“IT’S JUST A GAME, DON’T WORRY, BE HAPPY….ARRGGHH!”
“HEY, WHAT IS GOING ON??”
Basically, what is going on is we are in the stretch drive of regular season baseball. We anre well into September.
Sometimes, strange September stories unfold. Not all in the majors.
For instance:
AA IF Matt Rudick missed virtually all of 2025, with an injury the nature of which I am blurry on but Matt returned with Brooklyn in a rehab in early September. On base 5 of 15 times.
He had a fantastic April and May in AA - way back in 2023 - best offensive hitter in AA by far in that stretch - then naturally he got hurt.
In 2024, his season was not so good. Disappointing, actually.
And now, he’s had a mere sliver of regular season action in 2025.
2026 prognosis for Matt? Who knows?
Another:
Is the fact that Juan Soto has been thrown out 3 more times than Mark Vientos significant? Vientos has been cut down zero times, in large part because he is zero for zero in steals. Soto (whom some had early-on termed as slow afoot) has stolen 29 more bases than Vientos’ zero.
Soto is really terrific, isn’t he?
Everyone, say it…”I was wrong. Soto rocks.”
Anyway…
Do we pick apart Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat for not being perfect, or excoriate the offense for only scoring 2 runs in each of the last two games?
Me? I’m picking on the offense….the pitching kids did absolutely great. After all, Tom Seaver lost 205 games, didn’t he?
Meanwhile, Tong and Sproat have only lost one each.
Seaver in his career lost 205 games. Cy Young lost 315 games.
Just a reminder: ya can’t win them all.
The two Metsies pitched very well this weekend. And will continue to do so. I like what I am seeing.
Tong? 5 HRs in 230 minor league innings in 2023 and 2024. Sunday, 3 HRs in 6 innings. These hitters are far better. He is, too - he will adjust.
Sproat? Reminded me of a young Zack Wheeler. ‘Nuf said.
The wilting Mets after Sunday trailed Philly by 7 games with 19 games remaining. On June 12, the Mets led the Phillies by 5.5 games. But then the Mets melted down like a slowly eaten Mr. Softee ice cream cone on a 98 degree day.
Securing a Mets Wild Card slot is no sure thing, either.
Not with a fired up Drew Gilbert playing for the stampeding Giants.
I’d strongly consider calling up wild man Dylan Ross to replace Stanek. Lots of walks, but just 10 hits allowed in 27 AAA innings, with a 2.00 ERA. And Stanek (the guy Ross should replace) gives me gas, just the wrong kind. His whole Mets tenure has been one big fart. 5.60 ERA in 74 outings? Enough.
Then, on Monday, McLean committed the unpardonable sin: he allowed a run.
Mets title hopes end. Duran overpowers McNeil and Alvarez with 2nd and 3rd, one out, to secure a 1-0 win. Mets 8 back with 18 to go. Manaea’s going today. $25 million, one win.
Born under a bad sign, sang Jack Bruce.
Moving on…
“Huh??
Regular seasons for Binghamton, Brooklyn, and St Lucie have ended???
Really???
What is going on? Why didn’t anybody tell me!!!”
Well, that sucks. Me? I wish they played until January.
But wait, the good news is that those three teams made their respective leagues’ playoffs, and their seasons at least briefly roll on this week.
More playing time for rehabbing Matt Rudick.
Syracuse thankfully plays regular season games for two weeks beyond those teams - this week and next - before their season ends. The playoffs are unlikely, but still possible. It will be exciting to see who the Mets promote to Syracuse from Binghamton after Binghamton’s playoffs end, for a taste of AAA.
My vote is for Reimer, Ewing, Morabito, Wenninger, Santucci, and Lambert.
Call them all up to AAA after the AA playoffs. And Matt Rudick, too.
BIGGEST UNKNOWN PROSPECTS IN THE REGULAR SEASON:
1) Randy Guzman: started out the season as an unknown in the FCL, and ended the regular season with St Lucie. How’d he do?
252 at bats, 22 doubles, 2 triples, 10 HRs, 57 RBI’s. Yes, he killed it.
I’d like to see those #s projected over 600 at bats. OK, so I did:
600 at bats, 52 doubles, 5 triples, 24 HRs, 137 RBIs. Sweet.
He hit .302/.375/.524 overall in 2025.
After his promotion to St Lucie, he demolished it at .333/.381/.604 in 26 games. DANG! And just 54 Ks in 283 PAs. He doesn’t turn 21 until April.
I expect him to be a 2026 minors beast.
2) Yonaton Henriquez: he had a game winning bases-clearing hit for Brooklyn on Sunday in the 9th inning, to cap quite a season. After not doing much in 2024, he started out the season as an unknown in St Lucie.
