Clifford now has a 1.138 OPS in June with seven home runs, four doubles, and a walk-to-strikeout ratio of 18:15. Though he is graded as a pure hitter, Clifford has been a three-true-outcome batter this month, boasting a .226 batting average over that span.

Joey Lucchesi. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (46-27) 1, Rochester Red Wings (37-35) 9

BOX SCORE

• CF Luisangel Acuña: 2-for-5 (.687 OPS)
• DH Ben Gamel: 2-for-3, R, 2B, BB (.973 OPS)
• 3B Brett Baty: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K (1.145 OPS)
• C Austin Allen: 1-for-4, RBI (6), 2 K (.840 OPS)

The Syracuse Mets were defeated 9-1 by the Washington Nationals’ top prospect, James Wood, and the Rochester Red Wings Saturday night. The Mets had no answer for Wood, who went 2-for-4 with a solo blast to left-center field. The Mets’ offense was dormant in the loss, going 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position while only one extra-base hit.

Luisangel Acuña had his sixth multi-hit game of June, lifting his slash line to .288/.350/.384 (.734 OPS) in the month.

• LHP Joey Lucchesi (4.61 ERA): 4 1/3 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (83 pitches/ 45 strikes)
• RHP Wilkin Ramos (0.00): 1 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Eric Orze (3.48): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Cole Sulser (2.01): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 ER), 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Yacksel Rios (3.30) 2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• RHP Yolmer Sanchez (0.00) 1/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K

Lucchesi was roughed up in a second-straight outing, seeing dips in each of his pitches’ average velocity and spin rate which was also the case for his last outing. Lucchesi has allowed six home runs and nine walks over his previous three outings; troubling for a pitcher whose bread and butter is earning ground balls.

Alex Ramírez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (35-31) 6, Akron Rubberducks (36-32) 5

BOX SCORE

• CF Alex Ramírez: 4-for-4, R, RBI (31) (.679 OPS)
• 1B Ryan Clifford: 1-for-4, HR (8), 2 RBI (21), K (.868 OPS)
• C Drake Osborn: 1-for-4, R, 2 RBI (13), K (.698 OPS)
• DH Brandon McIlwain: 1-for-3, R, 2B, BB, K (.648 OPS)

A four-run seventh inning propelled the Rumble Ponies to a win Saturday night over the Akron Rubberducks. Led by another Ryan Clifford home run, and a four-hit night from Alex Ramírez, the Binghamton offense strung together hits to complete the comeback.

The Rubberducks went up 3-0 in the third inning after a Petey Halpin home run. Still, the Ponies were resilient and chipped away at the Akron lead with the aforementioned Clifford blast in the fourth inning and a Ramirez RBI-single in the fifth. Drake Osborn provided the game-winning knock in the seventh with a two-run single to center field.

• RHP Luis Moreno (4.54): 4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 4 R (3 ER), 2 BB, 7 K (81 pitches/52 strikes)
• RHP Daniel Juarez (4.35): 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
• RHP Bryce Montes de Oca (0.00): 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Justin Jarvis (3.28) 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R (0 Er), 0 BB, 5 K

After a shaky start from Moreno, the Ponies’ bullpen held firm, allowing the team to win the comeback. Montes de Oca continues his rehab after elbow surgery and looks fantastic in his solo inning. Long-man Justin Jarvis was dynamic in the final three innings of the ballgame, striking five Rubberducks en route to his first save with Binghamton.

William Lugo. Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO

High-A

Jersey Shore BlueClaws (40-28) 8, Brooklyn Cyclones (33-35) 0

BOX SCORE

• SS William Lugo: 0-for-4 (.637 OPS)
• CF Stanley Consuegra: 0-for-4, K (.723 OPS)
• 1B Mateo Gil: 1-for-2, BB, 2 K (.723 OPS)

Coming off of their tough extra-inning loss, Brooklyn was stymied by the Jersey Shore pitching and was held to only one hit in their 8-0 loss. It was a woeful game on both sides for Brooklyn, who only got four baserunners on and struck out 12 times. In comparison, the Cyclones’ pitching staff allowed 13 baserunners and struck out only two BlueClaws.

• RHP Dakota Hawkins (4.20): 4 1/3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (72 pitches/ 45 strikes)
• RHP Jawilme Ramirez (4.73): 4 2/3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Despite his offense’s lack of run support, Jawilme Ramirez was solid in long relief for the Cyclones. Ramirez has allowed two runs or less in six of his eight appearances (starts and long relief) for Brooklyn.

Ronald Hernandez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (22-46) 0, Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (33-34) 5

BOX SCORE

• 1B Ronald Hernandez: 2-for-4, 2B (.776 OPS)
• 2B A.J. Ewing: 1-for-4, K (.601 OPS)
• C Jose Hernandez: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K (.475 OPS)

St. Lucie was held to just three hits and zero runs for the second consecutive game. On the bright side, the Mets only struck out 11 times in their loss on Saturday (13 on Friday night). 

• RHP Ernesto Mercedes (5.19): 5 1/3 IP, 4 H, 4 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 7 K (95 pitches/57 strikes)
• RHP Cristofer Gomez (5.60): 2 2/3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
• RHP Miguel Alfonseca (6.61): 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K

Cristofer Gomez gave a solid middle-relief performance for St. Lucie, striking out three and allowing only two hits in his 2 2/3 innings on the mound.

