Tom Brennan: Winker, Butto, Pete and Other Amazing Stuff

In What Could Have Been Pete’s Last Mets At Bat Ever, He Made Sure

It Was NOT His Last Mets At Bat Ever

For all the Wild Card marbles:

Jose Quintana and Austin Powers Myers aced it, had the score at 0-0 after 6. 

Quintana was at 96 pitches. Leave him in? No. 

Then…Mendoza wished that he had. Why?

Butto Bombed Badly

So, you see, I write nice things about Butto on Tuesday, and what does he do? Well, he gets bombed in relief Thursday night.  I knew I should have kept my trap shut. 

He gives up a HR to .199 pinch hitter Bauers. Then Sal Maglie Frelick bashed one right behind him. Both were crushed. 2-0.

Then Edwin comes in to close the 7th, and throws 20 pitches (7 strikes) to keep it at 2-0.

Edwin regroups and throws 19 more in the 8th.  Still 2-0. He’s cooked.

Offense was an absolute zero for the Mets through 8.

But the Good Lord created all things, including the 9th inning. 

The Lord is great indeed.

Lindor walked on a checked swing, Vientos fanned on truly nasty pitches, the clutch Nimmo drilled a single up the middle, then ice cold Pete Alonso came up and took a fat pitch for strike one. 

But their elite closer Devin Williams (who has had an astonishingly good career, 27-10, 1.83, 375 Ks in 238 career innings) threw 3 straight balls, and then Pete poked a 3 run shot just over the fence in right.  Off a guy who NEVER gives up HRs.

Thousands of fans watching at Citi Field on the big screens (great idea) absolutely erupted. So loud, in fact, that Pete probably heard them roar from 1300 miles away.

Then, Wild Man Jesse James Winker got hit by a pitch, stole second, and Marte drove him in with a hit to right.  Winker slammed his helmet to the ground with great gusto and hair exploding, and stalked back to the dugout completely and totally stoked. Love the guy.  Sign him for 2025. One mandatory clause, though…he must keep his hair long and slam many helmets.

2-0 Brewers after 8 was suddenly 4-2 Mets, bottom 9, and the Brewer fans were stunned. Skewered Brewers.

The Mets brought in their own elite closer, who else, my ace David Peterson. A lead off hit, but then a strike out, and a double play, and THE MIGHTY MIRACULOUS METS SHOW GOES ON.

(CAREER SAVE # 1)

Next up? The Phillies, in Philadelphia, on Saturday.

Road Warriors.

I am wanting that ring, but I am thrilled they got past the Wild Card.

So, I read this, following game 2:

Brewers star SS Willy Adames confirmed he did offer to meet Mets DH/ex-Brewer Jesse Winker in the parking lot to settle differences after an on-field “chirping” match following Winker’s two-run, Game 1 triple.

“I told him that when we were chirping at each other,” Adames told The Post, confirming expert lip reader Jomboy’s fine report.

“I was there [in the lot],” Adames added, saying Winker didn’t show.

 All Adames proved, by going to the lot in hopes of “being a man” perhaps, is that he is a thug. 

Chirping is part of baseball. Live with it. Altercations off the field?  Unacceptable.

Well, after this blown, season-ending game, Adames hopefully Met himself in the parking lot and beat himself up.

Reese Kaplan -- Analyzing the 2025 Starting Pitcher Options

The Mets injuries this season were part of the reason they finished the year with David Peterson and Tylor Megill a regular part of their starting rotation.  Paired with the veteran trio of Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Jose Quintana the Mets proved capable of staying in games by limiting the offensive damage by opposing hitters.

Lost somewhere in this mix was midseason acquisition Paul Blackburn from Oakland.  Unlike previous started Chris Bassitt who simply played himself into a regular asset for the top five guys to begin games, things did not progress as well for Blackburn.

