In his pregame conference with the media before Sunday’s afternoon game against the Phils, manager Luis Rojas was asked once again about Steven Matz‘s rough outing the previous night – the third straight poor start for the left-hander.

One particular question focused on whether or not the Mets’ No. 2 guy will be taking the mound next go-around.

Based on his response, it doesn’t seem as if the first-year skipper is ready to explicitly commit to Matz making the start.

“We haven’t spoke to Matz yet or anyone about the particular start yesterday and break it down for him,” Rojas told reporters. “Last night was another tough outing, something that we definitely want to break down.”

After acknowledging Matz’s messy night, he followed those comments with more ambiguous ones, particularly when it comes to Matz’s next turn in the rotation.

“As a staff, we spoke a little bit, but once we address Matz, we talk to Matz, we can definitely share with you guys where Matz is standing.”

Thus, it appears that Rojas is now shying away from going all in on the left-hander. As previously mentioned, Matz’s season hasn’t gone the way he’d like thus far; in five starts (23 IP), Matz has given up 30 hits, 23 runs (all earned), nine homeruns (yikes), and six walks. His ERA currently sits at a frightening 9.00.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com followed Rojas’ presser with this tweet, included below, that presents a stark outlook on the Mets’ rotation if Matz’s next outing is truly in jeopardy.

Luis Rojas is not committing to Steven Matz for his next start.

Right now, the rotation is Robert Gsellman tomorrow and David Peterson on Tuesday, and then a bunch of TBAs.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) August 16, 2020

Double yikes.

Stay with MMO for the very latest.

The post Luis Rojas Has Yet to Commit to Matz’s Next Start appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Saturday night’s loss to the Phillies was yet another indication that Met hitters are struggling mightily with the timely hit.

Nevertheless, Dominic Smith was able to provide a glimmer of positivity in a game that certainly needed some.

The night started off rather encouragingly for the Mets offense, as J.D. Davis singled in the first and Smith followed with a double. However, Pete Alonso promptly struck out – continuing the team’s ugly trend and leaving two men on base.

Then came another scoring chance in the third, following Tomas Nido‘s single to center and Brandon Nimmo‘s walk. Alas, it was much of the same, as Michael Conforto proceeded to ground into a double play and Smith – after a Davis walk – struck out to end the inning, leaving Davis and Nido stranded at first and third, respectively.

That was pretty much it for the Mets until the ninth inning, when Smith stepped up to the plate with Conforto at first following a single.

Down 1-2 in the count, Smith cranked a fastball into the right field stands – his fourth homerun in as many games.

Some good news: Dom Smith is still very good and has homered for the fourth (4th) straight game 💪 pic.twitter.com/KBRjejxgDV

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 16, 2020

The Mets’ record for homeruns in consecutive games is five, held by Richard Hidalgo.

When asked about his homerun streak during his postgame presser, Smith appeared less focused on his recent achievements and more intently focused on what he has left to improve upon.

"There's some at-bats when I have RISP where, especially with me being in the middle of the lineup, I need to be able to get that job done"

– Dom Smith on how he feels at the plate right now pic.twitter.com/3jsbO2OVP7

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 16, 2020

Despite his hesitancy to discuss his own success thus far, it’s evident that Smith has started off 2020 right, streak aside.

In 50 at-bats, the lefty has accumulated 15 hits, six doubles, six homeruns, 16 RBI, and seven walks – putting him at a .300/.383./.780 clip. Albeit a small sample size, he also boasts a 1.163 OPS and a 218 OPS+.

The Mets take on the Phils in the final game of a three-game series this afternoon, with the Mets looking to salvage at least one game before heading to Miami to take on the Marlins.

Assuming that Smith will be in the lineup, he will have several chances to tie the aforementioned record for homers in consecutive games, though he will have quite a task ahead of him with Zack Wheeler on the mound.

Stay tuned.

The post Dom Smith Continues Streak With Homer in Fourth Straight Game appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

For any championship roster, homegrown talent is a necessity. As the Mets have learned over the years, teams that build a solid foundation have a significant advantage over organizations with barren farm systems.

