John From Albany – Mets Breakfast Links 2/25/2020

David Peterson took the mound yesterday as the Mets played the Nationals in a Spring Training game. 

Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, Michael Conforto, and Wilson Ramos were also in the lineup as the Mets got their first spring training win 2-1 (Box). Video Highlights. 

Per SNY.TV: On the mound for two innings, Peterson allowed just one hit and zero runs, while also striking out two batters before a call to the bullpen was made to end his day. 

"It was good." Peterson said on his first outing of spring training. "I felt really good on the mound physically and mentally. I thought Buffalo (Wilson Ramos) and I were on the same page, and it felt good to get out there and compete again."

Mike Puma in the NY Post on Peterson’s goals for the spring: “Learn as much as I can from the veterans, get my work in, build up for the season and try to help this team at the highest level at some point this year,” Peterson said.

Wilson Ramos homered in the second inning and later doubled to go 2 for 2 on the day. 

Per SNY.TV: Ramos “started adjusting his swing this offseason, a process that took him a month to get comfortable with…’trying to put a better swing on the ball and not cut my swing,’ Ramos said. ‘[The old swing] made me go around the ball and hit a lot of ground balls.’"

Eduardo Núñez singled to drive in Binghamton Shortstop Edgardo Fermin who came in to run for Wilson Ramos after he had doubled. 

Paul Sewald, Erasmo Ramírez, Jordan Humphreys, Francisco Rios, Rob Whalen, and Joseph Shaw pitched the rest of the game.

Highlight of the game for me had to be seeing Rob Whalen pitch a 1-2-3 eighth with two strikeouts. 

From SNY.TV: Erasmo Ramirez went two innings and struck out four batters.

Emilio Bonifacio tripled and Andrew Stevenson doubled off Jordan Humphreys for the Nationals only run. 

Per SNY.TV: “Luis Rojas happy with Mets win over Nationals: 'Looked like we were playing really good baseball.'”

Per the NY Post: Michael Wacha will debut in a Mets uniform Tuesday, facing the Tigers in Lakeland, Fla. Daniel Zamora and Kevin Smith are among the Mets’ other scheduled pitchers. Edwin Diaz’s debut this exhibition season is scheduled for Wednesday, pitching behind Noah Syndergaard against the Astros.

Other Mets Links:

Mike Lupica on MLB.com had what Pete Alonso plans for an encore: “Now, I just want to take everything to the next level,” Alonso said. “I want to do that for myself and I want to do it for our team. Basically I want to make pitchers as uncomfortable this season as I did last season.”

Brian Joura of Mets 360 had “Mets 2020 projections: Amed Rosario.” Brian’s prediction: “630 PA, .265/.310/.440, 20 HR, 71 RBIs.”  I’ll take it.

Kevin Kernan in the NY Post talked to Mets Pitching Coach Jeremy Hefner regarding Jacob deGrom and getting the staff ready for the season with this quote from Hefner: “Just trying to make sure that we really take care of the guys because, for us to do the things we want to do this year, they need to be on the field the whole year.”

SNY.TV had video: How has the job of pitching coach changed? Looking at Mets Coach Jeremy Hefner and Yankees Coach Matt Blake.

Matthew Cerrone of Metsblog/SNY.TV had “a few quick quotes from one rival talent evaluator watching the Mets the past few days: "Andres Gimenez is already a better fielding shortstop than Amed Rosario…Tyler Bashlor has the goods to become a player for these guys down the stretch…Ronny Mauricio is hands down their best prospect. He's a dynamic talent...I can't remember the last time I saw Yoenis Cespedes looking this comfortable and relaxed at the plate.”

Per WBNG.com: “As part of Senator Chuck Schumer's fight to save baseball in Binghamton, Mets COO Jeff Wilpon and Major League Baseball Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem were at NYSEG Stadium today to discuss the future of minor league baseball. While no concrete decision was made today, Senator Schumer and [Binghamton Rumble Ponies owner] John Hughes said that they are feeling positive about the situation as negotiations continue. Wilpon and Halem refused to speak with the media during their visit.”

