Alec Bohm is looking for somewhat of an encore with the Philadelphia Phillies after putting together the most productive all-around campaign of his career thus far, though he’s got some work to do.

Here are the rankings for the top players at the hot corner in the NL East heading into the 2025 season.

No. 5: José Tena/Trey Lipscomb, WSH

It’s a competition at the hot corner in D.C.

José Tena was acquired by the Washington Nationals from the Cleveland Guardians at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for outfielder Lane Thomas. At 23-years-old, Tena is another piece of the Nationals’ youth movement who boasts some upside. He was a bit underwhelming in 41 games for the club last year, however, with a .274/.305/.363 slash line, three home runs, 15 RBIs and five doubles. His defense also leaves much to be desired, as he committed nine errors at third.

Trey Lipscomb has the better glove amongst the pair, but hit just .200/.268/.232 over 211 plate appearances as a rookie in 2024. Tena, as of now, seems to be the favorite to win the job out of spring training.

No. 4: Connor Norby, MIA

Traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Miami Marlins at last year’s deadline alongside Kyle Stowers for Trevor Rogers, Connor Norby played in 36 games for his new team last year. The 24-year-old hit seven home runs and drove in 17 runs during that stretch with a .247/.315/.445 slash line.

Norby is looking to break out for Miami as one of its top prospects. Should he properly develop and live up to that status, then the Marlins could have a long-term solution on their hands.

No. 3: Alec Bohm, PHI 

As was the case for the Philadelphia Phillies as a team, it was a tale of two halves for Bohm.

In the first, he hit .295/.348/.482 with 11 home runs, 70 RBIs and a .830 OPS, leading to the first All-Star nod of his career. In the second half, however, his production fell to just four home runs and 27 RBIs with a slash line of .251/.299/.382. He was held to just one hit in the playoffs against the Mets as well.

Bohm was reportedly a topic of trade discussions for the Phillies over the offseason, but he enters spring training looking to rebound with much to prove.

Photo by Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

No. 2: Mark Vientos, NYM

Vientos had a long journey to get to this point in his career. Many doubted him heading into last season, and that feeling amplified after the Mets initially went with Brett Baty as their starting third baseman while also signing J.D. Martinez as their designated hitter.

Vientos had to wait for his opportunity, but he made the most of it. He was called up for three games in late April after Starling Marte was placed on the bereavement list, and he’d go on to hit a walk-off, two-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals. Then, in May, Vientos was brought back up after Joey Wendle was designated for assignment and took over the third base job from there.

In total, Vientos logged 27 home runs and 71 RBIs in 111 games while slugging .516. He was also the Mets’ best postseason hitter, batting .327 with five homers. Now in year two as a starter and firmly entrenched at third after the Mets re-signed Pete Alonso, Vientos will have teams adjusting to him, and his own tweaks will be key to his 2025 season and overall development.

No. 1: Austin Riley, ATL

Coming off his hand injury, Riley will look to reestablish himself as the best third baseman in the division and perhaps all of baseball.

A great player with both the bat and the glove, the two-time All-Star and Silver Slugger hopes to bounce back after hitting over 30 home runs in each of his last three full seasons. His return to the lineup, along with Ronald Acuña Jr., will add more of a jolt to the Braves as they look to take back the division from the Phillies.

OTHER NL EAST RANKINGS

• Shortstop
• Catcher
• First Base
• Right Field
• Designated Hitter
• Bullpen
• Starting Rotation

The post 2025 NL East Positional Rankings: Third Base appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Scott got the day starting with a bang, striking out Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley in what was a 1-2-3 inning. Both were of the swinging variety, one on his slider and one via a 96 mph fastball. In all, Scott generated a game-high 15 swings-and-misses. This one game after generating 18 whiffs in his major-league debut.

After an inning-ending double play in the second inning, trouble struck for Scott in the third. Two extremely hard-hit balls (111.4 mph and 106 mph) in a row resulted in a 2-0 lead for Atlanta, as the second of which was a two-run shot courtesy of Orlando Arcia. The last of the scoring Scott allowed came in the fourth inning, after a walk and two-straight singles, another Braves’ run was scored. Afterwards, the 24-year-old settled in, retiring seven in a row before a seventh-inning walk, followed by a single, ended his day.

