This is our fourth installment of the MMN 2023 Top 30 Mets prospects, which brings us to No. 12. We will have solo articles for each of the players coming in the Top 11.

15. Jesus Baez, SS

B/T: R/R     Age: 2/26/05 (17)
Ht: 5’10”     Wt: 180 lb.
Acquired: Signed as international free agent from the Dominican Republic (1/2022)
ETA: 2028     Previous Rank: N/A
Stats (DSL): .242/.373/.378, 9 2B, 7 HR, 12 RBI, 8 SB, 6 CS

Baez did not headline the 2022 signing class only receiving a $275,000 signing bonus. However, he jumped out of the gate over the first month of his professional career hitting five home runs and stealing four bases. That certainly put him on the map, and he would be named one of the Mets DSL Complex players of the year.

Jesus Báez blasted his 5th home run in the Dominican Summer League yesterday.

The #Mets SS prospect has started his career with a 1.031 OPS and is 2nd in the DSL with 20 RBI. pic.twitter.com/SlI00HE6UB

— Jacob Resnick (@Jacob_Resnick) June 29, 2022

As you can see from the video, he has a long swing, and he wraps the bat around. There are a lot of moving parts, but when he makes contact he’s been able to have exit velocities in excess of 100 MPH. Overall, he has raw power which will only grow as he physically matures.

Defensively, he has the range to play short, but he is still raw at the position. As a result, he has handled second and third with more ease. His arm and athleticism currently profiles him as a shortstop, but as he matures, he may be much better suited to the hot corner.

Joel Díaz, Photo by Ed Delany of Mets Minors

14. Joel Diaz, RHP

B/T: R/R     Age: 2/26/04 (18)
Ht: 6’2″       Wt: 208 lb.
Acquired: Signed as International Free Agent by the New York Mets (1/15/2021)
ETA: 2026      Previous Rank: 14
2022 Stats (St. Lucie): 3-2, 5.86 ERA, 16 G, 10 GS, 55 1/3 IP, 1.572 WHIP, 4.1 BB/9, 8.3 K/9

Heading into the 2022 season, Díaz was projected by Baseball America as an emerging prospect they anticipated would have a breakout season. The reason was a mixture of his control, low 90s fastball, and his promising secondary pitch mix headlined by his curveball. It was that repertoire that helped St. Lucie win the Florida State League championship.

#Mets prospect Joel Díaz retires the last 13 batters he faces as the @stluciemets rally to the Florida State League Finals: https://t.co/f7IwOIjV0U pic.twitter.com/490Edt3bll

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) September 16, 2022

During the 2022 season, his control seemed to elude him. To some degree, his stuff has improved, but that comes with the complication of needing to find a way to better harness it. We should be reminded here Díaz is just 18 and was making his stateside debut.

Overall, when the sinker/curve combination is working, he is a worm killer generating a number of ground balls and strikeouts. We did see flashes of the potential he could be. Díaz tossed six scoreless innings with 11 strikeouts in the clinching game that sent the St. Lucie Mets to the championship series. That combined with six straight outings of not allowing more than two earned runs to finish the regular season gives a reason for optimism for Díaz going into the 2023 season.

Photo by Richard Nelson

13. Jose Butto, RHP

B/T: R/R     Age: 3/19/98 (24)
Ht: 6’1          Wt: 202 LBS
Acquired: International free agent, Venezuela (2016)
ETA: 2022  Previous Rank: 11
Stats (Binghamton/Syracuse): 7-6, 3.56 ERA, 28 G, 25 GS, 129 IP, 1.209 WHIP, 3.1 BB/9, 9.6 K/9
Stats (MLB): GS, 4 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 5 K

Last offseason, Butto was Rule 5 eligible leading to the Mets adding him to the 40-man roster. Between that, his performance in the minors, and frankly, out of necessity, he would actually make his Major League debut on August 21 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Jose Buttó has recorded the first out of his major league career via strikeout pic.twitter.com/7JmT7fpI0X

— Shea Station (@shea_station) August 21, 2022

Reading too much into that start against the Phillies is a giant mistake. At that point, Butto had only made two Triple-A starts, and in all honesty, probably wasn’t ready to face one of the toughest lineups in baseball featuring hitters like Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto.

