When it began in 1997, it was more than just a novelty. City bragging rights were on the line, and the stakes were heightened further when the teams met in the World Series just a few years later. The energy is almost always electric, and this weekend is certainly no exception, providing another chance to etch new moments into Subway Series history.

June 16, 1997

The inaugural regular-season meeting turned into Dave Mlicki‘s finest hour.

The 29-year-old started this historic meeting and proceeded to become the only Met to throw a shutout at Yankee Stadium—current or previous. Although he allowed nine hits and two walks over 119 pitches and managed to record a 1-2-3 inning just once, he struck out eight and avoided trouble.

Bernard Gilkey scored three times, with his initial run coming on a John Olerud first-inning double off Andy Pettitte as the Mets jumped out to a 3-0 lead. They added two more on Olerud’s seventh-inning single and another on Gilkey’s ninth-inning sac fly. The Yankees had more traffic on the bases in the ninth, but despite three singles, Mlicki preserved his scoreless effort—striking out Derek Jeter to finish off the 5-0 victory.

July 10, 1999

Mariano Rivera and the Yankees had won 124 straight times after taking a lead into the eighth. That wasn’t going to stop the Mets, even if they had to overcome six home runs.

A Mike Piazza 482-foot moon shot in the seventh was countered by the power of Yankee bats.

Down to their final out and behind by a run, Matt Franco helped defy the odds. His bases-loaded single to right field brought in Rickey Henderson and Edgardo Alfonso to put an exclamation point on a 9-8 win that remains arguably the best Mets victory of the Subway Series era.

June 27, 2008

Carlos Delgado came out of a slump in historic fashion by setting the Mets’ single-game record for RBIs in a 15-9 rout. This was the opener of a cross-town, two-stadium doubleheader, but Delgado helped make Yankee Stadium feel like Shea. With the score tied at four, Delgado drove in two with a fifth-inning double into the right field corner. His next opportunity came in the sixth with the bases loaded. One swing turned a relatively close game into a blowout on a no-doubt grand slam to right center.

His 443rd career homer put him ahead of Dave Kingman on the all-time list, the same man who previously held the single-game franchise mark for RBIs. The contest was 12-5 in the eighth, but Delgado didn’t ease up. Locking in on a LaTroy Hawkins pitch, he rocketed it into the right field stands that were now half-empty, and many of those who remained were happy.

June 12, 2009

You know the Subway Series has weight when a regular season loss still stings. I needed a drink just to help while researching on Baseball Reference. For those who saw it, I’m sorry. For those actually at Yankee Stadium, I’m really sorry. For those who were lucky to miss it, don’t watch. Here it is in excruciating detail.

The Yankees trailed by one and were down to their last out with runners on first and second as Francisco Rodríguez graced the mound. Alex Rodriguez popped it up in the vicinity of second baseman Luis Castillo, who drifted to his left for an easy game-ending catch … not.

It clanked off the heel of his glove. Jeter scored, as did Mark Teixeira. Yankees 9, Mets 8. The career of Castillo, as well as the ’09 season, never recovered.

May 28, 2013

Matt Harvey continued his stellar first full season with ten strikeouts and one run allowed, but encountered tough luck.

Hiroki Kuroda’s seven shutout innings, followed by David Robertson’s easy eighth, made Harvey prime for a loss. That Yankee lead disappeared after a rare spurt of Amazin’ offense, however. The Mets honored Rivera in his farewell season by having him toss out the series finale’s honorary first pitch. He also threw the last pitch—but this time, the only ceremony was to initiate a Mets win.

He came back onto the Citi Field mound with the Yanks up 1–0 in the ninth. When he left, the Yankees had lost 2-1 and Rivera didn’t record an out. Three straight hits by Daniel Murphy, Wright and Lucas Duda engineered the game-ending rally.

September 12, 2021

This game rekindled the tension and combativeness of the Subway Series. The Mets opened the three-game set with a 10-run outburst, followed the next night by an emotional 8-7 Yankees victory on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Then came the finale: also known as Francisco Lindor‘s first signature Mets moment.

