HEY!! WHERE'S MY PARTY HAT??
The Mets signed Jeff McNeil to a reasonable 4 year (2023-26), $50 million contact that ties him to the Mets through his age 34 year, with a club option for $13+ million. Which will help the Mets in dealing with the team luxury tax issue in future years, if Cohen chooses to.
Not bad for a guy in McNeil that, going into his 2018 minor league season, no one but me seemed to think had real chances to be a bona fide major leaguer. And I, too, under-estimated him at the time, even though I was sure by early 2018 that he'd soon be a major leaguer at least as a utility player.
How foolish of me…he’s now considered the 2nd best major league second baseman. # 2 and no doubt wanting to move to # 1.
THAT high positioning even I didn’t expect back in early 2018, when I interviewed him for this website ("An Interview With Jeff McNeil" if you wish to be nostalgic and read it, nor when I had him ranked slightly out of my top 10 Mets prospects going into 2016, just prior to missing most of 2016 and 2017 with injuries.
(Had he not missed those 2 seasons and gotten to free agency 2 years earlier, he would have made money much closer to the Correa deal, but Jeff will fortunately be able to feed his family with this nice pay raise.)
So…find and feed a squirrel today to celebrate.
LET'S PARTY!!
THE SQUIRREL STAYS!!
SQUIRRELS THRUOUT QUEENS ARE SO VERY PROUD!!
DANCING ON TREE LIMBS! FLINGING CHESTNUTS!
David Wright was great - but not for long enough
Scott Rolen made it into the hallowed Halls of the Hall of Fame.
You may summarize his accomplishments differently, but I will say it thusly:
1) Excellent 3B Fielder. SEVEN Gold Gloves over 17 seasons.
2) Played in favorable hitting parks. Philly, St Louie, Cincy, and a bit of time across the northern border in Toronto. Favorable hitting parks can be the thing that gets fine hitters into the Hall of Fame.
3) Dangerous hitter was Role, until age 31. Solid but lesser hitter after age 31, with far less HR power and far fewer RBIs. In that regard….
He had a HR every 23.8 times up through age 31, dropping to a HR every 39.3 PAs from age 32 on. All in all, 517 doubles, 316 HR, and 1287 RBIs in 2035 games, career .281.
4) 70 career WAR, 54 (nearly 80%) of which was compiled by age 31. (Another caution point for those who would dole out megabucks for a mega number of seasons for free agent guys for many seasons throughout their 30s.)
5) a few fine post season series, but overall, not good: .220/.302/.376 in 139 PAs.
6) 118 steals
David Wright?
1) 2 time Gold Glover at 3B…edge to Rolen.
2) Played in unfavorable home parks - but, like Rolen, a slight home advantage hitting over his entire career. Final Wright totals, 6,872 PAs, .296/.376/.491, 390 doubles (5 seasons with 40 or more), 242 HRs, 970 RBIs. Rolen had 23% more career PAs. If Wright’s PAs were 23% higher, he’d have projected to 480 doubles, 298 HRs, 1193 RBIs, very comparable #s to Rolen’s actual career numbers. Had Wright played his whole career in Philly bandboxes, those career numbers would have ramped up further.
3) Absolute Hall of Fame caliber hitter until age 25…big numbers. A solid hitting year at age 26, but a drastic drop to 10 HRs in that first Citi Cavern season. Very solid rebound the following year (2010).
Then, a solid hitter from age 28 thru age 32, when at age 32 he missed most of the season with his back stenosis encroaching upon him.
4) 26.3 WAR by age 25, but only 24 thereafter, thanks to the achy back and cavernous home park.
5) 196 steals. Way more than Rolen.
Rolen went thru six rounds of voting to get HOF-elected. Not a cakewalk.
My guess is that Wright will garner votes but not enough votes because his career was too injury-shortened, although his Captain America image and likable personality will no doubt help his vote total. The too tough home dimensions and, more importantly, his chronic career-crushing back injury malady, likely will hurt him badly in that Hall consideration.
