B/T: L/L, Age: 23 (9/27/2000)
Height: 5’9, Weight: 195 lbs
Acquired: Via trade with Houston Astros at 2023 Trade Deadline
Previous Rank: NA
2023 Stats (AA Binghamton): 35 G, .325 BA, .984 OPS, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 22 R, 19 BB

Disclaimer: All prospects rankings were made in the preseason and have not been adjusted for play in 2024.

Drew Gilbert is one of three highly-touted prospects the Mets acquired at last year’s trade deadline in the deals that sent Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer to the Texas teams. A former first-round pick in the 2022 Draft, Gilbert might have the highest ceiling of those three players, and he made quite the first impression with Mets fans to close out the 2023 season.

Gilbert hit .325 in 35 games with Binghamton, posting a .984 OPS. He spent the majority of his time in center field, although he demonstrated strong defense at all three outfield positions. Gilbert was a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball, and his strong play was rewarded with a placement on the Syracuse roster to start the 2024 season.

Photo Credit: James Farrance

2023 Outlook

Unfortunately, Gilbert has been sidelined since April 7 with a right hamstring strain. He hit .240 and launched one home run in the seven games before his injury. He should return within the coming weeks and will slot right back into the top of the Syracuse lineup.

Barring any setbacks, Gilbert should be a prime candidate for a major league call-up sometime before the end of the 2024 season. The Mets are languishing near the bottom of the National League, and after deadline trades the roster should have an opening for a young outfielder like Gilbert to get a taste of the bigs.

Gilbert is an extremely well-rounded prospect who gives maximum effort every time he steps on the field. Although he is being played primarily as a center fielder, he also profiles as a corner outfielder given his strong arm. He possesses the exact amount of versatility on defense and with the bat that the major league squad appears to currently lack. Gilbert could get his first chance to make a name for himself this summer, and there is a lot to be excited about when that moment arrives.

• No. 4 – Ryan Clifford
• No. 5 – Christian Scott
• No. 6 – Marco Vargas
• No.7 – Ronny Mauricio
• No.8- Kevin Parada
• No.9 – Jeremy Rodríguez 
• No. 10 – Mike Vasil
• No. 11 – Colin Houck
• No. 12 – Blade Tidwell
• No. 13 – Yovanny Rodriguez
• No. 14 – Dom Hamel
• No. 15 – Brandon Sproat
• No. 16—Jacob Reimer
• No. 17—Jesus Baez
• No. 18—Boston Baro
• No. 19—Ronald Hernandez
• No. 20—Alex Ramírez
• No. 21-25
• No. 26-30

The post 2024 Mets Minors Prospects: No. 2 Drew Gilbert appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The team began the year with a formidable group of top prospects in Brett Baty, Francisco Álvarez, Mark Vientos, and Ronny Mauricio, and ended the year with just two of MMO’s top 30 prospects (Mike Vasil, Justin Jarvis), neither of whom started the season on the Syracuse Mets’ roster. That roster transformation, along with Syracuse becoming a home for older guys unable to obtain roles on big league clubs, might explain why it was another disappointing year for the Triple-A team.

Dick Scott, Photo by James Farrance

Syracuse finished the first half of the season with a 33-41 record. The sub-.500 record was mostly a result of poor pitching, with the offense finishing the first half with an above-average 5.6 runs per game. Over the second half of the season, though, the offense worsened and the already-poor pitching did too. That led to a 28-44 second half record and a 61-85 record overall.

Pitching was undoubtedly the weak link of this Syracuse team, for a couple of reasons. First, the extremely run-friendly environment of Triple-A makes pitching in that league very tough. Second, the pitching staff was mostly comprised of fringe major leaguers and lower-level prospects.

Leading the Syracuse Mets pitching staff in innings in 2023 was Denyi Reyes with 91 2/3 innings pitched. Reyes spent some time with the big league club, appearing in nine games with them, but spent the bulk of his year in Syracuse where he appeared in 20 games (18 starts) and posted a 2-3 record with a 5.79 ERA.

Following Reyes on the innings pitched leaderboard were José Butto and Joey Lucchesi, neither of whom pitched admirably in Triple-A. While both wound up in the majors down the stretch and pitched at a high level, Butto recorded a 3-7 record with a 5.93 ERA and Lucchesi recorded a 6-5 record with a 4.74 ERA during their times in Syracuse.

