Clay Gregory---Not Playing Their Best, Mets Still Finding Ways to Win

I do not think anyone will say that the Mets have played their best baseball as a team during the first month of the season. Whether it be defensive lapses or a baserunning error, the little details with which baseball always seems to humble you, and yet despite not being the best version of themselves, the Mets have found ways to win ballgames, in fact, better than the rest of the league as of this writing as they are the first team to reach the 20-win mark. 

Sitting in first place in a tough division called the NL East is no easy task. Doing it while still making mistakes here and there, and always expecting the offense or pitching to have an off night, brings more relevance to the fact that the Mets are finding ways to get the job done more times than not.

I believe it's safe to say that before the season started, you would tell a Mets fan that they would be the first team to reach 19 wins, and that Juan Soto would struggle to open the season, unlike any in his career, would be a bit of a surprise. Sure, we are used to Lindor starting slow, but the track record has proven he will heat up, which he has. As of this writing, he is hitting .312 with five home runs, and April is not over yet. 

Soto seems to be in that horrible place between pitches as his timing is either too early or too late and never right in the middle, which is a hitter's nightmare. 

As the season goes along, his timing will get better. He will start mashing again as his talent is just too good not to, but what has been odd about his start is that for a player known for his strikezone recognition, which is one of, if not the best, in the game. Yet, he is swinging at pitches out of the zone has just been weird, and to counteract that with his former team and its star Judge hitting the cover off the ball, I am sure, has added some pressure to himself, whether he will admit it or not.

Pitching has been outstanding and has given the team a chance to win almost every game, and aside from the bullpen struggle on Sunday and blowing a 7-1 lead to the Nationals, the bullpen has been lights out as well. In basketball, a star player can single-handedly win you a game. But in baseball, as a win requires a total team effort from the pitching to the hitting, followed by good defense and baserunning, and if all of those are not clicking during a game, you won't achieve the goal of victory. 

Have I gotten mad during games, and wondered what these players were thinking when making a miscue? Sure, I have. I also am not talented enough to be doing what they are, and I have to remind myself that each time I get upset. Being upset is human emotion and we are all entitled to it but lets see the positives of our New York Mets are sitting in first place and with a long season ahead it is better to be starting in first place than trying to climb your way out of the cellar no matter how early in the season it is. 

We can take the highs and lows and ride the wave called New York Mets baseball, and we can also look forward to our team playing even better baseball in the days ahead and finding a way to give each of us a memory on a nightly basis. When you bleed orange and blue, the tendency has been to wait for the other shoe to drop, and I get that and am guilty of that as well. 

But what can be said for this season is that in seasons past, a miscue would put the whole team in a funk and start a seven-game losing streak right out of the blue. Not this team, as they continue to fight even when battling back or surrendering a lead; they do not quit, which is a recipe for a championship team. 

So head out to Citi Field and cheer on the Amazin’s and catch them on SNY as they come into your living room, as baseball is a memory making game and there's always something special that can happen on any given night, even if there's some bad along the way. LGM

Clay Gregory===> Welcome Back to the National League

 

Welcome home to your New York Mets. They will open a four-game series against a National League team starting tonight. The only team the Mets have played so far in the league was against the Marlins in Miami. The somewhat shocking Cardinals head to Citi Field for a four-game set this weekend, and if history is any indication, this should be a good series.

 

This week, the big hoopla around the league was about Juan Soto and not just about his somewhat slow start to the season. I believe all of this was blown out of proportion but when you play in a big market like New York and with a fanbase as passionate as the Mets your going to want to watch your words a little more carefully when regarding the so called best hitter in baseball hitting behind him last season in Judge and how pitchers are changing how they pitch to Soto comment. Pete Alonso has done damage behind Soto, but I get where he was coming from, as the truth is pitchers are attacking him differently, but it's more of they don’t want to give up a two-run bomb to Soto instead of who is or who isn’t hitting behind him in the lineup.