In all, Scott tossed six innings, allowing six hits, three runs, and two walks. He struck out eight, after striking out six in his debut against Tampa Bay. Scott gave up the one home run to Arcia, but besides that, all of the five other hits he allowed were singles.

Scott was certainly not as strong as he was in his first outing, as he did allow seven hard-hit balls on Saturday. Additionally, his control was off. Of his 91 pitches, 60.4% of them were strikes. However, he found away to go six innings and allowed only three runs against an extremely tough Braves lineup. Further, the stuff was certainly once again on display, posting a 30.9% chase rate and a 31.9% whiff rate.

With a plethora of Mets starters nearing their respective returns, it will be interesting to see how the Mets manage their top pitching prospect. One thing for sure, through two major-league starts it looks like Scott has the stuff to be a very strong starting pitcher for a very long time. Hopefully, those indications continue to prove true as the season goes on.

The post Christian Scott Once Again Flashes Electric Stuff Against Braves Lineup appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

We’ve ranked first base, second base and the starting rotation so far. Let’s review third base.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

1. Austin Riley — ATL

There’s a clear-cut No. 1 in this position group: Austin Riley.

Riley’s breakout 2021 season wasn’t a fluke, and he’s reproduced it—30+ homers, 90+ RBIs and pretty good defense at third—every season since. He’s gathered 15.6 fWAR over the last three seasons—the second-most at the position in that time. (That’s more than Manny Machado, Rafael Devers, Nolan Arenado, and plenty of other solid third basemen.)

He’s so good, the Liberty Media Group gave him more than $200 million – and he’s not even an executive.

2. Jake Burger — MIA

Jake Burger arrived in the NL East at the trade deadline last offseason when the Marlins dealt prospect Jake Eder to the White Sox. Kim Ng made the trade to add power to the Marlins’ lineup, and it worked. Burger slashed .303/.355/.505/.860 over 217 plate appearances with the Fish, including 22 extra-base hits (nine homers and 13 doubles).

The White Sox traded Burger when his value was low. (He had a .214 average and .278 OBP, albeit with 25 homers, when he was traded.) The Marlins dealt a good pitching prospect, but they’ve grown those on trees recently.

Burger will be 28 next season, and he has easy 30-homer power. He’s below average as a defender, but after cementing himself as a big leaguer in 2023, Burger enters 2024 as a solid starting third baseman.

3. Alec Bohm — PHI

The Mets made Alec Bohm hate Philadelphia at one point in 2022. Then he grew into a classic Philly sports hero.

Bohm has turned into a serviceable third baseman with the versatility to man third and first—he split his time almost evenly last year. He swings at half the pitches he sees and makes a lot of contact as one of the top 20 players in the league at both in-zone and out-of-zone contact. That has resulted in him being an average hitter with a 102 wRC+ combined over the last two years.

He was criticized last postseason for his poor performance (and his manager wouldn’t move him from the clean-up spot), but he’s done enough to be ranked as the third-best third baseman in his division.

Brett Baty. Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

4. Brett Baty — NYM

These next two rankings are based on potential, as neither has produced in their time in the big leagues just yet. But Brett Baty gets the higher ranking because I’d bet 90% of you don’t know who No. 5 is on this list.

Baty’s 2023 season was awful. He had nearly 400 plate appearances, and he didn’t really have a good stretch among them. He slashed .212/.275/.323/.598 at the plate, and his expected numbers didn’t leave much room to use luck as an excuse. But Baty has the potential and hit tool to succeed. It just hasn’t translated against major league pitching yet.

This is Baty’s year to prove if he’s the Mets’ starting third baseman for years to come. He hasn’t been able to grab those reins just yet. It looks like he’ll have his chance in 2024, though, with David Stearns stating early in the offseason that the team likes their internal options at third. (This was before Ronny Mauricio got injured, but they haven’t made a significant move since to take at-bats from Baty.)

If he doesn’t produce—and impress as he does—the Mets will surely have their eyes on someone like Mauricio or an external option (Alex Bregman, Manny Machado, etc.) to man third in 2025.

5. Nick Senzel — WAS

If Brett Baty hasn’t reached his potential, Nick Senzel is still employed because of his.

