In the infield for Team Shea will be Edgardo Alfonzo, Todd Zeile, José Reyes, Rey Ordóñez, and Carlos Delgado. Team Citi Field will trot out Asdrúbal Cabrera, Josh Satin, Rubén Tejada, Ike Davis, and Kelly Johnson.

Out of this group, Alfonzo, now 51, was notably selected to the Mets’ Latin American Hall of Fame on Saturday. He spent eight years in the Mets organization, slashing .292/.367/.445 while collecting 212 doubles and 120 homers.

Reyes, 42, has a personal reason to suit up.

“My youngest daughter has never seen me play,” Reyes told the Mets’ Jay Horwitz. “I want to do well in front of her and the rest of my family. I think I will have 10 close relatives there on Saturday.”

In the outfield for Team Shea are Endy Chávez, Carlos Beltrán, Benny Agbayani, and Jay Payton. For Team Citi, fans will get to see Juan Lagares, Mike Baxter, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and Curtis Granderson. Notably, Team Citi’s outfield includes three members of the 2015 pennant-winning club in Lagares, Nieuwenhuis, and Granderson.

Catchers for Team Shea include Mike Piazza and Paul Lo Duca, while Team Citi will feature Kevin Plawecki and Josh Thole.

Piazza has reportedly been taking batting practice to shake off some rust.

“I don’t expect to hit homers,” Piazza told Horwitz. “I just want to make contact and drive some balls to the outfield.”

On the pitching side, Team Shea boasts names such as John Franco, Mike Hampton, Al Leiter, John Maine, Rick Reed, Turk Wendell, and, in a late addition, Hall of Famer Pedro Martínez. Team Citi counters with Bartolo Colón, R.A. Dickey, Dillon Gee, Matt Harvey, Jon Niese, Mike Pelfrey, and Johan Santana.

“I couldn’t miss the opportunity to see my Mets family again,” Martínez said to Horwitz. “It will be great to see the fans again.”

Dickey, speaking to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, expressed his excitement to return.

“I’m ecstatic to get to do something like this,” Dickey said. “I can’t wait to get back and just reconnect with guys and see guys I haven’t seen in a while. Players, yes. But even clubhouse guys, the film guy, the security people underneath the stadium. … Getting to go back and see those guys, give them a hug, just talk to them for a minute, it’s going to be awesome.”

Asked whether he’ll throw his trademark knuckleball, Dickey laughed and said he hopes to “throw a few knuckleballs up there for people to see, if I can still get it to the plate.”

The Alumni Classic could also potentially showcase some special connections off the field. Darryl Strawberry and Mookie Wilson will appear as special guests and ambassadors, while Al Leiter could share the day with his son Jack, who might be in the Rangers’ dugout or bullpen for the regular game. Together, they help make the event a celebration of Mets history and a fun reunion for fans and players alike.

The post Former Mets Greats Set to Take the Field in Alumni Classic appeared first on Metsmerized.

No statistic has had a greater fall from grace in the past decade than pitching wins. Once considered a measurement for excellence on the mound, its descended into near irrelevance. Rotations have expanded, relievers have gained prominence, and starters have become less influential on their fate.

If there were still hangers-on desperately carrying a torch for the worth of victories prior to 2018, Jacob deGrom’s remarkable Cy Young Award performance in the face of a 10-9 record extinguished those beliefs. It also cemented him among the ranks of great Mets pitchers as he received all but one first-place vote.

DeGrom’s brilliance must be put into perspective both in the context of major-league and team history. He led all pitchers with a 1.70 ERA—the sixth-lowest since the mound was lowered to its current height in 1969 and the second-best by a starter in this decade. His 269 strikeouts (done over 217 innings) were second in the NL, but his combination of power and precision was a true rarity.

Only six pitchers since 1933 have thrown at least 215 innings with an ERA of 1.70 or lower, and deGrom’s strikeout total is the highest of that group. His stunning 218 ERA+ placed him among just 36 pitchers who have posted at least a 200 ERA+ since the turn of the 20th century.

His WHIP of 0.912 is the lowest single-season mark by any Met, including Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden, while both his ERA and ERA+ are second among starters to Gooden’s in 1985. DeGrom’s FIP (1.98), which was far and away the lowest in the majors, was the best since Gooden’s 1984 mark and his 9.6 pitching WAR, according to Baseball-Reference, is the fourth-highest single-season Mets total.

As incredible as deGrom was, the lack of support he got was nothing short of incredible and appalling. A ragged offense and porous bullpen let a bushel of deGrom’s tremendous starts go unrewarded. On 11 occasions, he went seven innings and allowed either zero or one run. DeGrom only won three of them. The Mets record in those starts was 12-18.

