Note, all statistics are as of Sunday morning prior to the beginning of any games.

Gregory Soto Deal

The first deal the Mets made came on July 25 as New York acquired left-handed reliever Gregory Soto. In exchange, the Mets departed with two pitching prospects: Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster. Aracena was the 15th ranked prospect in Metsmerized’s midseason top-50 list while Foster was unranked.

Aracena picked up right where he left off so far in the Orioles’ system. He appeared in one game at the Single-A level, the same level he was at with the Mets, and two games at the High-A level after a deserved promotion. Across those three combined starts he has thrown 13 2/3 innings allowing three hits, one run, and has struck out 17. The 20-year-old is continuing a sensational season.

Meanwhile, Foster, 26 years old, was assigned to Triple-A within the Orioles’ system, the same level he was with the Mets prior to the deal. He has appeared in five games in relief, allowing seven hits and three runs over 5 2/3 innings. His combined season Triple-A ERA sits at 9.64 through 9 1/3 innings.

Tyler Rogers Deal

In the team’s second deal leading up to the deadline, the Mets departed with three players in exchange for right-handed reliever Tyler Rogers. New York dealt big leaguer José Buttó and two Triple-A players in outfielder Drew Gilbert and right-handed pitcher Blade Tidwell. Gilbert and Tidwell ranked 15th and 19th, respectively, in Metsmerized’s top-50 midseason prospect list update.

Buttó has been strong in relief for the Giants since the deal. He has appeared in six games and has not allowed a run across 5 2/3 innings. He has allowed two hits and three walks. Meanwhile, 24-year-old Gilbert has made his major-league debut, but has struggled mightily, going 1-for-18 at the plate with five strikeouts.

Lastly, Tidwell has been terrific for San Francisco’s Triple-A team. He has appeared in three games (two starts) and has tossed 16 innings, allowing nine hits, three earned runs, and has struck out 23. Importantly, he has only walked five. A promotion back to the big leagues appears near.

Jesus Baez. Photo by James Villani, MMO

Ryan Helsley Deal

In the Mets’ third and final bullpen move, they acquired right-handed reliever Ryan Helsley. In exchange for him, they gave up infielder Jesus Baez as well as pitchers Frank Elissalt and Nate Dohm.

Baez was the highest-ranked prospect the Mets departed with, according to Metsmerized’s midseason top-50 prospect list (No. 7). He has struggled mightily at the High-A level since the deal, slashing .179/.304/.179 across 39 at-bats. Baez struggled mightily with High-A Brooklyn in the month prior to the trade.

The 23-year-old right-handed pitcher, Elissalt, has also struggled since the move. He has appeared in three games (two starts) at the same level he was at with the Mets prior to the move (High-A). In these three games, he has opted a 7.04 ERA across 7 2/3 innings. He has walked seven hitters which has directly led to his struggles.

Lastly, 22-year-old Nate Dohm has made two starts since the trade at the High-A level. He has thrown five innings and allowed two runs, four hits, and has struck out six. The former Mississippi State Bulldog has a 2.93 ERA across 67 2/3 innings on the season.

Cedric Mullins Deal

The last deal the Mets made prior to the deadline was their only position-player deal. New York acquired outfielder Cedric Mullins in exchange for three pitchers: Anthony Nunez, Raimon Gomez, and Chandler Marsh. They ranked 23rd, 32nd, and 46th, respectively, in Metsmerized’s midseason top-50 prospect list.

Nunez has appeared in the Double-A and Triple-A levels for the Orioles thus far, combing for five innings, one hit, one run, and six strikeouts. He is having a breakout season, as he owns a 1.60 ERA and 66 strikeouts over only 45 innings.

Marsh, 22 years old, has thrown four innings at the Double-A level for Baltimore, allowing five hits and two runs. His High-A ERA on the season sits at 3.57.

Gomez, a flamethrower, has not thrown a pitch in the Orioles’ system yet, as he is currently on the injured list.

The post Early Look At How The Trade Deadline Subtractions Have Performed appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Deals

• RHPs Wellington Aracena (Low-A) and Cam Foster (Double-A) for LHP Gregory Soto
• OF Drew Gilbert (Triple-A), RHPs Blade Tidwell (Triple-A) and José Buttó (MLB) for RHP Tyler Rogers
• INF Jesus Báez (High-A), RHPs Nate Dohm (High-A) and Frank Elissalt (High-A) for RHP Ryan Helsley
• RHPs Raimon Gómez (High-A), Anthony Nunez (Double-A) and Chandler Marsh (High-A) for OF Cedric Mullins

The trade for Rogers elicited the most significant reaction from Mets fans because of the name recognition for Gilbert, Tidwell and Buttó. However, Gilbert has been merely mediocre offensively in a hitter-friendly league, and his long-term defensive fit is probably best suited for the corners, not center field. Tidwell struggled mightily in his short big league stint this season to the tune of 15 earned runs in 15 innings. Buttó has been a serviceable big league arm, though he’s out of options and his strikeouts are at a career low.

