MACK - MLB.com Mock Draft

LINK

 

1. Guardians: Travis Bazzana, 2B, Oregon State (No. 1)

 

2. Reds: Charlie Condon, OF/3B, Georgia (No. 2)

 

3, Rockies: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest (No. 5)

 

4. Athletics: Braden Montgomery, OF, Texas A&M (No. 8)

 

5. White Sox: Jac Caglianone, 1B/LHP, Florida (No. 3)

 

6. Royals: Bryce Rainer, SS, Harvard-Westlake HS

 

7. Cardinals: Hagen Smith, LHP, Arkansas (No. 6)

 

8. Angels: James Tibbs, OF, Florida State (No. 16)

 

9. Pirates: JJ Wetherholt, SS/2B, West Virginia (No. 7)

 

10. Nationals: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest (No. 4)

 

11. Tigers: Konnor Griffin, SS/OF, Jackson Prep

 

12. Red Sox: Christian Moore, 2B, Tennessee (No. 25)

 

13. Giants: Cam Caminiti, LHP, Saguaro HS (Scottsdale, Ariz.)

 

14. Cubs: Trey Yesavage, RHP, East Carolina (No. 11)

 

15. Mariners: Cam Smith, 3B, Florida State (No. 14)

 

16. Marlins: Seaver King, 3B/OF, Wake Forest (No. 13)

 

17. Brewers: Vance Honeycutt, OF, North Carolina (No. 20)

 

18. Rays: Ryan Waldschmidt, OF, Kentucky (No. 39)

 

19. Mets: Carson Benge, OF, Oklahoma State (No. 19)

 

The Mets seems locked in on college bats as well with Benge, Honeycutt, Kansas State shortstop Kaelen Culpepper and Mississippi State outfielder Dakota Jordan among those in play.

 

20. Blue Jays: Kaelen Culpepper, SS, Kansas State (No. 32)

 

21. Twins: Tommy White, 3B, Louisiana State (No. 15)

 

22. Orioles: Brody Brecht, RHP, Iowa (No. 21)

 

23. Dodgers: William Schmidt, RHP, Catholic HS

 

24. Braves: Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP/LHP, Mississippi State (No. 31)

 

25. Padres: Kash Mayfield, LHP, Elk City HS (Okla.) (No. 28)

 

26. Yankees: Billy Amick, 3B, Tennessee (No. 26)

 

27. Phillies: Theo Gillen, SS/2B, Westlake HS

 

28. Astros: Tyson Lewis, SS, Millard West HS

 

29. Diamondbacks: Walker Janek, C, Sam Houston (No. 23)

 

30. Rangers: Kellon Lindsey, SS, Hardee HS (Wauchula, Fla.)

MACK - Sunday Morning Observations

Observations… 

Morning.

My 20 year old laptop died this past week and the store I have bought my new one at is trying to transfer my old data, so I am reduced to writing on my phone, with no bells and whistles. 

First, a few thoughts on Diaz and Marte.

I would like to move on from Diaz as a closer, but the team has no one in the wings to step in and his contract is too large to move him. WAIT. They could promote Paul Sewald and... err... oh.

Another reason not to sign or resign someone for more than four years.

As for Marte, this injury sort of blows up any chance of moving him in July for quality chips. Ink him in for one of the five 2025 outfielders.

I said some shitty things this week about Edwin Diaz. I hope he has learned something from his arrival on the mound that day. I know I have learned from the unprofessional way I handled how I wrote about it.

Diaz is a great pitcher and, on a good day, is still a top closer. The team needs this guy both short and long term. 

Let's move on...

Let me ask YOU a question...

We all want Juan Soto next year m on this team, but his agent is going demand a 52 year deal for 100mil a season. Or, something like that.

But what if you spend around the same amount of money, for five or six years, for Max Freed or Jordan Montgomery AND Pete Alonso?

Pete slots back in the 3-4-5 with Alvarez and Vientos and your new starter joins Kodai Senga as the 1-2 anchors of the rotation.

Just saying...

Mets - Yanks series -

Game 1

    The difference in this game was not the Vientos homers. It was the Brandon Nimmo three ribbys. Brandon batting second seems to be working as well as Francisco Lindor batting first. The Mets must  operate on all cylinders to pull this off and Brandon is one of those cylinders... as kindly as I can put this, the Mets need to strengthen their pen in July... 

