By Joe D.

Good Morning, everyone. I wanted to put together an offseason planner for your convenience. I also included important offseason dates to remember. Essentially what follows is a summary I compiled of our 2020 Payroll Commitments, our own exclusive Arbitration Projections and Key Departures.

Guaranteed Contracts

Yoenis Cespedes – $29,500,000

Jacob deGrom – $25,500,000

Robinson Cano – $24,000,000

Jeurys Familia  – $11,667,000

Jed Lowrie  – $11,500,000

Wilson Ramos  – $9,250,000

Justin Wilson  – $5,000,000

Brad Brach  – $1,350,000

Notes:

1. Seattle pays $3.75 million of Robinson Cano salary.

2. Mets pay $2.0 million of Jason Vargas salary.

3. Mets pay David Wright $12.0 million in final year of contract.

The Mets have $117.8 million tied up on these eight players. When you account for the money still owed on the contracts of Jason Vargas and David Wright, and credit the Mets for the money Seattle is responsible for on Robinson Cano, the net payroll on guaranteed contracts comes to $128.0 million.

Total Guaranteed: $128.0 million

2020 Team Options

Juan Lagares – $9,000,000 with $500,000 buyout

The Mets are not expected to exercise their team option on outfielder Juan Lagares. Although they could bring him back on a lesser deal.

Total Buyouts: $500K

Arbitration Eligible

Marcus Stroman (A4) – $7,400,000 / $9.125,000

Noah Syndergaard (A3) – $6,000,000 / $10,750,000

Joe Panik (A3) – $3,850,000 / Non-Tendered

Michael Conforto (A2) – $4 025,000 / $8.125.000

Steven Matz (A2) – $2,625,000 / $5,000,000

Edwin Diaz (A1) – $607,425 / $1,800,000

Seth Lugo (A1) – $591,875 / $1,300,000

Brandon Nimmo (A1) – $598,285 / $1,250,000

Robert Gsellman (A1) – $582,500 / $975,000

Paul Sewald (A1) – $560,000 / $725,000

The number in parenthesis represents each player’s arbitration year, followed by their 2019 salary and our own  projected arbitration awards for the 2020 season.

Projections are exclusive to MetsmerizedOnline.com. In most cases the players will settle with the team before their arbitration hearing.

In 2019 these 10 players earned $26.8 million dollars. According to our projections we expect that number to climb to $39.3 million for nine players. We project that Joe Panik will be non-tendered.

The most significant increases will go to Noah Syndergaard who will get a $4.75 million raise, Michael Conforto will see his salary increase by $4.1 million, and Marcus Stroman who gets a $1.7 million bump.

Total Est. Arbitration: $39.3 million

Non-Guaranteed Contracts

Amed Rosario

Jeff McNeil

J.D. Davis

Dominic Smith

Pete Alonso

Tomas Nido

Luis Guillorme

Tyler Bashlor

Chris Flexen

Drew Smith

Daniel Zamora

Drew Gagnon

Jacob Rhame

Walker Lockett

Chris Mazza

The Mets pre-arbitration players have non-guaranteed contracts and are tabulated at the major-league minimum $560,000 for each player.

Total Non-Guaranteed: $8.4 million

Total Current Payroll: $176.2 million

This includes total guaranteed contracts, projected arbitration, non-guaranteed players, and adjustments for player options.

Last year, the Mets opening day payroll was roughly $158.6 million and by season’s end it was $164.5 million. The competitive balance tax threshold is $208 million for the 2020 season.

Key Departures

Todd Frazier

Zack Wheeler

Luis Avilan

Rajai Davis

Rene Rivera

Photo: Mets.com

Important Dates

October 20, 2019: The World Series begins and will conclude no later than October 28 if it goes seven games.

Day after World Series: All players with at least six years of service time who are not under contract for the 2020 season will become free agents. For the Mets that includes Zack Wheeler and Todd Frazier.

November 3-14, 2019: The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) will announce the finalists and then the winners of the Rookies and Managers of the Year, Cy Young, and Most Valuable Player Awards. Pete Alonso and Jacob deGrom are expected to be big winners for the Mets.

November 11-14, 2019: General managers meetings take place in Scottsdale, Ariz.

November 19-21, 2019: Owners’ meetings in Arlington, Tex. Any changes to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) would be ratified at this time.

November 20, 2019: Deadline for clubs to turn in their 40-man reserve lists with the names of players who will be protected in the Rule 5 draft.

December 2, 2019: Clubs must tender contract offers to players on their rosters who are not under contract for the 2020 season, or they will become free agents.

December 9-12, 2019: Winter Meetings in San Diego, Calif.

December 12, 2019: The Rule 5 draft will take place on the final day of the Winter Meetings.

January 10, 2020: Clubs and arbitration-eligible players must exchange salary figures if they were tendered a contract before the Winter Meetings.

January 21, 2020: Hall of Fame voting results will be announced by the BBWAA.

February 1, 2020: Arbitration hearings begin for those eligible players who did not come to terms with their clubs before their hearing date.

February 8, 2020: Pitchers and catchers report to spring training.

February 22, 2020: Mets Grapefruit League season begins  with a pair of split-squad games against the Marlins in Port St. Lucie and the Cardinals in Jupiter.

March 26, 2020: Opening Day! The Mets open the season against the Nationals at Citi Field.

MMO Has You Covered

You can count on Metsmerized Online to keep you up to date on all the Mets news, rumors and happenings all offseason long. We’ll be on hand at the Winter Meetings in San Diego and we’ll be passing along any and all team news, rumors, buzz, etc. and we will file a daily summary each night.

As always, we won’t post any rumors on MMO unless it passes the sniff test and comes from a credible source. We’ll be working around the clock both day and night to ensure that you won’t miss a beat. You can also follow all the action on our Twitter feed @Metsmerized and our Facebook Page.

Thanks so much for all of your incredible support. Please let us know what we can do to make your experience at Metsmerized Online a better one. And as always, Let’s Go Mets!

The post Mets Offseason Planner: Payroll and Arbitration Projections, Key Dates appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Columbus (23-16) 14, Syracuse (23-17) 3 Box Score

• C Rene Rivera: 4-for-4, 2 R, 2 HR (3), 2 RBI(5), K | .282/.350/.451
• CF Gregor Blanco: 2-for-4, RBI (9), SB(7), K | .250/.331/.385
• 3B Dilson Herrera: 2-for-4, 2B, K | .268/.355/.536

It was a career best day for Rene Rivera offensively in this one as he tied his career high with four hits in a game. It was the first time he’s accomplished the feat since June 30, 2013 as a member of the Padres Triple-A team.