Drew Gilbert, Photo by Kylie Richelle of Syracuse Mets

Prospect Rankings and How They Were Originally Acquired 

• No. 7 – Jesus Báez, IFA ($275K bonus)
• No. 14 – Drew Gilbert, trade (Justin Verlander)
• No. 17 – Nate Dohm, 3rd round pick (2024)
• No. 19 – Blade Tidwell, 2nd round pick (2022)
• No. 23 – Anthony Nunez, UDFA
• No. 32 – Raimon Gómez, IFA ($10K bonus)
• No. 37 – Frank Elissalt, 19th round pick (2024)
• No. 46 – Chandler Marsh, UDFA
• Unranked – Cam Foster, 14th round pick (2022)
• MLB – José Buttó, IFA ($5K bonus)

As you see, Báez was far and away the best prospect the Mets dealt. The 20-year-old was hitting .244/.337/.406 for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones at the time of the trade. Dohm is the best pitching prospect of the group, and he has a 2.62 ERA in 34 1/3 innings for Brooklyn this year. Gómez made noise earlier this season when he hit 104.5 mph, but has been shifted to a bullpen role, and has 15 walks and five HBPs in 22 innings for Brooklyn.

Nunez jumps out to me as a guy that we will probably see pitch in the big leagues this season. The former minor league infielder has held hitters to a .114 average this year (best among 1,222 minor league pitchers) and has a 1.58 ERA. Elissalt and Marsh have flashed promise as starters in the lower minors, and Foster has the makings of an MLB-caliber slider.

Roster Implications

As Mets fans should know by now, Stearns is keenly aware of a player’s roster situation when he makes a move. As noted above, Buttó was on the 40-man roster and out of options. Tidwell was also on the 40-man roster, and his MLB struggles this season certainly didn’t secure his grip on keeping that spot. Of the remaining eight players traded, four (Gilbert, Gómez, Nunez & Foster) are Rule 5 eligible this offseason. That means the Mets would’ve had to add any of them to the 40-man roster before the November deadline, or they would be exposed to the Rule 5 draft.

Cedric Mullins. Photo by Roberto Carlo

What They Did

The Mets turned arguably their biggest weakness into a strength by getting three arms capable of pitching in high-leverage situations. They got three very different arms, too. Soto is a hard-throwing lefty, Rogers is a submariner who gets a ton of groundballs, and Helsley is one of the hardest-throwing righties in baseball.

Take a look at the Mets’ current bullpen:

• Edwin Díaz
• Ryan Helsley
• Tyler Rogers
• Gregory Soto
• Reed Garrett
• Brooks Raley
• Ryne Stanek
• Rico Garcia

At the very least, that’s one of the best in the National League.

The Mets have needed a center fielder since Jose Siri struggled to start the season and then went down with an injury. Tyrone Taylor has been great defensively, but he’s struggled overall offensively (58 wRC+) and was particularly bad in July with a -14 wRC+. On the flip side, Cedric Mullins was impressive in July with a 137 wRC+ after a slow start to the season. Outside of a breakout campaign in 2021 (136 wRC+), Mullins has been slightly above league average offensively (104 wRC+ this season), and that would be a boost for the Mets in center.

Power has been up for Mullins with 15 home runs already this season after hitting 18 last year. His ISO (isolated slugging) of .204 would be the second-highest of his career. The July success for Mullins has coincided with his trying to pull the ball more. His pull % of 52.7 in July was his highest of the season

Mullins does still steal bases a bit, with 14 this season and 32 last year. His sprint speed is in the 80th percentile, up from 75th last year and 66th the year before. As for his defense, the different metrics do not agree. Defensive runs saved have him well below average at -14 DRS, and outs above average have him slightly above average at 2 OAA. While Jeff McNeil has been mostly fine in center field, he’s better at second base, and that gives manager Carlos Mendoza more options.

Nolan McLean. Photo Credit: Kylie Richelle

What They Didn’t Do

The Mets didn’t trade for a starting pitcher despite the recent struggles and injuries to the rotation. Griffin Canning is done for the year, while neither Frankie Montas nor Clay Holmes has looked good recently. That said, most of the starting pitchers who were expected to be traded during the deadline ended up staying put. That narrowed the Mets’ options in trying to improve their rotation.

Moreover, the Mets have two prospects in Triple-A Syracuse who have had impressive summers. Righty Nolan McLean has a 3.01 ERA in Triple-A this year in a hitter-friendly league. To start July, McLean had back-to-back 10-strikeout games, and he’s gone at least six innings in three of his last four starts. Fellow right-hander Brandon Sproat struggled to start this season. However, he’s completely turned it around with only two earned runs allowed and 39 strikeouts over his last six starts (33 innings).

