If the news is to be believed, this may truly be the end of the Pete Alonso era in Queens. I am still holding out hope that they will bring him back on a two or three-year deal because, well, he’s Pete! He holds the rookie home run record. He’s OUR lovable goofball who really really likes ripping his teammates’ jerseys off after a walk-off. He did this!

My feeling is that he is the best remaining free agent out there and installing him at first in 2025 would not preclude the Mets from going after Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for 2026 and beyond. Is it such an awful thought to switch Pete to full-time DH in his age-31 and 32 seasons?

Truth is, I’m not going to believe he’s gone until it’s official.

So, while his potential/impending departure is the impetus for this column, it’s not a requiem for his Mets career. That still may be to come, but that day isn’t here…yet.

Photo by Roberto Carlo

If Pete does leave, the parallels to Darryl Strawberry will be strong, both in terms of productivity and fan emotion. But as mad and sad as Mets fans were in 1990 when Straw signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and as painful as it is to admit it, the move wound up being a good thing for the team. Darryl had a pretty decent 1991 season with a .852 OPS and ninth-place MVP finish. But, he wouldn’t make another All-Star team the rest of his career and accrued negative WAR over the next eight (full and partial) seasons. Sure, watching him win two rings with the Yankees was…let’s go with disagreeable… but Straw leaving when he did was fortuitous timing.

I want Pete back. I want that to be clear. Uncle Stevie has billions and it’s not my money and I want not-my-money to go into Pete’s pocket.

AND!

I think that Pete’s best days, like Darryl in ’90, are behind him.

But who knows? Pete could sign with the Reds and hit 45 homers per year in their band-box stadium (just an FYI that Cincinnati didn’t have a first baseman with a positive WAR last year, and the ball flies out of that park) over the next three years. And THAT would hurt. A lot. If that’s the case, we will always think that Pete left “too early” instead of at “just the right time.” I truly hope that in 15 years we aren’t watching Pete’s induction ceremony in Cooperstown with a giant “C” on his cap. But if that is the case, he’ll be the starting first baseman on the (trademark pending) Nolan Ryan All-Stars.

Ryan was with the Mets for five seasons in which he went 29-38 with an ERA over 3.50 and a decent K/9 but terrible K/BB that was under 1.5. I think we all know what happened on his next three teams over 22 seasons. But in case you didn’t know, dude had the lowest WHIP and led the league in K/9 at the age of 44! He is the captain and talisman of the team of one-time Mets who did their best work after leaving.

What does the rest of that team look like?

Before we begin, two very simple rules: 1) the player must have played Major League games for the Mets before blossoming elsewhere. Yes, the Mets gave up on Scott Kazmir way too early for WAY too little. Yes, I get night sweats thinking about Kumar Rocker becoming an ace for Texas. Neither of them are eligible. 2) Preston Wilson will not be on this team. I am not going to look him up on Baseball Reference, I am not going to see how many All-Star teams he made, and I am not going to check if he got votes for league awards. He was traded for Mike Piazza and that trade was an unqualified win for the Mets, so he’s out.

Onward we go.

Starting Pitcher

Obviously, Ryan. Not much more needs to be said about him. So instead, let’s look at what the Mets got back for the all-time strikeout king. The Mets traded Ryan, plus two other guys, for Jim Fregosi, who had just seen a run of eight-straight seasons in which he was an All-Star and received MVP votes end. In 1970, Fregosi’s OPS was .812 with 22 home runs from the shortstop position. In 1970! But in ’71, his OPS was down to .643 and in the 146 games he played for the Mets, he managed to hit just five homers while the OPS stayed in the .640s. All I can say is “woof.”

WAR with Mets: 3.0

WAR after leaving Mets: 80.6

Relief Pitcher

Relievers, in general, are the most volatile. One year you’re Jeurys Familia, “nastiest pitcher in the world” and the next you’re Jeurys Familia, untrustworthy pariah. So it’s not a surprise there is a battle here for the closer role. You’ve got Heath Bell, Jeff Reardon and Jason Isringhausen all racking up All-Star appearances, Cy Young votes and even some down-ballot MVPs with non-Mets teams. Bell had three dominant years and then fell off a cliff, but those ’07 and ’08 collapses really could’ve used him in the bullpen.

Isringhausen probably stings the most because a) his pedigree as part of Generation K and b) that Oakland immediately moved him to the bullpen after acquiring him at the deadline and he was an All-Star the very next year. But Reardon has them beat both in terms of the duration and height of success. He didn’t come out of nowhere, as he finished No. 6 in Rookie of the Year voting while with the Mets, and I’m sure they thought they were getting value back in Ellis Valentine, a previous All-Star and Gold Glover who was only 26-years-old. However, Reardon really took off for Montreal and stayed consistent with both Minnesota and Boston, posting 11-consecutive seasons of 20+ saves, making four All-Star teams and receiving both MVP and Cy Young votes in multiple seasons.

WAR with Mets: 2.9

WAR after leaving Mets: 16.1

Catcher

When the Mets traded reigning Cy Young champ R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays, Noah Syndergaard was not the lynchpin of the return. It was Travis d’Arnaud, who was among the top prospects in the game at the time. The Mets gave him every chance and he never put it together. He’d have a big hit here and there, but he couldn’t stay healthy and he COULD NOT throw out a base stealer to save his life. His success in Atlanta – including a Silver Slugger Award (2020), an All-Star appearance (2022) and some clutch hits against the Mets – has been frustrating because he was so uninspiring while in the orange and blue. The sting is worse because of the fact that he has done all this for the Atlanta Braves of all teams. The overall numbers aren’t stellar, but the emotional impact is strong.

WAR with Mets: 1.9

WAR after leaving Mets: 6.5 (and counting)

First Base

Turns out that, should Pete leave, he won’t have to do much to gain a spot on this team, and that is for three basic reasons: One is that the Mets’ history at first base is mostly with players that aren’t household names outside of the fan base with names like Ike Davis, Lucas Duda and John Milner appearing in the top-10 for games played. The other is that the good players they have had such as Ed Kranepool, Keith Hernandez and Carlos Delgado left when their careers were pretty much over. The last reason is because this position is filled with arrived-too-late All-Stars like Mo Vaughn, Eddie Murray, Adrian Gonzalez, Gil Hodges and (almost) Andres Galarraga.

I’d like to put John Olerud in this spot because of how much those 2000-2002 teams needed him. But his best years so clearly came before he was in New York and while he was with the club. Where does that leave us? Well, welcome to the team Mike (double checks spelling) Jorgensen. Mike was up-and-down with the Mets in 1968, 1970 and 1971 – oh so close to a ring, Mike – before getting traded for Rusty Staub. In his 5 1/2 seasons with the Expos, he was fairly productive with a Gold Glove and a very strong .931 OPS in 1974. He came back to the Mets for their ignominious early ’80s seasons before going over to the St. Louis Cardinals and getting to play in the 85 World Series. Good for you señor Jorgensen!

WAR with Mets (the first time): -0.6

WAR after leaving Mets: 9.6

Second Base

Here’s a no-brainer nearly on par with Ryan. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you MVP winner, four-time Silver Slugger, five-time All-Star and all-time leader in homers by a second baseman Jeff Kent. My biggest issue with Kent has always been the trades that both brought him AND sent him away. He was the return the Mets got for sending away David Cone – who would likely be in the starting rotation for this very team pitching behind Ryan – and then they got back Carlos Baerga when they traded Kent away right as he was starting to look like a real player with a 20-homer season in 95.  At the end of the day, trading Cone for the least productive years of Kent’s career and some putrid years of Baerga is vomit-inducing.

