Age: 33 (7/5/93) B/T: S/R

Primary Stats: .148/.201/.230/.431, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 2B, 7 R, 20 H, 9 BB, 36 SO, 37 G, 145 PA

Advanced Stats: -1.4 fWAR, -1.4 bWAR, 21 OPS+, 20 wRC+, 24.8 K%, 6.2 BB%, .186 BABIP, .234 xwOBA

2026 salary: $20 million

Grade: F

Review

Jorge Polanco was a huge disappointment and his failures were magnified because he was brought in as a major part of the plan to replace Pete Alonso at first base. He only played the first two games of the year there.

Polanco hit one homer in 14 games and went to the injured list with a bruised right wrist and a .179/.246/.286 slash line on April 18. While on the injured list it was revealed that he was also dealing with bursitis in his left Achilles. He was out nearly three months.

When he returned to the majors in July, he went 4-for-48 that month with 16 strikeouts and after nine games in August he was placed on the injured list with an ankle injury that required season-ending surgery.

“Just my observation from seeing him through the years and watching him hit and watching him produce, I do think (the Achilles injury) has affected him mechanically,” manger Andy Green said on August 19. “I don’t think he’s one to make excuses, so I’m not sure if he’ll even say that. But I do think it is something that has impacted him. And he’s tried to grind and it’s just not happening.”

Polanco finished the year tied with Noelvi Marte of the Reds and Ha-Seong Kim of the Braves for the worst fWAR in baseball. It was a year to forget for the 33-year-old veteran.

2027 Preview

Green said Polanco should be ready to participate in baseball activities by spring training, assuming it begins on time. Polanco is due $20 million again next season before becoming a free agent.

In 2025, Polanco hit 26 homers for Seattle and posted an .821 OPS over 138 games. A return to that form would be a welcome surprise. Polanco has been placed on the injured list six times since 2018 with back and left knee problems and strains to both hamstrings. The Mets should plan as if he won’t be available (or effective) and consider it a bonus if he provides any value.

The post MMO Report Card: Jorge Polanco, 1B appeared first on Metsmerized.

Yankees superstar Aaron Judge is headed back to the injured list, this time with a right calf strain. It is highly unlikely Judge returns for the end of the regular season, and his status beyond that is uncertain as well. When healthy this year, Judge has an .871 OPS which is a poor season for his standards.

The Yankees are 89-64, four games behind the Rays for the AL East lead. They did already clinch a playoff berth, currently sitting atop the AL Wild Card standings by 11.5 games.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets (69-84) defeated the Phillies (85-68) 6-3 on Friday night. Zac Thornton looked solid, allowing two runs in six innings, while Juan Soto powered the Mets offense with a three-run home run.

The Mets placed first baseman Jared Young on the 7-day IL after his scary collision with Nolan McLean on Thursday. In a corresponding move, the Mets recalled Ronny Mauricio.

Latest MLB News

The Dodgers activated closer and former Met Edwin Díaz and optioned Landon Knack. Díaz has struggled with injuries all season and has recorded a brutal 11.85 ERA when healthy, entering Friday.

The Nationals signed starter Cade Cavalli to a contract extension. The deal is a four-year deal with a club option in 2031. Cavalli has a 3.12 ERA in 31 starts in what has been a breakout season.

The Reds claimed former Yankee minor leaguer Oswaldo Cabrera off waivers. Cabrera has a .790 OPS in Triple-A this year and a career .635 major league OPS.

The Blue Jays selected right-handed pitcher José Rodríguez to the major league roster while designating Michael Lorenzen for assignment.

Latest on MMO

Kai Chang highlights how Nolan McLean continues to pitch well against the Phillies.

On the latest MMO Weekly, we discuss Pete Alonso‘s return to Citi Field.

Robert Colonna recaps the St. Lucie Mets’ 2026 season.

On This Date in Mets History

1986: The Mets lost 4-3 to the Phillies, falling to 96-51 on the year. Tim Teufel and Dave Magadan each had two hits, and Sid Fernandez got the loss despite allowing just two runs in six innings.

Born on This Date: Randy Myers (1962), Duke Snider (1926).

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On this episode of MMO Weekly, Sal, Mathias Altman-Kurosaki, and Chris Bello discuss the return of Pete Alonso to Citi Field, the reaction, the result, and more!

