The Los Angeles Dodgers are your 2024 World Series Champions.

On Wednesday night, MLB crowned their champs, as the Dodgers finished off the New York Yankees in five games to become World Series champions. The Yankees jumped out to an early 5-0 lead with their ace Gerrit Cole on the mound, nearly assuring them a trip back to L.A. However, a calamity of errors in the fifth inning let in five unearned runs for the Dodgers, knotting the game back up at five apiece. While the Yankees took a 6-5 lead, the Dodgers offense would scratch off another two runs in the eighth. Blake Treinen and Walker Buehler combined for 10 outs and subsequently secured a celebration in the Bronx.

Freddie Freeman took home World Series MVP after homering in the first four games of the series.

The Dodgers, who have been the class of the National League for the past decade, look to be just getting started as they will have many key pieces returning next year. Los Angeles put its money where its mouth is, dishing out over $1 billion in contracts this past offseason, now other teams will have to rebut.

While the Mets fell short, another exciting offseason should be on tap, as the Mets and the rest of MLB look to catch the Dodgers.

Let the Juan Soto rumors begin! After the Yankees loss, the superstar outfielder said he was open to signing with any team. Free agency officially begins at 9 a.m. ET today but players cannot sign with new teams until Nov. 4.

Latest Mets News

Mets VP of Scouting, Kris Gross, joined the Over-Slot MLB Draft Podcast to give insight to the Mets’ farm system happenings.

Mark Vientos wrote a Players’ Tribune article, titled “A Letter to Mets Fans.” In the message, Vientos thanked the Mets for the electricity they brought all year, mentioning how “it feels like I was born to be a New York Met.” Mark also added how he feels like something special is building in Queens.

Jon Heyman of the NY Post reported that if the Yankees can’t sign Juan Soto this offseason, then Pete Alonso, alongside some starting pitching, could be their plan of attack in free agency.

Latest MLB News

After the Dodgers’ celebration, L.A. pitcher Daniel Hudson said he’s calling it a career.

Former Mets draft pick Anthony Kay pitched seven innings of shutout ball in Game 4 of the NPB Japan Series. This outing helped tie the series between the BayStars and the SoftBank Hawks at two games apiece.

The Cincinnati Reds and MLB are mourning the loss of Reds Hall of Fame pitcher Joey Jay. He was 89 years old.

The Yankees and Major League Baseball banned the two fans who interfered with Mookie Betts from attending Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night, refunding them for their tickets. The Yankees were then able to give those tickets to Calvin Young, a 15-year-old cancer patient, and his family, per Jorge Castillo of ESPN.

Latest on MMO

A pair of interfering Yankee fans were banned from game 5.

MMO grades David Peterson‘s breakout season!

Steve Cohen is leading the Mets down a new path.

On This Date in Mets History

2015: Michael Conforto becomes the second Met to hit two home runs in a World Series game. Doing so in Game 4 of the Fall Classic, Conforto joined Gary Carter as the only two Mets to do it.

Born on This Date: Steve Trachsel (1970), Tim Byrdak (1973).

The post Morning Briefing: Happy Offseason! appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

While the Dodgers captured a 5-2 win over the Padres in Seoul on Wednesday, that was far from the biggest story in “The City of Angels.”

Bill Shaikin of the LA Times reported that Shohei Ohtani‘s interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara, was accused of “engaging in a ‘massive theft’ of the ballplayer’s funds to place bets with an allegedly illegal bookmaker who is the target of a federal investigation.” The accusation comes from Ohtani’s representatives, who did so after finding out that Ohtani’s name came up in said investigation, reportedly involving millions of dollars.

According to Tisha Thompson of ESPN, Mizuhara asked Ohtani to pay off nearly $4.5 million in gambling debt, which he did and Mizuhara promised to never do again. After the news came out, Ohtani’s now-fired interpreter commented:

“I want everyone to know Shohei had zero involvement in betting. I want people to know I did not know this was illegal. I learned my lesson the hard way. I will never do sports betting ever again.”

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Christian Scott had an impressive four-inning outing in the Mets’ 6-3 spring training win against the Miami Marlins. Click here for the game recap. 

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza announced that Tylor Megill will be in the starting rotation to begin the season. Click here for more information on the decision. 

Edwin Díaz said he will pitch back-to-back days (Wednesday and Thursday) in one of his biggest hurdles since his knee injury, per Andre Tredinnick of North Jersey.com. He threw 21 pitches while recording two outs on Wednesday. 

