MACK - Three Bats Coming Alive

 

 

There are some minor league players that are starting to show signs that we should all take them more serious.

This report is about three of them.

 

Colin Houck is no strange to prospect lists. The ex-prep star was a standout at Parkview HS (GA) in both baseball (senior: .487 with pop) and football (QB).

Houck is a 21-year-old infielder (primarily shortstop and third base).

Born: September 30, 2004 (Stockbridge/Lilburn, Georgia).

Physical: 6'2", 190 lbs, bats/throws right-handed.

Committed to Mississippi State but signed with the Mets after they drafted him 32nd overall (Competitive Balance Round A, first-round pick) in the 2023 MLB Draft. He received a $2.75 million signing bonus.

Houck is still early in his development as a high school draftee. He has played across Rookie, Low-A (St. Lucie), and High-A (Brooklyn) levels:

2023 (FCL Mets, rookie ball): .241/.389/.310 in 9 games.

2024 (St. Lucie, Low-A): .206/.304/.306 with 5 HR, 51 RBI in 112 games. High strikeout rate (36%).

2025 (split St. Lucie/Brooklyn): .228/.315/.384 combined, 10 HR, good power in Low-A (.252/.351/.461) but struggled after promotion to High-A (.198/.269/.289).

2026 (Brooklyn, High-A, ongoing): Around .213/.279/.346 with 5 HR in ~52 games; continued contact and strikeout issues.

Career minors (through 2026): Roughly .217/.306/.345 with 20 HR and 26 SB in ~289 games. He has shown some speed and raw power but struggles with contact, especially against breaking pitches/spin (high K rates in the 30+% range).

He was a top-10/15 Mets prospect in 2024 but has slipped (e.g., #25–#34 range or lower in various 2025/2026 lists) due to performance and swing-and-miss concerns. Scouting grades often note average-to-plus raw power and athleticism but below-average hit tool currently, with questions about his ultimate defensive home (SS/3B versatility).

He's viewed as a toolsy, projectable player with a long development path, but he's trending toward a fringe/organizational depth type unless he improves his plate discipline and contact rates significantly.

Houck is a classic high-upside prep pick who is still working through the challenges of professional baseball.

 

 Trey Snyder is a 20-year-old infielder (primarily shortstop).

Born: September 21, 2005 (Kansas City, MO)

Height/Weight: 6'1", 197 lbs

Bats/Throws: Right/Right

Draft: Selected by the Mets in the 5th round (144th overall) of the 2024 MLB Draft out of Liberty North High School (Missouri). He was Missouri’s Gatorade High School Player of the Year and had committed to Tennessee before signing.

Signing Bonus: $1,322,500 (well above the slot value for his pick).

He made his pro debut in 2024 with a brief stint in Single-A (St. Lucie Mets) after starting in the Florida Complex League.

2024 (A): 6 G, .182 AVG, .308 OBP, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1 SB in limited action.

2025 (A - St. Lucie): 115 G, .220 AVG, .336 OBP, .288 SLG, 5 HR, 48 RBI, 41 SB, 72 BB, 96 K.

2026: Started on the 60-day IL with St. Lucie, had a rehab stint in the FCL, and was activated in early June. He's been performing well since returning (hot start noted in recent games, including extra-base hits).

He shows a solid approach with good plate discipline (high walk rate) and speed on the bases, though his power is more fringe/average at this stage.

Strengths: Polished high school hitter with good swing decisions and contact ability. Solid arm and instincts at shortstop. Good baserunner (though added strength may have slightly reduced his pure speed).

Areas to Improve: Power development (exit velocities have been inconsistent) and range/athleticism at shortstop. He may eventually move to second or third base long-term due to average speed.

Scouting Grades (approx. from MLB.com): Hit: 45, Power: 40, Run: 50, Arm: 55, Field: 50, Overall: 40. ETA around 2028.

He's viewed as a high-floor prospect with a mature approach for his age, and he's one of the Mets' better lower-level infield prospects. As of 2026, he's ranked in the Mets' top ~20-25 prospects by some outlets.

 

During the period of 6/5-6/14, Binghamton catcher Vincent Perozo produced a 1.162-OPS.

Perozo is a Venezuelan catcher in the New York Mets minor league organization.

Born: March 6, 2003 (age 23) in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.