WAR with Mets: 8.4

WAR after leaving Mets: 47.0

Shortstop

I’m going to cheat a little bit here. My gut instinct was that Kevin Elster was going to be an obvious choice as someone who left too soon. I remembered his 1996 season with the Texas Rangers when he hit 24 homers and assumed the rest of his career played out similarly. Not so fast! Turns out that year was an EXTREME outlier. He only had two other double-digit homer seasons – one with the Mets in 1989 – and his WAR with New York is more than double what it was once he left. So my cheat is to go with Melvin Mora, who was mainly a shortstop with the Mets but then made his name in Baltimore at third base. I’ve written before about the pain of watching him turn into a three-time All-Star and cornerstone player for the 2000s Baltimore Orioles because it was a panic move to trade him when they did. The Mets really needed that bat in 2001.

WAR with Mets: 0.3

WAR after leaving Mets: 27.9

Third Base

Like d’Arnaud, we have another (technically) still-active player at the hot corner with Justin Turner. In the early ‘10s, Turner was the kind of player on the Mets that I couldn’t stand. A guy with no power (eight homers across three seasons) who always found himself in the lineup because of positional versatility. He was a utility-man and he was 28-years-old, so how the heck does he become a multiple-time All-Star with two top-10 MVP seasons? It makes NO sense. I was HAPPY when the Mets didn’t resign him after the 2013 season. Oh, I guess I’m the ***hole.

WAR with Mets: 0.7

WAR after leaving Mets: 37.8 (and counting if anyone picks him up)

Outfielder No. 1

The fact that the Mets traded Lenny Dykstra in the middle of his age-26 season AND Roger McDowell to a division rival for Juan Samuel is truly mind-boggling. Lenny was a fan favorite in Queens who immediately made an impact with the Philadelphia Phillies. In his first full season with them in 1990, he was an All-Star and finished top-10 in MVP voting. Then, in 1993, he led them to the World Series while leading the league in runs, hits and walks (twice as many free passes as strikeouts), stole 37 bases and finished runner-up in MVP to some guy named Barry Bonds. Maybe Vince Coleman doesn’t throw firecrackers at fans if they still have Lenny around to play center.

WAR with Mets: 16.5
WAR after leaving Mets: 25.9

Outfielder No. 2

Signing Juan Soto this offseason is the most excited I’ve been about an offseason move since the Johan Santana trade. Yes, that includes the Francisco Lindor deal. Philip Humber was the biggest piece to go back to Minnesota, but he was a bust despite his what-the-hell perfect game (that was not a swing). Carlos Gomez was the other part of that trade, and while he didn’t do much for the Twins, he had a pretty good few years in Milwaukee. Perhaps his best value to the Mets, though, was the nixed trade in 2015, which led them to swing for Yoenis Céspedes!

WAR with Mets: 0.1

WAR after leaving Mets: 24.3

Outfielder No. 3

The Mets have famously never had a player win MVP (Lindor/Soto 2025 FTW!). Two members of this team, though, have won an MVP AND done it while playing for the San Francisco Giants. Most recently was Kent and before that was Kevin Mitchell. Mitchell, in a part-time role for the ’86 champs, finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. His biggest moments, without a doubt, were a two-out single in the bottom of the 10th and scoring the tying run on Bob Stanley’s wild pitch in Game 6. The Mets went on to trade him after that year for established star Kevin McReynolds. To be fair, McReynolds played pretty well for the Mets from 1987 to 1991. Unfortunately, Mitchell played better. He won the 1989 MVP after bashing 47 homers and got more MVP votes in 1990. He wasn’t done yet, however, as he had a revival in 1994, finishing ninth in MVP voting after hitting 30 homers in the strike-shortened season for Cincinnati.

WAR with Mets: 2.3

WAR after leaving Mets: 26.8 (despite -1.3 WAR over his final 3 seasons)

SP: Nolan Ryan

C: Travis d’Arnaud

1B: Mike Jorgensen

2B: Jeff Kent

SS: Melvin Mora

3B: Justin Turner

OF1: Lenny Dykstra

OF2: Carlos Gomez

OF3: Kevin Mitchell

Closer: Jeff Reardon

I hope it’s not too painful to see that lineup. The Mets have signed some real disasters in their time, so I’m a little relieved, honestly, that it isn’t worse.

Now the only question is whether Pete will one day be there, or will he be more like Darryl and Jose Reyes, two homegrown All-Stars that couldn’t replicate their success elsewhere? Or is he gonna sign a short-term deal and stay in Queens? We shall see.

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This MMO Fan Shot was contributed by Brian Wertkin. Have something you want to say? Share your opinions with the best and most diverse Mets community on the web! Send your Fan Shot to michael.mayer4@gmail.com

The post Fan Shot: The Nolan Ryan All-Stars appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

At some point in your life as a masochist (or Mets fan, as the kids say), you begin to realize your normal level of suffering just will not cut it anymore. The blown leads, the questionable roster management, and the inability to hit with men on base just became a regular Tuesday night. You start to think, Satish (your name is Satish too in this scenario, so bear with me), how can I spice it up?

Well, luckily for me, Major League Baseball had the answer. They decided to schedule our lovely Mets to play a two-game series across the pond in London, England. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch the Mets take a loss in a completely new time zone and continent! This was objectively the change that I needed, so when the opportunity arose, I took a shot and put the trip together.

Quips aside, the idea of traveling all the way to England to watch the Mets sounded exactly like something a Mets fan should be doing, and it was worth the effort. A friend of mine, Rob, was kind enough to secure the tickets for the actual game, so the plan came together.

MLB did a good job setting up the hype for the series from the start by hosting three days of parties that bled into the games. The games were played on Saturday and Sunday, but a main area in Trafalgar Square was transformed into a zone for MLB fans to gather.

They laid out “Mets” and “Phillies” zones, but they were mainly just common areas for bars and food options. Batting cages scattered the area and Topps provided an exhibit where they would print you on a baseball card. Both of these were free-of-charge. MLB brought in a custom “home-run taxi” branded with the Mets and Phillies logos as well. If you happen to be a collector of the cups from the games, the London series provided a nice one and a collection of pins.

Friday night, MLB set up a type of home run derby for a grey-haired shell of a man named Chase Utley and local hero (former Long Island Duck) Daniel Murphy to face off. Team Daniel Murphy, powered by the emotional support of David Wright, Mike Piazza, and Mookie Wilson, scored a victory for the good guys. One of my companions managed to get Mike Piazza to sign his beer cup, too. Dare I say it might have been the closest you could get to these legends for the price of zero dollars—and there was no shortage of a turnout.

It was at this moment that I realized that, to their credit, Philadelphia fans travel. In many spaces throughout the weekend, the Mets fans were a little outnumbered. That being said, it was a feel-good moment to start the weekend for the Metropolitans, and they were off to drop a game on Saturday.

Each game had a pre-game situation set up at a bar called All My Friends. It led to some great verbal situations when I had to tell people I was leaving all my friends to attend the game, but I digress. Steve Cohen stopped by on Saturday, but I missed that part while I was deciding on what beer to get. I really, honestly, truly, wish I was kidding. I only managed to see him depart. I did manage to come down in time to be hit in the face with a blue and orange smoke bomb, though.

Heading toward the London Stadium, where West Ham United typically plays, the surrounding areas were set up with activities outside of your traditional merch stalls and vendors. There were batting cages for the kids, photo opportunities, and a few family-style activities here and there.

Luis Torrens' game-ending double play in London earns him the @Chevrolet Electric Play of the Week! 😤 pic.twitter.com/aAZNeBRqGd

— MLB (@MLB) June 10, 2024

The Saturday night game itself was fun if you could put aside the Mets taking the loss. Clearly, the number of Americans outnumbered the locals, but the stadium was converted to seat about 55,000 people and easily cleared 50,000. There were quite a few people there who were just looking to learn and did not have a team allegiance, so they were ecstatic to root for action on either side.

