After perhaps the most thrilling win of the year in the opener, the Mets were swept by the Orioles in their doubleheader on Thursday. Poor pitching, zero offense and some questionable decisions all hurt New York.

What makes this series loss all the more frustrating is that it appeared as though the Mets had turned a corner as of late. Instead, all of the momentum from the recent turnaround has now gone.

The Mets have just three games left before the break to get that momentum back.

On that note, let’s proceed with the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

3 UP

COMEBACK KINGS

Okay, so Tuesday’s win counts for little now. But, with that said, we did see just what the top of the lineup is capable of. In what was the biggest comeback win of the year, the “Fab Four” came out swinging. Both Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso hit two-run shots in the eighth to make it a 6-6 game. Remember, the Mets had been staring at a 6-2 deficit. Then, in the 10th inning, Juan Soto came up with the clutch go-ahead run on a single. Brandon Nimmo also went 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. The series opener highlighted just how explosive the big boys can be. Now, they just need to be more consistent.

HERO BALL

Huascar Brazobán has been hit and miss as of late. However, he emerged as the hero on Tuesday. Armed with a lead thanks to his offense, Brazobán delivered a shutdown inning with one strikeout to secure the win. It was the right-hander’s second save of the year. Everyone was needed in Tuesday’s win, and Brazobán certainly played his part to perfection.

HE’S AN ALL-STAR, DAVE

To borrow a famous line from Moneyball, David Peterson is an All-Star, Dave. The left-hander was named as a replacement for the All-Star Game moments after delivering yet another stellar start. Peterson allowed just one run over seven innings, while striking out six in Game 1 of the doubleheader. He more than did his job, and departed the game with the lead intact. What happened after just further highlighted how valuable Peterson has been to the Mets so far in 2025. He’s been lights out, and he deserves his trip to Atlanta.

Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

BULLPEN OVERUSE 

Who else is sick and tired of bullpen games? Yeah, I thought so. Man, when is it enough? The Mets have now gone with a bullpen game in three of their last six contests. The strategy acted essentially as a punt game against the Yankees on Sunday, which cost the Mets a series sweep, and it also cost them a series against the Orioles. The fact that both Brandon Sproat and Nolan McLean have dominated in the minors this week just adds insult to injury. At some point, Sproat and McLean should be called up. Yes, Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga are set to make their respective returns this weekend. But, with Clay Holmes needing to be managed, more rotation depth is needed. And why not call-up prospects like Sproat and McLean? They need to be given a chance at some point.

Furthermore, employing the bullpen game is a strategy that clearly isn’t working for this team. It is only serving to put more stress on this group of relievers, while the offense can’t be expected to come from behind constantly. The Mets have dropped two games this week because of the bullpen game, and it has to stop.

SECOND GUESSING

It is easy to play Monday Morning Quarterback when it comes to certain decisions a manager makes. Of course we all think we know best. However, it was hard to defend manager Carlos Mendoza after his costly decision in Game 1 of the doubleheader on Thursday. Peterson was in his groove, and the Mets had a 1-0 lead. He came back out for the eighth, but was pulled after giving up a hit. The end result? Ryne Stanek entered the game and quickly gave up the lead, sealing his team’s fate in the process.

Again, it is easy to second guess managers. But, with that said, Mendoza should have allowed Peterson to finish the job in the eighth. Or, instead, he should have given the ball to Stanek to start the inning.

COMING UP EMPTY

Want one stat that sums up the Mets’ day on Thursday? How about the fact they went a combined 2-for-19 with RISP across both games of the doubleheader. Or, the fact they scored four runs in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s game, but then just seven runs in the other 25 innings of this series. Yes, the offense was as much as to blame for the doubleheader implosion as bad pitching was. It didn’t help that Juan Soto and Pete Alonso went a combined 0-for-12 in the doubleheader. New York also managed a total of just 10 hits in the two games on Thursday.

A lineup with this much firepower can’t be this inconsistent. And a lineup with this much top-tier talent can’t continue to come up empty in clutch situations. Unless something gets fixed, the RISP problem could cost this team a chance at doing something special this year.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Stumble In Baltimore appeared first on Metsmerized.

Position: OF B/T: S/R

Age: 30 (10/19/1994)

2024 Traditional Stats: 665 PA, .235/.308/.506/.814, 140 H, 44 HR, 102 RBI

2024 Advanced Stats: 129 wRC+, 19.4 SO%, 8.7 BB%, .225 BABIP, .328 xwOBA, 3.3 fWAR, -7 DRS, -2 OAA

Rundown

Anthony Santander has always been one of the more underrated power hitters in the game. He hit 33 home runs in 2022 and 28 home runs in 2023, but never truly broke out to be considered among the elite power hitters in the game. Until 2024, that is.

