Here’s what we at MMO think.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

David Melendi

Yes! Shohei Ohtani is the favorite, but I can see a narrative building for Lindor as the season comes to an end. He plays shortstop while Ohtani sits in the dugout. A DH for MVP? Of the National League?! Some writers will have to buy pearls to clutch.

Lindor will also have the benefit (hopefully) of playing in big games as the Mets try to clinch a Wild Card spot. 13 of the Mets’ last 16 games are against the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers. Tough competition, and it should provide a playoff atmosphere. If Lindor shines in those games (a few web gems would be helpful) I can see voters contrasting that with Ohtani’s Los Angeles Dodgers playing out the string with a big lead in the NL West.

Chris Bello

A chance? Of course he does! Francisco Lindor is having another spectacular season on both ends of the ball and could become the first shortstop in MLB history to have back-to-back 30/30 seasons. The fWAR will be there and the counting stats as well.

Unfortunately, I don’t think he will. Shohei Ohtani is having an inhuman season with the Dodgers, slashing .309/.400/.628 with 32 homers through 106 games. Barring a major slump from Ohtani and a continuation of Lindor’s torrid stretch, it’s unlikely.

Christian De Block

Francisco Lindor has an uphill climb towards Shohei Ohtani at the top of the MVP race in the National League. Maybe it shouldn’t be that way, though. Ohtani is fantastic and is one of the best pure hitters in the game’s history. But would the Dodgers be okay without him? I certainly think so.

The same cannot be said about the Mets and Lindor. Without him, I really don’t believe this run happens. He has been a sensational leadoff hitter and his leadership has been strong throughout.

A slow start to the season may cost him in the end. But, if the Mets continue to play at this level and Lindor produces game after game, he should be a MVP finalist. No doubt about it.

Johnluke Chaparro

I’m of the firm belief that no matter what Met performs well enough, they’ll never get strong consideration for MVP. It should be noted, though, that Francisco Lindor, like David Wright and Mike Piazza before him, is 100 percent deserving of the award.

Judging by his recent performance and how he’s been one of the main cogs of this Mets turnaround, he’s absolutely a strong candidate for the award. Despite his slow start, he’s been able to become a catalyst for this team as whole. It should be a tight race and crazier things have happened.

100 percent deserving of it and 100 percent should have a chance at the award.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki

Does Lindor have a chance? Yes. Is it likely? Not very. He’s had a fantastic season, but with Shohei Ohtani chasing a Triple Crown, it will be hard for anyone else to take home the hardware. That being said, if Lindor continues to play the way he has over the last couple of months, and the Mets continue to surge, he will merit strong consideration. He still has a long way to go, but don’t count Lindor out in the MVP race.

Patrick Glynn

I think he has a chance for these three reasons:

1) Voters love finding ways to not give awards to certain players who’ve won the award multiple times. It happens across sports. If anyone is even close to Ohtani in deserving it, I think voters would lean into that.
2) Voters also love a narrative. If the Mets make the Wild Card, it’s largely because of Lindor’s performance, especially after such a poor start. Plus, the Mets themselves have had crazy narratives with Grimace, “OMG” and other phenomena.
3) Lindor has been fucking great. He’s currently third in the league in fWAR, he’s played Gold Glove defense and his offense from the shortstop position is among tops in the league. The same could be said for Elly De La Cruz, but Lindor would (hopefully) have a playoff spot to back him up

That’s a lot that needs to go right for Lindor, most of which is out of his hands. But voters are people, and they do weird things. If it’s close and Lindor has an argument, there’s a pretty clear path toward him winning the award.

