Mack - Sunday Morning Observations

 

 

Who has MLB's top Pipeline? We rank 'em all, from 1 to 30 -

 

13. New York Mets 

2023 midseason rank: 11

2023 preseason rank: 11

2022 midseason rank: 14

2022 preseason rank: 20

 

Top 100 prospects: Jett Williams, SS/OF (No. 45); Drew Gilbert, OF (No. 53); Luisangel Acuña, SS/2B (No. 66); Ryan Clifford, OF/1B (No. 97)

 

Seven of the Mets’ Top 13 prospects – including three Top 100 talents in Gilbert, Acuña and Clifford – were Trade Deadline additions last year, giving the system a new coat of paint. On the more immediate front, upper-level pitchers Christian Scott, Blade Tidwell and Mike Vasil could contribute to the Major League club’s starting depth this summer. The Mets may lack a Top 40 prospect, but the overall and improved depth gives them a spot in the upper half of our rankings. 

Mack - this was compiled by three of the top draft experts in the game (Sam Dykstra @SamDykstraMiLB, Jim Callis @JimCallisMLB., Jonathan Mayo @Jonathan Mayo), so look to this to be the most accurate ranking of both players and teams. 

The only reason the Mets are ranked lower here than 2023 is because the Baby Mets have graduated. 

 

I had an interesting exchange with an ex-Mets coach this week which was focused on who he thought would be brought north as utility players and relief pitchers. 

He bluntly said those things will not be decided until a week or less than they pack the truck out of Lucy.

I began to go down a road I seldom travel... quoting exceptional spring stats... when he abruptly stopped me and said that spring stats do not determine the answers needed here (told ya).

He said some of the area that  come into play here are:

   - is the team trying to improve its roster offensively or defensively? 

   - is there a specific RHH or LHH need to be filled here?

   - is the ultimate goal to bring more pop or is it OBP?

Regarding the remaining two relief slots... and there are only two... still open, going 0-0, 0.00 and producing 90 strikeouts in ST in 30 innings pitched is not the first factor here.

He said 60+% of the IP are against batters with little or no major league success.

Factors include what hole remains in the pen (velo, which arm used), how he looks and handles the work, and the general intimidating way he approaches his outings.

He closed with "every batter, no matter how talented or not, gets their bat on a lucky ball and winds up planting runs, but it's what the pitcher does with the rest of who he faces turns out to be the tie breaker. 

 

SNY @SNYtv Mar 12, 2024:

Joey Lucchesi evaluates his first spring outing:

"When I was done with my outing, I sat and thought 'oh man, I let that happen. I'm way better than that.' I understand what I did wrong and somewhat right in that outing. I'll be alright, I'll be good"

Mack - You better be Joey.

There won’t be many more opportunities for you to be added to a major league rotation, so it is imperative that you right the wrong here and get on with it…

(He didn't...)

 

What the hell is the Mets going to do with Jose Butto

He basically has been close to perfect this spring, producing a 0.90-ERA. The problem is that The rotation has four slots filled and Tyler Megill will probably fill the slot left open by the Kodai Senga injury.

The projected Syracuse rotation looks sick with some combination of Butto, Joey Lucchese, Mike Vasil, Dom Hamel, Christian Scott, and Tylor Stuart.

Like I said… sick.

 

I’m on record this year that I believe that the Mets will suck the big one.

I violated my first rule with this “opinion”. I’ve always been a subjective “reporter” of the Mets, not an opinionated super-fan. I’ve never referred to this team as “us”. They are “they”. And my sports writing began as a newspaper reporter so I was trained to always write in third party.

This column contains the word “observation” so I observe here and give you my opinion.

My opinion on the outcome of the 2024 Mets isn’t shared by most on this site. Some, like Gus the reader, and Ray the writer, have confronted me on this projected outcome.

That’s fine. Like Elon Musk spoke of Don Lemon, it’d a free country and a free country has free speech.

You probably am not going to enjoy what I say about the 2024 Mets this season. I am what I am. Once, very positive about this team, now the opposite. Oh, I wear shades when I speak past this season, but frankly, that’s the best you’re going to get out of me through October.

My only advice to you is the same I used to tell the liberal listeners of the Rush Limbaugh Show that I aired on my stations.

You may hate it but you can quote every word Rush said. And that alone will make for some healthy banter.

 

Mets latest roster moves:

OPTIONED -

RHP Reed Garrett

LHP Joey Lucchesi

REASSIGNED

C Austin Allen

IF Rylan Bannon

They're down to 48 players in camp.