Happy Independence Day to the best nation in the world!

On Wednesday, MLB released the starting lineups for the AL and NL as they prepare for the 2024 All-Star Game, which will be held on July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. While no Mets made the starting lineup, plenty of first time All-Stars got the starting nod and familiar faces continue to cement their Midsummer Classic legacies. Here are the starting lineups for each league:

NL: C: William Contreras, MIL, 1B: Bryce Harper, PHI, 2B: Ketel Marte, ARI, SS: Trea Turner, PHI, 3B: Alec Bohm, PHI, OF: Christian Yelich, MIL OF: Jurickson Profar, SDP OF: Fernando Tatis Jr., SDP, DH: Shohei Ohtani, LAD.

AL: C: Adley Rutschman, BAL, 1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR, 2B: José Altuve, HOU, SS: Gunnar Henderson, BAL, 3B: José Ramírez, CLE, OF: Aaron Judge, NYY, OF: Juan Soto, NYY, OF: Steven Kwan, CLE, DH: Yordan Álvarez, HOU.

Along with announcing the starters for the 96th annual All-Star Game, MLB also released the uniforms that will be worn on the field.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday evening, the Mets found themselves on the losing side for the first time in their series against the Nationals this week. After taking two extra-inning games to start the four-game set, the Mets were not able to outscore their bullpen woes, blowing a 5-1 lead and falling by a score of 7-5 to the Nationals. For a full game breakdown, click here.

The Mets will try to leave Washington with a series win as they finish up the series. Jose Quintana (4.57 ERA, 3-5) will face Jake Irvin (3.03 ERA, 6-6) of the Nationals at 11:05 a.m. ET.

Latest Mets News

Kodai Senga looked sharp in his first rehab start for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones: 2.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K, 35 pitches/25 strikes. To learn more about Senga’s first rehab start, click here.

The Mets called up Christian Scott from Triple-A Syracuse and DFA’d RHP Matt Festa prior to Wednesday’s game. Scott started on Wednesday, going 5.2 IP 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, and 2 SO while leaving the game with a 5-4 lead.

Veteran outfielder Trayce Thompson was released from his contract with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online.

Latest MLB News

Minnesota Twins slugger Royce Lewis was placed on the 10-day IL with a right adductor strain.

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired starting pitcher Aaron Civale in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, sending INF prospect Gregory Barrios to Tampa Bay in return.

Toronto Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow to repair an impingement and will be down from throwing for at least six weeks, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. It is still unknown if he will be able to return this season.

The Minnesota Twins called up their top infield prospect, and No. 13 prospect in all of baseball, Brooks Lee, per Declan Goff of SKOR North. Lee started at third base and went 2-for-4 with an RBI in his MLB debut.

Jon Heyman reported on a Bleacher Report livestream that the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers are the “most likely” landing spots for Chicago White Sox star outfielder Luis Robert Jr.

Latest on MMO

Jose Iglesias and the Mets offense have propelled them to key late-inning wins.

Sean Manaea helped lighten the heavily taxed bullpen’s load with his impressive outing on Tuesday.

Kodai Senga shined in his first rehab start.

On This Date in Mets History

2006: The Mets score three runs in the bottom of the 8th to take a 7-6 lead over the Pirates and Billy Wagner locks it down in the 9th, recording his 300th career save. 

1985: In a 19-inning marathon, the Mets outlast the Braves, winning by a score of 16-13 behind a Keith Hernandez cycle.

1972: Tom Seaver comes within two outs of a no-hitter against the Padres, before a base hit by Leron Lee broke up the no-hit bid.

Birthdays: Jared Hughes (39), José Oquendo (61)

The post Morning Briefing: MLB All-Star Game Starters Announced appeared first on Metsmerized.

The vibes are off the chart right now! The Mets beat the Astros in the series opener Friday night and finally have a winning record for the first time in a long time. Jose Iglesias sang his song on the diamond after the game and the rest of the team joined in. It’s a lot of fun to be a Mets player and a Mets fan right now! The Mets look to secure the series victory against the Astros this afternoon!