For all his struggles during his initial season in Queens, this night was a turning point. His home run in the second turned a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead. His next long ball in the sixth increased the Met lead to two. After exchanging words with the opposition (with support from Javy Báez) an inning later, Lindor backed up the talk with more action: a tie-breaking blast to deep right field that put his team in front for good in the eighth.

June 25-26 & July 23-24, 2024

The Yankees hold a 84-67 advantage dating back to ’97. The Mets, however, have had the edge of late, including last season’s four-game sweep. Outscoring them 36-14 and hitting 13 homers, it was just the second time the orange and blue went unbeaten against the Bombers in a single season.

How well did it go for the Mets? Lefty reliever Jake Diekman, sporting an ERA of 5.63, was given the chance to face Aaron Judge in the ninth inning of a 3-2 game…and struck him out. Just like we all thought he would.

The finale was a Mets party in the Bronx: a 12-3 victory at Yankee Stadium in which Gerrit Cole was inefficient for the second time on the year while Lindor hit two homers and drove in five.

The post Big Apple Battles: Greatest Subway Series Moments appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On January 21, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America will reveal their ballot results and any new entrees into the National Baseball Hall of Fame will be announced. To be elected, those on the ballot must receive at least 75% of the vote. On this year’s ballot, there are 28 former players.

The Ballot

Of these 28, 14 were on the ballot last year. Relief pitcher Billy Wagner (73.8%), outfielder Andruw Jones (61.6%), and outfielder Carlos Beltrán (57.1%) are the three returnees on the ballot that were the closest to being elected last season. This is Wagner’s 10th-and-final year on the ballot. He must break the 75% threshold this season to be elected, as he will no longer be on the ballot starting next season.

Other notable returnees to the ballot are Álex Rodríguez (34.8%), Manny Ramírez (32.5%), Chase Utley (28.8%), Bobby Abreu (14.8%), Francisco Rodriguez (7.8%), and David Wright (6.2%).

The full list is below which includes percentage of votes from 2024 and number of seasons on the ballot:

• Billy Wagner, (73.8%), Enters 10th-and-final year on ballot
• Andruw Jones, (61.6%), 8th year
• Carlos Beltrán, (57.1%), 3rd year
• Álex Rodríguez, (34.8%), 4th year
• Manny Ramírez, (32.5%), 9th year
• Chase Utley, (28.8%), 2nd year
• Omar Vizquel, (17.7%), 8th year
• Bobby Abreu, (14.8%), 6th year
• Jimmy Rollins, (14.8%), 4th year
• Andy Pettitte, (13.5%), 7th year
• Mark Buehrle, (8.3%), 5th year
• Francisco Rodríguez, (7.8%) 3rd year
• Torii Hunter, (7.3%),  5th year
• David Wright, (6.2%), 2nd year

To remain on the ballot next season, a player must receive at least five percent of the votes.

In addition to the above, there are 14 new individuals being added to the ballot in 2025:

• Carlos González
• Curtis Granderson
• Félix Hernández
• Adam Jones
• Ian Kinsler
• Russell Martin
• Brian McCann
• Dustin Pedroia
• Hanley Ramírez
• Fernando Rodney
• CC Sabathia
• Ichiro Suzuki
• Troy Tulowitzki
• Ben Zobrist

These new candidates can remain on the ballot for up to 10 years. They must achieve at least five percent of the vote, yearly, to remain on the ballot. If any receive at least 75%, they will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame.

Derek Jeter, Álex Rodríguez. (Photo by Rob Schumacher, The Arizona Republic)

Who Deserves To Be In?

When the writers who have the honor to vote do so, they are only able to vote for a maximum 10 players. They are not required to use any of their votes if they do not want to, however, they are limited to 10 votes maximum.

With that being said, who are those who are the most deserving to be in? A good starting point, before going position-by-position and taking into account other  attributes, is sorting each of the individuals by wins above replacement (WAR).

Note, the below is sorted by total bWAR.