Game 2

Well, that was fun. The Mets completely dismantled both the Yankees in general, and both of their top two starters. Sure, no one has an answer to Aaron Judge, and why anyone chooses to pitch to him is beyond me, but one bat does not make a winner. The Mets were the worst team in May followed by being the best team this month. Has this ever been accomplished before?

All I know is Game On and you don’t have to keep looking over your head to check the scoreboard... just Win The Series !!!

And the winning continues against Houston... even my ole friend, Jeff McNeil, is joining in the action. I'd like to see the Mets pass the Cards before the break, but it's going to take some help from the Reds, Nats, and Pirates. 

I currently feel there should be two major objectives in the July trading period. First, at least one rental reliever. The Diaz suspension and the loss of Drew Smith demand something to be done here... the other would be either a rental right fielder or someone that could be obtained for a few chips. My friend Gary Seagren wants Kyle Tucker. Thoughts?

Transactions

  Mets

  OF Starlin Marte to 10-day IL

  OF Ben Gamel promoted from AAA

  RP Drew Smith to 15-day IL

  RP Ty Adcock promoted from AAA

Syracuse

  RHRP Wilkin Ramos promoted from AA

  RHRP Yacksel Rios to 7-day IL

  C Joe Hudson signed

  RP Jordan Geber promoted from AA

Binghamton

  OF Duke Ellis signed

  RHRP Bryce Montas de Oca transferred from AAA to Ponies

  OF Stanley Consuegra promoted from Brooklyn

Brooklyn

  IF Jesus Baez promoted from St. Lucie

  OF Omar De Los Santos from AA to Brooklyn

FCL

  P Diego Mosquera transferred from St. Lucie

  C Daiverson Gutierrez promoted from DSL

Prospect Prospect Rating

   DSL OF Rainer Reyes from BLACK to BLUE

   DSL RHSP Jose Guevara from BLACK to BLUE

   FCL Daiverson Gutierrez from BLACK to BLUE

   3B Jacob Reimer from RED to BLACK

Tom Brennan: Francisco Alvarez…MVP?…And More

Francisco Alvarez was not only 16 for 29 with 8 walks, 4 doubles, 3 HRs, and 10 RBIs in his last 9 games. Blistering pace.

Then I see this astonishing fact posted by SNY:

Still longing for Nido or Narvaez to come back, folks? 

Nah, me neither.

Is Francisco Alvarez……the Mets’ MVP?  

Maybe. 

Alvarez seems to be “the straw that stirs the drink.”

My brother often asks: 

Where is our home-grown hitting superstar? Where’s our Griffey Jr?

Maybe it is this guy.

METS OVER .500

7-2 win? McNeil 3 hits AND 3 RBIs?  Dedniel now 2-0?  Mets now 40-39.  

Stunning.

We all thought, when they were 24-35, losers of 27 of 39, they’d thereafter go on an offense-filled 16-4 surge. Right? 

Best offense in baseball over the last 20 games. 

Do they have the best offense, period?

MOVING ON…BAD NEWS…

Drew Smith likely has thrown his last inning as a Met, as he will get TJS after a second opinion. May it go well, Drew, and thank you. You are well appreciated.

12-13, 3.48 in 191 career outings.

Bizarrely, in his last game, on Sunday, June 23, he was only put in to pitch in the 9th because Edwin Sticky Fingers Diaz was ejected for…well, sticky fingers.

FCL METS NO-NO…

A trio of FCL Mets hurlers (Wellington Aracena, Joseph Yabbour, and Brayhans Barretto) combined on a 3-0, 7 inning no hitter win, fanning 12. Nice. 

We now look forward to you three combining to throw back-to-back no hitters.

A MERE 13 PITCHES FOR 2 INNINGS

Two rehabbing wild men threw an inning each last night. 

Bryce Montes de Oca & Shintaro Fujinami both threw 1-2-3 relief innings Friday. 

The 2 threw 12 strikes and just one ball in 13 total pitches. 

How odd, but nice, for these two normally wild men.

ORLANDO CEPEDA DEAD AT 86

The Hall of Famer, known as the Baby Bull, was a terrific hitter and former teammate of recently deceased Willie Mays. He was only a decent hitter starting at his age 32 season, and in his age 36 final season, he hit just .215 with a HR and 18 RBIs. 

Our current Baby Bull at first base for the Mets will soon be entering free agency, and he will be 30 next year, and is hitting about 60 points less in his career to date than Cepeda did through his age 29 season.

Cepeda was a decent career hitter vs. the Mets (.276), but tore apart the Atlanta Braves (.324). We could use more guys on our side who can do that.