Butto was better for the experience of excelling in Triple-A after that one start. Over his final six starts of the season, he was 1-0 with a 1.76 ERA. Part of the reason for his success is Butto has a promising arsenal.

Butto has tremendous spin on a fastball which tops out around 95 MPH, and he has the best change-up in the Mets farm system. With that combination, he likely has a major-league future. What his role will be will ultimately be determined by just how much he can improve his curveball, which is still a work in progress.

Dominic Hamel, Photo by Ed Delany of MMN

12. Dominic Hamel, RHP

B/T: R/R     Age: 3/2/99 (23)
Ht: 6’2         Wt: 206 LBS
Acquired: Drafted in the 3rd round of the July 2021 Amateur Draft out of Dallas Baptist University
ETA: 2024  Previous Rank: 9
Stats (St. Lucie/Brooklyn): 10-3, 3.25 ERA, 25 G, 24 GS, 119 IP, 1.151 WHIP, 4.1 BB/9, 11.0 K/9

Yes, Hamel did drop three spots in our rankings, but lost in that was the fact he had a strong first full season as a professional. In fact, Hamel would be named the Mets Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

Mets prospect Dominic Hamel in his last 4 starts for High-A Brooklyn:

21 IP, 12 H, 2 ER, 10 BB, 28 K, 0.86 ERA, .478 OPS againstpic.twitter.com/Bf8CP8k78M

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) August 5, 2022

There is a lot to like with Hamel. He has a full arsenal of pitches with a high spin fastball sitting in the low to mid 90s. His second-best pitch is his slider which exceeds 3,000 RPM in spin. Both his fastball and change are strikeout pitches with their vertical breaks.

The issue with Hamel is his slider and curve tend to blend a bit making the curve unreliable. His change doesn’t have the velocity separation and doesn’t have the drop it needs to be an effective pitch. Hamel needs at least one of these pitches to stick as a starter. Even with that, he has a well-developed arsenal which portends to his having a future as a good starter.

Prevoius Ranking: 30-26
Previous Ranking: 25-21
Previous Ranking: 20-16

The post MMO 2023 Top 30 Prospects: 15-12 Features Dominic Hamel appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Dominic Smith is signing with the Washington Nationals, as USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale first reported. FanSided‘s Robert Murray reports that the deal is one-year, $2 million with an additional $2 million available in performance bonuses.

Smith, who was projected to make $4 million for the 2023 season through arbitration, was non-tendered by the Mets nearly two months ago.

This past season, the former Mets’ first baseman and outfielder hit just .194/.276/.284 with zero home runs in 58 games at the major league level. After enduring some early season struggles, the Mets demoted Smith to Triple A-Syracuse, where he posted a .839 OPS with 10 home runs over 54 games.

Smith, formerly a first-round pick of the Mets back in 2013, made his major league debut with the club in 2017. In 447 major league games spanning six years with New York, Smith hit .246/.308/.424 with 46 home runs and 179 RBIs. His best year as a pro came during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, in which Smith hit .316/.377/.616 and posted a .993 OPS with 10 home runs and 42 RBIs over 50 games.

The California native was never able to regain that form, as he hit .244/.304/.363 and posted a .667 OPS with 11 home runs, playing in a career-high 145 games in 2021—a season that was marred by minor injuries. He followed up that performance with his worst season to date and saw his role in the organization evaporate once the Mets acquired first baseman/DH Daniel Vogelbach from Pittsburgh in July.

Staying in the NL East, Smith will have a chance to face off against his former team more often than not. He’ll likely take over their first base job with the team losing Josh Bell to free agency and non-tendering Luke Voit. The team’s other first base options include Jeimer Candelario and Joey Meneses with no real threat waiting in the wings in the minors.