Jorge Eckhardt

Ultimately … no. For one, he couldn’t even make the All Star team … no way he wins MVP. Sure, he’ll get some down-ballot votes, maybe even a couple third-place ones, but I doubt he receives even a single first-place vote. He’s one of the most disrespected, under-appreciated players in baseball, and I don’t expect that to change. Some good points have been made about Ohtani being only a DH and older writers not wanting to vote a DH for MVP in the National League … but I also doubt those same writers would vote for Lindor on the basis of WAR. He’ll have the WAR to compete, but the offense will be a step behind the other candidates. That’s no slight at Lindor, it’s just the truth. His fWAR is third in the NL, but his OPS is 16th. People love to say they like defense, but when it’s time to prove it … the offense always comes first. Shohei (and his global stardom) is the very clear frontrunner, and players like Bryce Harper, Ketel Marte and Elly De La Cruz — all top five in WAR and top 10 in OPS — are all more likely MVP candidates. But if Lindor can lead the Mets to the playoffs … who cares?

The post MMO Roundtable: Can Francisco Lindor Win NL MVP? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The team from Queens won both games against the Yankees in the Bronx, sweeping the season Subway series for the first time since 2013.

In doing so, the Mets really proved their playoff credentials in a big way. There’s still a lot of baseball to be played, but the Mets, as is currently constituted, look legit. They could be even better with some more bullpen help.

New York is now in sole possession of the second Wild Card spot in the National League. The Mets are also just a game and a half behind the Braves.

Life is pretty damn good if you follow the team based in Queens right now. And, on that note, let’s dive right into the Subway Series edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

3 UP 

BRAGGING RIGHTS

Mets fans have had to watch their team live in the shadows of the Yankees forever. From the day dot, the Yanks have always had top billing in New York City. That’s just the way it has always been. But, after sweeping the 2024 Subway Series and with the once Evil Empire seemingly in downfall, the city belongs to the Mets for now. And we will savor that and enjoy that for as long as it lasts. What makes this success against the cross-town neighbors all the more sweeter is the fact that the Mets absolutely dominated the Yankees in four games, outscoring their rivals 36-14. These Mets look legit and now have the local bragging rights to boot.

MVP CONTENDER

If not for his infamous slow starts, Francisco Lindor may have the National League MVP already wrapped up. Okay, so that is being slightly hyperbolic. However, the point stands that Lindor is playing at an elite level right now, and he deserves to be in the MVP conversation. Period. The star shortstop went off against the Yankees on Wednesday night, blasting two home runs with five RBIs and two runs scored. Lindor is the straw that stirs the drink for the Mets offense. He’s hitting .256/.336/.464 with a .800 OPS, 19 home runs and 55 RBIs. Lindor is only the second player in baseball to have recorded at least 20 homers and 20 stolen bases, behind Shohei Ohtani.

Lindor also ranks third in fWAR (4.9) in the National League behind Elly De La Cruz (5.1) and Ohtani (5.3). Furthermore, Lindor’s eight outs above average ranks third among MLB shortstops. Granted, Ohtani is probably still the favorite to win the NL MVP once all is said and done. But, having elevated his game and carried this team since moving to the leadoff spot, Lindor deserves to be in the discussion at the very least.

CLUTCH HEROICS 

Most Mets fans, if not all, have probably cussed out Jake Diekman at some point this year. The lefty has not had a good year, to put it mildly. Entering the Subway Series, Diekman’s ERA stood at an ugly 5.28, while he had issued 23 walks. To make matters worse, Diekman was going up against a lethal two-headed monster in Juan Soto and Aaron Judge, armed with just a one-run lead on Tuesday night.

Well, baseball can be a pretty strange game. And we saw plenty of evidence of this in the ninth inning. Against all odds, Diekman was able to get the job done. Despite walking Soto, and with the tying run on base, he mustered his best stuff of the year to strike out Judge – and then retire Ben Rice – to end the game to the shock of all those inside Yankee Stadium. It was dramatic baseball at its very best. Furthermore, Diekman’s defiant staredown of Judge – one of the best hitters in the game – could go down as one of the defining images of the year if the Mets can accomplish something special this year.

Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN

MAN DOWN

The Mets have seemingly avoided the worst-case scenario with rookie starter Christian Scott. But that doesn’t mean the overall situation still isn’t bad. The young righty will be shut down for two weeks with a sprained UCL. Again, complete disaster avoided.

