Your New York Mets are moving on to the NLCS!

Last night, with the chance to get the series clinching win in Game 4, the Mets were finally able to christen the home team locker room of Citi Field with its first champagne bath. In a miracle season, which saw them start 11 games under .500, the Mets will now face the winner of the Padres and Dodgers series for a spot in the 2024 World Series.

While there have been many gimmicks and streaks from both players and outside entities this season, the one constant has been the Mets’ MVP, Francisco Lindor. In this Game 4 battle against the Philadelphia Phillies, Jose Quintana was able to hold the Phillies to only one run in five solid innings of work, however, the Mets’ offense was not holding up their end of the bargain. Having left the bases loaded in the first and second inning, the Mets’ bats were in danger of doing so again in the sixth, but the backbone of the team would not let it happen. Lindor did it again; the star shortstop smoked a 2-1 fastball over the right-center field wall, and the rest is history. 

The Mets will have a very well-deserved three day break as they await the winner ofGame 5 between the Dodgers and Padres on Friday.

Which team do you think would be a better matchup for the Mets? Sound off in the comments!

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

Latin pop star and Mets shortstop Jose Iglesias talked to the Today Show about how the remix of his song “OMG” with Pitbull and Silvestre Dangond came about. The remix will be released on Friday and a music video is planned to come out during the offseason.

Jeff McNeil will play in the Arizona Fall League on Friday and Saturday as Mets manager Carlos Mendoza wants to see him play back-to-back games of nine innings, per Tim Healey of Newsday. Jeff McNeil anticipates being on the NLCS roster, which will be released prior to the series’ start on Sunday, per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Daniel Murphy threw the first pitch to Bartolo Colon prior to Game 4 of the NLDS on Wednesday night. 

Latest MLB News

Game 3 of the ALDS went to the Detroit Tigers as they beat the Cleveland Guardians, 3-0. The Tigers, who went with a bullpen game, completely shut down Cleveland’s bats and will have a chance to move on to the ALCS on their home field on Thursday night. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers bludgeoned the Padres last night 8-0 and forced a winner-take-all Game 5 in Los Angeles on Friday. The winner of the series will host the Mets on Sunday to kick off the NLCS.

Giancarlo Stanton’s eight-inning moonshot blast ended up being the game-winning blow for the Yankees, as they beat the Royals 3-2. Kansas City’s season is on the line Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium.

The MLBPA came to a non-exclusive licensing deal with Fanatics, making it the first licensed sportsbook of the MLBPA, per Mike Mazzeo of Sports Business Journal. 

Houston Astros utility man Mauricio Dubón is slated to undergo surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb this week, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Dubón played the last month of the season with this tear; the expected recovery time is 6-8 weeks, so he should be good to go for spring training. 

The roof of Tropicana Field was ripped off on Wednesday night by Hurricane Milton. The stadium was being used as a shelter for first responders. Prayers go out to all who are affected by Hurricane Milton.

Latest on MMO

A Citi Field celebration 15 years in the making!

Lindsanity will not stop!

Jeff McNeil is nearing a return just in time for the NLCS.

On This Date in Mets History

2015: While trying to turn a double play in the seventh inning of Game 2 of the NLDS against the Dodgers, Rubén Tejada gets taken out by Chase Utley and breaks his leg. Utley would get a warm welcome from the Citi Field crowd during Game 3 of the series.

1973: The Mets beat the Cincinnati Reds to win the second National League pennant in franchise history.

1961: The New York Mets select Giants catcher Hobie Landrith with their first selection in the 1961 MLB expansion draft. Players such as Gil Hodges, Roger Craig, and Al Jackson were selected during the draft. 

Born On This Date: Jeurys Familia (1989), Fernando Martínez (1988), Elvin Ramírez (1987), Ramón Martínez (1972), Grover Powell (1940).

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Are Headed to the NLCS appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The long awaited arrival of one of the Mets’ top prospects, Ronny Mauricio, will finally be coming to fruition as he is going to be promoted to the major league roster in the coming days. The initial news came from Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase, who reported that the Mets third-ranked prospect will be promoted when the rosters expand to 28 on Friday, September 1. For more in-depth analysis of the call-up, click here.

Ronny Mauricio – Final Destination? Outfield. Photo Courtesy of https://momentodeportivord.com/que-significa-carlos-correa-en-los-mets-para-ronny-mauricio/

The Mets won in walk-off fashion Wednesday night, as they salvaged the last of three games against the Texas Rangers by a score of 6-5. Denyi Reyes had his best performance as a Met, going 5 1/3 innings while only allowing two earned runs on three hits, but that became a minute detail in a night that was all about DJ Stewart.

