3 UP

1. Rosario Looking Better At The Plate

When Rosario was first called-up to the Majors, one things that stood out was his incredible defense. It speaks a lot about a young player when he does not carry his offensive struggles into the field. With Rosario struggling to start his brief Major League career, it speaks volumes how he has not let his play slip in other areas.

Fortunately, Rosario hit much better during this four-game set against the Phillies going 5-for-12 with three runs scored, a HBP, double, homer, and an RBI. The homer, his first in the Major Leagues, was a clutch ninth inning homer that gave the Mets a 7-6 victory over the Phillies on Friday night.

With each game we see Rosario in the Majors, we see another reason why he could be a superstar. His complete skill set was on full display during these four games at Citizens Bank Park.

2. Young Mets Getting An Opportunity

In addition to Rosario having already been up with the team, the Mets have recently been making a concerted effort to take a look at some of their younger players to see who can and who may not be a part of the 2018 Mets.

Dominic Smith was called up, and he played his first Major League game on Friday. In his brief career, he has shown himself to be the slick fielding first baseman that was advertised. So far, he has held his own at the plate going 2-for-10.

Brandon Nimmo has been inserted into the everyday lineup. While it is odd he is playing right field, it is important the Mets get a longer look at him before they look at external center field upgrades this offseason. Nimmo did struggle at the plate, but that is besides the point right now – the point is he’s finally getting a real chance.

Wilmer Flores seems to be getting one last chance to prove to the Mets he’s an everyday player. The team announced Flores will see a lot more playing time for the rest of the year, which will give him a chance to be an everyday player again next year. He’s off to a good start with his going 6-for-15 with a double, homer, and four RBI in the series.

3. The Bullpen

It has been a long time since we could say the Mets bullpen has been good, but they did a terrific job in a hitters’ ballpark this weekend. In 13.1 innings, the Mets bullpen allowed just two earned runs. This includes the Mets bullpen pitching four scoreless innings yesterday to lock down Chris Flexen‘s second career win.

The outstanding performances are highlighted by some young arms looking to be a big part of the Mets bullpen next year. Chief among them has been Chasen Bradford. Since his most recent call-up to the Majors, he has made five appearances pitching 8.0 innings and allowing just one earned run.

Bradford’s pitching combined with the fine work of Paul Sewald and the tremendous stuff AJ Ramos has shown, the Mets will have some interesting options for the bullpen in 2018.

3 DOWN

1. Conforto In Center

When the Mets had all of their outfielders healthy, it did make sense to experiment with Michael Conforto in center field. He has the athleticism, speed, and the arm where he could hold his own out there. More than that, center could be a demanding defensive position. With him being the youngest outfielder on the team, it made sense to let him take on the day-to-day rigors that entails from the position.

Now, there may be some debate with the eye test whether Conforto has looked good in center. However, the defensive metrics certainly indicate he is not a center fielder. In 322.0 innings in center, Conforto has a -5 DRS. Among players who have played at least 300 innings in center this year, Conforto ranks 27th in DRS. Ulitmately, the take away here is if the Mets need someone in a pinch, they can turn to Conforto, but if they need an everyday option, they need to look elsewhere.

Right now, that elsewhere should be Brandon Nimmo and Juan Lagares. Nimmo was a center fielder in his minor league career. Even if the reports of his defense aren’t glowing, at least give him a look to see if he can handle the position. Moreover, let him work with Tom Goodwin to be a better center fielder. If you don’t trust Nimmo, give Lagares a shot for the rest of the year.  We know he is a Gold Glover at one of the most important positions.

2. Bruce & Walker Traded

With the Mets going nowhere, the team did the right thing in moving Neil Walker and Jay Bruce to contending teams. While both have had a brief Mets career, they definitely left a mark on both the franchise and the fan base.

They were both good men to have in the clubhouse. We have heard the stories of Bruce mentoring Conforto this season. With Rosario having a tough play early in his first ever game, Walker made it a point to go over and talk to him. It is this kind of veteran leadership that help ease a young player’s transition into the Majors, and it helps those young players realize their potential.

More than that, they were both good ballplayers. When Walker was on the field, he played like an All Star. If he wasn’t traded, Bruce was likely going to set the Mets single season home run mark.

In the end, these were two players who did all the Mets asked them to do, and they should be commended for it. Hopefully, each of them will have a long run in the postseason.   

3. War of Words with the Yankees

When the Mets traded Bruce to the Indians, Mets fans were underwhelmed with the return of Ryder Ryan. That soon grew to anger over reports out of the Yankees camp the Mets turned down a better offer from them, which included players the Mets had previously inquired about in other trade discussions. With the Yankees offer being contingent on the Mets eating some money, the reports re-surfaced longstanding frustrations the fans have had with the Wilpons.

The Mets took their time, but eventually, they shot back with reports the Yankees never offered anything of value to the Mets for their players.

At this point, it is difficult to determine who to believe, especially withe a war of words going on between unnamed sources.  Complicating matters is we still do not know who the players are that the Yankees dangled. In the end, all this has served to do was to further frustrate and anger Mets fans who were mostly not pleased with the returns the Mets netted at the trade deadline.

It will be interesting if those war of words spills out onto the field or in the stands during the Subway Series this week. The four-game set begins tonight in Yankee Stadium with Rafael Montero and former Mets prospect Luis Cessa taking the mound.