Nick Senzel is projected for negative WAR. The training staff that keeps him healthy will win a medical grant from the NIH. He will do at least one thing that will cost the Mets a game. That said, he will also probably play so poorly in a series that the Mets will sweep it. The Nationals’ other options are Carter Kieboom (just give him one more season and it will all click) and Ildemaro Vargas. Yes, Brett Baty is the fourth-best third baseman in the NL East.

They have a couple of decent third base prospects—Brady House and Yohandy Morales—but neither will likely impact the 2024 team.

The post 2024 NL East Position Rankings: Third Base appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Phillies jumped out to a 4-0 lead in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Braves, but Atlanta stormed back to take a 5-4 lead thanks to a couple of two-run homers by Travis d’Arnaud and Austin Riley. The game ended with Michael Harris II robbing Nick Castellanos of a game-tying extra-base hit and Bryce Harper getting doubled off at first base. The series resumes Wednesday night in Philadelphia.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Latest MLB News

The Diamondbacks jumped on Bobby Miller for three runs in the top of the first inning, and the Arizona bullpen recorded the final ten outs as they defeated the Dodgers 4-2 to take a 2-0 series lead. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. smacked a solo home run, and Zac Gallen earned his second win of the postseason. He allowed two runs on five hits and stuck out four in 5 1/3 innings.

The Nationals announced that multiple members of their coaching staff will not be returning next season. Bench coach Tim Bogar, first base coach Eric Young Jr., third base coach Gary DiSarcina, and assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler were all informed that their contracts would not be renewed. Only pitching coach Jim Hickey and hitting coach Darnell Coles will remain on Davey Martinez’s coaching staff heading into 2024.

The Red Sox also announced significant changes to their field staff, dismissing pitching coach Dave Bush and third base coach Carlos Febles. Boston’s pitching staff finished 14th in the AL in ERA in 2022 and 11th in that category this season.

The Astros parted ways with assistant general manager Bill Firkus and farm director Sara Goodrum. Firkus earned his promotion after James Click departed last November, while Goodrum had been with the organization since 2021.

The Brewers announced that general manager Matt Arnold will hold an end-of-season press conference today at 11:30 AM. Arnold recently saw his right-hand man David Stearns leave for the Mets.

Latest on MMO

Allison Waxman breaks down how the Mets will utilize Starling Marte in 2024.

Chris Bello evaluates Joey Lucchesi‘s performance from this season.

This Date in Mets History

1973: Tom Seaver allows just one earned run over 8 1/3 innings, and Tug McGraw records the final two outs to send the Mets to the World Series with a 7-2 victory over the Reds in Game 5 of the NLCS. Cleon Jones leads the way on offense, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs.

Birthdays: Ramon Martinez (51), Elvin Ramirez (36), Fernando Martínez (35), Jeurys Familia (34).

The post Morning Briefing: Braves Rally to Even NLDS appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Up next on the rankings is third base. With only one true standout, the top spot on this list was pretty easy to assign but the middle three can fluctuate very easily. Between prospect promotions and free agency additions this list could have three new faces at this time next year. But for now here’s how the position shakes out for 2023.

5. Jeimer Candelario, WSH

The Washington Nationals big free agent acquisition this offseason is coming off the worst season of his career. Now 29 years old, Candelario has played for the Cubs and Tigers as part of his seven year MLB career. Candelario led baseball with 42 doubles in 2021 while hitting .271/.351/.442 and flirted with a .300 batting average in the abbreviated 2020 season. Last year with the Tigers, Candelario batted .217/.272/.361 in 124 games. Steamer projects Candelario for 1.5 WAR this season, 27th most among third basemen. Additionally Steamer has his batting line at .240/.312/.404. Candelario is a negative defender at third base, finishing 2022 with a -6 outs above average, ranking in the eighth percentile. It’s likely Carter Kieboom or Jeter Downs finishes the season as their third baseman.

4. Eduardo Escobar, NYM

It’s unknown how much playing time Escobar will actually receive in 2023 but with him being the incumbent we’ll rank the NL East as him being the starter over Brett Baty. Escobar entered 2022 off an All-Star season but couldn’t replicate the success the same way. Escobar wasn’t far off from his 2021 season – 109 OPS+ vs. 106 OPS+ – but his best days do appear behind him. Projections for Esobar range due to games played. Steamer has Escobar at 109 games while The BAT has him playing in 73. Either way he should be around a 1.1 WAR player with a league-average bat. ZiPS projections heavily favor the Mets prospect over Escobar this season. Baty is estimated for a .253/.331/.424 slash line with 2.9 fWAR while Escobar is .232/.292/.417 with 1.5 WAR. Escobar is projected for 80 more plate appearances as well. If Baty is the starter and produces to that point he could jump up the rankings to No. 2 in the NL East.