The post Dominic Smith Signs with Nationals on One-Year Deal appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Dominic Hamel, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Despite a lot of stiff competition for this award, Dominic Hamel is Mets Minors’ 2022 Starting Pitcher of the Year.

A third-round selection in the 2021 MLB Amateur Draft, Dominic Hamel came to the Mets after a successful collegiate career at Dallas Baptist. Hamel started the 2022 campaign with the Low-A St. Lucie Mets, where he pitched to a 5-2 record with a 3.84 ERA over the course of 13 starts and one relief appearance.

The singular relief appearance, however, was one of his best professional outings. Following Jacob deGrom after his first rehab outing, Hamel went six innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts, all in front of a Clover Park packed with fans and scouts who came for deGrom but stayed for Hamel.

After being promoted from St. Lucie to High-A Brooklyn, Hamel’s season only improved. Hamel would pitch to a 2.59 ERA over the course of 11 starts, an improved K/9 from 10.1 to 12.0, and moved his WHIP from 1.26 to 1.08. The 119 innings Hamel pitched became a new career high for the righty, after previously topping out at 94.2 innings between DBU and the FCL in 2021.

Hamel will open the 2023 season at age 24, and should see a move to Binghamton quickly after spring training ends. Hamel tracks as a numbers darling with an excellent spin on his breaking balls, slider, changeup, and curveball, and a solid fastball that MLB Pipeline grades as a 55-grade pitch.

Hamel began the 2022 season as Mets Minors’ ninth-ranked prospect in the organization, and the second-ranked starting pitcher, only behind Matt Allan. Expect to see him stay around the back end of the Mets’ organizational top-10 prospects, despite a strong 2022 draft class from the Mets, including fellow collegiate RHP Blade Tidwell.

The post Mets Minors’ Starting Pitcher of the Year: Dominic Hamel appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

On Friday, the Mets non-tendered Dominic Smith, making him a free agent. Smith had been with the Mets for parts of the last six seasons and he struggled to consistently produce with the team. The 2020 season, possibly in part because it was shortened, was by far his best season with the team as he produced a brilliant slash of .316/.377/.616/.993.

His 2021 and 2022 seasons were failures, as he was unable to come even close to having the success he had in his 2020 season. This move was widely expected and now Smith is free to sign with any team. Mike Puma of the New York Post already reports that the Royals and Rays could have interest in Smith this offseason.

In addition to Smith, Sean Reid-Foley is a free agent too as he was also non-tendered by the Mets.

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest Mets News

The Mets made a trade with the Miami Marlins on Friday, acquiring pitchers Elieser Hernandez and Jeff Brigham in exchange for minor league pitcher Franklin Sanchez. Hernandez and Brigham were recently DFA’d by the Marlins, and they provide the Mets with pitching depth which they lacked last season.

In another move to add pitching depth, the Mets claimed pitcher William Woods off waivers from the Atlanta Braves.

Mark Canha and his wife, Marci, participated in the Mets’ turkey giveaway in Manhattan on Friday morning, giving Thanksgiving food to those in need.

Latest MLB News

The Minnesota Twins unveiled new uniforms, including new fonts and logos.

The Oakland Athletics announced that Billy Beane is shifting into a new role as “Senior Advisor to A’s Managing Partner”. David Forst, who has been with the A’s for over two decades, becomes the new head of baseball operations.

Jon Heyman reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers could make a serious run at Aaron Judge this offseason.

Jon Morosi reports that the San Francisco Giants are interested in free agent Kenley Jansen.

The Los Angeles Angels announced that they acquired infielder Gio Urshela in exchange for minor league pitcher Alejandro Hidalgo.

The Minnesota Twins acquired infielder Kyle Farmer from the Cincinnati Reds.

The Cincinatti Reds acquired infielder Kevin Newman from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for reliever Dauri Moreta.

The Milwaulkee Breweres acquired pitcher Javy Guerra from the Tampa Bay Rays for a PTBNL.

Several players reached an agreement to avoid arbitration with their teams, including Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Lou Trivino, Miguel Andujar, and Mike Yastrzemski.

