Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

His statistics minus context would have guaranteed him election on the first ballot. A 143 OPS+, a career .308 batting average, six seasons with at least 100 RBIs, plus 427 home runs.

Impressive numbers made more so because of where he played on the field. The unofficial title of “Greatest Hitting Catcher” was deservedly given to Mike Piazza as his career concluded and as he approached Hall of Fame eligibility.

However, speculation of performance-enhancing drug use combined with the era in which he played kept him from being a sure-fire inductee. It took four years before he cleared the 75 percent threshold.

Piazza earned his spot in Cooperstown by garnering 83 percent of the electorate and would soon be announced as the second player to be inducted as a New York Met. Joining him was Ken Griffey Jr. — who interestingly surpassed the record for the highest voting percentage previously held by the other Hall of Famer who entered as a Met, Tom Seaver.

A 62nd round selection by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988, Piazza became the lowest-drafted player to get enshrinement. He was named the 1993 National League’s Rookie of the Year after hitting 35 home runs. Piazza would establish himself as one of the premier power hitters in baseball before a whirlwind sequence of trades over an eight-day span in May 1998 landed him with the Mets. It turned out to be one of the best deals the franchise has ever made.

The numbers he put up in Los Angeles are no doubt impressive, but his greatest achievements — and his greatest impact on an organization — came during his seven-and-a-half years in Queens: leading the Mets to consecutive postseason appearances including the 2000 National League pennant, six All-Star appearances, and the unforgettable home run in the first game in New York City following the events of September 11th. On his way to becoming the most prolific home run-hitting catcher in baseball history, Piazza compiled 220 of them with the Mets while also driving in 655 runs. He still holds the highest slugging percentage in team history, ranks second in OPS, and third in homers.

In his retirement statement, Piazza left no doubt about where his closest loyalties lie.

“One of the hardest moments of my career was walking off the field at Shea Stadium and saying goodbye,” he said. “My relationship with you made my time in New York the happiest of my career, and for that, I will always be grateful.”

The post OTD 2016: Mike Piazza Elected to the Hall of Fame 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.

Mets’ #9 prospect Mike Vasil made his major league spring training debut on Thursday afternoon, starting against the Atlanta Braves. The 23-year-old took the mound against the Braves A lineup rather than a collection of spring training roster depth, facing Ronald Acuña, Matt Olson, and Austin Riley to start his day. In the outing, Vasil worked three innings, and while he allowed six hits, he looked like his offerings were major league caliber and he induced three swinging strikeouts and didn’t issue a walk.

Mets No. 11 prospect Mike Vasil made his first career Grapefruit League start today, holding a representative Braves lineup to two runs in three innings. He sat 95-96 mph on the gun, struck out Matt Olson on a sharp changeup and induced a double play ball from Michael Harris II.

— Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) March 23, 2023

While his athletic abilities were of big-league stock, it was evident that it was his first appearance on the more senior side of the spring training complex. Vasil continually hopped off the mound after outs like it was a rivalry game, bringing intensity to an otherwise unimportant late-spring game. He thought he rang up Acuña on a high curveball to start the game and later froze after throwing a fastball away to Orlando Arcia, thinking he had strike three. Acuña ended up flying out later in his at-bat and Arcia hit a weak infield single, so Vasil didn’t turn the jets off after his near strikeouts, but ‘composure’ isn’t exactly the most representative word for his mannerisms.

Now, these body language ‘hiccups’ aren’t necessarily a negative. It’s on brand that Vasil was properly locked in against an intimidating Braves lineup in a bright spot. This was a great chance to show manager Buck Showalter what he might want to call up if Vasil has a strong first half and the Mets are in dire need of a replacement starter.

In addition, Vasil induced ugly swings in his strikeouts against Olson, Acuña, and Eddie Rosario, and commanded his pitches like a seasoned vet. He gave up three consecutive hits in his third inning, but his fast heartbeat, particularly in the third inning, indicates he may not have been sequencing and mixing his pitches as he would normally do during the season. The three consecutive hits he gave up (HR to Olson, singles to Riley and Marcel Ozuna) were all on elevated fastballs—a mistake he’s unlikely to make with a catcher he has a rapport with or in an environment he is used to. His high swing and miss rate on Thursday despite being thrown into the fire indicates he’s even closer to big league ready than the already palatable box score might indicate.

Mike Vasil struck out one of the hottest hitters on the planet on 3 pitches.

The Mets right-hander finished the 2022 season in High-A Brooklyn.

Last pitch is a split-change he's been working on.

pic.twitter.com/Rvi2UAPbIK

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 23, 2023

His current arsenal features a mid-90s fastball, up to 98, a cutter in the upper-80s, his sharp bread-and-butter low 80’s big curveball, and a much improved split change-up that made Olson look silly. Mixing in the cutter for weak contact as he cycles through Double-A and Triple-A lineups will be key to keeping his fastball as a swing-and-miss pitch and landing his curveball in different counts will help him get deep into games. The effectiveness of the curve was obvious on Thursday as hitters gave up on it early and allowed him to steal strikes against some of the world’s very best. Vasil’s outing was encouraging for the Mets for near-term MLB depth and should give Mike confidence that he can dominate any minor league level.

The post Mike Vasil Flashes Big League Repertoire in Grapefruit League Debut appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

In what could be a pitching matchup we see at Citi Field or Truist Park in the future, both the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves threw one of their top pitching propects against each at CoolToday Park in North Port, Florida. In the end, the two teams played to a 2-2 tie in a game that took two hours and seven minutes to complete.

Mike Vasil, the #11 prospect in the Mets system according to MLB Pipeline, threw the ball well against a Braves lineup that featured many of the regulars. He went three innings, allowed two runs on six hits, and struck out three in his spring debut.

Vasil showed some good stuff in the first couple of innings as he recorded strikeouts against Matt Olson, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Eddie Rosario. He even featured the split changeup in the strikeout he got against Olson in the bottom of the first:

Mike Vasil struck out one of the hottest hitters on the planet on 3 pitches.

