The Mets suffered a crushing loss on Wednesday night as a bang-bang play at the plate in the bottom of the ninth was the final blow for the Amazins. Pete Alonso‘s hand bounced up before the plate, allowing the tag to be placed before he scored and subsequently ending the game. However, an even bigger story is how the Mets’ offense has continued to struggle over the past week. 

During the Mets’ winning stretch in the middle of April, it seemed as though everything was clicking; Brett Baty was hitting his stride, Francisco Alvarez was getting timely hits, and the Mets’ offense minus J.D. Martinez was grooving. Now, losing four of their last six games, the Mets’ offense has hit a blockade. Being blanked last night, and not having many opportunities until the ninth inning, the Mets need a breakout game desperately.

This homestand hasn’t been kind to the Mets, and this series with the Cubs especially has been frustrating from a hitting standpoint, only mustering up five runs in three games. However, the Mets’ offense will look to get back on track as they face Cubs’ Ben Brown with Adrian Houser on the bump for New York for a 1:10 p.m. start at Citi Field.

Starling Marte. Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

Francisco Lindor left last night’s game in the third inning due to flu-like symptoms. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said there is a virus going around the clubhouse and caught up to Lindor.

The Mets want the fans input on what the club’s new service dog should be named! The options are Doc (for Doc Gooden), Buddy (for Bud Harrelson), and Mookie (for Mookie Wilson).

Ji-Man Choi declined his opt-out with the Mets and will stay with the organization, per Will Sammon of The Athletic.

The Mets traded Zack Short, who was recently DFA’d, to the Boston Red Sox for cash considerations.

Pete Alonso wins Mets hitter of the month. Click here for the other April awards.

Latest MLB News

The MLBPA announced the launch of a new mental health and wellness program for major and minor league players and their families.

After a masterful bee-keeping performance at Chase Field, Matt Hilton signed a deal with Topps. Both base cards and signed editions will be available for the public to purchase.

After being released from his minor league deal with the Tampa Bay Rays, Dominic Smith signed a deal with the Boston Red Sox and was added to the major league roster prior to Wednesday night’s game.

The MLB issued suspensions for the Brewers-Rays brawl this past weekend. For the Brewers, Abner Uribe, Freddy Peralta, and Pat Murphy are suspended for six, five and two games respectively. For the Rays, José Siri is suspended for three games. 

Orioles RHP Grayson Rodriguez was placed on the 15-day IL, retroactive to April 30th, with right shoulder inflammation. 

Latest on MMO

DJ Stewart continues to rake when it matters most.

Read up on Mets pitching prospect Blade Tidwell.

Check out who MMO handed out the Mets’ monthly superlatives to!

On This Date in Mets History

2022: The Mets DFA Robinson Canó after playing in 168 games spanning three seasons; he also missed 162 games in 2021 due to a PED suspension. 

2021: After trailing 4-2 to the Phillies in the eighth inning, the Mets put together a six-run inning to take the lead. The Mets would hold on to win after a Rhys Hoskins home run was called back due to replay.

1995: Edgardo Alfonzo records the first hit of his major league career.

Birthdays: Jonathan Villar (33), Erasmo Ramírez (34), Joe Crawford (54)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets’ Offensive Woes Continue appeared first on Metsmerized.

The game will feature many current and former major leaguers and a few former New York Mets, including one member of the 2015 National League Champion squad. 

Las Águilas Cibaeñas released their official roster for the Titans of the Caribbean series on Wednesday, headlined (at least for Mets fans) by 2014 NL Gold Glove winner Juan Lagares. A Met for parts of eight seasons, Lagares played 366 career games at Citi Field and is now back for three more.

Most remembered for his outstanding glove in center field, Lagares was among the best fielders the Mets have ever had. His 2013 and 2014 seasons are two of the top three in Mets history regarding defensive WAR, only trailing Rey Ordóñez’s 1999, and Lagares is the only player to have three of the top 20. He’s also one of only three outfielders in MLB history to have multiple seasons of at least three dWAR, joining Kevin Kiermaier and Andruw Jones.