However, UCLs can be funny old things, and Scott’s return timescale will depend on how he responds to rest and treatment over the next couple of weeks. The Mets were already going to have to be careful with their young starter’s workload, and this setback raises the stakes. Tommy John surgery could still be an option, too. If Scott doesn’t respond well and needs surgery, that will put even more pressure on the returning Kodai Senga to help keep this rotation afloat.

NOT GOING THE DISTANCE

The reason why Scott’s absence – no matter how long or short – is so concerning is the fragile nature of the rest of the rotation. We don’t know what to expect from Senga. José Quintana has been up and down this year – he gave up another homer on Tuesday – and Sean Manaea continues to trend downwards. The veteran didn’t even last five innings on Wednesday, giving up a pair of homers and walking four. His lack of length meant an already taxed bullpen had to undertake a large chunk of the workload the rest of the way. Manaea has now given up 10 earned runs in his last three starts. Not exactly what you want from one of the key pieces of your starting rotation.

NIMMO STRUGGLES

It’s tough to pick three down in this situation, but Brandon Nimmo went 0-for-9 in the series. The Mets’ stud outfielder is only 2-for-25 with 13 strikeouts in the second half. Strikeouts are up for Nimmo this season, but the home runs and stolen bases are too. I’m willing to bet Nimmo will be just fine in the upcoming four-game series with the Braves.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Are The Kings Of New York appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

On Wednesday night, Francisco Lindor hit his 20th and 21st home run of the season — now the second player in Major League Baseball to surpass 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases—the only other player to have at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases, Shohei Ohtani. While Ohtani is the current favorite to win the National League MVP, Lindor has entered the conversation. His 4.9 fWAR is ranked third in the National League behind Elly De La Cruz (5.1) and Shohei Ohtani (5.3), and has done serious damage since Mets manager Carlos Mendoza moved him to the leadoff spot full-time.

Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

How Lindor ranks among NL hitters since May 18th (move to leadoff spot):

• 1st – 4.1 fWAR (2nd is Ketel Marte at 2.8)
• 2nd – 171 wRC+
• 4th – 14 HR
• 5th -14 SB
• 9th – 39 RBI

Lindor is one of the most respected players in the league due to his production on the field, but one thing that shines above all is leadership. While Ohtani is at the top of the league in virtually every offensive category, one of Lindor’s best qualities may put him in the MVP conversation. On May 29th, after Ohtani’s Dodgers blew out the Mets, Lindor called a team meeting to address the elephant in the room, and since then, the entire season has changed not just for the Mets (31-15) but for Lindor’s on-field performance.

The post Lindor Is Making A Push For MVP appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Major League Baseball announced Sunday evening that Mets first baseman Pete Alonso will once again participate in the home run derby.

This will be the fifth-straight derby Alonso has participated in. He is looking for his third title. Alonso joins Alec Bohm of the Phillies and Gunnar Henderson of the Orioles among players confirmed for the event.

Alonso ranks 15th in the majors in home runs with 15. He is the Mets lone All-Star representative.

Original Post –

Sunday evening, Major League Baseball announced the reserves and pitchers selected to the All-Star game. In a surprising development, Pete Alonso was named the Mets’ lone representative. This while Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor were snubbed.

Alonso, by his lofty standards has not had his best year. Entering Sunday’s game, he owned an wRC+ and OPS both below his career averages. Additionally, he is only on pace for 33 home runs, a number that would be a career-low, not counting the COVID-shortened season. Regardless, his numbers as a whole are still above league average. This is Alonso’s third-straight All-Star appearance and fourth overall.

Nimmo, along with Lindor, appeared to be the more deserving Mets candidates. Entering Sunday, Nimmo ranked third among all National League outfielders in fWAR. Meanwhile, Lindor ranked second in fWAR among National League shortstops trailing on Elly De La Cruz.

In the National League, Trea Turner got voted in as the starter and De La Cruz as well as CJ Abrams was elected as a reserve over Lindor. Meanwhile, Christian Yelich, Jurickson Profar, and Fernando Tatis Jr. all got voted in to start in the outfield while Jackson Merrill, Heliot Ramos, and Bryan Reynolds were named reserves over Nimmo. Bryce Harper, deservingly voted in as a starter, joins Pete Alonso and reserved-named Freddie Freeman as the National League’s first baseman.

