Game 1 of each National League and American League Division Series will take place today. In the AL, the Rangers and Orioles will get underway at 1:00 p.m. ET before the Twins and Astros start their matchup at 4:45 p.m. ET. Both games will be broadcast on FS1.

The NL will feature a pair of divisional matchups, with the Phillies and Braves playing at 6:00 p.m. ET before the Diamondbacks and Dodgers get things started at 9:20 p.m. ET. Both games will be broadcast on TBS. Major League Baseball announced the umpire assignments for each of these series on Friday.

Latest Mets News

An article in the New York Times on Friday suggested that as part of the MLB investigation into Billy Eppler’s misuse of the injured list, the investigation would also look into Mets’ owner Steve Cohen. Abbey Mastracco of New York Daily News debunked this by stating that MLB has informed the Mets that Steve Cohen is not a target of the investigation.

Latest MLB News

With Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola still recovering from their appearances in the Wild Card round, Ranger Suárez is expected to start today’s Game 1 matchup against the Braves, going up against Spencer Strider.

Major League Baseball announced the nominees for the 25th annual Hank Aaron Award. The list is as follows:

• American League
  • Yordan Álvarez (HOU)
  • Kyle Tucker (HOU)
  • Shohei Ohtani (LAA)
  • Aaron Judge (NYY)
  • Julio Rodríguez (SEA)
  • Yandy Díaz (TB)
  • Adolis García (TEX)
  • Corey Seager (TEX)
  • Marcus Semien (TEX)
• National League
  • Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL)
  • Matt Olson (ATL)
  • Corbin Carroll (ARI)
  • Cody Bellinger (CHC)
  • Mookie Betts (LAD)
  • Freddie Freeman (LAD)
  • Luis Arráez (MIA)
  • Bryce Harper (PHI)
  • Juan Soto (SD)

Marlins’ ace Sandy Alcántara underwent Tommy John surgery on Friday and will miss the 2024 season.

While on the Dan Patrick Show, Joey Votto said that he wants to play baseball again, for at least one more year. Votto also mentioned that he would like to be back with the Reds, but would consider playing elsewhere if he has to.

Per Alden González of ESPN, the Angels parted ways with assistant general manager Alex Tamin, who served as general manager Perry Minasian’s right-hand man.

Latest on MMO

Jorge Eckardt writes about Cuban reliever Yariel Rodríguez, who is expected to become a major league free agent after a fantastic year in Japan.

John Sheridan highlights Mets prospect Ronald Hernández, who was named a 2023 All-Star in the Florida Complex League.

Sean Kenny looks at what the next step is for David Stearns in hiring a new general manager.

Michael Mayer breaks down the salary projections for the Mets’ 16 arbitration-eligible players.

Chris Bello grades the season of Mets’ ace Kodai Senga.

On This Date in Mets History

2006: The Mets took Game 3 of the NLDS from the Dodgers with a 9-5 victory. The win ensured a series sweep and a trip to the NLCS.

Birthdays: José Cardenal (80)

The post Morning Briefing: League Division Series Games Begin Today appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mark Vientos, Photo by Richard Nelson

Good morning, Mets fans!

General manager Billy Eppler spoke on Friday about Mark Vientos and why he has not been called up to the major league club yet despite a scorching hot start in Triple-A. Eppler noted that there are several factors that play into it such as Vientos’ development and usage, but said a potential promotion is “definitely on our radar and something we’re thinking about.” Eppler said that he is sending Carlos Beltrán to Syracuse to supposedly watch Vientos play and to provide feedback. In 116 plate appearances this year in Syracuse, Vientos is batting .354/.431/.717/1.148 with nine home runs, nine doubles, and 26 RBIs.

Latest Mets News

The Mets defeated the Rockies 1-0 on Friday night with the help of strong performances from Kodai Senga, who threw six scoreless innings, and Brandon Nimmo, who drove in the only run of the game with a solo homer. Prior to the game, Edwin Díaz received his 2022 NL Reliever of the Year Award.

Former Met Matt Harvey announced his retirement from baseball on Friday. In parts of six seasons with the Mets, Harvey compiled a 34-37 record and a 3.66 ERA with a dominant stretch from 2012-2015 in which he was 25-18 with a 2.53 ERA.

Edwin Díaz received his 2022 NL Reliever of the Year Award prior to tonight’s game 🎺 pic.twitter.com/D32RarSQzG

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) May 5, 2023

Latest MLB News

Keith Law ranked his top 50 prospects in this year’s MLB draft.

Per the Astros, pitcher Luis Garcia will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Sam Blum of The Athletic reported that Angels’ pitcher Austin Warren will also undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Latest on MMO

Michael Famulari analyzed the season debut of Justin Verlander.

