Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

When the Mets signed John Curtiss last season, they took a low-risk approach to gaining cheap and effective production out of the bullpen in 2023 as he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery at the time.

Curtiss, who will turn 30 in April, is set to earn $775,000 this season as the Mets picked up his team option during the offseason. He has played for a number of teams in his career that include: the Twins, Angels, Rays, Marlins, and Brewers.

Most notably, Curtiss found success with the Rays in the shortened 2020 season, in which he posted a 1.80 ERA with 25 strikeouts in as many innings while accumulating a WHIP of 0.960. Consequently, he picked up right where he left off with Miami the following season, in which he had an ERA of 2.48 and a WHIP of 1.075 in 40 innings with 40 strikeouts.

However, things quickly went south for Curtiss when he joined the Brewers as part of a mid-season trade. He only pitched 4.1 innings for the club as he received his Tommy John surgery diagnosis shortly after.

As is the case with many athletes, the road to recovery for Curtiss was a very formative experience for his life and career. Since he had a lot of free time on his hands, he was able to pick up a new hobby and add a new pitch to his repertoire in the process. In fact, according to an article by Abbey Mastracco of New York Daily News, Curtiss became infatuated with Formula 1, which is a popular international auto-racing sport. More importantly, Curtiss learned how to throw a changeup as he was not allowed to throw any breaking balls while rehabbing. He worked meticulously with Mets rehab pitching coach Dakota Herman on developing one since he had no other options at the time. Consequently, it will be interesting to see if this new pitch will be useful for Curtiss this upcoming season.

Up to this point in spring training, Curtiss has logged a series of 1-2-3 outings in which he has struck out 3. While the sample size is small, Curtiss has looked sharp with the signs pointing in the right direction. As a result, he is certainly making a case to be a part of the bullpen on opening day.  While he has only pitched 86.2 innings in MLB, his recent trends in the right direction show that he can be a formidable middle relief option that has the potential to grow into a more meaningful role as he gains more experience.

The post Examining the Potential Impact of John Curtiss in the Mets’ Bullpen appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Aug 22, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets centerfielder Brandon Nimmo (9) waves to Javier B‡ez (not pictured) after scoring on his first inning double against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

While we all await the conclusion of #C0rreawatch, the Mets first regular season game is suddenly only 85 days away. With the MLB implementing a new  schedule approach in 2023, the Mets schedule will look different than it ever has before, with less divisional games and matchups against every MLB opponent from both leagues.

Since we are now officially in 2023, I took a look at the first half of the Mets 2023 schedule to see where they can potentially feast on bad teams (although we saw how that worked out at times last season), or when they will have to be playing their best to keep up with elite competition or divisional rivals.

Let’s see what the Mets have in store for the first half of the upcoming season.

March/April

The Mets begin their season in Miami on March 30 and actually play six of their first nine games against Miami, with a series in Milwaukee sandwiched in between.  Those games will be important if the Mets want to get off to a good start, as their April schedule is a bit of a beast.

In addition to that tricky road series against the Brew Crew, the Mets also play the Padres in their second home series of the year from April 10-12. Then, after three in Oakland against Trevor May and the A’s, the Mets will make their annual visit to Dodger Stadium from April 17-19 before four in San Francisco against Michael Conforto and the Giants.

The Mets finish out the month with a series against the Nats before their first matchup against the Braves of the year at Citi Field, meaning they will play 16 games in April against teams projected to be competitive in the National League.

May

The good news for the Mets is that their May schedule looks to be much more manageable.

New York will bookend the month with the fourth game of the aforementioned Braves series and the first two of their first series against the Phillies, but in between, there are many winnable games to be had. The Mets play the Colorado Rockies six times in May, starting with three at Citi Field from May 5-7 and then three later in the month in Coors Field from May 26-28.