One of the questions with McLean and Sproat is how many innings they will go this season. McLean is five away from his career-high, and Sproat is 20. The Mets also boast one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, Jonah Tong. He currently leads the minors in strikeouts (146), strikeout rate (40.6%), and his 1.66 ERA is second among 365 minor leaguers with at least 70 innings.

The Mets also didn’t get a “big bat” that some fans were hoping for. Outside of Eugenio Suarez and, to a lesser extent, Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano, that power bat wasn’t available on the market. The market to get a masher wasn’t really there, and while Mullins doesn’t fit that description, he does make the Mets better offensively.

Final Thoughts 

I’d give the Mets a B+ for their deadline work.

As I said previously, the Mets turned their bullpen from a weakness into one of the best in the league, and they did it without giving up an upper-echelon prospect. They also improved their worst offensive position in center field. Again, without giving up top prospects. All of the pieces the Mets did get are rentals, so that’s not ideal. There were controllable bullpen pieces traded, though with hefty price tags.

All in all, the Mets are a better team than they were before the deals, didn’t give up a ton of their farm system value, and are better suited to win games in the playoffs.

The post Breaking Down the Mets’ Four Trades appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

President of baseball operations David Stearns managed to address a number of key needs. The bullpen was bolstered, while center field received a much-needed upgrade.

However, on the flip side, the Mets were unable to deal for another starter. You could also make a compelling argument that another bat was needed.

With that said, it was a very positive trade deadline overall for the Mets. And, on that note, let’s dive into a special edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Cedric Mullins. Photo by Roberto Carlo

3 UP

NOT GIVING UP THE FARM

This trade deadline was a seller’s market. Selling teams were asking for a lot in return for their assets, and we saw that in a slew of different trades. That’s why David Stearns deserves extra credit for not giving up any of the Mets’ premium prospects, including the likes of Brandon Sproat, Jett Williams and Jonah Tong. Granted, the front office did give up a ton in the return package for reliever Tyler Rogers. Drew Gilbert and Blade Tidwell were both included in that deal. Gilbert ranked No. 14 on Michael Mayer’s midseason list of top 50 prospects in New York’s system. Tidwell was No. 19. Meanwhile, infielder Jesus Baez, who was part of the package sent to the Cardinals for Ryan Helsley, was ranked No. 7. Therefore, Stearns was able to keep hold of his farm system gems while still acquiring players that should help this team to win now.

BULLPEN UPGRADE

Arguably the biggest need for the Mets approaching the deadline was bullpen help. As a result, Stearns deserves a lot of credit for how he went about bolstering the bullpen. He took full advantage of the slew of relievers available by acquiring three high-end arms. Gregory Soto is the kind of hard-throwing lefty reliever that the Mets have lacked all year long. Tyler Rogers is a submarine pitcher who offers a unique skillset, and Ryan Helsley is a flamethrower with nasty stuff. All of a sudden, the Mets now have one of the deepest and most dangerous bullpens in all of baseball. What was a considerable weakness is now a significant strength.

Manager Carlos Mendoza will now have the luxury of using Reed Garrett and Ryne Stanek in the middle innings. Then, it will be up to a combination of Soto, Rogers, Helsley and Edwin Díaz to shut down offenses and help secure wins. Helsley’s addition is an exciting one given the way he can overpower hitters. And Rogers is arguably one of the most efficient and underrated relievers in all of baseball. New York now has a bullpen that has the potential to do some real damage in October.

UPGRADING IN CENTER

I was never thrilled about the prospect of the Mets trading for Luis Robert Jr., while I’ve always been a big fan of Cedric Mullins. Therefore, I think the right center fielder was acquired at the deadline. Granted, Mullins isn’t the player he once was. But he’s an upgrade offensively over Tyrone Taylor, and he offers better defense in center field than Jeff McNeil. Mullins is currently hitting .229/.305/.433/.738 with 15 home runs and 49 RBIs. He also has 19 doubles, 14 stolen bases and 34 walks this year. The veteran is also capable of making highlight-reel plays with the glove. Furthermore, maybe the chance to play in a more talented lineup with an opportunity to compete for a World Series will lead to a resurgence for Mullins.

Sandy Alcántara. Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN

FALSE START

As productive as the trade deadline was for the Mets, more could still have been done. You can make a strong argument that another starter was needed. With Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea still ramping up, coupled with Clay Holmes‘ current downwards trajectory, there are question marks hovering over this rotation. Plus, when you consider that the likes of Twins RHP Joe Ryan, Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara and Diamondbacks righty Zac Gallen all stayed put, maybe New York missed an opportunity to get even better. After all, you can’t win without pitching, and a lot will have to go right in order for this rotation to thrive down the stretch and into October.

Maybe Holmes will get the train back on the tracks. Maybe Senga and Manaea will stay healthy and turn back into dominant arms. Maybe some of the top pitching prospects will come up and produce. Then it won’t matter. But, as of right now, it is hard to argue that the rotation didn’t need some more quality depth.