Dominican Summer League

DSL Mets Blue (4-10) 1, DSL Rockies (8-5) 4

BOX SCORE

• SS Jose Subero : 1-for-3, 2B, RBI (.885 OPS)
• RF Haniel German: 1-for-3, K (.850 OPS)
• LF Vladi Guerrero: 0-for-2, R (.322 OPS)

DSL Mets Orange (7-7) 4, DSL Tigers (7-8) 1

BOX SCORE

• DH Keiver Garcia: 2-for-4, 2B, K (.831 OPS)
• C Arnaldo Montano: 1-for-2, RBI, BB, K (1.167 OPS)
• RF Rocky Solano: 1-for-3, RBI, K (.650 OPS)

The post Minors Recap: Ryan Clifford Swats Seventh Home Run In June appeared first on Metsmerized.

Joey Lucchesi. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Triple-A

Lehigh Valley Ironpigs (29-37) 4, Syracuse Mets (41-26) 2

BOX SCORE

• 3B Brett Baty: 1-for-4, 2B, K (1.372 OPS)
• CF Rhylan Thomas: 0-for-4, RBI (6) (.595 OPS)
• SS Luisangel Acuña: 1-for-4, K (.668 OPS)
• LF Yolmer Sanchez: 1-for-4, 2B, RBI (21) (.616 OPS)

Syracuse’s seventh-inning mini-rally was not enough to return from their 4-0 deficit in their Saturday loss to Lehigh Valley. The Mets only collected six hits and were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position. Their two runs came from a Rhylan Thomas fielder’s choice ground out, and a Yolmer Sanchez double, both of which were in the seventh frame. 

Brett Baty amassed another extra-base hit, a 100 mph double to left-center field in the eighth inning. It is his seventh in seven games at the Triple-A level this season.

• LHP Joey Lucchesi (4.09 ERA)  5 1/3 IP,  8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (92 pitches/59 strikes) 
• RHP Matt Festa (2.38 ERA) 1 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
• LHP Tyler Jay (2.03 ERA) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K

Lucchesi allowed three home runs in Saturday’s loss and has combined to allow five across his last two starts. He also saw a velocity and spin rate dip from his yearly averages in each of his pitch types while only collecting four whiffs.

Festa and Jay were solid in relief, combining for one hit and four strikeouts in three and a third innings.

Ryan Clifford. Photo by Bronson Harris of Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Double-A

Somerset Patriots (31-31) 6, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (30-30) 4 In 10 Innings

BOX SCORE

• 1B Ryan Clifford: 2-for-4, 2 R, HR (7), 2B, 2 RBI (19), K (.935 OPS)
• LF Alex Ramirez: 0-for-4, R, BB, 2 K (.629 OPS)
• SS Jeremiah Jackson: 2-for-4, K (.597 OPS)

It was another thriller in Binghamton as the Rumble Ponies and Somerset Patriots needed extra innings to settle their Saturday night duel. Unlike Friday, the Rumble Ponies were unable to come away with the victory despite having a chance in the bottom of the ninth with runners in scoring position.

Ryan Clifford left the yard for the second-straight game, his seventh for Binghamton this season and sixth in June. His slash line for the month is .281/.489/.844 (1.333 OPS) while drawing 13 walks and striking out only eight times. Getting the slugger out of the pitcher-friendly Maimonides Park in Coney Island is doing wonders.

• RHP Nolan McLean (5.64 ERA) 5 2/3 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (82 pitches/46 strikes)
• RHP Junior Santos (5.64 ERA) 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
• LHP Daniel Juarez (4.74 ERA) 2/3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K
• RHP Paul Gervase (4.11 ERA) 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
• RHP Nolan Clenney (7.77 ERA) 1 IP, 3 H, 2 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K

McLean took the mound today but did not have his best stuff. McLean allowed two home runs and only struck out two batters in 5 2/3 innings. The Binghamton bullpen did a nice job keeping the team in the game as the offense battled back.

Gervase has settled into Double-A nicely, putting up three straight scoreless outings and 15.53 K/9 on the season.

William Lugo. Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO

High-A

Hudson Valley Renegades (32-29) 5, Brooklyn Cyclones (32-30) 8

BOX SCORE

• 3B Nick Lorusso: 2-for-4, 2 R, HR (8), RBI (32), BB, 2 K (.860 OPS)
• SS William Lugo: 2-for-3, R, HR (3), 2B, RBI (23), 2 BB (.595 OPS)
• 2B Wilfredo Lara: 1-for-5, R, RBI (18), 3K (.647 OPS)

After a quiet game offensively on Friday, the Cyclones came out swinging and drove in plenty of runs in their 8-5 win over Hudson Valley. A first-inning Nick Lorusso home run opened the scoring for Brooklyn, who would score again after William Lugo’s solo shot to center field.

Some defensive errors and wild pitches allowed three more Cyclones to score and set up Brooklyn’s final push toward the win, which was capped off by Christopher Suero‘s eighth-inning RBI single.

• RHP Kade Morris (5.32 ERA) 4 1/3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (85 pitches/ 54 strikes)
• RHP Julian Smith (8.10 ERA) 1 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Justin Lawson (4.06 ERA) 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K

Morris struggled to limit the long ball again; conceding two in one inning to the Renegades. Morris has given up 12 runs in the past two starts while seeing his strikeout numbers drop significantly. He’ll look to rebound in his next start by limiting hard contact and finding his put-away pitches again.

Jesus Baez. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Low-A

Jupiter Hammerheads (34-27) 6, St Lucie Mets (20-41) 3

BOX SCORE

• SS Boston Baro: 2-for-3, R, HR (3), 2B, 2 RBI (23), BB (.788 OPS)
• 3B Jesus Baez: 2-for-4, R, 2B, RBI (35) (.783 OPS)

St. Lucie dropped their Saturday match against Jupiter despite Boston Baro homering in a second consecutive day. Baro and Jesus Baez produced the only hits (and runs) for the Mets, who struggled to find their footing from the get-go.