The concessions were a lot of fun, too, where former MMO writer Christina Montana decided to try and shove a two-foot-long hot dog in my mouth. Other concession options included some pastrami sandwiches, Philly cheesesteaks, local alcohol choices like Pimms, and two-pint-sized baseball bats that you  could get if you purchased two drinks. As a newfound appreciation of Pimms and lemonade, I quickly learned you could buy an entire pitcher of the stuff and just walk around with it. It took me an overseas trip, but finally, my plight as a Mets fan was finally being appreciated.

The similarities between baseball and cricket run pretty deep, so for a lot of locals with questions, it was fun to see the amount of interest they had in learning baseball. I had a healthy amount of conversations with locals attending who were curious about the rules, and it felt nice to see the love of the game growing for those who made it out.

On Sunday, I decided to watch the game from Trafalgar Square and had a taste of some of the food they were offering there. I just wanted to take it in as an observer, do a little people-watching, and take in the environment. If you spent any time at the events or the game itself, you could tell that MLB is taking this World Tour experience seriously and really trying to grow the game this way. I have always been the first to criticize Rob Manfred for just about everything, but MLB deserves a full vote of confidence and appreciation for this.

Part of the reason games like cricket and soccer/football have become so successful is the global impact—and meanwhile, baseball fans get subjected to a joke about the fact that we have a yearly World Series that basically includes North America only. The World Baseball Classic was a major step in the right direction for the growth of the game, and the World Tour games have become a true icing on the cake. It was my first time in London, and it all left a positive taste in my mouth. I enjoyed the experience so much that I would fully consider going out to a game in another country that involved teams that were not the Mets, solely for the experience.

Kudos, MLB.

The post Reliving The London Series: A Mets Fan’s Perspective appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Ever notice how when we are looking at a new GM or manager, free agent, or a potential trade for a veteran player, the question is always raised “can he handle New York? The media, the fans, the pressure?”

This question, mind you, is asked quite seriously about middle-aged, successful industry veterans. Yet when we have a 22-year-old prospect bam into the pressure cooker with no sympathy, Keith and Ron fill those long hours dissecting every hitch and glitch of his game to millions every day. Struggle at the plate for his first month, back to Binghamton. Struggle at third, maybe he needs to be a DH or first baseman or benched for a while. Blocked by a 10-year contract at shortstop..hey! let’s make him a second baseman or outfielder. Yeah, he has Gold Glove potential at short, where he has played exclusively since he was eight years old, but he is athletic. Surely, he can learn at the major league level.

It is a mantra in MLB circles…hoard your youth, build through the farm, and develop young talent. Patiently nurture them as they mature at the major league level and at minimal salaries to allow new veteran contracts within the payroll.

But in this new Cohen paradigm…why? Does any of that apply to the new Cohen Mets? Will the Cohen Mets ever be hampered by payroll concerns? And with the expectations Cohen has set, is a high-pressure Queens team a patient, nurturing environment for rookies?

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Could it be that Cohen’s Queens in 2024 is the utterly “wrongest” place to break in a rookie in MLB history? And could it be that asset value is being frittered away as the trade aura of these blue chips fades under the pressure of a sea of digital criticism? As an example, I give you Brett Baty…the number one third base prospect in the minors by people who rank such things. Now…I personally only saw him play five innings of Double-A ball before a rainout. He hit two two-run homers. I had high hopes. Now I pick up the papers (or whatever the modern equivalent is) and see we are in the market for veteran third basemen…hey, maybe 40-year-old Justin Turner can still play some there, huh?

Follow the Money

Firstt off, through history, why was there always the focus in baseball on homegrown youth? Nothing but dollars. I think it is merely a relic from the days of cheap, complete control, and that has gone from forever to six years to what is effect is three, with first-year star arbs (guys that have accrued three years of service time) exercising leverage into long term deals, with teams reluctant to take it through to an often fractious hearing. Second arb stars range up from there, just one example: Max Fried actually lost his arbitration hearing for his 2023 salary and still got a $13.5 million contract. That would be the highest 2023 contract on a number of teams in 2023, including Tampa, Pittsburgh and Oakland.

What does this mean for the Mets? Opportunity. Small market teams are forced to trade talent away earlier than ever. The As, Orioles, Royals and Pirates, combined, had three players making more than $8 million last year. The stars that were traded away five years ago at age 28 are now becoming overpriced at age 25 for these small market teams, who are available to enter their prime. Juan Soto, about as promising a Hall of Famer as you will see through age 24, has been traded twice in 16 months.

Am I missing something? Is there some other benefit now to the Mets committing to the homegrown stars route? A tangible romance with fans? That doesn’t hold up when you look at many of the beloved stars in Mets history. Mike Piazza, Tommie Agee, Jerry Grote, Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, John Franco, Ron Darling, Edgardo Alfonzo, Howard Johnson, and Al; Leiter came in by trades, and that is half the players in the Mets Hall of Fame. Doc and Straw? Yeah, how did New York treat them? Two ROYs were gone from Queens by age 29, dogged by Manhattan nightlife, self-medication, and vicious backpage headlines.

Tanks For The Memories (sorry about that)

The strategy of the twenty-teens was the tank and draft, which Houston and the Cubs notably rode to championships in their window. And the Braves got on the last tank train and built their current young core.

But read the room. Read the new guy. Even if the old draft rules were in effect, is Steve Cohen going to live through four losing seasons like the Braves? Five like the Cubs? Seven like the Astros, with three 100-loss seasons in a row?

That is all moot, though. Even in the utter “play money” world in Queens today, the new Collective Bargaining Agreement that started in 2022 introduced the draft lottery and the draft penalties for high payrolls have gutted that tactic going forward.

Look at recent events. Despite tanking to the 8th worst record in baseball in 2023, the Mets didn’t pull a lucky lottery number to dodge the ten-spot drop and wound up with the 19th pick next July. Not really bad luck…in the 8 holes, they only had a 3.9% chance at the number one pick and a 50-ish percentage chance at the top six to avoid the ten-slot drop mandated by their record-high payroll. And if they had pulled a top-six pick, their penalty would have been pushed to next year, and they would be not only barred from the lottery but unable to pick above 10th. And the future inexorably holds these payroll penalties for the Mets because…Cohen. We are well over the 2024 tax threshold already with arb obligations and have gaping, expensive holes to fill to avoid a fifth place in 2024.

And the draft scenario gets worse. If the Mets had signed Shotani, or still do sign Snell or Bellinger or one of the other top qualified free agents, they would lose their second and fifth picks next July. Should they sign two of them, they also lose their 3rd and 6th pick. The dynamics of free agent qualification means that the best free agents, the young superstars, will largely carry that draft forfeiture baggage into the free agent market. And those guys are the ones Cohen lusts after (bless his heart.) So….let Steve be Steve, and the Mets rebuild through the draft next spring would consist of the 19th pick and their fourth rounder, then seventh rounder, and so on. Not a rebuild draft…one of the worst draft positions in the draft age.

The bottom line is that even without the tanking, penalties from the Mets spending will greatly hamper their ability to hoard top draft talent. So a tank strategy like the Astros, which delivered them three number one overall picks (purchased by those seven losing seasons) is impossible. And anything even near that is impossible.

Okay, But What If?..

Even if we could grab that sort of blue chip prospect bonanza, does that work in today’s New York? Well, what about the kids this year? The Baby Mets: Álvarez, Baty, Vientos, Mauricio. These four were the closest to the show, and up they came in 2023, constituting the only promising new story of the year post-July purge, and the laser focus of the beat reporters and bloggers were on them like paint. How did they do?

To pluck one stat, looking just at offense, they all fell below the league average 100 level in OPS+. Álvarez, entering the clubhouse as the number one prospect in baseball on many rankings, was a respectable 95 in OPS+, but crashed down from his strong start with a wretched .167/.265/.318/.583 in August and September.