The ineptitude of those around him made deGrom even more admirable. Pitching almost every game without a safety net, he allowed three or fewer runs in 29 straight starts — a single-season record — and reeled off 24 successive quality starts (surpassing Seaver’s previous team record of 19).

DeGrom’s historic Cy Young triumph was a significant victory for the growing number of new age baseball thinkers. The exclamation point came in his final start against the Braves, in which he retired the final 20 batters he faced. He finished with his 10th strikeout of the night and the 1,000th of his career, making him the fastest Met to reach that milestone.

All deGrom has done since is win another Cy Young the very next year and firmly establish himself as one of the best Mets to ever pitch, in spite of shortened seasons and injuries.

The post OTD 2018: Jacob deGrom Wins First Cy Young Award appeared first on Metsmerized.

May 12, 2021; New York City, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Matt Harvey (32) looks up while walking off of the field during the fifth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

It probably wasn’t how Matt Harvey envisioned pitching at Citi Field in the year 2021.

A member of the rebuilding Baltimore Orioles after signing a minor league deal that offseason. His fourth club in as many years. Trying to just take it game by game.

In the middle portion of last decade, the sky was the limit for Harvey, who was endearingly referred to as the “Dark Knight.”

Every fifth day he took to the mound it was a holiday for Mets fans, similar to what the team experiences with Jacob deGrom in present day.

Only with Harvey, it was different. The first round pick reached the big leagues after being drafted by the Mets in the first round of the 2010 draft.

There wasn’t much to get excited about, except the future, with those 2012 Mets. Sure, R.A. Dickey winded up capturing the Cy Young and Johan Santana tossed the first no-hitter in franchise history, but Dickey was a journeyman knuckleballer that the team caught lightning in a bottle with, and Santana’s no-no was ultimately his swan song as a Metropolitan.

Harvey’s call up signaled a new era in Queens, and he would mark the first of many young flamethrowers to grace the team’s rotation in the coming years.

Zack Wheeler was next. Followed by deGrom. Then Noah Syndergaard and finally Steven Matz, as the team culminated with a World Series appearance in 2015.

Though, it certainly didn’t come without hiccups.

Harvey underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entirety of the 2014 season. The right-hander came back strong to the tune of a 2.70 ERA in the 2015 season and pitched Game 5 of the 2015 World Series — a game that is often discussed among fans nearly six years later.

Harvey put it all on the line that season coming back from Tommy John and exceeded all expectations by throwing nearly 200 regular season innings.

In that Game 5, Harvey spun a gem. The Mets were up 2-0 through eight innings, and when he battled to go back out for the ninth inning, manager Terry Collins obliged.

The Kansas City Royals tied the game and went on to win 7-2 by putting up a five-spot in the 12th inning.

When Harvey departed that game, fans didn’t know it yet, but it would be the last time they saw the Dark Knight in full force in a Mets uniform.

The Connecticut native suffered thoracic outlet syndrome the next season, not a death sentence for pitchers, but pretty damn close. He went under the knife for a second time in the span of three years.

When he returned in 2017, Harvey was a shell of himself. One of the most dominant starters in the league logged a 6.70 ERA in 19 games. The next year, he was out of New York altogether. The Mets traded him to the Cincinnati Reds for catcher Devin Mesoraco in a struggling player swap.

Since then, Harvey has pitched for the Los Angeles Angels, the Oakland Athletics’ Triple-A team, the Kansas City Royals and now the O’s.

Harvey sure isn’t the pitcher he once was, but coming into Wednesday afternoon, he had been Baltimore’s second most reliable pitcher behind John Means, with a respectable 3.60 ERA.

When he took the hill against the Amazin’s on a bright May afternoon on Wednesday, Harvey was met with a standing ovation from the roughly nine thousand fans in the ballpark.

Sure, you still have fans who claim Harvey was “selfish.” He partied. He dated supermodels. He shirked team responsibilities and obligations.

He was also young, and made mistakes. It doesn’t take away from the fact that he underwent two major arm surgeries, and his perseverance has allowed him to mature and reinvent himself to remain at the highest level baseball has to offer.

Regardless, fans remembered the good on Wednesday in Harvey’s first game played against the Mets since being traded three years ago.

“There was a lot of excitement, a lot of memories,” Harvey said after the game. “Obviously there’s been so many ups and downs here in this ballpark and in this organization. I didn’t really know what to expect and what they gave me, what the fans gave me, was pretty incredible.