• RHP Zach Lee: 5.0 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 5 K, 1 BB, Loss | 2-1, 5.87 ERA, 1.75 WHIP
• RHP Corey Taylor: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 2 BB | 2-0, 2.16 ERA, 1.44 WHIP
• LHP P.J. Conlon: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 K, 2 BB | 1-0, 4.15 ERA, 1.50 WHIP
• RHP Stephen Villines: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB | 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.07 WHIP

The Columbus Clippers jumped all over Zach Lee right from the start of the game scoring five runs in the first inning on six singles and a sacrifice fly. After that, Lee was solid the next four innings allowing only two hits while striking out five, however, he would get into some trouble in the sixth inning after allowing a single and double to open the frame.

Taylor would enter the game at this point but he allowed both inherited runners to score and allowed an earned run of his own. With the game well out of hand, Conlon would attempt to save the bullpen and chew up some innings but he needed 56 pitches to get through two plus innings of work. He would need Villines to finish things off after back to back walks and an error by Dilson Herrera allowed a run to score and put runners on first and second.

Trenton (23-14) 6, Binghamton (21-15) 2 Box Score

• 1B Patrick Mazeika: 0-for-4, 3 K | .259/.333/.440
• CF Braxton Lee: 1-for-3, 3B, RBI (18), BB | .314/.390/.429
• C Ali Sanchez: 1-for-3, RBI (12), BB | .239/.295/.273

There was no offense in this game for the Rumble Ponies as they only managed two hits the entire night. This game also saw Patrick Mazeika’s 15 game hitting streak come to an end.

• RHP Chris Mazza:  5.1 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 K, 1 BB, Loss | 0-3, 3.89 ERA, 1.33 WHIP
• RHP Joe Zanghi:  1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 3 BB | 2-0, 0.47 ERA, 1.14 WHIP
• RHP Joshua Torres:  1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 K, 1 BB | 1-0, 7.71 ERA, 1.80 WHIP

The Trenton Thunder jumped on Mazza immediately scoring two runs on four straight hits in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead. They would add two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on a bases loaded single but the rally would stop there as Patrick Mazeika caught the batter trying to advance to second base on the throw home. Zanghi would enter the game in the sixth inning and, while he struggled with his command, he was able to extend his scoreless innings streak to 10.2 IP.

St. Lucie (20-19) 2, Fort Myers (25-15) 1 Box Score

• 3B Luis Carpio: 2-for-4, R, 2 2B | .330/.396/.426
• 2B Carlos Cortes: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI (18) | .248/.309/.400
• C Nick Meyer: 1-for-4, K | .260/.313/.325

Both teams struggled offensively with the score being stuck at 1-1 from the top of the 2nd inning until extra innings. In the top of the tenth, with Matt Winaker as the extra innings runner at second base, Carlos Cortes would line a double into right field to give St. Lucie the lead and the win.

• LHP Kevan Smith:  6.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 K, 0 BB | 3-2, 2.63 ERA, 1.22 WHIP
• RHP Marcel Renteria: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB | 0-1, 9.88 ERA, 2.12 WHIP
• RHP Joe Cavallaro: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 1 BB, Win | 1-1, 8.00 ERA, 1.89 WHIP

Smith allowed a solo home run to Minnesota Twins top prospect Royce Lewis in the bottom of the first but was nails after that tossing six solid innings of work. Cavallaro was a hero out of the pen tossing three no-hit innings including the bottom of the tenth with the automatic runner on second base to earn his first win of the season.

Rome (20-21) 11, Columbia (15-26) 3 Box Score

• C Juan Uriarte: 3-for-3, R, HR (2), 2 RBI(6) | .167/.193/.274
• CF Hansel Moreno: 0-for-3, R, BB, K | .190/.267/.388
• DH Wagner Lagrange: 1-for-4, K | .258/.317/.366

Juan Uriarte provided most of the offense for the Fireflies tonight with a two run home run in the top of the fifth inning to pull the team within one run at the time. Outside of Uriarte, only Brian Sharp and Lagrange registered hits on the night.

• RHP Simeon Woods-Richardson: 4.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 4 K, 1 BB, Loss | 0-6, 7.24 ERA, 1.43 WHIP
• RHP Alec Kisena: 1.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 K, 1 BB | 0-1, 5.84 ERA, 1.70 WHIP
• RHP Jose Moreno: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB | 2-0, 2.40 ERA, 1.40 WHIP
• RHP Tylor Megill: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 K, 2 BB | 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP

Woods-Richarson’s recent struggles continued last night as he allowed five earned runs to score for the fourth straight start in a row. He struggled with the command of his fastball for most of the game though it did reach 94 mph. Tylor Megill was a bright spot for the Fireflies bullpen as the recently promoted right hander struck out five of the nine batters he faced giving him eight in four innings pitched so far since his call-up on May 13th.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Mazieka’s Hit Streak Snapped at 15 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The New York Mets announced on Thursday 13 non-roster players that have been invited to major league Spring Training including top prospects 1B Peter Alonso, SS Andres Gimenez, and left-handed pitchers Anthony Kay and David Peterson.

Alonso mashed last season between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Las Vegas, hitting 36 total home runs and knocking in 119 runs. The 24-year-old hit .285/.395/.579 over 132 games.

The Florida native will get a chance in major league camp to win the first base job according to GM Brodie Van Wagenen.

Peterson, drafted in 2016 out of Oregon, is a crafty left-hander that caught the attention of many last season. He dealt with a dead-arm period in the middle of the season, but finished with a 7-10 record and a 3.16 ERA between Low-A Columbia and Advanced-A St Lucie.

The ground ball specialist had the third highest GB% rate in the minors last season at 64.5%, and his 0.14 HR/9 was fourth among all pitchers with at least 100 innings.

Kay, a former first round pick from UConn, pitched his first complete season in the pros last year. He pitched to a 7-11 record and a 4.26 ERA between Columbia and St. Lucie. He reached up to 96 mph with his fastball and showed off an improved curve despite missing all of 2017 after Tommy John Surgery.

Gimenez saw time between St. Lucie and Binghamton, and hit .281/.347/.409 with 38 stolen bases on his way to being regarded as the team’s best prospect by many. The 20-year-old was recently named to MLB Pipeline’s All-Defense team.

Stephen Villines/Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

Right-handers Stephen Villines and Ryder Ryan are two bullpen arms invited to keep an eye on.

