Francisco Lindor was scratched from last night’s game against the Braves due to right side soreness. Buck Showalter explained after the game that Lindor felt the soreness during batting practice, and he is set to have medical imaging done today to determine its severity. Lindor remarkably played in every game this year before missing yesterday’s game, a year after he played 161 games and only missed one due to a finger fracture.

Latest Mets News

Denyi Reyes has joined the Mets to start the first game of today’s doubleheader against the Braves, with José Quintana getting the start in the second game.

Mike Puma of the New York Post wrote about how the Mets may consider playing Jeff McNeil at third base next season.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote that he believes the Mets will pursue Shohei Ohtani this offseason. He also believes that Japanese superstar pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto may be the best fit for the Mets this offseason in terms of free agent starting pitchers.

Latest MLB News

José Bautista is officially retiring from baseball. He will sign a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays and enter the team’s prestigious Level of Excellence.

The Yankees placed starting pitcher Nestor Cortes on the 15-day injured list with a left rotator cuff strain. Cortes had been out since May due to injury before returning to make a start last week.

Short once again on starting pitching, the Yankees recalled both Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez from Triple-A Scranton/Wilks-Barre.

Former Mets’ minor leaguer Allan Winans has a locker in the Braves’ clubhouse at Citi Field, presumably to start one of the doubleheader games today. Winans was left unprotected by the Mets a couple years ago during the minor-league Rule 5 draft, and he will now get a chance to face them in the big leagues.

Latest on MMO

In the latest Mets Minors Recap, Michael Mayer highlighted Brett Baty‘s home run in his first game back with Triple-A Syracuse.

Chris Bello broke down a potentially game-saving decision by Francisco Álvarez during Wednesday night’s win against the Cubs.

James Villani analyzed the updated MLB Pipeline prospect rankings in which the Mets have five top-100 prospects.

On This Date in Mets History

2000: Benny Agbayani infamously forgot how many outs there were after catching a fly ball, handing it to a young fan thinking the inning was over. A run came in to score due to Agbayani’s blunder before he realized his mistake and snatched the ball away from the fan.

Birthdays: Barry Manuel (58)

The post Morning Briefing: Francisco Lindor to Receive Imaging for Side Soreness appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans!

Buck Showalter told the media on Friday that Justin Verlander will throw a bullpen session in Port St. Lucie today. Verlander has been on the injured list since Opening Day with a right teres major strain and his bullpen session today is another step in the right direction to getting him on the mound for his Mets debut. Verlander said last week that it is “very reasonable” to expect he will be back by the end of April.

Latest Mets News

The Mets beat the A’s 17-6 on Friday night, drawing 17 total walks and being helped by Francisco Lindor‘s seven RBIs which tied a career high. The Mets will go for the series victory this afternoon at 4:07 p.m. ET.

Latest MLB News

ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Giants signed pitcher Logan Webb to a five-year, $90 million contract extension.

Evan Drellich of The Athletic wrote about the future of MLB TV blackouts and whether it is possible to make watching baseball games more accessible.

Brendan Kuty of The Athletic wrote about Aaron Judge and his victory in a legal battle over his “All Rise” catchphrase.

The Mariners placed pitcher Marco Gonzales on paternity leave and promoted Tommy Milone to the major league roster in a corresponding move. Milone started Friday night’s game for Seattle.

The A’s also made a few roster moves, promoting Hogan Harris and Tyler Wade, while optioning Adam Oller and Nick Allen to Triple-A. They also designated Cal Stevenson for assignment.

Latest on MMO

Jack Markowski analyzed Jeff McNeil‘s increased walk rate to start the 2023 season.

Michael Famulari argued that the time is right for the Mets to call up Brett Baty to the major league team.

Michael Mayer listed his top 35 Mets prospects for the 2023 season.

On This Date in Mets History

1968: Tom Seaver pitched the first ten innings of a 24 inning contest with the Houston Astros. The Mets lost the game 1-0 in what was, at the time, the longest game in team history, clocking in at just over six hours.

Birthdays: Daniel Zamora (30), Adeiny Hechavarria (34), Aaron Laffey (39), Ricky Otero (51), Jeromy Burnitz (54)

The post Morning Briefing: Verlander to Throw Bullpen Session Today appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo via Mets

Good morning, Mets fans!