Several players were non-tendered by their teams on Friday, including Cody Bellinger, Jeimer Candelario, Danny Mendick, and Brian Anderson.

The Atlanta Braves signed lefty reliever Tyler Matzek to a two-year, $3.1 million contract. The deal also includes a $5.5 million club option for 2025. Matzek, who had Tommy John Surgery in October, is expected to miss the entire 2023 season.

The Colorado Rockies extended reliever Tyler Kinley to a three-year contract that includes a club option for 2026.

The San Diego Padres met on Thursday with Kodai Senga. Senga, who is expected to be pursued by many teams this offseason, is close with Yu Darvish, and has played with Nick Martinez and Robert Suarez previously in Japan.

The Los Angeles Dodgers claimed reliever Jake Reed on waivers from the Boston Red Sox.

Latest on MMO

Andrew Steele-Davis discusses a report by ESPN’s Jeff Passan that Brandon Nimmo could receive upwards of $130 million in free agency.

John Sheridan breaks down the Mets’ trade for two Marlins pitchers.

On This Date in Mets History

1979: The team’s Board of Directors announced its intention to sell the Mets before the 1980 season. This was the first time in the franchise’s history that the Mets were up for sale. Ultimately the team was sold to a group led by Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon.

Birthdays: Francisco Álvarez (21)

The post Morning Briefing: Dominic Smith Becomes a Free Agent appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets announced on Friday night that they’ve non-tendered first baseman Dominic Smith and Sean Reid-Foley. Both players become free agents putting the Mets 40-man roster at 33 players.

The six other remaining arbitration-eligible Mets players–Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Drew Smith, Tomás Nido, Luis Guillorme and Joey Lucchesi–will be tendered contracts.

Smith, 27, was projected to make $4 million for the 2023 season through arbitration. The California native had a rough 2022 season in which he hit just .194/.276/.284 with zero home runs in 58 games at the major league level before the Mets in July. Smith would finish the season in Triple-A Syracuse where he posted a .839 OPS with 10 home runs over 54 games.

Smith’s role within the organization at the big league level became murky when the Mets traded for first baseman/DH Daniel Vogelbach in July. The Mets picked up Vogelbach’s option for the 2023 earlier this offseason putting the writing on the wall for Smith.

Smith made his major league debut in 2017 with the Mets at 22 years old, but didn’t become a productive hitter for the Mets until 2019 when he posted a 132 OPS+ across 89 games. The left-handed hitter followed that up with his best year as a pro with .316/.377/.616 slash line with 21 doubles and 10 home runs during the Covid-shortened 2022 season.

Overall, in 447 major league games spanning six years with the Mets, Smith hit .246/.308/.424 with 46 home runs and 179 RBIs.

The post Mets Non-Tender Dominic Smith, Sean Reid-Foley appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Last week, MLB Trade Rumors released their salary arbitration projections. They’re usually pretty spot on, and the highlight was Pete Alonso making close to $16 million in his penultimate arbitration year.

The most interesting case, though, is that of Dominic Smith.

If the Mets tender him a contract, the maligned first baseman is projected to make $4 million in his third year of arbitration. (He has four full years of arbitration as a Super Two.) It’s not really a raise from his 2022 number of $3.95 million. The Mets, however, can non-tender him, release him from the 40-man roster, and allow another team to sign him for less than the $4 million he’d earn if were tendered one.

The Mets don’t really have any non-tender candidates outside of Smith. The rest of the arbitration-eligible players are Alonso, Jeff McNeil and “cheap” role players like Luis Guillorme, Tomas Nido and Drew Smith.

That’s because Smith struggled mightily in 2022, spending more time at the plate in Triple-A than with the Mets. Overall on the year, he slashed .194/.276/.284/.560 in 152 plate appearances in MLB with no home runs, 10 doubles and a triple. He had a 4-for-4 night on April 30, which spelled the doom for Robinson Canó‘s tenure with the Mets, but he didn’t improve off that performance. He was sent to Triple-A by the end of May, recalled for a month in the middle of the summer (during which he only had 51 plate appearances), then he was placed on the injured list with an ankle injury, never to be seen on the major-league roster the rest of the year.

