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5/31/22

Tom Brennan and Mack Ade - Mets Recap

Guillorme does it all.

Hope you had a Happy Memorial Day - honor where honor is due, in a country where honor is all the more often turned to dishonor. 

Off the after-glow of another in the pantheon of amazing Mets' wins, this time aid by the Plummer union local's best hitter, the Mets get to swat some Nats for a few days.

Fedde vs. Peterson - this one won't go 15 rounds.  It might go 15 runs, though.

Drew Smith tried to bare-hand a hard grounder on Sunday and dislocated his pinky which was popped back into place.  Pitching hand, so we'll see how many days he misses.  Please be few.  Don't reach out and touch a baseball with naked digits.

Brandon Nimmo cortisone injection for the wrist - let's hope it is just the right elixir.

Jeff McNeil sat out Saturday - feeling a little achy - they won without Brandon and Jeff Saturday, no small feat.

METS: No Nimmo in the line up tonight, but Plummer snagged a well-deserved start in the outfield after he saved the Mets' bacon in highly dramatic fashion on Sunday.

David Peterson shaky right from the get-go, surrendering 3 in the first.  But Guillorme Gwynn naturally led off the Mets' half with a single, followed by a single by the very valuable Marte and a single on the 7th pitch by Lindor. (39 ribbies)   Well, inning ended up 3-2.  

Next inning, a Canha single, then a run-scoring double from our unstoppable Plummer (since called up, a 113 MPH HR and 101 MPH double - but he's not done); then Guillorme Gwynn laces another hit (.372), and Marte cranks a moon shot (27 RBIs) and it is 6-3 after 2.  Last year, of course, the Mets trail this one 3-0 after 1, 3-1 after 8 and scratch out a 9th inning run to lose 3-2.  BIG change in 2022.

Next inning Canha singles, Nido singles, and the hottest man on the planet, Luis G. Gwynn, steps up with his .923 OPS.  He gets the Soto treatment and walks on 4 pitches, raising his OPS.  SMH.  LOL. OMG.  

Bags full, 2 outs for the dangerous Marte.  2 run single, his 3rd hit in 3 innings, pushing him over .290 and up to 29 RBIs.  If you asked him why he was suddenly so hot, he'd say, "Man, I don't want to be outhit by that Gwynn guy."  Lindor, 2 on, two out....instead of rope-a-dope he plays rope-a-rope and nails a single for RBI 40 and a 9-3 lead.  Eleven hits through 3 innings.  Dang.

Then - wait for it - PLUMMER 3 RUN SHOT!  Good golly!  A few batters later, Luis G. Gwynn lined out.  Peterson got pulled after 4.2 innings with an 8 run lead!  Very ouch!  Holderman gets the last out of the 5th, and Plummer singles in the 6th.  Good double golly!    Plummer only hit .250 in Syracuse in 24 games, but he did drive in 21 runs.  Maybe the great physical skills are finally clicking in strong.

In the 7th, Shreve got back from Shreveport and promptly fanned Juan Soto.  Sylvester Stallone told me, "He ain't so bad!" 1-2-3, and left that inning with an ERA lower than Aaron Loup.

How would you feel if your team was down 7 runs in the 7th and had to face Luis G. Gwynn, Super-Starling Marte, and sizzling Francisco Lindor?  I'd feel a little queasy - excuse me for a minute.  Luis lined out - again - and it was 3 up, 3 down.

Pete caps it off with his 13th.  Nice relief from Nogosek again.  Holderman 2-0, 0.96.  Bet he never expected that.  13-5 Mets.

Jake and Max are suddenly feeling better, figuring they can pitch at 50% and win if the team is gonna hit .500 every game.  Who needs rehab, right?  Somewhere, though, no doubt, an inquisitive Facebook fan is wondering why they are not starting Dom Smith and JD Davis tonight. 

Oh, and....Braves lost and Phils lost.  And the Mets are one day closer to getting their walking wounded back.
 

MINORS: thankfully, just one game.  My fingers feel like Drew Smith's from typing so much.

SYRACUSE: glad we got to borrow their Plummer.  We have lots of handyman jobs and want to keep him for a while.

BINGHAMTON: only minors game of the day.  They scored enough for all 4 Mets minors teams. The bats that finally showed up with 9 runs and 17 hits on Sunday were back on Monday, with Binghamton racking up 13 runs on 17 knocks.  Hayden Senger had 4 singles, Jeremy Vasquez netted 3 RBIs, Luke Ritter two (22 on the season), Brodey a single and double, and Francisco the Great scored 3 runs, including his 8th HR,  (I watched one he hit a few days earlier - cleared the scoreboard. Today’s? A 108 MPH bomb.) 

Multiple pitchers gave up no earned runs until big, bad Bryce Montes de Oca (BMDO) took over in the 9th after an Edwards-allowed HR and walk.  A walk, out and double had it at 2nd and 3rd, one out, and BMDO threw 6 strikes to the next guy to induce a ground out.   He then walked 9-HR Josh Breaux to load 'em up and he needed just one pitch for out number 3.   Good to throw some pitches, only way you get better.  13-2 final.

 Macks' guy Hejka threw 3 scoreless in relief, BTW.  Mack doesn't hedge and Hejka - he likes the dude.  That 0.75 ERA in AA so far is a good reason why.

BROOKLYN: the boys are off to today to enjoy the rides on the boardwalk.

ST LUCIE: no baseball today, but time to savor the exploits of Junior Tillen and Omar de los Santos (don't know what those two are?  Well, we covered that in yesterday's recap.)


 Mack  -  My thoughts

- Today's featured Met minor leaguer might be the next Syracuse reliever called up.

The Mets have already picked the Cuse relief tree pretty clean and there is only one reliever left with an ERA under 3.00.

31 year old R.J. Alvarez was picked up in the off season.

Alvarez was a 3rd round pick in the 2012 draft, by the Angels, out of Florida Atlantic University.

As they say, "he's been around" pitching for minor league teams in the chains of the Angels, Padres, A's, Cubs, Rangers, Marlins, and Brewers, but this year has been his best:

11-G, 16.1-IP, 16-K, 2.81.

Yes, he seems to be in love with the number 16, but he also has given up 16 walks.

Lots of speed here with a deceptive delivery, he may not be the best in control, but he, at least is starting to show the ability to get out of trouble on his own.


- Today's featured prospect

is Clemson sophomore eligible third baseman, Max Wagner.

You know me. I do a ton of research on the draft eligible players plus my home team is Clemson, so I'm sure you would think I know a ton about this kid.

I just don't because he literally came out of nowhere this season to become a top 50 projected pick.

The 20 year old Wagner came out of Preble High School in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

In 2021, he hit .214 with only two homers so not much was expected from him this year.

Oh yeah?

This year:

58 games, 203 ABs. .370/.496/.852/1,348, 45-BB, 27-HR, 76-RBI

I see Wagner as a viable candidate when the Mets pick in the 2nd round.


- The regular season and conference playoffs for all college teams are over and some go on to the College World Series playoffs, while most don't. 

Thought you would like to see the top players by statistical rank in some categories. 

I will start today with the top 5 draft-eligible home run hitters: 

1. 1B Ivan Melendez  Texas  28

2. 1B Matt Courtney  Old Dom. 26

3.  3B Max Wagner  Clemson  27

4. UT Jason Hinchman Tenn Tech 26

5. C Kevin Parada  GT  26


- We need to take a deeper look at St. Lucie SS Junior Tillen. I mean he did hit three homers on Sunday.

