Rejoice Mets fans, baseball is back! The Mets come into the 2023 season with high expectations. The roster is undeniably one of the most talented in baseball and also boasts the highest payroll by a mile.

While it might not be “World Series or bust” for the 2023 Mets, the team and fans alike are expecting the team to go further than the Wildcard round this year.

To celebrate Opening Day and the start of the 2023 season, FOCO just released a collection of 18 bobbleheads of every MLB mascot. Included in this collection is the league’s best mascot, Mr. Met.

Each bobblehead features the team mascot atop a field themed base with their name displayed in front. On the back, the front of their respective team’s stadium façade can be found.

Every bobblehead in the collection is limited to just 144 units, retails for $60, and stands at 8in tall. Unlike most of FOCO’s bobbleheads, this collection is in stock and ready to ship!

Each FOCO bobblehead is hand made so no detail goes unnoticed. They make for the perfect addition to any collection at home, or a desk at work or school. These limited edition bobbleheads go quickly, so don’t miss the chance to add the Mr. Met Opening Day Bobblehead to your collection here!

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Good afternoon, everyone and Happy Opening Week! My winter hibernation is officially over and it feels good to be writing again. I wanted to jget things started with something fun that I’ve been doing every season since 2005. (Yikes, I’m getting old!)

Here are my Mets over/unders for the 2023 season. Let me know what you think.

I’ll catch you later…

Mets Team Totals

Team Wins: 95.5

Team ERA:  3.60

Team WHIP:  1.20

Team Home Runs:  170.5

Team Stolen Bases:  65.5

Team On-Base Percentage:  .333

Team Slugging Percentage:  .410

Buck Showalter Gets Ejected:  2.5

Players Making MLB Debut: 5.5

Team Hit By Pitch:  112.5

Brett Baty Gets Called-Up:  May 15

Walk-Off Home Runs:  2.5

Grand Slams:  6.5

Blown Saves: 19.5

Mets Hitters

Pete Alonso Home Runs: 40

Francisco Lindor RBIs: 113

Brandon Nimmo On-Base Pct:  .375

Jeff McNeil WAR:  4.9

Starling Marte OPS:  .810

Pete Alonso Slugging Percentage:  .518

Mark Canha Hit By Pitch:  24.5

Francisco Lindor Runs:  98.5

Eduardo Escobar Home Runs:  16.5

Francisco Alvarez Games Started: 35.5

Starling Marte Stolen Bases:  18.5

Daniel Vogelbach Home Runs:  19.5

Mets Pitchers

Justin Verlander Wins:  14.5

Max Scherzer WHIP:  0.99

Kodai Senga ERA:  3.40

David Robertson Saves:  25.5

Carlos Carrasco K/9: 8.5

David Peterson FIP:  3.40

Max Scherzer Wins: 17.5

Justin Verlander WAR:  4.5

Take a minute to make your picks for the upcoming season and let’s get this party started.

A Message From Joe D.

And finally a word of thanks to all our loyal readers. We truly appreciate your support as we begin our 19th season of covering the Mets. We know you have a lot of choices out there, and want to thank you for including us among your daily treks into the Mets blogosphere. You can also follow us on Twitter at @metsmerized.

LGM

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MLB Photos

The National League East last year was one of the best divisions in all of baseball with both the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets winning over 100 games while the third-place Philadelphia Phillies surprised the baseball world by making a run to the World Series after an 87-win regular season. This offseason, all three teams made significant moves in hopes of making World Series runs in 2023.

Below, we take a look at the moves each team made this offseason and their overall outlook for the upcoming season.

Atlanta Braves

Additions: OF/1B Jordan Luplow, RP Nick Anderson, C Sean Murphy, SP Kolby Allard, RP Joe Jimenez, RP Sam Hilliard

Subtractions: SS Dansby Swanson, OF Adam Duvall, OF Robbie Grossman, RP Luke Jackson, RP Jay Jackson, RP Darren O’Day, RP Kenley Janson

The Braves are coming off a 101-61 win season but failed to repeat as World Series champions, being knocked out by the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS in three games. It was a disappointing end to the season for the Braves who made a tremendous second-half push to win the National League East by chasing down the New York Mets after being behind by 10 games in May.