Steve Cohen announced that the Mets have an agreement in place with New York-Presbyterian to alter the new sponsorship patch that first appeared on the Mets’ jerseys during Friday’s home opener. The new patch has been met with backlash for both its color and its size. Cohen said that the red and white on the patch are “Phillies colors” and wants them to be Mets colors. It remains to be seen whether the size of the patch will be reduced in addition to the color change.

The Mets won comfortably in their home opener on Friday, a 9-3 victory over the Marlins. The Mets will look to secure the series victory this afternoon at 4:10 p.m. ET.

Latest Mets News

Justin Verlander gave an update on his injury, noting it’s reasonable to expect him to return before the end of April.

Edwin Díaz thanked Mets fans on Twitter after his special introduction during the home opener.

Latest MLB News

MLB.com’s Mike Petriello listed key trends to take away from the first week of the season.

Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported that Darick Hall will have surgery next week to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. He is expected to return this season, but not for a few months.

The Braves placed Michael Harris II on the 10-day injured list with a lower back strain. In a corresponding move they recalled outfielder Eli White.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer wrote about some minor league pitchers to watch for in the Mets’ system.

Alexis Farinacci recapped Friday’s 9-3 victory against the Marlins.

Michael Mayer listed some quick takes for the Mets from the early portion of the season, including Brandon Nimmo‘s base stealing potential and the Mets’ spotless defense.

On This Date in MLB History

1996: The Mets acquired Matt Franco from the Cubs. He spent 1996-2000 with the Mets, primarily as a pinch hitter.

Birthdays: Jeff McNeil (31), Eddie Kunz (37), Timo Pérez (48), Pete Walker (54), Mac Scarce (74)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets to Alter New Sponsorship Patch appeared first on Metsmerized.

Hope springs eternal and another season began for the New York Mets on Thursday as they took on the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. It was a battle of Cy Young winners as Max Scherzer took on the reigning award winner in Sandy Alcantara.

Even with both aces on the mound, the game ultimately came down to a battle of the bullpens and thanks to clutch double by Brandon Nimmo, the Mets were able to pick up a 5-3 victory to begin 2023 on a great note.

The Mets first run of the game came in the top of the third. Daniel Vogelbach led off the inning with a four-pitch walk. Two batters later, Omar Narváez would pick up the first Met hit of the season with a single to right. With runners on the corners and one out, Brandon Nimmo drove in the first run of the season on a sacrifice fly to left. While Narváez was caught in a rundown between first and second, New York took a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the sixth, the Mets added on two more runs against Alcántara. With one out, Nimmo drew a walk and Starling Marte singled to center and advanced to second on an error by Jazz Chisholm Jr. Francisco Lindor would end up driving in Nimmo on a sac fly of his own to make the score 2-0.

Later in the inning, Pete Alonso drew a walk to give Jeff McNeil an RBI chance. Despite McNeil picking up an automatic strike during his at-bat, the second baseman was able to single up the middle to extend the lead to 3-0.

After an automatic strike was called, Jeff McNeil poked one up the middle anyway for a clutch RBI single.

Sandy Alcántara’s day is over after 5.2 innings. pic.twitter.com/ZDU6wTuQz4

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 30, 2023

That would end Alcántara’s day as he went 5.2 innings, allowed three runs (two earned) on three hits, walked four, and struck out two on 96 pitches (57 strikes) in what ended up being a no-decision. The four walks he allowed were the most he has allowed in an outing since May 1, 2022.

Scherzer was helped by his defense as the Mets turned two key double plays in the first four innings. In the first, the Arráez single was quickly erased by a Jean Segura 1-6-3 double play. Then, in the fourth, Garrett Cooper hit into a 4-6-3 inning-ending double play that was started by a nice play from Lindor.

Another double play to help Max Scherzer get through his fourth scoreless frame of work. pic.twitter.com/zml3MXDBTo

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 30, 2023

Miami did find a way to get to Scherzer in the sixth. Jacob Stallings led off the frame with a double to left center. Two batters later, Arráez picked up a double of his own. His second hit of the game drove in Stallings to cut the Mets lead to 3-1. Cooper would end up erasing the lead with a two-run home run to right center with two outs that tied the game at three.

Overall, Scherzer had a solid outing, but the sixth prevented it from being a great one. The right-hander went six innings, allowed three run on four hits, walked two, and struck out six on 92 pitches (64 strikes) in the win. Out of the 22 batters that he faced, 18 of them saw a first-pitch strike.