SPEAKING OF THE BRAVES…

The Mets have scored 32 more runs than the Braves in one fewer game. Why can’t the Mets overtake the Braves? 

Heck, the Mets trail Philly by just 12.5 games with 83 to play…

What a difference a year makes. In 2023, Atlanta outscored the Mets by 230 runs.

Reese Kaplan -- Use the Rules to Secure the Mets Future

Under the Wilpon regime and the ownership teams that preceded them it became standard practice for them to play out the string with the contractually minimal salary increases.  When Curt Flood, Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith initiated the concept of free agency for baseball players, then the motivation for keeping your players went from a lifetime to roughly six major league seasons after which the player in question was free to sell his services to the highest bidder.

For a quick refresher on the history, Curt Flood was a multiple NL All Star and Gold Glove winner who was traded from his home team the St. Louis Cardinals to the cellar dwelling Philiadelphia Phillies after having put in 12 years into the game.  He engaged legal representation and the case went all the way to the Supreme Court to decide if baseball was indeed a test of players as assets for a ballclub or the equivalent of slavery since ballplayers were obligated for their playing lives to whomever paid their salary.

The case didn’t get to the decision making stage until 1972 during which time there were former players who enthusiastically supported Flood’s contention while others were divided based upon the uncertainty of what eliminating the reserve clause would do to the game itself.  It wasn’t purely a racial divide but that variable led to a great deal of consternation among the people who took the strongest positions on one side or the other.

Not surprisingly the court sided with Major League Baseball citing both a 1922 case during which the reserve clause was previously developed and the contract Flood signed obligating him to play for his employer and to follow the source of his paycheck to whomever the current owner engaged in a baseball trade. 

That unpopular decision only lasted three more years as players Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith raised similar concerns when they were being underpaid by their employers and were not freely able to change their circumstances to find a more equitable level of compensation. 

Arbitrator Peter Seitz issued a ruling in December of 1975 stating that a ballplayer who went a full year without a contract from his employer would become a free agent and able to sell his services on the open market.  Needless to say, Major League Baseball was not at all happy with this ruling and fought back to escalate the case to get this change nullified.

This time around instead of going through the courts, the opposing parties faced a committee comprised of Mr. Seitz who both sides felt was an impartial member, Marvin Miller who was the MLBPA Executive Director and John Gaherin who was the MLB Player Relations Committee’s Chief Negotiator. 

Again Seitz sided with the players’ request, reaffirming his earlier judgment.  MLB then took the case to court who concurred with the Seitz ruling.  The owners then pushed it to an appeals court and then lost there as well.  After realizing they had nowhere else to go the owners and MLBPA sat down to negotiate the framework for free agency through which a ballplayer who served six seasons in the Major Leagues was then eligible to declare himself a free agent.  In 1976 Andy Messersmith was the very first player to execute this strategy moving to the Atlanta Braves where he finished his career. McNally had already retired.

This look at history was necessary to understand how the game and front office operations have changed.  Most of us are old enough to remember when players were not operating on a finite deadline for use during his first six years in baseball.  As a result, there has been a proliferation of midyear July trade deadline deals to dump expiring contract players as rentals for the contenders to use on their rosters as they worked towards playing postseason ball. 

For the Mets, while the discussions of who to sign and who not to sign can be debated and spun in many disparate directions, there’s another aspect that teams need to consider to prevent those 6th year decision points from happening.  The Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros seem to be the primary practitioners of securing younger players to long term contracts long prior to the 6th year deadline happening.  Here is where the Mets need to consider changing  their previous strategy.

The illustrative player in question is catcher Francisco Alvarez.  When he was forced to become a major leaguer in 2023 due to multiple MLB catcher injuries, everyone expected he’d hit the occasional long ball but was not really ready to call games.  It was certainly evident that as the season progressed this 20 year old player was learning quickly on the job and the guy who finished with the team in September was a markedly better receiver than the one who debuted when the season began.  He finished 2023 with a modest .209 average but in only 382 ABs he hit 25 HRs and drove in 63.  That is major league run production from anyone, particularly for a lower part of the order rookie.

Come 2024 and the defense improved by another magnitude.  However, it is what he’s doing with the bat that is stunning.  Right now he is hitting .313 with 4 HRs and 19 RBIs while playing through the recovery of a thumb injury.  He is showing maturity and an ability to adapt to the cards that are dealt which is rare in any player, particularly one who is just now legally able to buy a beer. 