Baty, who had been ranked as the top third base prospect in baseball, looked overmatched at third and at the plate, and a week after the tank, he was sent to the minors after an 0-for-18 streak.

Vientos, said to be a bat in search of a glove, was a focus of media attention and pinballed around, given 19 starts at third and seven at first and a bunch of DH starts and bounced back and to the minors and weirdly, huh, didn’t perform well.

Perhaps the most exciting of the four, Ronny Mauricio, debuted with some laser velocity wallbangers. But after his hot first 50 plate appearances, he finished with .189/.246/.283/.529 over his last 50.

(Note: I can hear people saying, “Oh, c’mon, be patient. They are young. Fine…will Cohen be patient?)

In terms of fielding…I hate to even look at fielding stats in such small samples, but Baty, Vientos and Mauricio didn’t exhibit any signs of making a career based on their gloves. Even Álvarez, clearly a budding star with surprising marks in pitch framing, only threw out 12 percent of base stealers, close to last in the majors.

Would the four kids above have performed better debuting in Kansas City, Miami, or Pittsburgh? Teams that would have just put Baty at third, Ronnie at second, and Vientos at DH and played them every day? Who knows?…(but that little voice in your head just said “of course.”) And this dynamic in terms of positions is baked in the cake for the foreseeable future with the Mets. Stars like Lindor and perhaps Pete, will be signed to long 100 million plus contacts, blocking and locking up positions.

Look at shortstops in the Mets system right now. One of the highest trade value positions, and already we have Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña, and Jett Williams moving off those positions where they are at their best and highest values. Colin Houck and Jesus Baez aren’t far behind. The asset value of a plus-glove shortstop who can hit is at the top of the pyramid. That of a guy who is struggling at a new position plunges.

So, what is a strategy that may better fit the richy-rich New York Mets? I’ll get to my ideas in a sequel here.

* * * * * * *

This MMO Fan Shot was contributed by Greg Jones. Have something you want to say? Share your opinions with the best and most diverse Mets community on the web! Send your Fan Shot to michael.mayer4@gmail.com

The post Fan Shot: Is Queens The Kinda Place To Raise The Kids? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Getting ready to walk around the corner to get my wife a coffee (she was working from home), I put on my winter Mets wool hat and left the house.

When the barrister handed me the double skim latte with caramel syrup, he offered condolences. “I see you’re a fellow long-suffering Mets fan.”

I generally try to maintain a certain Zen about my decades-long fandom. In fact, when a new season begins and someone asks me how I think the Mets will do, my standard answer is this: I always begin a season with no expectations. And I’m never disappointed.

But so far in this offseason, I’m sorry to say that disappointment has made an appearance.

In the final day of the baseball’s Winter Meetings in Nashville, the Yankees traded for three-time All-Star outfielder Juan Soto, who is only 25 years old. And not only a very good hitter, but an exciting player, who as another Yankee, George Steinbrenner, said many years ago about another outfielder named Reggie Jackson, he puts fannies in the seats.

The next day, I saw an email from Mets.com with the subject line JUST ANNOUNCED. In all caps and bold.

Before I cold get to the rest of that subject line, I clicked to see how the Mets countered the Yankees Soto deal. Could they have signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the star Japanese pitcher (also just 25). Maybe shocked the world with a crazy trade netting them, say Ronald Acuña Jr.? (Us Mets fans can dream, right?)

Well, not exactly. “The Def Leppard/Journey Stadium Tour with Steve Miller Band is heading to Citi Field next summer on Wednesday, August 7.”

Sure, those bands have had their share of hits—something the Mets offense can always use more of. And if the team ever wanted to replace “Meet the Mets” for some reason, the Def Leppard tune “Bringin’ On the Heartbreak” would certainly fit.

Just when I was staring to recover from that “tone-Def” Mets email the day after, came more Mets news. We got an outfielder from San Diego! This same Padres who sent Soto to The Bronx. Could it be the troubled but very talented (and young) Fernando Tatis Jr.?

Nope. The Mets announced they’d signed 7-year minor league veteran Taylor Kohlwey, who went 2 for 13 with five strikeouts in his cup of coffee with the Padres last year.

Well, there’s two months or so before pitchers and catchers report to spring training in mid-February. And it doesn’t matter so much who wins the off-season (although it would be nice if it was the Mets).

So, for now, to avoid disappointment, I’ll just stick with my usual “no expectations” for the 2024 season. But I’ll also be singing along to that Journey anthem “Don’t Stop Believin’.” Just ask Tug McGraw.

The post MMO Fan Shot: Spending Winter Waiting on the Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

OFFSEASON PLAN NO. 1 – TOMMETS

To clarify, whatever I suggest below will be a mixture between what I believe the Mets will attempt to pull off and what I think they should do. Of course, the Mets should sign Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, trade for Juan Soto, and create a super bullpen! That’s not gonna happen, unfortunately, so sorry for bursting any bubbles.

In general, I think the Mets should be advantageous regarding high-profile moves, as it has been the Steve Cohen motto since he took over as owner. However, a smart play this winter would be to compound a ton of pitching adds, with some veteran hitting on short-term deals. That’s not to say they shouldn’t take the opportunity should it come to them.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Yukihito Taguchi-USA TODAY Sports

ROTATION

The Mets find themselves, once again, in need of pitching reinforcements. We saw 2023 collapse largely in part due to injuries and underperformances of veteran starters, namely Verlander, Scherzer, and Carrasco. Pair that with a flat bullpen, which was supposed to be anchored by Edwin Diaz, and a recipe for disaster unfolded.

Senga, fresh off of a 2nd place Rookie of the Year finish, is accompanied by José Quintana as the only two locks of the rotation at the moment. As of now, Senga can be considered a solid #1 or a really good #2 and Quintana should really be etched in as a #4, if we’re looking to be a contending team. That means there are three legitimate holes to fill in the rotation alone.

To me, this portion of the offseason starts and ends with Yamamoto. I see such a gap between him and the next tier of available starting pitchers, that if they don’t land him – they should truly start considering more of a transition year than not. First of all, there’s no qualifying offer attached, unlike the next 3 top starting pitching free agents (Nola, Snell, Gray). He gives the Mets a powerful combination at the front of the rotation. He’s 25 years old, 5-6 pitch mix, and throws a high 90s fastball. Pairing him with Senga would automatically ensure the rotation and solve many problems for 2024 and beyond. I have him getting a massive 8-year, $220M contract with opt-outs.

As for the remaining two rotation slots, I find it quite difficult to find sufficient solutions. They could pursue a trade for an available SP, but I’m not sure the Mets have the prospect capital for a move like that yet (where we wouldn’t delete the progress made over the past year). And while Stearns can certainly surprise us with a move working with established relationships such as the Brewers or the Rays, I’m going to say that he just flexes the muscle of money to round out the rotation.

I have two prime targets that I’m very interested in for a few reasons. Lucas Giolito & Wade Miley are really nice compliments to a rotation that would feature Yamamoto, Senga, and Quintana.

Giolito has certainly had an up-and-down career, but between Stearns coming in and creating a stronger pitching plan from the systems he puts in place compared to an organization like the White Sox, I can definitely see him settling in and turning a corner on his career. Most importantly, he can provide some real stability with his innings. His IP since 2018: 173.1, 176.2, 72.1 (2020 season), 178.2, 161.2, 184.1. I’ve always said that you buy innings, then you buy quality innings. And if Giolito can give us that 118 ERA+ he gave the White Sox last season for 21 games before being shipped away (twice), it would show a great benefit not dissimilar to something we received from Bassitt in 2022. Giolito’s innings likely drives his price tag up near $20M AAV. I could certainly see him going for a shorter-term deal at 2-3 years, with opt-outs.