The Mets right-hander finished the 2022 season in High-A Brooklyn.

Last pitch is a split-change he's been working on.

pic.twitter.com/Rvi2UAPbIK

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 23, 2023

Vasil’s lone mistake came in the bottom of the third. With the Mets already up 2-0, Orlando Arcia led off the inning with an infield single. Two batters later, Vasil left a pitch up to Olson that was crushed to deep right for a game-tying home run (Olson’s seventh of the spring). The 23-year-old settled in and after allowing a single to Marcell Ozuna, he got Michael Harris II to hit into an inning-ending double play.

As for the Mets lineup, Pete Alonso was back after playing for Team USA in the WBC and he was 0-for-4 with a strikeout. They were going up against the top prospect in the Braves system in left-hander Jared Shuster. Shuster kept the Mets mostly in check except in the top of the third.

Danny Mendick began the inning with a walk and Tomas Nido hit his third double of the spring to right. Both runners would come around to score on sacrifice flies by Eduardo Escobar and Starling Marte. Outside of that inning, Shuster was solid as he went six innings, allowed two runs on two hits, walked two, and struck out two.

Out of the three hits that the Mets had, two of them were doubles (Nido and Darin Ruf). The team as a whole only struck out six times, but there were a lot of quick at-bats in this game from both teams.

After Vasil’s day was done, Elieser Hernandez came in and threw a 1-2-3 fourth inning. Nathan Lavender ran into trouble in the fifth with two walks and a disengagement violation. However, he was able to escape unscathed and he has yet to allow a run this spring.

Denyi Reyes came in to pitch the sixth and seventh inning and allowed one hit over two scoreless innings. Grant Hartwig pitched the eighth and struck out a batter in a 1-2-3 inning.

Justin Courtney ended up getting the ball in the ninth to help preserve the tie and he delivered as the 26-year-old right-hander threw a 1-2-3 inning.

On the back fields, Brandon Nimmo had a two-run triple in five plate appearances and Jeff McNeil took nine plate appearances in his return from the WBC.

Elieser Hernandez, Photo by Ed Delany Metsmerized

Player(s) Of The Game

The Mets bullpen gets the nod in this one for keeping the team in the game after Vasil’s outing was over. Hernandez had his shortest outing of the spring, but it was the first one in which he did not allow a run. As for Lavender, it was his first outing this spring in which he did not record a strikeout, but the Austin Riley lineout into a double play was able to bail him out.

Reyes appeared in his first game in almost three weeks and it was his second outing against the Braves. Even though he didn’t record a strikeout for the first time this spring, he got some key groundball outs after an Ozuna double that led off the sixth.

Hartwig had a quick eighth inning, but he did get Geraldo Quintero to strike out looking and the other outs came via a ground. Courtney made his fifth appearance of the spring and ended up getting a strikeout of his own in the ninth.

On Deck

The Mets will be at Tropicana Field on Friday when they take on the Tampa Bay Rays (14-11). You can catch the game at 1:05 p.m. ET on Bally Sports Sun (MLB TV) or listen to it on MLB.com. Max Scherzer will make his final start of the spring for the Mets against Luis Patiño (1-1, 6.43) for the Rays.

The post Mike Vasil, Bullpen Keep Braves Regulars Quiet In 2-2 Tie appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Via MLB/Team USA

Even though Team USA was unable to secure first place in Pool C of the World Baseball Classic, they still found a way to advance to their fifth straight quarterfinal. While it wasn’t a pretty game, Mark DeRosa‘s squad defeated Colombia 3-2 at Chase Field to finish pool play with a 3-1 record.

Team USA got the scoring started in the top of the third. Mookie Betts had a single to right and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Then, Mike Trout drove him in with a base hit to put the USA ahead, 1-0.

.@MikeTrout gets it started for Team USA. 🦅 #WorldBaseballClassic pic.twitter.com/NyIWtQAzdT

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 16, 2023

Colombia answered that run back with two of their own in the bottom of the frame against Merrill Kelly. Oscar Mercado led off the inning with a double and scored on a Gio Urshela sacrifice fly to tie the game at one. They later took a 2-1 lead on an RBI double by Reynaldo Rodriguez.

Kelly ended up going three innings, allowing two runs on four hits, walking two batters, and striking out one on 61 pitches (36 strikes). After Kelly, the USA bullpen did their thing as they combined to allow two hits over the final six innings (nine strikeouts).

Over the final three innings, Jason Adam, Devin Williams, and Ryan Pressly struck out six of the combined 10 hitters they faced.

Trout helped Team USA get the lead back in the fifth. Will Smith drew a leadoff walk against Ruben Galindo and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Betts singled and advanced to second. Once Colombia switched pitchers and brought in Jasier Herrera, Trout singled to left in what would ultimately end up being the game-winning hit.

CAPTAIN AMERICA DELIVERS 🇺🇸

Team USA takes the lead!!

📺: WBC on FS1 pic.twitter.com/B0ALDjRo5m

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 16, 2023

Out of the seven hits that Team USA had, five of them came from Betts and Trout. Trout was 3-for-4 with a triple and he hit .417 in pool play with six RBIs. In pool play, Team USA had a batting average of .268 and had 34 hits (lowest of any team left), so they will need the bats to find the same groove they had against Canada if they want to win back-to-back titles.

Pete Alonso was back in the lineup tonight as the designated hitter. However, his WBC struggles continued as he went 0-for-4 with a strikeout, and he is 0-f0r-9 with four strikeouts in the three games he has played.

Next Game

Team USA will be back in action on Saturday night when they head to Miami to take on Venezuela in the quarterfinals (7 p,m ET, FOX). The winner of that game would take on Cuba in the semifinals.

Venezuela went 4-0 in Pool D and their five home runs are the most of any team left in the tournament. On the mound, they have a team ERA of 2.00, which is the second-lowest behind Japan (1.50).