The most exciting pitcher on the staff was Mike Vasil, a midseason call-up who is currently MMO’s No. 10 prospect within the organization. While his 4-4 record and 5.30 ERA in 16 starts doesn’t appear great at first glance, Vasil flashed the potential of what the Mets are hoping he can become. He did so most notably on August 8, when he carried a no-hit bid into the ninth inning. He also pitched much better down the stretch for Syracuse than he did when he was first called up, with a 7.04 ERA and .973 OPS against in his first eight starts dropping to a 4.04 ERA and .575 OPS against in his final eight starts.

While Vasil wasn’t the only pitcher in Syracuse to pitch well, with excellent performances out of the bullpen from guys like Josh Walker (1.84 ERA) and Nate Lavender (3.27 ERA), it really was a season defined by poor pitching. There were a few more notable pitchers who contributed to that, such as David Peterson, Tylor Megill, and Justin Jarvis.

Peterson was demoted to Triple-A following a stretch of poor starts at the big league level. Peterson didn’t experience much more success in Syracuse, as he finished with a 1-2 record and a 4.86 ERA over seven starts with the team before becoming a fixture in the big league rotation down the stretch and pitching well.

Megill followed a similar path as Peterson: he was demoted from the big league team due to struggles, pitched poorly with Syracuse, but was recalled to the big league team and pitched well down the stretch. In Syracuse, he started six games and went 0-3 with an 8.67 ERA.

Jarvis was an interesting midseason acquisition, coming over from the Brewers in the Mark Canha trade. Jarvis had pitched well with Milwaukee’s Double-A affiliate, posting a 3.33 ERA over 14 starts, but struggled in 12 total starts with two Triple-A teams. With Syracuse, he started nine games and went 0-5 with an 8.04 ERA. Jarvis currently ranks as MMO’s No. 16 Mets’ prospect.

Offensively, Syracuse received massive contributions from a number of players. Most notably was Ronny Mauricio, who led the team in nearly every statistical category. Game after game, Mauricio flashed the power and speed that made him a top prospect in the organization, finishing his time in Syracuse with 23 home runs and 24 stolen bases over 116 games. His final OPS in Triple-A of .852 was dragged down by a midseason slump that doesn’t capture the fact that he finished three months with an OPS over .900.

Mark Vientos was the next biggest contributor in Syracuse despite playing in a little over half the games that Mauricio played in. In those 61 games though, Vientos shined by posting a slash line of .306/.387/.612/.999 while recording 16 home runs and 21 doubles.

Brett Baty was another top prospect who began the year in Syracuse and recorded more time with the team after struggling mightily at the big league level. Any time he was with Syracuse, however, Baty was one of the best players on the field. He played in just 26 games with the team but posted a slash line of .298/.388/.625/1.013 with 10 home runs in just 104 at-bats.

One of the better seasons by a non-top prospect at the plate was by DJ Stewart, who became somewhat of a sensation with the big league club late in the year. While in Syracuse, he accumulated 16 home runs, which tied Vientos for second on the team behind Mauricio. He also posted a .516 slugging percentage during his 51 games in Triple-A.

Outside of those performances, Syracuse received middling contributions from a number of fringe major leaguers. Among them were Danny Mendick (.793 OPS in 373 at-bats), Tomás Nido (.728 OPS in 135 at-bats), Abraham Almonte (.776 OPS in 134 at-bats), José Peraza (.681 OPS in 134 at-bats) and Rafael Ortega (.777 OPS in 113 at-bats).

The team even received cameos from two former Yankees in Luke Voit and Gary Sánchez. Both of them impressed in short stints with the club, with Voit crushing 14 homers in 129 at-bats for a fantastic 1.058 OPS and Sánchez accumulating a 1.014 OPS in just 26 at-bats.

The overall story of the offense is that it just wasn’t good enough. The bulk of the contributions came from top prospects who wound up with the big league club. Those that were left were older veterans whose subpar performances weren’t enough to carry the team. That, coupled with one of the worst pitching staffs in the International League, led to yet another disappointing year in Syracuse.

