Tom Brennan - Tom's Tidbits - Do These Mets Have a Chance? Megill. And Minor League Prowess

HOW DO THESE METSIES THRILL US? 

WIN AFTER WIN (MOSTLY)

OK, how are the Mets looking, as the early season has nearly progressed past the early season into the start of the mid-season?   Do these Mets have a chance? 

18-7 going into Friday’s game. I’d say they have a great chance.

This, despite the Soto-led Mets outfield hitting just .202 in 273 at bats, with just 7 HRs and 26 RBIs. 

And remember, this grossly underperforming outfield does not have to face stifling Mets pitching.

Maybe….there is a soon-coming alternative.

OF Drew Gilbert is closer to an MLB debut than anyone might have speculated.  In his last 11 games through yesterday, he is 15 for 34 with 6 walks, 6 XBH, and just 5 Ks. This young man sure is trying to make up for lost time.

(Well, they say it is a game of inches. The Mets lost 5-4 by inches on Friday night. 18-8).

Last night in the minors, offensively scuffling Binghamton was shut out on 2 hits in a shortened 7 inning game.

But Syracuse, Brooklyn and St Lucie notched a whopping 27 runs.  The minors Mets offense is way ahead of 2024’s totally dreary early season pace. Which is a great thing. Except for .225 Binghamton, that-is.  

Brooklyn’s 38 doubles in 19 games is 8 doubles higher than the second best doubles team. And Carson Benge hit a grand slam, ma’am, thanks for asking. 

And 13th rounder RJ Gordon (2-0, 2.70) fanned 9, and Brooklyn relievers fanned 9 more over the final 4. And 9+9 =18. And 18 is a lot.

Encouraging was Brian Metoyer doing the 9th, allowing just a walk, and fanning the side. This guy has been another Matt Allan injury-wise.

Mack always inquires about Anthony Nunez. Perfect inning, fanning 2. 

The converted infielder has now compiled 8.2 innings, allowing NO HITS, 4 walks, and racking up 15 Ks. That is SICK, dude.

A TALE OF TWO KEVINS

Kevin Villavicencio (St Lucie) .459

Kevin Parada (Binghamton) .143

TYLOR MEGILL:

My comment after his killer start against Philly on Monday night:

Cy Young for 1.09 ERA Megill, with his 30 Ks in 24 IP? 

I still remember watching him on MILB.TV in 2019 when he was firing darts in A ball, thinking, “this guy in the 8th round might REALLY be something.” 

Maybe he truly still will be.

Let’s look at him in his first 5 outings of 2025, and last 7 outings in 2024: 

58 innings, 13 earned runs, 2.01 ERA, 68 Ks.

Cy Young results.

And to think…if Montas and Manaea had been healthy…would Megill have started out in Syracuse?

STRIFE AND CONSTERNATION IN GEORGIA:

Charlie Daniels sang, "the devil went down to Georgia." It fits here.

Luisangel's big brother, and Atlanta Brave, Ronald Acuna in a recent tweet ripped into his manager and into teammate Jarred Kelenic when the latter failed to run hard on a long fly ball he hit.  

JK was slow out of the box, and wonder of wonders, it did NOT clear the fence, and he got gunned down at second. 

Ronald Acuna wondered out loud why Kelenic was not pulled from the game by Snitzker, the same way he was years earlier on a similar play.

What I wonder even more?  

Why Jarred Kelenic is still playing in the big leagues.

Through Sunday, JK was NOT OK.  The JK stood for Just Krappy.

In 50 at bats, just .180, 19 Ks, 2 HRs and just 2 very lonely RBIs.  

And 0-9 with RISP.  .211 career non-hitter.

Well, the Braves figure, ya gotta play somebody out there in the outfield until Ronald McDonald Acuna returns.  Which is expected to be in the first half of May.  

When that happens, and with “Spencer Tracy” Strider now back, they will be formidable and dangerous again.  Even without ex-Brave Max Fried, who is 4-0, 1.42 this season in Da Bronx. And when the Braves are back to full strength, one has to wonder if Kelenic will be around to see it. Unless he buys a ticket, that is.

Mets fans may fear the return soon to the Braves of Ronald Acuna, who is one of the very best ball players in the game before he got hurt. However, one of his key tools is stealing bases. If I missed as much time as he has with two MCL injuries, I would forgo the stolen base portion of his game.

If he does stop stealing bases to prevent re-injury, he isn’t really any longer one of the best MLB players…as he was in his 2023 MVP season when he stole 73 bags while hitting a power-laden .337…but just a very good one.