Santander had a season that established himself not only as one of the best power bats in the game, but also as one of the best switch hitters in the game. He earned the first All-Star nod of his career along the way as well.

The Orioles’ right fielder eclipsed his previous career-high of 33 homers by 11, launching 44 this past season. He trailed only Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, arguably the two best players in baseball, in that category. Santander also eclipsed 100 RBIs for the first time, driving in 102. He set other career-highs in runs (91), walks (58) and slugging percentage (.506).

Reliability has been one of Santander’s best traits, as he’s played in over 150 games and recorded over 600 plate appearances in three straight seasons. In each of those years, he’s hit at least 28 home runs and 24 doubles, including a career-high 41 two-baggers in 2023.

Despite Santander’s stellar 2024 season, he was held back by a low batting average of .235, the worst of his career over a full campaign. He also posted a poor .308 on-base percentage. It doesn’t help that Santander had one of the lowest BABIP numbers of his career, as just 22.5 percent of the balls he put in play landed for hits. That’s a steep drop from 29.9 percent in 2023 and even 24.8 percent in 2022. But, that makes what he was able to do when he wasn’t recording outs that much more impressive.

Another part of Santander’s game where he struggles is his defense. In 2024, he ranked in the 28th percentile for outs above average and the 18th percentile for sprint speed. He somewhat makes up for his lack of range with an above-average arm, which ranked in the 68th percentile last season. Considering he just turned 30-years-old, don’t expect Santander’s glove work to get any better.

Overall, Santander is a fantastic power hitter who doesn’t hit much for average and doesn’t play great defense. But, he’s the kind of player where if he can hit 35 or 40 home runs in a season, you’ll absolutely take his shortcomings without hesitation.

Contract

In their annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list, MLB Trade Rumors predicted Santander will sign a four-year, $80 million deal this offseason. That would be a $20 million average annual value, putting him on par to make about the same amount of money per year as Brandon Nimmo, Ian Happ and Nick Castellanos. It would slightly eclipse the four-year, $78 million contract the Mets handed out to Starling Marte prior to the 2022 season.

Considering Santander’s age and the fact that he’s been a Baltimore Oriole his whole career, a $20 million-per-year deal could prove risky. It could also, however, be a huge bargain for a player who is coming off a 20-plus double, 40-plus homer and 100-plus RBI campaign.

Recommendation

Much of what the Mets plan to do in free agency hinges on Pete Alonso and Juan Soto. If Soto signs with the club, that obviously takes them out of the running for Santander. But, if Soto doesn’t sign and Alonso does, it could afford Steve Cohen and David Stearns the chance to team up two of the best power hitters in the game in the heart of the lineup. A top five of Francisco Lindor, Nimmo, Mark Vientos, Alonso and Santander, in any order, would be formidable to say the least.

Worst-case scenario, if neither Alonso nor Soto signs with the Mets, Santander could become a target Cohen and Stearns aggressively pursue. If he were to sign, he would slot in at right field for 2025 and beyond with Marte still a question mark, and his bat would hopefully make up for what they’d be losing in Alonso.

Again, Soto is the first priority. If the Mets can sign him, they absolutely should. But, if Soto remains with the Yankees or goes elsewhere, Santander is a prime option to fill one of the outfield spots and remain in the heart of the order for the foreseeable future.

The post Free Agent Profile: Anthony Santander, OF appeared first on Metsmerized.

Twice, the Mets beat Baltimore in walk-off fashion to take two out of three from Baltimore. As a result, crucial ground was made up in the race for a Wild Card spot.

Furthermore, New York further highlighted its postseason credentials by beating the Orioles, one of the best teams in baseball.

On that note, let’s dive into another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

3 UP

WALK-OFF HEROICS 

Besides an ugly clunker in the second game, this was a memorable series for the Mets. And a lot of that was thanks to some late-inning heroics. In the series opener, Francisco Alvarez broke out of his slump with a mammoth 421 ft walk-off blast to win the game. It was Alvarez’s first career walk-off homer. If that wasn’t thrilling enough, Jesse Winker arguably went one better in the series finale. With the game tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth, Winker stepped up to the plate and launched a pinch-hit, game-winning bomb. It was Winker’s first home run as a Met, and what a time for it to arrive. Both walk-off homers were huge in winning this series against an elite O’s team. They could also be massive in the overall context of the season.

STEPPING UP

Sean Manaea continues to be money when his team really needs him the most. The lefty was stellar on Wednesday, retiring the first 17 hitters he faced. He did give up a two-home run, but finished with nine strikeouts and no walks. More importantly, Manaea gave the Mets length by going a full seven innings. He’s now tossed seven innings in four of his last five outings. And the veteran’s dominant start set the groundwork for the heroics that followed in the series finale.