Miley keeps chugging along into his age-37 season. Someone who used to be an absolute workhorse, he’s seen his role change around a little over the past few years. As a guy who can be plugged into the #5 spot or split some time into the bullpen as well, a versatile pitcher whose ERA+ has averaged 136 over the past three seasons could give the Mets some nice flexibility. He can be a really nice piece if the Mets decide to go to a 6 man rotation, particularly when Peterson returns to injury, or if they’d like to utilize someone like Megill or Butto. I’m going to peg Miley’s AAV to be just above Trevor Williams and other former Met, Seth Lugo deals last winter: 2-years, $16M.

If we end up missing out on those two guys, an intriguing arm with a Stearns connection, to me, is Eric Lauer. He had an extremely bad 2023 season, but I wonder if that was largely partly due to injury early in the season. It could be questioned if Stearns can work up some more magic and get Lauer back to his 2021-2022 campaign numbers.

BULLPEN

This is where I think Cohen should honestly spend the most. It’s just a win-win to have a strong, deep bullpen. If the Mets are good, they can rely on a plethora of arms to round out ball games day in and day out. If they’re bad, but get some good relief performances, they’re the easiest assets to be flipped at the deadline and the Mets can continue to grow their farm.

As for names they should target, really anyone. I think David Robertson is a fine guy to bring back, regardless of age and dip in performance after being sent to the Marlins last summer. He enjoyed being a Met, has a chip on his shoulder, and I think much of his failure as Marlins closer had to do with overuse and the dynamics of having to move and all that (which he expanded on in an interview).

Past Robertson, I’m really a fan of Matt Moore, Reynaldo Lopez, Ryne Stanek, and Robert Stephenson. Moore and Stanek can provide multi-inning outings, which was something the Mets were DESPERATELY missing after losing Trevor Williams & Seth Lugo. Stanek and Lopez throw HARD. Both pitchers sit at 96th percentile fastball velocity and are high strikeout pitchers, which I think has massive importance as relievers. However, both also come with walk issues, which is the opposite of what to look for in a reliever.

I definitely wouldn’t be surprised to see an Ottavino reunion, even after he opted out, though I’m more intrigued by having a diversified portfolio of relievers who have different pitch mixes and arm angles.

The bottom line is to add three arms to plug between Diaz and Raley, and the bullpen will look extremely formidable. Robertson received 1/$10M from the Mets last year, so something similar would likely be in order, maybe a bit lower at $8.5M or so. That’s likely the ballpark AAV for any other higher-end reliever we will grab.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

POSITION PLAYERS

I see a little bit of opportunity for the Mets to improve on the offensive side of things, though it’s going to have to be creative. I fully expect the Mets to drop Vogelbach from the roster. I also think Baty & Mauricio will both have opportunities to play every day. That scenario likely results in McNeil playing a decent amount of outfield. Further, Marte might end up being more of a role player. In essence, I think the Mets should be adding three position players: a power hitter, a utility player, and an outfielder.

I’ve been increasingly inclined to pursue Rhys Hoskins as our DH next year. Someone looking to recoup value on a 1-year deal after tearing his ACL early in 2023. With a career ISO of .250, he provides some pop and a somewhat disciplined approach to the middle of the lineup, a sturdy compliment to Alonso. I can see Hoskins getting a deal between $15-19M AAV. I’d be fine with giving him 2 years as well. In a crazy world, if Alonso departs after 2024, we’d have a viable option to take over at 1st for a year. Past Hoskins, I really don’t see a realistic fit elsewhere to pick up as our DH. JD Martinez & Justin Turner are probably next on the list, but I believe them to be priorities elsewhere or not fit the profile of what we’d want to grab.

For the infielder/outfielder addition combo, I apologize, but I just couldn’t make up my mind here. I have thought up two scenarios, which would be a trade and a signing that would align with the philosophy of short-term veteran deals that do not severely hurt the farm:

Scenario 1:

As for the utility infielder, I think the most important part for this role is somebody who can end up playing 3rd base, should Baty and/or Mauricio falter. I have one surplus upgrade in mind regarding a trade – Jorge Polanco. While his 3B play has been limited, he’s had experience at both SS and 2B for the Twins as well. A solidly above-average bat, his versatility will also allow McNeil to shift into playing the outfield more regularly, should it be needed. Polanco is owed $10.5M in 2024 with a still team-friendly $12M team option for 2025. In exchange, the Mets could dangle Marco Vargas, acquired from the Marlins this past summer in exchange for David Robertson.

With the Polanco adds, a more “3.5” type outfielder could be had on a solid 2-year deal. If I wanted a notch higher, I’d go for Lourdes Gurriel. Though, I’d be perfectly fine with either Duvall or Renfroe on a shorter-term deal. Good/great defense, solid arm, tons of power.

Scenario 2:

This is a scenario where McNeil sticks at 2nd base for the majority of the season. Therefore, a true utility guy in the infield who is more or less a better version of Luis Guillorme is brought in.

This might be the most unpopular suggestion in this plan. Isiah Kinfer-Falefa is my choice of a utility player. IKF’s bat isn’t one that should be counted on as an everyday player. However, his team-first attitude and willingness/ability to play virtually every position on the diamond is an invaluable trait. He likely gets around $6.5M AAV, possibly for 2 years.

The trade portion of this scenario is certainly a more intriguing one. I’m looking at the Orioles absolute glut of outfielders. They have 8 (!!) on their 40-man roster, many of whom are highly-touted prospects, along with veterans Austin Hays & Cedric Mullins. I have been wanting the third veteran of this group for a few years now, Anthony Santander. The 29-year-old has two years of arbitration remaining. He switch hits, had an OPS+ of 121 last year with 28 HRs and 95 RBIs in a stacked Orioles offense. That kind of production would give the Mets lineup a much-needed boost and still add some versatility. He’s projected $12.7M in arbitration for 2024 (MLBTR). Once again, Marco Vargas could be a headlining piece in a trade to obtain Santander.

FINAL TALLY

Key additions: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8 years, $220M), Lucas Giolito (3 years, $60M), Wade Miley (2 years, $16M), David Robertson (1 year, $8.5M), Reynaldo Lopez/Robert Stephenson (3 years, $29M), Matt Moore (1 year $8M), Rhys Hoskins (2 years, $36M), Jorge Polanco/Anthony Santander ($10M/projected $12.7M), IKF/Duvall/Renfroe (2 years, $13M)

Key subtractions: Carlos Carrasco (free agency), Adam Ottavino (free agency), Daniel Vogelbach (non-tender), Luis Guillorme (non-tender), prospects for Santander/Polanco

This plan was made by MMO reader/moderator Tommets

The post Mets Offseason Plan No. 1: Bring in Yamamoto, Lots of Pitching appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The startling elimination of top seeds in the division round and the ascension of two wildcards to the World Series have spurred much discussion on the playoff system that was put in last year. I have a suggested new format. So do you. But let’s start out by looking at the goals of a playoff system and the perceived shortcomings in the current system.

In my opinion, the goals of a postseason structure should be:

1. Determine the world champion. Many folks think this is the birthright of the team with the most regular season wins. But until there is a totally balanced schedule, might they just be blessed with a weak division? Might they have benefited from a second-half schedule heavy in tanked teams playing their farmers? Or might that team just have had an unusual dose of old-fashioned luck? Baseball Reference actually has a stat called “Luck” based on the Pythagorean formula, an estimate of what the team’s record *should* have been by runs scored and runs allowed. Developed by Bill James, it has real validity given a big enough sample of a full season. The Mets *should* have been 80-82 in 2023, five games better than their actual 75-87 record. Only two National League teams had worse “luck” in 2023. But that’s a teary bottle of scotch discussion for the hot stove.

Suffice it to say that the combination of the regular season record properly weighted in a tournament against top teams is the best formula.

2. Deliver highly entertaining and dramatic postseason play. This isn’t something easily imposed by regulation, but….how do you have more edge-of-your-seat playoff games? How do you get more “winner take all” games, that Game 7 atmosphere? There was only one this year and only two last year.

