10/12/20

John From Albany - Mets Top Ten 2020 Home Runs.

 



Mack’s Mets Tom Brennan had high hopes for the Mets Offense coming into 2020. 


According to Baseball Reference, while they did lead the Major Leagues with a .272 Batting Average they were 13th in Runs Scored.  


They also were 9th in Home Runs with 86 but they did have some memorable ones.  With that in mind, here are what I thought were the Top Ten Mets Homers of 2020:


Some of these I grouped together as they happened back to back or all in the same inning.


#10 – Robinson Cano and Pete Alonso go back to back against the Marlins on August 17th. Mets 11 Marlins 4. (Box Score).



#9 – Pete Alonso hits two home runs on the last day of the season. Mets lose to Nationals 15 – 5 (Box Score).  Yes, they lost.  However, the two homeruns on the last day when the Mets had already been eliminated gave Mets fans hope that Pete can fully return to his 2019 form next year.




#8 – In the game of the year, September 9th Vs. the Orioles that featured the Top Defensive play of the year, Michael Conforto’s great catch, Andres Gimenez hits the game tying HR and Pete Alonso tying HR.  Mets 7 Orioles 6 (Box Score).




#7 – August 28th, Game One, in a great comeback game against the Yankees  Pete Alonso ties the game with a 3 run homer, and Dominic Smith and Jake Marisnick  then each hit one in the same inning. Mets 6 Yankees 4 (Box Score).





#6 РOpening Day July 24th Yoenis C̩spedes goes deep to give the Mets and Jacob deGrom a 1-0 win over the Braves (Box Score).



#5 – September 3rd Pete Alonso hits a two-run walk off against the Yankees. Mets win 9-7 (Box Score).



#4 - Dominic Smith a Grand Slam against the Blue Jays as the Mets actually get runs for Jacob deGrom in a Mets 18 – 1 win. (Box Score).   What a great season from Dom – 50 games, .316/.377/.616 - .993 OPS; 10 HR, 42 RBI, 21 Doubles.



#3 – August 19th after the Marlins came back to tie the Mets in the 8th, Michael Conforto hits a two run HR against the Marlins to get the lead right back.  Mets 5 Marlins 3 (Box Score). Just like Mike Phillips of the Sports Daily, I feel that Michael Conforto was the 2020 Mets MVP.  


#2 – September 17th, Brandon Nimmo a 9th inning against the Phillies to give the Mets the lead in an eventual 10-6 win (Box Score).

And the #1 Home Run of the Year.  August 28th, Game 2, Amed Rosario’s pinch hit game winning, Walk-off HR against the Yankees in Yankee Stadium - Mets 4 Yankees 3 (Box Score).



It was a Walk-off HR against the Yankees, doubleheader sweep against the Yankees, the same day that Steve Cohen was announced as the clear favorite to own the Mets.  Could be one the best days ever in Mets History. 



10 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Small ball John gives a shout out to the long ball. I would have suggested just one change: get 8 HR Nimmo in there for one, and exclude La Washedupia, who, aside from that one HR, was an abysmal and thankfully short failure.

Tom Brennan said...

I will go one further. Cespedes in 2020 was the team’s Keon Broxton, except for the lack of defense. And Broxton epitomized the washed up player that the Mets must never put on their roster under Steve Cohen.

Of course, vying for the coveted Keon Broxton Washed Up award was Billy Hamilton. Billy and Yo combined for 6 for 53.

John From Albany said...

Tom,

Yoenis Céspedes did not do much after Opening Day but it gave us all hope at the time that he would be in 2015 form as he played for a contract next year. It did not happen, but for one day, we had hope.

Tom Brennan said...

We need hope for 162. That takes new, smarter ownership.

I hope we get Realmuto and not the Yankees. At least now, we have a fighting chance.

David Rubin said...

Tom- Nimmo is in there with Homer number 2!!
Great stuff, John!!!! The only thing that surprised me is that Dom did not get seven of the top 10 LOL!!!!

Tom Brennan said...

Duh! How did I miss # 2? LOL

Anonymous said...

On Marcus Stroman

I simply would not bring him back for one very good reason.

