Tom Brennan - I HATE TO WRITE TUES 8 AM METS ARTICLES ON SUNDAY MORNING, BUT HERE GOES

When inspiration strikes (and your upcoming time schedule is more than a tad tight) seize upon that inspiration and write. 

So, here goes.

Happy belated Mothers' Day to one and all of you Moms who devour Mack's Mets columns daily. 

What better way to have your kids learn to read and analyze than to plunge through Mack's Mets articles each and every day.  I was going to add "that's what I always say", but frankly it's the first time I had that thought - but it is a good one.

Anyway, here are some thoughts for you:

1) GREAT TO HAVE TOP PROSPECTS WHO RAKE AND GET ON BASE.

Francisco Alvarez, Pete-Crow Armstrong, Ronny Mauricio and Brett Baty have had 5 collectively unconscious games so far.  You can look them up individually, but over 5 games, those 4 have gone: 

27 for 62 (.436) with 17 walks and an HBP, giving them a .563 OBP, and 11 doubles, 3 HRs and 17 RBIs and 19 runs scored.

(I told myself I wouldn't do this, but heck, man, Crow and Francisco got on base 6 more times Sunday.  SO I had to add this "after Sunday morning update." 

Draw your own conclusions.  Is it just a 6 game explosion, or an early sign of 2 superstars in rapid gestation?)

Those 4, ladies and gents, are the Mets' future.  

Neon Light Bright.

Absolutely jaw-dropping, if you ask me.

Not to overlook some other eminent and highly qualified rakers on those High A and Low A teams so far:

1B Matt Dyer, OF Zach Ashford, OF Matt Winaker, 3B Jose Peroza, 1B Joe Genord, C Hayden Senger and CF LT Struble and SS Branden Fryman all have come out of the gate with hot bats through Saturday.  (Fryman, by the way, has 72 pro at bats in 2019 and 2021 and is hitting a nifty .361/.405/.472 so far).

Of great and wondrous note, Winaker has been on base 10 times in 18 PAs, with 6 runs.  Senger 5 for 12, all 5 hits for extra bases, and 7 runs.  Dyer, 4 for 9, with 3 extra baggers and 4 RBIs and a couple of walks.

On a down note, though, former 3rd rounder Blake Tiberi is just 3 for 19 with a troubling 13 Ks. 

2) BIFURCATION OF TALENT BETWEEN a) AA/AAA AND b) HIGH/LO A TEAMS:

After 5 games, AA/AAA Mets' teams are 1-9, and High/Low A teams are 6-4.  I already find myself concluding that the talent on the lower teams is where the Mets' minors talent largely lies.  Perhaps, reading the above, you do, too.  

Especially now that Matt Allan will essentially miss almost 3 full seasons (2020-22) due to Tommy John Surgery and a pandemic.  Certainly not what he pictured when he got drafted.  Get "arm-well" quick, Matt.

The AA and AAA teams are not "1-9 bad", they will win more than 10% of their games, but they are not IMO good. 

Biggest disappointment so far hitter-wise is former 2nd rounder Desmond Lindsay in AA, who has walked 3 times, but is otherwise 1 for 14 with 8 Ks.  

Former 3rd rounder and current AAA Met Quinn Brodey needs to play more - he is 1 for 4 but with 4 walks (a good sign for Quinn, who needs to walk more than he previously has).

On the bright side, and the focus has been entirely on hitting so far, Tom Szapucki and Tylor Megill had great first outings.  Both, in my opinion, will see time with the mother ship this year.

3) METS' TEAM ERA DOES NOT TELL THE WHOLE TALE:

The Mets through their first 28 games sport a 2nd best in the majors 3.03 ERA.  After Sunday, 2.99?  I didn't look.

Great.

But there are the Haves and the Have Nots:

The Have Nots (Joey Lucchesi, who I still like a lot and looked sharp Saturday night), David Peterson, Hildenberger, Guillorme, Tarpley and Betances) have allowed a team-ERA-levitating 37 earned runs in 44 innings.

The Haves (all the other wonderful pitchers) - just 42 earned runs in 190 innings, which is a scintillating 1.99 ERA, led by - well you know who.  And that's without Cookie, Thor and Seth.

4) BUT JOHN FROM ALBANY WOULD RIGHTFULLY POINT OUT:

The Mets have allowed 23 unearned runs in those first 28 games.  Only the Dodgers (27) had allowed more, but in 34 games.  The Phils?  Just 7 in their first 34 games.  

The defensive foibles must ameliorate for the Mets to succeed, is what I am sure John From Albany would essentially say, if not in those exact words.  

He'd be absolutely right.

But the Mets should be comforted by the fact that their error-per-game rate is still less than that of the 1962 Mets, who allowed 147 unearned runs in 160 games.  Ouch.  Of course, not too comforted - that 1962 team won just 25% of their game.  Had they been the best fielding team rather than the worst that debut season, maybe they would have won 40% of their contests.

5) OFFENSE HELPS:

Former Met Steve Matz is 5-2 in just 7 starts (a decision every start), despite a 4.86 ERA.  With the Mets in 30 starts in 2018, he had a far better 3.97 ERA, but was just 5-11 (a decision every 50% or so of his starts).  

He has gone from Queens to OFFENSE HEAVEN.  Jake deGrom wants to go there, too, but remain in Queens.

That, ladies and gents, concludes my "Sunday Ramblings for a Tuesday 8 AM Article" scattered thoughts.

I hope they haven't caused all of you to scatter.  

Because, as I always, I look forward to your erudite comments.

Have, as always, a great day.  And be sure to say hi to Mom (mine's in the real heaven, no offense, and I said hi).