Look at his career track record and the numbers suggest borderline 5th starter capability.  He hold a career ERA of an unimpressive 4.85 with a record of 22-28.  The other scary number is his WHIP of 1.405 meaning he’s allowing nearly 1.5 runners per inning pitched.  Part of the struggle is not his control as he’s averaged under 3 walks per 9 innings pitched and he fans a modest 6.9 over the same interval.  Where it really hurts is hits allowed.  In 428 IP he’s allowed 470 hits. 

Recently some folks were commenting on me seemingly having forgotten about him when looking forward to the 2025 rotation possibilities.  No, I did not.  He will earn about $4.4 in arbitration which is not horrible, but his numbers in New York certainly were.  The now 30 year old pitcher over 5 starts for the Mets backslid to a 5.18 ERA, allowing 11.5 hits per 9 IP with a finishing number of 31 hits over 24 IP.  His WHIP exploded to nearly 1.600. 

Now that he had the hand injury on a batted ball and then spinal fluid issues that kept him on the IL, the Mets kind of out of necessity and desperation turned to Tylor Megill.  For the year the numbers are not impressive but they include the earlier and middle parts of the year when he wasn’t refocused to how he appeared later in the year.  The season’s 4.04 ERA is a big improvement over what he’s done in the past, but his last 5 games all resulted in Mets wins.  Over that period the ERA was just 2.50.

Going into 2025 while the assumption is that Kodai Senga will be healthy and the Mets will negotiate to keep Sean Manaea on the roster, then you have David Peterson and Tylor Megill ready to take two more starting rotation slots.  With Christian Scott out for the year with TJS, there’s definitely a need for another starter.

However, ask yourself this question.  How big a drop-off in quality would it be to face Paul Blackburn?  Yes, for a billionaire a contract in the $4 million plus range is not the issue.  What is important is whether or not trotting out Blackburn in his age 31 season is somehow finally going to put it all together?  Frankly a Joey Lucchessi would cost less and deliver more.  I’m not suggesting he’s a perfect 5th starter, but it would seem that spending over $4 million for Blackburn may not be the wisest thing to do. 

Instead, the Mets could look to bring in a fresh arm via free agency or trade.  While obviously everyone is drooling over the prospect of Corbin Burnes or Blake Snell, it’s entirely possible to find a middle rotation starter for a lot less money if those $30 million per year starters are not the best investment. 

I’m not playing cheapskate, but if the club is serious about potentially paying for Pete Alonso, bidding on Juan Soto and considering other expensive hitters, then factor in the cost for Sean Manaea, well, at some point you have to budget accordingly. 

Right now the club would be seeking an improvement over Paul Blackburn, not over someone like Jacob deGrom.  You also have to remember that Brandon Sproat who struggled in his first taste of AAA could regroup and work with the pitching lab to make himself into a dominant arm once again.  

Consequently a one-year deal for a $4 to $10 million pitcher might be a shrewder move than returning Blackburn.  The club has admitted personnel judgments that didn’t work.  Remember Adrian Houser?  How about Omar Narvaez?  Tomas Nido?  Joey Wendle?  Zack Short?  Ben Gamel?  Brett Baty?  D.J. Stewart?  Yohan Ramirez?  Michael Tonkin?  Jorge Lopez?  Jake Diekman?  Julio Teheran?  The mark of a strong front office is not letting ego get in the way of improving the ballclub.

Going into 2025 I’m ready to start with the top four outlined above and I’m open to a new 5th member of the rotation.  How about you?

MACK - Thursday's Observations (Blow It Up v2.0)

 

Mack’s Observations –

 

A while back I posted my, now infamous, blow it up plan for the 2025 season. It included trading off many of the existing contracts and going bare to the bone with the hopes that the team could get under the penalty tax level.

The hopes were that much more was going to immediately come out of Syracuse for 2025. Well, due to injuries and poor performances, that no longer seems doable.

It also was a little naïve when I assumed other teams would pay the full salaries of aging players the Mets no longer wanted to pay going forward.

So, what does a Plan B look like?

