MACK - Let's Revisit - MIF Mitch Voit

 

MACK - Let's Revisit - MIF Mitch Voit 

Mitch Voit (Mitchell Veblen Voit) is a top New York Mets prospect, a right-handed batting/throwing infielder (primarily second base) currently with the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies.Background

• Born September 30, 2004, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (age 21). Listed at 6'0", 201 lbs.
• Attended Whitefish Bay High School (same school as Craig Counsell) and played college baseball at the University of Michigan.
• Was a two-way player (infielder/pitcher) early in college; threw low-to-mid 90s before internal brace surgery on his right elbow in 2024 essentially ended his pitching path. He focused fully on hitting as a junior in 2025.
• In 2025 at Michigan: .346/.471/.668 with 14 HR, 14 SB, more walks (40) than strikeouts (34) in 56 games. All-Big Ten First Team and All-Defensive Team; D1Baseball All-America third team. Highest Michigan MLB Draft pick since 2000.

Professional Career

• Selected by the Mets 38th overall (first-round pick, Comp Balance Tax penalty) in the 2025 MLB Draft. Signed for a $1.75 million bonus (under slot value).
• 2025 (pro debut): Single-A St. Lucie — .235 AVG, 1 HR, 20 SB in 22 games.
• 2026: Started at High-A Brooklyn Cyclones (.242/.349/.396 with 11 HR and 36 SB in 76 games). Strong second-half stretch earned a promotion to Double-A Binghamton on July 27.
• At Double-A: Extremely hot start (including multiple Eastern League Player of the Week awards). Combined 2026 minors stats (as of recent reports) around .278 AVG, .383 OBP, .444 SLG, 12 HR, 42+ SB across levels. Ranks among Mets’ top prospects (around No. 5–6 on MLB Pipeline at promotion time). Known for athleticism, speed, solid defense, contact skills, and developing power.

He’s seen as a potential future everyday middle infielder for the Mets (with second-base questions at the major-league level). Recent notes include a strong return from a brief HBP absence in late August 2026.

Reese Kaplan -- Some Upcoming Roster Changes Need to Be Made

With the New York Mets in general playing better post the house cleaning the first week of August comes as something of a surprise, there are more roster changes to consider for the final four plus weeks of the season as currently disabled players ready themselves to return from the IL.

The first player who is nearing a return to the lineup is superstar Juan Soto who is taking wind sprints, batting practice and nearing either a rehab assignment or a direct inclusion on the major league roster.

Currently on a rehab assignment Mark Vientos is likely going to have a less clear route back to the club where he has floundered after his hot 27 HR campaign that he’s never been able to replicate. With Jorge Polanco off the roster and Jared Young having become the starting first baseman every day it would seem that DH is really Vientos’ only option.  Yes, Bo Bichette came out with a bruise on his foot but we’ve all seen how poorly Vientos mans the hot corner.

So who would leave to make room for these two major leaguers?  It would appear there are three options.

Chrstopher Morel is a 28 year old AAAA type of player who in parts of five seasons in the majors owns a .219 batting average along with a greater than 33% strikeout rate.  His tenure is on thin ice at best.

Eric Wagaman is another AAAA type who is currently hitting just .191 though he owns a .245 average over parts of three seasons.  With an aggregate of 13 HRs over 595 ABs it would seem he has at best modest power and has not flexed his baseball muscles very much.

Outfielder Cristian Pache may be the most vulnerable of the three of them.  He’s a career .179 hitter over a total of a full year’s worth of ABs without power nor speed.  You could make a case for him leaving for Soto and one of the other two sent to Syracuse for Vientos.

On the pitching side of the equation it is less about injuries and more about competence.  Mid 30s final man on the roster Robert Stock should have made his final start for the Mets after his 7 run fiasco versus the Brewers.  At his age and lack of pedigree the club should have already seen quite enough of him and could instead use the rest of the season to test drive someone else in the fifth starter role.

The obvious in-house candidate right now would be Jonathan Pintaro who served as a starting pitcher for about half of his minor league career.  He was not a stellar prospect but with 31 minor league starts he would seem to be someone at age 28 whose prospect window is likely closed unless he can flash some starting pitching pedigree that surpasses the nearly 7.00 ERA Stock provides.