MMO Top 30

• 10. Mike Vasil, SP
• 16. Justin Jarvis, SP

Coaching Staff

• Manager — Dick Scott
• Bench Coach — J.P. Arencibia
• Pitching Coach — Kyle Driscoll
• Hitting Coach — Collin Hetzler
• Bullpen Coach — Jordan Kraus
• Athletic Trainer — Hiroto Kawamura
• Athletic Trainer — Vanessa Weisbach
• Performance Coach — Alex Tavarez

Team Batting Leaders (Minimum 50 Plate Appearances)

• G: Carlos Cortes — 118
• AB: Ronny Mauricio —490
• R: Ronny Mauricio — 76
• H: Ronny Mauricio — 143
• 2B: Ronny Mauricio — 30
• 3B: Ronny Mauricio/Jonathan Araúz — 3
• HR: Ronny Mauricio — 23
• RBI: Ronny Mauricio — 71
• SB: Ronny Mauricio — 24
• TB: Ronny Mauricio — 248
• BB: Carlos Cortes — 65
• OBP: Luke Voit — .415
• SLG: Luke Voit — .643
• OPS: Luke Voit — 1.058

Team Pitching Leaders (Minimum 20 Innings Pitched)

• W: Joey Lucchesi — 6
• ERA: Zack Muckenhirn — 0.88
• SV: Dennis Santana — 5
• G: Eric Orze — 39
• GS: José Butto — 19
• IP: Denyi Reyes — 91.2
• K: José Butto — 82
• WHIP: Josh Walker — 1.091

The post 2023 Syracuse Season Recap: Top Prospects Shine in Disappointing Season appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets began the second half of the season on Friday night with a 6-0 loss to the Dodgers. Brandon Nimmo led off the game with a double, and the Mets were unable to record a hit for the rest of the game afterwards as Julio Urías shined. Justin Verlander also struggled in the game, giving up three earned runs over five innings while walking six batters. The loss is the Mets’ third in a row going back to before the All-Star break, and it puts the team seven games below .500 at 42-49.

Latest Mets News

The Mets activated José Quintana off the injured list, and he is expected to make his Mets debut next Wednesday against the White Sox. To make room for Quintana, the team designated T.J. McFarland for assignment.

With Quintana activated, David Peterson is expected to pitch out of the bullpen for now. He appeared for the first time in relief in last night’s game, giving up an earned run in one inning.

Prior to yesterday’s game, Buck Showalter said that Max Scherzer has been dealing with a bit of a stiff neck but the plan is still for him to pitch tomorrow against the Dodgers.

The Mets officially announced the signings of their two top draft picks, Colin Houck and Brandon Sproat.

Ronny Mauricio was the only Mets’ prospect listed on Baseball America‘s latest Top 100, coming in at no. 65. Kevin Parada and Jett Williams were notably left off the list.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Latest MLB News

Shane Bieber underwent an MRI on his right elbow and will not make his next start while the Guardians await the test results.

The Padres acquired outfielder Ben Gamel from the Rays. Gamel, a longtime MLB veteran, has posted an .865 OPS with Tampa Bay’s Triple-A affiliate so far this season.

Latest on MMO

Jack Markowski listed five Mets storylines to watch in the second half of the season.

Michael Mayer wrote about impressive pitching prospect Tyler Stuart‘s promotion to Double-A Binghamton.

Michael Famulari graded the first half performances out of the designated hitter role for the Mets.

Rivka Boord looked into the ongoing struggles of Jeff McNeil.

Christian De Block analyzed the current state of the NL East coming out of the All-Star break.

Alexis Farinacci wrote about the reports that the Angels may listen to offers for Shohei Ohtani.

Allison Waxman discussed three Mets players poised for a big second half of the season.

On This Date in Mets History

1991: The Mets traded away 1986 World Series champion Ron Darling to the Montreal Expos for reliever Tim Burke, ending Darling’s tenure with the Mets.

Birthdays: Fernando Nieve (41), Wilson Delgado (51), James Baldwin (52), Don Bosch (81)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Begin Second Half with Shutout Loss appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

After Julio Urías gave up a leadoff double to Brandon Nimmo that was initially ruled a home run but overturned after a review showed the ball bounced off the top of the wall and back in play, Urías didn’t just escape the first inning scoreless. He thrived the rest of his outing and surrendered just two more baserunners and no more hits through six total innings. Three Dodgers relievers followed him up with three more hitless innings as well, holding the Mets to just one hit all game.