The post Mike Trout, Bullpen Help Send Team USA To Quarterfinals Of WBC appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mike Vasil, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Starting with Matt Allan being ranked at 11, our staff has dedicated a more detailed analysis of the top prospects in the New York Mets farm system. At number 9, we take a look at another right-handed starting pitching prospect who slid in the draft but who still possesses a high ceiling.

No. 9 Mike Vasil, RHP

B/T: L/R     Age: 3/19/2000 (22)
Ht: 6’5         Wt: 225 lbs.
Acquired: Drafted in 8th round of 2021 Draft out of the University of Virginia
ETA: 2024  Previous Rank: 27
Stats (St. Lucie): 4-2, 3.53 ERA, 18 G, 17 GS, 71.1 IP, 1.08 WHIP, 4.05 BB/9, 11.8 K/9

Back in 2018, Mike Vasil withdrew his name from the draft despite being a top-50 prospect at the time. The decision proved to be rather costly for him as he struggled at the University of Virginia and became an eighth rounder in 2021.

The good news for the Mets and Vasil is the Mets have been able to undo a lot of the changes that caused Vasil to struggle at UVA. In Eric Logenhagen’s update from over the summer for FanGraphs, he mentioned that Vasil gained several miles per hour on both his fastball and slider. MLB Pipeline’s end of the season update mentioned the Mets have worked on making Vasil’s delivery more athletic, hence the added velocity.

Keith Law of The Athletic recently wrote up the Mets system and had this to say about Vasil: “He can get up to 95-96 mph with high spin and pairs it with a 55 slider and 50 changeup that has late action but not enough deception.”

In terms of the underlying data behind Vasil’s pitch offerings, he seems to get good spin on his pitches. According to Will Hoeffer, he averages close to 2,700 RPMs on his curveball and about 2,500 on his fastball (both four-seamer and sinker).

The Mets started Vasil out in St. Lucie and worked his way to Brooklyn. He unfortunately missed a lot of time this past summer with irritated bone spurs but he did pitch in the Arizona Fall League, a good sign that he is healthy heading into 2023.

The knock on Vasil that the linked rundowns and the stats will tell you is that Vasil needs to work on walking fewer batters. He had 26 walks in 71.1 innings and nine in 15.1 innings in the Arizona Fall League.

For his 2023 outlook, I expect Vasil will go back to A+ and he should be in Binghamton in the earlier part of the season. He really did not have much experience in A+ or did not even get to build up his innings this past season.

The Mets have enough arms to weather the storm between Tylor Megill, David Peterson, and Jose Butto, but I think there is a low chance that Vasil could talk his way into getting a shot should things get that dire, especially in the second half. I think back to Megill getting a shot in what was essentially his second full professional season.

I do think prospect rankings underrate Vasil a little bit because he may not have the potential of someone like Calvin Ziegler or Blade Tidwell but, in reality, he is a few notches in command from being a surefire starter in the big leagues. Of course, it is easier said than done but the Mets and Vasil have already figured out how he could add a good amount of velocity.

He really does not need 60 or even 70 level command to become a starter. I think if and when Vasil makes his MLB debut, he will be seen as a massive surprise but in reality, I think his combination of ceiling and floor make him someone that Mets fans can at least get a little excited about.

Other prospect rankings:

30-26
25-21
20-16
15-12
11. Matt Allan
10. Calvin Ziegler 

The post MMO Top 30 Mets Prospects: No. 9, Mike Vasil appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

This offseason, we’re looking at the Mets’ history with free agency. This list may change in the coming years in terms of rankings and new additions (Maybe Carlos Correa? Possibly Justin Verlander?). But for now, we’ve featured an underdog pitcher at No. 10 up to the greatest center fielder at No. 2. And at the top of the list is a player who joined the team mid-season via trade on the last year of his contract. The decision to re-sign him paid off right away and his number has a permanent place in the Citi Field rafters. 

He came to New York after a whirlwind week. The trade for Mike Piazza transformed the Mets from being an overachieving team looking to contend into a legitimate contender.

Overcoming expectations and boos from fans, Piazza put together a terrific four months. He finished the 1998 season batting .348 with a 167 OPS+. The Mets wound up a game short of the postseason and with Piazza’s contract expiring, the trade and all expectations going forward would be nullified if the star catcher didn’t stay in New York.

This didn’t turn out to be a prolonged drama. Proving he had won over a good portion of a fan base that demanded plenty, an e-mail signed by 10,000 names was sent to the club urging Piazza be re-signed. In late October, Piazza inked a seven-year, $91 million deal — the richest in baseball at the time.

“I might as well get booed by the best if I was going to get booed by anyone,” Piazza said.

What followed would be two straight playoff appearances and a World Series trip, six All-Star Game selections, the confirmation of a Hall of Fame career and the greatest hitting catcher while in a Met uniform, and the retirement of his No. 31 jersey.

He still holds the highest slugging percentage in team history, ranks second in OPS, and third in home runs. Of his 220 homers, none was more memorable or dramatic than the one hit in the first game in New York City following the attacks on September 11, 2001.

Piazza is a Big Apple icon, but his career was made for Hollywood. As a 62nd round pick by the Dodgers, he came from nowhere to become Rookie of the Year and the premiere backstop in baseball. Los Angeles dealt Piazza to the Florida Marlins, where he spent all but five games in teal before finding his way to Queens.

Standing ovations were easy to come by in his May 23 debut — less so in the following weeks. Being anointed as a savior, as Piazza was from the start, had its drawbacks. When he started slowly, with a noticeable lack of power, the public turned on him.
Mike soon settled down and played to the level expected of him. He would hit 23 home runs and compile a 1.024 OPS. In batting .378 for September, Piazza was the clear catalyst in New York’s fight for a postseason berth.

The mega-deal ensured he would be a New Yorker through his prime. The next three years was validation of the team’s heavy investment.

Piazza averaged 38 homers and 110 RBIs from 1999-2001, had an OPS+ of 146, and continued to be a perennial All-Star and Silver Slugger. He got within one step of the World Series in 1999 and finally arrived in 2000. There would be no rings, but Piazza built a legacy that made him arguably the greatest position player in Mets history.