• Álex Rodríguez, 117.6
• Carlos Beltrán, 70.1
• Manny Ramírez, 69.3
• Chase Utley, 64.5
• Andruw Jones, 62.7
• CC Sabathia, 62.3
• Bobby Abreu, 60.2
• Andy Pettitte, 60.2
• Ichiro Suzuki, 60.0
• Mark Buehrle, 59.1
• Ian Kinsler, 54.1
• Dustin Pedoria, 51.9
• Torii Hunter, 50.7
• Félix Hernández, 49.7
• David Wright, 49.2
• Jimmy Rollins, 47.6
• Curtis Granderson, 47.2
• Omar Vizquel, 45.6
• Troy Tulowitzki, 44.5
• Ben Zobrist, 44.5
• Russell Martin, 38.8
• Hanley Ramírez, 38.0
• Adam Jones, 32.6
• Brian McCann, 32.0
• Billy Wagner, 27.7
• Carlos González, 24.4
• Francisco Rodríguez, 24.2
• Fernando Rodney, 7.4

Right off the bat, one would assume the first three are worthy. However, each individual have some type of “ethical” issue voters take issue with. Rodríguez and Ramírez both performance-enhancing drug questions and Beltran was involved with the Astros sign-stealing scandal. However, based purely off on-field performance all three certainly appear worthy of the Hall of Fame.

The next chunk of 60.0-plus WAR pose a lot of interesting questions. The one with the least amount of question marks is Ichiro Suzuki. He ranks 25th all-time in hits at 3,089. This despite not coming to North America and Major League Baseball until his aged-27 season. Of the 33 players in history with last least 3,000 hits, Rafael Palmeiro, Álex Rodríguez, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, and Pete Rose are the only not in the Hall of Fame. Of those five, three have potential ethical issues and the other two have not yet become eligible. It is a safe bet Ichiro will be Hall of Fame bound at some point, if not this season.

Chase Utley.

Mets nemesis Chase Utley is an interesting case. His 64.5 bWAR is not far off the average bWAR of the 20 second baseman currently in the Hall of Fame (69.5). Not to mention, his seven-year peak WAR (WAR7) is comfortably above the average of those 20 second baseman Hall of Famers (49.3 versus 44.4 average). Lastly, his JAWS rating (a measurement created by Jay Jaffe to value an individual’s Hall of Fame worthiness) is right on par with the average of the second baseman who currently occupy Cooperstown (56.9 versus 57.0 average). Whether Mets fans want to hear it or not, Utley, a terrific all-around player, has a very compelling argument to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame.

Utley’s case, on play a lone, is a lot more compelling than that of fellow second baseman Ian Kinsler and Dustin Pedroia, though, a compelling case for each can be constructed. Both Kinsler and Pedroia have WAR, WAR7, and JAW ratings not terribly far off the average of the other second baseman in the Hall of Fame. Maybe down the road, especially Pedroia, they may be considered seriously.

Andruw Jones, who was the second-highest vote-getter on last year’s ballot, has one of the more compelling cases on the ballot. According to defensive WAR, Jones was arguably the best defensive center fielder in baseball history. To go along with that, he hit 434 home runs; the fourth-most among center fielders. His overall bWAR number is a little off the average of the 19 center fielder Hall of Famers (62.7 versus 71.5 average), however, that is largely due to a five-year stretch of really poor offensive performances to end his career. His peak years (WAR7) are above the average for Hall of Fame center fielders and his JAWS rating is not too far off either. The 10-time Gold Glove winner certainly has a great case for Cooperstown.

CC Sabathia, Bobby Abreu, and Andy Pettitte round out the reminder of the 60.0-plus bWAR group. Sabathia may have a case at some point, especially given he was a southpaw. However, as it relates to starting pitchers, his WAR, JAWS, and WAR7 are all a decent bit off the averages of the 66 Hall of Fame starters. The same goes for Pettitte whose numbers are slightly off of Sabathia’s overall. Based off his positional peers, a pretty compelling case can be made for Abreu. On offensive performances alone, the 15 right fielders ahead of Abreu in offensive WAR are all in the Hall of Fame. However, Abreu struggled so much defensively his overall WAR, JAWS, and WAR7 numbers are all a decent bit off from his positional peers’ averages.