Latest MLB News

The Dodgers kicked off the MLB season with a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres in the first of two games in the Seoul Series in South Korea.

The Texas Rangers and RHP Michael Lorenzen came to an agreement on a one-year,$4.5 million deal, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The deal includes $2.5 million in incentives and could max out at $7 million.

The New York Yankees and lefty free agent starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery are reportedly back in talks, per Jon Heyman of the NY Post. 

The Blue Jays traded infielder Santiago Espinal to the Cincinnati Reds and received RHP Chris McElvain in return, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. 

Cincinnati Reds top prospect Edwin Arroyo is going to miss the 2024 season as he will be having surgery for his torn labrum, per Charlie Goldsmith of Enquirer. 

MLBPA’s power struggle will likely come down to a vote on MLBPA executive director Tony Clark, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic.

Latest on MMO

Francisco Álvarez continues to gun runners out in spring training. 

Brett Baty hitting his groove as spring training closes.

Tylor Megill earns final starting rotation spot. 

On This Date in Mets History

2013: David Wright is named as the fourth captain in New York Mets franchise history. He joined Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, and John Franco as the only Mets to receive the honor.

Birthdays: Anthony Kay (29), Jimmy Yacabonis (32), Bobby Wahl (32), Carlos Carrasco (37), Shawon Dunston (61)

The post Morning Briefing: Shohei Ohtani’s Interpreter Fired, Accused of ‘Massive Theft’ appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Steve Cohen may not be done yet.

During a broadcast of Mets Hot Stove on SNY, Andy Martino said the Mets have about $10 million left to spend. 

“What the priority is within that is the relief pitching, they will bolster the bullpen before spring training or early on in spring training, while the offseason business is still going on,” Martino said. 

Making additions to the lineup is less than a priority, he added. Martino noted with the number the Mets are aiming for, it would be difficult to sign the likes of J.D. Martinez or Justin Turner. However, he did say that Cohen “is always willing to stretch for the right opportunity.”

Steve Cohen. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News 

The Mets have been linked to lefty relievers Brent Suter and Wandy Peralta, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Read more here. 

Starling Marte played the entire game in right field for the first time during the winter season last night. He went 0-for-4. 

Former Mets pitcher Anthony Kay signed with the Yokohama BayStars, per Sponichiyakuu on Twitter. 

Latest MLB News

Japanese pitcher Shōta Imanaga is signing with the Chicago Cubs, according to Bob Nightengale. Read more on the deal here.

Rachel Balkovec has agreed to become the new Marlins director of player development, according to MLB.com.  

The National Sports Media Association announced its 2024 Hall of Fame class and 2023 award winners. 

The Mississippi Braves announced Double-A affiliate will relocate to Columbus, Georgia, moving from Pearl. 

Shohei Ohtani’s landmark $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers has prompted the California Controller to congress cap deferred payments, per reporting from the Associated Press. 

The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office has determined it will not file felony charges against former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN. The case is moving to the City Attorney’s Office for misdemeanor filing considerations. 

MLB Network’s top 10 rankings at each position opening with starting pitchers. 

Latest on MMO 

Patrick Glynn wrote about the state of the Mets’ starting pitching depth. 

Episode 69 of Metsmerized Weekly discusses the additions of Harrison Bader and Sean Manaea, as well as a number of other topics. 

On this Date in Mets History

2006: Mike Pelfrey, the ninth pick in 2005 MLB draft, signed a four-year major league contract with the Mets worth $5.3 million and $3.5 million with a signing bonus.

Birthdays: Kevin Baez (57), Mario Diaz (62), Jim Lindeman (62), Kelvin Torve (64)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Reportedly Have About $10 Million Left to Spend appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Fall Classic is officially set. On Tuesday night, the Arizona Diamondbacks officially went from barely in the postseason to winning the pennant, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 on the road in Game 7 of the NLCS.

The Diamondbacks will play the Texas Rangers in the World Series, with the first game set for Friday night in Texas. 

MLB has announced the schedule for the World Series, which begins Friday night in Arlington: pic.twitter.com/yv8IuguPte

— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) October 24, 2023

The Diamondbacks trailed 2-1 through four innings, but RBI singles from Corbin Carroll and Gabriel Moreno gave Arizona a 3-2 lead in the fifth. A sacrifice fly from Carroll in the seventh extended the lead to two runs. 

Brandon Pfaadt started the game for Arizona, pitching four innings and allowing both Philadelphia runs. The Diamondbacks bullpen was impenetrable, pitching five shutout innings, capped by a save from former Met Paul Sewald. Ryan Thompson was credited with the win. 