NOT ENOUGH

Adding just one bat was never going to be enough to fix what has been a maddeningly inconsistent offense. And, even if Mullins proves to be a home run addition, that won’t solve all of the offensive flaws. This lineup is too streaky, and it continues to struggle with runners in scoring position. Of course, it will be up to the stars and those now on the roster to step up and play to the back of their baseball cards. But, seeing some of the names moved on Thursday, it isn’t a stretch to say that acquiring another big bat would have really helped to lengthen the lineup. Not doing so could make a real difference once we reach October.

POTENTIAL LOGJAM

The Mets didn’t have to trade one of their infielders at the trade deadline. That’s great at first glance. However, not doing so could create some problems down the stretch. New York now has a boatload of infielders and only so many at-bats to give out. Following the addition of Mullins, Jeff McNeil will now seemingly move back to second base. Furthermore, it seems that Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, and Brett Baty will all share playing time at third. Luisangel Acuña is also still in the mix. It sure feels like one of those players will end up being a bit-part player down the stretch run. It will be interesting to see who that is, and how the Mets navigate that. Maybe it would have made more sense to have traded one or two of those infielders in order to further strengthen a real area of need.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Trade Deadline Recap Special appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (48-50) 8, Omaha Storm Chasers (38-59) 4

Box Score

• CF Drew Gilbert – 4-for-5, 2B, 1 RBI (42), 1 K (.772 OPS)
• LF Jared Young – 3-for-5, 3 R, 3B, HR (9), 4 RBI (30), SB (2) (.967 OPS)
• 1B Joey Meneses – 2-for-4, 1 BB (.757 OPS)
• 3B David Villar – 1-for-2, 1 R, HR (6), 1 RBI (18) (.730 OPS)

Drew Gilbert has had a great month of July, slashing .333/.406/.649 with nine of his 19 hits going for extra bases.

• RHP Blade Tidwell (4.32 ERA) 3 1/3 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (45 of 74 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Dylan Ross (1.69 ERA) 1 IP, 2 BB, 2 K

Tidwell did not have great control today, but limited the runs while failing to get out of the fourth inning. Dylan Ross battled some control issues but did not allow a run and struck out two in his inning of work.

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (60-30) 7, Reading Fightin Phils (36-54) 0

Box Score

• 1B Ryan Clifford – 3-for-4, 3 R, HR (18), 3 RBI (60), 1 BB, 1 K (.827 OPS)
• 3B Nick Lorusso – 3-for-4, 1 R, 2B, 2 RBI (40), SB (6), 1 BB (.728 OPS)
• CF Jett Williams – 1-for-5, 1 K (.895 OPS)
• LF Carson Benge – 1-for-5, 1 R, HR, 1 RBI (10), 1 K (1.009 OPS)
• C Chris Suero – 0-for-3, 1 BB (.243 OPS)

Chris Suero has had a rough introduction to Double-A, but did manage to walk on Wednesday. Ryan Clifford keeps showing his power is real, and despite the low batting average, has had a pretty solid month, slashing .210/.329/.548.

• RHP Luis Moreno (3.99 ERA) 3 1/3 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 3 K (34 of 54 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Joshua Cornielly (3.30 ERA) 2 2/3 IP, 1 H, 1 K
• RHP Brian Metoyer (5.40 ERA) 1 IP

Brian Metoyer had a great bounce-back outing after struggling on July 13. Since his promotion, he has only been scored upon in one of his six appearances. Luis Moreno has been hit hard in July, allowing a .306 batting average in 12 1/3 innings.

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (58-34) 1, Greensboro Grasshoppers (64-27) 3

Box Score

• CF A.J. Ewing – 1-for-3, 2B, 1 RBI (22), CS (6) (.809 OPS)
• LF Eli Serrano III – 1-for-4, 1 R (.734 OPS)
• SS Marco Vargas – 0-for-3, 1 BB (.601 OPS)

Brooklyn only managed four hits and a walk, with an A.J. Ewing RBI double being the only run driven in and extra-base hit. Colin Houck can’t wait for July to end, as he’s slashing .137/.220/.216 with 20 strikeouts in 51 at-bats.

• RHP Brendan Girton (2.47 ERA) 4 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR allowed (39 of 64 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Raimon Gomez (5.14 ERA) 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR allowed

In a pitching duel, the Cyclones’ bullpen just couldn’t keep it scoreless. Brett Banks allowed his first run since June 28, and hitters have hit .240 against him this month compared to .185 in June.