Pete Alonso, Photo by John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Brandon Nimmo – LF
3. J.D. Martinez – DH
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. Francisco Alvarez – C
6. Tyrone Taylor – RF
7. Mark Vientos – 3B
8. Jose Iglesias – 2B
9. Harrison Bader – CF

Over seven starts, and 33 2/3 innings, Tylor Megill has a 4.81 ERA, 2.97 FIP, 1.426 WHIP, and an 80 ERA+. He’s coming off of a rough start against the Cubs where he allowed six runs on five hits and three walks over three innings, ballooning his ERA from 3.52 to 4.81. Megill is looking to bounce back from his start against the Astros in 2023 where he allowed five runs, four earned over 2 1/3 innings from four hits and four walks. The Astros have the following career numbers against him:

• Jose Altuve 0-1, BB
• Alex Bregman 2-2
• Yainer Diaz 0-2, K
• Mauricio Dubón 1-2, 2B
• Chas McCormick 0-0, BB
• Jeremy Peña 0-0, BB

Opposing Lineup

1. Jose Altuve – 2B
2. Alex Bregman – 3B
3. Yordan Alvarez – LF
4. Yainer Diaz – DH
5. Jake Meyers – CF
6. Jeremy Peña – SS
7. Jon Singleton – 1B
8. Mauricio Dubón – RF
9. César Salazar – C

The Mets bats look to keep the good vibes going against Framber Valdez. Valdez has pitched 80 2/3 innings over 13 games with a 3.68 ERA, 3.87 FIP, 1.202 WHIP and a 108 ERA+. He’s coming off of two good starts where he allowed three runs over 13 innings from eight hits and seven walks while striking out 12. Overall in June he has allowed two runs or less in four of five starts and has played a huge role in the Astros’ resurgence this month. He had a strong start against the Mets last season where he held the Mets to only two runs over eight innings from four hits and a walk while striking out nine. The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Pete Alonso 1-6, 2 K
• Francisco Alvarez 1-3, 2B, 2 K
• Harrison Bader 1-3, K
• Ben Gamel 0-1, BB
• Francisco Lindor 0-5, 2 BB
• J.D. Martinez 2-8, 2 BB, 2 K
• Jeff McNeil 1-6, 2 K
• Brandon Nimmo 1-7, 3 K
• Luis Torrens 2-12, 3 K

Game Notes

• The Mets defeated the Astros 7-2 on Friday to extend their winning streak to four games. Previously this month, the Mets took two of three games against the Rangers and swept a two-game series from the Yankees. They are 5-1 in their last six interleague games, a stark difference from their 3-9 start against the American League.
• Francisco Alvarez went 1-for-2 with a double, walk, and run scored on Friday night. This past week (five games), Alvarez is slashing .563/.680/1.375/2.055 with four doubles and three homers in 16 at-bats. Since Alvarez returned to the lineup on June 11, the Mets are averaging 6.8 runs per game.
• Framber Valdez takes the mound against the Mets on Saturday. Valdez has made two career starts against the Mets and is 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA. In the month of June, Valdez is 3-2 with a 2.73 ERA and a .193 batting average against. The Mets enter Saturday slashing .263/.322/.442/.774 against left-handers this season.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Can the Mets get a long outing from Tylor Megill? Jose Quintana had a short outing Friday night for the Mets, so the bullpen had to put a lot of work in. Megill pitched seven scoreless innings against the Dodgers on May 28th. That was the only outing he lasted longer than five innings. His xERA is 4.46, so his outcomes have been a bit worse than his overall mechanics suggest. He also has the highest BABIP in his career this season (.345 vs a career .316).
2. Jeff McNeil. Jeff had a huge night on Friday going 3-for-4 at the plate with a three-run home run that broke the game open for the Mets. Whether McNeil leans more as a starter or more as a bench player, the Mets are way better when he looks more like vintage Jeff McNeil. I’m curious to see how Mendoza uses him after a night like Friday night.
3. Containing the Astros top of the lineup. Altuve, Alvarez, and Diaz combined to go 8-for-14 last night with three doubles and a homer. The Mets were able to contain all of that production into only two runs. Part of that was keeping Alex Bregman hitless over five at-bats and the Astros overall to 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The Mets afternoon will be a lot less stressful if they can keep Altuve and crew off the base paths.

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Chat: Astros vs Mets, 4:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mets star shortstop Francisco Lindor was seen working out with Mets youngsters Mark Vientos and Jett Williams in Port St. Lucie. This is one of the many times the Gold Glover has worked out with Vientos during the offseason; at the end of the 2023 season, the Mets’ young third baseman made it a point to get together with Lindor in the winter. However, this seemed to be the first time that Lindor had done training with Williams, one of the Mets’ top up-and-coming prospects.