“It sucks. This was not a good game of baseball in any facet,” Justin Verlander said, talking after the game about starting the second half of the season this way.

Verlander was on the mound for the Mets and held a no-hitter after four innings. Out of context that sounds fantastic, but Verlander was battling an elevated pitch count and lack of command unlike Urías who was rolling. That put Verlander in a dangerous spot in the fifth as he walked the bases loaded with one out and Mookie Betts at the plate.

Betts made the Dodgers’ first hit of the night count as he singled into left field to make it a 1-0 game. In the next at-bat, Freddie Freeman doubled down the right field line and just like that, a 0-0 pitching duel became a 3-0 ballgame.

Verlander exited the game after throwing 104 pitches through five innings, giving up two hits and striking out six, but also walking six on the way to giving up three earned runs. It was yet another inconsistent and inefficient outing from a Mets starting pitcher, the type of start that seemed routine over the first half of the season.

“Inexcusable,” Verlander said about his outing. “Can’t walk six guys and expect to win a ballgame or give your team a chance.”

Verlander’s departure after five innings led the way for David Peterson to make his first relief appearance of the year in the sixth inning. Getting in trouble right away after giving up a leadoff walk and then a two-out single, Peterson couldn’t complete a clean inning as Miguel Rojas drove in a run with an opposite field single to make it a 4-0 game.

J.D. Martinez added on in the eighth with an opposite field home run before Will Smith drove in another run in the ninth on a fielder’s choice, bringing the Dodgers’ lead to 6-0.

The Mets’ bats failed to put up any sort of effort as the game came to a close, resulting in a dreadful 6-0 defeat for the team’s ninth shutout loss of the year and a brutal start to the second half of the season.

“I’m hoping we can win the next two games against a good team and win the series and move on,” Buck Showalter said after the game, clearly looking to put this one in the rear-view mirror. “I know our guys are frustrated by it.”

Player Focus

Verlander demonstrated the highs and lows he has dealt with this year in this game, evidenced by giving up no hits through four innings and also by his season-high six walks by the end of his outing. The Mets will need Verlander and Max Scherzer to pitch like the aces they’re paid to be if they want to make a playoff push, and this start from Verlander in which he threw 104 pitches and gave up three runs in five innings certainly doesn’t inspire optimism.

On Deck

The series with the Dodgers continues on Saturday evening with first pitch scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET. Kodai Senga (7-5, 3.31 ERA), coming off a really strong first half, will be on the mound for the Mets while Tony Gonsolin (5-3, 3.86 ERA), who has struggled in each of his last four outings, gets the start for the Dodgers. The game will be broadcast on FOX.

The post Urías, Dodgers Silence Mets in 6-0 Loss appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Neither Justin Verlander nor Yu Darvish were at their best as both struggled with command against a particularly tight strike zone and both gave up runs early. Both bullpens thrived following their departures, paving the way for extra innings in a 3-3 game. It was then that the Mets offense broke out, scoring four runs in the 10th inning to secure their sixth straight win.

It was the Mets who scored first on a weakly-hit but perfectly-placed Daniel Vogelbach infield single in the first inning. The Padres immediately responded, though, as Manny Machado hit an RBI double and later scored on a Luis Guillorme fielding error to give the Padres the lead in the bottom of the inning.

Verlander continued to find himself in trouble, even after surrendering the early lead. He gave up a Trent Grisham RBI double in the second inning to make it a 3-1 game before loading the bases in the third. With one out and Gary Sánchez at the plate, Verlander was able to get him to ground into a double play to avoid a disaster inning.

That double play seemed to reverse his fortunes as he allowed just one baserunner over the next three innings on his way to a quality start, a result that seemed impossible after how he started the game. Through six innings, Verlander allowed just two earned runs on 98 pitches and slightly lowered his season ERA from 3.66 to 3.60.

Darvish, who is usually dominant against the Mets, was unable to hold the 3-1 lead given to him by his offense. Francisco Lindor continued his recent hot stretch by hitting an opposite field homer that just sailed over the left field wall in the third inning and Vogelbach drove in his second run of the night with an RBI single in the fifth to tie the game.

