Tom Brennan - Psychos Are Not Cyborgs; Benge FIVE Hits; “Pulled Ankle Polanco”

(PICTURED: AJ EWING)

THE METS HAVE TWO PSYCHO CYBORGS IN THE OUTFIELD

Do any of you remember a psycho defender of Mets years gone by…

….named Juan Lagares?

Gold Glover, eye-popping plays…and plenty of lengthy fielding-related injuries. 

Plenty of IL time, too.

The funny thing is, during the several long periods of time when he was on the IL, his and my WAR accumulation were IDENTICAL.  

ZERO.

Anthony DiComo recently wrote an article about the two sensational rookie Mets psychos in the outfield: 

Carson Benge and AJ Ewing. 

In it he noted the following, which I excerpted:

The Mets’ psychopathic brotherhood officially formed last Saturday at Citi Field, when Carson Benge robbed Marlins outfielder Kyle Stowers of an extra-base hit, ran into the right-center-field fence, and splayed out on the warning track. 

…Ewing turned to Juan Soto and said, “Yo, that was psycho.”

…Soto (noted) that Ewing and Benge “call each other ‘psychopath’” for their defensive exploits. “Yeah, you are,’” Soto quipped.

In the eyes of both rookies, it’s the most flattering of epithets. A psychopathic outfielder is one who plays with a sort of controlled recklessness, sprinting, diving and, yes, crashing into fences from time to time.

“I feel like it’s just trying to make every play, whether that be running through a wall or standing easily,” Benge said. “Either way, I just want to make every play and not really care too much what happens to my body.” 

“I take a lot of pride in being able to play that way, just because I know there’s value in everything you do on the baseball field,” Ewing said. “Whether that’s in the box, on defense, running the bases, you’ve got to bring it all 100% of the time.”

So who’s more psycho? 

“Depends on the day,” Benge said.

In baseball scenarios, both players agreed, Ewing may be the crazier one due to his propensity for running into fences … not just during games, but before them, too. Prior to Monday’s series opener in Seattle, Ewing was shagging flies in the outfield when Bo Bichette hit one deep over his head. 

Rather than let the meaningless ball go, as most players would, Ewing sprinted backward, caught it and crashed into the fence. His cap and sunglasses went flying. “Bo hit the ball, I was like, ‘I need this one,’” Ewing said. “I don’t know why.”

Maybe it is just me.  “Psycho” makes me nervous.

I was around when Mike Baxter ended his career, essentially, crashing into the outfield wall to save Johan Santana’s successful no-hit bid.

I was around when Jason Bay got a few fence-crashing concussions that permanently and negatively altered his career.

I was around to see Juan Lagares hurt himself trying to make a reckless play in a lopsided game and miss months, more than a few times.

Mike Trout has had his share of injuries attacking walls.

Bo Jackson was other-worldly, until his hip bone died from brutal contact.

Brandon Nimmo crashing into a wall that caused a bulging disc and extended months of IL time.

You young lads are humans, not indestructible cyborgs.

I’m sure you readers can share your own exuberance injury examples.

That being said:

Man, I love the enthusiasm of Benge and Ewing. Who wouldn’t?

But I want to see them be long-term great. 3,000 hits apiece, and Ewing being the next HOF Pete Rose, who wasn’t extremely grass I’ve, but not psycho, and Carson Benge becoming the next HOF Carlos Beltran, who wasn’t an outfield psycho, but just a repeat Gold Glover.

So, I would recommend: 

Fellas, maybe you don’t don’t be kamikaze psychopath outfielders. 

Be real aggressive, for sure, but psychopathic actions in the outfield over time can damage the bodies that brung ya here. And possibly damage your careers long-term.

It would be your loss…and ours.

ESPECIALLY…

After Carson Benge went 5 for 5 on Sunday. This team needs 162 games per season of THAT dude.