After doing some infield work with his potential future up-the-middle counterpart, Francisco seemed impressed with Williams. “He looks good. I’ve heard nothing but good things,” he said in an SNY interview. Williams had previously said that he hopes to get to the big league club at some point during the 2024 season. 

It remains to be seen how quickly Williams will be pushed through the Mets’ farm system, but building a rapport with their star shortstop can only hasten the process.  

Jett Williams. Photos by Matthew Kipp of Brooklyn Cyclones

Latest Mets News

The Mets had three players on MLB Network’s Top 100 Players Right Now countdown on Wednesday, with Edwin Díaz at No. 80, Brandon Nimmo at No. 70 and Kodai Senga at No. 63. Senga was behind Justin Verlander at No. 62 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto at No. 61.

Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns joined Foul Territory to talk about the Mets off-season moves and future plans. One of the bigger talking points was a possible Pete Alonso extension to which Stearns teasingly said, “Let’s set it up tomorrow. Can you broker the deal?” Read more on Stearns’ comments.

More information came out on Metropolitan Park, which is an $8 billion commitment by Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International to build up the area around Citi Field.  $1 billion allocated to community benefits will be used for are a new “Taste of Queens Food Hall” and modernization of the Mets Willets Point train station, among other things. Check out Metsmerized‘s Mike Mayer’s tweet to see the rest of the plan. 

The Mets announced their 2024 minor league coaching staffs, click here to see how they shaped up. 

The Brooklyn Cyclones announced some changes made to their home field, Maimonides Park, as it underwent its biggest renovation in nearly a decade during the off-season. Among those changes are new luxury seats and dining areas implemented around the park. 

Edwin Díaz says he is 100% ready for spring training, per Giovanny Vega of elVocera. To hear more from Edwin on his upcoming season, click here!

Latest MLB News

MLB owners heard a presentation on Wednesday that proposed an idea of how MLB players could play in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, per Evan Drellich of The Athletic. Casey Wasserman, who spearheaded the push to get the Olympics to LA, proposed a tournament that would include 6 or 8 nations, a 5-6 day mid-July tournament, and would possibly delay or cancel the All-Star Game for the 2028 season.

Former top Yankees prospect and brief Met Gary Sánchez agreed to a one-year, $7 million deal with an option for 2025 with the Milwaukee Brewers, per Jon Heyman of the NY Post. 

The Baltimore Orioles acquired INF/OF Nick Maton from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for cash considerations. 

Netflix announced that they will be teaming with MLB to produce two new major projects on the Boston Red Sox. Netflix will follow the Red Sox throughout the 2024 season, and in 2025 they will release a Hard Knocks-esque docuseries on the club. 

The Philadelphia Phillies signed a right-handed starting pitcher with minor league options, Max Castillo, off waivers from the Boston Red Sox, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. To make room for Castillo they will be DFAing outfielder Simón Muzziotti. 

Phillies president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, said that the club’s top pitching prospect, Andrew Painter, is not expected to pitch until 2025, per WIP Morning Show. Painter underwent Tommy John Surgery in July of 2023. 

The Los Angeles Angels announced that they acquired RHP Guillermo Zuñiga from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for cash considerations. In a corresponding move, the Angels designated RHP Austin Warren for assignment. 

Latest on MMO

Elliot Teichman previewed Mets non-roster invitee Nate Lavender. 

The 1988 Mets pulled off an epic upset in their matchup against the ’69 Mets in Mets Madness. 

See what David Stearns had to say about the state of the Mets!

On This Date in Mets History

1994: A highly touted Cuban prospect, Rey Ordóñez, signs a minor league deal with the New York Mets. Ordóñez would go on to win three Gold Glove awards after being called up prior to the 1996 season. 

The post Morning Briefing: Francisco Lindor Praises Jett Williams appeared first on Metsmerized.

In an interview with the digital baseball show Foul Territory, former Mets manager Buck Showalter passionately discussed load management. 

“We had a guy hit a triple and two doubles, and they said he probably needs a day off because he ran too much around the bases,” Showalter said during the interview. “I said ‘What do you want me to tell him? Don’t get anymore hits so you can play the next day? … You go out there and tell Brandon Nimmo he can’t play today because he hit too well last night.’”