Chris Bello wrote about Matt Harvey‘s decision to retire.

Tyler Antonelle recapped Friday night’s victory over the Rockies.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Mike Kinkade (50), Willie Mays (92)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Thinking About Potential Vientos Promotion appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Edwin Díaz was a recipient of the New York Baseball Writers 2022 Good Guy Award. He was honored at the BBWAA dinner, as posted by MLB.

The post Morning Briefing: Edwin Díaz Wins Good Guy Award appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Dwight Gooden was the No. 5 overall draft pick in 1982 and quickly climbed the minor league ranks in 1983. Still, it was impossible to conceive this kind of a first season—one which easily earned him the National League Rookie of the Year.

No Mets pitcher—not Tom Seaver, not Jacob deGrom, and not Matt Harvey—began his career with a better blend of fanfare and success than “Dr. K.”

He established a rookie record for strikeouts, posted an ERA of 2.60, went 17-9, and totally captivated New York City. And he almost didn’t begin the ’84 season in the majors. But Davey Johnson, the new Mets manager who saw Gooden up close when the teenager helped Johnson’s Triple-A Tidewater club to the Minor League World Series title, insisted upon it.

He started him on April 7, 1984. The 19-year-old would embark on a debut season as spectacular as any in baseball history. With his blazing fastball, Doc sat down opposing hitters, many upwards of ten years his senior, at an astonishing clip. His vast collection of strikeouts coupled with a high win total and the assortment of other impressive stats put him a close second in the NL Cy Young Award voting.

Although he was rather inconsistent over the first two months of the regular season, Gooden was consistently electric from June 1 on. Before long, his home starts at Shea Stadium became must-see events. He was named an All-Star—the youngest ever. In the fifth inning of the Midsummer Classic at Candlestick Park, he struck out the American League in order.

Gooden went on to win eight of his final nine starts and racked up 41 strikeouts with just one walk in his final three outings. His most memorable performance came in early September against eventual division champion Chicago. Doc limited the Cubs to one infield single while fanning 11 and further bolstering his Rookie of the Year credentials.

The post OTD 1984: Teenage Doc Wins Rookie of the Year appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Sandy Alcantara won the NL Cy Young award and Justin Verlander won the AL Cy Young award. Both won the award unanimously, as all 30 BBWAA first-place votes were for the winners of each league.

Verlander is the eleventh pitcher in MLB history to earn three or more Cy Young awards. This season, he posted an 18-4 record with an MLB-leading ERA of 1.75 and an MLB leading WHIP of 0.829. Verlander was also a huge contributor to the Astros’ 2022 World Series title.

Sandy Alcantara had a breakout season in 2022, posting a 2.28 ERA, a 0.98 WHIP, and a 14-9 record. Additionally, Alcantara led MLB in innings pitched with 228.2. Also, the Miami Marlins announce that Jacob Stallings caught all 228.2 innings thrown by Alcantara, joining T. McCarver/S. Carlton (PHI, ‘77), D. Berryhill/G. Maddux (CHC, ‘93), and R. Chirinos/J. Verlander (HOU, ‘19) as the only battery mates in MLB history to share every pitch in a Cy Young winner’s season.

Now, it is time for the morning briefing.

Latest Mets News

Eric Jagers, the Mets’ Director of Pitching Development, announces that the New York Mets are looking to hire affiliate pitching coaches. Click this link to apply.

After spending 15 years in baseball media, Nathan Rode announced on twitter that he is joining the New York Mets as a scout.

TickPick reports that the Subway Series games at Citi Field on July 26 and 27 were the third and fourth most popular games ($226 average purchase price on 7/27 and $218 on 7/26) in terms of average ticket demand and price. The most popular MLB game in 2022 was the field of dreams game between the Cubs and the Reds with an average purchase price of $907.

Latest MLB News

Jon Heyman of the NY Post reported that Nick Martinez signed a new three year, $26 million deal with the San Diego Padres.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernández has been traded to the Seattle Mariners from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for RHP Erik Swanson and LHP prospect Adam Macko.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that Bryce Harper will undergo UCL surgery next Wednesday, according to Phillies president Dave Dombrowski. It remains unknown whether it will be Tommy John surgery and how long he’ll be sidelined in 2023.

Jon Heyman of the NY Post wrote an article about the Yankees’ increasing interests in four top free agents: Trea Turner, Carlos Correa, Xander Bogaerts and Brandon Nimmo.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted a list of The World Baseball Classic workout sites this spring in Arizona and Florida

The World Baseball Classic workout sites this spring in Arizona and Florida pic.twitter.com/NkOEvWy4Jh

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) November 16, 2022

Bob Nightengale of USA Today also reports that The Texas Rangers hired Will Venable, the former Red Sox bench coach, to be Bruce Bochy‘s associate manager. 

