MACK - WEDNESDAY REPORT -

 

 

Good morning

First some dirty laundry.

We are getting closer every day to, first, the beginning of Spring Training, and then, the real deal season.

Us writers here will be adjusting our approach once the season starts. For one, my Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday Reports will be much more result content base and will cover events that had happen prior to that day at all levels.

Tom Brennan will be following me on Sunday 7:30am with a new weekly recap of events through his eyes. Knowing Tom, you will need to sit back and enjoy the length of his explanation, expertise, and comments.

We’ve been blessed with the recent additions of Farm To Flushing, Angry Mike, RVH, and, most recently, Cautious Optimist. We’ve got a new one joining us this month… Alex Rubinson is majoring in his final semester at Syracuse University, majoring in Broadcast and Digital Journalism. His recent accomplishments is interviewing Kodai Senga and Carlos Beltran. Looks like we’ve found another live one.

 

NYM News                      @NYM_News

The Mets plan to start Jonah Tong in Triple-A to open 2026, per Jon Heyman. They want Tong to refine his breaking pitches to complement his 96–98 MPH fastball and Vulcan changeup. Tong, only 22, posted a 1.43 MiLB ERA in 2025 but had a 7.71 ERA over his first 5 MLB starts.

MACK – this makes total sense. Tong needs to master a third pitch so he has a fighting chance as a major league starter. He’s working on a couple of them in Florida and should see the results of this work sometime during the first week of ST.

As for the Mets rotation, right now, there seems to be plenty of candidates to form a five-man opening day rotation. Hell, there’s enough for a 6-man.

Baring an injury, my guess is Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, and Kodai Senga will get first shot.

I have David Peterson, Tobias Myers, and Christian Scott waiting in the wings, either in the Mets bullpen, or the Syracuse rotation, waiting for “new developments”, including an injury.

 

 

Mets agree to deal with MJ Melendez. MLB deal. $1.5M plus $500K incentives

GROK –

MJ Melendez (full name Mervyl Samuel Melendez Jr.) is a 27-year-old professional baseball player, currently a left fielder and catcher for the New York Mets in Major League Baseball (MLB).

He was born on November 29, 1998, in Daytona Beach, Florida. He bats left-handed and throws right-handed, standing at 6'1" and weighing 190 lbs.

Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 2nd round (52nd overall) of the 2017 MLB Draft out of Westminster Christian School in Miami, FL.

Made his MLB debut with the Royals on May 3, 2022.

Played for the Royals from 2022 through 2025, primarily transitioning from catcher to the outfield (especially left field) due to roster needs and to focus on his hitting.

Became a free agent after the 2025 season (non-tendered by KC).

Signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the New York Mets on February 8, 2026, adding depth to their outfield mix

Positions and Role

MJ Melendez is listed as Left Fielder / Catcher. He has significant experience in left field in recent years (most of his MLB innings there since 2023), along with some right field, first base, and emergency catcher duties.

His strong arm (consistently 93rd-95th percentile in arm strength) is a plus tool.

Recent Performance2025 MLB (with Royals): Struggled significantly in a limited role — .083 AVG, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .321 OPS over 23 games / 65 PA (mostly early in the season before demotion).

Strong in Triple-A (Omaha) that year: .261 AVG, 20 HR, 64 RBI, 20 SB, .813 OPS in 107 games.

Earlier MLB seasons (2022-2024) showed more power: 52 career HR entering 2026, with OPS around .674-.713 in fuller seasons.

He's a former top prospect known for lefty power and versatility, though consistency at the plate has been an issue. The Mets signing views him as low-risk with upside, especially in left field.

MACK –

I was hoping for a little more with a leftfield addition. I also would be thrilled with Tyrone Taylor with the starter and Melendez as a backup. That’s me.

Mets announce they've acquired LHP Bryan Hudson from the White Sox in exchange for cash considerations.  In a corresponding move, RHP Reed Garrett has been placed on the 60-Day IL.

GROK –

Bryan Hudson, the 6'8" left-handed relief pitcher, was recently acquired by the New York Mets from the Chicago White Sox for cash considerations (as reported on February 10, 2026). He was designated for assignment by the White Sox earlier this month after a mixed 2025 season split between Milwaukee and Chicago.

Hudson, a former standout in 2024 with the Brewers (1.73 ERA over 62.1 IP), is a tall lefty reliever who primarily relies on a multi-pitch arsenal.

According to Statcast data (via Baseball Savant and Brooks Baseball), his repertoire includes:

Four-Seam Fastball (primary pitch, around 66-67% usage in recent samples): Averaging ~91 mph, with heavy sinking action, good whiff generation, and slightly above-average groundball tendencies for a four-seamer.

Sweeper/Slider (secondary offering, ~22% usage): Around 81 mph, serves as his main breaking ball with significant horizontal movement.

Sinker (~7% usage): ~90 mph, adds another sinking fastball variant.

Cutter (~3-4% usage): ~86 mph, noted for heavy sink but extreme flyball tendencies.

Changeup (rare, <1% usage): ~85 mph, not a major part of his mix and limited effectiveness in small samples.

This mix allows him to attack hitters with velocity, sink, and sweep from his imposing frame. His fastball has good ride/sink characteristics that help generate swings-and-misses, while the sweeper provides a wipeout breaking pitch against right-handers especially.

Career highlights include strong command and strikeout rates in his peak year (2024: 9.0 K/9), though 2025 saw regression (4.80 ERA in limited innings). The Mets add him to bolster lefty relief depth alongside options like Hoby Milner (wait, reports mention Minter and Raley as other lefties on the 40-man).For visuals on his pitches, check Statcast pages or Pitcher List for GIFs of his four-seamer, sweeper, etc.—they show the sink and sweep well. He's a low-cost depth addition with upside if he recaptures 2024 form.