In honor of Lindor, Capital One will donate $100,000 to SEEN, an organization close to Francisco and his wife, Katia, whom they work with to make a meaningful stamp on the lives of people. Lindor will be honored prior to Game 3 of the World Series in St. Petersburg on Monday night.

Lindor’s community contributions include partnering with New Balance for the launch of Lindor’s Leaders, which is a year-long leadership development program for students in Bayside High School’s Sports Medicine Program. Lindor also collaborated with Dairy Queen for Miracle Treat Day, which helped raise funds for local children’s hospitals. He also remains committed to helping students at Montverde Academy, which he attended for middle school and high school. He established the Francisco Lindor Scholarship Fund, providing opportunities for those who need financial aid to attend the school. Since 2020, Lindor has also donated over $1 million to help fund Lindor Hall, which is a two-story middle school building on Montverde’s campus. Additionally, he has donated baseball equipment to the school’s team.

Lindor has also shown a deep commitment to his native Puerto Rico, providing financial support for disaster relief and helping restore athletic facilities in his hometown of Caguas. He has also partnered with organizations, including the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, to hold youth baseball clinics in Puerto Rico.

In Queens, Lindor and New Balance provide students with backpacks and school supplies as part of a back-to-school initiative every year. He also started Lindor Smile Tuesdays in 2024, which welcomes youth organizations to Citi Field for educational experiences that inspire healthy habits while celebrating the game of baseball. Additionally, Lindor is dedicated to growing the game of baseball, making it more accessible and inclusive for all. He participates in the Mets’ Clinic for Champions with Special Olympics Florida and hosts the Lindor Clinic for Kids for local youth baseball leagues and Boys and Girls Clubs.

The post Francisco Lindor Wins Roberto Clemente Award appeared first on Metsmerized.

Freddy Peralta, the ALCS MVP who has allowed two earned runs in 16 2/3 playoff innings, will try to pitch the Rays back into the World Series Monday at 8 p.m. ET on FOX. Peralta was a Brewer for the first eight years of his career, winning 70 games, including a National League-leading 17 a season ago.

He came to the Mets for pitcher Brandon Sproat and infielder Jett Williams, went 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts, then was dealt to Tampa Bay for infielder Émilien Pitre, outfielder Aidan Smith and pitcher Gary Gill Hill. Peralta, 30, will be a free agent after the season.

The Brewers, looking for a 3-0 series lead, will go with LHP Robert Gasser, who threw five shutout innings in Game 3 of the NLCS vs. the Dodgers his last time out and has given up one run in nine postseason innings.

Via MLB

Latest Mets News

Jefferson Rojas went 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI in a Dominican Winter League game. He is 6-for-24 with two homers and two doubles in seven DOWL games.

Latest MLB News

Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic wrote a touching piece about how Bob Uecker‘s spirit is a part of the World Series.

The Astros are hiring Conner Watson to be their new director of hitting, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Watson was the Guardians’ assistant director of hitting development for the past two years.

Rocco Baldell has withdrawn from the Mariners’ managerial search, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported.

Latest on MMO

Steve Cohen earned a B on his MMO report card. Michael Simon explains.

Robert Colonna predicts how the 40-man roster will shake out. Have we seen the last of Mark Vientos as a Met?

James Villani recaps how Peyton Prescott, Irving Cota and Bruin Agbayani did in Arizona Fall League action on Saturday.

On This Date in Mets History

2000: Luis Sojo grounds Al Leiter‘s 142nd pitch up the middle for a tie-breaking, two-run single in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the Subway Series. Mike Piazza, the tying run at the plate, flies to center off of Mariano Rivera to end the game. The Yanks win the game 4-2 and the series 4-1.

1993: Howard Johnson is granted free agency. The third baseman led the National League in homers (38) and RBIs (117) in 1991 and went 30-30 three times in his nine seasons in New York. He finished his career playing one season apiece for the Rockies and Cubs.