Stewart started his heroic night by teaming up with Daniel Vogelbach on a pair of home runs in the second inning to give the Mets a 2-0 lead. Facing a 5-3 deficit in the bottom of the eighth, DJ struck again as he knotted the game right back up by sending another home run over the right field wall. He also sparkled in the field as he ran into the right-center field wall to rob Marcus Semien of a double in the top of the ninth. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th in a 5-5 game, Stewart got hit by the first pitch he saw from Aroldis Chapman to win the game and cap off his unforgettable night.

The Mets will take Thursday to rest as they prepare to host the red-hot Seattle Mariners over the weekend at Citi Field.

Latest Mets News

All sorts of Pete Alonso buzz has been swirling around for the past two months. Most recently, there has been an increase in rumors concerning Alonso having a negative impact on the clubhouse. But an article from Deesha Thosar article of FOX Sports tried to put that to rest. The article highlights that a possible trade involving Alonso will be purely fiscally motivated. Alonso gave off the sentiment that the trade rumors are not getting to him, and many Mets players rallied around him. The article details how a Mets higher-up said players were upset with the reports saying Alonso was “toxic,” and many players plan to make it known that they want him back with the club for years to come. 

Daniel Palka, who the Mets recently signed back to a minor league contract, quite literally hit a home run out of the ballpark as he sent a moonshot that traveled 458 feet and was rocketed 112.8 mph off the bat. 

458 feet at 112.8 mph by Daniel Palka in his second day back with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets.

He had three hits in his first game back.

pic.twitter.com/njoNDPBwxP

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) August 30, 2023

Latest MLB News

Juan Recio and Jeff Passan of ESPN provided an update on the Wander Franco situation, as the Dominican Republic is investigating a second formal complaint that the Rays’ shortstop engaged in a relationship with a minor. This is the latest of three accusations against Franco; prosecutors from the division that are investigating Franco’s situation hope to speak with him in the coming weeks.

The New York Yankees are calling up two of their top 10 prospects in outfielder Jasson Domínguez and catcher Austin Wells, Passan of ESPN also reported. The two newest call-ups join Anthony Volpe, Oswald Peraza, and Everson Pereira as the Yankees continue to call up highly touted prospects in their system to the major league level. The two latest additions are expected to join the club in Houston during their series against the Astros over the weekend. 

Two veterans found new homes Wednesday while clubs are looking to make last-minute additions to their rosters, as players need to be in the organization a month prior to the start of the postseason to be eligible for the postseason roster. One of those players was former Met Billy Hamilton. The Tampa Bay Rays signed the know base stealer to a minor league deal, per Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times, although he might not be able to play right away as he is still nursing a shoulder injury. The other was catcher Tucker Barnhart, who signed a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers after being released by the Cubs earlier this month. Robert Murray of FanSided was the first to report the Barnhart news.

Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper notched his 300th career home run as he hit a go-ahead two-run shot in the eighth inning of a loss against the Los Angeles Angels. Harper has been in the spotlight from a very young age, donning the cover of Sports Illustrated at 16 year old, and he has not let the expectations get to him. The former phenom has succeeded at every level, and accumulating his 300th home run Wednesday afternoon was just another milestone eclipsed on his trip to Cooperstown. 

BRYCE. HARPER.#RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/zy0uCGTa6Q

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 30, 2023

Latest on MMO

Ross Bentley did a deeper breakdown of the Mets clubhouse responding to rumors of Pete Alonso being “toxic.”

Metsmerized Online‘s witter page is holding a giveaway for three Kevin Parada rookie cards!

Metsmerized Online is also giving you the opportunity to win three of the Mets newest call-up Ronny Mauricio’ rookie cards!

On This Date in Mets History

2016: In the bottom of the eighth inning, Kelly Johnson broke a 2-2 tie as he hit a bases clearing double to take a give the Mets a 5-2 lead against the Miami Marlins. Jeurys Familia came in for the top of the ninth as he notched his 44th save on the season, breaking Armando Benítez and his own record of saves in a season which previously stood at 43. 

2020: Tom Seaver passes away at the age of 75. “The Franchise” took a young Mets franchise to prominence, leading the Amazin’s to wo World Series appearances and one World Series win, along with notching 3 Cy Young awards and 10 All-Star appearances while with the club. Seaver would go on to be the first retired number in Mets franchise history and is recognized in Cooperstown for eternity.