This offseason, the Braves saw the departure of longtime shortstop Dansby Swanson who signed with Chicago Cubs and also saw the departure of outfielders Adam Duvall and Robbie Grossman as well as key relievers Luke Jackson, Darren O’Day ,and Kenley Janson.

They did, however, make one big addition this offseason in trading for catcher Sean Murphy from the Oakland Athletics. One of the best catchers in all of baseball, Murphy will help solidify the Braves catcher position and should provide a more consistent at-bat at the plate.

All in all, the Braves should continue to be one of the league’s best teams and are a true World Series contender in 2023.

Miami Marlins

Additions: RP A.J Puk, RP Matt Barnes, INF Luis Arraez, INF Jacob Amaya, RP JT Chargois, SP Johnny Cueto, 2B Jean Segura

Subtractions: 3B Brian Anderson, SP Nick Neidert, OF JJ Bledary, RP Richard Bleier, SP Pablo Ropez, INF Miguel Rojas

It wasn’t an overly active offseason for the Marlins who made some quality under-the-radar moves but are still looking at an overall tough offseason. They picked up two nice infield pieces in second baseman Jean Segura and the American League’s 2022 batting champ, Luis Arraez. Arraez on top of his great bat will bring versatility to the Marlins with the ability to play both second base and first base. Signing Johnny Cueto was a sneaky but solid signing as well that will help the Marlins make up for the loss of starting pitcher Miguel Rojas.

The Marlins have an opportunity to be competitive again in 2023 but overall lack the higher end talent that will allow them to compete with the upper echelon of the National League. Pushing for .500 isn’t out of the question but a playoff trip is surely a longshot.

New York Mets

Additions: SP Justin Verlander, SP Jose Quitnana, RP David Robertson, SP Kodai Senga, OF Tommy Pham

Subtractions: OF Dominic Smith, RP Trevor May, RP Joely Rodriguez, OF Tyler Naquin, SP Trevor Williams, RP Seth Lugo, SP Chris Bassitt, SP Taijuan Walker, SP Jacob deGrom, RB Mychal Givens, C James McCann

After a red hot start to their season last year, it looked like the Mets were going to run away with the NL East. While the Mets still played strong baseball throughout the second half, going 54-32 from the beginning of July to the end of the season, late season struggles to the Atlanta Braves ultimately cost the Mets the division. They would be knocked out in the National League Wild Card round by the San Diego Padres.

This offseason, the Mets saw the departure of trio starting pitchers in Chris Bassitt, Taijuan Walker, and Jacob DeGrom. In the meantime, they replaced the trio with the likes of defending AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander as well as veteran Jose Quintana and Japanese import Kodai Senga. The only major addition they made in the field was outfielder Tommy Pham who will provide the Mets with a quality depth outfielder this upcoming season.

Another name to watch is outfielder Abraham Almonte who was picked up by the Mets this offseason after spending last year with the Boston Red Sox and signed to a minor league contract with a chance to make the team and add some depth to the line-up. He is off to a hot start in Spring training and is someone to keep an eye on. For Bostonians WynnBET Massachusetts promo will come in handy this season as Massachusetts is about to legalize online sports betting just in time for the MLB season.

While they did lose a talented trio of pitchers, the Mets filling their spots with a trio arguably just as good should keep the Amazins as a true World Series contender in 2023. Like for anyone else in the division, it will be tough to win the National League East but as long as they get to the playoffs, they’ll have a legitimate chance to win the World series again this fall.