Lagares joined Jay Horwitz on Amazin’ Conversations with Jay Horwitz to discuss his career and the upcoming series and said he “can’t wait for that day.”

Jonathan Villar, who had a productive season in Queens in 2021, is another former Met on the roster. In 142 games, Villar hit .249/.322/.416 with 18 home runs as he wound up the team’s primary third baseman. Daniel Palka, who has played in Triple-A for the Mets each of the past two seasons, is also there. Palka played 154 games for the White Sox between 2018 and 2019 and hit 29 home runs.

Former Met Melky Cabrera is on the coaching staff, and current Mets roving infield instructor Luis Rivera is also.

Other notable players on Las Águilas Cibaeñas roster for this series are Christopher Morel, Starlin Castro, Elehuris Montero, and Dinelson Lamet.

Los Tigres del Licey have not released their official roster for the series as of Thursday night. However, some notable former major leaguers have played for them this season, including former Mets Hansel Robles and Adonis Medina. They also have Nabil Crismatt, a former Mets minor leaguer with several solid years for the Padres pitching staff.

Robles pitched in over 400 games in his MLB career, 187 of which were for the Mets. He had a good first two seasons, putting up a 3.55 ERA in over 130 innings between 2015 and 2016, but struggled to find the same success after that before he was ultimately claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels in 2018. Medina appeared in 19 games for the Mets in 2022 and famously picked up his first career save against the Dodgers by retiring Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith in the bottom of the 10th.

Ronny Mauricio, the league’s MVP last season for Los Tigres del Licey, is expected to join the team on Nov. 18, after this series.

Other notable Los Tigres del Licey players include longtime MLB veteran Emilio Bonifácio, Francisco Mejia, Danny Santana, and Arodys Vizcaíno.

Los Tigres del Licey are currently 10-8 and in second place in LIDOM, and they are the league’s defending champions. Las Águilas Cibaeñas are 5-13 and in last place, and most recently won the league in the 2020/21 season. 

Friday’s game will start at 6 p.m., and Saturday’s and Sunday’s games will begin at 1 p.m. All proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Sports Dreams Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on benefiting youth baseball and similar activities in the Dominican Republic and the United States. 

The post Former Mets Coming to Citi Field for Titans of the Caribbean Series appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Whether or not the Mets sign Carlos Correa, it’s worth examining what other options are out there that could help improve the team’s depth at the big-league level.

While the elite free agent hitters (besides Correa) are off the board, there are still some potential useful pieces out there that the Mets could sign to to inexpensive or minor-league deals to battle for a spot with say, Darin Ruf and Danny Mendick for a final roster spot.

Here are some interesting names still available in the free agent market that could help improve the Mets bench or at least give them extra depth in Syracuse in case of injuries if they were to sign for minor-league deals.

Luke Voit (1B/DH)

Luke Voit had an up-and-down last two seasons playing for the Yankees, Padres, and Nationals but he did win the MLB home run crown (albeit in a 60-game season) just three years ago. Voit slugged 22 homers last season in 568 PA for San Diego/Washington and does hit from the right side of the plate, so he could work as a possible platoon option with Daniel Vogelbach.

Tyler Naquin (OF)

After being acquired in a trade with the Reds at the deadline last season, Tyler Naquin filled in as the team’s fourth outfielder down the stretch. In 49 games in New York, Naquin hit only .203 with a .636 OPS. However, he proved capable in the outfield and hit .270 with 19 homers in 2021 for Cincinnati. While there are more interesting options out there, Naquin could be a valuable depth piece that could start the year in Syracuse if he doesn’t get any other significant offers.

Robbie Grossman (OF)

If the Mets want to find a veteran outfielder that fits with their high OBP mantra, Robbie Grossman could be a solid buy-low option. Grossman had a bad year last season with the Tigers and Braves, but he posted a .357 OBP in 2021 while drawing 98 walks. He is also a switch hitter and is capable of playing both corner outfield spots. Grossman could be a solid fill-in option should Mark Canha or Starling Marte get injured.