An Alec Bohm solo shot in the second and a Bryson Stott double in the fourth encapsulated Philadelphia’s offensive output for the game. Ranger Suarez pitched 4 ⅔ innings and gave up three runs, and was credited with the loss. 

Latest Mets News

Jeff Passan of ESPN said he believes the Mets, entering a pivotal offseason, should be “front and center” in the race to sign Los Angeles Angels two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani. 

Five of the six players the Mets put on outright waivers on Friday elected free agency after not being claimed. Pitcher Anthony Kay was claimed by the Oakland A’s.

Mets radio broadcaster Pat McCarthy was hit by a car while jogging and underwent surgery, according to the Phillies Radio broadcast on WIP. McCarthy was said to be doing okay. 

MLB News 

Former Mets manager Buck Showalter is a candidate for the vacant Angels manager job, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. 

Craig Breslow has been offered the Boston Red Sox head of baseball operations job, and the expectation is for him to accept, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe. 

The San Francisco Giants poached Bob Melvin from the San Diego Padres to be the team’s new manager. The news was first reported by Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. 

The 2023 season was Dusty Baker’s final as manager of the Houston Astros, according to reporting from The Athletic. 

With a double on Tuesday, Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte has a hit in his first 16 career postseason games, tied with Marquis Grissom for the longest postseason hit streak to begin a career. 

Latest on MMO

Patrick Glynn looks at the free agent profile of starter Blake Snell. 

Tyler Antonelle breaks down how the Mets 2023 draft class in its first professional season.  

Shaun Chornobroff breaks down the Mets shortstop depth chart.

This Date In Mets History

1986: One of the greatest days in Mets history, Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. The Mets defeated the Red Sox 6-5 in ten innings on a ground ball by Mookie Wilson that found its way through the legs of Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner. The Mets went on to win Game 7 and the 1986 World Series. 

Birthdays: Pedro Martinez (52)

The post Morning Briefing: Arizona Diamondbacks Headed to World Series appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On the final weekend of the regular season, the Mets took two out of three from the postseason-bound Phillies and will now officially close the door on one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.

Entering the year as legit World Series contenders with the biggest payroll in baseball, a two-headed monster at the top of the rotation and a mostly intact lineup that won 101 games the season before, big things were expected of the Mets.

However, as has so often happened with this team over the years, only crushing and bitter disappointment followed. The team was never even really competitive out of the chute, spending all of two days in first place in the National League East. The last of which came on April 2.

That led to a dramatic pivot at the trade deadline as ownership and the front office opted to head in a new direction. Veterans were dealt away for a slew of high-end prospects who helped to rebuild the farm system. And the result was a 35th losing record in 62 seasons.

After taking the first two games against the Phillies in a doubleheader on Saturday, the Mets were pummeled 9-1 in their final game of the year on Sunday. As a result, they finish fourth in the NL East with a 74-87 record.

Now, without further ado, let’s dive into the final 3 Up, 3 Down of the year…

Francisco Álvarez. Photo by Roberto Carlo

3 Up

Turning The Page

It’s over, Mets fans. With the conclusion of this series, we can now officially close the book on 2023, move forward and look ahead to better times. This season was an absolute hot, stinking dumpster fire, and the franchise will wear the stain of that for quite some time. There is no escaping from that given the high expectations last offseason and then what transpired. However, what is gone is gone, and Monday marks the start of a new era for this organization. New president of baseball operations David Stearns will officially be announced and introduced, marking a fresh start and the opportunity to forget 2023 and instead look ahead to a more promising 2024.

Finishing Strong

One of the major decisions facing Stearns from Day One is this hot mess of a starting rotation. Kodai Senga and José Quintana are locks for 2024 but, outside of those two, there are a plethora of question marks. With a lack of elite and major league ready arms in the farm system, Stearns will have to explore both the trade market and free agency to fill out the rotation and make it at least serviceable in 2024. However, he may already have an internal option for the No. 4 or No. 5 spot based on what we saw Saturday. Tylor Megill, who has been largely solid down the stretch, produced arguably the best start of his career in Game 1 of the doubleheader. The righty got over seven innings of work – his longest outing this year – while allowing just one run on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. It was a stellar start from Megill, who looked locked in, and he finishes 2023 with a 9-8 record, a 4.70 ERA, 105 strikeouts and a 1.575 WHIP. With an outing like that, Megill will enter spring training with a fantastic opportunity to nail down a full-time spot in the rotation for 2024.