Baro has slowed down a bit in June, slashing .235/.316/.441 but has a walk-strikeout ratio of four to two.

• RHP Bryce Montes de Oca (27.00 ERA) 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• RHP Saul Garcia (6.95 ERA) 4 1/3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 6 K (69 pitches/50 strikes)
• LHP Jeremy Peguero (5.56) 2 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K

It was Montes de Oca’s second rehab appearance, which went better than the first. After only recording one out and giving up three runs in his first outing, the towering right-hander got an entire inning under his belt as he continues to get back to his previous level of play.

Florida Complex League

FCL Mets (12-16) 1, FCL Astros (13-14) 3

BOX SCORE

• 2B Jeremy Rodriguez: 1-for-4, RBI (15), BB (.830 OPS)
• 1B Orangel Rodriguez: 1-for-4, R, 2B (.586 OPS)

The Florida Complex League Mets didn’t have much cooking on Saturday, totaling only three hits.

Dominican Summer League

DSL Mets Orange (4-5) 4, DSL Phillies White (3-5) 3

BOX SCORE

• 2B Diover De Aza: 1-for-3, BB, K (.780 OPS)
• CF Heriberto Rincon: 2-for-4, RBI (5) (.695 OPS)
• SS Keiver Garcia: 0-for-2, R, BB (.853 OPS)

DSL Phillies Red (4-4) 3, DSL Mets Blue (3-6) 2

BOX SCORE 

• C Jose Aular: 1-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI (4) (.900 OPS)
• 2B Jose Subero: 1-for-3, R, K (.961 OPS)

The post Minors Recap: Ryan Clifford Hits Sixth Homer In June appeared first on Metsmerized.

The Mets’ offense has come alive!

After a disappointing 10-game homestand against three west coast teams, the Mets turned things around quickly and will fly into London with a sweep in their back pocket. After scoring 14 runs in the first two games of their series against the Nationals, the Mets’ offense did not let up, scoring nine runs in a 9-1 sweep clinching victory over Washington. Newly acquired Luis Torrens went deep twice and Luis Severino diced up the Nats’ bats, going eight innings of one-run ball. For the full game breakdown, click here.

The Mets left for London after Wednesday night’s win and will have Thursday and Friday off before starting the London Series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday. Ranger Suárez of the Phillies is expected to go up against Sean Manaea of the Mets at 1:10 p.m. ET in Saturday’s matchup.

Photo by: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

All-Star Game voting opened on Wednesday. Click here to vote for your Mets!

Take a look at how London Stadium was turned into a baseball stadium for the Mets-Phillies series this upcoming weekend, via MLB Europe.

⚽️ Football ➡️ Baseball ⚾️

The London Stadium is #LondonSeries ready @MLB | @Mets | @Phillies pic.twitter.com/pgYLsxPrUJ

— MLB Europe (@MLBEurope) June 5, 2024

Starling Marte was scratched from the Met’s lineup on Wednesday with a right knee issue, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. DiComo noted that he received treatment, but the Mets are being cautious. Manager Carlos Mendoza said there is a “low level of concern right now” and he was available off the bench.

Manager Carlos Mendoza told the media that Edwin Díaz will pitch an inning for the Brooklyn Cyclones Thursday.

Mendoza also mentioned that the 27th player in London will either be Brett Baty or catcher Joe Hudson, per Mike Puma of the NY Post. RHP Cole Sulser will also be traveling with the team.

Right-handed relief pitcher Bryce Montes de Oca threw live BP recently and was hitting 96-98 mph, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online. He is continuing to rehab from Tommy John surgery.

The Mets officially released Omar Narváez and Jorge López after they were both designated for assignment last week. Click here for the full report.

Six Mets, including Christian Scott and Jett Williams, crack Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects of 2024 list. Click here to see what other Mets prospects made the cut.

Franciso Alvarez was DH and batted second for the Brooklyn Cyclones on Wednesday morning. He went 0-for-3 with a walk.

Latest MLB News

Ranger Suárez is expected to get the ball for the Phillies in the first game of the London Series against the Mets on Saturday, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Suárez was hit in the hand with a 106 mph comebacker last Saturday.

The Houston Astros announced that both Cristian Javier and José Urquidy will be undergoing right elbow surgery. Both starting pitcher will miss the rest of the season.

The Chicago White Sox signed INF/OF Michael Chavis to a minor league deal, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Chavis most recently played for Washington in 2023.

Texas Rangers star shortstop Corey Seager left Wednesday night’s game with left hamstring tightness.

Latest on MMO

MMO is giving away three sets of FOCO Mets sunglasses. Retweet the Twitter post and follow MMO on Twitter/X to enter.

Dedniel Núñez has been coming up big.

Six Mets prospects crack Baseball America’s Top 100.

On This Date in Mets History

2022: Eduardo Escobar finishes off the 11th cycle in Mets history with a ninth inning triple off Tim Hill of the Padres.

2017: After giving up eight runs in four innings, manager Terry Collins consoles Jacob deGrom, who would go on to win two Cy Young Awards and have a historic run in the following years with the club.

2011: The Mets draft outfielder Brandon Nimmo from Cheyenne East High School in Wyoming with the 13th overall pick in the MLB draft.

2006: With the 394th pick in the MLB draft, the Mets select 3B Daniel Murphy from Jacksonville University.

Birthdays: Joey Lucchesi (31), Jesús Feliciano (45), David Lamb (49)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets’ Offense Explodes in Sweep of Nats appeared first on Metsmerized.

The organization rehauled the bullpen for the upcoming season, re-signing Adam Ottavino on Jan. 31, and inking free agents Jake Diekman and Shintaro Fujinami on Feb. 2.

