Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (31-29) 3, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (30-29) 2

BOX SCORE

• *REHAB* C Francisco Alvarez – 0-for-4, 3 K (.857 OPS)
• 1B Christian Arroyo – 1-for-3, 1 R, HR (6), 2 RBI (41) (.807 OPS)
• DH Ryan Clifford – 0-for-3, SB (6), 1 BB, 2 K (.768 OPS)

Alvarez caught seven innings while continuing his accelerated rehab. 2B Yonny Hernandez went 3-for-4 with his seventh stolen base of the season. 

• RHP Xzavion Curry (5.47 ERA) 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR allowed (55 of 80 pitches for strikes)
• RHP Tobias Myers (0.00 ERA) 1 1/3 IP, 1 K
• RHP Dylan Ross (6.08 ERA) 2 IP, 4 K

Myers had a clean outing in his first Triple-A appearance of the year and Ross did some heavy lifting by getting six outs, four via the strikeout. After a rough end to the month of May, Ross has struck out six batters in three innings during June while only allowing one hit and walking one.

Double-A

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (20-34) 2, Reading Fightin Phils (24-30) 1

BOX SCORE

• C Chris Suero – 0-for-5, 1 R, 1 K (.724 OPS)
• CF Eli Serrano III- 1-for-2, 1 R, HR (3), 1 RBI (20), 1 BB (.670 OPS)
• 2B D’Andre Smith – 2-for-4, 2 2B, 1 RBI (11) CS (2) (.621 OPS)

Suero and the anomaly of a season he is having continues with a .190/.351/.373 slash line. Sooner or later his luck on batted balls will change and he’ll become the most dangerous hitter for the Rumble Ponies. The lineup on Thursday contained five hitters hitting under .200, with a sixth hitting exactly .200.

• RHP Brendan Girton (5.68 ERA) 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (26 of 50 pitches for strikes)
• LHP Jefry Yan (4.01 ERA) 2 IP, 1 BB, 5 K
• RHP Dan Hammer (1.80 ERA) 2 IP, 3 K

Girton struggled with control on the day, barely throwing 50% of his pitches for strikes but he still managed to only allow one run. Yan had his third-straight appearance without allowing an earned run.

Mitch Voit. Photo by Ed Delany

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (19-34) 5, Jersey Shore BlueClaws (22-31) 2

BOX SCORE

• SS Mitch Voit – 1-for-2, 2 R, 2 SB (16), CS (4), BB, 2 HBP (.704 OPS)
• C Ronald Hernandez – 2-for-4, 2 R, HR (5), 2 RBI (23), 1 K (.764 OPS)
• 2B Jamari Baylor – 1-for-4, 1 R, HR (1), RBI (1), 2 K (1.250 OPS)

Voit is running wild in High-A, grabbing his 15th and 16th stolen bases of the season while pairing that with being hit by a pitch twice. Hernandez hit his fifth home run of the season and is one away from his 2025 total in almost 200 fewer at-bats.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Mitch Voit Steals Two Bases For Brooklyn appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

According to Mike Puma of the NY Post, the Mets are expected to call-up infielder Vidal Bruján.

You can read more about Bruján and what he may bring to the Mets below.

Original  Post –

The New York Mets suffered another injury blow and to a position that their depth is being tested greatly. On Saturday, Ronny Mauricio fractured his wrist diving into first base. As a result, he will now surely miss time and the Mets will have to make another recall from Triple-A Syracuse.

After the game manager Carlos Mendoza noted current third baseman Bo Bichette is, “in the conversation” to replace Mauricio as the team’s everyday shortstop. So, whoever the Mets recall from Syracuse will need to have some versatility throughout the infield.

With that being said, what are some of the options that make the most sense?

Vidal Bruján. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Vidal Bruján seems to be by far the most realistic option. Bruján is the definition of infielder versatility thus far as he’s started 13 games at shortstop, six at second base, and five at third base for the Syracuse Mets in 2026. At the plate, Bruján is slashing .241/.304/.313 (.617 OPS) across 83 at-bats.

As for his major-league experience the 28-year-old has five years experience with five different teams. He owns a career .543 OPS (.199 batting average) across 584 at-bats in the big leagues.

Bruján has played 84 games at second base, 56 at shortstop, and 36 at third base. He has also gotten a lot of run in the outfield (67 games). As far as defensive runs saved (DRS) and outs above average (OAA) he’s a negative defender at each of the three infield positions besides his DRS at shortstop.