“I was holding back tears. I’m not going to lie about that. It was pretty hard holding them back. It reminded me of, really, a lot of the good memories.”

Harvey wasn’t greeted as warmly by his opposition, who roughed him up to the tune of seven runs that made his ERA jump to 4.81 on the campaign, but it was still a monumental experience for Harvey.

“Coming off the field with an ovation like that, it brought a lot back and it was very special to me,” Harvey said fondly. “Something I’ll never forget.

“It was hard. This is a very special place to me. I’d like to say I gave everything I had here. Especially in that 2015 run, it was really something special. I left it all out there for everybody — for our fans, for the teammates. That was a big year for us as a team and for the city of New York. Those memories definitely came in when I got some cheers and got the standing ovation.”

That rotation with the “five aces” ended up being more like Generation K of yesteryear, and only deGrom and Syndergaard remain in New York several years later. Harvey is in Baltimore. Wheeler is in Philadelphia and Matz is in Toronto.

It’s not how they drew it up, but the Mets are sitting at a cool 18-13, riding a seven-game win streak and their pitching, made up mostly of newer faces since their World Series run, has the second-best ERA in baseball.

For Harvey though, he brings a veteran presence to a young Baltimore team. He might not be the ace he once was, but he’s fought to be back in the bigs and his maturity as a now 32-year-old still brings a lot to the table.

Hopefully, the Dark Knight has a little left in the tank to rise again.

The post Matt Harvey Returns to Citi Field, ‘I Was Holding Back Tears’ appeared first on Metsmerized.

There are times when it’s tough to be a Mets fan. Perhaps you remember when the Mets held a commanding seven-game lead with 17 games to play in 2007, and then collapsed to their rival from down the Turnpike.

Or perhaps you recall 2008, when the Amazin’s held a 3.5 game lead in September with only 17 games to play, before becoming the first team ever to blow a 3.5-game lead in consecutive Septembers. Those heartbreaking collapses only heightened the disdain Mets fans held for those Phillies teams that featured Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.

However a few years later, there was one series that was particularly special for Mets fans, in the midst of an otherwise uneventful season. During a three game-set against the Philadelphia Phillies, the 2010 Mets got revenge and made history in the process.

For just the second time since the franchise’s inception, the Mets swept a series by pitching three-straight shutouts. The first time this took place was in 1969, when Jerry Koosman, Tom Seaver and Gary Gentry blanked the Phillies in Philadelphia down the stretch.

After years of struggling against their division rivals, the Mets vindication against the Phillies began on May 25. In just his second start with the Mets, R.A. Dickey led a whitewashing of the Phils at Citi Field. Dickey threw six scoreless innings, while the Mets scored eight runs to even their record for the season at 23 – 23.  The victory was Dickey’s first win for the Mets.

Omar Minaya’s reclamation project would finish that season 11 – 9 with a 2.84 ERA. Two years later, Dickey would win the Cy Young Award, going 20 – 6 with a 2.73 ERA, leading the league in innings pitched (233.2), complete games (5), shut outs (3), and strikeouts (230). He was then traded the following off season to the Blue Jays with Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas in exchange for John Buck, Travis d’Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard, and minor leaguer Wuilmer Becerra.

In the second game of the series, rookie sensation Hisanori Takahashi started for the Mets and blanked Philadelphia for six innings, striking out six without issuing a single walk. Takahashi served Mets manager Jerry Manuel as a swing man in 2010, finishing 10 – 6 with a 3.61 ERA and eight saves. The Mets won the game 5 – 0, behind the three RBIs provided by catcher Rod Barajas, and Jose Reyes‘ home run and two RBIs.

In the series finale, the Mets finished their sweep, behind the starting pitching efforts of Mike Pelfry, who pitched seven shutout innings to improve his record to 7 – 1 to start the season.  Pelfrey had the best year of his career in 2010, finishing 15 – 10 with a 3.66 ERA. Francisco Rodriguez pitched the ninth inning for the Mets to record his ninth save of the season and push the Mets to two games above .500.

The three-game sweep was the high-water mark for the Mets in 2010. They went on to finish 79 – 83, in fourth place, 18 games behind the Phillies. Minaya and Manuel both got fired after the season and were replaced by Sandy Alderson, and Terry Collins. That duo would ultimately help lead the Mets to the 2015 World Series.

The post Amazin’ Memories: Mets Blank Phillies in Series of Shutouts appeared first on Metsmerized.