The post Mets Best Free-Agent Signing No. 1: Mike Piazza appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mike Piazza’s journey of going from a 62nd-round draft pick (1,390th overall) at the behest of a Hall of Fame manager to switching positions late in his teenage years and becoming the greatest hitting catcher of all time is one of near improbability.

For Piazza, 54, baseball was a way of life and something he innately knew he was destined for.

From a young age, Piazza had access to the major leagues as his father, Vince, was good friends with Dodgers’ coach and later Hall of Fame manager, Tommy Lasorda.

Lasorda gave Piazza the opportunity to be batboy on occasion, where Piazza would have the chance to work with players and coaches on his swing. Growing up in Pennsylvania, Piazza spent countless hours training and refining his swing, as his father built him a batting cage in his own backyard.

Piazza’s offensive abilities were evident early on, as one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen in Ted Williams concurred when paying a visit to a young Piazza at his home while in Pennsylvania for a card show appearance.

After attending the University of Miami and Miami-Dade Community College, Piazza was selected by the Dodgers in the 62nd round of the 1988 Draft due to a recommendation by Lasorda.

Having previously played first base in junior college, the Dodgers decided to convert him to catcher, as that position would give him a greater chance of reaching the majors due to his offensive profile.

The slugging right-handed hitter made his presence known in his rookie season of 1993, when he hit 35 home runs, drove in 112 runs and posted a 153 OPS+ en route to unanimously winning the N.L. Rookie of the Year Award. He became the first National League rookie to hit 35+ home runs and post an OPS+ of at least 150, with only Albert Pujols (2001) joining that list since.

Piazza quickly became one of the more prolific and clutch power hitters in the sport. From his rookie season of 1993 through the 1997 season, Piazza was tied with Mark McGwire for the 11th-most home runs in the majors (167), and posted the fifth-highest wRC+ among qualified hitters with a 162 mark.

While Piazza’s stardom continued to rise, tensions grew between the All-Star catcher and the Dodgers organization in regards to a new contract. On May 14, 1998, the Dodgers traded Piazza along with Todd Zeile to the defending World Champion Florida Marlins for five players, which included Charles Johnson, Bobby Bonilla and Gary Sheffield.

A mere eight days later, Piazza was on the move yet again in what became a defining day in New York Mets history. The club acquired Piazza from the Marlins in exchange for Preston Wilson, Ed Yarnall and Geoff Goetz.

In 109 games with the Mets in ’98, Piazza slashed .348/.417/.607 with 56 extra-base hits and 76 RBI. Piazza’s 168 wRC+ is the highest single-season mark in Mets history (min. 400 plate appearances).

Acquiring Piazza helped change the outlook and landscape of the Mets organization, giving the club a bona fide superstar in the middle of their lineup. The club rewarded Piazza with a seven-year, $91 million contract after the season, which was the richest deal in major league history at the time.

In his ensuing seven seasons with the Mets, Piazza gave Met fans countless memories, including a go-ahead, 3-run home run in the eighth off Terry Mulholland in the Mets’ 10-run inning against the Atlanta Braves on June 30, 2000, a go-ahead, two-run home run off Steve Karsay in the eighth in the first major sporting event held in New York ten days after the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, and breaking Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk’s record for most home runs hit by a catcher with his 352nd blast as a backstop on May 5, 2004.

Among all time Mets, Piazza ranks first in slugging percentage (.542), second in OPS (.915), third in home runs (220), third in RBI (655) and sixth in fWAR (28.2).

Piazza was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in his fourth year on the ballot in 2016, receiving 83 percent of the vote. He joined Tom Seaver as the only two players in the Hall of Fame that were enshrined with a Mets cap on their plaque.

The 12-time All-Star is one of fourteen players in major league history with 400+ home runs and a career batting average over .300, and his career 143 OPS+ is the highest among 66 catchers who recorded a minimum of 5,000 plate appearances and played at least sixty percent of their games behind the dish.

This January, Piazza can be seen on a new FOX reality competition show called “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” in which sixteen celebrities endure some of the harshest, most grueling challenges from the playbook of the actual Special Forces selection process.

Pete Dadds / FOX

Along with the show, Piazza will also be getting back into the dugout as Team Italy’s manager for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. After representing Italy as a player in the inaugural WBC in 2006, Piazza is eager to help promote the game and showcase some of the younger Italian talent on a big stage.

From Norristown, Pennsylvania, to the hallowed halls of Cooperstown, Piazza’s journey from a late-round pick as a favor to the family to the greatest hitting catcher of all time is one of the greatest examples of resiliency in sports history.

I had the privilege of speaking with Piazza in early December, where he spoke about his early career development, tenure with the Mets and upcoming competition series.

MMO: Where did your love of baseball originate from?

Piazza: Growing up in the seventies was a little different than kids today. They have a lot more distractions with computers and video games. It was just a different time.

We were more into riding bikes, building forts, playing baseball and having pickup games. Going to a baseball game was part of my youth and for a lot of people growing up around the same time.

Growing up in Philly, I was fortunate to watch the great Phillies teams of the seventies; my dad had season tickets. We’d go down and watch [Mike] Schmidt and [Larry] Bowa. I was looking at something online, and that’s what I love about online is that you get to go back and see history with [Greg] Luzinski, [Garry] Maddox and Bake McBride, players and teams I used to watch as a kid. That was something for me.

Right away, it was something I always wanted to do. I always wanted to be a baseball player from a very young age.

MMO: It’s well-documented how influential and crucial Tommy Lasorda was for your career. What did having Lasorda in your corner mean to you?

Piazza: Tommy was amazing. My dad was a little younger than Tommy, and they basically grew up together. They knew each other in Norristown, and Tommy went into baseball, and my dad had to do what he had to do. They always remained close.

I remember when Tommy was the third base coach for the Dodgers; I think it was ’76 before he became the manager. My dad would call him over on the third base-side, and they’d be talking. And I remember being so very impressed that he knew somebody on the team.