The Mets traded for Daniel Vogelbach two days after Smith went on the IL, and Vogelbach took the remainder of the lefty designated hitter at-bats the rest of the seasons. Most importantly, he performed, with an .829 OPS and 144 wRC+ since his trade from Pittsburgh. He’s also under contract with a team option for $1.5 million next season.

This is where Smith’s case becomes interesting. Vogelbach is almost certainly the Mets’ left-handed DH heading into 2023. He’s cheaper than Smith, and he’s performed better, and more recently, than Smith has.

However, $4 million isn’t a lot of money in the grand scheme of things, is it? Will some team want to take a shot on Smith for that amount of money? Does his performance over three-ish months in Triple-A (.829 OPS, 122 wRC+) and an extra year of team control provide any value? Can he find power again?

On one side, teams probably answer that question with a firm “no,” as the Mets weren’t able to find a trade partner in 2022. However, with more guarantees of what his salary will be in 2023, could there be any teams interested? The Detroit Tigers, perhaps, with a new chief running the show, had a severe lack at first base (offensively and defensively, thanks to Spencer Torkleson’s poor performance) and designated hitter. Can Smith fill some of those holes at $4 million?

On the other hand, teams have multiple seasons worth of data on Smith, and they could just not want him at that price. The glove is still there, but will the bat come around? Teams may just wait to see if the Mets non-tender him, then they may wait again to see if the Mets release him before the season starts (or soon after a la Travis d’Arnaud) and still be able to sign him for less than what he’d earned with a tendered contract. It’s hard to find a spot on the 2023 Mets team for Smith.

Maybe this is just wishful thinking on behalf of the Mets, but I’d have to think someone would want Dom, even if it’s to find a way to be an average first baseman at that price with some level of team control. If you’re the Mets, any person you get in return for Dom is a plus. However, the Mets may be wise to just cut bait, save the $4 million and open up a 40-man roster spot as they head into a crucial offseason. I wouldn’t blame them.

The post Should the Mets Tender Dominic Smith a Contract? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Rick Nelson

Dominic Smith‘s power had been virtually nonexistent since the second half of the 2021 season, but he seems to have finally found his stroke in recent days. His first-inning shot to right field on Saturday for Syracuse (Triple-A) was his second in as many games and his fifth in his last 11 games.

AAA: Syracuse Mets (58-82) 8, Buffalo Bisons (72-66) 3  Box Score

• Dominic Smith 1B: 1-for-5, R, HR, 2 RBI, K, .282/.365/.477
• Khalil Lee LF: 2-for-4, R, 2 2B, RBI, K, .216/.329/.374
• Francisco Álvarez DH: 1-for-5, RBI, 3 K, .191/.341/.382

Smith got the Mets on the board right away with a two-run home run in the first inning. This was his second-straight game with a home run, and he now has five home runs over his last 11 games. September has been his best month of the season, as he is slashing .290/.338/.581 so far this month.

Álvarez is hitting .250/.348/.400 in five games since returning from the injured list.

Dominic Smith hit a two-run shot in the first inning tonight.

He has four home runs in his last seven games.

pic.twitter.com/dxsu54AROI

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) September 17, 2022

• RHP Harol González (0-4, 7.83 ERA) 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• RHP Drew Smith (0-0, 0.00 ERA) 1.0 IP, H, K
• RHP Michel Otanez (4-1, 6.59 ERA) 1.0 IP, H, BB, 2 K

González got off to a horrendous start with Syracuse, but has been significantly better since the beginning of September. After posting a 21.94 ERA through his first two Triple-A appearances, he has a very serviceable 3.57 ERA in his last four starts.

Smith made his third rehab appearance with Syracuse, tossing 14 pitches in one inning of work. He has not allowed a run in any of his four rehab appearances.

Otanez threw just 55% of his pitches (11 of 20) for strikes, but still managed to escape the inning unscathed.