Latest on MMO

Ross Bentley covers Edwin Díaz finishing ninth in NL Cy Young voting.

Ross Bentley also writes about Max Scherzer falling in love with the Mets immediately.

Jack Markowski highlighed intriguing players that were DFA’d.

Andrew Steele-Davis talks about the Blue Jays’ interest in Brandon Nimmo.

Ross Bentley wrote an MMO free agent profile on Andrew Benintendi.

Andrew Steele-Davis claims that Justin Verlander wants Max-Scherzer-type money in his new contract.

On This Date in Mets History

1961: The Mets revealed the team’s logo, which looks very similar to the logo today.

Birthdays: Seth Lugo (33), Val Pascucci (44), Jim Mann (48), Eli Marrero (49), Tom Seaver (would’ve been 78 today)

The post Morning Briefing: Justin Verlander, Sandy Alcantara Sweep Cy Young Voting appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

No statistic has had a greater fall from grace in the past decade than pitching wins. Once considered a measurement for excellence on the mound, its descended into near irrelevance. Rotations have expanded, relievers have gained prominence, and starters have become less influential on their fate.

If there were still hangers-on desperately carrying a torch for the worth of victories prior to 2018, Jacob deGrom’s remarkable Cy Young Award performance in the face of a 10-9 record extinguished those beliefs. It also cemented him among the ranks of great Mets pitchers as he received all but one first-place vote.

DeGrom’s brilliance must be put into perspective both in the context of major-league and team history. He led all pitchers with a 1.70 ERA—the sixth-lowest since the mound was lowered to its current height in 1969 and the second-best by a starter in this decade. His 269 strikeouts (done over 217 innings) were second in the NL, but his combination of power and precision was a true rarity.

Only six pitchers since 1933 have thrown at least 215 innings with an ERA of 1.70 or lower, and deGrom’s strikeout total is the highest of that group. His stunning 218 ERA+ placed him among just 36 pitchers who have posted at least a 200 ERA+ since the turn of the 20th century.

His WHIP of 0.912 is the lowest single-season mark by any Met, including Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden, while both his ERA and ERA+ are second among starters to Gooden’s in 1985. DeGrom’s FIP (1.98), which was far and away the lowest in the majors, was the best since Gooden’s 1984 mark and his 9.6 pitching WAR, according to Baseball-Reference, is the fourth-highest single-season Mets total.

As incredible as deGrom was, the lack of support he got was nothing short of incredible and appalling. A ragged offense and porous bullpen let a bushel of deGrom’s tremendous starts go unrewarded. On 11 occasions, he went seven innings and allowed either zero or one run. DeGrom only won three of them. The Mets record in those starts was 12-18.

The ineptitude of those around him made deGrom even more admirable. Pitching almost every game without a safety net, he allowed three or fewer runs in 29 straight starts — a single-season record — and reeled off 24 successive quality starts (surpassing Seaver’s previous team record of 19).

DeGrom’s historic Cy Young triumph was a significant victory for the growing number of new age baseball thinkers. The exclamation point came in his final start against the Braves, in which he retired the final 20 batters he faced. He finished with his 10th strikeout of the night and the 1,000th of his career, making him the fastest Met to reach that milestone.

All deGrom has done since is win another Cy Young the very next year and firmly establish himself as one of the best Mets to ever pitch, in spite of shortened seasons and injuries.

The post OTD 2018: Jacob deGrom Wins First Cy Young Award appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff McNeil has won the National League Silver Slugger award at second base.

McNeil deserving won the award after having one of the best bounce-back seasons of all time. After batting.251 with an 87 OPS+ in 2021, McNeil led the NL with a .326 batting average and finished with a 140 OPS+.

The other candidates nominated for the award were Ketel Marte, Jake Cronenworth, Brendan Rodgers, and Kolten Wong. Compared to the other nominees, McNeil had a far superior offensive season. The closest candidate to McNeil’s season was Cronenworth, but he had 1.7 less fWAR and a 110 wRC+ compared to McNeil’s 143 wRC+.

McNeil joined Edgardo Alfonzo as the only other Met to win a Silver Slugger at second base. Alfonzo won his award in 1999 when the Mets made an NLCS appearance against the Braves. McNeil also became the first Met to win a Silver Slugger award since Yoenis Céspedes won in 2016.

Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Starling Marte, and Brandon Nimmo were also nominated for the Silver Slugger awards. None of them won at their respective positions. McNeil was also nominated for the utility Silver Slugger award but a player can only win one Silver Slugger per year.

The Silver Slugger award is yet another milestone that McNeil obtained in the 2022 season. He also became the first Mets player in team history to lead the majors in average.

The post Jeff McNeil Wins Silver Slugger Award appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Francisco Lindor has been named the 2022 Marvin Miller Man of the Year by the Major League Baseball Players Association. For the award, players were asked to vote for the player they “most respect based on his leadership on the field and in the community.” In addition to being an involved and vocal leader on the field, Lindor has done plenty of work for his community in his free time and was a dedicated champion of players’ rights during the MLB lockout involving CBA negotiations this past offseason.

Now onto the morning briefing!

The MLBPA has voted Francisco Lindor the 2022 Marvin Miller Man of the Year winner. The award is given to the player whose whose on-field performance and contributions to his community inspire others to higher levels of achievement.
Hard to think of a more deserving recipient! pic.twitter.com/SOOscrZ0C5

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) November 4, 2022

Latest Mets News

Mike Puma of the New York Post spoke to Mark Canha recently. Canha expressed his desire to finish his career with the Mets and said of Jacob deGrom: “Jake told me he wants to come back, too, and he really likes it here, too.” 

Latest MLB News

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that all signs point to David Stearns not receiving permission to interview elsewhere while he is under contract with the Brewers in 2023.

Jon Heyman adds that the sale of the Los Angeles Angels is serious and will happen, and that the team will likely sell for more than the $2.4 billion Steve Cohen used to buy the Mets.

Jon Heyman continues that the Royals are expected to bring back Zack Greinke for the 2023 season.

The MLBPA announced its 31st Annual Players Choice Award Winners. Among the winners were Aaron Judge for overall Player of the Year and American League Outstanding Player, and Paul Goldschmidt for National League Outstanding Player.

Joon Lee of ESPN writes that, despite the fact that his contract expired on October 31, Brian Cashman will continue to act as the Yankees general manager.

In a press conference on Friday, Brian Cashman told the media that the Yankees will pick up Luis Severino‘s $15 million club option.

Matt Monagan of MLB.com spoke to Red Sox clubhouse manager Tom McLaughlin about the behind-the-scenes planning of a champagne celebration.

The Arizona Fall League announced its schedule and the rosters for “Fall Stars Weekend,” set to take place tonight and tomorrow night at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona.

In the aftermath of the Fernando Tatis PED suspension, James Wagner of the New York Times wonders why Dominican players make up half of the players suspended for positive drug tests.

The Orioles have signed Jake Cave to a contract for the 2023 season. Cave was claimed off waivers from the Twins on October 11.

Latest on MMO

Alexis Farinacci recaps the impressive 2022 season for the St. Lucie Mets.

Matthew Brownstein interviews Mets area scout Jim Reeves.

Michael Mayer lists what an expert believes Mets free agents will command on the open market.

On This Date in Mets History

1990: Darryl Strawberry became a free agent after eight stellar years with the Mets. Three days later, on November 8, he would sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers and his Mets career came to a close.

Birthdays: Jose Santiago (48), Mike Bishop (64), Jim Bethke (76)

The post Morning Briefing: Francisco Lindor Voted Marvin Miller Man of the Year appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The catcher position has long been a topic of discussion in Mets circles due to constant underperformance and a perceived lack of high-end talent, but that narrative may be about to change. Top prospect Francisco Álvarez is a beacon of hope for the future and has the potential to be a stalwart, but we shouldn’t be forgetting about the value that Tomás Nido brings to the table either, particularly on defense. Because of his work with the glove, he was nominated for the NL’s Rawlings Gold Glove Award at catcher alongside J.T. Realmuto and Travis d’Arnaud. Each player has a compelling body of work that could help bring home the hardware, and we’re going to analyze their profiles to see how Nido stacks up against the competition. 

It’s tough to pin down what exactly voters base their decisions on, but let’s take a look at last year’s Gold Glove race in the NL to provide a bit more insight. The nominees were Jacob Stallings, Yadier Molina and Realmuto, with Stallings ultimately winning the award. He finished with the highest Defensive Runs Saved total of the three at 21 while also recording the best defensive runs above average total at 16.4 according to Fangraphs. Stallings also came out on top in Fangraphs Catcher Framing metric at 8.8 as well as in Baseball Prospectus’s Blocking Runs (BlkR) metric at 1.4, which led the league. 