2021: Trailing 5-1 in the ninth inning of the first game of a day/night doubleheader against the Marlins, Brandon Nimmo sparks a late rally with a two-run homer as he cuts the deficit in half. Newest Met Javier Baez, who reached on an infield single, would then race from first to home on a Michael Conforto double to give the Mets the win, following a week of “thumbs up, thumbs down” controversy.

Birthdays: Ramón Ramírez (42), Hideo Nomo (55), Pat Howell (55)

The post Morning Briefing: The Ronny Mauricio Era Set to Begin appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

This offseason, we’ve been looking at the Mets’ history with free agency. We began with the team’s best signings. Now we’re saving the worst for last. We started with Roger Cedeño and we continue with another failed second go-around in New York.

For two seasons, Jeurys Familia was one of the best closers the Mets ever had. From 2015 to 2016, he gave the team a reliable late-game bullpen presence in consecutive playoff years.

When New York was out of contention in 2018, Familia was part of a trade deadline deal that sent him to the A’s. It turned out to be a rental in the Bay Area, because the Mets brought back Familia that winter as a set-up man to Edwin Díaz. But that new role led to far different results for the former closer, as he posted an ERA of 4.62 and a WHIP of 1.55 in three subsequent years with the Mets.

After a strong rookie season behind closer Jenrry Mejia, Familia got his chance to save games on a regular basis at the start of the 2015 season when Mejia was suspended. It was an opportunity he capitalized on.

Familia pitched to a 1.55 ERA, striking out 9.9 per nine innings and saving 46 games in 2015 on the way to the helping the Mets win the National League pennant. That success carried over to 2016, when he established two franchise records: converting 52 straight save chances, and 51 in a single season.

However, Familiar had his struggles in the postseason. The Mets closer had three blown saves in 2015 World Series (even if two weren’t totally his fault) and gave up three runs in the Mets 2016 Wild Card Game defeat to the Giants.

The 2017 season involved issues more serious than on-field results. Familia was suspended for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy and later dealt with a right shoulder injury. His on-field performance did improve in 2018 before the trade to Oakland, with a 2.88 ERA in 40 appearances.

When the Mets re-signed Familia in 2019, he had every reason to return to New York. He grew up in the organization, after signing as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic at age 17. A three-year deal worth $30 million was also good motivation for Familia to come back to Queens following the 2018 season, and the size of the contract showed the Mets were motivated too — probably too much. The signing came shortly after New York made a multi-player swap with Seattle — which brought Díaz to New York.

With two All-Star pitchers who had saved 50-plus games bolstering the Mets bullpen, the team had high hopes for eighth-to-ninth lockdown combination. While Díaz had a disastrous first year in Queens, Familia’s return was also very underwhelming. In 66 games, his 5.70 ERA, 72 ERA+, and 1.73 WHIP were each personal worsts since becoming a regular in the big leagues. Familia’s walk rate was also significantly higher than it was at his peak.

Familia’s next two seasons were better, but he still showed much more inconsistency than he did when he was the team’s closer. Familia had 25 appearances in the shortened 2020 season and pitched in 65 games in 2021 , combining for an ERA+ of 106 with 95 strikeouts in 86 innings. In many cases, Familiar had some tough luck, but the return on investment for the Mets was clearly not there based on his overall statistics. Familia allowed 10 homers in what turned out to be his final year in New York in 2021. He spent the 2022 campaign in Philly and Boston with even less favorable results.

The staying power for many relief pitchers is short. Good one year, great another, bad the next. Familia is not unlike a lot of bullpen arms — a pitcher who could not repeat the same success as before and the Mets paid the price for it.

The post Mets Worst Free-Agent Signing No. 9: Jeurys Familia appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Good morning, Mets fans!

Carlos Beltran returned to Citi Field on Thursday. Following the visit, Francisco Lindor and Edwin Díaz spoke with members of various media outlets and discussed how Beltran should be brought back to the Mets and how they would welcome him back with history aside.

The Mets won their second straight game against the Pirates Friday, righting the ship after suffering a sweep to the Cubs. The Braves got back in the win column as well, so the Mets’ division lead remains at an even 1.0.

Latest Mets News

Baseball America announced their organizational minor league players of the year on Friday. Mets third base prospect Brett Baty was named the 2022 Mets minor league player of the year.

Stephanie Apstein of Sports Illustrated talked with Francisco Lindor about how this year’s Mets organization and team is a different group than 2021. They discussed how the Mets are overcoming decades of dysfunction and how this year’s organization is more professional than last year’s.