These three signings marked serious investments toward the bullpen for next season. Before, Stearns had made 13 smaller moves that didn’t move the needle, but instead fit the narrative of projects. Those signings included signing Andre Scrubb to a minor league deal and acquiring Yohan Ramírez from the White Sox.

Now, with the Mets bullpen updated further, here is another look at the depth chart for the 2024 season.

Photo by Roberto Carlo

The Back-End

The back end of the bullpen will be secured by familiar names in 2024.

Edwin Díaz returns to the closer role after missing the entire 2023 season with a knee injury. The righty had a 1.31 ERA and 17.1 K/9 in 2022 and will surely boost a Mets bullpen that struggled last season.

Brooks Raley, Ottavino, and Diekman will get their shares of late innings as well. Ottavino recently re-signed after opting out of his contract this offseason, while Raley returns after a successful first season in Queens, where he pitched to a 2.80 ERA in 54 2/3 innings.

Diekman could also get his chance in the eighth and seventh innings. The lefty struggled last season with the White Sox but pitched to a 2.18 ERA in 45 1/3 innings after being traded mid-season to the Rays.

Middle Relief

Drew Smith, Phil Bickford, and some new signees are the next in line for the Mets.

Smith regressed a little last season. Both his K/9 (9.6) and HR/9 (1.1) were lower from the year before, and the righty recorded a 4.15 ERA in 56 1/3 innings. Last season Smith had a chance to solidify himself as a late-inning arm and didn’t perform.

Bickford joins the Mets for a second season after an okay first stint. The former Dodger lowered his walks per nine to 4.6 with the Mets and pitched 25 1/3 innings for the team in 2023, but still didn’t return to his 2021 form, where he recorded a 2.80 ERA. Bickford should slot into the fifth or sixth inning if needed, or maybe earlier if the Mets go with an opener.

Fujinami and Jorge López are both in somewhat similar roles. The two right-handers both throw in the upper 90s, with Fujinami reaching 100, but both struggled with base runners and high exit velocities. If either one can lower their WHIP and maintain their high strikeout numbers, the Mets could have another late-inning arm on their hands.

Long Relief

The long relief options that follow in the Mets bullpen are all respectable options with starting experience.

Michael Tonkin is at the top of the list for long-relief options. The Mets signed him to a one-year, $1 million deal after he recorded a 4.28 ERA in 80 innings last year with the Braves. Tonkin’s slider is his plus pitch, which held batters to a .196 batting average and 30.3 whiff percentage.

The next two that follow are Joey Lucchesi and Sean Reid-Foley. Lucchesi was excellent last season, pitching to a 2.89 ERA in nine spot starts. He might have made a case for the rotation, but multiple additions to the rotation this offseason will keep him in the bullpen unless an injury arises.

Meanwhile, Reid-Foley will likely assume his clean-up role when the Mets are behind. The righty showed glimpses in 2021 and 2022, but still recorded ERAs north of five in each season. Reid-Foley also missed the majority of 2023 with Tommy John, which stunted his development and chance to escape the long-relief role.

Projects

Earlier this offseason, Stearns added three names to the bullpen that could evolve into difference-makers in 2024.

The name that headlines them all is Max Kranick. The right-hander was drafted out of high school by Pittsburgh in 2016 and displayed his velocity in the minors. His fastball touched 97-99 miles per hour, which he paired with a plus slider to put away batters. Despite impressive stuff, Kranick recorded subpar strikeout numbers and didn’t reach the majors until 2021.

Kranick could evolve in many ways for the Mets. Management could focus on his four-seam and slider combo, turning Kranick into a one-inning reliever in middle-relief situations. Stearns could also turn the righty into a long man. The Brewers were known for using relievers in unorthodox ways during Stearns’ tenure, and Kranick could team up with new Met Adrian Houser to get the ball to the back end of the bullpen.

The more traditional relievers on this list are Austin Adams and Ramírez. Adams is a slider-first pitcher who mixes in a four-seam fastball up in the zone to keep batters honest. While he boasts a strong 13.4 K/9 in his career, he also gets outs on the ground and recorded a 39.1 groundball percentage in 2023. Adams recorded a 5.71 ERA in 17 1/3 innings last year but also recorded a 3.72 FIP and 3.55 xERA. A strong Mets infield could reverse some of Adams’s misfortunes.

Ramírez’s arsenal is similar to Adams’s. The former White Sox primarily throws a sweeper and mixes in a mid-90s fastball. He was solid for the Pirates in 2023, recording a 3.67 ERA and 60% groundball rate in 34 1/3 innings, but had his season numbers ballooned by allowing four earned runs in four innings with the White Sox.

Potential Contributors

Forgotten in the Mets signings this offseason are the up-and-coming arms in their system.

Bryce Montes de Oca leads this group after missing the entire 2023 due to a second Tommy John surgery. The Kansas native debuted his 100-mile-per-hour sinker in 2022, along with his 95 mph cutter and 87 mph slider. The potential is there for the 27-year-old, but Montes de Oca needs to work on his control if he is going to factor into the 2024 bullpen.

Nate Lavender and Paul Gervase are the two arms in the minors with the highest chance of debuting this season. Lavender, a lefty, recorded a 3.27 ERA and 13.7 K/9 in Syracuse last season and could factor in if the Mets need an extra left-handed arm. Gervase is also on the horizon. The 6-foot-10 righty throws a mid-9os fastball and mixes in a sweeping slider to put away batters. Gervase recorded a 15.2 K/9 between High-A and Double-A last season.