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (50-40) 14, Daytona Tortugas (42-48) 1

Box Score

• RF Simon Juan – 3-for-3, 3B, 1 R, 3 RBI (37), 2 BB (.626 OPS)
• 3B Jeremy Rodriguez – 2-for-6, 1 R, 3 RBI (29) (.571 OPS)
• SS Trey Snyder 2-for-5, 1 BB, 2 K (.659 OPS)
• LF Yohairo Cuevas – 3-for-5, 2 R (.793 OPS)
• 2B Nick Roselli – 3-for-3, 3 R, 1 RBI (25), 2 BB (.665 OPS)
• CF Yonatan Henriquez – 2-for-5, 2 R, 3 RBI (40), 1 K (.655 OPS)

Nick Roselli has been a man on fire in July, slashing .308/.438/.385 with eight runs scored and an 8/8 BB/K ratio. Daiverson Gutierrez had his 21st error of the season, showing that while his offensive game is coming around, he is still rough behind the plate, which is easy to explain for a player who will play the entire 2025 season at 19 years old.

Florida Complex League

FCL Mets (25-28) 11, FCL Marlins (19-35) 6

Box Score

Edward Lantigua hit his third home run of the season, and Dangelo Sarmiento hit his first of the season. Daniel Silva went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Branny De Oleo stole his 16th base of the season.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Drew Gilbert Has Four-Hit Night appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (44-49) 4, Lehigh Valley IronPigs (54-37) 0 Final/6

Box Score

• C Jakson Reetz, 2-for-2, HR, 1 RBI (.757 OPS)
• DH Francisco Alvarez, 3-for-3, HR, 2B, 2 RBI (1.005 OPS)
• 1B Joey Meneses, 1-for-3, 2B, 1 RBI (.744 OPS)

Francisco Alvarez added to his torrid stretch with a 3-for-3 day on Sunday, collecting a double, a home run, and two RBIs. The homer marked his eighth home run in 13 games and further cemented the case for his imminent return to the big league roster.

• RHP Blade Tidwell, 5 1/3 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 6 K (4.40 ERA)
• RHP Dylan Ross 2/3 IP (1.13 ERA)

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (57-28) 5, Altoona Curve (41-45) 7

Box Score

• CF D’Andre Smith, 3-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 RBI (.727 OPS)
• 3B Nick Lorusso, 1-for-4, HR, 2 RBI (.689 OPS)
• C Kevin Parada, 2-for-4, 2B, RBI (.739 OPS)
• DH Jacob Reimer, 1-for-4, 2B (.796 OPS)

D’Andre Smith and Nick Lorusso each launched two-run homers in the first inning, with Kevin Parada adding an RBI double to cap off a big opening frame. Smith has been swinging a hot bat lately, collecting six hits over his last three games.

• RHP Joander Suarez  6 IP, 1 ER, 3 H, 6 K, 1 HR (3.29 ERA)

High-A

Wilmington Blue Rocks (40-46) 4, Brooklyn Cyclones (57-30) 1

Box Score

• DH Eli Serrano III, 1-for-4, 2B (.748 OPS)
• CF A.J. Ewing, 0-for-3, 1 RBI  (.767 OPS)

An Eli Serrano III double and an A.J. Ewing sac fly were all the Cyclones’ offense could muster as they fell to the Blue Rocks on Sunday. Ewing also stole his 41st base of the season, all coming since his promotion to Brooklyn in April.

• RHP Will Watson 4 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K (2.64 ERA)
• RHP Nate Dohm 1 2/3 IP, 1 BB, 3 K (3.07 ERA)
• RHP Ben Simon 2/3 IP, 2 K (3.82 ERA)

Single-A

St. Lucie Mets (48-37) 2, Bradenton Marauders (40-46) 0

Box Score

• CF Simon Juan, 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI (.598 OPS)

Simon Juan provided all the offense St. Lucie needed, launching his sixth homer of the season with an opposite-field shot.

• RHP Frank Elissalt 4 IP, 1 BB, 4 K (3.02 ERA)
• RHP Ernesto Mercedes 2 2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 K (4.39 ERA)

Frank Elissalt and Ernesto Mercedes combined for seven strikeouts in a strong showing on the mound. Elissalt tossed four hitless innings with one walk and four strikeouts, while Mercedes followed with 2 2/3 innings of one-hit ball, striking out three.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Tidwell Outduels Painter appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Tidwell began his outing by striking out the red-hot Brice Turang on an up-and-away fastball. After issuing a one-out walk to Rhys Hoskins, Tidwell induced fly-outs from Anthony Seigler and Joey Ortiz to retire the side. After the Mets staked Tidwell to a 5-0 lead, he allowed a lead-off walk to Eric Haase to begin the third inning. The 24-year-old fell behind 3-1 to Sal Frelick before getting him to fly out to Tyrone Taylor, then needed just four pitches to retire William Contreras and Christian Yelich to end the frame.

Tidwell continued to pitch to contact in the fourth inning, getting Jackson Chourio to pop out and getting an easy grounder from Turang. Hoskins roped a two-out double, but Tidwell got Seigler to ground out to Pete Alonso on the next pitch to side-step any trouble. Tidwell dodged traffic again in the fifth inning, giving up a one-out single to Haase before Brett Baty made a sliding catch in foul territory to set down Frelick. The righty engaged in an eight-pitch battle with Contreras, ending it by ringing up the two-time All-Star on a knee-high fastball. Tidwell began to fatigue in the sixth, giving up back-to-back homers to Yelich and Chourio to lead off the frame. Tidwell struck out Turang looking for his third strikeout of the night, but his night ended when Hoskins followed with a single off the glove of Ronny Mauricio. Hoskins later came around to score on a groundout by Ortiz.

