Mehn!!!" (Rounders---1998)
Mack, the only early season prediction I got right was my unwavering certainty that Matt Reynolds would be on the playoff roster LOL. Matt was our good luck charm.
Cespedes is very aggressive - except on called strikes down the middle to start an at bat. He could be a GREAT player if he changes that one flaw. Pay them all. It's Christmas time in the city.
Chase utley called me and said he was taking up acting this off season. I told him to break a leg.
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