FRANCISCO THE GREAT

There are not enough superlatives to justify Francisco Lindor’s greatness in 2024. The shortstop is playing at the very peak of his powers right now. He’s carrying this team, and that was on display against Baltimore. Lindor laced two doubles on Tuesday, before getting the Mets on the board on Wednesday with his 25th homer of the year. As a result of that blast, he also created some history. Lindor is the first shortstop in MLB history with three seasons of 25/25 (Mathew Brownstein).

Furthermore, he has reached base in 20 straight games and is the only player – along with Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. – to go 25/25 and have 30 doubles in MLB in 2024. Yes, Lindor is playing at an elite level right now, and he deserves MVP consideration.

Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN

FALSE START? 

There was hope that Francisco Alvarez’s walk-off homer on Monday would signal a breakout. Instead, the catcher returned to his struggles throughout the series. He went 0-for-3 with a walk on Tuesday, before striking out in his only at-bat as a pinch-hitter in the finale. The Mets will need as much power as they can get from their lineup down the stretch. Therefore, they will need more of the slugging Alvarez we saw on Monday.

FALLING OFF? 

Just what has happened to José Quintana? The veteran starter has seemingly fallen off a cliff in 2024. He was awful in his latest start on Tuesday, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits with two walks over five innings. He also gave up two home runs. As a result, Quintana has now allowed 22 home runs on the year and his ERA sits at 4.57. Furthermore, he has pitched to a brutal 8.27 ERA in August. Quintana has become the weak link in this rotation, which could become a major problem.

COMEDY OF ERRORS

The Mets’ one loss in this series was an ugly one. And the 9-5 clunker to the Orioles was filled with unwatchable errors and cheap mistakes. Brandon Nimmo, still nursing a sore shoulder, misplayed a ball in the outfield before lefty reliever Danny Young threw the ball away to allow two runs to score and put the game out of reach. All in all, those mistakes didn’t prove costly as far as the series was concerned. However, those kinds of mental lapses could prove costly in a Wild Card race as tight as this one.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Walk-Off the Orioles appeared first on Metsmerized.

Alvarez hadn’t hit a home run since July 26 and he entered Monday with a .440 OPS since then. If there’s ever a hit to break an individual and a team out of an offensive slump, it’s that one.

Francisco Álvarez. Photo by Roberto Carlo

At the beginning of the game, the Mets got out to a fast start against Rogers who entered play with a 7.53 ERA in three starts with the Orioles. After a Francisco Lindor strikeout to lead off the bottom of the first, Mark Vientos singled before J.D. Martinez sent a home run over the right-center field wall. It was Martinez’s first home run since August 3 and his 13th of the season to give the Mets the early lead.

The score remained 2-0 until the fourth inning, when Tyrone Taylor drove in Pete Alonso with a two-out base hit. Alonso had doubled to lead off the inning and eventually advanced to third on a Starling Marte bunt. Taylor’s hit put the Mets up 3-0 before the game headed into the fifth.

Baltimore responded right away, tagging Peterson for his first run of the game after a double, a wild pitch, and a ground out by Jackson Holliday scored Ramón Urías. It brought the O’s to within two runs, but Peterson did a solid job to limit the damage.

Peterson remained in the game for the seventh inning after finishing the sixth with 86 pitches. It was a frustrating inning for the lefty, who allowed a leadoff double and balked in a run with two outs. Then on the very next pitch following the balk, Urías sent a ball into the seats to tie the game. Peterson ended his outing with a strikeout, but he certainly wasn’t pleased to surrender the lead.

All in all, it was a successful outing for Peterson given the potency of the opposing lineup. He struck out eight and allowed two earned runs in seven innings, completing seven innings for the first time this season. His outing lowered his ERA to an even 3.00.

Peterson’s struggles in the seventh inning negated any good feeling about his performance, though, putting a potential win in the hands of the bullpen; that kind of game has ended in a loss more often than not for the Mets this year. José Buttó pitched an easy eighth inning before Edwin Díaz came on for the ninth inning and pitched a 1-2-3 inning.

While Buttó and Díaz did their part to shut down the Orioles in the late innings, the Mets bats had gone ice cold against Colin Selby and Keegan Akin. The two combined for 3 1/3 perfect innings with eight strikeouts before making way for the closer Seranthony Domínguez in the bottom of the ninth.

Domínguez struck out a pinch-hitting Jesse Winker before Alvarez delivered his walk-off hit on a 3-0 count. The ball was sent deep to left-center field and gave the Mets their biggest hit in a really long time. The Mets are now 65-60 and will look to keep this momentum rolling into Tuesday night.