So if I am the POBO, the team owner or simply a fan looking to secure the future, I would be putting more attention into a preemptive long term contract for Alvarez in the mold of what other clubs have done successfully with their youngest high performing players.  Getting him to sign on the bottom line now is going to cost way less than the arbitration process once he is eligible and the bid to stave off free agency.  It is simply good business.  

Tom Brennan: Time for Two 1962 Expansion Teams to Have At It. Home vs Away

Rusty Grandly Played For Both the Colt 45s and the Mets

Hop in the Time Machine….

The Houston Colt 45s and NY Metropolitans face off yet again this weekend.

The 2024 Mets just reached .500, and have won 8 of their last 10.

The 2024 Astros just reached .500, are winners of 8 of their last 10.

Almost anything can happen here.  What’s your call, readers? Mets Magic?

HOME VS. AWAY, CONT’D.

The Mets scored 21 runs in two delightful Citi Field wins over the Bronx Bunglers.

But their hitters’ stats show most still prefer road ball hitting over playing at Citi Field:

Jeff McNeil is hitting .274 on the road, and .162 at home.

Brandon Nimmo is hiring .203 home, .290 road.

Mark Vientos .258 home, .345 road.

Marte .258 home, .299 away.

Lindor .258 on the road, .235 at home, and much better in RBIs on the road.

Alonso home and away are both .240 in 2024, but much better on the road in his career.

The contrarian that he is, JD Martinez is hitting much better home than away.

Not meant to be an all-inclusive analysis. 

You want all-inclusive? Take a cruise.

P.S.

BRANDON SPROAT HURLS 6 SCORELESS, WINS FOR BINGHAMTON

Low strikeouts in his last two outings, but the guy is doing amazing.

Reese Kaplan -- June 28th is When the Mets Get a Do-Over

A lot of folks are ready to pop champagne to celebrate the Citifield sweep of the first place New York Yankees.  It sure does feel good to see the Mets playing well while the Bronx Bombers maybe should rethink their nickname as the Bronx Bumblers.  Yes, things progressed better than many had anticipated. 

The real metric to watch is not what the Mets did to grab headlines away from their crosstown rival but the fact that as of today the Mets have reached the magical do-over threshold by reaching a record of .500.  

Given the horrific month of May, the injuries the poor performances by a great many players, the Edwin Diaz suspension and many other excuses for why the team has not progressed as had been hoped, the fact that they have now hit this record is seen as a victory of sorts given the 2023 season and what has transpired thus far in 2024.

All of the sudden the Mets are looking like a real team.  How real is still a guessing matter but they have now won as many as they have lost — 39 games — and suddenly the heretofore pipe dream of playing October baseball is starting to get some wobbly legs.  So as a Mets fans to whom are we grateful for this change of fortunes?

Well, first you have to be thankful for the now suddenly respectable starting pitching.  While David Peterson and Tylor Megill are showing they are performing at their career norms (which is not all that good), Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and surprisingly Jose Quintana are starting to deliver well every fifth day. 

Then there are some of the hitters who have started to put things together.  Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is catcher Francisco Alvarez who rebounded from his thumb injury to look like a true star in the making both at the plate and behind the dish.  His performance and the strong play of Luis Torrens allowed the Mets to wave (and waive) the usual backup catcher, Tomas Nido.  It was kind of tough to see him leave but he was never going to be a star for the Mets.

The other Francisco has been stellar of late as well.  Lindor has hit consistently with doubles power, home runs and simply looks like a better player than we have seen all year.  His average is not appearing to be all that impressive in the low .240s, but considering he was sub Mendoza for much of the year that 50 point increase is certainly formidable for opponents to battle.  He has 300 ABs and has another 300 to get that average up to the .275 or so level people have come to expect. 

Brandon Nimmo is also on something of a tear since moving out of the leadoff slot. His average is also creeping up and he’s helping to drive in runs, get on base and playing whatever role in the outfield is needed on a daily basis.  No one is complaining about his fat paycheck lately.

Pete Alonso is also starting to increase his batting average as he continues to hit the long ball.  This positive development both helps the Mets win ballgames and also underscores his desirability as a midyear trade acquisition as he enters his walk year as free agency looms.

Mark Vientos had gone from red hot to fairly cold but he’s now recently rebounded with power and RBIs as he hovers just under .300 while playing a mediocre third base.  He doesn’t seem as lost as he did in previous years with advice from both Carlos Beltran and J.D. Martinez.  That center field blast earlier this week was one for all the highlight reels.  Given Brett Baty’s remarkable numbers in AAA it’s going to be interesting to see how they fit them both in for the remainder of 2024.