The Mets also play series against teams expected to be non-competitive next season like the Tigers (May 2-4), the Reds (May 9-11),  and the Nationals (May 12-15). The middle of the month also sees some intriguing, but winnable series against teams like the Rays (May 16-18), the Guardians (May 19-21), and the Cubs (May 23-25).

June

In June, the Mets would be highly advised to take care of business in their series in Pittsburgh  the 9-11th, because there are no other easy matchups to come.

The Mets June schedule sees them take on the Blue Jays , Yankees, Cardinals, and Brewers at home, while they face off against the Braves, Phillies, and defending World Series champion Astros on the road.

If New York fails to take advantage of its light May schedule, June could become a serious challenge if they want to keep pace in the division.

July

Before the MLB All-Star game on July 11, the Mets will make their way through three-fifths of the NL West in July.

First, the Mets play again against the Giants from June 30-July 2. Then, the Amazins’ will finish out the month with three in Arizona against the Diamondbacks and three in San Diego.

All told, the Mets don’t exactly have it easy in the first half of their schedule. While it’s possible some teams projected to be at the top of the standings will disappoint, the Mets have a severe lack of easy series against projected bottom feeders in the first half.

Still, with the schedule now being more balanced, other teams will face tougher schedules next season as well. If the Mets play up to the talent they have on their roster, the quality of the opponents won’t matter and they should still have a successful first half.

However, if the Mets get off to a slow start or experience injuries early, they could find themselves in a hole they will have to dig out of if they want to win their first NL East title since 2015.

The post Examining the First Half of the Mets 2023 Schedule appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

After the news of Jacob deGrom signing a five-year deal with the Texas Rangers on Friday night, several are now curious as to how the Mets are going to address their rotation. Well, even before the deGrom news, it was no secret that the Mets had some rebuilding to do in hopes to improve their starting rotation. This all due to deGrom, Chris Bassitt, and Taijuan Walker becoming free agents, subsequently leaving at least two gaping holes.

Well, one of the names New York has seemingly been tied to most this off-season is not a pitcher in the upper echelon of names, but one that would bring nice stability to the middle of the rotation. That being former Pittsburgh Pirates’ hurler Jameson Taillon. The Mets were first rumored on Taillon a few weeks ago, and after the deGrom deal, as recently as Saturday by several in the industry.

Worth prefacing, an acquisition of a pitcher of Taillon’s level would not stop the Mets from acquiring a pitcher from the upper echelon of the market. As SNY reported on Friday night, the Mets are expected to sign/acquire two starting pitchers. One top-tier starter and one from he mid-level Taillon tier.

Why Would Taillon Be A Fit? 

Taillon is your prototypical middle-of-the-rotation pitcher. His numbers throughout his career has always resembled such. Throughout the 31-year-old’s six-year career, his ERA has been no lower than 3.20 but no higher than 4.44. Meanwhile, his FIP has no lower than 3.46 and no higher than 4.43. He has been the definition of consistency throughout his career.

Taillon’s stuff maxes out at around 94 MPH. Similar to potentially former Mets’ pitcher Chris Bassitt, he builds his game upon consistently blending six different pitches. Last season, he threw his four-seam fastball 35.7% of the time. Meanwhile, the other five pitches he threw at a rate between 8.5% and 18.8% of the time. His game is built on keeping opposing hitters guessing on what is coming. This explains why the rate at which opponents chase Taillon’s pitches has been in the league’s 60th percentile or better every season he has been in the major leagues.

Further to his style of pitching, Taillon is not exactly a strikeout inducer. His strikeout rate in his career has fluttered in the low 20% range to even the high teens. This figure has usually ranked slightly below the league’s 50th percentile. On the other sides of things, Taillon does not walk batters. His walk rate last year was the second lowest of his career and ranked all the way in the league’s 94th percentile. This has been a theme in his career.