First, the ground rules:

Team Luxury Red Line - $241,000,000

Minimal Major League Salary - $760,000    

Next, would be the players currently under contact and what I project team controlled players would be offered:

1B (3B/DH)– Mark Vientos – (24: $590,145) – 2025: proj. $1.5mil

2B (SS/CF) – Luisangel Acuna (24: $590, 145) – 2025: proj. $760K

SS – Francisco Lindor – (24: $34.1m) – 2025 - $34.1mil

3B (2B/SS) – Ronny Mauricio – (24: $743.5K – 2025: proj. $760K

UT (3B/2B) – Brett Baty – (24: $713,169 – 2025: proj. $760K

C - Francisco Alvarez – (24: $762.5K – 2025 proj. $1,2mil

OF – Brandon Nimmo – 24: $20.5mil – 2025: $20.5mil

In my previous “Blow It Up” post, I traded both McNeil and Marte because I felt prospects would be ready at these positions. Sadly, they won’t be on the roster on opening day, so they both will remain starting members of the outfield going into this season:

OF (2B/3B) – Jeff McNeil – ($24: $12.5mil – 2025: $12.5mil)

OF – Starling Marte – (24: $20.750m) – 2025: $20.750mil

SP – Kodai Senga – (24: $15mil) – 2025: $15mil

SP – David Peterson – (24: $2.15mil) – 2025: proj. $2.75mil

SP – Tylor Megill – (24: $610,993K) – 2025 proj. $1mil

RHRP – Edwin Diaz – (24: $21,250) – 2025: $21.5mil

RP – Jose Butto – (24: $526,225) – 2025: proj. $1mil

RP – Phil Maton – (24: $2,788,978) – 2025: $2,788,978

RP – Sean Reid-Foley – (24: $772,750) – 2025: proj. $780K

RP – Huascar Brazoban – (24: $590,145) – 2025: proj. $760K

RP – Grant Hartwig – (24: $153,109 – 2025: $760K)

RP – Dedniel Nunez – (24: $596,805) – 2025: proj. $1mil

RP – Alex Young – (24: $1,16mil) – 2025: $1,4mil)

That’s 20 players for a total of:            $141,568,978

                        Let’s round that up to      $142mil

Now, let’s move on to the minors…

MLB says that these are the average salaries in 2024 for minor league players at different levels. I add to this my estimate for 2025. Then I list the number of players each of these teams average based on past active rosters, players on the IL, and players on the Developmental Lists:

Rookie - $19.8K      (2025: $25K)           105 players             $2,625mil

Low-A - $26.2K       (2025: $30K)           35 players               $1.05mil

High-A - $27.3K      (2025: $30K)           35 players                $1,05mil

AA -       $30,25K    (2025: $35K)            35 players                $1,225mil

AAA -    $35,8K       (2025: $40K)           35 players                $1.4mil

                                                                        Total:                         $7.35mil

Let’s say I am way off on these minor league numbers and they come in at around $8mil.

Add the $142mil…. TOTAL CURRENT 2025 PAYROLL:    $150mil

                                                Tax penalty level:                     $241mil

That’s $91mil left for one utility infielder, two more outfielders, a back-up catcher, and two more pitchers.                                                                                              

 

Tom Brennan: Mets Playoffs....And Arizona Fall League Notes

“AFL” USED TO MEAN RIGHT HANDER JOE WILLIE NAMATH TO ME

METS PLAYOFFS:

Milwaukee Brewers v. Mets.

David Stearn's former team vs. his current team.

Dead even at 1-1 after Phil Maton dropped the baton.

Mets fans know that after 1969 it is never, ever easy.

ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE:

The Cactus season starts in 5 days, on October 8.  Tell Siri or Alexa to remind you.

Eight Mets players who got the golden ticket and are slated to play fall ball in Arizona:

3 lengthily injured ranked hitting prospects:

Jett Williams- IF

Drew Gilbert- OF

Jacob Reimer- 3B

 - Those injured 3 totaled perhaps one full season equivalent.