Tillen is a 6-2, 200-lb 19 year old that came to the Mets as a heralded international prospect in the 2019 International signing period.  Dominican born.

He has an advanced approach and swing with raw power.

Can definitely play all three outfield positions as well as second, short, and third.

His strongest defensive asset is his ++ arm. Average speed.

2021 stats for the FCL Mets were quite underwhelming.

103 at bats, .165, 0-HR

So far this season for Lucy:

51-AB, .255, 5-HR

The world is an oyster for Junior and see where he goes after that incredible game on Sunday. 


- IF Manny Rodriguez was transferred from AAA Syracuse to AA Binghamton. 




Tom Brennan - Are you Loving This Full-Time DH Thing Like I Am, or What??

Occasionally a pitcher hitting would give us a nifty memory, but....

  I LOVE THE DH.  

There, I said it.

The Mets are SCORING.  And I love it.

Team hitting is a "cumulative effect" sort of thing.  When your # 9 hitter is an automatic out hitter, the offense scores less.  When it scores less, I have to believe the other 8 hitters press a little to try to score.  

You end up with 2021 dreck.

In 2021, the Mets averaged just 3.9 runs per game.

In 2022, through last Monday (as I write this), 44 games, they are averaging 4.7 runs, despite early season lack of ball carry.

Up 8/10 of a run per game year vs. year.  That wins a lot more games. *And they've scored even more in the last week).

Part of it is the better player mix, but a big part is the cumulative effect of NINE hitters hitting.  When guys are hitting, everyone feels like it is party time.  Everyone feels like scoring is inevitable, not iffy.

All these hitters (well, pretty much all) get to play. Clearing Cano off the roster was genius addition by subtraction - the remaining guys each get more ABs, and are there ANY fans who are moaning that he is gone?  Please step forward and be fitted for your strait jacket.

And you still have a Jankowski or yes, a Plummer, in a back-up role, where they are best suited - pinch run, pinch hit, occasional starts. (Maybe Plummer is better than that).

Back to hurlers.  Pitchers, you see, can't hit a lick. 

SO MANY minor league hitters, in fact, can't even hit high minors pitching (they just released a guy who was hitting .132 in AA Monday...and as I write this, lots of Mets minors guys are really struggling, too, under .200 at the plate). 

How then can anyone expect pitchers to hit major league pitching?   A few can somewhat, most not at all.

And hitting pitchers have more chances to get hurt at the plate.

I love scoring runs. I wanted the NL to have a DH for years. I've got it, and could not be more thrilled.  No one is taking my DH away from me, ever again.

Are you thrilled, too - or are you still a purist?  Purists, I define, as guys who like 8/10 of a run less per game to see baseball as it was originally drawn up.  But as it was drawn up, pitchers used to hit better when velocities were several MPH lower - recently, most couldn't see the fastballs, much less make contact with them.

Nope - I like hitters hitting, and pitchers pitching.  

That's MY traditionalist side.


5/30/22

Tom Brennan and Mack Ade - Mets Recap

NY Mets via Twitter

A really reliable Plummer is hard to find in NY. Especially one with 5 tools.

TODAY IS THE JUNIOR AND OMAR SHOW. 

AND THE NICK PLUMMER HOUR OF POWER.

You must read on for the amazing news about this dynamic trio in Sunday action.

PREAMBLE

I enjoyed listening to the channel 5 broadcast of the Mets, as they were speaking about the amazing Jeff McNeil. They informed (or reminded) listeners that Jeff was an excellent skinny minors hitter who ended up needing sports hernia surgery and then two hip surgeries, causing him to miss almost all of two minor league seasons. 

He returned in 2017 for a bit, then was a total hitting machine in 2018.

Most guys might’ve thrown in the towel that point, after that second surgery. But look at McNeil now. .301 lifetime in 1,467 at bats with 178 RBIs. Keeper. 

Avoid walls, Jeff. The Mets need a LOT of you.

The clouds surrounding Francisco Lindor were dark and persistent, but now it seems like there’s nothing but sunny, blue skies for a man with blue hair who loves to play every day. His contract is starting to look like a bargain compared to Kyle “Chris Davis) Schwarber’s

As good as the Mets have been, they are a + 53, while LAD is a + 117 already. LAD is stacked. The Mets will be, too, if they get fully healthy.

In case you wonder, as I occasionally do, how the Crow is flying, Petey the Crow is .371/.469/.562 in 43 games in his minors career. Had he stayed, he would be neck-and-neck with Alvarez as Mets’ top prospect. Dumb trade…very dumb.

I post this hoping for change. Two ranked prospects, Jaylen Palmer and Sherveyn Newton, have a combined career OBP of .353 (one at .355, one at .350), but in 2,397 plate appearances, 754 Ks, which is 190 per 600 PAs.  Worse, just looking at Brooklyn stats in 2022, the two have fanned 79 times in 162 official at bats, 49%.  Put those 2 in the majors right now and that could easily be a 80% K rate. Not to be blunt, but…Study the habits and contact approach of Jeff McNeil and Luis Guillorme if you ever want a big league career.

Mets acquire JT Riddle, who has hit .205 in AAA the past 2 years and has 10 MLB at bats in 2 years. Can anyone solve this riddle for me?  It was a Cash deal, likely brokered in Folsom prison.

METS: 

Zack Wheeler vs. Chris Bassitt. Going in, this team was 8.5 up on the Bravos and 9.5 up on the phumbling Phils (21-26). The Mets gave you a strong feeling damage against Wheeler was quite possible.  Scoring 5 runs per game increases confidence and swagger.  Bassitt hoped to rebound from his 8 run drubbing at the hands of the Jints.

“Guillorme Gwynn” got the Mets off to a fast start with an oppo field double, and 3 runs rolled across in inning one with some help from weak Philly fielding.

Drew Smith injured? Oh, my. 

Then a Nick Castellanos 3 run bomb in the 8th, Philly up 4-3!  Oh Double My.

But then a recent call up Nick, Nick Plummer, goes deep bottom 9 to tie it?  First major league hit a come-from-behind HR?  

Classic Mets baseball.  

UPPER DECK ROCKET IN RIGHT.

Edwin Diaz then dismantled the Phools in the 10th, and Eduardo Escobar drives in the game winner bottom 10. The Ed and Ed Show.  

Phillies are toast. Ten Point Five Toast.

Atlanta? 6-3 winners.

MINORS

SYRACUSE - Rob Zastryzny pitching for the S-Mets, coming in 0-3, 4.05. Unlike light-hitting Syracuse, Rochester has an excellent bopper  in Joey Meneses - .331/.377/.583 in 44 games, Nick Banks hitting .355 and Luis Garcia and Tres Barrera both hitting .327.  Tough squad, and Washington’s Nats sure look like the cavalry will be coming soon. Anyway, Rochester outscored our boys again, but Eric Orze threw 2 more solid innings as the stabilizer bars on his 2022 season continue to kick in.

BINGHAMTON - no Baty. Again. Figured out he went on 7 day IL. Not sure why, but sleuths are investigating. Lots of hits early in Sunday afternoon’s affair for the Ponies.  7 runs and 11 hits in the first 3 innings. Alec Kisena went 2 innings, Alex Valverde relieved…7-3 very quickly on a 2 run shot by Reading. Two more quick singles, but he escaped further damage with a DP. 