#11 OF Wuilmer Becerra

Ht: 6’3”  Wt: 225  Level: High-A St. Lucie Mets

B/T: R/R Age: 10/01/1994 (22) Age Dif: -1.7

Acquired: Part of seven player trade from the Toronto Blue Jays

Last Year: #6

2016 Statistics: 65 G, 247 AB, 27 R, 77 H, 17 2B, HR, 34 RBI, 9 BB/52 K, 7 SB, .319/.341/.393

Wuilmer Becerra has often mentioned as the afterthought, a throw-in flyer prospect in the R.A. Dickey trade that also brought Noah Syndergaard and Travis d’Arnaud. But his profile and signing bonus have  always contradicted that line of thought. His scouting reports from that time all indicated much of what we have heard since:

Ben Badler at Baseball America, who had him ranked 5th at the time of his signing:

 “He has worked out for teams at shortstop and the outfield, but his future is in the outfield. He’s a good athlete with size and speed, having been clocked as fast as 6.6 seconds in the 60-yard dash. His game speed is slower, though, with below-average times going from home to first. Scouts are mixed on Becerra’s bat. He has good size and strength, and some scouts consider him one of the best righthanded hitters available with good plate coverage and projectable power.”

After hitting nine home runs in 2015 for the Savannah Sand Gnats who play in the spacious Grayson Stadium, it appeared Becerra was living up those original scouting reports.

I got to see him in person during that 2015 Low-A season and at the time noted he appeared a man among boys. Not just true prototypical right field size, but the talent was obvious as well. From batting practice, which was professional in approach and highlighted with home runs peppered throughout the park. To the way the defense respected and played him, not a full on shift, but heavily shading towards left, shortstop backing up a few steps, etc. to the degree that you typically don’t see at the low-A level.

Fast forward one season to the present day, questions have arisen about the power and if it will play in games. (From what I has previously seen, it will) By July the whispers that the young outfielder was playing through a shoulder injury turned out to be accurate. There was a change in approach that resulted in a career high .312 batting average, but only resulted in 18 extra base hits. The question remains if the change of approach was due to injury, a coaching focus for moving his growth forward, or a combination of both. (Which is my personal line of thought).

Becerra had season-ending surgery on a torn labrum in his right shoulder in July. He originally hurt the shoulder during spring training and decided to try to play through it. He received cortisone shots during the season to help with pain, but still only played 13 games in right field and had to to be the designated hitter in 52 games.

The 22-year old Venezuelan is the prototypical right fielder with an above average arm (pre-surgery) that also moves well given his size. Despite the lack of extra base hits this past season he still has plus power potential and showed he can hit line drives to all fields in 2016.

2017 Outlook:

That the organization felt the need to add him to the 40-man roster and protect him from the Rule 5 draft is a positive sign in my view. He will be in major league camp, at least to start, and depending on how his rehab (very quiet thus far) is going we should get to see him on SNY this March. I wouldn’t be shocked if he starts in St. Lucie to get some positive plate appearances before moving up to Binghamton after the spring thaw. I remain hopeful on his progress this year expecting that breakout.

2017 MMO TOP 30 PROSPECTS

1. Amed Rosario, SS

2. Dominic Smith, 1B

3. Robert Gsellman, RHP

4. Thomas Szapucki, LHP

5. Desmond Lindsay, OF

6. Justin Dunn, RHP

7. Gavin Cecchini, INF

8. Brandon Nimmo, OF

9. Andres Gimenez, SS

10. Tomas Nido, C

The post 2017 Top Mets 30 Prospects: No. 11 Wuilmer Becerra, OF appeared first on Metsmerized.

I should preface this by saying I was not a fan of the Mets decision to hire Terry Collins to take over as manager prior to the 2011 season.  A change needed to be made, no doubt, but it was a clear signal at that point that the Mets were going to rebuild.

Collins has compiled a 244-281 record with the Mets in his 3+ years at the helm, and now has a career record of 688-715 as a major league manager.  Needless to say, his record doesn’t exactly strike fear in the hearts of his opponents.

Its really not so much the record that bothers me about Collins as much as the in game decisions, and day-to-day way he manages his ballclub. TC apologists will point to the fact that he just hasn’t had any talent.  Let’s visit this for a moment.  TC has managed the Astros (1994-1996), Angels (1997-1999), and Mets (2011-present).  He had an 11 year layoff as head coach before the Mets offered him the position.  Teams weren’t exactly knocking down his door to offer him a job.  I looked back at the rosters that Terry Collins has coached during his tenure, in which he has never won his division.  Check this out.