Carlos Beltran returned to Citi Field for the first time on Thursday since being let go by the Mets’. In the wake of the visit, Andy Martino of SNY spoke with Francisco Lindor and Edwin Diaz and they both expressed wanting Beltran back with the Mets’ organization.

In the wake of the announcement of the passing of John Stearns, Mike Piazza tweeted out a statement expressing his condolences, stating: “Deeply saddened by the passing of John Stearns. His soul and family are in my prayers. Nothing but amazing memories of the fun we had. No one had more love for the game and the Mets, thrilled he experienced the field one last time this past August. #Mets.”

According to Michael Mayer of Metsmerized, the following Mets prospects were selected to play in the 2022 Arizona Fall League this year:

• Right-handed pitcher Grant Hartwig
• Right-handed pitcher Franklin Sanchez
• Right-handed pitcher Christian Scott
• Right-handed pitcher Troy Miller (taxi squad)
• Right-handed pitcher Mike Vasil
• Utility player Kevin Kendall
• Infielder Luke Ritter
• Outfielder Stanley Consuegra (taxi squad)
• Outfielder Brandon McIlwain

Per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com, Mets rookies Bretty Baty and Mark Vientos were out Friday putting in extra defensive fielding work pregame at third base. Baty is recovering from thumb surgery and has been able to return to most normal activity other than gripping a bat.

The following Mets made rehab appearances in Triple-A Syracuse on Friday:

• Joey Lucchesi: 2.2 IP, 0 R, 2 K
• Tylor Megill: 1 IP, 1 ER, 1 K
• Drew Smith: 1 IP, 0 R, 1 K

Latest MLB News

According to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic, the Atlanta Braves recalled Ozzie Albies from his rehab assignment on Friday. They also designated pitcher Jay Jackson for assignment and put Ehire Adrianza on the 10-day injured list with a strained left quadricep.

Per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, Jeurys Familia cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A. He elected to become a free agent.

Matt Monagan of MLB.com talks about tart cherry juice, the anti-inflammatory, sleep-aiding drink that’s taking over baseball.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer and the MMO Weekly Podcast staff had Maggie Wiggin join the show this week for Episode 18 to talk about an important fundraiser for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. They also had Johnluke Chaparro talk about Roberto Clemente as well.

Nick Rucco recaps the Mets’ minor league affiliate games from Thursday, September 15 that included St. Lucie winning their way to the Florida State League finals.

Joe D discusses the unfortunate passing of former Mets catcher John Stearns at the age of 71.

Michael Mayer recaps Carlos Carrasco’s big outing in the Mets win on Thursday.

Chris Bello talks about Francisco Lindor setting the Mets’ single-season home run record by a shortstop.

Christian De Block discusses the Mets’ slim lead over the Braves in an NL East Roundup.

Michael Mayer breaks down the nine Mets prospects that were selected to participate in the 2022 Arizona Fall League, including right-handed pitcher Mike Vasil.

On This Date in Mets History

1986:  The Mets clinched the NL East division title after defeating the Chicago Cubs.

Birthdays: John Franco (62)

The post Morning Briefing: Lindor, Díaz Want Beltran Back with Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Taijuan Walker returned to the mound for the Mets (15-7) Saturday night at Citi Field against the Phillies (11-11). This was his first start since hitting the injured list with shoulder bursitis. Having five pitchers make history last night tossing the Mets’ second ever no-hitter gave Walker a tough act to follow, but he rose to the occasion. Unfortunately, the bats and bullpen faltered behind him, and the Mets lost to the Phillies 4-1.

Walker tossed five scoreless innings for the Mets. He came out firing in the first inning, consistently reaching 96 mph on his fastball. The Phillies went down 1-2-3 in the first before Nick Castellanos singled to lead off the second inning. This was the first Phillies’ hit in 10 innings against the Mets. Walker promptly picked off Castellanos and got out of the inning without issue. Walker ran into a little trouble in the third inning, giving up a single to Alec Bohm to lead off the inning and walking Odubel Herrera with one out. But he then proceeded to retire the next eight Phillies’ hitters he faced before his night was over.

Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when Brandon Nimmo, in typical Nimmo fashion, got the offense going by taking a one-out walk. Nimmo was on third when Francisco Lindor hit an easy ground ball to first base. Rhys Hoskins tried to throw Nimmo out at home, but Nimmo beat the throw to score the first run of the game. Even though Pete Alonso would walk to load the bases, the Mets were unable to score more in the fifth. Both Eduardo Escobar and Jeff McNeil struck out to end the inning. This inability to add on would come back to bite the Mets later.