While the franchise has sometimes struggled in this area, they still developed many star players in their history. So, who are team’s best homegrown players at each position? This list will exclude any player that was originally drafted or signed by another team.

C Todd Hundley

Drafted by the Mets in 1987, Todd Hundley delivered two powerful seasons as the Mets catcher. While Hundley didn’t break out until 1996, his team record of 41 homeruns that season wouldn’t be broken until last year.

Hundley drove in 112 RBI with a .906 OPS in 153 games in 1996. He also posted a higher OPS the following year (.948) with 30 homeruns and 86 RBI in 1997, before struggling with a .161 batting average in 1998.

Mike Piazza, Gary Carter, and Jerry Grote rank as better overall players in team history, but since they were all drafted/signed by other organizations, Hundley is the clear choice for this list.

1B Pete Alonso

After a prolific rookie season, Alonso undoubtedly deserves a spot on this list. Alonso shattered the Mets’ record books with 53 homeruns, which led the MLB and broke the league’s rookie record.

Alonso slashed .260/.358/.583 with 120 RBI and a .941 OPS last year. When the MLB resumes play, it won’t be long before he climbs further up the franchise’s leaderboards and obliterates more records.

2B Edgardo Alfonzo

If Jeff McNeil continues to rake, he could one day supplant Edgardo Alfonzo on this list. But it would take an incredible effort to exceed what Alfonzo achieved in his prime.

From 1997-2002, Alfonzo slashed .296/.380/.464 with 112 homeruns and 42 steals. And during the Mets pennant winning season in 2000, Alfonzo batted .324 with a .967 OPS. He owns a career WAR of 28.8.

3B David Wright

As the franchise’s all-time leader in offensive WAR (51.9), Hits (1777), Runs (949),and Total Bases (2945), David Wright is not only the franchise’s best third baseman –  he is their best overall hitter.

Selected by the Mets with the 38^th overall pick in 2001, Wright became an immediate contributor, and he didn’t stop hitting until a spinal injury slowed him down and ultimately cut his career short.

SS Jose Reyes

Electrifying and dynamic, Jose Reyes energized the Mets with his game-changing speed. He stole 408 bases and legged out 113 triples – both franchise records. He also offered solid production at the plate. From 2006-2011, Reyes batted .297/.354/.458 with a .812 OPS. His 27.9 offensive WAR ranks fifth in team history.

LF Cleon Jones

During the Mets 1969 championship season, Cleon Jones was incredible. He batted .340 with a .904 OPS in 137 games and stole 16 bases with 12 homeruns. While that season stands out as Jones’ best, he was solid throughout his peak. From 1968-1971, Jones hit .308/.374/.456 with an OPS+ of 134.

CF Mookie Wilson

Known for his heroics in the 1986 World Series, Mookie Wilson’s Mets’ career is legendary. His epic at-bat in Game Six is one of the most iconic moments in team history, and his numbers are the best out of any homegrown centerfielder.

Wilson’s 20.8 WAR ranks ninth among hitters in team history. He stole 281 bases, and from 1985- 1988, Wilson batted .290/.345/.436 with a 118 OPS +.

RF Darryl Strawberry

With 252 homeruns, Darryl Strawberry still holds the franchise record for long balls. The first overall pick of the 1980 draft crushed at least 26 bombs in each of his eight Mets’ seasons. He also smacked a league leading 39 home runs in 1988 with a 165 OPS +.

Strawberry’s 36.6 WAR ranks second all-time among Mets’ position players. He also ranks second in RBI (733) third in Runs (662), and fifth in steals (191).

Stay tuned for next week as we will rank the franchise’s best homegrown pitchers. Expect to see several  Cy Young Award winners on that list…

The post Building The Mets All-Homegrown Team appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Throughout his 17-year career, Moises Alou experienced many highs and lows. From winning two silver slugger awards to an improbable World Series win with the 1997 Marlins, the prolific outfielder achieved a lot of success.

He also dealt with adversity, laboring through many significant injuries, and suffering heartbreaking finishes with the 2003 Cubs and 2007 Mets. But through all these events, one factor always remained consistent: Alou never stopped hitting.