5 pitchers:

Saul Garcia- P (4-8, 5.05 in 71 IP in 2024, 86 Ks. Work in progress).

Noah Hall- P (missed most of 2024…13 pro innings)

Jonathan Pintaro- P  26 year old rookie who had a fine season (2.68 ERA)

Dylan Ross-P (drafted in 2022…ONE pro inning)

Jawilme Ramirez- P  22 y/o spent most of 2024 in Brooklyn (73 IP, 3.58 ERA) 

Last week, I indicated that Dylan Tebrake was selected to pitch, coming off injury, but he was bumped for the aforementioned Jawilme Ramirez.

The season lasts 30 games.  Last year, 31 MILB players played in 20-25 games.  My hope is Jett Williams and Drew Gilbert, as Top 100 MLB prospects, get in 22-23 games.  As many as 25?  We'll take it.  That would mean they are healthy and playing well.

Last year's AFL stats for Mets' players were mensa-mensa - let’s take a look back:

JT Schwartz got in 20 games, drove in a 19 runs, and went .247/.325/.411.

D'Andre Smith and Rowdey Jordan each got in just 15 games, and each had 51 ABs: 

Smith was .235/.291/.353, and Jordan was .255/.357/.373, with the two combining to drive in just 9 runs.

Kevin Parada in 18 games hit just .186/.240/.371, a harbinger it seems of a subsequent weak 2024 offensive campaign in AA.

2023 Season Pitchers?

Jordan Geber went 18 IP, and had a 6.00 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in AZ. 

 - He went a decent 5-8, 3.83 in 89 IP in 2024.

Trey McLoughlin? 8.2 IP, 0.00 and 0.92, and a solid 2024 minors season followed.

Nolan Clenney went 9 IP, 1.00 and 1.44.  5-1, 5.37 in relief in 2024.  His ERA in AA was elevated due to a 4 game stretch in May where he allowed 12 earned runs in 5.1 IP.  20 earned runs in his other 48 innings, not so bad.

Brendan Hardy is now a Rockies minor league reliever. He had a 6.35 ERA last fall.

Tyler Thomas AFL?  9.2 IP, 3.72.  Pitched for an other org in 2024, was released.

Overall? 

I am far more excited about the 2024 AFL season than 2023's, because it will be a major opportunity for both Jett and Drew, who totaled just 351 minor league at bats in 2024, as they fell about 600 at bats short of expected workload due to injury. An opportunity to show everyone that they are nearly ready for the Big Show in 2025. The AFL should allow them to perhaps make up 200 of the noted 600 AB deficit.

Reimer?  He had just 96 plate appearances due to injuries and has not gotten above High A yet, so it will be challenging in the AFL for the 20 year old 4th rounder from 2022.  A good challenge.

Personally, I would have loved to see the Brooklyn Flash, Nick Morabito, play in Arizona, but...well, I don't know why, and won't try to guess.  

Our very own Paul Articulates will give his own spin and updates on this AFL season as it progresses.  Stay tuned.

  

FIRST DETROIT DID IT, THEN THE WHITE SOX AVOIDED IGNOMINY, TOO

So, after 149 games, the 33-116 White Sox were a dead cinch to finish worse than the 40-120 (.250) Mets, right? As it turns out, the correct answer is....

Wrong.  Unbelievably, they went 8-5 in their last 13 games to finish 41-121 (.253).  They did lose the most ever, but their win % was .003 better than the Metsies.

The Tigers in 2003 went 43–119, and came within one loss of tying the 1962 New York Mets for the most losses in modern major league history.  They were a miserable 38-118, but then inexplicably won 5 of their last 6.

Amazing.

Tom Brennan: A Fine Season For These Three Honor-Worthy Mets

MIGHTY MARK VIENTOS

The Book of Romans, Chapter 12, verse 7, tells us to "give respect to whom respect is due, and honor to whom honor is due".  So, here goes, regarding 3 guys who were not on the Mets' Opening Day roster in 2024, but rather down in Syracuse:

It wasn't Mark Vientos' fault the Mets sent him down to AAA for 6 weeks after spring training, it was management's.  You follow orders.