Tommy Pham (OF)

Another potential fill-in outfield option, Tommy Pham isn’t a high-impact player but can still hit for decent power, run the bases well, and play corner outfield when needed. Pham slashed .236/.312/.374 last season split between the Reds and Red Sox and hit 17 home runs with 63 RBIs.

Jonathan Villar (IF)

Jonathan Villar provided a spark for the 2021 Mets, and while his numbers were far from outstanding, he became a bit of a fan favorite in Queens that season. Unfortunately for Villar, last season for the Cubs and Angels went considerably worse for him, as he managed only a .208/.260./.302 slash line.

Still, Villar is a versatile defender with speed who runs the bases aggressively. He also has pop, as evidenced by his 18 homers for the Mets in 2021.

Jesús Aguilar (1B/DH)

Jesús Aguilar is an eccentric personality that would seemingly fit into the Mets clubhouse, and he has a history as a productive offensive player as well.
Aguilar is a former All-Star who slashed a respectable .261/.329/.459 in 2021 to go along with 22 dingers before his production faded last season, leading to his release from the Marlins. Aguilar is still only 32, and has posted five career seasons with an OPS+ over 100. There are certainly worse options out there if the Mets are looking for depth on their bench from the right side.

The post Low-Risk Free Agents That Could Improve Mets’ Depth appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Good morning Mets’ fans!

Jacob deGrom is scheduled to begin his rehab assignment with Low-A St. Lucie in Port St. Lucie this evening. He’s expected to throw two innings.

Before deGrom take the mound in Florida, the Mets will look to right the ship in the third and final game of their series with Texas. With Atlanta only 2.5 games back, the Mets will need a big game from Carlos Carrasco in today’s 1:40 P.M. ET game.

Latest Mets News

Per Tim Healey of Newsday Sports, Jacob deGrom will start a rehab assignment this afternoon with Low-A St. Lucie at Clover Park. He is scheduled to throw two innings.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Mets top prospect Francisco Álvarez has been called up to Triple-A Syracuse and is expected to report on Monday.

Per Tim Healey of Newsday Sports, Edwin Díaz has been named the National League Reliever of the Month for June by MLB. Diaz had a 0.93 ERA and 21 strikeouts (one walk) in 9 2/3rd innings.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN, some baseball industry professionals believe that if Jacob deGrom opts out of his Mets’ contract, the Atlanta Braves are a favorite to land him. 

Latest MLB News

Aaron Barrett, pitcher in the Washington Nationals’ organization, announced on Twitter on Saturday that he will be pitching his last professional game on Monday, July 4^th.

Per Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet, the Toronto Blue Jays have acquired left-handed pitcher Anthony Banda from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash.

According to Fox Sports: MLB, the Washington Nationals announced contract extensions for general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez.

The St. Louis Cardinals hit four consecutive home runs on Saturday against the Phillies. That marks just the eleventh time in MLB history a team hit four consecutive home runs.

Stats by STATS noted that as of Saturday the Minnesota Twins are the first team in American League history to follow up back-to-back walkoff losses with back-to-back walkoff wins (within a single season).

According to MLB Trade Rumors, Jonathan Villar is headed to the Los Angeles Angels.

Latest on MMO

Sam Klein recapped the Mets’ minor league affiliate games from Friday, July 1, which included another Mark Vientos home run.

Johnluke Chaparro discussed why Max Scherzer is not only a great pitcher, but a better teammate.

Andrew Steele-Davis talked about Eduardo Escobar breaking out of his slump with a clutch home run.

In an MMO Exclusive, Matthew Brownstein talked with 1969 World Series Champion Ron Swoboda.

Mojo Hill recapped Trevor May’s first bullpen session in two months.

Mojo Hill talked about Jacob deGrom getting the call to begin a rehab assignment with Low-A St. Lucie on Sunday.