AA: Hartford Yard Goats (76-60) 7, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (53-82) 0  Box Score

• Ronny Mauricio SS: 1-for-4, 2 K, .257/.294/.471
• Zach Ashford RF: 2-for-3, .250/.319/.363
• Rowdey Jordan CF: 1-for-3, .216/.308/.333

Binghamton’s offense was lifeless on Saturday night. The lineup had just six hits, all of which were singles, and had just two at-bats with runners in scoring position all game. Mauricio has picked up at least one hit in each of his last four games.

• RHP Jose Chacin (L, 4-9, 5.67 ERA) 4.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
• RHP Carlos Ocampo (0-0, 9.00 ERA) 3.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 K
• RHP Hunter Parsons (1-2, 5.31 ERA) 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, BB

Chacin struggled with his control in Saturday’s start, needing 89 pitches to make it through just four innings. The four walks are his season high, but he has reached that total in each of his last two starts.

Ocampo struggled in his Binghamton debut, with the three-run homer he allowed in the seventh inning putting the game well out of reach.

After putting together a stretch of five scoreless outings, Parsons has now allowed two runs in each of his last two appearances.

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Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Off the field, Dominic Smith has seen his name in trade rumors ever since the offseason began. Most recently, rumors swirled that Smith might be flipped to the Padres, in a deal involving first baseman Eric Hosmer.

Ultimately, the trade talk quieted, and now just three days until Opening Day, Smith remains a Met. With his role on the team still up in the air, Smith is taking the positive road heading into the 2022 season.

“[Trade rumors] are not new to me. It’s just something that is going to be a part of the game,” Smith said, who is getting on-base at a rate of over .500 this spring.

“I’m happy to be a Met. I love this organization, I love this city, and I love this team.”

Despite no clear starting role available for Smith – although the addition of the permanent designated hitter certainly helps his case – the sixth-year Met had one of the best springs of anyone on the roster this month. With a small sample size of just 12 games, Smith has posted an OPS of 1.413, to go along with two home runs in these exhibition contests.

While he sits on the outside looking in at first base (Pete Alonso), designated hitter (Robinson Canó), and left field (Mark Canha), Smith has made a case to not only be one of the team’s most valuable bench players, but an ultra-reliable utility player who can be plugged into the starting lineup if any of the above players become injured, need rest, or simply struggle at the plate.

“That’s a little bit above my paygrade,” joked Smith, when asked about where he expected to play positionally this season. “I’m here to be ready no matter what situation I’m put in…I’m just here, I’m happy, and I can’t wait until the season starts.”

After finishing 13th in National League MVP voting in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Smith entered 2021 with lofty expectations. Unfortunately for both Smith and the Mets, the slugger ended the year with just an 84 OPS+, a far cry from his 168 mark the year prior. Although he played in a career high 145 games, it was statistically his worst season since debuting in the majors in 2017.

Consistently hitting on the field has been no issue for Smith over the past two weeks. But he understands that the games only start counting when the regular season begins.

His head is in the right place entering a year of uncertainty.

“April, May, June, July, August, September, and October – those are the months that really matter,” Smith said, getting a few laughs out of the crowd of reporters.

That last month – October – is the one the Mets have been building for years for. Smith has been part of this organization through a few rough years, but now, he’s found his way onto this roster of contenders.

And he’s more than ready to take advantage of this year’s opportunity.

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The Mets and Astros faced off on Monday afternoon at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach in what was the penultimate game of spring training 2022 for the Mets. It was Carlos Carrasco on the mound for the visiting Mets against Jose Urquidy for the home-team Houston Astros.

It was an offensive back-and-forth game for the first couple innings, but it was the Astros who struck first. The seventh inning is where the Mets’ bats exploded, including a three-run home run by Dominic Smith to give the Mets a 3-2 lead over the Astros before the Astros made a comeback and the game ultimately ended in a tie.

The Mets tried to get action started in the top half of the first inning, but were unable to produce. The inning started with a lead-off single by Jeff McNeil and followed by a walk to Starling Marte to put two runners on with no outs to open the game on Monday. Francisco Lindor grounded into a double play and Pete Alonso flew out to retire the side as the Astros avoided damage being done.