Other players with some highlights include the surprisingly solid .270 average from Harrison Bader to go with his stellar defense.  Jeff McNeil has finally started to hit as he had in the 2022 and prior years but he still has a long way to go on his climb to respectability.  Starling Marte was hitting solidly but he’s gone now for likely a month. 

Finally, let’s give some kudos to rookie skipper Carlos Mendoza who didn’t totally fall apart during May and hasn’t overreacted to the positive outcomes in June.  He is learning on the job and what’s encouraging is that he is looking like he’s got a good grasp over things that need to be done. 

With the injuries, injury recoveries and pending trade deadline a month out it’s going to be mighty interesting to figure out whether or not the Mets are thinking they are 2024 contenders or if they are more interested in payroll reduction and the future for 2025 and beyond.  

Paul Articulates – The unexpected

The New York Mets climbed back to .500 last night in their 78th game.  I never expected that after the awful several weeks they spent from mid-April through the month of May.  In fact, after reflecting back, there are many things I never expected.

The sudden offense.  The Mets put up 21 runs in two games against the league-leading Yankees.  That includes 24 hits in two games, four home runs against Garrett Cole, six doubles, and 11 walks.  Lindor is hitting line drives on almost every at-bat, Martinez is hitting like the guy we thought he was when acquired, and Mark Vientos is hitting with power like most of the writers here kept saying he could.

The quality opponents.  The Mets have won 17 of 23 since leaving Los Angeles.  At that point, with the Phillies, Padres, Rangers, Cubs, and Yankees on the schedule, most of us thought it was going to get even uglier.  The Amazins never cease to amaze.   Something turned this team around.  Was it the team meeting, the Grimace, or just someone pulling a pin out of a voodoo doll?  They have not only beaten good teams and hot teams, but they have beaten some very good pitchers.  Garrett Cole, Shota Imanga, Michael Lorenzen, and Jon Gray were among their victims.  I certainly thought that this year’s team did not have the will to beat good teams and good pitchers.

The resilience.  The Mets have included come-from-behind victories, hold-on-to-lead victories, and have managed to push through any adversity during this streak.  That includes the unimaginable 10-game suspension of Edwin Diaz who walked into a game with stickier hands than a one year old who was handed the cake on his first birthday.

The heroes.  If someone were to tell me six weeks ago that the Mets were going to establish a winning streak, I would have imagined that Lindor, McNeil, Alonso, and Martinez would finally get hot.  Well, Lindor and Martinez did, but there have been so many others like Harrison Bader, Adrian Houser, Jose Iglesias, and Dedniel Nunez that have played outsized roles in this unbelievable roll.

The walks.  OK, not all the surprises are good ones.  The Mets’ pitching staff have walked 303 batters now, which is third worst in baseball.  It is not getting better, as evidenced by the seven free passes given out yesterday and seven more the night before.  The offense has managed to overcome this lately but this is not sustainable.  I was pleased to see Carlos Mendoza yank Adam Ottavino off the mound in a 9-1 ballgame after he walked the number 8 hitter in the eighth inning.  It sent a message not only to Otto, but to the rest of the staff – free bases for the bottom of the order will not be tolerated when there are dangerous weapons (Soto, Judge) close behind them.

I am sure that there are plenty more surprises in store for us this year.  Not all of them will be good.  The Mets have always treated their fans to the unexpected, so none of us should be surprised that we are being surprised.  Yet somehow, we always are.  Let’s Go Mets!

Tom Brennan: Mets Demolish Yanks, And Is "Small Ball" the Right Call?

LA ACUNA (photo Richard Nelson) 

I’m going to flip the script…start with last night, then my regular article:

LAST NIGHT

Mets up 4-0, bottom 5, when rains came. Alvarez 3 for 3, 3 RBIs. Deadly.

Post-rain, the Mets outscored the flailing Yanks8-2, making the final score 12-2.  The “2” was a Judge HR, # 30, giving him 7 RBIs in two games. My brother’s advice? Walk him every time.

Vientos fanned his first two times up, then had 2 walks and a single in his next 4 times up. Tyrone Taylor 3 run shot. Manaea 5 scoreless for the win. 

McNeil 0-4, sac fly…and Acuna is scorching in Syracuse the last two weeks. Anyway…

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED…BACK TO .500. 