And after AJ Ewing’s first 25 MLB games have resulted in a very solid .340 OBP. This team needs 162 games per season of THAT dude, too.

They are making the Unwatchables watchable again.

POLANCO = CESPEDES

Remember that guy Yoenis? Fine bat, but always a hurt Met. 

I read the following, about that guy “Pull Ankle” Polanco on Sunday:

The Mets halted former Mariners slugger Jorge Polanco's rehab assignment due to ankle soreness. Polanco has played just 14 games for the Mets in an injury riddled 2026 campaign. 

Man, teams ought to be able to return damaged merchandise. Just drop it off at UPS for return, and a full refund. Players should remember how many thousands of man-days MLB players occupy injured lists each season, getting fully paid, and shut up and accept the salary cap. You’re getting away with murder.

ALVAREZ ON SUNDAY

1 for 3 and a walk with Syracuse. I guess he is ready. A Cyborg.

Clifford hits 90: 3 Ks in 3 ABs, 90 Ks in 61 games. He is one of the Mets’ Top 30 Suspects.

Paul Articulates - Benge has arrived

Carson Benge has been a standout player at every level of professional baseball that he has played.  So it does not come as a surprise that he is now becoming a bona fide MLB star.  

It took a while – as you remember, Benge had some solid success during spring training but had a pretty rough start to his MLB career in his first month.  He also had a rough start in his first few weeks at AAA last year when everyone thought he had found his ceiling.  But the thing about Benge is that no one has found his ceiling.  He just takes a little while to get adjusted to the next level of competition and then he rises above.

Last night’s 5 for 5 game which included a home run, two RBI, and three runs scored was a huge night for Carson, but it was not the moment he arrived as a player that the Mets can count on for years.  After his tough start where he batted .192 in April, he hit .306 in May and is batting .360 in the first week of June.   His OPS has been accelerating as well, going from .504 in April to .801 in May to 1.181 in June.

Even before Benge had adjusted to the pitching at this level, he was already contributing with other aspects of his game such as his speed and his defense.  He already leads the team with 34 runs scored in his first 62 games played, and with his improved on-base percentage, expect much more from him.  I fully expect him to surpass 100 runs scored in his first MLB season.

Defensively, the duo of Benge and Ewing has transformed the outfield into a no-fly zone for opposing hitters.  Their speed and their jump on the ball enables them to get to balls that would otherwise fall for hits.  Baseball Savant ranks Carson Benge in the 77th percentile for range, 85th percentile for sprint speed, and the 98th percentile for arm strength.  That is exactly what the team needs in right field, where the long throws to third base and home require a powerful, accurate arm.

Another thing that Carson brings to the Mets is his baserunning abilities.  He leads the club with 10 stolen bases so far and he usually goes first to third on base hits anywhere right of center.  This puts pressure on the opposing defense and stress on the opposing pitcher.  Coupled with Ewing (7 steals), Benge brings a new vitality to the Mets’ offense.  The rest of the offense seems to be slowly coming to life, so with hits behind Benge and Ewing, baseball in Queens may become much more exciting.

On a team that struggles with the luxury tax every year, Carson Benge is in his first of six years of team control.  He makes the league minimum this year, but will certainly command a little more in the future when he becomes arbitration eligible.  But for now, he is a high value, low-cost player on a club that unfortunately has too many low value, high salary guys.  Go buy a Benge jersey now, because he has arrived and will not be going anywhere for a long time.

Reese Kaplan -- Start Looking Towards First Base Options for 2027

No matter how optimistic you pretend to be, the reality is that the 2026 Mets are even worse than were the 2025 edition and once again major changes to the roster are going to be necessary.  Bad health is something you can’t necessarily predict nor manage effectively, but making payroll decisions and effectiveness evaluations can most certainly be done.

