Ray Savage - Seeing Red

SAVAGE VIEWS – Seeing Red

August 26, 2022

This Savage is on the warpath once again.  I am somewhat outraged at some of the decisions made by Bucky.  I know, I know that I should be delighted to be in first place as we approach September and Bucky deserves some credit. Deciding to pitch Walker over deGrom in the Yankees series made no sense at all.  On one hand you have Walker recovering from an injury and could have used a couple of additional days to recuperate.  On the other hand, you have deGrom scheduled to start on normal rest.  The results were predictable.  Walker goes five and the game gets turned over to the pen.

Bucky had Conner Grey warming up in case Walker needed relief before completing five.  Seriously?   And after Lugo got us through the sixth everyone expected another inning out of him.  Instead, Rodriguez was brought in to pitch the seventh.  I told my wife “Game over” when JR entered the game.  As I said before, it’s great to be in first place but I routinely have had concerns about his bullpen management over the course of the season.

I think it’s great the Mets recalled Brett Baty to take over third base.   He has struggled while  adjusting to MLB pitching. There are those who suggest that he be returned to the minors and replaced by Vientos who is defensively challenged.   Probably the same folks who would have sent Willie Mays back after his slow start. Baty is potentially our answer to Austin Riley and Alex Bohn, both of whom had issues early in their careers.

Baty is going to be a stud and in ten years you all will be talking about how Captain Baty has become one of the cornerstones of this franchise.  This is a guy who needs to play everyday and he will get better as he matures. 

Mark Vientos looks to be another exciting prospect.  I foresee him as our DH of the future with the ability to play in the field if needed.  He could become our answer to Edgar Martinez or David Ortiz.  He’s a keeper and the Mets need to resist efforts to trade him.

Looking forward, making Vientos the DH makes Vogelbach superfluous.   I can see both Vogelbach and Guillorme moved during the off-season to shore up the bullpen.  Wyatt Young appears to have the tools to take over LG’s role.

Since the all-star break the team has had difficulty scoring runs on a consistent basis.  Alonso and Nimmo are two of the biggest culprits.  Take last night’s game against the Rockies.  Had Colorado turned two in the third inning as they should have, we might have been shut out.  The HR by Alonso on a 3-0 meatball might not have happened.

While the Braves are destroying mediocre pitching, we struggle.  I’m not sure what the answer is but we can use a jolt.  I believe McNeil should bat no lower than fifth with Vogelbach dropped down a couple of spots.  Actually, it might be time to rest Vogelbach to allow him to recover from whatever ails him.

Well, that’s my take on a cloudy afternoon in New Bern, NC - birthplace of Pepsi Cola.

Ray