I think I was around twelve when I became batboy, and Mark Cresse was a coach and put me in the cage. I think there was a rain delay and there was a cage underneath the stadium in the tunnel, and I started hitting off Manny Mota and Cresse. Tommy was extremely impressed and, at that point, knew I had some talent.

It wasn’t a perfect journey. [Laughs.] No journeys to the big leagues are ever easy, but for me, it was interesting.

He was always in my corner. Even when I got older, he’d send me spikes, gloves and equipment. When I went into junior college, he was trying to get me to the right spot where I could develop. Obviously, he convinced the Dodgers to draft me and change positions and the rest is history.

He was everything to me, and there’s no question that if it wasn’t for him, I would have probably not made it to the big leagues.

MMO: One of the jaw-dropping moments early in your 2013 autobiography, “Long Shot,” was when you write about the day Ted Williams showed up at your home and watched you take batting practice in your backyard. What do you remember about Williams’ visit to your home?

Piazza: That was an amazing experience. My father was very close with the former Dodgers and Orioles scout Ed Liberatore, and Eddie was very close with Joe DiMaggio and Williams.

There was a card show at the George Washington Motor Lodge in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and Ted Williams was there signing autographs. Eddie Libertore was talking with him at breakfast one day and said, “My buddy, Vince, has got a kid. He’s a pretty good hitter, and he’s got a cage in his backyard. He practices in his backyard.” And Ted Williams said, “Let’s go see him hit.”

The next thing I know, Ted Williams is coming to my house! I didn’t sleep the night I found out, it was an amazing experience. I have to tell you, aside from just the mechanical part of hitting, which he was working on and complimented my swing, there was also a lot of mental things that were sort of tattooed in my memory.

It was definitely an inspirational moment, a watershed moment in my career that inspired me to work hard. A lot of the lessons he taught me I still teach today and relay to kids today in my coaching.

MMO: How difficult was the transition going from a first baseman to a catcher in your late teenage years? And you went to the Dodgers’ Dominican academy initially to learn the position, is that right?

Piazza: That’s correct. Look, it was definitely difficult for me. I was fortunate at the time that I had a pretty good arm, and I always threw the ball pretty well. There were times when I was actually pitching at fourteen or fifteen, and Claude Osteen, who was the Phillies’ pitching coach and a former Dodger, saw me pitch and said, “I think Mike could pitch as well.”

I was fortunate to have a decent arm, but to sign as a catcher and really have to convert was really difficult. I was fortunate that I was able to have good coaching; I had Johnny Roseboro and Kevin Kennedy, who were my first two catching coaches. They worked with me religiously in blocking balls and throwing and the other intricacies of the position.

One of the first guys that I caught was a guy named Tim Scott, who pitched for the Expos, and was very patient with me. Another guy, Mike Hartley, was in the big leagues for a little bit. I remember these guys were so patient with me and inspired me.

I knew I was raw and had a lot of work to do, but I had great coaches and people in my life who inspired me from Tommy on down. Not everybody was a big fan, of course; there were always people that you’re never going to convince, but fortunately, I had the right people in my corner. I was blessed to have them looking out and helping me.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

MMO: One of those people who you seemed to have in your corner was coach Reggie Smith, who fought hard for the Dodgers to consider you as a prospect. He was also the one who went to your home to bring you back to Vero Beach after you initially decided to quit baseball. How did Smith aid in your development?

Piazza: I think Reggie and I had some really interesting similarities. We gelled right away with the hitting part and had a connection with Ted Williams; Reggie Smith came up with the Red Sox when Williams was the hitting coach there.

There was a real connection, and I think we had the same philosophy. Reggie was able to look at my swing and refine it in a way. He didn’t really change it, but he was able to refine it.

In order to get quicker on the pitch inside, he taught me at the time how to make my swing more compact, more off the hips, and not so much of the bat lag. My swing was a little long, and he was able to refine it and taught me some drills that really helped.

When I was having my problems in the Dodgers organization and wasn’t playing a lot and clashing with some of the coaches, they were going to release me. He was in a meeting, and they were like, “Piazza, non-prospect. We should release him.” And Reggie was like, “Let me tell you something, you release this guy he’s going to come back to bite you in the butt. He has something you cannot teach. You cannot teach power. You can’t teach power, and you can’t teach speed.” He said, “I’m sorry, I just do not recommend releasing a guy that has power.”

They finally relented and gave me a 300-at-bat season, and I went to Bakersfield the next year (1991) and hit 29 home runs. That was a turning point in my life.

If it wasn’t for him looking out for me and going to bat for me, pardon the pun, my life would probably be different.

MMO: It’s been well-documented but that eight-day period between May 14, 1998, and May 22, 1998, in which you were traded twice must’ve been a whirlwind for you. What were your initial reactions to being traded to Florida, and then New York eight days later?

Piazza: That was a very interesting time in the game and in my life personally. It was a little bit frustrating being young and coming up with the Dodgers and thinking I would be there my whole career. And then the Dodgers getting sold and for some reasoning that I don’t understand, we just clashed.

My contract was up, and the Dodgers gave me a two-year deal to get me to free agency because they knew they were selling the team, and then they would wait until the next owners took over.

I don’t know why it was, I have no idea why we clashed. Looking back, I think both of us made mistakes; we were both ego-driven and proud.

At the end of the day, as an athlete, the same competitiveness and drive that allows you to excel at a certain level on the field, you can’t extinguish that when you’re talking about your contract because it’s personal. At that point, I took it personally that they didn’t feel that I was worth what I thought I was worth. I was a little bit immature, and we both said something, and it didn’t work out. It was difficult at the end of the day.

It was only because the Marlins were dismantling their World Series team that they were able to pull off the trade for Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson and [Jim] Eisenreich. They justified and thought the trade would be good for them. I went to Florida and played for Jim Leyland for a week, and I really enjoyed that. It wasn’t an easy week and then ended up in New York.

I do believe a certain amount of life is throwing it up to fate and realizing things don’t happen by accident. I was able to let that control part go and say I’m going to end up where I’m going to end up.