1B continues to be a black hole.  Some folks are ecstatic over the totally unexpected productivity out of newly healed Jared Young.  Bear in mind that the 30 year old is a career .235 hitter whose last somewhat impressive output was in AAA for the Cubs in 2023 when he hit 21 HRs, drove in 72 and batted .310.  He does have ability but not at the level the club had received from current Oriole Pete Alonso.

Then there is the 2026 solution, Jorge Polanco.  We never got to see enough of him on the field to determine whether or not he could convert to a first baseman after being an infielder at other positions for the rest of his career.  He also did not demonstrate the hitting ability for which he was signed for 2 years and $40 million.  The injuries could certainly have had a negative impact, but now that he’s hurt yet again it is difficult to conclude.  Expect him back for 2027 either at 1B or DH given the money at stake.

Mark Vientos is another variable in this equation but after a brief couple of weeks when it appeared as if he was putting things together offensively he’s fallen off the bat swinging cliff while also providing purely Little League level of comical defense.  After multiple years of not getting it done after one promising one he’s pretty much played himself out of a job entirely.

Ryan Clifford is another enigma for the Mets to consider for the future.  Yes, he does have respectable power, but his inability to cut down on his massive strikeout numbers and his batting average closer to .200 than to .250 makes you wonder if he’s simply not an answer at all.  Perhaps if you consider him a latter day version of Dave Kingman, an all-or-nothing hitter who except for his one decent year in Chicago never appeared to be a middle of the order hitter.

Do the Mets go outside once again?  If so, the upcoming free agent pool is fairly thin if the players with options do not make it to open bidding.  Yandy Diaz is certainly the best of the lot given his career .292 average, but he has a vesting option which would take him off the table and is also going to be age 35.  Carlos Santana and Josh Bell have mutual options which means both could or could not be available.  That leaves Ryan Mountcastle, Andrew Vaughn, Paul Goldschmidt and Christopher Morel.  

Of this group Diaz is really the only one to open a good POBO’s eyes but more for batting average than anythijng else.  Mountcastle is younger and lost his job already to Pete Alonso.  Andrew Vaughn is less appealing than the first two.  Christpher Morel is another Mark Vientos.  Paul Goldschmidt is going to be 39.  Trades are possible, of course, but if the Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien model is indicative of what Stearns can do..well..

For now, it is most definitely unclear how the Mets can address the glaring hole left by the departed Polar Bear.  The 2026 solution certainly didn’t work, nor did the other substitutes who have tried and failed. 

MACK - Strike News Update

 

Well, at this point, things seem to be going from bad to worse. 

Bruce Meyer, the MLBPA interim executive director, wasn't a happy puppy after reading the owner's initial salvo in these negotiations. 

Meyer said that owner's "effectively managed to cobble together the worse system for players in any major sport and it's not even close. "

(that's bad, right?)

"I thought they would try harder to make it look good and they didn't even do that. "

The current agreement expires in six months (December 1st).

In 2002, the percentage of MLB salary ranged of baseball-related revenues was 63%. In 2024, per Rob Manfield, it was 47%.  The current offer is 50/50.

The player's union rejected this offer from the owners, saying that it represents a $500 million pay cut, with portions of their contracts being non-guaranteed. The union has fought against such clauses for decades. In addition, Meyers said that the players have always been united and will never agree with a salary cap.

Topics still up in the wind include expansion and participation in the Olympics.

MACK - The DSL Bats... who to follow

 

I follow on X a Mets International guru that supplies to me all the good stuff about what’s going on in the DSL league. He’s been touting this year’s group of kids that was signed to play the 2026 season and something that’s going to really make us happy. Well, I  know the sample is microscopic but frankly, I have never see this kind of ‘start of a season’ before from Mets DSL bats.

Write these names down. There might be three to four future stars here:

Stats through end of games 6-5.

 

DSL BLUE

 

SS Johnderis Sanchez – 17/yrs old

                SW  5-11  160  - 14-AB, .357, 4-RBI, 3-SB, 1.000-OBP

The Mets signed him as an international free agent to a minor league contract on January 15, 2026, reportedly with a $50,000 signing bonus.