Alou, the son of Felipe Alou and brother of current Mets’ manager Luis Rojas, crushed 332 home runs and batted .303/.369/.516 over his career. Even as Alou reached the end of his tenure, pitchers still couldn’t get him out. At the age of 40 for the Mets, Alou slashed .341/.392/.524 with 13 home runs and 49 RBI  in 87 games.

While the Mets collapsed that September, Alou’s incredible hitting shouldn’t be forgotten. From Aug. 23 to Sept. 26, Alou slashed .403/.455/.588 with four home runs and 17 RBI. He recorded a hit in 30 straight games, setting the franchise record.

If Alou had one weakness, it was his inability to stay healthy. He missed the entire season in both 1991 and 1999, and he made 150 or more starts just four times in his career.

Alou’s injury history would only extend during his tenure with the Mets. After signing a One-year $7.5M contract with the Mets, Alou was placed on the disabled list with a torn quadricep in May. He would not return to the lineup until August.

In many ways, the 2007 season was a microcosm of Alou’s career. When he played, he hit great. But he couldn’t stay on the field for long. It’s easy to wonder how much differently the season would have transpired if the Mets had him the entire year.

His 2.3 bWAR was the Mets’ fourth highest among position players, and he achieved this mark despite missing half the year. Alou ranked behind only David Wright with his .916 OPS and .392 wOBA.

The 2007 collapse wasn’t the first time Alou experienced a crushing defeat. In Game Six of the 2003 National League Championship Series, a fan prevented Alou from catching a foul ball in the stands with his team leading 3-0 in the eighth inning. The Cubs ultimately lost the game, and the series, continuing Chicago’s World Series drought.

But Alou’s performance in the 1997 World Series stands out as one of his best performances. While Alou slumped to begin the postseason, he batted .321 with a 1.101 OPS in the World Series as Florida won their first ever championship.

Since Alou ended the 2007 season with such a bang, the Mets brough him back for 2008. Alou batted .347, but he was limited to just 15 games played. He missed the beginning of the season with hernia surgery, and he tore his hamstring in a minor league rehab appearance. It was a disappointing end to what was a fantastic career.

Ultimately, the bitter finish to the 2007 season obscures just how good Alou was for the Mets. If the team around him did more to stave off the Phillies, Alou’s hit streak would have been a more memorable moment in Mets’ history. And if not for his multitude of injuries, a Hall of Fame career wouldn’t have been out of his reach.

More One Year Wonders

Marlon Byrd (2013)

Joe Christopher (1964)

Jose Valentin (2006)

Benard Gikley (1996)

Fernando Tatis (2008)

The post Mets One Year Wonders: Moises Alou’s Streak Sets Franchise Record appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

With our sights now set on Opening Day, I think It’s time for us to confront a thought that we’ve been hiding in the back of our minds all winter, and that’s what should we expect from Pete Alonso in 2020.

For me that answer has a few layers to it.

Firstly, I think it would be unrealistic to expect another 50+ home run season from the Polar Bear after what was an all-time rookie campaign. We need to remember this is still a young player that will go inevitably through some struggles this season when the league figures him out and force Pete to make adjustments back.

When he went through his only real slump of 2019 (just after the All-Star break), Alonso was still able to rely his plus knowledge of the strike zone and get on base at a decent rate via the walk. He finished the year with a .358 OBP overall, showing us the walk is a great asset to his game.

Now getting back to the home runs, I think Alonso will hit somewhere in the 35-40 range (still damn good). I worry though that people will get too hung up on the homers, especially early on if the power isn’t there just yet. I cannot stress enough that this guy will still be the force in the middle of the lineup that the Mets need without necessarily hitting everything over the wall.

It probably goes unnoticed, but besides hitting the 53 home runs in 2019, Alonso also slugged 30 doubles. If he can continue building on his effective gap-to-gap approach from last year,  we could see the Polar Bear have a 40 homer, 40 double season as an encore performance in 2020.

On a personal note, I wanted to thank the entire MMO staff for the opportunity to share my insights and opinions with so many amazin’ Mets fans…I’m excited to share my thoughts on all things Metsies with you throughout this season and beyond!

