Per Astros manager Joe Espada, Christian Walker will get minor league at-bats beginning Saturday. He will do this instead of traveling to Houston on Sunday with the rest of the team, though Espada still expects Walker to be ready for Opening Day against the Mets. Walker has been recovering from an oblique injury and was uncertain to be ready for the start of the season, but it sounds like the Mets will face the slugging first baseman in the opening series.

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Latest Mets News

The Mets defeated the Cardinals 3-2 in Friday’s spring training game. Clay Holmes threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings while Brett Baty hit a home run and a double, increasing his spring OPS to a Grapefruit League-leading 1.123.

The Mets optioned reliever Tyler Zuber to Triple-A Syracuse.

According to Tyler Boronski, a freelance reporter, the Mets signed outfilder Billy McKinney to a minor league deal. The Athletic’s Will Sammon confirmed this. McKinney spent time with the Mets’ big league club in 2021 and was last in the majors with the Pirates in 2024.

The Mets released The Pursuit: Part II on Friday, the second part of a documentary detailing the team’s pursuit of Juan Soto.

In a post on X, SNY announced that the MLB app is now the only location to stream SNY and the Mets on SNY.

Latest MLB News

The Orioles signed pitcher Kyle Gibson to a one-year contract. Gibson spent the 2023 season with the Orioles before heading to the Cardinals for the 2024 season. He had a 4.24 ERA in 30 starts for St. Louis.

Per Chris Cotillo of MassLive, a contract extension for Garrett Crochet prior to the regular season is not likely. Crochet said, “I think that right now, we’re just looking forward to getting through the season.”

The Braves announced that they selected Enyel De Los Santos, Héctor Neris, and Drake Baldwin to the major league roster.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Rockies infielder Thairo Estrada has a broken wrist and will miss four-to-eight weeks.

Nightengale also reported that the Brewers traded former Met Mark Canha to the Royals for cash or a player to be named later.

Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that former Dodgers pitcher Julio Urías will be suspended until the All-Star break for violating the league’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.

Latest on MMO

Kai Chang writes about Luis Torrens succeeding in the starting catcher role this spring.

Jack Markowski breaks down the latest spring training start from Kodai Senga.

On This Date in Mets History

Born On This Date: Edwin Díaz (1994), Ike Davis (1987), Joe Smith (1984), Juan Uribe (1979), Jeremy Griffiths (1978), Cory Lidle (1972), Dan Boitano (1953).

The post Morning Briefing: Christian Walker Likely to Play Opening Day Against Mets appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Sep 12, 2023; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fourth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

After a bullpen session on Friday, former Met Max Scherzer told reporters that he was good to go for the ALCS. “I’ve pressed all the buttons I can,” Scherzer said. “I’m ready to go.” Scherzer hasn’t pitched in a month since suffering a strained teres major muscle in his right shoulder, but he pitched well for the Rangers following his trade from the Mets, posting a 3.20 across eight starts with the club. The Rangers have fared well without Scherzer this postseason, going 5-0 up to this point, but he would still serve as a massive addition to a crucial series with the Astros.

Latest MLB News

Sean McAdam of MassLive reports that the Red Sox are targeting Michael Hill to potentially fill their vacant general manager role. Hill currently serves as MLB’s Senior Vice President of Baseball Operations. Hill previously served as both general manager and president of baseball operations for the Marlins before being let go after the 2020 season.

The Baseball Writers’ Association of America released a statement defending reporter Jake Mintz of Fox Sports, who was questioned and criticized on MLB Network because of the controversy that he used Orlando Arcia‘s “atta-boy Harper” comment in an article.

The St. Louis Cardinals Academy in the Dominican Republic was the subject of an armed robbery, with players being robbed for jewelry and money at gunpoint. Cardinals president John Mozeliak commented on the incident, confirming that nobody was harmed and that the security measures at the academy will be looked into.

Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff underwent surgery on his right shoulder on Friday. Woodruff is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2024 season.

Per Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Diamondbacks will use Zac Gallen in Game 1 against the Phillies, with Merrill Kelly starting Game 2 and Brandon Pfaadt starting Game 3.

Because he covered the salaries of some of the Angels’ Dominican Republic staffers during the pandemic, Albert Pujols was honored by them this week, receiving a small ceremony and a plaque.

Latest on MMO

Michael Mayer breaks down the latest news out of the Arizona Fall League, including continued struggles by Mets’ prospect Kevin Parada.