Also on this Per ESPN.com: "I'm really pleased,'' Schumer said. "This is the first club ... that Major League Baseball has come to. That shows that they care.''

Mike Puma in the NY Post: Mets see Nationals’ championship path that could’ve been theirs.

MLB.com ranked all World Series Favorites 1-30, the Mets came in #5 behind the 1. Yankees, 2. Dodgers, 3. Astros, 4. Twins.

MLB.com had cult heroes for every MLB team: for the Mets - Benny Agbayani.

213 Miles from Shea had Get to Know a Non-Roster Invitee: David Rodriguez. “David will be only 24..In Double A Montgomery last season he had 295 PAs, hitting .225/.303/.366…Over his three seasons in winter leagues he has hit .356/.401/.534.”  He also threw out a runner in Sunday’s game and today is his Birthday. 

213 Miles from Shea did a 2020 Mets Conglomerate Projections: Jeff McNeil – 584 Plate Appearances, 527.25 At Bats, 20.2 HR, .293 BA., .839 OPS.

213 Miles from Shea reviewed 2019 Baseball America’s #1 Top Prospect, Andres Gimenez, projection vs. performance. 

Other MLB News:

AP News.com: Altuve nicked by pitch, Astros stars booed on road vs Tigers. 12.com had video of the HBP.

MLB.com: Cole debuts with 2 K's in dominant inning in spring debut against the Pirates. Yanks' new ace clocked at 98 mph, 'in sync' with Sánchez (includes video).

MLB.com: Brock Holt made an amazing between-the-legs tag (includes video).

Marlins are tweeting that they are 3-0 in spring training and “Next, we take over the world.”

Click here for the full list of Spring Training scores from 2-24-20.

Per AP News.com: “Attempts at cheating are a part of sports, Major League Baseball said in urging a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by fantasy contestants.”

Jared Cantatore in Last Word on Baseball had an in depth article on the cheating scandal saying that the MLB Players Association shares the blame in the scandal.  He said players should ask Tony Clark two things: 1. How could you sit there and let these players cheat and not backup your other members who want them punished? 2. Do you even care that the Astros cheated?

In the same article Jared noted: In 2019 the New York Mets were hit a major league-leading 95 times.

AP Sports: Jeter says Astros scandal is a ’black eye” for baseball.

Per AP Sports: Arizona GM: D-backs unaware of MadBum’s rodeo career. (Imagine if Brodie said that – it would huge headlines everywhere.)

MLB.com had 11 players to keep an eye on this spring: No Mets on the list but here are some of the others - Jake Arrieta, Chris Sale, Giancarlo Stanton, David Price, Tommy Edman, Cardinals UTIL, Jon Lester, Jo Adell, Angels OF. 

Per MLB.com: Derek Jeter on the Marlins – We need to turn the corner. 

Per MLB Trade Rumors:

Rangers top pitching prospect, lefty Brock Burke to Undergo Shoulder Surgery.

Free Agent Market Still Stocked With Well-Known Players (Yasiel Puig, Russell Martin, etc.)

Mack’s Blast From the Past comes from 2-25-14: Mack looked at proposed Nick Franklin for Rafael Montero trade. 

Today in Mets History Per Ultimatemets.com:

Born on this date:

• Ed Lynch (1956)
• David Rodriguez (1996)

Transactions:

New York Mets purchased Luis Alvarado from the Detroit Tigers on February 25, 1977.

From National Pastime.com:

2012	On their Twitter account, the Mets send out an image of the patch the team will wear this season in memory of Gary Carter, who died earlier in the month of brain cancer at the age of 57. The black oval will feature the nickname of the former New York catcher, Kid, and his number 8.
2016	The players' union and MLB agree to a slide rule in the aftermath of Ruben Tejada's broken leg during the NLDS. The new policy, the direct result of Chase Utley attempt to break up a double play that injured the Mets infielder, will be reviewable and will continue to allow contact to be permissible with the fielder, but the runner cannot change his path to disrupt the play deliberately.

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