Across the rest of the farm, things are looking up for several other players, including a top pitching prospect who delivered one of his best starts of the season.

Triple-A

While they struggled for much of June, the Syracuse Mets ended the month on a strong note by taking five of six games in their series against the Rochester Red Wings. It wasn’t a particularly close series, with Syracuse outscoring Rochester 41-17. The Mets are now 5-1 to begin the second half of the season and 36-45 overall.

Newly picked up Pablo Reyes had an excellent week at the plate, tying for the team lead with two home runs and recording the most RBIs on the team with six. He went 6-for-17 and also added a triple and two stolen bases to his ledger. Reyes spent last year in the Mets organization but began this year with the Yankees.

Drew Gilbert also recorded two home runs in one of his best series of the season. Gilbert finished 7-for-23 with a double in addition to the two home runs. Gilbert has struggled this season but just improved his OPS to .701.

Francisco Alvarez made an impact in his first week back in Syracuse, recording two home runs and a double. He also drove in five runs in 16 at-bats. Alvarez will hope to regain his offensive prowess in Triple-A before re-joining the big league club for an important second half of the season.

Brandon Sproat delivered arguably his best start of the season, tossing six scoreless innings with two hits and three walks allowed in addition to six strikeouts. Sproat has had an up-and-down year, and his ERA now sits at 5.43.

Nolan McLean delivered yet another quality start for Syracuse, allowing two runs over six innings. McLean allowed four hits and three walks and struck out four. McLean now has a 2.72 Triple-A ERA and a 2.25 ERA overall on the season.

Brandon Sproat. Photo Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Double-A

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies won their series against the Portland Sea Dogs, taking four games and losing two. The series was very low scoring, with Binghamton outscoring Portland 17-12 in the six games. The Rumble Ponies are 4-2 in the second half and 49-24 overall.

Jacob Reimer had a solid first week in Double-A, recording a home run and pacing the team with six RBIs. His home run was his only extra-base hit, but he went 5-for-20 and is looking to carry over his strong first half of the season in Brooklyn. His cumulative OPS is .874.

Carson Benge had a similarly good first week in Binghamton, going 4-for-16 with a double, an RBI, five walks, and two stolen bases. Benge now has an .887 OPS for the season.

Jonah Tong delivered another fantastic start, allowing one run over six innings and striking out eight. He allowed three hits and three walks in his outing. Tong now has a 1.73 ERA for the season and 115 strikeouts in 73 innings. He should be in Syracuse any day now.

Joander Suarez had a similarly great start, also allowing a run over six innings while striking out eight. Suarez hasn’t had the kind of season Tong is having, but he’s lowered his Double-A ERA to 3.72 ERA over 11 outings.

Zach Thornton tossed five innings in his start, allowing just an unearned run on five hits and four strikeouts. Thornton now has a 2.60 ERA in Binghamton and a 1.98 ERA for the season.

High-A

The Brooklyn Cyclones had an impressive finish to June, taking five of six games in their series against the Jersey Shore BlueClaws. Brooklyn outscored Jersey Shore 32-18 over the series to improve to 7-2 in the second half and 53-22 overall.

A.J. Ewing had a great week at the plate, going 7-for-19 with a double, a home run, three walks, and three stolen bases. After a slower start in Brooklyn following his promotion, Ewing is up to speed with an .820 OPS in High-A. His season OPS is .898.

Chris Suero had another strong week for Brooklyn, going 6-for-19 with a double, a home run, four walks, and three stolen bases. He also scored a whopping seven runs, two more than anyone else on the team. Suero now has his OPS for the season up to .870 and he has a 1.237 OPS over his last 11 games.

Jesus Baez also impressed, going 4-for-16 with a home run, four walks, and a stolen base. Baez is now up to a .759 OPS on the year.

R.J. Gordon delivered a gem for the Cyclones, tossing six innings and allowing just an unearned run with six strikeouts. Gordon has been an under-the-radar pitcher in the Mets’ system this year, but he’s been fantastic with a 2.74 ERA.

Will Watson also looked great, allowing a run over five innings with four strikeouts. Like Gordon, Watson is a name many people likely don’t know, but he now has a 3.12 ERA this year, including a 1.96 ERA in four appearances with Brooklyn.

Jonathan Santucci is keeping his positive momentum going with another strong start. He allowed three earned runs over 5 1/3 innings while striking out eight. After his atrocious start to the year, Santucci now has a 3.79 ERA.

A.J. Ewing. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Low-A

The St. Lucie Mets split their series with the Jupiter Hammerheads, with each team taking three games. Jupiter won the score differential game, outscoring St. Lucie 25-15, aided by a 13-1 victory in the series finale. The Mets are now 6-3 in the second half of the season and 40-34 overall.

Yohairo Cuevas shined at the plate, going 5-for-16 with a home run, five walks, and a stolen base. Cuevas has been solid for St. Lucie this year, now owning a .763 OPS.