Bats/Throws: Left/Right.

Height/Weight: Listed around 5'11" / 170

Position: Primary catcher, with some time at 1B and LF.

The Mets signed him as an international free agent on July 2, 2019. He missed 2020 due to the COVID-19 minor league shutdown and debuted in 2021 with the Florida Complex League (FCL) Mets.

His development has included: Struggles with consistency and strikeouts early on.

Multiple injuries (e.g., shoulder issues).

Steady progress as a switch-hitting threat from the left side.

He has bounced between levels in recent seasons, often filling in as needed across the Mets' system.

2026 Season (as of early/mid-June) - He has split time across High-A Brooklyn, Double-A Binghamton, and a brief Triple-A Syracuse appearance. In Double-A with Binghamton, he showed strong recent form, earning Mets Minor League Player of the Week honors for Week 11 (5 games, .450 AVG, 2 HR).

He has shown decent plate discipline at times (walking more in better seasons) but has dealt with higher strikeout rates.

Notable seasons:  2022 (age 19): Strong in FCL (.283/.387/.475).

2023: Solid power in Single-A (8 HR).

2025: Better contact rates in Single-A St. Lucie (.259/.376/.378).

Outlook - Perozo is a depth catcher prospect with left-handed bat potential and defensive skills behind the plate. He is not yet on the MLB roster and remains in the upper minors (primarily Double-A in 2026). Projections suggest modest big-league upside as a backup or platoon option, though he needs more consistency.

He is known for a smooth left-handed swing with some pull-side power, though he can be vulnerable to high pitches.

Paul Articulates - Challenges to the leadership

Way back before the 2026 season started, I wrote a piece (find it here) to talk about the rule changes that were to be implemented this year.  Of those rule changes, the most intriguing was the introduction of the Automated Ball Strike (ABS) system.  It had been tried in the minors, and with some refinements it would be brought to MLB.

This year, each team is allowed two unsuccessful pitch challenges per game (1 more awarded in extra innings).  If challenges are successful, it does not reduce the two.  These challenges can be issued by the pitcher, catcher, or batter.

The key point in that article was that MLB clubs would need to develop strategies to deal with the ABS.  Since teams would only get two incorrect challenges per game, the cost of using a challenge and failing is high if they are used two early.  Therefore, deciding who can challenge and when they can challenge would need to be clearly communicated to the team.

I don't see much evidence that the Mets have developed and implemented such strategies.  It seems like every batter has the discretion to use a challenge when they feel it is warranted.  We have seen batters unsuccessfully use challenges in the early innings much too often.  This puts the team at a disadvantage in the later innings when a challenge is needed in a high leverage situation but none is left.

As evidence, I present this table from Baseball Savant, which shows that fourteen different Mets batters have challenged pitches so far this year, with less than a 50% success rate.  That puts the team at a disadvantage, and the coaching staff should be laying down some rules.  Yet we see that Marcus Semien was allowed to challenge a dozen times with a very poor 42% success rate.  Are they afraid to pull a veteran player aside and ask him to trust the umps for the good of the team?  In a team that seems to be dominated by analytical judgements there is no one pointing out that we are hurting ourselves?

This is a struggling team that is still looking for some momentum.  They must take advantage of every opportunity to try to tilt the scales and here is one staring them in the face.

As a team, the Mets are a mediocre 13th in successful challenges from the batters' box even though there were only 8 teams in MLB that have challenged more.  I look to Carlos Mendoza as the person that needs to control this by putting more restrictions on who can challenge and when.  Personally, I only trust Juan Soto and AJ Ewing to have a good enough understanding of the strike zone have free reign to challenge.  The rest should be limited to high leverage situations where the difference between strike and ball may influence the outcome of the game.

Defensively, the Mets have fared a little better.  Catchers have challenged 77 calls with a 53% success rate.  Luis Torrens has had the most success with a 56% rate on his 41 challenges.  Pitchers have only challenged 6 times (4 successful), which is what a disciplined team would expect.  Pitchers have the worst vantage point to see where a pitch would cross the plate since they have no side angle to measure depth.