I ended up with the Mets and had a little bit of a tough start and was really exposed to New York sports in a very intense way right off the bat. But after a while, I played hard and the fans started embracing me.

To be embraced as a Met, by a fanbase that doesn’t necessarily embrace players that are not from their team and coming up through the team, to me, is my biggest accomplishment. Not the home runs as a catcher, not my average, not anything else. To be embraced by the Mets fans as an outsider more or less, and coming up with the Dodgers, even though they had a connection to Brooklyn, that’s the thing I am most grateful for.

There are not too many guys who come here that don’t come up through the Mets organization that the fans embrace.

MMO: Did playing in a big market like Los Angeles help make the transition of playing in New York any easier?

Piazza: They’re two entirely different experiences, that’s for sure. I don’t know if it helped, but I’ve said before that I feel that I’m one of the few athletes in basically the history of sports that was able to be in my prime in L.A. and New York effectively. There’s not a lot of guys who can say that.

With that said, the transition to New York was very difficult. It was just different. I grew up with the Dodgers, and the fans embraced me even when I struggled and were patient with me. And then when money got involved it turned very quickly. [Laughs.] I was sort of ostracized and kind of run out of town.

I will say that playing there is not easy, but it’s less difficult than New York only because New York you have seven papers and fourteen or so columnists. It’s a different experience, no question about it.

For me, it was something that I needed to really guard my armor and prepare for and concentrate on. It was a lot of pressure! I had sleepless nights and nights where I was really nervous about my performance, but I was able to focus and get through it. As I’ve said before, it’s something I’m very, very grateful for.

MMO: You were such a feared hitter and seemingly always came through in the clutch. You own a career OPS over .900 with both runners-in-scoring-position and two-outs and runners-in-scoring-position. Can you talk a bit about your approach at the plate, especially in those higher-leverage situations?

Piazza: It’s interesting you say that. I had a discussion with Dwight Howard on the show about this. There were guys that I knew that I would listen to if we were facing a Greg Maddux or Randy Johnson, and on that day, you could tell that they really didn’t want to be in the lineup. I had the opposite approach. I always felt to be the best I wanted to beat the best. I wanted to be out there in the gladiator arena with the best and going up against the best pitchers.

I also had a gift of focus, and I hope you see it on the show. I saw it at times as, for lack of a better word, the eye of the tiger. I tell kids when I got between the lines a switch went on in my head and I became a different person. Maybe it was schizophrenia, I have no idea. [Laughs.]

I turned into a machine, and I had this feeling that when I failed, I almost became physically sick. I hated the idea of going 0-for-4 and striking out a couple of times. After a game, I was miserable, and it made me sick. It was like this feeling of disgust and resentment if I didn’t do well. That’s why if I got one hit, I wanted to get two; if I got two, I wanted three; if I got three, I wanted four. I never threw those at-bats away later in the game.

There were times where if it was late and close and guys were on, I looked in the stands and I loved it. I reveled in it, and I was like, this is what I’m here for. This is what I’m meant to be and where I’m supposed to be. You have to embrace that as an athlete, and so many athletes don’t understand that, or at least they’re not able to develop that feeling and maturity or ability to want to be on the line, in the box or on the mound with the game on the line.

For me, that was what we did it for, and I had this ability or gift to recognize that.

MMO: I’ve had the chance to interview several pitchers that you caught on the Mets in Glendon Rusch, Al Leiter, Pat Mahomes, Dennis Cook and Steve Trachsel. They all have spoken so highly of your defensive abilities in regard to setting a big target and being a really good pitch framer.

During your career, you were criticized at times for your defense. Yet, with the increased reliance and use of analytics, I feel as if that narrative has turned because of your framing and blocking skills. I’m curious what your take is on your defensive acumen as a catcher, and what you felt your strengths and weaknesses were?

Piazza: That’s a good question. I think because I was a main cog in the lineup, there was probably more scrutiny on my defense because I think there were some coaches who thought I shouldn’t be catching, or at least I’d be best served DH’ing or playing another position.

The best catchers in history like Iván Rodríguez and Johnny Bench [were great at] throwing, and throwing runners out is a very important part of catching, and I’ve never shied away from that. However, there’s a lot more to catching than just having a great arm. Benito Santiago, I was a huge fan and used to love to watch him throw from his knees, and I actually replicated that a little bit and tried it myself.

Once I started catching a lot of games, Tommy Lasorda always made the joke when I wanted or needed a day off, he’d say, “I don’t have a bat long enough for you to hit from the bench.” [Laughs.]

When the pitcher is out of the game, I’m still throwing the ball back to the other pitchers, so my arm strength started deteriorating rather rapidly in my thirties just from use. You only have so many bullets in the holster.

But getting back to my point, yes, throwing runners out is important, and I think that’s something I was most scrutinized for or for not being able to do, especially later in my career.

As you mentioned, there are other things like blocking the plate, which is something I never shied away from, and I got racked good a couple of times; there are some great collisions online. I was never shying away from that. Catching popups, blocking balls in the dirt, just catching the ball or framing, whatever you want to call it. I was larger than most catchers, so guys liked to throw to me.

Coming up with a veteran staff when I came up with the Dodgers in ’93, I had Orel Hershiser, Kevin Gross, Tom Candiotti, Jim Gott, Roger McDowell, Steve Wilson, guys that were really demanding. I was blessed because they were very patient with me, but they were also very hard on me as well. That baptism in fire was great for my career as a catcher.

I also had this feeling, like if I grounded into a double play and I went out there with my head up my butt or just pouting, the pitcher was going to see that. I needed the pitcher to know that I was one hundred percent looking out for him and trying to get him through that game. Even with guys that I didn’t necessarily get along with all the time. I took active pride in that.

I knew I had some shortcomings defensively, but I always felt like there were other things I wanted to overcompensate for. I’m glad and blessed that these guys noticed that. It makes me feel really good.

MMO: The Mets were the first team to play a game in New York since the devastating terrorist attacks on September 11th. Your go-ahead, 2-run home run in the eighth against the Braves is a moment that will forever be etched in time. What memories do you have from that night, and how did you keep your composure during such an emotional time?