3. Alec Bohm, PHI

Alec Bohm was the second worst defender at third base in baseball but his bat will push him above Escobar in these rankings. Last season, Bohm was in the fourth percentile in outs above average with -9 at the hot corner. Still, Bohm’s bat added to a deadly Philadelphia lineup with an expected batting average in the 98th percentile at .290. Bohm’s actual batting average in 2022 was .280, indicating he can reach new heights in his fourth season. Steamer projects Bohm as the 16th best third baseman next season with 2.6 WAR with a .272/.324/.416 slash line. ZiPS has Bohm worse than Baty with a 1.5 WAR and a sub-100 OPS+.

2. Jean Segura, MIA

Segura tops the list of middle-of-the-pack third basemen mainly because of all the problems he’s caused against the Mets over the years. Segura is making the full-time transition from second base to third base in Miami and projects to be just fine after patrolling second and shortstop throughout his career. Segura’s offensive profile isn’t anything exciting with Steamer putting him at a .274/.331/.393 slash line and a 2.9 WAR . ZiPS is further down on Segura with a 2.0 WAR but a similar slash of .271/.329/.387.

1. Austin Riley, ATL

A legitimate stud and probably the best position player on the Braves next season, Riley is the clear-cut choice for best third baseman in the NL East. Steamer has Riley as the sixth-best third basemen in baseball next season with a 4.4 WAR and a .274/.343/.512 slash line. Riley, like the rest of the NL East, is a poor defender, but he does criminal things to baseballs. In 2022 he was in the 96th percentile of average exit velocity, 97th max exit velocity, 95th hard hit percentage, and 96th barrel percentage. Only 26 when the season starts the All-Star and Silver Slugger should remain atop this group for years to come barring a Baty breakout or a Manny Machado free agent signing.

The post 2023 NL East Position Rankings: Third Base Edition appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

A sense of urgency is needed when the going gets tough and a division title is on the line. For the second straight game, it appeared that the New York Mets (98-60) lacked that sense of urgency, losing to the Atlanta Braves (99-59) by a score of 4-2 on Saturday night. Max Scherzer looked mortal just like Jacob deGrom before him, and the offense fell dormant after a promising first inning. The Mets came into this crucial series with the upper hand, but they now find themselves one game back of the Braves with four to play and desperately needing a win in the series finale to regain control of their destiny in the division race.

The Mets came out swinging against Braves starter Kyle Wright, as three of the first four batters reached base in the top of the first inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Eduardo Escobar drove in the first run of the game on an RBI groundout, picking up right where he left off after an extraordinary month of September. The Mets gave Scherzer a 1-0 lead before he took the ball for the first time.

Scherzer pitched a shutdown inning in the bottom of the first, retiring all three batters he faced. He allowed a runner to reach second base with just one out in the second inning via a wild pitch, but he induced a strikeout and a flyout to end the threat.

.@You_Found_Nimmo got it. #LGM pic.twitter.com/puu0zsya6S

— New York Mets (@Mets) October 2, 2022

Things got dicey in the third inning when Francisco Lindor made an error on a Dansby Swanson grounder, putting runners on the corners with two outs. He gave up loud contact to Michael Harris II, but Brandon Nimmo snagged the liner in center field to get the Mets out of the inning with the lead intact.

Scherzer was doing plenty of bending, and he finally broke in the fourth inning, as Austin Riley led off with a double and Matt Olson drove him in with an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1. Scherzer was leaving a lot of pitches over the plate and not getting a lot of swings and misses, and the Braves offense capitalized by putting plenty of pitches into play.

The Mets offense went quiet after the first inning, but they bounced back in the fifth inning. Pete Alonso kicked off a two-out rally with a single, followed by a single from Lindor and an RBI single from Jeff McNeil that drove Alonso in. McNeil entered play on Saturday in the thick of the NL batting title race, and his latest big hit gave the Mets a 2-1 lead in this one.