Jeff Bagwell (Gold Glove & MVP-’94), Craig Biggio (GG, Silver Slugger 94-96), Ken Caminiti (GG,SS, MVP 96), Luis Gonzalez, Steve Finley (GG), Bobby Abreu, Doug Drabek, Darryl Kile, Shane Reynolds, Mike Hampton, Todd Jones, Billy Wagner etc.

Darin Erstad, Garret Anderson, Jim Edmonds (GG), Tim Salmon, Cecil Fielder, Mo Vaughn (MVP), Troy Glaus, Chuck Finley, Troy Percival etc.

Jose Reyes (2011 Batting Champ), R.A. Dickey (2012 CY Young), EY Jr (2013 SB Champ), David Wright, Daniel Murphy, Ike Davis, Carlos Beltran, Angel Pagan, Jason Bay, Johan Santana, Matt Harvey, K-Rod,

The guy’s had multiple MVP players at his disposal, countless Gold Glove & Silver Slugger winners, the Batting Champions, Cy Young Award Winners, and Stolen Base champs.

The year after he left the Astros they won the division three years in a row, made a World Series appearance, and won 102 games in 1998 with what most people would say was a less talented roster. It took the Angels two years to win the World Series once Collins was fired amidst a season that he compiled a 51-82 record. Joe Maddon finished the season off for TC with a 19-10 record with the same guys.  Mike Scioscia won the World Series with pretty much the same group minus Jim Edmonds & Mo Vaughn, who were in their prime years under TC.  In fact, even when he took over the Mets job we had a rotation of Johan Santana, RA Dickey, Mike Pelfrey, Jon Niese & Dillon Gee, with Jenrry Mejia and Matt Harvey on the horizon, and Jeurys Familia was probably a better SP prospect than both of them at the time.  The lineup was filled with stars like, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, Angel Pagan, Daniel Murphy, Ike Davis, and we had a great bullpen, with Parnell setting up K-Rod, and somehow he won 77 games, and it seems to me that he has made every single player worse the longer he’s coached them.  I guarantee there are a number of readers here at MMO that could’ve won more games that season. My guess is that we will be a far better team as soon as he is gone just like every other club he has managed.

Look I wasn’t expecting the Mets to win the world series the last couple of seasons, but Collins was brought on because he was supposed to good a developing young talent.  What young talent has improved?  Our sure fire future MVP 1B in Ike Davis is a shell of his former self, at best, Murphy is just now getting back to being the hitter he was when Collins arrived, Tejada has become the worst regular in the game, David Wright sure isn’t any better than he was before TC came to town.  What about baseball’s top offensive catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud, buried in the bottom of the order from the word go. Why have promising bats like Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Jordany Valdespin, Matt den Dekker, and Zach Lutz either regressed or faded out of the organization altogether?  It looks like he even made Chris Young, Curtis Granderson and Josh Satin regress in just one years time.  Where is the improvement?  What is he doing to motivate or mentor these players?  Who has he developed into established everyday players?  You could say Juan Lagares, but he has subsequently buried him like he has all of our other top young talent over the past three years.

Unfortunately, these are not Collins worst areas.  His bullpen management, and organization of the pitching staff is the worst ant scatter I’ve ever seen in my life.  Pure Chaos.  Like Ike Davis’ bat was supposed to be.  Who’s closing?  Terry doesn’t know.  How in the world are the players supposed to know?  How can they prepare to be successful when they have no idea what role they are preparing for?  I wonder if you ask each member of the bullpen, what their role is with the team, how many of them would have no answer at all.  That’s some uplifting stuff Terry.  Lets crush everyone’s confidence.  Lets make sure they we will not set a single one of those guys up for success.  “Let him work through it”, right Terry?

If he isn’t going to define any roles, he could at least stop making such amateur in-game blunders to further hinder his team.  Does anyone remember in Atlanta a couple of years ago when he brought in his RP before Atlanta made the lineup switch for the PH, and I think he ended up with Scott Rice facing Justin Upton, or it may have been a RH facing Freeman.  Either way, the commentators pointed it out right before the ball sailed 100 ft over the fence.