Showalter discussed a number of other topics, including how the game has evolved analytically, the complexity of the New York media and a number of other topics. 

Watch Showalter’s appearance here. 

Latest Mets News

The Mets and J.D. Martinez have had conversations, per Mike Puma of the New York Post. More on the news here.

Phil Bickford won his arbitration case against the Mets and will earn $900,000 next season. 

The Mets designated pitcher Austin Adams for assignment to make room for Jake Diekman on the 40-man roster. 

Latest MLB News

Jose Altuve and the Astros agreed to a five-year, $125 million extension, ESPN’s Jeff Passan was first to report the details of the agreement. 

Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman told Front Office Sports the Athletics should stay in Oakland.

Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers agreed on a contract, per Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post. 

Pitcher Stephen Nogosek announced he signed with the Washington Nationals. 

The Baseball Writers Association of America published 303 Hall of Fame ballots, including 90 that had not been previously published. 

The Seattle Mariners claimed pitcher Collin Snider off waivers from the Diamondbacks, the team announced.

Outfielder Bradley Zimmer and the Rockies have reached an agreement on a minor league deal with an invitation to major league camp, per Thomas Harding of mlb.com.

The Rangers announced the signings of pitchers Danny Duffy and Chasen Shreve, as well as Jose Godoy.

Rodrigo Lopez will be the general manager of Team Mexico at the 2024 Premier 12 Tournament, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. 

The Hudson Valley Renegades, Yankees High-A affiliate, partnered with Bhutan athletes for a special Bhutan night in August, according to Matthew Desantis. 

The Marlins announced the acquisition of Jonah Bride from Oakland in exchange for cash considerations.

Latest On MMO 

David Melendi analyzes the Mets Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA standings projections.

Allison Waxman ranks the designated hitter options for each NL East team. 

Nick Rucco explains how prospect promotion incentives could impact the Mets this season. 

Chris Bello recaps the Mets Madness series between the 1986 and 2022 Mets. 

Birthdays: Endy Chavez (46), Charlie Puleo (69), Benny Ayala (73)

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Wednesday night, the lone game on the docket was the Houston Astros going into Arlington to take on the Texas Rangers in Game 3 of the ALCS. The major headline heading into the game was the return of former Met Max Scherzer, who would make his postseason debut as a Ranger. The last time he was on the mound in October, it did not go well, to say the least, Scherzer went 4 2/3 innings while getting smashed for seven runs on four home runs in game 1 of the Wild Card Round against the Padres. Unfortunately for Max, this time was not much better. 

After a clean first inning for Max, which included a strikeout of Michael Brantley, it was all downhill from there. The Astros poured on three runs in the second inning behind a wild pitch and a timely Martín Maldonado 2-run single. Jose Altuve would add on as he put a high fastball over the left field wall, followed by a Mauricio Dubón RBI single in the fourth inning to cap Scherzer’s night.

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Max finished the night with four innings pitched and five earned runs on five hits in his first outing in over a month. However, his Rangers are still up 2-1 in the series and are only two wins away from the team’s first World Series appearance in over a decade. 

Latest Mets News

Will Sammon of The Athletic gave an update to the Mets managerial search, as he reported that David Stearns and company would look outside of the organization to fill the role. This rules out names such as Carlos Beltrán and Eric Chavez while making the Craig Counsell rumors more credible. 

Francisco Alvarez has been nominated for the Luis Aparicio Award, per Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online. The award is given annually to honor the Venezuelan who was deemed to have the best individual performance in MLB that season. A total of 33 Venezuelans are up for the 2023 award, in which the winner will be announced on October 28 before Game 2 of the World Series. 

Rawlings announced the 2023 Gold Glove finalists on Wednesday afternoon, and Francisco Lindor is the Mets’ lone Gold Glove finalist. Lindor is up against Dansby Swanson of the Chicago Cubs and Ezequiel Tovar of the Colorado Rockies for the NL shortstop Gold Glove award. Francisco is going for his third Gold Glove award overall and his first one as a Met. The winners will be announced on November 5 on ESPN. 

MLB Pipeline released their All-Rookie teams for the 2023 season, and the Mets were well represented as both Kodai Senga and Francisco Álvarez made the cut. Kodai Senga was one of two starting pitchers to make the first team, and Francisco Álvarez made the second team, only being beat out by Yainer Diaz of the Astros for the first team’s catcher position. 