Check out the latest episode above, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and find us on any listening platform, like Apple Podcasts and Spotify!

The post MMO Weekly 2026 Ep. 153: Pete Alonso Returns To Citi Field appeared first on Metsmerized.

Pete Alonso by Roberto Carlo

Alonso picked perhaps the most dramatic time to hit the 300th home run of his career. He blasted the patented ghost fork of Kodai Senga into the left field seats to tie Tuesday night’s contest, a game in which the Orioles would go on to win in extras.

Alonso didn’t merely flip his bat. He spiked it towards his dugout, screaming “LET’S F***ING GO,” a declaration that read as much of an expletive towards David Stearns as it did to his teammates looking to attempt to come back in the AL Wild Card race.

The slugger then put the cherry on top with an even more prestigious blast last night, setting the tone for what would be a 7-1 Baltimore victory and a series sweep.

“I am beyond thankful for all the support and it was really fun to play. I feel like New York will always be a place where it feels like homecoming,” Alonso said, “It doesn’t matter whether it’s here or at Yankee Stadium. The whole city of New York is meaningful to us.”

This wasn’t the first time a player of Alonso’s ilk made his return to Flushing. Just last year Jacob deGrom pitched at Citi Field, three years after he chose the Rangers in free agency. José Reyes, Carlos Beltrán and Mike Piazza also made their returns in a seven-year span. And for older generations, Darryl Strawberry and Tom Seaver made highly publicized comebacks to Shea Stadium.

deGrom’s return was probably the most peculiar. Jonah Tong gave up six runs in the top of the first, causing a Mets fanbase in the midst of a September collapse to be shell-shocked before they could even decide how to respond to their former ace.

Reyes and Beltran both came back to Citi Field in 2012, and if you’ve watched SNY’s replay on Johan Santana‘s no-hitter enough, you’ve been reminded often of the conversation between Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez, during which they contrasted the warm reception of Beltran, who left via trade, to the harsh reaction to Reyes, who left via free agency (despite not receiving an offer from the Mets).

The response to Strawberry was similar to Reyes. The fanbase looked at a superstar who spurned them, choosing the almighty dollar over the loyalty of a fanbase of their homegrown team.

Seaver’s day back on the mound was the most similar to Alonso. Sure, Mets fans cheered for an opponent, but it was more than that. They were angry. They showed vitriol towards a front office that dared to get rid of their favorite player.

The key difference that makes this week more interesting is that Alonso’s bona fides as a Met mirror the five other players mentioned in this piece much more than they do for Seaver.

Alonso never played in a World Series, never had close to an MVP season, and was often jeered by the fans (who, post his signature moment in the 2024 playoffs, cheered for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. as his possible replacement). Seaver was a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame when he was dealt, the face of a World Series-winning team, and is literally known as The Franchise.

It is perhaps more apt to compare Alonso to Reyes, Strawberry and Piazza, three players who all left in free agency. Piazza and the Mets left on much better terms. The legendary catcher exited his final game as a Met to a standing ovation from the fans, who knew deep down, along with the franchise, that Piazza’s days as an everyday catcher were probably over (he went on to have a solid season the following year as a Padre before finishing with the A’s as a DH).

So when Piazza returned, it was a much more jovial occasion. The Mets gave the future Hall of Famer two curtain calls after hitting two solo home runs down 4-0 and 4-1 in a game the Mets would win. Fans loved the 2006 team and the feeling in Shea was much more “we’re rooting for Mike to do everything but beat the Mets” than it was for Alonso this week.

The reception to Alonso stands in strong contrast to Reyes and Strawberry, the two situations that are the closest to his. Reyes and Strawberry were seen as sellouts. Alonso, who turned down multiple chances to extend his time as a Met and opted out mere minutes after the 2025 finale to sign for the highest bidder, was greeted as the one that got away. A crowd looked at the affable star who chose elsewhere and said to David Stearns and Mets brass that this was the bridge too far: how dare you wrong us and let him go over money; it’s you that needs to pay the ultimate price of losing your job.

