10/4/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - C - Yovanny Rodriguez

 


MACK – Let’s Revisit - C - Yovanny Rodriguez


Yovanny Alexander Rodriguez is a 19-year-old catching prospect in the New York Mets’ minor league system (born November 7, 2006, in Guarenas, Venezuela). He bats and throws right-handed, stands 6'0" and weighs about 175 lbs. Signing and BackgroundThe Mets signed him as an international free agent on January 15, 2024, for a franchise-record $2.85 million bonus (the largest in their 2024 international class). He was widely regarded as one of the top prospects in that class—ranked No. 5–7 overall by outlets like Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, and the top catcher available. Scouts praised his advanced defense for his age (framing, footwork, soft hands), plus arm strength (pop times under 1.9 seconds in some workouts, sometimes compared to J.T. Realmuto levels), leadership/maturity, and offensive upside with a smooth right-handed swing and potential for power as he fills out. 

He continues a Mets trend of investing heavily in international catchers (following Francisco Álvarez and others).Career Path and Current Status
  • 2024: Debuted in the Dominican Summer League (DSL Mets Orange). Hit .219/.359/.356 with 2 HR in 181 PA; showed solid plate discipline (16.6% BB rate).
  • 2025: Spent time in the DSL again (and briefly assigned higher before returning). Stronger numbers overall, including stretches of .331/.446/.493 production. Dealt with a hamstring injury that put him on the 60-day IL early in the year.
  • 2026: Started in the Florida Complex League (FCL Mets), where he earned Post-Season All-Star honors. Promoted to Low-A St. Lucie Mets on July 28. 
FCL/METS - 150-AB, 48-K, 7-HR, 34-RBI, .280/.389/.460/.849

A/St. Lucie - 89-AB, 36-K, 6-K, 15-RBI, .225/.304/.461/.765
Scouting Profile and Prospect StatusRodriguez profiles as a potential two-way contributor with defensive tools and offensive upside. Strengths include arm strength (often graded 55–70), receiving skills that were advanced early, and growing power/pop. 

Areas for development include consistency against higher-level pitching, receiving refinements, and fully realizing his power potential. ETA estimates typically fall around 2028–2030.He has ranked inside the Mets’ organizational Top 30 prospects at various points (e.g., around No. 23–28 in mid-to-late 2026 updates depending on the source; higher earlier in his career relative to the system). 

He is viewed as a high-upside catcher who could develop into a solid everyday or above-average MLB option if the tools continue to translate. 

In short, he’s a young, toolsy Venezuelan catcher the Mets invested heavily in, currently progressing through Low-A after strong Complex League production in 2026, with the physical tools and makeup to climb further.




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Tom Brennan - Rich Get Richer; Interesting John Smoltz Idea

COMING UP BIG - IN MILWAUKEE


THE RICH ALWAYS GET RICHER 

The Milwaukee Brewers won 103 games. 

I WOULD NOT ONLY CALL THAT RICH, I WOULD CALL THAT FILTHY RICH!

 I googled who had the most minor league homers in 2026.

Yep, you nailed it, it was a Brewer prospect. 

3B Andrew Fischer, drafted 20th overall in 2025, had an incredible 50 homers and 124 RBIs in just 131 games!

He also walked 103 times…and fanned an amazing 193 times.

Wow. Video game numbers.

And, right now…Fischer is only listed as the Brewers’ # 5 prospect!

Now THAT’S RICH. FILTHY RICH.

Am I exaggerating? Kiley McDaniel wrote this for ESPN in late August:

“The Brewers are operating at a high level right now: they have the top prospect in the sport (Jesus Made), opened the spring with the top farm system in the sport, have the best record in the sport and despite graduating two top-50 players in the past month (Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara) and trading another top-100 prospect (Alexander Frias) at the deadline, still have the top farm system in the sport…

-- and by a pretty solid margin.

“In addition, the big league roster largely comprises homegrown players and players who got much better after Milwaukee traded for them; the scouting and development departments are working together and producing results as good or better than every other organization in baseball.”

