Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Mets announced on Tuesday that Jacob deGrom felt some mild muscle soreness around his shoulder on Sunday. Out of “an abundance of caution,” he played catch Monday and Tuesday and is now expected to throw in a simulated game Thursday instead of Tuesday.

Latest Mets News

Per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, the Mets said Jacob deGrom experienced slight mild muscle soreness around the shoulder on Sunday. Instead of throwing a simulated game Tuesday in Port St. Lucie, deGrom played catch Monday and Tuesday and is now expected to throw in a simulated game Thursday. 

Latest MLB News

Former Seattle Mariners outfielder Steven Souza announced his retirement on Twitter Tuesday night.

As shared by MLB, Denzel Washington honored Jackie Robinson with a touching speech prior to the start of the All-Star game Tuesday.

Fox Sports: MLB shared the clip of Mookie Betts honoring the 100^th birthday of Rachel Robinson.

Caylee Kirby of WTOL Toledo said her dad had surgery Tuesday to remove cancer. During the All-Star Game “I Stand For” break, Manny Machado honored her dad.

Latest on MMO

Sam Klein breaks down the last week of minor league action in his weekly report, which features a segment on Stanley Consuegra’s break-out.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki breaks down the Mets’ pitching performances from the first half of the season in a starting pitchers first half report card report.

Michael Garaffa looks at the stats for left fielder David Peralta in an MMO trade profile.

Brian Wright talks about the Mets’ greatest All-Star game moments.

Anthony Caraturo breaks down how the Mets’ relievers did in the first half of the season in an MMO First Half Report Card.

Patrick Glynn talks about Jacob deGrom’s mild muscle soreness setback.

On This Date in Mets History

1995: Brett Butler collects four hits for the third consecutive game in a row. He also hit the only home  run he hit that season.

Birthdays: Ty Kelly (34)

The post Morning Briefing: DeGrom Set Back By Mild Muscle Soreness appeared first on Metsmerized.

Francisco Alvarez, Photo by Rick Nelson

Francisco Álvarez and Mark Vientos played in the 2022 MLB Futures Game at Dodger Stadium Saturday.

Álvarez, the Mets’ No. 1 prospect and the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, played in the game for the second straight season. He’s still just 20 years old. It was Vientos’ first time participating in the event.

Both Mets prospects were named to the starting lineup. Álvarez DH’ed while Vientos played first base — not the usual position for either of them, but it was a way to fit everybody in. Álvarez hit third while Vientos hit seventh.

Álvarez put on a show before the game even began, mashing baseballs during batting practice. He hit 10 homers, with his shots ranging from left to right-center field, JJ Cooper of Baseball America tweeted. Cooper noted he had the most impressive power of the first group of players, which is pretty evident considering the next-most amount of homers was only three.

Oh WOW!

You’re never going to see these baseballs again. Francisco Álvarez just unloading during at BP. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/k2PtmJoSv1

— Mets Player Development (@MetsPlayerDev) July 16, 2022

Vientos tied for the lead in his group with five home runs.

In Álvarez’s first plate appearance of the game, he drew a walk — something he’s been doing frequently at Triple-A Syracuse despite a slow start with the bat. Vientos flew out in his first at-bat, but then drew a walk of his own in. the third inning.

Álvarez was taken out of the game after two plate appearances, going 0-for-1 with a groundout and a walk. He was unable to replicate last year’s magic, when he went deep in the game. Vientos got one more at-bat, striking out looking in the sixth inning.

The teams played only seven innings, with the American League beating the National League 6-4. The AL scored four in the third on homers from Jasson Dominguez and Matt Wallner, then never looked back.

Former Mets prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong appeared in the game for the NL, coming in as a reserve and going 1-for-2 with a double. He had one of five NL hits.

Álvarez and Vientos are both bubbling below the majors, with each of them playing for Triple-A Syracuse. Vientos heated up after a slow start to the season and has posted an .837 OPS. Álvarez has spent most of this year with Double-A Binghamton, where he hit 18 home runs and put up a .922 OPS. He’s just 2-for-23 with Syracuse, but has drawn seven walks, giving him a .324 OBP. Behind the plate, he earned the praise of both Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom.