Overall, throughout his career, Taillon has consistently shown himself to be an effective third-or-fourth starter in any rotation. He relies on a plethora of different pitches to invoke chasing and, at his best, soft contact. He does not blow hitters away, but is effective enough to turn in value equivalent to a strong middle-of-the-rotation starter.

Potential Concerns 

There are two main concerns surrounding the right-handed Florida native. These being Taillon’s struggles with injuries throughout his career, and the likelihood that the contract he receives does not exactly match up with his true value as a third-or-fourth slotted pitcher.

Taillon missed both the 2014 and 2015 seasons with surgeries, one of which was Tommy John. Then, in 2017, he had to be shut down as he was treated for testicular cancer. Thankfully, Taillon was back and fully healthy for a full 2018 season before injury unfortunately struck again in 2019. He had surgery to address a forearm issue and to make revisions on his UCL which was repaired during his Tommy John surgery back in 2014. His recovery knocked him out for the duration of the 2020 season as well.

The past two seasons with the Yankees, Taillon has been relatively healthy throwing 144 1/3 innings and 177 1/3 innings. In evaluating whether or not a long-term deal should be extended to Taillon, this should certainly be taken into consideration.

The big question surrounding Taillon is how much he is going to get paid. All of the reports have referenced that he is going to be in for a huge payday. And given how the starting pitcher market has been trending, this appears all but certain. How much, realistically, should you be paying for a middle-of-the-rotation reliever?

Fangraphs has Taillon projected at a three-year, $36-million deal. Meanwhile, MLB Trade Rumors is projecting a four-years, $56-million contract. The $14 million a season deal is more likely, and given the market, it would not be surprising to see a figure surpass that projection.

For comparison’s sake, Carlos Carrasco, one of the Mets’ projected current middle-of-the-rotation pitchers, is scheduled to make $14 million this upcoming season. This appears to be a very fair price for Carrasco, especially when you take in account a buy out worth $3 million essentially making him worth $11 million. Expect Taillon’s number to surpass this figure, comfortably.

Final Thoughts

As he been described in detail above, no doubt the 31-year-old Taillon can serve as an effective middle-of-the-rotation piece. He, when healthy, has shown to be very consistent, and given his age, would not be a one-or-two year-and-done type of player. He would be a fixture, unless due to injury, for years to come.

Though, there is some concern. The deal Taillon is bound to receive will likely automatically be perceived as an overpay due to market conditions. Though, that is the risk you take when you have to address a very desolate rotation in the off-season. Though, even at the potential price, he would still be a better option than say guys like Sean Manaea, Ross Stripling, Corey Kluber, Tylor Megill, etc.

Let’s say the Mets do convert on what was reported by SNY above and sign two pitchers. One in the upper-echelon tier, and one on the Taillon level. This is what New York’s rotation can look like next season:

1. Max Scherzer
2. Carlos Rodon / Justin Verlander
3. Jameson Taillon
4. Carlos Carrasco
5. David Peterson

Of course, there are several other pitchers available on the market. Regardless, it will certainly be interesting to see what direction general manager Billy Eppler and his staff take.

The post Further Examining Jameson Taillon’s Potential Fit With The Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jake Mangum, Photo by Richard Nelson

Though the primary focus of the Mets’ offseason will be squarely on the big-ticket acquisitions, the moves made on the margins can sometimes prove to be just as important.

The winter baseball calendar lends itself to these transactions, from the non-tender deadline to the Rule 5 Draft. It’s the latter that comes into focus as the date to add eligible players to the 40-man roster to shield them from the Draft is next Tuesday, Nov. 15. The Draft itself will be held at the Winter Meetings on Dec. 7.

First, a quick refresher on the rules. Minor Leaguers become eligible at either the fourth Draft after their original signing (if they were 19 or older at the time) or the fifth Draft (if they were 18 or younger). Players on the 40-man roster are exempt, hence the importance of the protection deadline. If selected, a player must remain on his new team’s Major League roster for the entire upcoming season, or else he’s offered back to his original team.