Andrew Steele-Davis discussed Edwin Díaz’s strong June numbers and Diaz being named NL reliever of the month for June.

Nick Rucco recapped the Mets’ 7-3 loss to the Rangers on Saturday.

On This Date in Mets History

1996: Alex Ocoa hit for the cycle in the Mets’ 10-6 win over the Phillies.

Birthdays:

• Tommy Hunter (36)
• Moises Alou (56)
• Danny Heep (65)
• Frank Tanana (69)

The post Morning Briefing: DeGrom Scheduled To Pitch Two Innings For St. Lucie appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Cubs designated Jonathan Villar for assignment Friday. Villar, 31, played in 142 games for the Mets in 2021.

In 46 games for the Cubs in 2022, Villar is hitting .222 with two home runs and 15 RBI.

The switch-hitter could be a target for the Mets bench when he becomes available.

Latest Mets News

Tim Healey of The Athletic reported that Joey Lucchesi is hoping to be back in early or mid-August after receiving Tommy John Surgery in 2021.

Mike Puma of the New York Post reported that Jacob deGrom will throw live batting practice Saturday in Miami.

Latest MLB News

Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic wrote on the story of Blue Jays rookie pitcher Matt Gage.

The Kansas City Royals announced that Salvador Perez will have surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament on his left thumb, and is expected to return this season.

AP Sports reported that Aaron Judge and the Yankees avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $19 million, one-year contract.

Latest on MMO

Alex Horowitz wrote a series preview of the Mets series in Miami.

Liz Evangelou provided a game recap over the Mets 5-3 win in Miami.

Mathias Altman-Kurosaki wrote on potential Mets trade target, Michael Fulmer.

Nick Rucco provided a Mets Minors Recap, highlighted by Brett Baty‘s big day.

Jack Ramsey wrote on the Mets picks in the latest mock draft.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Carlos Delgado (50)

1975: Jerry Koosman collected his 100th career win on this day in 1975. Koosman won 140 games with the Mets and 222 over the course of his career.

2016: The Mets bring back Jose Reyes. Reyes spent 13 seasons with the Mets over his career, broken up by a brief reprieve from 2012-2015. Reyes would become a big piece in the Mets Postseason run in 2016, and was lucky enough to be at shortstop during David Wright‘s final game in 2018.

He did not play very well in the three seasons he was with the Mets from 2016-2018. Reyes only hit .238 with 27 home runs and 98 RBI over 315 games.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Morning Briefing: Cubs Designate Jonathan Villar For Assignment appeared first on Metsmerized.

Player Data: Age: 30 (5/2/1991), B/T: S/R

Primary Stats: 142 G, 505 PA, 454 AB, .249 BA, .322 OBP, .416 SLG, .738 OPS, 113 H, 18 HR, 42 RBI, 46 BB, 132 SO

Advanced Stats: 102 OPS+, 105 wRC+, 26.1% K%, 9.1% BB%, .313 BABIP, .307 xwOBA, 2.1 fWAR, 1.7 bWAR

2021 Salary: $3.5 million

Grade: B+

2021 Review

Jonathan Villar‘s 2021 season can best be summed up in two words: exceeding expectations.

Despite being just two years removed from a season with 24 home runs with the Orioles, Villar didn’t turn many heads when he signed a one-year deal with the Mets in February. He seemed like a decent utility player that would be a formidable fill-in option for the regular group of infielders. And despite 2020 being a tough year to gauge a player’s true ability because of the pandemic-shortened season, the numbers were hard to ignore for Villar in his 22-game stint in Toronto. He hit below the Mendoza line, and even worse, registered a mere .203 slugging percentage. In 79 plate appearances, Villar managed to record just a double as his lone extra-base hit of the entire season.

So when Villar inked with New York on a one-year deal last winter, even the biggest optimists would have had a difficult time foreseeing the impact that he’d go on to produce in Queens over 142 games. In a season full of injuries for much of the regulars in the lineup, Villar became a routine starter on his own, primarily playing third base. At the plate, he belted 18 home runs, third-most for a single season in his career. (It was also third-most on the Mets this year.) During May, when the Mets seemed to lose a new member of their lineup to the injured list each day, Villar stepped up big time, hitting five long balls into the seats, including on back-to-back days in Atlanta mid-month.

