MACK – THOUGHTS & OTHER TIDBITS

 

MACK – THOUGHTS & OTHER TIDBITS

 

Thoughts

 

They just couldn’t help themselves. They had 6^th place locked up. Heck, they even was in 5^th. But nooooooooooooo… they had to go on a couple of big-time winning streaks  and ruin everything. I guess what’s important here is that Francisco Lindor is not over the hill and Bo Bichette is what we hoped he would be when Stearns locked him up. Still, I’m going to miss that early pick.

 

On 9-6-2026, Christian Scott threw a stat line that has NEVER been thrown before in MLB history. No shit:

4.2-IP, 4-H, 2-ER, 0-BB, 7-K

This dates back to the Cleveland Red Stockings that toured in 1869.

Now, THIS is amazing.

 

I thought Jonah Tong did quite well on Monday. Yeah, there was that home run ball, but he had 16 whiffs, plenty to win a ballgame. The Mets need to leave him on the parent team for the remainder of the season and let him pitch every five games. He needs to start operating internally as a permanent major leaguer. The mental part of this game is big-time and Tong needs to internally become one of the boys.

 

I no longer have any contacts within the Mets organization, so all I have is my opinions. There are specific things I wished would happen between now and opening day 2027. Here are some of them:

1.     I want the direction of this team to be to build a world class team in 2028

2.     I want 2027 to be a year that will be used accomplish this goal

3.     I’ll stay with Francisco Alvarez behind the plate until something better comes along.

4.     I want the front office to begin to convince Juan Soto that his future is either on first base or as a designated hitter.

5.     If Soto won’t play first, I will stay with Jared Young until Billy Amick is ready.

6.     I want Marcus Semien to stop wearing a Mets uniform.

7.     I don’t care who plays second on opening day 2027. This position is Emilien Pitre’s to lose, which could happen pretty quickly if Mitch Voit keeps maturing.

8.     Francisco Lindor is my shortstop. Period; however, I would try to talk him into a little infield practice

9.     I’m taking Bo and his wife to Peter Luger’s every night until he agrees to come back in 2027, Past that, it’s Jefferson Rojas time.

10. Designated hitter is in play. My desire is for Soto to do this as early as 2027. Billy Amick and Corey Collins are future candidates but I might have to go outside here.

11. I’m happy with the Psycho-twins plus Nick Morabito starting in 2027 with D’Andre Smith backing them up. Enter the Aiden twins in 2028, as well as Trey Snyder. Might find your future DH here too.

12. Starter wise, 2027 is McLean, Scott, Thornton, Tong, and somebody. Hopefully, the somebody is someone big. Jonathan Santucci and Jack Wenninger offer up emergency SP6 and SP7 candidates. Past that, it’s either ‘we don’t need anyone new’ or it’s highly fluid.

13. Reliever wise, 2027 offers up Kodai Senga, Jonathan Pintaro, Tobias Myers, Saul Garcia, Dylan Ross, Brian Metoyer, and Ben Simon. Add Carlos Guzman, Bryce Jenkins, and Garrett Stratton in 2028.

 

Promotions

 

RHP Landon Koenig – from FCL-Mets to A-St. Lucie

RHP Gavin Guidry – from FCL Mets to St. Lucie

RHP Justin Hagenman – from 60-day IL to AAA-Syracuse

RHP Gary Gill Hill – from AA-Binghamton to AAA-Syracuse

RHPP Garrett Stratton – from AA-Binghamton to AAA-Syracuse

RHRP Parker Carlson – from A+ Brooklyn to AA-Binghamton

RHRP Ryan Dollar – from A+ Brooklyn to AA-Binghamton

 

Prospect Color Changes

 

Minor Tidbits

 

The hero of the last game of the St. Lucie Mets season were the 11 relievers used in that game that produced 18 strikeouts over 12 innings. Most got one inning each, Brett Banks closed with two thrown. And Luke McNeillie struck out three in his inning. Interesting way to close out a miserable year played in a ton of rain.

 

AAA-Syracuse CF, D’Andre Smith, keeps making a case to become one of the 2027 utility outfielders. On Sunday, he went 2-4, 1-R, HR (4), 2-RBI, and raised his BA to .344 while turning out a 1.003-OPS. You can’t turn your back on a stat line like this one.

 

The Mets #1 prospect, IF/DH Jefferson Rojas, had another impressive day on Sunday: 4-5, 2-R, 9^TH Met HR, 6^th Met double, 3-RBI. More importantly, his seasonal total was risen to 24-HR and 86-RBI. I’ll take it.

 

A stat crossed my eyes on Sunday night worth noting. The Mets #7 prospect, IF Jacob Reimer, through Sunday, as 18-RBIs in his last 25 games. These are the kind of stats we’ve been waiting for from this young man. Still, as of Sunday, his AA stats are 279-AB, 80-K (28.7%), only 7-HR and 35- RBI and a BA of 237. Reimer will play 2027 as a 23/year old. There still is time, but there may not be room. Oh. By the way… Reimer played first base on Tuesday. Hmm…

 

AAA-Syracuse 1B/DH Billy Amick hit his 36^th home run on Tuesday night. That gave him 105-RBI and an .871-OPS. All he has to do is raise that .228-BA to around .240 and the least he becomes is next season’s DH. At best, the Mets first basema.

 

AA-Binghamton 1B Corey Collins continues to wake up late and impress. Wednesday, he belted his 10^th home run of the season, going 2-4, R, 2B(5) as well, and raising his seasonal OPS to .942. His multi-team totals now stand at 18-HR and 61-RBI. And, he played LF last night. Love it!

 

AAA-Syracuse SP, Jonathan Santucci, has a long way to go to secure a rotation spot on the Mets, but he threw his 3^rd quality start in a row Wednesday night, going 5.0-IP, 5-H, 1-ER, 0-BB, 6-K. That was a 3-start stat line of 15-IP, 5-ER, 19-K. My guess he will begin next season in Syracuse as that emergency SP-6.