Rich Sparago examines whether or not it is necessary to change the format of the MLB postseason.

Ricky Keeler recaps the Brooklyn Cyclones’ 2023 season.

Jack Markowski analyzes the Mets’ non-tender candidates.

On This Date in Mets History

1969: The Mets defeated the Orioles in Game 3 of the World Series, 5-0. Gary Gentry and Nolan Ryan combined for nine shutout innings, while Tommie Agee and Ed Kranepool both went deep in the winning effort. It was a key victory for New York as it put them ahead in the series 2-1, and it was also the first-ever World Series game to be played at Shea Stadium.

1973: The Mets defeated the Athletics in Game 2 of the World Series, 10-7. It took 12 innings, with the Mets being helped out by Oakland recording five errors in the contest. Tug McGraw came out of the bullpen and threw for six innings, recording the win, while Cleon Jones and Wayne Garrett homered off Vida Blue. The Mets’ win tied the series up at one apiece.

Birthdays: Patrick Mazeika (30), Duaner Sánchez (44), Ryan Church (45), Brent Strom (75), Art Shamsky (82)

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Photo by MMO’s Ed Delany

Before they head out to Miami on Tuesday, the Mets played an intrasquad game on Monday at Clover Park.

Kodai Senga pitched five scoreless innings for one of the squads and looked how he has all spring: locked in and ready for the regular season. Senga struck out seven in five innings of work on Monday, including three straight strikeouts in the first inning to start the game.

.@kodaisenga strikes out the side to start the Mets intrasquad game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/xBGPUKHnwv

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 27, 2023

Buck Showalter spoke on Senga’s outing, saying physically he felt good. Showalter stated that Senga threw approximately 72 pitches that included 12 or 15 split fingers (or, ghost forks).

“We’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” said Showalter. “See what the feedback is, but he was good.” Showalter also stated that Senga’s outing on Monday was on regular rest, which will be good preparation for the regular season and a good setup for his first start of the year.

For his first outing on Sunday against the Miami Marlins, Showalter said he will be scheduled to throw about 90 pitches, depending on how the game goes.

So far this spring Senga threw 42 pitches in his first start against St. Louis. 47 in his next start, and 58 pitches on March 22 against the Astros. As stated above, he threw 72 on Monday.

Senga also spoke about his final outing of the spring and how he felt about his final time on the mound before it all counts.

“I thought I had pretty good control of my pitches and it went pretty well,” he responded.

Senga, the right-hander from Gamagori, Japan, gave up four runs on six hits and five walks in nine innings this spring (before Monday). He had 10 total strikeouts, and it seemed his primary goal was getting used to the different-sized MLB ball. He skipped a start earlier this spring when he felt soreness in his right index finger, though that pain quickly subsided.

While it was a good spring in Port St. Lucie, Senga has not quite adjusted to the Florida spring weather. During his post-game interview with the media on Monday, Senga joked about how hot it is in Florida. After leaving Port St. Lucie, he joked he hopes to go somewhere “with a little less sun.” Unfortunately, he will have to bear the sun for a few more days because the team opens the season in sunny South Florida in Miami. Though it will be sunny (and in a dome), he did say he’s excited about trying some of the restaurants in Miami.

He’ll surely be excited for his 2023 campaign to start, too. It’ll be a campaign that will see him be a front-runner for the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year.

The post Kodai Senga Is Ready For His First MLB Season appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Starling Marte. Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO

Time to get ready for the Marte Party!

Sunday afternoon was the final tune up in the Mets spring season, as the team prepares to begin another season of baseball on March 30th. One of those people who got the most out of their final few reps is Mets outfielder Starling Marte. Yesterday, Marte had a strong showing, contributing directly to two out of three runs scored by the Mets, by going 3-for-3, with two doubles, while driving in a run and scoring a run himself, in the Mets 3-3 tie against the Miami Marlins.

Starling Marte gets the Mets on the board with an RBI double pic.twitter.com/MnqrP2POxA

— SNY (@SNYtv) March 26, 2023

Marte’s success in spring training has been a pleasant development for the Mets, as he concludes with a fantastic slash line of .344/.361/.535, earning him a solid .924 OPS. Based on his performance in the spring, he appears to be fully healed and ready to compete in the upcoming regular season. Last season, Starling Marte played in 118 games for the Mets and displayed impressive stats in what was a stellar first season in NY, boasting a slash line of .292/.347/.468 with 16 home runs, 63 RBI, and 76 runs.