The post What Should Expectations Be for Pete Alonso In 2020? appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

With rumors swirling about Zack Wheeler, and the Mets apparent interest in Starling Marte, the hot stove season is starting to get warmed up. Offseason moves have burned the Mets in recent years, but they also made some excellent additions over the past decade.

Let’s take a look at the Mets five best offseason acquisitions from 2010-2019.

5. Neil Walker for Jon Niese

This trade couldn’t have worked out any better for the Mets. Niese’s career imploded after the deal, while Walker enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career.

In 2016, Walker batted .283/.347/.476 with 23 home runs and a .823 OPS in 113 games. Even though he was injured for the final month season and the Wild Card game, Walker’s solid production (3.6 WAR) made him a key part of the team’s success.

Meanwhile, Niese labored so badly in Pittsburgh (4.91 ERA, 5.36 FIP) that he was traded back to New York that same season for Antonio Bastardo. In his return to the Mets, Niese was torched, yielding 14 runs in 11 innings. He would never pitch another MLB inning.

Sure, if the Mets re-signed Daniel Murphy, there wouldn’t have been a need for Walker. But given Niese’s struggles and Walker’s productivity, it’s hard to argue against this trade being one of the Mets’ best. The Mets saw that Niese’s stock was trending downwards after a subpar 2015 (4.13 ERA, 4.41 FIP), and they flipped him for a productive hitter while the southpaw still had value.

4. Asdrubal Cabrera: Two years, $18.5M

Like Neil Walker, Cabrera was acquired after the 2015 season to beef up the Mets’ middle infield. Cabrera was a significant upgrade at the plate over the light hitting Ruben Tejada, and he was a more skilled fielder at short than the defensively challenged Wilmer Flores.

In his first year with the Mets, Cabrera batted .280/.336/.474 and 23 homeruns in 141 games. He also delivered the biggest hit of that season with a walk off blast against Philadelphia to push the Mets atop the Wild Card standings in late September.

Cabrera didn’t hit quite as well in 2017 with 14 home runs and a.785 OPS, but he produced enough for the Mets to pick up his team option in 2018. During his three-year stint, he hit .279/.339/.464 with 55 homeruns and a 117 OPS+, making his contract one of the best bargains of Sandy Alderson’s tenure.

3. Bartolo Colon: Two Years, $20M

From 2014-2016, the Mets were stacked with electric young arms that could overpower the opposition. Pitchers like Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Noah Syndergarad were taking New York by storm, but there was one pitcher that didn’t quite fit this mold: 41-year-old Bartolo Colon.

Despite his age, Colon stunned the league with his remarkable command and consistency. In his three seasons with the Mets, he posted a 44-34 record with a 3.90 ERA and 3.79 FIP. He also recorded a 1.32 BB/9, which was the fourth best mark in the MLB during this time.

When the Mets signed him in 2014, nobody thought that his renaissance with the A’s and Yankees was sustainable. His 2.65 ERA with the A’s looked like a fluke, especially since it seemed like ages ago that Colon won the Cy Young award with the Angels in 2005.

But as Met, Colon always proved his doubters wrong. He never slowed down until after his contract with the Mets expired. He rewarded the team for their gamble with three solid seasons, while also providing them entertaining moments, such as his homerun in San Diego, and his slick behind the back throw in 2015.

2. Curtis Granderson: Four Years, $60M

Many fans were disappointed after Granderson batted .227/.326/.388 with 20 homeruns in his first Mets’ season, but the veteran outfielder quickly made up for his slow start. In 2015, he upped his homerun total to 26 while slashing .259/.364/.457 as the team’s primary leadoff hitter.

His 5.0 bWAR that season was second behind only Jacob deGrom for the NL Champion Mets. Granderson also excelled in the post season, batting .389 in the NLDS and crushing three homeruns in the World Series.

While the Mets usually don’t have a lot of luck with expensive acquisitions, Granderson bucked that trend. He ended his Mets career with 95 homeruns, 27 steals, and a 116 OPS+, and became a fan favorite during his successful time in Queens.

Honorable Mentions

Before we get to the top acquistion on this list, let’s review some moves that missed the cut but are still worthy of disucssion.