5 GAMES BACK OF BRAVES.

MINORS:

Baty, Cortes, Thomas, and Acuna are on fire for unstoppable Syracuse, the four guys combining for 10 hits. Vasil pitched 6 solid innings.

And Tong Terrific? 6 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 11 Ks for Bklyn. Looks like a future star.

Sproat? Rained out.

REGULAR ARTICLE:

The draft will be upon us in short order. 

So, a short question….

"Is Small Ball the Right Call?"

In other words, is drafting or signing small hitters a good idea?

Imagine if you will a Mets MLB hitters' roster like this in a few years:

    OUTFIELD

5'9" Drew Gilbert

5'7" Luisangel Acuna

5'10" Rhylan Thomas

5'10" Nick Morabito

5'6" Matt Rudick

    INFIELD

5'6"  Jett Williams

5'11" Francisco Lindor

5'11" Luke Ritter

5'11" Francisco Alvarez

5'11" Kevin Parada

5'11" Ronald Hernandez

5'11" Marco Vargas

5'6"  Wyatt Young

5’10” Jesus Baez ( think I’ve seen him listed somewhere at 5’9”.)

Just to be clear, 5'11" isn't undersized in this day and age, but it seems like the low end of normal height in today's game, and a smart cut off height when drafting.

Short players in recent decades who are successful have been few, and far fewer than the good old days when a 5'6" guy named Hack Wilson drove in 116 runs one season - in just his home games.

Short players that were good hitters have included 5'6" marvel Jose Altuve, Walt "No Neck" Williams, who also clocked in at 5'6", Freddie Patek at 5'5", and 5'9" Mets glove wizard Rey Ordonez, who fielded slick but couldn't hit a lick.  

Bunting Brett Butler was just 5'10", and he scored nearly 1,400 runs.  And the Toy Cannon, Jim Wynn, was a rocket launcher who was generously listed at 5'10".  Of course, there was also the great 5'7" Joe Morgan.  

But I think it is safe to say that there are relatively few hitters under 5'10" that make a real impact.   

Who else over the last 50 years was great AND under 5'10"?

The Mets, in my opinion, have drafted too many short hitters over the years.

I remember the Mets drafting SS Branden Kaupe in the 4th round of 2012 (140th overall), and seeing he was 5'7".  Knowing nothing about him, I wondered why the Mets would draft such a short guy with such a high pick.  Was he super fast?  No.  He did steal 17 of 22, but he was up 600 times. 

Unusual power for his height?  No.  

An amazing hit generator?  No.  

An amazing contact hitter who rarely fanned?  No.  

The second coming of Ozzie Smith defensively?  No.  

Playing mostly 2B and some SS, he made a brutal 44 errors in about 150 games in the field.   So, why pick a short guy in the 4th round?  Or the first, 2nd, or 3rd rounds, for that matter?

In his career, which ended in A ball, Kaupe had 493 at bats plus 95 walks,  He ended up at .201, fanned 152 times, and had just 10 extra base hits (4 doubles, 6 triples) in roughly 600 PAs.  

"Far short" of MLB pedigree was Mr. Kaupe.  

If you are going to draft THAT poorly with a 140th overall pick, it makes me wonder if the scout who recommended him was a Russian agent; why not pick a guy who is 6'1" to 6'4" instead?  

Every time. 

Like a Rhys Hoskins, who was drafted 2 years later at # 142, and has 153 career HRs in 2,500 career MLB at bats.

Another short-in-stature Mets pick nearly 10 years back was 4th rounder Michael Paez, a 5'8" guy considered to have considerable pop for his size.  But that pop was not "pop enough" and he couldn't hit enough, either.  Just an overmatched short player.

Smaller hitters on average have less power than taller ones, and the smaller contingent tries to make it up through steals, hustle on the basepaths and defensively, and my sense is it seems to render them more error-prone.  If a shorter guy who heavily relies on speed gets hurt and loses a step or two, their competitive dvantage may be gone.

My advice?  Avoid all draftees under 5'10", as I think the odds of success get longer and longer as any given hitter gets shorter and shorter. 

Thoughts?  Keep it short, please.

Tom Brennan: Mark Vientos Gives Hope; Acuna & Rhylan Hot

 

Mark Vientos is Fitting In in Queens (photo: Richard Nelson) 

I have long been a supporter of Mark Vientos, who hit his 8th and 9th homers last night in a huge game against the Yankees.  I knew that he had “Pete Power” to all fields and liked to drive the ball to all fields for HRs.  He crushed an absolute bomb to dead center in Chicago on Sunday over the batters’ eye, and then hit two long, no-doubt blasts off Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, one going out to left center and one to right center.