Monster Night

Francisco Álvarez saved one of his best offensive performances for last. The phenom catcher absolutely went off in Game 2 on Saturday as the Mets routed the Phillies 11-4. Álvarez entered the weekend riding a tough 0-for-19 stretch, but he snapped that in style with a two-run blast in the second inning that put the Mets on the board first at Citi Field. The rookie then went one better in the third, destroying the baseball for the first grand slam of his career. You won’t see many better-hit baseballs than the one Álvarez absolutely demolished. It was just a monster night for the 21-year-old who went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a career-high six RBIs. With his fourth career multi-homer game, Álvarez finishes 2023 with 25 home runs – just one shy of tying Hall of Famer Johnny Bench‘s record for the most homers by a catcher in their age 21 season or younger – 12 doubles, 34 walks, 63 RBIs and a .721 OPS in 123 games. The good news is that Álvarez is only going to get better, and the Mets will enter 2024 knowing they have their franchise catcher in place behind the plate.

Francisco Lindor, Buck Showalter. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

3 Down

So Long, Farewell

Who here watched Ted Lasso? Remember that scene in the final episode of the series where the AFC Richmond players perform a rendition – a very good one, I’ll add – of So Long, Farewell to say goodbye to Ted? Well, that scene was playing out in my head throughout Sunday after we got the news that the Mets and manager Buck Showalter were parting ways. Showalter delivered the news himself before the game, and the organization made it official shortly after. In the words of owner Steve Cohen, the Mets are “heading in a new direction” under new president of baseball operations David Stearns, and it makes sense to allow the new sheriff in town to hit the reset button, wipe the slate clean and move forward with his own guy in the dugout. Who that is remains to be seen.

But, as it pertains to Showalter, Sunday should be seen as a bittersweet day. Yes, the franchise probably made the right choice in allowing Stearns to start afresh with the manager he wants, and, yes, Showalter deserves some of the blame for a complete bust of a season in 2023. However, he certainly wasn’t the leader in the clubhouse in that respect. He wasn’t helped by poor roster construction, injuries and key players not playing to the back of their baseball cards. Overall, Showalter proved he can still impact winning at the highest level and the Mets are a better organization for having Buck Showalter at the helm. He helped bring a whole lot of professionalism, credibility, humility and respect back to this franchise. Hopefully he gets a chance to manage again in 2024.

Tough Luck

As good as Francisco Álvarez was in this series, he also endured a tough ending. The catcher sustained a heel injury in the season finale on Sunday. He left the game and outgoing manager Buck Showalter admitted he was “concerned,” saying that the impact area was between the Achilles tendon and the heel. With the Aaron Rodgers injury still fresh in every single New York sports fan’s mind, you start to repel at the very mention of the word ‘Achilles.’ Let’s hope it isn’t anything remotely serious and that Álvarez will be fully healthy to begin spring training. But it was a crappy end to what was a stellar season for the rookie.

Reverting To Type

Ah, the Mets bullpen. They should probably win an award for most appearances in the ‘3 Down’ section of this feature, given the absurd amount of Godzilla-sized eggs they’ve laid in 2023. To be fair, they got the job done in the first two games of this series, but they made sure to revert to type for the season finale on Sunday. Fitting, really. After a solid outing from José Butto, the combination of Denyi Reyes and Anthony Kay came in and allowed six runs in the ninth, including Kay giving up a three-run blast to Brandon Marsh. It was one last ugly showing from the bullpen in a long line of them this year. While star closer Edwin Díaz will be back in 2024, David Stearns will have his work cut out when it comes to rebuilding this bullpen. There’s a lot of work ahead.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets End 2023 With Series Win appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

David Peterson. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Since the game needed to be finished due to there being postseason implications for the Marlins, the two teams waited and waited and waited. After over a three-hour rain delay, MLB made the decision to suspend the game.

If Miami still needs the game for a playoff spot, it is possible that the game might have to be resumed Monday at Citi Field at 1:10 p.m ET.

Marlins will finish their game with the Mets in New York Monday at 1:10 EST if necessary.

— Craig Mish (@CraigMish) September 29, 2023

They currently hold the third Wild Card spot in the National League with a 1/2 game lead over the Cubs. They are 1 1/2 games behind the Diamondbacks for the second Wild Card.

What gets lost in all of the rain was the great pitchers duel between southpaws Jesús Luzardo and David Peterson. Peterson ended up having his best outing of the season and got a no-decision to show for it.

