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2/29/24

Tom Brennan - It’s All About Getting Better All the Time




SIR PAUL: “I’VE GOT TO ADMIT THEY’RE GETTING BETTER, THEY’RE GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME!”

I love when hungry players self-assess, see deficiencies, and take aggressive action to address them and….get better.

Once such player was Jeff McNeil, a very good hitter who was exhibiting very little power in his early minor league days/seasons10 years ago. He smartly added considerable muscle, giving him enough power to forge his way into the Mets lineup. And become a happy multimillionaire.

Brett Baty apparently has worked hard during the off season on closing a gap in his swing, working out to get stronger, and working hard on his fielding. Dividend checks arrive in 2024.

Tylor Megill has had problems keeping pitch counts down, causing him to get pulled an inning or two earlier than we’d like. So, he adds a solid splitter which (time will tell) should help him induce more swings and misses, reduce pitch counts and make him into a no-doubt rotation starter.

Joey Lucchesi enhances his conditioning, drops 25 unneeded pounds, and that most likely will make him a better pitcher than the .500 pitcher he has been.

Luis Severino feels bad sleeping patterns and poor nighttime sleep have left him fatigued, and left less time for his body to recover. He doesn’t just say, “oh well”, but takes action with hiring a sleep specialist, now sleeps better, and is feeling more energized.

Francisco Alvarez does not sit on his laurels, working hard to be less pull-happy, slims down a bit, works endlessly on his catching skills, and goes all “Edwin Diaz” in learning to speak English well, no easy task.

Jose Butto working on a sinker, aware that allowing HRs is a weak point in his repertoire. Smart.

Sean Manaea last year added a sweeper, and it gave him a major boost.

Our top minor league pitchers are all adding a new pitch or getting in superior shape, or both. Good results should follow, I’m betting.

Some minor league players, though, were ranked in the Mets Top 30 a few years back, but fanned a ghastly amount in the lower minors. There was no evidence in 2022 or 2023 that these tooled athletes did what they needed to do…drastically overhaul their whole hitting approach. 

I wonder if those I have in mind as I write this will make it out of spring training still employed as minor league baseball players.

If something needs to be changed, do it, pronto, fellas. 

Or find another occupation.

SPEAKING OF “BETTER”…

On spring training’s opening Mets game, a few pitchers had (let’s just say it) crappy outings, while others pitched well. End result? A 10-5 loss.

Since then, one fine pitching outing after the next, supported by sharp defense. The team is now 4-1, with a 2.20 ERA. 

23 of the 30 pitchers that have pitched so far have not allowed a run. 3 of the others allowed one run and pitched well. Can we take 26 pitchers north?

Other “Betters”:

TRAYCE THOMPSON: hit another “TRAYCER” for his 2nd spring homer, as he comes out of the gate HOT AND HUNGRY. Can he stay hot into March? If he can keep up his current pace for a full 162 games, he’ll hit .571 with 108 HRs and 324 RBIs. I’ll take it.

QUESTION: Tyrone Taylor is the Mets’ 4th outfielder, period, end of story. Likely to give Stewart and Trayce competition for the 5th OF spot, Ben Gamel isn’t a career All Star, but has solid career numbers. Anyone think he is going to make the Mets’ roster as the 5th outfielder? Career, the 31 y/o lefty hitting Gamel is .253/.332/.384 in 2,221 PAs. 

Stewart career is .220/.329/.426. Trayce career is .212/.300/.411.

BRANDON MCILWAIN: Saw him strike out on Wednesday, but Luke Ritter described him as an athletic freak, and yes, he does look like all of that. Watch him break out in AAA in 2024.

JETT: Beats out another infield hit, looks sharp at SS after Lindor played the first part of the game. He really looks almost ready to this eye.

RAMIREZ: He’s 4 for 8? What? Alex is looking good, but also looks like he avoids the weight room. “Alex, let me introduce you to Mr. Dumbbell.”

NIDO: has matched his 2023 RBI total of 1, and is hitting like it is still 2023 (1 for 7, .143).

VIENTOS: Just 2 for 10, but (nicely) just one K. Pastor Strawberry says Mark needs to decide what sort of MLB hitter he wishes to be, and be that.

BATY: 1 for 6. C’mon, Brett.


34 comments:

  1. I too have noticed the continued disappearing bat of Bungalo Baty

    Makes one wonder if he should be back in the, back in the AAA



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  3. Mack, Butto > Baty?

    Sometimes, it is what is between the ears.

    I promised myself that I would not pick on Nido until the calendar turned March. Sometimes, I just can’t help myself.

