The Mack Report - Justin, Ronny, Vogey, Brett, Curtis

 

         

Justin, Ronny, Vogey, Brett, Curtis

 

Justin Verlander is ready for a big season with the New York Mets -

Countless eyes in the Big Apple are going to be on star pitcher Justin Verlander this campaign. Now that Verlander has said goodbye to the Houston Astros, he's ready to make a splash in the NL East with the Mets. 

Verlander has strong NL Cy Young odds, as he's ready to remind people of just how great he can be when he's on the bump. Verlander is no doubt motivated to silence his haters. 

It could prove to be a memorable year for Verlander. He may be climbing in age, but no one can argue he's still one of the best starting pitchers in the bigs. 

Mack - I’ve stated this earlier in my projection post… I expect a big, big year from the Mets new ace.

 

 Mets prospect Ronny Mauricio’s development has been eye-opening -

That’s a dude who knows he can contribute at the big-league level in 2023. While he was tearing it up in the Dominican Winter League this past offseason, I initially made comments about how he’s just increasing his trade value. After all, he’s a natural shortstop and virtually the entire Mets infield is accounted for heading into the immediate future. 

But if he continues to impress this spring and moving forward? He may end up forcing his way into plans at Citi Field. 

He’s not as far along in his development as Baty, Alvarez, or Vientos, but he’ll get there soon enough. Mauricio spent his entire 2022 campaign at Double-A Binghamton. He played in 123 games and accumulated 541 plate appearances in the process. His results took another step forward with a career-high .767 OPS. This consisted of a .259/.296/.472 line, 26 home runs, 26 doubles, 20 steals, 89 RBI, and 71 runs scored. 

        A Top Mets Prospect Continues To Rake This Spring -

Ronny Mauricio, a top prospect for several years now, has been turning heads in spring training for New York.

He is up to three home runs already in about a week worth of games. 

The young Dominican, who was crowned the MVP of the Lidom after a marvelous winter, has easy power and projects as a 25-homer guy in the majors, with the potential for more than that. 

He played the entire 2022 season in Double-A, and while his .259/.296/.472 line may not jump out to the eye, his totals do. 

Mauricio hit 26 home runs and stole 20 bases, with 89 RBI to boot. 

Sure, his on-base ability is still a work in progress and he can have problems while expanding the zone against elite pitching, but he is still 21 and has more than enough time to refine his approach. 

Mack - Everyone said his power would develop and, in the case of Maurico, you are watching a young prospect turn into a man. 

This is how it works. 

 

Which players from each MLB team are likeliest to outperform their fantasy draft ranking? -

New York Mets

Player: Daniel Vogelbach

Jake Ciely’s ranking: DH 66

There aren’t a lot of guys hitting fifth for a legit contender that you can get as low in the draft as Vogelbach. Like many Mets, he’ll be more valuable in a league that prefers OBP to AVG. His power dropped off a bit once he moved to Queens last summer, but the changes to the right-field fence at Citi Field could help him mash 20 to 25 homers. 

Even his lack of everyday playing time could be to his advantage: He’ll be protected from facing fellow lefties, and his playing time isn’t threatened as much by younger DH candidates in the organization like Francisco Alvarez and Mark Vientos. — Tim Britton 

Mack - Tim is right here. The reduced fence in right field… thanks to Tom… will definitely help sluggers like Voggy.

 

Mets’ 5 best DH options to platoon with Daniel Vogelbach for 2023 MLB season -

1. Brett Baty is Mets third baseman, Eduardo Escobar is DH

This is likely the most exciting scenario. If the highly touted Baty proves he’s ready to hit consistently at the Major League level after receiving only 22 at bats at Triple-A and 38 with the Mets last season, New York could start Baty at third base and move Escobar into a DH role. Escobar could also play his fair share of third base, especially on days the Mets are facing a tough lefty and want to protect the left-handed hitting Baty. On those days, Pham could DH. 

Mack - We all know this kid can hit, but the question mark is if he can field at a major league level. We’re never going to know if he can play third unless he, well, plays third. 

Frankly, I would rather let Escobar DH in his final contract year and turn their future third baseman into a current one. 

 

https://theathletic.com/4245052/2023/02/24/mets-bullpen-candidates/?source=user-shared-article -

John Curtiss (29)

Acquired: Signed as a free agent, April 2022

Status: On the 40-man roster with options. Curtiss is 17 months removed from his second Tommy John surgery.

Repertoire: Fastball, slider

2022: Injured

 

A shrewd signing last April, Curtiss has a chance to pay big dividends for the Mets this season. He was an integral reliever for the Rays during their run to the 2020 American League pennant, appearing nine times out of their pen during that postseason. The right-hander’s slider doesn’t break as much as most others on this list, but he does a terrific job tunneling it off his mid-90s fastball.

 

“I just want my fastball and slider to look as similar as possible as long as possible,” he said. “I don’t have the biggest breaker or the hardest, but when I’m on, I do a pretty good job of they both look like fastballs for 55 feet.”

 

Hefner, who’s familiar with Curtiss from their shared time in Minnesota in 2018, praised his “elite command” while acknowledging the team would still ease Curtiss back after his surgery.

 

Mack - Career MLB stats - 0.2-WAR, 6-2, 3.63