Overall, the Mets rank 20th of 30 teams in successful ABS challenges.  I see this as opportunity lost.  I see it as a leadership failure to understand the effectiveness of individual players and control how the challenges are used.  It is not unlike the allowance of undisciplined at-bats with runners in scoring position - if players are not being coached to improve their performance in these areas then it is not reasonable for us to expect things to get better.

Reese Kaplan -- Looking at the Mets Future Starting Rotation

Saturday night’s pitching disaster by David Stearns trade acquisition Freddy Peralta (with compensating bad efforts from Tobias Myers and others as well) demonstrated a few things to the Mets fan base and the media that covers the team.  The bigger issue for the Mets right now would seem to be the value of pending free agent Freddy Peralta who created his own highlight reel of a Charlie Brown type of pitcher who not only wouldn’t earn the super big payday he’s been assuming was his at year’s end.

For the Mets the horrific batting practice performance against the Phillies makes Peralta’s current value even worse.  Everyone had been under the assumption that when the Mets made the determination that they were not likely to make a miracle run into contention as the trade deadline that they would then maximize the short term gain by peddling Peralta to the highest bidder who would offer up good trade options to help correct the miscue made in obtaining him in the first place.

Furthermore, if the Mets went the other way to keep Peralta to year’s end then they have a new ugly issue to solve.  They could attempt to sign him to an extension, a move which right now would have many people among the media and fans ready to get the pitchforks and torches to show their unrelenting hostility about the front office actions. 

Unfortunately, it’s nearly as bad if they went the other way.  They could choose to give him a QO which would be worth close to $20 million, a $12 million increase over his 2026 salary, in the hopes of getting a compensatory pick if he turned it down.  While that is a good thing, they run the risk of him accepting it and then the team needs to figure out which Peralta they would be getting for $20 million in 2027.  Think of it as the Sean Manaea problem (minus the injury issues).  Are the Mets getting good value out of Manaea?  Would it make sense for them to repeat this poor planning with Peralta?

Assuming that Peralta has indeed played himself out of the Mets future plans, what does the 2027 pitching staff look like?  Frankly, it’s not great but it’s not awful either.  Without Peralta the Mets 2027 rotation would include Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Christian Scott, Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga with Jonah Tong and Tylor Megill as not very appealing backup options.  David Peterson is a free agent and it’s highly unlikely he would be welcomed back nor receive a QO.  If Manaea and Senga pitched as they did in their better days then it’s not a bad staff at all.  Many might clamor for the Mets to acquire arms via trade or free agency but given how poorly the front office has handled both during the Stearns regime it might be better to put that kind of attention to other positions of need.

So what is the consensus here about Peralta?  Is he just going through a rough stretch, is he perhaps dealing with an undisclosed injury or is he simply not that good?  His track record is sensational but as we’ve all seen with both pitchers and hitters what’s on the back of the baseball card is not a guarantee of future success?  If it’s a trade deadline transaction, what would be an equitable return?

Tom Brennan - Everybody Gets Lucky Sometimes; Not Caring Enough; Binghamton Brought in a Few Ringers Friday Night

SMILE - IT IS JUNE, AFTER ALL

Talked to bro’ Steve Brennan, a human truth barometer, about the Mets.

He thinks David Stearns did a terrible job putting this team together.

I reminded him that he can really draft players.

He drafted Jacob Misiorowski, after all.

While the “Mets guys pre-David” took Parada and Jett.. 

That JM dude is essentially prime time Jacob deGrom, PLUS 4 MPH.

Stevie reminded me that Stearns was the BREWERS GM at the time.

I told him to stop quibbling.

He told me everyone gets lucky occasionally.

Steve Brennan added that he finds the Mets unwatchable. 

So he’s stopped doing so, until they are.

I replied, “Who hasn’t”? 

But through Thursday, we were starting to see glimmers of hope.

NOT CARING ENOUGH?

Some guys just don’t seem to care enough to go all out to win.

I saw this posted in 2024, and presume it is correct:

“Per baseball savant the Mets' bottom 5 active player sprint speeds for 2024.

Mark Vientos - 6' 4" 185 lbs --- Sprint Speed 26.3 ft/sec

Jesse Winker - 6' 2" 206 lbs --- Sprint Speed 26.1 ft/sec

Pete Alonso - 6' 3" 245 lbs --- Sprint Speed 26.1 ft/sec

JD Martinez - 6' 3" 230 lbs --- Sprint Speed 25.8 ft/sec

Francisco Alvarez - 5' 10" 233 lbs --- Sprint Speed 25.8 ft/sec”

So…per this, Vientos was faster than Alonso. Not by much, but enough to get to 2nd base on a steal attempt at full speed about 6” faster than Alonso. And 6 inches sooner, in base stealing, is huge.