Trace Willhoite also looked good, continuing his impressive season. Willhoite went 6-for-21 with a homer, also adding three walks, two stolen bases, and a team-leading five runs. Willhoite’s season OPS sits at .829.

Simon Juan, who has mostly struggled, had a better week at the plate. Juan went 4-for-15 with two doubles, also adding three walks and leading the team with three RBIs. Juan now has a .622 OPS for the year.

Wellington Aracena didn’t start, but he delivered the best outing of any St. Lucie pitcher in the series. In one appearance out of the bullpen, Aracena tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts. Aracena has been excellent lately, recording a 0.93 ERA over his last six appearances and a 0.45 ERA over his last four. For the season, his ERA is 2.56.

Frank Elissalt had the best start of the week, throwing 5 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out two. He allowed just three hits and no walks. Elissalt has been great for St. Lucie, owning a 3.13 ERA over 15 appearances.

Channing Austin also had a great start. He only went four innings and allowed a run, but he struck out nine batters in the effort. Austin now owns a 4.31 ERA on the season.

FCL Mets

The FCL Mets went 1-3 this past week, worsening their record on the year to 14-24. They remain in last place in the Florida Complex League East division.

Catcher Julio Zayas had a good week at the plate, going 5-for-10 with two doubles and three RBIs. The 19-year-old has a .739 OPS on the year.

On the mound, Jonathan Jimenez played well with a start of four shutout innings. The 21-year-old Jimenez has mostly struggled this year, owning a 5.26 ERA.

DSL Mets

The DSL Mets Orange went 2-3 this past week, putting their record at 12-8. The DSL Mets went 4-2, their best stretch of the season yet. That puts them at 9-12.

In addition to what Elian Peña did for the DSL Mets Orange squad, pitcher Osiris Calvo had an excellent week on the mound. Calvo tossed nine shutout innings with 12 strikeouts over two appearances. In 19 2/3 innings on the year, he owns a 0.92 OPS.

For the DSL Mets Blue squad, Yunior Amparo is crushing it. This past week, he went 7-for-10 with two doubles, a home run, and a walk. For the season, he has a 1.316 OPS. Abner Meza had a brilliant week on the mound, tossing six scoreless innings across two appearances. For the season, he has a 1.76 ERA in 15 1/3 innings.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

AVG – A.J. Ewing (STL/BRK) – .325

OPS – A.J. Ewing (STL/BRK) – .898

HR – Ryan Clifford (BNG) – 13

SB – A.J. Ewing (STL/BRK) – 50

Pitching

ERA – Jonah Tong (BNG) – 1.73

SO – Jonah Tong (BNG) – 115

WHIP – Zach Thornton (BRK/BNG) – 0.812

Players of the Week

Offense – Elian Peña, C DSL Mets Orange

Not often do you see a player from the Dominican League earn honors as the organization’s best player in a week, but Elian Peña is different. His career certainly didn’t start out the way he hoped, with a lengthy hitless streak, but he’s broken out in a massive way and is showing flashes of what he can be for the Mets in the future.

Pitching – Brandon Sproat, P Syracuse

Brandon Sproat has not had the kind of year you’d expect him to have, especially considering the success of Nolan McLean and some other pitchers in Triple-A. He has, however, shown flashes this year, including in his last start. He still remains one of the Mets’ top pitching prospects despite his discouraging 2025 season, and he has an entire second half to try and turn it around.

Upcoming Schedule – July 1-6

• Triple-A Syracuse: @/vs. Worcester
• Double-A Binghamton: @/vs. Hartford
• High-A Brooklyn: @/vs. Hudson Valley
• Low-A St. Lucie: vs./@ Daytona

The post Minors Weekly Report: Elian Peña Breaks Out With Huge Week appeared first on Metsmerized.

For the rest of Sunday’s action, check out the latest Mets Minors Recap below.

Triple-A

Syracuse Mets (65-53) 8, Rochester Red Wings (65-53) 4

BOX SCORE

• LF Eddie Rosario: 2-for-6, 2B (1), 3B (2), RBI (2), 2 K (.845 OPS)
• 2B Brett Baty: 3-for-5, 2B (9), HR (16), 2 R, 2 RBI (42), K (.884 OPS)
• 3B Pablo Reyes: 2-for-4, 2B (6), R, RBI (38), BB, SB (12) (.900 OPS)
• RF Jackie Bradley Jr.: 2-for-4, 2B (3), 2 R, 2 RBI (6), K, SB (3) (.744 OPS)

The Syracuse Mets defeated the Rochester Red Wings 8-4 behind a strong day from the offense. The Mets recorded 12 hits, including seven extra-base hits, and stole three bases. Syracuse scored in five of the nine innings, going up 4-1 early and scoring two runs in the ninth to extend their lead to 8-4.