Trevor May was the first reliever up for the Mets in the sixth inning. Things started off poorly when Starling Marte was unable to hang on to a bloop hit by Herrera which resulted in a double. But thanks to some poor base running by Herrera and heads up defense by Lindor and Escobar, May got through the inning unscathed. Adam Ottavino got the seventh inning, and things went worse, as he gave up three runs. This included a two-run homer to Kyle Schwarber that gave the Phillies the lead. Ottavino was unable to finish the seventh, and Sean Reid-Foley came in to get the final out.

Reid-Foley stayed in for the top of the eighth and gave up a lead-off homer to Hoskins, putting the Phillies up 4-1. He retired the next two batters, but then left the game with an injury. Chasen Shreve came on with a 3-0 count against J.T. Realmuto and promptly struck him out on three pitches. Shreve stayed in to pitch the ninth inning as well and retired the Phillies 1-2-3.

The Mets threatened in the bottom of the eighth inning, getting the bases loaded with two outs via walks to McNeil, Dominic Smith, and pinch-hitter J.D. Davis. Former Met Jeurys Familia was responsible for two of the walks, helping his old team out. But as was the case in the fifth inning, the Mets were again unsuccessful with the bases loaded. Nimmo grounded out on the first pitch he saw from Phillies’ closer Corey Knebel to end the inning.

The Mets went down quietly in the ninth, with just an infield hit for Lindor. They ultimately left 13 men on base and only had four hits all game. It was not a good night for either the Mets’ offense nor Ottavino.

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Game: Taijuan Walker

Walker pitched a solid five innings for the Mets in his first game back from the injured list. He was throwing hard and looked good defensively, as he moved well off the mound to cover first base. It seems like Walker’s shoulder is good to go, as is his surgically cleaned up knee. He is tentatively scheduled to face the Phillies again for his third start of the season when the Mets are in Philadelphia next week. Hopefully the third time’s the charm for him getting a win.

On Deck:

The Mets will face the Phillies in the rubber game of the series on Sunday night. The Mets will need a win to keep their series win streak alive. First pitch is scheduled for 7:08 PM ET. Max Scherzer gets the start for the Mets against Zach Eflin for the Phillies. The game will be on ESPN.

The post Clutch Hit Eludes Mets in 4-1 Loss to Phillies appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

People have been asking us all winter what we’ve been doing to pass the time during the MLB lockout. I’ll tell you what we do here at MMO — we come up with ideas that not only help us stay busy, but will help you all stay busy, too.

Talking about the best teams and/or players in New York Mets history is always a good debate to have — especially during the cold winter months — but what if we created our own teams with players from different eras? That’d be fun, right? Well, we thought it was, and we think you’ll agree. We’ve created eight different Mets teams, all of which consist of a catcher, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman, three outfielders, two starting pitchers, one relief pitcher, and a manager. We took the top eight at each position (as well as the top 24 for outfielders and top 16 for starting pitchers) with the goal of splitting them up across eight teams and making them as evenly matched as possible.

We used four players twice, given their multi-positionality: Edgardo Alfonzo (2B/3B), Jeff McNeil (2B/OF), John Milner (1B/OF) and Dave Magadan (1B/3B).

What we’ve done over the past eight days is introduce each of the squads while taking a look at their perceived strengths and weaknesses. This article will complete that exercise, meaning the fun will start with some good ol’ fashioned Twitter polls so you can decide which ones would be victorious if they faced one another starting February 8th.

The Squad: Team 8

Strengths

It’d be just flat-out wrong to start with any other strength of this club than the pitching staff, and more specifically, the one-two rotation punch of Jacob deGrom and Ron Darling. You’ve all seen the seven other squads that’ll be in this competition (if you haven’t yet, scroll to the bottom for links to each)…is there a better duo than these two? I’m not so sure. They’re both among the franchise’s top-10 in fWAR (38.9 for deGrom, 15.8 for Darling), and among the top-20 in ERA (2.50 for deGrom, 3.49 for Darling).

What I love the most about this duo, though, is their collective durability. Darling never hit the injured list during his time with the Mets, and although deGrom missed half of 2021, he’s typically been the one constant in New York’s rotation since his debut (he has four years of 190-plus innings to prove it, too).

Between Curtis Granderson, Rusty Staub, and Lee Mazzilli, this squad’s outfield shares one important characteristic: an ability to reach base at a high clip. In their respective Mets careers, none had an on-base percentage below .340. Add in Paul Lo Duca‘s ability to get on base, and that’s a lot of ducks on the pond for dudes like Edgardo Alfonzo and Carlos Delgado to do some work.