What has Vientos done, majors, minors and playoffs this year?  A lot.

143 games, 27 doubles, 33 HRs, 103 RBIs.  

Not too shabby, huh?  And 2 of those RBIs came on a huge opposite field single yesterday, a sign of true maturity.

Jose Butto?  I had some doubts due to his HR rate in the minors through 2023.  He allowed 17 in 91 IP in AAA in 2023, then came up and pitched BETTER in the majors, like any bulldog will.

He was great (not to overstate things) yesterday in game 1, in a game where Edwin and Phil were not showing up on the field no way, no how. 

And can I just say it?  

A brilliant regular season in 2024, 7-3, 2.55, 74 IP, 1.06 WHIP.

He has turned me from a doubter to a shouter: But-to, But-to, But-to!

And....let's not forget...the Mets started out 0-5 this year, not hitting a lick. The start for season game # 6 went to Jose Butto, and he twirled 6 brilliant, one run innings, and the Mets rallied for 3 runs in the 9th to win it 2-1, to improve to on the season to 1-5, and possibly avoid a major tailspin.  Butto gets kudos.

Jose Iglesias? Oh My Goodness, dude!  

It just hit me - he led the major leagues in batting at .337. 

Bobby Witt hit .332.  It wasn't Jose's fault that he lacked the at bats needed to qualify for the title. You see, David Stearns made a mistake by sending him to the minors after spring training (Stearns made a rare mistake and is not perfect, no one alive today is, with the possible exception of Mack) - but I think I will keep Stearns anyway if you readers agree....I will take your silence as a yes. I'll keep Iglesias too.

That key, game-tying infield hit from Iglesias to the first baseman was a thing of beauty.  Jose hit the ball, came out of the blocks like Carl Lewis, and then the head-first slide to beat the pitcher to the bag.  Wow.  Dude is almost 35, plays like he is 25. (Career .283 in 4,040 at bats, too. And a terrific 3.1 WAR in half a season with the Mets. I'll stop now).

Oh, he did SIGN Iglesias...you can't call him up if tou don't first sign him.

Give them honor, folks. The Mets are not in the playoffs without them.

 

MACK – Wednesday Morning Observations

 

MACK – Wednesday Morning Observations

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/10/projected-arbitration-salaries-for-2025.html?s=03 –

Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2025

Mets –

Paul Blackburn (5.018): $4.4MM

Luis Torrens (4.105): $1.1MM

Tyrone Taylor (4.093): $2.9MM

David Peterson (4.089): $4.4MM

Alex Young (4.085): $1.4MM

DJ Stewart (3.144): $1.7MM

Sean Reid-Foley (3.133): $900K

Tylor Megill (3.031): $2.1MM

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/10/34-players-elect-free-agency.html?utm_source=twitter&s=03 –

34 Players Elect Free Agency –

 

Catchers

 

Alex Jackson (Rays)

Andrew Knapp (Giants)

Andrew Knizner (D-Backs)

Reese McGuire (Red Sox)

Jakson Reetz (Giants)

Ali Sánchez (Marlins)

Brian Serven (Blue Jays)

 

Infielders

 

Diego Castillo (Twins)

José Devers (Marlins)

Thairo Estrada (Giants)

Danny Mendick (White Sox)

Cole Tucker (Angels)

Jason Vosler (Mariners)

 

Outfielders

 

Billy McKinney (Pirates)

Cristian Pache (Marlins)

 

Designated Hitter

 

Willie Calhoun (Angels)

 

Pitchers

 

Phil Bickford (Yankees)

Ty Blach (Rockies)

Nick Burdi (Yankees)

John Curtiss (Rockies)

Kent Emanuel (Marlins)

Cole Irvin (Twins)

Casey Kelly (Reds)