The ultimate goal of all parties involved, of course, and the reason behind Stearns’s decision is long-term winning. And it cannot be left unsaid just how much the Mets’ placement at the bottom of the NL East factors into this rage. Unlike Reyes’ situation, the Mets have all the money to spend on a proper replacement, are in theory a win-now team, and while Stearns has made it clear that this offseason cannot correctly be adjudicated after one year, the results of this first season have been disastrous.

Jorge Polanco is seen as the face of the Alonso replacement plan gone wrong, along with the other first base fill-ins, but perhaps more aptly it’s Bo Bichette who deserves more ire. The money that would’ve gone to Alonso went to the Mets’ newest third baseman, who simply has not been close to good enough, and yet surprisingly receives less criticism from fans, at least compared to his other ten-figure counterparts.

A lot has been made about the lessons Stearns must learn before this offseason. Whether it’s spending more (dollars and years) on top-level starting pitchers or realizing the value of previous success in New York, perhaps the takeaway really is this:

When you replace a beloved superstar, you have to swing big for a clear replacement. The Braves let Freddie Freeman go and replaced him with Matt Olson.

But maybe a better comparison is a former Met farmhand (but not major league baseball player). Tim Tebow had a similarly parasocial relationship with Denver Broncos fans that Alonso has garnered with Mets fans. It took an indisputable legend in Peyton Manning for even the most cynical Broncos fan to accept that this change was a good one.

Another lesson in all of this madness this week is the relationship between the current Mets players and fans.

Sean Manaea called the reaction by those in the stands as ‘crazy’, all while wearing an expression that suggested he was really holding back some harsher feelings towards the fans that booed Tong after a walk to Alonso on Monday.

The lesson that has been taught to Met players, it seems, over the past 25 years is that if the fans hate you, you’re not allowed to hate them back (see the thumbs down controversy of 2021). But at the same time, if the fans love you, you have to love them back (see the Beltrán curtain call controversy of 2006).

This one-way relationship makes it more difficult to imagine why the best players would want to sign up to play for the Mets, for whom the anxiety of a disappointing season is seemingly always around the corner.

So that leaves two ways that a player can make his mark as a Met: be a homegrown talent or someone who will only sign here if paid the most money.

The un-sweet irony of it all is that Pete Alonso is paradoxically both.

The post Pete Alonso Series Enters Mets Lore Forever appeared first on Metsmerized.

In a series dominated and overshadowed by Alonso’s homecoming, the Mets were swept by the O’s. As a result, they have now lost four straight.

It was a weird week with fans making their love for Alonso and their unhappiness at the front office both perfectly known. However, the bottom line is that the season is drawing to a close. Mets fans will no doubt be glad to wave goodbye to 2026.

Before we get there, though, let’s unpack everything from the Orioles series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Pete Alonso by Roberto Carlo

3 UP

HAPPY HOMECOMING

Personally, it was heartwarming to see the reception Pete Alonso got in his eagerly anticipated return to Queens. And it was nice that fans got to let Alonso know just how much he meant to the franchise. Personally, I don’t think the cheers or the curtain call should be seen as an indictment on the current team. Rather, this week gave the Mets fans an opportunity to properly say goodbye to Alonso and celebrate all that he meant to them. Alonso should have been a forever Met. His exploits this week, including hitting his career 300th home run, show just how much he’s missed, too.

FLASHING HIS TALENT

Jonah Tong hasn’t really put a step wrong since getting called back up. He was stellar in his latest start on Monday, striking out six while not allowing an earned run over six hugely encouraging innings. Furthermore, Tong threw 57 of his 83 pitches for strikes (68.6 percent), and he looked incredibly confident on the mound. If Tong can continue to finish this season with a flourish, then he will be in a really good spot to compete come spring training.

EARNING A SPOT

Nate Lavender is certainly doing all he can to be a part of this bullpen in 2027. The lefty has really emerged this year, and he had a great outing in this series. That came on Tuesday when Lavender struck out four over 1 2/3 scoreless innings. As a result, Lavender now owns a 1.59 ERA on the year. With filthy stuff and the results to match, Lavender looks set to give the Mets a really dangerous lefty option out of the bullpen next year.

