Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The most crucial defensive miscue during the team’s Sunday night loss to the Yankees came from Pete Alonso. Alonso, who has always had issues throwing to bases, airmailed Francisco Alvarez at home, allowing the go-ahead runner to score.

But while that was the play that stood out, the player that is easiest to point to for their defensive deficiencies is third baseman Mark Vientos. No one was ever going to mistake Mark Vientos for Brooks Robinson.

Even when Vientos was arguably their best hitter in the 2024 postseason, he would routinely be subbed out late in games. And when Pete Alonso’s free agency was the main focal point of the offseason, the team’s supposed Plan B was to have Vientos move to first, in part to get a better defender at the hot corner.

In 2025, Vientos is in the third percentile in Fielding Run Value (negative four), according to Baseball Savant. His range is even lower, in the first percentile (negative six). Even his strong point, arm strength, is only in the 55th percentile (85.4 mph, around league average).

This level of defense would be palatable if he were hitting with the same level of consistency as last season. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Vientos is slashing .241/.303/.386, sitting in the 38th percentile of Batting Run Value (negative one run value). For comparison, Vientos’ BRV was in the 87th percentile in 2024 (20 run value).

While Vientos has faltered, Brett Baty has thrived in his time at third base. Baty made a few plays in Saturday’s win that were eerily similar to the ones Vientos has failed at. While Vientos has the worst OAA on the team, Baty ranks in the 71st percentile league-wide at one. He’s tied with Francisco Lindor and Luisangel Acuña on the team in outs above average. Tyrone Taylor leads the team in that category at three.

With Jessie Winker on the injured list, the Mets can have Baty take up his spot in the lineup against right-handed pitchers, play third, and move Vientos to the DH spot.

Unfortunately for New York, there is no obvious answer against lefties. Across his career, Baty has slashed .167/.212./.246 against left-handed pitching and has yet to record a hit this year. The only other viable third base option currently on the roster is Luisangel Acuña, who has cooled off significantly. Jeff McNeil is the next best thing, but hasn’t seen time at the hot corner since 2022; however, he has 251 innings at the position.

There are 115 games remaining in 2025. So there is plenty of time for players to assert themselves, whether it’s Vientos improving at either facet of the game, Baty proving he can hit lefties, Acuña proving he can hit in the big leagues, or someone like Starling Marte hitting so well that the DH position becomes more concrete.

Last year, we saw David Stearns and company make these decisions quickly. It will be fascinating to see if he does the same in 2025.

The post Mets’ Defensive Woes Sticking Out More and More appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Well, for the most part. After taking two out of three, the Mets did drop the final game of the series on a rainy and frustrating Wednesday night at Citi Field.

This is baseball, however, and even teams struggling will run into a win here and there. Plus, all you can ask of any team is to win a series. Clinching the sweep is just an added bonus.

In any case, this was a nice finish to the homestand with New York going a combined 4-2 against the Cubs and the Pirates. Next up is one of the most anticipated Subway Series in recent memory.

Before that, though, let’s recap the series against Pittsburgh in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

3 UP

TAKIN’ CARE OF BUSINESS 

It has been a tough start to 2025 for the Pirates. Despite having one of the best young pitchers in the game in Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh hasn’t been able to get out of its own way, both on and off the field. As such, the Pirates arrived in Queens as one of the worst teams in baseball, especially offensively, but again, this is baseball, and anyone thinking this was going to be a cake walk for the Mets was gravely mistaken. Both of New York’s wins were gritty efforts, and neither came particularly easily, but the Mets rode solid pitching and got just enough offense to take two out of three and clinch another series at home. And, at the end of the day, that’s all any team can really do.

RED-HOT RESURGENCE

Whatever Brett Baty is having for breakfast right now, he best keep on eating it. Ever since being called back up, the infielder has done nothing but rake. More importantly, he has also shown the ability to come up with the big hit when it is really needed. That was indeed the case on Tuesday. In a game where offense was at a premium, Baty came up with a clutch opposite-field home run in the seventh. It was a solo shot that gave the Mets the lead for good. And it was also Baty’s fourth home run in seven games since being recalled. If this version of Baty holds true, then New York could have a real weapon in the bottom half of the lineup.

