MACK – Hot Bats – Trey Snyder, ML Melendez, Julio Zayas

 

PERIOD:    7/8  - 7/17

 

J.T. Schwartz/AA-Binghamton - .429/.579/.500/1.079

 

PERIOD:   7/13 – 7/22

 

Trey Snyder/A-St. Lucie - .632/.636/1.105/1.741, 1-HR, 10-RBI, 12-H

Trey Snyder is a 20-year-old shortstop (born September 21, 2005) in the New York Mets organization. He was drafted by the Mets in the 5th round (144th overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Liberty North High School in Liberty, Missouri.

A three-sport athlete (football, basketball, baseball) in high school, he stood out as one of Missouri’s top prep prospects.

In his senior season, he hit .391 with 7 home runs, 36 RBIs, 46 runs, and 22 stolen bases in 40 games. He earned Missouri Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year honors.

He had committed to the University of Tennessee but signed with the Mets for an above-slot bonus of $1,322,500 (slot value was around $476,200).

Physical: 6'1", 197 lbs, right-handed batter and thrower.

Offense: Mature approach with good contact skills, line-drive swing, and emerging power (scouts see 15-20 HR potential as he adds strength). He uses a slight leg lift and has shown high exit velocities.

Defense: Athletic shortstop with quick reactions, smooth hands, quick transfer, and a strong/accurate arm (up to 93 mph). He has the tools to stay at SS but could shift to 2B or 3B if he fills out further.

Overall, he's viewed as a high-upside, toolsy prep prospect with five-tool potential, though still raw as a high school draftee.

Professional Career (as of mid-2026) He has primarily played with the Mets' Single-A affiliate, the St. Lucie Mets (Florida State League).Key Minor League Stats:2024 (limited debut): .182 AVG in 6 games with St. Lucie (quick promotion after signing).

2025: .220/.336/.288 in 115 games — showed speed (41 SB) but modest power (5 HR).

2026 (partial season): Strong start with .310–.323 AVG in limited action, good OBP, and speed before an injury.

He dealt with a 60-day IL stint early in 2026 but was activated in early June. He has also earned Player of the Week honors in St. Lucie and hit his first home run of the 2026 season.

Snyder is a promising but developmental prospect (projected ETA around 2028). He’s still early in his career and working to translate his tools and high school success into consistent minor league production.

 

ML Melendez/AAA-Syracuse - .467/.579/1.067/1.646, 3-HR, 6-RBI, 7-H

MJ Melendez (full name: Mervyl Samuel Melendez Jr.) is a professional baseball outfielder/left fielder (with experience at catcher and some first base) currently with the New York Mets.

He was born on November 29, 1998 (age 27 as of 2026) in Daytona Beach, Florida. He bats left and throws right, stands 6'0" and weighs about 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, Florida. He was a highly regarded prospect early on, rising to top-100 status (peaking around #35–51) before his 2022 debut, initially as a catcher.

Spent his entire career with the Royals organization until 2025. He transitioned primarily to the outfield due to the presence of Salvador Perez behind the plate.

MLB Debut: May 3, 2022, with the Royals.

After a down 2025 season (limited MLB time and poor results), he was non-tendered by Kansas City and became a free agent.

Signed a one-year, $1.5 million split contract (with up to $500K in incentives) with the New York Mets in February 2026. He began the season at Triple-A Syracuse but was called up in mid-April.

Melendez is a left-handed power bat with strikeout tendencies but also some plate discipline and versatility. He has shown flashes of strong power in the minors and early MLB years but has struggled with consistency at the major league level.

Modest on-base and slugging percentages (career OPS in the .680 range)

In 2026 with the Mets (partial season): He started hot with some extra-base hits (including two doubles off Shohei Ohtani in his Mets debut) and even hit a walk-off homer, but overall numbers were modest (.192/.315/.350 range in limited action). He has been shuttling between the majors and Triple-A Syracuse.

He is a low-risk depth/versatile outfield addition for the Mets, providing lefty power, corner outfield play, occasional first base, and emergency catching. As of mid-2026, he remains on the 40-man roster and has been optioned/recall-eligible depending on roster needs.