As he prepares for his second season of a lucrative four-year, $78 million contract with the Mets, the 34-year-old outfielder revealed that he had been experiencing leg pain for much of the 2022 season. Despite the discomfort, Marte opted to play through the pain during the final stretch of the season.  Marte was hit by a pitch in early September against the Pittsburgh Pirates that forced him to miss most of the month.

Marte was able to come back before the Mets Wild Card series versus San Diego, but was clearly not 100 percent. Additionally, in examining him, doctors discovered a slight separation in the tendons connecting the groin muscles, Further examination revealed potential wear on both sides, leading to surgery being performed on both groin muscles on November 1. There were legitimate concerns that Marte would not be ready for spring training and at worst, opening day.

After a slight delay at the start of spring due to lingering concerns of his surgery in November, Marte finally saw game action in the middle of March. During the Mets’ 10-4 exhibition loss to the Rays, he was hit in the left ear flap by a fastball from Rays pitcher Elvin Rodriguez that was clocked at 93 mph. Despite the severity of the impact, Marte was able to leave the field unaided. Following the incident, initial tests for a concussion returned negative, and Buck Showalter, the team’s manager, reported that Marte was fully coherent during conversations.

After the dust settled though and Marte was able to shake off the cobwebs, it looks as if he is ready for the upcoming season, as evident by his performance this spring as well as yesterday’s final tune up. The Mets cause for caution seems to have been the right move with Marte’s progression, as there hasn’t been a delay or set back since, all but earmarking him for Opening Day. Earlier in the spring, Marte played a full nine innings in right field for the first time, which may have convinced manager Buck Showalter that he is ready for the upcoming season. Showalter emphasized the importance of the final week and noted that Marte knows how crucial it is to be fully prepared and ready. Despite his decline in stolen bases last season, Marte still considers it a critical part of his game.

“I just kind of listened to what the trainers told me, what to do with my recovery, and I just followed it,” Marte said Saturday at Clover Park through an interpreter. “I feel my speed is good. I have stolen a couple of bases here so I feel like the operation, it helped, it worked and it feels good.”

The New York Mets will heavily rely on Marte this season, given his importance to the team’s success. Marte possesses strong plate discipline and is one of the team’s most consistent players when it comes to getting on base. If he can return to his previous base-stealing form, it would be a significant advantage and added boost for both him and the Mets this season.

As an experienced outfielder with exceptional speed and base-stealing abilities, Marte is a versatile player who can play a steady right field or center field in a pinch, as needed, making him a valuable asset to the Mets. A healthy Starling Marte will mean the world for this Mets club in 2023.

The post Starling Marte Ready For Regular Season appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Nolan Arenado. Photo via USA Today

Both USA and Puerto Rico are set to play their second games of the World Baseball Classic.

In game one for the United States, they defeated Great Britain 6-2. Adam Wainwright was credited with the win, and the USA was led by Kyle Schwarber and his two-run home run offensively.

Meanwhile, Puerto Rico defeated Nicaragua 9-1 on Saturday. Marcus Stroman picked up the win, and Mets’ shortstop Francisco Lindor had a two-hit, one RBI game.

Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico, 7:00 PM EST

Team Puerto Rico will look to start their tournament with a 2-0 record in Pool D. Lindor and former Mets’ infielder Javier Báez will have to contend with former Marlins’ starter Pablo López on the mound. Puerto Rico will turn to Jose Berrios.

Offensively, Venezuela (1-0) is led by Ronald Acuña Jr., Jose Altuve, and Luis Arráez. Current Mets’ third baseman Eduardo Escobar will bat ninth for the team.

The game will broadcast on Fox Sports 1.

USA vs. Mexico, 10:00 PM EST

USA will contend with a Mexico (0-1) team that lost to Columbia in extra innings on Saturday.

Nick Martinez is expected to get the start for USA. They will once again lead on a prolific offense led by Mike Trout Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, among others. In the first game, Jeff McNeil was hitless and Pete Alonso did not start.

As for Mexico, they will turn to Patrick Sandoval. Offensively, Mexico is led by Randy Arozarena, Joey Menses, and Isaac Paredes. Catcher Austin Barnes contributed a two-hit performance on Saturday as well.

The game will broadcast on FOX Sports 1.

The post WBC Game Thread: USA, Puerto Rico Ready For Game Two appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mark Vientos, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Good morning, Mets fans!