STARTING GREATNESS

Kodai Senga gave the Mets 5 2/3 innings of one-run ball on Tuesday, striking out seven in the process. Now, that on its own may not seem remarkable. But, when you look at the bigger picture, Senga’s latest start cemented a historic milestone for the starting rotation. Per OptaSTATS, the Mets became the first team in MLB history to have five pitchers with earned run averages of 3.15 or lower, and 40 or more strikeouts through the first eight starts of a season. That remarkable stat is testament to just how terrific the starting pitching has been to start 2025. When you consider that David Peterson was strong in the opener, not to mention the bodies still to come back, this rotation sure seems like it is in a good place this year.

May 14, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Clay Holmes (35) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

NOT HIS NIGHT

Clay Holmes pitched better on Wednesday night than his final stat line suggests. The righty got out of some tough jams and gave his team six innings. However, with that said, Holmes did become just the second Mets starter this year to allow multiple home runs in a game. And the two homers given up proved costly. Holmes had Pittsburgh first baseman Matt Gorski in a 0-2 count in the second inning, with two outs, but proceeded to give up a two-run shot. On a night when the Mets couldn’t get anything going offensively, that blast changed the entire tenor of the game. Holmes gave up another two-run shot in the fifth, and those two homers were all the Pirates needed to steal the finale.

PUTTING UP BLANKS

Yes, the lineup for the series finale didn’t feature Juan Soto, who was given an extra off-day, but still, the offense was a no-show on Wednesday. The Mets managed just six hits all game and didn’t record a single extra-base hit. They also went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position, leaving eight runners stranded on base. Furthermore, the lineup twice loaded the bases but just couldn’t take advantage. The rain showed up, but the offense didn’t. In total, the Mets put up just six runs in three games against a poor Pirates team. Hopefully, the offense wakes back up in time for a big series against the Yankees this weekend.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT

President of baseball operations David Stearns met with the press on Wednesday and made it clear that the Mets have plenty of room to improve defensively. Those comments came after Mark Vientos allowed a ball to go through his glove on Tuesday, extending the inning and putting more strain on Kodai Senga. It wasn’t ruled an error, but it was a flubbed play that could have proved costly in a close game. The Mets were also guilty of some poor defense in the ninth inning of Monday’s opener. In another world, bad defense could have cost New York all three games in this series. When you also consider that Francisco Lindor has six errors on the year already, then it is almost impossible to argue with Stearns. All in all, the Mets got away with bad defense in two close games in this series. However, those kinds of mistakes and mental errors will come back to bite them against better teams than the Pirates.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Take Care Of Business Against Pittsburgh appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets escaped Miami with a dramatic 6-5 victory in 11 innings Wednesday (thank you, Pete Alonso), but this was not, as the old slogan went, “baseball like it oughta be.”

“Crazy game, crazy game,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “We didn’t play well early. We didn’t make a couple of plays, at-bats on and off. I’m just glad that we found a way to get the job done, got the win, won the series and now we get to go home and play in front of our fans.”

The Mets have committed four errors in six games, which places them in the middle of the pack in the majors, but some mistakes in the field don’t turn up in the box score. Taylor and Soto, for example, were not charged with errors.

Questionable decisions in the field won’t find their way into the box score either. Before Vientos’ throwing error allowed the Marlins to take a 2-1 lead in the third inning, he had to choose whether to go home or try for an inning-ending double play.

“What is Vientos doing anyway?” former MLB outfielder and Marlins TV analyst Rod Allen said during the broadcast. “That’s a 5-4-3 double play. I don’t even know what he’s thinking. I mean, it’s a one-hopper, you’re supposed to go to second base and then go to first base, but he tried to get the out at home plate, and he airmailed the catcher.”

Vientos had another tough choice to make in the seventh inning: field a bouncer up the line or see if it would go foul. There was a runner on third, making the call still more complicated. Where to make the throw? He chose to field it. He threw to first, and Otto Lopez beat it out for an infield hit. The Marlins led 3-1.

Later in the inning came the single to Soto and a 4-1 Marlins lead. The sloppy defense appeared to be contagious.

While the Mets got away with it on Wednesday, they were less fortunate on Tuesday, when Francisco Lindor made an error that led to two unearned runs that proved decisive in a 4-2 Marlins win. On Opening Day, an error by Luisangel Acuña was costly in a 3-1 loss to the Astros.

“I felt we played a clean game except two pitches, my two ground balls,” Lindor said after the loss on Tuesday. “So I take a lot of pride in (my defense). It doesn’t feel good.”