It wouldn’t take long for the Mets to take back the lead. With Tanner Scott in the game, Escobar drove a single and Narváez walked. That paved the way for Brandon Nimmo to be the hero as he hit a two- run double to center. Due to the ball getting past Chisholm Jr., it allowed both Escobar and Narváez to score and put the Mets in front, 5-3.

And the Mets are back in the lead! Brandon Nimmo hits a two-run double and now has three RBIs on the day. pic.twitter.com/fovVavcjZ5

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 30, 2023

Overall, Nimmo drove in three runs and became the first Met to drive in three runs on Opening Day since 2018.

In addition to Nimmo’s success on offense, Marte and McNeil each had a pair of hits in the victory.

After Scherzer left the game, Drew Smith came in and threw a scoreless seventh inning. He allowed one hit and struck out two on 19 pitches (10 strikes) as he got the win.

Brooks Raley made his Mets debut in the eighth and ended up shutting the Marlins offense down. He threw a 1-2-3 eighth inning and struck out two on 12 pitches (9 strikes).

David Robertson got the first save opportunity of the year and struck out two batters in a 1-2-3 inning of his own on 16 pitches (9 strikes).

Player Of The Game

Brandon Nimmo gets the first Player of the Game for the 2023 season. Not only did Nimmo drive in three runs, but he put up solid at-bats all game long. In the third, he got ahead of Alcántara 2-0 in the count and was able to take a sinker on the outer half to left for the sacrifice fly.

Nimmo would draw a four-pitch walk in the fifth. Then, in the seventh against a left-hander in Scott, the Mets center fielder got a slider that was at the lower half of the zone and drove it into center for the game-winning hit.

On Deck

The Mets and Marlins will be back in action in the second game of their four-game series on Friday night. You can catch the game at 6:40 p.m ET on SNY or MLB Network. It will be a battle of southpaws as David Peterson goes for the Mets against Jesus Luzardo for the Marlins.

The post Nimmo, Bullpen Lead Mets to 5-3 Opening Day Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

The New York Mets announced their 2023 Opening Day roster on Thursday afternoon. The Mets kick off their season in Miami against the Marlins at 4:10 p.m. on Thursday.

Catchers

• Omar Narvaez
• Tomas Nido

Infielders

• Luis Guillorme
• Eduardo Escobar
• Pete Alonso
• Jeff McNeil
• Daniel Vogelbach
• Francisco Lindor

Outfielders

• Mark Canha
• Brandon Nimmo
• Starling Marte
• Tim Locastro
• Tommy Pham

Pitchers

• Max Scherzer
• David Peterson
• Justin Verlander
• Kodai Senga
• Carlos Carrasco
• John Curtiss
• Stephen Nogosek
• Dennis Santana
• Brooks Raley
• David Robertson
• Adam Ottavino
• Drew Smith
• Tommy Hunter

15-Day Injured List

• RHP Sam Coonrod
• RHP Bryce Montes de Oca
• RHP Elieser Hernandez
• RHP Stephen Ridings
• LHP Jose Quintana

60-Day Injured List 

• RHP Edwin Diaz

No last-minute surprises on the Mets Opening Day roster.

The post Mets Announce 2023 Opening Day Roster appeared first on Metsmerized.

Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Happy Opening Day, Mets fans!

Jeff Passan of ESPN reports is in place between the minor league players in the MLBPA and Major League Baseball on the historic first collective bargaining agreement for minor leaguers. The deal is five years long and includes at least double the current pay at all levels of the minors.

The pay increases are as follows: complex league from $4,800 per year to $19,800, Low-A from $11,000 to $26,200, High-A from $11,000 to $27,300,  AA from $13,800 to $30,250, and  AAA from $17,500 to $35,800. Ross Bentley has more on the story.

Meanwhile, the Mets play a real baseball game today! They’ll take on the Marlins at 4:10 p.m. ET with Max Scherzer on the mound. Buckle up for the first of 162 today!

Now it is time for the morning briefing.

Latest Mets News

Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post reports Rob Manfred commented on Steve Cohen’s offseason spending on “The Show” podcast Tuesday night: “What Steve spent in the offseason was completely consistent with all of our rules. He perfectly had every right to spend those dollars. There are actually real benefits for the game associated with that spending. It does energize the Mets’ fan base.”

