A BIG ZACH ATTACK
It is possible that Zach Thornton has leapfrogged over Jonah Tong.
In Thorton’s Friday night start, he threw six shut out innings in AAA, allowing just three hits in a walk, and fanning nine batters.
In the previous day’s game, Jonah was beaten unmercifully.
By the same opponent that Thornton whupped.
Tong? 1.2 IP, 7 runs, two homers allowed.
That says “LEAPFROG” to me.
THE WINNER OF THE AWARD FOR SLOWEST START GOES TO…
Yonaton Henriquez.
After a very good season in 2025, I was expecting big things.
But through Friday, Henriquez was just 4 for 50 (.080) with Brooklyn.
Hey…. I fib you not.
Close runner up?
R.J.Gordon.
After a very good season in 2025, I was expecting big things from R.J.
But through Friday, Gordon had made five starts this season.
In those five starts, he had a total of just seven innings.
His ERA exceeds 21.00, and his WHIP exceeds 3.00.
You can’t even use the old adage that he is getting his work in.
Seven innings in five starts disqualifies him on that count.
If you want to flip my two man ranking order there, feel free.
QUESTION…
Would you trade rhe Mets’ Nolan McLeam for Cam Schlittler, straight up?
The Cam Man is 6-1, 1.35, 0.78 WHIP in 10 outings this year. Cy Young?
Our guy is great. Cam is…deGrom ++?
Oh, and the Mets won. 6-3. Benge and Soto had 5 hits, everyone else had 3.
And Brooklyn lost 1-0, and sits at .182 after 37 games. I like .282 better.
And Randy Guzman launched his 8th rocket. At 117.6 MPH.
Have a blessed Sunday, everyone.
And remember…
While Clay Holmes got hurt only because he was not wearing full body armor, the personal decision to wear body armor is only one that you can make for yourself.
I kind of like the White Knight look, myself.
29 comments:
I'm keeping McLean
I missed the Cam S game the other night so I really can’t comment other than looking at the numbers that he’s putting up and drooling. So, for me, it’s too early to decide. But it feels a little bit like when they used to be comparisons who do you like more Willie, Mickey or the Duke? These two pictures seem to be sensational with tremendous futures.
Wenninger is starting today for Syracuse which puts a little damper on him filling the Holmes slot
Thornton lines up perfectly but my money is on Tong
McLean still needs to work on his pitch count and not letting runs leak in
Will Bo ever hit? He's No Bo until I see something from him so between Bo, Marcus, Luis and Jorge we got nothing dam that's hard to do. Weaver was the man last night way to go AND NO ONE GOT INJURED!
Gary, I’ll bet some Mets fans got injured jumping up out of their chairs in excitement. Haven’t had much of a chance to do that in the last month or so, and their muscles are not stretched out. so can the Mets win with a half a dozen key guys out? I guess we’ll find out.
It probably comes down to who’s on the 40 man roster right now. Maybe Tong will be terrific. If some of the stuff he’s been asked to try to incorporate is not working, just go back to your 2025 stuff and let it rip, Jonah.
CLIFFORD COUNT: 2 more Ks last night. He is now up to 66 in 42 games - when I do the math, that comes out to about 250/162 games. And, that is against Minor League pitching.
I saw that Parada is up again to AAA. He didn’t earn it based on his hitting. (.186).
I also saw that the Mets added back Jaylen Palmer in AA. He had not been playing this year in pro games, at least in my league games, and he is another high shrink out guy, but at this point, he can probably help Binghamton with his bat.
My guess is with Baty emerging and Lindor healing and Bo probably opting, he is being shopped
Palmer is just a roster fill
Parada filled slot opened too
Clifford quickly becoming a roster fill
10 minutes after I said this so did Joel Sherman
I can't believe how many quality MLB players the Mets can ruin. Bichette will be great for any team he is traded to.
Wenninger pitches today, but he could be pulled in favor of a bullpen game and brought up at the right time to fill the Holmes slot. Or Tong, but I think he runs the risk of being disheartened if he tries to work in his horizontal movement pitches in his early appearances. Let Thornton build up more confidence in AAA..
