In Focus - Spencer Strider - Different Balls? - Yesterday's Highlights

 

Thomas Nestico                 @TJStats

Daily tjStuff+ Leaders

2025-04-09

Min. 50 Pitches

1) Tylor Megill - 110

2) Ryan Pepiot - 110

3) Justin Verlander – 107

Spencer Strider absolutely dominated in his rehab start today as he struck out 12 in 5.0 IP

The Atlanta Ace is had his fastball cooking today while he eviscerated batters with his secondaries

He looks ready to make his 2025 MLB debut!         

Syracuse –

Plagued by missed opportunities and poor defense the Syracuse Mets once again fell to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, 5-1, on a rainy Thursday night at Coca Cola Park. Despite the loss, Gilberto Celestino had two hits, an RBI, and extended his hitting streak to six straight games.

Syracuse (3-8) had its first opportunity to score in the top of the second inning when Donovan Walton was hit by a pitch, Luke Ritter singled, and Chris Williams walked. The bases were loaded with two outs, but Luis De Los Santos struck out to end the inning and strand the bases loaded.

In his third outing of the season, Syracuse starter Justin Hagenman began with two scoreless innings but ran into some trouble in the bottom of the third against a powerful Lehigh Valley (10-2) lineup. Singles from Otto Kemp and Gabriel Rincones Jr. put two runners on base with one out. Hagenman struck out Buddy Kennedy, then gave up an RBI single to Cal Stevenson who brought Kemp in to score and make it 1-0. With two down and two runners on, De Los Santos committed an error on a ground ball to third base that loaded the bases and kept the inning alive. The next batter, Oscar Mercado hit a three-run double that extended the IronPigs lead to 4-0.

Binghamton –

Due to inclement weather in the forecast, Thursday’s Rumble Ponies game against the Hartford Yard Goats at Mirabito Stadium has been postponed. It will be made up as part of a doubleheader (two seven-inning games) on Friday. The first game will get underway at 3 p.m., with gates opening at 2:30 p.m. The second game will begin approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.

Brooklyn –

The Brooklyn Cyclones were topped by the Hudson Valley Renegades on Thursday night at Maimonides Park, 8-3. The contest was aired on SNY, the flagship TV home of the New York Mets. Despite the loss, RHP Noah Hall impressed in his second start of the season. The 2023 draftee tossed 4.2 innings of one-hit ball, allowing only one unearned run, while striking out eight and walking only two.

Offensively, Brooklyn was held in check to just five hits on the day, but three of them came from 1B Estarling Mercado. The lefty finished his day 3-for-4, and scored one of Brooklyn’s three runs. It’s the second time already this season that Mercado has put together a three hit performance.

St. Lucie -

The St. Lucie Mets were playing their best game of the young season but suffered a tough eighth inning in a 7-6 loss to the Lakeland Flying Tigers on Thursday night at Joker Marchant Stadium.

The Mets jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Drew Gilbert started the game with a double. Colin Houck walked and Marco Vargas singled to load the bases. After A.J. Ewing hit a run-scoring ground out, Daiverson Gutierrez laced a two-run single to make it 3-0. The damage was done against Tigers prospect Owen Hall, who was making his professional debut.

Gilbert launched a towering 392-foot solo home run in the second inning to put the Mets up 4-0.

Mets reliever Irving Cota cruised for 4.0 scoreless innings to protect the lead. He gave up just two hits, walked one and struck out four.

Pitch Profiler                      @pitchprofiler

By combining these elements, we can model real‑time stadium conditions.

For example, in Boston today—with 49°F, 56% humidity, 30.31 in Hg pressure, and 20 ft elevation—analysis suggests pitchers received a 6.5% boost in pitch movement, a shift that can alter strategy.                       

The bottom line: the ball itself (probably) hasn’t been altered.

It’s the ever‑changing environment—temperature, elevation, pressure, and humidity—that drives variations in pitch movement throughout the season.

 

Daniel Wexler                    @WexlerRules

Kevin Parada is close to "throw in as a second piece of a trade for a reliever at the deadline" at this point.

 

Ernest Dove             @ernestdove

19 yr old Mets C prospect Daiverson Gutierrez is 3 for 3 tonight in Low A. This kid might be soaring at this point. Of course, long season ahead but his solid camp has rolled into a solid start of the regular season.      

Among all the early positives from Mets OF prospect Eli Serrano start to High A Brooklyn Cyclones season there's his 3rd stolen base of the season tonight.

 

Mets Prospect Group                   @bkfan09

It’s really simple for Wilmer Lugo in 2025 , find the strike zone and he will do  very well. Lugo’s secondary pitches are prob too good for the DSL/FCL . Lugo buries himself by not throwing enough strikes to set up his secondary pitches.

1-6

3.94 era

32 IP

8 HB

28BB/37K

19 WP