Falling Fast

Reed Garrett, Grant Hartwig, and Josh Walker are the three Mets in the bullpen that are falling on the depth chart, mostly due to circumstances.

The many moves that Stearns has made this offseason, like Fujinami, López, and Ramírez, have filled the middle innings for the Mets. Unless one of the new guys struggles, the three arms above could find themselves in the minors for extended periods next season.

Walker struggled the most out of the group last season. The lefty recorded an 8.10 ERA, and the only peripheral statistic that favored him was his extension (97th percentile). Batters slugged .510 against his fastball, and while his curveball had an impressive 48.4 whiff percentage, it had a mediocre 2090 spin rate.

Hartwig and Garrett didn’t do much better. Both finished with ERAs north of 4.50 and struggled with baserunners. The difference between these two and Walker, however, are their arsenals. Hartwig displayed an above-average sweeper last year that had a spin rate of 2415 and held batters to a .147 batting average.

Meanwhile, Garrett threw a plus sinker and split-finger, which performed much worse than the expected stats. Batters slugged .538 against his split-finger, but the pitch recorded an xSLG of .297 and a 40% whiff rate.

Garrett and Hartwig may work their way into the bullpen conversation again. But they struggled to cement themselves last year with many opportunities, and have to compete against a plethora of new signees.

The post Analyzing The Mets’ New Bullpen appeared first on Metsmerized.

According to Francys Romero of MLB, Aroldis Chapman is in agreement on a contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The deal is pending physical. It is a one-year, $10.5 million deal, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Original Post: Jan 22 at 1:14 pm ET

With the reliever market finally heating up, Andy Martino of SNY reports the Mets, along with the Yankees, have shown interest in Hector Neris and Aroldis Chapman. Both teams are in contact with each player’s representatives.

Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

According to Martino, the Mets have around $10 million left to spend this offseason and would like to upgrade their bullpen. Neris, a right-hander who spent time in the Phillies and Astros organizations, has a career 3.24 ERA in 541 innings pitched. He was one of the best relievers in baseball in 2023, having a career year with a 1.71 ERA. Neris is looking for a multi-year deal with an AAV of around $7-$11 million.

Chapman is no stranger to New York, spending seven of his 13 major league years with the Yankees. A flame-throwing southpaw who regained his once iconic 103 mph fastball in 2023, Chapman is an intriguing fit for any team. He has a career 2.53 ERA but struggled during his time in New York. His 6.9 BB/9 in 2022 was his highest since 2011. Once a feared closer in baseball, he won his second World Series with the Rangers in 2023.

The Mets haven’t made many splashy moves this offseason, instead opting for depth and experience. Neris and Chapman would fit their current trend of signing players to low-medium risk contracts with high reward potential. The team has players like Nate Lavender and Bryce Montes de Oca in their farm, but the former has no big league experience, and the latter is recovering from Tommy John surgery. In need of bullpen help and the market dwindling, the competition will be fierce in signing the remaining players available.

The post Aroldis Chapman Signs With Pirates appeared first on Metsmerized.

Below I have listed several pitchers to look out for in this upcoming spring training.

Photo by Richard Nelson

Bryce Montes de Oca

Bryce Montes de Oca was a big storyline last spring as he mesmerized fans with his triple-digit fastball in a strong sample during Major League Spring Training. Unfortunately, in one of the final games of spring, his velocity took a sharp dip down to 96, leading to concern. Ultimately, after initially being diagnosed with bone chips and a stress reaction in his elbow, the surgeon discovered a lack of tension in his UCL. This led to his second career Tommy John surgery–this time also including an internal brace–hopefully leading to as indestructible an elbow as possible. He is also progressing well in his throwing program and isn’t to the mound quite yet but should be soon and is targeting a mid-2024 return. When healthy, Montes de Oca has one of the best pitch combinations in baseball with a sinker up to 102 with elite depth, a sweeping slider in the upper 80s, and a cutter that he throws as his primary pitch in the mid-90s. He made his MLB debut at the end of the 2022 season after posting a 36% strikeout rate in Triple-A and could be a serious boost to the Mets bullpen if he executes well.

Calvin Ziegler

Calvin Ziegler was the Mets’ second-round pick in the 2021 draft and is still just 21 years old. Despite some lower-half injuries in his first pro season, he posted some promising statistics including 73 strikeouts in 48 innings. His walk rate was high at 18%, but he was still a teenager at the time. His fastball averaged over 93 mph with his signature over-the-top delivery and hammer curveball in the low-80s. He returned to the mound after bone spurs and a quad injury at the tail end of the 2023 season for one inning with St. Lucie and struck out the side. In that inning, he averaged 95 which should encourage fans that he has a clean bill of health.

Jonah Tong

The 2022 seventh-rounder out of high school in Ontario, Canada, was an extremely similar pick to Ziegler. Jonah Tong made his professional debut in June of last season after battling injuries in the early going and had an intriguing beginning to his career in the orange and blue. His fastball has an interesting shape categorized as “cut-ride” meaning it has very little arm-side movement–sometimes even showing glove-side movement–and still holds a strong vertical break. This fastball shape typically leads to higher ground ball rates than normal for four seams and high miss rates. Tong reaches 96 miles per hour on the bump but typically sits in the mid-90s. His primary off-speed is a 12-6 curveball but he is likely to throw his gyro slider more in the future. A possible off-speed pitch for him to learn would be a harder, shorter curveball, termed a downer or “Death-Ball” that other relievers with his slot throw, namely James Karinchak and Pete Fairbanks. His season included ample amounts of strikeouts and walks. He posted 38 Ks and 22 BBs in just 21 innings. His command is going to need to improve regardless of how unique his pitch shapes are which should be his top priority in 2024.