Abbey Mastracco of The Daily News is reporting that Mets prospect Mark Vientos could be an option anywhere in the infield. Vientos came with three different fielding gloves to player several different positions and could realistically be another first baseman option behind Alonso and current designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach.

“I’m ready to play in the big leagues every day,” Vientos told The Daily News.

Latest Mets News

Former pitching coach Phil Regan has filed a lawsuit against claiming age discrimination the New York Mets, according to TMZ.

Regan claims he was not hired as the main pitching coach following the 2019 season only because he was 82 at the time. He also alleged former general manager Brodie Van Wagenen called him “too old” and said the team would hire him back in 2020 “if we don’t find the young pitching coach we are looking for.” The Mets hired Jeremy Hefner that following offseason and has been with the team ever since.

Regan was a popular coach with pitchers in the clubhouse and the fanbase back when he was an interim pitching coach back in 2019 after taking over for fired pitching coach Dave Eiland. He turned the pitching staff around after the Eiland firing, dropping the staff’s overall ERA from 4.88 to 3.48 in the second half of the season. Jacob deGrom also won the Cy Young Award that season with the help of Regan.

Following the 2019 season, Regan has not held a role on any ballclub in the Major Leagues, but has served as a pitching coach in the Dominican Winter League.

Former Mets catcher and recent retiree René Rivera will go back to the ballpark, but as the manager for the Frederick Keys. Rivera announced the hiring on his Twitter account. The Frederick Keys are a part of the MLB Draft League. Rivera will serve as the 25th manager in Keys history and the third during the Keys’ MLB Draft League era.

MLB.com‘s Anthony DiComo recently interviewed some Mets players and coaches and asked if they thought first baseman Pete Alonso would be able to hit 60-plus home runs like local New Yorker Aaron Judge. Second baseman Jeff McNeil said Alonso “could do it” and Mets hitting coach Jeremy Barnes said Alonso “absolutely” has the ability to do so.

“That would be awesome to do that,” Alonso said. “But I just want to play my game, take what the game gives me. You’re just hoping for a few extra to fall over the other side of the fence.”

Latest MLB News

Deesha Thosar of FOX Sports reported that New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge will not participate in this year’s World Baseball Classic.

“It would be an honor to represent my country and play in that,” Judge told FOX Sports. “But my main goal is what I can do here in New York and what I can do to bring a championship back here. I think especially after signing a nine-year contract, for me, priorities are New York. Maybe four years down the road, hopefully I can still make the team and get an opportunity to play. But right now for me, my focus is here.”

Judge recently was named the 16th captain in the team’s history and has spent the past six weeks down in Tampa at the Yankees spring training facility. According to Yankees manager Aaron Boone, he has been coaching some of the other younger Yankees players and encouraging them to work out with him down there.

The Minnesota Twins are in agreement with free agent infielder Donovan Solano on a one-year, major league contract, pending a physical, a source tells The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal. The 35-year old Solano played 80 games for the Cincinnati Reds last season and hit for a .284 batting average.

Former Mets outfielder Tyler Naquin and the Milwaukee Brewers are in agreement to a minor league contract, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Naquin said in an interview that Daniel Vogelbach and pitcher Hunter Strickland highly recommended signing with the Brewers after splitting the 2022 season with the Reds and Mets.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Mike Soroka spoke this morning and said his hamstring issue is clearing up, according to Grant McAuley of 92.9 The Game. Soroka continued throwing at camp today with the next step being running. Soon, Soroka will get on the mound, throw bullpen sessions, then get back into games. The Braves will set a timetable for that soon.

Latest on MMO

Rivka Boord discusses the 2024 opt-out for pitcher Max Scherzer.

Johnluke Chaparro addresses Darin Ruf‘s struggles last season and his recent injury.

On This Date in Mets History

1966: Mets trade three players to the Phillies for Dick Stuart.

Birthdays: Tim Peterson (32), Chris Bassitt (34), Kelly Johnson(41), J.J. Putz (46)

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Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

When you go to watch the Mets play in Port St. Lucie during the month of March you could see a very different infield than the one that will start on Opening Day. First baseman Pete Alonso (USA), second baseman Jeff McNeil (USA), shortstop Francisco Lindor (Puerto Rico), and third baseman Eduardo Escobar (Venezuela) are all expected to play in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

The WBC will return for the first time since 2017 because the pandemic wiped out the scheduled 2021 iteration. The US beat Puerto Rico at Dodgers Stadium in 2017 to take first place in the last WBC with Japan finishing third and the Netherlands fourth. Former Met Marcus Stroman won the MVP as he helped Team USA win the 2017 WBC.

