Tom Brennan: High K Rates & Pitch Counts, Low Stability; What To Do With the Line Up

At least Peterson & Megill are far better than ex-Met Tom Szapucki

Tylor Megill, in his 4th season, and just got sent down - again.

This year, in AAA and the majors, he's fanned 72 in 53 innings. 304 Ks in 302 career MLB innings.

But his Mets WHIP is 1.44 this year, and 1.42 career.  His career ERA is 4.76, and is 5.08 this year.  

And he occasionally gets into the 5th inning in his starts, rarely gets to the 6th, and almost never gets to the 7th.  He is 19-20 career.

Yet, his stuff is good.

David Peterson (5th MLB season) has not gotten sent down again.

This year, in AAA and the majors (before his nice 6.1 inning outing on Monday), he fanned 55 in 51 innings. 383 Ks in 360 career MLB innings.

But his Mets WHIP is 1.48 this year, and 1.42 career.  His career ERA is 4.45, and is 3.67 this year.  

He also has trouble getting deep into games in his starts. He is 21-21 career.

Yet, his stuff is good.

Questions:

What can they do to improve?

Could they be far more successful pitching out of the bullpen?

Or…just pound the zone more?

What say you, readers?

WHAT TO DO WITH THE LINE UP AND PEN?

First of all, in a bizarre continuation of player "action" starting with Edwin's "sticky situation" 10 days ago, Drew Smith gets seriously hurt, Starling Marte goes out for a month (at least) with a bone bruise in his knee, Reid Foley is back (no surprise) no time soon, Tyler Jay and Matt Festa get called up and lit up in their outings, etc.

Then...more bizarre stuff:

JD Martinez was scratched from last night's game due to ankle soreness which (i kid you not) he attributed to a late shipment of Adidas spikes. Martinez ordered a different pair from elsewhere, wore them the night he hit the 3 run 10th inning shot on Monday, woke up sore Tuesday, and felt a sharp pain in his ankle in BP and sat it out to get treatment.  Where are those darned shoes?

Harrison Bader I am always concerned about due to past missed time.  So, not surprisingly, he crashed into the outfield wall last night, came out, and apparently will be available on Wednesday.

We badly need Martinez and Bader to be healthy, period.  Without Marte and Bader, we'd be left with the totally underwhelming offensive duo of Tyrone Taylor and DJ Stewart.  Combined, they were excellent in April, but could not be worse in May thru now.  

Tyrone Taylor since the last 3 games he played in April is 20 for 113, and take out his 4 for 5 game in June and over all the other games in that stretch, he is 16 for 108 (.148).  He did make one heck of a leaping catch at the wall vs. Washington, but that .148 number is quite disturbing.

Jeff McNeil ditto  -  he was not great in April but he was pretty decent. I think we thought warmer weather would awaken his bat. Nope.

The 2022 batting champ has been horrific since April.  Just .202 in May, .194 in June, and 1 for 9 in July.

So:

Let's pray JD and Bader (.270) are OK and ready to play. Pray very hard.  

They are vitally needed.

Let's also bench McNeil and play Jose Iglesias almost every day, too.  

Jose is hitting .388 in 49 ABs with 10 RBIs since his recall, and a .280 career hitter, while Jeff (.215) has driven in just 19 in 267 at bats.  

Ride the hot bat.  Last night, in the 10th, Iglesias shot a liner down the line to left - foul by inches. So, he then proceeds to drive a double down the right field line.  I'd sit McNeil if possible until the All Star break, and then try to re-start him.

I would also call up Brett Baty at the earliest opportunity and put him at 2B when Iglesias does not play, and give Vientos a day off here and there.  Baty's had 91 AAA at bats since his demotion and is hitting .319, and he did not hit well as a Met, but he hit better than McNeil has.   

PINPOINT PEN CONTROL

100 MPH Mets pitchers? Minors starter Brandon Sproat, chosen to pitch in the Futures Game this month.

And relievers Shintaro Fujinami and Bryce Montes de Oca.

When last we saw Shintaro Fujinami, he was extraordinarily wild.  Steve Blass wild.  So now he is rehabbing.  His last 2 rehab outings in A and AA were perfect 1-2-3 innings.

In those two games, he totaled just 14 pitches - all 14 were for strikes.  

Stop and ponder that one.  Blass has turned into Saberhagen.

Bryce Montes de Oca's last 2 AA rehab outings, also 1-2-3 innings. Bryce, whose control has often been concerning, needed 17 pitches in the 2 outings, 13 of which were strikes.  

He just got bumped to Syracuse, which tells me we could see him in Queens perhaps as soon as next week, with Fujinami not far behind.  

Two fireballing control freaks.  I like that.

TONG TERRIFIC

Jonah Tong continues to amaze. 

He went 5 innings for Brooklyn last night, fanned 7 and allowed 1 hit in the 5th inning. This 21 year old righty is 4-1, 2.17 between Lucie and Brooklyn, and 99 Ks in 66 innings.  13.5 per 9 IP.

He has a major league velocity fastball with significant, controllable movement, and has other fine pitches he mixes together well. 

He deserves, even if it seems rapid, to be promoted to Binghamton. 

Why?

1) He's had 11 outings already for Brooklyn, after he dismantled FSL opposing hitters at the start of 2024.

2) Last 3 outings for Brooklyn, 16 innings, 1 run, 5 hits, 25 Ks. Stunning.

Right after the Futures game, I would promote Sproat to AAA, and promote Tong to AA.

KODAI THE CYCLONE

Read this:

“Brooklyn Cyclones announced that RHP Kodai Senga is slated to make a Major League rehab start with the team on Wednesday evening against Hudson Valley at Maimonides Park.”

- Another bright light at the edge of the horizon.

LGM