The REAL version of the famous quote:
“It’s the offense, stupid.”
- Bill Clinton
The Mets’ road offense is smoking, 11-1 winners, and I truly think folks are not considering three things enough in this sprint to the Wild Card:
1) JD Martinez is, as my brother said all winter, a “friggin’ beast.” Mets had a double, walk, and a JD Martinez 3 run HR before Imanaga even recorded an out. A Mike Tyson jolt knocked Immortal Imanaga right to the canvas. 10 earned runs in 3 innings? ERA inflation. Good luck, Cubbies.
2) The Mets catching is SO MUCH BETTER, with Alvarez on 3 more times with 2 walks and a HR. (Torrens is on paternity leave for the weekend).
3) Jose Iglesias 4 for 5? .438? He is hitting like Jeff McNeil used to hit. Jeff, I surmise, will be sitting a lot. My brother asked repeatedly, when Iglesias was optioned out in the spring WHY WHY WHY?
Why Wendle and Short were on the team instead of Iggy? My brother really tries to be nice, but saw at the end of spring training that both were horrible. He was right.
Oh, and Nimmo homered too.
Wait….neither JD’s nor Nimmo’s HRs get out in Citi Field.
I watched them, and I say no. Chew on THAT!
Remembering how horribly slowly Nimmo, Lindor, and Alonso got off at the start of the season, they are all now way up to, and each hitting, .244.
Why?
When a team gets hot, hitters feel the pressure come off and want to have a hitting party every night. A bull market for hitters.
Quintana? Back to back wins? Wow.
Final out of the game? Nido struck out. No tears from me.
Pete Crow Armstrong is hitting .200. Perhaps he was overrated.
Finally:
Mets on the road? First in batting average, OBP, and runs per game.
Mets at Pity Field? Almost last in team hitting. WHAT A PITY.
Look out. We’re coming.
Megill vs. Taillon today. Can we put it in the books now? OK, we'll play first, then do it.
P.S. The Mets were asked where they prefer to stay. Their answer?
Move The Fences Inn.
5 Stars Rated.
Brother Steve just told me to add here that Yankees and Phillies fans have SO MUCH FUN in their hitter-friendly home parks. Lotsa long balls.
He thinks with a little fence shortening, Citi Field could join the party.
Mets at home: 154 runs in 41 games. 3.75 runs per game.
Mets on road: 194 runs in 33 games. 5.87 runs per game.
Minors Mentions:
Jose Butto? Strong again, 6 IP, 1 run, 7 Ks. He is 4-2, 3.13. His Syracuse team is 46-26.
Luke Ritter, his teammate, had 2 RBIs in a 3-1 win, giving him 53 RBIs on the season in his 65 games, and 50 in his last 57 games. Qualifies him as an RBI machine.
Two recent Ritter 2 HR games on You Tube if you care to watch - bombs:
Drake Osborn, catching for Binghamton, went 4 for 4, and is now hitting .301/.379/.423 in High A and AA in 2024. IMPRESSIVE.
- And he throws runners out, too.
Grant Hartwig had knee surgery - out 6-8 weeks. Was dealing in AAA.
LA Acuna sat out with a banged up shoulder, but was not added to the IL. His 18 year old brother, Bryan Acuna, is 18, also a SS, and is hitting .333/.491/.405 in 15 FCL games for Minnesota. Great genes.
Yanks call up the effective, and ex-Met, Phil Bickford for their bullpen.
- Just in time for the series against...the Mets.
Where do I start?
ReplyDelete1. McNeil had to be given first shot at second. Now, he is Inglesias' understudy.
Do nothing this year unless you can get at least 50% salary relief in a trade this year
JDM
ReplyDeleteI would hold on to him and try to sign another one year deal next season.
Will probably be offered more by some DH starved team
Luke Ritter
ReplyDeleteSo blocked this season at both 1B and DH
Is this enough to replace Pete next season on first?
Butto
ReplyDeleteBlocked this season
Could eek in next year with Scott, especially if Tidwell keeps on his pitching roller-coaster
Osborn
ReplyDeletePredict he will be the starter in AAA next season
Acuña
ReplyDeletePredict he will start in CF next year for Mets
I would trade JDM for a good prospect. Trouble is the team's ego is so fragile.
