Big League Starter

With 94 starts and 107 games at second base in 2023, Jeff McNeil will probably be the Opening Day starter in 2024. McNeil started the season relatively well, like the Mets, and then seriously struggled in the middle few months, also like the Mets. However, as the season went on he started to figure things out and right the ship. Over the final two months of the season, McNeil hit .303 with a .809 OPS, looking a lot more like the hitter he was in 2022. His season slash line — .270/.333/.378 (.711 OPS) — doesn’t look great, but there was a noticeable improvement over the final months of the season. Unfortunately, at that point, the Mets had already sold off a lot of pieces at the trade deadline and given up on competing, but the improvement is still encouraging. 

McNeil has struggled before, most notably in 2021 when he hit .251 with a .679 OPS, and then came back and won the batting title the next season. His 2023 wasn’t great, but his 96 OPS+ says that it was ultimately right about average. His 4-year, $50 million contract that he signed before last season is relatively cheap all things considered, and his ability to play basically anywhere on the field is incredibly valuable. McNeil technically saw time at five positions other than second base last season, combining for almost 500 innings in the two corner outfield spots and picking up 16 innings in center field, one at shortstop and one at first base. He’s probably the second base starter, but really, he’s one of the premier utility players in baseball.

Ronny Mauricio. John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Big League Depth

While McNeil is the starter, in the 23 games he played in September, he only started five of them at second base. Why is that? Well, the Mets called up Ronny Mauricio, their No. 8 prospect on MMO, for the final month. Mauricio played 26 games, and 21 of them came at second base. He had some ups and downs at the plate, bursting onto the scene hot and hitting .313 with a .770 OPS over his first 13 games. The last 13 games were a different story, hitting .189 with a .529 OPS. 

Mauricio definitely has exciting potential. He played better defense than expected at second base despite not having a ton of experience there, and the same goes for the handful of games he had at third base. He also stole seven bases without being caught.

However, there are serious concerns with his bat, specifically his approach, that need to be fixed if he’s going to see consistent playing time. In his short stint in the majors, Mauricio had a 42.4% chase percentage. He was far from a qualified hitter, but if he was, it would have been the fourth-worst chase rate in baseball. Only Eddie Rosario, Javier Báez and Salvador Pérez were worse. Out of 461 players with at least 100 plate appearances, which includes Mauricio, his chase rate was the 15th-worst. There are a handful of productive players in the majors with swing rates in the bottom-10 percentile, like Luis Robert Jr., Nick Castellanos, Julio Rodríguez and Bo Bichette, but it’s largely not a path to success. Mauricio hits the ball hard and has some eclectic tools, but he still has a long way to go if he’s going to move McNeil to the outfield on a regular basis. 

There’s also Luis Guillorme, who has been a solid utility infielder for the Mets for the last handful of years. However, after a really strong 2022, he fell off a cliff in 2023, seeing his average and on-base percentage drop significantly. He never hit for power, but that was fine when he was playing good defense and getting on base at a good rate. A sub .300 OBP though, as it was last year, just isn’t going to cut it. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Guillorme not make the roster, and maybe even get non-tendered. The same goes for Danny Mendick.

Luisangel Acuña. Photo by Bronson Harris of Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Upper Levels Depth

There are two big names for the Mets when it comes to upper-level depth at second base — Luisangel Acuña and Jett Williams. MMO’s No. 1 and No. 5 prospects in the organization respectively, both of them finished last season in Double-A. They’re both shortstops, but second base is a natural transition, especially with the Mets having Francisco Lindor at short for the foreseeable future. Acuña played the position a bit in Double-A but still played more shortstop, and struggled at the plate after being traded to the Mets to end the season. Williams doesn’t have a professional inning there yet, having just played short and center. However, after a great 2023 campaign and stating a desire to make the big leagues in 2023, it would make a lot of sense to start the transition to second to find a way to get him on the field. Regardless, both Acuña and Williams will probably start 2024 in Double-A with a chance to maybe make a big league cameo at the end of the year.

Luke Ritter, a seventh-round pick in 2019, is also an under-the-radar interesting option. He played a lot of second base between Double-A and Triple-A, and hit .244/.372/.492 with 27 home runs across the two levels. If McNeil or Mauricio has to miss time, a big league debut for Ritter could be on the table. Jose Peroza also has almost 800 minor-league innings at second base and had a solid 2023, and will likely be in Triple-A with Ritter to begin the year.

As for other options, Jonathan Araúz remains in the organization for now, and could serve as emergency depth at Triple-A as he did in 2023. 

