3 Up, 3 Down: Cuts, Struggles and Spring Debuts

Things change quickly in baseball. Just ask the New York Mets, who are now 4-5 in Grapefruit League action after being 4-1 when 3 Up, 3 Down returned last week.

Of course, as we made clear last week, results don’t matter in spring training, but there were a couple of worrying trends that emerged for the Mets over the past few days.

Let’s take a look at those, as well as some positives, in our latest edition of spring training 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 Up

Nimmo’s Return

Following an injury-hit 2021 season, in which he featured in just 92 games, Brandon Nimmo took the calculated decision to ease himself into spring training action. The result? The ability to play in 151 games in 2022. He followed that up with a career-high 152 games played and 24 home runs in 2023. As such, it is no surprise that Nimmo took the same approach this year. Why fix what isn’t broken? Nimmo’s actual 2024 spring training debut on Sunday was hardly impressive if you look at the box score – 0-for-2 – but the fact he was in the lineup was the most important and noteworthy fact. The outfielder has established himself as an important leadoff hitter for this team, and his continued good health will be crucial if the Mets are to be remotely competitive in 2024.

Showing Out

We talked ad nauseam this winter about the importance of Brett Baty having a strong spring. With third base up for grabs, the onus was on Baty to step up and answer some critics after a tough 2023 season. Therefore, Saturday was just what the doctor ordered for the 24-year-old. He went yard against the Marlins after connecting with an 89 mph slider from Roddery Muñoz to get the Mets on the board. It was a big moment for Baty and one he must now build upon for the rest of spring training. All things considered, there is no doubt that this upcoming season is career-defining for Baty, and a strong spring showing will lay the solid foundations for a productive campaign.

Hope For The Future

Saturday was a noteworthy day for the Mets in a multitude of ways. Not only did Baty have a good day at the plate, but several pitching prospects showed out and offered glimpses of hope for the future, both short and long-term. Christian Scott, the top pitching prospect in the system, allowed one hit, one run and one walk in an inning of work, but did induce five swing-and-misses against some established bats.

Mike Vasil, who may be the most major league-ready pitching prospect in the system, did give up a leadoff double but recovered by retiring three straight batters on the way to recording a scoreless seventh inning. And, last but not least, José Buttó, who is in contention for the final rotation spot, appeared in a relief role and struck out two in a scoreless inning. All in all, it was a good day for some potential Mets of the future.

3 Down 

More Injury Woes

Man, the Mets just can’t get through a week of spring training without suffering more bad news on the injury front, can they? Already down Kodai Senga, the front office and coaching staff will now be without position players Jeff McNeil and Joey Wendle for a hot minute, at least. McNeil, an important cog in the lineup, has left biceps soreness and has been shut down from hitting for a few days. As for Wendle, who signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the team earlier in the offseason, he’s dealing with a sore right shoulder. Now, it is important to note that neither McNeil nor Wendle will be out for long but, still, missing any amount of time in spring training due to injury is hardly ideal.

Goodbye For Now 

The Mets made their first round of spring training cuts on Sunday. RHP Dominic Hamel, RHP Eric Orze, RHP Cam Robinson, RHP Christian Scott, RHP Mike Vasil, LHP Danny Young, OF Drew Gilbert, C Kevin Parada and INF Jett Williams were reassigned to minor league camp. LHP Kolton Ingram and INF Luisangel Acuña were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. Of course, cuts are all part of spring training, and we’ll see some of these prospects in the Spring Breakout showcase later this month. However, at a time when excitement is hardly in grand supply for Mets fans, shedding some of the aforementioned prospects will ensure the rest of spring training is one long, hard-to-watch grind.

Downward Trajectory

The rain wasn’t the only thing to dampen the Mets’ spirits on Sunday. Adrian Houser laid a Godzilla-sized egg on the mound. After throwing two scoreless innings in his first start of spring training, Houser followed that up with a rough outing against the Astros. He allowed three runs on four hits and walked one across 1 2/3 innings. The last thing you want to see at this point of spring training is one of your starters taking backward steps. As a result, the Mets will hope it was just one bad day at the office for Houser, who figures to be an integral part of this rotation.