What about the Nationals game last year in which Harvey was dominating, until TC reared his ugly in-game strategy again.  4-1 Mets, runner on first, two outs in the 8th, Denard Span at the plate, and TC replaces reliever David Aardsma, who had just faced consecutive lefties, Roger Bernadina & Chad Tracy for the second out of the inning, and had pitched lights out since joining the Mets, with a struggling and apparently injured Josh Edgin.  He ended up using four relievers that inning and actually created three worse matchups than he originally had with Aardsma facing Span.  Did he think Span was gonna hit a 3-run HR with only one man on base? To make matters worse, in his bullpen dismantlement, he forgot the pitchers spot was due up second in the bottom half of the inning, and had to pinch-hit for Scott Rice, the second lefty TC used that third of an inning after Brandon Lyon got blasted. He ended up having to pitch Parnell for a 5th consecutive game after he was told he would have the day off, in a tie game in the top of the 9th.  He gave up three runs and got the loss.  We lost that game 6-4 and I just know Harvey wanted to punch TC right in the face.  It’s things like this, that not only destroy a team for that day, but for a season.  The bullpen was dead for the next few days.  Aardsma lost all his confidence, and was hit hard from then on out.  Brandon Lyon was released in short order.  Those things indirectly, and directly effect teams for the rest of the season.

There are countless other instances like this that he does on a nightly basis.  He almost always double switches his bench bats into the game to give the other manager an advantage of knowing the matchup beforehand.  I bet his RH bench bat has seen more ABs vs RHP, and vice versa for his LH bench bat.  Its just another example of him not giving his players the best chance to succeed.

I’m not even going to mention how poor his media communication can be with the constant declarations of who is, and who isn’t an everyday player to subsequently burying them on the bench for weeks at a time.  I swear he cools off our momentum more than the opponents pitching staff.

It wears on a team after a while when the manager constantly snatches defeat out of the jaws of victory.  It’s hard enough to succeed as it is.  It’s almost impossible to do it in spite of your manager.  It’s time for a change.  We’ll be better off in no time.  If history repeats itself, we should be perennial contenders within two years time with a bunch of post seasons and even a World Series sprinkled in. Just like the Angels and Astros.

The post Featured Post: The Trials and Blooperations of Terry Collins appeared first on Metsmerized.

The July 2012 promotion of the Mets’ second best pitching prospect was met with much fan fair.  Harvey promptly rose to the occasion in the eleven strike out win that was his debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  For an encore, he went on to post an ERA well under three in ten starts comprised of almost sixty innings pitched.  For certain it looked as though the Mets had another quality starter on their hands, but no one could have anticipated what Matt Harvey had in store for the Mets and their fans in 2013.

Entering last night, Harvey’s 2013 campaign featured a 4-0 start which saw him yield more than one earned run on only one occasion over six starts, in route to the National League Pitcher of the Month award for the month of April.  Coming off a full seven day’s rest, Harvey spent Monday night victimizing the White Sox lineup in route to nine scoreless innings of one hit ball with twelve strike outs and exactly zero walks.  This saw Matt drop his ERA to an impressively low 1.27 while assuming the league lead in strike outs with 58.

The stats are impressive enough, but they are easily trumped by the undeniable presence that Harvey brings with him to the bump every night.  Each start celebrated as “Happy Harvey Day” on various social media forums, the fans have fully accepted Matt as the absolute ace of this staff, no questions asked.

Harvey’s rise to what will soon be, if it isn’t already, super-stardom, will make it that much harder for those that come behind him, namely Wheeler.  Having been billed as possessing the best repertoire in the system, its hard to believe that Wheeler can match the ridiculous change-up and slicing slider that Harvey has used to carved through opponents thus far this season.  While the Mets will need Wheeler to be a productive member of the rotation in short order if they hope to stay in the hunt this summer, Matt Harvey has made most, if not all fans forget that someone other than he may be the savoir for the Mets pitching woes.

Recent history has seen pitchers as unproven as Mike Pelfrey toe the rubber as the team’s ace.  Those days, at least for the time being seem to be behind us.  Having been drafted by Omar Minaya in 2010, Harvey will be ineligible for free agency until the 2019 season at the earliest and now represents the youth movement envisioned by Mets general manager, Sandy Alderson.  The franchise will need others to rise through the ranks in order to realize Alderson’s vision, but regardless of whether those who will soon follow his path are able to do their part, Matt Harvey is here and the Mets have their ace.

Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83.

The post Matt Harvey: The Mets Have Their Ace appeared first on Metsmerized.

It was not a good day for the R.A. Dickey trade all around, as on the heels of the news to the injury of Travis d’Arnaud, Noah Syndergaard had a rough time pitching for St. Lucie on Thursday evening. Syndergaard was in consideration for a promotion to Binghamton when Luis Mateo was placed on the DL – but was passed over in favor of Jacob deGrom, who shined in his debut on Wednesday night.

Syndergaard was left to make his scheduled start down in St. Lucie, but unfortunately for the young prospect, he ran into a bit of a wall. He lasted only three innings and was on the hook for seven earned runs off eight hits and two walks, while striking out two. He allowed one home run – a two-run jack in the first inning and never really looked comfortable after that. He allowed a lead-off double to begin the game to Adam Pettersen, who scored on the aforementioned two-run home run with two outs in the first. He gave up two hits in the second, but induced a double play to get out of it.