Villines, sidearmer from 2017 draft, has been incredible in his 94 pro innings. He reached Double-A Binghamton in 2018, and has a career 2.68 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 9.79 SO/W. The 23-year-old has struck out a whopping 137 batters compared to only 14 walks.

Ryan, 23, has a 3.00 ERA and has held opponents to a measly .195 average since coming over from the Cleveland Indians organization in the Jay Bruce trade. He had a 3.57 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 10.0 K/9 between St. Lucie and Binghamton last season.

Catchers Colton Plaia, Patrick Mazeika, and Ali Sanchez will all compete for a potential 40-man spot behind Tomas Nido as catching depth. Right-handed pitchers Joshua Torres and Corey Taylor, and lefty P.J. Conlon were also invited to big league camp.

Heisman winner and Eastern League All-Star Tim Tebow rounds out the list as the only outfielder.

The Mets previously announced veterans LHP Luis Avilan, LHP Hector Santiago, LHP Ryan O’Rourke, RHP Arquimedes Caminero, infielder Dilson Herrera, and outfielders Rymer Liriano, Rajai Davis, and Gregor Blanco were signed to minor league deals with an invitation to major league camp.

The post Alonso, Gimenez Among Non-Roster Invitees to Major League Camp appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo: Mets.com

With the Winter Meetings only a day away, here is everything you need to know as the New York Mets continue to build their 2019 Opening Day roster.

This Mets Winter Meetings Planner includes: Payroll Projections and Commitments, Arbitration Eligible Players with Projections, Rule 5 Report, Mets Offseason Needs, Latest Buzz, and Important Dates.

Guaranteed Contracts ($81.8 million)

Yoenis Cespedes – $29 million

Robinson Cano – $24 million ($19 million net)

David Wright – $15 million ($7.8 million net)

Juan Lagares – $9 million

Todd Frazier – $9 million

Jason Vargas – $8 million

The Mets have $89 million tied up on these six players. The Mets received $20 million from the Mariners toward the $120 million Robinson Cano is owed over the next five seasons. The $20 million is spread out as follows: $5 million in 2019 and then $3.75 million over the final four years. So the amount the Mets are liable for in 2019 is $19 million.

Additionally, the Mets are expected to recoup $7.2 million from the insurance policy on David Wright’s contract. That brings the amount the Mets are liable for to $7.8 million.

Player Options ($2.5 million)

Jason Vargas – $2 million

Juan Lagares – $500,000

The Mets are also liable for two 2020 player options in 2019.

Projected Arbitration ($36.5 million)

Jacob deGrom – $12.9 million ($7.4 million)

Noah Syndergaard – $5.9 million ($2.975 million)

Zack Wheeler – $5.3 million ($1.9 million)

Michael Conforto – $4.4 million ($605,000)

Travis d’Arnaud – $3.7 million ($3.475 million)

Steven Matz – $3.0 million ($577,000)

Kevin Plawecki – $1.3 million ($557,000)

The number in parenthesis represents each player’s 2018 salary while the first number is the projected salary for the 2019 season by MLB Trade Rumors. In 2018 these seven players earned $17.49 million dollars. That number is projected to climb to $36.5 million.

The most significant increases went to Michael Conforto, Zack Wheeler and Jacob deGrom who will get a $5.5 million raise after his Cy Young Award winning season.

Pre-Arbitration Contracts ($7.2 million)

Brandon Nimmo

Amed Rosario

Jeff McNeil

T.J. Rivera

Robert Gsellman

Edwin Diaz

Seth Lugo

The Mets pre-arbitration players have non-guaranteed contracts are tabulated at an arbitrary $600,000 each for a total of  $7.2 million on 12 players to fill out the 25 man roster.

Total Current Payroll – $128 million

This includes total guaranteed contracts, projected arbitration, pre -arbitration players, and adjustments for player options and insurance payments.

Last year, Mets payroll came in at roughly $150 million and it is expected to be at least that much for the 2019 season although there has been no official indication by the front office or ownership. At that level it places the Mets in the middle of the pack among all MLB teams and not quite the payroll budget you would expect from a big market team.

The 2018 Baseball Winter Meetings will be held Dec. 9-13, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

On Sunday, the National Baseball Hall of Fame Eras Committee gathers at the Winter Meetings to discuss and vote on this year’s ballot. featuring Harold Baines, Albert Belle, Joe Carter, Will Clark, Orel Hershiser, Davey Johnson, Charlie Manuel, Lou Piniella, Lee Smith and George Steinbrenner. The results will be announced at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday on MLB Network.

Rule 5 Draft

The Rule 5 Draft takes place on Thursday, the final day of the Winter Meetings. Minor league players who are not on the 40-man roster are all eligible to be selected by a new team. If a team selects a player, they must keep that player on their 25-man roster for the entire season or be forced to offer him back to the team he was selected from.

Michael Mayer posted a list of potential players the Mets could target in the Rule 5 Draft to be held on Thursday. Some of those players include RHP Trevor Megill, OF Marcus Wilson, and SS Richie Martin. Check out the full list here.

Similarly, Jacob Resnick compiled a full list of all the Mets prospects and minor leaguers who were left unprotected from the 40 man roster, and are therefore vulnerable and available to be selected by another team. A few of those players are C Patrick Mazeika, RHP Corey Taylor, and SS Luis Carpio. You can read the full list here.

Mets Offseason Needs

Despite adding an elite closer in Edwin Diaz, the Mets still need at least two more solid arms in their bullpen including a setup man. Andrew Miller, Zach Britton, David Robertson and Adam Ottavino are some of names the Mets could be looking at.

A right-handed bat with power is also on their wish list to fill the outfield vacancy that opened up after trading Jay Bruce to the Mariners. The Mets have reportedly checked in on free agents Marwin Gonzalez and A.J. Pollock. There is also some buzz centering on Yasiel Puig who is reportedly being shopped by the Dodgers. Nick Markakis and Andrew McCutchen could also be options.

Despite tendering a contract to Travis d’Arnaud, the Mets are reportedly looking to significantly upgrade their catching position. One big name that keeps coming up is Marlins All Star J.T. Realmuto, but he won’t come cheap. Other options include free agents Wilson Ramos and Yasmani Grandal.

Latest Mets Buzz

With the Cleveland Indians extremely motivated to move either Corey Kluber or Trevor Bauer, the Mets seem to be very interested according to several reports. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Mets have already spoken to the Indians about a trade for Kluber. The two-time Cy Young winner is under team control for three more seasons and posted a 2.89 ERA and 0.99 WHIP this past season with 222 strikeouts in 215 innings pitched.