There is also a Minor League phase of the Draft in which the same group of eligibles are up for selection, minus the 40-man roster and a 38-man Triple-A roster which typically includes any prospect of at least slight relevance. Players picked in this phase aren’t forced to remain on a specific roster and can’t be offered back to their original organization.

An example of how these otherwise small moves can have a significant impact: The Mets selected right-handed pitcher Adam Oller from the Giants in the *Minor League* phase of the 2019 Rule 5 Draft, which was strictly seen as an organizational depth move considering he had been in the independent leagues a few months earlier.

After the 2020 Minor League season was canceled, though, Oller ascended to relevance within the system with a breakout 2021 season, after which the Mets added him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the *Major League* phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Just a few days after that offseason’s lockout was lifted, Oller was one of two players traded to Oakland for Chris Bassitt, whose impact on the 2022 Mets was obviously significant.

With that, let’s examine the eligible players that the Mets will have to consider before Tuesday’s deadline.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

ALREADY ADDED TO THE 40-MAN ROSTER

Francisco Álvarez, C
Brett Baty, 3B
Bryce Montes de Oca, RP

After protecting Mark Vientos and Ronny Mauricio last offseason, this cycle was shaping up to be another notable one for the Mets with Álvarez and Baty becoming eligible. The decision (not that there was ever going to be one) was made ahead of time, as both players made their MLB debuts in the second half this year.

Montes de Oca, who missed the first three years of his professional career with injuries and then struggled with walks, proved to be too dominant at Triple-A to be anything other than a lock to be added. That suspicion was confirmed when he was called up to the Majors in September.

STRONG CHANCE TO BE ADDED

Jake Mangum, CF

Since the Mets already added their blue chip prospects to the 40-man roster during the season, there aren’t any other firm locks, though Mangum is as close as they get. This wasn’t trending positively at the beginning of the season — when, at 26 years old, he was sent to repeat Double-A — and still isn’t clear now — he isn’t listed among the organization’s top 30 prospects at any major outlet and will be 27 on Opening Day next year.

But Mangum is certainly forcing the issue. After returning from a back injury, he finished the year with a 22-game stretch at Triple-A in which he hit .333 with an .856 OPS and continued playing the stellar defense that has become routine throughout his time in the organization.

Mangum is very much the type of player that becomes valuable when left exposed in the Rule 5 Draft. It’s easy to picture his strong glove, speed and contact-first hitting approach being attractive to a rebuilding team like Oakland or Miami. And at his age, it’s essentially now or never.

If Mangum does get added to the 40-man roster, don’t confuse it with an appointment to be Brandon Nimmo’s replacement. The best-case scenario is having useful Triple-A depth, something that has escaped Mets front offices in recent years.

Photo by Ed Delany

WILL WARRANT CONSIDERATION

William Lugo, 3B
Stanley Consuegra, OF
Javier Atencio, LHP
Dedniel Núñez, RHP

The 20-year-old Lugo quietly had one of the most impressive seasons among Mets Minor League hitters in 2022, setting up an interesting decision regarding his Rule 5 status. Originally signed for $475,000 in 2018 using international bonus money from the Jeurys Familia trade earlier that summer, Lugo hit 14 home runs and posted a 121 wRC+ between St. Lucie and Brooklyn.

Would the Mets protect a player that hasn’t even reached Double-A? That’s a question they’ll also have to answer with Consuegra — a toolsy outfielder currently playing in the Arizona Fall League after an up-and-down regular season that finished in Brooklyn — and Atencio, a southpaw who put up strong numbers as a 20-year-old in St. Lucie.

At 26, Núñez is closer to Mangum on the age spectrum of Mets eligibles. The right-hander was actually selected in the 2020 Rule 5 Draft by the Giants but spent the entire 2021 season on the IL after needing Tommy John surgery and was ultimately returned last November. Núñez spent most of the year at Double-A Binghamton and struck out 32 percent of batters with a fastball that had returned to the upper 90s. It’s not difficult to envision him contributing to a Major League bullpen in 2023.