Final? 9-7, Binghamton on 17 very much needed and welcome hits, including 4 by the finally-heating-up Carlos Cortes, 3 by Fuego Frankie Alvarez, and 2 more scoreless innings by “0.47 in AA” Trey Cobb.  (Who says Ty Cobb was better?)

BROOKLYN - 5-3 loss.  Mike Vasil (3-1, 1.80, 0.97 WHIP) was on the bump for a Cyclones team that suddenly emerged from a coma and scored a heartening 39 runs in 3 of their games this week.  His start was mixed…4 runs in 4 IP, 7 Ks. Brandon McIlwain stayed hot with a HR and walk, and has shot up to .286. Newton and Palmer? 0 for 8, but "just" 2 Palmer Ks.

ST LUCIE - Christian Scott (6.2 IP, 12 Ks coming in) toed the rubber for the slumping Lucites. He got tuned up today, surrendering 6 runs in 3 frames, after Atencio threw 1 inning. 

19 year old SS Junior Tillen from San Pedro de Macoris, naturally, where else, smacked two 2 run homers. Wait…and a solo HR!!!!!. Wow. THREE HOMERS!!

He has 5 now in his first 51 at bats this year. Mack noted he signed a $185,000 bonus 2 years ago. Seems a mighty wise investment.   I think Lindor went 0 for 5 last night because he was nervous about watching Junior over his shoulder.

Dang! With 2 on in the 9th, the batter just before Tillen fanned, so no chance at a fourth.  Tillen never got out of the on deck circle.

Wait!  There's more!

Speedster Omar de los Santos had a double and 2 homers in the first six innings also!  He already has 23 steals, 31 runs, 6 HRs and 22 RBIs.  Cut down those Ks, Omar.

Not a windy day 7 MPH) in case you were wondering.

Nate Lavender fanned 2 in a scoreless frame. 14th rounder, who has a 0.51 ERA, and 0.74 in 2021 and 2022 combined, with 40 Ks in 24 career innings so far. Hall of Fame ballots are being circulated for the latter 3 as we speak.

11-9 final….but Mets’ hitters fanned 17 times.  I don’t get it. It just is.

In case you are interested, Michael Fulmer, traded for Yo Cespedes in 2015, is healthy and relieving well for the Tigers, 19 outings. And the man who just couldn’t hit for the Mets last year?  

Al Almora Jr. is 15 for 46 (.326) this year with the Reds, and popped his first HR in a mighty long time today.  Some guys just can't cut it in Queens.

Mack - My thoughts


- Today's featured minor leaguer is St. Lucie LHRP Nathan Lavender

The 22 year old was drafted in the 14th round of the 2021 season, out of the University of Illinois at Urbana.

He has always been a reliever and, simply put, he's a bitch to hit.

His fastball only tops in the low 90s but it's the 17 inch vertical RISE that batters fight with.

You add to that a liw 80s slider with a 5 inch vertical DROP, and you can imagine what it must be like stepping in against Lavender.

Result?

2021 GCL Mets 4-G 1.35 6.2-IP 12-K

2022 Lucy 4-0 9-G 19.3-IP 28-K

UPDATE 

Lavender pitched another scoreless inning on Sunday. 

ERA down to 0.48



- The more I watch Colin Holderman and Adam Ottavino, the more I think we are developing two solid mid-relievers in the pen.

The 6-7 26-yr old Holderman was converted to a reliever in 2021 and has been a pleasant surprise this season, going 0.00 in 9 games, 8 innings pitched.

Ottavino had a sip from The Fountain of Youth and had not given up a run in his last nine games (7.2-IP).

I add these two going forward with Diaz, Lugo, and Drew as an almost solid pen (Joely maybe).

UPDATE

Just when I started to think the pen was coming around, Dew Smith has a dislocation of his pitching pinky and Ottavino gives up a 3-run bomb.

Oh well.



- Going into Sunday's games (per Michael Baron):

    Francisco Lindor now has one more RBI than he had for the entire first half of last season

    Jeff McNeil's last eight games:

        .345/.406/.690, 6-XBH



- A viable candidate for the Mets to pick in the second round is Hamilton HS (AZ) OF Gavin Turley.

Turley is a no nonsense pounder with excellent base running skills and big raw power with a bat. His outfield arm has been clocked by PG at 97. They also clocked an exit velo of 103 from the plate.

He bats right and has ++ bat speed.

2022 stats - 

   56-G .331/.513 19-HR


- 19 year old SS Junior Tillen, or something like that, hit a club record 3 homers for St. Lucie on Sunday. More on him tomorrow. 

Reese Kaplan -- Pitching Woes Are More Than a 2022 Problem


As the Mets are navigating the hospital ward with seemingly half their players, you can't turn left or right without running into someone proclaiming what they must do by the trading deadline to fix the IL problem. While the thought about addressing the open issues is certainly a valid one, the Mets need to be thinking not just about 2022 but about 2023 and beyond as well.  

Just as a refresher, the Mets rotation come 2023 includes Chris Bassitt with his in-season odd contract option.  Based upon both the way he's performed and his attitude that's a very good thing indeed.

Next comes the injured Max Scherzer.  His career has been almost completely healthy and one hopes that the current malady is just a temporary thing as a result of overexertion and an age where injuries are simply more likely to occur.  No one is questioning his ability on the mound


Now it starts to get a little more hazy.  Taijuan Walker is pitching like the first half All Star the team saw during 2021 and if he can remain healthy he's a viable member of anyone's rotation.  He has a contract that says for 2023 the player has a $6 million option if he chooses to exercise it or the Mets have a $3 million buyout if they choose to go in that direction.  If Walker can put together another 20 starts there's no reason for the Mets even to ponder their option.  They need pitching.  At $6 million for the ability Walker is showing that's a no brainer if ever there was one.


Next on the rotation carousel is the on again/off again Carlos Carrasco.  The man has shown enough ability during parts of this season that he's proving why he was a significant part of that Cleveland trade.  However, he's also had some starts that were Thomas Szapucki ugly, too.  Right now he's sporting an impressive sounding 5-1 record but with a rather lofty 3.98 ERA which is higher than his norm.  The team holds a 2023 option on him at a rather hefty $14 million.  Steve Cohen has not shown himself to be averse to spending money, but you do have to remember that there will be other pitcher options if they want to go in another direction.  They buyout is $3 million, so you'd have to spend $11 million or more to equal out what it would cost to exercise his $14 million option.  If he stays healthy and can lower the ERA a tad he's likely a Met next year as well.

Then there are the unproven-for-the-long-term pitchers who have shown flashes of brilliance but have their own checkered minor and major league pasts as well as decent but not overwhelming minor league numbers.  Tylor Megill was on the road to becoming everyone's under-the-radar fan favorite when he was pitching like an ace until that last start which resulted in his current assignment to the IL.  As a minor leaguer Megill was split between the rotation and the pen, pitching to a 9-10 record over 41 games with a 3.41 ERA.  The shining spotlight in his game was the 12 strikeouts per 9 IP.  He's definitely worth keeping around at a bargain price as we have seen injuries becoming a regular occurrence throughout the rest of the staff.

Southpaw David Peterson is currently 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA but pitching to a major league 4.20 ERA for his short career.  As a minor leaguer he was always a starter and pitched to a losing 12-17 record with a respectable but not eye popping 3.66 ERA.  Given the Mets dearth of lefties to throw the ball and his minimal cost he's also likely to be kept around as well.