The Astros then turned around and also came out strong in the bottom half of the first. Back-to-back leadoff singles by Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker put the Astros in business with two runners on. Altuve advanced to third on Tucker’s single to put runners on the corner. Alex Bregman followed and grounded into a double play, but Altuve scored to give the Astros a 1-0 first inning lead. Yordan Alvarez struck out to end the inning.

The Mets again tried to get things going in the second inning. With one-out, Robinson Cano reached on a fielding error by Bregman. Mark Cahna singled behind Cano to move Cano to second, and then Dominic Smith also singled, which advanced the runners and loaded the bases with one out. James McCann, however, grounded into a double play to leave the runners stranded for the Mets.

The bats stayed hot for the Astros, as well, in the bottom of the second. Yuli Gurriel led off with a double to left field. After a fly-out of Michael Brantley, Chas McCormick singled to center field and advanced Gurriel to third. Jeremy Pena then grounded out to third, which scored Gurriel and extended the Astros’ lead over the Mets to 2-0.

Martin Maldonado then walked to put runners on first and second, but Carrasco struck out Altuve to end the inning.

Both pitchers settled down in the third inning, retiring the sides in order. Carrassco collected his third strikeout of the afternoon in the bottom of the third.

The fourth inning was another quiet one for both sides, the only action coming from a two-out single by Cano for the Mets. He was ultimately left stranded at first.

The Astros went down in order in the fourth as Carrasco collected his fourth strikeout of the day.

Both sides stayed quiet again in the fifth inning. The Mets went down in order in the fifth, as did the Astros. The first out of the inning was collected by Carrasco, who was replaced by Sean Reid-Foley to get the remaining two outs.

Carlos Carrasco’s final line:

4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO, 0 HR, 5.40 ERA

The sixth inning looked similar to the last couple, with just four batters coming to the plate for both the Mets and the Astros in the sixth. Edwin Diaz (replaced Reid-Foley on the mound) collected two strikeouts in the sixth for the Mets and was replaced by Drew Smith after walking Yordan Alvarez. Smith struck out Michael Papierski to end the inning.

The Mets’ bats came back to life in the seventh inning. Cano led off the inning and reached on a fielding error at third base. Cahna singled after Cano to advance Cano to third. Then Smith was the big bat of the day. He hit a three-run home run to right field to score Cano and Jefery de los Santos, who replaced Cahna on the base pads, to give the Mets a late 3-2 lead over the Astros.

McCann followed with a single and McNeil doubled to advance McCann to third. Luis Guillorme then walked to load the bases. Lindor, however, grounded into a double play for the the first out of the inning, followed by a pop out by Tomas Nido and a fly-out by J.D. Davis to end the inning.

Seth Lugo replaced Smith on the mound for the Mets in the seventh. He struck-out Brantley and Jose Siri before giving up singles to Aledmys Diaz and Jason Castro to put two on for the Astros with two outs. Lugo then struck-out Dauri Lorenzo to get out of the inning.

Both sides went down quietly in the eighth, each putting one runner on via a walk. But no runs came across.

The Mets put their lead-of runner on in the ninth, with Daniel Palka walking to open the inning. But the Astros got out of trouble. The score remained 3-2 Mets after eighth & a half innings.

The Astros looked to rally in the ninth. Adam Ottavino pitched the ninth inning for the Mets. Brantley singled to lead-off the inning. Justin Williams came in to pinch-run for Brantley. Siri then struck out for the first out of the inning. Diaz then walked to put runners on first and second to put the Astros in business. Jason Castro then came to the plate for the Astros. He hit an RBI single on a line drive to right field that scored Williams to tie the game 3-3 and advance Diaz to second. Lorenzo flew out to center field for the second out and advanced Diaz to third.

Rolando Espinosa grounded out to end the inning and end the game in a 3-3 tie.

The Mets close out spring training 2022 on Tuesday at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches against the Washington Nationals.

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