Troy Miller

Troy Miller was acquired from the Blue Jays back in 2021 for Jacob Barnes and went straight to Double-A, switching from the Fischer Cats to the Rumble Ponies. Miller, recovering from Tommy John surgery, pitched just 3.2 innings before succumbing to injury in 2023. He should be back a couple of months into the 2024 season and has consistently boasted high strikeout rates along with elevated walk rates. He’s been throwing bullpens and is back in the upper 80s already and has always had a deep mix of pitches. His mix includes a low 90s heater with a high vertical break, a cutter in the mid-upper 80s, a change-up with good depth in the mid-80s, and a big two-plane curveball in the upper 70s. He has worked as a starter his whole career but could move to the bullpen in his return to maximize velocity, arm health, and stuff.

Josh Hejka

The Mets’ most recognizable submariner sustained his elbow injury last offseason and went under the knife for Tommy John surgery in January. Now throwing full-intensity bullpens, Josh Hejka should be back to full strength during spring training. When last healthy in 2022, Hejka spent nearly the entire season in Double-A, showcasing elite walk rates albeit with low strikeout rates. He has never had a walk rate above 9% at any stop in his minor league career and has an extremely unique 2’8″ release height. While he only throws in the mid-80s, the downward movement on his fastball and rising movement on his slider is similar to that of the Giants’ Tyler Rogers who throws even slower. Look for him to push himself through the upper minors upon his return.

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This unique situation makes constructing the 2024 roster a bit complicated. On the one hand, you want to provide your young players with every opportunity, and on the other hand, developmental trajectories are never linear, and ensuring you have ample support already on the roster is tantamount. Not only is it crucial for staying competitive through bouts of struggles or swathes of injury, but it is also important from a team-building perspective, to have a competitive roster and that “next man up” mentality.

For the first time during Steve Cohen’s tenure, the Mets may not be a playoff contender next season. With a few large decisions looming, the long-term direction of the franchise seems very clear, yet the 2024 season is likely to be one of transition. The Mets have a handful of young position players already on the roster and a few more who will be ready at some point during the season. They are probably hoping that while they might look worse on paper to start the season, by midseason or later, they will look more like the Orioles or Reds rather than the Pirates or Nationals.

Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The other elephant in the room is Shohei Ohtani. And the Mets’ whole offseason strategy may hinge on his decision. Whether Ohtani decides to play for the Mets may play into their decision to push harder in free agency. Yet, as things stand now, it doesn’t look like the Mets will make any large splashes in free agency this offseason. They may instead decide to go bargain shopping, looking for potential turnarounds and proven players who can provide above-replacement-level production until more of their young players are major league-ready.

I, therefore, wanted to break down what their 26-man roster looks like going into the offseason to see where they could potentially look to add in free agency, as well as into which prospects can impact their 2024 season at different points:

C: Francisco Álvarez, Omar Narváez

IF: Pete Alonso, Ronny Mauricio, Brett Baty, Francisco Lindor, Mark Vientos, Zack Short

OF: Jeff McNeil, Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, DJ Stewart

SP: Kodai Senga, José Quintana, Tylor Megill, José Butto, Joey Lucchesi, David Peterson (IL)

RP: Edwin Díaz, Brooks Raley, Phil Bickford, Drew Smith, Josh Walker, Grant Hartwig, Reed Garrett, Sean Reid-Foley

As things stand immediately following the non-tender deadline, the Mets have 28 players on their 40-man roster. With the low possibility of Luisangel Acuña or Alex Ramirez breaking camp with the team, they are currently looking at a long and difficult offseason. To say the least, trimming a whole third of a roster within a single month or so is more akin to fantasy sports than professional sports. Yet, as we have seen, Steve Cohen is willing to do things a little differently.

This team is not very good, regardless of the amount of young talent. Overall, this roster should probably win somewhere between 70 and 75 games. The outfield, bullpen, and starters are all close to the bottom of the MLB, and the team could use some added versatility. With David Stearns in tow, he has been 100% empowered to strip down and build back up as only he sees fit. Luckily, David Stearns is one of the best in the business, especially when it comes to quick turnarounds and acquiring undervalued assets.

Luisangel Acuña, Photo by Bronson Harris of Binghamton Rumble Ponies

The Minors

Prospect-wise, the expectation is that Drew Gilbert and Luisangel Acuña will be playing up the middle and leading off games in Syracuse to begin the season. It is hard to know exactly when they will be Queens-bound as they are both still developing and fine-tuning their skills. It is reasonably safe to say that at some point this season, they will be in Queens, whether that happens in May or September is hard to predict.

The Syracuse rotation will feature Mike Vasil and Dominic Hamel, with Vasil having an outside chance of cracking the Mets rotation in Spring Training, albeit unlikely. The question is whether Christian Scott, the Mets’ newly ranked number-one pitching prospect by BA, will be a part of the Syracuse rotation as well. Following a downright dominant season, which saw Scott cement himself as a borderline top-100 prospect, Scott may start the season in Binghamton as he’s barely amassed 100 innings above low-A ball. That being said, the 62 innings in which he did pitch in Binghamton were elite. He pitched to a 2.47/2.47/2.96 (ERA/FIP/xFIP) trip-slash line.

Christian Scott. Photo by Bronson Harris of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies

The Syracuse bullpen will also be one to watch with the likes of Bryce Montes de Oca, Eric Orze and left-hander Nate Lavender repeating the level. A slew of newcomers will join them as they start the season in Triple-A. Headlined by Paul Gervase, who took the Mets system by storm and dominated both A+ and AA to the tune of a 2.05 ERA. Gervase has nasty stuff, and my bet is we will see him in Citi Field sooner than expected. The other future bullpen arms in AAA are Trey McLoughlin, who was outstanding in AA and posted a swinging strike rate of 17%, Dylan Tebrake and Brendan Hardy.