Important Dates

Dec 9- 13, 2018: The MLB Winter Meetings will take place in Las Vegas, Nev.

Dec 13, 2018: The Rule 5 draft will take place on the final day of the Winter Meetings, starting at 9:00 a.m. Eastern.

Jan 11, 2019: Clubs and arbitration-eligible players must exchange salary figures.

Jan 22, 2019: The Baseball Hall of Fame announces the balloting results for the HOF Class of 2019.

Feb 1, 2019: Arbitration hearings begin for those eligible players who do not come to terms with their clubs before their hearing date.

Feb 14, 2019: Mets pitchers and catchers report to spring training in Port St. Lucie.

Feb 23, 2019: Mets open their Grapefruit League season against the Atlanta Braves at First Data Field in Port St. Lucie.

Mar 28, 2019: The Mets open their season when they visit the Washington Nationals for a three-game series at Nationals Park.

Apr 4, 2019: The Mets host the Washington Nationals for their home opener at Citi Field.

MMO Has You Covered

You can count on Metsmerized Online to keep you up to date on all the Mets news, rumors and happenings from Mandalay Bay Resorts and Casino in Las Vegas. Executive Editor Michael Mayer will be covering the Winter Meetings for MMO, and he’ll be passing along any and all team news and will file a daily summary each night.

As always, we won’t post any rumors on MMO unless it passes the sniff test and comes from a credible source. We’ll be working around the clock both day and night to ensure that you won’t miss a beat. You can also follow all the action on our Twitter feed @Metsmerized and our Facebook Page.

Thanks so much for all of your incredible support. Please let us know what we can do to make your experience at Metsmerized Online a better one. And as always, Let’s Go Mets!

The post New York Mets Winter Meetings Guide and Planner appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Justin Dunn (Photo by Ed Delany/MMO

Salt Lake (45-40) 14, Las Vegas (40-45) 12   Box Score

• Matt den Dekker CF: 3-5, 3B, 2 RBI, .292/.336/.512
• Zach Borenstein LF: 2-5, HR, 3 RBI, K, .258/.361/.510
• Jeff McNeil DH: 2-4, HR, 3B, 2 RBI, .397/.455/.662

Las Vegas came out on the short end of a long slugfest in this one. McNeil continued his ridiculous breakout season with a homer in the first, and he now has a 15-game hitting streak. In addition to den Dekker, Borenstein, and McNeil, Luis Guillorme and Ty Kelly both had multiple RBIs. Christian Colon also hit a single and a double and drove in a run. McNeil drove in another run in the seventh with his first triple as a 51. Kelly also hit a triple, driving in two runs in the third. Borenstein added his team-leading 19th home run, a two-run blast with tied the game at 12 in the eighth.

• RHP Cody Martin (2-2, 7.42 ERA): 2.0 IP, 9 H, 9 R, BB, K
• LHP Kyle Regnault (2-1, 5.77 ERA): 3.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K
• LHP Ian Krol (1-0, 2.56 ERA): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K
• LHP Matt Purke (2-0, 4.93 ERA): 1.0 IP, H, R, 2 BB, 0 K
• RHP Kevin McGowan (4-1, 4.39 ERA): 1.0 IP, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
• RHP Jacob Rhame (L, 1-2, 3.86 ERA): 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, K

Martin was ineffective from the beginning, with the first four batters he faced all getting hits. A two-out three-run homer capped the five run first inning.

Krol, who has been only so-so with the 51s after posting a 1.71 ERA for the Bees, faced his former team and worked around two walks for a scoreless frame. Purke has been gradually turning things around as the season has progressed but his control problems returned in this outing, throwing only 12 of his 26 pitches for strikes while walking two. Rhame, who has been dominating in the minors since early May, finally showed some humanity by giving up a tiebreaking solo homer in the ninth and then giving up an insurance run-scoring double to former Met and 51 Eric Young Jr.

Binghamton (40-42) 2, Portland  (31-51) 1 Box Score

• Levi Michael 3B: 2-for-5, Run, 2B, .284/.367/.451
• Tomas Nido C: 1-for-4, Run, RBI, K, .260/.288/.400

The Rumble Ponies offense scratched out just enough offense for them to win. Levi Michael has been a nice surprise but there was not much to expect from him. In the eighth inning, Tomas Nido drove home Josh Allen to give the Rumble Ponies a 2-1 lead. A lead they held for good. He has hit .310 over his last 10 games. Tim Tebow went 1-for-4.

• RHP Justin Dunn (2-2, 2.41 ERA): 7.2 IP, 2 H, ER, 2 BB, 9 K
• RHP Corey Taylor (1-1, 3.52 ERA): 1 IP, H
• LHP Daniel Zamora (1-1, 3.44 ERA): 0.1 IP, H

It has been a nice beginning to Dunn’s career in Double-A. He looks like a new pitcher this season. Mike Mayer was at the game. He had Dunn throwing 92-95 on his fastball and still managed to hit 95 into the seventh inning. He had 13 swings and misses from Dunn while also praising his slider. Dunn has looked really good this season and his strikeouts have returned after going missing last year. Dunn will likely finish the season out in Binghamton and then begin the 2019 season with the Syracuse Chiefs.

St. Lucie (32-46) 4, Daytona (43-34) 1 Box Score

• Andres Gimenez SS: 1-for-4, Run, 2B, BB, K, .261/.337/.406
• Wuilmer Becerra RF: 2-for-5, RBI, K, .271/.327/.292

The St. Lucie Mets were trailing 1-0 heading into the eighth inning. In the eighth, Dan Rizzie tied it up with a homer. They scored three in the 11th. They were aided by a throwing error on the pitcher and “the runner starts on second” rule. After a multi-hit performance last night, Gimenez reached base twice. He is close to breaking out of his funk.

• RHP Gabriel Llanes (2-8, 5.61 ERA): 5.1 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 8 K
• RHP Matt Pobereyko (2-2, 2.32 ERA): 1.2 IP, 2 H, BB, K
• LHP Seth Davis (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 1.2 IP, H, 2 BB, 3 K
• RHP Stephen Villines (1-0, 1.50 ERA): 2.1 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K

Overall, the pitching staff got it done despite the six walks. Pobereyko has been pretty good aside from a bad stint in Vegas. The former indy ball pitcher has been a nice surprise for the Mets. Villines picked up his first save as a St. Lucie Met. The sidearmer has eight strikeouts in 5.2 innings pitched this year.