Weaknesses

When looking at this club’s defensive alignment, there’s a lot to like, but in comparison to the rest of the squad, the left side of the infield is probably not up to snuff. I love me some Ruben Tejada, but he could never quite put a full season together for the Mets. Wayne Garrett actually put three seasons of 2.0-plus fWAR together and brings the experience that is two World Series appearances to the table, which is a good thing.

But, again, when comparing these two to the rest of the club — and the other shortstop-third base duos that’ll be in this competition — it’s just not the same.

When it comes to the most effective relievers in Mets history, Jeurys Familia is actually high on a few lists. His 124 career saves are third all-time, while his 5.4 fWAR is fifth-best and his 3.30 ERA is in the top-30. That’s all great, but as we’ve seen over the years, Familia has a propensity of getting himself into jams before escaping, which isn’t always a successful strategy as a relief pitcher. After peeking again at the other relievers in this competition, there are probably two or three that are a little more dependable.

Other Teams

Team 1

Team 2

Team 3

Team 4

Team 5

Team 6

Team 7

The post MMO’s Great Eight Mets Teams: Team 8 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Jeurys Familia feels like a forgotten free agent from the 2021 Mets team.

Familia has spent nearly his entire 10-year major league career with the Mets. He’s been pitching in blue and orange since 2012, except for the two months in 2018 when they traded him to Oakland. He’d later sign a three-year deal to return that offseason.

The former Mets closer is now receiving interest from the Boston Red Sox, WEEI reports.

Now 32-years-old, Familia could be finding a home away from Queens with the Mets’ interest in bringing him back unknown. Familia hasn’t closed for New York since 2018 but has appeared as a solid and reliable arm, appearing in the seventh inning or later 51 times in 2021.

Familia still boasts his signature sinker and a fastball that tops out around 97 miles per hour. But as Mets fans know, it’s never easy with the righty reliever. Many Citi Field dance parties to his entrance music Danza Kuduro have turned into nail-biting experiences when he cannot find the strike zone.

Familia finished with a 3.94 ERA in 2021, striking out 72 batters across 59 and 1/3 innings. Against righties, he was particularly effective, allowing a .231 batting average against and a .698 OPS.

He led the majors in saves and games finished in 2016 with 51 and 67, respectively. It was his lone All-Star selection.

The post Red Sox Interested in Jeurys Familia appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Over the next few months, the New York Mets are expected to face plenty of roster turnover, which could include moving on from a very familiar bullpen arm – and no, it’s not closer Edwin Diaz.

Sticking with the backend of the bullpen, however, reliever Jeurys Familia is coming off his three-year, $30 million contract and was recently granted free agency for just the second time in his career. After deciding to return to the Mets for a second tenure back in 2019, the 32-year-old will once again be in control of his future as he searches for his next contract.

Considering Familia has spent nine and a half seasons in Queens, there’s no doubt he’d consider coming back for a third term in blue pinstripes, although taking that route might not be such a wise decision from the front office’s standpoint. Despite featuring a lengthy history with the 6’3″ hurler, along with an obvious need for additional high-leverage relievers, it might be time for both parties to part ways this winter.

Though his first tenure in New York ended positively, the right-hander’s performance over the last three seasons – including 2021 – didn’t prove to be very effective. While he remained healthy for the most part, his availability didn’t help him become a valuable weapon in the bullpen, as he posted a -0.3 fWAR rating over his 146.0 innings pitched from 2019-2021.

Granted, Familia’s first two seasons back with the Mets were much worse than his most recent one, in saying that, it’s also not like he performed up to his fairly attainable expectations during the 2021 campaign.

On the surface, it’d seem like the former amateur free agent performed pretty respectably, which saw him register a 3.94 ERA, 3.68 xERA, 4.40 FIP and a 3.49 xFIP through 59 1/3 innings. But in reality, most of his underlying metrics weren’t all that favorable in the end.

Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

In particular, there were two major areas of concern for Familia this past season – both of which largely plagued him throughout his second tenure with the Mets – including a concerning amount of walks and home runs allowed.

Beginning with his free passes to first base, the 2016 National League All-Star was successful in improving off his 15.8% walk rate from 2020, resulting in a 5.5% decrease in that department. Unfortunately, his 10.3% walk rate in 2021 remained a critical issue, as it placed in the 23rd percentile among all pitchers in the majors, according to BaseballSavant.com.

