Mack's Mets: August 2026

8/26/26

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. 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).

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). 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

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Reese Kaplan -- A Wholly Unexpected Pleasant NY Mets Surprise

If you took a poll of Mets fans and writers sometime around mid April when the wheels first fell off the wagon and asked what would be the most unexpected positive developments for the team, there would be quite a few hits and misses.

On the latter, let’s think a minute about the bullpen and how it has devolved during the 2026 season. While most people were highly positive about setup pieces including Luke Weaver, A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley and to a lesser extent Huascar Brazoban, no one other than David Stearns was 100% on the Devin Williams bandwagon. The initial thought was he would be part of a monster duo at the end of games alongside Edwin Diaz, but when the former Fireman of the Year took his powerful arm across the country to Los Angeles, it suddenly fell upon the former star closer from the Brewers to take over that role for the Mets.

Unfortunately everyone is fully aware of Williams’ struggles in the Bronx last season, finishing the 2025 season with a 4.79 ERA and 18 saves across 67 games. That output was not what the Yankees had in mind and despite his many struggles, his Mets numbers are actually better. When he went down with injury he was holding a 4.66 ERA with 16 saves across just 42 games. Where Williams was better across town was in his WHIP but everything else favors the Mets though not at the level the POBO expected.

However, the biggest surprise after the August trading deadline clean sweep of the bullpen was the fact that horrifically struggling starting pitcher Kodai Senga was told he was going to be reporting to the bullpen, ostensibly in the 8th inning setup role for Williams. Then came the injury to the former Yankees/Brewers closer and all of the sudden the least treasured member of the Mets pitching staff was suddenly thrust into prime time as the closer for the boys in orange and blue.

So how has he done? Let’s push aside his recent 9th inning losing home run for the moment and look at the numbers prior to that happening. Since early August he was throwing to the tune of a 1.29 ERA since joining the relief corps. Add in this one poor loss and he’s still able to show a 2.45 ERA working at the end of games.

So take a poll among your friends and ask them if they had any faith at all in Senga as a pitcher, starter or reliever, or envisioned he could become dominant in his new role? Would there be a single person (other than me in an article earlier in the season) who suggested Senga could thrive in the pen much like other starters turned relievers have done in the past. I certainly don’t have an Edwin Diaz, Jesse Orosco, Tug McGraw nor even a Neil Allen level of confidence when Senga enters a game, but it’s surely a totally unforeseen positive development that virtually no one saw coming.

Some people are already making some noise about Senga returning as the Mets closer next season with Williams returning to the setup role originally envisioned for him. Others think what’s happening now is because the games don’t count towards contention and it’s a matter of being done with mirrors other than sheer ability. Certainly Williams has a much longer positive track record of productivity in that role than does converted starter Senga, but at this point both are under Mets contracts for next season and roles need to be decided.

For now, just enjoy it while you can.

8/25/26

Tom Brennan: Overlooked Mets Slugging Prospect Corey Collins

“WOW! I SEE AN OVERLOOKED SUPER SLUGGER!”

What would you call a Mets prospect who, in June, July, and August (thru Sunday 8/23) did this?

59 games, producing a Soto-like 48 walks, 10 HRs, 40 RBIs, 53 runs, .282/.435/.490.

Just 53 Ks in those 59 games, which these days is commendable.

And no AA promotion adjustment needed.

Hitting a strong .274/.436/.524 in his first 28 games in AA.

Look at those superb OBPs!

I’d call Collins “darned good”. Perhaps “Top 10 Mets Good”.

Remember, too, that he started the season in deadly-to-lefty-hitters Cyclones Park. With that entire Brooklyn team hitting around ,185 through May 31. Corey hit better, but it must have felt like hitting in a mortuary.

So his 2026 stats likely understate his offensive prowess.

Corey Collins, Mets’ 2024 draft 6th rounder, listed at a bruising 6’3”, 236.