Columbia (41-38) 2, Augusta (41-40) 1 Box Score

• Matt Winaker LF: 1-for-3, Run, HR, RBI, K, .254/.377/.379
• Quinn Brodey CF: 1-for-4, Run, HR, RBI, 2 K, .218/.290/.401

The two Stanford Cardinals supplied all the offense in the game for the Fireflies. It has been a struggle for Brodey but at least he his able to hit for some power in a pitchers league. Winaker has been much better, and that too after a dreadful April. He hit .220/.327/.305 in April but now his OPS is all the way up to .756.

• RHP Chris Viall (2-4, 4.43 ERA): 5 IP, H, R (unearned), 4 BB, 10 K
• RHP Ronald Sanchez (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 0.1 IP, H, 2 BB, K
• RHP Joshua Payne (4-1, 3.75 ERA): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 K
• RHP Carlos Hernandez (1-1, 1.32 ERA): 2 IP, H, 2 K

This was a classic Viall start. Walk a lot of guys and strikeout a lot of guys. He walked 20% of the guy and struck out 50% of the guys he faced tonight which just seems crazy. Hernandez recently converted to the pen and has had success. The Mets might be trying the “Adonis Uceta” method with him.

Staten Island (6-12) 5, Brooklyn (11-7) 1 Box Score

• Carlos Cortes 2B: 0-for-4, 2 K
• Chase Chambers 1B: 0-for-4, 2 K, .345/.433/.448
• Brian Sharp 3B: 1-for-3, Run, HR, RBI, K, .207/.324/.414

Cortes went hitless and did not reach base in professional debut. The Cyclones only had five baserunners the whole game and their only run was courtesy of a solo homer by Brian Sharp. Chambers is having a very nice beginning to his professional career but probably belongs in Columbia at this point.

• LHP Kevin Smith (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 3 IP, H, BB, 5 K
• LHP Joel Huertas (0-1, 20.25 ERA): 2 IP, 2 H, 5 ER, 2 BB
• RHP Trent Johnson (0-1, 6.75 ERA): 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K
• RHP Tommy Wilson (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 2 IP, K

Smith was making his first professional start. The tall lefty has a decent fastball that can reach 94 MPH and has a very high spin rate on his slider. There is hope he can be a left handed reliever at the very least, if not something more. Wilson (Biff’s son) made his professional debut in this one.

Pulaski Yankees (6-8) 5, Kingsport Mets (8-5) 2 Box Score

• Luis Santana 2B: 0-for-3, BB, K, .327/.404/.469
• Anthony Dirocie CF: 0-for-3, BB, 2 K, .452/.520/.857
• L.A. Woodard DH: 2-for-3, BB, K, .385/.385/.615

A rare off night for the Kingsport offense. Woodard has not played a ton but has shown some promise when able to play. His speed was raved about when drafted. Dirocie really needs to be moved up. He hit for a ton of power in Kinsport last season and is finally combining that will a great all around slash line.

• RHP Daison Acosta (0-1, 5.40 ERA): 3 IP, H, 2 BB, 6 K
• LHP Joshua Walker (1-0, 0.00 ERA): 3 IP, 3 H, 4 K
• RHP Liam McCall (0-1, 9.00 ERA): 1.1 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, K
• RHP Nelson Leon (1-0, 10.80 ERA): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 K

McCall blew a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning while Leon poured gasoline on the flames. McCall was a 29th round draft pick from 2017. He has given up six runs in his last two outings.

GCL Mets (8-5) 5, GCL Astros (3-10) 1 Box Score

• Ronny Mauricio SS: 1-for-5, Run, RBI, .345/.322/.509
• Jarred Kelenic CF: 1-for-5, 2 Runs, 3B, RBI, 2 K, .464/.500/.643

These two are an exciting duo to keep track of. Both are very advanced for their current league. Kelenic really has no business still being in this league. Mauricio might have a case to move up too but he is still very young and playing time for middle infielders is tough right now in Kingsport.

• RHP Ronald Guzman (3-0, 1.93 ERA): 6 IP, 4 H, ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• RHP Ronnie Taylor Jr. (0-0, 1.29 ERA): 3 IP, H, BB, 2 K

Guzman was only recently promoted from the DSL. He is a lanky but older pitcher but does not miss a ton of bats. Taylor has been solid this season out of the bullpen. He has worked as a swingman and has not allowed many baserunners to reach.

DSL Mets1 (16-11) 2, DSL Yankees (13-14) 1 Box Score

• Adrian Hernandez CF: 3-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, .259/.368/.346

The DSL Mets1 were trailing 1-0 heading into the ninth inning. Malvin Nunez tied the game up with a double. Adrian Hernandez walked it off right after him. He had a rough stretch of games recently but has had a nice couple of games which hopefully means he is back on track.

• LHP Cesar Loaiza (3-0, 1.05 ERA): 5 IP, H, 2 BB, 10 K
• LHP Nixon Silva (2-0, 1.42 ERA): 4 IP, ER, BB, 3 K

Both of these guys started their professional career later than others have but both have performed well. They are still teenagers and could see some action in the GCL soon, Loazia especially.

DSL Mets2 (14-13) 8, DSL Rangers2 (16-9) 5 Box Score

• Jean Carlos Soto LF: 3-for-5, 4 Runs, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .250/.288/.411

The youngster hit his first two homers of his professional career. Overall, the offense went 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position in this one. Solid day for them.

• RHP Andres German (2-0, 2.38 ERA): 3 IP, 3 H 3 R (1 ER), 4 BB, 6 K
• RHP Antonio Villalba (1-1, 2.35 ERA): 1.1 IP, H, 2 R (both unearned), 2 BB
• LHP Jefferson Escorcha (1-2, 1.64 ERA): 3.2 IP, H, 5 K
• RHP Juan Martinez (2-1, 2.08 ERA): 1 IP, BB, K

Escorcha has been pretty good this season but this is also his second go-around of the league. The Mets should move him up soon so they can get a better look at what he is.

Las Vegas portion of recap done by Mojo Hill.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Dunn Tosses Gem, McNeil Homers Again appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Albuquerque (20-20) 10, Las Vegas (16-24) 3   Box Score

• Patrick Kivlehan RF: 1-3, BB, K, .261/.292/.348
• Dominic Smith 1B: 1-4, RBI, K, .277/.386/.412
• Cody Asche 3B: 1-3, 2B, 2 RBI, K, .238/.304/.571
• Johnny Monell C: 1-3, .266/.352/.392

The 51s did all their damage in the first inning, rallying for three runs with an RBI force out from Smith and a two-run double from Asche. They only had two more hits the rest of the game, one of which came from the recently demoted Smith.