Three other Triple-A options are Eric Wagaman, Christian Arroyo, and Jackson Cluff.

Wagaman, who was acquired via waivers, is an option if New York flips Bichette to shortstop while Lindor heals. Wagaman slashed .250/.296/.378 (.674 OPS) across 476 at-bats in 2025 for the Miami Marlins. He hit nine homers and drove in 53 runs. The underlying metrics painted a much stronger picture than the .674 OPS.

The only downside to Wagaman as an option is most of his big league experience has come at first base. He did play 151 1/3 innings at third for the Angels in 2024. He also 54 1/3 innings at third base in Triple-A this season.

Christian Arroyo. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Arroyo has the most major league experience of the group. Across seven seasons, he’s slashing .252/.299/.394 (.693 OPS). He has just under 1,000 major league plate appearances. For Triple-A Syracuse this season he has excelled early on at the plate slashing .304/.351/.406 (.757 OPS).

The 30-year-old has always been a relatively strong defender at second base, where he has spent the majority of his time in the big leagues. He also has played 447 innings at third base and 195 1/3 at shortstop throughout his major-league career.

Lastly, Cluff, like Bruján, has extreme versatility in the infield. He’s played 81 innings at shortstop, 58 2/3 at second base, and 53 at third base for Triple-A Syracuse in 2026. The 29-year-old is only slashing .139/.222/.292 (.514 OPS) though. He owns a career .680 OPS in the minors and has yet to make an appearance at the big-league level.

One would expect an announcement of Mauricio to the injured list and a call-up of one of the individuals listed above prior to the team’s series finale in Anaheim on Sunday.

The post Report: Vidal Bruján Set To Join Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

For pitching depth, it’s pretty clear. There are a handful of starters on call in Syracuse, and the same goes for the relievers. For the hitting depth, it’s a little less clear.

Ronny Mauricio was the first to get the call, replacing Soto, even though he’s an infielder. With five players capable of playing at least a corner outfield spot (Luis Robert Jr., Carson Benge, Brett Baty, Jared Young and Tyrone Taylor), an outfielder was not required to be Soto’s replacement.

If the Mets do not sustain another injury by the time Soto returns, Mauricio will be demoted and, in turn, become the next in line to be promoted again the next time he’s needed. If Soto is still on the injured list and the Mets need to call up a second player, the question gets a bit more complicated.

Ronny Mauricio
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

If a catcher is placed on the injured list…

Hayden Senger will be promoted. If Senger is unavailable at that time, it’ll likely be Ben Rortvedt. Simple.

If a middle infielder is placed on the injured list…

The list of replacements isn’t very exciting.

But first, even if Mauricio is already on the roster, that doesn’t guarantee him every day playing time. If Francisco Lindor is the one injured, Mauricio will likely play a good amount, but the Mets can put Bo Bichette at shortstop and Baty at third base. If he’s replacing Marcus Semien, Baty likely gets a good chunk of the playing time at second base while Mauricio enters a weird platoon with Taylor and Young. If one of those two occupies the third outfield spot, Baty plays second. If Baty heads to the outfield, Mauricio plays second.

While the Mets could theoretically call up an outfielder and still have enough infielders to survive, they’ll likely want someone capable of backing up a middle infield spot. There are no infielders besides Mauricio currently on the 40-man roster, so MLB veterans Christian Arroyo and Vidal Bruján would be in line to be added to the 40-man and promoted. Out of camp, it sounded like Bruján is in the lead.

Cristian Pache. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

If a corner infielder is placed on the injured list… 

It could be anyone. There is a lot of position flexibility on the Mets roster.

It doesn’t even have to be an infielder called up to replace them. If it’s Jorge Polanco, the Mets still have three players on the roster capable of playing first: Baty, Young and Mark Vientos. If it’s Bichette, Baty likely becomes the everyday third baseman and Mauricio is his backup.

Morabito and Melendez are options, as are Bruján, Arroyo, and Christian Pache. There’s also Tommy Pham, who the Mets recently brought back, though he hasn’t appeared in a minor league game yet this season. He also has an opt out on April 25.

Nick Morabito. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

If another outfielder is placed on the injured list…

An outfielder will be called up to replace him.

Nick Morabito and MJ Melendez are both already on the 40-man roster. Morabito is the more exciting option of the two, because he would be promoted to make his MLB debut. He’s a speedy, contact-oriented outfielder who can play all three spots on the grass—and play them well. Melendez would likely be the pick if the Mets deem Morabito not ready. He is only a corner outfielder, but Benge’s versatility doesn’t rule him out as an option even if Luis Robert Jr. is the one to hit the shelf.