He has now hit .297 with a .575 slug % in 34 Mets games, along with 30 RBIs in 31 AAA games earlier this year.

And, c’mon, admit it:  

Great defense, too. 

One Mets error, and just 2 other errors in 25 games in 2024 in AAA.

Sometimes my hunches are correct. 

Although Mark’s 2024 added defensive strength is a pleasant surprise.

On April 12, I wrote this:

MARK VIENTOS?

In the “what have you done for me lately?” scenario, I looked at Mark’s 3 more recent subsets of work:

1) Sept/Oct 2023 with the Mets. 20 for 87, 6 HRs, 11 RBIs, 4 walks, 27 Ks

2) Spring Training 2024 with the Mets: 13 for 56, 5 HRs, 9 RBIs, 2 walks, 19 Ks

3) Syracuse regular season 2024, AAA:11 for 36, 3 HRs, 9 RBIs, 6 walks, 11 Ks

Add those 3 up, 44 for 179 (.246), 14 HRs, 12  walks, 57 Ks.

His power numbers above are inescapably impressive. A homer every 12.8 at bats.

One can assume he will get better still, but his career is facing a bit of a crisis, having started his minor league tutelage at age 17 all the way back in 2017.

Yet his numbers in some respects compare to highly paid Phillies regular Kyle Schwarber, who is hitting .208 with 2 HRs, 5 RBIs in 48 at bats this year, with an average of a similar HR every 12.5 official at bats in 2022 and 2023, admittedly lots more walks than Mark but a dreadful 415 Ks in 315 games, and a .207 average over those 2 years. 

Again, in making this comparison, I find it hard to fathom that some teams in MLB wouldn’t right now be able to carve out significant at bats for Mark if they had him. He might just become the next Schwarber.

I would, right now, hope Mark works his butt off, hits 45 HRs if stuck in AAA all year, which I think he is capable of producing, and is the Mets DH next year. 

(For the record, in 682 AAA at bats, Vientos has 89 extra base hits, including 46 homers, and a .290 average, and history shows he does his best hitting when frigid upstate April weather ends).

Stearns may disagree, and trade him.

June 25 update: 

After those 2 Vientos homers Tuesday night, Stearns won’t trade Vientos. 

Not when I’d imagine 29 other teams would love to have him.

He looks like a real find, an everyday MLB slugger. He has arrived.

ACUNA HOT

Luisangel Acuna is riding an11 game hit streak, in which he has compiled 20 hits. Keep it up, LA.

RHYLAN THOMAS - THE SLUGGER??

Thomas has risen quickly to AAA, starting out in low A St Lucie in his first full season last year. 

Great batting average, very little power…until the last 10 games, anyway.

In his last 10 games, he has launched FIVE HRs, with 11 RBIs.

In his first 510 career at bats, he had 3 HRs, but 5 in his last 39 at bats. 

He seems to be taking the Jeff McNeil approach, where Jeff focused on powerless contact early in his minors career to prove he could hit for average, and then turned on the power.

In 2023 and 2024, he has had 501 at bats, hitting .310 (.282 this year in AA and AAA), with 31 doubles, 2 triples and 8 HRs. Moderate speed, stealing just 15 of 31 base attempts this year and last.

56 walks vs. just 60 Ks this year and last.

Just 3 minor league errors in 159 outfield games, with 9 assists.

Sounds like a solid future 4th OF to me.

OCA LAST NIGHT

Wasn’t effective, and allowed a 2 run HR, on a FB up in the zone. 

It looked straight and high 90s to me, but no radar gun reading that I saw. 

To me, Bryce seems to be moving along well as he readjusts post-TJS, although the result don’t yet reflect it.  No rush, we’ll see how he’s doing in a few weeks, as I imagine he will move up to Syracuse soon. A

It would be nice to have a 100 MPH arm for August and Sept in Queens.

Reese Kaplan -- Roster Changes a Greater Concern than Yankees

As the Mets prepare to begin the Subway Series there would have been a great deal of enthusiasm for the great month the boys in blue and orange have been having while the guys in dark pinstripes have started to see some chinks in their armor.  While the standings are not what anyone would like for the Mets, the bragging rights over these games against one another at Citifield and at Yankee Stadium usually bring out the best and worst of the fans.