J.D. Davis for Luis Santana, Ross Adolph, and Scott Manea

How will this trade be viewed in the years to come? If Davis continues to hit like he did in 2019, then this trade could become one of the decade’s best. Davis batted .307/.369/.527 with 22 homeruns in 140 games this year. But as of now, the trade is too early to judge, especially since we don’t know how the prospects the Mets gave up will perform.

Marlon Byrd: Minor League Contract

Picked up on a minor league deal in 2013, Byrd produced excellent numbers for the Mets. He batted .285/.330/.518 with 23 homeruns in 117 games before the Mets traded him to Pittsburgh for Dilson Herrera and Vic Black.

R.A. Dickey: Minor League contract

This signing just missed the cutoff date for the decade as happened in December of 2009. But it is such a good move that it needs to be mentioned.

When the Mets signed Dickey to a minor league deal, nobody knew what an tremendous impact he would make. In 2010 and 2011, Dickey shocked everyone with a 3.08 ERA and 1.20 WHIP in 383 innings, but he was only getting started.

In 2012, he won the Cy Young Award with a 20-6 record, 2.73 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. While this was last year with the Mets, his impact to the organization would live on. The Mets used him as the centerpiece of a trade that is still providing major dividends for the Mets.

1. Noah Syndergaard, Wuilmer Becerra, John Buck, and Travis d’Arnaud for R.A. Dickey, Josh Thole, and Mike Nickeas

While it was hard to see Dickey go after such a remarkable Cy Young campaign, this trade undoubtedly tops this list. The Mets sold high on the knuckleballer, and they got Toronto to part with three enticing prospects.

D’Arnaud never quite lived up to the hype, and Becerra never made it to the MLB. But it’s Syndergaard who made this trade a massive steal for the Mets.

Syndergaard suddenly blossomed into one of the game’s most exciting young prospects in the Mets system. He thrived instantly in the majors, recording a 3.24 ERA with 166 strikeouts in 150 innings in his rookie year. And in his first full season in 2016, he won 14 games with a 2.60 ERA and led the league in FIP at 2.29.

Syndergaard hasn’t been quite as dominant since missing most of 2017 due to injury, but he still ranks among the game’s top 20 starters. In what was a down year by his standards, Syndergaard still ranked 17^th in the MLB in WAR at 4.4.

As for Dickey, he was never able to replicate his 2012 dominance with Toronto. In four years with the Blue Jays, Dickey owned a 4.05 ERA with a 1.25 WHIP over 130 starts. He may not have been terrible, but it certainly wasn’t the kind of production the Blue Jays were hoping for.

But as Mets’ fans know, this list is only half of the story. There were plenty of other moves that weren’t successful, so stay tuned for next week’s article on the Mets five worst offseason acquisitions from 2010-2019.

The post The Mets’ Top 5 Offseason Acquisitions of the Decade appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Francisco Alvarez – Photo by Ed Delany, MMO

According to Metsmerized’s own Mike Mayer, the Mets have promoted their top catcher prospect Francisco Alvarez to the Kingsport Mets from the Gulf Coast League Mets.

Alvarez, who was signed in 2018 for a team record $2.7 million signing bonus in International Free Agency, had begun the season in the Gulf Coast League. He slashed .462/.548/.846 and cracked two home runs, drove in 10 runs, and drew four walks.

Alvarez will join this year’s first-round pick Brett Baty in Kingsport as two recent promotion from the GCL. Alvarez is currently ranked as the Mets’ 12th best prospect according to MLB.com, but that will surely change when they update their rankings.

The GCL Mets added right-handed pitcher Josh Wolf to their active roster, according to the League’s transactions page.

Wolf, 18, was the Mets’ second round pick this year out of St. Thomas High School in Texas. Wolf has yet to appear in a game since being drafted, but now joins a GCL roster that will likely see the addition of third rounder Matthew Allan in the coming weeks.

The post Mets Top Catcher Prospect Francisco Alvarez Promoted to Kingsport appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The once unheralded Jeff McNeil isn’t getting overlooked anymore. Not only did McNeil receive All-Star honors yesterday, but he surpassed Dodgers’ superstar Cody Bellinger for the MLB lead in batting average.

