The funny thing about fan emotions is how they go to polar extremes so quickly. When the year started off 0-5 everyone was having either 2023 or 1962 flashbacks with “the sky is falling” and “we are doomed” attitudes overwhelming common sense.
Then when the team won several series in a row including the recent sweep of the previously high flying Pittsburgh Pirates that propelled the Mets a few games over .500, the fans were just as fervent but this time in a similarly deluded belief that the division and October baseball were for real.
The obvious truth about the team is somewhere between these two highly charged and equally wrong over-the-top conclusions. The team is getting surprising contributions from many bullpen arms, mostly solid starting pitching efforts and hitting from the unlikeliest of contributors. There are even comments being made suggesting Tyrone Taylor be named the full time DH until J.D. Martinez makes it here after recovering from his back injury. (Nevermind, of course, that Taylor sports a lifetime batting average of .239 in Milwaukee where he spent all of his career before arriving in NY via trade.)
No, there are some things that will determine how close to the top or bottom of the division will happen to push the team along. The arrival of J.D. Martinez is obviously a key as he clubbed 33 HRs and over 100 RBIs in only 115 games for the Dodgers last season. Imagine the protection he would provide to other middle of the order hitters. Also consider the relief he would give Mets’ pitchers knowing that he could contribute easily double what previous DH candidates offered up since the role came to the National League.
Then there are other lesser injuries such as the one that temporarily sidelined the surprisingly hot hitting Brett Baty. Given the positives happening lately, it would appear more prudent to let Baty take as much time as necessary to ensure that no quick recurrence of hamstring problems would happen by rushing back too soon. That approach might have made sense had the team still be struggling to hit .500 in the W-L column and then the need for Baty’s hot bat might overrule common sense.
The strong pitching taking place in AAA is also something to keep watching. Do you notice that Tylor Megill’s name has not been mentioned in many, many days? Could it be that strong pitching by Jose Butto is making Megill’s injury not a mandatory hurry back from the IL. Kodai Senga’s move to the 60-day IL was not an expected nor happy occurrence but with the team pitching so well right now there’s no reason he should try to accelerate his recovery either.
Of course, no one should forget the strong output from Mark Vientos in Syracuse. He’s hitting well, though still fanning more than would be liked. That’s a problem likely to get worse with stronger pitching in the majors. He is playing both corner infield positions there which should help make him a more valuable entity or trade chip if the club actually takes steps to retain Pete Alonso.
It’s interesting to see Zack Short and not Joey Wendle get a recent start in place of Brett Baty. It’s important for both Carlos Mendoza and David Stearns to see what they have in one of the guys on the roster bubble. Obviously someone needs to go when J.D. Martinez arrives and the seldom used Short would be one spare player in jeopardy of losing his job. His lifetime average is just .174, but that is accompanied by 13 HRs and 55 RBIs in just under 400 ABs. Those numbers are not awful for a backup player, but then the same could be said about D.J. Stewart and his lifetime .219 average (which he has yet to match in 2024 stagnating currently at .200).
No one could see Joey Wendle nor Tyrone Taylor at any risk of losing spots on the big league roster, so it would seem that unless they want to cut loose a fringe relief pitcher like Grant Hartwig to add Martinez’s bat, it would come down to coin flip between Short and Stewart. Stewart might lose out as he has a minor league option left whereas Short does not. If they went in that direction then Jeff McNeil becomes your 4th/5th outfielder.
Who do you think should be sent packing when Martinez is ready to make it to Citifield?
3 comments:
I would say Short should go over Stewart. That’s my short answer.
Syracuse had 6 hits last night. Mark V had 2. He is a lonely hot hitter in a sputtering lineup. Syracuse without him is hitting .220. Surprisingly, he has just 3 of their 21 HRs. He has to be trying to prove to people he is more than just long balls.
I think it should be Short. Stewart, so far has shown some ability to produce as a pinch hitter, albeit in a small sample size, and a pinch hitter that can knock it out of the park is always a good thing.
I agree that it should be Short, unless Baty is put on the IL and Mendy decides to go with a platoon at 3B. But hopefully that will not happen.
What has me scratching my head is the Tonkin addition. Once he is added to the 26, someone must go, and everyone in the rotation and the pen has been playing well enough to stay.
Does Tonkin go to the pen, or get starts? Who stays, who goes? We'll find out very soon, probably today, unless he is delayed by taking a physical or some other technicalities.
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