 

PERIOD:   7/13  -  7/22

Julio Zayas/A-St. Lucie - .364/.462/1.000/1.462, 2-HR, 2-RBI, 4-H

Julio Jorge Zayas is a 20-year-old catching prospect (born February 16, 2006, in Pimentel, Dominican Republic) in the New York Mets organization. He bats and throws right-handed, stands 5'11" and weighs 190 lbs. The Mets signed him as an international free agent (UDFA) on January 15, 2023.

2023: Dominated in the Dominican Summer League (DSL Mets Orange) as a 17-year-old — .307 AVG, 7 HR, strong power and contact.

2024–2025: Played in the Florida Complex League (FCL Mets, rookie level), showing solid plate discipline and gap power but fewer home runs.

2026: Promoted to Single-A St. Lucie Mets. As of mid-2026, he was hitting around .234–.246 with 3 HR in roughly 145–232 AB, plus decent on-base skills. He has also appeared at 1B in the past.

Career Minor League Batting (approx. through mid-2026): Roughly .270 AVG, 14 HR, solid OBP in the .36–.37 range, but limited speed (only 1 SB).

Zayas is a legitimate catching prospect with a good hit tool for his age, some power potential, and the ability to draw walks. Like many young catchers, he is still developing defensively and adjusting to higher levels (strikeouts have ticked up a bit in Single-A). He is not yet on most top-30 Mets prospect lists (the system has several higher-profile arms and position players), but he is a name to watch as he climbs the ladder.

He also threw 2 innings in a blow out St Lucie loss recently, just as an aside, allowing 5 runs. Some pitcher do worse. I watched a little video…he won’t be trading careers for the mound any time soon.

Reese Kaplan -- Looking Ahead to Faces Who May or May Not Return

So who has a roster spot pretty much guaranteed during 2027 after the embarrassment of 2026?

• Francisco Lindor is indeed an All Star caliber player who had a horrendous year due to injury and recovery.  His contract is too long and too costly to make it easy to move him elsewhere. 
• Bo Bichette late in the year has started to show Mets fans what kind of player he really is.  The batting average is still low but has been climbing steadily the past few months.  No one is going to pay him more or for a longer period of time based upon his 2026 production so expect him back.
• Francisco Alvarez is starting to show much more productivity with the bat though his defense is still a work in progress.  Given his age and low salary he is your catcher for 2027 again.
• Juan Soto is the cornerstone.  He’s not going anywhere.
• A.J. Ewing is slowly turning himself into a very productive regular with his bat, his legs and his glove.  Given his minimum wage salary he will be back for sure.
• Carson Benge started off horribly but quietly is building himself into a candidate for Rookie of the Year recognition.  He is also a low cost solution for right field and one of David Stearns’ rare good transactions. 
• Luis Torrens is a prototypical backup catcher.  The bat is never going to be of starting quality but the defense is very much for real and gives Alvarez the opportunity to get a rest for his body by starting for him or allowing him to play at DH.
• Jared Young is a mystery.  A 30 year old AAAA player was out of injury necessity pushed into a starting role and he quietly put together a very capable year.  No one is looking forward to him as the starting first baseman next season but he certainly played himself onto the 2027 roster.
• Jorge Polanco was a terrific hitter earlier in his career when healthy.  This year injuries turned him into the new version of Jed Lowrie.  No one will take that high price tag after what little he has done so he will be back.
• Zac Thornton has had ups and downs during his minor league career but in the majors he’s been better than average most of the time.  Low cost and a lack of starting pitching suggests he is getting the ball every 5th day.
• Nolan McLean has had some stellar games a few stinkers but as he works himself back into the dominant level of hurler he has shown in the past he’s most definitely part of the 2027 rotation.
• Christian Scott can throw hard and sometimes looks formidable but other times he serves up gopher balls.  He is still in his first year back from a significant injury and the hope is that the good days will far outweigh the bad ones. 

Who is on the likely but not guaranteed list?