Philadelphia Phillies

Additions: SS Trea Turner, RP Matt Strahm, SP Taijuan Walker, RP Craig Kimbrel, INF Josh Harrison, INF Kody Clemens, RP Gregory Soto, RP Yunior Marte

Subtractions: 2B Jean Segura, SP Zach Eflin, OF Matt Vierling, 2B Nick Maton, SP Kyle Gibson, RP Corey Knebel, RP Brad Hand, RP David Robertson

The Phillies made a surprise run to the World Series last year and came two wins short of a title but were not satisfied. This past offseason, they went out and upgraded in several spots including at shortstop, signing Trea Turner, arguably the top player on the market for 11-years and over $300 million. They also signed relievers Matt Strahm and Craig Kimbrel while trading for Gregory Soto from the Detroit Tigers, they also signed Taijuan Walker to help fill out their rotation.

On the departure side, the most impactful departure is likely that of SP Zach Eflin – who not only was a consistent and reliable starter but also had the ability to come in for relief when needed. They also saw the departure of utility men Matt Vierling and Nick Maton to the Detroit Tigers in order to land Soto.

The Phillies once again should be a playoff contender this season, if they do indeed make the playoffs, they’ll have the chance to replicate their National League title run thanks to their high-quality pitching staff and potentially the best lineup in baseball, once Bryce Harper returns from injury. If the Phillies can stay afloat in the National League East or Wild Card standings until Harper’s return, they’ll have an opportunity to make plenty of noise in the second half of the season.

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Washington Nationals

Additions: SP Chad Kuhl, SP Wily Peralta, RP Alex Colome, OF Corey Dickerson, 1B Dominic Smith, INF Michael Chavis, 1B Matt Adams, SP Trevor Williams, 3B Jeimer Candelario, OF Stone Garrett,

Subtractions: DH Nelson Cruz, SP Joe Ross, RP Steve Cishek, INF Cesar Hernandez, RP Will Harris, SP Anibal Sanchez, SP Erick Fredde ,1B Luke Voit

Finally, there’s the rebuilding Washington Nationals who are expected to once again be among the worst teams in all of baseball in 2023. They added some quality pieces to their rotation in Chad Kuhl and Wily Peralta but still have one of the worst rosters top to bottom in baseball.

That being said, the Nationals do have some young and intriguing pieces that should keep some of your more dedicated fans entertained for most of the season, names such as C Kiebert Ruiz, SS CJ Abrams, and 2B Luis Gonzalez headline position players to watch while Josiah Gray and MacKenzie Gore will be two young pitchers to keep an eye on this season in the nation’s capital.

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With March approaching, so too is St. Patrick’s Day. To celebrate the upcoming holiday, FOCO just released a collection of St. Patrick’s Day themed mascot bobbleheads that includes popular team mascots from the MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL. Included in the collection is a Mr. Met St. Patrick’s Day Bobblehead. Unlike most of FOCO’s bobblehead releases, these St. Patrick’s Day bobbles launched in-stock and ready to ship now.

Each bobblehead in the collection features the team mascot in a pot of gold while they are holding a team themed gold coin and a four-leaf clover. Their respective team’s name is displayed on the front of the pot. The mascots also are sporting a thematic St. Patrick’s Day outfit with their team logo on the front of the top hat. Each one is limited 223 units, retails for $70, and stands at 7in tall.

Like all of FOCO’s bobbleheads, each one is hand crafted and hand painted so no detail goes unnoticed. These bobbleheads make for the perfect addition for any Mets fan’s collection. Don’t miss the chance to add one of the Mr. Met St. Patrick’s Day Bobblehead now!

The post Celebrate St Patrick’s Day With A New Mr. Met Bobblehead appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Rejoice baseball fans, the official start to the 2023 MLB season is right around the corner.

As anticipation for the new season builds, eager fans will get a taste of action with Spring training set to get underway. To celebrate the return of baseball, FOCO recently released a Spring Training Bobblehead Collection that features commemorative team bobbleheads, mascots, and some of the game’s best players from the Grapefruit and Cactus Spring training leagues they are in.