If they go with someone not on the 40-man roster, the list grows. Ryan Clifford, as Steve Gelbs noted on SNY over the weekend, is the most interesting of those options.

A first baseman and corner outfielder, Clifford has prodigious power and a high strikeout rate, though it has steadily improved throughout his minor league career. While he’ll always strike out more than the average hitter, it’s probably good enough to stay afloat in the majors at this point. It would be an aggressive move, but it can’t be ruled out. There are a couple of holdups. If the Mets promote Clifford, they will likely want him to play every day versus right-hand pitching. With the current group of Mets position players, that might not be possible. The other is Clifford and Young on the same roster would be a bit redundant, as they’re both 1B/OF who would only play vs right-handed pitching.

Pache, who had a very impressive spring training, is another option.

A.J. Ewing, Jacob Reimer or Chris Suero could theoretically be options to be called up straight from Double-A, but that’s highly unlikely. If the Mets want a player like Ewing, they’ll likely go for Morabito first, just as they’ll likely go for Clifford before Reimer. And, the Mets will want all three playing as much as possible, not joining the Mets just to ride the pine.

Odds are, a good handful of these players will take at-bats for the Mets in 2026. Injuries hit every team, and when the Mets do need to call on Syracuse for help, this is who is in line for the opportunity.

The post Examining the Mets’ MLB-Ready Position Player Depth appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Following their opening day win, the Syracuse Mets (Triple-A) hosted the Woo Sox again for the second game of their series, looking to sprint out to a 2-0 start to the season.

Triple-A

Worcester Red Sox (1-1) 5,  Syracuse Mets (1-1) 3

Box Score

• DH Christian Arroyo: 2-4, (.500 OPS)
• LF Ryan Clifford: 1-4 (.500 OPS)
• 3B Ronny Mauricio: 1-4 (.500 OPS)
• 1B José Rojas: 1-4 (.875 OPS)

Syracuse matched their run output from Opening Day in their second game of the year, but it was not enough. The lineup was able to get six runners on base in total, but only Arroyo reached more than once. Rojas’ Opening Day home run remains his only extra-base hit through two games. As a team, Syracuse struck out more than they reached base.

• RHP Joander Suarez 3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, L (5.40 ERA)
• RHP Jonathan Pintaro: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (9.00 ERA)
• RHP Joey Gerber: IP, H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (0.00 ERA)
• RHP Alex Carrillo: IP, H, R, ER, 2 BB, K (9.00 ERA)

Suarez is coming off an incredibly strong 2025 campaign in which he posted an ERA of 3.76 in 23 appearances across Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse. The base runners were a major concern for him early in his career, but he managed to get his WHIP all the way down from 1.83 in 2022 to 1.05 last year.

He was followed up by four Syracuse relievers, two of whom made appearances in the major league last year: Pintaro and Carrillo. They figured to be two of the first options for relief depth for the big-league squad, along with Gerber, who is new to the organization and is on New York’s 40-man roster.

The Mets and Red Sox play their rubber match this afternoon at 1:10 pm ET with right-hander Bryce Conley set to make his organizational debut.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Syracuse Suffers First Loss Of Their Season appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jorge Polanco. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Major League Starters

Bo Bichette (3B)

Age: 27

Contract: 3 years, $126 million, with two opt outs

Roster Status: 40-man roster

Bo Bichette is coming off one of the best offensive seasons of his career slashing .311/.357/.483/.840 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs in 139 games. He brings to the Mets an elite hit tool and a positive clubhouse presence full of energy and grit. Even though he does not possess high-end exit velocities, he hits the ball consistently hard with elite selectivity traits. His 91 mph average exit velocity was in the 76th percentile. He has shown an innate ability to preform in high leverage situations and with runners in scoring position and works long at bats looking for his pitch to drive.

Bichette will be playing third base for the first time in his career, and his defensive skillset projects well there. His range is in line with third baseman Matt Shaw and his arm is in line with Alex Bregman. Will Sammon and Tim Britton of The Athletic wrote that the Mets have targeted specific changes in Bichette’s footwork that they believe will help him take that next step defensively. Mets bench coach Kai Correa previously helped former Met J.D. Davis improve his defense at third base with the Giants. Bichette will also be moving down the defensive spectrum with the move.

Bichette brings one of the best contact tools in the game with more power potential than one may expect. If he is even a 45 level defender at third base he will easily be one of the three best third basemen in the sport in 2026.