On This Date in 1986 Mets

A day after the franchise’s most memorable win, it rained. Game 7 would be delayed a day. Red Sox manager John McNamara would opt to change starting pitchers, using Bruce Hurst on three days’ rest instead of Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd. Hurst had beaten the Mets in Game 1 (eight shutout innings) and Game 5 (complete game, two runs). Boyd allowed six runs in seven innings in Game 3. Davey Johnson stuck with Ron Darling rather than going with Dwight Gooden on short rest.

Born on This Date: Dominic Leone (1991), Jaime Cerda (1978), Elio Chacón (1936).

The post Morning Briefing: World Series Shifts to Tampa appeared first on Metsmerized.

Role: Owner
Grade: B

2026 Review

It’s hard to fault an owner who spends more on his team than anyone else in baseball. And that’s exactly what Steve Cohen did, enabling the New York Mets to enter the 2026 season with the highest payroll in baseball.

But, as this year’s Tampa Bay Rays/Milwaukee Brewers World Series goes to show, money doesn’t always equal winning in sports. Questionable roster decisions, injuries, bad luck. and poor play can derail even the richest teams, and all of the above happened to Cohen’s Mets in 2026. While he invested heavily in his club, accountability starts at the top, and so the owner has to take at least some of the blame for the Mets’ disastrous season when it comes to report card time.

The Mets missed the playoffs in 2026 for the second consecutive season and for the fourth time in Cohen’s six years as Mets owner. The latest disappointment came after the front office revamped the core of the roster, letting free agents Pete Alonso and Edwin Díaz walk and trading away Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil.

Time will tell whether the decision to let, specifically, Alonso walk, though the Mets sorely missed his offensive production in year one. Cohen brightened the spotlight on that choice when he told Alonso “this is your home…appreciate you, Pete,” after the former Met poetically hit his 300th career home run at Citi Field, as a Baltimore Oriole.

But one year after signing Juan Soto to a record contract, Cohen did still open up his checkbook to replace Alonso and the other departed players. He gave president of baseball operations David Stearns the resources to sign Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Luke Weaver, and Devin Williams and to trade for Freddy Peralta and Luis Robert, Jr. The intent to field a winning team was certainly there, but just about every one of these players severely underperformed in their first year in Flushing.

Some might call that bad luck, but Cohen himself questioned the strategy of fielding a team with so many new faces.

“There was too much risk when you think about all the changes that were made,” he said after the season. “Whenever there are significant changes, sometimes, it takes a while to integrate. Those are the things that I’m looking at and where we could be better.”

That didn’t stop Cohen’s organization from making another major change during the season: firing manager Carlos Mendoza. Cohen described it as a ,“mercy shot,” putting Mendoza out of his misery in the midst of a miserable season given an extension was not in the plans. The Mets played much better under interim manager Andy Green, who eventually signed a three-year contract to stay in the role, much to Cohen’s delight.

“Andy has connected with and pushed our players to perform, despite the disappointment of the season. Over the last several months he has brought discipline, accountability and positivity to the clubhouse, attributes we were seeking in our next manager.”

2027 Preview

In the dog days of July, Cohen threw some cold water on hopes for a full rebound in 2027, due to financial inflexibility and a stagnant farm system.

“We’ll have to figure it out. 2027 looks tougher. Our budget is – depending on who opts in and who opts out, we could be close to $300 million already. It doesn’t allow us a lot of flexibility. Do we see other players coming from the farm system to sort of buttress what we already have? Maybe, maybe not.”

But by August, Cohen was already singing a much more hopeful tune. The Mets prospect haul during the trade deadline and performances of rookies Carson Benge, Nolan McLean, A.J. Ewing, and Zac Thornton provide some optimism for next year. If the veterans acquired last offseason can return to their normal selves in their second year in New York, the Mets should have a much better 2027.

“We’ve had new players, and they’ve adjusted to New York. And you can imagine them feeling much more comfortable next year. So I think there’s a lot to look forward to here. I see the foundation of something that I think we can get behind. But we’ll see how it goes, right? But I’m getting more optimistic. I like what I see. And hopefully it continues.”

The post 2026 Report Card: Steve Cohen, Owner appeared first on Metsmerized.