The commemorative player bobbleheads in the collection feature spring training league logos across the body and head.

They all stand atop a plate themed base with various thematic elements from the league they play in. The player and mascot bobbleheads are also on a base with various thematic elements from the league they’re in and their names are displayed in front.

The commemorative generic players will retail for $75, the mascots for $70, and the athletes for $80. All of the bobbleheads in the collection are limited to 144 units and stand at 8in tall.

The Mets have two bobbleheads in the collection including the commemorative player and a Mr. Met mascot bobblehead.

Like all of FOCO’s bobbleheads, each one is handmade, and hand painted so no two are exactly the same.

These Spring Training bobbleheads are the ideal addition for any Mets fan to add to their collection and since they are so limited, they will go quickly. Don’t miss the chance to add yours here!

The post FOCO Releases Mets Spring Training Themed Bobbleheads appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mets pitchers and catchers report to Port St. Lucie today, for the official start of Spring Training. Here are some of the things you need to know including important dates and the complete Spring Training roster.

Important Spring Training Dates

• Pitchers and Catchers Report February 15, 2023
• Physicals – February 16, 2023
• Pitchers first workout – February 17, 2023
• Position Players Report – February 20, 2023
• Physicals – February 20, 2023
• First Full Squad Workout – February 20, 2023
• First Spring Training Game – February 25, 2023
• World Baseball Classic  – March 5, 2023
• Opening Day – March 30, 2023

Official 40 Man Roster

Pitchers (22)

Jeff Brigham 43

Jose Butto 70

Carlos Carrasco 59

Sam Coonrod 45

John Curtiss 46

Edwin Díaz 39

Zach Greene 65

Elieser Hernandez 57

Joey Lucchesi 47

Tylor Megill 38

Bryce Montes de Oca 63

Stephen Nogosek 85

Adam Ottavino 0

David Peterson 23

José Quintana 62

Brooks Raley 25

Stephen Ridings 66

David Robertson 30

Max Scherzer 21

Kodai Senga 34

Drew Smith 40

Justin Verlander 35

Catchers (3)

Francisco Álvarez 50

Omar Narváez 2

Tomás Nido 3

Infielders (10)

Pete Alonso 20

Brett Baty 22

Eduardo Escobar 10

Luis Guillorme 13

Francisco Lindor 12

Ronny Mauricio 60

Jeff McNeil 1

Danny Mendick 15

Darin Ruf 33

Mark Vientos 27

Outfielders (4)

Mark Canha 19

Starling Marte 6

Brandon Nimmo 9

Tommy Pham 28

Designated Hitter (1)

Daniel Vogelbach 32

Non-Roster Invitees

Pitchers (6): LHP Josh Walker, RHP William Woods, RHP Eric Orze, LHP T.J. McFarland, RHP Grant Hartwig, RHP Connor Grey, RHP Tommy Hunter

Catchers (4): Kevin Parada, Michael Perez, Hayden Senger, Nick Meyer.

Infielders (1) : José Peraza

Outfielders (4): DJ Stewart, Alex Ramirez, Tim Locastro, Lorenzo Cedrola.

Mets Top 5 Prospects

Francisco Àlvarez – C

Brett Baty – 3B

Kevin Parada – C

Alex Ramirez – OF

Ronny Mauricio – SS

Position Battles to Watch

Catcher – It’s a three horse race between Nido, Alvarez and Narváez, but I’d be shocked if Alvarez doesn’t get the lion’s share of playing time behind the plate in 2023.

Third Base – This is not so much a battle right now, as the Mets are very happy starting the season with Escobar at third. However Baty is going to crack the major league roster at some point this season and when he’s ready he’ll take over at third base for the next 6-7 years.

Organization Health Status:  B+

I love the way the Mets are situated from top to bottom. The major league team is built to win now and the only reason I didn’t give the Mets an A- is because the front of the rotation which is headed by Scherzer and Verlander, are getting a little too long in the tooth. The two veterans are arguably the best 1-2 punch in the league but enter the season at the ages of 39 and 40.