Latest MLB News

On Wednesday, there were major updates to the Boston Red Sox’s search for a general manager following their firing of Chaim Bloom. One of those updates came from Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, who reported that Boston talked to former Astros general manager James Click, but he has elected not to pursue the job due to family considerations. 

Patrick Mooney of The Athletic wrote an article detailing how Boston and Cubs executive Craig Breslow have been in advanced discussions on having him take over Boston’s highest job in baseball operations. 

The Major League Baseball Players Trust announced they are holding their second annual “Playmakers Classic” presented by Fanatics. The event supports the organization’s youth development, disaster relief, and other charitable initiatives and will be held in Las Vegas this year. Many current and former MLB players will be in attendance, including former Mets Tony Clark, Bobby Bonilla, Chris Capuano, Josh Thole, and others.

Latest on MMO

Christian De Block did a full breakdown of the full list of 2023 Gold Glove finalists.

The remembrance of the ’73 Mets continues as Brian Wright looks back at the one and only Rusty Staub. 

Jack Ramsey looked at some of the veteran pitching options for the Mets this upcoming offseason. 

On This Date in Mets History

1965: The Mets traded pitcher Tom Parsons to the Astros for catcher Jerry Grote. Grote was a two-time All-Star and part of the 1969 World Champion Mets.

2006: In the sixth inning of game 7 in the NLCS, Endy Chavez rises above the left field wall to rob Scott Rolen of a two-run home run and proceeds to double off Jim Edmonds at first base. Despite Chávez making one of the greatest grabs in MLB history, a Yadier Molina two-run shot in the top of the ninth put the Cardinals ahead, 3-1. Carlos Beltrán‘s knees would infamously buckle to an Adam Wainwright curveball with the bases loaded in the bottom of the inning, ending the Mets season. 

“He made the catch!”#OTD in #Mets history Endy Chavez made one of the most unforgettable plays in baseball history. pic.twitter.com/IHuY4RwcSQ

— New York Mets (@Mets) October 19, 2018

Birthdays: Rajai Davis (43), José Bautista (43), Joe McEwing (51), Sandy Alomar (80)

The post Morning Briefing: Astros Best Scherzer in Game 3 Win appeared first on Metsmerized.

The numbers have taken a drastic turn in just a year; his 2023 OPS sits at .668, putting him at 15th among all second basemen in the game. In 2022, he finished third, with a .836 OPS, just behind Jose Altuve and former Met, Andrés Giménez. At the plate this year, he has not looked like the hitter who helped his team secure a spot in the postseason and produce a 101-win season. However, since July 21, things have begun to turn a corner for McNeil. Since then, he’s batting a much more McNeil-like .290/.364/.435 with 20 hits, 12 runs and 10 RBIs. More importantly, he’s had five multi-hit games in that span, something that’s been lacking.

What’s To Come For The Flying Squirrel?

McNeil signed a four-year, $50MM extension this past offseason with the Mets, securing his place in Queens for potentially the rest of his career. However, it’s not hard to wonder where McNeil fits into the Mets’ plans with their new influx of elite prospects.

Since his debut in 2018, Jeff has been one of the most versatile players in the game. He can play almost any position in the field and does so at a gold glove caliber level. While he’s settled in primarily at second base or the corner outfield spots, he can slot in at third or even shortstop in a pinch. But with budding prospects like Luisangel Acuña, Ronny Mauricio, Drew Gilbert, and even rookies Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, it’s hard to see where everybody fits in on the roster soon.

WHAT A CATCH BY JEFF McNEIL! pic.twitter.com/h4171E7keB

— SNY (@SNYtv) July 27, 2023

Because of McNeil’s defensive flexibility, he will play every day; just where is the question? Players like Mauricio might need to find a set position to make their way to the show. McNeil, however, can and has flourished in any role taken on the field. His bat is no need for concern – a similar situation happened in 2021. He finished that year batting .251/.319/.360 and came back the following year to win a batting title.

Newcomers might even look to McNeil for inspiration on making the best out of the unknown and unexpected. A 12th-round pick in the 2013 draft, McNeil wasn’t even on the Mets Top 30 Prospect ratings a year before he made his debut.

Going… Going… Gone?