Statistic of the Game: A Young Impact Bat

Francisco Alvarez’s walk-off home run makes him the third-youngest player in Mets history with a walk-off home run, behind Lee Mazzilli and Ron Swoboda. Alvarez has been streaky throughout his young career, but he continues to prove that the big moments are never too much for him.

Player of the Game

Francisco Alvarez is naturally the player of the game as he singlehandedly gave the Mets the win. Prior to his at-bat, the previous 11 Mets batters were 0-for-11 with nine strikeouts. Alvarez put the hammer down to give the Mets a feel-good win against one of the best teams in baseball in a moment that can hopefully propel this team during this upcoming stretch of games.

On Deck

The Mets and Orioles continue their series on Tuesday evening in a matchup between Jose Quintana (6-8. 4.26 ERA) and Dean Kremer (5-9. 4.48 ERA). Quintana is 2-5 with a 3.66 ERA in his career against Baltimore, while Kremer allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings in his lone career start against New York.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Alvarez Clubs Walk-Off Homer in Mets 4-3 Win Over O’s appeared first on Metsmerized.

Position: RP

Age: 29 (4/12/1994)

2023 Traditional Stats: 64 G, 79 IP, 7-8, 7.18 ERA, 1.494 WHIP, 83 SO, 45 BB
2023 Advanced Stats: 57 ERA+, 23.3 SO%, 12.6 BB%, 4.80 xERA, 4.61 FIP, 5.05 xFIP, 0.2 fWAR, -2.1 bWAR

Rundown

An initial glance at Shintaro Fujinami‘s rookie season would suggest that his transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball was a major adjustment. Beginning your MLB career with one of the worst teams of all time—in the 2023 Oakland Athletics—certainly doesn’t make things easier, but a midseason trade saw him land with the Baltimore Orioles where he ultimately demonstrated the potential of the quality pitcher he can become.

While Fujinami began the season as a member of Oakland’s rotation, his status as a starter lasted just four games. Four starts into the season, Fujinami was a baffling 0-4 with a 14.40 ERA, which prompted Oakland to try him out as a reliever in hopes that would allow his stuff to play better. (His best start was actually against the Mets on April 15.)

From the point at which he became a reliever to the time he was traded, Fujinami posted a 6.03 ERA in 34 1/3 innings despite having a FIP of just 3.87. The Orioles clearly believed in his potential as they were ready to start their playoff push, which prompted them to trade for the rookie just months into his MLB career.

Fujinami joined an elite Baltimore bullpen and was allowed to feel more comfortable by being put in low-pressure situations. He still struggled at times, though, and ended the year with a 4.85 ERA as a member of Baltimore’s bullpen. Still, he was much more effective and less volatile than he was with the A’s. Because of that, his season ERA of 7.18 doesn’t exactly reflect the progression he made throughout the season, even if that progression wasn’t enough to make him a completely polished pitcher.

Teams will still be enamored with Fujinami this offseason, though, based on his stuff alone.

Fujinami relies on five pitches, with his fastball (56.6%), splitter (20.1%), and cutter (16%) being his primary pitches. He also deploys a sweeper (6.1%) and rarely goes with a slider (1.2%). (This difference is likely just depending on how well he gets his slider to break horizontally.) Fujinami’s fastball and splitter are especially impressive, with his fastball able to top 100 mph and his splitter capable of reaching 95 mph. Being 6-foot-6 certainly helps Fujinami in extending closer to the plate and making his pitches seem even faster coming out of his hand. That could explain, despite his struggles, why he ranked in the 78th percentile for whiff rate among all pitchers in 2023.

Because of his struggles as a starter at the beginning of the 2023 season and the way he profiles as a pitcher, Fujinami will almost certainly be sought after as a reliever this offseason. The way he was able to settle in with Baltimore after a disastrous stint in Oakland bodes well for him and his future as he looks to fully round into form as one of MLB’s most electric pitchers.

Contract

Prior to the 2023 season, Fujinami signed a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the A’s. Whether he’s worthy of a larger contract now is still a question after an up-and-down first major league season.

Based on potential alone, he could certainly receive a contract worth more whether that’s for one year or for multiple years. My best guess is he signs another one-year deal worth a little bit more than the one he signed with Oakland a year ago.

Recommendation

The Mets’ bullpen at this point in time essentially consists of just Edwin Díaz and Brooks Raley so, yes, they should absolutely be interested in signing Fujinami. They won’t have to break the bank to sign him, and David Stearns knows how to construct an elite bullpen like he did in Milwaukee.