3. Keep as many teams as possible in the running for as long as possible, avoiding mid-season tanking, empty stadiums, and a pennant race being decided by whose schedule is heaviest with tanking AAA teams. Keep hope alive.

4. Weight the structure to give higher seeds a true competitive advantage. This both makes the regular season relevant and ensures that the world champ, if a wildcard team, achieved something truly championish.

Perhaps this year was an outlier, with the three highest payroll teams missing even the expanded playoffs, and the American League wild card 5 seed tilting against the National League wild card 6 seed in the World Series. The performance of a baseball team over a regular season marathon is subject to the hands of fate in many ways…some vets get suddenly old, some rookies suddenly bloom, and, of course, injuries can take down your biggest juggernaut teams. A 100-win team whose starting rotation goes down might just get swept out in its first playoff series, you know, like the Dodgers. A slugging team, even one flawed in other areas, always has a slugger’s chance for a deep playoff run. In boxing, it’s called a puncher’s chance. Like Rocky, in, you know, Philadelphia.

So the Cinderella factor is there and always should be; it is good business to keep the most fans excited as long as possible. It sells tickets and Toyotas.

However, if there isn’t a significant advantage to being a higher seed, the unintended consequence could be the opposite, with teams throttling down once they clinch a playoff berth. After all, the 4 seed gets at least two more games than the 2 seed, right?

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The other two quick factors thrown out were the vaunted “bye” becoming referred to as the “playoff layoff”…perhaps a higher seed’s hitters, in particular, don’t benefit from a week off? For example, the Dodgers, with six days off, scored six total runs while getting swept in three by the Diamondbacks.

And the three-game wild card round and days off allowed the wildcard Phillies to start ace Zack Wheeler in Game One of the wild card series and then Game Two of the division series.

So here is my proposal. If the goal is tamping down wild cards, this may seem initially counter-intuitive, but bear with me.

Add another wild card team in each league, the seven seed. But make the path for a wild card champ brutal.

First, the wild card round goes back to one-game sudden deaths, no days off. Nothing is more exciting than a one-game elimination winner-take-all all, ala Game 7s and “the Giants win the pennant!” There were a total of only three winner-take-alls the last two years — this guarantees six minimum.

Wild card Round, commencing one day after the end of the regular season:

Seed 7 at Seed 4
Seed 6 at Seed 5

Next day

Lower Seed at Higher Seed

Next day

Division Series begins with a seven-game series, a fairer way to determine the better team and a further advantage to the high seeds who might pitch their aces twice.

Is this too tough on the wild card teams? Maybe, although the 4 and 5 seeds might simply have two home games back to back. But that Cinderella 7 seed would have to win on the road, travel and win on the road, then travel and start the division series the next day.

Too much? Tough, you should have won your division or seeded higher.

In this format:

• more teams will stay engaged throughout the season, with fuller stadiums and fair competition for a full season. With a seven-seed out there, a tanking team would have to be truly hopeless and put that narrative to their fans.
• yes, there is an extra wild card, but unlike the current format, only ONE wildcard team advances to the Division round, so you are guaranteed a division winner in the Championship Series.
• the division winners avoid that “playoff layoff” with only four days off between the final day of the season and the start of the division series, enough to set their rotation without dulling their batters’ eyes (if that is a thing.)
• it avoids a division winner getting tripped up in a five-game series by a wildcard, only getting 3 or 4 games and two home games out of a division title.
• guaranteeing at least six games, three in each league, of the most exciting spectacle in baseball — the winner-take-all all.

So, that’s my idea.

Now, I had a wrinkle here, but I held it out because it is the most unorthodox, and I don’t want readers to fixate on it. However, I ran it by a sabermetric board and was surprised at the support. The idea is to make the seventh seed the team with the best second-half record and no seeding otherwise. That keeps, seriously, every team in…even if you have an injury-plagued team of kids, hope springs eternal. Even if you object to a team making it into the tournament on half a season, look at the road they face. And, really, is that seventh seed too high a price to eliminate the tanking debacle, where championships are often decided by how slick their GM is at July trades?

A final thought — even with the frantic two-day wild card tourney, three seven-game series may push the schedule into November. My suggestion would be to eliminate that day off between Games 2 and 3, and soften the travel crunch by making every Game 2, probably the least consequential, an old-fashioned afternoon game.

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This MMO Fan Shot was contributed by Greg Jones. Have something you want to say? Share your opinions with the best and most diverse Mets community on the web! Send your Fan Shot to michael.mayer4@gmail.com

The post Fan Shot: My MLB Playoff Format Idea appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

There’s an enigmatic cloud that lingers over baseball every October. For a New York Mets fan like myself, this month brings an odd collection of feelings: resignation, nostalgia, and sometimes, a pinch of envy. The Mets, as any dedicated follower will attest, possess a unique ability to ignite passion in the hearts of their fans. However, when the orange and blue are notably absent from the October stage, what’s a Mets fan to do?

This year, with the captivating competition between the Phillies and Braves unfolding on the baseball diamond, I find my attention drawn toward the series. Yes, it’s quite the emotional quandary in the grand tapestry of NL East baseball. I mean, could there exist two organizations more imposing for a Mets enthusiast than Atlanta and Philadelphia? A thorough examination of my personal biases suggests not.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

While both teams have their shadows and tales, the Braves, for some reason, exude a slightly darker aura for me. Perhaps it’s the zealous voices from their broadcasts, the unsettling episode of Marcell Ozuna and his unfortunately lenient punishment by the MLB, or maybe it’s the countless times the Braves have acted as the Mets’ formidable nemesis. Their reputation precedes them in the eyes of many a Mets devotee.

So, with all this history and rivalry, October’s peculiar magic finds me, a steadfast Mets fan, silently pulling for the Phillies. It’s a revelation that’s both surprising and indicative of the unpredictable nature of baseball. As trees shed their leaves in a poetic surrender to the impending winter, the post-season emerges in a spring-like renewal. My feelings toward teams may temporarily change during these sacred moments.

Meanwhile, the reshuffling at the Mets’ managerial helm and the buzzing discussions about potential game-changers for the upcoming season lend a curious air of expectation. Sitting at this crossroad of reflection and anticipation, I find hope — albeit one shadowed by trepidation. It’s a dance, really, between the hard truths of the past and the enchanting unknown of the future. One could argue that the life of a Mets fan is somewhat reminiscent of a Scotsman trapped in medieval times, tethered beneath the yoke of the English crown. Every shimmer of hope, every tantalizing hint of an extraordinary season, often feels overshadowed by an overpowering external force ready to dampen our parade.

So in these quiet October days, many Mets folks, including myself, find solace in the sport’s smaller joys — rooting for individual players, blessing the moments of other teams, and just basking in the sheer unpredictability of it all. For, at its heart, baseball is indeed a game of fleeting moments. While no one can truly predict which moment will be theirs to cherish, the eternal optimist in every Mets fan whispers: “Perhaps ours will be next year.”

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This MMO Fan Shot was contributed by ZP Scott. Have something you want to say? Share your opinions with the best and most diverse Mets community on the web! Send your Fan Shot to michael.mayer4@gmail.com

The post MMO Fan Shot: A Met Fan’s October Strangeness appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Via MLB Network Twitter

This Fan Shot was written by former MMO writer Satish Ram.

As a once famed British professional wrestler used to take delight in saying, I am afraid I have some bad news to dole out to some of the fanbase—and that might be a common theme throughout this piece. The World Baseball Classic is the singular best thing for the game of baseball right now. I want to run that by you all again: there is nothing that benefits the game of baseball right now more than the World Baseball Classic.