All of this analysis actually hinges on the injured scapula of one two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom who holds an opt-out clause in his current player contract.  He's been up front about exercising it and while there's something to be said for loyalty to the organization where you've found all of your success, the fact is many players simply go off in quest of the highest bidder.  Right now deGrom earns $35 million which is below what new teammate Max Scherzer gets.  Although deGrom has said it would be "really cool" to spend his entire career in a Mets uniform, the fact is he will likely get $40 million per season offers which could force the Mets to up their contract considerably which is actually slated to drop to $32.5 for the next season and optional following season.  You have to assume that the possibility of deGrom leaving (or being injured) is quite real and address your pitching needs accordingly.


That brings us back to the very issue of trade deadline targets for the Mets to consider now.  Unlike rent-a-player deals like Javier Baez, the Mets really need to look at who could be here in 2023 as well.  For all of the names being thrown about as possibilities (including guys DFA'd or who are out of baseball like Bartolo Colon), the number one man who should be on their list is Frankie Montas of the Oakland A's.  He's getting better and better, would be around for 2023 and is earning modest money.  It would take a bundle to get him and this time around the Mets might want to offer up a seemingly unbalanced package of guys like Dominic Smith or J.D. Davis, Brett Baty and pick a few minor leaguers from column B.  Yes, it's a lot to pay but it would be great insurance against injuries or free agent departures.  

5/29/22

Mike's Mets - Better Than Magic

 


By Mike Steffanos

It's not a "magical season." This year's Mets team doesn't need magic to win.

Decades of incompetence and mismanagement of the Mets franchise under the previous owners have conditioned New York Mets fans to a generally pessimistic view of their team's chances. The formula was pretty basic. In the rare years that the Mets seemed like they had a chance to contend, they could do so only by overcoming the obstacles put in place by an organization that simply wasn't built on competence and a can-do attitude. Even when the Wilpons were willing to spend some money in the pre-Madoff days, that money wasn't always utilized in ways needed to build a club primed for sustained success. Particularly since the turn of this century, good Mets seasons were rarely followed by others. Making the playoffs twice in succession only happened in 1999 and 2000 and 2015 and 2016 — with that second one being a one-and-done wildcard game in 2016.

The Mets' ongoing problems were mainly centered around a lack of roster depth and an inability to build the minor league feeder system that has helped other clubs like the Dodgers, Red Sox, and Braves make repeat trips to the playoffs on a much more regular basis. Meanwhile, I repeatedly watched injuries sink one promising Mets season after another. Although their location in the New York market gave the Mets access to some of the finest medical care in the country, the Mets had a reputation for grossly mismanaging these injuries. When important players went down, the lack of advanced prospects to fill in often forced the Mets to attempt to win games with a roster sprinkled with has-beens and Quad-A types, rarely to any level of success.

Even last year, with Steve Cohen signing the checks, the depth that the Mets put together failed to withstand the losses of some key players. In fairness, the underperformance of important players such as Francisco LindorMichael Conforto, and Dom Smith played a significant role, too. But they also gave Cameron Maybin his last 33 MLB plate appearances, famously batting him third in a loss to Atlanta on May 19. It wasn't until May 29, his final game with the Mets (also against Atlanta), that Maybin managed to get his first base hit. Maybin was a great guy and a class act, and Mets fans actually were rooting for him, but he had no business playing in the majors last season. After the Mets let him go, Cameron failed to hook on with another club and subsequently retired from baseball.

So many things last year had the vibe of the previous era under the Wilpons, but things were changing. The Mets initially pursued candidates for a President of Baseball Operations job but pivoted to signing Billy Epler as an experienced GM familiar with the New York market. Once Eppler was in place, Cohen gave him carte blanche to spend whatever it took to ensure that the 2022 season wouldn't repeat 2021's disappointment. To that end, the Mets also replaced Luis Rojas as manager with the uber-experienced and credible Buck Showalter.

When I watched Max Scherzer take himself out of his start against the Cardinals, I had a good idea that I wouldn't be watching him pitch again soon. The diagnosis of a "moderate to high grade internal oblique strain" with a projected 6-8 week recovery time was more or less in line with what I expected to hear. I knew that Scherzer didn't remove himself from a game with something minor.

To finish reading this article on Mike's Mets, please click here.

Tom Brennan and Mack Ade - Mets Recap

Joe Suozzi in his college days 

PREAMBLE:

Remarkable that after Friday night's 20 run explosion and an 11 run prelude in a game earlier in the week, Brooklyn after 40 games is still last in scoring in runs in their league (3.5 RPG), still trailing leader Greenville by 108 runs.  I wonder if the two recent explosions are a sign of things to come, though?  One can hope so.  

Also, despite a barrage of 5 HRs on Friday, they still trail Greenville in that department by a whopping 71-18.  Matt Gorski, Pirates outfield slugger prospect, has 18 all by himself (1 every 8 at bats, for what it is worth).

Oddly, the 5 HRs gave them just 7 on the road this season.  They are also still hitting 40 points HIGHER in Brooklyn, even after Friday's 19 hit road barrage.

Jaylen Palmer and Sherveyn Newton went 3 for 9 in that game, with 3 walks - and 5 Ks in the 6 outs they made. Even in the good games, the Ks are ever-present for these two.

But hitting is still very scarce in Metsville Minors overall.

Binghamton is 2nd to last in hitting (.219) and in runs scored. 3rd to last in HRs.  

Syracuse is last in hitting (.212) and 3rd to last in runs. 

St Lucie is first in average (.249) and close to 2nd in scoring, but is fanning 11 times per contest.  But, to put it in perspective, the least-fanning team in that league is still fanning 8.5 times per game.

I see that overall Mets minors offensive futility and I sure do grow in appreciation for Pete; Lindor; Nimmo; Marte; McNeil; and Canha, to name 6.  

And it is why I want McNeil not to collide with walls when the Mets are 8 runs down - we need him on the field and off the IL.  Many Facebook folks love Jeff (so do I), love the hustle (so do I), and thought I was making too much of the Jeff vs. wall thing.  

They forget acrobatic Juan Lagares spending so many stints on the IL that they named a hospital wing after him.  I want Jeff on the field, simple.  You hit a wall, the wall usually claims victims.

Some Facebook fellas feel I'm too negative.  Maybe I am.  I tend to think I am objective.

So let me offset that negative aura with positive news about a local kid doing a nice and sharp turnaround:

Joe Suozzi was 3 for 30 in Brooklyn in April.  I wondered if that was it for undrafted Joe.  In over his head?  No. 

Why?

Because May came:  he missed a few weeks this month, but in his 9 May games through Friday, he is raking at .385/.467/.731.  Super turn-around, raising his average 132 points in 9 games.

Most of those Facebook fans, let me note, would say: "Joe WHO?" Sometimes I feel it should be renamed Dunce Book.

Enough of that, though - on to the Mets.

The league is allowing the teams to carry 14 pitchers for another few weeks, particularly good timing, what with Megill, May, Max and deGrom still in the infirmary.  If you have major league aspirations, it is a fine time to be a pitcher.  The Mets have already used 21 pitchers through Friday.

I named above the 6 hitters the Mets can't do without.  

Six vital pitchers (Max, Peterson, Bassitt, Carrasco, Megill, and Walker) through Friday are 22-6. Need them a lot - two are hurt and can't help until they're back.  The rest are 8-11.  And we badly need the guy with 11 saves, too - Diaz.