Notice what name wasn’t even mentioned in McDaniel’s blurb: 

The 50 HR guy’s name. Now THAT’S rich.

MEANWHILE, FOR FORTY YEARS, THE METS HAVE BEEN SUCCESS-POOR.

AND THAT SAME POST-TRADE DEADLINE TEAM RANKING BY ESPN? 

Mets at #24. Seems harsh?

Let’s say they are 10 slots harsh. That would only make the Mets #14.

That ain’t rich.


“SMOLTZ SEZ”: 

BIG JOHN HAS A VERY INTERESTING IDEA

Smoltzy had this to say about the potential upcoming lockdown and competitive races:

“You want to cure the competitive imbalance? You're not gonna be able to do that with a salary cap. 

“I think you're gonna be able to do that with a format change. 
And I think if they can add two more teams, which, that's an argument in itself, if baseball's diluted, there's a ton of injuries. I don't know where you're gonna get. But players are coming up like crazy. 

“
I think you go first half, second half. I think you give every small market team an opportunity in each half to secure a playoff spot. There's no chance over 162 they can do it. 
The resources aren't there. The depth's not there. We saw in the COVID short season, the smallest market teams had a chance to win the World Series because it was only 60 games. 


“I'm telling you, within a few years, if they can do this, the first half, second half, you'd have an exciting race in July. You can have two trade deadlines. 

“Let's just say you are banged up at the beginning of the season, you start off horrible. 
You don't tank. They don't throw your players to other teams, where you'll become a farm system to all the other teams. That would cure it. 
I'm positive it would. It's just whether or not they can get to that point.”


Thoughts, folks?

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Tom Brennan - My Ten Most Exciting Mets Minor Leaguers of 2026


Mitch Voit. Photo courtesy of Manny Gomez, NJAM


TEN MOST EXCITING MINOR LEAGUERS OF 2026

Recently, I did a post on my most disappointing 10 minor leaguers of 2026, and today, the ten most exciting ones of 2026.

Let’s stick, first of all, with guys who haven’t graduated to the big leagues yet. So, Jefry Yan, who’s had a fine split season, Nate Lavender (an even finer year), the exciting AJ Ewing, the very competitive Zach Thornton, and Nick Morabito are not in this top 10….they've all graduated.

With them excluded, who are my ten most exciting?

AAA

Jefferson Rojas, Billy Amick, and Emilien Pitre - they only got to AAA relatively briefly post trade, but they did great.  

 - Rojas? 12 HRs and 36 RBIs in 35 post-trade games. What??

 - Amick? 15 HRs and 36 RBIs in 36 post-trade games. What??

 - Pitre?  34 hits and 10 walks in 30 games, with just 14 Ks. What??


AA

Mitch Voit - after escaping Brooklyn, he went .347/.430/.517 in AA. 45 SB.

Bryce Jenkins - 8-2, 1.66 ERA in 45 outings. BAA of just .147.

Marco Vargas - injured, slow first half. Second half?  35 G, .331/.399/.496.


HIGH A

Daviel Hurtado - 77 Brooklyn innings, 5-3, 2.69 ERA, 1.01 WHIP.

Elian Peña - 18 y/o lefty bat was great in St Lucie, but struggled (3 for 22 in a terrible Brooklyn park for lefty hitters, and only somewhat better on the road). Get him out of hell and over to Binghamton in 2027.

Aiden Smith - in 21 post-trade games, .321/.414/.524! 27 SB in 80 G, 15 HR!


FULL A

Zack Mack in relief went a clutch 10-2, 2.85 in 35 games. 


That’s my ten. 

Not necessarily my highest ceiling ten, but they sure did fine in 2026.



CASEY STENGEL HAD A GAME PLAN IN 1962.

COULDN’T WIN, SO HE WENT “LOVABLE LOSERS”.

MY GAME PLAN? I HAVE ONE OF MY OWN.