The post Mets Need to Clean Up Sloppy Defense appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Saturday’s game was simply another example of that, as chose to not go after a short fly ball that seemed catchable in the bottom of the third inning. A run scored and the Philadelphia Phillies turned that into a six-running inning, helping them win the game 7-2.

Starling Marte. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

“They were having a hard time seeing the ball off the bat, especially in that particular time when the sun’s coming down with the roof there, [Starling Marte] him and [Harrison] Bader,” Carlos Mendoza said after the game. Marte was not wearing sunglasses when that play occurred in the third inning, though he did have them resting on the top of his hat.

A lot of the advanced metrics don’t look great for Marte. Entering today, his -8 OAA (outs above average) ranked last among all right fielders. Among all position players, then ranked 261st out of 263 players. Not good to say the least. Marte also owns a -9 DRS (defensive runs saved), which is the second work mark in all of baseball, only behind San Diego Padres catcher Luis Campusano.

The Mets are 27-36 and four games out of a Wild Card spot in the National League. Marte has been one of the team’s best hitters over the last few weeks, but how long can they wait to make a change? His bat is certainly important, but his mistakes in the field are a big issue. It doesn’t seem as if the Mets can wait much longer to try something new.

Marte had less trouble when he played in left and center field earlier in his career. He is at 71 defensive runs saved and -2 outs above average in left field. In center, he sits at -13 defensive runs saved and 14 outs above average. In comparison, he is at -11 defensive runs saved and -15 in right field for his career.

Brandon Nimmo hasn’t played a lot of right field in his career (65 starts) but he has some experience at that position. Could Marte and him switch positions? Would it even help if the two switch positions? Maybe not. It’s more likely the Mets keep Marte in right field and hope he turns the corner.

The post Marte’s Defense Remains a Concern in 2024 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Bud Harrelson, Ed Kranepool.

We’re looking back at the 50th anniversary of the Mets’ 1973 National League pennant-winning team by reviewing the most inspirational figures of that remarkable run. We continue with the only person in uniform for both of the franchise’s World Series titles and remains one of the most beloved Mets ever. 

Look at the stat sheet for Bud Harrelson and you won’t see his true impact. The Mets of the late 1960s and early 70s were heavily dependent on superb pitching and solid defense. For where he played in the field, Harrelson was a valuable component of the team’s mindset.

And if you saw his 5-foot-11, 160-pound frame standing at shortstop, you might not immediately think of toughness. But that’s what Harrelson brought on a daily basis. He had to earn everything—and fight for it (literally) when needed. By the time his time in a Mets uniform was finished more than 25 years after it started, he’d have two rings and been a part of the most successful teams in franchise history.

While Harrelson’s limitations at the plate were undeniable—a 16-year career batting average of .236 with seven home runs—his importance as a fielder was tremendous. The glue that kept the Mets’ infield together and the glove his pitchers could trust, Bud finished with a lifetime fielding percentage of .969.

As Tom Seaver once said, “Having him playing at shortstop every day is like having a top-notch pitcher. It keeps you out of a losing streak.”

Harrelson’s outstanding glove work and significance to a team built on pitching and run prevention were gaining attention as the Mets rose out of the pits and into prominence. In 1970, he set a then-major-league record of 54 consecutive errorless games at shortstop—the same year as his first All-Star selection. He’d make the Midsummer Classic again as a starter in 1971 and ended the year with a Gold Glove award.

But it wouldn’t be long before Harrelson was finding it difficult to withstand the rigors of a full season. He missed 300 games over the next six years due to damaged hands, sternum, back, and knees. He never played in more than 118 games and just once in that span did the Mets return to the playoffs, which also happened to be the year his feistiness and unwillingness to back down gained notoriety.

Harrelson was swept up in the tidal wave of injuries that threatened to cast the Mets’ 1973 season adrift. His presence—or lack thereof—in commanding the infield was noticeably felt. During two separate stints on the disabled list, the Mets were 23-36. With Harrelson, they were 59-43. Luckily for New York, he was there when it mattered, and so were most other key contributors. Propelled again by great pitching and sturdy defense, the Mets won 19 of 27 in September and took the NL East despite an 82-79 record.

Held hitless in the NLCS opener with the Reds, Harrelson produced a single and an RBI in a 5–0 win that evened the series. That was more than could be said for Cincinnati’s entire Game 2 output. He chided afterward that Reds hitters more resembled him than the Big Red Machine. And that was the impetus for what would transpire in the fifth inning of Game 3.