Shreve's pitch on that 2 run homer the other night in different times may have landed him in Shreveport.  Failure to Prevent Launch.

By the way, Cano hitting .169 in 65 ABs this year.  Time for the bugle to play Taps on his career?

But let's forget the past and move on from Friday to Saturday's action, as the Mets seek to bury the Phillies and fend off the Braves.

The Mets were without sore wrist animosity, who does not expect to miss much time. Jeff McNeil 3 run jack. Jeff? He’s good, man. Upper decker. 

Guillorme (.352/.439/.451) on base 4 times, morphing into Tony Gwynn right before our very eyes. Lindor 2 run triple and a run-scoring single (.260)…who needs .400 OBP Nimmo anyway? Alonso roped a sac fly. Taijuan Walker battled, Colin Holderman continued his no earned run streak.  Ottavino did well.  Nick Plummer got called up and pinch ran for Jeff McNeil and replaced him in LF.  Mazeika (.207)  and Smith (.190) went 0 for 7, but the Domiciled One picked up a sac fly and has 14 RBIs.

No need for Edwin the Great, with a 6 run lead in the 9th, so in comes Seth Lugo.  Three up, 3 down for the former 34th rounder in his 234th Mets outing.  8-2 win.  

T-Bone Walker gets the win (3-0) and all that jazz.

Kyle Schwarber (4 years, $79 million), by the way, is really Chris Davis. Down to .186, a ghastly 61 Ks.  Egads!

And...Atlanta lost.  Sweet.

Minors:

Two guys named Montgomery with first initial M starting today, one for us, one against us. 

The Mets’ Syracuse Montgomery is slip-sliding, at 0-5, 6.51.  The other, facing Brooklyn for Bowling Green tonight, has a 2.18 ERA and a staggering 58 Ks in 33 innings coming in  Can we do a straight-up Montgomery trade here?

SYRACUSE: no offense, no pitching. 2 hit shutout. 8-0 loss. Groan. No Mark Vientos tonight. Montgomery ERA flew up to 7.07. Put him on a 707 with a one-way ticket.

BINGHAMTON: no offense, no pitching. No Baty, Alvarez and Mauricio were 0-8 with 5 Ks, and once-scalding Wyatt Young went hit less for his 5th straight game.  11-2 deficit mid 8th. I’ve lost interest in this game. Fill me in. Nah, I peeked…11-2 final. 4 hits.

BROOKLYN: No offense. That guy Mason Montgomery was fanning Cyclones with abandon. Five shutout innings, 10 Ks. 68 Ks in 38 innings.  Trade Baty for him?  Just a thought.  

Cyclone Clenney blew thru and surrendered a grand salami. He gave up 2 other HRs, too.  Ouch!  Brooklyn down 7-0 after 6. Let me know how it turns out.  No, I'm back, and a darned good thing. Brooklyn is rallying HARD. 

A 2 run Jose Peroza jack, a Gaddis long ball, 4 hits from Brandon McIlwain (.279), back to 8-4 in the 8th. In the 9th, bags get packed with none out.  Sherveyn Newton (0 for 4, 4 Ks) stepped up and...HE WALKS IN A RUN!   Up steps 3rd rounder JT Schwartz.  Error, two more runs, Newton out at 2nd, Suozzi hit by pitch, and one out, 2 on for Jose Mena.  On a 3-0 count, Mena grounds into a force play, Schwartz scores, 8-8.  Gaddis grounds out, and it's 8-8 going into bottom 9.  

Justin Courtney comes in, though, and promptly allows a game-winning HR.  Quite the exciting game, even if a loss.

ST LUCIE: good pitching, but the offense has disappeared. A 3-0 loss….BUT GOOD NEWS! Righty Dedniel Nunez is back from his very long injury recovery with 1.2 innings of no run,2 K ball.


 Mack - My thoughts



- Today's featured minor leaguer is a Mets prospect we have talked about frequently.

OF Nick Plummer

The 25 year old Plummer was the 1st round (23rd pick overall) pick by St. Louis in 2015, out of Brother Rice HS in Michigan

A highly touted prospect, Plummer plays all three outfield positions well and comes with some pop in his bat.

He played through the Cardinal chain but they refused to add him to the 40 in 2021. The Mets offered him a one year MLB contract going forward

He currently has only one major league at bat but expect to see more now that Travis Jankowski is on the shelf.



- A late Friday transaction was the announcement that RHRP Tommy Hunter returned to the active Syracuse roster.

He immediately played last night, giving up 2-ER in 2.1IP and raising his seasonal ERA to 9.00.



- There have been a lot of mock drafts lately predicting that catcher Daniel Susac at 1.11. It's time to take a deep dive into what goes here.

Susac is one of two draft eligible 2022 catchers in this draft that will go early in this draft. The other is Kevin Parada.

Susac is a 6-4, 205 pound draft-eligible sophomore, out of Arizona University. 

His two year stat line for Arizona has been staggering:

2021: 242-AB, .335/.392/.591. 12-HR, 65-RBI, 47-K

2022: 251-AB, .367/.433/.602.12-HR, 60-RBI

Defensively, he has a very strong arm and flashes many skills behind the plate. Regardless of his height, he is expected to stick in front of the ump.

Great blood line. Brother of Andrew Susac.

Me?

I see both of these top catchers long gone before we pick at 1.11.



- Carlos Carrasco jammed the thumb in his glove hand Friday night, but it should not affect him going forward.



- Mangum, not Magnum. 



-.Wanna see a streak?

Virginia 1B/3B Tyler Locklear 

Last 10 games

25-36 8-HR 30-RBI 21-R 0-K

.694/.780/1.472/2.252

(over 2 seasons 111 G 

11.7% strikeout ratio)



- The Braves are about to pull another one out of their hat.

AA CF Michael Harris has been promoted to the parent team and will be in uniform yesterday.

Harris was a 3rd round pick in 2019, out of Stockbridge HS (GA).

He's a 70 runner with 70 defense in center, and has good power on fastballs. If you want to win here, pitch him off-speed. 

2022 AA - 174-AB, .305, 5-HR



- The upper deck HR hit by Jeff McNeil proved you don't have to swing hard to hit a long ball.

Take the same kind of full swing that you would do in golf and barrel up the ball.

Did you ever wonder why most hitters are good at golf?

Same swing.



- Some have argued with me when I said that defense wins game.

Well, you witnessed last night how defense can LOSE games.

5/28/22

Tom Brennan and Mack Ade - Mets Recap

 

Sir Edwin the Great

RECAP STARTS FURTHER BELOW - KEEP READING!

BUT FIRST, QUESTIONS:

Quiz Question: Who has had just 4 HRs and 79 Ks in his last 254 plate appearances?  Think # 2.  No, not THAT # 2.  

# 2 as in # 2 Mets prospect Brett Baty.  Does it make you nervous that, at least in those respects, our # 2 is hitting like # 2?

Exactly why is Mark Vientos (# 4) thought to be the inferior prospect to Baty by all raters?   Vientos in AA and AAA since June 10, 2021, has 29 HRs in 334 at bats.  Pretty Ruthian, if you ask me.

Another quizzer? Who in 114 at bats in 2022 has one HR, and 46 Ks?  And .176 in AAA?  # 7 prospect Khalil Lee.  