 

The season is still young, and the Mets are sitting at 11-7 and a game up on the hated Phillies, even after dropping two against the Twins, so maybe playing at Citi Field will lead to a series win or even better, a sweep of the Cardinals. The Cardinals had a horrible time in Boston during their last East Coast road trip, and here’s to that trend continuing. The starting pitching for the Amazins’ has been outstanding, even when the offense has sputtered at times, which is a measure of a good team. The homestand will benefit the team so they can get some momentum before taking on the rival Phillies starting next week, with the battle for first in the NL East to be quite entertaining.

 

It will be good to start playing National League opponents; however, getting so many cracks at American League teams and being at 11-7 gives you confidence, especially in World Series time. Even with both leagues having the DH now, there is still something special about the rivalries, the passion when taking on teams from your neck of the woods. I look forward to the Mets splitting the Cardinals series at worst, and I feel more optimistic about a series win heading into the Phillies series on a hot streak, showing them who the dominant team in the East will be this season. Baseball rivalries are different than most as you will go up against your rivals in sets of three games and sometimes four. There is something magical, especially at Citi Field, when the Phillies head into town. The season is young, and our team is in first place, and no matter what comments are made in the media or the who's hitting and who's not, here's to a stretch of winning baseball back in our league, the National League, and it's about time. LGM

Clay Gregory===Homecoming has arrived

 

Today, the Mets are finally home. The Mets have left the fish tank after taking the series in Miami two games to one. Pete Alonso’s bat seems to be heating up, as he hit two home runs during the series, with the first one a homer to right field, which is a good sign considering last year it seemed he was unable to hit anything profound other than to the pull side. The three-run homer kept the Mets alive and enabled them to take the game into extra innings, ultimately resulting in a victory on Wednesday evening.

 

The biggest rumbling I heard during the series was about Francisco Lindor making two errors in a game, as well as his slow start to the season at the plate. Slow starts have become the norm for Lindor, but the errors are strictly rare when it comes to the Mets shortstop. He is a premium defender who has helped and will continue to help his pitchers get out of innings with his excellent defense. Lindor is human, after all, and errors happen to the best of players, but as for his plate appearances, I am willing to bet that during this homestand, his bat starts to heat up, and he reminds everyone of just how good he is. I'm a massive fan of Lindor, and I'm proud that he wears blue and orange.

 

Sitting with a record of 3-3 to start the season, some may be disappointed with that start, while others will be happy to head home with a .500 record. The fact that this year's start is better than last year’s is a reason for optimism. The fun fact in all of this is that the hitting is nowhere to the level that it will become later in the season and while the pitching has been pretty good I do believe that the pitching will get even better as the season progresses and match that with the hitting and the Amazin’s are going to be a dangerous team to play. Speaking of Wednesday’s game, did anybody catch Keith Hernandez’s hot mic moment when he said “piss poor hitting”? It was a pretty comical moment, yet a true one, that I am sure many fans felt during the game. Some may call it luck that they escaped Miami with the series win. I am going to look at the positives and think of it as clutch hitting that saved the day.

 

Hopefully, the weather will cooperate this weekend, allowing the Mets and their faithful to enjoy all the pomp and circumstance that the first homestand of the season always seems to bring. Whether you go to see your favorite players take the field, enjoy a nice outing with friends and family, or just a foodie who loves the ballpark food, which, by the way, on a side note, Citi Field is rated as the best ballpark in the majors for their food items, the opening homestand should be a fun and exciting time. This will be the first time we will get to see Juan Soto take the field at Citi Field as part of the hometown team. It will be fun to watch how the pitching handles the mighty Blue Jays lineup, and we might even be in store for some slugfest action. After the off day, let's hope the home team comes out raring to go in front of the home faithful.

 LGM

Clay Gregory===Slugfest, Miami Edition

 

The Mets are back in Florida, taking on the Marlins after a brief stop in Houston. The opening series was a hard-fought one, pitting two playoff hopefuls against each other to start the season. While losing the series two games to one can be a disappointment, the bright side is that the Mets fought hard. Juan Soto came as advertised and even hit his first homer of the season on Friday.

The social media buzz was the Mets offense looked pitiful in Houston. I can agree to the extent that there were way too many spurts of not getting runners home. In game one, they faced one of the best pitchers on the planet, Framber Valdez. Not getting many runs against Houston’s ace is a pain that many opposing teams feel. Francisco Lindor is off to a slow start, which is not a surprise. However, after having his son born, I would say to look for Lindor to get hot quicker than in seasons past.