A Ha-Seong Kim double with one out in the seventh appeared to give the Padres a late scoring threat to break the tie, but Tommy Pham played the ball hit by Kim conservatively in left field, prompting Kim to decide to stretch a triple before Pham uncorked a laser to throw him out. Kim’s curious decision to go for three bases wound up costing the Padres as Juan Soto doubled in the next at-bat which would have surely scored Kim, but instead Brooks Raley and Adam Ottavino were able to combine for a scoreless inning.

The game headed to extra innings tied as the Mets failed to score with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, but they made up for it and more as Jeff McNeil ambushed Tom Cosgrove by doubling down the right field line on the first pitch of the 10th inning to put the Mets ahead. Francisco Álvarez subsequently drove in McNeil before Lindor drove in two, his second and third RBIs of the night, to crack the game wide open and make it 7-3.

A two-run home run by Machado with one out in the bottom of the inning made it a two-run game, but David Robertson fought off the last two batters of the inning to give the Mets a hard-fought and well-deserved win.

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Game

Álvarez continues to swing a scorching bat, as he went 4-for-5 against San Diego pitchers in this game. Although he didn’t hit any homers like he often does, Álvarez recorded the first four-hit game of his career and drove in the Mets’ second run of the 10th inning to provide some massive insurance en route to the team’s sixth win in a row.

On Deck

The series with the Padres will continue on Saturday night with a 10:10 p.m. ET first pitch. The pitching matchup will see David Peterson (2-6, 6.61 ERA) face off against Blake Snell (5-7, 3.03 ERA), both of whom are pitching some of their best baseball of the season. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Four-Run 10th Leads Mets to Sixth Straight Win, 7-5 Over Padres appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans.

The Mets lost their seventh game in a row on Friday in embarrassing fashion as they fell to the Pirates 14-7. A poor outing from Tylor Megill and defensive blunders put the game out of reach early despite the Mets’ best effort at a comeback in the ninth inning. The seven-game losing streak is the Mets’ longest since they lost seven straight from June 23 to June 29 in 2019 and it puts them four games under .500 for the first time since 2021. To add insult to injury, the Braves and Phillies are riding six-game win streaks while the Marlins’ own six-game win streak just came to an end last night.

Latest Mets News

Tomás Nido cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier in the week, and will accept an outright to Syracuse if he is not traded.

In more concerning news, Pete Alonso was diagnosed with a bone bruise and sprain of his left wrist. While he fortunately avoided a fracture, the typical time for recovery from this injury is three-to-four weeks. As he was placed on the 10-day IL, Luis Guillorme was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to replace him.

Zach Muckenhirn was also recalled from Triple-A on Friday, with Stephen Nogosek being designated for assignment.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post talked to Billy Eppler amidst this dreadful stretch for the Mets, and Eppler expressed support in the coaching staff and the team to right the ship.

The Mets are hiring a Biomechanical Analyst. The page to apply for the position is linked here.

Latest MLB News

The Astros placed Yordan Álvarez on the 10-day injured list with right oblique discomfort.

Chris Sale has a stress reaction in his scapula, an injury that will require rest and rehab. He will be re-evaluated in three-to-four weeks.

Per MLB insider Héctor Gómez, Elly De La Cruz will pay 10% of his career salary earnings to Big League Advantage, a company that minor leaguers tend to take loans from due to low bonuses and minor league salaries.

The Nationals released relief pitcher Erasmo Ramírez who had been designated for assignment earlier in the week. The 33-year-old former Met has pitched to a 6.33 ERA in 27 innings out of the Washington bullpen despite a strong 2022 in which he posted a 2.92 ERA in 86 1/3 innings pitched.

The Blue Jays reinstated pitcher Mitch White from the 60-day injured list and designated Anthony Bass for assignment in a corresponding move.

Former Met Óliver Pérez threw the last pitch of his career on Thursday night in the Mexican League. The 41-year-old enjoyed a long MLB career and pitched in the big leagues as recently as last year.

Rustin Dodd of The Athletic wrote about Zack Greinke and why he continues to be effective even at 39 years of age.