Andrew Tredinnick of the Record Sports reports that Elieser Hernandez will begin the season on the IL with a right shoulder strain, according to Billy Eppler.

Mets PA announcer Colin Cosell announced that he welcomed his first child, Eloise.

Latest MLB News

Jason Mackey of Pittsburgh Sports Now reports that plenty of conversation took place between Bryan Reynolds and the Pirates.  Both sides have moved from their original offers and seem genuinely interested in getting something done.

Rob Manfred said that the automated ball-strike system is “the next big one that’s on the agenda.” He continued by saying, “I do think that improved application of technology in the calling of balls and strikes over the long haul is a really good thing.” However, Manfred has a couple reservations about it that Evan Drellich of The Athletic covers in his article.

Sportico reports that the Miami Marlins have signed a jersey patch deal with home security firm ADT for at least three years. The multi-year deal with an option to extend is estimated to be worth roughly $5 million annually.

Yeimel Mendez reports that Franchy Cordero signed a deal with the New York Yankees.

Sam Blum of The Athletic reports that Angels radio broadcasts will once again call games remotely this season. Arte Moreno said airing in-person doesn’t justify the cost.

Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported news on the minor leaguers’ Senne lawsuit: a federal judge on Wednesday approved the $185 million settlement, finding objections to it lacked merit. The question now is whether an appeal is filed within 30 days. If there is no appeal, players could begin receiving money relatively soon.

Melissa Lockard of the Athletic reports that the Athletics have traded Cristian Pache to the Phillies for RHP Billy Sullivan.

Latest on MMO

Rich Sparago covers loopholes in the MLB’s new anti-shift rules.

Michelle Ioannou has MMO staff predictions on the Mets’ 2023 record and MLB division winners.

Rivka Boord has five bold predictions for the Mets in 2023.

Ricky Keeler covers the 2023 Binghamton Rumble Ponies Opening Day roster.

John Sheridan wrote part two of five prospects that missed MMO’s top 30 list.

Brian Wright covers some of the greatest Mets opening day moments.

On This Date in Mets History

2000: The Mets faced off against the Cubs in Tokyo for the second game of a two-game series. Rick Reed helped the Mets avenge the 5-3 loss from the prior day by giving up only one run in eight innings pitched. In the 11th inning, Benny Agbayani hit a walk-off grand slam to tie the series.

Birthdays: Jake Marisnick (32), Terry Bross (57)

The post Morning Briefing: Happy Opening Day! appeared first on Metsmerized.

With a winning percentage of .656 over 61 openers, no major-league team is better at making a first impression than the New York Mets. And this after losing their first eight. The start of the regular season is cause for fans to celebrate, and Mets fans have celebrated more often than others. With 40 wins in the last 53 years, the only thing we can usually count on is a Mets victory. Then, we can worry about the rest of the schedule tomorrow. Here are the top moments from the Mets’ rich history of Opening Day success.

10. 2015: Buddy Saves the Day

The Mets began their most recent World Series season with their annual win, but not in the ordinary way. At age 41, Bartolo Colón became the oldest Opening Day starter in club history. He was up against the Washington Nationals’ newest ace, once enemy turned current ally, Max Scherzer. New York couldn’t muster a hit for more than five innings until Lucas Duda was helped out by a Washington fielding miscue. The Mets went up 2-1 that inning and added another run before calling on 37-year-old Buddy Carlyle to record the final two outs and notch his only save in the orange and blue.

9. 2013: Need More Cowgill

Opening Day is that chance to elevate yourself above a performance in any ordinary regular-season game. Just ask Collin Cowgill. The 26-year old outfielder acquired from Arizona, who earned a spot in the starting lineup thanks to a solid spring training, made just 61 at-bats as a Met and played in only 23 games with an OPS+ of 45. Yet, he’s remembered better than most thanks to his seventh-inning grand slam over the left-field wall — punctuating a terrific team hitting display in a 11-2 demolition of the San Diego Padres.

8. 1992: Bonilla Cashes In

Sometimes a game one win is a precursor to later success. Other times, it’s 1992. A 3-2 extra-inning victory in St. Louis was not a signal of would lie ahead for the 92 Mets. It was just a lie. The initiation of our ongoing saga with Bobby Bonilla actually began well: a tenth-inning homer down the right-field line at Busch Stadium against Lee Smith that capped a 3-for-5 evening. David Cone went eight innings, struck out nine, allowed two hits, and two runs. He would’ve a tough-luck loser if the Mets hadn’t pushed across a score in the top of the ninth, narrowly avoiding a game-ending double play.