In addition to the infielders listed above, outfielder Starling Marte (Dominican Republic), infielder Mark Vientos (Nicaragua), and Edwin Díaz (Puerto Rico) round out the list of Mets players that have committed to playing in the WBC. Mets pitcher Yoan López has also indicated he might pitch for Team Cuba. Outfielder Brandon Nimmo played for Italy in 2017, veteran reliever David Robertson played for Team USA, and recently signed starter Kodai Senga played for Japan that year as well.

Former Mets legend Mike Piazza will manage Team Italy this time. Former Mets manager Jerry Manuel will be the bench coach for a USA team that has Mark DeRosa as manager, Ken Griffey Jr.as the hitting coach, and Andy Pettitte as the pitching coach.

The Mets will host Team Nicaragua on March 8 and Team Venezuela on March 9 at Clover Field in Port St. Lucie for exhibition games.

The WBC gets underway on March 8 with Pool A games taking place in Taiwan. Pool B then starts on March 9 in Japan, Pool C. The last two Pools, Pool C in Phoenix, Arizona, and Pool D in Miami, Florida will both start on March 11.

Here are the teams in each Pool:

Pool A

• Taiwan
• Cuba
• Netherlands
• Italy
• Panama

Pool B

• Japan
• Korea
• China
• Australia
• Czech Republic

Pool C

• USA
• Mexico
• Colombia
• Canada
• Great Britain

Pool D

• Dominican Republic
• Puerto Rico
• Venezuela
• Nicaragua
• Israel

The quarterfinals will take place in Japan and Miami with the rest of the tournament finishing in Miami including the championship on March 21. Fox Sports has the exclusive TV coverage of the tournament.

We will keep you updated on Mets players that will be participating in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

The post World Baseball Classic: Ready Or Not, Here It Comes appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Jacob deGrom is going to opt-out of the remainder of his contract with the Mets to become a free agent once the World Series is over despite missing significant time during the 2022 season.

One rival told Jon Heyman of the New York Post that the Texas Rangers will “pony up” for the star pitcher.

Down the stretch for the Mets, deGrom had an uncharacteristic 6.00 ERA over his final four regular season starts in which he allowed at least three runs in each of them. The two-time Cy Young winner bounced back to lead the Mets to their first postseason history since 2015 when he tossed six innings of two-run ball in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series.

DeGrom, 34, made his 2022 season debut on August 2 and proceeded to dominate with a 1.66 ERA and 63 strikeouts compared to only four walks in his first seven starts of the season. The Florida native’s overall numbers for the year in 11 starts were a 3.08 ERA, 2.13 FIP, 0.75 WHIP, and 102 strikeouts in 64 1/3 innings.

Despite deGrom having pitched only 156 innings over the past two seasons, he’s clearly still one of the top pitchers in Major League Baseball and could command a contract similar to the one Max Scherzer got from the Mets last year of three years, $130 million. Where that type of contract comes from remains to be seen, but there’s certainly going to be heavy interest all over the league in the Mets ace.

The Rangers made a big splash last season when they gave infielders Marcus Semien and Corey Seager $175 million and $325 million respectively. The signings didn’t stop the Rangers from losing 94 games this season led to the firing of manager Chris Woodward and president of baseball operations Jon Daniels. One of the biggest reasons for the Rangers only 68-win season was the 4.63 ERA they got from their starting pitchers. DeGrom would obviously feel an important need for the Rangers and also give a franchise trying to rebuild credibility as well.

The Rangers and Mets are just the start of a likely long list of teams that will eventually have interest in deGrom pitching for them in 2023 and beyond.

The post Rival: Rangers Ready to ‘Pony Up’ For Jacob DeGrom appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

According to a report by NJ Advance Media, the San Francisco Giants have targeted soon-to-be free agent Aaron Judge and are prepared to spend “whatever it takes” to get the slugger.

“Judge is at the top of the Giants list and they won’t be underbid,” according to the source.

Judge, 30, is coming off one of the best seasons in recent history with an American League record 62 home runs and a 10.6 bWAR in 157 games with the Yankees.

The outfielder was born in Linden, California about 90 minutes from San Francisco, and Judge grew up rooting for the Giants.