Despite creating plenty of strikeouts, earning him a 27.5% strikeout rate (tied for a career-high), Familia’s inability to attack the strike zone consistently hindered his performance as a reliable swing-and-miss hurler. As a result, he ended up making his opportunities much tougher than they needed to be, contributing to his six blown saves and four losses on the season.

Along with struggling to keep opposing runners off base, the Dominican native also yielded far too many home runs during his 10th season with the Mets – just his ninth full campaign at Citi Field – as he fell victim to the long ball like never before.

While being plagued by home runs has been problematic in previous seasons, Familia’s woes reached a new level of concern this past season, resulting in a career-worst 10 home runs allowed and a 23.3% HR/FB ratio. Paired with his 27.4% fly-ball rate, almost a quarter of the batted balls that were hit in the air ultimately left the yard, making him extremely unpredictable at times.

In turn, these struggles transformed him into one of the most susceptible arms in the majors of this regard, which isn’t a group any pitcher wants to be a part of. Sadly, he was forced to turn his head while watching several balls fly over the outfield wall throughout the summer.

Putting his shortcomings into perspective, the veteran righty finished with the second-worst HR/FB ratio and also placed tied for the seventh-most home runs against among all relievers who compiled at least 50.0 innings pitched, according to FanGraphs.com.

Taking this subject a step further, the majority of Familia’s home run woes came against his mid-90s sinker – his primary weapon – which was utilized 59.1 percent of the time. After surrendering just one home run in 2020, and only two the year before, opposing hitters smacked it over the fence nine separate times in 2021, easily blowing past his previous career mark.

Source: BaseballSavant.com

Making matters worse, Familia’s sinker averaged a career-best 26.0 inches of drop this past season, placing it 5.8 inches better than similar sinking fastballs at his velocity. And yet, it still yielded significantly more home runs than ever before, meaning its future performance should be considered uncertain at best.

In addition to allowing high amounts of walks and home runs, the hard-throwing righty surrendered a sizeable chunk of that damage while facing left-handed batters, who were able to consistently hit for contact and power against him.

Despite creating a 28.7% strikeout rate, of the 115 lefties he faced, Familia’s high strikeout totals couldn’t make up for his ineffectiveness involving the other areas of his craft. As a result, he allowed a troubling 4.98 FIP, .270 OPP AVG, .490 OPP SLG, 12.2% walk rate, five home runs and a 25.0% HR/FB ratio.

Financially, there’d also be disadvantages to re-signing the former Oakland Athletic, especially since the Mets are approximately $27.2 million under the $210 million luxury tax threshold at this current moment. With reliever Aaron Loup also unsigned and expected to receive a pretty sizeable increase from his $3.0 million 2021 salary, there likely isn’t enough space to retain both hurlers.

Since Loup is likely viewed as a higher priority, given that he’s a left-hander and earned a career-best 1.6 fWAR rating this past season, if management needs to pick between these two arms they’ll probably end up choosing the lefty.

Further to this point, it’d be unwise for New York it limit itself just to another reunion with Familia when talented righties like Archie Bradley, Daniel Hudson, Corey Knebel, Mark Melancon, Ian Kennedy and several others will all be available on the open market in the coming days.

Leading most to believe Familia’s time with the Mets might be nearing a conclusion soon, but unlike in 2018, it could be for good this time rather than just for half a season.

The post It’s Time For Jeurys Familia, Mets to Part Ways Once Again appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Credit: Mets Twitter

It’s hard to believe this was six years ago. In a way, it feels like sixty.

Yes, there was a time when the Mets averaged 5.4 runs over the final two months of the season, winning 36 of 53 and solidifying themselves a team no one else wanted to face. There was a time when a trade deadline acquisition not only made an impact on the offense but was the central part of a team-wide resurgence.

That time was 2015. Yoenis Céspedes‘ insertion into the lineup resulted in 17 homers and a .951 OPS during a torrid 55-game stretch which had a ripple effect on the rest of the batting order. Combined with the downfall of the Washington Nationals, it was a recipe for a division clincher with seven games to spare: a 10-2 thrashing in Cincinnati which secured the franchise’s first NL East title since 2006.

New York wasted little time dispensing with the Reds. Two walks and a single in the top of the first gave Lucas Duda an opportunity to deliver a big two-out hit. He did: a grand slam, in fact, into the right-field stands at Great American Ballpark. Before starter John Lamb and his Reds could blink, the Mets had a 4-0 advantage.

Not long after Cincinnati could devise plans on a comeback, Curtis Granderson put them into a deeper hole. His solo homer with two outs in the second was No. 25 on the year, tying him for the team lead with Duda.