For now it would seem that the Mets need to begin an earnest evaluation of who should or shouldn’t be under roster consideration for the 2027 season. 

MACK – THOUGHTS & OTHER TIDBITS

 

MACK – THOUGHTS & OTHER TIDBITS

 

Thoughts

 

Word on the street is that 3B Bo Bichette will NOT opt out and will remain a New York Met in 2027. I love the idea. He’s the perfect bridge candidate to hold down the hot corner next season, but the question being raised already is does this mean the Mets won’t go after a big-time starter to fill the SP-1 slot? Let’s face it… Bichette’s contract is a whopper and could restrict any attempt to sign Tarik Skubal. The true question going forward here is will Steve Cohen become a money-wussie.

Now, all the Mets brass are lighting candles, hoping the injury Bichette was taken out of the game on Wednesday night doesn’t get in the way for a return to wearing a Mets uniform next season.

Look... I'm going to write later on in this report about a bunch of minor league Mets starters who are pitching quite well right now. There is a lot of starter talent in this chain, but the fact remains that:

1. The Mets currently have only 3 decent YOUNG starters in the MLB rotation.

2. The Mets currently have zippo decent starters on the AAA rotation.

3. Every starter at every level has been erratic this season.

4. If you want to win in 2027, you need an ace starter to head this MLB rotation.

5. If you are willing to wait until 2028, you don't need to spend big bucks on a long contract from someone, at best, is in his late 20s.

 

Promotions

 

RP Connor Ware promoted from A-St. Lucie to A+ Brooklyn

RP Carlos Guzman promoted from AA-Binghamton to AAA-Syracuse

P Nate Isler activated and assigned to A-St. Lucie

P Zach Grotchfelt activated and assigned to St. Lucie

RHP Aiden Keenan – promoted from FCL-Mets to A-St. Lucie

RP Saul Garcia from AA-Binghamton to AAA-Syracuse

 

Prospect Color Changes

 

RP Brian Metoyer from BLACK to BLUE

RP Saul Garcia from RED to BLUE

C Chase Meggers from BLACK to BLUE

 

Minor Tidbits

 

AAA/Syracuse RHSP Jack Wenninger is being Jack Wenninger again.

Wenninger’s last outing (Friday) produced five scoreless and hitless innings, while striking out six. He had just come off a brief stint on the IL for a torn fastball, or something like that. My guess is there was a good chance that this was just a manufactured pause after a shitty start.

Me was pulled after 71 pitches which makes of little sense. You’re the SP1 of the team and am throwing a no-hitter and you get yanked? Sooo Mets.

 

Speaking of starters doing good things, it looks like Jonah Tong is finally figuring out to:

1.     Pitch with the AAA baseball

2.     Deal with the AAA umpire situation

3.     Find a decent sushi bar

4.     Mix that new 5-pitch repertoire

Saturday added 5.2 scoreless innings to a string of quality outings and lowered his ERA to 4.86. Forget the ERA and concentrate on the string. Tong may just be ready for the jump again to the Mets rotation.

 

Nd then, on Sunday, it was A+ Brooklyn RHSP Daviel Hurtado’s turn. The 21/year old RED Prospect gave up zero earned runs in 5.2-IP, while striking out five. Hurtado lowered his seasonal ERA to 2.14.  This was his 15^th outing and 13^th start with the Cyclones and maybe he’s ready to push someone out of the AA-Binghamton rotation before the season ends. There are four BLUE Prospect starters there now… Gary Gill Hill, Noah Hall, R.J. Gordon, Will Watson… but no red ones. Hurtado is a red one. Move the young man.

 

Speaking of Mets starters in recovery mode, AA-Binghamton RHSP, R.J. Gordon seems to be back on track. Sunday brought 6.0-IP, 4-H, 0-R, 5-K, but more important, his last four outings have produced 23-IP, 14-H, 4-ER, 21-K. That translated into a 4-ST, 3-0, 1.57, 0.96 outcome in August. He’s had 18-started this season for the B-Mets. You may see a move here before the season ends.