Potential Acquisitions

As said earlier, second base is not a position the Mets should heavily target in free agency. With McNeil and Mauricio already splitting the position and high-level prospects not that far out, the group that’s in-house is probably going to be the group they go into the season with

However, there are a couple of interesting free agents who could be potential depth pieces. Adam Frazier had a solid season for the Orioles and, while mainly a second baseman, has some versatility. Donovan Solano is another option after a good year for the Twins, though he will be in his age-36 season. Kiké Hernández is an option, but his 2023 season was a rough one. Really though, it’s not likely any of those names end up in Queens in 2024.

Catcher

First Base

The post Mets Organizational Depth Chart: Second Base appeared first on Metsmerized.

Stanley Consuegra, Photo by Ed Delany

Triple-A

The Syracuse Mets (9-4) had their game against the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (6-7) postponed due to inclement weather. They will make up the game Sunday afternoon at noon EST as part of a doubleheader.

Luke Ritter. Photo by Rick Nelson

Double-A

 Somerset (5-3) 5, Binghamton (2-6) 1 Box Score 

• CF Tanner Murphy: 1-for-4, 2B, 2 K’s
• SS Branden Fryman: 1-for-3, R, HR (1), RBI (2)
• 1B Luke Ritter: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K’s
• LF JT Schwartz: 0-for-3, BB

The Rumble Ponies offense was quiet on Saturday afternoon as they managed only three hits against four Patriots pitchers. Fryman provided the lone run of the game with a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth.

• Junior Santos (0-2): 5 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K, (42 of 76 pitches for stirkes)
• Manuel Alvarez: 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 0 H, 2 BB, HBP (14 of 30 pitches for strikes)
• Dedniel Nuñez: 1 1/3 IP, ER, 2 H, BB, 2 K(12 of 21 pitches for strikes)
• Dylan Hall: 2 IP, 0 ER, 3 H, 2 K (18 of 32 pitches for strikes)

Even though Santos allowed a run to score via a wild pitch in the top of the first, he was able to limit the Patriots to two runs over five innings with the only other run coming on an RBI double by Anthony Seigler in the fourth. As for Hall, he has struck out at least two batters in each of his three appearances and has yet to allow a run nor surrender a walk.

Kevin Parada. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

High-A

 Winston-Salem (4-2) 6, Brooklyn (3-5) 4 Box Score

•  RF Stanley Consuegra: 2-for-4, R, HR (3), RBI (10), K
• CF Jaylen Palmer: 1-for-4, 2B, 3 RBIs (6), 2 K’s
• C Kevin Parada: 1-for-3, R, 2B, BB
• SS Kevin Kendall: 1-for-5, R, K

Consuegra continued his power surge in Winston-Salem on Saturday as he homered for the third time in four games with a solo home run to left in the top of the second. He is tied for the South Atlantic League leads in home runs and RBIs and has an OPS of 1.109 in the first eight games of the year.

We're off and running in Winston-Salem! Stanley Consuegra tattoos this baseball to give us a 1-0 lead.#AmazinStartsHere 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FcPrQxfk76

— Brooklyn Cyclones (@BKCyclones) April 15, 2023

Palmer ended up breaking a 1-1 tie with a bases-clearing double in the top of the sixth. The 22-year-old has at least one hit in four of the last five games. Parada has drawn a walk in each of his last four games and his nine walks are the second most of any player in the South Atlantic League.

• Tyler Stuart: 4 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 7 K (42 of 75 pitches for strikes)
• Paul Gervase: 2 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 K (25 of 38 pitches for strikes)
• Joshua Cornielly (0-1): 1/3 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, BB, WP (12 of 23 pitches for strikes)
• Quinn Brodey: 1 2/3 IP, 1 H, 2 K (17 of 26 pitches for strikes)

In his second start of the year, Stuart’s lone mistake came when he gave up a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning to Shawn Goosenberg. Besides that, he set a new professional high with the seven strikeouts he had on Saturday.

Gervase has had at least two strikeouts in each of his first three relief appearances. Brooklyn had a 4-1 lead until the bottom of the seventh when the Dash put up five runs against Cornielly including a pair of two-run home runs.

Low-A

Jupiter (4-4) 5, St. Lucie (3-5) 3 Box Score

• CF Jefrey De Los Santos: 1-for-3, R, RBI (8)
• 3B Jose Peroza: 1-for-4, R, RBI (2), K
• SS Junior Tilien: 1-for-4, R, 2B

 St. Lucie did not record a single hit until the top of the seventh when Tilien hit a one-out double. The Mets offense would tie the game with three runs in the inning thanks to RBI singles by Peroza and De Los Santos as well as a throwing error by Jupiter.