• Marcus Semien cannot justify what he did at the plate in 2026.  Oddly, he also did not look like a former gold glover.  The problem is he’s under contract for both 2027 and 2028, so moving him would require taking on another problem contract or a major pay down of his salary.
• Nate Lavender has not been around long enough to dictate his role in 2027 but what little we’ve seen of him suggests that a team without southpaws A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley should make room for a new lefty reliever.
• Sean Manaea has been better of late than he was earlier in the year.  It’s entirely possible with a hot second half of August and a strong September he could get his ERA below 4.00.  That’s likely still not worth $25 million but he’s under contract for next year as well.
• Dedniel Nunez is showing rust and while he’ll have a line on the 2027 bullpen list, nothing is guaranteed.
• Devin Williams may have had a poor 2025 and 2026 due to the shoulder injury he’s now experiencing.  He’s on a multiyear deal at a relatively high level so you would expect him back again.
• Kodai Senga now has the opportunity to reinvent himself as a closer in place of Williams.  If he succeeds then it opens up trade possibilities for either he or Williams.  He could also become the 8th inning guy in the mold of a David Robertson. 
• Reed Garrett has missed some of 2025 and all of 2026.  When he was good he was indeed valuable in the pen.  He’s on the likely list for next season but his health will dictate how soon he could return.
• Tylor Megill is another pitcher out with injury for the 2026 season.  His future is less likely than some of the others but he’s a known commodity who has worked both as a starter and reliever suggests that his future could be in long relief.

Who is likely looking for employment elsewhere?

• Luis Robert should be non-tendered.  Pay the buyout and move on. 
• Brett Baty has had several years while fans, the front office and the media have waited for him to put it all together.  It still hasn’t happened and a sub .220 hitter should not be written on a roster in ink.
• Mark Vientos is in pretty much the same situation as Baty without the defensive versatility.  Missing a large chunk of 2026 due to injury both prevented him from tanking games with his bat and glove while simultaneously removing the possibility of him finally showing for a second time that he could be quality bat. 

There are others in the pen and on the bench now due to trades and injuries who will likely not be back.

MACK – THOUGHTS & OTHER TIDBITS

             

Thoughts

 

Carson Benge was asked last week what his approach to hitting was. His answer? “It's just see ball, hit ball." If possible, I love him more now. A refreshing thing to read from an old school guy like me…

 

Last Wednesday, the Mets told the draft pick pitchers that were assigned to the FCL Mets that none of them were going to activated and sent across the complex and join the St. Lucie Mets in A-ball. Their “professional” career so far has been to hear their name read on one of the draft days, sign a contract with the Mets, report to the Florida Complex, get assigned to the FCL Mets, then told they were not going to activated to play there, report to some kind of OJT program, watch all the draft bats be assigned to teams and activated, and now told their season is over. A steak in Peter Lugar’s aging room has been treated better than these guys.

The only difference between this year and other years under this management team is the bats got a chance to hit in August. 

Progress? Maybe for them but eff you to the arms. Seems it’s much more important to keep sending out those 8.00-ERA+ deadbeats that have been on the roster all season. Smart…

 

By the way… as of today, the Mets 2027 “payroll” is $255,031,000.

 

It’s starting to sound like Bo Bichette is going to stick around next season. This is no big revelation. I mean, who’s going to pay him more than the $42mil the Mets are contracted to pay him? This is fine with me. Bichette is a perfect fit for the 2027 season, before one of the kids take over in 2028….

 

The Mets signed infielder Gabiel Arias this week. He immediately was placed on the 40 and reported to the Mets while they played in Pittsburgh.

Arias checks all the Steans boxes…

Hit below .250 for all his five pro-seasons – check

High K/IP% - check

Low power – check

Over 25/years old – check

High K/IP% - check

On IL this season (hamstring) - check

I've been trying to get someone tell me what the minor league pitch counts on the minor league staffs of this team.

I'm not exactly at the top of the list for a free sky box in Flushing, so you can imagine how much success I've had with suits.

The only person that is willing to venture a GUESS... hear that lawyers... A GUESS... is podcast King, Ernest Dove @ernestdove,who told me he things the lower level teams are in the 80-pitch range, and 90-pitch range in the upper levels... hope that helps.

Some changes in my prospect color rating this week:

Going from BLUE to RED prospects...  

    1B Billy Amick, 2B Emilien Pitre, 2B Sammy Stafura, OF Aiden Smith

Going from RED to BLUE...

     OF Nick Morabito     

Going from BLACK (non-prospect) to BLUE... 

     SP Gary Gill Hill, SP Noah Hall, SP R.J. Gordon

The Mets brought back last year's breath of fresh air, relief pitcher Chris Devenski. Hey why not? His current ERA fits in perfectly, he's 108 years old, and his fastball tops off at 29.  My kind of 2026 Met.