 

A-St. Lucie catcher, Yovanny Rodriguez, may be beginning to figure out the A-level (these things do take time, ya know). On Tuesday night, he clouted two home runs while going 3-5 overall and knocking in three runs. Sure, his Florida League stats may still be 3-HR, .213, .706-OPS, but his 2-team seasonal stat line reads 11-HR, .261/.809. Not bad for a 19-year old playing stateside for the first time. Me? I truly believe that Rodriguez will be starting Mets catcher, if there is no strike) on opening day 2029.

 

Let’s face it… we may just need to start realizing that the Mets snagged a potential top prospect in 21/yr. old MIF Jefferson Rojas. He hit his 20^th AA home run on Tuesday and his combined AA stats through that game were 413-AB, .271-BA, 20-HR, 77-RBI, 18-SB, .819-0PS. Numbers like this, at this level, set him up to become the perfect candidate to follow Bo Bichette at third base after the 2027 season. Such a problem.

In Closing

 

I truly believe that Billy Amick is becoming the new Pete Alonso.

Let’s look at the numbers…  through 2026, Amick has played on three AA/AAA teams. He's had 461 plate appearances, producing 385 at-bats, 138 strikeouts, and 57 walks. This is so Pete. Moreover, he has 87 hits, 16 doubles, 33 homers, and has produced 99 runs batted in. Lastly, he is now playing over 75% of his games on first base. Trust me. This is not a coincidence.

I expect him to be assigned as a first baseman in the off-season Arizona Fall League (AFL) and open up in 2027 on the Mets first base. I also expect him to struggle that first year, hitting only around .220, but producing around 25-HRs.

The blossoming will begin in 2028 and Amick will possibly become the most successful Met obtained during this season’s trading deadline period. 

 

MACK – Let’s Revisit – 3B – Jefferson Rojas

 

MACK – Let’s Revisit – 3B – Jefferson Rojas 

Jefferson Rojas is a 21-year-old Dominican professional baseball infielder (primarily shortstop/second base/third base) and the New York Mets’ top prospect.

Born: April 25, 2005, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic 

Bats/Throws: Right/Right 

Height/Weight: 5'11", ~150 lbs 

Current team: Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Mets affiliate)

Rojas signed with the Chicago Cubs as an international free agent in January 2022 (ranked among the top international prospects). He progressed quickly through the Cubs’ system and was their No. 2 prospect

On August 3, 2026, the Mets acquired him from the Cubs in exchange for RHP Clay Holmes and OF Tyrone Taylor. He immediately became the Mets’ No. 1 prospect (and ranks in the MLB Pipeline Top 100, recently around No. 63–76).

2026 performance

He has had a strong season (career-high power) across Double-A Knoxville (Cubs)

Since joining the Mets: He has continued producing well, including reaching the 20-homer mark for the first time in his career (his 20th came on August 25).

Scouts praise his well-rounded offensive profile (bat-to-ball skills, emerging power, speed), and he is viewed as a potential everyday big-league contributor, likely settling at second or third base long-term. He remains young for Double-A and is considered a candidate for a future call-up or continued rapid advancement.

Tom Brennan: Where Minor League Runs Flow Like Diarrhea; Billy Kingman

PITCHERS ARE HAVING A WICKED CASE OF “THE RUNS”

IN THE DSL (DIARRHEA SUMMER LEAGUE)

Sorry for the visual image, but if the shoe fits, wipe off the sole.

When pitchers in the DSL are not getting rocked, they are walking the park.

The Mets DSL Blue team’s pitchers incredibly allowed 478 runs in 423 IP.

Good Golly, Miss Molly.

They were downright stingy, though, compared to the DSL Padres Brown team, which allowed 527 runs in 402 innings, 11.8 runs per 9 innings, and the Miami DSL squad that allowed 506 runs in 392 innings.

Teams that allowed more than, or barely less than, a run per inning, which I arbitrarily defined as 10 or fewer less runs than innings pitched, plus any teams allowing more than a run per inning?  