Xzavion Curry

3 DOWN

MISDIRECTED BOOS

Caught in the crossfire of the Alonso homecoming was Jonah Tong. The young pitcher walked the former Met in the third inning of Monday’s game, drawing boos from the home crowd. Now, it is important to remember that fans were booing the outcome, with Alonso chasing his 300th career home run. They likely weren’t booing Tong himself. However, it was probably hard to tell in that moment. Given that Tong has suffered from low confidence before, it was the one moment of the week that wasn’t a good look.

DOOMED FROM THE START

It turned out to be quite the day for Xzavion Curry. Called back up to the bigs, Curry ended up starting the game due to Robert Stock going on the IL. Well, things didn’t go great. Curry ended up allowing four home runs and six earned runs over just three innings. Curry’s early implosion ultimately doomed the Mets, while casting doubt over his future with the team.

SHUT DOWN

While the Orioles benefitted from a power surge, the Mets suffered in this series because of a lack of offense. The lineup managed just seven runs across the three games, including scoring just one run in two of the three losses. There was no clutch hitting, the big hit was missing all series, and an army of base runners were left stranded on base. Over the current four-game losing streak, the Mets have scored just eight runs. As a result, we were reminded that this offense still needs a lot of work during the offseason.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Powered Aside By Orioles In Sweep appeared first on Metsmerized.

“It’s just crazy, how things kind of unfolded,” starter Sean Manaea (two earned runs, 5 1/3 innings) said after the Mets (69-82) lost 7-5 in 11 innings in front of 28,097. “I’ve got nothing but respect for him and I love him to death, but as the team, as the 2026 Mets – I know we’ve definitely under-performed – the guys in here work their ass off every single day.

“And to have that kind of reaction to an opposing player – could be anybody – is crazy. I’ve got nothing but respect for Pete but I’ve just never seen anything like that before and I know the guys in here, we are grinding our butts off.”

Alonso hit his 36th homer of the season 414 feet off Kodai Senga, who was asked if the fan reaction bothered him. It was the newly installed closer’s first blown save. He entered the game 7-for-7.

“Perhaps if it was another hitter,” he said through a Japanese interpreter. “If it wasn’t Pete Alonso. There are other great hitters that have played for the Mets that are playing elsewhere. But because it was him, it didn’t bother me. It just shows how much he was loved, it just shows how great of a hitter he is and how much he meant to this organization.”

“You don’t choose your circumstances in life,” Andy Green said. “You choose your character and how you respond to circumstances. So (fans are) free to do whatever they want to do on the field. Our job is to never let anything external impact the way we go about playing the game.

“Do we love our fans cheering for us? Heck yeah, we do. Do we want our fans engaged with us? Heck yeah, we do. We absolutely want that. We understand that we didn’t meet expectations this season. We’ll show up tomorrow, play to win a baseball game.”

Three fans who caught the ball traded it with Alonso after the game for signed baseballs and bats. He signed their jerseys, too, and got them beers. Two were in Alonso jerseys and one was in a Carlos Delgado jersey. Alonso offered them tickets to a game at Camden Yards.

“I appreciate all the support, especially for all the years I’m here, all the life I’ve lived here,” Alonso said. “It’s a two-way street.”

The post Alonso Homer Draws Mixed Reactions from Mets appeared first on Metsmerized.

Pete Alonso by Roberto Carlo

Before his first at-bat, Pete Alonso raised his helmet in appreciation to the 35,800 at Citi Field, many of whom were on their feet, wearing his jersey, his shirsey or holding a homemade sign made for a night they had both been looking forward to and wished would have never happened.

“Going to the home plate, it was awesome,” he said. “And then I was like, ‘Alright, let’s go, let’s rock.’ So it’s like as awesome as it is, people are here to see a baseball game. But I appreciate it all. I appreciate the sentiment from the fans.”

“He’s earned it,” starting pitcher Jonah Tong said. “He’s an incredible human being … to see what he’s done for the city, for the Mets, everything involved with it. If it were up to me, they probably should’ve given him a little bit longer, but we do have a game to play.”

Alonso flew out to right.

Pete Alonso by Roberto Carlo

The crowd gave the franchise home run leader a warm ovation before every at-bat and even booed a bit when it looked like Tong was pitching around him. Many, oddly, headed for the exits when Alonso struck out in the eighth inning of a 1-1 game. The next batter, Gunnar Henderson, homered, and the Orioles won 2-1. Alonso went 0-for-3 with a walk.