In what was a spectacular night for the Mets’ leadoff hitter, McNeil delivered the go-ahead hit in yesterday’s 8-5 win over the first-place Atlanta Braves. His clutch performance helped the Mets snap their seven-game losing streak, and his three hits raised his average to .348 on the season.

“It’s a dream of mine to win a batting title,” McNeil said to reporters after the game. “We’ve got a long way to go, so hopefully I can keep it up.”

McNeil has been incredible ever since his call-up to the majors a season ago. While many thought that his .329/.381/.471 batting line from last year was a fluke, he’s now proven himself as an excellent hitter and an on base machine.

He owns a .412 on base percentage this season, which ranks inside the top five in the MLB. Additionally, he is providing extra base power with six homeruns, 23 doubles and a .509 slugging percentage in 71 games.

His .393 wOBA and 149 WRC+ are also up from last year’s wOBA (.368) and wRC+ ( 137.)

Moreover, McNeil’s defense has shined in both the infield and outfield. He owns a positive DRS in left field (2) and at third base (2) this season, so it’s truly been a tremendous all-around year for the 27-year-old.

In a season filled with such heartache in disappointment for the Mets, McNeil, along with fellow All-Star Pete Alonso, have been one of the few bright spots. It’s always entertaining to watch McNeil hit, and it will be exciting to see him at his first All-Star game.

If McNeil does fulfill his dream of winning a batting title, he would join Jose Reyes as the only other Met to do it. Reyes won his in 2011 when he hit .337 to edge out the NL’s MVP Ryan Braun.

McNeil will also face tough competitors like Cody Bellinger to win the batting title, but as McNeil has proven since his debut, it’s never a good idea to count him out.

The post All-Star Jeff McNeil Now Leading the MLB in Hitting appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

After smashing the Mets’ rookie homerun record yesterday with his 27th bomb, Pete Alonso has added another accomplishment to his resume. Alonso was awarded NL Player of the Week Award for his red-hot performance during the past seven days.

With four homeruns and an absurd .417/.548/.1.042 triple slash line, Alonso showed no mercy and annihilated both the Braves and Cubs’ pitching staffs. The torrid stretch increases his overall slash line to .276/.366/.642.

Alonso leads all MLB rookies with 27 homeruns, 61 RBI, and 46 extra base hits. His .366 OBP and .642 slugging percentage also rank first among rookies.

In addition to passing Darryl Strawberry‘s rookie homerun record, Alonso is on pace to break the Mets’ all-time single-season  homerun record of 41 set by Carlos Beltran (2006) and Todd Hundley

Having homered in three of the past four games, Alonso is locked and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. He leads the Mets with a 3.2 WAR, and he is only two homeruns shy of Christian Yelich for the MLB lead.

Alonso will look to keep his incredible rookie campaign going tonight as the Mets take on the Phillies

The post Pete Alonso Wins NL Player of the Week Award appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

During today’s 6-1 win over the Rockies, Todd Frazier further silenced his critics. The veteran third baseman, who is now batting .350 with four homeruns in his last 11 starts, blasted a three-run homerun in the first inning against the Rockies to jumpstart the Mets’ offense.

Later in the fifth inning, Frazier added to the Mets’ lead with a RBI double that hit the base of the left field wall. The Rockies struggled to get him out the entire series, as Frazier finished the three game set 5-for-10 with a homerun, a walk and five RBI.

“He’s been great,” Mickey Callaway said in the postgame press conference. “I don’t know what else to say. He’s been fantastic.”

When Frazier returned from an oblique injury on April 22, he began the season mired in a dreadful slump, batting .148/.164/.259 over his first 55 trips to the plate. Many thought that the 33-year-old was finished, but his performance since then shows that he can still hit. His OPS has increased from .423 to .791.

Overall, Frazier is hitting .265/.336/.455 with six homeruns, 18 RBI and a .338 wOBA 146 plate appearances.  Given his strong defense at third base (32 career runs saved), and hot hitting at the plate, it looks like has firmly reestablished himself as a starter and a key member of the team.

“He’s locked in,” Callaway said. “He’s got confidence, and it’s fun to watch.”

The post Red-Hot Todd Frazier Continues Torrid Stretch with HR, 4 RBI appeared first on Metsmerized Online.