 

OF Henry Manrique – 17/yrs old

                R  5-10  170 – 14-AB, .571, 5-RBI, 2.SB. 1.524-OBP

Signing bonus: $50,000

 

1B Jonnhan Sanchez – 19/yrs old

                L  6-0  160 – 15-AB, .467, HR, 7-RBI, 5-SB, 1.312-OBP

 

OF Alberson Blanco – 18/yrs old

                SW  5-11  157 – 12-AB, .333, .884-OBP

Signed on January 15, 2025

 

IF Michalle Mercedes – 17/yrs old

                R  6-0  170 – 15-AB, .333, 6-RBI, .800-OBP

Signing bonus: $50,000

 

DSL ORANGE

 

IF Sebastian Toro – 17/yrs olD

                R  6-3  200 – 13/AB, .308, 2-RBI, SB, .823-OBP

Signed on January 15, 2026 - Signing Bonus: $300,000

 

IF Yorber Semprum – 18/yrs old

                L 6-0  165 – 12-AB, .50, 3-RBI, 2-SB, 1.267-OBP

Signed January 15, 2025

Tom Brennan - DSL DOOZIE STATS; And Binghamton Broken Bat Blues

 

The 2026 DSL season is underway.

Sometimes, I wonder just how weak DSL teams actually are, talent-wise. 

Are they as weak as your typical high school teams? I don’t think so, but some of the stats coming out of the DSL in the early going are just astonishing. It really shows a gross amount of unreadiness. 

In the very early going, where most teams had played three games, and a few had played just two games, one of the DSL Braves teams had already been hit by pitch 10 times. Six more had been HBP 6 or more times. And 34 of the 51 teams had been hit at least 3 times in 3 games. Ouch.

Walks? Two teams had walked 31 times in 3 games. The Mets Blue team had walked 27 times. 

A whopping 20 teams had walked an average of 7 or more times per game.

So, walks and HBPs combined on average must be around one per inning for the entire league in the early going.

Six teams had scored more than 10 times per game (Mets Blue was close, averaging 9 per, and had 27 runs).

28 of 51 teams had OBPs of .400 or higher.

Anyway, the Mets Orange and Blue teams had averages of .270 and .247. The Yanks’ teams? A far higher .333 and .276. Typical.

DSL Defense?  In the aggregate (in terms of unearned runs) it was mostly not bad, with some allowing no unearned runs so far, but 3 teams had already allowed 10 or more earned runs in 3 games, with the Rangers team taking the cake by allowing 19 unearned runs in 3 games.

Good news. Their gloves arrive today.

Mets super stud Wandy Asigen is apparently injured. How badly? Dunno.

Too early for individual DSL Mets player updates.

Overall, the DSL seems high-schoolish.

I TELL YA…I GOT THE BLUES! IT’S ROUGH!!

I GOT THOSE BINGHAMTON BROKEN BAT BLUES

A discussion on Jacob Reimer’s woes took place on Friday on Macks Mets. 

Reimer has really struggled this year. 

The pertinent question is, what happens to your personal hitting success when your entire team, excluding AJ Ewing, fails to hit? How does it affect you?

My guess is, quite a lot. 

I looked at the averages for players on Binghamton. Through June 4. 

The numbers were just staggering:

Reimer .207

The others:

Schwartz .210

Lorusso .200

Smith .197

Ramos .196

Serrano .195

Suero .190

Parada * .184

Rudick * .121

Bowen .119

* AA stats only. Both are now in AAA.

Ten guys, with a huge proportion of the team’s at bats, hitting THAT POORLY 9 weeks into the season?

No wonder Reimer was struggling. Pitchers must think…why pitch to him?

Only Ewing (.349 in AA) and Wyatt Young (.232) provided any semblance of AA hitting ability. 

And, Jaylen Palmer (.270) has helped a bit but in just in 37 return ABs.