As good as Villar was in 2021, he would have been among the MVP favorites had he been able to face the Nationals each game. His best offensive performances of the season all came against Washington. On August 12, Villar went 3-for-3, including a two-home run run in the sixth inning that extended the Mets lead to 4-1. About two weeks later, again at home against the Nats, Villar ended up just a double shy of the cycle. Just a handful of days later in D.C., Villar recorded his only four-hit game of the year, which was part of a Mets extra-innings victory.

Defensively, Villar’s versatility proved to be much-needed when the injuries piled up. While he played the majority of his innings at the hot corner, Villar played over 20 games at shortstop as well, which proved to be invaluable when Francisco Lindor was out of the lineup.

One of the more glaring downsides to Villar’s otherwise productive year was the rate at which he struck out. Finding himself with a “K” in the scorecard over 25% of the time was not ideal, although he was far from the only Met with that issue in 2021.

2022 Outlook

Villar is a free agent this winter, and because of the current lockout, he obviously cannot sign with a new major league organization until sometime later this winter.

While he won’t find himself as a penciled in starter for 2022 if he were to return to the Mets, Villar would make an ideal bench player, especially because of ability to play at multiple positions across the diamond. But if he wants to capitalize off his strong 2021, Villar can find a starting job elsewhere and would be smart to take such an offer if presented with the opportunity. If JV decides he wants to run it back in New York, the Mets would find themselves with an solid “second option” should any of their regular infielders make their way to the IL.

The post 2021 Mets Report Card: Jonathan Villar, IF appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports

The offseason has just begun and free agent deals are already being signed. The Dodgers made the first splash signing Andrew Heaney to a one-year $8 million deal on Monday.

The Mets have a whopping list of free agents this season, headlined by Marcus Stroman, Michael Conforto, Javier Baez, and Noah Syndergaard. Contracts also ran out for key 2021 contributors Jonathan Villar and Aaron Loup.

Here are where experts think the Mets top free agents will land:

Marcus Stroman

The Athletic: 5 years, $110 million. Best fits are the Mets, Giants, Angels, Cardinals, Cubs

MLB Trade Rumors: 5 years, $110 million. Predict Angels, Twins, Dodgers

NY Post: 5 years, $100 million. Predict Astros

Sports Illustrated: Best fit – Nationals

Michael Conforto

The Athletic: 5 years, $90 million. Best fits Rangers, Rockies, Marlins, Nationals, Phillies, Guardians, White Sox, Padres

MLB Trade Rumors: 1 year, $20 million: Predictions Braves, White Sox, Brewers

NY Post: 6 years, $140 million. Predict Phillies

Sports Illustrated: Best fit – Marlins

Javier Baez

The Athletic: 6 years, $172 million. Best fits Mets, Cubs, Yankees, Rangers, Tigers, Mariners, Astros

MLB Trade Rumors: 5 years, $100 million. Predict Rangers or Tigers

NY Post: 7 years, $150 million. Predict Mets

Sports Illustrated: Best fit – Giants

Noah Syndergaard

The Athletic: 1 year, $18.4 million. Best fit Mets

MLB Trade Rumors: 1 year, $18.4 million. Prediction Mets

NY Post: 1 year, $18.4 million. Predict Mets

Sports Illustrated: Best fit – Phillies

Jonathan Villar

MLB Trade Rumors: 2 years, $14 million. Predictions Mets, Rockies, White Sox

Sports Illustrated: Best fit – Guardians

Aaron Loup

NY Post: 3 years, $27 million. Predict Mets

Rich Hill

NY Post: 1 year, $6 million. Predict Angels

Experts agree that Syndergaard will accept the one-year qualifying offer and return to New York next season. They also see Conforto as a guaranteed departure. Where they divest from one another is the contract value that Baez will get, ranging from $28 million per year to $20 million per year.