13 TEAMS. EQUALLING 26% OF THE LEAGUE’S TEAMS. 

The DSL’ stingiest team still allowed 5 runs per 9 innings.  They were rare.

Why? Only 5 of the 51 teams allowed fewer than 6 runs per 9 innings.

THE DSL is mistakenly thought to be the Dominican Summer League.

It is more aptly entitled:

DSL = Diarrhea Scoring League

My brother Steve asked me how that much poor DSL pitching could be possible.  

I thought about it, and said to him that my best guess is that you are likely pulling about 1,400 to 1,500 pitchers in the 16-19 age range mostly from the little Dominican Republic, to cover the entire 51 team league. 

You will have to use a lot of truly bad pitchers to do that, hence the huge amount of runs, walks, and hit batsmen in the DSL. There are 100s of pitchers with mind-boggling poor DSL stats.

For instance, the worst hurling team, the Padres Brown, had 13 pitchers with ERAs above 10. The poor-pitching Mets Blue team had 10 pitchers with ERAs above 10.

And probably, most of the strong-armed players want to be shortstops.

THE DSL’S HIGH A BALL COUNTERPART?

The DSL highly hurting hurlers are not alone.

DSL hurlers have “explosive diarrhea” company: Asheville, in High A ball.  

The Ashevillian pitchers have allowed a staggering 580 runs at home in just 534 innings, with opposing hitters batting .319 in their home park and allowing a staggering 132 HRs in 60 games. 

No surprise, since their teeny tiny park is 373 feet to dead center, 320 feet to right center, and 296 down the right field line.

When I was a 130 pound, 16 year old lefty hitting slugger-kid with pimples, I could hit a ball about 350 or so feet max, and thus could easily have cleared that Asheville fence in right field and right center. 

Sign me up! I was a more muscled 160 pounds by age 18, and I too could have been an Asheville power hitter.

Those crazy short dimensions at least partially explain why Brooklyn scored a huge 43 runs in their last 3 games there last week. 

And 64 runs in the entire 6 game weekly series there.

Remarkably, that STILL left Brooklyn with a league-worst .215 average this year. Why?

The Cyclones (both road and home) hit (wrong word) .184 in April and .191 in May, which is an awfully tough hole to dig out of.

Brooklyn pitchers meanwhile incredibly have allowed just 244 runs in 59 home games in Stingy Field, or 336 fewer runs than Asheville pitchers allowed at home. 

Meaning that Brooklyn pitchers have allowed a staggering 5.6 runs per game fewer in Brooklyn this season than Asheville chuckers have projectile-vomited out in Asheville, NC.

Asheville hitters, on the other hand? 

They love their home park, of course, scoring 7.3 runs per game there this season. And 144 fewer runs on the road, so I hear that they hate to travel.

Don’t tell me park dimensions and wind/chill conditions don’t matter.

They matter bigly.

The SAL league’s Greensboro park is quite cozy, too, and the proof is that their team has scored over 7 runs per home game. Why is that relevant?

Sammy Stafura hit 19 HRs and drove in 51 runs in 47 games for Greensboro before heading to Brooklyn in “the Luke Weaver trade”. 

Since joining Brooklyn, where chunks of strength-sapping kryptonite are reportedly strewn throughout the clubhouse, Sammy has 0 HRs and 2 RBIs in 14 Cyclones games through Sunday.

Surprised? Not me.

So, remember this…

Mitch Voit struggled in Brooklyn in April and May, as did Corey Collins. 

Gold Glove, hyper speed Mitch gets promoted to AA and out of Cyclones gulag in Siberia, and is it any surprise that Mitch was torching it at a stunning .437/.529/.648 in 18 AA games?

REMINDER TO READERS: 

COMPLETELY IGNORE BROOKLYN STATS WHEN EVALUATING ANY HITTERS.

ALSO, ON THE TOPIC OF RUNS ALLOWED…

The 1962 Mets, in large part due to atrocious defense, allowed 948 runs in 160 games. Had they played all 162 at that pace, they would have allowed 960 runs.

In only one other season, 2017, did the Mets even allow more than 800 runs (863) to score. 