Minor Tidbits

 

Let's face it... Jonah Tong is not capable anymore of producing a decent start. Tuesday, it was 94 pitches, of which 41 were balls, all in only four innings pitched.

I have no idea what his release point is, or the trajectory of his whatever. I just know he continues to suck big time. First, I can't understand how everybody out there keeps ranking him so high in their version of the current Mets prospects; however, these same people have Jacob Reimer and Ryan Clifford in their list, so maybe it does make sense.

Me?

Let him finish the season sucking in Syracuse. Then convert him to a 2-pitch back-end reliever.

We seem to talk about starter regression all the time (Wenninger… Tong). Well, it’s not the only movement going on right now in the chain regarding SPs.

First, it was AA-Binghamton R.J. Gordon, who’s been in the crapper most of the season. Only recently, he has begun punching out quality starts for the B-Mets and he has re-earned a BLUE rating in my system charting.

Now, it’s Gordon’s teammate, Noah Hall, who is turning around a bad season. Friday night, he stat lined out: 6.0-IP, 2-H, 0-ER, 3-BB, and a superlative 10-K.

Welcome back guys to being relevant again.

Me?

The 2027 rotation and future starters are shaping up like this…

Nolan McLean, Christian Scott, and Zac Thornton are established members of the Mets rotation… Sean Manaea is waiting around until someone kicks him to the curb… Kodai Senga is, at best, in the pen… Jack Wenninger will stay in Syracuse until he figures things out… Jonah Tong is my 2027 closer… my SP4 is Jonathan Santucci… my SP1 is either some guy hanging out in Los Angeles right now, or McLean… and my SP5 is a battle of team-controlled Will Watson, Channing Austin, Noah Hall, Gary Gill Hill, or R.J. Gordon.

 

First base is starting to heat up. Nick Lorusso is turning head for AAA-Syracuse without trying to be the strikeout king Ryan Clifford has proven to be. And over in AA-Binghamton, recently traded for Billy Amick is looking like the Mets answer to Barry Bonds, minus the steroids (stat line). 

I’m starting to think that the Mets have a solution growing for first… let Jared Young be the bridge player needed next season while things develop with these two. Me? My money is on the Benge/Amick personality-like Amick. I know everyone (cough, Tom, cough) keeps saying he strikes out too much. As of end-of-game Wednesday, he has struck out 129 times in 345 at-bats. High? Yes, but he also has hit 29 home runs, has knocked in 89 teammates, and is going nuts since joining the Mets (AA-Bing: 32-AB, 11-H, 6-HR, 17-RBI, .344/.462/.906/1.368). Yeah, I really like this guy.

Lastly... 19-year old Emilio Obispo is really starting to establish himself as a possible future Mets rotation piece. He had his best outing on Wednesday for A+ Brooklyn: 5-IP, 0-ER, 2-BB, 3-K and is now 5-2, 2.19 in 17-games for combined St. Lucie and Brooklyn. Put him on your futures board.

In Closing

 

There is no one more than me that wants to get past the 10-draft pick penalty shite each season, but, at the same time, that would take all the new players added recently to the rosters of our four full season affiliates to be playing like crap.

No, I like what is going on right now and, early on the Stearns moves at the trading deadline look alright to me.

I’m upgrading my overall rating to B+.

This week’s report is a wee bit short.

Most of my writing time was spent putting together a eulogy for a family funeral.

I learned first-hand this week that there are so many more important things to write about than the “Team Deconstructed By Sterns/Cohen”.

Do me a favor…

Put your Met fandom down…

Go hug your spouse…

Play with your children or grandkids…

Throw the ball with your doggy for a while…

These are the important things in your life…

Not discussing Pete Alonso

MACK - Let’s Get To Know – RHP Chris Devenski

 

MACK - Let’s Get To Know – RHP Chris Devenski

Chris Devenski (RHP, nickname “Devo” or “Devo the Dragon”) is a 35-year-old right-handed relief pitcher (born November 13, 1990, in Cerritos, California; 6'3", ~208 lbs).

He was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 25th round of the 2011 MLB Draft out of Cal State Fullerton (after time at Golden West College). He debuted with the Houston Astros in 2016 and has since pitched for the Astros (2016–2020), Arizona Diamondbacks (2021–2022), Philadelphia Phillies (2022), Los Angeles Angels (2023), Tampa Bay Rays (2023–2024), New York Mets (2025), and Pittsburgh Pirates (2026). He is a 2017 All-Star and World Series champion with the Astros, and he took part in a combined no-hitter in 2019.