The post Francisco Álvarez, Mark Vientos Play In 2022 Futures Game appeared first on Metsmerized.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff McNeil will start at second base in the 2022 MLB All-Star Game, MLB announced Saturday.

McNeil was originally one of four Mets named to the All-Star Game, along with Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz and Starling Marte. The Padres’ Jake Cronenworth was added to the team Saturday in place of Jazz Chisholm Jr., with McNeil being slotted into the starting spot.

McNeil is the first Met to start in an All-Star Game since David Wright in 2013. He’s had a bounceback season after an underwhelming 2021 campaign, hitting .310/.372/.433. McNeil, 30, owns a .301 career batting average, now in his fifth year in the majors.

He’s been a cornerstone piece in a strong Mets offense that has helped the team stay afloat in first place in the NL East. The former 12th-round pick has been a revelation for this New York squad.

The 2022 MLB All-Star Game will be played July 19 at Dodger Stadium. McNeil, a Santa Barbara native, gets to return to the west coast as an All-Star starter.

The post Jeff McNeil Named An All-Star Starter appeared first on Metsmerized.

Francisco Alvarez, Photo by Rick Nelson

The 2022 MLB Futures Game will commence at 7 p.m. Saturday evening at Dodger Stadium. Two Mets are slated to participate in the game, with 20-year-old phenom catcher Francisco Álvarez joined by third baseman Mark Vientos as a reserve.

The Futures Game is an annual showcase of baseball’s top up-and-coming talent. The Mets are certainly no strangers to the event. Fans may remember that just last year, the then-teenage Álvarez smashed a home run in his lone Futures Game at-bat.

19-year-old Francisco Álvarez hit a 104 mph home run in his only Futures Game at-bat.

The Mets top prospect has a .974 OPS in 50 games this year between St. Lucie and Brooklyn.

pic.twitter.com/MtOltnxqHa

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) July 11, 2021

At the time, Álvarez had yet to play above High-A ball. He’s since gone on to have a monster season for Double-A Binghamton, hitting .277 with a .922 OPS and 18 home runs in 67 games. That earned him a promotion to Triple-A Syracuse, where he’s off to a slow start but has shown impressive plate discipline. He’s also earned the praise of Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom, both of whom he’s caught on their rehab starts.

Three years prior, another Met went deep in the Futures Game whose name might sound familiar: Pete Alonso. Actually, at the time, he still went by Peter. As noted by Michael Mayer below, Alonso set a Statcast record with the angle and velocity of the bomb.

Two years ago today, Pete Alonso set a Statcast record with his home run in the Futures Game.

It was 415 feet, at a 46 degree launch angle, and had an exit velocity of 113.6 mph. An angle and velocity combo that had never been seen before.

pic.twitter.com/LhCVnDMane

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) July 15, 2020

Andres Gimenez also represented the Mets in the 2018 Futures Game. This year, Gimenez is an All-Star for the Cleveland Guardians.

Speaking of Gimenez, his Guardians counterpart Amed Rosario represented the Mets in the 2017 game, batting third and playing shortstop. In 2019, the Mets sent only Anthony Kay, while Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn participated as members of the Mariners. The Mets of course ended up trading Kay in the deal for Marcus Stroman. Trade pieces galore.

In 2013, the Mets had three representatives in Brandon Nimmo, Noah Syndergaard and Rafael Montero. Nimmo, of course, has since gone on to become the Mets’ everyday leadoff hitter, while Syndergaard is with the Angels. Montero never found consistent success in New York but is having a great season for the Astros.

2013 Futures Game gem. pic.twitter.com/5Y4TLkATwU

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) July 15, 2022

This year, Álvarez will get another taste of the Futures Game — his second one before he’s even old enough to legally drink. Not only is he the Mets’ consensus top prospect, but he’s risen to the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball.

Vientos is no slouch either, as MLB ranks him the Mets’ No. 5 prospect. The 22-year-old has had a strong season for Triple-A Syracuse despite a slow start to the season, hitting .255/.339/.498 with 16 home runs. He posted a .927 OPS for Binghamton last year. At this point, he’s bubbling very close to the major league level.

Clearly, many participants in the Futures Game go on to make real impacts in the major leagues. Others end up as trade pieces for notable players. Fans should tune in Saturday evening for a glimpse at the talent this first-place Mets team will be adding in the near future.