The Athletic sees Nick Castellanos and Japan’s Seiya Suzuki as fits on the Mets. Both players commanding a five-year deal worth over $100 million.

The team at MLB trade rumors has predictions for the Mets to get Kris Bryant, Starling Marte, Anthony DeSclafani, and Kyle Seager.

The NY Post thinks the Mets get Marte at three years, $75 million.

Sports Illustrated has the Mets as best fit for Bryant and Robbie Ray.

The post Contract Prediction Roundup: Where Experts Think Mets Players are Going appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the World Series is over and the Atlanta Braves have been crowned as champions (harumph), MLB’s offseason is officially upon us. It should be an interesting few months for our New York Mets, but you know what? I miss hearing the best booth in baseball on the call during some exciting moments by the boys in orange and blue.

So before things get hectic and the Hot Stove starts heating up, let’s take a stroll down memory lane and enjoy the five longest homers hit by the Mets during the 2021 regular season.

5. Francisco Lindor, 436 feet, September 12th vs. New York Yankees

Ah, yes — Francisco Lindor‘s signature Mets moment thus far. With New York essentially out of the playoff hunt by the time the final installment of the Subway Series rolled around, this was the closest the Mets would be getting to a postseason atmosphere in 2021.

Thankfully, the Amazins’ superstar shortstop showed up for his best single-game performance of the year. He went 3-for-5 with three homers, five RBI, and three runs scored. Lindor’s 769 wRC+ for this particular game was his highest mark of the year. The 27-year-old’s cumulative distance on these three dingers was 1,229 feet, with his second round-tripper off Wandy Peralta being the 436-footer that put him on this list.

4. Jonathan Villar, 437 feet, July 9th vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Similar to Lindor, Jonathan Villar‘s longest homer of the season came during an overall memorable single-game performance, as he hit a dinger from each side of the plate. The 437-foot bomb came as a right-handed hitter, and it ended up being one of three homers that traveled at least 430 feet in 2021 for him. The one difference between these dingers was that his longest was the only one to not come off a four-seam fastball (it was a slider).

Some of Villar’s general statistics on fly balls from this past season were the best he produced in quite some time. His 216 wRC+ for this batted-ball event was the highest it’s been since 2016 (241). His 37.8% hard-hit rate was the highest it’s been since 2018 (42.3%), while his 27.6% pull rate was the highest it’s been since 2015 (35.0%).

Only three of Villar’s 18 homers from 2021 came from the right side of the plate, but he certainly made this one count.

Javier Báez, 444 feet, August 29th vs. Washington Nationals

Javier Báez only spent a couple of months with the Mets after he was acquired at the July trade deadline, but he made an impact during his limited time with the club. And, when he gets ahold of one — as he does in the above video — the slick-fielding infielder enjoys admiring his work. I don’t blame him one bit.

Two of his three longest homers of 2021 came with the Mets. The other being a 438-footer on September 9th, and his longest came with the Chicago Cubs — a 455-foot dinger on May 31st. Interestingly enough, he didn’t need a ton of velocity from opposing pitchers to blast these mammoth homers — that 455-foot homer came on a changeup, while the other two he hit with the Mets were on curveballs.

I’d say he generated plenty of velocity on his own, though. The exit velocities for each of these three dingers were at least 107 mph.

In just 186 plate appearances in New York, Báez slashed .299/.371/.515 with nine homers, 22 RBI, and 32 runs scored, all good for a 143 wRC+. His 1.7 fWAR nearly matched what he did in Chicago through 361 plate appearances (2.0 fWAR).

Pete Alonso, 453 feet, July 29th vs. Atlanta Braves

Pete Alonso hitting a ball more than 450 feet? That sounds like a story we’ve heard a few times before. The Mets’ premier slugger hit two dingers at least 450 feet this year, and both had an exit velocity in excess of 111 mph. Looking back on his short career thus far, these two bombs from 2021 were the 10th and 11th homers that have traveled at least that far off Alonso’s bat.