The 40-man roster will also evolve as the offseason goes on and the Mets add free agents, make trades or claim players off waivers. Doing so requires removing someone from the 40-man roster.

So where does the 40-man roster stand, who are locks, and who may not survive the full offseason?

Francisco Lindor by Roberto Carlo

Opening Day Locks (22)

This is the easiest category. The Mets have 22 players that are locks to survive the full offseason if Bo Bichette opts in. Some of these players could end up traded, but assuming they are not those players are:

1. Juan Soto
2. Francisco Lindor
3. Bo Bichette
4. Carson Benge
5. A.J. Ewing
6. Brett Baty
7. Francisco Alvarez
8. Luis Torrens
9. Jared Young
10. Jorge Polanco
11. Nolan McLean
12. Christian Scott
13. Zac Thornton
14. Sean Manaea
15. Devin Williams
16. Kodai Senga
17. Dedniel Núñez
18. Nate Lavender
19. Tobias Myers
20. Jonah Tong
21. Tylor Megill
22. Reed Garrett

Rule 5 Adds (5)

The Mets have 36 players that are Rule 5 eligible this offseason. Obviously, they are not going to add all of them to the 40-man roster. Only players that are both expected to be claimed and the Mets are afraid to lose will be protected from the Rule 5 Draft. Anyone claimed must spend the entire season on said team’s major league roster or be returned to the Mets. That means players at the lower minor levels like Jose Chirinos or Ernesto Mercedes will not be protected. Players like Ryan Clifford, who struggled heavily in 2026, are unlikely to be claimed which means they will likely not be protected. And players who have not been claimed in the past like Kevin Parada are likely not to be claimed this year.

The players the Mets traded for at the most recent deadline likely will be protected as the Mets acquired those prospects knowing they would be Rule 5 eligible.

This means the five players the Mets are likely to protect from the Rule 5 Draft are:

1. Jefferson Rojas
2. Jacob Reimer
3. Jack Wenninger
4. Gary Gill Hill
5. Zach Franklin

Jack Wenninger may be the biggest question mark add after his up-and-down 2026 and his major concerns about his viability as a starter. But he could very likely be claimed as a reliever, a role he could fill on the Mets. Rojas and Reimer would likely be claimed and both should be expected to play a role for the 2027 Mets. Gill Hill and Franklin were acquired at the deadline by the Mets and pitched well.

One thing of note is that if a team adds someone to protect them from draft and later removes them, they go on waivers, can be claimed, and will not be bound by the roster requirement of the Rule Five Draft. So if any of these players are protected they will likely be guaranteed to survive the offseason.

Note, this brings the overall total to 27.

Players With Options Likely to Survive First Purge (11)

Players with options tend to survive the initial roster cuts in the offseason. Roster flexibility is key to a successful season so anyone with an option likely survives the first round of cuts at the least. This is in order from most likely to last the offseason to least likely.

1. Nick Morabito
2. Justin Hagenman
3. Jonathan Pintaro
4. Jefry Yan
5. Jack Weisenburger
6. Dylan Ross
7. Hayden Senger
8. Eric Wagaman
9. Philip Abner
10. Cameron Weston
11. Christian Cairo

Nick Morabito likely showed enough to keep his 40-man spot and be depth for the 2027 season. The Mets protected Justin Hagenman’s option which likely means they want him as depth for 2027. Jonathan Pintaro, Jefry Yan and Jack Weisenburger got significant run post the trade deadline which shows the Mets have at least some level of investment in them. Dylan Ross may be too high here but he was protected in the past and kept on the roster all year. Hayden Senger likely stays until the Mets find a better third catcher. Eric Wagaman is a decent depth piece the Mets claimed midseason. Philip Abner, Cameron Weston, and Christian Cairo were all claimed off waivers in September to fill the back of the Mets 40-man roster.

It is possible some of these do not make the roster crunch depending on who from the following lists make the cut.

The first five are very likely to make the cut but all eleven would bring the Mets 40-man roster to 38.