Before the season got underway, Judge turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million offer from the Yankees to stay in New York. It looks like Judge is now on pace to potentially break Mike Trout‘s average annual value salary record of $35.5 million.

Given Judge’s monster 2022 season and his reported asking price of ten years, $360 million before the season, you can expect Judge’s market to be limited to teams willing to open their checkbook like the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Texas Rangers, Yankees, and apparently the Giants.

The post Report: Giants Ready to Spend Big for Aaron Judge appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

3 UP

Batting Title

On July 13, Jeff McNeil was batting .297, and he received what would be his last day off for the 2022 season. From there, McNeil would hit .360/.406/.500 taking the batting title away from Freddie Freeman. The fans would demand a curtain call from McNeil after the moment was official.

For Mets fans and the entire Mets organization, there is extra meaning in taking this away from Freeman, who has tortured the Mets for years. Who knows? Maybe actually beating Freeman heading into the postseason is a good omen.

Concerning McNeil, this was a great end to what has been a great season for him. He was an All-Star, is in line for the first-ever utility player Gold Glove in Major League history, and he finished with the top bWAR on the team. Considering he won a batting title while playing three positions for this team, there is no doubt he was the most valuable player this season.

Álvarez’s First Blast

After looking over-matched in Atlanta, Francisco Álvarez came to the plate in the sixth inning, and he would homer in his first-ever at-bat at Citi Field. Suddenly, Álvarez did not look so over-matched.

In this series, he would go 2-for-4 with three runs, a double, a homer, RBI, and two walks. He looked like the hitter he had been in the minors all season long. As Gary Cohen put it, we could only imagine what he could have done if he was given a chance earlier in the season.

Looking at him in Atlanta, it was difficult to see how he could be carried on the postseason roster. In this series, he looked like a very viable option, and Buck Showalter would say as much.

Ready for the Postseason

Give this Mets team a lot of credit. They didn’t linger over getting swept by the Braves. Instead, they went right about getting their heads right and getting ready for the postseason.

In addition to Álvarez, we also saw Brandon Nimmo (twice), McNeil, Mark Canha, Francisco Lindor, and even James McCann homer. Every projected postseason starter reached base at least once including Eduardo Escobar (three walks) and Daniel Vogelbach (two walks).

The bullpen looked good with Joely Rodriguez continuing his strong stretch beginning in August. Mychal Givens pitched a scoreless inning coming off the IL.

Overall, to a man, the Mets made sure they were getting ready for the postseason. They beat up on a dreadful Nationals team and became just the second team in Mets history to win over 101 games. This looked like a team ready to take home the third World Series in team history.

3 DOWN

Where’s the Tiebreaker Game?

If we are being completely honest, chances are the Atlanta Braves handle that final series of the season differently if the National League East was truly on the line. That goes double for the second game of the season. Unfortunately, though, there are no more tiebreaker games.

That said, the Mets and Braves tying atop the division only highlights how some of the Rob Manfred lead changes to the game take some of the nostalgia and excitement out of the sport. Could you imagine if the Mets had to send Jacob deGrom or Max Scherzer to the mound in Atlanta on Thursday in a winner-take-all game for the division?

Alas, we are cheated that because recent rule changes unnecessarily did away with this game. It’s a shame.

Williams Not Rewarded

On the one hand, there is no way whatsoever the Mets could pitch deGrom or any other starter in the final game of the season. The Mets’ sole focus needed to be getting ready for the Wild Card series.

So yes, it was smart to use Trevor Williams, who did what he has done for the Mets all season. He absolutely delivered picking up the win after pitching six innings. It was another big moment for him, but it came at a cost.

With Williams pitching those six innings, that takes him out of the equation for the Wild Card Series. That is a shame not only because he earned it, but also because he was one of the Mets’ best relievers all season. Hopefully, the Mets find a way to put him back on the roster for the NLDS.

No Win for Taijuan

One of the most bizarre things we will see all season is Showalter removing Taijuan Walker in the fifth inning after Kenley Jansen closed out the game to officially end the Mets’ chances of winning the division. With Walker went several Mets starters.

As for Walker, he had already pitched four and one-third innings. He was just two outs away from his 13th win of the season. Why not let him just get those two outs? He earned that opportunity and picking up a sixth win in the second half a year after not winning a game in the second half last season would’ve only further punctuated this season for him.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Ready for Postseason appeared first on Metsmerized Online.