• Felipe De La Cruz: 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HBP (47 of 72 pitches for strikes)
• Miguel Alfonseca: 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 3 H (11 of 15 pitches for strikes)
• Christopher Vasquez (0-1): 2 2/3 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K (26 of 50 pitches for strikes)

In his second start of the season, De La Cruz was able to pitch into the fifth inning. However, he has walked five batters in his first two starts and has hit a batter in each game.

Vasquez ended up taking the loss after allowing the Hammerheads to break a 3-3 tie in the eighth on an RBI triple by Torin Montgomery and an RBI single by Brett Roberts.

The post Mets Minors Recap: Stanley Consuegra Continues Power Surge appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Carlos Carrasco was the last of the New York Mets (3-4) starting rotation to make their spring debut. He got the start on Thursday when the Mets took on the Atlanta Braves (2-2) at Clover Park. Atlanta ended up picking up the win by a final score of 6-2 despite a late Mets rally in the ninth.

The Braves got the scoring started in the top of the second against Carrasco. After Kevin Pillar drew a leadoff walk, Eli White hit a 1-2 slider over the wall in left field for a two-run home run that gave Atlanta a 2-0 lead.

Overall, Carrasco went two innings, allowed two runs on two hits, walked a batter, and struck out one on 30 pitches (21 strikes).

Jose Butto came in for Carrasco in the third and Atlanta quickly added a third run. Forrest Wall led off the inning with a double and Vaughn Grissom singled to right. The Braves tried a double steal and the Mets played it perfectly, but Wall beat the throw home by Jeff McNeil and the Braves took a 3-0 lead.

Butto was able to shake off the rough beginning to the frame and put together a strong outing as he had three strikeouts in two innings of work (25 of 35 pitches for strikes). According to Baseball Savant, he threw four pitches above 96 miles-per-hour and he ended up throwing nine cutters.

Drew Smith made his first spring appearance in the fifth and ended up giving up an unearned run due to an Omar Narváez throwing error (one walk, one strikeout on 22 pitches, 11 strikes).

In the top of the seventh, Atlanta added on the final two runs of the game against Denyi Reyes. Ryan Casteel led off the inning with a solo home run to left and the Braves added another run later in the frame on an RBI double by Cody Milligan.

Bryce Montes de Oca did walk two batters in the eighth inning, but was able to get out of trouble with two strikeouts (13 of 26 pitches for strikes). He ended up throwing seven pitches over 100 mph, including his final pitch, which topped out at 102.  In the ninth, Nathan Lavender came in and ended up walking the bases loaded. However, he also kept Atlanta off the scoreboard thanks to two strikeouts.

The Mets offense did not have much success against Braves pitching as they combined to strike out 14 times. However, the first inning was interesting in that Braves starter Kolby Allard had two pitch clock violations and one of them came before even threw a pitch.

Francisco Lindor went 1-for-2 with a single and a walk. Lindor has had a hit in three straight games and four of his last five as he prepares for the World Baseball Classic.

Brett Baty came in the game during the fifth inning to play third as Eduardo Escobar got some time in left field in preparation for the World Baseball Classic. He ended up going 2-for-3 and drove in a run with an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth. He is now 6-for-12 in the early portion of the spring.

Matt Winaker followed that up with an RBI single of his own to make it 6-2. Jose Peraza grounded out to third with runners on the corners for the final out of the game.

Player Of The Game

Baty is the pick for player-of-the-game due to his multi-hit day and he now has four RBIs with an OPS of 1.288 this spring. The 23-year-old has been one of the Mets best players in camp as he continues to push for an Opening Day roster spot.

Former Mets legend David Wright was in camp on Thursday to talk to Baty and others. “I want to learn as much as I can from him because he’s probably the best third baseman to come through the Mets organization,” Baty said.

On Deck

The Mets will remain home on Friday as they take on the Washington Nationals. Max Scherzer (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will get the start against Washington for the second time this spring against former Met Trevor Williams. You can watch the game on SNY at 1:10 p.m. ET.

The post Baty Stays Hot in Mets’ 6-2 Loss to Braves appeared first on Metsmerized.

Dennis Schneidler-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets officially signed five players to minor league deals on Friday. Three are returning to Queens with major league experience for the Mets.

Here’s a quick rundown of the most recent additions.