Fujinami could use Kodai Senga as a resource for how to successfully transition to MLB after years of playing in Japan. If Fujinami is open to playing in New York, Stearns should definitely pursue him.

The post MMO Free Agent Profile: Shintaro Fujinami, RHP appeared first on Metsmerized.

Since Ownership and the front office took the decision to pull the trigger on a dramatic pivot at the Deadline, the Mets have lost six straight. It marked the first time since 2017 that this franchise went winless on a road trip of six or more games. They are also now a season-worst 11 games under .500 – the most games they’ve plunged beneath the .500 mark since July 2019. That should tell you exactly how desperately bad things have got for this team.

Running out what looks like a Triple-A lineup nearly every game, coupled with the fact the red-hot Cubs are next up on the schedule, the picture looks set to remain pretty bleak for the Mets for the rest of the way in 2023. At least. So, you will have to excuse us if we’re reaching when it comes to our positives section. There aren’t a lot of good things to say when it comes to the state of the New York mets right now.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

3 Up

Quintana The Stud

There isn’t a whole lot to get excited about the current incarnation of the Mets. That applies to the starting rotation too. With Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander gone, Carlos Carrasco clearly well into the back nine of his career and the back end of this starting staff up in the air, this rotation is an absolute hot mess right now. Be thankful for José Quintana, then. The veteran has come exactly as advertised through his first four starts for the Mets, and he was money on Sunday too.

Quintana allowed two earned runs on six hits while walking two and striking out six in six very solid innings of work. Poor defense, including another error from Mark Vientos at third, didn’t help Quintana’s cause, nor did an impotent offense. The lefty has allowed just 12 runs in roughly 25 innings through his first four starts as a Met. That’s pretty, pretty, pretty good to quote the great Larry David.

Bodies Coming Back

You couldn’t help but be a little embarrassed when the Mets announced their lineup on Sunday. You had DJ Stewart batting cleanup, Rafael Ortega in the outfield and Omar Narváez hitting fifth. If you are serious about winning baseball games, which the Mets probably aren’t at this point, that’s not the lineup you put out.

However, the good news is that some actual established MLB bodies are on their way back. Brandon Nimmo started two of three games in Baltimore, then pinch-hit against the Orioles on Sunday. Starling Marte also returned to the lineup over the weekend, although his disaster of a season continued as he went a combined 0-for-8 at the plate. Regardless, if this team is going to steady the ship even a little bit the rest of the way, then having proven commodities in the lineup will go a long way to helping that cause.

Accountability

Okay, we told you we would be reaching in this section. On Saturday night, as the Mets were getting beat up in an embarrassing 10-3 loss to the O’s, Owners Steve and Alex Cohen sent out a passionate letter, or maybe a mea culpa more to the point, to Mets Ticket holders. In it, the Cohens effectively apologized for how the 2023 season flew off the rails. They then doubled down on their promise to construct a competitive roster in 2024. It was a long but detailed and impassioned explanation of the thinking behind the change in philosophy this year.

And you have to give the Cohen’s credit for that. Look, you can still be angry at how this season has transpired. You can be bummed that the 2023 Mets will go down as one of the biggest busts in recent memory. You can also even be a little dubious about whether or not the slew of high-end prospects this team loaded up with at the Trade Deadline will actually translate to future success in the Major Leagues.

With all that said, though, at least ownership isn’t hiding away from the mess they’ve helped to create. A lot of other owners would be hunkering down right now (Jim Dolan, anyone). Instead, Steve Cohen in particular has got in front of this and is holding himself, and his staff, accountable. That has to count for something.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

3 Down

Hard To Watch

Let’s lead off this section with this; you aren’t having a whole lot of fun as a Mets fan right now. Having to watch DJ Stewart bat cleanup, coupled with seeing Rafael Ortega in the outfield most days, isn’t conducive to a good viewing experience. Nor is witnessing Omar Narváez hitting fifth, or Mark Vientos committing a slew of errors at the hot corner in big spots. These past six games have been one mammoth melting pot of pain and suffering for Mets fans. I’d also like to bet that a fair chunk of the fanbase wanted to throw themselves into a boiling vat of soup in the wake of a humiliating weekend in Baltimore. It is unwatchable baseball at this point, but the worse is probably still to come.

Buckle up, Mets fans, the race to have one of the worst records in all of baseball in 2023 is very much on.

Couldn’t Hit A Beach Ball

I feel the above heading was apt given the dumpster fire that is the Mets’ offense. Wow, the bats stink right now and it wasn’t pretty in Baltimore. Far from it. While this offense somehow managed to put together 11 hits through the first two games against the Orioles, they reached new lows on Sunday. The bats vanished, recording just four meager hits with no runs and just one lousy extra-base hit. It wasted another stellar start from José Quintana. This stumbling offense has now failed to score more than three runs for a fifth consecutive game. Of all of their myriad of problems right now, the Mets’ inability to hit and score runs is perhaps the most glaring.