While McNeil is part of the Mets’ core, there is a world where the front office decides to continue their trading spree come the offseason. While it still feels unlikely, the Mets might not be able to reject an offer they receive. The Mets might dip McNeil’s name in the trade pool to see what they can net. After all, they rejuvenated their entire farm system in a single trade deadline. They might want to keep going. In the end, however, he most likely will have more value to the team in the long run, as both a player and leader.

The post With McNeil Back on Track, What’s Next? appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good morning, Mets fans!

Astros general manager Dana Brown confirmed Sunday that Jose Altuve has a broken right thumb and will need to undergo surgery. Brown said there is no timetable for Altuve’s return. He suffered the injury when he was hit by a pitch by Daniel Bard in the fifth inning of Team Venezuela’s quarterfinal game against the USA.

WBC Scores

USA 14, Cuba 2

• Pete Alonso: 1-for-4, RBI, HBP, R
• Jeff McNeil: 0-for-1, 2 BB, 2 R

Latest Mets News

D.J. Stewart became the first player to hit for a cycle in spring training since 2020, but a four-run eighth inning by the Cardinals sunk the Mets, 8-7. Stewart is now batting .435 with a 1.364 OPS and 11 RBIs in Grapefruit League play. David Peterson started for the Mets and pitched four shutout innings, allowing one hit and four walks with four strikeouts. Tylor Megill struggled, however, allowing six hits and five walks in 3 2/3 innings. Justin Verlander will make his fourth start of the spring tonight against the Nationals in West Palm Beach. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 pm.

Brandon Nimmo said he’s optimistic about being able to play on opening day after suffering minor sprains to his knee and ankle on Friday. Nimmo is currently considered week-to-week.

Latest MLB News

Jacob deGrom made his first start of Cactus League play for the Rangers on Sunday, tossing three shutout innings while allowing two hits and striking out four. The 34-year-old threw 34 pitches and his fastball velocity sat in the high 90s.

Angels owner Arte Moreno held his first media scrum in three years on Saturday, answering questions on the rough patch his team has gone through in recent years. Sam Blum of The Athletic provides some counterpoints to Moreno’s comments.

Juan Soto suffered an oblique injury during a game on the backfield at Padres camp on Sunday. Soto is considered day-to-day.

Latest on MMO

Scott Engel of The Game Day provides insider insights on the Mets’ starting rotation.

Anthony Gabbianelli recaps the Mets’ loss to the Cardinals on Sunday.

On This Date in Mets History

1961: The Yankees announce they will reject MLB’s plan to allow New York’s new National League expansion team to play at Yankee Stadium, thus leaving the Polo Grounds as the only option to be the team’s home stadium.

Birthdays: George Altman (90), Steve Dillon (80), Rick Parker (60), Manny Alexander (52), Brad Hand (33)

The post Morning Briefing: Jose Altuve to Get Surgery on Thumb appeared first on Metsmerized.

Bryce Montes de Oca, Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Thursday’s friendly matchup between the Mets and the Venezuelan World Baseball Classic team started with a bang and ended with a 6-4 win for the national team at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie.

On playing for his country’s team, Mets third baseman and Team Venezuela member Eduardo Escobar said that wearing his country’s uniform is “very important for me, because you want to compete with the best players from the best countries.” He said he misses his teammates and being in Mets camp, but “every game is like a Game 7. World Series Game 7” when you have the chance to play for and represent your home country.

Once action got underway in Port St. Lucie, the Venezuelan team put up three runs in the first, thanks in part to a leadoff first pitch tank from Jose Altuve. The Mets and José Butto wound up allowing three first-inning runs, putting the Mets in an almost immediate hole that they would never fully come back from.

Altuve led off the second inning the exact same way, giving the national team a 4-0 lead with only three outs recorded. The Venezuelan team was teeing off on fellow countryman Butto, who was making his first start since a spot in the Mets’ rotation opened up due to Jose Quintana’s injury last week.

Butto was unable to impress to the tune of five earned runs and four walks. After Butto’s departure, the Mets were able to rally and get some runs on the board. Following Butto and Nolan Clenney came Drew Smith, who threw a scoreless inning in the only frame he worked. Next came a trio of relievers who impressed for the Mets on Thursday: Stephen Nogosek, Bryce Montes de Oca, and Grant Hartwig.