I want to get a few things out of the way. The Edwin Díaz injury was a rare, freak accident, and has nothing to do with the WBC specifically. Spare me the thoughts that the WBC should be moved to after the World Series, when they must compete against other nationally televised sports and it would be after the rigor of a 162-game regular season plus the playoffs. Participation would likely be at an all-time low. It would be difficult to convince teams to want to leave their players available to do it mid-season, as well. The WBC lasts about two weeks and takes place during spring training, where they would be playing baseball anyway.

Spare me the fact that he might not have been celebrating like that in spring training as we gloss over the fact that the Mets mimicked a World Series Win in March 2021. If you want to patrol every single portion of player’s life, then we can start with banning champagne celebrations since Lance McCullers Jr. got hurt during one, players owning dogs since Max Scherzer received an injury from his, or owning ranches because it cost the Mets time with Yoenis Cespedes.

You might be thinking about quipping back that none of those injuries were that serious, and I can unfortunately point you down the road of Mike Soroka suffering a season-ending injury while walking to the clubhouse or Gavin Lux having a non-contact ACL and LCL tear. These things happen and yes, for lack of more cordial language, they absolutely suck. They suck even more when it happens to someone that we care about on a team that we love, but that does not make them any less of a freak accident.

Watching Sugar go down stings as much as some of the more heart-wrenching losses that I ever had to witness. The issue, however, is people using it as a reason to act like the WBC is not an important part of growing the game of baseball right now. Again, the game of baseball—which extends far beyond just MLB.

Here is another dose of bad news: we do not get to decide what the players or other fans of baseball care about. One man may walk past a dollar on the street as it does nothing for his day, while another scrambles for it because it might mean the difference between his ability to feed himself that night. The reality is, as it was stated on numerous occasions, is that some of these players wanted that WBC win more than they might have ever wanted a World Series. Numerous quotes were provided where players stated their desire to represent their country, as Nelson Cruz went as far as to call it “the real World Series.” While that might seem blasphemous to some, the game of baseball extends far beyond the existence of the North America’s “World” Series, and it will always be that way to many.
The fans from these countries, as well, fed into this narrative.

Did you know, by the way, the most watched baseball game before this tournament was a 1980 World Series game with 54.5 million viewers—and it has already been exceeded more than once in this tournament alone? Japan vs. Korea netted over 55 million viewers and Japan vs. Italy posted 62.5 million. It is quite possible that the game tonight involving USA and Japan could be the most-watched game in the history of baseball. (Hat tip to @BaseballDoesnt on those numbers.)

WHAT
A
FINISH!#WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/TuGn1yFyn8

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 21, 2023

If you take a moment and tune in to any of the broadcasts of the games between Latin rivals and just listen to the crowd for an inning, you might be surprised at what you hear. The intensity of any random fourth inning between any of those teams matches the way that American fans get for a World Series. It is beautiful and serves to grow the game in a way that MLB has failed to tap into for decades. It is the environment that MLB has been chasing so long without a single amendment to the game like a pitch clock.

MLB stands here making up rules to try and increase fan engagement in baseball by shortening the games and changing the core gameplay while thousands of fans outside the United States are begging to watch a single game with a player representing their country. How privileged we are to have so much baseball that we are looking to cut down our exposure to it while so many would give anything for a chance to see what we take for granted.

The game of baseball gets a rare chance to grow globally through the WBC and to tap into passionate fans across the world who would not otherwise receive a chance to show their love to the sport that we love too. Baseball represents something different for everyone. In my case, it helped me transition into being a part of American culture as a Caribbean boy who really knew no better. I love baseball with all my heart—and that love inspires me to want to see others learn to love it, too, understanding that they too may come to feel the passion that I feel every time I turn on SNY to watch our Mets.

The Mets may pay the contract of the players, yes, but their hearts and souls lie in other places. The Mets make it possible for Edwin Díaz to live a life better than he may have ever imagined, but inside that star pitcher that we all appreciate is a boy from Naguabo, Puerto Rico, that yearns to represent his home on a stage like the WBC. The Caribbean spawns no child with a weak heart, and the connection we feel to our home is that unlike any other. Think about it for a moment: why would these players willingly risk injury and add to the wear and tear of spring training if it did not mean the world to them all? Why would the fans find a way to fill every seat in those stadiums for an “exhibition” game if it did not mean something more to them than just baseball?

After all, we support the New York Mets, the team that returned to professional sport after 9/11. We understand bigger than baseball itself, do we not? Most of us, dare I say, are more the New York Mets than the New York Yankees. We are fighters, underdogs, and dust ourselves off when we get knocked down. We see ourselves in the Mets, whether we want to admit it or not, and support them through the darkest times. When the Mets win, we feel like we win—and that is what the WBC represents for thousands of people globally. When an underdog takes a win in the World Baseball Classic, thousands of people—children and adults alike—see themselves in that victory. Moments like that will serve the game of baseball for generations and we need to be aware of the power of that.

Think about your younger years and the moment you first fell in love with baseball. Can you remember what it was? Did your father take you out to the park to play stickball? Did you see a home run that decades later you could still remember? For some British children, their moment was watching Harry Ford launch a home run. Growing the game of baseball to a global level will always face some difficulty, and the WBC mitigates that by creating a unique opportunity that we just will never have during the regular season. The financial implications behind the tournament also provide a great help to encouraging the growth of baseball in countries that have never been able to do so in years past.

For far too long, MLB has been seeking to grow the brand and expand its reach with limited success, yet the WBC provides them an opportunity to go global and tap into the fiery hearts of fans across the world that are dying for a sliver of a chance to see what we see multiple nights a week during the regular season. There is no better opportunity for the game of baseball than to put on a show during a global display and attract fans they would never have reached before. Not only does baseball need the WBC to truly grow as a sport, there is no better thing for the game than the World Baseball Classic right now.

To some of you, these are glorified exhibition games with no implications. To many others, it was the push they needed to fall in love with baseball, just like you. Let them have the opportunity that you had… that is all I ask.

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This MMO Fan Shot was contributed by Satish Ram. Have something you want to say? Share your opinions with the best and most diverse Mets community on the web! Send your Fan Shot to getmetsmerized @ aol.com.

The post MMO Fan Shot: The World Baseball Classic Is Exactly What Baseball Needs appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

MMO Fan Shot by Julio Rivera

Although there is much debate as to when Major League Baseball teams permanently switched from a 4-man to 5-man rotation, the man that is perhaps most largely credited for initially employing a standard that has lasted for over 50 years is none other than former Dodgers standout and Mets Hall of Fame Manager, Gil Hodges.

In the final months of the magical 1969 season, Hodges decided to give his 4-man rotation of Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, Gary Gentry, and Don Cardwell, an extra bit of rest by running the marginally effective Jim McAndrew every 5^th day. Going into his start on August 2^nd McAndrew sported an ERA of 5.76. But Hodges had a hunch, and the rest is history. McAndrew would finish the regular season with an ERA of 3.47 by getting hot at the right time.

The results were legendary, and the unforgettable October of 1969 belonged to the Miracle Mets.

The team stormed through the playoffs with a 7-1 record (3-0 vs the Western Division Champion Atlanta Braves, 4-1 vs the American League Champion Baltimore Orioles) behind strong pitching that arrived in the postseason refreshed, in part due to the extra day of rest that the top of the rotation enjoyed in the home stretch of the regular season.

In the years after, mostly during the 1970s, 5-man starting rotations would become increasingly normalized, even as the role and responsibilities of the starter have changed, particularly in recent years. Yes, the horses of the past, names like former Met Nolan Ryan, and others of his generation routinely pitched into the 8^th and 9^th innings with nary a care for “pitch counts” and “innings limits.” Back in the days when all arms outside of Don Gullet’s and Tommy John’s (Pre-surgery) seemed to be bionic, pitchers were expected to take ownership of their turn in the rotation, and primarily log the innings that the franchise was depending on them for when their turn came up.