Through early 2026: 27–22 record, 3.93 ERA, 432 strikeouts in 419 innings over 319 appearances (mostly relief; only 8 starts), 1.13 WHIP. His peak came early—2.16 ERA in 108.1 IP as a rookie in 2016 and strong multi-inning relief work (including an All-Star nod) in 2017. Performance has been more uneven since elbow issues around 2020; he has posted a higher ERA in recent seasons while bouncing between organizations as a journeyman.

In 2026 with the Pirates, he appeared in just 3 games (2.1 IP, 7.71 ERA) before an illness landed him on the IL (later 60-day). He was activated, outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis, and elected free agency in early August 2026. He had solid minor-league numbers earlier in the year.

Pitch Repertoire

Devenski has long relied on a changeup-heavy approach paired with a four-seam fastball. The changeup (often called a “circle of death” style) has been his signature out-pitch, featuring good sink/fade, deception, and historically high whiff rates. It plays off the fastball’s velocity differential (typically ~10–12 mph gap).Recent usage and velocities (primarily 2025–2026 data from Statcast/Brooks Baseball; small 2026 sample):

Changeup: Primary pitch (~38–47% usage). Sits ~82–83 mph, with armside fade and downward dive. Generates fly balls and remains his key weapon.

Four-seam fastball: ~21–39% usage. Sits ~92–94 mph (peaked higher earlier in his career, up to upper-90s in relief). Average-ish ride/run; more of a fly-ball pitch.

Sweeper/Slider: Secondary breaking ball (~10–21% in recent years). Around 78–81 mph.

Other pitches: Occasional sinker (~92–93 mph), cutter (~85–89 mph), and rare curve (~79 mph). He has mixed these more in some seasons but leans heavily on the changeup/fastball core.

Historically (peak 2016–2017), he threw the changeup at very high rates for a reliever (often 40%+), with the fastball and a slider/curve mix. Command has generally been solid (career ~6.8% walk rate), and he profiles as a multi-inning or matchup-oriented reliever rather than a pure power arm. Effectiveness has fluctuated with velocity, movement consistency, and location of the changeup.

Overall, Devenski is a veteran changeup specialist who had standout early success as a versatile Astros reliever/swingman and has continued as organizational depth across multiple clubs.

Tom Brennan - KODAI THE PEN GUY? BASHING BINGHAMTON?

KODAI SENGA  

How do you say, “Why not?” in Japanese? Why not try relief?

In a brutal 0-8 season mostly as a starter, Kodai Senga’s last 3 outings have been one inning relief affairs, in which he allowed no runs, on no hits, and fanned 4. He was hitting 99.

Guys sometimes transition to the pen excellently after bad starting roles.

I wrote these points in articles in years past as examples:

Brad Hand basically sucked as a starter.

How does 8-24, 4.86 ERA sound?  “Sucks” is as good a word as any.

Even ex-Met Jack Fisher would likely think so.  

He was 8-24 as a Met in 1965, but he sported a 3.94 ERA that year.

Hand also fanned a pedestrian 135 in 222 career starter innings.

But Hand as a relief pitcher?  Night and day.

32-31, 3.31, 132 saves. His ERA in his 5 prime relief years (2016-2020) was well below 3.00.

In another article, I addressed Andrew Miller.

As a starter, he was a low K guy going 20-27, 5.70. Terrible.

In relief, though, a true beast:

2.95 ERA, 504 innings, 724 Ks. He was super dominant out of the pen in 2013-2017, with a 5 year ERA of about 2.00.

Could Kodai be a great reliever, like those two? Only one way to find out.

Especially after Weaver’s replacement Dedniel Nunez has been getting bashed.

More to fans like DREAD Niel.

Speaking of bashing…

THRASHING BINGHAMTON BECOMES BASHING BINGHAMTON

All season, thru late July, I was bashing Binghamton’s very bad offense.

Then they added Miraculous Mitch Voit and several great trade pieces.

In August’s 11 games, Binghamton erupted: 

.320/.392/.555, with 95 runs. Soto numbers.

Now the tables have turned: Binghamton BASHES other teams.