• RHP Tylor Megill (W, 3-0): 7 2/3 IP, 4 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 11 K (3.57 ERA)
• RHP Tyler Zuber (H, 1): 1/3 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, K (2.70 ERA)
• RHP Grant Hartwig: 1 IP, 0 ER, H, 0 BB, 0 K (3.60 ERA)

Tylor Megill allowed all four runs in this outing, but he still impressed by going 7 2/3 innings and striking out 11 batters. The length of the outing and the number of strikeouts were season highs for Megill, who nevertheless saw his ERA rise to 3.57. Tyler Zuber and Grant Hartwig finished off the game by combining for four outs, allowing just one hit between the two relievers.

Double-A

Portland Sea Dogs (67-46) 3, Binghamton Rumble Ponies (57-54) 7

BOX SCORE

• SS Wyatt Young: 2-for-5, 2B (7), R, 2 RBI (29), K (.729 OPS)
• 1B Ryan Clifford: 3-for-3, HR (14), R, 2 RBI (43), BB (.807 OPS)
• DH Jeremiah Jackson: 1-for-3, 2B (16), R, RBI (51) (.620 OPS)
• CF Stanley Consuegra: 1-for-4, R, RBI (15) (.596 OPS)

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies defeated the Portland Sea Dogs 7-3, led by a big day at the plate from Ryan Clifford. The top prospect went 3-for-3 with a home run and recorded another RBI hit later in the game. The Rumble Ponies went up 5-0 in the third inning and held the lead the rest of the way despite the Sea Dogs making it tight in the middle innings.

• RHP Joander Suarez (W, 8-5): 5 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 7 K (4.05 ERA)
• RHP Wilkin Ramos (H, 2): 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, BB, 3 K (1.16 ERA)
• RHP Carlos Guzman: 2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K (4.40 ERA)

Joander Suarez got the start for Binghamton and pitched well, allowing three runs on three hits and no walks with seven strikeouts through five innings. Wilkin Ramos and Carlos Guzman were even more brilliant out of the bullpen, combining for four hitless innings with five strikeouts to ensure Binghamton held onto the lead and secured the win.

High-A

Brooklyn Cyclones (56-58) 2, Wilmington Blue Rocks (51-62) 1

BOX SCORE

• CF Nick Morabito: 1-for-3 (.705 OPS)
• DH D’Andre Smith: 2-for-3, 2B (3), RBI (5) (.615 OPS)
• LF Omar De Los Santos: 1-for-2, 2B (5), BB (.618 OPS)
• RF Jefrey De Los Santos: 0-for-3, RBI (33), K (.593 OPS)

The Brooklyn Cyclones defeated the Wilmington Blue Rocks 2-1 in six innings. The game was called after a rain delay, and Brooklyn won due to the fact it was an official game. It was a low-scoring affair, with Brooklyn receiving just one RBI hit. Wilmington went up 1-0 in the fourth before Brooklyn added a run in both the fifth and sixth innings, giving them enough for the win by the time the game was called.

• RHP Austin Troesser: 3 2/3 IP, ER, H, BB, 2 K (2.45 ERA)
• LHP Ryan Ammons: 1/3 IP, 0 ER, H, 0 BB, 0 K (1.38 ERA)
• RHP Jawilme Ramirez (W, 4-4): 2 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, BB, 3 K (3.55 ERA)

The Brooklyn pitching staff pitched well for six innings, with Austin Troesser allowing the only Wilmington run. Ryan Ammons and Jawilme Ramirez finished the game, with Ramirez receiving the bulk of the work. He pitched two scoreless innings and was awarded the win in the rain-shortened game.

Low-A

St. Lucie Mets (39-73) 7, Daytona Tortugas (55-56) 6

BOX SCORE

• SS Yonathan Henriquez: 1-for-5, R, RBI (6), 3 K (.489 OPS)
• 1B-C Ronald Hernandez: 1-for-4, 3 RBI (39) (.722 OPS)
• RF Eli Serrano III: 2-for-4, HR (1), R, 3 RBI (4), K (.688 OPS)
• 2B Nick Roselli: 1-for-3, 3B (1), 2 R, BB, K (.829 OPS)

The St. Lucie Mets defeated the Daytona Tortugas in comeback fashion, with the final result being a 7-6 win. Daytona scored three runs in the first and two in the second, immediately going up 5-0 before adding another run in the fifth. St. Lucie scored three runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to erase Daytona’s lead and go in front by one. They held on the rest of the way to secure the victory.

It was a great day for a pair of 2024 draft picks: Eli Serrano III, who hit his first pro homer and recorded another RBI hit, and Nick Roselli, who recorded his first triple of his career. Ronald Hernandez was also great, driving in three runs himself.