Photo Courtesy of CBSSports.com

Billy Wagner came within 1.2% of being elected in 2024. His last chance is this year and his candidacy is an interesting one. The Ferrum College alumni ranks eighth all-time in saves at 422. He also posted a sparkling 2.31 ERA, including a 1.43 mark as a 38-year-old in his final season. However, his WAR and JAWS are a decent bit off the averages and both John Franco and Francisco Rodríguez, who have more saves than Wagner overall, are not in the Hall of Fame. Joe Nathan, who has a very comparable WAR, WAR7, and JAWS profile as Wagner, was not elected to the Hall of Fame either. Though, Wagner has a much-better ERA than each and had tremendous strikeout numbers. Specially, his career ERA+ would only trail Mariano Rivera among Hall of Fame relievers.

Of the rest on the ballot, not many more staggeringly compelling cases can be made. Of course, being a former Met legend, it would be nice to see David Wright at least stay on the ballot. Being enshrined to the actual Hall of Fame is likely a long shot, as his WAR, WAR7, and JAW metrics are well off the average of the 18 third baseman Hall of Famers. Unfortunately, injuries cutting his career short ended what once seemed like a Hall-of-Fame trajectory.

My Ballot

If I was lucky enough to have a vote, for whatever it is worth, here is how my ballot would look:

• Álex Rodríguez
• Carlos Beltrán
• Manny Ramírez
• Andruw Jones
• Ichiro Suzuki
• Billy Wagner
• Chase Utley

Each of the above, based purely on on-field performances and value, deserves it based on others who were inducted from their respective positions. Billy Wagner was pretty tricky given how others who have comparable numbers were not enshrined, I ultimately chose to include him given how strong his metrics were. Utley, despite being a Met enemy, has an extremely underrated and compelling case. He would be my dark hose, if you will.

What your ballot look like?

The post The Most Deserving On The 2025 Hall Of Fame Ballot appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

With how slow the offseason is currently moving, and all this Hall of Fame talk, it is interesting to think about which current Met may have the best shot of being inducted to Cooperstown one day. Of course, the easiest answer is star shortstop Francisco Lindor. Analysis into his case, even with his deal not set to expire until the end of the 2031 season, is a very encouraging one.

One of the better ways to analysis a player’s Hall of Fame “worthiness,” is by using the Jaffe WAR Score system (JAWS). According to Baseball Reference, this metrics was, “developed by sabermetrician Jay Jaffe as a means to measure a player’s Hall of Fame worthiness.” Further, this metric is simply, “a player’s JAWS is their career WAR averaged with their seven-year peak WAR.” Looking at this metric alone, potential injury and quick regression brought on by age aside, Lindor is well on his way in making a strong case to Cooperstown.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Lindor currently comes in at No. 20 on the JAWS shortstop list. Behind him, there are 12 members of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. According to the JAWS metric, Lindor has already had a more Hall of Fame “worthy” career than 12 current members.

In front of Lindor in the JAWS metric are only three individuals who have not yet been elected to the Hall of Fame. Those consist of Alex Rodriguez, Bill Dahlen, and Jack Glasscock. Of course, Rodriguez has yet to be elected due to his performance-enhancing drug ties, meanwhile, Dahlen and Glasscock played in the 1800s and early 1900s when advanced metrics were not as prevalent. The 16 other shortstops in front of Lindor on the list are already enshrined.

If you look at just WAR, Lindor does have some work to do. His 49.6 bWAR comes in at 24th among shortstops all time. Still, despite that, there are eight Hall of Famers that have less WAR than Lindor already does.

To get to the average WAR of the 23 Hall-of-Fame shortstops, Lindor needs 18.1 more bWAR. Over the last three seasons, Lindor has posted bWAR seasons of 5.6, 6.0, and 6.9, respectively. If you take the worst season among those (5.6), he would need to average that for a little more than three seasons to hit that average WAR of all the shortstops in the Hall of Fame. That would bring him to his aged-34 year, with likely a few more years of positive WAR seasons ahead of him after that.