Excluding Ewing’s 22 for 63, Binghamton was hitting .198 in 54 games.

Brooklyn is worse.  Just .187 through Thursday, in 53 games.

I have never seen anything close to like it. 

Two teams, 107 combined games, hitting .195?

And remember, when running comparables through your cranium, team-average-suppressing pitchers no longer hit.

Back in 1968, the year of the pitcher, when the anemic Mets scored just 2.9 runs per game, they still hit .228. But included in that was Mets pitcher at bats. Their pitchers that year hit .119 (52 for 437). 

The regular Mets hitters in 1968 hit .237.

42 points higher than Brooklyn and Binghamton are hitting this year.

Last year, Binghamton had Benge and Ewing and Jett for a good while, and hit a solid .249 as a team.  

Pressure in 2025 thus was off on Reimer. And off of Suero, for that matter.

Now, the 2026 hitting pressure is full bore.

Keep in mind…some guys can HIT in Binghamton’s Eastern League. 

CF Jonah Cox (SFG franchise) has 27 steals and 22 XBH in 183 times up for AA RICHMOND

And is hitting .400.  

The 2023 sixth rounder was picked far after the Mets selected Colin Houck, now playing in High A Brooklyn. Houck (32nd overall pick by the Mutts) has a .194 average and a career-destroying 79 Ks in 45 games.

Ten other Eastern League guys are hitting over .300. 

RVH - Rethinking the Mets, Part 4: The Braves Built a Baseball Machine

 

In Part 1, we argued that the Mets do not have an ambition problem. They have an execution problem.

In Part 2, we examined how slow starts create a pressure-amplification cycle that makes every season feel harder than it needs to be.

In Part 3, we explored how the Yankees learned to carry pressure through decades of accumulated trust, stability, and organizational consistency.

That naturally raises another question:

Where does that stability come from?

Because stability isn't a slogan.

It's not culture.

It's not a mission statement hanging on a wall.

Real stability comes from an organization's ability to keep producing results even when things go wrong.

No organization has demonstrated that better over the last thirty years than the Atlanta Braves.

The Braves Are Not Really Selling Talent

When people discuss the Braves, they usually start with the stars.

Greg Maddux.
Tom Glavine.
John Smoltz.

Then Chipper Jones.

Then Freddie Freeman.

Then Ronald Acuña Jr.

Then Spencer Strider.

Then the next wave.

And the next.

And the next.

The stars change.

The organization doesn't.

That's the story.

The Braves aren't really selling talent.

They're selling predictability.

Year after year, decade after decade, they continue finding ways to remain relevant.

Not because they never lose players.

Because they consistently replace them.

The Real Product Is Replacement

Every organization develops players.

Every organization scouts players.

Every organization talks about player development.

The Braves built something different.

They built replacement power.

Players leave.

Players age.

Players get hurt.

Prospects fail.

The Braves keep moving.

The organization rarely behaves as though one player determines its future.

Because the system is designed to continuously produce the next solution.

That changes everything.

It changes how you negotiate contracts.

It changes how you make trades.

It changes how you approach free agency.

Most importantly, it changes how you respond to adversity.

The Braves Reduced Randomness

Baseball is inherently unpredictable.

Even great organizations cannot control:

• injuries

• aging

• prospect failures

• unexpected breakouts

• playoff outcomes

The Braves cannot eliminate randomness.

What they have done is reduce its impact.

When one path closes, another often appears.

When one player leaves, another emerges.

When one plan fails, there is usually another available.

That's not luck.

That's organizational design.

Over time, reducing randomness creates something incredibly valuable:

Confidence.

Not confidence that everything will work.

Confidence that enough things will work.

Continuity Is An Advantage

One of the most underrated strengths of the Braves has been continuity.

Over three decades, there has been remarkable consistency in:

• player evaluation

• development philosophy

• baseball operations

• organizational priorities

The names have changed.