Nogosek did not allow a run over two innings, but loaded the bases in his first frame before escaping the jam. In four innings of work this spring, Nogosek has put five runners on, but has escaped every outing unscathed and still has his 0.00 ERA in tact. Nogosek had a duck on every lilypad on the proverbial pond in the fifth inning, but got out of the jam by inducing a Gleyber Torres popup. His second frame went much easier, in which he set the side down in order.

Replacing him was Bryce Montes de Oca, who continued his incredibly impressive spring. De Oca set Andrés Giménez down on what ended up being a 101 mph fastball, a speed he marked three times in his outing.

101 mph with 21 inches of horizontal break from Bryce Montes de Oca to strike out one of the AL’s best players in 2022.

pic.twitter.com/uit3kLAFE4

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 9, 2023

De Oca, much like Nogosek, still has a 0.00 ERA for the spring. Now three innings in, de Oca has hit the three-figure mark in each outing, and has sat down six of the nine outs he’s recorded with the strikeout. The ability to hit triple-digits with insane movement is not something that is common in baseball, and his freakish ability makes him an incredibly attractive option for the Mets’ bullpen this year.

The last of the trio for the Mets was Grant Hartwig, one of the greatest stories in the Mets’ system this year. Speaking to him before the game, Hartwig mentioned that his increase in velocity is from “training smart, training better, and having more freedom in training.” Hartwig went on to dominate in his outing, setting his Venezuelan counterparts down 1-2-3 with a pair of strikeouts.

Hartwig topped out at 97, sitting in the 94-96 range while also working in a cutter that he said he had been working on to go along with the slider and change.

Hartwig mentioned that going to 11 pitches in his first at-bat wasn’t in the script of his ideal outing, but he “felt good overall” and was pleased with how his day went. Hartwig, as humble as he is dominant, said he doesn’t have specific goals of reaching the bigs in 2023, or view not cracking the New York team as a failure. After a 2022 that saw him play for every full-season affiliate the Mets have, he is just ready to get back to playing and see what the new season brings for him. If that moment comes calling, he’ll be ready for his chance.

Grant Hartwig says the jump in velo is from
1) Help from the Mets
2) Being shortened up to a reliever
3) Being an adrenaline based pitcher
He didn’t say that making the bigs is his goal for 2023, but if his moment comes, he’ll be ready for it.

— ramsey (@jwr082OO2) March 9, 2023

Talking to a few other arms in Mets camp this year, that seems to be the consensus: whatever happens, it happens. But if that moment arises, you best believe they’ll be ready.

The post Young Mets Relievers Shine In 6-4 Loss To Team Venezuela appeared first on Metsmerized.

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

In a sea of leftover Halloween costumes and hackneyed, “Houston We Have A Problem” posters, the Phillies blanked the Astros 7-0, setting World Series records to boot.

The rainout on Monday was a gift from god for Philly on Tuesday with Ranger Suarez taking the reins from Noah Syndergaard. Who knows what the ex-Met with the Thor moniker would have done, and frankly, who cares?

Suárez took the mound and owned the Astros for five scoreless innings. His cutter cut, his breaking ball broke and his slider sunk. And unlike Game 2, Jose Altuve and Jeremy Pena’s first pitches produced a pair of outs, and Yordan Alvarez’s big stick struck out swinging.

Phil’s outfielder Nick Castellanos, having a field day in right, added another highlight to his resume with a sliding catch that set the stage for the hungry home team.

‘Stros starter Lance McCullers walked the first batter he faced, Kyle Schwarber, and two batters later, he got a not so nice how do you do from Bryce Harper, who crushed his knuckle curve into the right field seats. The ex-Nat returned to the dugout to a series of hugs and high fives – the fans soaking it up – wildly waving their red October rally towels.

In the top of the second,  Suárez with trouble when Yuli Gurriel beat out an infield single, and rookie David Hensley, in his Postseason debut, singled the guy with the weirdest haircut under a Helmut, Gurriel, to third. Chas McCormick was then caught looking.

Matinee idol looking Alec Bohm greeted McCullers with a first pitch lead off home run – setting World Series record – three home runs in the first two innings. Then Brandon Marsh, who I’ve learned has wet, not greasy locks, launched a hanging breaking ball over the right field Budweiser banner. Tacking on yet another historical stat.