“It was kind of how we mapped it out today,” Carlos Mendoza said in his postgame interview. “He was huge today, I thought the fastball had life, I thought the secondaries, the slider, the sweeper, threw strikes, and when he got behind, he came back and made pitches when needed, so I thought he was really good.”

While he’s been a high-strikeout pitcher in Triple-A this year, Tidwell was effective without getting many swings and misses on Wednesday. He generated just three whiffs on 19 attempts – two on his four-seam fastball and one on his sweeper. His fastball velocity of 95.4 miles per hour was slightly lower than his season average of 95.8, though he topped out at 97.9. Seven of Tidwell’s 13 outs were recorded in the air, compared to three on the ground.

“It’s something you dream about your whole life,” Tidwell said about earning his first major league victory. “To go out there and do it is an unbelievable feeling.”

Last week, Mendoza said Tidwell was expected to take the rotation spot of the injured Griffin Canning. However, the rookie is ticketed back to Syracuse to make room for a couple of fresh arms. Perhaps Tidwell could transition to being a reliever – hitters have gone 11-for-22 against him after he’s thrown his 50th pitch in the game. Wednesday’s outing was a big step in the right direction for Tidwell, even if his line wasn’t super pretty.

The post Tidwell Provides Breath of Fresh Air in First Big League Win appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets have a tough challenge in the nightcap of their doubleheader tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers, as they’ll face Jacob Misiorowski. The top 100 prospect (No. 44 Baseball America, No. 65 Baseball Prospectus, No. 100 MLB Pipeline coming into the year) has dominated opponents so far in his major league career. He will face a Mets lineup that already played a full game today and logged just two hits in a 7-2 loss.

Across the diamond, the Mets will send out their own prospect in Blade Tidwell after Huascar Brazobán opens the game. The club is hoping that Tidwell rebounds against a more tired Brewers lineup as well.

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

1. Brandon Nimmo – LF
2. Francisco Lindor – DH
3. Juan Soto – RF
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. Jeff McNeil – 2B
6. Tyrone Taylor – CF
7. Brett Baty – 3B
8. Ronny Mauricio – SS
9. Hayden Senger – C

Brazobán will open the game and be followed by Tidwell, who is in line to do the bulk of the work today. Over 10 2/3 innings this season, Tidwell has allowed 12 runs on 18 hits and eight walks while striking out seven. His first start of the season, which was his MLB debut against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 4, wasn’t great. The 24-year-old allowed six runs over 3 2/3 innings in that game. He was better in his second outing, allowing two runs over 3 2/3 innings vs. the Philadelphia Phillies on June 20. The numbers in Tidwell’s latest appearance were a bit skewed, as he gave up four runs over 3 1/3 innings, but the Mets kept him in a game to save the bullpen after a bad start by David Peterson.

Opposing Lineup

1. Sal Frelick – RF
2. William Contreras – DH
3. Christian Yelich – LF
4. Jackson Chourio – CF
5. Brice Turang – 2B
6. Rhys Hoskins – 1B
7. Anthony Seigler – 3B
8. Joey Ortiz – SS
9. Eric Haase – C

Misiorowski has allowed only two runs over his first three starts (16 innings) this season while striking out 19 batters. He’s coming off of an outing where he posted a career-high eight strikeouts against the Pittsburgh Pirates over five innings on June 25, holding them to only two hits in the process. The St. Louis Cardinals didn’t score or record a hit over five innings against Misiorowski in his big league debut on June 12, but they showed that patience can pay off with four walks, which is something that will be tough for the Mets in the second game of a doubleheader. He leans on a fastball over half of the time that sits right around 100 mph. He also mixes in a slider that sits in the mid-90s to go alongside a high-80s curveball and a low-90s changeup.

Game Notes

• Lindor will not bat leadoff as a starter for the first time since May 17, 2024. He has gone 2-for-29 with one walk over his last seven games.
• Francisco Alvarez homered for the third-straight game with Triple-A Syracuse today.
• Sean Manaea allowed two earned runs over three innings in a rehab start for Double-A Binghamton today. He was briefly shut down due to a loose body in his left elbow last week.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Huascar Brazobán. Brazobán had a 1.30 ERA and 3.46 FIP over his first 26 games and 34 2/3 innings this season while striking out 34 batters over that stretch. Since June 3, however, he has pitched in eight games and thrown 7 2/3 innings while allowing 14 runs (13 earned) on eight hits and 10 walks. Brazobán’s been particularly off in his last two appearances, recording only two outs while allowing seven runs. Hopefully getting the start tonight as the opener gets him back on track.
2. The big, deflating inning. The Mets have now lost 14 of their last 17 games, and a defining characteristic in many of them is one inning where everything falls apart and makes a comeback seem impossible. It was the sixth inning this afternoon where the Mets allowed five runs. Reed Garrett came in and promptly gave up the tying run on a Turang double before falling apart and allowing a grand slam to Ortiz. There are a lot of problems with the offense right now, but the pitching staff has struggled as well.
3. In search of the big inning. On the other side of the coin, the Mets’ bats haven’t had a massive inning in what feels like a long time. A couple of crooked number innings would go a long way towards taking the heat off of the pitching staff.