Why is it, then, that Vientos has just 4 pro steals in 14 attempts over 3,550 pro plate appearances, while over 6,866 pro PAs, Alonso has stolen 32 of 47 times?

Insufficient inner drive? Lackadaisical?

The even slower Alvarez, who probably is 18” slower on steal attempts than Vientos, is 13 of 21 steals in 2,600+ pro PAs.

Keith Hernandez, a pretty slow guy in his day, with tremendous inner fire, stole 98 major league bases, including 19 one year.

Mr. Slow Poke, the very competitive Rusty Staub, had 47 career MLB steals.

The ultimate snail, Daniel Vogelbach, stole 16 of 28 as a pro.

I will stop there. You get the point.

Mark’s aggressiveness quotient seems quite low. 

By comparison, the Knick Jalen Brunson’s?  Off the charts.

MV?  He seems to saying through his actions that, base stealing?

 “IT NO MY YOB.” Too much “lazy”, not enough “crazy”?

WHO NEEDS RANDY GUZMAN?

Randy Guzman, one of my favorite power hitters in the Mets’ lower minors, is unfortunately on the IL, limiting him to just 4 June games through Friday.

But who needs Randy Guzman the outfielder when you have….

Randy Guzman the pitcher?

In the DSL, the young DSL Orange Mets righty has thrown 12 scoreless innings with 15 Ks vs. just 2 walks, in a league where walks are issued like speeding tickets at month end to meet ticket quotas. 

For instance, in the Blue Mets DSL game on Friday, the squad scored 8 runs on 4 hits? HOW? Of course, with 14 walks. Weird baseball going on in the DSL. Take any and all DSL stats with a few grains of salt.

BINGHAMTON BROUGHT IN A FEW RINGERS ON FRIDAY NIGHT

SO IT WAS TIME TO SHOW OFF!

The Ponies added 2 new bats Friday night that boosted their offense. Lindor went 1 for 4 and a RBI at SS, and Tyrone Taylor went 2 for 3.

Besides them, it is always good for the minor leaguers to impress MLB guys like that when they show up with your team to rehab. 

Who did that Friday night?

29 year old righty Brian Metoyer. 

The oft-injured but now healthy Metoyer has never given up, and Friday night, he fanned SIX IN TWO INNINGS.

He has had a few bad outings this year, but otherwise has been excellent. His former control issues are largely resolved, helping him to an 1.19 WHIP, and he has fanned a gaudy 43 in 26 innings.

I’d like to see him make the majors, even if briefly. 

David: Don’t wait until he’s 40. Why 40?

He was, after all, a FORTIETH ROUNDER in 2018. He may be the last 40th rounder playing pro ball. Quite a “never give up” story.

DSL WILDNESS, AND FREDDY WASN’T STEADY EDDIE

The 2 DSL teams continued their extremely wild ways yesterday, surrendering 25 runs on 11 hits. Not a misprint.

Freddy Peralta’s trade value slid a tad yesterday in their 15-3 drubbing at the hands of the Filet Mignons. Well, a lot more than a tad.

BEN RORTVEDT IS HOT

On base 5 times for Syracuse last night, in an 11-10 win. Good for him.

Season slash line now .236/.320/.449.

Teammate Ryan Clifford: .202/.289/.421.

Tom Brennan - Franchise Values…Then, and Now: And I Found Alex Ramirez

STEVE COHEN HAD THE DOUGH TO GIVE IT A GO 

“Boy, have I got some value for YOU! Step right, and buy a franchise!”

History.com had an article regarding the remarkably small $10 million purchase of the Yankees by George Steinbrenner and other investors in early 1973:

“…a 12-member group headed by George Steinbrenner purchases the New York Yankees for $10 million from Columbia Broadcasting System, which had owned the team since 1964. The group includes CBS’s Yankees president Michael Burke, who briefly serves in that role under Steinbrenner. Known by many as "The Boss," Steinbrenner goes on to become one of the more controversial owners in sports history.