I’ll get right to it.  MY game plan?

I plan to devote less time to writing about the Micro-Mutts this off season.

Frequency of said articles? Probably once or more likely twice weekly.

If (Hi, I’m) Howie Rose can retire, I can slow down a bit here.  

Heck, I am 3 months his senior, tho’ I’m healthier than most Mets players.

Whatever I write about involving all things Mets seems to matter not a whit to decision makers…

They make their many mistakes anyway, so I won’t invest much time in Mets-related writing and will spend more time doing other things that are more important to me and that I have devoted insufficient time and effort to.

I will, fairly soon, do my Top 30, of course, because the Kids Are All Right, even if the Queens dudes are not, and I invite my fellow Mack’s Mets writers to share their thoughts on the kids.  

I will say what I like - and what I think the top 30 need to do better.  

I also will list out the next 20 (31-50). 

Some of those outside the Top 30 eventually will make it to the bigs.

I will summarize non-player-specific ideas to make the team better.

I will do a multi-post refresh on past years’ draft successes, and failures, and draft patterns to embrace and to avoid.

I will, of course, comment on my fellow writers’ posts, and encourage every reader to do the same and to run topics for discussion by Mack. 

It will be a long off-season, a long time until the next poorly or overly conditioned fool pulls an oblique muscle and misses half a season.

Lastly, I will encourage you elite readers to reach out to Mack if you have a passion for writing about the Mets.

I will not watch the playoffs (maybe a little of the World Series), so I will not spend my time on the playoffs if the Mets will not spend time playing playoff games.



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10/3/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHRP - Zack Mack

 


MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHRP - Zack Mack


Zack Mack (full name Zachery Jackson Mack) is a right-handed relief pitcher in the New York Mets minor-league system. Basic Info
  • Born: October 18, 2002 (age 23 as of September 2026), in Houston, TX; from Manvel, Texas.
  • Physical: 6'5", 240–250 lbs (listed around 240).
  • Bats/Throws: Right/Right.
  • Draft: 16th round (493rd overall) by the Mets in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Loyola Marymount University. Signed for a $150,000 bonus.
Background and Path to ProsHe was a multi-position high school player (1B/3B/P) at Glenda Dawson High School but went undrafted in 2021. He attended San Jacinto Community College, dealt with a UCL injury that required Tommy John surgery (limited appearances in 2022–23), then transferred and had a stronger 2024 season before moving to Loyola Marymount for 2025. There he posted a 3.67 ERA with 61 strikeouts in 49 innings (mostly in relief). He signed with the Mets in July 2025, made a couple of brief appearances for the Single-A St. Lucie Mets that year, and has primarily pitched for St. Lucie in 2026 as a reliever (with a very short AAA look at Syracuse).2026 Performance - A/St. Lucie - 34-apps, 9-2, 2.89, 1.46, 46.2-IP, 50-K, 20-BBAAA/Syracuse - 1-app, 1-0, 0.00, 0.00, 0.2-IP, 1-K, 0-BBPitching Repertoire and DeliveryFrom his draft profile (scouting notes around the 2025 draft):

  • Delivery: Three-quarters arm slot, long arm action, drop-and-drive style that creates a flatter approach angle.
  • Fastball: Sits low-to-mid 90s, tops out at 96 mph. Good rising action/backspin; plays best up in the zone.
  • Curveball: High-70s to low-80s power curve.
  • Slider: Low-to-mid 80s gyro slider.
  • Splitter: Developing low-to-mid 80s pitch.
He’s a big, physical righty whose size and angle help the fastball play up. As a lower-round college arm with a prior Tommy John history, he’s still early in his pro development and has been used in relief so far.He’s currently active with the St. Lucie Mets (jersey #33). 

