Tom Brennan Scott’s Debut, & Other Rising Arms; Pete & Jeff; Mark & Eric

You Can’t Hit the Unhittable

Happy post-Cinco de Mayo - a Mexican holiday honoring “my sink plumbers” everywhere in the Americas. Ole! (I know, I have a draining sense of humor). Maybe May 6 is the day you call the plumber-o back because the Cinco is still el drippo.

On Saturday May 4, anyway, Pre-Cinco, someone made his MLB debut…

GREAT SCOTT!!

Christian Scott stomped on the accelerator in the lower minors in early 2023, and rocketed to his major league starting debut a little over a year later.  He went 6.2 innings on Saturday, allowing a run and fanning 6. 

Looked SO good doing it too, huh?  Woulda made Tom Seaver proud.

Got the win, right?  Of course not, this is the Mets he's pitching for.  

Adam Ottavino walked in the go-ahead run after multiple foul balls.  Then, after a 1-2 count, Reid-Foley walked in another run.  Oh, dem bases on balls.  Final score?  You already know it, 3-1 loss, so I'll move on to the minors rising star arms right now, OK?  

OK, then one more thing first.  The Saturday loss was compounded on Sunday by Edwin Diaz going all Chokarena against Randy Arozarena, when the Mets were 1 strike away from a very-much-needed win.  You hang a meatball slider, and Out-It-Goes-Arena.

Anyway, getting back on topic, who are others besides the newly arrived SP 1 Scott that are on a rapid conveyor belt to major league impact pitching?  I see five dudes.

1) Blade Tidwell in AA has a 1.23 ERA and finding AA as easy as 1-2-3.  “Maddux Masterful” on Saturday…8 shutout innings, 9 Ks, a mere 94 pitches. He needs a promotion to AAA. Now.

2) Nolan McLean was handed a challenging High A assignment in his first full season. But the only ones challenged have been the opposing hitters. 2-1, 2.84, 0.95 WHIP.  One somewhat shaky outing out of his 5 so far boosted his ERA above 2.00. Last outing, sweet: 5 shutout innings, 8 Ks.

- RISING he is, as fast as one of his rocketed tape measure home runs

3) Brandon Sproat in his minors debut in Brooklyn has been a beast, just needing to tighten his control somewhat. A miniscule 0.92 ERA in 5 starts?  25 Ks in 20 innings, too? Great last outing? He really could rocket, a la Scott.  He might be ready for AA fairly soon.

4) Jonah Tong: Tong Terrific. 43 Ks in 23 innings, no earned runs, including in his recent debut in Brooklyn. A freakish buzz saw.

Joander Suarez. A Fine Photo by Bronson Harris of Binghamton

5) Joander Suarez: I know no one kvells about him besides me, but he’s dominating in 2024 just like he did in the second half of 2023. 

A 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R in second to last outing. Very nice.  

But then, in his last outing? A perfecto, 19 up, 19 down, 7 Ks. Wow. When this guy rolls, he ROLLS. “Roll on there, Suarez”.

There are others pitching well, too, like Doug Orellana with his 1.33 ERA in the lower minors, but those and the ascendant Scott especially, represent strong additional ripening Mets firearm “inventory”.

“PLAY ME EVERY DAY” PETE:

2 for his last 36, down to .206. "EVERY DAY. I'M OK!" 

Rest? That’s for other guys. "EVERY DAY, then I want to sign the biggest first baseman’s contract EVER!" But... .140 over his last 15 games.

He seems to be a far cry from his 53 HR, .260 year of 2019.  He turns 30 this coming December 7.  What sort of #s will he have by season’s end? 

And will he be above or below .200? What will his contract be? And where?

Just as a point of comparison, Japanese Emperor Shohei Ohtani is hitting .364 with 25 XBH in 35 games.  Now, THAT is Back Up the Brinks Truck stuff.

OH, NO MCNEIL:

McNeil in 2019 was Robin to Alonso’s Batman. Two sticks of dynamite.🧨 

In 2019, 33 games in, he was hitting .347 and had 2 HRs and 13 RBIs.

In 2024, 33 games in, he is hitting .231 with 1 HR and 7 RBIs.

After the first 33 hot games of 2019, he had 21 HRs and 62 RBIs in his last 100 games. 

Will he do that in 2024? Nope. Nah. Not a chance. Nada. 

Why? He’s 32 now.  32 in the MLB seems to be a tough year for hitters.

Wondering why the Mets are 16-18, 7 games out?

Ans.: Batman and Robin. “Holy Decline, Batman!”

SYRACUSE GOODIES

Our roaring buddy Mark Vientos hit his 6th AAA HR and also (let's not forget) had that one titanic Mets HR.  The Vientos Home Run Generator rolls onward.

Lest we overlook the facts: 

Mark in AAA has compiled 48 HRs and 148 RBIs in 732 ABs. 

Which ain’t chump change.

Eric Orze - MiLB.com - in a picture from when he was in Binghamton.

Eric Orze - after a wild first 2 relief outings in Siberian temperatures (tough to throw strikes when you can't feel your fingers), Eric has been virtually unhittable in relief. In 6 of his last 8 outings, no hits allowed. 2024 BAA of .106. 

And 18 Ks in his last 13 innings.  

AND all his options remain, since he has yet to make his MLB debut. Let’s hope that well-deserved debut happens soon.

Is his good start a fluke? Well, last September, he threw 9.1 innings of 2 hit, no run, 19 K relief. 236 Ks in 175 career innings.

Do the math - that’s 7 hits allowed in his last 24 AAA innings, from September 1, 2023 to present. 

In that 24 inning stretch?  The hitters are hitting around .080.

So, no, it’s not a fluke.   See you in Queens soon, Eric.