In Binghamton, the Mets will have another handful of future bullpen pieces that can all potentially move fast and make the majors by April 2025 at the latest. Those names include Raimon Gómez, Eli Ankeney, Jeffrey Colón and Saul García. This is the largest crop of upper-level bullpen arms the Mets have compiled possibly ever, and it is an exciting and underrated part of a burgeoning farm system.

The Mets will have a few more known names on their AAA roster worth mentioning, barring losing them in the Rule 5 Draft. These include the recently acquired Jeremiah Jackson and Justin Jarvis, as well as Matt Rudick, Brandon McIlwain and Luke Ritter. These players are most likely depth major league pieces at best, and some may never even make it that far.

Their AA team will also have some noteworthy names like top prospect Jett Williams, who will continue refining his game while playing second, shortstop and center field. If he can continue his top-flight performance in all aspects of the game, he could be in the big leagues before too long. Kevin Parada, Ryan Clifford, Blade Tidwell, Tyler Stuart and Coleman Crow all litter the Mets’ top 20 prospect list and will all be integral parts of the Rumble Ponies team to start the season.

Final Thoughts

With an immense crop of young talent knocking on the doors, it is hard to imagine the Mets acquiring any of the headline players available this offseason. Guys like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Juan Soto will all be available to differing extents. Premium players command a premium, and the Mets are still in the midst of a farm restock. When the Mets are on the precipice of perennial contention and can be flexible with their roster is the time to make these moves. 

What the Mets do need to do is to fill out their roster with a blend of high-upside players who will require coaching and development yet will only need a short-term commitment. The kind of commitment that, if it doesn’t work out, will not prevent players like Acuña, Gilbert and Jett Williams from receiving at-bats at the Major League level.

Additionally, the Mets need a few reliable players. The kind of players who can play every day, who are assets in the clubhouse and make the manager’s job easier. The kind of guy who if pressed into full-time duty can be an average big leaguer yet willingly to secede their starting spot if a younger, more talented player does arrive.

In the following parts of this series, I will break down the kind of players the Mets, under Stearns, will look to add to their roster.

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Free agency officially began on Monday, meaning players can sign with any team as they please. Two more Mets hit the open market — Carlos Carrasco and Adam Ottavino — the latter whom declined his $6.75 million player option. Monday also marked the deadline for clubs to tender players qualifying offers.

Photo by Roberto Carlo

Latest Mets News

The Mets have hired Yankees bench coach Carlos Mendoza to be their new manager. Once finalized, Mendoza’s contract is expected to be worth $4.5 million over three years, with an option for a fourth year. Mendoza has been with the Yankees’ organization since 2009 and has spent the last four seasons as Aaron Boone‘s bench coach. Mendoza previously managed the Charleston RiverDogs in 2012.

Adam Ottavino told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that he approached the Mets about restructuring his contract, but the club wasn’t interested, leading him to opt out of the final year of his contract. Ottavino pitched to a 3.21 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 61 2/3 innings, racking up 12 saves as well.

Kodai Senga was named a finalist for the NL Rookie of the Year award, joining Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll and Dodgers outfielder James Outman. Senga was not among the three finalists for the Cy Young award.

Bryce Montes de Oca has cleared waivers and will remain with the Mets organization. The hulking right-hander missed all of 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the spring. The Mets also claimed infielder Zack Short off waivers from the Tigers.

Latest MLB News

In a stunning turn of events, Craig Counsell signed a five-year contract worth $40 million to manage the Cubs. The deal makes Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history by average annual value. Will Sammon of The Athletic reports that the Mets made Counsell an offer of significantly less value, and Mike Puma of the New York Post reports that Counsell did not give the Mets a chance to match Chicago’s offer. Brewers owner Mark Attanasio said on a Zoom call that Counsell “has lost us and he’s lost our community.”

The Guardians have hired Stephen Vogt to be their next manager. Widely known as a popular clubhouse figure, Vogt was a two-time All-Star during his playing days and spent 2023 as the bullpen coach for the Mariners.

Only seven players received a qualifying offer by Monday’s deadline – Josh Hader, Shohei Ohtani, Aaron Nola, Matt Chapman, Sonny Gray, Cody Bellinger, and Blake Snell. Jorge Soler, Rhys Hoskins, Teoscar Hernandez, J.D. Martinez, and Mitch Garver were among the notable players who did not receive one.

The Braves have exercised their $20 million option on Charlie Morton, bringing him back for his 17th year in the majors. Morton pitched to a 3.64 ERA/3.87 FIP with 183 strikeouts in 163 1/3 innings in 2023, but he missed the final few weeks of the season due to an index finger injury.

Michael Conforto has opted into the final year of his contract with the Giants, and he will make $18 million in 2024. Conforto hit .239/.334/384 (99 OPS+) with 15 homers in 470 plate appearances in his first year in San Francisco.

Javier Báez did not opt out of the remaining four years and $98 millon left on his deal with the Tigers. Báez endured a rough 2023 season, batting just .222/.267/.325 (62 OPS+) with nine homers in 547 plate appearances.

Drew Smyly did not exercise his opt-out from his contract with the Cubs and will make $8.5 million in 2024. Smyly bounced between the rotation and the bullpen in 2023, posting a 5.00 ERA in 142 1/3 innings.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the Angels spoke to Torii Hunter about their managerial position, but owner Arte Moreno prefers to hire a manager with big league experience. Buck Showalter and Ron Washington are among the finalists for the job.