Rotation Of Nightmares

While Steve Cohen has made it known that the Mets won’t be shopping at Macy’s this coming Winter, it has become clear that a considerable amount of resources will need to be poured into the rotation. Outside of José Quintana and Kodai Senga, there is a slew of serious question marks hovering around this staff heading into 2024. That was proven yet again on Saturday night as Tylor Megill, back in the rotation, laid a Godzilla-sized egg on the mound. He allowed five earned runs on nine hits, including a pair of home runs, and was pulled before the completion of the fifth inning.

Yes, Megill’s stuff was good as his fastball peaked at 98.8 mph, but that just elicited greater contact from the O’s. With both Megill and David Peterson largely failing to deliver when given the opportunity, it is becoming apparent that a hell of a lot of work is going to be needed in order to perform much-needed plastic surgery on this rotation heading into 2024.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Hit New Season Low In Baltimore appeared first on Metsmerized.

Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

In his return to the big leagues after a shaky stint in the minors, Megill was hit hard right from the outset. The electrifying one-two punch of Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson led off the game with a single and a home run, putting the Mets in an early 2-0 hole to try to climb out of.

Megill managed to limit any further damage before settling in for a scoreless second inning. However, he allowed a run in each of the next three innings to end his night, including a fifth-inning homer off the bat of Anthony Santander. Megill exited the game having given up five earned runs over 4 2/3 innings, allowing nine hits and striking out three.

“I know that some people might not look at it that way, but I thought it was a good step for him stuff-wise,” Buck Showalter said of Megill after the game. “They did a nice job with him down in Syracuse. He looked more like himself and it’s got a chance to progress better as we go.”

On the other side, Gibson pitched well against the Mets’ lineup aside from two hiccups in the fourth and sixth innings. After throwing three perfect innings with six strikeouts his first time through the order, Gibson allowed a double to Brandon Nimmo and a two-run homer to Jeff McNeil, McNeil’s fourth long ball of the year and his first in nearly two months.

Jeff McNeil gets the Mets on the board with a 2-run homer! pic.twitter.com/PXNM76zmzs

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 6, 2023

McNeil delivered again in the sixth inning after Francisco Lindor reached base via a two-out bloop double. He lined a ball into the outfield which scored Lindor to make it a 5-3 game, keeping the Mets firmly within striking distance. Gibson finished strong, though, exiting after seven strong innings and never allowing the Mets to take the lead.

Baltimore responded to McNeil’s RBI hit in the bottom of the inning, scoring for the fourth consecutive inning with an RBI double off the bat of Ryan McKenna to give the Orioles a 6-3 lead. The O’s added on again in the ninth against Phil Bickford, with Rutschman hitting an RBI double to extend the lead to four.

That proved too much for the Mets to overcome as they never threatened to take the lead, let alone score, over the final three innings. With Megill struggling on the mound and McNeil providing all the offense, the Mets once again gave themselves little to no chance to win. With their fifth consecutive loss following the trade deadline, the Mets now sit at 50-60 on the year.

Megill’s Return to the Rotation

Tylor Megill returned to the big league rotation out of necessity with both Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer out of the picture. He struggled against a potent Orioles lineup, giving up a run in four of the five innings he was on the mound to raise his season ERA from 5.17 to 5.45. If there’s one positive that can be taken away from his outing, it’s that the velocity on his fastball looks as if it’s back to normal after it dipped in several of his starts earlier in the year.

On Deck

The Mets will wrap up their series with the Orioles on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. ET. José Quintana (0-2, 3.57 ERA) will be on the mound for his fourth start of the year for the Mets, while Kyle Bradish (7-6, 3.32 ERA) will look to continue his strong season for Baltimore. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Mets Drop Fifth Straight, Lose 7-3 To Orioles appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets have lost four straight games since the trade deadline passed by a combined score of 30-11. Following a three-game sweep by the Royals, the Mets lost again last night to the Orioles by a score of 10-3. Former Met James McCann put on a show with three hits, five RBIs, and a stolen base. With the Mets now sitting at 50-59, it looks more and more every day like the Mets made the right move to sell at the deadline.

Latest Mets News

Buck Showalter told reporters on Friday that Tylor Megill will join the major league rotation and start today for the Mets.

Francisco Álvarez was named to the MLB Team of the Month for the month of July. Over 20 games, he hit eight home runs and drove in 16 with a batting line of .275/.351/.623/.974.