The Marlins rare chance against Peterson came in the fifth when they loaded the bases with two outs. The left-hander was able to get out of trouble when Jon Berti hit into a fielder’s choice. Initially, the call on the field was that Bryan De La Cruz scored before Xavier Edwards was out at second, but the call ended up being overturned.

On the night, Peterson went seven scoreless innings, allowed four hits, walked four, and struck out eight on 113 pitches (66 strikes). He was able to use his sinker to get eight groundball outs. The left-hander has struck out seven or more in five of his last six starts and turned his season around after being called back up in mid-June.

David Peterson's season…

When he got demoted to the minors in mid-May: 8.08 ERA in eight starts.

Since being called back up in late June: 3.38 ERA in 19 games (13 starts). https://t.co/DeTbjXQ15H

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) September 29, 2023

Meanwhile, the Mets could not get much going against Luzardo. The only extra-base hit against him was a Tim Locastro double in the third. The slider was fooling Mets hitters all night as the southpaw went 7 1/3 innings, allowed one run on four hits, walked a batter, and struck out ten on 96 pitches (63 strikes) in his outing.

The Mets were finally able to crack the code in the bottom of the eighth. Brett Baty led off the inning with a single and Locastro advanced him to second with a sacrifice bunt. Miami would go to Andrew Nardi to face Rafael Ortega, who was in the game due to Brandon Nimmo exiting after the fourth inning.

Ortega ended up delivering an RBI single to give the Mets a 1-0 lead, his eighth RBI of the year. It looked like that run was going to hold up, but the bullpen could not get the job done.

As for Nimmo, it sounds like his season will be over after his injury.

Brandon Nimmo has an AC joint issue in his right shoulder. He'll have an MRI tomorrow to determine if there is "any rotator damage," per Buck Showalter.

Sounds like Nimmo is likely done for the season.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 29, 2023

Grant Hartwig threw a acoreless eighth inning and was sent back out for the ninth. After a single by De La Cruz and a Garrett Hampson strikeout, Buck Showalter called on Anthony Kay to get the final two outs. However, a wild pitch, an RBI double by Jazz Chisholm Jr., and an RBI single by Yuli Gurriel gave the Marlins a 2-1 lead.

Player Of The Game

David Peterson was the obvious choice here as he was able to complete seven innings for the second time this year (August 27 against the Angels). The 113 pitches thrown is a season-high and the second time he has thrown 110+ pitches in an outing (June 27 against the Brewers). The key for Peterson was his sinker, which got 18 called strikes+whiffs according to Baseball Savant.

On Deck

The Mets will begin their final series of the regular season on Friday night when they take on the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. You can watch the game on SNY at 7:10 p.m ET. RHP Tylor Megill (8-8, 4.92 ERA) will take the ball for the Mets against RHP Taijuan Walker (15-5, 4.35) for the Phillies. It is a rematch of last Friday night’s matchup in Philadelphia where both starters had quality start in no-decisions.

The post Mother Nature Wreaks Havoc At Citi Field As Marlins-Mets Suspended appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

When asked about his return to the Mets organization after being claimed off waivers from the Cubs on September 14, Kay noted, “This is our third try now. I feel like we’re in a bad relationship at this point, so hopefully this one ends a little bit better.” Originally drafted in round 29, Kay, a Long Island product, did not sign. He went on to play for the Connecticut Huskies and the Mets drafted him once more in 2016 with their first-round selection.

"This is our third try now. I feel like we are in a bad relationship at this point, so hopefully this one ends a little bit better than the first two tries. Everything's been great, this is awesome"

– Anthony Kay on getting another chance with the Mets pic.twitter.com/vcVaAK5SJt

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 24, 2023

The Mets traded him to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019 for starter Marcus Stroman, and Kay’s career trajectory was never quite the same. He struggled mightily in the majors while bouncing from the Blue Jays to the Cubs, compiling a career 5.60 ERA in 82 innings pitched with 85 strikeouts, 46 walks and 53 runs allowed.

In the minors this season, Kay has pitched to an impressive 3.76 ERA in 40.2 innings, allowing 22 runs, with only 17 of those earned. What’s improved drastically is his strikeout-to-walk ratio. He’s allowed 23 walks but punched out 58 batters. Originally a starter, Kay transitioned to a relief role where he’s been able to hone in on his craft. He nixed his curveball from his repertoire in favor of a cutter and slider, which have attributed to a higher percentage of swing and misses. In his appearance on September 24, Kay had a 60% swing rate on pitches outside the zone, his highest of the season.