Marcus Semien

There is always a chance the Mets cut bait with Marcus Semien but he likely at least gets spring training to show that he deserves to stay on the roster, if even in a part-time role. President of baseball operations David Stearns would not commit to Semien keeping his starting role and seemed to allude that he has lost that role, but that does not mean he could not get some run either off the bench or in a part time role. For consistency in format Semien is the 39th player here.

1. Marcus Semien

Most Likely Candidates for the Final 40-Man Spot(s)

This is where roster crunch comes in the most. There are typically more players a team wants on their 40-man roster than there are roster spots. The most likely candidates that do not fit the above sections are:

1. Daniel Duarte
2. Austin Warren
3. Cionel Pérez
4. Chayce McDermott

Daniel Duarte and Austin Warren had strong seasons which could secure their jobs. The Mets traded for Chayce McDermott, but it was also Ben Rortvedt they sent to get him so that may not mean much. Both he and Cionel Pérez have intriguing stuff the Mets may want to work with. Pérez is also a lefty which could help his case.

All four would bring the roster over 40 players so either some of these players will not make the cut, some of the rule five eligible players won’t be protected, or some of the players with options will not make the cut.

Main Non-Tender Candidates

It is possible Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio do make the cut, especially if the Mets think they can trade them. But doing so would mean the Mets lose someone else. Neither have options left and it is hard to see either making the Opening Day roster, especially Vientos.

1. Mark Vientos
2. Ronny Mauricio
3. Christopher Morel
4. Cristian Pache
5. Robert Stock

Juan Soto by Roberto Carlo

Prediction

The following players are likely to survive the offseason on the 40-man roster.

Outfielders:

1. Juan Soto*
2. Carson Benge
3. A.J. Ewing
4. Nick Morabito

Infielders:

1. Francisco Lindor*
2. Bo Bichette*
3. Brett Baty
4. Jared Young
5. Jorge Polanco*
6. Jefferson Rojas
7. Jacob Reimer
8. Eric Wagaman
9. Marcus Semien

Catchers:

1. Francisco Alvarez
2. Luis Torrens*

Starting Pitchers:

1. Nolan McLean
2. Christian Scott
3. Zac Thornton
4. Sean Manaea*
5. Jonah Tong
6. Tylor Megill*
7. Jack Wenninger
8. Gary Gill Hill
9. Justin Hagenman
10. Jack Weisenburger

Relief Pitchers:

1. Devin Williams*
2. Kodai Senga*
3. Dedniel Núñez
4. Nate Lavender
5. Tobias Myers*
6. Reed Garrett*
7. Zach Franklin
8. Jonathan Pintaro
9. Jefry Yan
10. One of Daniel Duarte* or Austin Warren*

Note, “*” denotes they cannot be optioned.

This leaves the Mets 40-man roster at 35 leaving them five open spots to add players without trading away major league players listed above.

Notable removals:

• The three waiver claims, Philip Abner, Cameron Weston, and Christian Cairo will likely be among the first players with options cut and could make it though waivers for the Mets.
• Hayden Senger has passed through waivers before and the Mets could go with a third catcher not on the 40-man roster if needed.
• Dylan Ross could be viewed as likely to pass through waivers after his struggles in 2026.
• One of Duarte or Warren is likely a trade candidate as there are only eight total bullpen spots.
• Cionel Pérez and Chayce McDermott do not have options left which makes them difficult to see making it through the offseason.

The post Way-Too-Early Mets’ 40-Man Roster Decision Predictions appeared first on Metsmerized.

Notably, Peyton Prescott, 22, started the game and threw 2 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball. He allowed only one hit, walked one, and struck out two. Through 7 1/3 innings of work thus far this fall he has a 3.68 ERA and six strikeouts. However, he has also walked five.

Prescott was a fifth-round pick in 2025. He had to finish recovery from pre-draft Tommy John surgery and only tossed one inning for St. Lucie (Single-A) this season.

Following Prescott, Irving Cota, 22, was the only other Mets pitcher on the roster to throw. He tossed 3 1/3 innings, and had a rare off-day in doing so. He allowed five hits, one of which was a homer, resulting in two runs. He did strike out two and didn’t walk a batter. Despite the tough showing, his AFL ERA is still a respectable 3.27.