Now times have certainly changed, with the rise of elbow ligament injuries and the maxed-out fashion that pitches deliver their offerings.

Additionally, the out-of-control cost of starting pitching has also lent itself to holding back modern hurlers, who frankly, have not been conditioned to go 9 innings or throw 150 pitches.

So where does MLB go from here? The natural conclusion would be a move towards the installation of 6-man rotations across baseball, starting with the 2023 Mets.

Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The 1969 version of the Amazin’s were dealing with much younger starters at the top of the rotation than the current Mets will be running out there in 2023, as the 4 oldest projected starters for the team on Opening Day (Justin Verlander 40, Max Scherzer 38, Carlos Carrasco 36, Jose Quintana 33) will have an average age of 36.75 years, which is geriatric by MLB standards.

The projected 5^th man in that group, newly signed Japanese phenom Kodai Senga, will be on the wrong side of 30 on Opening Day, and is accustomed to pitching only once a week during his 11-year professional career in Japan.

That is an obvious recipe for disaster for the most expensive roster in Major League history. But of course, the naysayers will talk about how “gamers” like Verlander and Scherzer are accustomed to pitching every 5^th day, and that changing up that routine may affect their psyche. Well, tough! The fact is, even in his CY Young season last year, Verlander only threw 175 innings. During his previous 3 full seasons of play (2017 to 2019), Verlander averaged over 214 innings pitched per season. If you look at Max Scherzer you’ll find a similar decline, as in his last 3 seasons of over 30 starts (2016 to 2018), Mad Max averaged over 216 innings pitched per season. Max then averaged only 165 innings pitched per season over his last 3 full seasons, excluding the COVID year of 2020, including only 145 last year. These two pitchers will be a combined 78-years-old on opening day!

The likelihood is that this rotation does not possess an anchor that will throw over 200 innings next year. So, if they plan on making a deep run into the playoffs, the Mets are best off borrowing a page from the legendary Gil Hodges and thinking outside of the box for a method to keep their top starters fresh and not overworked for what will easily turn into a season of 36 or more starts, including the playoffs, in a 5-man rotation scenario.

So more simply stated, the Mets should squash the Cookie trade talk, insert former 1^st round draft pick David Peterson into the rotation, and once again lead the way in resetting the standard for starting rotations in MLB. Regardless of the Carlos Correa signing and other moves, the team will only go as far as the starting pitching takes it.

Julio Rivera is a business and media strategist, and Editorial Director for Reactionary Times. His writing, which is focused on cybersecurity, politics, and sports, has been published by numerous websites and he is regularly seen on national and international television.

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Fanshot by Marc Epstein (Mystere2417)

“When Willie stepped on the field, it was like going to see Michael Jordan, Muhammad [Ali].”

That is the quote from the opening montage of the feature-length documentary “Say Hey, Willie Mays!” that stays with you as you become immersed in the life and career of the 91-year-old living baseball legend. The film, now streaming on HBO Max, will be of interest to baseball fans of all ages.

Lending credence and gravitas to the film is Willie himself, who appears in past and present interviews throughout the one hour and thirty-eight minute retrospective. Photos and videos of Willie shown In the film date back to his childhood, the Negro Leagues, his army days, his prime with the Giants, the team’s move from New York to San Francisco, and his trade to the Mets, which provide insight into his personal life and showcase his incredible baseball career. What comes through is his love for the game, his immense talent, his incredible power which yielded 660 home runs and yet was curtailed by his stint in the army and by the swirling winds during night games at Candlestick Park, and the purity of his exuberance during every play, AB, and base-running opportunity.

Viewers will hear from his son, Michael, as well as many famous players strewn throughout the film, including Juan Marichal, Orlando Cepeda, Tito Fuentes, and Reggie Jackson, as well as baseball announcers Bob Costas and the late Vin Scully. Some of the honors bestowed upon him after his career was over are covered, from Willie Mays Night at Shea Stadium back in 1973 to receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama in 2015.

But the most frequent, insightful, adoring, and enduring perspective comes from another all-time baseball great, Barry Bonds, who is prominently featured in the film and is also Willie’s godson. Barry’s father, Bobby Bonds, a Giant star himself, was Willie’s teammate, outfield partner, and friend. Barry grew up idolizing Willie and running around the clubhouse at Candlestick Park as a young boy. He was even mad at his father for hurting Willlie when the two collided in one of Willie’s greatest defensive plays.

Speaking of great defense, viewers will be treated to an analysis of the most well known defensive play of all-time, simply known as The Catch, made by Willie in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series at the Polo Grounds. With the score tied 2-2 in the 8th inning between the NY Giants and the Cleveland Indians, Willie raced deep towards the centerfield fence and made an incredible over-the-shoulder catch with his back to home plate in 6.5 seconds to rob Vic Wertz of a tie-breaking, bases clearing, extra-base hit, and his twirling throw back to the infield immediately afterward prevented the runners from advancing on the play. It was an early turning point which set the tone for the Giants winning that World Series

What the film unfortunately does not do is attempt to elicit Willie’s thoughts about modern baseball. It seems completely incongruous with Barry Bonds so prominently featured in the narrative that the topic of performance enhancing drugs and the steroid era of which Bonds was so prominently linked, would not come up even once in the film, apparently pre-determined by director Nelson George as off limits. Adding to the dichotomy is the video of Barry hitting his 660th career home run and the video of Willie asking to speak unscripted at the Giants ceremony retiring Barry’s number, pleading for Barry’s induction in the Hall of Fame.

Beyond Willie, the athlete, the documentary does an effective job contextualizing Willie, the man, within the times in which he lived. It gives viewers insight into how he approached his own super stardom, his role as a leader on and off the field, the prejudice and racial slurs he endured as a black man in segregated America, his unique and understated approach to advancing equality and helping minority ball players, as well as his controversial reticence to participate publicly in the Civil Rights movement.

A notable element of the film is that it doesn’t shy away from controversy even as it pays significant homage to his incredible five-tool talents. It delves into the discrimination he famously faced when he was denied the purchase of a house in San Francisco because neighbors didn’t want a black family living in their neighborhood. Willie was adamant about purchasing that home, which he eventually did after much drama, but the very public controversy exacted a personal toll on his marriage leading to divorce.

Willie was harshly criticized, and most notably called out by Jackie Robinson, the man who broke the color barrier four years before Mays was signed by the Giants, for not lending his fame to the Civil Rights movement. The documentary does a good job showing how Willie, in his own way, helped black and Latino ballplayers and contributed to public acceptance of racial tolerance and equality in a more personal and less public fashion.

Mets fans will not be disappointed when the story of Mays’ career switches from San Francisco back to New York due to the Giants inability to pay Mays’ salary any longer. Mets owner Joan Payson, former part-owner of the NY Giants and a huge Willie Mays fan, steps in and takes care of all the arrangements, giving Willie a veritable blank check to finish his career in NY after the 1972 trade, and even lured him back for one additional season, in 1973, which ended up extending all the way to Game 7 of the World Series. NY fans fully embraced his triumphant return to NY in the twilight of his career.

Images of Willie as a Mets player in the Game 2 of the World Series ranged from his troubles losing the ball in the sun and stumbling in the outfield, to pleading on his knees with the home plate umpire that he was wrong to call Bud Harrelson out trying to score, to his last hit, a game-winning RBI-single in the 12th inning, to his final speech on Willie Mays Night when he told Mets fans that “it was time to for Willie to say goodbye to America.”. The documentary ends fittingly with #24 being retired by the Mets at the first Old Timer’s Day at CitiField in 2022 (a game I attended with my son just as I had attended Willie Mays Night with my father almost 50 years earlier).

I give the documentary 4.5 out of 5 stars, deducting for the omission of steroids and the modern game from the narrative. But say hey, the focus is where it belongs, on Willie Mays himself, and that makes it a home run.

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