McHITS! #LGM pic.twitter.com/xnWLNcrnpr

— New York Mets (@Mets) October 2, 2022

That lead did not last long, as the Braves continued to put good swings on Scherzer’s pitches. Swanson launched a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning to put the Braves on top by a score of 3-2. Scherzer managed to strike out two batters in the inning, passing Fergie Jenkins for 12^th all-time in career strikeouts in the process. However, the damage was done, and the ball was firmly in the Braves’ court.

The Braves tagged Scherzer for one more run in the sixth inning courtesy of a solo homer from Olson. Scherzer departed after 5 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and striking out four. He did not have his best stuff, which was never going to be sufficient against the high-powered Braves lineup.

Wright lasted just five innings, but the Mets did not fare any better against the Braves relievers that took over for him on the mound. The Mets offense went down in order in the sixth inning, and the only baserunner in the seventh came on a fielding error from Orlando Arcia.

Adam Ottavino got the ball for the seventh inning and made quick work of the Braves offense, getting help from a great defensive play by Alonso. David Peterson struck out two of the three batters he faced in the eighth inning, and Drew Smith got the final out to send the game to the ninth.

The Mets offense faced off against Kenley Jansen for the second straight night and again looked completely overmatched. The Mets started the game with a bang but went out with a whimper, putting the team’s chances at a division title on life support.

Photo by Roberto Carlo

Player of the Game: Jeff McNeil

Escobar got all of the praise (and rightfully so) for his outstanding hitting in September, but McNeil’s contributions should not be left unnoticed. He hit .337 last month, and he kicked off October with yet another multi-hit game, his fifth in his last six games. His hitting alone wasn’t enough to get the Mets over the line tonight, but his prodigious ability to make contact will continue to be crucial down the stretch and into the postseason.

Final line for McNeil: 2-for-4, RBI

On Deck:

The Mets will look to salvage a victory from this pivotal series when they take on the Braves on Sunday night at Truist Park. First pitch is set for 7:08pm ET, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN. The Mets will have Chris Bassitt on the mound, while the Braves will run out Charlie Morton.

The post Mets Stumble Out of First in 4-2 Loss to Braves appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

The New York Mets, having led the National League’s eastern division essentially all season, find themselves coming down stretch headed for a likely photo finish to claim divisional superiority. The Atlanta Braves just do not want to go away, having trailed the Mets by as many as ten and one-half games. Going into action On August 27, the Mets hold a slim two-game lead over manager Brian Snitker‘s crew.

There are many factors that will determine who sits atop the division at the end of the day on October 5. The health of key players will be a primary driver of success over the final 35 games of the 2022 season. To that point, the Mets should be getting Tylor Megill, Drew Smith, and possibly Joey Lucchesi back in September, all of whom can help their inconsistent bullpen. The Braves are set for the return of star second baseman Ozzie Albeis, which will give them abundant infield talent, given the  emergence of rookie Vaughn Grissom, to go with Matt Olson, Dansby Swanson, and Austin Riley.

The remaining strength of schedule will also play a role in whether the Mets or Braves get the first-round bye or have to compete in the best-of-three wildcard round of the postseason. While neither team will face a “tough” schedule as determined by opponents’ winning percentage, the Mets hold an advantage in this area, as the combined winning percentage of their opponents the rest of the way is .445 (the weakest in MLB), compared to .478 for the Braves’ opponents, making Atlanta’s remaining schedule the ninth softest in baseball.

Looking at some notable points on the schedule from Tankathon, here are a few observations:

• The Mets have 20 remaining home games
• The Braves (also 35 games remaining) have 15  home games
• The Mets have three remaining series (nine games) against teams with records over .500
• The Braves have 15 remaining games (three series plus two more in their current series against the Cardinals) against teams with winning records
• After September 1, when the Mets conclude a three-game encounter with the Dodgers at Citi Field, the Mets will have just six games left against teams over .500 with three of them being against the Braves, and the other three against the Milwaukee Brewers
• A key aspect of the Braves’ schedule is that they have seven games remaining against the Phillies, who will be battling for a postseason opportunity
• Atlanta also has a remaining west coast trip, during which they will play the Mariners (who hold the third wildcard spot in the American League as of August 27) and Giants. Though the Giants are not playing particularly well, they (as of this writing) have an outside shot at a wildcard spot and can be tough at home

The baseball clichés all apply to this situation. Teams have to beat whomever they play. Any team can beat any other team on any given day, and the guys on the other team are wearing major league uniforms as well. All of this is true. However, does it matter if you’re playing the Dodgers (.702 winning percentage) or the Nationals (.333 winning percentage), whom the Mets play six more times? It absolutely does.