The Reds sought to get even in Game 3, and Rose was set to carry out that vengeance when he slid hard into Harrelson covering second base on an inning-ending double play. Bud instantly objected to the malice. Rose shoved. Harrelson shoved back. It was on from there. Both teams hustled to the scene. A few punches were thrown. Some uniforms were dirtied. Several feelings were hurt. But nobody was ejected.

The closest either came to an early departure was when the Shea crowd pelted Rose with litter as he took the field in the inning following the fight. The insanity in the stands subsided enough for the continuation of the game—a 9–2 Mets win that put New York one victory from the pennant.

Rose’s 12th-inning homer the next day extended the series to its limit, but the Mets prevailed—meaning a meeting with the defending champion Oakland A’s. It offered Harrelson another chance to put his feisty demeanor on full display.

Harrelson prepared to score the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th of Game 2 on a Félix Millán fly ball to left field. As he approached home plate, he resisted the slide and evaded the tag of catcher Ray Fosse.

Umpire Augie Donatelli thought otherwise, prompting Harrelson and a cavalry of Mets to angrily dispute it. As instant replay showed they had every right to vent their frustration, and since this was 1973 and not 2023, the Mets could only stew in their disdain—though not for long.

Harrelson began the top of the 12th with a double—his third hit in six at-bats—moved to third on Tug McGraw’s bunt single, and scored on Willie Mays’s single. The Mets added three more to prevail in what was, at the time, the longest game in World Series history.

After the series loss to Oakland, it would be 13 years before the Mets made another playoff trip. Bud would be there for that one too, serving in a much different role as third-base coach. He’d eventually become the bench coach and manager by 1990.

Harrelson remains on the team’s top-10 list in games played, at-bats, hits, triples, and stolen bases. He succeded in his many battles on the field. His current opponent, Alzheimer’s disease which was diagnosed in 2016, is as difficult as they come. But as we’ve learned for more than 50 years, Bud Harrelson doesn’t go down without a fight.

The post Spirit of ’73: Bud Harrelson appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Third base has functioned as somewhat of a revolving door for the New York Mets this season. The position group has slashed just .210/.270/.332 while putting up -2.3 fWAR and -9 Outs Above Average, making it crystal clear that a pick-me-up is necessary.

Brett Baty and Eduardo Escobar got the initial crack at cementing their roles as regulars at the position, but neither player seized the opportunity. Mark Vientos, Jonathan Araúz, Luis Guillorme and Danny Mendick have all seen considerable time at the hot corner as well, but none of them are suitable candidates for regular playing time there for one reason or another. With no true answer heading into the offseason, the Mets have granted Ronny Mauricio an audition in hopes of discovering a solution.

Mauricio, who is rated as MLB Pipeline’s No. 87 prospect, was called up at the beginning of Septembers once rosters expanded to 28 players. He hasn’t disappointed after a solid Triple-A campaign, slashing .302/.348/.419 with a 108 wRC+ and 0.3 fWAR across 12 games. His average exit velocity of 92.3 mph and max exit velocity of 117.3 mph are perfect indicators of his raw power, and his baserunning abilities have been on full display as well. Despite his swing decisions still being a knock against his profile, Mauricio continued to cut down on strikeouts as well as whiffs during his short time in the majors, providing some optimism that he can overhaul his approach moving forward.

In addition to potentially being the Mets’ best option at third base offensively, Mauricio may also provide the most upside with the glove. While he is a shortstop by trade and transitioned towards becoming more of a primary second baseman in both the minors and majors this season, his long-term future is likely at neither position considering the team is set in the middle infield for the foreseeable future with Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil in the fold. He saw some time in left field with Syracuse this season, but third base feels like more of a natural fit for Mauricio moving forward.

Mauricio has impressed defensively thus far in the majors and possesses a strong arm that would reap its benefits at third. He also owns the requisite size and range to handle the position, and while it’s more likely he settles into a utility role full-time somewhere down the road, it’s worth throwing his name into the mix at the hot corner and betting on his upside and traits to see if he’s a potential fit for regular playing time going into next season.