Let’s go Mets!

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The Pirates (33-50), last in the National League in runs scored, erupted for four runs in the second inning, and the normally dependable Peterson was ineffective for the second start in a row in a 9-1 loss at PNC Park.

Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

It was the unlikeliest part of the unlikeliest lineup that did the damage, with hitters 6 through 9 connecting for four hits in a row in the second. Ke’Bryan Hayes singled, Jared Triolo singled, Alexander Canario doubled over Juan Soto‘s head and Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled. Leadoff hitter Tommy Pham followed with an RBI groundout and the Pirates led 4-0.

Hayes added an RBI double in the fifth that chased Peterson. His final line: 4 2/3 innings, five earned runs, seven hits, three walks, five strikeouts and a wild pitch. In his previous start against the Philadelphia Phillies, Peterson gave up five runs in four innings.

In his first 14 starts, Peterson (5-4) allowed three earned runs or less each time. His ERA has jumped from 2.60 to 3.30 in his last two starts.

Soto got New York (48-35) on the board in the fourth with his 20th homer, a 416-foot solo shot to center, his 11th in June. He entered Friday with a .325/.486/.738 slash line for the month, the 1.224 OPS was the best in MLB in June.

Mitch Keller (2-10) pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball, struck out four and lowered his ERA to 3.90. He was pulled with two on and one out in the sixth with a 5-1 lead. Isaac Mattson entered and got Jeff McNeil to line out to left and struck out Mark Vientos.

Vientos (0-for-4, two strikeouts) made his return to the lineup for the first time since suffering a right hamstring strain while running to first in Los Angeles on June 2.

Rookie Blade Tidwell, who was brought up from Triple-A Syracuse Friday, served up a three-run homer to Bryan Reynolds in the sixth that put the game out of reach. In three appearances, Tidwell has given up 12 earned runs in 10 2/3 innings pitched (10.13 ERA).

Stat of the Game

Peterson has surrendered five earned runs in back-to-back starts. Before these last two starts, he hadn’t given up five earned runs in a start since May 15, 2023.

Player of the Game

Soto went 1-for-2 with the homer and his MLB-leading 68th walk. He has led the majors in walks three times in his first seven years in the league. Honorable mention to Brett Baty, who went 2-for-4 with two doubles and is 8-for-18 in his last five games.

On Deck

Paul Blackburn (0-2, 6.62 ERA) will try to get back on track. His only win with New York was in his first start after being acquired at the 2024 trade deadline from the Athletics. Pittsburgh lefty Bailey Falter (6-3, 3.59 ERA) is 1-3 with a 3.33 ERA in seven career appearances (six starts) vs. the Mets. It’s a 4:05 p.m. ET start on SNY.

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The Mets made a long list of moves Friday afternoon before the start of their series against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. The biggest news is that Griffin Canning ruptured his Achilles and has been placed on the 60-day injured list.

• RHP Griffing Canning placed on 60-day IL
• RHP Blade Tidwell recalled from Triple-A
• LHP Colin Poche contract selected from Triple-A
• LHP Richard Lovelady cleared waivers and elected free agency
• OF José Azocar signed minors deal and sent to Triple-A
• RHP Austin Warren optioned to Triple-A
• UT Jared Young optioned to Triple-A
• INF Mark Vientos activated off IL
• OF Alex Ramirez released from Double-A

Original Post – June 27 at 11:43

Blade Tidwell is expected to join the Mets bullpen Friday in Pittsburgh, per Andy Martino of SNY. In a separate roster move, the Mets are sending outfielder Jared Young down to Triple-A Syracuse.

The Mets are activating Mark Vientos on Friday. No word yet on the pitcher who will be sent down.

The Tidwell promotion comes after Griffin Canning suffered an Achilles injury in a 4-0 victory against the Braves. The 24-year-old rookie has made two starts for the Mets this year, most recently a week ago in Philadelphia, where he gave up two earned runs in 3 2/3 innings and struck out four.

Tidwell (0-1, 9.82 ERA) may be used in relief or as a spot starter, Martino reported.

Young, who made his Mets debut on May 24, went 7-for-41 (.171) with three home runs, four RBIs and fifteen strikeouts in 17 games at designated hitter. His demotion means the Mets are keeping Ronny Mauricio (.226/.273/.403, three home runs) on the roster. Mark Vientos  is also set to return Friday.