Cota was sensational across 24 2/3 innings for Brooklyn (High-A) posting a 0.73 ERA in 2026. He struggled in Binghamton, however.

The lone Mets hitter to play Saturday was was Bruin Agbayani. He played second base and went 1-for-4. He drove in one of Surpise’s five runs in the victory. His performance overall this fall has been lackluster, as he’s only hitting .118 with a .444 OPS across 34 at-bats.

Agbayani continues to work his way back from injury. He was limited to only three games with St. Lucie (Single-A) following his acquisition from Minnesota.

Surprise defeated Salt River 5-3 and moved to 10-6 on the AFL season.

The post AFL Recap: Prescott Starts, Cota Credited With A Hold appeared first on Metsmerized.

According to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Freddy Peralta disagreed that the Mets and Rays tried to get him to make the same fixes, saying their strategies were different.

And when asked why things didn’t work out with the Mets, Peralta told reporters, “Sometimes, I ask the same question myself.”

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

Pat Ragazzo of FanSided discussed why the Mets could have issues hiring a new hitting coach, with one of the biggest problems being a reported consensus among some league sources that “the industry feels like going to the Mets can set your career back.”

Mets prospect Boston Baro talked with MLB Pipeline about a new approach he’s taking in the Arizona Fall League that has already led to a big home run out in Arizona.

Latest MLB News

The MLB Players Association shared that Christian Yelich personally invited 98- and 102-year-old WWII veterans Bill Wattleton and Sverre Vinje to Game 1 of the World Series. The two were able to meet Christian’s mom, Alecia, along with former Brewers All-Star Chris Capuano.

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, MLB officials noted that the Milwaukee Brewers have sold more merchandise this postseason than any team in league history.

According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the New York Yankees have agreed on a three-year extension with pitching coach Matt Blake. Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported on Friday that a deal was close. Now the deal is official.

Latest on MMO

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki breaks down relief pitcher Daniel Duarte’s 2026 season in an MMO report card.

Robert Colonna reviewed how the Mets’ 2025 draftees have done so far and how the draft impacted the Mets and its farm system.

On This Date in Mets History

1986: The Mets rallied from a 5-3 deficit in the 10th inning of Game 6 of the World Series against the Red Sox and ended up defeating Boston 6-5 to force the decisive game 7.

Born on This Date: Juan Soto (1998), Pedro Martinez (1971).

The post Morning Briefing: Peralta Still Unsure Why Mets Tenure Didn’t Work Out appeared first on Metsmerized.

Friday night’s Game 1 ended in dramatic fashion, seeing the Brewers pick up a World Series win for the first time since 1982. Is there any way Game 2 Saturday can top it? Heck, even match it?

Regardless if it does, the Rays could use a spark after a deflating loss in the World Series opener. They’ll hope their postseason ace Drew Rasmussen can provide it. The righty takes the bump with his team trailing the series, and looks to build off his dominant ALCS Game 5 outing, where he allowed just one earned run in seven innings.

The Brewers look to take a 2-0 series lead behind the 24-year-old Logan Henderson. The Texas native was shaky in his last outing against the Dodgers, allowing two earned runs in four innings of work.

Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Rays Lineup

1. Yandy Díaz – DH
2. Jonathan Aranda – 1B
3. Chandler Simpson – LF
4. Junior Caminero – 3B
5. Liam Hicks – C
6. Richie Palacios – 2B
7. Jonny DeLuca – CF
8. Victor Mesa Jr. – RF
9. Taylor Walls – SS

Starting Pitcher: Drew Rasmussen

Brewers Lineup

1. Jackson Chourio – LF
2. Jake Bauers – 1B
3. Christian Yelich – DH
4. William Contreras – C
5. Brice Turang – 2B
6. Blake Mitchell – CF
7. Cooper Pratt – SS
8. Sal Frelick – RF
9. David Hamilton – 3B

Starting Pitcher: Logan Henderson

The post World Series Game Thread: Rays vs. Brewers, 8 PM ET appeared first on Metsmerized.