He is also, by the way, remarkably just 1 for 40 with 25 Ks in spring training 2021 and 2022 and regular Mets season 2021.  I feel like when I was 23, I could have gone 1 for 40, but I am sure I am overrating my abilities in the fog of time.

Last quizzer...who has 48 Ks in 97 at bats in Brooklyn and a .186 average?  # 14 prospect Jaylen Palmer.  That's a K every two at bats, on a team 3 levels removed from the major leagues. A rate worse than his overall career rate of 328 Ks in 815 ABs.  Draw your own conclusions.

Needless to say, my rankings are different.  I penalize failure to make contact.

FACEBOOK FOLLIES:

Mets fan sites are a conundrum.  Maybe it has to do with ubiquitous 6th grade reading levels.  A few examples.  People were posting positive things about LOVING the hustle of Jeff McNeil in running into a wall while the Mets were trailing by 8 runs.  

Me, I'm remembering that Jeff had missed time (in 2020 or 2021) running into an outfield wall, and the many instances of reckless Juan Lagares going all Evil Knievel in the outfield and incurring several multi-month injuries as a result, including some where the team either led or trailed big.  The line between "hustle" and "dumb" can be a bit blurry.

Well, I suggested Jeff be a little more judicious in his hustle.  Suggested running into a wall while trailing by 8 runs was...dumb. Walls often win - just ask Mike Baxter and Johneshwy Fargas.   After all, the Mets' playoff chances are much better with .320 Jeff actually playing healthy as opposed to being on the IL. 

Quite a few fans thought I was too negative, not a real fan, or they just wanted to admire the reckless hustle.  "Love my team!  I'm not a hater like you!"  I didn't change anyone's mind.

On another one, someone posted something ragging on Edwin Diaz.  So I posted he was great.  One guy in particular started attacking me, while pointing out his 78% save rate was not 90% (you know, Mariano Rivera levels, 100% first vote Hall of Fame territory).  

I said I still thought Diaz was great - in 2020-22, 8-8, 48 saves, 2.80 ERA, boatloads of Ks.  Sent him a table showing he was top 6 out of 30 teams' closers.  I added that the Giants are a highly potent offense, and highly potent offenses can get to really good pitchers.  Such as Seaver being 12-20 lifetime against the Big Red Machine.  

When he sarcastically persisted, I added that Pete and Jake and Lindor are great - but they often fail - that Seaver, whom everyone views as great, lost over 200 games, and a few more such examples.  

More sarcasm came back from the dolt.  I had told him if I felt he was not great, and I do, there was nothing more to say and please not continue to post.  Another sarcastic response.  I wrote back a simple "Shut Up."  Turns out he was a site moderator and suspended me for 2 weeks for that - LOL.  Somehow, it didn't occur to him he should suspend himself - or 5 minutes in the penalty box at least.

Yet another guy got all over me for calling deGrom "Half Season Jake."  Called me a garbage fan.  To his credit, when I elaborated back to him and wished him a good day, saying stuff to him like I sure hope Jake finds a way to add more finesse so he is not surpassing his biomechanics limits and getting re-injured for multiple months, and that the reader and my ERA and innings were the same as Jake's since mid-July 2021, and repeated that I wanted to win a WS with him, he got it, and wished me a good day.

I did also defend Szapucki, saying he needed to take his whupping, go back down and get better.  Some prognosticators ("what did you just call me?") got it, some naturally lashed out at my stupidity a bit.  Wanted him banished - period.  Surely wanted Flexen gone, too.

I could go on - but as whacky and frankly ignorant as some Facebook readers are, they do post comments a lot - which can be fun, to a point.  

OH YEAH, ALMOST FORGOT - THE METS UPDATE!

Well, Jankowski will be out for 2 months with a bone break. Maybe we'll see Mangum?  Seems like a logical fit, but who knows?

After a couple of tough losses in Frisco, the Mets' offense was firing early on tonight.  Pete, four more RBIs, now has 45!  12th HR, 8th double.  Lindor on base his first 3 times up.  Marte getting on.  Only Nido (K his first 2 times up) is reminder of the disappointment of anemic Mets offenses of years past.  Cookie Carrasco is just real good.  In the 6th, 4 soft hits, then a close walk, then Buck made a mistake pulling him, then a Shreve heave that from the ball park had to leave and 7-0 was suddenly  7-6.

A Mets sac fly made it 8-6, and yes, Edwin was GREAT in picking up the save.  The man is worth his weight in gold, no matter what a few funky Facebook fools have to blather about.

SYRACUSE - right on cue, Mark Vientos launched # 7 tonight; six in his first 58 ABs in May - just like his torridd pace of 2021.  He is a HR-hitting machine.  I have a fondness for such machines.  He is, by the way, a 22 year old HR hitting machine. Poor relief work by Zanghi and Hunter and another loss for no-excuse Syracuse.

BINGHAMTON  - Alvarez smacks his 7th (Mack, he's ready) and Cortes knocked one finally (yay).  Baty has not played for the past few games - why, not sure.  Down 3-2 top 9, Zach Ashford rocked a 3 run triple - CLUTCH!  6-3 lead.  

Mountain Man Montes de Oca comes in to lock things down, but allows a single and a close 3-2 walk to start matters.  Soft ground out, then a sac fly.  Two out, one on, and then punches out the next guy swinging for the save, a 6-4 win.  17 pitches, 12 for strikes, very close pitches on the walk - a decent outing for big Bryce, and Mitch Ragan gets the W in set-up relief.

BROOKLYN -  Game started quietly, 1-0 after 2 innings.  Over the next 3 innings, 15 combined runs.  Early HRs by Rowdey Jordan and Suozzi tonight.  The Suoz has shaken off his frigid start and was up to .226 after his second hit tonite, a quick 100 point jump.  (A few innings later, he had 5 RBIs). 

First HR for Jordan, and his 15 RBIs as a lead off hitter is impressive.  Catcher O'Neill hit his first, too.  Jaylen Palmer?  THREE RUN SHOT!  

Ten runs in the first 5 innings after 11 runs a few games ago - the Cyclones have discovered the formula.  And how!   20 runs and 18 hits through 6 innings!

Wait!  TEN more runs in the 6th, including a HR by McIlwain, Jose Peroza has come back to life with 3 hits and 3 ribbies. Then the hits and scoring stopped. Grant Hartwig finished up with 3 scoreless with 4 Ks.

ST LUCIE - oddly, the Lucie sis NOT hit today - a run on 3 hits, including 3B Villavicencio's first HR.  21 year old righty, Franklin Sanchez, threw 2 innings of relief, a hit, no walks or runs, and fanned 4.  Ramirez had a day off, but the others fanned 15 more times.


      Mack - My thoughts

- Today's featured minor leaguer is one of the much spoken about pitchers that was drafted last year in the 2021 draft.

RHP Dominic Hamel was drafted by the Mets as the 81st pick (3rd round) in last year's draft.

A favorite of mine when I followed college ball, he first pitched two years for Yavapai College (Az) and then transferred to Dallas Baptist for his junior and senior season. In 2021, for DB, he pitched as the Friday Night Starter, leading his conference with 136-K (in 91.2-IP).

The Mets gave this senior a $755,300 signing bonus which is a hell of a higher amount than the typical 20K figure given out to seniors.

Two nights ago, Hamel went 5.1 innings for St. Lucie, striking out 9.

Fastball is 90-94, T96, 2400 spin rate.

