Sometimes, I feel like a dog that’s been trained to beg.
So, I love to beg in my columns. Unabashed and unashamed.
All spring, I’ve been begging and begging and begging for two things:
1) Mark Vientos on the Mets
2) Joey Lucchesi on the Mets
Sometimes, begging ends up with the dog getting not one, but two, bones.
Out go Yohan Ramirez (again) and the other Joey, Wendle, whose consolation prize is his guaranteed contract.
Joey pitched a lot…..for his former Padres team, that is.
I felt all along that Joey Lucchesi (4-0, 2.89 in 47 Mets innings in 2023) should have been here in the county of Queens from Day 1.
His 2-1, 2.58 in 38 AAA innings proved as much. The average International League ERA is twice as high.
He deserves the chance. No, really, he does. Skeptics, naysayers…but Joey is back. I hereby remind him that a fellow lefty, John Tudor, went 20-1 after Memorial Day in 1985, so he still can win 20 this year. Not too late.
Marky V was not hitting quite as well as I hoped in AAA - I hoped for huge power and .340. He was hitting a still-decent .284 with 6 HRs - and providing something the Mets bottom half of line up really, really needs - RBIs.
He has 30 ribbies in 116 AAA at bats, quite the rate. Brett Baty, as he did last year, started well for a few weeks, but has been fading - again.
Baty’s last 15 games, in point of fact, look like this: .191, and in 47 at bats, 4 RBIs and 19 Ks. Sub par, subterranean in fact, and clearly coinciding with and aiding and abetting the Mets’ recent 7-14 slide.
I still hope that Mark can hit like Kyle Schwarber. I think he can. May he prove the 99% of you who doubt that wrong.
Schwarber II? I’d take that in a heartbeat.
So, I’m glad my repeated and, frankly, endless begging has been rewarded.
How does a dog like me spell “upgrade”? Why, Woof, woof, woof, of course.
I hope both call-ups do very well, so I don’t look like another dumb dog. “Shut up, and go to your corner, ya mutt.”
I think, though, both will do well. I hope your stays are long, fellas, and doggone prosperous.
PETERSON AND SUAREZ
If David Peterson was not on the 60 day IL for another 12 days(?), he’d be called up and start in Queens in his next outing.
In AA last night, 5.1 shutout innings, no walks, fanned 8, 70 pitches.
4 rehab outings, 0.00, 0.57, 24 Ks and a mere one walk in 14 innings.
Joander Suarez relieved. He recorded the final 11 outs, 5 by K, one hit. His ERA since July 8, 2023 in AAA is roughly 2.00. 105 Ks in 92 innings v. 23 walks. Just 58 hits allowed.
He’s ready, too. For a promotion to AAA.
Better than Dom Hamel and Mike Vasil, and yeah, he’s been in the system for a good while, but he is in fact younger than Vasil and Hamel.
So, I am begging for Joander to get promoted.
BROSSEAU BOMBS AWAY
Mike Brosseau, 30, stepped in for the called-up Vientos last night.
All he did was hit 3 homers and draw a walk for Syracuse.
582 MLB career at bats, .242, 26 HRs, 77 RBIs. Hmmm…
MAGIC JOHNSON LOVES QUADRUPLE DOUBLES
Lastly, a quadruple double for FCL Mets pitchers last night. 12 hits allowed, 14 walks, 15 runs, 16 Ks.
16 comments:
Curious how this will work playing both Vientos and Baty.
Vientos is a hitter. He is not a fielder. The role of DH is made for him. The question is whether the Mets will want to bring Martinez back next year or give the job to Vientos.
In AAA this year, Vientos made just 2 errors in 19 games at 3B and 0 in 6 games at 1B. Perhaps his hard work this off season has helped.
Ernest, Mark is a HR every 20 at bats in the majors guy, IMO. Baty has hit like Jeff McNeil power-wise, while not hitting. I give Vientos 60% of the at bats at 3rd, see if he can run with it. Baty’s last 15 games, as in my article, greatly concern me.
Compare Baty to the .333, 35 RBIs of Phillies competitor Alec Bohm. Not in the same area code. Not in the same he,sphere. Baty has earned nothing, frankly. He should be lucky to be in the big leagues.
569 MLB plate appearances. Way more than enough to prove your worth. .215/.277/.323? Bud Harrelson numbers. That, at 3rd base, will sink your season. If the Mets had Bohm and Philly had Baty, the Mets might be ahead of Philly right now.
Tom your being kind Baty's in freefall time to move him to AAA and bring up Iglesias to back up Lindor. Look we all know if Fred/Jeffy were running the show they would never have cut Wendle and eaten the contract so once again I'm grateful Mr. Cohen is running the show and very pleased they actually see the problem and try and correct it.
Gary, true on Cohen.
This team has gotten huge under-production of runs from the bottom half of the line up, with the exceptions of Stewart and Taylor. Baty is a chief culprit.
We fans like to be compassionate for the struggling young guy, but Baty has been decidedly sunbstandard in his 569 career plate appearances for the Mets.
Then you have a forgotten guy like Mike Brosseau, who hit 3 HRs in AAA last night. Career, he is 582 MLB career at bats, .242, 26 HRs, 77 RBIs. Far better than Baty. Will Baty soon be forgotten? Up to Baty.
Great article on prospects the Athletic today
Tom,
Ok, time to beg again for item #3 on your list, moving those fences in.
Was Wendle released outright or was he a DFA? Can he be a possible trade?
D J, I will have to beg about that, you’re right. Hitting is anemic at home, and would be better with shortened fences. Maybe it would help this:
18 teams have higher attendance this year. The Mets? Worst drop, down 6,645 per game, which is down 21.8%. No other team is down 4,000 per game.
Wendle was our only MIF backup. Can Baty/Vientos play 2B or SS? If the long-overdue Joey Churches promotion fills that role, who gets cut to make room?
Pitching-wise, Smith is coming off the IL, replacing Ramirez. But Megill is ready, followed within weeks by Peterson and Senga. And who leaves to open a spot for Lucchesi?
Gotta clear out the closet.
I was surprised that Wendle played as poorly as he did. I had seen him play elsewhere and thought he was a really solid ballplayer and a good addition to the team as a utility guy.
While in NY he made poor decisions in the field and did not do much with the bat, including the popped up bunt in extra innings that probably was his last straw. He will probably go play very well somewhere else with Mr. Cohen's money in his bank account. I just don't understand why this happens so often with free agents that are selected by the Mets.
When you pick up fringe players, they are crapshoots, especially if they've never proven themselves in NY. Some make it, some don't.
Yes, Wendle disappointed. But guys like Raley, Garrett, Lopez, Sevy, and others haven't.
Not sold on Lopez.
Paul, I think when the core regulars stuggle, often times the subs do too. I liked Pham last year - he was an exception to that Mets rule.
If Nimmo and Alonso and Lindor and McNeil and Marte collectively were hitting .275 and not .225, would Baty have felt less pressure and hit better? Probably.
Bil, you'll like my Thursday article
Garrett has been something. I hope it continues for him and he gets PAID
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