“I think he got every ounce of love that he deserved, he got it tonight,” Francisco Lindor said. “He’ll probably get it tomorrow too and the next day too.

“It was cool to see how they showed out for him, how they gave him love. Next time they got to give the pitcher a little more love too because at the end of the day we’re trying to win the game. He’s one of the most beloved players that come through here. Even ourselves, we love him. So it was a cool day to watch how they acknowledge him.

“As a person, I do miss him, for sure.”

“I feel very fortunate,” Alonso said before the game. “I appreciate all the support. And people keeping up. It just shows, I care so much about like leaving it all on the field, like really taking every opportunity and pouring all the emotion I have and emptying the tank every night. I’m glad people appreciate that. For them to recognize that and appreciate that continuously it’s really special.”

Alonso was asked after the game for a favorite Citi Field memory and he cited the three-run homer he hit in the first inning of Game 5 of the 2024 NLCS against the Dodgers. The Mets went on to a 12-6 win to force a Game 6 in Los Angeles.

He was also asked what he’d want the fans to remember about him.

“I gave it all.”

The post Alonso Returns, Appreciates Citi Field Cheers Again appeared first on Metsmerized.

New York left nine men on base and went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position in a 2-1 loss Monday to the Orioles (73-78) in front of a home crowd that showed a lot of love for the franchise’s home run king.

Alonso received warm ovations, a pre-game tribute video, and tipped his helmet to the fans before flying out to right in his first at-bat as a visitor in Queens. He finished 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.

Gunnar Henderson hit a tie-breaking solo homer in the eighth inning off of Dedniel Núñez (1-1).

The Mets (69-81) had chances. Marcus Semien grounded out with runners at first and second to end the fifth.  Jared Young did the same in the third. Francisco Alvarez struck out with the bases loaded to end the second.

In his second start since returning to the majors, Jonah Tong allowed one unearned run on four hits over a career-high-tying six innings. He struck out six and walked one. One year and two days ago, Tong started when Jacob deGrom returned to Citi Field as a Ranger. In that start, Tong gave up six earned runs and didn’t escape the first inning.

Jonathan Pintaro threw a scoreless seventh. Kodai Senga allowed two hits, but struck out the side in a scoreless ninth.

A.J. Ewing tied the game at 1-1 with a solo homer (10) in the fourth. He became the 11th Met with 10 or more homers this season, a team record.

Heston Kjerstad drove in a run in the second when his hard ground ball took a bad hop and eluded first baseman Brett Baty for a two-out double. Jackson Holliday, who had advanced to second on Alvarez’s major league-leading 10th passed ball, scored.

Brandon Young allowed one run on five hits over five innings. He struck out six and walked five.

“New York is always going to feel like some sort of homecoming because for me the city is really special,” Alonso said before the game.

“Two things can be true at the same time,” he said. “I’m very happy and appreciative of my time I spent as a Met, and I’m beyond grateful and appreciative for the Baltimore Orioles.”

Stat of the Game

Alonso and Francisco Lindor both stayed stuck on 299 career homers. The only time two players hit No. 300 in the same game was when Jermaine Dye and Paul Konerko did it back-to-back for the 2009 White Sox.

Player of the Game

Tong has struck out 13 and walked two in two September starts. In three MLB appearances earlier this season before he was sent to the minors, he struck out seven and walked seven.

On Deck

MLB will celebrate Roberto Clemente Day. Every player will wear a No. 21 patch on his jersey. Sean Manaea (5-7, 4.79 ERA) will try to break a string of five consecutive starts where he has allowed four earned runs or more. RHP Shane Baz (6-15, 4.05 ERA), who is tied with Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee for the MLB lead in losses, goes for Baltimore. The game is at 7:10 p.m. ET on SNY.

The post Mets’ Bat Remain Stagnant in Loss to Baltimore appeared first on Metsmerized.

Standing ovations greeted Mike Piazza and Darryl Strawberry when the sluggers returned to Queens as visitors. Piazza the Padre went 1-for-4 with a single on Aug. 8, 2006. (The next night he homered twice off of Pedro Martinez.) Darryl the Dodger homered off of Frank Viola on May 7, 1991.