The team, even after those 11 explosive games, is only hitting .223.

That is still worst in the league by 11 points, showing how extremely poorly they hit in the previous 99 games of the season (.211).

All it takes sometimes is superior talent to produce superior results.

P.S. 

Great hitters surrounding a recently struggling hitter can lift all boats. 

Kevin Parada? 7 for 14, 3 doubles, 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, no Ks, in his last 4 games.

Paul Articulates - Talking to the new guys: Gary Gill Hill

With five of the new trade acquisitions assigned to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, there is a lot of excitement at the AA level.  The team recently gave us the opportunity to speak with them about their journey and their new team.

Today’s highlight is Gary Gill Hill, the new #19 prospect in the Mets’ organization.  Gill Hill came to the Mets along with Emilien Pitre and Aiden Smith from the Rays for Freddy Peralta.  He was drafted out of High School by Tampa Bay in the sixth round of the 2022 draft, and has pitched his way up to AA this year.  In his first start with the Rumble Ponies (the day before this interview), he threw five innings of three hit ball, allowing no earned runs and striking out four.   What struck me most in the interview was his understanding of the pitches he had and how to use them to get people out.  He also knows what to work on to improve their effectiveness.  To me, this is someone who will only get better over time.

Here is what he had to say:

Q: The Mets have invested a lot in their future, and you are part of that – someone they wanted in this organization.  In your words, what do you believe that you bring to the Mets organization?

A: I believe that I am someone that will throw a lot of strikes and get people out.  I have a good defense behind me that I can trust, so I can go out there and do my thing to help the team win.

Q: You made your first start in the Mets organization last night.  Five scoreless innings.  How did it feel?

A: It feels good because I live about two hours from here, so it pretty much feels like home.  It is good being back here in New York since I haven’t pitched here since 2022 in high school.

Q: Talk a little about your stuff.  What do you rely on, what can the fans expect to see?

A: I have five pitch mix of a four seam, sinker, cutter, sweeper, and a change-up.  I rely a lot on the sinker to get guys to roll over and hit ground balls, especially if there are a man on first or first and third to turn a double play.  The sweeper is a put-away pitch; the cutter to jam lefties and get week contact; and the four-seam to get weak fly-outs. It is a pitch mix just to get guys out.

Q: How is the atmosphere on the team so far, particularly after pitching so well yesterday?

A: The atmosphere is pretty good. I like coming to the field with a bunch of new guys I am getting acclimated to – it’s a really good, upbeat vibe right now. It feels like a new home.

Q: Can we expect any of your friends and family to come up to see you?

A: I had my high school coach come to see me yesterday to watch me pitch and then I have other friends planning on coming to see me this weekend when they don’t have to work.

Q: You mentioned a lot of pitches in your arsenal.  Which ones are you working on the most?

A: My change-up and my fast ball a little more.  There’s always room to improve all of the pitches to make them more effective.

Paul Articulates – Talking to the new guys – Emilien Pitre

With five of the new trade acquisitions assigned to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, there is a lot of excitement at the AA level.  The team recently gave us the opportunity to speak with them about their journey and their new team.

Today’s highlight is Emilien Pitre, the new #11 prospect in the Mets’ organization.  Pitre is a 23 year old Canadian prospect who was brought over from the Tampa Bay Rays along with Gary Gill Hill for Freddy Peralta.  Pitre was slashing .323/.451/.492 for Montgomery (AA) in the Southern League.  He is described by scouts as a polished, high-IQ left-handed hitting second baseman known for elite contact skills, advanced strike-zone discipline, and above-average speed.

Here is what he had to say:

Q: You have had a successful debut with a new team.   Your thoughts on that, do you look at it as a rebirth; a chance to advance?

A: New organization, new goals – well really the same goal.  I’m excited to be here.   My goal is to help this team win, so I will do what it takes to help them win

Q: Can you talk a little bit about coming to Binghamton?  What is it like to come here with a former teammate (Gary Gill Hill)?  Has it been helpful?

A: Super helpful, especially with Gary.  He is a great teammate.  He will help you with anything – he always has my back.

Q: Something really unique about this trade deadline – they really loaded up on infielders here.  This creates a very competitive environment with the possibility for multiple combinations of infielders every day.  What do you need to do to get in sync with these guys to the infield plays

A: Great infielders have really good connections whether on the field or off the field.  I think it has gotten there easily.  Mitch Voit, Jefferson Rojas, Marco Vargas, every infielder – we have so many great infielders and I feel we have connected really well so far.