Anthony Kay’s first two appearances since joining Triple-A Syracuse after being claimed off waivers:

– 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 SO
– 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 SO

He’s got a 3.76 ERA & 58 strikeouts across 40.2 Triple-A innings this year. Hitters only batting .200 against him.#Mets

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) September 22, 2023

With just a handful of games left to play in 2023, Kay still has a minor league option, something the Mets have valued in the past with their pitching. If he continues to put up good numbers in the remaining games and performs well come spring, Kay has a solid chance to compete for a spot in the 2024 bullpen. With Brooks Raley the only reliable lefty, Kay can complement him nicely and be a weapon for the Mets to use in key situations.

The post Anthony Kay Impresses In Full Circle Moment appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

In the midst of being swept by the Phillies, who moved a giant step closer to clinching a postseason berth, the Mets must have thought they should have been the team piling up wins down the stretch and playing meaningful baseball into October.

Instead, New York was the bottom-feeder being beat up on and the end of the regular season can’t come soon enough for a franchise desperate to wave goodbye to a miserable 2023, and instead focus on a 2024 season that should bring a lot of hope.

However, with just six games remaining on the slate, the Mets’ first focus will be ensuring they aren’t leapfrogged by the Nationals and finish rock bottom in the NL East.

Ronny Mauricio. John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

3 UP

RIGHT-HANDED EXCELLENCE 

There is never going to be a whole lot of positives when you get swept, but another eye-catching highlight reel play from Ronny Mauricio is certainly one. The rookie continued to flash plenty of promise offensively, and he was able to absolutely crush his second home run in the big leagues. This one was more special given that it was Mauricio’s first as a right-handed hitter, and it was an impressive shot in every way imaginable. The two-run blast came 1.23 ft above the ground, while leaving the bat at 112.9 mph. Per the excellent Sarah Langs of MLB.com, that’s the hardest-hit home run on a pitch that low or lower under Statcast since 2015. The previous mark you ask? That happens to be Yoenis Céspedes on a 1.21 ft pitch for the Mets back in 2018. Mauricio is now hitting .260/.305/.377/.682 on the year with three doubles, two homers, nine RBIs and six stolen bases. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough, Mauricio also made a stunning play with his glove in the fourth inning on Sunday to bail out Mark Vientos at first and showcase his defensive acumen.

NOT MAILING IT IN

You can tell a lot about certain players when the season has been over as long as it has for the Mets. For instance, it wouldn’t be surprising if certain players lowered their effort levels a little bit. Or even mailed it in completely. Not Brandon Nimmo. The veteran has been playing as hard as ever down the stretch and even earned an off day on Sunday after going a little too hard on Saturday. The leadoff hitter experienced some right leg soreness sliding into home plate. He is, however, expected to be good to go on Tuesday. And that sums Nimmo up. He has built a career on playing hard, and that hasn’t stopped even with the Mets being an absolute hot mess this year. Nimmo had himself a good series in Philadelphia, hitting a double and a triple and his 13 triples since the start of 2022 are tied for fifth in the majors. Furthermore, as long as he plays out the remaining six games of the year, Nimmo will achieve a new career-high in games played, beating the 151 mark he set last year. This has been a healthy Brandon Nimmo for the most part in 2023, and he’s one of the very few positives to emerge from a lost year. His attitude towards playing the game will be a big plus for the Mets’ slew of young players heading into 2024.

THE LONG WINDING ROAD BACK

Anthony Kay‘s baseball journey has certainly been an interesting one up to this point. Selected in the first round of the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft by the Mets – three years after being drafted by the same team but not signing with them – Kay was sent to Toronto as part of the package to acquire starter Marcus Stroman in 2019. Kay spent a few seasons for Toronto before locking on with the Chicago Cubs, where he posted a 6.35 ERA in 13 games in 2023. Then came the full circle moment. The Mets opted for a third spell with Kay, claiming him off waivers earlier this month. He was called up to the big leagues on Sunday, finally making his Mets debut all these years later. And it was well worth the wait. The lefty struck out a pair and induced a double play over 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Although a very small sample size, it was an impressive outing from Kay who could provide the Mets with another useful lefty weapon to use out of the bullpen in 2024. His journey with the New York Mets started years ago but, in many ways, it could actually just be the beginning.