Sixth-rounder Nathan Hall was drafted after getting UCL surgery, fifth-rounder Peyton Prescott was drafted after he got Tommy John surgery and fourteenth-rounder James Smith broke his leg before the draft. Smith decided to go back to college while Hall and Prescott signed.

Mitch Voit. Photo Credit: Binghamton Rumble Ponies

So why did the Mets take two pitchers who just had elbow surgery? Because both of those pitchers would have gone much higher in the draft had they been healthy. The Mets chased upside in the hopes one of them might return on form and outproduce the round they were taken in. Nathan Hall got into some games and has shown off an incredible feel for spin. He ended the year with a 3.57 ERA across 22.2 innings. Peyton Prescott only made it into one game but he is currently pitching in the Arizona Fall League and has looked good.

Mitch Voit was their first pick and while he started off struggling and potentially playing through injury, from late May onwards he lit up the minors. Across the rest of his time in High-A he slashed .259/.380/.424/.794 and earned a promotion to Double-A where he was even better, slashing .347/.430/.517/.947. He split time between shortstop and second base and could make an impact in the majors in 2027.

Second-round pick Antonio Jimenez on the other hand has struggled heavily and was demoted to Single-A, where he struggled initially but bounced back, earning a promotion back to High-A. Unfortunately, he was still a below-average hitter after he return.

Seventh-rounder Cam Tilly had a rough start to his first season of pro ball but was lights out in June pitching to a 1.00 ERA and 0.83 WHIP across four starts. He did not pitch again in 2026. He will need to add velocity to capitalize on his stuff, but he is also only 21 years old.

Twelfth-round pick Truman Pauley was traded alongside Luisangel Acuna for Luis Robert Jr., who missed most of the season and was eventually claimed off waivers by the Orioles. Pauley struggled heavily in Single-A, pitching to a 5.30 ERA and 1.54 WHIP.

Fourth-round pick Peter Kussow underwent labrum surgery at the start of the 2026 season which was a huge blow because he was viewed as a very high-upside pick the Mets went over slot to sign.

Sixteenth-round pick Zack Mack has pitched well in Single-A and even got into a game in Triple-A before the end of the season. He has an interesting delivery and a good fastball.

You can view the full draft here:

• Round 1 – Mitch Voit – TWP
• Round 3 – Antonio Jimenez – SS
• Round 4 – Peter Kussow – P
• Round 5 – Peyton Prescott – P
• Round 6 – Nathan Hall – P
• Round 7 – Cam Tilly – P
• Round 8 – Camden Lohman – P
• Round 9 – Anthony Frobose – SS
• Round 10 – Tyler McLoughlin – P
• Round 11 – Wyatt Vincent – OF
• Round 12 – Truman Pauley – P
• Round 13 – Frank Camarillo – P
• Round 14 – James Smith – P
• Round 15 – Conner Ware – P
• Round 16 – Zack Mack – P
• Round 17 – Sam Robertson – SS
• Round 18 – Dillon Stiltner – P
• Round 19 – Joe Scarborough – P
• Round 20 – Garrett Stratton – P

The post Reviewing the Mets 2025 Draft appeared first on Metsmerized.

Player Data: Age: 29 (12/04/1996)

B/T: R/R

2026 Traditional Stats: 24 G, 29 2/3 IP, 2.12 ERA, 0.809 WHIP, 2-0, 30 K, 7 BB

2026 Advanced Stats: 193 ERA+, 26.8% K%, 6.3% BB%, 2.87 xERA, 3.20 FIP, 3.72 xFIP, 0.6 fWAR, 1.1 bWAR

2027 Contract Status: Pre-arbitration

Grade: A-

2026 Review

Daniel Duarte wasn’t expected to be a factor in the Mets’ plans in 2026. He didn’t pitch at all in 2025 while recovering from elbow surgery. He was given a minor league contract from the Mets in December and didn’t factor into the competition for the final major league roster spot. Duarte was called up to the major league roster in May, but was sent back to Triple-A after one appearance. He was recalled in June, but was again sent back to Syracuse after two appearances. The Mets brought Duarte back to the majors in late July, and this time he stuck around as the Mets dealt away Luke Weaver, Huascar Brazobán, Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter ahead of the trade deadline. When Devin Williams was placed on the injured list, Duarte was thrust into a high-leverage role, becoming the setup man for Kodai Senga.