The Mets can’t let their guard down against their other sub-.500 opponents, the Marlins, Cubs, Pirates, Athletics, and Rockies. The Mets’ path to a division title is not “easy”, but at this point of the season, any advantage is welcome and must be maximized.

The Mets have that advantage (albeit a modest one) in their remaining schedule. Make the most of it, gentlemen. The Braves show no signs of slowing down. When that photo is taken at the finish line, let’s make it the Mets who win by a nose.

The post Mets Have MLB’s Softest Schedule Down The Stretch appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

This year’s All-Star game was broadcast on Fox. The network tried a few innovations during the broadcast, however, the game drew record-low television ratings.

The mid-summer classic, according to an article in The Athletic drew 7.5 million viewers, down 10% from the game’s 2021 audience. The home run derby on Monday drew 6.8 million viewers. Baseball’s All-Star game remains the most watched of all the major sports, but the gap continues to shrink. The 2022 All-Star game was the first to ever draw fewer than eight million viewers.

How much has the television audience shrunk? In the 1990s, the summer showcase of baseball’s best talent routinely banked an audience of over 20 million. The event has not attracted more than 12 million viewers since 2010.

There are many reasons why the All-Star game’s popularity has dropped, with inter-league play probably the most prominent. There simply isn’t the novelty nor intrigue of seeing players from the “other league”. In the 1960s and 1970s, the All-Star game was highly competitive, symbolized by Pete Rose‘s crash into Ray Fosse in the 1970 game that resulted in a walk-off National League win. It’s hard to imagine something like that happening in current times.

The low ratings were not for lack of trying by Fox, as the network tried some new things to bring the intricacies of the game closer to the fans. Consider the in-game conversation between John Smoltz in the booth and Alex Manoah of the Blue Jays who was pitching for the American League. Ken Rosenthal captured some key moments in an article in The Athletic.

“Make this slider look like a strike on the outside corner and make it disappear off the corner,” Smoltz said.

Manoah wasn’t so sure.

“I’m thinking the slider, too, but I think if I execute a good heater up …” Manoah said, rubbing the ball as he pondered his next move. “He has seen the sinker twice. Something that stays true (straight) might throw him off a little bit.”

Later in the game, Fox aired a live conversation between Nestor Cortes of the Yankees, and his teammate and ASG catcher Jose Trevino. Here is some of the dialogue from Rosenthal’s article, as Cortes and Trevino decided on their approach.

“What are you thinking?” Trevino said to Cortes before a 2-1 pitch to the Braves’ Austin Riley.

“Cutter, back door,” Cortes said.

“Get it there,” Trevino replied.

To some, the interactivity of the broadcast trivialized the game, making it seem like a Sunday morning softball game. To others, the eavesdropping on player conversations helped further an understanding of the game, and the thought processes the players go through. Braves’ pitcher Colin McHugh was in the latter camp. From Rosenthal’s article:

After viewing the sixth inning of the All-Star Game, Braves reliever Collin McHugh tweeted, “That was the single best inning of baseball I’ve ever watched. Listening to Nestor and Jose do that in real time was truly amazing.”

There was also “ump cam” during the game, attached to home plate umpire Bill Miller‘s mask. The innovations may not have positively impacted viewership, but give Fox credit for trying to infuse intrigue into an event that has lost much of its luster.

As an older fan, I prefer the days of the All-Star game being played seriously (not the home field advantage years). I miss when the two leagues wanted to beat each other. I loved the 1994 game when Fred McGriff dramatically tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with a home run off Lee Smith of the Orioles.

Those days are over. The All-Star game is no longer the attraction it once was. Maybe interactive in-game conversations will help bring the game’s strategy closer to the fans, and subsequently, increase interest. Maybe those innovations will not. Time will tell.

If nothing else, the 2022 All-Star game broadcast was unique, if not widely watched.

The post All-Star Game Draws Record Low Ratings appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

What a day New York had on Saturday. The Mets swept the Chicago Cubs in the teams’ split doubleheader. Each game went to extra innings and in each game the Mets showed a bit of the magic that has followed the team time and time again this season.