Slider is 3000 spin. Curve and change.

Hamel has had difficulty keeping his ERA below 4.00 all his career, and, if he can't accomplish that, I see him as a viable candidate for an 8th inning reliever some day on the Mets.

- A report trickled in on Friday morning that Mets RHSP Tylor Megill is only suffering from mild tendinitis in his bicep and is scheduled to return in early June.

Considering this late date in May, I guess we see him begin rehabbing soon.

- Baseball Prospect Journal came out with their 4.0 mock and they have:

1.11 - C Daniel Susac - Arizona

1.14 - LHP Connor Prielipp (see?)


- MLB Pipeline also published a new mock.

1.11 - C Daniel Susac - Arizona

1.14 - LHP Dylan Lesko - Buford HS (GA)


- Last year's top Mets draft pick, RHP Kumar Rocker, will be pitching his first game for the Tri-Cities ValleyCats on June 4th, in Troy, NY.




Reese Kaplan -- Missing Out on Live Baseball Recently


So I take a few weeks away from the ups and downs of the New York Mets and things progress as to be expected.  The team roster is hemorrhaging injuries (the latest one being the somewhat surprising Travis Jankowski out for 2 months or so with a fractured finger).  Edwin Diaz after looking unhittable for most of the season recently had a 2019 Edwin Diaz outing.  Jeff McNeil is still hitting.  Mark Canha has cooled somewhat but still respectable.  J.D. Davis had a 4-hit outing.  Francisco Lindor seemed to have shaken off that slump thing.  As May draws to a close in this late starting season Pete Alonso already has 45 RBIs.  Maybe I should go away more often.

Some of you may be aware already that next month I'm moving to Malaysia to begin early retirement from the daytime working but I'm going to try in earnest to keep up with what's going on with the Mets.  Their nighttime games coincide with my breakfast time and I've already confirmed the ability to run my MLB.TV broadcasts in Asia.  As long as that capability continues then there's no reason I can't continue to contribute here regularly (though my upcoming June 7th one-way departure for Malaysia again suggests another series of less time-critical pieces is forthcoming until I'm actually settled into the new home and have Internet service installed).  

Being mostly away from baseball for most of the month of May was both frustrating and freeing as I needed to focus on finding a new home and learning my way around the city I will soon call home.  There were ample locations around for playing soccer (football by most non-American parlance), velodromes for cycling competitions, natatoriums for swimming, and assorted tennis courts for folks who like to play in the rain (or 100% humidity).  Yes, moving to a new country will be a bit of an adjustment but I also found familiarity with chain store names we all know from the USA in the malls and around the city.  For the most part, however, it's going to be different as there is no all-purpose store that I saw equivalent to Walmart or Target.

Last night while watching an old Barbara Stanwyck movie on TCM I got a WhatsApp message from the renting realtor in Malaysia providing me with the Tenancy Agreement (lease) for the condo we selected out there.  It came sooner than expected and needed a few minor changes but it underscored that this international relocation has become reality. A truck had already been rented for June 4th to spend the day dropping off boxes of personal belongings to be shipped, donating the sparse remaining contents of the house to charity, delivering some consignment items to a friend to sell on our behalf and a trip to the dump for whatever doesn't fit into the other categories.  With the real estate closing on June 6th and the flights back to Malaysia the very next day suggests we'll be living either like squatters inside our soon-to-be ex home or we may just break down and fork over money for a hotel for a few nights. 


Vehicular considerations are upcoming as well.  I got notified that the dealer with whom I'd left my Honda NM4 motorcycle found a buyer on Thursday, so Friday morning I brought the title to them to complete the transaction.  The one remaining four-wheel vehicle needs to be sold on Monday, June 6th probably to the same dealership who took the keys to my 485 HP Dodge Challenger from my white knuckled grip a few months ago.  They provided a same-day check for the purchase, so that works within our time constraint.

Upon arriving in Malaysia we need to reverse that process.  We are not shipping any vehicles there and the location of the new condo we're renting is on the outskirts of town.  Not having a way around means we will be making Grab (local equivalent of Uber) very rich.  We obtained international driver's licenses yesterday so we're at least able to rent a vehicle until we plunk down money to buy one.  The Malaysian vehicle manufacturers are bargain priced compared to the USA (as is the half-price cost of fuel).  The timetable to get a car may accelerate as a result of both of these attributes, though learning to steer on the right side of the vehicle and driving on the left side will be a bit of an adjustment to the former British colony's style.  I already threatened my wife with the acquisition of a motorcycle, scooter, e-bike or other two-wheeled motorized vehicle so we have a means of transportation for one of us until a car enters the mix.

And so the new adventure begins shortly...

5/27/22

Tom Brennan and Mack Ade - Mets Recap


This Mississippi State alum may get to Queens quickly if his scorching bat keeps this up. 

A welcome day off for the Mets, as they jet back across 3 time zones, and a few thoughts from the Twilight Zone:

1) SZAPUCKI POST-MORTEM

Some Thomas Szapucki pitches didn't look bad.  His fastball was often 94-96, faster than I expected, but looked very straight.  The wind was blowing out, and 2 HRs to dead center got caught in the wind and sailed over the....391 mark?  

What kind of dead center distance is 391?  Little league?

On a normal day in Citifield, 2 of those HRs, the ones to dead center, were more likely flies to the edge of the track in center field.

He looked really good fanning Darin Ruf twice.  Quality pitches.  If all you saw of him was those 2 at bats, you'd have come away feeling like, "hey, he's good."

The HR he surrendered to torrid Joc Peterson was on a 95 MPH fastball on the upper inside corner.  Normally, I think that is a good pitch, but Joc should have been getting a diet of slow curves instead.  He was looking high and inside and he turned on it. Don't challenge guys who are blistering hot.

The Giants just flat out had their hitting pants on against Szapucki.  They smelled blood in the water. Of course, like any good sharks, after they had feasted, they just swam around for the rest of the game digesting, and didn't do anything at all.

All to say, that had to be the most horrific initial start I have ever seen, but I am not quite sure he can't build on it and that he is nothing more than scrap heap material.  He had 7 starts in AAA, but just 22 innings.  Hard to say about a guy whose career started in 2015, but his call up was premature. I wonder how he would have done if he had 12 AAA starts and 50 innings.  He might have been sharper.

Also, what if his first start had been against Pittsburgh, which is averaging their usual paltry 3.3 runs per game, and not the Giant's 5.2 runs per game?  As well as the Mets have scored this year, they've put up 1 less run in 3 more games than the Giants, who are hitting like Big Red Machine, West Coast version.

Just remember, even the great Tom, Tom Seaver, was 12-20 against the Big Red Machine.  The opponent matters.  He got to face early Mike Tyson.  

Lastly, Chris Bassitt got his clocks cleaned by the Giants the night before for 8 runs - they are just a very potent team.  Won 107 games for a reason in 2021, I'd say.

2) Dom Smith, Jen Psaki told me, has circled back.  He hit .198 his first season and after yesterday's game, was hitting .198 in 2022.  I'd prefer he start at .300 and circle back to .300, though, wouldn't you agree?

3) Some ask...why are JDD and Luis Guillorme not playing more?  Simple.  Pete and Lindor have played every game.  McNeil, Escobar, and Nimmo, almost every game.  If it were not for his bereavement leave, Marte would be playing almost every game.  Canha has played in 75% of the games.  That doesn't leave a lot of games for JDD, Luis, Dom, and Janko.  You want to play more?  Catch.