Duarte made the most of his opportunity, racking up six holds and a pair of saves in the month of August. Factoring in his cups of coffee earlier in the season, he went unscored upon in 19 of his 24 appearances. He pitched more than an inning nine times, and stranded seven of the 10 runners he inherited. Unfortunately, a hamstring injury cut his season short, but 2026 was a massive success for Duarte.

Duarte relied on a five-pitch mix – a cutter, sweeper, four-seam fastball, sinker and changeup. His sweeper, four-seamer and sinker all generated strong results, with the sweeper holding opponents to a .076 xBA and .181 xSLG with a 35.4% whiff rate and plus-3 run value. His four-seamer registered a .121 xBA and .168 xSLG with a plus-2 run value despite being thrown just 73 times. Duarte’s sinker produced similar results to his four-seamer, producing a plus-3 run value over just 68 pitches. His cutter was the lone pitch that produced a negative run value, getting tagged for a .314 and .525 xSLG. While he didn’t generate many ground balls, Duarte excelled at limiting hard contact, recording just a 24.3% hard-hit rate and an average exit velocity of 83.2 mph. Duarte’s average fastball velocity (94.1 mph) and whiff rate (22.5%) were both below league average, but he generated an elite 39.2% chase rate, which helped him record an above-average 26.8% strikeout rate. Duarte had struggled with control in his previous stints in the majors (14.7% walk rate in 2023), but issued just seven free passes in 2026. In a year in which many of the Mets’ free-agent signings struggled, Duarte provided a feel-good story.

2027 Preview

Duarte did enough in 2026 to prove he deserves a roster spot in 2027. As of right now, he would again be a high-leverage arm, though it’s hard to imagine David Stearns and company not adding another arm or two to the bullpen. Even if Duarte isn’t as perfect as he was in 2026, he should be viewed as a solid option going forward.

The post 2026 Report Card: Daniel Duarte, RP appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Brewers won their first World Series game since 1982 on Friday, defeating the Rays 3-2 in Game 1 of this year’s edition. Nick Martinez struggled early but settled in for Tampa Bay, while the Brewers’ bullpen was dominant yet again. Trevor Megill, Tylor’s brother, escaped a sticky situation to close it out.

Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

Per Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Brewers manager Pat Murphy was almost the Mets’ choice to manage the team in 2020. He was then-general manager Brodie Van Waganen’s choice, but the Wilpons were concerned about how he would do in New York. The Mets wound up hiring Carlos Beltrán.

In the Venezuelan Winter League, Luis Torrens had his first live batting practice. He is expected to debut anytime between Saturday and Tuesday. Francisco Alvarez is expected to debut Tuesday.

Latest MLB News

The Yankees and pitching coach Matt Blake are negotiating a contract that will keep him with New York.

Hideki Matsui was named manager of the Tokyo Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.

Japanese 18-year-old Shoki Oda has yet to be registered as eligible for either the 2027 international signing period or the MLB Draft.

Latest on MMO

David Melendi grades pitcher Robert Stock‘s 2026 season.

In the latest MMO Roundtable, we give our World Series predictions.

Jack Markowski recaps prospect Boston Baro‘s excellent night in the Arizona Fall League Thursday night.

On This Date in Mets History

2000: The Mets defeated the Yankees 4-3 in Game 3 of the 2000 World Series. Robin Ventura and Todd Zeile each had a pair of hits and an RBI, while Rick Reed pitched six innings of two-run ball. The Mets win made the series 2-1 in favor of the Yankees.

Born on This Date: Omar Quintanilla (1981), Mike Matthews (1973), Junior Ortiz (1959), Ron Gardenhire (1957).

The post Morning Briefing: Brewers Win First World Series Game in 44 Years appeared first on Metsmerized.