The third inning brought trouble for him again, however, where he struggled to get the third out once again. After allowing a lead-off single to Adam Pettersen again, he got the next two men out, although Pettersen stole second base. Syndergaard then allowed a walk, triple, single, walk, and double…ouch. The whole fiasco resulted in a five-run third inning and closing the door on Syndergaard’s evening.

St. Lucie overcame the 7-2 deficit by scoring five runs in the third inning, with the big blow coming on a two-run homer by Matt Reynolds, his first of the season. St. Lucie then took an 8-7 the lead in the fourth when Aderlin Rodriguez launched his third homer of the season – a solo job. However, the bullpen failed to get it done. After three hitless innings of solid relief from Jim Fuller, the next four relievers Wanel Mesa, Hamilton Bennett and Randy Fontanez combined to surrender four runs over the final three innings.

Key Stats

Aderlin Rodriguez: 1-for-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R

Dustin Lawley: 0-for-2, 2 BB, 2 R

Matt Reynolds: 2-for-5, 1 3B, 1 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI

Gilbert Gomez: 2-for-4, 3 RBI, 2 K

Charles Thurber: 1-for-2, 2 BB, 1 R, 1 RBI

Noah Syndergaard: 3.0 IP. 8 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 1 HR

Jim Fuller: 3.0 IP. 0 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K

Hamilton Bennett: 1.0 IP. 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

The post Syndergaard Lit Up In 11-8 St. Lucie Loss To Fort Myers appeared first on Metsmerized.

Noah Syndergaard knows he has all eyes on him. By June 16, Syndergaard could find himself as the crown jewel and No. 1 prospect for the Mets if Travis d’Arnaud and Zack Wheeler are called up to the show. The Mets boast a young crop of power pitching right-handers that include the likes of Rafael Montero, Luis Mateo and Domingo Tapia. Once Wheeler is promoted, at the top of that list of names will read Noah Syndergaard.

Syndergaard is a tall and imposing figure on the mound, standing in at 6-feet 6-inches is an intimidating presence. I had the chance to watch a bullpen session on Syndergaard and love what I see. His mechanics are effortless and the ball explodes out of his hand (High 90s fastball). His changeup is great, and while there have been some knocks on his curveball in the past, it looks like it is developing nicely. This kid is the goods.

Milb.com recently sat down with the former first round pick, and here are some highlights from the discussion they had with Syndergaard where they talk about how he felt when he heard he was traded, and of course, his curveball:

MiLB.com: So your first Spring Training with the Mets is just about over — how different was it as compared to your previous two with the Blue Jays?

Noah Syndergaard: It’s not that much different, some minor things here and there — the instructors and goals — but it’s still the same.

MiLB.com: How shocked were you when you heard you’d been traded — in a deal for the reigning Cy Young Award winner, no less?

Syndergaard: I was pretty shocked. I went to bed the previous night before the rumors started and I thought it would just be Anthony Gose and [Travis] d’Arnaud. And the next afternoon I saw my name was in the mix. I called my agent, he said it’s probably just a rumor. About 30 minutes later, he texted me and said, “It might go down.” A couple days after that, I got the call that they’d traded me. It was pretty exciting to be traded for a Cy Young winner.

MiLB.com: You told us a year ago that you modeled yourself after Nolan Ryan growing up. A little before your time, but was he your favorite player? Have you ever met him?

Syndergaard: Never met him. I don’t know who my favorite player is. I always followed the Rangers, and Josh Beckett would be one of them. But Ryan, I never saw him pitch.

MiLB.com: Where are your off-speed pitches at coming into Opening Day? Are you confident with your curveball and slider after working on things this Spring?

Syndergaard: Yeah, definitely, my curveball was really good today. It’s felt good in my bullpens — it’s a lot better than it was last year in the beginning of the season — so it’s a plus pitch for me right now, a strikeout pitch.

MiLB.com: What’s your mind-set on the mound? Can you hear the fans and the dugout and the hot dog vendors, or is that level of focus something you think all pitchers have to work on?

Syndergaard: I’m able to tune things out pretty well. When I was in school, my mom would ask me if I could hear yelling and I said, “I’ve never heard you once from the stands.” The other day, when I was throwing my live BP, I didn’t notice anything but the catcher.

MiLB.com: Do you feel like you’ve had any pressure being a first-round pick? Or now after being traded for R.A. Dickey?