Matt Koch (Rockies)

Steven Okert (Twins)

Yohan Ramírez (Red Sox)

Gerardo Reyes (A’s)

Trevor Richards (Twins)

Ryder Ryan (Pirates)

Kirby Snead (Mariners)

Touki Toussaint (White Sox)

Tanner Tully (Yankees)

Jordan Weems (Nationals)

Mitch White (Brewers) 

 

Bob Nightengale               @BNightengale

The finger pointing has begun:

In the aftermath of missing the postseason, Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick blasts the signing of starter Jordan Montgomery to a two-year, $47.5 million contract, blaming himself for making the recommendation to the front office late in

"Looking back, in hindsight, a horrible decision to have invested that money in a guy that performed as poorly as he did. It was our biggest mistake this season from a talent standpoint. And I'm the perpetrator of that.''

Kendrick obviously is hoping that Montgomery (6.23 ERA) does not exercise his $22.5 million player option in 2025.

MACK – Let’s say Kendrick agrees to eat the majority of the monies owed to Montgomery… is this guy worth considering for an SP4/5 in 2025?

The Original Pete

            I was a big Ron Hunt fan. Back in the day, I thought he was the best second baseman in baseball. The problem was I was a minority of one.

            Pete Rose was the original “hair on fire” baseball pro. He made Ty Cobb look like Pope Paul. Of course, I hated him, but I admired him from afar and wished Hunt had a lot more Rose in him, especially when he came to bat. 

The banishment due to the gambling thing made a whole lot of sense at the time, but it sure seems watered down now, what with all the ways you can legally bet on these games; however, stemming from the final decisions after the Mizuhara/Ohtani rulings, players still can’t bet on ANY form of baseball games. 

Pro, college, high school, International, sandlot, pee wee, choose ups on 95^th Avenue in Ozone Park… nuttin’ honey.

Rose went on to embarrass himself off the field. Making fans pay to shake his hand… being in total denial… and then there was that sad documentary.

Fans in Cincy loved him, but, looking closer, these were just the fans in the park when Rose played. They were as old as Pete was.

Is Pete Rose in Heaven? Sure, what the hell. Remember, God forgave a shitload of people that did a lot worse things than this guy did. Is he playing on God’s team with all the other legends up there?

I don’t know. I wouldn’t bet on it.

 

The Trades Of Those Two Aces

 

Chandler Rome                  @Chandler_Rome

Justin Verlander did not make the Astros’ Wild Card Series roster.

            Joe DeMayo            @PSLToFlushing

Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford

            Ernest Dove             @ernestdove

Max Scherzer & Justin Verlander officially not on any current playoff rosters.

Luisangel Acuña on one.

Top prospects Drew Gilbert & Ryan Clifford in Mets farm system.

Mets

In playoffs.

Job well done prior front office & Steve Cohen for money well spent/eaten.

 

Mack – I loved these deals from the get-go. Sell off two dinosaurs for three top 100 prospects. Who does this and how do the Mets pull that off?

 

metZZ 1986®️           @bkfan09

Mets IFA Prospect Rankings By Class

 

2025 Elian Peña #2

2026 Josua Chacoa Top10

 2027 Cam Gutierrez Top 20

 2028 Marlom Noguera Top 10

 

Francys Romero     @francysromeroFR

Sources: The New York Mets named James Kang as their new Director of International Scouting.

Kang previously worked with the Padres, Red Sox, Dodgers and lastly Guardians where he was the Senior Player Acquisitions Scout.

The Mets interviewed several strong candidates such as Felix Peguero, Roman Ocumarez, Brad Budzinski but ultimately moved in the direction of Kang.

Layki Uribe was also among the candidates interviewed.

 

 

Daniel Wexler    @WexlerRules

Danny Young gained 2 MPH on his 2 seam FB, as did Jeffrey Colon, Brandon Sproat + .4 MPH, Christian Scott down 0.2 MPH

            Mack – Interesting…

            You can’t tell me that the pitching lab isn’t making a difference here…

Reese Kaplan -- No One Saw October Baseball As Game 1 Unfolded...