This particular blast was on the heels of the first baseman nabbing his second Home Run Derby title, and it also put a cap on the most powerful month of his season. Through 112 plate appearances, Alonso slashed .250/.304/.577 with 10 homers, 22 RBI, and a 136 wRC+. Those homers and RBI were the most of any month in 2021, and his .327 ISO during this time was also the highest.

Michael Conforto, 469 feet, September 29th vs. Miami Marlins

Michael Conforto didn’t have the year he was hoping for in 2021, but it also seemed as if he was more like himself as the season wore on. One of the indicators could be that some of his longest homers didn’t come until the end of the year. In addition to the above 469-footer, Conforto hit three other balls at least 420 feet, with all four of these dingers coming from August 7th to the end of the season.

This was only the second time Scooter eclipsed the 460-foot mark during his MLB career, with the last one coming in 2018. On August 27th that year, he took Jon Lester of the Cubs deep for 472 feet.

If we use August 1st as a marker for Conforto’s season, it displays two very different performances. Through July 31st (264 plate appearances), he slashed .198/.322/.324 with six homers, 25 RBI, and an 88 wRC+. From August 1st through the end of the season (215 plate appearances), he slashed .272/.372/.457 with eight homers, 30 RBI, and a 128 wRC+.

The post Reminiscing About Mets’ Five Longest Homers of 2021 appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

As Mets’ fans, we are highly aware of how the Braves marched past the guys from Flushing all the way to the World Series this season. Despite losing Ronald Acuna Jr. to a season-ending injury, and not having ace Mike Soroka all season, the Braves deftly managed the trade deadline to acquire the pieces necessary to play in October.

Braves’ general manager Alex Anthopoulos brought in Eddie Rosario and Jorge Soler (among others) to help Atlanta go 44-28 in the second half of the season, as they won their fourth consecutive division title. The Braves made another change, an internal one, in June that according to an article by Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal, also had an impact on their rise from below to .500 to first place. They began to employ the infield shift with greater frequency.

From Diamond’s article, the Braves were among the least shifting teams in baseball in 2019 and 2020. They decided to change their defensive approach in June of 2021, when they were performing well below expectations. Interestingly, the change did not come exclusively from the front office. Rather, the topic was discussed with the team and decided upon collaboratively.

“You can try to force it,” Anthopoulos said. “But it’s probably not a good idea.” Instead, manager Brian Snitker said, “Everybody kind of talked about their feelings on this thing.”

The Braves then became the second-most shifting team in MLB (nearly 51% of pitches) from June through the end of the season (only the Dodgers shifted more). During that time span, the Braves posted a record of 63-47. Analytics show that 25 ground balls, that would have been hits, became outs for the Braves once they employed their new strategy. While that may sound modest, those ground balls could have started rallies or driven in runs, and had an impact on wins and losses.

So how about the Mets?

The Mets used the shift extensively in 2021. Using percentage of plate appearances as the metric from Baseball Savant:

Dodgers (53.6%)

Mets (50.2%)

Astros (46.2%)

Braves (38.9%)

One of these teams is not like the rest. Simply using the shift is not the answer. Knowing when to shift and how (scouting and analytics) contribute, as does the skill of the infielders. The Braves have a talented infield of Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies, Dansby Swanson, and Austin Riley. Freeman and Albies are among the gold glove finalists at their positions in the National League.

A natural question to ask is, how effective are teams at achieving the objective of the infield shift-preventing runs? When infield shifting, here are the defensive runs saved by teams in the National League’s eastern division, from Fielding Bible.

Braves (32)

Phillies (9)

Mets (22)

Marlins (23)

Nationals (21)

Below are the N.L. eastern division teams and their runs saved when not in an infield shift:

Braves (0)

Phillies (-9)

Mets (7)

Marlins (0)

Nationals (-2)

Infield shifting helped the Braves more than any other team in the division. The impact for the Mets was positive, though not as significant as it was for the Braves.