Jorge Polanco (1B/DH)

Age: 32

Contract: 2 years, $40 million

Roster Status: 40-man roster

Jorge Polanco had a huge bounce back season in 2025 slashing .265/.326/.495/.821 with 26 home runs and 78 RBIs in 138 games. He split his time on the field between second base and third base and spent the summer learning first base from the Mariners coaching staff. Polanco is a 12-year veteran who has hit as many as 33 homers in a season, preforms well with runners in scoring position, and routinely takes competitive at-bats.

Unlike Bichette, Polanco prioritizes pulling the ball with a 49.1% pull rate (95th percentile) and 19.6% pulled fly ball rate (19.6%). His 86% zone-contact was in the 70th percentile and all of his exit velocity markers were above average. He also rated above average across selectivity metrics.

Defensively, Polanco began his career as a shortstop and has added to his defensive versatility throughout his career. As mentioned before, he spent the summer of 2025 learning first base with the Mariners coaching staff so he is not truly a novice at the position. Like Bichette he is moving down the defensive spectrum. Polanco will likely split time between first base and designated hitter and could take some reps across the infield as needed.

Brett Baty. Photo Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Major League Depth

Brett Baty (3B/2B/1B/OF)

Age: 26

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: 40-man roster

Brett Baty took a step forward in 2025. After a red hot spring training, Baty struggled his first 10 games slashing .111/.111/.148/.259 but on April 12 he said he found the feel for his swing and from that point forward he slashed .265/.327/.456/.783. Baty moved further back in the box in 2025 letting the ball come deeper while utilizing his plus bat speed. This seemed to help him recognize pitches better and improve his swing decisions improving across all selectivity metrics. He also hit the ball harder than he did in 2024 with all of his exit velocity markers ranking in the 77th-to-89th percentiles.

Baty does still have some red flags offensively. In 2025 he seemed to trade contact for power dropping from an 83.6% zone-contact (51st percentile) to a zone-contact rate of 79.8% (21st percentile). He whiffed on pitches 27.3% of the time (30th percentile) and ran a 25% strikeout rate (25th percentile). He walked less than he did in 2024 though he did chase significantly less at 24.8% (71st percentile). If Baty can find a balance between his plate discipline and pull rates from 2024 with his power gains from 2025 he could be primed for a big breakout. 2026 will also be a test if he continues to produce despite his swing-and-miss or if there is some regression there.

Defensively, Baty shined across the infield. He profiled as an above-average defensive third baseman ranking 13th in outs above average despite logging significantly less innings at the position than most of the names above him. He picked up second base quickly and ranked as a roughly league average defender there. He spent the 2025 offseason learning first base and continued to learn the position in the 2026 offseason. Baty also has some experience in left field and the Mets have discussed potentially using him in the corner outfield spots as needed in 2026.

Baty could start the season splitting time at first base and designated hitter with Jorge Polanco but he may be best suited for a role that involves getting 500 plate appearances moving around the diamond as a super utility player at first base, second base, third base, left field, and right field.

Mark Vientos (1B/DH)

Age: 26

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: 40-man roster

Mark Vientos took a big step back in 2025 slashing .233/.289/.413/.702 with 17 HRs in 121 games. There were signs in 2024 that some regression could happen in 2025 – in the last two months he slashed .243/.298/.460/.758 – but he took a bigger step back than expected. At the time of writing Marks spot on the roster is far less clear than it was last year. President of baseball operations David Stearns’ comments about Mark having the opportunity to earn at bats makes it seem that he is not currently penciled into an everyday role. He is very limited defensively and has struggled with both right handed pitching and high velocity at times which also impacts his effectiveness off the bench. He could build a role for himself if he can dominate left handed pitching in 2026. This was a skill he flashed in 2024 when he put up an .884 OPS against left handed pitching.

A lot of Mark’s batted ball profile from 2024 was still in place for 2025. His 91.5 MPH average EV and 106 MPH 90% EV were almost identical to 2024. His 11.2% barrel rate was down from 13.5% in 2024, but it was still in the 73rd percentile. His 51% hard hit rate (86th percentile) was actually better than his 48.2% in 2024. He also cut his strikeout rate from 29.7% to 24.8%. But he still struggled heavily to make contact with a 9th percentile zone-contact rate 6th percentile whiff rate and 19th percentile chase rate. The new Mets coaching staff will likely work with Mark on making adjustments to improve his contact and swing and miss in 2026.