Piazza: I was raised in a very religious household, an Italian, Slovakian household. I still believe in prayer, and I believe in mediation, and believe me, it took all that feeling and ability to lift it up to a higher power and let go. We have a tendency in life to want to control every single minutia aspect of our lives, and there are some things we just can’t control.

Before that game and arriving to the stadium and going through all the feelings of that week of just wondering if we should be there, was very difficult emotionally. It’s hard enough to play a major league sport under normal circumstances, but under those circumstances, it was absolutely terrifying in a way because we’re not used to this emotional trauma.

To get out there and then start the program and hear the bagpipes, man, it was heart-wrenching. I didn’t even know if I could play that night. To just look up and pray and say God, please let me get through this night.

The game became secondary until the game started, which I thought was really cool. We all just wanted to get through the night, and I don’t mean rushing through, but we just wanted to get through without any further emotional stress or injury or whatnot. And remember, we were off for a week, so we were a little bit out of our playing shape, or at least the intensity of the everyday experience.

There was a lot of anxiety. But in the end, as I’ve said, it was just blessed. God got me through it and I was in the right place at the right time. I just let it go, and the moment happened.

I can only point it up to my faith, I really can. I don’t remember anything about it; it was almost like I was in a trance-like state and was just very blessed to come through at that moment.

I’m very honored that people still really enjoy it and I’ve always tried to treat that moment as a moment of respect. It’s very flattering and anybody that comes up to me when I’m in public, I’m always blessed and love to listen to people’s stories about that night as well.

MMO: Putting that momentous home run aside, which was bigger than baseball, is there a home run you hit with the Mets that still vividly sticks out in your mind to this day?

Piazza: I had some great moments. And that’s what I love about the Internet: you can go back and share in things.

The 200^th home run against Billy Wagner in the Dome for me was great. A couple of home runs I hit down the stretch in ’98 because those home runs for me were sort of turning the crowd in my favor. The fans were finally realizing that they knew I was starting to rise to the occasion.

It’s funny, when I was playing well down the stretch in September, somebody put a sign up at Shea that said, “100 million is a bargain,” or something like that. At that point, I was like, This is good, I’m starting to make some progress here. Because everyone was like, is he worth the money? Is he not worth the money? These debates were going on ad nauseam for me every day. So, when someone put that sign up, I was like, This is good, this is good. [Laughs.]

The 2000 season and ’99 season, and hitting with John Olerud and Edgardo Alfonzo, and the great players I played with. I say this all the time, but you can’t have personal success because baseball is such a team game; you can’t drive in yourself every time. If you hit 35 solo home runs, you have 35 RBIs. I needed guys on base. I played with the Roger Cedeño, Rickey Henderson, Olerud and Alfonzo, and these guys were out there all the time. They gave me those opportunities.

We had a lot of fun and had great characters on those teams. There wasn’t a day that I didn’t want to come to the ballpark because I just enjoyed laughing with these guys.

Special moments, special times and went by way too fast. I always love to go back. I miss it dearly.

MMO: You certainly don’t have to answer this, but I’m curious if you and Roger Clemens ever spoke and tried to mend fences after all of the history you two had?

Piazza: I have no problem talking about it. I believe in forgiveness. If he ever wanted to reach out, I would talk to him. I have no problem. And if he doesn’t want to, that’s fine, too. We’re not playing golf any time soon; we’re not buds or anything.

As I’ve said before, it was a difficult time in my life as well, that’s something you don’t ever take for granted. When you’re talking about not just injuring but even worse, it could’ve been a lot worse situation. It could’ve been a career-ending injury if he hit me in the eye. It’s something I’m very sensitive to and still am for that matter.

Time moves on, and I’ve always been very philosophical about things like that. I think it was a challenge in my life and my career that I went through. I tried to handle it as well as I could. You’re never going to make everyone happy, that’s part of life too.

No, we’re not really friends. If he wanted to reach out, I’m not going to run away from anything. I’ve always been accountable, and I always felt like I wanted to be there. It is what it is but it’s fine. I don’t lose sleep over it.

The home run I hit off Jeff Nelson in that game (Game 2, 2000 World Series) was one of my most proud home runs, to be honest with you. Think about the dichotomy there, the paradox there.

And putting all the incidents aside with Clemens, taking all that out, it was really frustrating because I felt like we really had a shot to be a miracle team. We’ve could’ve been the second Miracle Mets. Even though they say it wasn’t the Yankees’ greatest team, that would’ve been a moment that we really wanted to give to the fans.

I always thank God for being there and having the opportunity. Even though we fell short we were there and that’s something I will always take away.

MMO: Al Leiter was convinced that if you guys took Game 1 you were winning the Series.

Piazza: I felt the same way. I don’t know how the analytics crowd talks about momentum, but I believe in momentum. And we had momentum. You could look at the Timo Pérez not scoring on Zeile’s hit, if the ball went out it would’ve been a home run.

We just kind of hit a wall and it was frustrating, no question about it. But it gave a great moment for the city and I’m always a glass half-full guy.

Aug 27, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; Former Major League catcher Mike Piazza at Old Timers Day at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

MMO: What did you think of Old Timers’ Day?

Piazza: I thought that was great! I’m involved with the alumni, and I love our history. We have some cool things coming up. Retiring Jerry Koosman’s number a few years ago was great, obviously, Keith’s number was great last year, the Old Timers’ game was great.

I thought everybody enjoyed it. I didn’t realize and I do realize how out of shape we all are. [Laughs.] The funniest thing was after the end of two and a half innings, everyone was like, “I’m not going back out there anymore. I’m done!” [Laughs.] Maybe next year we can have a little bit of a better system.

I made fun of Al Leiter because I was like, ‘Dude, you couldn’t even throw me a freaking strike!’ I think he was afraid of giving up a home run, and then he couldn’t even throw a strike. Get a BP guy in there!