Promoted to Brooklyn late this season, the switch hitting 20 year old CF/IF stole 35 bags and hit .263, with 61 runs scored and 52 RBIs in 111 games, and just 80 Ks in 437 PAs. He improved as the season moved along, too, as he hit nearly .300 from June 1 on.
In 2026, we see what Yonaton has really got.
Just as a point of history, when the Israelis incredibly freed the hostages in 1976 in Entebbe, the “seal team” leader for the Israelis?
Yonatan Netanyahu. Yes, the brother of Benjamin. Anyway…
Both Guzman and Henriquez will be in my post-season 2026 Top 30.
Count on it.
WHILE WE HAVE HELSLEY….
We don’t have Aroldis Chapman, who going into Monday, had recorded 50 outs without allowing a hit, and sported an 0.98 ERA.
Sometimes, it seems all too often, the breaks do not go the Mets’ way. With Soto on first base with two outs, Nimmo lined a ball down the line that was just foul, which likely would have been a run-scoring double, and then flew out near the wall to end the inning. Another year, another team, maybe that at bat ends in run scoring hit and puts the Mets ahead.
ReplyDeleteThen, the recently hot Torrens goes on the IL, accompanied by Missing Megill.
Mauricio cost them a tie in 9th. Pinch ran for Pete, Vientos lined the ball down right field line to the corner for a double. Ronny SLO-Mo was inexplicably slow off of first. Had he aggressively run, on a ball the right fielder was nowhere near to catch, he probably scores. Acuna would have scored…he’s got much better base running instincts. And that, ladies and gents, is how seasons get lost. Jose Siri easily scores on that.
ReplyDeleteTom, I tried to tell everyone this for some time. Mauricio has zero baseball instincts. Yes, he might eventually hit some HR's, but he is nothing more than a left-handed DH. He can't bat right-handed, he fielding is poor, and his base running skills are nonexistent.
ReplyDeleteHe's trade bait.
Joe P, agreed. I again watched the replay. If Acuna was in, it is 100% he would've scored. Mauricio has the speed where he should long ago have been playing centerfield. One has the wonder why - my guess is they feel he’s awkward and will get slow jumps. And maybe too lazy to correct it. I always wondered why he made so many errors and it didn’t improve right with other guys.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that he’s still batting only left-handed well, and terrible hitting right handed? It’s not all up to the coaches. If I were Mauricio, I would’ve dropped trying to hit righty a long time ago. He doesn’t walk enough. He really belongs on a second division team. You lose with guys like that.
As the Giants close in on the Mets for the final Wild Card spot…who has hit .331 for them since theASB? DOM SMITH.
ReplyDeleteAgreed on Mauricio.
ReplyDeleteImagine getting overtaken by the Giants because of Smith, Gilbert and Butto. Yikes.
Just saw the Mauricio play because I wasn’t able to see the game last night. Totally not his fault. Castellanos was back by the fence - for such a reason. The ball bounced ten feet away from him. Mauricio was halfway between the bases. If Castellanos was able to catch it, he can get back. But, because Castellanos was so deep, he fielded the ball on one hop. Mauricio never had a chance to score. No shot.
DeleteMcNeil up with two in and one out and getting beat with the heat is what hurt them.
DeleteI think next year Sterns should have his phone taken away the last 2 weeks of July because he really blew it this year. Great post by Heyman on getting smoked by the Phillies at the trade deadline. DS has taken all the credit for the last 2 years so now he must face the reality of really sucking it up this year. I am excited though over the news Siri will soon be returning aren't you? LOL the only player who sucks more offensively than Mullins. Another great start by McLean even though he didn't have his best stuff and one of the few things to happy about recently as were not close to the team we were last year at this time and alot of people will have to answer for not making the Playoffs if we continue playing like this.
ReplyDeleteGary,I still hope Manaea starts to earn his paycheck. Tonight. With a win. Sneak into the playoffs and anything can happen.
ReplyDeleteGus, when Duran is pitching like that, I can’t blame Jeff. Everything wicked hard. The breaking ball drops a lot, fastball at 102 up in zone. Jeff had a good swing, but that pitch was so nasty, when you have to be aware he might throw a disappearing slider. If it was 99, Jeff probably gets wood on it.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Alvarez missed 3 way outside breaking balls. Looked foolish.
I am ready to give up on Alvarez. He has loads of talent, is smart, but so untamed. Kind of player that will finally find himself in his walk year and go to another organization and be great. Kind of like Brunson on the Knicks.
DeleteGus, I largely agree. My guess is maybe Alvarez is gun shy on standing too close to the plate, with 2 injured hands? I bet Duran thought “he will be hesitant to dive in, so I will curve him and he won’t reach them.”
ReplyDelete