The post Can Ronny Mauricio Be Mets’ Long-Term Answer At Third Base? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

When Francisco Lindor bobbled what would have been an easy double play to get through a clean third inning, a team like the 2022 Mets might have rebounded and put up a clean inning anyway. Not the 2023 Mets. What resulted was a five-run inning, highlighted by multiple defensive blunders, which led the way for an embarrassing 14-7 defeat in the first game of a three-game series against the Pirates.

Rich Hill got the start for Pittsburgh, another of a handful of former Met pitchers recently tasked with facing their former team. Among those other pitchers were Marcus Stroman and Chris Bassitt who dominated the Mets for a combined two runs in 15 2/3 innings. Hill was certainly hoping to do the same and hand the Mets their seventh straight loss.

Hill struggled early in the game, as a Mark Vientos RBI single and a Francisco Lindor solo home run put two runs up against him in the first three innings. He settled in, however, and shut down the Mets for the next four innings that he pitched. Throwing 119 pitches through seven innings, he gave up seven hits and two walks while also striking out six batters.

For the Mets it was Tylor Megill who took the mound. His last outing against the Blue Jays was a step in the right direction, as he gave up just one run in 5 1/3 innings after two poor starts in a row. With the bullpen taxed following the high-scoring series in Atlanta, Megill had the massive responsibility and added pressure of trying to pitch deep into the game, something he has struggled with throughout his career.

Although he didn’t have his best stuff and would not have gone deep into the game regardless, it was mostly poor defense that did Megill in. He gave up an early two-run ground-rule double off the bat of Austin Hedges in the second inning, which was his own doing, but in the third, Lindor’s blunder on a sure double play allowed the inning to continue which resulted in five runs coming across the plate. Another error, this time by Eduardo Escobar, contributed to the nightmare inning.

Lindor mentioned before the game, “Guys have to step up – including myself.” Lindor had been stepping up more at the plate, with his home run earlier in the game giving him a hit in each of his last five games, but his error that led to a massive inning and Megill exiting the game much earlier than anticipated is the type of mistake that can easily be avoided and the type of mistake that has defined the Mets’ season up to this point.

After the game, Lindor owned his mistake: “Today’s on me. That play right there… Mental mistakes like that cannot happen.”

Ultimately, Megill couldn’t escape the fourth inning. A combination of poor pitching and poor defense knocked him out after 79 pitches and just 3 2/3 innings. In total, he gave up eight hits, three walks, and seven earned runs, striking out just one. With the performance, his ERA on the year ballooned from 4.40 to 5.14.

“Consistency, to say the least,” is what Megill replied when asked after the game what he’s most frustrated with. On why he’s lacked consistency: “Walks, hits, and getting taken out of the game. As simple as that.”

The Mets turned to Zach Muckenhirn, who was just called up earlier today, and he immediately got hit hard. When he finally put the fourth inning to bed, the Pirates had already built up a mammoth 10-2 lead.

While it may have been difficult, the Mets could have attempted a large, late-inning comeback, the type of game which defined their magical 2022 season. At the very least, they could have fought offensively to put some more runs on the board even if a win was out of reach. Nevertheless, the offense fell dormant as if to end the game as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, the Pirates continued adding on as they put up two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it 12-2. The Mets left Muckenhirn in the game simply to eat up innings, eventually relieving him for Tommy Hunter after soaking up 2 1/3 innings, giving up six hits and three earned runs. Two more runs were added in the eighth after Hunter gave up back-to-back homers, also allowing Ke’Bryan Hayes to pick up his fifth hit of the night in the process.

The Mets offense finally woke up again in the ninth as they plated five runs. Francisco Álvarez and Luis Guillorme drove in one run each while the other three runs in the inning were scored via two separate errors, although the errors resulted due to hot shots off the bats of Vientos and Pham. Of course, the rally in the final inning was too little too late and did nothing to cover up the embarrassment of giving up 14 runs and losing the team’s seventh game in a row.

When asked after the game if there was any hangover effect from Atlanta, Buck Showalter replied, “Looked like it. Didn’t pitch well, that usually does a lot of it.”

Player Focus

Mark Vientos was a rare bright spot in the game, as he went 1-for-3 with an RBI single and a walk. A batted ball in the ninth inning plated a run, but it was ruled an error and thus he was not given an RBI despite hitting the ball hard. Vientos is set to play more with Alonso expected to miss at least a few weeks and maybe up to a month, and the hope is that consistent playing time will get his bat going.