Syndergaard: Kinda, not much as a first-round pick, but definitely being traded for a Cy Young winner. Hopefully, I can live up to the potential.

MiLB.com: When do you see yourself getting to New York? I know guys like to deflect the timetables back to the player development folks, but do you feel like you’re a year or so away?

Syndergaard: I would say I’m probably two years away, I’m guessing. But it’s whatever the organization decides. I’ve never been to New York.

You can read the interview in it’s entirety here.

You have to love that the kid recognizes that he has the spotlight on him and that he can deal with the weight of those very high expectations. Former first round pick, traded for the N.L. Cy Young Award winner, plays for an organization where the city (and media) never sleeps, and is the heir apparent to being the No 1. prospect of that same organization… Piece of cake… 🙂

The post Mets Minors: Syndergaard Could Be Mets No. 1 Prospect By All-Star Break appeared first on Metsmerized.

Finances and injuries aside, the biggest in-season problem that has crippled the Mets over the past five years has been the inevitable second have swoon.  You can almost set your clocks to the post all-star break slide that sees the team lose its last grasp of postseason aspiration each summer.  This season’s group has the opportunity to avoid the same fate, and here’s how that happens…

First and foremost, I don’t think this season’s outfield is all that bad, at least compared to last season’s outfield, from an offensive standpoint.  Your asking a group that will likely include Lucas Duda, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, Collin Cowgill, Mike Baxter and probably Marlon Byrd to collectively give you a season that eclipses the .238 BA, .309 OBP, 55 HR, 206 RBI, and .696 OPS that last year’s crop of outfielders posted.  Those numbers are not unobtainable, even for the group in camp this spring and better yet.. I’m only asking them to do it for half the season.  The pursuit of legitimate outfielder was an utter failure this winter and remains the organization’s biggest issue going forward.  However, if the aforementioned comically bad outfield can hold it together long enough, reinforcements could be on the way when the trade deadline looms this summer.  The team’s undeniable need for at least two quality outfielders, it’s sizable crop of young minor league arms and any lingering hope for a playoff run could be enough to see Sandy Alderson pull the trigger on another blockbuster mid-season trade.  However instead of bolstering the team’s farm system, this move shores up the Major League outfield and ideally fills one of those positions for seasons to come.

Such an addition, albeit theoretical, only adds to the renovation the twenty-five man roster is likely to experience this summer.  Acquired as part of the trade that sent R.A. Dickey to Toronto, Travis d’Arnaud figures to arrive in Queens by mid-June.  His arrival not only provides a quality backstop for the team’s biggest weapon, the starting rotation, it also figures to make a decided lefty dominated lineup, more formidable.  Does he immediately blossom into the weapon the Mets envision for the next ten years?  Probably not, but that doesn’t mean he won’t provide quality at bats and an added level of power this lineup so desperately needs.

Your final, and in all likelihood most anticipated arrival this summer, will be that of Zack Wheeler.  Boasting a pitch selection that many deem good enough to see him quickly evolve into the team’s ace, he will cause headaches for opponents who will be seeing him for the first time late in the season.  Its also important to recognize that his impending arrival leaves the Mets with an excess of major league caliber starting pitching that is always coveted at the trade deadline.  That could mean the mid-summer trade of former ace and no-hitter hero, Johan Santana, who will exit Queens with the Mets paying the large majority of his salary to ensure a good return, provided he can remain healthy, further aiding the team elsewhere as the summer presses on.

You see, unlike most teams who enter the year with a roster primed for playoff glory, the Mets hopes lie in the effectiveness of players who aren’t even hear yet.  When they arrive, they’ll join a roster full of other young players who, save David Wright, don’t realize they’re not good enough.  With any luck it will be that naivety and maybe even some stubbornness that sees the Mets remain in the thick of things long enough for their difference makers to arrive.  Unlikely?  Yes.  Impossible?  Of course not.  However, if they do experience such success, the added excitement of having things come together at just the right time could give the Mets the added momentum necessary to push through a division of much more established teams.

The Mets are not by any stretch of the imagination poised to be a contender this summer, but that should stop fans from enjoying the ride.  Enjoy the knowledge that the team’s brightest young stars are on their way and poised to contribute later this year.  Know that if their predecessors can stay the course long enough, the likes of Travis d’Arnaud, Zack Wheeler and maybe even a few players to be named later will be playing for a lot more than reps before this season is said and done.

Follow me on Twitter at @RobPatterson83

The post Mets Unorthodox Path To The Playoffs To Be Led By Unproven Players appeared first on Metsmerized.