This time around, however, the Mets will likely be more focused on the roster merry-go-round than they are specifically addressing the crosstown rivals here to play baseball.  The whole Edwin Diaz situation leaves the roster short for the next ten games as a result of the sticky-stuff scenario.  Given an ejection of this nature, the rules state that you cannot replace that person on the roster for the duration of the suspension.  That means the Mets are playing with 25 instead of the now customary 26 players.

The question of who will take over temporarily for Diaz to finish out games is an uncertainty.  Having known Adam Ottavino from his time in the Bronx and in Queens, Carlos Mendoza may opt for the experienced veteran to handle this duty, though Ottavino has been having a somewhat on-again/off-again pattern of pitching ineffectively. 

Behind him you have Drew Smith who left the last game seemingly having some issues with his arm or hand.  Then there is the veteran Jake Diekman who could theoretically close out games as he did on Sunday with Danny Young back from Syracuse taking Sean Reid-Foley’s place and giving the club another southpaw.  

Reed Garrett was absolutely unhittable earlier in the year then seemed to fall back to earth.  His consistency is not what you’d ideally like in a closer.  Oddly, despite having given up a two-run homer, rookie Dedniel Nunez could be the best choice as he is healthy and putting up consistently nice numbers, but it’s rare a club entrusts a key position like saving games to someone unproven.

With the slate of back-to-back games coming up to the tune of 17 in a row without a day off it would not be surprising to see the club dispatch either David Peterson or Tylor Megill who both have options and replace them with a reliever to help out the soon to be stretched-thin starting crew which might see Adrian Houser moving back into the rotation in place of whomever is sent to Syracuse.  

Down there you do have Jose Butto and Christian Scott who have always been starters.  It is possible that the winner of the demotion race to Syracuse could wind up being the long man in the pen and then it opens up a promotion for one of these two arms.  Mendoza recently said Scott would be back soon. 

The other roster re-engineering that needs to be done concerns the upcoming IL stint for Starling Marte due to the bone issue in his right knee.  Everyone knows that while Tyrone Power can field and run, he’s not a great hitter.  D.J. Stewart does none of the above except the occasional long ball.  That means a reinforcement is needed from Syracuse or the waiver wire.  

It is possible that Brett Baty could come up to play 2nd base or platoon at 3rd base with Mark Vientos while Jose Iglesias stands between Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso.  This strategy would put Jeff McNeil in the outfield along with Brandon Nimmo and Harrison Bader which would not look bad if McNeil was hitting like the player he was in 2022 and prior.  However, his current polar dwelling at the plate suggests that they might actually get more offense out of Taylor.

If the Mets chose to bring a real outfielder up to the big club, they do have choices.  Trayce Thompson, Ben Gamel and others are providing some decent offense with these two also showing major league experience.  The problem is neither is on the 40-man roster and it would require yet another roster rework to create that space.  The word on Marte is a minimum of 15 days of rest, so it’s possible that this substitute outfielder might be needed for most of the month of July. 

Nothing’s ever easy...

Tom Brennan: A Slot Machine Line Score, Marte, and Much More

The DSL Season Is Sometimes Remarkable

This article is not about Edwin, who had Crazy Glue on his hands. 

Crazy move, Edwin.

I’m switching from trumpets to crumpets. They’re more satisfying.

No, this anrticle is about the 4 crazy low minors games on Monday.

The Mets Blue DSL team?

They won 7-6. 

They had 7 runs on 7 hits and made 7 errors.

You don’t see that line score every day.

Bonus catcher Gutierrez went 3 for 5, with 2 ribbies, and is hitting .316.

Mets Orange? In that other DSL game, the Orange scored 9 runs (yay), but surrendered 22 runs (boo).   The game featured 29 hits, 16 walks, and 27 Ks.  

Yovanny Rodriguez, the other bonus catcher, went 2 for 4, but he allowed 11 steals. Yes, ELEVEN. Meanwhile, the Mets team attempted 2 steals, and were unsuccessful in both. It all evens out (not really).

The FCL Mets?

They lost 2 make up games. 

In the close one, a 6-5 loss, they scored 5 runs but had just one RBI.

Their catcher, last name Toledo, allowed 9 steals. HOLY (you fill in the blank).

In the other FCL game, they scored 2 runs on two hits, while their opponents doubled their production with 4 runs and 4 hits.

Just a typical Monday.

From the “But, of course” column:

Starling Marte has bone inflammation in his right knee that will put  him on the IL for a few weeks.

Just as the Yankees series starts. “But, of course.”