Regarding the individual defensive skills of the Mets’ infielders, here is a look at their Outs Above Average (OAA):

Pete Alonso (2)

Jeff McNeil (1)

Javier Baez (at second base as a Met) (3)

Francisco Lindor (20)

Jonathan Villar (-5)

J.D. Davis (-3)

The Mets are solid defensively up the middle (with Baez at second base), but far less so at the corners (with third base being a problem defensively).

Will shifting more make the Mets a better team? Probably not, if considered in isolation. Addressing defensive gaps (such as third base) will have multiple impacts on defense, both in the shift and when traditionally positioned.

For the Braves, employing the shift with increased frequency likely contributed to their second-half success, but not nearly as much as their activity at the trading deadline.

The Mets have many significant decisions to make this offseason. Restructuring the roster (along with front office placements) remains the priority. Using the shift, not necessarily more, but perhaps more strategically, may be a final piece to the puzzle of trying to break the Braves’ run of division championships.

The post Braves’ Strategy Helped Shift Them To World Series appeared first on Metsmerized.

As baseball fans, we debate the contrasting views. “It’s all about launch angle, hit it over the shift.” Then the other side counters with, “take the single, push the ball the other way and beat the shift.” But which approach is more effective? Jared Diamond answered this question is a recent article in the Wall Street Journal.

Sometimes statistical evidence can be inconclusive, or perhaps lean to one conclusion or another. In 2021 at least, the evidence is overwhelming that the most successful teams are those that keep the batted ball off the ground with the greatest frequency.

Red Sox chief baseball officer, Chaim Bloom, said the following in Diamond’s article.

“When you look at a lot of the most productive hitters, they’re going to be guys who drive the ball, who hit the ball hard on the line or hit it hard in the air. The majority of your damage is going to come on line drives and hard-hit balls in the air.”

Though Tim McCarver used to say, “there are no bad hops in the air”, the numbers validate this, on both the individual and team levels. Diamond points out that batters compiled a .241 batting average and .266 slugging percentage on balls on the ground this season. On balls in the air—ranging from home runs to foul pop-outs—those figures jumped to .399 and .782, respectively.

Looking at team statistics, the data are quite compelling. Here are the seven teams that did the best job in keeping the ball in the air, with their ground ball rate in parenthesis.

San Francisco (39.7%)

Atlanta (40.3%)

Los Angeles Dodgers (40.4%)

Boston (40.4%)

Toronto (40.4%)

St. Louis (40.5%)

Houston (40.6%)

Six of these teams qualified for the postseason. Toronto was in contention until the last day of the season. Only the Yankees (43.4%) and White Sox (46.1%) were playoff teams in the bottom half of MLB in ground ball percentage (lowest to highest). The Mets hit the ball on the ground 44% of the time, twenty-first in baseball.

Of the Mets’ regulars, here are some of the players who hit the highest percentage of ground balls.

James McCann (51.5%)

Jonathan Villar (48.6%)

Brandon Nimmo (47.3%)

Jeff McNeil (46.6%)

Michael Conforto (44.7%)

Diamond makes a point on the effectiveness of the shift against ground balls. From his article:

Though ground balls never led to many extra-base hits, they used to result in a bit more production. As recently in 2014, batters put up a .252 batting average on grounders. Then came the rise of the defensive shift, a now ubiquitous practice. Suddenly, those sharp grounders that scooted through the infield became easy outs, with fielders positioned differently for each batter.

We can debate the idea of beating the shift by hitting over it, or slapping the ball against it (which often is on the ground). However, the numbers tell a very clear story. As teams get smarter defensively, and position themselves more effectively, the more productive approach, at least based on current data, is to keep the ball in the air and try to combat the shift that way.

The Mets in particular may benefit from this strategy, as they are not overflowing with team speed, making their ground balls even more susceptible to being turned into outs.

Lots of changes are coming to the organization from Flushing, Queens. It will be interesting to see who the new hitting coach will be, and how much he will focus on keeping the ball off the ground.

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