Q: How does it feel to come into a new team with so many new faces?

A: It can be a lot, but I feel like the Mets have done a great job so far, welcoming me with open arms.  Everyone has been super great to me so far.

Q: How has the atmosphere been so far?  The team really exploded yesterday with the addition of all the new players like yourself (Wednesday’s 23-4 win) – is there an energy in the clubhouse from that?

A: Yeah, sometimes new faces can bring a spark to a new team and I feel that is what has happened so far. The clubhouse is great – everyone is happy. It is a great recipe for winning.

Q: Is that the best way for the team to bond?

A: There is nothing better than winning to bring people together.

Tom Brennan - FCL Mets Season Recap; The Insane Five Inning Win Rule; and Jacob Misery

All neophytes are guppies, a wise man once said.

 

Well, the Florida Complex League season has come and gone. 

I told you not to blink.

The weather limited teams to just 53 to 59 games. Shirt season.

The Mets squad finished 24-32, not quite keeping pace with the 42-11 Astros squad, which swept the playoffs, too.

The Li’l Mets scored 269 runs, almost 5 runs per game in a bad pitcher’s league, while surrendering 346 runs, about 6.2 runs per game.

Two hitters of note:

Vladi Gomez hit well over .300, with a ton of steals, and rightly headed up to St Lucie, where he is torturing that league’s pitchers now. 

Yovanny Rodriguez hit 7 HRs, drove in 34, and batted .280. Then also got promoted to the SL Mets. A few others joined them there.

Pitchers? I did really not look to see if any got promoted. 

Pitching was simply not good.

Well, 19 year old RHP Camden Lohman did get promoted. And a few others.

Camden had a 6.29 ERA, and 1.85 WHIP, 57 Ks/44 IP.

He had an unimpressive debut there, but smartly still got bumped to St Lucie.  Get better by pitching.

Likely, the 2027 season will show us a much improved version of Lohman.

Not much good to say about FCL Mets there, so I will leave it right there.

FIVE INNINGS TO WIN INSANITY

Because of the insane 5 inning rule for minor league starters, the Mets’ FCL starters were 0-17. You can pitch to one batter, give up a home run, and lose, but if you don’t throw five innings, you can’t win. 

Before you barf, consider this. 

It wasn’t an anomaly. The FCL Red Sox starters were 0-15. The Pirates? 1-17. The Phillis? 1-22.  

Add those 4 up, and you get 2 wins and 71 losses.

The best team’s starter result was 6-12.

CHANGE THE IDIOTIC RULE. 

You start a minor league game, go at least 3 innings with a lead that the opposing team never ties or overcomes, YOU should get the win.

This also applies up the line. Gabe Davis, who the Mets got in a trade, is a 6’9” fireballer now in AA at age 22, who in 2026  has had four starts with 4 innings and a run or less, and 3 starts with 3 innings and a run or less. No wins credited in those 8 outings.  

He is 0-5 this year. How deceiving.

SAW MISIOROWSKI START GAME WITH 21 STRAIGHT FASTBALLS

Where did I see it? On a video. Ferocious.

All 21 fastballs were 101-104 MPH. 

And 17 were strikes. Unhittable. ⚾️

Mets drafted the marginal Parada and li’l Jett ahead of the Fastest Jacob. 

Because the Mets were SCREWERS, the Miz instead went to the Brewers.

Some Mets drafting dopes should be forever reviled. Hall of Shame.

He is simply Jacob Misery to hitters. 

He could have been a Met.

Dopes doing the drafting prevented it. By being dopes.

BINGHAMTON SCORES 16, METS SHUT OUT

Binghamton bats are unstoppable. They gave the hottest hitter on the planet, Mitch Voit, the night off, and they still scored 16 runs. Jefferson Rojas has 3 hits, 2 of which were  doubles, the other a HR.

The NY Mets? They were not unstoppable. 

Nolan McLean sucked, giving up one hit in 6 innings to take the loss. 

I’m being facetious. Nolan is great. But he is a Met. 

Pitchers in Queens need to be perfect.

Jefry Yan sucked. As in 3 walks, no Ks. 