In between frames, sports reporter Ken Rosenthal tried to get some inside skinny on what Harper whispered to Bohm before his at-bat. The cagey third baseman didn’t bite – smiling, and in so many words politely inferred, that it wasn’t his business.

After a two-out walk in the top of the fifth,  Suárez allowed a single to Martin Maldonado, and questions from the booth surfaced as to whether Phil’s skipper Rob Thomson should keep his starter in the game. He did – and that’s why sports announcers shouldn’t manage because the young lefty got Altuve to foul out to first.

Dusty Baker on the other hand, with his black latex gloves, making him look like a stylist waiting to color his clients’ hair, kept his guy on the mound – which turned out to be a very bad move. Schwarber and Rhys Hoskins jacked two-strike back-to-back shots – the fourth and fifth of the game – for yet another record – the most in the World Series for the first five innings of play.

A slew of relievers, look it up in the box score, picked up the slack for the remainder of the night with the Phillies wrapping it up with a big, strike-out-looking, bowtie.

I’ve been pretty transparent that I’m rooting for the team that spawned the film, “Rocky”. So, as not to jinx this monumental statement of a win, I’ll say nothing. And hope, just by bringing it up, I didn’t jinx them in the process.

The post Phillies Take Game 3 With a 7-0 Shutout appeared first on Metsmerized.

Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

The Houston Astros, off the bats of Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker, led the Astros to a 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners and have taken a 2-0 series lead in the American League Division Series. Alvarez’s go-ahead home run in the sixth inning makes him the only player to have multiple go-ahead home runs in the sixth inning or later with his team trailing in the postseason and both of those home runs came in back-to-back games, as reported by MLB‘s Sarah Langs.

The NL teams will return to action today, with both series tied at one game apiece. The Braves take on the Phillies at 4:37 p.m. ET, while the Dodgers play the Padres at 8:37 p.m. ET.

The New York Yankees announced that Thursday’s Game 2 Division Series matchup was postponed due to inclement weather and will be made up on Friday afternoon, at 1:07 p.m. ET. The rescheduled game will take place in Yankee Stadium and will be broadcast on TBS nationally.

Now onto the morning briefing!

Latest Mets News

Baseball America released their 2022 Draft Report Card for the New York Mets.

Former Mets infielder Kazuo Matsui has signed a two-year deal to become the new manager of the Saitama Seibu Lions of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. Matsui takes over for Hatsuhiko Tsuji, who announced his resignation from the position. Matsui retired as a player with the Lions in 2018 and then joined their coaching staff shortly thereafter. Matsui signed with the Mets in December 2003, making him the first Japanese-born infielder to play in the major leagues.

Latest MLB News

A few coaching changes have occurred in Colorado, as the Rockies announce that third base and infield coach Stu Cole has been reassigned to a Minor League staff position and hitting coach Dave Magadan and the club have mutually agreed to part ways. The rest of the Rockies coaching staff will return for the 2023 season.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Atlanta Braves closer Kenley Jansen earned his 20th career postseason save last night. Making him the second player since saves became official to reach 20 career postseason saves. Only Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera has more with 42.

Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register discusses what Padres pitcher Blake Snell said after being asked about facing the Dodgers for the first time since being pulled from his start in game 6 of the 2020 World Series while a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer discusses how the Mets bullpen can have a different look to it for next season and which players will receive a qualifying offer once the offseason begins.

Dan Quinones highlights why the New York Mets should not let Brandon Nimmo walk in free agency.

On This Date In Mets History

1969: The Mets beat the Orioles 5-0 in Game 3 of the World Series thanks to two brilliant catches by Tommie Agee in center field. Agee and Ed Kranepool homered as well.

1973: Willie Mays collects his final big league hit as the Mets win Game 2 of the World Series over Oakland by a 10-7 score.

1986: Nolan Ryan and Dwight Gooden faced off in a tense matchup at Shea Stadium for Game 5 of the NLCS. Both Ryan and Gooden would pitch deep into the game and both team’s relievers kept it tied until Mets catcher Gary Carter won the game in the bottom of the twelfth with a walk-off single, off Charlie Kerfeld, to win it for New York, 2-1.

Birthdays: Patrick Mazeika (29), Duaner Sanchez (43), Ryan Church (44), Brent Strom (74), Art Shamsky (81)

The post Morning Briefing: Astros Take 2-0 Lead Against Mariners in ALDS appeared first on Metsmerized.