Pretty remarkable: all the other Mets seasons were below 800 runs allowed.

The Mets top 4 minor league teams in 2026 have allowed LOTS of runs.

Here are the totals through August 24 for each of those teams, and the projected runs they’d allow if their seasons extended over 162 games:

St Lucie - A: 713 runs in 119 games. 162 game projection: 1,004 runs!

Syracuse - AAA: 626 runs in 125 games. 162 game projection: 812 runs!

Binghamton - AA: 603 runs in 121 games. 162 game projection: 807 runs!

Brooklyn - Hi A: 543 runs in 118 games. 162 game projection: 745 runs!

So, the first 3 minors teams, based on 162 game projections, would have ranked #1, #4, and #5 in the Mets’ 60+ seasons of most runs allowed in a season.

Brooklyn would have been in the top third of all Mets seasons in runs allowed.

So…all I can conclude is…don’t really expect sufficient useful major league caliber pitching to come out of the minors in 2027. 

The top 4 teams collectively, based on the above data, have terrible pitching.

LAST NIGHT

Mets loss…we need to sell Stock short…Bichette leaves game hurt…

Vientos homers in Syracuse, as Syracuse scores 11…bashing Brooklyn also scores 11 runs, 7 of them in the 10th inning. Love those extras.

Trey Snyder and Billy Amick had their slugging shoes on last night, especially Amick, who cracked 2 homers and added another hit. 

Billy has 33 HRs and 99 RBIs in just 385 at bats. Billy Kingman.

Paul Articulates - Is this team good enough to compete next season?

The New York Mets are in the midst of a gauntlet run where they play four division leaders in a row, which is part of their post-all-star-break schedule - one of the toughest in MLB.  They did themselves no favors by performing so poorly out of the gate, and the later half of this season has just seemed like fulfillment of an obligation rather than an exciting push to the finish.

The team has played better this month, but as we saw in the series finale in Chicago and now in two games against the Brewers, they just don't always have the talent in the right places to compete with the best.  Sunday it was the lack of stamina in our latest closer Kodai Senga that allowed a walk-off on a pitch he doesn't throw when well rested.  Tuesday it was an unavailable Senga that necessitated an unfamiliar Austin Warren on the mound to start the ninth, where he quickly blew his first save opportunity.  Wednesday it was Robert Stock being dominated by a good hitting team.

The fans and the media seem to be giving the team a pass when these things happen because frankly, that potential win would not have changed anything when the team is this far back in the standings and this far below .500.  If the team were competing for a playoff spot as was projected earlier in the season, there would have been much less tolerance for these kind of things.

This leads me to today's question: "Is this team good enough to compete next season?"  My answer is simply, "No".  

We have made some strides with the experimental lineups this year.  An early promotion of AJ Ewing has discovered a legitimate star in the making.  A well deserved promotion has positioned Carson Benge as a definite star in the making.  A necessary call-up of Zack Thornton has identified a promising middle-of-the-rotation starter.  The opportunity for consistent playing time has proven that Jared Young is a deserving major leaguer.

But I also argue that those strides are not enough.  We cannot start a 36-year old second baseman next year with a .214 batting average.  We can't field a five pitcher rotation with only three guys that provide consistent results.  We can't compete in close games with closers that only show up some of the time and fail to dominate in others.  We also can't have a designated hitter position in the lineup that is manned by guys hitting under .200.  These are glaring problems that present barriers to success in any season regardless of how healthy the team is.

Some would argue that this team has the purchasing power to go out and fill all those holes in the off-season.  However, as we have seen in recent off-seasons, it is not just the big offer that wins in free agent acquisition.  It is the promise of success and the team environment that lures players to teams that are positioned to compete for championships.  They Mets have neither, as their reputation was severely damaged in the last two disappointing MLB seasons.  Adding fuel to the fire, it is likely that the collective bargaining agreement negotiations (if they are completed in time to hold the 2027 season) will limit the spending power of wealthier teams like the Mets.