• RHP Wellington Aracena: 2 IP, 5 ER, 3 H, 6 BB, 3 K (17.47 ERA)
• RHP Layonel Ovalles: 2 IP, 0 ER, H, 3 BB, 4 K (6.82 ERA)
• RHP Anthony Nunez: 1 IP, ER, 0 H, BB, K (6.75 ERA)
• RHP Saul Garcia (W, 3-7): 3 IP, 0 ER, H, BB, 4 K (4.96 ERA)
• RHP Cristofer Gomez (S, 2): 1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, BB, K (4.86 ERA)

It was a rough outing for starter Wellington Aracena, who walked six, allowed three hits, and saw five runs score in just two innings of work. His abbreviated outing meant four other pitchers had to combine for seven innings, and Saul Garcia (3 IP) and Layonel Ovalles (2 IP) did most of the work. Of the four relievers, just Anthony Nunez allowed an earned run, the only one through the final seven innings.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Eli Serrano III Launches First Pro Homer appeared first on Metsmerized.

Peterson looked comfortable throughout his outing, tying a career-high with 10 strikeouts and walking just two batters over 5 2/3 innings. It wasn’t until the fifth inning that he found himself in trouble, and it was the defense that let him down.

In his first game in the big leagues at third base, Ronny Mauricio couldn’t handle a tough hop which allowed Noelvi Marte to advance from first to third. A wild pitch in the following at-bat allowed Marte to break for the plate, and a clean throw by Omar Narváez likely would have thrown him out, but Narváez threw it into the infield to give the Reds a 1-0 advantage.

The Reds tacked on the following inning as Peterson grew fatigued. Spencer Steer hit a two-run homer to extend the Reds’ lead to 3-0. After getting two outs, Peterson allowed two more baserunners to reach which would ultimately end his outing. Over the 5 2/3 innings he pitched, Peterson gave up three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks while tallying double-digit strikeouts in another promising performance for the former first-round pick.

Home run No. 45 for Pete Alonso is a three-run, game-tying shot against the Reds. pic.twitter.com/XiwRjayFTg

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 16, 2023

Unfortunately for the Mets, though, Greene was at the top of his game, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth inning. After allowing a leadoff double to Jeff McNeil which broke up the no-hitter, Greene still managed to escape the inning scoreless before getting into trouble yet again in the sixth inning. With two outs and two runners on, Reds’ manager David Bell decided to show faith in his young starter by leaving him in there to face Pete Alonso who served as the tying run.

Bell’s decision quickly backfired as Alonso unloaded a three-run shot into the seats in left field to tie the game and put a damper on what was an otherwise brilliant outing from Greene. Alonso’s homer, his 45th of the year, put the game back at square one.

With the game squared at 3-3, the Reds wasted no time regaining the lead. His former teammate at the University of Florida, Jonathan India, punched right back in the top of the seventh inning with a two-run homer off Grant Hartwig to put the Reds ahead once again, this time 5-3.

The Mets had multiple opportunities late to at least tie the game, putting the tying runs on base in both the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh, Ian Gibaut got Mark Vientos to ground into a crucial double play to hinder the Mets’ scoring threat before Alexis Díaz, the younger brother of Edwin Díaz, silenced the Mets’ threat the following inning.

The Reds kept Díaz on the mound for the bottom of the ninth, relying on him to record a five-out save. Without much trouble, Díaz set the Mets’ batters down in order to give the Reds a 5-3 win. The loss for the Mets dropped their season record down to 68-79 as the team inches closer to clinching a losing season.

Player of the Game

Despite not earning a win, David Peterson’s start makes him absolutely deserving of the Metsmerized player of the game. He kept the Mets in the game, going toe-to-toe with Hunter Greene, who looked phenomenal before allowing the three-run home run to Pete Alonso in the sixth inning. Peterson’s 10 strikeouts along with just two walks is a very positive sign for a pitcher who has struggled with command his entire career.

On Deck

The series with the Reds will continue on Saturday evening with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Tylor Megill (8-7, 5.03 ERA) takes the mound for the Mets, looking to continue a good stretch of starts. On the other side, rookie southpaw Andrew Abbott (8-5, 3.64 ERA) gets the start for the Reds. The game will be broadcast on SNY and can be listened to on WCBS 880.

The post Alonso’s Three-Run Blast Not Enough As Mets Fall To Reds 5-3 appeared first on Metsmerized.

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Pete Alonso has appeared to have shaken off the early season rust and is starting to settle into a groove for the New York Mets.

It took a few games for both Alonso and the Mets offense as a whole to find their rhythm. The offense was shut down by the Milwaukee Brewers, while Alonso was hitting just .136 through the first six games of the 2023 season. He also had just one home run and two RBIs during that stretch too.

However, after shaving his mustache and switching back to his tried-and-tested axe-handle bat for the final game of the series against the Brewers, Alonso began to reap instant results. He clubbed two home runs against an elite pitcher in Corbin Burnes, driving in four RBIs and displaying the type of pure power that has made Alonso one of the most dangerous hitters in the game.