Carlos Beltran earned mostly cheers and a few boos on June 1, 2012, when he came back with St. Louis. Carlos the Cardinal went 0-for-4, but hit a line drive over the third-base bag in the sixth inning that was, um, charitably, ruled foul. And then Johan Santana completed the first no-hitter in franchise history.

Expect a warm welcome for Pete Alonso when he returns to Citi Field Monday for the first time since he signed a five-year, $155 million contract with the Orioles. The 31-year-old slugger is having a strong season in Baltimore after a slow start, slashing .269/.363/.499 with 35 home runs and an American League-leading 100 RBIs. He is one long ball shy of career homer No. 300.

Alonso, who played in 162 games in each of the last two seasons, has played in all 150 Orioles games.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jonah Tong (2-1, 4.80 ERA) will go against RHP Brandon Young (9-4, 3.71 ERA) as the Mets start the last homestand of the season at 7:10 p.m. ET. After a three-game set with the O’s, the Phillies come in for four. The game on Sunday will be the final broadcast for radio announcer Howie Rose.

Latest Mets News

Christian Scott (4-5) was good (two runs on three hits over six innings, seven strikeouts), but Cam Schlittler (14-6) was better and the Yankees beat the Mets 2-0 in the Subway Series finale at Yankee Stadium. The Mets (69-80) were held to three hits as they were blanked for the 14th time. The New York teams split six games this year. Johnluke Chaparro has more in a recap here.

In an interview with Will Sammon of The Athletic, Bo Bichette said he will wait to decide whether to opt out of his contract until after the World Series. Bichette will earn $42 million for 2027 if he opts in and receive a $5 million buyout if he opts out. He also holds a 2028 player option for $42 million. He has until five days after the World Series ends to decide. Sammon believes, given many factors, “it’s easier to see Bichette staying put.”

First baseman/third baseman Billy Amick hit his eighth Triple-A homer and 38th overall, but Syracuse lost 6-5 to St. Paul and is 2 1/2 games back of a playoff spot with six games left. Top prospect Jefferson Rojas was promoted from Double-A Binghamton to help with the stretch run, per Sammon.

Binghamton’s season finale was rained out and won’t be made up. The team thanked the fans for the season on X.

Latest MLB News

Justin Verlander is making progress toward making one last appearance for the Tigers before the end of the final season of his 21-year career. Verlander, who is the oldest player in the sport at 43, announced he planned to retire in July. Hip and hamstring injuries have kept him out all season after he made one start on March 30. The Tigers plan a celebration of his career on the season’s final weekend and hope he will pitch in one of those games.

Rafael Devers‘ season is over. The Giant slugger was placed on the 60-day injured list with a core muscle injury that manager Tony Vitello said he was dealing with all year, according to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area. Devers is expected to have surgery Tuesday.

The Diamondbacks designated outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. for assignment and recalled infielder Jose Fernandez to take his spot. Gurriel was an important part of the 2023 Arizona team that won the pennant, but suffered a torn ACL last season and was inconsistent upon his return.

Royals LHP Matt Strahm underwent successful right knee surgery and is expected to be ready for next season, sources told Robert Murray of FanSided.

Latest on MMO

Zac Thornton is a man of his word. During a seventh-inning mound visit, he said he’d get Anthony Volpe to ground into a double play. Then he did. John Stocum has more on Thornton’s win vs. the Yankees.

Gabe Davis, a college teammate of Carson Benge and Nolan McLean, pitched well for Binghamton. That and more in a recap of Saturday’s minor-league action.

On This Date in Mets History

2020: Owner Fred Wilpon and his partners agree to sell the team to Steve Cohen for $2.4 billion, the highest price ever for a North American pro sports team.

2015: David Wright‘s go-ahead double in the seventh lifts the Mets to a 4-3 win over the Marlins. Hansel Robles earns the win in relief after Logan Verrett throws five innings of one-run ball. Jeurys Familia picks up his 41st save.

1998: Brian McRae ties it at 4 in the ninth with a two-run homer off of Billy Wagner in the Astrodome and hits a tiebreaking two-run double in the 13th off of ex-Met Doug Henry in a 7-4 win. Piazza goes for 4-for-5 and hits his 31st homer. John Franco earns his 37th save.