When comparing the three Mets versus each other, Nimmo leads the Mets in fWAR with Lindor closely behind. Meanwhile, Alonso checks in sixth, largely weighed down by his porous defense this season. Both Nimmo and Lindor continue their streak of not being named to an All-Star game as a Met. Lindor made four-straight All-Star appearances with Cleveland from 2016 through 2019.

The All-Star game is slated for Tuesday, July 16 at 8:00 pm ET. The game is being held at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

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Break up the Mets! They’ve won two games in a row!

After starting the season 0-5 the Mets have won their last two games. On Thursday evening they won the second game of a doubleheader scoring two runs in the bottom of the ninth. On Friday evening they squeaked by the Reds 3-2. There’s a trend starting to emerge – the pitching is carrying the team while the offense struggles. The last thing the Mets need is for the pitchers to feel the pressure to be perfect at all times. Playing in Cincinnati is a great way to wake up the bats, let’s hope today is the day!

Luis Severino. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Mets Lineup

1. Brandon Nimmo DH
2. Francisco Lindor SS
3. Pete Alonso 1B
4. Brett Baty 3B
5. Starling Marte RF
6. Tyrone Taylor LF
7. Jeff McNeil 2B
8. Harrison Bader CF
9. Omar Narváez C

Luis Severino makes his second start for the orange and blue this afternoon. In his first start, he allowed six runs, three earned, off of 11 hits. The defense was shaky behind him and it led to Severino having to throw a lot more over his five innings of work than he would have liked. On the positive side, he didn’t walk anyone and struck out six batters. His first start of the season last year was against the Reds and he held them to one run over 4 2/3 innings giving up four hits and a walk while striking out five. The Reds have the following career numbers against him:

• Jeimer Candelario 1-10, 2B, 5 K
• Will Benson 0-2, K
• Santiago Espinal 1-6, 2B, 3 K
• Stuart Fairchild 2-3, HR
• Jake Fraley 0-2
• Jonathan India 0-2, 2 BB
• Luke Maile 3-10, BB, 2 K
• Nick Martini 1-3, K
• Spencer Steer 1-2, 2B
• Tyler Stephenson 0-0, BB
• Bubba Thompson 0-2

Opposing Lineup

1. Jonathan India 2B
2. Will Benson CF
3. Christian Encarnacion-Strand 1B
4. Jeimer Candelario 3B
5. Jake Fraley RF
6. Elly De La Cruz SS
7. Spencer Steer LF
8. Nick Martini DH
9. Tyler Stephenson C

Nick Martinez gets the start today for the Reds. In his first game, he allowed three runs from six hits over five innings. He’s coming off of a year where he was mostly used as a reliever with the Padres but made six nine starts over his 63 appearances. He logged a total of 110 1/3 innings with a 3.43 ERA, 3.92 FIP, 1.260 WHIP, and a 119 ERA+ (career best). This includes pitching against the Mets on back-to-back days where he allowed a hit, two walks, and nothing else over two innings of work. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 1-1, HR, BB
• Harrison Bader 1-4
• Francisco Lindor 2-3, 2B
• Starling Marte 0-4
• Jeff McNeil 0-1
• Omar Narváez 0-1, BB, K
• Brandon Nimmo 0-3, BB, K
• Tyrone Taylor 1-3, 2B
• Joey Wendle 0-4, K

Game Notes

• Carlos Mendoza told the media pregame that Tylor Megill will have his shoulder reevaluated in the next couple of days. If all goes well, the righty will begin a throwing program.
• Last night, Edwin Díaz recorded his first save since October 4, 2022. He allowed an unearned run, walking one and striking out one. In four appearances this season, Díaz owns a 0.00 ERA (4.0 IP) with one hit, one walk, and six strikeouts…His 206 saves are the fourth-most among active players.
• Overall, New York’s bullpen has posted a 2.12 ERA (7 ER/29.2 IP) with 11 walks and 33 strikeouts. The team’s 2.12 ERA is the best in the National League.