The Mets have all their top prospects evenly distributed between all levels. Unlike years past when most of the Mets’ top prospects were in the lower levels, the Mets have several who are ready to burst onto the major league scene.

The post Mets Spring Training Confidential appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

February has arrived, which means we are another month closer to the start of the 2023 MLB season. While anticipation for the new season begins to ramp up, FOCO is back with another New York Mets bobblehead. This time it’s a Valentine’s Day Mascot Bobblehead that features Mr. and Mrs. Met sitting next to one another and being featured on the “kiss cam.” The New York Mets Valentine’s Day Mascot Bobblehead is the latest entry in the holiday bobblehead series FOCO has created. Other iterations included ones for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

The bobblehead is based on a classic Valentine’s Day Card with Mr. and Mrs. Met featured in the center of it. On the front of the bobblehead is the phrase Kiss Cam next to the Mets logo. The mascots are positioned in a seated pose in stadium seats to play into the Kiss Cam theme.

Like all of FOCO’s bobbleheads, it’s handcrafted and hand painted to no two are exactly the same. It’s limited to 322 units and retails for $90. It also stands at 8in tall, making it the perfect piece to display at home, work, or school. These bobbleheads sell out quickly, so don’t miss your chance to add the New York Mets Valentine’s Day Mascot Bobblehead to your collection now!

The post FOCO Releases New York Mets Valentines Day Bobblehead appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Tommy Pham

The New York Mets mean business this off-season as they continue to make moves to ensure they are in a good position for a deep run into the postseason. Owner Steve Cohen has been laser focused and is keen to build on the efforts of the 2022 season when they were able to reach the Wild Card Round of the MLB Playoffs. The Mets were unable to progress from here, though, as they were beaten by the San Diego Padres 2-1 in the NL Wild Card Series Game.

As MMO was first to report early last week, veteran outfielder Tommy Pham agreed to a one-year deal with the Mets.

Pham  is an experienced outfielder who has managed to play for a variety of different organizations throughout his major league career. The move to the Mets marks the sixth team of his MLB career. He started at the St. Louis Cardinals (2014–2018), before moving on to the Tampa Bay Rays (2018–2019), the San Diego Padres (2020–2021), the Cincinnati Reds (2022), and the Boston Red Sox (2022).

Tommy Pham. Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

According to details of the deal, it is understood the 34-year-old has signed a one-year contract in the Big Apple, with it said to be worth $6 million. However, the outfielder does have the ability to earn more through performance-related bonuses. Depending on the number of plate appearances he makes, he could make another $2 million in addition to his base salary.

Pham has a chance to gain an additional $200,000 for every 25 plate appearance he makes this season, starting from 225 and ending at 450. To kick off his new contract with the team, he was granted a whopping $1 million signing bonus plus an annual salary of $5 million!

Pham Could Be An Exceptional Signing

Many have suggested that Pham’s arrival could be good for the Mets, with the outfielder a smart batter, and perhaps welcomed depth as he could be a right-handed option at the designated hitter spot, complementing Daniel Vogelbach.

He had a productive season with Cincinnati and Boston. His batting average was .236 – 17 home runs, 63 RBIs and an OPS of .686 in 144 games were impressive results from his performance. Even more noteworthy is he scored 89 runs throughout the entire season!

With nine major league seasons under his belt and playing for the Cardinals, Rays, Padres, Reds and Red Sox throughout his career thus far, Pham has amassed an impressive .259 batting average with 114 home runs to add to 97 stolen bases and a remarkable .787 OPS.

Mets Are Working Hard To Be Competitive In 2023

As already revealed, the Mets have been extremely busy during the off-season in order to be as competitive as last year’s campaign. The team managed to accomplish a number of feats that they had not managed to achieve in a while.