Lefty bat, he hits lefties and righties equally adeptly in 2026, and has just 5 errors in 59 games at 1B, and 1 in left field.

To my great surprise, the Mets’ site still has the completely unraveled Ryan Clifford at #14, and Joe DeMayo has him at #15.

But the far-superior performing Corey Collins? Not in either Top 30 list.

Shocking to my logic brain.

I do not have an updated Top 30 of my own at this point, but I have no issue giving Corey Collins the Ryan Clifford mid-teens slot.

Ryan has slipped to around #50 right now.

Corey Collins, 2028 Mets starting first baseman? Uhh, yeah. It seems he could be as good or better than Lucas Duda (remember the Dude?) was, although time will tell.

Duda was the #5 Mets prospect in a much weaker 2011 Top 30 Mets Prospect list. Collins won’t get to #5 in this Top 30 list anytime soon…so much more prospect talent than in 2011, which had lots of lousy ones, but also a few very good ones in Harvey, Wilmer, and Jeurys.

SAVAGE VIEWS – Looking Forward, From A to Z

HERE I GO AGAIN!

SAVAGE VIEWS – Looking Forward

The Mets are on their way to ruining a perfectly terrible season.

The moves made at the trade deadline seemed to ensure the team would reap the benefits of a dismal season by trading away half the bullpen, plus two starters and a really good fourth outfielder.

On top of that, the injury to Soto almost guaranteed the team with a top six pick in the 2027 draft. Instead, we are among the better teams in MLB since the deadline and we are likely to fall outside the bottom six,

The Mets farm system is currently ranked around number 18. The Dodgers and Rays are among the top rated systems. However, no other team can claim to have six rookies performing at a high level as do the 2026 Mets.

The team has a large number of good prospects, just not enough that qualify as elite. Let’s look at some Mets prospects A-Z.

1. A – Billy Amick. Hard to imagine a player with 30+ homers and more than 100 RBIs not ranked in the top 30.

2. B – Boston Baro. Finally healthy again.

3. C – Ryan Clifford. Won’t be long before he falls out of top 30. Who would have thought it.

4. D – Gabe Davis. A potential sleeper acquired at the trade deadline.

5. E - AJ Ewing. We got you, Andrew Joseph.

6. F – Anthony Frobose. Someone to watch in ’27.

7. G – RJ Gordon. After a slow start, seems to be back on pitch track.

8. H – Daniel Hurtado, Nice lefty making solid progress.

9. I – Irving Cota, a solid A ball reliever.

10. J – Antonio Jimenez. Has shown very little thus far.

11. K – Peter Kussow. Big things are expected of this 19-year-old.

12. L – Nate Lavender. Finally exploded on scene. Gotta love him.

13. M – Nick Morabito. A future 4^th outfielder. Trade bait, maybe.

14. N – Nick Carreno . Undersized young lefty. Doing well in A ball.

15. O – Emilio Obispo. Just turned 20; seems to be a legit prospect.

16. P - Emilien Pitre. Closest to making team as future 2B next year.

17. Q – Question Marks, a number on this list qualify,

18. R – Jefferson Rojas. Our number one guy.

19. S – Jonathan Santucci. Top rated, has found road to be rocky.

20. T – Jonah Tong. Potential 2027 starter if he figures things out.

21. V – Mitch Voit – A potential top 100 player. Let’s see.

22. W – Jack Wenninger. Is he ready to take a leap forward?

23. X - Xzavian Curry. He’s here for no good reason.

24. Y – Yovanny Rodriquez. Our catcher of the future?

25. Z – Calvin Ziegler – Ziggy’s back, Still only 23, making strides.

The team has solidified their prospect list at the trade deadline.

Next year they have a chance to be ranked in the top ten, especially if the next draft is productive.

Analysis shows a ton of prospects but few Tier 1 or Tier 2.

This is an area that needs to be corrected.

Ray

August 25, 2026

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