Carlos Cortes, Photo by Ed Delany

NOTABLES WHO WON’T BE ADDED (FIRST-TIMERS*)

Jeffrey Colón, RHP*
Carlos Cortes, LF
Brendan Hardy, RHP*
Nick Meyer, C
Luis Moreno, RHP*
Jaylen Palmer, CF*
Jose Peroza, 3B
Luke Ritter, 2B*
Junior Santos, RHP*
Hayden Senger, C
Jordany Ventura, RHP*
Josh Walker, LHP

More than anything, a player reaching Rule 5 eligibility is a sort of checkpoint for assessing where he is along the development track. Since Minor Leaguers can become free agents after their seventh pro season, reaching Rule 5 essentially starts a countdown to determining whether that player has a Major League future or not.

It’s going to be difficult for players like Cortes, Palmer, Santos and Senger — once among the top 15-20 prospects in the organization — to regain that status without incredible performances between now and their free agency date after the 2024 season.

The Mets aren’t short on open 40-man roster spots and they aren’t overflowing with potential adds, so there likely won’t be any bombshells this cycle. Mangum is looking more and more likely to be in line for a nod and there’s a possibility we’ll see another from the second group as well.

The post Examining Mets Rule 5 Decisions Ahead of Protection Deadline appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The catcher position has long been a topic of discussion in Mets circles due to constant underperformance and a perceived lack of high-end talent, but that narrative may be about to change. Top prospect Francisco Álvarez is a beacon of hope for the future and has the potential to be a stalwart, but we shouldn’t be forgetting about the value that Tomás Nido brings to the table either, particularly on defense. Because of his work with the glove, he was nominated for the NL’s Rawlings Gold Glove Award at catcher alongside J.T. Realmuto and Travis d’Arnaud. Each player has a compelling body of work that could help bring home the hardware, and we’re going to analyze their profiles to see how Nido stacks up against the competition. 

It’s tough to pin down what exactly voters base their decisions on, but let’s take a look at last year’s Gold Glove race in the NL to provide a bit more insight. The nominees were Jacob Stallings, Yadier Molina and Realmuto, with Stallings ultimately winning the award. He finished with the highest Defensive Runs Saved total of the three at 21 while also recording the best defensive runs above average total at 16.4 according to Fangraphs. Stallings also came out on top in Fangraphs Catcher Framing metric at 8.8 as well as in Baseball Prospectus’s Blocking Runs (BlkR) metric at 1.4, which led the league. 

On the flip side, Stallings recorded the worst fielding percentage, caught stealing percentage and catcher’s earned run average in addition to the most errors among the three finalists. This doesn’t signal that those stats have no validity or aren’t relevant, as what the voting results are based on appears to be incredibly fluid and can change on a year-to-year basis. In many ways though, it provides an example of what is valued in today’s game as the world of advanced defensive stats continues to be ironed out and contextualized.

Moving on to this year’s finalists, let’s start with Nido. Baseball Prospectus offers a resounding approval of his season as he ranked first among the field in their metrics for Fielding Runs Above Average (16.8), Framing Runs (15.3) and Catcher Defensive Adjustment (16.9). He also finished in the highest percentile for framing by Baseball Savant, a product of having the fifth-highest strike rate in the league among qualified players. The knock against his résumé is the fact that he had the lowest caught stealing rate at 21% and that he boasted the lowest workload of the three candidates.