“Steinbrenner’s initial investment was actually fairly small: $168,000, which was a little less than a 2% ownership stake. However, over the years he wrestled majority ownership of the team from others. Four months after Steinbrenner's purchase, Burke resigned his position. When he died in 2010, Steinbrenner owned 57% of the team.”

$168,000??

What about…the Mets? 

Tremendous increase in team franchise value under the Wilpons, but not as much of an increase as Steinbrenner’s heist (source: Wikipedia)

“In 1980, Wilpon bought a 1% stake in the Mets when Charles Shipman Payson sold the team, with publishing company Doubleday & Co. holding the remaining interest. He gradually increased his stake to 5%. During the Mets championship season of 1986, Doubleday president Nelson Doubleday Jr. sold Doubleday & Co. to Bertelsmann AG. 

Wilpon had a right of first refusal in the event of a sale and threatened to exercise it. In the resulting settlement, Doubleday and Wilpon agreed to purchase the Mets for $81 million, with each holding a 50% stake.

In 2002, the Wilpon family purchased the remaining 50% of the Mets from Doubleday for $391 million, giving Wilpon sole ownership of the Mets. 

In September 2020, a deal was reached for billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen to purchase 95% of the Mets from Wilpon, his son, C.O.O. Jeff Wilpon, and co-owner Saul Katz, for approximately $2.4 billion.

On March 17, 2026, CNBC posted its top 10 MLB team franchise values for 2026, which factors 2025 revenue, debt value and more.

The top two teams are unchanged since the 2025 ranking, though the top five saw one shift. The New York Yankees are the league's most valuable team at $9 billion, according to CNBC senior sports reporter Michael Ozanian.

The Los Angeles Dodgers remained second at $8 billion, but saw a significant one-year value change percentage after being valued at $5.8 billion last year. The Chicago Cubs claimed the third spot with a $5.25 billion valuation.

TheBoston Red Sox dropping one spot down with a $5 billion mark, increasing just 6% to the Cubs' 17%. The San Francisco Giants didn't increase at all at $3.8 billion, but still retained the fifth spot.

Rounding out the top 10, in order, are the Philadelphia Phillies ($3.6B), New York Mets ($3.55B), Houston Astros ($3.3B), Atlanta Braves ($3.25B) and San Diego Padres($3.1B).

My, oh my, how MLB franchise values have exploded over the decades. 

That being said, if the Mets had teams consistently as strong as the Dodgers or Braves, my guess is the franchise would be worth at least $2 billion to $3 billion more than the March estimate.

Also, I wish I had picked up a 0.5% stake of those Yankees in 1973. 

That roughly $50,000 investment would now be worth $45 million.

WHERE IS ALEX RAMIREZ? WAIT, I FOUND HIM!

 

The former Mets top 10 prospect fizzled in AA in 2024-25, and departed.

I just realized he is in White Sox AA. 

He is hitting:

.294/.336/.460. Just 50 Ks in 58 games. 24 of 28 in steals.

Those are better numbers than any supposed prospect in the Mets minors.

He is still 23.

What we all would really want to know is:

How the heck did he hit a lousy .213 in 2024-25 in Binghamton AA, and jump 80 POINTS in White Sox AA?

DAVID STEARNS SHOULD SURE WANT TO KNOW, TOO.

MACK - Strike News Update

 

Strike News

 

Well, it looks like the owners have come up with a new offer to the Player’s Association which sort of changes everything.

Among the highlights:

- baseball would eliminate high school eligibility

- baseball would cut the draft from 20 rounds to 12

-baseball would cut draft bonuses by 50%

-bonuses would be a set amount determined by draft position

-baseball would establish an International draft that would have the same amount of bonus compensation as the MLB amateur draft..

- MLB’s proposal also assures these changes will not impact the number of affiliated teams in the MiLB Professional Development License (PDL) system. MLB stated that the number of affiliated MiLB teams would remain at 120, and that MLB would not be seeking reductions in the 2030 PDL negotiations with MiLB club owners.

Thoughts?

RVH - Rethinking the Mets, Part 8: What the Mets Need to Become

 

Seven articles ago, we started with a simple observation.

The Mets do not have an ambition problem.

They have an execution problem.

That may sound harsh.