The game will be aired on Peacock.

The post Álvarez, Vientos To Compete In Futures Game Today appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Mets were rained out Friday, and will be made up as part of a split doubleheader. Game one will start at 2:20 p.m. ET, as Taijuan Walker will face off against former Met Marcus Stroman. Game two begins at 8:05 p.m. ET, where Max Scherzer will go against Drew Smyly.

Saturday marks the 2022 MLB Futures Game at Dodger Stadium. The annual event showcases the future stars of the sport.

The Mets will have two representatives at this years Futures Game in Mark Vientos and Francisco Álvarez. The two are the #5 and #1 prospects in the Mets system, respectively.

In the minors in 2022, Mark Vientos has a slash line of .255/.339/.498 with 16 home runs and 46 RBI. Álvarez has had similar numbers across Binghamton and Syracuse. He’s slashing .261/.364/.518 with 18 home runs and 50 RBI. Both players could potentially find themselves on the Mets roster by the end of 2022.

The 2022 Futures Game can be watched exclusively on Peacock, with first pitch at 7 p.m ET.

Latest Mets News

Lorraine Hamilton, has been selected for induction into the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame.

Latest MLB News

BetMGM released their odds to win the 2022 Home Run Derby.

Ben Higgins of 10 News reported that Fernando Tatis Jr. began his hitting progression Friday.

Dan Connolly of The Athletic wrote on how Trey Mancini is impacting others that have cancer.

Mike Rodriguez of Univison reported that the Dodgers signed Hansel Robles.

James Wagner of the New York Times wrote on how an international draft would impact Latino players.

Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic wrote on how once-suspended Carson Whisenhunt rebuilt his draft status.

Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reported that Sean Doolittle underwent an internal brace procedure to repair the UCL in his left elbow. He will miss the rest of 2022.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Major League Baseball will pay $185 million to settle the federal class-action lawsuit filed by minor league players seeking pay for minimum-wage and overtime violations by teams. MiLB Advocates released a statement regarding the subject.

Kyle Glaser of Baseball America reported that undrafted players will no longer be capped at $20,000 signing bonuses.

Latest on MMO

Nate Olshan wrote on Brandon Nimmo‘s recent power surge.

Michael Mayer wrote on the importance of the 2022 MLB Draft for the Mets.

Nate Mendelson wrote a trade profile on lefty Andrew Chafin.

Nick Rucco penned the daily Mets Minors Recap, headlined by Jacob deGrom‘s third rehab start.

On This Date in Mets History

2006: The Mets slugged five home runs, including two during an 11-run sixth to defeat the Cubs 13-7. The massive outburst set a franchise record for most runs in a single inning.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Set To Face Marcus Stroman In Doubleheader appeared first on Metsmerized.

The departure of the Brooklyn Dodgers was a contributing factor towards the birth of the Mets (and the blue in their uniforms). But the connections don’t end there. Gil Hodges, whose number will be retired by the Dodgers this weekend, played in Brooklyn and Los Angeles before finishing his playing career with the Mets and later performing miracles as manager. Steve Cohen even put in a bid to purchase the Dodgers in 2012.

New York’s current National League team has been met with some resistance when it came to dealings against one of the National League’s history-rich franchises, especially in October.

June 30, 1962

The expansion Mets’ National League-worst offense was ripe to be dominated, and the emerging Sandy Koufax did just that. Tossing the first of his four no-hitters and the first no-no in the history of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Koufax struck out 13 and walked five in a 5-0 victory at Dodger Stadium.

It would be the first of four consecutive seasons in which Koufax would pitch a no-hitter. The other no-hit victims were the 1963 Giants, the 1964 Phillies, and the 1965 Cubs.

Mets third-base coach Solly Hemus, in an attempt to psych out Koufax, yelled: “It isn’t really that easy, is it?” Koufax could be heard responding, “No, it surely isn’t,” even if his actions showed otherwise.

June 4, 1969

Manager Gil Hodges, unafraid to offer an honest evaluation of his team, said the Mets (when finishing with a winning record was a pipe dream), could not be considered contenders until they reached .500. They did so, for the first time in team history, on May 21. Then gave it back by dropping five in a row.