On the flip side, Stallings recorded the worst fielding percentage, caught stealing percentage and catcher’s earned run average in addition to the most errors among the three finalists. This doesn’t signal that those stats have no validity or aren’t relevant, as what the voting results are based on appears to be incredibly fluid and can change on a year-to-year basis. In many ways though, it provides an example of what is valued in today’s game as the world of advanced defensive stats continues to be ironed out and contextualized.

Moving on to this year’s finalists, let’s start with Nido. Baseball Prospectus offers a resounding approval of his season as he ranked first among the field in their metrics for Fielding Runs Above Average (16.8), Framing Runs (15.3) and Catcher Defensive Adjustment (16.9). He also finished in the highest percentile for framing by Baseball Savant, a product of having the fifth-highest strike rate in the league among qualified players. The knock against his résumé is the fact that he had the lowest caught stealing rate at 21% and that he boasted the lowest workload of the three candidates.

As for Realmuto, he lagged behind both Nido and d’Arnaud in a number of categories. He finished last in Framing Runs by both Baseball Prospectus (10.2) and Baseball Savant (0) while suffering the same fate in Fangraphs’ framing metric as well (1.1). His .993 fielding percentage and 8 errors also represented the worst marks among the three. However, his 18.3 defensive runs above average, 11 Defensive Runs Saved, 0.8 Blocking Runs and 44% caught stealing rate paced the other candidates, leaving room for him to be considered as a potential winner of the award.

d’Arnaud presents a fascinating dilemma in that he was tops among the finalists in the more surface-level stats while mostly failing to stand out analytically. He had the least amount of errors with two and ended the season with the highest fielding percentage at .998. In addition, his 3.35 catcher’s earned run average ranked ahead of the other two finalists. Only his framing rated out favorably in terms of his advanced numbers, as his 10 Framing Runs and 8.9 Catcher Framing totals were better than both Nido and Realmuto’s. On the other hand, his pop time, Blocking Runs (0.2), Defensive Runs Saved (6) and Catcher Defensive Adjustment (11.0) numbers were the worst among the field.

This year’s Gold Glove race at catcher in the NL is tightly contested. Realmuto would be the favorite if Stallings’ 2021 season were a true blueprint, as he finished first in three of the same categories that Stallings did (Defensive Runs Saved, Blocking Runs and defensive runs above average), but it isn’t that simple. While that is one of the most recent instances of the award being given out, the voters this year could just as easily respect d’Arnaud’s consistent play and the fact that he stands out in your typical metrics at the position or could reward Nido’s ability to help his pitchers out by stealing strikes at such a high rate.

Nido offers the most balanced profile of the three and thus may be an appealing option, but the name value also can’t be ignored when it comes to the Gold Glove award. Realmuto is a former winner and All-Star level player much like d’Arnaud, and both players have more notable numbers than Nido from a relatability standpoint with the voters. For example, Realmuto’s caught stealing percentage and d’Arnaud’s lack of errors likely mean more than Nido’s framing prowess whether that’s the right perspective or not.

This isn’t to say that Nido is out of the running or can’t win, because that would be both speculation and wildly irresponsible. He had a tremendous season and was deserving of the nomination, but when considering the history behind the award, it’s safe to say that he’s an underdog.

Winners will be announced live on MLB Network on Tuesday, starting at 5 p.m. All winners will be revealed before Game 4 of the World Series begins.

The post Examining Tomás Nido’s Case To Win The Gold Glove Award appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The Major League Baseball Players Association has announced Francisco Lindor as a finalist for the Marvin Miller Man of the Year award.

The Marvin Miller award was created in 1997 as a players’ choice award and recognizes the outstanding on and off-field performances of players. The award is named after Marvin Miller, who was the MLBPA executive director from 1966 to 1982. Miller negotiated the first collective bargaining agreement in MLB history and was instrumental in removing the reverse clause.

Lindor, along with Marcus Semien and Brent Suter, has been recognized for his on-field performance and off-the-field charity work. His leadership in the Mets clubhouse and historic year brought the Mets to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

Lindor’s off-the-field charity work, however, is more impressive than his on-the-field numbers. In 2017-2018, he made several trips to Puerto Rico to help the island recover from Hurricane Maria. He has been a staple in the Make-A-Wish and Boys & Girls Club communities, among other groups. Lastly, Lindor has given back to the community that helped him prosper as a baseball player and student. In 2021, he donated $1 million to Montverde Academy in Florida, where he attended school after immigrating to the United States, and created the Lindor Scholarship Fund. The fund provides financial assistance to selected students and prospective students.

If he wins, Lindor will become the second Met in MLB history to win the Marvin Miller Man of the Year award. Curtis Granderson, who has won on four separate occasions, received the award after the 2016 season.

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