Pete Alonso gets in on the party! It’s 9-3 Mets! pic.twitter.com/OvWwyhnjlO

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 7, 2023

He followed that up with another big day at the plate on Friday against the Marlins, blasting his third home run in his last two games as the Mets won their home opener 9-3. Alonso launched an absolute bomb to center field after Francisco Lindor had also homered in the previous at-bat.

Alonso is now slashing .226/.314/.645/.960 with a 147 OPS+ to go along with four homers and eight RBIs. After a slowish start, the slugger is now starting to really find his game and entered Friday with a 14.4 percent strikeout rate in his previous 50 games, according to the Mets. That was the lowest rate over any 50-game stretch in Alonso’s career and, on pace for the lowest strikeout rate of his career, it was clear on Friday that he was seeing the ball more clearly than ever.

“Just seeing the ball and capitalizing when it’s in my area,” Alonso said after the game. “One through nine we didn’t give in the entire day and that led to a positive result one through nine. We were excellent.”

Pete Alonso becomes just the 6th player in Mets history to reach the 150 plateau.

1. Darryl Strawberry, 252
2. David Wright, 242
3. Mike Piazza, 220
4. Howard Johnson, 192
5. Dave Kingman, 154
6. Pete Alonso, 150

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) April 7, 2023

Friday also proved to be a special day for Alonso outside of the usual Home Opener festivities. In hitting his fourth homer of the year, he also clubbed the 150th home run of his career. It was a meaningful milestone that made Alonso just the sixth player in Mets history to reach the 150 plateau. He moved past Carlos Beltran on the all-time leaderboard and is now just four homers away from tying Dave Kingman for fifth all-time in franchise history.

Given what Alonso has already accomplished in his Major League career, it is not a stretch to suggest that he could eventually take down Darryl Strawberry‘s franchise record of 252 homers with the Mets. After all, Alonso has time on his side and, as long as he signs a long-term contract with the team, there should be no barriers in his way when it comes to attempting to become the new Home Run King in Queens.

Consider this; no player has hit more dingers in Major League Baseball as Alonso has since he entered the bigs in 2019. His 150 career homers in that span are more than Aaron Judge (139) and Kyle Schwarber (129). That stat alone tells you just how dominant Alonso has been from day one.

There was more history created on Friday, too. Not only did Alonso reach the 150 home run mark, but he did it in record time too. Well, almost. He became the second-fastest player in major league history to achieve the milestone, doing it in just 538 career games. Only Phillies icon Ryan Howard did it faster (495 games).

Given that Alonso is improving all the time, he’s making more contact and is finding a way to strike out less too, more franchise records will likely fall and the masher could end up as an all-time Met when it comes to power and production. For now, however, the fact Alonso is starting to really destroy baseballs on a regular basis will only help the Mets as they look to gather some momentum early on in the 2023 season.

The post Pete Alonso Getting Hot, Makes History Against Marlins appeared first on Metsmerized.

Francisco Lindor. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets (5-5) traveled back to Sarasota, FL, to rematch the St. Louis Cardinals after dropping their first matchup to them, 12-7. New York, with Kodai Senga making his first start this spring training, tamed the Cardinals, 7-1.

Both sides had their respective starters play for each of their first three at-bats for the most part. Players like Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor made their way on the starting lineup while Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado started for St. Louis.

To start the game, Lindor took Jordan Montgomery deep to start the first inning with a 414-foot blast to continue Lindor’s hot spring training.

Francisco Lindor with a 414-foot, 110.3-MPH off the bat home run in the first inning.

He’s been dominate at the plate in spring thus far.

1-0 #Mets, middle 1. pic.twitter.com/Gfb5RTELOP

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 5, 2023

Senga’s first inning was rocky as well, allowing two walks to start the inning. He managed to collect himself and get the next three batters out, including Goldschmidt and Arenado to pop and fly out, respectively.

Montgomery’s second inning wasn’t any better, as the Mets took full advantage of him. Abraham Almonte doubled to bring home Mark Canha – who singled earlier in the frame – and Almonte was sent right home with a Tim Locastro double right after that. A throwing error by Montgomery would send Locastro home putting the Mets up 4-0 after the second inning.

Senga would allow his first run and only run of the day after Cardinals’ catcher Tres Barrera took a curveball 361 feet up and over the outfield wall to bring the score to 4-1. Senga’s first sring outing would conclude after the second inning, where he allowed one hit, one earned run, two walks and struck out a pair.

José Quintana pitched the third inning following Senga’s departure and recorded a hold for the Mets while striking out Goldschmidt. Quintana would end up leaving after the third due to tightness in his left side. Quintana will be tested on his left side tomorrow and his ability to pitch in the World Baseball Classic is now uncertain.

Fast forward to the top of the fourth and Locastro continued to drive in runs for the Mets with his second double of the day. With Tommy Pham and Andrew Almonte on to lead off the inning, Locastro took a four-seam fastball to left-center field and drove home Pham. McNeil flied out to bring home Almonte and the Mets were up 6-1.