New York will turn to David Peterson for the four-game series sweep heading in the All-Star break today.

Latest Mets News

According to Tim Healey of Newsday Sports, Buck Showalter said that Dominic Smith rolled his right ankle, has swelling, and will get an MRI. He exited the first game on Saturday after rolling his ankle while taking a lead off second base.

Jeff McNeil has been named an All-Star. He will start at second base for the NL All-Star team.

Latest MLB News

Per Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Austin Riley was selected as an alternate for the NL All-Star team.

The Milwaukee Brewers announced on Saturday that right-handed pitcher Chi Chi Gonzalez cleared waivers and has elected free agency after being designated for assignment on Tuesday.

Per Enrique Rojas of ESPN, the MLB and the MLBPA gave the okay for Nelson Cruz to be the general manager of the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic in 2023.

The Boston Red Sox announced on Saturday that they placed second baseman Trevor Story on the 10-day injured list with a right hand contusion retroactive to July 13th. They recalled catcher Connor Wong from Triple-A Worcester to take his place on the active roster.

Latest on MMO

Sam Klein recapped the Mets’ minor league affiliate games from Friday, July 16th, including the 16^th home run of the season by Ronny Mauricio.

Brian Wright looked back on July 16, 2023 when Matt Harvey and David Wright were selected to the All-Star Game at Citi Field.

John Sheridan talked about how Francisco Álvarez has impressed Mets’ pitchers Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom during their rehab stints with Triple-A Syracuse.

Mojo Hill previewed Álvarez’s and Mark Vientos’ expected appearances in the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki discussed Juan Soto rejecting the Nationals’ extension offer.

Mojo Hill discussed Jacob deGrom’s next rehab assignment: a simulated game in Port St. Lucie on Tuesday.

Mojo Hill talked about the latest Met to be selected as an All-Star, Jeff McNeil.

Nick Rucco recapped the Mets’ 2-1 game one victory in 11 innings against the Cubs.

Liz Evangelou recapped the Mets’ second doubleheader victory against the Cubs.

On This Date in Mets History

1979: Lee Mazzili hit a home run to tie the All-Star game for the National League. The NL went on to win 7-6.

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Sweep Doubleheader From Cubs appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Oct 26, 2021; Houston, TX, USA; Atlanta Braves left fielder Eddie Rosario (8) celebrates with teammates after defeating the Houston Astros in game one of the 2021 World Series at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

It’s crunch time for the New York Mets (53-33) as they head to Atlanta to take on the Braves (52-35). The Braves had a historic month of June, going 21-6 and making up a ton of ground on the Mets, who once led the division by ten and a half games. The Mets’ lead is now down to a game and a half. At the end of this three-game series, the Mets will either find themselves still in first place in the NL East, or they’ll be looking up at the Braves.

The Mets are coming into this series having split a four-game series with the Marlins. The big issue for New York was the Marlins’ starting pitching. The Mets offense was held scoreless by the Marlins’ starters in games three and four and the Mets were shut out completely in game four.

Part of the problem for the Mets was that they are dealing with injuries and other absences. Starling Marte and James McCann both departed early from game three, Marte due to groin tightness and McCann due to an oblique injury. McCann is now on the injured list and expected to miss weeks, while Marte is day-to-day. The Mets will also be without the services of Jeff McNeil while in Atlanta. McNeil will be on the paternity list for three days, as his wife is due to give birth shortly.

While the Mets offense has definitely cooled off a bunch recently, they have still gotten some decent production over the last week, especially from their outfielders. Marte, Mark Canha, and Brandon Nimmo all have solid numbers over their last seven games. On the pitching side, Edwin Diaz has continued to be lights out, and the Mets got solid starts from Taijuan Walker and Trevor Williams in the series against the Marlins.

The Braves are coming into this series off a three-game sweep of the Nationals. Atlanta followed up their 21-6 June by going 8-2 so far to start July. Their excellent run has been powered in part by their offense. And powered is definitely the right word; they have hit an NL-leading 133 home runs this season and are behind only the Yankees for the MLB lead. The Braves pitching staff has also been excellent this year; they are second only to the Dodgers in the NL for ERA.