ReplyDeleteTrading any core player RIGHT NOW could really upset the karma apple cart in the clubhouse
DeleteYes, it could. And NOT trading someone keeps the door barred for Baty. Heads or tails?
DeleteIf Baty could play OF, I'd switch him and Stewart.
Tom,
ReplyDeleteYou have written several times about players who leave the Mets and do well. We may need to add Austin Adams, a relief pitcher, traded this past March to Oakland for cash. Seems to be doing quite well in middle relief for the A's. With Oakland out of contention, would he be a player worth trading back for?
I agree on Martinez, Mack. As I wrote about two weeks ago, I would trade Alonso and everything not tied down, but I would keep Martinez unless someone blows me away, and even then…. Leadership is important, and he brings it. I’m talking a “stand in front of the army” General, not a “vocal leader in the back” kind of guy.
ReplyDeleteThere is no trading yet. Let’s see.
How about Kelenic leading off and helping the Braves trounce the Yankees?
No on Austin Adams. He is wildness personified.
ReplyDeleteTim Boyle on Rising Apple had this from Mike Puma: “ One sense I have gotten from Mets people: they are open to potentially trading starting pitchers ahead of the deadline - and still competing for the postseason - with Kodai Senga, Christian Scott and Jose Butto, among others, seen as possible rotation adds.”. I’m like, Puma is reading my comments! Thanks for that Mike!
ReplyDeleteDon't be surprised they aren't talking to teams out of it to swap prospects
DeleteTom,
ReplyDeleteYes, just saw he blew the save in yesterday's game. My bad.
under irrelevant comments, it was James Carville who made the original 'it's the economy, stupid' comment, though I'm sure Bill Clinton would be glad to take the credit. as to trading, though the Mets, coming into the season the prospects were tops heavy in regulars, it's the pitchers who have advanced, and I agree 100% with Texas Gus' quote from Mike Puma, trade off some of the current rotation starters (for hopefully good prospects) and bring up some of the minor leaguers who look to be ready; hopefully the call ups can do as well or better than the current starters.
ReplyDeleteButto and Scott should be pitching in majors
DeleteSenga almost ready
Current expiring contracts improving
What do you do?
What do you do?
Mack, to keep your thought, I wondered how much they really LOVE Acuna, but he has tools and I like tools. But, even a “tool shed” like Amed Rosario - as Keith Law called him - needed six or seven years to figure it out. So, from purely a tools point of view, how do you rank the Mets prospects? I think Mauricio is probably #1, even better than Jett. But, I bet that is the question that keeps system evaluators up every night.
ReplyDeleteThe Mets future regarding the outfield is murky at best. I'm writing about options next Tuesday.
DeleteI too have concerns (not doubts) about LAA but whether we like it or not he is going to play Citi come spring
Also, if we use Keith Hernandez constant reminder that the game is 90% between the ears, can you balance the two?
ReplyDeleteAfter that horrible start, can we end the McGill experiment? Maybe a pen arm, but I've seen enough of this guy in the rotation
ReplyDeleteKiefer Sutherland, in the show 24, often said "We're running out of time." That applies to Megill, and to .300 NcNeil - that's McNeil's non-slugging %. Can he fake an injury or something? He can go.
ReplyDeleteDJ Stewart has walked a lot, but .178?? He can go. Try Baty.
And, frankly, Tyrone Taylor has been highly disappointing. Since the last 4 games in April, he is just 17 for 89, and in one game he was 4 for 5, so in the rest of the games, over the past 60 days, 13 for 84 with 3 RBIs and just 3 walks. He can go.
All three duds were in the line up today. They went 1 for 11 with no walks and 6 Ks. Team killers. I guess McNeil must stay for contract reasons. But replace Taylor and Stewart - now.
Montes de Oca jumped to AA. Saturday night, 1 inning, 1-2-3, 12 pitches, 9 for strikes, 2 punch outs. Nice.
ReplyDeleteVery nice indeed!
ReplyDelete