Steve and Alex Cohen sent out an apology email to season ticket holders for the Mets’ underperformance this season.

David Wright joined Evan and Tiki on WFAN to talk about a number of topics including his career, the current state of the Mets, and the upcoming Battle of the Badges at Citi Field which he is set to host.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Latest MLB News

Max Fried made his first start in nearly three months on Friday for the Braves, throwing six shutout innings with eight strikeouts against the Cubs.

The Padres announced that pitchers Cole Hamels and Craig Stammen were placed on the voluntarily retired list.

The Astros released both Blake Taylor and Joe Perez, who were outrighted off the 40-man roster on Friday.

Latest on MMO

In the latest Mets Minors Recap, Michael Mayer highlighted Ryan Clifford after he hit a home run in his first game in the Mets’ system.

Michael Famulari wrote about Carlos Carrasco‘s continued struggles on the mound.

John Sheridan broke down what scouts and evaluators are saying about the Mets’ newest prospects.

Michael Mayer released his updated list of the Mets’ top 60 prospects.

On This Date in Mets History

1980: In a game against the Expos, Doug Flynn hit three triples which tied a modern MLB record.

1985: Five years after Flynn’s three triples in one game, Darryl Strawberry became the fourth player in Mets history to hit three home runs in a game, doing so against the Cubs.

Birthdays: Chasen Bradford (34), John Olerud (55), Mardie Cornejo (72)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Lose Fourth Straight Following Trade Deadline appeared first on Metsmerized.

“We have to play better,” Buck Showalter said following the game. “Some people that are getting an opportunity have to take advantage of it… We’re just not pitching very well and not scoring many runs.”

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

One of the Orioles players who took advantage of the poor Mets pitching was James McCann. McCann, who had two notoriously rough years with the Mets from 2021-2022, greeted his old team by reaching base four times, driving in five runs, and even stealing third base. Yes, you read that right.

McCann’s first two-run base hit opened the scoring in the fourth inning. With two outs and a chance to escape the inning with runners on second and third, John Curtiss threw a first-pitch fastball right down the middle that McCann sent back up the middle to give the O’s a 2-0 lead.

After the Mets’ offensive performance in Kansas City, a two-run Baltimore lead seemed much greater than that. This was especially so due to Dean Kremer, Baltimore’s starter, easing his way through the Mets’ lineup across the first five innings, allowing just one hit and one walk.

Kremer gifted the Mets a chance to score in the sixth, though, when he lost all command and walked the bases loaded. Francisco Lindor took advantage by looping a ball into the shallow outfield, tying the game at two apiece and giving the Mets some rare life.

Any momentum the Mets may have gained was squashed immediately in the bottom of the inning. The Orioles’ bats had their way with the newly-acquired Phil Bickford, tagging him for four runs over 1/3 of an inning. After an RBI single off the bat of Ryan O’Hearn gave the Orioles the lead again, McCann came to the plate once again with two runners on and launched a ball into left field that would have been a home run in almost any other ballpark. Instead, he had to settle for a two-run double to extend the Baltimore lead to 5-2. McCann then successfully stole third base before being driven home on a sacrifice fly.

Baltimore’s offense put up another four-run inning in the seventh off of Reed Garrett. Rookie Jordan Westburg hit his second career home run, a three-run shot, before McCann added yet another RBI hit, this time an opposite field single. The Mets added the final run of the game in the eighth inning, a fielder’s choice off the bat of Danny Mendick, to make it a 10-3 ballgame.

Before James McCann decided to terrorize his former team, David Peterson drew his first start for the Mets since being transferred to the bullpen. Despite a shaky first inning he exited the game after three scoreless, a successful outing considering he was never going to go the length he normally would if he was stretched out and firmly in the rotation.

Nevertheless, the prowess of the Orioles’ offense and the debacle that is the Mets’ bullpen made this game almost unfair upon Peterson’s departure. With the loss, their fourth straight, the Mets find themselves at 50-59.

James McCann Revenge Game

The former Met entered Friday night’s contest with the Mets with just 10 RBIs and a .570 OPS on the year. In this game alone, he went 3-for-3 with a double, two singles, a walk, five RBIs, and a steal of third base that directly resulted in another run. He was easily the biggest producer for either team, an irony that just seems fitting.

On Deck

The series between the Mets and Orioles will continue Saturday evening, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET. Tylor Megill (6-4, 5.17 ERA) will rejoin the Mets’ rotation and notch his first big league start in over a month. Baltimore will send Kyle Gibson (10-6, 4.53 ERA) to the mound as he looks to record his fourth straight quality start. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post James McCann, Orioles Embarrass Mets 10-3 appeared first on Metsmerized.

