Maybe the great Pedro Martinez will be a better career comp, than Tim Lincecum, for our very own Jonah Tong - or for Nolan (Ryan) McLean
One can dream, right?
Pedro and our very own Nolan McLean? One can dream, right? That one might well be a stretch. Pedro was a freak. McLean, at 6’2”, 215, is bigger and stronger.
Lincecum and Tong? One can dream, right? Man, it’s early, but I actually hope Tong’s career will be superior to that of Tim’s.
Lincecum did win those 2 Cy Young’s, no small feat, but he ended up “just” 110-89, 3.74, which is good but not great, and Tim debuted when he was 250 days older than Tong, giving Jonah a bit of a head start. Similar styles. Tong is 2 inches taller, an advantage. I hope Tong has a superior career.
Why? He’s a 16 year old freak. That’s why.
He’s 22? Nah. That’s a typo. He’s 16.
First Rounder Mitch Voit - So Far
What is the difference between being a 38th overall, first round pick, and an early second round pick?
Not much. The first actual second rounder was pick # 44.
As of Saturday, Mitch Voit was on the Temporary Inactive list, and hitting just .186, with only 2 doubles and 9 walks in 80 plate appearances. 11 for 11 in steals aside, overall, not an impressive debut so far…but he is just 20, and starting out directly in the FSL because the FCL season had already (prematurely?) ended, instead of debuting in the easier FCL, is a difficult challenge.
He has a lot of hard work ahead, to be ready in 2026 to prove that he was a good 38th overall pick. He is listed as the Mets’ 9th overall prospect, with 50 grade power, and a projected debut of 2028. I’d say, based on early results, 2029 is more likely.
The top 30 list at #prospect # 7 has AJ Ewing debuting in 2028, too.
That to me is way off. I can see him as a late 2026 Mets call up, or a 2027 full year Mets player.
After all, he is already hitting .386 in AA, over his first 16 games there. And having a sensational overall year.
I forgot this, too:
AJ was selected with the 2023 compensation pick the Mets received for losing Jacob deGrom to free agency, so I am glad Jake moved south.
PITCHING SHAKE UP NEEDED
This was written before the Detroit game on Labor Day, on which game I will not comment, because today is Labor Day, and I am taking the rest of Monday off to barbecue and whatnot. The LABOR is up to the well-paid Mets today.
I wrote these three points in a reply to Reese’s Monday AM article - thoughts?
1) While Mets tried to baby their pitchers, here are Mets ERAs over last 30 days:
STARTERS
Frank M. 9.00
Peterson 7.56
Manaea 7.13
K. Senga 6.18
RELIEVERS
Helsley 10.38
Stanek 12.86
That, frankly, is unbelievable.
So, I have ZERO PROBLEM moving Sproat and Megill into the rotation, and giving 2 of the horror shows a demotion to the pen (or towards the back of the pen). The season is slipping away. ENTIRELY. DO OVER THE MELTED DOWN PITCHING STAFF. Do it, starting today.
I’d be OK with leaving Manaea in the rotation, and putting Holmes in the pen, and going with a rotation of Tong, McLean, Sproat, Megill, and Manaea. Or switch the latter with Shaky Peterson.
Roll the friggin’ dice. The entire staff was 4.97 in August. Without the superlative innings of McLean and Tong, was the rest 6.00? Probably. The entire staff, in August, aside from McLean and Tong, was 7-17. While the Mets had one of baseball’s best offenses in August.
Stearns, make the changes I suggest. The season hangs in the balance. The cited veterans have FAILED.
STARTERS
Frank M. 9.00
Peterson 7.56
Manaea 7.13
K. Senga 6.18
RELIEVERS
Helsley 10.38
Stanek 12.86
That, frankly, is unbelievable.
So, I have ZERO PROBLEM moving Sproat and Megill into the rotation, and giving 2 of the horror shows a demotion to the pen (or towards the back of the pen). The season is slipping away. ENTIRELY. DO OVER THE MELTED DOWN PITCHING STAFF. Do it, starting today.
I’d be OK with leaving Manaea in the rotation, and putting Holmes in the pen, and going with a rotation of Tong, McLean, Sproat, Megill, and Manaea. Or switch the latter with Shaky Peterson.
Roll the friggin’ dice. The entire staff was 4.97 in August. Without the superlative innings of McLean and Tong, was the rest 6.00? Probably. The entire staff, in August, aside from McLean and Tong, was 7-17. While the Mets had one of baseball’s best offenses in August.
Stearns, make the changes I suggest. The season hangs in the balance. The cited veterans have FAILED.
AND…
2) You know who else deserves a call up? RJ Gordon.
While only in AA, last night, RJ was superlative again. 5 innings, 1 run, 3 hits, 9 Ks. He is 11-2 this year. In August, 4-0, 2.08 in 6 starts.