Tommy Hunter

Hunter returns on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training, and he brings a wealth of experience back to Queens.

The 36-year-old has spent the last two seasons with the Mets and has been a reliable option out of the ‘pen when needed. In 30 1/3 innings pitched with the Mets in 22 games, Hunter has a 1.78 ERA with 28 strikeouts.

A fan favorite and great interview subject, Hunter might not start out on the Opening Day roster but his experience makes him a candidate to appear in the bullpen in 2023 as needed.

José Peraza

Another familiar face for Mets fans, Peraza was part of the beloved Bench Mob of 2021 and logged significant innings at second and third base while the team dealt with a rash of injuries.

After spending 2022 with the Red Sox organization, exclusively in the minor leagues, Peraza has signed with the Mets on a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

Peraza is just 28-years-old but has a significant amount of big-league experience after debuting in at 21 with the Dodgers. 2018 was Peraza’s best year with the Reds, hitting .288/.326/.416 with 14 HR and 58 RBI. Since then his performance at the plate has declined and in ’21 as a Met he hit just .204/.266/.380 in 154 PA.

While Peraza may struggle at the plate, his defensive versatility makes him valuable from a depth perspective. Should the Mets deal with injury, Peraza can fill almost anywhere on the diamond.

Sean Reid-Foley

Met fans may remember Reid-Foley mostly due to his unique stance where he squats low to the ground to get the signals before rising up to pitch.

Once a top prospect in the Blue Jays organization, Reid-Foley has appeared in five big league seasons totaling just over 100 innings pitched. His career has been a bit of a roller coaster and he’s got good stuff but has not been able to put it together consistently.

Sporting a 5.40 career ERA at 27-years-old, SRF will have a chance to put it together with the Mets minor league organization. Reid-Foley had Tommy John surgery in May this year.

Jimmy Yacabonis

Another reliever thrown in the mix, Yacabonis has earned an invite to spring training and will compete in a suddenly-crowded bullpen.

A 30-year-old with some starting experience, Yacabonis has made major league appearances for the Orioles, Mariners, Marlins and Rays. Yacabonis has not been able to make it work on the diamond. In 118 innings pitched, Yacabonis has given up 131 hits, 79 earned runs and 23 homers, good for a career ERA of 6.03 and WAR of -0.6.

Abraham Almonte

The Mets needed outfield depth and found a candidate to help in that department with Almonte.

A 33-year-old with 10 years of big league experience, Almonte has spent most of his career in center or left field and should have the opportunity to contribute for the Mets at some point in the 2023 season.

In 2021, he played significantly for the Braves but last season he appeared in just 15 games for the Red Sox. For his career, he has hit .235/.302/.374 and while the Mets hope they don’t need a replacement in the outfield, it’s good to have a veteran presence in case injuries happen.

The post Mets Sign Five to Minor League Deals appeared first on Metsmerized.

Credit: Mary Holt-USA TODAY Sports

A host of roster spots opened up for the Mets on Friday evening. The team sent Jose Martinez, Jose Peraza, Corey Oswalt and Robert Stock were all optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, the Mets say, but all four declined the assignment and elected free agency instead.

Peraza and Martinez were both able to decline the assignment because they had accrued at least five years’ service time in the majors, and once you hit that benchmark, you can decline getting sent back to the minors. (Martinez still accrued a year of service time despite being on the 60-day injured list all season.)

The most significant of the four is Peraza, who performed well for the Mets in a bench role and in high-leverage spots. He had a 224 wRC+ with four extra-base hits and nine RBI 19 high-leverage plate appearances. His season virtually ended in mid-July when he suffered a fractured finger. He returned two months later, garnering just two starts and 17 plate appearances over the last three weeks of the year.

Oswalt’s Mets career, which has spanned 44 appearances (24 starts) and about as many trips between Triple-A and Flushing, seems to be over. Stock, on the other hand, made two just starts for the Mets this season when the team was depleted of starting pitching, and he tore his hamstring running out a ground ball in the second one.

The four players were all either arbitration eligible or still making the major-league minimum, projected around $3.2 million, according to MLB Trade Rumors. Martinez, Stock and Oswalt were all on the 60-day IL to end the year, so this nets the Mets just one 40-man roster spot. That, however, will be replaced and then some with the reinstatement of guys like Jacob deGrom and David Peterson from the 60-day IL. Close to a dozen spots will open up once several Mets players reach free agency after the World Series.

Speaking of David Peterson, Justin Toscano reports that the lefty is close to 100 percent following a foot injury he sufferent when recovering from an oblique injury.