Michael Cuddyer provided extra cushion with a third-inning two-run double. That was plenty of support for Matt Harvey. Although he gave two back in the bottom of the second on a double from Ivan De Jesus, Harvey held the Reds in check. He worked around nine Cincinnati hits, struck out six, and lowered his ERA to 2.80. When he departed with two outs in the seventh, he has exceeded the 180-inning limit that had been placed on him following Tommy John Surgery. Spoiler alert: he would pitch a lot more.

Credit: Mets Twitter

And if this afternoon wasn’t sweet enough, David Wright capped the scoring with a three-run homer in the ninth. “The Captain” was a key member of the Mets’ last postseason appearance as a spry 23-year-old. He’d been with them during the club’s decline while dealing with his own physical issues. Soon after Jeurys Familia struck out future Met Jay Bruce to make it official, Wright not only took part in the clubhouse champagne celebration but he and his teammates greeted the fans who made the trip to Cincinnati.

Said a soaked Terry Collins, about to embark on his first playoff: “we’ve been waiting a long time, haven’t we?”

The post OTD 2015: Mets Clinch NL East in Cincinnati appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The 2016 New York Mets made an exciting run at a wildcard spot in the final six weeks of the season. On September 22, 2016, they had their most thrilling win of that run, when Asdrubal Cabrera won the game with a walk-off home run against the Phillies and celebrated with an epic bat flip.

Setting the scene, the Mets were 80-72 and in second place in the National League’s eastern division going into the game, nine games behind the division-leading Washington Nationals. However, the Mets were streaking toward a wildcard entry into the postseason and were in a three-way battle with the San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals for two spots.

The Mets had just been swept three games at Citi Field by the last-place Atlanta Braves, including a game-ending, walk-off home run-robbing catch by Ender Inciarte off the bat of Yoenis Cespedes. Needless to say, the Mets were in desperate need of a win.

Seth Lugo made the start for New York against Philadelphia’s Adam Morgan. The Mets jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Curtis Granderson clubbed a two-run home run in the bottom of the second inning, scoring T.J. Rivera, who had singled. Roman Quinn drove in Cesar Hernandez in the top of the fourth inning to shave the Mets’ lead to 2-1.

In the top of the fifth inning, with Lugo still on the mound, Ryan Howard and Cameron Rupp homered, providing the Phillies with a 3-2 lead. Cespedes promptly tied the game with a single in the bottom of the fifth, driving in Ty Kelly, who had walked.

Things looked good for the orange and blue in the bottom of the seventh when Cespedes struck again, driving in Jose Reyes with a double and putting the Mets in the lead at 4-3. That lead did not last long, however, as Addison Reed surrendered a three-run home run to Met-killer Maikel Franco in the top of the eighth. The Phillies led 6-4 going into the Mets’ half of the eighth, but the fun was just beginning.

The score held at 6-4 when New York came to bat for its final turn in the bottom of the ninth inning. Brandon Nimmo singled to lead off, but Jay Bruce struck out. Reyes stepped to the plate against Jeanmar Gomez and drilled a 2-1 pitch over the right field fence for a game-tying, two-run home run. The Mets had new life as the game moved to extra innings.

Neither team scored in the tenth inning, and when the game moved to the eleventh, Jeurys Familia began his second inning of work. A.J. Ellis drove in a run with a single, then Maikel Franco walked with the bases loaded off Jim Henderson. The guys from Broad Street had an 8-6 lead as the Mets prepared to bat in the bottom of the frame.

Nimmo grounded out. Michael Conforto walked and Reyes singled. Cabrera strode to the plate as the winning run, and win the game he did. Cabrera hit a 1-0 pitch from Edubay Ramos over the right field fence, flipped his bat, and raised his arms in joy, and the Mets had a much-needed and exhilarating victory. You can see the home run and bat flip, that became the pose for a bobblehead in 2017, in the video below.

What a game, what a win! On a personal note, I was at the airport in Minneapolis waiting on a flight to New York when the game started, and on my couch when it ended, four hours and 23 minutes later. The emotional swings in this important game were significant. The Phillies did not care for Cabrera’s exuberance and expressed their displeasure by throwing behind him in 2017.

The 2016 season ended abruptly in the wildcard game when the Giants beat the Mets at Citi Field. However, the Mets, coming off a 2015 World Series appearance, gave us a nice ride over the last 40 games of the season.

The post OTD 2016: Cabrera Flips Bat, Walks Off Phillies appeared first on Metsmerized Online.