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SAVAGE VIEWS – 75 YEARS AGO TODAY

SAVAGE VIEWS – 75 YEARS AGO TODAY


Wednesday, October 3rd, 1951 was a dim, damp and overcast fall day with temperatures ranging from the high 50s to low 60s. The Brooklyn Dodgers would face the New York Giants with the winner facing the NY Yankees in the World Series. The Dodgers, behind Clem Labine and Rube Walker, had forced this playoff game.  

The Giants won game one of the playoff series with Ralph Branca taking the loss. Bobby Thomson had the deciding home run against Branca to win the game for the Giants.

The fact that there was even playoff was due to an epic collapse of the Dodgers who held a 13 ½ game lead as of August 11th.  How was it possible for a Dodgers team that had five future Hall of Famers in Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snyder, Roy Campanella and Gil Hodges plus Carl Furillo who many believe was worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. Andy Pafko had over 90 RBIS while Billy Cox was a great glove at third to fill out the starting nine. 

The rotation was solid with Preacher Roe, Don Newcombe, Carl Erskine, Ralph Branca and Clem Labine. The Giants had a rookie outfielder named Willie Mays who wound up having a sterling career. As a 20-year-old rookie he batted .274 with 20 homers and 68 RBIs. Won rookie of the year.

I was a ten-year-old six grade student at St. Stanislaus Kostka school in Greenpoint. I decided to skip school that day to attend the playoff game. I don’t remember if my parents had agreed to allow me to play hooky or if I made the decision on my own. I took a bus to Ebbets Field only to find out the game was to be played at the Polo Grounds. I was able to take a subway train to the Bronx in time for the game. 

Unfortunately, I was short of the $1.25 needed to purchase a grandstand ticket. I needed a quarter and a father with a son had pity on me and gave me the necessary amount. I was one of 34,320 in attendance.

Heading into the ninth inning, the Dodgers held a comfortable 4-1 lead behind Don Newcombe. The first three of four Giants reached base against Newk forcing a pitching change. Charlie Dressen decided to bring in Branca to face Thomson. It was a curious decision given that Thomson owned Branca. I remember thinking to myself, “Anybody but Branca, Anybody but Branca”. 

The results were historic as Bobby launched a high fly ball into the left field stands. It became known as “the shot heard round the world”. And hearing Russ Hodges screaming “The Giants win the pennant, The Giants win the pennant” made the afternoon worse. Someone near me was listening to the game on the radio.

What’s ironic about this event is that both Branca and Thomson were able to capitalize on the historic moment and post-careers earned significant amounts through trade shows and endorsements.

Now that I am 85 years old, I wonder if there are any other survivors who were actually at this historic game.

Ray

October 3, 2026


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Reese Kaplan -- Good Alternative to Tarik Skubal Is Out There


Going into the upcoming offseason which begins after the World Series ends there are going to be a few monstrously large contracts offered to special players who may or may not provide a good value to their new employers.  

While a few years ago the cherry on top of the pile of free agent was the now $765 million man, Juan Soto.  While he has missed time due to injuries, when he is on the field he’s doing it all offensively with his bat, his OBP and his legs.  

Whether or not the Mets are getting full value for what they are paying the man, the fact is that as bad as they’ve been it would have been markedly worse if he was not a part of the roster.

This year’s consensus top contract is 29 year old multi Cy Young award winning lefty, Tarik Skubal.  

He’s spent nearly his entire career with the Detroit Tigers before a deadline deal to the Dodgers as they felt it was better to get something in return for him when he walked away as a 2027 season free agent.  

He was already earning $32 million for his final year in Detroit/Los Angeles and is forecasted to get a massive contract for both a higher average annual value and for a great many years given his young age.


How good has he been?  Well, the numbers are indeed spectacular.  His record of 66-44 is doubly impressive when you analyze how the Tigers have done during his Detroit tenure.  Even more impressive is his CAREER ERA of just 3.02.  His WHIP is just a whisker over one baserunner per inning pitched.  He’s also good for racking up a very respectable average of 226 strikeouts per season. 