Stat of the Game

For just the third time in Mets history, the team has allowed 13 runs in consecutive games, also doing so in 2003 and 2017. While the offense is far from perfect, there have been too many games this season where the pitching has simply given the team no chance to win and tonight was another one of those nights.

This is just the third time in #Mets history that they've allowed at least 13 runs in consecutive games.

They also did so in 2003 and 2017.

— Matthew Searle (@searlebaseball) June 10, 2023

On Deck

The series with the Pirates continues Saturday with the game scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET. Kodai Senga gets the start for New York, coming off a rough outing in which he allowed nine baserunners (four hits, five walks) and three runs in just 2 2/3 innings in his last start. Pittsburgh will send out Johan Oviedo who gave up two earned runs in seven innings in his last start. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Mets Extend Losing Streak to Seven With Sloppy Loss to Pirates appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Starling Marte. John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports

One of the biggest moves the New York Mets made two offseasons ago was signing veteran outfielder Starling Marte during free agency. In December of 2021, New York brought Marte to Flushing on a four-year, $78-million deal. Year one of that said agreement was terrific. This season? Not at all so far.

In his first year (2022) with the Mets, Marte was selected to his second-career All-Star game. The then 33-year-old slashed .292/.347/.468 which was good for a superb .814 OPS. Marte launched 16 home runs, drove in 63 runs, and stole 18 bases.

Coincidentally enough, as soon as he got hurt late in the season courtesy of a hit by pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Mets’ season started to unravel. Starling was able to return during the Wild Card round against San Diego, but certainly was not fully recovered as he struggled immensely (2-for-12). New York ultimately lost the division lead and got bounced against those said Padres.

This season, Marte looks nothing like the player he was during the regular season in 2022. Offensively, through 41 games and 147 at-bats he is slashing a meager .231/.298/.279 (.577 OPS). This is a staggering .237 less than his superb OPS figure from last season.

What is the most alarming statistic of all centers around Marte’s lack of power. As of May 19, Starling is 19 games removed from his last extra-base hit. Who are the previous Mets’ players to go at least 26 games without an extra-base hit (79 plate appearances minimum)? Omar Quintanilla, Luis Castillo, Kazuo Matsui, Joe McEwing, Jeff Duncan, and Rey Ordóñez. Not a list you want to be on.

For a guy who has made a living throughout his career on extra-base hits, it is extremely alarming that he only has five (four doubles and one home run) so far this season. This troubling phenomenon is further evident by his expected slugging number which has dropped from the league’s 70th percentile last year to the 36th percentile this season. So, despite somewhat being the case earlier this season, bad luck is not to blame for Marte’s struggles.

Unfortunately for both Marte and the Mets, offense is not the only part of his game that has fallen off. Last season, Marte ranked in the league’s 31st percentile in outs above average (OAA) and 58th percentile in outfielder jump. This season, those percentile rankings have fell to the league’s fifth and 12th percentiles, respectively.

Further, in 2022 Marte owned a plus-4 defensive runs saved (DRS) and negative-2 OAA. This year those have fallen to a negative-3 DRS and negative-4 OAA. Not only has his offensive game took a hit, but his play in the field has tailed off as well.

Simply put, the 34-year-old is struggling everywhere.

Starling Marte. Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Final Thoughts

If you want to look at the bright side, Marte is slowly picking it up in terms of base hits. Since May 9, Marte is 11-for-39. This is good for a .282 average.

Of course, all 11 of those tallies were singles, but, it’s good to see the average trending back up after it was at a season low of .216 at one point. Starling is also still swiping bags when he reaches base. The veteran has 11 stolen bases this season which ranks sixth in the National League. Another thing trending in the right direction.

Of course, it’s never good to see a 34-year-old, big-money veteran struggling so much. There is always risk for eventually regression as a player approaches the twilight of their career. However, after the season Marte posted last year, regression this steep, is extremely surprising.

Additionally, although age 34 is getting up there in baseball terms, several players have been be very useful at this age, especially those who were fringe All Stars for a majority of their career like Marte. Not to mention, Marte posted such solid numbers less than a year ago.

Marte is slowly picking it up from an average standpoint and he is steal lethal on the base paths with those veteran legs. There was also flashes of his old self, especially early on, when he was actually hitting into bad luck. Only a year-plus into his big money deal, general manager Billy Eppler and crew are certainly hoping this situation rights itself sooner rather than later.

The post Starling Marte’s Power And Fielding Struggles Analyzed appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

Good morning, Mets fans!