When looking at the WAR statistics, there is no doubt Lindor is well underway to posting a career worthy of a Hall of Fame selection. Of course, and for better or worse, not all voters take into account the advanced analytics, however, as time continues to pass, and new voters are added, the reliance more on analytics should continue to grow, benefiting guys like Lindor greatly.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Luckily, if analytics aren’t for you, the traditional statistics are very strong as well. For Lindor, the 2,000 hit mark, 350 home run mark, and 1,000 RBI mark are all attainable. If Lindor averages 150 hits per season, he’d reach 2,000 hits in just a shade over three seasons. Meanwhile, he will need to average 25 home runs a year for just a shade over the next four season, and 80 RBIs over the next three years to hit the 350 home run and 1,000 RBI plateaus, respectively.

For comparison sake, if he hits 2,000 hits, 350 home runs, and 1,000 RBIs, he would be only the fourth shortstop all time to his these thresholds. The other three; Alex Rodriguez, Ernie Banks, and Cal Ripken Jr.

Not to mention, the 31-year-old Lindor already has four All-Star game appearances, two Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers, and a Platinum Glove to his name. Those numbers should increase over the next however many seasons as well.

Long story short, if he stays healthy, Lindor is well on his way to accumulating enough accolades and statistics to go into Cooperstown when he retires. At only 31 years old, he already measures up very well to several Hall of Famers when it comes to the analytics. Not to mention, the traditional statistics should be there by his career’s end as well.

The post Francisco Lindor’s Growing Hall of Fame Trajectory appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

While everyone has all of their attention on the Juan Soto sweepstakes, which seem to be heating up, the Yankees are still keeping their eyes on the pitching market. The club in the Bronx officially spoke with both top free agent pitchers, Max Fried and Corbin Burnes, via Zoom this past week, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. Reportedly, nine team officials including Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone and Matt Blake were on the call, which lasted over an hour.

While this might not have any correlation to the Yankees chance with Soto, it shows that New York is ready in case the slugger decides to jump ship. 

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

New York City FC showed some pictures of the progress being made towards their new stadium in Queens.

Jose Iglesias told Laura Albanese of Newsday that he is very open to a return to the Mets, and will also be dropping a new song in 2025. 

Mets legend Johan Santana was inducted into the Latin Baseball Hall of Fame in the Dominican Republic. Alfonso Soriano, Alex Rodriguez and Andruw Jones were also inducted. 

The Mets received a fourth minor league option for right-handed hurler Max Kranick, per Joel Sherman of the NY Post. 

Frankie Montas’ two-year deal, including a player opt-out after 2025, with the Mets was officially announced by the club. David Stearns commented on the signing: “Throughout his career, Frankie has flashed some of the best stuff in the game. He’ll provide a stabilizing presence to our pitching staff and can contribute on and off the field.”

Latest MLB News

Several industry sources believe that the San Diego Padres are in a strong position to land Japanese ace Roki Sasaki, per Francys Romero. 

RHP Koyo Aoyagi’s 45-day negotiating window with major league teams has begun, after the Hanshin Tigers made his posting official, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. The sidearm pitcher posted a 6.2 K/9 and 1.307 WHIP in 114 innings this past season.

Major and minor league player representatives, including former Met Chris Bassitt, were elected by the MLBPA.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that all five Juan Soto contenders, including the Mets, Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays and Dodgers, are still in the mix. He also noted that he will meet with clubs this weekend and we should know his decision by the start of winter meetings on December 9.

On a Bleacher Report live stream, Jon Heyman reported that the Mets are still the favorites to land Pete Alonso. He also noted that getting Soto would in turn help the Mets keep Alonso.

Latest on MMO

Jose Iglesias is open to return to Queens in 2025!

Check out MMO’s free agent profile on a familiar face, Sean Manaea.

Hyeseong Kim of the KBO is being posted for major league clubs. 

On This Date in Mets History

2021: Former Mets manager Gil Hodges is elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The man who lead the Amazins to their first World Series got in on his 35th ballot.

2005: The Mets send prospects Gaby Hernandez and Dante Brinkley to the Florida Marlins and receive catcher Paul Lo Duca in return. His .297 average as a Met is the highest for any catcher in franchise history,

Born On This Date: Cliff Floyd (1972), Al Moran (1938).

The post Morning Briefing: Yankees Speak to Fried, Burnes appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

It is safe to assume that the vast majority of New York Mets fans will be rooting for the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday.