7. 1975: A Pair of Aces

The Hall of Fame pair of Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton combined for 640 wins, 7,700-plus strikeouts, and seven Cy Youngs. The two met on Opening Day five times and on three straight occasions beginning in 1973. Lefty-Seaver III lived up to their standards: trading K’s and scoreless innings. Only a Dave Cash third-inning RBI double and a Dave Kingman fourth-inning solo homer accounted for the entirety of the scoring heading into the ninth. Neither starter would let a reliever settle this 1-1 tie. Seaver held up his end and the Mets offense did not waste any time (or outs) in the bottom half. Félix Millán singled, John Milner walked, and Joe Torre’s base hit to left scored Millán — chalking up another W in Seaver’s column.

6. 1970: Breaking the O-fer

As the Mets basked in the glow of a championship, they still were trying to figure out how to get their season off right. As insignificant as it may seem, the Mets had been 0-for-8 in openers up to that point. The drought ended once they had a World Series ring in hand. Neither Tom Seaver nor Pirates ace Steve Blass factored into the decision as a 3-3 tie lasted into the eleventh, when the Mets were beneficiaries of shoddy Pittsburgh defense. A sacrifice and an intentional walk let World Series MVP Donn Clendenon show he had another big hit to spare. The former Pirate singled to bring in the deciding runs. From there, the Mets were off and winning — taking 18 of their next 20.

5. 1998: Castillo the Unlikely Hero

The old saying goes that the baseball season is a marathon, not a sprint. But it took one game into the ’98 season for the Mets to feel like they had already gone the full route. At least they could celebrate when it ended. In a 1-0 win over the Phillies that took 14 innings and more than four hours to finish, a Mets catcher supplied the necessary offense. Not Mike Piazza — he was two months away. Not Todd Hundley, with 71 homers over the previous two seasons. He was sidelined while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The starting lineup had Tim Spehr behind the plate. He had two of the seven hits, but neither produced the run. After nobody else could, Alberto Castillo did. The pinch-hitter delivered the game-winning single and ended the seemingly endless string of goose eggs.

4. 1988: Strawberry Almost Leaves Olympic

Talk about a flying start. Mets bats slugged what was an Opening Day record six home runs against the Expos, the most prodigious coming from Darryl Strawberry — challenging the confines of Olympic Stadium. Strawberry went deep twice. So did fellow outfielder Kevin McReynolds. Kevin Elster and Lenny Dykstra supplied the rest of the power in a 10-6 win. Strawberry led off the top of the second against Dennis Martínez for his third Opening Day home run in five years. This was a pedestrian 400-foot shot compared to what would come later. In the seventh inning with the Mets now ahead by three, Darryl sent Randy St. Claire‘s pitch out of the yard — almost literally. The mammoth blast hit the top of the stadium and might have cleared customs if not for the roof.

3. 1996: Rey’s Amazin’ Play

It’s rare a comeback becomes forgotten, but the defensive wizardry by Rey Ordóñez in his major league debut is still what’s most remembered. The Mets had sliced a 6-0 deficit in half by the time the Cardinals were at bat with two outs in the seventh and Royce Clayton on first. Ray Lankford went down the left field line — a hit that could have extended St. Louis’ lead. Soon after Bernard Gilkey fielded the ball near the side wall, Clayton rounded third. Gilkey’s throw to Ordóñez — the cutoff man — was low, but Rey got down and fielded the short hop. Then, from his knees on the outfield grass, he fired it some 150 feet home to Todd Hundley before Clayton reached the plate. Ordóñez complemented his extraordinary defense minutes later with a single to right field that set up the Mets’ game-winning four-run rally, but Rey, the rookie, truly saved the day with his glove and arm.

2. 1983: Tom’s Return

With 16, no pitcher has more Opening Day starts than Tom Seaver. Of the five meetings he had with Carlton, none were more memorable than when “The Franchise” returned to the team he’s forever tied to. “Welcome Home, Tom” was a sign draped over the stands down the left field line and it was the message echoed by an anticipatory Shea Stadium crowd that roared as Seaver walked from the bullpen to the dugout. At age 38, by baseball standards, he was an old Tom Seaver. But when he took the mound against Carlton and his Phillies — a glorious sun-drenched afternoon — a packed house got to witness something resembling the Tom Seaver of old. He shut out Philadelphia for six innings in a vintage performance despite a no-decision.