Additionally, before the game, Gavin Cecchini was placed on the 7-day disabled list, retroactive to 5/11, with a bruised foot. He’s been out of the lineup for the past few games but was only now officially placed on the disabled list. It doesn’t seem like anything too serious and he should be back soon.

• RHP Vance Worley (0-3, 13.50 ERA): 4.2 IP, 9 H, 9 R, 3 BB, K
• RHP Logan Taylor (1-0, 5.70 ERA): 2.1 IP, 3 H, R, 0 BB, 3 K
• LHP Kyle Regnault (1-1, 5.95 ERA): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K
• RHP Gerson Bautista (0-0, 10.80 ERA): 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, K

The veteran Worley was signed as merely rotational depth, but he has struggled badly in three starts and may end up going the way of A.J. Griffin if they need to clear a rotation spot for someone. He was particularly plagued by the home run ball last night, giving up four homers in less than five innings. Taylor was solid enough in relief, providing 2.1 innings of one-run ball. Regnault continued his very strong May after a dreadful April. He has struck out 10 in 7.2 innings this month while holding batters to a .160 average. The hard-throwing Bautista, another reliever who has struggled in Vegas, had a strong 1-2-3 inning to cap off the 51s’ solid bullpen effort.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (19-17) 6, Erie Seawolves (14-23) 5 Box Score

• RHP Joseph Shaw (0-3, 6.44 ERA): 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
• RHP Corey Taylor (0-0, 3.38 ERA): 1.2 IP, H, BB, 2 K
• RHP Eric Hanhold (1-0, 3.66 ERA): 1.2 IP, H, BB, K

Joseph Shaw has struggled in Binghamton this year. He has essentially been a warm body for this team. Taylor struggled in his Vegas stint but has gotten back to getting his ground balls in Binghamton. He will likely get another turn in Vegas in some point this year. Handhold continues to impress this year. The stuff has been very good even though the stat line might not be as impressive as someone like Tyler Bashlor.

• Jeff McNeil 2B: 2-for-5, Run, HR, RBI
• Peter Alonso 1B: 3-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 3 RBI, K
• Jhoan Urena Rf: 3-for-4, Run, RBI, K

Jeff McNeil is now hitting .309/.402/.682 in Binghamton and it makes really no sense to keep him in Binghamton. He’s also just struck out 13 times this year, compared to 13 walks. His slugging ranks third in the league, his teammate Peter Alonso ranks first and Cavan Biggio is second. He could be a T.J. Rivera type player with better defense and maybe some better OBP skills.

Peter Alonso, you are something else. Alonso is now hitting .367/.478/.695 and hit a couple of homers yesterday. Alonso mashed two home runs and has not shown signs of slowing down. He ranks third in BA, second in OBP, and first in slugging.

The Rumble Ponies were trailing by a run in the ninth yesterday but McNeil and Alonso went back-to-back in the ninth to win the game.

Florida Fire Frogs (15-23) 4, St. Lucie Mets (16-20) 2 Box Score F/7

• RHP Michael Gibbons (0-2, 3.38 ERA): 3.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R (2 ER), BB, 2 K
• RHP Joseph Zanghi (1-0, 0.48 ERA): 1.2 IP, H, 2 K
• RHP Adam Atkins (1-1, 2.86 ERA): 1 IP, H

Joseph Zanghi has continued to be really good this year. He has been a quality pitcher his whole professional career and could project as a Major League reliever later this year. Atkins really struggled in St. Lucie last year in a small stint but has rebounded this year.

• Andres Gimenez SS: 1-for-3
• Desmond Lindsay CF: 1-for-3, Run, 2B
• Kevin Kaczmarski LF: 0-for-3

Desmond Lindsay has been better as of late and his OBP is now up to .363 on the year. You have to really hope that he is starting to figure it out. Kaczmarski continued his rehab assignment today.

St. Lucie Mets (16-19) 4, Florida Fire Frogs (14-23) 3 Box Score F/7

• RHP Justin Dunn (2-2, 2.15 ERA): 4 IP, 2 H, ER, 4 K
• RHP Stephen Nogosek (1-0, 2.60 ERA): 1.2 IP, H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• RHP Ryder Ryan (1-0, 1.96 ERA): 1.1 IP, H, K

Justin Dunn was reportedly sitting in the 93-95 MPH range while topping out at 96 MPH.  His slurve and changeup also looked good. His only run came on an inside-the-park homer which was a ball that should have been caught.

Nogosek had a bad outing in terms of the walks but he still got his strikeouts. He has still looked good this season overall. Ryder Ryan got the win, he has only given up one run in his last 5.1 IP.

• Andres Gimenez SS: 1-for-3, 2 Runs, 2B, BB, 2 K
• Desmond Lindsay CF: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K
• Kevin Kaczmarski LF: 0-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, K

Gimenez has just five strikeouts in his last 10 games. It is a good sign that he has not been overmatched as of late. Lindsay is now hitting .281 his last 10 games with just six strikeouts. With Lindsay, a decent batting average tends to mean a really OBP.

Columbia Fireflies (20-18) 9, Delmarva Shorebirds (25-13) 8 Box Score

• RHP Marcel Renteria (2-1, 5.73 ERA): 4.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R (5 ER), 3 BB, 3 K
• RHP Nicolas Debora (1-1, 2.77 ERA): 2.1 IP, H, BB, K
• LHP Aaron Ford (1-0, 1.74 ERA): 1.1 IP, 2 K
• RHP Stephen Villines (2-3, 6.86 ERA): 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R (ER), 2 K

Renteria is erratic as ever. He has good stuff but his command is not that great. He still has a shot but his control has never been good even in college. Aaron Ford has been really good thanks to his control and deceptiveness. He is not a high-velocity guy and relies on the other stuff to get him by. Don’t let the ERA fool you, Stephen Villines has been okay this year. A few bad outings have really weighed down his performance. He has an insane 35:2 strikeout to walk ratio. He has only allowed two home runs this year on top of that. As a result, his FIP is a mere 2.23, so expect improvements in his ERA.