As for Realmuto, he lagged behind both Nido and d’Arnaud in a number of categories. He finished last in Framing Runs by both Baseball Prospectus (10.2) and Baseball Savant (0) while suffering the same fate in Fangraphs’ framing metric as well (1.1). His .993 fielding percentage and 8 errors also represented the worst marks among the three. However, his 18.3 defensive runs above average, 11 Defensive Runs Saved, 0.8 Blocking Runs and 44% caught stealing rate paced the other candidates, leaving room for him to be considered as a potential winner of the award.

d’Arnaud presents a fascinating dilemma in that he was tops among the finalists in the more surface-level stats while mostly failing to stand out analytically. He had the least amount of errors with two and ended the season with the highest fielding percentage at .998. In addition, his 3.35 catcher’s earned run average ranked ahead of the other two finalists. Only his framing rated out favorably in terms of his advanced numbers, as his 10 Framing Runs and 8.9 Catcher Framing totals were better than both Nido and Realmuto’s. On the other hand, his pop time, Blocking Runs (0.2), Defensive Runs Saved (6) and Catcher Defensive Adjustment (11.0) numbers were the worst among the field.

This year’s Gold Glove race at catcher in the NL is tightly contested. Realmuto would be the favorite if Stallings’ 2021 season were a true blueprint, as he finished first in three of the same categories that Stallings did (Defensive Runs Saved, Blocking Runs and defensive runs above average), but it isn’t that simple. While that is one of the most recent instances of the award being given out, the voters this year could just as easily respect d’Arnaud’s consistent play and the fact that he stands out in your typical metrics at the position or could reward Nido’s ability to help his pitchers out by stealing strikes at such a high rate.

Nido offers the most balanced profile of the three and thus may be an appealing option, but the name value also can’t be ignored when it comes to the Gold Glove award. Realmuto is a former winner and All-Star level player much like d’Arnaud, and both players have more notable numbers than Nido from a relatability standpoint with the voters. For example, Realmuto’s caught stealing percentage and d’Arnaud’s lack of errors likely mean more than Nido’s framing prowess whether that’s the right perspective or not.

This isn’t to say that Nido is out of the running or can’t win, because that would be both speculation and wildly irresponsible. He had a tremendous season and was deserving of the nomination, but when considering the history behind the award, it’s safe to say that he’s an underdog.

Winners will be announced live on MLB Network on Tuesday, starting at 5 p.m. All winners will be revealed before Game 4 of the World Series begins.

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After a victory in a win-or-go-home Game 2, the New York Mets will face elimination once again Sunday night in Game 3. After a stellar performance by Jacob deGrom Saturday, the Mets will turn to their third starter, Chris Bassitt. On the other side of things, the San Diego Padres will turn to the right-handed Joe Musgrove.

Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Musgrove 

After coming over from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Musgrove’s performances were rewarded with a five-year, $100 million extension in August. He has been well worth it so far, emerging as a terrific number two or three starter a part of a strong San Diego rotation. His 2.93 ERA this season is a pretty good indicator of his performance as his underlying xERA and xFIP of 3.27 and 3.49, respectively, indicate those results have been warranted.

Musgrove has pretty much done everything well a successful pitcher needs to do. He limits hard contact, strikes hitters out, and does not walk batters. This evident by an average exit velocity and hard hit rates that are both above the league’s 88th percentile. His strikeout rate is a little higher than his career average, and his walk rate is one of the lowest of his career. These figures are good for the league’s 65th percentile (K%) and 82nd percentile (BB%).

The California native is not the hardest thrower, but blends his top pitches terrifically. He has thrown four different pitches – slider, four-seam fastball, cutter, and curveball – at least 19% of the time. Each of these pitches have worked superbly for Musgrove, none of the four have a BAA over .229. Musgrove blends his pitches well and it keeps hitters guessing resulting in strikeouts looking and soft contact.

Over his career, his splits have been relatively even. Both right-handed and left-handed hitters batting about .240 off him. This year, for whatever reason, right-handed hitters have actually fared much better against Musgrove. Right-handed batters are hitting .254, meanwhile, .203 by left handers.