Trey Mancini

Position: First Base/Designated Hitter

Bats/Throws: R/R

Age: 30 (3/18/1992)

2022 Traditional Stats: 143 G, 587 PA, .239/.319/.391/.710, 18 HR, 63 RBI, 124 H

2022 Advanced Stats: 101 OPS+, 1.3 bWAR, 9.0 BB%, 23.0 K%, 40.5 HardH%, .286 BABIP, .152 ISO

Rundown

Trey Mancini was never a highly-touted prospect despite the success he has had at the Major League level. In 2013, he was selected in the eighth round of the MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles, where he signed and eventually made his MLB debut in 2016. In only 15 plate appearances on the season he recorded three home runs and there was optimism about the type of player Mancini could become, as he was one of Baltimore’s top prospects heading into 2017.

Mancini proved the hype was real in his first full season in Baltimore. He hit .293 with 24 home runs and finished third in the American League Rookie of the Year vote behind Aaron Judge, who also finished as the MVP runner-up, and Andrew Benintendi. Because of his impactful first season, Mancini firmly established himself as one of the key contributors in Baltimore’s lineup.

Despite the fact that the Orioles were one of MLB’s worst teams in both 2018 and 2019, Mancini was a force to be reckoned with at the plate. His 2018 home run total of 24 matched that of his previous season, and 2019 was even more of a breakout for the power-hitting first baseman, as he recorded 35 home runs and 97 RBIs along with an .899 OPS.

2020 was where things took a scary turn for Mancini. On April 28, he announced he had stage 3 colon cancer and would undergo chemotherapy. This, in conjunction with the postponement of the season due to COVID-19, caused Mancini to miss the entirety of the 2020 season.

The following offseason, Mancini declared that he was cancer free and would join the Orioles for the 2021 season. His comeback story was an inspiration to many, as no one knew if he would ever be able to play baseball again. Yet, Mancini defied all the odds and put up respectable numbers in 2021, recording 21 home runs and a .758 OPS. Mancini was easily one of the best stories in sports in 2021, and was deservedly given the American League Comeback Player of the Year Award.

2022 was an up-and-down year for Mancini. For nearly the entire season, his name was included in trade rumors but with the Orioles greatly overachieving, many thought he would contribute in a surprise playoff race. However, the rumors proved to be true as he was traded at the trade deadline to the Houston Astros. Mancini’s stats at the time of his trade were deflated due to the modified and pushed-back left field wall in Oriole Park, and the Astros believed his stats could spike at Minute Maid Field.

While playing in Houston allowed Mancini to hit home runs at a higher rate than he had in Baltimore, he severely struggled with his new team, posting a slash line of .176/.258/.364/.622 and an OPS+ of 60 in the second half of the regular season. His struggles continued into the postseason, as he recorded just one hit in 21 at-bats during the Astros’ run that culminated in becoming world champions.

Contract

Prior to the 2022 season, Mancini signed a one-year, $7.75 million deal with the Orioles to avoid arbitration. Part of this deal was a $10 million mutual option for the 2023 season, an option that Mancini and now the Astros will have to decide on. If Houston and Mancini both opt in, he will remain with the Astros for 2023. However, if Mancini or the Astros opt out, he will hit the free agent market.

Spotrac.com estimates Mancini’s market value to be $18.1 million in average annual salary, and predicts he will sign a five-year, $90.6 million deal if he becomes a free agent. If Mancini believes he really is worth that much, it would make sense for him to opt out of his mutual option and test free agency.

Recommendation

Trey Mancini was one of the Mets’ top targets this past trade deadline, and is clearly a player the team has interest in. This makes sense considering his connection to Buck Showalter, who was his manager in Baltimore for the first two years of his career. One of the reasons Mancini did not land as a Met at the deadline was due to the team’s philosophy not to trade top-tier prospects, especially for a player with an expiring contract. Now that Mancini could be on the free agent market, the Mets could go after him without giving up prospects. And as we know, Steve Cohen isn’t afraid to spend money.

Mancini doesn’t exactly fit the identity that the Mets created in 2022. He doesn’t grind out at bats or boast a high OBP. What he provides is power and the ability to get extra-base hits, which is exactly what the Mets didn’t have and they suffered at the end of the season because of it.

Another one of Mancini’s qualities is the ability to hit righties and lefties equally as well. The 2022 Mets relied heavily on platoon bats, but Mancini is the type of hitter who can play everyday, especially if he can rebound from his poor performance in the latter half of this season.

The Mets should definitely consider signing Mancini if he becomes a free agent. He has the flexibility to play first base, left field, right field, or be a designated hitter.

The post MMO Free Agent Profile: Trey Mancini, 1B/DH appeared first on Metsmerized.