• Raphael Gladu RF: 2-for-4, Run, 2B, 2 RBI, BB, K
• Blake Tiberi 2B: 2-for-3, Run, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 BB, K
• Giovanny Alfonzo 1B: 3-for-5, 2 Runs, 2B, RBI

Blake Tiberi is now hitting .297 with a .433 OBP. His OBP is good for second in the league. He is a promising hitter who seems to be making up for lost time. Alfonzo was picked in the 21 round of the 2015 draft by the Marlins. He is hitting .299/.342/.418 this year after missing 2017.

The Fireflies were trailing by two in the tenth before storming back. Scott Manea was hit by a pitch to win the game for them.

Before the game, the Fireflies placed Josh Payne on the DL and called up Nicolas Debora.

Las Vegas portion of recap done by Mojo Hill.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Alonso Strikes Again With Two Homer Game appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Las Vegas 9 (4-8), El Paso 6 (7-5) Final/11 Box Score

• RHP Drew Gagnon (0-0, 3.38 ERA): 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 10 K
• RHP Corey Taylor (0-0, 5.40 ERA): 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 2 K
• RHP Jacob Rhame (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 1 IP, 1 K
• LHP Kyle Regnault (0-1, 11.81 ERA): 0.2 IP, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K
• RHP Drew Smith (W, 1-0, 0.00 ERA): 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 K
• RHP Jamie Callahan (0-1, 6.00 ERA): 1 IP, 1 R

Drew Gagnon was impressive for Las Vegas in Monday’s afternoon game. The right-hander punched out an even 10 Chihuahuas before an Allen Craig home run chased him in the sixth. Five Vegas relievers found their way into the extra-inning affair. Jacob Rhame was the only pitcher of the group to work a perfect outing, but the bullpen in general pitched well. Drew Smith tallied his first Triple-A win in relief, as the recent call-up worked an inning and a third of scoreless baseball. Jamiee Callahan had an unfortunate run charged to his ledger as the automatic runner placed on second base to begin the 11^th inning would come across to score on a ground out.

• Dominic Smith 1B: 1-for-3, 2 BB, .297/.395/.595
• David Thompson 3B: 2-for-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI, K, .324/.378/.441
• Philip Evans LF-3B: 4-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, .290/.405/.387
• Luis Guillorme SS: 2-for-4, 2B, 2 RBI, K, .212/.297/.333

This game was played in the Pacific Coast League so, of course, offense was not hard to come by. Las Vegas pushed across 13 hits and nine runs without a home run. Phillip Evans had perhaps the most noteworthy day for the 51s, as he knocked four hits to lead the offense. Evans had a run scoring hit in the 51s’ four-run 11^th inning, sandwiched between Johnny Monell’s go-ahead single and Luis Guillorme’s two-run double. Dominic Smith continued his hot hitting by getting on base three times. Smith’s OPS ends the day sitting at a superb .990.

Chris Viall/Photo by Ed Delany

Columbia 7 (7-4), Greenville 1 (3-8) Box Score

• RHP Chris Viall (W, 1-0, 2.00 ERA): 5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 4 BB, 11 K
• RHP Darwin Ramos (0-0, 10.50 ERA): 2 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K
• RHP Carlos Hernandez (0-0, 0.00 ERA): 2 IP, 1 H, 3 K

For the second consecutive start to begin his season, Chris Viall was again plagued by a high pitch count and was unable to work deep into the game. However, this time it was because he utterly dominated Greenville during his 89-pitch effort. Viall’s 11 strikeouts, along with his four walks, boosted his pitch count. The tall righty was strong in this one for the Fireflies, and if he is able to limit walks in future starts, he should be able to work deeper into games. Columbia’s bullpen worked four scoreless frames after Viall departed. Darwin Ramos allowed five baserunners in his two innings, but managed to keep them from scoring. The contingent of Ramos and Carlos Hernandez struck out six over four innings, amassing a total of 17 strikeouts for Columbia pitching.

• Edgardo Fermin SS: 3-for-4, 2B, BB, .341/.316/.568
• Quinn Brodey CF: 1-for-4, 3B, RBI, BB, K, .294/.385/.294
• Walter Rasquin DH: 1-for-5, HR, 2 RBI, .310/.375/.552

All but three of the Fireflies’ starting players recorded base hits in this one, as they mounted a strong and consistent offensive attack throughout the evening. Both Quinn Brodey and Jay Jabs recorded triples, and Edgardo Fermin had three hits out of the leadoff spot. The loudest swing of the night belonged to Walter Rasquin, who took a hanging curveball deep into the Greenville night in the eighth inning. The blast was Rasquin’s first home run of the season. Blake Tiberi provided a brief scare when he departed the game in the seventh inning. Thankfully, Tiberi was pulled because his contact lenses had fallen out and he was without a spare pair.

Double-A Binghamton was rained out Monday night and St. Lucie had an off-day. Both will return to action Tuesday.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Evans Collects Four Hits In Vegas Victory appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany

It was a rough day for the New York Mets minor league affiliates with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies the only winner. With the season beginning to ramp up, here’s how the farm teams fared yesterday.

El Paso (2-1) 8, Las Vegas (1-2) 3  Box Score

• Dominic Smith 1B: 3-for-4, HR, 2B, RBI
• Bryce Brentz RF: 1-for-4, RBI, K
• David Thompson 3B: 1-for-4, K

The 51s’ offense was very quiet last night. Brentz put them up 1-0 in the first with an RBI single, and in the second, starting pitcher Chris Flexen reached on an error by the third baseman Dusty Coleman on what should have been a double play, and then right fielder Franmil Reyes made a throwing error, scoring Thompson to put the 51s up 2-1. Smith had a nice day at the plate, hitting his first home run of the season as part of a three-hit night. His double was a routine flyout that the outfielders lost in the lights, but it was a double nonetheless.

• RHP Chris Flexen: 5.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, BB, 3 K
• LHP David Roseboom: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 2 K
• LHP Kyle Regnault: 0.2 IP, H, 2 R, 0 ER, BB, K
• RHP Kevin McGowan: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, BB, K
• RHP Tim Peterson: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K

Flexen looked iffy in his first career Triple-A start. He gave up a lot of hard contact, including two solo home runs. He kept his composure and never went off the rails but did not have the confidence or aggressiveness of a Major League pitcher. Roseboom came in and quickly gave up two long balls, before walking two and eventually getting out of a very shaky inning. Regnault gave up a hit and a walk that both ended up scoring on an error by left fielder Phillip Evans, and all that damage proved to be too much for the 51s to overcome.