The Cape Cod Baseball League announced a streaming partnership with D1Baseball for the 2023 season, allowing games in the CCBL to be streamed completely free of charge for fans.

Latest on MMO

In the latest Mets Minors Recap, Colby Morris highlighted Joey Lucchesi‘s strong performance for Triple-A Syracuse.

Michael Famulari wrote about Francisco Álvarez‘s two-homer game against the Braves on Thursday.

Christian De Block analyzed Justin Verlander‘s disappointing performance in Atlanta on Thursday.

Chris Bello wrote about the reports that the Mets have been scouting Alexis Díaz.

MMO is searching for a new editor. Read this tweet for details if interested.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Ken Singleton (76)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Lose Seven Straight For First Time Since 2019 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets swept the Phillies on Thursday as they defeated Taijuan Walker in the third game of the three-game set. On Friday, the Mets faced another member of their 2022 team as Chris Bassitt and the Blue Jays traveled to Citi Field to start a three-game series. For the Mets, Justin Verlander took the mound hoping to rebound from a poor performance in Colorado.

The game, originally scheduled for a 7:10 p.m. ET start, was delayed due to rain and officially started 90 minutes later at 8:40 p.m. ET. Overall, Verlander pitched well but Bassitt pitched better as he shut down the Mets offense, leading the Blue Jays to a 3-0 win.

On just the second pitch of the game, George Springer took his former teammate Verlander deep to center field to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead, as Verlander’s struggles in the first inning this year continued. He retired the next two batters before walking Brandon Belt, and was then able to strike out Matt Chapman to put an end to the inning.

Bassitt retired the first two Met hitters before Jeff McNeil took the first pitch of his at-bat into right-center field for a double. Alonso wasn’t able to take advantage of the runner in scoring position as he popped out in foul territory to give Bassitt a clean first inning.

After a 1-2-3 second inning, Verlander got the first two outs of the third inning before allowing a single off the bat of Bo Bichette. That brought up the powerful Vladimir Guerrero Jr. but he struck out on three pitches to keep the Jays’ lead at one.

Leading off the bottom of the third, Canha worked a full count after falling behind 0-2, and ripped a single through the left side of the infield to continue his recent hot stretch. He then stole second base for his third stolen base of the year. Francisco Álvarez then hit a grounder to the right side of the infield that hit off the glove of Guerrero and Álvarez was able to get to first safely, putting runners on the corners with nobody out.

The top of the Mets order, however, put together three brutal at-bats in a row as Brandon Nimmo popped up on the infield on the first pitch he saw, Francisco Lindor struck out looking, and Jeff McNeil popped up on the infield on the first pitch he saw to allow Bassitt to escape the inning without giving up a run.

The Mets once again put together three straight poor at-bats in the bottom of the fourth inning, putting two more balls in play on the first pitch just as they had in the previous inning. This time, Pete Alonso popped up on the infield, Brett Baty struck out, and Starling Marte grounded out, allowing Bassitt to get through the inning on just six pitches.

Bichette led off the sixth inning for the Blue Jays with a comebacker off of Verlander and he reached first base safely after Verlander couldn’t recover the ball cleanly. Guerrero then walked to put runners on first and second base with no outs. Verlander then struck out Brandon Belt and Matt Chapman back-to-back before Whit Merrifield hit an infield single to load the bases.

With Daulton Varsho at the plate, Verlander attacked him with fastballs before putting him away with a slider, striking out three in the inning to avoid disaster. That would be all for him for the night as he tallied a whopping 117 pitches through six innings, giving up just the one run on five hits while walking three and striking out eight.

With the top of the order coming up in the bottom of the sixth and needing runs, Nimmo hit a deep fly ball to left-center field that flew all the way to the warning track but was tracked down by Kevin Kiermaier for the first out. After Lindor struck out in a full count, McNeil also got to a full count but flew out to center field to end the inning. Since the Mets had first-and-third with no outs in the third inning, Bassitt had now retired twelve straight.

Dominic Leone came on in relief for the Mets to start the seventh inning and he needed just nine pitches to set the Blue Jays’ hitters down in order. In the bottom of the inning, Bassitt extended his streak to retire 14 straight as he retired Alonso and Baty, but Marte broke that streak by hitting a ball the other way for a two-out opposite-field single. Marte then stole second base to put the tying run in scoring position with Mark Vientos up at the plate, but a groundball out ended the inning with the Mets still down 1-0.