The Mets (48-34) open a three-game set against the last-place Pirates (32-50) Friday with a 1/2 game lead on the Phillies (47-34) in the National League East.

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It was largely a weekend to forget for the Mets in Philadelphia. An implosion from the bullpen led to an ugly 10-2 defeat and a seventh straight loss in Friday’s series opener. The team had seemingly hit rock bottom.

Then, on Saturday, a corner seemed to have been turned. The offense exploded into life with seven home runs in a huge 11-4 win to end the losing streak in style.

However, all that joy and excitement proved to be short-lived. The Mets returned to losing ways on Sunday, dropping the finale and the series to cap off a miserable stretch of baseball. New York has now lost eight of its past nine games. The ballclub no longer sits atop the NL East. A crucial four-game series with the Braves in Queens now awaits.

Before we get to that, however, let’s recap everything from the weekend in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Juan Soto (22) Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

3 UP

SHOWING IMPROVEMENT

Despite not having plenty of time to prepare, Blade Tidwell delivered a better performance in his second career MLB start. The rookie was told the night before he would be starting Friday’s opener against the Phillies. Despite the resulting rush, Tidwell was better than his nightmare debut in which he allowed six earned runs. The righty held an explosive Phillies offense to three scoreless innings. He did run into trouble in the fourth, allowing two earned runs. However, it was a step in the right direction for Tidwell, who showed plenty of upside with his fastball.

HITTING HIS STRIDE

Juan Soto is starting to look more like himself. He is hitting .350/.458/.800/.1.258 over his last six games. Furthermore, the superstar hitter is reaching base at a high clip. He drew three walks in the two losses to the Phillies. Then, in the middle game of the series, Soto went off. He finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored, two home runs and four RBIs. When he’s at his best, Soto can take over games as he did on Saturday. When looking at a larger sample size, the four-time All-Star is slashing .338/.495/.716 with 22 walks, eight homers, four doubles, 16 RBIs and 20 runs scored over his last 22 games. Those stats, coupled with Saturday’s stellar showing, suggest Soto is becoming more and more locked in. That could be crucial to helping the Mets out of their current rut.

OFFENSIVE POTENTIAL

The lineup didn’t do a good enough job overall this weekend. That’s why the Mets dropped another big series. However, on Saturday, we saw the full potential of this offense. The lineup exploded for 11 runs, including seven home runs. It was just the fifth time in franchise history that the Mets hit seven or more home runs in a single game. They also hit back-to-back-to-back homers for just the 10th time in franchise history. Both Soto and Brandon Nimmo went yard twice. Francisco Lindor, Jared Young and Francisco Alvarez also hit home runs in the win. Although they couldn’t repeat the feat on Sunday, we saw just how dangerous this lineup can be when it is at its best. Now, the offense just needs to find some consistency.

Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

STUNNING DEMOTION

Okay, so the writing has been on the wall for a while as it pertains to Francisco Alvarez potentially getting sent down to Triple-A. But it didn’t make the actual event any less shocking on Sunday. The struggling Alvarez was officially optioned to Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday. He will now look to work on his flaws and claw back some confidence without having to worry about the spotlight every single day. It is a demotion that makes sense for all parties. Alvarez has regressed both defensively and offensively this year, and not by a little bit, either. He has looked lost both behind and at the plate. He’s been making defensive errors while hitting just .236/.319/.333 with six extra-base hits.

A reset has been needed for a while. As for the Mets, they are trying to compete for a championship and don’t have the luxury of allowing a young player to work it out on the fly. The Mets will now hope that Alvarez can make the necessary adjustments and show he’s ready to return to the big leagues sooner rather than later.

RARE MISTEP 

It is never a good sign when a team’s most reliable starter gets knocked around. That was the case for David Peterson,who endured a rare off-night on Sunday. In the series finale, Peterson got shelled for five runs on six hits and three walks in just four innings. He also gave up two home runs in the fourth, including a three-run shot that blew the game wide open. Peterson never recovered from that blow, and neither did the Mets. With the bullpen exhausted and the offense going quiet again, New York needed Peterson’s usual best. Sadly, he just didn’t have it on Sunday.

RUNNING ON EMPTY

The bullpen is reeling right now. An already taxed unit was pushed to its absolute limits over the weekend. It started in the series opener on Friday. After Blade Tidwell could only go 3.2 innings, the bullpen was called upon to carry the majority of the workload. It worked for a while until Reed Garrett entered the game and proceeded to allow four runs to blow open what had been a tie game. Justin Garza couldn’t limit the damage, also giving up four earned runs as a close game morphed into an embarrassing loss for the Mets. To be fair, the relief pitching rebounded on Saturday with four innings of scoreless relief. But, on Sunday, the bullpen would allow another two earned runs. More crucially, relievers are being asked to log a lot of innings right now. That just isn’t sustainable, and it will lead to more blown games.

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