1. 1985: Welcome to New York, Gary Carter

The only opener that could top the return of The Franchise occurred two years later. This wasn’t a reunion, but instead an introduction. The arrival of Carter, once the face of the Montreal Expos, headlined the most anticipated season in Mets history. It began with another storybook ending, and their new catcher offered the heroics. On a cold, blustery afternoon at Shea, Carter came up in the bottom of the tenth against former Met Neil Allen. “Kid” swung and connected on a sharp curveball that cut through the biting wind and snuck its way over the left-field fence. Chants of “Gary…Gary” rang through stands and made the chilly temperature more than bearable.

The post Greatest Mets Opening Day Moments appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

On March 31, the Syracuse Mets season is set to begin on the road against the Worcester Red Sox. In advance of that game, the Mets have announced the Opening Day roster:

Starting Pitchers

• Tylor Megill, RHP
• José Butto, RHP
• Joey Lucchesi, LHP
• Humberto Mejia, RHP
• Denyi Reyes, RHP

After losing the spring training battle for the vacant rotation spot, Megill has been tabbed as the Opening Day starter. He will be followed by Lucchesi, who is returning from Tommy John surgery.

Butto was named MMN’s No. 13 ranked prospect. Mejia and Reyes were signed to minor league deals. The Mets recently Dylan Bundy, but he has not yet been named to the roster and will likely begin the season in extended spring.

Relief Pitchers

• Jeff Brigham, RHP
• Tony Dibrell, RHP
• Grant Hartwig, RHP
• T.J. McFarland, LHP
• Zach Muckenhirn, LHP
• Eric Orze, RHP
• Bubby Rossman, RHP
• Josh Walker, LHP
• William Woods, RHP
• Jimmy Yacabonis, RHP

The Syracuse bullpen is set to be very strong. Hartwig and Orze are top 30 prospects with Walker being previously named as one. Yacabonis and McFarland are trying to re-establish themselves as Major League caliber relievers. Of the group, only Brigham is on the 40-man roster giving him the best bet to be the Mets first call up.

Rossman signed with the Mets after pitching for Team Israel in the WBC and we recently did an interview with the hard-throwing right-hander.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Catchers

• Francisco Álvarez
• Nick Meyer
• Michael Pérez

The obvious focus here is Álvarez and his continued development behind the plate. He’s considered the Mets’ best prospect and the top-catching prospect in baseball.

Meyer is a glove-first catcher. Pérez returns after he was designated for assignment last year.

Infielders

• Jonathan Araúz
• Danny Mendick
• Jose Peraza
• Ronny Mauricio
• Mark Vientos
• DJ Stewart
• Brett Baty

The Syracuse infield is loaded with Mets top prospects in Baty, Mauricio, and Vientos, and the four other players in the group all have major league experience. This infield might be better than a few teams in the major leagues. Interesting that the Mets listed Stewart in the infield given the entirety of his big league time has come in the corner outfield.

Outfielders

• Lorenzo Cedrola
• Khalil Lee
• Carlos Cortes

Pretty clearly the weakest spot of the Syracuse roster though it will improve once veteran Abraham Almonte is healthy. Mendick, Peraza, and Stewart do have experience in the outfield as well.

All joking aside, this Syracuse Mets roster would likely take a couple of games from the likes of the A’s or Reds in a deep series. The lineup is going to be tough for opposing pitchers to manage and the pitching staff is good enough to keep Syracuse in most games.

The post Álvarez, Baty Highlight Syracuse Mets’ Opening Day Roster appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans!

Today is the last day before the 2023 baseball season officially begins. So enjoy this last free day, get caught up with all our articles previewing the season, and bring on some baseball!

Latest Mets News

Relief pitcher Bryce Montes de Oca will undergo arthroscopic surgery today to remove bone fragments from his right elbow, sources tell BallySports’ and Stadium‘s Russell Dorsey. Recovery time is four months with a possible return to action mid-August.

Tim Healey of Newsday said on Twitter that catcher Kevin Parada and righthander Blade Tidwell will open the year with with High-A Brooklyn. Parada was the Mets’ top draft pick last year and Tidwell was the second-rounder and is the organization’s top-ranked pitching prospect.