Alonso would wrap up the scoring for the Mets as he homered off JoJo Romero to put the Mets ahead, 7-1. That would end up being the final score after this afternoon’s game in Sarasota.

Pete Alonso goes 368 feet down the left field line to extend the lead.

7-1 #Mets, middle 5.pic.twitter.com/MMV62csZbJ

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 5, 2023

Senga would be the winning pitcher for the game and Montgomery would take the loss. Other Mets’ youngsters to make their impact on the game were Brett Baty, would took some reps at third while going 2-for-2 at the plate. Bryce Montes de Oca, who pitched a  1-2-3 eighth inning in relief, struck out a pair.

Tim Locastro, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Player of the Game: Tim Locastro

Locastro did everything for the Mets Sunday afternoon. The Mets’ centerfielder went 2-for-3 at the plate, driving home two runs on doubles, scoring a run of his own after a Jordan Montgomery throwing error, and playing a solid centerfield in the absence of Brandon Nimmo. Locastro bumped his batting average to .353 this spring.

On Deck:

The Mets have off tomorrow before picking back up on Tuesday, March 7. They will travel to West Palm Beach, Florida and take on the Houston Astros. The lineups will look different though as the World Baseball Classic is scheduled to start.

The post Lindor, Alonso Homer In 7-1 Victory Over St. Louis appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets looked to get back to their winning ways on Wednesday when they took on the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. Tylor Megill made his first start of the spring against reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara. The Mets picked up an 8-4 win thanks to home runs by Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Ronny Mauricio.

After a scoreless top half of the inning from Alcantara, Megill took the mound against a Marlins lineup that could very well be their Opening Day lineup. The 6-foot right-hander made quick work of the top of the Miami lineup, retiring Luis Arraez, Bryan De La Cruz and Jazz Chisholm Jr. on weak hit balls on the infield. His fastball topped out at 94 mph, and he threw three curveballs — a pitch he has said he is focusing on this spring.

The Marlins opened the scoring in the second inning. Jean Segura, the newest member of the Marlins, kicked off the inning with a seeing-eye single up the middle off Megill. Megill continued to allow soft contact which allowed Segura to advance to second base on a groundout. With two outs, Met-killer Jon Berti laced a first-pitch slider the other way for an RBI single.

With Alcantara done for the day, the Mets answered back against Dylan Floro in the third inning. Tim Locastro, who is in the running to earn a spot on the Mets bench, was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Despite only having 475 career at-bats, he has been plunked 37 times in his career, which fits right in on the Mets. Locastro followed with his third stolen base this spring. With Locastro at third and two outs, Lindor hit a no-doubt home run to right field to put the Mets ahead 2-1.

Lindor Launches it deep! pic.twitter.com/R2dvjCOaqN

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 1, 2023

The Mets turned to Brooks Raley for the third inning, and the he was burned by three soft hits. The left-handed reliever allowed three hits on ground balls that were not well struck. The xBA on the hits were .160, .130 and .200. Despite the soft contact, the three hits were enough to even the score for Miami at 2-2. Raley was able to prevent a big inning thanks to a double play on a come-backer from Segura to retire the side.

After scoring twice in the third, the Mets tacked on two more in the fourth. After hits from Abraham Almonte and Tomás Nido and a walk from Francisco Álvarez, Locastro came through with a two-run double with the bases loaded to put the Mets back in front 4-2.

Stephen Nogosek pitched a scoreless fourth inning before the Mets’ bats added on in the top of the fifth. After Lindor nearly hit his second home run of the day on a fly out to deep right field, Pete Alonso launched his second homer of the spring to put the Mets up 5-2.

Pete follows up Francisco Lindor with a home run of his own 💥 pic.twitter.com/qPjMmJdI3b

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 1, 2023

In the fifth, the Mets turned to Zach Muckenhirn. He allowed an unearned run in his inning of work due to an error by Brett Baty to start the inning, but he  rebounded to retire the top of the Marlins’ lineup in order with a strikeout of Jazz Chisholm Jr. to prevent a big inning.

Sam Coonrod and Jimmy Yacabonis pitched the sixth and seventh for the Mets. Both pitchers made quick work of the Marlins, retiring the side in order while striking out two batters each.

With nearly all of the Mets’ starters done for the day, the bench bats came through in the eighth to extend the lead to 6-3. With two outs, Alex Ramirez singled for his third hit in eight spring at-bats (.375 average) before Michael Perez doubled to drive in the 20-year-old outfielder.

After three straight hitless innings from Mets relievers, Josh Walker ran into some trouble in the eighth. He allowed a single, two walks and a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 6-4, but he was able to get out of the inning with the lead in-tact after a double-play ball got him out of the jam.

In the ninth, Ronny Mauricio pinch-hit with a runner on first. For the third time in just seven at-bats, the shortstop launched a long bomb to give the Mets an 8-4 lead.

Ronny Mauricio has three home runs in seven at-bats.

His OPS is 2.214 this spring.