Photo by Roberto Carlo

3 DOWN

PAIN THRESHOLD

Francisco Álvarez is getting used to being banged up behind the plate by foul balls. After leaving a game earlier this month thanks to an errant foul ball, it happened again on Sunday as the catcher exited the game in the seventh inning. Álvarez took consecutive foul balls off his left hand, with manager Buck Showalter revealing after the game that his catcher had suffered a finger contusion. The good news is that the X-rays came back negative but, again, you do worry about the amount of punishment Álvarez is taking behind the plate at the moment. You just hope that one of these foul balls doesn’t cause serious injury and that he has to miss a substantial amount of time. Leaving games early twice in a month has hardly been ideal for his development, with Álvarez needing to take advantage of every rep he can get both at the plate and behind it.

NIGHT TO FORGET

This was hardly a vintage series for starting pitching for the Mets. José Quintana and José Butto struggled in their respective starts. However, David Peterson really put up a dud in his outing on Thursday that set the tone for the remainder of the series. The lefty walked two and gave up two singles to put his team in an early first inning hole, and it didn’t really get any better from there. He gave up a further three hits in the third, including a home run to Alec Bohm, and he left the game after the fourth having given up four earned runs on five hits while allowing two walks and striking out seven. With time rapidly running out on the regular season, this was hardly the lasting impression Peterson would have wanted to leave as he battles for a bigger role in 2024.

UNWELCOME CONFIRMATION

We all knew it was coming. The writing has been on the wall for a considerable amount of time when it comes to this being a lost year. We just got ugly confirmation of that over the weekend. With a loss to the Phillies on Thursday, it was guaranteed that the Mets would finish under .500 in 2023. It confirmed the franchise’s 35th losing record in 62 seasons. Then, with another loss on Friday, the Mets were officially eliminated from playoff contention. The sweep in Philadelphia just hammered home how big of a hot, steaming dumpster fire this year really has been. Armed with a whopping $364 million payroll entering the year – the biggest in baseball – these not so Amazins’ have fumbled the bag at every opportunity, a myriad of failures that led to what was supposed to be a legit contender missing the postseason and the franchise opting for a rapid change in direction as a result. Just six games remain before the Mets can pack away their lockers, depart for the winter and really reflect on one of the biggest busts and most bitter disappointments in franchise, and indeed baseball, history.

The 71-85 New York Mets have an off day on Monday before opening up their final homestand of the year against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. The Mets have six games remaining in 2023, three against the Marlins and three against the Phillies, all at Citi Field.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Swept By Phillies appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

José Butto. Photo by Roberto Carlo

The New York Mets entered Sunday night’s game in a dreary Philadelphia hoping to avoid a four-game sweep. Unfortunately, this goal was not accomplished, and New York lost their fourth-straight against the Phillies by the score of 5-2. Only two series remain for the Mets, who are limping their way to the finish line.

One of the storylines the last couple weeks of the season has been the apparent emergence of starter José Butto. However, for the first time since August 15, Butto allowed more than two runs. He was shelled for four across only four innings, the big blow being a Nick Castellanos two-run home run. In total, Butto allowed four hits to go along with two walks. He did strike out five, but overall struggled in what was his worst major-league outing of the season.

Butto’s ERA still sits at a solid 3.75 on the year. Despite the poor outing, overall signs this season are very encouraging for the 25-year-old from Venezuela.

Offensively, it was another rookie that led the way. In the sixth inning, Ronny Mauricio launched a two-run home run over the left-field fence off a pitch that was likely to be in the dirt. The ability to get the bat on the ball, let alone launch it at a game-high 112.9 mph is extremely impressive. Mauricio continues to show encouraging signs during this loss season.

After Butto, the only Mets’ reliever, of the three that followed, to allow a run was Grant Hartwig. His ERA now sits at 5.13 on the season. However, both Anthony Kay and Trevor Gott were able to post scoreless appearances.

Kay, who was claimed off waivers on September 15, was recalled before the game after terrific performances with Triple-A Syracuse. Before his call-up, the former Mets’ draft pick posted eight strikeouts across two appearances that lasted 3 1/3 innings with Syracuse. In all, he has struck out 58 across 40 2/3 Triple-A innings this season. Certainly an intriguing arm to watch out of the bullpen the remaining week of the season.

During the game, Mets’ catcher Francisco Álvarez left the contest after taking back-to-back foul balls off the mitt. He left favoring his left hand. After the game, Buck Showalter confirmed it is a finger contusion for the Mets’ young catcher. The X-rays were negative.