Do you remember McFadden’s? The location that was home to many fans during the 2015 postseason run will be open once again as The K Korner. The bar will operate in the former McFadden’s location on Seaver Way, opens to fans on Thursday, April 6 for the home opener. Fans can enjoy food and beverages at The K Korner before, during and after all home games this season. The news was announced via the New York Mets on Twitter.

Latest MLB News

According to ESPN and Jeff Passan, second baseman Andrés Giménez and the Cleveland Guardians are finalizing a long-term contract extension, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Giménez, 24, was a first-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner last year. The former Met, who was packaged along with Amed Rosario for Francisco Lindor, will be signed for seven years and $106.5 million, including a club option for the 2031 season. The deal starts next year and covers Giménez’s three arbitration years and potentially five free agent seasons.

Twenty-six-year-old Cuban pitcher Yariel Rodriguez left his contract with the Chunichi Dragons and the Cuban Baseball Federation and will seek to sign with an MLB team in the near future, according to MLB‘s Francys Romero. According to MLB scouts, Rodríguez could sign a contract in the range of $50M and five years. He’s a potential 3-5 spot starter in an MLB rotation.

Amazon announced they will be broadcasting 20 MLB games this season that will all be available on Amazon Prime for no additional cost, according to cordcuttersnews.com. The 20 games are all New York Yankees games and will all be produced by YES Network, the flagship home of the Yankees broadcasts. Additionally, fans watching these games through Amazon will be able to access line in-game stats about the players and the teams. The first broadcast available from Amazon will be Tuesday, April 4, against the Philadelphia Phillies. The broadcasted games will also be made available for up to 48 hours after the game’s original broadcast.

Negro League players like Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson will be made available in newest installment of MLB The Show as playable characters. The game will feature a narrative story mode that will feature short videos about the players along with gameplay focused on the epic moments of their careers. Players like Buck O’Neil, Rube Foster, Hilton Smith, John Donaldson, Hank Thompson and Martin Dihigo will also be available to play as.

Latest on MMO

Christian De Block previews the Washington Nationals.

On This Date in Mets History

2000: Mets and Chicago Cubs play open MLB season in Japan’s Tokyo Dome.

Birthdays: Scott Atchinson (47), Alex Ochoa (51), Eric Gunderson (57), Billy Beane (61)

The post Morning Briefing: Happy Opening Day Eve! appeared first on Metsmerized.

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets have largely already made the big roster decisions ahead of 2023 Opening Day. Brett Baty will start the year in Triple-A, as will Mark Vientos, and Darin Ruf was designated for assignment. The last couple weeks, I did roster projections for the first day of the season, but doing another one of those feels pretty cheap.

The Mets will head into the season with Luis Guillorme, Tommy Pham, Tim Locastro, and Tomás Nido (unless he gets the start as Max Scherzer’s personal catcher) on the bench. So let’s take a look at what the Opening Day lineup with be versus the Marlins and reigning National League Cy Young Sandy Alcantara.

Opening Day Lineup

1. Brandon Nimmo – CF
2. Starling Marte – RF
3. Francisco Lindor – SS
4. Pete Alonso – 1B

This goes without question. This was the top four when all were healthy in 2022, and it will be the same this year, especially as Marte has shown this spring he is feeling good following core surgery this offseason. Nimmo also returned to game play after spraining both his ankle and knee a week and a half ago, and he didn’t show any signs of holding back.

5. Daniel Vogelbach – DH
6. Jeff McNeil – 2B

McNeil SHOULD hit fifth. I think Buck Showalter maintains his trends from last year, when he had Vogelbach bat between Alonso and McNeil.

7. Mark Canha – LF
8. Eduardo Escobar – 3B
9. Omar Narváez – C

This would be a lot more entertaining if Baty had made the Opening Day lineup, though I still think Baty would bat in the eight hole if was up and starting on Opening Day.

Narvaez should be a better anchor the lineup than James McCann, though that remains to be seen.

Analysis

If this is the Opening Day lineup–especially with this bench–it looks a bit weaker than dreams of early January. Escobar, who hasn’t shown really much of anything productive this spring, will shorten the lineup, and Narváez has to prove his 2022 season was a dip rather than a general continued trend downward.

The first six should be strong day in and day out. And would it be a surprise if the 7-8-9 in August was Baty, Francisco Álvarez, and Canha? Nope. But to start the year, the last third of the lineup feels underwhelming as the Mets start the year with championship aspirations.

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