It is not intended to be.

In many ways, the first six years of the Steve Cohen era have been the most ambitious six-year stretch in franchise history.

The organization has invested in payroll.

The organization has invested in infrastructure.

The organization has invested in analytics.

The organization has invested in player development.

The organization has invested in baseball operations.

The organization has invested in people.

The mission has been clear from the beginning.

Build a championship organization.

Not simply a championship team.

A championship organization.

The question now is whether the Mets can turn those investments into the kind of self-reinforcing advantages that define the Yankees, Braves, and Dodgers.

Because that is ultimately the standard.

Not one great season.

Not one great roster.

Not one championship.

Something bigger.

Something more durable.

Something that lasts.

What We Learned

Throughout this series, a pattern emerged.

The Mets' biggest challenges are rarely isolated problems.

They are connected.

The slow starts.

The pressure.

The roster construction.

The player development questions.

The Citi Field environment.

The recurring instability.

They influence one another.

Which means the solutions must connect as well.

The Yankees taught us that pressure never disappears.

They simply learned how to carry it.

The Braves taught us that randomness never disappears.

They simply became better at absorbing it.

The Dodgers taught us that uncertainty never disappears.

They simply created more options than everyone else.

Each organization solved a different problem.

Over time, those solutions became advantages.

Then those advantages became expectations.

Then those expectations became identity.

That is how championship organizations are built.

The Mets Are Closer Than People Think

This may be the most important point in the entire series.

The Mets are not starting from scratch.

They already possess many of the ingredients.

An owner willing to invest.

A top baseball executive.

Growing infrastructure.

Improved development systems.

Financial strength.

Market strength.

Revenue strength.

Fan passion.

Brand relevance.

The foundation exists.

The challenge is moving from investment to results.

From activity to outcomes.

From aspiration to execution.

That is where the next phase of the Cohen era begins.

The Next Mets Model

The goal is not to become the Yankees.

The Yankees spent generations building what they have.

The goal is not to become the Braves.

The Braves spent decades building what they have.

The goal is not to become the Dodgers.

The Dodgers spent fifteen years rebuilding themselves into what they are today.

The goal is to become the best version of the Mets.

But that version should borrow lessons from all three.

From The Yankees

The Mets need greater organizational stability.

Fewer emotional swings.

Fewer dramatic pivots.

More consistency.

More patience.

More trust.

Pressure should become part of the environment.

Not something that changes the organization's behavior every time adversity appears.

From The Braves

The Mets need more replacement power.

More internally developed solutions.

More contributors arriving from within.

More confidence that the next answer is already somewhere in the system.

Not every problem should require an external acquisition.

The strongest organizations continuously produce their own solutions.

From The Dodgers

The Mets need to use financial strength differently.

Not as a weapon.

As a force multiplier.

Money should create flexibility.

Money should create depth.

Money should create options.

Money should create time.

The goal is not winning the bidding war.

The goal is improving decision quality.

The Mets Must Reduce Self-Inflicted Friction

One theme appeared repeatedly throughout this series.

Friction.

Pressure amplification.

Slow starts.

Roster instability.

Environmental challenges.

Organizational uncertainty.

Each makes winning harder.

Each compounds the others.

Championship organizations become great by relentlessly identifying and removing unnecessary friction.

Not all friction can be eliminated.

The Mets cannot change New York.

They cannot change expectations.

They cannot change taxes.

They cannot change forty years of history.

Those realities must be managed.

But many other variables are entirely within the organization's control.

Citi Field is one.

Roster continuity is another.

Spring training philosophy is another.

Player development processes.

Communication.

Role clarity.

Decision-making discipline.

All controllable.

The next phase of the Cohen era should be focused on reducing friction wherever possible.

Optimize Citi Field

The conversation should not begin with:

"How do we build a team for Citi Field?"

The conversation should begin with:

"How do we optimize Citi Field?"

The organization controls the ballpark.

If modest changes to dimensions create a more balanced offensive environment, improve player attraction, reduce early-season offensive suppression, and strengthen home-field advantage, they deserve consideration.

Championship organizations do not simply adapt to their environment.

They improve the parts of the environment they control.

Then they build around it.

Reduce Constant Roster Churn

One of the least discussed challenges of the Cohen era has been turnover.

New players.

New roles.