If there is a salary cap, the Soto contract will go from a huge triumph to a huge boat anchor.  With big salaries promised in 2027 to guys like Lindor, Bichette, Polanco, and Roberts, the remaining slots on the 26-man roster will have to be constructed with controllable, minimum salary players and spin-the-wheel aged veterans that David Stearns has experimented with unsuccessfully over the past two seasons.

That is not enough to win, and that is not going to be acceptable to the New York fans or the New York media for another season.

MACK - Let's Get To Know - RHRP - AJ Krodel

 

MACK - Let's Get To Know - RHRP - AJ Krodel

AJ (Andrew James) Krodel is a right-handed pitcher selected by the New York Mets in the 12th round (overall pick No. 360) of the 2026 MLB Draft out of UC Santa Barbara.

amazinavenue.com

Background and college career

• Born May 11, 2005, in Villa Park, California (age 21 as of mid-2026).
• Height/weight: 6'4", 200 pounds; bats/throws right/right.
• High school: Villa Park HS (lettered three years). Combined .288/.356/.352 as a hitter and a 3.70 ERA in 98.1 innings as a pitcher; went undrafted in 2023 and headed to UCSB.
• College (UCSB Gauchos): Primarily a reliever. Career stats across three seasons roughly 6-4 with a mid-6 ERA in ~66 innings, 83 strikeouts, and elevated walk rates. In 2026 (junior year): 25 appearances, 3-2 record, 4 saves, 5.66 ERA in 35 innings, 42 hits, 17 walks, 42 strikeouts. He had stronger summer-ball results (e.g., 1.74 ERA in 31 innings as a starter for the Santa Barbara Foresters in the California Collegiate League in 2025).
  amazinavenue.com

He signed with the Mets and was assigned to the FCL Mets (Florida Complex League affiliate). 

milb.com

Pitching repertoire and profileKrodel throws from a high three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action and above-average/elite extension off the mound. He features a four-pitch mix (unusual emphasis for a primarily bullpen arm) and has been noted for movement and spin traits more than pure velocity:

• Fastball (primarily two-seam): Low-90s (often 91-93, rarely higher). Below-average velocity and spin rates, but strong induced vertical break and seam-shifted wake effects create late arm-side run/dive and a “resists gravity” look. Effective shape despite the velo.
• Circle changeup: Low-to-mid 80s; frequently cited as his best secondary. Extreme arm-side fade; effective against both lefties and righties and a strikeout weapon (noted as generating multiple Ks in outings).
• Slider (sweeper): High-70s to low-80s. Shows promise with big sweep/movement; still relatively raw in terms of sharpness and consistency.
• Curveball: Mid-to-high 70s. Shows some promise but remains raw, relying more on overall movement than sharp break.

Scouting notes highlight strong release traits, ability to spin the ball (especially the sweeper), and “enticing raw ingredients with room to improve.” He has been described as an interesting relief arm who can adjust mound position based on the hitter. Command has been a consistent issue (career college walk rate around 12%), leading to hittable pitches when he tries to force strikes, higher fly-ball rates, and elevated BABIP/home-run rates in college. Strikeout rate was solid (~27% career at UCSB).

amazinavenue.com

Overall projection centers on further velocity gains, refining command and secondary sharpness, and leveraging the unique fastball shape + changeup + extension for professional success, likely in a bullpen role. He was viewed as a developmental arm with upside rather than a polished high-round talent.

Tom Brennan - Mets Middle IF Thoughts, Looking Ahead to 2027/28 and Beyond

Emilien Pitre

CANADIAN EMILIEN PITRE CAN REALLY HIT, YES?

BEFORE I START ON THE FAB FOUR INFIELD PROSPECTS

TUESDAY: Mets win a 10 inning thriller. This Mets team has gelled and would be downright dangerous if Juan Soto was in the middle of the line up.

Meanwhile, Binghamton and St Lucie combined for 18 runs, Brooklyn and Syracuse combined for two.

Jon Santucci pitched great after allowing a first inning HR to a very strong AAA hitter. He is adjusting. Now…

BACK TO PITRE, WHO IS HITTING .354 IN 17 GAMES POST-TRADE, WITH ONLY ONE K EVERY 11 PAs, BUT JUST ONE METS SYSTEM XBH SO FAR.