Mets starting pitcher David Peterson, who injured his oblique before suffering a foot fracture that ended his season, has recovered and is back to working out. He’s not far from 100%, but he isn’t pushing it. He feels great. Barring a setback, he’ll be ready for spring training.

— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) October 29, 2021

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Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Oh how the tables have turned.

The New York Mets certainly endured their fair share of defensive woes in the first month of the season, but since the calendar flipped forward to May, they are starting to find their footing in the field.

In Wednesday’s 7-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles, things were no different. Mets starting pitcher Taijuan Walker tossed another gem, going seven innings, while giving up just one run on four hits, with four strikeouts and three walks.

And Walker also received some stellar defense, which helped guide him through his latest impressive outing.

“Our defense has been spectacular all year making plays,” said Walker. “It was easy for me to go out there and get quick outs.”

According to Walker, this is the best he has felt since undergoing Tommy John surgery back in 2018. On Wednesday, Walker was again in a groove for the second-straight start and it was easy for him to go out there and attack hitters due to the run support and great defense provided by his teammates.

First, it was his outfield making plays, as center fielder Kevin Pillar bailed Walker out in the top of the first with a leaping grab near the wall in left center to avoid Dominic Smith and save an extra base hit.

While some scouts said Pillar’s skills in center field were declining, he has proven these critics wrong so far, filling in for an injured Brandon Nimmo adequately.

“Proving that you are a good center fielder comes with getting the opportunity to go out there and make plays,” said Pillar.

Fast forward to the top of the third, where Michael Conforto, who has been playing a Gold Glove caliber right field, channeled his inner Ron Swoboda with a diving grab in the gap to save another extra base hit.

Bench Mob member Jose Peraza filled in for Jeff McNeil at second base and made his fair share of gems in the field, as well. In the top of the fourth, Peraza made a slick play to snag a one-hop liner, preventing it from going into the outfield for a hit.

Peraza also salvaged a grounder, which Francisco Lindor missed on a dive, by fielding it behind him and throwing to first to get the runner. And later, Peraza made a leaping grab to pick off a rocket to end the eighth inning, getting Robert Gsellman out of a jam.

While the Mets have shown major improvements on defense, manager Luis Rojas isn’t surprised by what they have been able to do given the behind the scenes work they’ve put in on a daily basis.

“The guys have done their routine consistency,” said Rojas. “Gary DiSarcina has taken them out there even on days where we haven’t done batting practice. Their preparation has led them to be better out there consistently.”

During their seven-game winning streak, the Mets pitching staff and offense have carried them. However, their defense has made some superb plays in order to uplift their pitchers and minimize base runners.

The Mets now have their longest win streak since August of 2019. They went 5-0 on their home stand, and are 9-2 to begin the month, the first time they’ve done this in May since 2009.

Following Thursday’s off-day, the Amazins’ will hit the road for a nine-game road trip, but Rojas believes their strong play will translate away from Citi Field, as they’ve gained significant momentum in the last week.

The post Mets’ Defense Shines Behind Taijuan Walker appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mar 12, 2021; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets infielder Jose Peraza attempts a double play in the third inning as Miami Marlins infielder Miguel Rojas (19) slides into second base during a spring training game at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Following Sunday’s game, the New York Mets optioned left-handed pitcher Stephen Tarpley to their alternate site in Brooklyn and recalled infielder Jose Peraza.

Peraza will be active for tonight’s game against the Boston Red Sox as the Mets have opted to go with an extra bench player, having two off-days this week.

Tarpley made his first appearance out of the bullpen with the Mets in Saturday’s loss to the Washington Nationals. The left-hander allowed two runs and failed to record an out, hitting a batter, and issuing two walks and hit.

As for Peraza, his best year offensively came in 2018 with the Cincinnati Reds, when he slashed .288/.326/.416 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs in 157 games. However, he had the lowest fielding percentage among major league shortstops, at .963.

Peraza spent last season with the Red Sox, where he struggled offensively in 34 games batting .225/.275/.342 with one home run and eight RBIs.

The 26-year-old will be the Mets’ sixth bench player for at least the next two games against the Red Sox, before the team has another off-day on Thursday.

The post Mets Option LHP Stephen Tarpley, Call Up INF José Peraza appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good morning, Mets fans!

As reported by ESPN, former prospective Mets owner (and of course former Yankee) Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore are in the process of finalizing a deal to purchase the Minnesota Timberwolves from majority owner Glen Taylor. Once the deal is finalized, it is expected that Taylor will continue to have full control of the team for the 2021-2022 seasons before Rodriguez and Lore take over in 2023.