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  4. I know it is truly early, but Kevin Parada is 0 for 4, 3 Ks, and his K yesterday was on a weak, confused-looking swing. Should we begin to be a bit worried? 11th overall pick.

    Hey, anyone have any idea how Texas Ranger pitchers, Jake, Max and Kumar are doing?

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  5. Let’s not forget that Justin V has not pitched yet this spring, either.

    Steve and Billy dumped multi-year mega millions into JV last year, and headed into July 2023, all he had to show for it was 2 wins in 10 starts. Now THAT is getting your money’s worth, hot dang.

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  6. Yeah, Parada is just not gettin bedder

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  7. None of the Kumar Klan are doing hocus pocus

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  8. If he hits, I will be his booster. For now, it is Alvarez and Narvaez. Hopefully, Narvaez bounces back.

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    1. For now, I'll cut Nido some slack, given his serious vision problems in the 1st half of last year and his much improved hitting after it was corrected.
      He should have a tighter leash around him now. If he can return to his previous form, hitting close to .250, his D should make him valuable as Alvy's backup, allowing the Mets to trade Narvaez to add another piece as needed.

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    2. Navarez doesn't need to get back... to where he once belonged... all backup catchers are defense first

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  9. I know where Kumar is earring lunch today after watching Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle.

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  10. Good analysis, Tom, but with (to my eyes) one glaring omission.
    I noted after Game 1 that Pete seemed to have an improved approach at the plate, using the whole field, controlling his swing and leaving his "fishing rod" in the garage.

    This has continued in games 2 and 3, and then yesterday I read an interview with him confirming my gut feeling. He said he's been working with Eric Chavez toward his goal of becoming a more complete hitter instead of just a power bat.

    So far, it's working, and I nominate him for addition to the Getting Betta All the Time list.

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  11. Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle is a much funnier movie than you would expect. Being from New Jersey it nailed the environment.

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  12. Good point, Bill. I was trying to focus more on newbies and the marginals. Pete is a true fighter, and he will fight for that big contract. I still think current dimensions at Citifield are detrimental to his career offense. If he wants the Hall of Fame, which I can’t imagine he doesn’t, he may want a hitters’ park to play in.

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    1. I'd gladly trade some of his homers for greater contact, especially with RISP. I really like Pete, but got very frustrated watching him chase low/ outside pitches with the big swing when a 1B or 2B would drive in needed runs.

      I seriously believe that his focus on winning the Derby affected his approach, andvI hope he chooses not to enter it this year.

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  13. Reese, it was better than Rockie the Flying Squirrel cartoons. And our Flying Squirrel will be better than White Castle’s Kumar when all is said and done.

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  14. Hey, when do we get to see Ryan Clifford get a few ABs?

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  15. Meaning their offense is downright offensive. Can Alvarez start 150 games?

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    1. I wonder what the average # of games is for ML primary catchers.

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  16. Speaking of pitchers working on their game and adding a pitch, go check out Ernest Dove's interview with Tyler Stuart on YouTube. Good stuff.

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  17. I put a link to the Tyler Stuart interview on the right sidebar under "Mack's Friends"

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  18. Bill, if Marte is MARTE again, as he appears to be Pete will have more line up protection, too.

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  19. Bill, I looked at # of primary catcher games a while back. It was low. Think Realmuto was 130, only a handful of others above 100.

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    1. Then it doesn't seem realistic to ask Alvy for close to 150. But maybe 130 behind the plate and 20 at DH would work.

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  20. I will check that Stuart interview out.

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  21. I looked at Nido and Omar projected slash lines for 2024.

    Here is an average of Fangraphs and B/R:

    OMAR:
    .240/.320/.370

    NIDO:
    .225/.275/.330

    Clear advantage to Narvaez.

    If Omar plays all #2 catcher games, the blended Alvarez/Omar offense should combine to be above average.

    Of course, projections are not actual. Play ball.

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  22. None our guys can do “Hunter Greene”: Despite being the No. 2 pick in 2017 and having an incredible right arm, Greene owns a 4.62 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP as a big leaguer and has endured injuries. Yet in only 46 career outings, he’s registered the most strikeouts (54) on pitches thrown 100-plus mph of all starters in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008).

    Life is easier for a pitcher who dwells on 100+ Boulevard

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  23. Bill, we’ll see. Lots of factors, including if they’re in playoff run down the stretch.

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  24. Greene i read is working on refining other pitches. He may be a whole new beast this year. It took Verlander and Max a few seasons to hit the “Great” switch.

    And if you’re in a pinch, bags full, do you want to throw 92, or 102, to RBI-hungry big leaguers? Give me that 102.

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  25. I see Ramirez tools...and I likey

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