And not just because it is a cardinal sin for any born-and-bred New Yorker to cheer for any Philadelphia sports team. No, Mets fans will be all in on Kansas City during the big game because one of their own will be playing in it.

We’re talking about Patrick Mahomes, of course.

For those unaware of the connection, you may be wondering what we’re talking about. You see, Mahomes’ personal relationship with the New York Mets runs deep. Very deep.

It started back in 1999 when, as a four-year-old, Mahomes would accompany his dad, Pat Mahomes Sr., to the ballpark in order to shag balls in the outfield and play catch with some notable Mets. It was hours and hours spent at Shea Stadium that clearly first sparked Mahomes’ passion for sports, and perhaps laid the foundations for the impressive career he has gone on to carve out for himself.

“I just remember him being so excited to go to the yard every day,” Mahomes Sr. told The New York Post in an interview. “I’d have to hold him back just so I could get in the car before we left because he was ready to get out there. And he’d get there to the clubhouse, get his uniform on, and he’d be one of the first guys out on the field, and of course I had to play catch and all that.”

Pat Mahomes Sr. enjoyed a solid career in the bigs, including two years with the Mets where he posted a 4.74 ERA as a trusted long reliever. It isn’t unfair to state, however, that his son has already scaled new heights and then some. Mahomes is one of the best players in the NFL and if he wins on Sunday, he will have two Super Bowl rings and two league MVP awards at just 27-years-old.

Mahomes’ brilliance comes down to his ability to do things with the pigskin that most other football players could only dream of doing, let alone mere mortals. His arm strength is something to behold, as is his superhero, highlight-reel, game-changing throws that never fails to leave the jaw on the ground. And, for those who watched Mahomes toss the baseball around as a kid, watching him dominate the NFL now hasn’t come as a surprise.

“He would throw line drives to the infield,” Mike Hampton told Mets PR guru Jay Horwitz. “I don’t want to tell you that I predicted what Patrick would turn into, but I am really not shocked. You could see the young man had talent. I am so proud of what he has done. He is the best of the best now and I am proud to say I was there when it started.”

Mahomes became close with a host of Mets players and he certainly made an impression on then manager Bobby Valentine, who will be cheering on the younger Mahomes on Sunday. And, according to Valentine, all that time spent in a major league clubhouse with the Mets certainly hasn’t hurt Mahomes in navigating life as a high-profile professional athlete.

“Patrick was always around the locker room,” Valentine told Horwitz. “There is no doubt in my mind that growing up in a Major League clubhouse has made things so much easier for him when he became a pro.”

We’re all aware of how it works by now. Athletes as talented as Mahomes are born with that supernatural ability, and they show off those majestic skills from a young age. That was the case for Mahomes who displayed a rare gift for playing sports in his very first practice as a shortstop, while he would also be mentored by Alex Rodriguez after Mahomes Sr. signed for the Texas Rangers in 2001.

“His first practice he was playing shortstop, he threw the ball across the diamond and hit the first baseman right between the eyes, broke his glasses,” Mahomes Sr. said on ‘The Show’ – a New York Post baseball podcast with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman. “They told him to start throwing the ball three-quarters of the way and then it rolled there. But I wouldn’t let him do that, so I just told ’em just to move him to first base, so he became a big fan of all first basemen.

Patrick Mahomes showing up to Arrowhead in a Mets jersey — a salute to his father, Pat, who played Major League Baseball from 1992 to 2003. His career included a season with the Mets in 1999. pic.twitter.com/lYyuGzRamf

— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) October 21, 2018

“A-Rod would take him down after shagging balls and stuff, he’d take him down to the cages and get him on a tee and soft toss to him and then he would break it down with him, take him into the film room and show him what he was doing wrong and show him what he was doing right, and he loved that.”

It is clear that Mahomes’ early experiences with the Mets helped shape him into the all-conquering, superstar QB that he has become. It is also crystal clear that Mahomes cherishes those memories given that he regularly wears a Mets jersey at press conferences and arriving at games. Complete with his dad’s No. 23 on the back and front. The Mets played a small role in Mahomes’ transformation into one of the most talented quarterbacks we’ve ever seen grace the NFL. Now, as he goes in search of his second Super Bowl championship, he’ll have the whole of Mets land behind him and there’s no doubt that those early days with his dad in the Mets clubhouse will have him prepared for one of the biggest games of his life.