Like most Mets fans, I was awake and alert for the seemingly ineffectual effort against the Braves starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach.  They had whiffed regularly in the first start, struggled to get hits in the second and now in the one to determine their postseason future it unfortunately looked like more of the same.  

There were a few middle innings where it appeared that the Braves’ starter was reverting to being a human being on the mound instead of someone on a non-stop path to Cooperstown, but by the late innings it was hard to be encouraged. 

Now bear in mind that living in Malaysia meant I started watching the game live at 1:30 AM and it was well after 3:00 when I decided game one was a lost cause.  Imagine my surprise, therefore, to wake up to see the box score of the Mets behind in the second game which was still in progress.  I made a soft curse about not facing challenges and collapsing when winning was needed most.

I am not sure even why I turned to look at the Game One box score, except to see if the Mets had actually gotten more than 4-5 hits for the effort.  I was up at 5:40 AM and assumed it was my non-eyeglass-wearing pupils playing tricks on me when I saw the 8-7 score. 

Now when I first glanced I thought, “Wow, the Mets did make a game of it before choking.”  I was not prepared to read that it was the Mets who got the bit W and the Braves who lost on their home field.

Of course, I then went back and watched numerous times and from various announcers perspectives what exactly happened in the 8th and 9th innings to lead the Mets to an improbable and unexpected win after looking so completely listless. 

While Tylor Megill didn’t put together an All Star level start, he was not bad and you’d think leaving with a game ERA under 4.50 would at least qualify as competitive.  

After the confusion was gone and the joy of victory in my head and heart, I got to thinking about what the Mets needed to do to call 2024 a good season. 

Given where they were in April and May, the fact they were even mathematically capable of sneaking into the postseason was shocking in and of itself.  Had they not made it, then all of the league best record since May 31st and the contributions from various players all around the roster would have gone for naught.  

Granted, when a season begins the most rose-colored glass wearing fans feel that anything is indeed possible, including a World Series victory.  Coming off a horrific 2023 season and off to a poor start for rookie manager Carlos Mendoza and well regarded POBO David Stearns it was an unpleasant surprise but to everyone’s unforeseen expectations, they took corrective actions and now were actually heading to Milwaukee to face the Brewers in the wild card round of the National League Playoffs.

So the question that popped into my head was what would qualify 2024 as a good season?  Making it to October baseball may indeed be the single achievement that justifies many roster changes, injuries, slumps and an inexperienced management team in Queens. 

In fact, I would go as far to say that since the clinching was not fully guaranteed nor expected, that step is the one which alone qualifies this club’s season as a good one.  They finished the 2024 regular season with a record of 89-73, a .549 winning percentage. 

In 2023 they had a Cooperstown bound manager lead them to a record of just 75-87, a .463 winning percentage and 29 games out of first place.  Considering this time around they were just 6 games from the top, that’s an amazing improvement

Obviously all Mets fans would like to see the club transition to the Divisional round of the playoffs and then even the National League Championship on the way to a World Series.  Hats off to them if they can do that, but with the inconsistent hitting and bullpen work it’s going to be a mighty tough road ahead. 

Sure, everyone would be disappointed to see them finish before the very end, but in no way would that circumstance tarnish what they have already done.  

That being said, I guess I’m due for a 5:00 AM awakening to be caffeinated before the game in Milwaukee begins. 

SAVAGE VIEWS – Predictions vs Actual

It’s almost 73 years since I was at the Polo Grounds when Bobby Thomson hit “the shot heard round the world”.  One of the most disappointing days of my young life. Today the improbable happened and the Mets have made the playoffs.

Back on December 13, 2023 I made my way too early predictions on the 2024 season.  I said we would make the playoffs and contend with the Braves for the title. I thought the Braves would suffer significant injuries with underperforming pitching.  I did not see the Phillies running away from the pack.