New expectations.

New relationships.

Every spring requires another adjustment period.

The Yankees, Braves, and Dodgers all make changes.

But they generally preserve a recognizable core.

The organization remains familiar to itself.

That familiarity creates trust.

Communication improves.

Expectations become clearer.

Players spend less time figuring each other out and more time competing.

Championship organizations do not simply accumulate talent.

They compound familiarity.

Rethink Spring Training

The purpose of spring training should not simply be avoiding injury and building fitness.

It should be preparing to win games immediately.

April counts.

May counts.

The standings do not wait for teams to get comfortable.

The Mets should constantly evaluate whether their spring preparation is producing enough early-season readiness.

Are players getting enough repetitions together?

Are defensive units prepared?

Are communication patterns established?

Are bullpen roles understood?

Is the team's identity clear before Opening Day arrives?

The goal should not simply be physical readiness.

The goal should be organizational readiness.

Build For The Entire Season

The best organizations understand something simple.

The season begins on Opening Day.

Not Memorial Day.

Not the trade deadline.

Not September.

Opening Day.

Championship organizations are built to survive six months.

But they are also built to start six months.

That requires:

• Better roster balance

• Greater athleticism

• More continuity

• More versatility

• More internal replacements

• Greater adaptability

Every small improvement reduces friction.

Every reduction in friction makes winning easier.

Over time those advantages compound.

The Yankees accumulated them over generations.

The Braves accumulated them through continuity.

The Dodgers accumulated them through relentless optimization.

The Mets should be doing the same.

The Real Goal

For much of their history, the Mets have chased teams.

The 1986 Mets.

The 2006 Mets.

The 2015 Mets.

Individual rosters.

Individual moments.

Individual windows.

The Yankees, Braves, and Dodgers think differently.

They are not chasing teams.

They are building organizations.

Organizations that continuously produce teams.

That distinction matters.

One creates occasional contention.

The other creates sustained contention.

One relies on timing.

The other relies on process.

One hopes the window stays open.

The other keeps building new windows.

That is the real opportunity in front of the Mets.

The Next Six Years

The first six years of the Cohen era answered one question.

Would the Mets finally operate like a major franchise?

The answer is yes.

Without question.

The next six years will answer a much harder question.

Can the Mets become a championship organization?

Can they build enough trust that a difficult month no longer creates panic?

Can they build enough development strength that every problem does not require a transaction?

Can they build enough flexibility that adversity becomes manageable rather than disruptive?

Can they build enough stability that winning becomes expected rather than hoped for?

Those are the questions that matter now.

Because championship teams come and go.

Championship organizations endure.

The Yankees built one over generations.

The Braves built one through continuity.

The Dodgers built one through reinvention and execution.

The Mets have spent the first six years of the Cohen era laying pieces of the same foundation.

The next phase is about putting those pieces together.

That is the challenge.

That is the opportunity.

And ultimately, that is what the Mets need to become.

---

Final Series Thesis

The Mets do not need a new mission.

They do not need another reset.

They do not need another grand vision.

The mission has been clear from the beginning.

The challenge now is execution.

Build greater stability.

Build greater resilience.

Build greater flexibility.

Reduce friction.

Create trust.

And over time, turn those strengths into the kind of self-reinforcing advantages that define every championship organization.

The first six years of the Cohen era were largely about adding advantages.

The next six years may be about removing friction.

That is how the Mets close the gap.

That is how the Mets stop chasing sustained success.

And that is how the Mets finally start expecting it.

A Short Break

As this series comes to a close, it feels like a natural time for me to step away from writing regular articles for a while.

This isn't a reaction to the season, and it certainly isn't me stepping away from the Mets or from the Mack's Mets community.

Quite the opposite.

I'll continue following the team closely and expect to remain an active participant in the comments and discussions over the coming months. I simply plan to take a break from publishing longer-form pieces for a period of time.

Thank you to everyone who has read, debated, agreed, disagreed, and contributed to the conversation. One of the things I've enjoyed most about writing for Mack's Mets has been the quality of the community and the willingness of readers to engage thoughtfully with different ideas and perspectives.

The Mets will undoubtedly give us plenty to discuss between now and the end of the season.

I look forward to being part of those conversations and returning to the writing chair down the road.

Until then...

LGM!