Satruday’s loss was a disappointing one, but we have more Mets baseball this afternoon as the Mets and Marlins conclude their series at 1:10 p.m. ET. Marcus Stroman (1-0, 1.50 ERA) will be back on the mound for the Mets this afternoon.

Latest Mets News

Real Mets Legends posted a new podcast episode: “On this week’s episode, Rob and Mike talk about the poor drafting the Mets did in the ‘90’s, as well as quintessential Mets legend Lastings Milledge a.k.a. Blastings Thrilledge.”

According to Greg Harvey of Baseball Cloud US, Jacob deGrom’s start on Saturday was his 185^th career start. He leads with the most starts with six plus innings pitched and two earned runs or less in first career 185 starts since 1901. The list includes:

• Jacob deGrom – 120
• Tom Seaver – 114
• Clayton Kershaw – 111
• Dwight Gooden – 111
• Jeff Pfeffer – 109
• Tim Hudson – 108

New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom tied his career high with 14 strikeouts on Saturday against the Marlins.

Per the New York Mets, infielder J.D. Davis has been placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 7 with a left hand contusion. Infielder Jose Peraza was selected to the major league roster and will wear No. 18. The Mets also designated right-handed pitcher Franklyn Kilome for assignment.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com shared a picture on Twitter of where the Mets have cleared space for their Tom Seaver statue. It is just to the right of the Home Run Apple as you come off the 7 line.

According to CBS Sports HQ and Metsmerized’s Michael Mayer, since 2018, Jacob deGrom has a 2.06 ERA in 78 starts. The Mets are 36-42 in those starts.

According to New York Post Sports, Jed Lowrie alleged that the Mets refused to let him get knee surgery.

As posted by MiLB-Transactions, Mets minor league right-handed pitcher Corey Taylor has voluntarily retired.

Latest MLB News

The Chicago White Sox announced their game on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on May 14.

David Adler of MLB.com posted 10 players who were Statcast standouts in the first week of the season.

As shared by Grant McAuley, a father and son who retrieved Freddie Freeman’s home run ball at Friday’s Phillies game gave it to a young boy wearing a Freeman jersey.

Per Rich Dubroff of BaltimoreBaseball.com, DJ Stewart has rejoined the Orioles after a hamstring injury.

New York Yankees Public Relations announced on Saturday that following the Yankees’ game against the Rays on Saturday, the Yankees optioned right-handed pitcher Domingo German to the alternate site.

Per Brendan Kuty of NJ.com, with the Yankees optioning Domingo German to the alternate site, the only player they are able to add from the alternate site is Albert Abreu.

Adam Berry of MLB.com reported that the Tampa Bay Rays have placed Chris Archer on the 10-day IL and called up Brent Honeywell.

The New York Yankees also announced that following Saturday’s game, they optioned infielder Mike Ford to their alternate site.

Per MLB Pipeline, Josh Palacios of the Toronto Blue Jays collected his first major league hit, first multi-hit game, and first RBI on Saturday against the Los Angeles Angels.

Taylor Trammell of the Seattle Mariners collected his first major league home run against the Twins on Saturday, via MLB Pipeline.

Per The Denver Post, the Colorado Rockies’ Chris Owings is headed to the injured list with a sprained thumb.

Latest on MMO

Ryan Finkelstein recaps the latest week of MMO digital content.

James Schapiro explains why Mets fans should take a deep breath after the so-so start to the season.

Matt Musico discusses why the Mets’ performance at home is critical to success in 2021.

The MMO roundtable team discusses the black jerseys.

Pat Ragazzo recaps Zack Scott’s updates on Seth Lugo, Carlos Carrasco, and Noah Syndergaard.

Alexis Farinacci recaps the Mets’ loss to the Marlins on Saturday and deGrom’s masterpiece performance.

Rich Sparago breaks down and discusses a report that former Met Jed Lowrie is claiming that the Mets did not allow him to have surgery.

On This Date in Mets History

1962: The New York Mets made their National League debut in St. Louis. They dropped their National League debut to the Cardinals 11-4.

1971: Jerry Grote hit a walk-off home run in the 11^th inning off of Wayne Granger at Shea Stadium to defeat the Reds 1-0.

Birthdays: Alejandro De Aza (37), Trot Nixon (47), Bobby Jones (49), Bret Saberhagen (57), Wally Whitehurst (57)

Let’s go Mets!

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