Marcus's numbers are okay/good range, but not great. He is not a typical NY Met fastball/strikeout number two or three starter. He just isn't. It does not matter how hard you try to push him through and into this 2/3 role either, he isn't that. He would also cost the NY Mets another $12.0+ million a season to be "maybe a good four or five", where they actually need a new two or three starter in the event that Noah cannot pitch in 2021 due to possible setback.

The only way I would sign Marcus Stroman (again here) is on a sign and trade deal to acquire that 2/3 starter this team could desperately need. And that's it yes sir!

Q: So Gadzoo, what is the right way to go here then?

To my eyes, the Mets have to add in the insurance due to the Noah injury. Have to Plato. Why? Because this type of thing happens here to this franchise way too often. It negates the entire season because this "insurance move" was not made in the off season to prevent it.

A: The Mets have got to go out and get a true two or three starter.

Then even without Noah (and his silky fresh blonde hair LOL) the NY Mets would still actually have a chance to be better than they have been in the last two seasons of what amounted to punt, pass, and kick.

[Gadzoo out. Rack me.]

Anonymous said...

Todd Frazier

With his impressive ten season .242 batting average (he never hit over .273 ever at the MLB level not once) and his five stolen bases, I would unequivocally bring Todd Frazier back in 2021.

But here's the thing...

Not as a player but rather as a coach of some sort here.

He lives local and this sort of thing may be somehthing that he could want to do. He handles people well, isn't geriatric, and is somewhat inspirational. He also relates well to the other players, because he too (like Luis Rojas) is younger. He is a go getter, I tell ya'!

Q: Where do I see Todd in like five more years or so?

A: Floating on a air mattress in his pool, with a cold one in his hand most likely.

No, actually I see him being an MLB manager some place. That may actually be his true calling. Todd's 40 homerun season was nice and all, but it's the managing thing. He has the MLB experience and he is very good with people.



Anonymous said...

So That Would Be "My Plan" for 2021

1. Get a number 2 or 3 starter more added in. Possible signing and then trading Marcus Stroman, plus a really good MiLB player like Mauricio or Gimenez. Homerun.

2. Bring in 3 more good AAA starters from other teams, to be added into the Szapucki, Gonzales, and Oswalt three already here within. Possibly using some MiLB or players from the Mets 40 man roster. Homerun.

3. Keep Brodie VW (but maybe put him on close watch with a box or two of Don Diego cigars). This was guy was (in all fairness here) a baseball agent. Now that Sandy Alderson can actually pee again, who could be a more terrific tutor for Brodie than Sandy Alderson? There you go. You thin out Brodie's hair some, and dye in some grey, and bingo he's Sandy's son I tell ya'! Homerun waiting.

4. Luis stays as well. Build a young winner team and manager.

Anonymous said...

Forgot the Dang Catcher Thing. My Bad.

JT Realmuto is a nice sign if he isn't asking for what Gary Carter, Johnny Bench, Gabe Kaplan, and Mike Piazza would be asking for (and most deserving in contract) if they were still all playing now.

JT just is not that level of star catcher, and probably would have been by now if it was in him. Don't get me wrong here, he's a very good catcher in a time when MLB very good catchers are thin. But he's not at the level of a superstar catcher from old. But he'll ask for and get that level of a superstar player contract, so be careful.

So what to do Gadzoo?

I don't know. I am from outer space for goodness sakes, remember? Did you not ever watch the "Jetsons" or the "Flintstones"? Geesh!

No, actually I would go out and get another good bookend type younger catcher (to Tomas Nido) from another team. An MLB team today needs two good catchers because of the physical aspects of the position. The day of having some backup catcher that gets a hit only in the "Leap Years" is finally coming to an end I hope.

Like who then as an example?

Two that I like right now are:

1. SAM HUFF (not kidding that's his name)

Age 23/6'6"/250. He's a huge and intense TEXAS catcher with good skills and growing awesome power stroke. Check him out online at YouTube.

2. RYAN JEFFERS 23/6'4"/235 He's another really sound big sized catcher with very impressive stats at each level he has played.

This type of a catcher in other words. Big, strong, good skill set, and a power swing to die for. Then platoon that catcher with Tomas Nido in 2021.

No more old spent cartridge cylinder catchers. Leave that for the Yankees and Senor Cashman!

NO MORE BUFFET FOR YOU!