Binghamton (2-0) 5, Portland (0-2) 3 Box Score

• Peter Alonso 1B : 2-for-3, RBI, 2B, BB
• Tomas Nido DH: 2-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 2B
• Tim Tebow LF: 0-for-3, 2 K
• Jhoan Urena: 1-4, RBI, 2 K, SB

The Rumble Ponies went 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position. The Ponies won their second game of the year in as many tries, and most of their offense came from their two biggest prospects, Tomas Nido and Peter Alonso. Two of the Mets’ top 15 prospects, these two drove in four of the Ponies’ five runs.

• RHP Andrew Church: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, BB, 6 K
• RHP Eric Hanhold: 1.2 IP, W
• RHP Tyler Bashlor: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 2 K
• RHP Corey Taylor: 1 IP, H, R, K, BB

While he wasn’t perfect, Andrew Church got the job done in 4.1 solid innings in his debut.  Binghamton wraps up with Portland at 2:05 p.m. on Sunday with Nabil Crismatt getting the start.

Bradenton (2-1) 5, St. Lucie (1-2) 3 Box Score

• Desmond Lindsay CF: 1-for-4, 2 K
• Andres Gimenez: 1-for-3, BB
• Dash Winningham: 2-for-4, HR, RBI
• Michael Paez DH: 1-3, BB, K

St. Lucie attempted a 9th inning rally, plating one on a Dash Winningham home run, but was shut down by Matt Eckelman for Bradenton. Ian Strom hit a solo home run for his first of the season.

• RHP Gabriel Llanes: 1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, BB
• RHP Joseph Zanghi: 2.2 IP, H, 3 K
• RHP Ryder Ryan: 1 IP, H, K

Gabriel Llanes started for the Mets and only went one inning after giving up four runs, a home run, and a walk in the inning. Llanes didn’t return to the game after a rain delay. Ryan, who came over in Jay Bruce trade, now has 14 consecutive scoreless innings dating back to last season. Harol Gonzalez closes the series for St. Lucie on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Augusta (1-2) 6, Columbia (2-1) 2 Box Score

The Fireflies were never able to get ahead of the GreenJackets on Saturday evening. Trailing the whole evening, Columbia was doomed by errors and a lack of hitting. Jake Simon was solid, only allowing one run over six innings. He served up a solid debut outing in a crucial year for his future.  Columbia and Augusta wrap up their shortened series tomorrow at 2:05 as LHP and former first-round pick out of UConn Anthony Kay makes his season debut.

• Raphael Gladu RF: 3-for-4
• Blake Tiberi 2B: 2-for-4, R
• Quinn Brodey CF: 1-for-2, 2 BB, RBI, R
• Gio Alfonzo 3B: 1-for-3, BB, RBI

Blake Tiberi continued his hot start to the season, compiling two more hits and improving his early average to .455. The Fireflies went just 2-for-9 with runners with scoring position.

• LHP Jake Simon 6 IP, 3 H, R, 2 BB, 4 K
• RHP Cannon Chadwick: 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 3 K
• RHP Nicolas Debora: 1 IP, H, 2R, 0 ER, BB

The post Mets Minors Recap: Dominic Smith Shows Off Power appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Ed Delany, MMO

New York Yankees (9-2) vs. New York Mets (5-7-1)
Wednesday, March 7, 2018 • 1:10 p.m.
First Data Field • Port St. Lucie, FL
RHP Domingo Germán (0-0, 1.80) vs. RHP Zack Wheeler (0-0, 4.50)
SNY/WOR

The New York Mets will take on the crosstown rival New York Yankees today at First Data Field at 1:10 p.m. The game will be aired on SNY and can be heard on 710 WOR.

Zack Wheeler will take the hill for the third time this spring and Domingo German gets the start for the Yankees.

Mets Lineup

1. Asdrubal Cabrera (S) 2B
2. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
3. Jay Bruce (L) DH
4. Todd Frazier (R) 3B
5. Adrian Gonzalez (L) 1B
6. Jose Reyes (S) SS
7. Travis d’Arnaud (R) C
8. Juan Lagares (R) CF
9. Matthew den Dekker (L) RF

Yankees Lineup

1. Brett Gardner (L) LF
2. Brandon Drury (R) 3B
3. Miguel Andujar (R) DH
4. Tyler Austin (R) 1B
5. Danny Espinosa (S) 2B
6. Austin Romine (R) C
7. Ronald Torreyes (R) SS
8. Shane Robinson (R) RF
9. Estevan Florial (L) CF

Game Notes

Robert Gsellman, Rafael Montero, Matt Purke and Corey Taylor are scheduled to pitch after Wheeler.

Michael Conforto took 50 swings yesterday in regular batting practice. He said he felt good as he works towards the goal of a May 1 return.

Amed Rosario remains out of the lineup this afternoon for the Mets. However, his MRI on his groin came back clean on Monday and he is considered day-to-day.

The post MMO Game Thread: Mets vs. Yankees, 1:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ernest Dove, MMO

After defeating the Atlanta Braves 6-2 in their Spring Training opener Friday, the Mets will host the St. Louis Cardinals at First Data Field in Port St. Lucie at 1:10 p.m. on Saturday.

METS LINEUP

1. Brandon Nimmo (L) CF
2. Wilmer Flores (R) 2B
3. Dominic Smith (L) 1B
4. Travis d’Arnaud (R) DH
5. Jose Reyes (S) SS
6. Kevin Plawecki (R) C
7. Zach Borenstein (L) RF
8. Phillip Evans (R) 3B
9. Ty Kelly (S) LF

CARDINALS LINEUP

1. Breyvic Valera (S) 2B
2. Harrison Bader (R) LF
3. Paul DeJong (R) SS
4. Jose Martinez (R) 1B
5. Luke Voit (R) DH
6. Carson Kelly (R) C
7. Adonis Garcia (R) CF
8. Alex Mejia (R) 3B
9. Randy Arozarena (R) RF

NOTES:

Jay Bruce is sidelined with a sore heel and will be sidelined until early next week.

Juan Lagares is also out of the Mets lineup today with a tight left leg, but hopes to play next week as well.

Dominic Smith is back in the Mets lineup today after being scratched Friday after being late.

Seth Lugo will start the game Saturday with Kevin McGowan, Marcos Molina, P.J. Conlon, Corey Taylor and Gerson Bautista also scheduled to pitch.

The post MMO Game Thread: Mets vs. Cardinals, 1:10 PM — Smith Back In appeared first on Metsmerized Online.