Marlins announcers: “They don’t hit baseballs that far very often.”

pic.twitter.com/V791kif1Im

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 1, 2023

Grant Hartwig entered in the ninth to close out the game for Mets. He retired all three batters he faced with one strikeout to secure the 8-4 win for New York.

Player of the Game: Ronny Mauricio

Maurcio has been as hot as any hitter in baseball in 2023. After winning league MVP in the Dominican Winter League, Mauricio has been putting on a Pete Alonso-like power display in Spring Training. Today’s home run traveled 413 feet and had an exit velocity of 105.6 mph.

Buck Showalter made it clear that Mauricio won’t be the Mets’ cleanup hitter on Opening Day, but he still praised the hot start.

“He’s like a lot of our young players,” Showalter said following the win. “They’re off to a good start in the spring. I’m proud of him.”

Mauricio is expected to start 2023 in Triple-A Syracuse after spending all of 2022 with Double-A Binghamton, but he is certainly trying to force the Mets’ hand with his 2.214 OPS.

On Deck

The Mets will take on the Atlanta Braves on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. ET at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie. Carlos Carrasco will be making his spring debut, and the game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Alonso, Mauricio, Lindor Homer in Mets’ 8-4 Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

With all the trade rumors and free agent rumblings in baseball right now Mets fans are certainly focused on what the team will look like in 2023, but prospect Ronny Mauricio is hoping to force his way into those plans with a monster season in the Dominican Winter League.

Mauricio, still just 21, went 1-for-3 with a three-run homer and a walk on Tuesday for the Tigres del Licey in their 5-3 loss to the Leones del Escogido.

Mets prospect Ronny Mauricio went very deep on Tuesday night. He drove in three and walked as well.

Mauricio is second in the league with 4 home runs and leads the league with 28 RBIs (2nd has 18).

pic.twitter.com/6YuPDSDUVE

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) November 30, 2022

It’s the fourth home run of the season for Mauricio which ties him for second in the league. His 28 RBIs –in only 35 games– puts him 10 above the player ranking second in the league. The switch-hitting infielder is also the only player with double-digit doubles at 12 for the season. His slash line of .306/.353/.500 also has him leading the league with his .853 OPS and his eight stolen bases are in the top five. All told, Mauricio is playing well as the third-place hitter on a team fighting for first place.

Mauricio is certainly continuing to show the power that saw him hit a career-high 26 doubles and 26 home runs in Double-A Binghamton this season, but he’s still not walking much. Mauricio has posted a .296 on-base percentage each of the last two seasons in the minors including just a 4.4 walk rate this year and 6.1 in 2021. His walk rate in the Dominican right now is at 6.5%.

With all focus on his offense, the bigger story is likely the fact that Mauricio finally started playing a different position than shortstop recently. Something Mets fans have been seemingly waiting for since the Mets traded for Francisco Lindor and signed him long-term. Mauricio was at shortstop on Tuesday night, however, he played the previous three games at third base. His first time in a pro game playing a different position than third base.

There are two important things to note when talking about Mauricio playing third base though. First, this move came because Oneil Cruz was added to the Tigres del Licey roster and the team wanted him to play shortstop. Lastly, this was a decision made by the Dominican team, not the Mets, though the Mets gave the okay to do so.

The post Ronny Mauricio Hits Three-Run Homer appeared first on Metsmerized.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Tuesday night was a special one for 20-year-old Francisco Álvarez. Just five days after being called up from Triple-A Syracuse, he made his Mets debut behind the plate, and even more special, Álvarez collected his first two big league hits, both extra-base hits.

Álvarez put an exclamation point on his first hit of the night, launching a long home run to left-center field in the sixth inning. Carl Edwards Jr. threw Álvarez a curveball and he put the barrel on the ball and launched it out 439 feet into the left-center field bleachers.

FIRST BIG LEAGUE HIT! First Big League HOME RUN!!! pic.twitter.com/WO07fqgEkF

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) October 5, 2022

With his first big league hit coming by way of the home run, Álvarez becomes the 16th Met whose first career hit was a home run, two others of which happened this season as well. Álvarez joins Nick Plummer and Brett Baty as the three Mets to hit home runs for their first big league hit in 2022.

Álvarez is the youngest (20 years, 319 days) player to hit a home run as a catcher since Ivan Rodriguez (20 years, 222 days) on July 6, 1992.

Then in the eighth inning, Álvarez collected his second big league hit, a double to left field that bounced off the wall off of Erasmo Ramirez. The ball left Álvarez’s bat at 108 mph.

Francisco Álvarez smokes a 108 mph double two innings after launching his first MLB home run. pic.twitter.com/musc4lVhsv

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) October 5, 2022

Álvarez spoke with the media following his special and rare night for a 20-year-old.

“It felt good, obviously because it was my first hit; but for it to go out the way that it did, it made me very happy,” said Alvarez.

He did get the ball back and said he plans to give it to his mom.