On Friday, Buck Showalter indicated that Ronny Mauricio could start to see more playing time at different defensive positions including first base, third base, and the outfield. This came on the same night that Mauricio started at second base for Triple-A Syracuse, the first game in his minor league career that he started at a position other than shortstop. If Mauricio performs well defensively at other positions, it might allow him a quicker path to the major league team as he has been tearing it up offensively to start the season.

Latest Mets News

The Mets defeated the Giants on Friday night in a 7-0 shutout. Joey Lucchesi threw seven brilliant innings while Pete Alonso hit his tenth home run of the year and recorded four RBIs for the second straight game.

The Long Island Railroad announced that they are making Mets-Willets Point a full time station.

Latest MLB News

Drew Smyly came six outs away from throwing a perfect game for the Cubs on Friday, with his lone blemish being an infield single off the bat of David Peralta. The Cubs wound up defeating the Dodgers 13-0, improving to 12-7 on the year.

The Royals announced that pitcher Kris Bubic has decided to undergo UCL reconstruction surgery.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer wrote about Ronny Mauricio playing second base for Triple-A Syracuse last night.

John Sheridan wrote about Joey Lucchesi being called up and the current state of the Mets’ rotation.

Rich Sparago took a look at some of the new rules being implemented in the Atlantic League.

On This Date in Mets History

1970: Tom Seaver threw a complete game against the Padres in which he struck out 19 batters including ten straight to end the game. Seaver’s ten straight strikeouts were an MLB record that remained untouched for 51 years until both Aaron Nola and Corbin Burnes matched the feat in 2021.

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Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Questions still linger about how the shift ban will affect the total number of hits in baseball—and if banning the shift really does anything at all. (If you look at year-over-year heat maps of where players position themselves, there’s not really a huge change from 2022 to 2023.) But whether the Mets are shading their infield toward second or playing straight up, they are hitting all the right notes in the field so far this season.

Each game produces at least one or two highlight-worthy plays. They also make tough plays seem routine. In Monday night’s Dodgers game, Francisco Lindor—a proponent of banning the shift—twice in the first couple of innings ranged to his left, played tricky hops off the dirt, and threw a runner out at first. Brandon Nimmo chased down yet another fly ball a day after two spectacular catches on 50-50 balls against the A’s. Brett Baty, in his first day back in the majors, threw out a speedy Miguel Vargas on a ball deep behind third base.

It’s happening every day. The advanced numbers back up the traditional, too.

Small sample size considered, the Mets are:

• Fifth in defensive runs saved (8)
• Seventh in Outs Above Average (3)
• First in ultimate zone rating (8.0), which tries to quantify how many runs a fielder has saved with their abilities

For more traditional stats, the Mets have just two errors—and they came on throwing errors from catchers. Their .997 fielding percentage is first in the majors.

The traditional stats tell you the team has made every play they’ve gotten to. The advanced numbers show they’re getting to more balls than the average team and executing.

Brandon Nimmo’s game-saving catch in the ninth inning had just a 35% catch probability.

He covered 70 feet in the 4.1 seconds the ball was in the air. pic.twitter.com/jBh5GkS1hm

— Patrick (@patrickrglynn) April 17, 2023

For example, Brandon Nimmo’s game-saving catch on Sunday had just a 35% chance of getting caught. If he didn’t make that catch and the ball bounced off his glove, neither traditional nor advanced metrics wouldn’t really ding Nimmo. However, he 1) got to the ball at the right angle and speed, which is often hard enough on its own, and 2) made the play. Nearly every Met has been doing that all year, resulting in solid advanced metrics that confirm the eye test. (Starling Marte is the only Met who’s missed balls in the outfield that have a greater than 50% chance of being caught.)

In the infield—Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Lindor, and Eduardo Escobar—everyone has an average or above OAA number. (Escobar has a surprising three outs above average, which is in part due to his success rate landing 5% above his estimated success rate.)

Update: Shortly after publishing, Sports Info Solutions highlighted the Mets have converted 80.3% of their ground balls and bunts into outs so far, which is 8% higher than in 2022.

The offense is coming around, and the pitching has held strong after the injury bug ran through the team in the first couple weeks of the season. But the defense has been strong since Opening Day, nearly removing all mistakes and making plays an average fielder wouldn’t. It’ll be crucial to remain that way as the pitching staff heals.

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