It was a great first re-engagement of the Old Timers’ Game. The guys really loved it, and the response was good, so hopefully it’ll be an annual thing now and we can modify it or refine it a little bit to at least make it a little quicker maybe. But the fans didn’t care. It’s just something I hope becomes a tradition again.

MMO: Tell me about your involvement in the upcoming FOX reality series “Special Forces.” How did that come about and what can viewers expect from the series?

Piazza: Incredible experience, it changed my life in a way. It was really an incredible experience as far as the intensity and authenticity of the show. It was one hundred percent authentic, there weren’t any cuts or let’s do this again or craft services or smoothies or air conditioning. It was straight-out intense from day one until the end of the show.

I met some great people on that show and have all become very close. I just tell people to watch it! I think they’re going to enjoy it and think they’re going to laugh and cry.

There were some amazing moments, and I was impressed with everybody. I was impressed with the people who weren’t professional athletes on the show, they showed a lot of guts and determination. It was a real rewarding experience in watching the human spirit.

Pete Dadds / FOX

MMO: Did you undergo any special training prior to shooting?

Piazza: I work out still. I went to the gym this morning, and I consider myself in decent shape. I’m not, by any means, an elite athlete or what I would consider in elite shape. But I did try to up the intensity a few months out going into that.

But there was nothing you could do to prepare for that!  [Laughs.] Literally nothing unless you did the exact exercises.

It was hard; just running in sand with boots on was hard. Getting to the drills was hard. It was pretty intense, and I think people are going to be pretty surprised with the things we had to do, and the bravery and courage the people showed. I was very impressed.

MMO: You’re also managing Team Italy for the upcoming World Baseball Classic. How’s the preparation been? Do you have any aspirations to coach or manage in the majors one day?

Piazza: I really enjoy trying to grow the game worldwide. Anybody who knows me well knows that I’ve always enjoyed that tournament. And now that it’s coming back, I think it’s great.

We have an incredible group of guys. Our philosophy on building this team was a little different than in years past; we may not have the most established major leaguers. We’re going to have guys that are close to the big leagues. I wanted a team that was a little younger, a little hungrier.

We have some really interesting guys. It’s a little fluid right now because we haven’t finalized the roster, but we’ve named the roster, and I think it’s online. We’re going to have some Italian guys, we’re going to have some native Italian guys who we are very proud of playing over here in the minor leagues. I think it’s an amazing opportunity to grow the game.

As far as my philosophy of managing, I have the two-time Minor League Manager of the Year Blake Butera, who manages for the Tampa Rays. He’s more or less my co-manager because, quite honestly, I’ve been a little out of the game for a while, and the trends are different, the scouting is different, the analytics are different. I would be kind of crazy not to have an amazing staff. Chris Denorfia, who played for Team Italy, he’s the Double-A manager for the Rockies, he’s on my staff.

I really feel if I was going to do it (manage in the majors), it would definitely take a lot of commitment. I don’t think you can go into managing and take it in a way that’s not 100 percent authentic. I would have to go back and re-learn a lot of these trends or sort of get a crash course into how the game is different today. There are a lot of similarities; of course, it’s the same game, but I wouldn’t be able to do this if I didn’t have an incredible staff.

Blake is like my co-manager; he’s more or less going to be helping me tremendously, which I need. The tournament itself has a lot of interesting rules with pitching and pitch counts, so I need a lot of help with that.

I would say not right now, [but] I never say never. I don’t know if this experience turns out to be a positive experience. But it’s like building a coalition, if these guys say, hey, Mike, we’d love to work with you, we’ll take it from there.

We have a lot of work to do, we’re in a very tough bracket, and the teams are very difficult. Cuba and Taipei are good, and the Netherlands, so we don’t have a cakewalk.

We have a good team; we’d love to get out of that bracket and get to Tokyo, which would be a hell of an accomplishment for us. But first things first, we have to hopefully get out of that bracket.

We have our day off first, so we’re going to play four days in a row, which is really difficult, whereas other teams have a day off in the middle. We’ve been given a really tough pool to ride. It’s going to be tough for us, we’ve got our hands full.

MMO: Thanks so much for some time today, Mike. It was great speaking with you.

Piazza: My pleasure, man.

Follow Mike Piazza on Twitter, @mikepiazza31

The post MMO Exclusive: Hall of Fame Catcher, Mike Piazza appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Orlando Ramirez, USA Today

Good morning, Mets fans!

Unfortunately, for both the Mets and the MLB as a whole, news has been Scarce. Luckily, the Winter Meetings are vastly approaching.

The post Morning Briefing: White Sox Showing Interest In Mike Clevinger appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mike Vasl, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Mike Vasil made his third appearance (second start) for the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League, shutting down the Mesa Solar Sox over four innings.

Vasil retired the first six batters he faced with three strikeouts and a couple fly outs before running into trouble in the third.

A single, fielder’s choice and single put men on first and second with one out, but the 22-year-old was able to induce a strikeout from lead off hitter Ronny Simon and get Zack Gelof to fly out to end the threat.

No. 11 @Mets prospect Mike Vasil spins a strong outing in the @MLBazFallLeague, striking out 5 over 4 scoreless for Peoria. pic.twitter.com/UuNiU72OLW

— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) October 21, 2022

He ran into trouble again the in fourth, with a double and two walks loading the bases. A line out and fly out kept the shutout intact, though, before Vasil handed the ball to the bullpen.

It was an improvement from his last start, when he gave up three runs in 2 1/3 innings. Overall, Vasil has allowed five runs across 9 1/3 AFL innings. He posted a 3.53 ERA across the 2022 minor league season playing mostly for Low-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn.

The Javelinas ended up facing former Mets prospect J.T. Ginn, who gave up two runs in three innings off four hits and a walk.

Other Mets prospects who appeared in the game include:

• Brandon McIlwain: 1-for-3, 1 R, 1 SB, 1 K
• Luke Ritter: 0-for-3, 2 K

The Javelinas won the game 4-0. They play again Saturday before having Sunday off.

The post Mike Vasil Blanks Solar Sox in Arizona Fall League appeared first on Metsmerized Online.