Is there a downside to Skubal?  Well, paralleling Detroit Tigers history he has more in common with the physique not of Denny McLain, Jack Morris, Mark Fidrych nor Justin Verlander and more aligned with longtime Tiger starter Mickey Lolich.  Yes, his is overweight and you would have to wonder whether his lack of conditioning will impact his health and thus his availability to take the mound.

How much will he cost?  Well, if you read the various amateur and professional analysis of this question the answer is quite simply a lot.  The running duration most say he will command is 10 years.  Multiply that by an annual fat check of somewhere between $38 million and $50 million, a total that would blow away the record for the highest price ever paid for a pitcher. 

For the Mets he would obviously be the top end ace they have stated they want but his financial commitment and the long term issue with his 240 or more pound body weight could lead to him missing a lot of playing time.  No one would complain if they signed him, of course, but what alternatives exist if the Dodgers, Yankees or another team choose to roll their biggest dice on Skubal?

Former Yankee pitcher Michael King has already stated he’s opting out of his Padres contract which would have paid him $28 million for the 2027 season and $30 million for 2028 after earning just $12 million for the 2026 season.  He’s not signing for pocket change but has already shown top of the rotation ability.

For his career King owns a 43-39 record which is tempered by his entire Yankee tenure spent primarily in the bullpen.  For the Padres he’s made 78 starts and demonstrated that like former Yankee/Met Clay Holmes it is indeed possible to make that transition successfully.  His career ERA is a highly respectable 3.23. 

Given that he is a few years older than Skubal and does not have Cy Young awards on his mantle, he’s not going to command quite the same salary.  Figure $32 million per season for 5 years which would give you his ages 32 through 37 years for a grand total of $160 million.  It would seem that from a quality and value standpoint he would be a shrewd alternative that won’t be in the headlines nearly as much as is the Dodger lefty. 

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10/2/26

MACK – Let’s Revisit - 1B - Corey Collins

 


MACK – Let’s Revisit - 1B - Corey Collins


Corey Collins is a left-handed hitting first baseman in the New York Mets’ minor league system (currently with Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies). Background and Draft
  • Full name: Corey Joseph Collins
  • Born: October 10, 2001 (age 24 as of September 2026), in Coatesville, Pennsylvania; raised/associated with Suwanee, Georgia.
  • Height/Weight: 6'3", 236 lbs.
  • Bats/Throws: Left/Right.

He played college baseball at the University of Georgia (Bulldogs). Over his collegiate career (2021–2024), he appeared in 195 games (184 starts) across catcher, first base, outfield, and DH, hitting .289 with 45 home runs (tied for 4th in school history), 31 doubles, and 152 RBI. His standout senior season in 2024: .354/.574/.772 with 20 home runs and 58 RBI in 52 games. 

He led NCAA Division I in on-base percentage (.574, a school record and the first SEC player to lead the nation in that category) and was named a Baseball America Second Team All-American as a first baseman. He also earned Most Outstanding Player honors in the NCAA Athens Regional. The Mets selected him in the 6th round (173rd overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft. He signed for a reported $272,500 bonus. Professional CareerCollins signed in late July 2024 and debuted that year with Low-A St. Lucie (limited action due to the late start and a brief IL stint). 2025: Struggled overall (.168 AVG across levels, mostly A and High-A Brooklyn), though he showed strong walk rates at times. He dealt with some injury time. 

2026: Significant improvement and promotion. He spent time with High-A Brooklyn Cyclones before being promoted to Double-A Binghamton on July 21.  Overall, .238/.387/.446 in 455 PAs with a high 81 walks in 111 games; even in May, where he hit .121, he had a .354 OBP due to walks.Scouting ProfileCollins is a pure first-base prospect with plus raw power from the left side, a strong eye at the plate (walks and limited chase), and the ability to elevate the ball for damage (especially pull-side). He made mechanical adjustments in college that improved his contact and reduced swing-and-miss. Defense is limited primarily to first base (he has some past catching/outfield experience but is not a candidate there long-term). 