1963: Cleon Jones makes his major-league debut in center field as a defensive replacement in a 4-0 loss to the Houston Colt .45s that drops the cellar-dwelling Mets to 49-100 in front of 5,544 at the Polo Grounds. Jones would play 12 years and exactly 1,200 more games with the Mets before finishing his career with 12 games with the White Sox.

On This Date in 1986 Mets

The second-place Phillies complete a three-game sweep with a 6-0 win at Veterans Stadium, denying the Mets from clinching their first division title since 1973. Kevin Gross tosses a shutout, strikes out nine and hits a two-run triple off of Sid Fernandez for the only three-bagger of his 13-year career. September call-up Kevin Elster goes 2-for-4 with the first double of his career. The Mets are 93-49.

Born on This Date: Chad Bradford (1974), Mike Draper (1966), Harry Parker (1947), Dave Hillman (1927).

The post Morning Briefing: Alonso Comes to Back Queens Sitting on 299 Homers appeared first on Metsmerized.

The expected selloff should start happening any day now, which means we may have seen this current incarnation of the 2026 Mets for the last time.

If that’s the case, then they went out on a high. Stellar pitching and some clutch hitting saw the Mets take two out of three from the first-place Braves.

With trade talk set to dominate the next few days, let’s recap everything from the Atlanta series in the latest edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

3 UP

Carson Benge by Berto Carlo

DO IT-ALL CARSON

Carson Benge had his fingerprints all over this series win. He stole the show in the doubleheader on Wednesday after being rested on Monday. The rookie hit the winning run with a go-ahead double in the bottom of the seventh in the first game. Then, in the second game, Benge made a stupendous diving catch to keep a runner off base in the eighth inning. In back-to-back games, Benge showed off his ability to come through in the clutch as well as his elite defensive skillset.

TURNING HEADS

Christian Scott grabbed everybody’s attention for multiple reasons in the nightcap portion of Wednesday’s doubleheader. Not only did he toss a gem, but he did so while completing six full innings for the first time this season. That latter point is crucial when considering the bigger picture. Arguably the biggest hurdle facing Scott was his ability to go deep in games. Now he’s done it once; hopefully he can make that the standard going forward. In terms of the actual performance, Scott flashed his high upside once again. He allowed just one earned run on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. In doing so, Scott is cementing his place in this rotation long term.

PROVING A POINT

I’ll preface what I’m about to say by acknowledging that I’m aware Francisco Lindor went a combined 0-for-6 in the final two games of this series. However, his offensive outburst in the first game provided a welcome reminder of just how elite Lindor is when he’s at the peak of his powers. The shortstop had his best night of the year, becoming just the second Met to crush a pair of home runs and hit a triple. He also finished with six RBIs. Look, it hasn’t been a great year for Lindor, but injuries have had a lot to do with that. Monday night was proof that he still has a lot to offer this franchise.

Photo Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

3 DOWN

OFFENSE OFFENSIVE 

If you want a neat encapsulation of what has gone wrong for the Mets this season, look no further than the Braves series. After exploding for 14 runs in the opener, the offense managed just three runs across the final two games. That included being shut out in the series finale. The Mets recorded just two hits all night in the final game against the Braves. And that has been the crux of their woes all year. The lineup, despite having talent, just hasn’t been nearly consistent enough, and it has more often than not doomed the entire team.

UNWELCOME REMINDER

The odds were always going to be stacked against Jorge Polanco given that he was replacing a franchise icon in Pete Alonso. Well, Polanco’s first year in Queens has been a bust thanks to an inability to stay healthy coupled with a lack of production when he has been on the field. He struggled in his one game in this series, going 0-for-3 with three strikeouts. He also opted for a sacrifice bunt, which suggests the confidence has gone. Polanco is now hitting a lowly .144/.202/.216/.418 on the year, which is no doubt making Mets fans miss Alonso even more.

TIME TO SAY FAREWELL

With the Trade Deadline on Monday, it is entirely possible that we’ve seen certain Mets for the very last time. Luke Weaver will almost certainly be dealt. He will be missed after what has been a superb season so far. Tyrone Taylor, who has been on a heater lately, will also likely be on the way out. There could be some surprises too. All in all, while the selloff needs to happen, there will be certain players who will be missed. That most certainly includes Clay Holmes if he ends up being dealt too.

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