Drew Smith was called on to pitch the eighth inning against the heart of the Toronto lineup. After a Bichette groundout, Guerrero singled into center field but he was erased on the next pitch after Belt grounded into a double play to end the inning. Bassitt stayed on for the bottom of the eighth and retired Canha and Álvarez before Tim Mayza was called on to relieve him. With a two-strike count and two outs in the inning, Nimmo was called for a pitch-clock violation to give Mayza an easy out to end the inning.

After pitching a scoreless inning the previous night against the Phillies, Jeff Brigham was asked to pitch for a second straight game as he came on in the ninth inning. After giving up a one-out single, Brigham gave up a two-run homer to Varsho to give the Blue Jays some insurance and a 3-0 lead. The next two batters were retired in order, putting the Mets offense back on the field for the bottom of the ninth.

Jordan Romano relieved Mayza to start the ninth inning, looking to get the save with a three-run lead. Lindor led off the inning by hitting a ball to deep left field, but it died on the warning track for the first out. McNeil popped up on the infield to bring the Mets to their final out, but Alonso kept the game alive by singling through the infield. However, Baty struck out on three pitches to put the game to bed, giving the Mets their eighth shutout of the year.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Player Spotlight

Justin Verlander started the night off by giving up a leadoff homer, but that was his lone blemish as he threw six innings and kept the Mets in the game. He threw 117 pitches and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning, getting a massive strikeout to keep the Mets’ deficit at just one. Unfortunately, the Mets couldn’t score a single run in the game putting the loss on Verlander, but he was clearly the best player on the field tonight for the Mets.

On Deck

The Mets continue the series with the Blue Jays on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET. Tylor Megill, who has failed to go past four innings in each of his last two starts, will look to turn things around as he starts for the Mets. Meanwhile, José Berríos is in the middle of a fantastic stretch of starts for Toronto and will look to keep it going as he gets the start tomorrow for the Jays. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Bassitt Dominates Mets in Blue Jays’ 3-0 Win appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mark Vientos, Photo by Richard Nelson

Good morning, Mets fans!

General manager Billy Eppler spoke on Friday about Mark Vientos and why he has not been called up to the major league club yet despite a scorching hot start in Triple-A. Eppler noted that there are several factors that play into it such as Vientos’ development and usage, but said a potential promotion is “definitely on our radar and something we’re thinking about.” Eppler said that he is sending Carlos Beltrán to Syracuse to supposedly watch Vientos play and to provide feedback. In 116 plate appearances this year in Syracuse, Vientos is batting .354/.431/.717/1.148 with nine home runs, nine doubles, and 26 RBIs.

Latest Mets News

The Mets defeated the Rockies 1-0 on Friday night with the help of strong performances from Kodai Senga, who threw six scoreless innings, and Brandon Nimmo, who drove in the only run of the game with a solo homer. Prior to the game, Edwin Díaz received his 2022 NL Reliever of the Year Award.

Former Met Matt Harvey announced his retirement from baseball on Friday. In parts of six seasons with the Mets, Harvey compiled a 34-37 record and a 3.66 ERA with a dominant stretch from 2012-2015 in which he was 25-18 with a 2.53 ERA.

Edwin Díaz received his 2022 NL Reliever of the Year Award prior to tonight’s game 🎺 pic.twitter.com/D32RarSQzG

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) May 5, 2023

Latest MLB News

Keith Law ranked his top 50 prospects in this year’s MLB draft.

Per the Astros, pitcher Luis Garcia will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Sam Blum of The Athletic reported that Angels’ pitcher Austin Warren will also undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the rest of the season.

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Michael Famulari analyzed the season debut of Justin Verlander.

Chris Bello wrote about Matt Harvey‘s decision to retire.

Tyler Antonelle recapped Friday night’s victory over the Rockies.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Mike Kinkade (50), Willie Mays (92)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Thinking About Potential Vientos Promotion appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jose Quintana. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans!

On Friday, the Mets received updates on three injured pitchers. Most important of the group was Justin Verlander, who threw four scoreless innings in a rehab assignment with Double-A Binghamton on Friday afternoon. After the game, Verlander said he felt good and is ready to go. He is likely to return to the Mets and make his debut with the team in the series against the Tigers next week.