He is a below-average runner with limited range, though he has worked to become an adequate defender at 1B. Evaluators have viewed him as a potential organizational depth or fringe big-league bat with power and on-base skills if the hit tool continues to progress. He remains a developmental prospect (not typically ranked among the Mets’ top overall farm talents) but is progressing through the system and showing better results in 2026 at higher levels.


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MACK – Let’s Revisit -RHSP - Jose Chirinos

 


 MACK – Let’s Revisit -SP - Jose Chirinos


Jose Javier Chirinos is a right-handed starting pitcher in the New York Mets’ minor league system, currently with the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones (as of mid-to-late 2026). Background and Profile
  • Born: October 16, 2004, in Los Puertos de Altagracia, Venezuela (age 21 in 2026).
  • Physical: 6'3", 170 lbs; bats/throws R/R. He has a lanky frame with a low-effort, whippy, low-three-quarters arm slot (sometimes noted for a loose resemblance to Jacob deGrom in delivery/appearance, though the stuff comparison does not hold).
  • Signed: January 15, 2022, by the Mets for a modest $10,000 bonus out of Venezuela. He has steadily progressed from the Dominican Summer League through the complex and full-season levels.
  • Prospect status: Ranked as the Mets’ No. 25 prospect by MLB Pipeline in 2026. 
  • Scouting grades (2026): Fastball 50, Slider 55, Changeup 45, Cutter 50, Control 45, Overall 40. 
  • He has a deep enough mix to project as a potential backend starter, though command/control remains a work in progress and he faces Rule 5 eligibility soon.
Career Path and PerformanceChirinos debuted in the DSL in 2022–2023 (ERAs around 4.6–4.9 with improving strikeouts). He reached stateside ball in 2024 (FCL and a brief St. Lucie appearance) with higher ERAs, then improved markedly in 2025 (combined ~3.01 ERA across FCL and Single-A St. Lucie, with solid K rates).

In 2026:

  • Strong start at Single-A St. Lucie: 9-G, 7-ST, 3-1, 2.36, 1.04, 42-IP, 48-K, 10-BB

  • High-A Brooklyn: 15-ST, 1-7, 4.00, 1.39, 72-IP, 77-K, 32-BB
He has earned recognition such as a DSL Mid-Season All-Star (2023) and occasional strong starts highlighted by Mets player development (e.g., high-K outings with low ERAs early in 2026). Pitch RepertoireChirinos throws a four-pitch mix (sometimes described with variations or an occasional curve), generally featuring:

  • Fastball (primarily two-seam/sinker, with some four-seam usage): Sits 92–95 mph (averages around 93 in recent looks), with armside run. Above-average extension helps it play up. Used roughly ~50% or as a primary pitch; more of a setup offering than a pure swing-and-miss pitch due to movement profile. Grades around average (50).
  • Cutter: 85–88 mph (mid-to-high 80s). Increased usage in 2026; gets a lot of strikes. Limited pure movement but effective when tunneled with the fastball or slider. Grades around 50.
  • Slider: Best secondary and main swing-and-miss pitch (grade 55). High-70s to low-80s, with slurvy action; he has variations including a shorter 79–81 mph version and a larger upper-70s sweeper. Good horizontal/vertical break and generates healthy whiffs, though it may need tightening against higher-level hitters.
  • Changeup: 83–86 mph (high-70s to high-80s range noted in some reports). Armside fade/run; less consistent and doesn’t always fool lefties as effectively as desired (grade 45). Velocity band can be wider than ideal.
He mixes the secondaries relatively evenly depending on feel that day, with the slider as the primary put-away pitch. Stuff metrics (e.g., from tracking sites) have generally graded near average overall. Command has improved at times (notably lower walk rates early in 2026 at Single-A) but tends to settle in the 10%+ range against better competition. 

Overall, Chirinos is a developing, projectable right-hander with a workable arsenal and improving results as he moves up. His success hinges on refining command and consistency with the secondaries against more advanced hitters. 



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