Here is how I see the middle infielders (and 3rd base) on the Mets roster playing out by 2028, and actually sooner:

But first, keep this in mind…

Elian Peña, $5 million bonus baby, just got promoted to High A Brooklyn. FAST!! He only turns 19 in October.  

The last 18 year old position player promoted by the Mets to High A? 

Yeah, I can’t think of one, either. Like, ever. Gooden did…but he pitched.

Pena remarkably skipped past the FCL from the DSL, straight to St Lucie,  and posted a tremendous .388 OBP in St Lucie this year.

So, my projected IF roster - how does it look?

Between Jefferson Rojas, Mitch Voit, Emilien Pitre, and Elian Peña, I’d be somewhat surprised if Francisco Lindor is still a Met in 2028.  But he is back playing like Lindor, and you don’t discard stars.

AND…THE TWO VERY OLD MEN? 

Marcus Semien’s days are numbered. 

Jorge Polanco’s days are numbered. (I now call him Pol-Ankle)

Both have their Mets remaining playing days numbered, in very small digits.

Back to the four kids…

All four (Rojas, Pitre, Voit, and Pena) are very promising middle infielders. 

First 3? They do not strike out much, which is absolutely key.  Rojas is simply bombing away in AA, and already deserves a AAA promotion. 

So does Voit. Pitre is already there, n’est pas?

The first 3 look extremely promising in every aspect of the game, except a bit low on power from Voit and Pitre, so far, as MLB is a power hitters’ league that lusts for power, but their power will normalize soon. 

I see all three as promising starting MILF’s for the Mets fairly soon.

Maybe Voit get an outfield glove.

The fourth, Elian, is being appropriately rushed, so he has fanned once per game, in 2026, and that’s is OK. And he has a decent .303 OBP in his first 6 Brooklyn games.

That K rate will drop as he gets a little less rushed. 

Plus Elian had led off all year for Lucie, and hence had compiled more PAs per game. Which accelerates development. His 94 St Lucie Ks in 439 PAs is a very good rate at age 18.

He is more than surviving the fast promotion challenge. He is thriving.

His defense (decidedly “I’m 18” shaky this year) will normalize in 2027.

The first 3 dudes are more advanced than Pena and will be METS starting players before, or by, opening day 2028. 

I’d say all 3 will show up in Queens WELL BEFORE 2028…

…just like Benge and Ewing hurtled upward. 

I am betting first half 2027 for all three.

Pena, the fourth, will show up by mid 2028, or opening day 2029. 

Lindor? Aging, too, like the somewhat older Semien and Polanco. But far more dangerous still.

FL will be turning 34 in 2028. He is still owed $33 million per year for FIVE YEARS, starting in 2027, and those 5 years span ages 33-37.

Few baseball players are ever worth that money in that age bracket.

Last chance as I see it for the Mets in 2027, or even this off season, to deal Lindor and not eat huge contractual $, before his age really catches up to him. 

Like it quickly did with Happy Jose.

The fine Jose Reyes decidedly downshifted performance-wise at age 34, and collapsed in a heap to .189 at age 35. 

So, it is in my view a big risk to keep Lindor at his $$ past mid-2027.

If he is hot, but the Mets are out of contention by 2027 trade deadline, he could go then.

Or, trade him this off-season. 

Call up the cheap, talented kids in 2027.

Out with the aging, in with the low-cost youths. 

A gamble? For sure. The youth could flop, of course, or sputter a bit.

But Lindor’s 33 RBIs in 289 ABs while hitting .239?  

Maybe Jefferson Rojas could do that in 2027 instead. 

Or Voit. Or Pitre.

Moving on…

WANDY ASIGEN? Late 2029 or opening day 2030. 

He’s 16, reader dude, so relax.

Meanwhile, before I go, there are four more…

Sammy Stafura, Boston Baro, Trey Snyder and Jack the Ripper Reimer all say, “Don’t forget me!”  All have to be healthier and/or do better. 

Jack the Ripper is the closest to throwing his hat in the Queens Ring.

All four have real potential if they stay healthy, which 3 of those 4 have struggled with.

So, there you have it.