Radical? Yes. But worth considering.
AND…
3) Stunning….i look at the box scores from Saturday night, and Mike Vasil gets the save in a 3-2 win over the Yanks. Vasil in NINETY INNINGS is 5-3, 2.50 ERA, with 3 saves. What does that say about Mets pitcher development?
- How does he struggle for 2 seasons in Mets AAA, and then do THAT?
Blade Tidwell meanwhile is doing very well in the PCL for the Giants.
Blade Tidwell meanwhile is doing very well in the PCL for the Giants.
He will probably replicate Vasil in 2026.
SOTO TO THE RESCUE ON SUNDAY
Manaea stunk it up again. Juan Soto to the rescue!
Grand slam, 2 run triple, and another 2 walks…oh, my!
This Soto fella is pretty good, huh? Hottest hitter in the NL over the past few months.
Luis Torrens, too, is finally hitting in some better luck.
Last 7 games? 8 for 21, TEN RBIs! 3-3, 2 RBIs, and a sacrifice yesterday.
The guy, Alvarez, with 2 damaged hands? His last 2 rehab games, 1 for 9, 6 Ks. Don’t rush it, Torrens is raking..
SEPTEMBER CALL UPS
No Sproat or Megill….yet:
The Mets have added Luisangel Acuña and Justin Hagenman to their active roster. Teams are permitted to carry one additional pitcher and position player for September through the end of the regular season.
The Great Larry Hagman - A Star Who Played for Dallas
- Hagenman? I was hoping they’d call up Larry Hagman instead. Oh, well…
Happy Labor Day. We all need a Labor Day Retriever. Or simply settle for Happy Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteI was up this morning working on my Observations for Wednesday, but, after reading this. I decided to share some of my thoughts here.
ReplyDelete(first, the use of the word "manure"... as the owner of this site... I apologize for comparing a human to a pile of animal excrement. That word was used in a private text and should have been cleaned up here. I'm sure this was a slip by Tom)
As for the Mets... I can not understand the lack of executing a new plan, after the entire Mets community and everyone in the world that writes about this team have expressed, that would involve returning Tylor Megill, promoting Brandon Sproat, and removing both Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga from the rotation.
Your plan can't keep being do nothing about pitching and score 10 runs a game.
My apologies. Not meant to insult the person, but it does describe his lack of success by every metric this year. And they have 2 years, $50 million left. The first year of a 3 year for a guy in his 30s should be his best. I dunno.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct
DeleteAfter hearing his comments after the game, even he admits he currently has no answers
Tweaked.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Tom
ReplyDeleteTo me the proper comp for McLean is David Cone
Cone could spin it with the best of them
2 Cy Young’s “just” 110-89, 3.74,
In a game where wins have become zero valued ?
We could only be so lucky to have this be Tong
Eddie, Cone is a fine McLean comp.
ReplyDeleteI just hope Tong wins a lot more than Lincecum’s 110 games.
I may be too exuberant on that. After all, so many of today’s starters get pulled early and end up with NDs. The Mets’ pen already has 60 decisions.The Mets in all of 1986 had just 51 pen decisions. In 1969, the Mets pen had just 39 decisions.
I’d like to see 150+ wins for him in his career, though. It helps to start young.
Mack, I am very disappointed that Manaea’s season started with a 4 month injury. It really makes one wonder what these guys do wrong for conditioning. He is 34 just before 2026 camp opens. I am concerned. It is premature, but I’d like to see him moved no later than the 2026 trade deadline. Go with the kids.
ReplyDeleteThis is just another example that you should NEVER sign a starter 32+ to multiple years
DeleteDevelop team controlled starters
Tough Sunday. Mets shakily win, but Philly and Cincy come from behind to win. I’d feel a whole lot better if Cincy was one game further back in the Wild Card.
ReplyDeleteTom, according to Tim Britton in The Athletic yeaterday, it’s the Mets sole focus:
ReplyDelete“The Mets have toyed with piggybacking at various junctures this season, most notably with Paul Blackburn back in early June. They’ll soon have enough starting options — and enough distinct looks among those starting options — to make piggybacking palatable again. Again with a series of questions: Does Tong’s funkiness play up if he’s following Peterson in a game? Does Megill’s four-seam fastball play up if he’s coming in after Clay Holmes’ sinker-heavy arsenal? Did the poor experience in June sour the Mets on the concept entirely?
Just last fall, in using Senga to start a pair of Game 1s, the Mets prioritized a higher ceiling over a reliable floor. That same approach this season would point to significant October roles for McLean and Tong, provided they handle the next month reasonably well.
The postseason is a puzzle to get to 27 outs, and with each passing year, that puzzle requires more and more creativity. The Mets may very well have the pieces necessary for it, but orienting them properly remains one heck of a challenge.”
Gus, fascinating, and Mack, we agree on that.
ReplyDelete