They secured just their 10th-ever playoff berth, and achieved their fourth 100-plus win campaign, with the 101–61 record last season being their second-best ever. Nonetheless, despite having led the National League East for most of the season with a 10+1⁄2 game lead at one point, the Mets experienced an underwhelming September. This ultimately cost them an automatic playoff berth.

To try and combat this, Steve Cohen has gone all-in and invested an enormous $498.2 million in 10 major league free agents – even investing a whopping $102 million over five years to secure the signature of All-Star closer Edwin Díaz before other teams had the chance!

Fans in New York will have been pleased to have seen plenty of movement this offseason, especially with sports betting having been made legal over the last 12 months. Those who used the available New York Betting Apps last season will have enjoyed a top experience, and many will now feel the team could be in a better position to challenge once again. Even sportsbooks are suggesting that there could be real success at Citi Field in the future, even with the Mets among the favorites for the World Series.

Of course, those that are interested in potentially wagering on the team in the upcoming campaign will want to know whether their team has what it takes. This will be down to how well the new signings gel and fit in.

Will The New York Mets Have A Successful 2023 MLB Campaign?

Given that the bookmakers have touted the Mets among the forerunners for the MLB World Series, it is not a surprise that many believe 2023 could be an exceptional season for the team.

The organization successfully held onto talent like Edwin Diaz and Brandon Nimmo, while signing Justin Verlander – the recipient of the prestigious Cy Young Award. Additionally, they added Japanese marvel Kodai Senga to their ranks as well as experienced southpaw Jose Quintana among numerous other influential decisions.

Of course, these moves can play a very big part in whether the Citi Field will be the home of the World Champions at the end of the campaign. However, there are a few things that also need to be considered, too.

For instance, the health of individuals such as Verlander and Max Scherzer could be vital to the team’s chances. The former is a sure-fire Hall of Famer, as is the latter. However, with both 40 and 39 respectively, there will be questions about their health and whether they can be fit for a full season. Both have missed significant time in recent years, so there could be some risk regarding the pairing.

Additionally, another concern may be in regard to the offense, with the department looking arguably weak in regard to depth. There is no doubt that they have talented individuals, however the longer the season goes on and if injuries hit, there will be concerns regarding scoring. In contrast, many believe the same of the bullpen, too.

2023 Could Be Exciting For New York Mets’ Fans

As of this moment, 2023 looks as though it could be a rather exciting watch for those at the Citi Field watching the New York Mets. However, there are still questions that need to be answered and uncertainties that need to be put to bed in order for the team to truly challenge for the World Series. But, with a roster of talented players, it is not impossible. This year could well be an exciting one in Queens!

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Poor Billy Wagner… arguably the best left-handed reliever in the game and once again he failed to get enough votes for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.

And while Wagner was undoubtedly one of the most glaring snubs, he certainly was not the only one as Todd Helton, Andruw Jones, and former Mets Carlos Beltran and Jeff Kent all failed to make the grade.

But hey, congratulations to Scott Rolen on his election to Cooperstown!

It’s just too bad that he’ll be all alone on that podium in June. Thanks, BBWA… for nothing.

Meanwhile, back to this weeks quiz!

In this edition of So You Think You Know the Mets we want you to name all the Hall of Famers that were once members of the Mets.

Let’s see how many one-time Mets you can come up with in three minutes…

Think you can name all 17 Hall of Famers?

Show us what you got!!

Good Luck…

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Last season, Phillies ace Aaron Nola led the major leagues in Strikeout to Walks Ratio – better known as K/BB.

K/BB ratio tells us how many strikeouts a pitcher records for each walk he allows. The number is found simply by dividing a pitcher’s total number of strikeouts by his total number of walks. It’s an essential tool for evaluating pitchers.

This edition of our quiz wants you to name the Top 15 Mets Pitchers who posted the highest career K/BB in franchise history.

Let’s see how many players you can come up with in three minutes…

So you think you know the Mets?

Prove it!!!

Good Luck…

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