 

Speaking of offense, the media went from the sky falling to the Mets becoming an offensive juggernaut in just one game. " Homers Galore" should be the theme for Game 1 against the Marlins, as the Mets flexed their offensive firepower, led by a grand slam from the Polar Bear himself, Pete Alonso. In a game where David Peterson didn’t seem to have his command in check, the Mets' offense picked up their pitching and turned the game into a slugfest. 

Food for thought here is that when you look at the Marlins' roster, are there any names you recognize besides Alcantara? The entire roster is an episode of 'Who Are These Guys,' which makes the Marlins' opening series win against the Pirates a little surprising.

 

Here's a random paragraph to show appreciation for the greatness that is the Mets' broadcast booth. Gary, Keith, and Ron are hands down the best announcers in all of MLB when it comes to the TV side. I say this because after watching a random Texas Rangers broadcast the other night, it just deepened my appreciation for the broadcasts on SNY. 

It's tough to blend your knowledge about the game and what's happening on the field with some humor in the broadcast. As Mets fans, we are spoiled, and let’s not forget to show some love to the broadcast booth from time to time; after all, we invite them into our homes each spring through fall.

 

The big question for this week is whether Monday’s offensive output will be the norm for the rest of the week. My prediction is that Monday's slugfest will be the start of the offense clicking, which it should be against a team like the Marlins. 

You need to pick up your early-season wins now because everyone knows how priceless they become in September. Kodai Senga will take the mound today in his season debut for the Mets, and here’s to him locking down the Marlins' offense and for the Mets to start another slugfest down in Miami. LGM

Clay Gregory==It's the Final Countdown

 

Spring training will be over today, and the wins and losses will start counting on Thursday against the Astros. The offseason’s hard work and player signings will come to fruition to kick off what is hopefully a fantastic campaign. There’s tons to be excited about in this year's edition of the Mets.

The offense should be better than last year, and the pitching should also be better. Sure, injuries affect the pitching staff, but Clay Holmes has shown during this spring training that going from relief to starting pitcher will not affect him. Getting the opening day nod is pretty special for him, and against an Astros lineup that is different but still powerful, he will get to showcase his skills and hopefully get the Amazins their first win of the year.

History has shown that to win the NL East, you need to go through Atlanta and Philadelphia. This year is no different, but what is different is that this is not a patchwork Mets team. This team may be the most complete team under Uncle Steve’s ownership so far. Beating Philadelphia is always a fun treat, and being down south, beating the Braves brings a sort of guilty pleasure, which I believe the Mets will be doing a lot of this season.

What will need to happen for the Mets to be successful is what is required during every game and every season, and that is pitching. Pitching takes your team to the next level and has you competing for championships. This rotation is going to be sneaky good, Pundits be damned. 

Every time a critic looks for something to criticize the Mets on, it is either two things: one, the Mets pitching will be their Achilles heel, or my personal favorite, which is the Mets lineup, which is top-loaded. Both, in my humble opinion, are not true. The best part of being a fan is looking up and down your team's lineup card and not counting the superstars, but looking at the bottom of the lineup and seeing those hits come from your seventh, eighth, and ninth hitters is where good teams win. The Mets will have a sturdy and robust lineup from top to bottom.

 

So many questions are just sitting out there waiting to be answered. Will Juan Soto win the MVP in his first season as a Met? Just how far can the Mets go in the playoffs this year? The fun thing about Opening Day is that every team starts with a clean slate. The moves made in the offseason are over, and time to come to fruition. The speculation and anxiousness that has lingered all winter will become your favorite team's daily grind of wins and losses. 

Opening Day is a baseball fan’s Christmas, not just one game but one that holds a baseball fan's heart in its hands. The time for talk is over. It’s time to put up or shut up, and if I were a betting man, I would say the Mets will be bringing the thunder all season long. 

