MACK ' My Thursday Observations

 

Reed Garrett sets the tone

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6265497/2025/04/08/mets-bullpen-reed-garrett-takeaways/

In the middle innings of a tight game, with runners on base, there’s little doubt who manager Carlos Mendoza prefers: Reed Garrett.

Garrett has inherited six runners this season and stranded them all; only teammate Max Kranick has matched that in 2025. All of Garrett’s appearances this season have come in above-average leverage. 

Why do the Mets like Garrett so much in those spots?

In general, what you want most with runners on base is a strikeout or a popup, neither of which allows runners to move up. In 2024, Garrett struck out more than a third of opposing hitters — a top 15 mark in the sport last season. And he generated nine more popups in the infield.

Beyond that, you want a pitcher who can also keep the ball on the ground for a potential double play. Garrett’s ground-ball rate was better than 44 percent last season, and in total, more than 60 percent of plate appearances against him ended in a strikeout, popup or groundball. He’s on an even better pace this year, with 14 of the 18 hitters he’s faced striking out, popping up or hitting a grounder.

MLB Power Rankings

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6258852/2025/04/08/mlb-power-rankings-braves-padres-phillies/

T-8. New York Mets (7.7)

Record: 7-3

Last Power Ranking: 9

Early difference-maker: Tylor Megill

Juan Soto is getting on base a ton, Pete Alonso is hitting for power and Francisco Lindor is struggling (but still delivering when it matters). The Mets are built around those things. For their team to work, those three pieces have to be clicking. So far, so good. (For the most part.) 

The surprising piece keeping the Mets afloat in the early going is starter Megill, who’s become especially important following injuries to Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas and Paul Blackburn. Megill made two starts and won them, including the first game of a three-game weekend sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays. He has a 0.87 ERA.

 

Long before torpedo bats, the maple bat craze took over baseball

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6255592/2025/04/07/maple-bat-craze-torpedo-bats/

A professional hitter would turn an ash bat into a broom, he says, in a week to 10 days. He figured he couldn’t make a sturdier ash bat. Those had been perfected since the 1880s, when it took six balls to draw a walk. He needed a different source of wood. He visited Ottawa’s patent library and the National Research Council, where he learned the density of maple isn’t too different from that of ash. Maple has a tight grain structure and is a harder wood than ash, giving it the potential to be more durable.

Holman had spare maple in his home, as he was crafting new spindles for his staircase. His grandfather was a mechanical engineer who taught his grandkids how to carve with a jackknife after he carved a model of a 1927 tank truck to present to a Columbia Steel committee. So, Holman had long had a passion for woodworking. He was the perfect person for this task.

In those early days, before Holman owned a well-oiled factory to create sufficient supply, his home doubled as a workshop. They painted the bats in the basement. They boxed them up in the kitchen. They readied them for shipping in the living room. They kept records in the third-floor office.

 

MLB Draft notes: Liam Doyle dominates –

Tennessee lefty Liam Doyle was at No. 1 in my first draft ranking of 2025, a reflection of his unhittable fastball and the absence of anyone better on the board at that point. He started on Friday night in the Vols’ home series against Texas A&M, pitching Tennessee to their only win of the series by throwing six no-hit innings, which turned out to be the highlight of Tennessee’s weekend. I was in Knoxville for all three games, where the Vols won handily on Friday but got smoked — pun intended — in a doubleheader on Saturday.

Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) posted at 0:32 AM on Mon, Apr 07, 2025:

The largest contracts in MLB history:

1. Juan Soto - $756M

2. Shohei Ohtani - $700M

3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - $500M

4. Mike Trout - $426.5M

5. Mookie Betts - $365M

 

Baseball America              @BaseballAmerica

 

These teams signed the most international prospects in Top 30s this year:

1. Dodgers (18)

1. Yankees (18)m

3. Red Sox (17)

4. Padres (16)

5. Angels (15)

5. Brewers (15)

TJStats - MLB Top 50 Pitching Prospects: Spring 2025

tjstats@substack.com

34) Jonah Tong

Tong soared through 3 separate levels in his age 21 season, posting absurd whiff rates and showing improved command. His fastball is the crown jewel of his arsenal. His stuff has popped this spring, sitting at 94-96 MPH and topping out at 99, he consistently gets +20” of iVB on the offering from over-the-top delivery. Thanks to his smaller stature and above-average extension, he is able to get down to a 5.8’ vertical release point. The combination of massive ride from an unorthodox release aides in its effectiveness. 

The rest of his arsenal features an array of secondaries that have been effective this season but lack the polish of a starter’s repertoire. His slider/cutter is his best secondary, sitting at 85-87 MPH with 6” glove-side movement and 3” iVB. His curveball may be his most memorable pitch thanks to its massive vertical difference from his fastball. It sits at 75 MPH and can reach -20” iVB. That is over 3’ difference from his fastball! 

Tong’s changeup is the biggest work in progress. It sits at 85 MPH, but his release makes it increasingly difficult to produce and changeup with large separation from his fastball. His strike throwing improved in 2024, but he was inconsistent at hitting the zone with his secondaries. The improvement in velocity is a huge development and with more refined command of his secondaries his stock could launch into the stratosphere

Twelve Mets prospects to watch early in the minor-league season

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6253398/2025/04/04/mets-prospects-minor-league-season/

OF Drew Gilbert (No. 11 in organization)

Gilbert missed more than three months in 2024 with a hamstring injury, and he’s starting 2025 on the injured list at Triple A because his hamstrings still don’t feel right. It’s not exactly an encouraging sign.

That said, Gilbert is slated to start a rehab assignment for St. Lucie on Friday. Given the persistence of Gilbert’s hamstring issues, the Mets are going to be cautious with him before bringing him back up to Syracuse.

When Gilbert did play last season, he looked compromised. He hit just .205 in 62 regular-season games, then .208 in 18 more in the Arizona Fall League. He’d hit .289 in an excellent all-around 2023.

It’s a critical year for Gilbert, who will need to be placed on the 40-man roster or exposed to the Rule 5 draft this winter.

 

IF Colin Houck, St. Lucie

Houck’s initial foray into pro ball after being drafted in the first round in the summer of 2023 did not go well (.699 OPS), and his first full season in 2024 went worse (.610 OPS). The infielder is going to start the year at St. Lucie again, hopeful that two adjustments can make for a different year.

First, Houck made a physical adjustment to his stance, moving closer to the plate. Some of his best contact last season came on pitches in off the plate, which left him susceptible to strikes on the outer half.

Second, the Mets have worked with Houck on mentally handling the day-to-day grind in pro ball, especially during times of struggle. That’s allowed the Mets to challenge Houck more often in training and practice.

SP Matt Allan, St. Lucie

On Sunday, Allan will do something he hasn’t since 2019: pitch in a professional baseball game. It will cap off a remarkable return journey from three elbow surgeries for the 2019 third-round pick, and the Mets are ecstatic he’s even gotten to this point.

The Mets made Allan the centerpiece of their 2019 draft for a reason, and they still believe him capable of reaching that level.

Allan will be treated as a typical starter at St. Lucie, which means a first outing of three or maybe four innings.

Jim Koenigsberger            @Jimfrombaseball

Upon ownership:

"We plan absentee ownership as far as running the Yankees is concerned. We’re not going to pretend we’re something we aren’t. I’ll stick to building ships"

George Steinbrenner