Time throw strikes, buddy. Start before you turn 30, please.

CLIFFORD COMES OFF THE AAA IL WITH A WHIFF, NOT A BANG

Goes 0-3, walk, K. 

Batting .182, which averages out to 2 hits every 11 at bats. Problem is, he needs 3 hits every 11 ABs (.273) to be a viable prospect.

In June, July, and August, he an astounding is 20 for 162, 3 HRs, 77 Ks. 

His batting average in that long 10 week span is, well, as easy as .123. 

Good grief.  Demote the dude to St Lucie and let him try to start over.

Hitting RESET BUTTONS is OK. Like rebooting your laptop. Works again.

Trying to have him battle thru is JUST NOT working. Try something else.

EXTREME DARK HORSE?

Calvin Ziegler, before his TJS in 2024, was in Brooklyn. 

Tantalized us with this:

6 innings, no hits, 2 walks, 13 Ks. Dang.

He is finally back in Brooklyn, an eternity later. Struggled a bit. 

But….Last two outings?

2 innings, no hits, a walk, 4 Ks. Dang.

Don’t write him off yet.

One hitless inning in 2023, 3 Ks. Dang.

Add those snippets of his 3 “micro-seasons” in Brooklyn?

9 innings, no hits, 3 walks, 20 Ks. Dang.

Don’t write him off yet. Oh, I already said that. Dang.

Reese Kaplan -- Saving Games Could Save a Major League Career

Well, if it’s not one thing then it’s another. 

Just when the Mets played surprisingly adequate baseball after the oversized push broom removed a great many unwanted or unneeded ballplayers who would not help propel the team into October baseball an announcement arrived that the surprisingly poor performing Devin Williams needed to visit the IL to heal from issues related to his shoulder in his pitching arm.  

While no one ever wishes injury on anyone, it could help explain his less than dominating performance since he arrived.  No one is really clear on how long he’s had this issue and what it’s done to his delivery.  With the team firmly alone in the cellar it is better this guy on a multiyear contract heal up rather than risk making the recovery even longer by forcing him to play through injury. 

Right away the fans and writers all started debating what the team is going to do about the 9th inning with Williams on the shelf.  Several possibilities arose but on Monday evening manager Andy Green did what I had advocated here in an article quite awhile ago when he brought in banished starter Kodai Senga to take the 9th inning save assignment as he was both rested and had greater pedigree than many of the other options.  He had a scoreless ninth inning and the Mets put another unexpected W in the books.

Even with that one-time success too many people have closed the book on Senga.  Yes, they do remember the ghost fork success and his low ERA during two years as a starting pitcher but they seem to consider that something like an anomaly and could not be used to project success in any role on the mound.  Granted, between injuries and terrible outings for most of the past couple of years Senga has not filled anyone with a great deal of confidence, but the silver lining to the dark cloud of Williams’ injury is that now the club has a chance to provide Senga with regular pitching opportunities in a defined role, something that wasn’t clear during the vague “high pressure” pitching opportunity that was mentioned when everyone thought Williams was still in control of the 9th. 

Now there are some other pitchers to look at during this period to ascertain where they could fit not only this year but also for 2027.  A good example is Nate Lavender, a 26 year old southpaw who got promoted during the dumpster fire that plagued the bullpen at the trade deadline.  He’s not exactly chopped liver.  He owns a career 2.76 ERA as a minor leaguer and thus far in his three major league games he’s not yet given up a run.  With no A.J. Minter and no Brooks Raley it is entirely possible that Lavender could become the left handed option for major league games.

Another name that came up from some was career minor leaguer Jeffry Yan.  Yes, we enjoyed his celebration when he recorded a strikeout, but the numbers on the back of his baseball card really don’t lie.  He’s 29 years old and is making his major league debut this year after owning a 5.61 career ERA.  The on-the-mound jumping celebration was fun to watch but the rest of his metrics suggest he’s merely filling a spot out of team necessity. 

You could go down the rest of the relief pitchers available right now and no one really stands out.  Recovered Dedniel Nunez was better in the majors than he ever was in the minors but after coming back from injury it’s likely not a good time to push him too hard until they are 100% convinced about his health. 

It would seem that even with the possible returns of familiar faces like Reed Garrett and Trevor Megill the club is most definitely in need of some experienced and capable relievers.