5/29/23

Reese Kaplan -- Four Rookie Horsemen Staving Off the Apocalypse?


Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose...every Goodtime Charlie's gotta have the blues about something.  


For Mets fans they finally got the first of several wishes on their collective lists when the Invisible Man aka Mark Vientos was allowed to start the game as the team's designated hitter and collected two hits which is more than the collective aggregate of wannabes would get in a week's playing time.  

It suggests that the man who has obliterated AAA pitching for two years might actually be able to contribute to the offense if given the opportunity to do so.  Stories leaked out that Buck Showalter was planning on giving Vientos a three game strech of playing time assumed to be at the DH role, though theoretically it could also mean spelling either Brett Baty at 3B or Pete Alonso at 1B for some of those games.  Still, at-bats were as rare for Vientos as are stolen bases for Daniel Vogelbach.


The other big development for the Mets is the continued progress of young catcher Francisco Alvarez who is starting to show that the hype regarding his offensive prowess was not just exaggeration.  

In Saturday night's game when Alvarez delivered a home run to tie the game he sent it so far out and over the left field fence that it was the very definition of a no-doubter.  When you see Pete Alonso jumping up and down in he dugout in celebration the contrast in their body types is never more evident.  

Alonso is big and imposing while Alvarez is short and stocky.  The end result, however, is prodigious power from the more diminutive catcher and gives the club a nice problem to solve with the upcoming approach of three healthy catchers.


Brett Baty's hitting has had its ups and downs (as has his defense) but even the most jaded of media types and Mets fans can certainly see the raw talent the man possesses.  Although the more highly compensated Eduardo Escobar was forced to the bench to make room for the lefty swinging rookie, the fact is that Baty is showing as he matures into the big league hot corner role that he is here to stay.  

These three rookies have helped demonstrate the value of integrating new talent with existing quality players in order to upgrade the team that takes the field in contention for the NL East pennant.


Now everyone is waiting for the final Fourth Baseball Cap Wearing Horseman of Syracuse to join his trio of already promoted former teammates.  If indeed Vientos will receive some consideration as a DH, then it would appear Ronny Mauricio's role would be as either a second baseman with Jeff McNeil moving permanently to left field, or as a newly minted outfielder with McNeil playing between Alonso and Francisco Lindor.  

Whichever way they choose to go with Mauricio, it would appear as he packed on over 50 pounds of muscle to his previously very skinny frame and his extra base hitting has benefitted immensely. 

Some folks feel that his defensive struggles are the result of position changes forced with him being blocked at shortstop.  Others feel that his new physique is impeding his former flexibility to bend and move as he did in the past.  Regardless, the still-struggling Mets can use an offensive boost to upgrade them over what Mark Canha, Tommy Pham and others have been providing.  

Now if only there was a similar pipeline of pitching talent to fortify the collection of arms that take the mound...

  

7 comments:

Tom Brennan said...

Us elder fans remember Jim Wynn, the Toy Cannon, who was smaller than Alvarez but had big power. And Willie Mays was listed at 5’10”, 170.

Alvarez has giant power in a short frame.

Rds 900. said...

Alvarez is not small. 220 pounds packed into a 5'10 frame makes a very powerful body.

Mack Ade said...

Us elders also remember the old Reese who was always anti-Mets in his postings.

Turns out I was right. It wasn't the Mets he hated... it was the ownership and management.

bill metsiac said...

It's early, but I wouldn't be surprised if Alvarez is named to the All-Star game as a reserve.

And I believe that both he and Baty are now candidates for ROTY.

But, as I said, it's early.

Gary Seagren said...

Very exciting on all 3 kids with RonnieMo soon to follow but the pitching mess is hard to swallow and no idea how their going to handle it and if Max and JV don't right the ship it will sink. The gut punch from JV's last game still linger's and lets face it unless the FO is going to trade one or more of the kids (PLEASE NOOOOO) I don't how we can improve the pitching any idea's guys?

bill metsiac said...

There are always salary dumps from the weak teams, especially for rentals. They will cost prospects, but not top ones.

bill metsiac said...

I blame Terry for our problems this season. 😅