Stephen Nogosek also said he is good to go and is eligible to be activated off the injured list on Sunday. Meanwhile, José Quintana played catch for the first time since his rib surgery and said he experienced no pain at all. He will still be sidelined for a while with an expected return date in July.

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The Mets lost to the Braves 4-0 in five innings on Friday night due to the rain. David Peterson started the game strong but surrendered four runs including a three-run homer by Matt Olson in the fifth inning. Due to the shortened game, the Mets announced that anyone holding a ticket to the game will receive a voucher for a ticket to a future home game.

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Jacob deGrom left his start against the Yankees with a trainer in the fourth inning.

The Braves activated Michael Harris II off the injured list and optioned both Eli White and Nick Solak to Triple-A.

Carlos Rodríguez of AP Sports wrote about Mexico’s “unprecedented appetite for baseball” following the country’s World Baseball Classic run.

Noah Gittell of the New York Times wrote about Daniel Murphy and his return to baseball with the Long Island Ducks.

The Seattle Mariners unveiled their new City Connect uniforms.

The Reds promoted former Met Matt Reynolds to the major league roster and put Tony Santillan on the 60-day injured list.

Liam Hendriks took the mound as part of his rehab process for the first time since his cancer diagnosis.

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As we continue to remember and honor the life of our founder, Joe D., a few more writers at MMO shared words about what he meant to them.

Michael Famulari broke down Brett Baty‘s stellar performance on Thursday night against the Nationals.

Michael Mayer recapped Verlander’s scoreless rehab outing.

On This Date in Mets History

1996: John Franco recorded his 300th career save, becoming the first lefty closer to reach the feat.

2022: The Mets threw the first combined no-hitter and second no-hitter overall in franchise history in a 3-0 victory over the Phillies. Tylor Megill, Drew Smith, Joely Rodríguez, Seth Lugo, and Edwin Díaz all pitched in the historic effort.

Birthdays: Omir Santos (42), Kelly Shoppach (43), Tony Armas (45), Wes Gardner (62), Bob McClure (71)

The post Morning Briefing: Mets Receive Updates on Injured Pitchers appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans!

Buck Showalter told the media on Friday that Justin Verlander will throw a bullpen session in Port St. Lucie today. Verlander has been on the injured list since Opening Day with a right teres major strain and his bullpen session today is another step in the right direction to getting him on the mound for his Mets debut. Verlander said last week that it is “very reasonable” to expect he will be back by the end of April.

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The Mets beat the A’s 17-6 on Friday night, drawing 17 total walks and being helped by Francisco Lindor‘s seven RBIs which tied a career high. The Mets will go for the series victory this afternoon at 4:07 p.m. ET.

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ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the Giants signed pitcher Logan Webb to a five-year, $90 million contract extension.

Evan Drellich of The Athletic wrote about the future of MLB TV blackouts and whether it is possible to make watching baseball games more accessible.

Brendan Kuty of The Athletic wrote about Aaron Judge and his victory in a legal battle over his “All Rise” catchphrase.

The Mariners placed pitcher Marco Gonzales on paternity leave and promoted Tommy Milone to the major league roster in a corresponding move. Milone started Friday night’s game for Seattle.

The A’s also made a few roster moves, promoting Hogan Harris and Tyler Wade, while optioning Adam Oller and Nick Allen to Triple-A. They also designated Cal Stevenson for assignment.

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Jack Markowski analyzed Jeff McNeil‘s increased walk rate to start the 2023 season.

Michael Famulari argued that the time is right for the Mets to call up Brett Baty to the major league team.

Michael Mayer listed his top 35 Mets prospects for the 2023 season.

On This Date in Mets History

1968: Tom Seaver pitched the first ten innings of a 24 inning contest with the Houston Astros. The Mets lost the game 1-0 in what was, at the time, the longest game in team history, clocking in at just over six hours.

Birthdays: Daniel Zamora (30), Adeiny Hechavarria (34), Aaron Laffey (39), Ricky Otero (51), Jeromy Burnitz (54)

The post Morning Briefing: Verlander to Throw Bullpen Session Today appeared first on Metsmerized Online.