MLB Trade Rumors released their top 50 free agents with predictions for the 2023-24 offseason.

The Marlins picked up their $3.625 million option on utility man Jon Berti for the 2024 season. Berti, who always seems to be a thorn in the Mets’ side, hit .294/.344/.405 with seven homers and 16 steals in 424 plate appearances in 2023.

The Pirates made a few roster moves, most notably reinstating Oneil Cruz and JT Brubaker from the 60-day injured list. Righty Yerry De Los Santos was outrighted to Triple-A Indianapolis, Miguel Andjuar was claimed off waivers by the A’s, and lefty Angel Perdomo was claimed by the Braves.

The Yankees announced that Matt Bowman, Franchy Cordero, Domingo Germán, Billy McKinney, and Ryan Weber all elected free agency in lieu of taking an outright assignment. Catcher Carlos Narvaez was added to the team’s 40-man roster.

In a swap of minor league catchers, the Mariners sent Tatem Levins to the Rays in exchange for Blake Hunt. The Mariners are placing Hunt on their 40-man roster.

Latest on MMO

Jorge Eckardt breaks down the Mets’ organizational depth chart for left field.

On This Date in Mets History

1995: The Mets sign right-hander Rick Reed to a minor league contract. The journeyman hurler has appeared in just 11 major league games over the last three seasons.

2012: After three rocky seasons, the Mets and Jason Bay agree to terminate his contract a year early. Bay finishes his Mets tenure with a .687 OPS and 26 homers in 986 plate appearances.

Birthdays: Orlando Mercado (62), Andy Tomberlin (57), Glendon Rusch (49), Kris Benson (49), Willie Collazo (49)

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In the early afternoon, news broke that the Mets planned to hire Carlos Mendoza as its next manager. Then, it was reported Adam Ottavino would decline his player option—and likely not play with the Mets again.

The Mets kept cooking, though, as waiver went through, claiming infielder Zack Short from the Detroit Tigers.

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The 28-year-old Scott is known as a solid defender, but his bat leaves a lot to be desired. He has .174/.266/.308/.575 career slash line—including just a .631 OPS in ample playing time with the Tigers last year.

In 2023 alone, he played second, third, shortstop, right field, center field, and he pitched six separate times! (He pitched at Sacred Heart University. He called pitching in a blowout is the most nervous he’s been in a baseball game.) If he plays in New York, it will be a bit of a homecoming, as he’s from Kingston, New York.

A 17th-round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2016, Short worked his way through the Cubs’ system before being traded to Detroit for Cameron Maybin. If he logs a hit beyond 12 feet, he’ll have seen more success as a Met than Maybin did.

Montes de Oca Clears Waivers

A couple of days ago, the Mets placed a handful of 40-man roster guys on waivers.

Two of those were relievers Bryce Montes de Oca (who’s recovering from Tommy John) and Peyton Battenfield. They both cleared waivers and were sent to Triple-A.

Four others also cleared waivers but elected free agency. Those were:

• RHP John Curtiss
• RHP Denyi Reyes
• RHP Elieser Hernandez
• OF Tim Locastro

After these moves, the Mets’ 40-man roster sits at 33 (including all 60-day injured list players who once again count toward the 40-man count) at the start of free agency.

The post Mets Claim Zack Short, Retain Bryce Montes de Oca appeared first on Metsmerized.

Bryce Montes de Oca. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Bryce Montes de Oca has undergone Tommy John surgery, according to MMO’s very own Michael Mayer.

As a result, the righty will now miss the entire 2023 season and longer as he begins his long road to recovery. It is a big blow for both de Oca and the Mets. The Mets announced the following:

Yesterday, Bryce Montes de Oca underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. During the procedure, it was determined that his UCL was insufficient and needed to be revised as well.

There were concerns a few weeks ago when de Oca had to be removed from an outing after displaying command issues and a dip in velocity. The 26-year-old was sent for further tests and imaging as a precaution.

While the MRI showed no ligament damage, with the Mets hoping de Oca would miss only a few weeks of the 2023 season with a stress reaction in his elbow, that thinking proved to be far too optimistic. Per Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports on Wednesday, de Oca was set to undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove bone fragments from his throwing elbow. The recovery length was set at four months.

However, the reality is far grimmer. Per Mayer, the worst-case scenario has taken place instead, and de Oca actually needed Tommy John surgery. That rules the right-handed relief pitcher out for the entire 2023 season, and he could miss time in 2024 too as he continues his recovery. This is the second TJS for Montes de Oca with the first coming back in 2013 when he was in High School.

It is a crushing blow for de Oca who was hoping to win a spot in the bullpen for the 2023 season. In his first two outings of spring training, he threw two scoreless innings and consistently clocked 100 mph with above-average movement on his pitches. He boasts a three-pitch arsenal consisting of a cutter, sinker and slider. De Oca racked up an impressive 33.8% strikeout rate with a 3.33 ERA and 80 strikeouts between Triple-A and Double-A in 2022.

Unfortunately, de Oca’s career has been blighted by a series of injuries. He has previously undergone knee, shoulder and back surgeries, which kept him on the shelf for a considerable amount of time. Sadly, de Oca has now suffered the biggest injury of his career and the road back will be a long one.

This isn’t the news the Mets would have wanted as they get set for Opening Day 2023, and it continues what has been a spring laced with injuries. The Mets likely lost superstar closer Edwin Díaz for the season after he went down with a freak injury while celebrating at the World Baseball Classic. If that wasn’t enough, pitchers Sam Coonrod and José Quintana both went down with injuries that will keep them out of action for a while. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo and LHP Brooks Raley also suffered injuries during spring training, but both will be on the Opening Day roster.

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