Three Things To Watch For

1. The Mets and runners in scoring position. The Mets have struggled with two things this season – getting runners in scoring position and having runners score from scoring position. The first game on Thursday was an example of the latter problem, the Mets as a team went 2-for-17 with RISP. In the nightcap, the Mets went 1-for-3, failing to get runners to scoring position in the first place. Yesterday was a mix of both problems with the Mets going 0-for-5.
2. Mets bullpen usage. Thank the baseball gods for Reed Garrett who pitched three innings for the Mets on Thursday night, after the Mets had to use practically their entire bullpen in the first game. Last night the Mets had four pitchers go out of the pen, all pitching on back-to-back days. Realistically, the three freshest arms for tonight’s game are Yohan Ramírez (who hasn’t pitched since his suspension), Jake Diekman (11 pitches Thursday), and Jorge López (6 pitches Thursday).
3. Brett Baty comeback season. Brett had two of the four Mets hits yesterday and made some critical plays on the field. He has now recorded a hit in five of seven games this season and has reached base in six consecutive games. Since striking out four times in the first three games he has struck out only two times in the last four games.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Chat: Mets vs Reds, 4:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Over 1.5 million fans attended @MLB games this weekend for a third consecutive weekend, leading to the first back-to-back weekends of at least 35,000 fans per game since 2015. pic.twitter.com/4xEn97KaIT

— MLB Communications (@MLB_PR) June 26, 2023

There could be a few reasons for the strong attendance, including:

Impact of Rule Changes

Games are faster this season, down 27 minutes from last year (average of 2 hours and 39 minutes vs. 3 hours and 6 minutes). The pitch clock is largely responsible for this, aided in part by the “two disengagement from the pitching rubber” rule. Also, the accountability for time on both sides (hitters must be ready with eight seconds on the clock) factors in, as batters no longer can step out of the box after every pitch.

The infield shift restriction may be a reason why there are more hits in games in 2023, with an average of 7.2 hits per game this year compared to 6.8 hits per game in 2022. With more hits, there are more runs per game in 2023, with an average of 4.59 runs per team per game in 2023, versus 4.28 last season. Stolen base attempts and success rates have also increased in 2023 (the disengagement rule). Teams are trying to steal .89 times per game this year with a success rate of nearly 80%. Those numbers were .65 and 73% in 2022.

Are fans flocking to games in greater numbers because the pace is faster and there’s more on-field action? That may part of the reason, but the resurgence (and in some cases, unexpected resurgence) of some teams may be a bigger factor.

Teams Doing Better at the Gate

MLB has a few teams outperforming most expectations this season, such as the Cincinnati Reds, Baltimore Orioles, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Fast games and stolen bases are nice, but fans respond to winning baseball. Let’s take a look at a few specifics.

Jul 30, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India (6) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Reds averaged 17,477 fans per game in 2022. So far this season, they’ve averaged 21,311, and that will likely increase as exciting players like Elly De La Cruz continue to emerge for the surging Reds. The Pirates, who have been inconsistent yet find themselves in the thick of the postseason race, are up over 3,000 per game over 2022. The surprising Orioles are also up 3,000 fans per game this season. The Rays have drawn almost 4,000 more customers per game this year than last. The Rangers are up 5,000 attendees per game this year, and the Diamondbacks have attracted over 2,000 more through their gates per game in 2023 than they did in 2022. Full attendance figures can be found at ESPN.com.

How about the Mets? So far, about 1,000 more people have gone through the Citi Field turnstiles per game in 2023 than in 2022. This is likely the result of robust ticket sales before the season began, stemming from high expectations after the signings of Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and José Quintana.  However, with the team’s recent abysmal play, there may be more empty seats in Queens in the coming months.

While many things have changed in baseball, one thing definitely remains constant. The best way to fill your ballpark is by putting a winning product on the field.

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