“That comes from being in the clubhouse, being at the World Series with me, seeing 60,000 people in the stands, and want to perform in front of people,” Mahomes Sr. told The Post. “I don’t think the stage really gets too big for him.”

Best of luck, Pat!

The post Mahomes, Mets, And The Ties That Bind appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

According to Ryan Thibodaux (aka @NotMrTibbs on Twitter) currently, three players are on track to make the Hall of Fame with 79 ballots revealed or about 20%.

With 79 ballots revealed/~20.2% known:

Ortiz – 82.3%
Bonds – 78.5%
Clemens – 78.5%
—
Rolen – 72.2%
Schilling – 70.9%
Helton – 58.2%
Wagner – 51.9%
Jones – 50.6%
A-Rod – 49.4%
Sheffield – 45.6%
Ramirez – 43.0%
Kent – 24.1%
Sosa – 21.5%
Abreu/Pettitte – 12.7%
Vizquel – 10.1%

— Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs) December 28, 2021

The three in are the two most heavily debated candidates and the one player that seems to skirt his steroid allegations.

David Ortiz leads with 82.3% of voters putting him in, while Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are each at 78.5%.

In order to get inducted, players need 75% of voters to put them on the ballot. Voters are allowed to vote for up to 10 players on the ballot although some choose not to vote for anyone.

Scott Rolen and Curt Schilling are both on the bubble of entry. Both likely deserve to be in Cooperstown based on accolades but Schilling seems to not want to enter after requesting to have his name removed from the 2022 ballot. Obviously, the BBWAA did not accept Schilling’s request.

Billy Wagner‘s case is trending upwards. The former Met closer received 31.7% of the vote in 2020 and now sits at 51.9% of reported ballots. He finished with 46.4% of the votes in 2021. MMO details the case for why we think he should be in the Hall of Fame here.

The writers who revealed ballots that might be more friendly than others who choose not to make their ballots public, which could explain the drastic rise for candidates like Bonds, Clemens, and Rolen.

But in the case of Bonds and Clemens voters could be motivated to get them in since this is their 10th and final year on the ballot. This is also Schilling’s final year. He had the highest amount of votes in 2021 with 71.1%.

It’s the final season for Sammy Sosa as well. With only 21.5% with a fifth of votes in, it would appear he’d have to look for admission by the veteran’s committee in the future.

Some first-timers are making a splash. Ortiz is in his first year as well as Alex Rodriguez. The argument that’s been made for Ortiz over A-Rod is Ortiz was never actually suspended for PEDs like the former Bronx slugger.

The only candidate to lose votes as of now is Omar Vizquel. He finished with 49.1% of the vote in 2021.

Six people have already been selected to enter the Hall of Fame. Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil were voted in as pioneers/executives on the early baseball era committee. The golden days era committee voted in Jim Kaat, Minnie Minoso, Tony Oliva, and of course Gil Hodges.

Wagner is the only former Met worth paying attention to this season and if he doesn’t make it this year then there’s always next year when he’ll be joined by Carlos Beltran on the ballot.

The post David Ortiz, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens On Track for Hall of Fame Election appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

As you gather around the dinner table for Thanksgiving with friends and family later this week, you’ll have something good to debate, like who should be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the Class of 2022 and who shouldn’t.

Here’s a look at who is on the ballot for this year, courtesy of Hall of Fame vote tracker, Ryan Thibodaux:

As just announced by @baseballhall, here's the 2022 @officialBBWAA Hall of Fame ballot: pic.twitter.com/tesaStndwI

— Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs) November 22, 2021

Some notable things to keep in mind, which are illustrated in the above picture, are the players appearing for the first time and those appearing for the final time. Hall of Fame ballot rookies includes the likes of Carl Crawford, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, Tim Lincecum, Justin Morneau, Joe Nathan, David Ortiz, Jonathan Papelbon, Jake Peavy, A.J. Pierzynski, Alex Rodriguez, Jimmy Rollins, and Mark Teixeira.

Players appearing on the ballot for the 10th and final time are all of our favorite controversial dudes, which include Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, and Sammy Sosa.