Defensively and on the base paths Vientos does not offer much. At third base Mark looked borderline unplayable for most of the season placing in the bottom 6% in outs above average. It is unclear if he will be an option there in 2026 with multiple other Mets better suited for the position. He has worked to learn first base and this year may be the true test on if he can handle that position better than third base. Mark is also one of the slowest runners in the game which limits his ability to play elsewhere in the field and on the base paths.

David Stearns described Vientos as a bat first player and said he will go as far as his bat takes him. Mark likely over-preformed him metrics in 2024 and under-preformed in 2025 so maybe in 2026 he settles somewhere between those two years.

Ronny Mauricio (3B/SS/2B)

Age: 24

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: 40-man roster

After post surgery complications in 2024, Ronny Mauricio returned in 2025 from his 2023 ACL injury. 2025 was very much a mixed bag which ended with him slashing .226/.293/.369/.663 across 61 games. Most of the final month of the season Mauricio was on the bench. Injuries to major league players as well as a hot July performance kept Mauricio in the majors throughout the summer and if they sent him down in September he would have only had around 50 plate appearances of regular time there. Keeping him on the roster as the 28th man in September afforded the Mets the opportunity for up to a full season where they can have him spend getting regular at-bats in Triple-A. He only spent nine games there in 2025.

Mauricio did perform well against right handed pitching slashing .265/.336/.447/.783 but struggled heavily against left handed pitching slashing .083/.132/.083/.215. He also struggled heavily against breaking pitches hitting .150 against them.

His 74.1% zone-contact was in the 2nd percentile, his 33.9% whiff rate in the 3rd percentile, his 39.9% chase rate in the 4th percentile, and his 29.5% strikeout rate in the 4th percentile. He does hit the ball hard and he pulls the ball consistently. Mauricio will need to improve his plate discipline, selectivity, and pitch recognition if he wants to have sustained success in the majors.

Defensively, he profiled well at third base while capable at second base and shortstop. His range was not as strong as it was pre surgery and time will tell if he gains some of that back further removed from the procedure. Barring Lindor missing opening day, Mauricio likely begins the season in the minors working on his refining his skillset and getting regular at bats.

Ryan Clifford. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High Minors Depth

Ryan Clifford (1B/OF)

Age: 22

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

President of baseball operations David Stearns stated that Ryan Clifford will begin the season at Triple-A. He described him as a viable option in the outfield and Baseball America wrote that he is a, “quality defender at first base.” Clifford hits the ball harder than most players in the minors and could be a 30-home run bat in the majors. He has some potential platoon and three true outcome concerns but his contact rates overall took a big step forward in 2025. He could very much impact the major league club in 2026.

Clifford’s 54.3% hard-hit rate was in the 97th percentile, his 93.6 mph average exit velocity was in the 99th percentile, and his 11.1% barrel rate was in the 88th percentile. He slashed .237/.356/.470/.826 with 29 home runs across 139 games, and his metrics and .274 BABIP argue that he was unlucky with that slash line.

Jacob Reimer (3B/1B)

Age: 22

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

Jacob Reimer makes good swing decisions and with good contact rates and has above average power projections. Reimer ended the year in Double-A and could reach Triple-A early in the 2026 season. In 2025, he optimized his swing to pull the ball in the air more, leading to some of the best exit velocities in the minors. He has mostly played third base and first base, but he has sprinkled in some left field.

Christopher Suero (1B/C/OF)

Age: 22

Contract: Pre Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

Chris Suero has interesting defensive versatility that could help him carve out a role in the majors in the not too distant future. He ended the year in Double-A and did struggle to a .221/.374/.324/.697 slash, but he lit up the Arizona Fall League to a .283/.353/.567/.920. He improved his framing enough to be a catcher in the majors and has experience at first base and the outfield. He brings power and defensive versatility with him to any roster he is on.

Christian Arroyo. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

Spring Training Non Roster Invites

Vidal Bruján (3B/SS/OF)

Age: 28

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

Vidal Bruján debuted in 2021 as the No. 50 prospect per MLB Pipeline but has struggled in the majors since slashing .199/.267/.276. He did seem like he could have taken step forward in Atlanta in 2025 slashing .268/.362/.317/.679 though that could also just be small sample size noise. He does make consistent contact with an above average whiff rate, but the quality of contact is poor. He has experience defensively at every position on the diamond except catcher.