Overall, throughout the career, the Mets have always had his number. In 29 1/3 innings pitched against New York, he owns a 5.83 ERA and has given up a BAA of .283. This year, the Mets faced Musgrove once, on July 24th in Queens, he allowed four runs from five hits and two walks over 5 1/3 innings. Hopefully this theme continues Sunday night.

Lastly, like his teammates Yu Darvish and Blake Snell, Musgrove has been lights out lately. Over 22 innings in his last four starts, he has allowed only one run and 15 hits while striking out 27 batters (0.48 ERA, 2.48 FIP). He is in arguably the best form of his career entering Sunday night.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Bassitt

Throughout the season, Bassitt has been the Mets’ most reliable starting pitcher. He has pitched to a 3.42 ERA with metrics that back up that figure has been deserved. He set career highs in strikeouts and innings pitched en route to a season that any team would want to see from a third starter.

Like Musgrove, Bassitt has relied heavily on inducing soft contact. This evident by an average exit velocity and hard hit rates that are both above the league’s 87th percentile. Also, much like his counterpart, Bassitt has done a great job blending five different pitches, keeping the opposition on his toes.

As has been harped on, Bassitt made two starts against San Diego this season. Each have gone much differently. In San Diego, he allowed seven runs and eight hits while walking two over 3 1/3 innings. Then, in Queens, he held the Padres to two runs via four hits while striking out 11 over seven innings.

Bassitt will hope Sunday evening’s start against San Diego will go much like his second against the Padres did earlier in the season. And not like it did in his first start at Petco Park went or his last start of the regular season against the Braves. As has been well documented, in Bassitt’s biggest start in a Mets’ uniform, he struggled tremendously in Atlanta (2 2/3 innings pitched, four runs). He had control issues and got burned with runners on base.

Against a Padres time that seems unwilling to swing the bat at time, Bassitt must have his best control. As a whole this season, his 68th percentile BB% indicates he has had pretty strong control. The Mets certainly hope this is the case tonight, as San Diego’s offense thrives on forcing walks and being very patient at the plate. However, when they do swing, they can be vulnerable.

Final Thoughts

On the surface, it appears the Padres should have the edge here when it comes to starting pitching. Musgrove has had a stronger year than Bassitt. Though, as Mets’ fans has seen in the past, sometimes what appears on the surface has absolutely no bearing on what actually happens. Regardless, Sunday night pins two strong pitchers against eachother.

The post Examining The Decisive Game 3 Pitching Matchup appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The upcoming series between the Mets and Braves has been circled on the calendar since the start of the summer when it was clear they were the two best teams in the National League East and these three games would likely be meaningful.

The Mets were carried by the offense of Eduardo Escobar and terrific work from their bullpen on Wednesday night to erase a 4-0 deficit to the Marlins to win on a walk-off single. Shortly before Escobar ended the game with an RBI single, Nationals’ young shortstop CJ Abrams beat the Braves with a walk-off single of his own.

That sets the stage for the Mets and Braves to meet for three games starting on Friday with New York holding a one-game lead in the NL East. While the series might be in Atlanta, the pitching is lined up perfectly for the Mets with Jacob deGrom on Friday, Max Scherzer on Saturday, and Chris Bassitt closing the series out on Sunday. The Braves will counter with Max Fried, Kyle Wright, and Charlie Morton in that order.

Here are the scenarios for the series:

• Mets swept – down 2 games without the tiebreaker
• Mets win 1 – tied with the tiebreaker
• Mets win 2 – up 2 & 1 is the magic number
• Mets sweep – clinch the division

The big key to remember with this series is that the Mets are currently 9-7 against the Braves this season so all they need is one more win to capture the season series and hold the tiebreaker. There’s no more playing games as the tiebreaker, it goes right to the head-to-head from the regular season.

It’s paramount that the Mets take at least one game in the series and if they do, they will really be in a good spot going into their final three games of the season at Citi Field against the Nationals.

The post Examining How Mets/Braves Series Will Impact Division Race appeared first on Metsmerized Online.