While there was a ceremony in Cooperstown this past September for the latest inductees, it was for the 2020 class of Derek Jeter and Larry Walker. No player received the necessary 75% of the vote in 2021 to enter baseball immortality.

The results of this year’s vote will be revealed by the BBWAA via MLB Network on January 25th, with the potential induction ceremony slated for July 24th at 1:30 pm ET.

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Photo: Steve Marcus

Despite rumblings in the media from Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez, Steve Cohen continues to make steady progress towards purchasing the New York Mets, with few obstacles left standing in his way.

Cohen entered exclusive negotiations to buy the Mets on August 28th, and has been hammering out the final details with Allen and Co. over the past few weeks to make the sale official. Now according to Fox Business correspondent Charles Gasparino, Cohen and the Mets are finalizing paperwork on his purchase of the team now.

With the paperwork set to be finalized, Cohen’s last hurdle to becoming the Mets owner will be at a special owners meeting in November, where he will need at least 23 of the 30 owners to approve. Assuming the votes are in his favor, Cohen will be running the New York Mets before the end of the calendar year.

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From everything that has been reported, the New York will be sold to Steve Cohen in the near future, with the sale likely to be wrapped up by November. Yet Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez won’t give up on their pursuit of buying the Mets, as they continue to make a push to land the ball club.

According an article from the New York Post’s Joel Sherman, Lopez has been named the ‘control person’ in their ownership group, taking that position away from her fiance. She would become the first Latina woman to hold such a position in the MLB.

““It ain’t over until it is over,” Lopez told The Post. “We are New Yorkers and we are not going to give up. We feel we have the best bid for the sport, the team and the city.”

Lopez’s position as the control person is significant, as it would make a strong statement for both racial and gender equality to her as the owner of the Mets. Also there is a better chance that Lopez could get approval from the other owners, as opposed to Rodriguez, who is a polarizing figure in baseball.

Reports have indicated that Cohen is purchasing his stake in the team for $2.35 billion. According to Sherman’s reporting, Rodriguez and Lopez have made it known that their offer was in the same ballpark as Cohen’s, if not better.

They also are committed to increasing payroll into the $225 million range, with the goal of winning a World Series during their first decade in charge. They even insist that if they fail in their quest for a World championship, the couple would donate $100 million to New York-based charities as a penance of sorts.

While it is clear that Rodriguez and Lopez are desperately trying to re-open the exclusive negotiation that Cohen struck with Allen & Co. for the Mets, there is no reporting that would suggest this scenario to play out.

As long as Cohen get approval from 23 of the 30 owners in baseball, he should assume control as the majority owner of the New York Mets by the end of this year. But if something falls through, Rodriguez and Lopez are anxiously waiting for another shot at the Mets.

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It appears that fate has once again dealt Alex Rodriguez a fatal blow in his lifelong quest to hook up with the New York Mets.

A-Rod and his fiancé pop star Jennifer Lopez revealed they were done trying to acquire the Mets after a hard-fought bidding war.

“Alex and I are so disappointed,” Lopez posted Saturday on her Instagram.

“We worked so hard the past 6 months with the dream of becoming the first minority couple and the first woman owner to buy her father’s favorite Major League Baseball team with her own hard earned money. We still haven’t given up!! #NY4ever”

J Lo and A-Rod had planned to invest $300 million of their own funds to purchase the Mets, according to the New York Post.

However, the power couple had their hopes dashed after hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen swooped in with a staggering offer believed to be in the range of $2.6 billion dollars as reported in the New York Times.

Rodriguez has long expressed his desire to own the New York Mets. He often says that one of his biggest regrets as a player was not playing for the Amazins and he wishes he had ignored the advice of his agent Scott Boras.

“Growing up in Miami, I was a huge Mets fan,” Rodriguez said during a Sunday Night Baseball telecast. “Keith Hernandez was my favorite player.”

“I thought I would make great concessions to go play for the Mets. I thought it would’ve been a great story for baseball and a great story for me to play for the team I grew up watching.”

With the news that Cohen is close to acquiring the team, it appears that A-Rod has struck out again in his quest to become a New York Met.

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