4) WALK LIKE A MAN: Speaking of catching, Nido has been up 70 times, walked twice and fanned 26 times.  Mazeika has been up 25 times, walked none but fanned just twice.  Big strikeout difference.  McCann, by the way, walked twice and fanned 11 times in 64 plate appearances.  So that is 4 catcher walks in 46 games - WOW, that's low.  Equals the 4 times McCann has been HBP. 

5) Braves beat Phils - my guess is they smell blood in the water, too, with Jake, Max, and Megill out.

6) GREAT LOCAL WEATHER BUT...Yankees were in town, so it has to be nice.  They have this arrangement worked out, you see.  Mets return to play the Phillies Friday night....forecast?  PM showers.  Typical.

OK, enough - on to the minors.  A full slate of 4 games.

Stars of the night: Francisco Alvarez and Jake Mangum.

SYRACUSE - 34 year old former major league pitcher Tim Adleman started for our boys and went 3 innings.  Jake Mangum kept on hitting, going 4 for 5 with 3 doubles, Khalil Lee hit his first Syracuse HR and walked, and the bat of Mark Vientos has officially heated up.  5-1 lead going into the 7th became 5-4.  

Then, Alex Claudio in the 8th allowed 6 hits and 5 runs in 1/3 inning, putting Syracuse down by 4 runs, making Tom Szapucki's outing in Frisco look rather brilliant by comparison.  If someone asks you what International League team thinks they're actually still pitching in Las Vegas, judging by the team ERA, it's Syracuse.

Eric Orze came in to finish the 8th and fanned both hitters.  He sure strikes out a ton of guys.  That's a good thing for the resume.  He added a 1-2-3 in the 8th.  He is entering the fringes of the Laguardia Airport radar screen; Laguardia is a suburb of Metsville.

In the 9th, a 2 run single by Vientos, his 3rd hit, plates two, to make it 9-7, but was thrown out at 2nd trying to stretch it to a double.  Mark has shot up to .239.  and rising fast.  Blankenhorn stayed under .200 by making the game's final out. 

BINGHAMTON - Francisco Alvarez no doubt watched the Joc Peterson show with envy, so tonight, Alvarez hit 2 HRs and a double in his first 3 at bats.  Then added a single in his next AB.  Then a walk.  He is officially on fire.  

Ronny Mo picked up his 25th RBI and, tied 4-4 heading into the 9th, Jeremy Vasquez singled to break the tie, Zack Ashford singled in another.    

Michel Otanez, Mack's fireballer, came in to try to close things out.  First dude, punched out on 3 pitches.  Second dude, ground out to Ronny Mo.  Then he walked the next guy, a .136 hitter, on 5 pitches.  But he pushed the next guy out swinging on a 1-2 count.  Save # 5.  A closer, indeed.  ERA drops to 1.29.  Laguardia radar is starting to pick him up.

Cortes and Brodey just can't seem to ever get a hit anymore.  Since their demotion from AAA, they're hitting .083 and .091.  Yipes.  Starter Jose Butto threw 4 scoreless innings, followed by a 3 run 5th.  Trey Cobb threw 2 more (no earned runs, 4 Ks) to keep it close to allow for the game-winning rally.  

One more quiz question:  What do you call a guy who has fanned 17 times in his last 9 games and is 0 for his last 16?  Answer: Your # 2 Mets prospect, Brett Baty.  

Me?  Mark Vientos is way ahead of him and deserves first dibs.

BROOKLYN - we should all wanna see more of Carson Seymour.  He gave up a run in the 4th and 5th as he, too, was being extended pitch-count-wise, and left after 5 trailing 3-1, but allowed just 4 hits.  

Jose Mena was hitting .320 after his first hit tonight; 24 for 74 up to that point, so he ought to be on our radar.  He is 25, and I know little about him, but the catcher has 2 HRs and 15 RBIs.  Keep hitting and rise through the ranks.   3-1 final, 8 hits.

ST LUCIE - Dominic Hamel was throwing a gem tonight for the Lucie.  First 5.1 innings, 9 Ks, 2 hits.  Then a walk and a single on a 9 pitch at bat and, at that point, was at 90 pitches.  Then, a 3 run shot on pitch # 94.  Then, pulled.  So, the next time you look at his ERA, remember they were trying to extend his pitch count and he gave up a 3 run shot.  Trying to extend him is a good thing.

Also, Raul "Boom Boom" Beracierta hit a 2 run shot (3) and is hitting over .300. Omar de los Santos (slightly under .300) picked up steal number 23.  He could have 50 at this rate by July 4.  Why not?

Daniel Juarez? Save # 3, fanning the side.  Not yet on the Laguardia radar screen, but in the same time zone.


MACK'S THOUGHTS

- Today's featured minor leaguer is someone who has been getting some positive ink lately.

Binghamton RHRP sidearm specialist, 25/yr. old Josh Hejka.

Hejka is a true undrafted find out of Baltimore's John's Hopkins University.

He started his Mets career in 2019 and has turned heads with his funky delivery, ability to generate groundballs, and throw both a high spin T88, 2400rpm fastball, but a 72-75, 2600-2800 slider.

The results?

2021

Combined A+/AA/AAA - 2-1, 3.65

2022

A+ - 1-0, 0.00, 7.2 IP

AA - 1-0, 1.00, 9 IP

I see him heading to Syracuse latest the all-star break.


- There has been a lot of discussion about why the Mets seem to consistently sit down hot hitters or hitters that have a great stat line against the other team's starter.

There is a plan here but you might not like it.

Buck fills out his lineup cards at least two games prior to when that lineup comes into play. Thus, going 4-5 on Tuesday isn't going to be worth squat on Wednesday.

In addition, Buck wants all his field players to get a share of the action, specially those that are stuck in a depth situation

Thus, different 3rd basemen and outfielders throughout the week.

You may not like it but the results speak for themselves.


- We are getting close to Draft Day and one of the players being picked in mock drafts with the 1.14 pick is 21-year old LHP Connor Prielipp from the University of Alabama.

In 2020, Priellip was picked to be the top pitcher off the 2022 draft and one of the top 5 picks in the draft.

Then, first COVID shortened the 2020 season and then, Connor went under for TJS in 2021.

He is still on the mend but Alabama has plans in using him in the CWS playoffs.

Priellip has a fastball that tops at 99 and a ++ upper 80s slider but all of that is in question until he returns.

Combined 2020/2021 stats:

4-1 0.96, 7 starts, 28 IP, 47 K

Me?

I would be thrilled if the Mets pick him.


- 19/year old C/DH/1B Vincent Perozo is changing Florida clubhouses, going from Extended Camp to the St. Lucie Mets.

Perozo comes out of Venezuela and hit .178 last year for the GCL Mets team (52-ABs); however. Michael Mayer is reporting that he has been hitting the cowhide (is it cowhide?) off the ball in extended play this year.

- I know the last 2 games have been crazy losses, but going into Thursday's games, the Mets are tied with the most shutouts in the league... 7

- OF Johneshwy Fargas was transferred from AAA Syracuse to AA Binghamton. He was hitting .191 for Cuse.

-OF Matt Winaker was returned to the FCL league. He was hitting .136 for Binghamton. 

- Syracuse SP Connor Grey hasn’t given up an earned run in his last 17.2 innings pitched.