I agree with Mack that McLean throws too many pitches and ends up taking himself out of games too early. He will be better with Torrens catching him. I also think it is a good thing that Tong is going through a rough patch in the minors. He had too much success too quickly with underlying stuff that did not project his previous record lasting; and it hasn't. So now he gets to add a pitch he has always needed. It doesn't have to be a high usage pitch, but it has to be a threat. Scott actually needs a change up for exactly the same reasons. Neither will reach their potential without the pitch they need, not as a strikeout pitch, but to keep the hitters uncomfortable and thus induce soft contact outs.
I don't think that Thornton will come up this soon. He may be looking good in recent outings, but he has to face more in the minors before being ready to see MLB batters. We might see him in mid-season after Peterson gets dealt.
Weather improves and so does Baty. There is a timing element in Bichette's swing that isn't in sync yet which is a consequence of his super high and early leg kick. He's had it his entire career and he has been able to make it work, but it is a timing thing, and in general the fewer moving parts you have to time properly the more and better the contact. Can't change him, just have to help with the timing. If you notice pitchers are getting more heat by him and he is not catching up to it; then they follow it up with something with movement so he is almost always a little off balance. Hitting a lot of foul backs or down and striking out a lot. Timing heavy swing, made a little harder to execute on by wrapping his bat around his head pointing out to the field. Long way for the barrel to have to travel in a split second. So he creates timing issues at two outer parts (distill as opposed to proximate) of his swing. Soto makes for good comparison. Everything that moves in his swing goes from inside out (proximate to distill) -- core and spine out. It's much easier to time things up when the inside moves the outside in response. You see some of this in Judge as well. Look where his hands and bat are at address compared to Bichette.
Now look at Baty. His hands are lined up at address somewhere between directly out from sternum or inside his trail peck, but they move back and around at the start of his swing which makes it much longer with less recovery time. He moves well but can't catch up quickly enough on some pitches or recognize others fast enough. Warm weather loosens his muscles and speeds the action up a bit.
Ewing has a really short swing and swings entirely from the inside out. Benge is between Baty and Ewing. A good mover with a little bit of a longer swing, but not as long as Baty, and may have faster short twitch muscles. who knows.
It's all a matter of match-ups and sources of speed and power. One way to accelerate a swing is to lengthen it. So you can get more speed in the bat but you run the risk of making less solid contact. You can have a short swing with great movement pattern like Ewing but not be powerful enough to hit homers. Don't change anything in my book. The worst thing would be to experiment by trying to get stronger in your upper body or lengthen your swing. Just take what your body can give you. If you are a near ideal mover, just work on improving your impact alignments to improve solid contact.
Vientos has a relatively short swing and is a pretty good mover, but he suffers three problems that he can work on. In relative importance, he just has to get better on pitch recognition. and he can use the ground better to get more energy into the system; and last he can level his swing plane a bit. He has the physical attributes to be a much better hitter than he is while striking out a lot less often
Mack - coincidence?
I will comment on Bichette on Tuesday.
Jules, from your lips to…
I would LOVE to see someone (not me) see how much above league average Clifford is in CALLED STRIKES. my guess is that is quite excessive, and if he doesn’t fix it, his career will be short. Or, conversely, his minor league career will be lengthy.
I seen Thornton taking Manaea's spot .
If Tong is called up, he should win or lose with his best. If the alternative pitches are not ready, don’t use them.
I wonder how McLean’s strike percentage is compared to other major league starters. I wonder if he’s throwing too many pitches outside the strike zone, or if they’re just fouling them off.
Ray, the only place a move like that could hurt is in Steve Cohen’s pocketbook. Sooner or later, uncle Steve will have to eat a lot of of Manny‘s contract I believe.
In my view, Baty emergence has to do with him playing at 3B where he is comfortable. Same thing with Vientos where he is looking more like the 1B of the future. Bo Bichette needs a breakout game and will be fine after that.
Viper, mid-May is when newly acquired Mets superstar hitters start to actually hit. It is about to happen.
Wouldn’t be surprised if they give Manaea another shot
Sit Bo for two games if he finest break out soon.
If he doesn’t break out soon
Well, He is hitting like Brujan…
… for $46,500,000 less this year
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