“AFL” USED TO MEAN RIGHT HANDER JOE WILLIE NAMATH TO ME
METS PLAYOFFS:
Milwaukee Brewers v. Mets.
David Stearn's former team vs. his current team.
Dead even at 1-1 after Phil Maton dropped the baton.
Mets fans know that after 1969 it is never, ever easy.
ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE:
The Cactus season starts in 5 days, on October 8. Tell Siri or Alexa to remind you.
Eight Mets players who got the golden ticket and are slated to play fall ball in Arizona:
3 lengthily injured ranked hitting prospects:
Jett Williams- IF
Drew Gilbert- OF
Jacob Reimer- 3B
- Those injured 3 totaled perhaps one full season equivalent.
5 pitchers:
Saul Garcia- P (4-8, 5.05 in 71 IP in 2024, 86 Ks. Work in progress).
Noah Hall- P (missed most of 2024…13 pro innings)
Jonathan Pintaro- P 26 year old rookie who had a fine season (2.68 ERA)
Dylan Ross-P (drafted in 2022…ONE pro inning)
Jawilme Ramirez- P 22 y/o spent most of 2024 in Brooklyn (73 IP, 3.58 ERA)
The season lasts 30 games. Last year, 31 MILB players played in 20-25 games. My hope is Jett Williams and Drew Gilbert, as Top 100 MLB prospects, get in 22-23 games. As many as 25? We'll take it. That would mean they are healthy and playing well.
Last year's AFL stats for Mets' players were mensa-mensa - let’s take a look back:
JT Schwartz got in 20 games, drove in a 19 runs, and went .247/.325/.411.
D'Andre Smith and Rowdey Jordan each got in just 15 games, and each had 51 ABs:
Smith was .235/.291/.353, and Jordan was .255/.357/.373, with the two combining to drive in just 9 runs.
Kevin Parada in 18 games hit just .186/.240/.371, a harbinger it seems of a subsequent weak 2024 offensive campaign in AA.
2023 Season Pitchers?
Jordan Geber went 18 IP, and had a 6.00 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in AZ.
- He went a decent 5-8, 3.83 in 89 IP in 2024.
Trey McLoughlin? 8.2 IP, 0.00 and 0.92, and a solid 2024 minors season followed.
Nolan Clenney went 9 IP, 1.00 and 1.44. 5-1, 5.37 in relief in 2024. His ERA in AA was elevated due to a 4 game stretch in May where he allowed 12 earned runs in 5.1 IP. 20 earned runs in his other 48 innings, not so bad.
Brendan Hardy is now a Rockies minor league reliever. He had a 6.35 ERA last fall.
Tyler Thomas AFL? 9.2 IP, 3.72. Pitched for an other org in 2024, was released.
Overall?
I am far more excited about the 2024 AFL season than 2023's, because it will be a major opportunity for both Jett and Drew, who totaled just 351 minor league at bats in 2024, as they fell about 600 at bats short of expected workload due to injury. An opportunity to show everyone that they are nearly ready for the Big Show in 2025. The AFL should allow them to perhaps make up 200 of the noted 600 AB deficit.
Reimer? He had just 96 plate appearances due to injuries and has not gotten above High A yet, so it will be challenging in the AFL for the 20 year old 4th rounder from 2022. A good challenge.
Personally, I would have loved to see the Brooklyn Flash, Nick Morabito, play in Arizona, but...well, I don't know why, and won't try to guess.
Our very own Paul Articulates will give his own spin and updates on this AFL season as it progresses. Stay tuned.
FIRST DETROIT DID IT, THEN THE WHITE SOX AVOIDED IGNOMINY, TOO
So, after 149 games, the 33-116 White Sox were a dead cinch to finish worse than the 40-120 (.250) Mets, right? As it turns out, the correct answer is....
Wrong. Unbelievably, they went 8-5 in their last 13 games to finish 41-121 (.253). They did lose the most ever, but their win % was .003 better than the Metsies.
The Tigers in 2003 went 43–119, and came within one loss of tying the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in modern major league history. They were a miserable 38-118, but then inexplicably won 5 of their last 6.
Amazing.
15 comments:
Mets still alive...Tigers out, BRAVES OUT, Orioles out.
I wonder why Mendoza did not stay with Stanek for the 8th inning after just 11 pitches in the 7th.
I pretty much scratch.my head at his general use of the pen lately
Mack, in baseball today, there is far too much use of one inning relievers. Stanek barely pitched in the 7th. If he comes back out for a scoreless 8th, Diaz a scoreless 9th, everyone gets to rest. And move on to the next round. In fairness, Maton pitched well twice against the Brewers last weekend and is excellent in the post season, but on any given day, a guy can be "off", so why not stick with the guy who just breezed thru the 7th?
Maton should not have pitched last night :itched too many times in the last 5 games
Tom and Mack,
I think we were all questioning the decision to not utilize Stanek in the eighth inning since he did well in the seventh. So let's go tonight and win.
Don't understand why Manaea didn't pitch the sixth.
The Mets because of bad decisions by the manager.
1. Why not Winker instead of Martinez?. Winker only wants to stick it to his old team and Martinez hasn't done anything lately.
2. Why oh WHY do you take out a reliever that just dominated in order to bring a soft tossing one?. As soon as I saw Maton, I turned to my wife and said that's a mistake. Five seconds later, the game was tied and I couldn't bear to watch any more.
That win, uplifts the Brewers and I wouldn't be surprised if they come out swinging tonight and blow the Mets away. Is Pete Alonso alive?
Viper, it could be Pete's last game as a Met. He is a polar bear. He will come out of hibernation next year. Maybe, fittingly, as a Cub.
I missed the start of the game, but just saw the first inning play where Alonso hit a possible DP grounder wide of shortstop. SS makes diving stop and reaches into glove to flip it. Alonso starts running out of the box but dropped his bat in his running path and tripped and fell?????? Another weird thing huh?
Blackburn will not return until 2025 due to issues with his spinal column leak, a totally frequent injut (not). Senga threw some pitches the other day, and expects to be ready the day after the World Series ends. McNeil could be back if the Mets are still playing in the NLCS or World Series, not sooner - darn those 75 MPH curveballs.
Tears are forming for our dear friends: "This marked the third straight year the Braves’ World Series hopes were tarnished by at least one late-season injury to a starting pitcher. But this season was different. The rotation had been the only strength this injury-depleted team had left.
What might have happened had top NL Cy Young Award candidate Chris Sale not recently joined Ronald Acuña Jr., Spencer Strider and Austin Riley on the list of Atlanta stars unavailable for the postseason? That can be debated throughout an offseason that began immediately after the Braves suffered" a 2 game sweep.
The Braves' Max Fried is a free agent - interested?
No play offs for Jake, Max, and Justin, although the latter will get a playoff share for not pitching. Verlander should throw it back into the pool for low paid guys on Houston who did more.
deGrom very expensively went 2-0 in just 41 innings in 2023 and 2024. Dodged a bullet not re-signing him.
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