LGM

Clay Gregory---Let's Argue Some Balls and Strikes

 

Today, ladies and gentlemen, we are going to talk about ABS. No, we are not talking about the results of the winter workouts you have been putting in, but instead, we are going to talk about some balls and strikes. MLB has been testing its Automated ball-strike system for the first time at the major league level this spring.

You will find those who hate this system and long for the days of baseball going back to how it once was, living and dying by the umpire's call on the field. On the other hand, you will find those who find this system exciting, as they will say it leads to more accurate balls and strike calls during a game.  You can count me on the in-between side of things. While it has been nice to see the actual players challenging balls and strikes without getting ejected, I like that it is solely up to either the pitcher and catcher or the batter, and while you only get two per game, if you keep winning, your challenges, then you do not lose one.

The downside would be that I do not want to take the human element out of the game. Has the ABS shown to be accurate in identifying the challenges this spring? The answer is yes, it sure has. How is that a bad thing, then? Well, to some, it may not be. I am a stickler for keeping the game the way it once was. While not always correct, the human element has led to some memorable moments in baseball history. Depending on what team you root for, some of those memories can be good or bad.

Many of my friends are unsure whether they like how the game is evolving. Those younger enjoy all the new changes, whether the pitch clock or how many times you can do a pickoff during an at-bat. The ABS challenge system is another evolution coming to the big leagues sooner rather than later. I know there is already talk of a lockout happening after the 2026 season, and I am sure these rule changes will be front and center of the negotiations among the salary cap talk that will take the headlines.

The Mets are pretty good at challenging the strike zone, whether it's Pete Alonso challenging or Francisco Alvarez calling the challenge behind the plate. David Peterson pointed out that if Francisco Alvarez challenges a strike, it’s a strike. Mets games are always fun all on their own, but the challenges we have seen during Spring Training have added a little flair to the games, especially hearing the SNY booth talk about it, which is always entertaining. The ABS challenge system will not be in a major league game this season, and while it’s a new wrinkle that can be fun and exciting at times, the Mets' winning the World Series this October tops it by a landslide. 

Clay Gregory, An Amazin' Spring So Far

 

Spring training is for hitters working on their timing at the plate and pitchers working on their repertoire for the upcoming season. The Mets are working on those things, of course, but from what it seems by watching their games, this team is competing but having a lot of fun. Last night's game against the Marlins saw players having some fun in the dugout featuring new superstar Juan Soto. The fact that Soto is already fitting so well is a testament not only to Soto but to his teammates as well.

A lot of the chatter around social media seems to be that Francisco Lindor should be named captain. I can see why, as he leads by example and puts in the work with his work ethic and how he interacts with teammates. Brandon Nimmo is the longest-tenured Met at the moment, and maybe the fact could be made that he should be the Met's first captain since David Wright. Still, in my opinion, I like that there has not been a captain chosen officially because this team holds each other accountable, and it has the feeling that many players on this team are unofficial captains.

Speaking of spring training, Kodai Senga threw a solid two innings last night and then went to the backfields to continue his work. He is a perfectionist, and the fact that he pitched two scoreless innings and was not satisfied has me believing that he is ready to put last season behind him and show the fans that last year was just a fluke. David Peterson came in after and threw three scoreless innings and continues to show that he is a new pitcher since his hip has been fixed. Although injuries have happened early this spring training, especially with Sean Manaea, the fact that Senga and Peterson look good early on is a good sign.

I remember when Mike Piazza first came to the Mets and how excited I was and I still have that feeling when it comes to this team. Pundits may say the rotation is the Met's Achilles; I do not agree with this sentiment as I think even with injuries, the rotation is better than they are given credit for. Brandon Sproat's showing out the other day showed that future arms are on the horizon for the Mets and provides reason for excitement and future rotation predictions.

1986 was a long time ago, and for a fanbase that has deserved a couple of world championships since then, it may be the year it finally happens. Yes, the Dodgers are loaded and signed almost every free agent not named Soto this offseason. The forecast predicts that the Mets and Dodgers will meet again this upcoming postseason. Until then, a season has to be played, and we are still three weeks away from spring training being over. Just like the Mets are having fun this spring training, the roller coaster called the season is right around the corner, and I cannot wait. LGM.