But in early June, in the midst of a franchise-long winning streak, Jerry Koosman and Tom Seaver—posting back-to-back gems—confirmed that losing records were a thing of the past.

Then Jack DiLauro followed those standout starts with an even better one. The left-handed Triple-A call-up christened his big-league career by baffling Los Angeles for nine innings—shutting them out on two hits and two walks. DiLauro did everything but get the win. It took a Willie Davis error, made on a Wayne Garrett single, to break a fifteen-inning stalemate.

1988 NLCS

The Mets had beaten LA in ten of 11 regular-season meetings. There was no reason why this trend shouldn’t have continued in the playoffs—except for Orel Hershiser.

That year’s Cy Young Award winner was coming off a 59-inning scoreless streak and his fingerprints were on four of the seven games—two of which the Mets found a way to win with late rallies.

Gary Carter‘s two-out ninth-inning hit against reliever Jay Howell was the decider in the series opener. New York used ingenuity (namely finding Howell to have pine tar in his glove) and eighth-inning offense to take Game 3.

Game 4 was a near lock with Dwight Gooden cruising and the Mets holding a 4-2 lead in the ninth. Then came Mike Scioscia with no outs and a runner on. Doc’s first pitch to the contact-hitting catcher (with three homers on the year) was down the middle. Scioscia sent it into the right-field bullpen. Arguably the most devastating moment to the Mets’ hopes for a late 80’s dynasty, it tied the contest and sent it to extras—which LA won in 12 and was saved by Hershiser.

Orel came back three nights later stunningly knock the Mets out of the postseason with a 6-0 shutout in Game 7. For eleven years, they never returned.

May 7, 1991

Darryl Strawberry‘s Mets career was filled with drama. The dramatics didn’t end when he left, either. His first game in New York since signing a five-year, $20.25 million contract to play in his hometown had all the expected hype. Each at-bat prompted strong reactions from the 47,700-plus in attendance, several of whom gave the “Darr-yl, Darr-yl” chant that became famous in Boston during the 1986 World Series.

Los Angeles was being shut out by Frank Viola when Strawberry added to his record number of Shea Stadium home runs. Darryl sent one over the left-center field fence for a two-run sixth-inning blast. He had a chance to complete an LA comeback in the ninth, but grounded out against John Franco with two down and the tying run at third base.

2006 NLDS

The best Mets season since ’88 also began with a postseason encounter versus Los Angeles. This one went far better. New York swept aside the Dodgers despite losing two veteran starting pitchers just prior to the series. Injuries to Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez necessitated young John Maine to start the opener at Shea.

With the help of a crazy baserunning gaffe, the Mets got two outs on one throw home to catcher Paul Lo Duca.

Carlos Delgado went 4-for-5 with a home run and a key seventh-inning hit that keyed a 6-5 win. Tom Glavine pitched brilliantly in Game 2 and a late comeback at Dodger Stadium ensured that the series would go the minimum.

2015 NLDS

If ’88 had drama and anguish while ’06 had a positive end result, consider 2015 a mixture of both. Arguably the biggest win on the Mets’ road to the World Series came in the winner-take-call contest on the West Coast.

Perhaps the most impressive performance in the career of Jacob deGrom came in the deciding contest at Dodger Stadium. Clearly without his best stuff, deGrom battled through six innings and kept his team in the game long enough for Daniel Murphy to win it. “Murph-tober” was in full effect when he went deep to break a 2-2 tie and the bullpen held it from there.

What preceded it was Chase Utley‘s non-slide which took down Rueben Tejada as well as Yoenis Céspedes helping to christen the first postseason game at Citi Field in a 13-6 blowout in Game 3 with a monstrous home run.

May 27, 2016

On a Memorial Day weekend series that included a 1986 reunion and the attempted Chase Utley retaliation, the Mets got the better of the Dodgers after it appeared the New York bullpen was way too generous in giving it away.

Sporting the racing stripe unis from the last World Series champion, the Mets jumped out with three first inning runs and had a 5-1 lead into the ninth. Utley added to his villain legacy with a tying three-run double (part of a four-run inning), but the good guy prevailed. Curtis Granderson led off the bottom half with a homer that snuck beyond the right-field wall.

The post Forever Linked, Mets and Dodgers Have Their Classics appeared first on Metsmerized.