The principles largely haven't.

Every year, knowledge accumulates.

Relationships deepen.

Processes improve.

Mistakes get corrected.

Lessons compound.

The organization becomes stronger than any single executive, manager, coach, or player.

That is when stability becomes self-reinforcing.

The Mets Are Trying To Build This

To be fair, the Mets understand this.

Much of the investment made during the Cohen era has been directed toward exactly these areas.

Player development.

Scouting.

Analytics.

Sports science.

Infrastructure.

Baseball operations.

The organization clearly recognizes that sustainable winning requires more than payroll.

The challenge is that the machine has not fully arrived at the major-league level.

Not yet.

And 2026 has raised difficult questions.

The major-league club has struggled to establish consistency.

Several highly regarded prospects have stalled.

The farm system has experienced noticeable regression.

The pipeline that was expected to become a source of organizational strength remains more promise than proof.

That doesn't mean the strategy is wrong.

It does mean the burden of proof remains.

Why The Braves Have Earned Trust

This brings us back to a concept from Part 3.

Trust.

When the Braves have a disappointing season, most observers assume the organization will figure it out.

When the Mets have a disappointing season, many observers wonder whether the plan itself is flawed.

That's not fair.

But it is reality.

The Braves have spent thirty years earning the benefit of the doubt.

The Mets are still trying to earn it.

And the only way to earn it is through repeated success.

Not rankings.

Not projections.

Not promises.

Results.

What The Mets Should Learn

The lesson is not that the Mets should become Atlanta.

The Mets operate in a different market.

With different resources.

Different expectations.

Different pressures.

But the Braves demonstrate something important:

The strongest organizations don't rely on stars.

They rely on systems that continuously produce contributors, replacements, and solutions.

Over time, that creates resilience.

Over time, that creates stability.

Over time, that creates trust.

And trust may be the most valuable asset any championship organization can possess.

Because when the next injury arrives...

When the next prospect disappoints...

When the next star leaves...

The question is no longer:

"What do we do now?"

The question becomes:

"Who's next?"

That's the mindset of a championship organization.

The Braves built it.

The Mets are still trying to get there.

---

Part 4 Thesis

The Braves win because they reduce randomness better than almost anyone else.

Through continuity, development, and replacement power, they built an organization capable of absorbing losses and continuously producing solutions.

Their greatest advantage is not talent.

It's resilience.

---

What We've Learned So Far

Part 1: The Mets do not have an ambition problem. They have an execution problem.

Part 2: The Mets' slow-start problem is not a standings problem. It is a pressure-amplification problem.

Part 3: The Yankees did not eliminate pressure. They learned how to carry it.

Part 4: The Braves win because they reduce randomness better than almost anyone else.

---

Next: Part 5 – The Dodgers Don't Just Spend. They Control the Board

If the Yankees teach stability and the Braves teach resilience, the Dodgers teach something equally important: how to turn resources into flexibility. Their greatest advantage isn't money itself. It's the ability to create more options than everyone else.

Tom Brennan - Syracuse Mets are No Hit…Minor League Recap

 

Chris Suero Dramatics

Syracuse was no hit yesterday!

Polanco 0-2, 2 walks.

Alvarez 0-3.

Wenninger one earned run, 3 runs overall, BUT 40 of 83 pitches were balls.

One DSL team lost 11-10. Manrique and Sanchez combined are hitting .500 in the very early going.

Other DSL team: won 6-0. Yorber Semprun is 6-12 so far. Maxgregori Harvey went 2 perfect innings, fanning 5.

St Lucie lost 5-4.

Binghamton won 5-4.

Reimer homered and Suero hit a walk off 3 run shot in the 10th.

FCL Mets won 11-4 on 6 hits, 10 walks, and 7 steals. BOHAN ADDERLEY HAD 3 STEALS AND VLADI GOMEZ 3 MORE. THE TWO COMBINED HAVE 36 IN 23 GAMES. 