Grae Kessinger (3B/1B/SS)

Age: 28

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

Grae Kessinger has only played 49 games in the majors serving mostly as a defense first bench piece. He provides above average defense at every infield position and has maintained at least a 10.2% walk rate at each stop in the majors or Triple-A. Offensively, that is largely where his skill set ends.

Christian Arroyo (3B/1B)

Age: 30

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

Christian Arroyo has been an above average hitter in the majors even as recently as 2022 when he slashed .286/.322/.414/.736 in 300 plate appearances for Boston. He spent the last two years in the minors and slashed .314/.367/.485/.869 in 45 games for the Phillies’ Triple-A club. He hits the ball hard but his contact profile is below average and he does not walk much. He is capable of playing every infield position as well as right field but he is not a plus defender anywhere.

Jackson Cluff (3B/2B/SS)

Age: 30

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

Jackson Cluff has yet to debut in the majors and slashed .242/.349/.422/.771 with the Nationals’ Triple-A club in 2025. He can draw walks and barrel the ball but he struggles to make consistent contact. He is a plus defender throughout the infield and he can steal bases, swiping 23 bags in 103 games in 2025.

Coming Soon

Randy Guzman (1B/OF)

Age: 20

Contract: Pre-Arbitration Eligible

Roster Status: Not on the 40-man roster

If there is one Mets minor league player to challenge Ryan Clifford for the best power is it Randy Guzman. He sits among the leaders in the minors across all exit velocities and consistently makes contact in the zone, but he chases far too much. He is still young and can develop more plate discipline, but this is the main thing that separates him and a borderline top 100 prospect like Clifford. He will likely be a first baseman long term, but has some corner outfield and third base experience.

The post 2026 Mets Positional Outlook: Corner Infield appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

For the second consecutive game it was a walk-off at Fenway for the Boston Red Sox, sending the favored Tampa Bay Rays back to Florida with another bout of postseason sorrow.

Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez redeemed his ALDS Game 1 early exit loss with five innings of two runs on three hits, striking out six without a walk.

He won a 17-pitch battle over Austin Meadows in the top of the third getting a swinging strike on an 82 mph slider, exiting the game with a commanding 5-0 lead.

But both team’s calls to the bullpen backfired, beginning with Rays manager Kevin Cash replacing Collin McHugh with Shane McClanahan, the expected starter for Game 5.

Boston hammered the ball all over Fenway against the 24-year old starter, playing reliever, who’s used to coming out of the dugout instead of the pen.

The same guy, who fired five scoreless innings against them in Game 1, was mauled for five runs, sparked by Rafael Devers three-run blast. Christian Vazquez, basking in the glow of his 13th inning solo walk-off homer in Game 3, began the barrage by ripping a single up the middle, followed by Schwarber’s one-out four-pitch walk.

Devers, who’s been silenced by a right forearm injury, rocked a 98 mph offering over the plate 404 feet. After Devers’ blast, Boston’s relentless line-up had McClanahan on the ropes, like a wounded prizefighter.

Xander Bogaerts laced a single to left. Alex Verdugo launched an RBI double off the Monster, and J.D. Martinez roped an RBI base hit off the Green One, as well.

But the fat lady was far from singing as the resilient Rays bounced back. In the fifth, Jordan Luplow, hitting a buck sixty and change, led off with a double to left, scoring on Meadow’s groundout to first.

Kevin Kiermaier followed suit in the sixth, dumping a leadoff two bagger giving Rodriguez the hook for Tanner Houck, who kept Boston in it to win it in Game 2.

This time the tall drink of Mid-western water allowed Tampa Bay to chip away by surrendering a two-run homer to rookie Wander Franco, cutting Boston’s lead 5-3.

In the eighth, Red Sox manager Alex Cora dipped into the bullpen for Ryan Brasier, and the lights out right-hander unraveled. Mike Zunino doubled to right, Kiermaier brought him home on a double right of center, and Randy Arozarena roped a game-tying base hit, booting Brasier to make way for Garrett Whitlock.

The Georgia native retired six straight, and just when you thought it was going to be extra innings all over again, in the bottom of the ninth, Vazquez snuck a single through the hole past a diving Yandy Diaz, making his way to second on a sac bunt by Christian Arroyo. Travis Shaw was safe on a PH infield single putting Vazquez on third, and the man of the postseason hour, Kiké Hernández, hit the most important sac fly of his life, sending the Sox to the AL Championship Series.

I’m glad I’m not a betting girl because I had Tampa Bay going all the way.

The post Red Sox End Rays Season With Another Walk-off appeared first on Metsmerized Online.