If so, he will be the third homegrown Met to look like a sure-fire Hall of Famer thru age 25 and not make it.
Dwight Gooden had an unprecedented and stunning 22 WAR before his age 22 season. But his game was good but less scintillating from the advanced ages of 22 thru 26, and was very mediocre thereafter. Ultimately, the guy for whom in 1985(?) Sandy Koufax was quoted as saying he'd trade his past for Gooden's future fell short of the Hall.
Darryl Strawberry had 20 WAR by age 25, a very admirable 40 WAR by age 29, then fell apart as well. It's a marathon to get into the Hall - ya gotta finish strong.
Lastly, I still am baffled why lefty fireballing reliever and former Met Billy Wagner is not in the Hall. Outstanding career ERA, K/9 rate, low WHIP, AND 422 saves. What’s not to love? Stop the nonsense and induct him next year.
Equally puzzling was not voting in MVP winner Jeff Kent. I guess 377 HRs, 1,518 RBIs, a career .500 slug % in 9,500+ plate appearances, and a .290 career average will, along with a token, get you on the subway.
The voting writers belong in the Hall of Shame.
In conclusion, I agree with Scott Rolen making the HOF.
His career was strong enough to eke into the Hall on his 6th or 7th try. When you are an Olympic pole vaulter and you clear the pole vault bar barely, and it wobbles and shakes but does not fall off, you made it, period. Successful attempt, wobbles or not.
Scott MADE IT, even if the bar was wobbling. Good for him.
Maybe Wright will, too, but doubtful. His pole vault won't even quite reach that high bar, much less clear it.
The Happy Squirrel? Win 4 more batting titles in 2023 thru 2026 and you never know. Squirrels can clear most anything. Go, Jeff, go!
6 comments:
As much as I loved Wright, he was simply not a Hall of Famer.
Wright simply didn't play long enough to qualify.
Regarding the McNeil signing, I am saving my thoughts for my post on Tuesday.
Boy, you guys both said “simply.” I will say this…it is in part Wright’s fault. He could have gone to the Wilpons and been pushy and said, build me a hitter-friendly park or I will look to walk in free agency. That stupid new park cost him a lot of doubles, HRs, and RBIs in his prime.
With a guy as widely admired as Wright, and hence someone who writers would LOVE to vote for, it might have made his short career’s stats outstanding enough to squeeze in with more votes. Hindsight, for sure, but Wright had to see those dimensions on pre-construction mock ups and been appalled. I know I was. Sometimes, you have to speak up for your own good.
Even in Shea, no reason he could not have strongly suggested all fences be brought in 8 feet for say 2007 and 2008, since he was an established big time star in 2006. He hit great at Shea, but 8 less feet in the OF and he would have been other-worldly for those last 2 years in Shea.
I wrote this a week ago, and got the outcome I hoped for - McNeil staying right here: "Jeff McNeil is going to arbitration over a $1.5 million differential, as the Mets have already agreed to pay Pete $14.5 million with comparable time in. But they offer Jeff less than half that amount despite higher career WAR and his 2022 MLB batting title. Criminal.
I like to drop a bad season when evaluating a player. So, let’s drop McNeil’s 2021 season…what are his numbers over the 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2022 seasons?
1,451 at bats, 467 hits (.322), 102 doubles, 8 triples, 39 HRs, 210 runs, 179 RBIs, and a prodigious slash line of .322/.383/.484. Add to that his defensive acumen at multiple positions and his all out hustle?
C’mon, Mr. Cohen, pay Mr. McNeil. He deserves every single penny of what he is asking for. He deserves more, frankly."
I am very happy that McNeil is staying. You need a guy like that on this club. Great bat, solid fielder, very versatile.
My only disappointment was that he gave his number to Marte last year. He obsoleted my jersey!
Jersey Jeff from now on…
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