Shortstop Dansby Swanson is the hottest hitter on the Braves right now. He’s slashing .302/.357/.491 and his OPS+ is 130. Third baseman Austin Riley has the team lead in homers and RBIs, with 23 home runs and 56 RBIs. On the pitching side, Max Fried and Kyle Wright have been the Brave’s best starters.

Like the Mets, the Braves are also dealing with injuries and other absences. Closer Kenley Jansen has been on the IL since July 4 because of an irregular heartbeat, something he has dealt with before. Second baseman Ozzie Albies is on the 60-day IL after fouling a ball off his foot and fracturing it. The fracture needed to be stabilized with surgery and Albies is not expected back until at least mid-August. Finally, centerfielder Adam Duvall was placed on the paternity list on July 8. Prior to going on the paternity list, Duvall was dealing with a hand injury he suffered after getting hit by a pitch on July 2.

Finally, news broke Sunday evening that the Braves acquired Robinson Cano from the Padres for cash considerations. According to Jon Heyman of the NY Post, Cano could be added to the major league roster as soon as Monday.

Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Monday, July 11, 2022: RHP Max Scherzer (5-1, 2.26 ERA) vs. LHP Max Fried (9-2, 2.52 ERA)

Scherzer returned from his time on the IL in fabulous fashion against the Reds. He tossed six scoreless innings, giving up two hits and striking out 11. Of course, the Reds are in last place in the NL Central, and historically Scherzer has always dominated the Reds. The Braves’ lineup will be a real test for Scherzer Monday night. In his career, Scherzer is 10-9 against the Braves with 3.88 ERA in 157 2/3 innings. At Truist Park in Atlanta, Scherzer’s has a 3.71 ERA against the Braves in 34 innings.

Fried has had a great first half of the season for the Braves this year and has made his first All-Star team as a result. In his last outing, against the Cardinals, Fried pitched six scoreless innings, giving up five hits and striking out four. Fried has generally pitched well against the Mets, and he has a 2.80 ERA in 74 innings against them in his career. Fried pitched against the Mets earlier this season on May 2. He went six innings, giving up two runs and striking out six.

Tuesday, July 12, 2022: LHP David Peterson (5-1, 3.48 ERA) vs. RHP Spencer Strider (4-2, 2.60 ERA)

Peterson’s start against the Rangers before he went on the paternity list was his best start of the season. He gave up three runs over six innings of work and he struck out ten, matching his career high. His first start after returning from the paternity list, against the Reds, was not as successful. Though his pitch count was similar (93 pitches vs. 90 against the Rangers), Peterson only made it through 3 2/3 innings, while again giving up three runs. In his career against the Braves, Peterson has a 5.84 ERA in 24 2/3 innings. He faced Atlanta earlier this season on May 3, and went five innings in that start, giving up four runs (three of them earned).

Strider has appeared in 19 games for the Braves this season, and he’s started eight of them. His ERA as a starter is 2.83, and he’s tossed 41 1/3 innings as a starter. As a reliever he’s pitched 24 1/3 innings and has a 2.22 ERA. Strider’s last outing was against the Cardinals. He went six innings in that start, giving up two hits and striking out 12. In his career, Strider has only faced the Mets as a reliever. In 2 1/3 innings of work across two relief outings against the Mets, Strider has a 3.86 ERA.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday, July 13, 2022: RHP Chris Bassitt (6-6, 3.94 ERA) vs. RHP Charlie Morton (5-3, 4.21 ERA)

Bassitt returned from the Covid-IL on July 8 to face the Marlins. That outing was his third in a row against the Marlins, but he pitched well despite the familiarity. He went 6 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on six hits and striking out three. Bassitt faced the Braves for the first time in his career earlier this season on May 2. He pitched well, even though he ultimately took the loss that game. He gave up three runs in seven innings of work, striking out eight.

Morton’s last outing was against the Nationals. He went seven innings, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out seven. In his career against the Mets, Morton has a 3.49 ERA in 80 innings of work. Morton faced the Mets earlier this season, on May 1. He went 5 2/3 innings, giving up five runs (four of them earned).

Prediction:

With their depleted roster and the pitching matchups they face in this series, it’s tough to see the Mets coming away with a series victory against the Braves. I think the Mets will leave Atlanta in second place in the NL East, but I would be thrilled to be wrong.

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