Statistic of the Game: .455 Win Percentage

With the loss, New York drops to 71-85 on the season. This slots them in with the eighth-worst record in the majors. Given the Washington Nationals are not eligible for a top-ten pick, the Mets currently slot in at seventh in the draft lottery order.

The Mets need to earn a top-six slot in the draft lottery or else their first-round pick will drop 10 spots.

Ronny Mauricio. John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Game: Ronny Mauricio 

Not much to write home about for the Mets on Sunday. The lone offense came via the bat of Ronny Mauricio. Mauricio, who slugged the home run from the right side of the plate, went down and got the pitch in what was a very impressive two-run shot.

Mauricio is slashing .260/.305/.377 on the season. Despite the power surge he showed in Triple-A, that power has yet to really showcase in the majors since his call-up. Nice to see the long ball on Sunday.

On Deck

The Mets trudge on with their season as they welcome in the Miami Marlins in the team’s second-to-last series of the season. The three-game set is slated to begin Tuesday as Game 1 will get underway at 7:10 pm ET. The probable pitching matchup for Tuesday’s contest is Braxton Garrett versus Joey Lucchesi.

The post Mets Swept In Dreary Philadelphia 5-2, José Butto Struggles appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Anthony Kay. Photo: Ed Delany, MMO

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (58-81) 7, Worcester Red Sox (76-66) 2

BOX SCORE

• SS Danny Mendick: 3-for-5, R (.817 OPS)
• LF Brandon McIlwain: 0-for-2, R, 3 BB, SB, 2 K (.868 OPS)
• 1B Daniel Palka: 1-for-4, R, RBI (59), BB, K (.751 OPS)
• 3B Jaylen Palmer: 1-for-4, R, HR (5), 2 RBIs (12), K (.911 OPS)
• DH Joe Suozzi: 1-for-4, R, RBI (14), BB, K (.800 OPS)

The Mets were able to get on the board first in the top of the third on a solo home run by Matt O’Neill and an RBI single by Palka. The former Red Sox farmhand has a hit in each of the last four games of this series.

In the sixth inning, with the game tied at two, Palmer hit a two-run home run to put the Mets back on top. The 23-year-old has homered in three straight games and he has five home runs in the month of September.

• RHP Justin Jarvis (8.39 ERA): 4 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 7 K, WP (58 of 93 pitches for strikes)
• LHP Anthony Kay (4-1, 3.96): 1 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 3 K
• LHP Nate Lavender (3.00): 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, BB, 5 K

The four Syracuse pitchers that appeared in this game combined to strike out 16 batters and only surrendered one extra-base hit. Jarvis ended up his longest outing as a member of the Mets’ organization and the seven strikeouts were the most he had in a start since June 23 at Double-A Biloxi.

Kay ended up making his return to the Mets organization and threw 15-of-23 pitches for strikes and striking out three of the four batters he faced. As for Lavender, he has 12 strikeouts to 2 walks in five games this month (1.69 ERA).

Luisangel Acuña. Photo by Bronson Harris of Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (73-61) 6, Reading FIghtin Phils (59-76) 0

BOX SCORE

• 3B Rowdey Jordan: 1-for-3, R, 2B, RBI (63), BB (.735 OPS)
• RF Drew Gilbert: 1-for-3, R, BB, K (1.003 OPS)
• CF Jett Williams: 0-for-2, R, RBI (2), BB, 2 K (.697 OPS)
• 2B Luisangel Acuña: 1-for-5, R, 2 K (.621 OPS)
• 1B JT Schwartz: 0-for-2, R, RBI (48), BB, HBP (.813 OPS)

The Rumble Ponies managed only one extra-base hit in their shutout win with that hit being an RBI double by Jordan in the bottom of the second. Jordan extended his hit streak to seven games and has driven in nine runs in the last five games.

• RHP Benito Garcia (0.00): 4 1/3 IP. 0 ER, 1 H, BB, 4 K (35 of 53 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Trey McLoughlin (2-1, 3.31): 1 2/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, K
• LHP Matt Minnick (3.16): 2 IP, 0 ER, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K, WP
• RHP Daison Acosta (4.75): 1 IP. 0 ER, 0 H, BB, K

The four Binghamton pitchers combined for a two-hit shutout on Saturday and Garcia got the day off to a strong note. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed a one-out single in the fourth, but that was his only mistake. In three outings this month (two with Binghamton), He has allowed only one hit in each outing (11 1/3 innings pitched).

Minnick threw two scoreless innings of relief to give him five consecutive scoreless outings.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Anthony Kay Solid In Return To Organization appeared first on Metsmerized Online.