Álvarez was a name that many had speculated about whether or not he would get the call to the big leagues in 2022. Just a month ago, he was dealing with an injury that many thought would for sure prevent him from making his big league debut this season. But Álvarez didn’t let that stop him. While his debut during the Atlanta series wasn’t what he had hoped for as he went hitless and the Mets were swept, so far against Washington, he has begun to make a name for himself.

Alvarez said in his post-game press conference that he felt like he tried to speed things up too much in Atlanta to try to get that first hit out of the way.

“The adjustment I made was to just calm the game down a little more,” said Álvarez. “I came in today with a different approach.”

That different approach worked as Álvarez launched a home run and a deep double to solidify those first two hits of his big league career.

Buck Showalter also spoke on the young Álvarez’s performance so far, saying he has been impressed.

“I’ve seen it before, but most of it’s been on tape,” said Showalter. “I was impressed with him behind the plate. He was quiet. You know, there’s a lot of emotions flying around but I think he’s handled himself well.”

Time will tell if Álvarez will make the postseason roster, but his Citi Field debut was a good one and one in which he made his case that he has what it takes to perform at this level.

The post Francisco Álvarez Launches First Major League Homer appeared first on Metsmerized.

Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff McNeil hit a birthday bash for the second straight season on Friday.

Last year, McNeil went deep on his 29th birthday. This year, McNeil replicated the feat on his 30th, tying the game at one apiece in the third inning. The Mets went on to beat the Nationals 7-3 to improve to 2-0 on the very young season.

“I put a good swing on that one,” McNeil said. “Back-to-back years. Pretty exciting to have a good game on your birthday.”

McNeil had three hits on the day, as well as a walk. He’s 5-for-8 in the Mets’ two games thus far, beginning what he hopes to be a bounceback season.

He’s done all this out of the eight-hole so far, partly because of the Mets’ deep lineup and partly because of last year’s struggles. He produced an underwhelming campaign in 2021, batting just .251 with a .679 OPS. Even with the drop in production, McNeil still owns a lifetime batting line of .301/.366/.463 over 1,312 at-bats in the major leagues. Perhaps a strong start to the season will spark a return to that level of play.

The Mets’ offense as a unit has been operating a force here in the early going. They’ve recorded a total of 25 hits already, bringing across 12 runs. Brandon Nimmo had two hits in his first game of the season Friday, while newcomers Starling Marte and Mark Canha each provided a pair. The Mets appear to have a well-rounded lineup so far, getting contributions from top to bottom.

McNeil hit seven home runs last year, a far cry from when he hit 23 in 2019. He got his first one out of the early this season, enjoying his second consecutive birthday bash.

When speaking to whether he’ll make it three years in a row next season, McNeil said with a chuckle, “We’ll see. I’ll hopefully do it again.”

The post McNeil Bashes Second Straight Birthday Homer In Mets’ Solid Offensive Day appeared first on Metsmerized.

Do we have to make everything so negative all the time… even when we should be happy… why are some reporters always trying to rain on our parade?

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What a heck of a job by Billy Wagner to start the season. I haven’t seen him dominate hitters like this since his Houston Astros days. Although his hitless inning streak came to an end at nine innings, he deserves all of our praise for such an amazin’ accomplishment. I’m glad to see him backing up all his tough talk in the off season with the type of performance that can only be described as… phenomina… stupendous… magnaminous… scintillating… other-worldly… do hyphenated words count as one… 

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If you enjoy betting on baseball, and believe that the team with the best bullpen wins it all, then place your bets on the New York Mets. I don’t care about Heilman’s and Sosa’s early season flubs. The Mets are all set to anoint Duaner Sanchez as our new setup man, and I’ll put our 8th inning and 9th inning end game options against anyone in the game right now, and that includes Joba and Rivera.

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You can’t have it both ways… I’m sick and tired of so called Mets fans going off on Willie when he leaves a starter in too long and then gets shelled, or pulling him out when he’s in trouble only to have the bullpen blow the lead. There’s plenty of other stuff you can nail Willie on, but please… cut him some slack on this one.

I’d rather be more pissed off at Oliver Perez and John Maine for having 100+ pitch counts in the sixth inning instead. Willie is only doing what any manager would do as far as the way these starting pitchers have been handled so far this season. How about Maine and Perez stop going to full counts on every single batter, and start throwing more first pitch strikes. The baseball odds are that the more first pitch strikes you throw, the better the results. Pitching from behind in the count is not a strategy for success. I bet even our resident baseball guru Christian would have to agree with that.

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Who’s ready for some swashbuckling action against those notorious bungling Pirates? After teeing off on Schmoltzie and T-Hud, I’m ready for some bloody carnage against those original men in black. The man behind our Series Previews, Brian, says that a sweep is in order. Arghhh matey, I’ll drink to that!

The post Screw The Curtain Calls, Gimme More Two Homer Games appeared first on Metsmerized.