VLADI has 78 of 87 steals and 101 walks and 16 HBPs in 157 pro games. I am impressed. 

He is, however, extremely error prone in his career to date in the infield, but good in the outfield.

Brooklyn continues to not hit. But of late, they are scoring and winning a lot. 6-4 winners, on just 4 hits. Houck and Collins homered. 13 more Ks.

All the 7 teams combined for 42 runs on just 40 hits.

Reese Kaplan -- The Planned, Revised and Original Roster Again

While the Mets 2026 season has been a horsehide version of a dumpster fire in every way possible, let’s reflect back for a minute on what was envisioned when the games started counting for real after Spring Training concluded.

First, there’s the run prevention defensive alignment.  After an uneven Port St. Lucie February and March, fans were expected to believe the following was the right approach created by POBO David Stearns after losing the trio of Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Edwin Diaz.

First base was now going to belong to one-game veteran at the position, Jorge Polanco.  Most National League fans didn’t have a firm grasp on what type of player Polanco could be on a regular basis and surely a 40% discounted price for him for fewer years was somewhat palatable compared to the Orioles’ deal for Alonso, but in his best ever season he’d only tallied 33 HRs and 98 RBIs while hitting .269.  Last year after fighting through some injuries he rebounded with 25 HRs and 76 RBIs while hitting .265.  These numbers were certainly a steep drop off from the five time All Star who now plays in Baltimore.

Second base was now going to be helmed by Marcus Semien, a former star player whose strong defensive skills were unquestioned but whose offensive numbers have been in decline.  Sending Brandon Nimmo away to get Semien seemed more about payroll dollar commitment than projected team value. 

Shortstop Francisco Lindor was a no brainer.  Everyone knew what he could do in the field, at the plate and on the basepaths.

Third base was kind of an eleventh hour twist when career shortstop Bo Bichette was obtained to play third base in a kind of latter day Alex Rodriguez joining the Yankees move with Derek Jeter entrenched at short.  Bichette was coming off a big bounce back year where he hit a glowing .317.  Having missed out on other key bats like Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman and Cody Bellinger having come off the board, the Mets needed to save face and everyone found Bichette a very respectable alternative.  The run prevention theme didn’t match, however, as Bichette was most definitely not known for his glove though third base is less challenging defensively than shortstop.

Then the roof caved in on the Mets.  Polanco got hurt.  Lindor got hurt.  Semien stayed mostly healthy but was hitting in the low .220s and a healthy Bichette in the same territory.  Those injuries led to both Brett Baty and Mark Vientos who were slated to be backups now getting regular playing time.  Oddly, Vientos holds a small edge on Baty for OPS though his defensive shortcomings more than hollow out the value of that achievement.

Now the team is getting very close to the return of Jorge Polanco and perhaps by the end of this month Francisco Lindor as well.  The Lindor move is an easy one with Vidal Brujan clearly being paid to return to Syracuse. However, the Polanco addition to the active roster is more unclear.

Most folks have reported that between the Achilles heel and wrist injuries the Mets are planning to allow Polanco to be a DH to put less strain on his still recovering body.  If so, that development still leaves the question about who to cut loose to make room.  The four likely candidates include the aforementioned duo of Baty and Vientos, but also AAAA players like Eric Wagaman and M.J. Melendez.  Given the lack of options for the first two it would seem that the latter pair are the ones likely on the hot seat.  You could throw Jared Young’s name in there as well but right now he is one of the few hitters on the roster actually creating offense. 

If you assume Young being left handed would get the majority of the games as the first base starter and Polanco as the DH against all pitching, that would return Vientos to the bench with Baty soon to follow when Lindor returns. 

The question is should the Mets look to move on from both Baty and Vientos by the early August trading deadline or do they instead clean house with more desirable players being traded away like Bo Bichette who can opt out at year’s end anyway? 

Stay tuned...