I predicated that Lindor would have a MVP caliber year and he has. His home run in the first game was one of the most clutch hits I’ve seen in my 62 years of following this team. I claimed that the revamped pitching staff would keep us competitive in most games and the return of Diaz would solidify the bullpen.

I was way off base with Alonso and he did not come close to meeting my expectations although I was close with his BA .242 vs .240 actual. I expected major contributions from the “baby Mets” and that did not happen. Mauricio got hurt and Baty did not perform. And it’s only recently that Alvarez looks like the baby bull that he is.

I suggested that the Mets manager would be a candidate to be named Manager of the Year. Carlos Mendoza probably won’t win the award, but he should be under serious consideration. Nearly everyone thought this would be a transition year and the team would be fortunate to break even. I thought they would win more than 89 wins.

I did not believe the Mets will be able to sign Alonso because of his extravagant demands and should focus instead their attention on bringing either Soto or Guerrero on board for ’25. I saw McNeil returning next year as a super-utility player.  My opinion here has not changed.

I wondered where Acuna would fit on this team next year. Looks as though that question has been answered.

Subsequently, in my March 15^th post, I reiterated that the Mets are playoff bound with the return of Diaz worth at least 6-8 additional wins over 2023. I liked the selection of Mendoza as manager and the stability to the front office with the Stearns hire. 

I thought that the Senga injury would turn out to be a blessing in disguise and Megill would have a chance to shine. No one could have predicted that Senga would miss the entire season.

I did not anticipate that we would sign JD Martinez and demote Vientos to the minors. I always thought the JD signing was short sighted but fortunately Vientos was recalled to have a solid season.

It would be pretty cool if we can move on to the next playoff level.

Ray

October 1, 2024

Remember 1969: Open Thread for October 1

Well, that was fun!   Now what? 

I was asked to provide some words to Mack's for Tuesday morning this week and was torn between whether to write an original piece or to just go with the topics of the moment.   With the delay of the final two games until Monday, I decided Tuesday morning would be a good time to get the first comments of the weekend/season and now, the upcoming post-season.  

So, quite a game 1, huh?   From the ledge, to being pulled back, to crawling back out there, to finally get pulled back to safety.  How nerve-wracking.   But the good guys ended up winning! 

I'll start the comments here, but this post is for your comments about Monday and your predictions about the next few days.

My comments about Monday:   

Why did they bother playing the first 7 innings? 

I did not like the move to see Diaz come into the game in the 8th with one out and two runners on.   I would love to see the stats on this situation, but my gut tells me that he does not pitch well in that type of scenario.   I would much rather have seen Mendoza stick with Maton for at least one more out, or gone with Butto (was he even available today?) or Garrett to clear the 8th and get to the ninth so Diaz could get a clean inning to work.   (yeah, 20/20 hindsight, but that was my real feel at the time) 

Diaz needs to get better at playing defense.  Alonso made a great snag and had a decent shot at retiring Kelenic had Diaz covered first in the timely manner that is taught from little league forward.  

I was rooting for Lindor to steal a base today to make the 30-30 club for the second straight year, joining Bobby Witt, Jr. as the only shortstops to do that.   Unfortunately, he ended with 33 homers and 29 stolen bases.  Oh well.  That 33rd homer made it worthwhile! 

Why did they bother playing Game 2?   Oh yeah, some other team needed to. 

On to Milwaukee   

To be honest, although I don't make a practice of rooting for the Braves and rooting against the Mets, I am not too disappointed in not going to San Diego.  I would rather the Mets be playing Milwaukee than SD, and if they can somehow squeak out that series, they would then play Philly rather than the Dodgers.   Just me, but that is my preference as I say, "Great, let the Braves take the west coast".  

I am not going to predict the Wildcard series, although I think the Mets CAN win.   They need the bats to wake up.     

What do you all think about the way things went down and how things are about to go?   Please comment prolifically below! 

R69 . out for now.