In Seattle for the final stop of a 10-game swing, the Mets were swept by the Mariners in an uncompetitive three-game series. New York was outscored 22-1 by the Mariners, culminating in a 12-1 whooping on Sunday Night Baseball.

As a result, the Mets finished the road trip a disappointing 4-6.

With Monday an off day before the team returns to Queens on Tuesday, now is the perfect time to unravel what went wrong in Seattle. It is time for another edition of 3 Up, 3 Down…

Photo Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

3 UP

STAYING ALIVE

This was a crushing road trip for the Mets. However, if you want a positive, they didn’t lose much ground in the Wild Card race. Despite being swept by the Mariners, New York remains just a half-game back of the Braves for the final Wild Card spot. Granted, both the Padres and the Diamondbacks are now four games ahead. However, the mission is just to get in. The fact that the Mets stayed close to Atlanta, despite stumbling on the road, should be seen as a huge positive. The Mets have 10 games left against the three teams ahead of them in the Wild Card race.

STAYING HOT

Okay, let’s be real. There are not many positives to rescue from the wreckage of the Seattle series. There just aren’t. However, Jeff McNeil continuing to swing the bat well is one. The veteran’s solo blast on Sunday snapped a 24-inning scoreless streak. That’s the longest scoreless streak by a Mets offense in 14 years.

Furthermore, McNeil’s homer continued what has been a strong stretch since the All-Star break. The lefty bat is now hitting .324/.358/.662/.1.020 in the second half with 16 runs scored, seven doubles, six homers and 14 RBIs. McNeil was the only bright spot for what was otherwise a totally non-competitive offense in Seattle.

GETTING BODIES BACK

I’m really scratching and clawing around for good things to say about the series against the Mariners. The brutal truth is they are too few and far between. However, there is at least some progress on the injury front right now. RHP Reed Garrett returned from the IL on Saturday and struck out the side in one sharp inning of work. Outfielder Starling Marte could return this weekend after ramping up his rehab assignments. Righty Dedniel Núñez will throw another bullpen session on Tuesday after throwing off the mound on Sunday. And RHP Christian Scott is expected to begin a throwing program this week in order to strengthen his arm.

So, overall, plenty of positives on the health front. Players are either back, close to being back and, in the case of Núñez and Scott, making hopeful strides in the right direction. That’s something to cling on to today, at least.

Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

3 DOWN

NO-SHOW

Remember the old no-show jobs in The Sopranos where mobsters were paid to not turn up to building sites and not to work? Well, the Mets offense was paid not to show up at all in Seattle. New York scored a grand total of just one run in three games against the Mariners. The team was riding an unwanted 24-inning scoreless streak before Jeff McNeil snapped it with a solo homer in the sixth inning. Yes, the Seattle pitching staff is elite. You could argue that it is the best in baseball. T-Mobile Park is also a dead zone for offense. However, to score just one run and record 17 hits is just beyond embarrassing. The offense was just non-competitive in all three games and there is no logical, reasonable excuse for that.

To paint an even worse picture, runners in scoring position continued to be a huge problem. The Mets went 0-for-8 with RISP on Sunday, 0-for-16 in the series, and they were shut out in consecutive games. Furthermore, since the All-Star break, New York ranks 18th in team OPS (.717), 17th in team batting average (.245), 16th in team OBP (.317), 22nd in home runs (26), 26th in average with RISP (.212), and 30th in average with two outs with RISP (.108). That neatly sums up the offensive woes the Mets have faced since the All-Star break. If they are to get the train back on track, there will need to be considerable improvement in all areas.

PITCHING HELL

While the Mets had no chance in Seattle because of the no-show from the offense, the pitching didn’t help either. Both the starting rotation and the bullpen endured tough moments against the Mariners. Luis Severino suffered a second straight bad start, allowing two home runs and four earned runs in five innings on Sunday. He now owns an ugly 9.69 ERA in his last three starts. Sean Manaea was arguably worse, giving up five walks and three earned runs on four hits in just three innings on Saturday. The same can be said for José Quintana, who allowed five earned runs and a homer on four hits in his start on Friday. That’s a combined total of 12 earned runs from three starters in three games. Not great.

As for the bullpen, they had their moments with a couple of bright spots here and there. However, Adam Ottavino allowed a two-run single that blew the game open in Friday’s series opener. It got uglier on Sunday. A lot uglier. Ottavino and Ryne Stanek combined to give up six runs in a nightmare sixth inning. Then, just to add more misery, Danny Young allowed two runs in the seventh to cap off a miserable night and a horrible series. It was a horrific weekend for the offense, but it was also a terrible series for the pitching too.

UNWANTED OBSTACLE 

Mark Vientos was a late scratch from the lineup on Sunday. The slugging third baseman is battling a sore left ankle. While the Mets aren’t too concerned, Vientos has clearly been playing hurt as of late. He went a combined 1-for-7 in the first two games against Seattle. With other members of the lineup hitting slumps, the Mets can’t afford to lose Vientos. Heck, they can’t even afford to have him at limited capacity. Hitting .270/.324/.536/.859 with 17 home runs and 44 RBIs, Vientos being unhindered and at the full peak of his powers will be crucial for New York.

The post 3 Up, 3 Down: Mets Endure House Of Horrors In Seattle appeared first on Metsmerized.

Prior to Friday’s game, Carlos Mendoza told reporters that Reed Garrett feels “really good,” and the reliever has joined the team in Seattle. Garrett has not pitched since July 9 with elbow inflammation, and he was an integral member of the Mets’ bullpen prior to that, owning a 3.64 ERA in 36 games this year. His return should continue to stabilize a Mets bullpen which has pitched better lately.

Photo by Roberto Carlo

Latest Mets News

The Mets lost to the Mariners 6-0 in the series opener in Seattle on Friday. Jose Quintana allowed five runs in 6 2/3 innings while the offense failed to score a run.

The Mets and Mariners continue their series on Saturday at 9:40 p.m. ET. Sean Manaea (8-4, 3.30 ERA), who has pitched brilliantly lately, will go up against Logan Gilbert (6-8, 3.05 ERA).

Carlos Mendoza also mentioned when speaking to reporters prior to Friday’s game that Christian Scott is symptom-free in his elbow and could begin a throwing program as early as next week.

Starling Marte is set to continue his rehab assignment on Sunday for Double-A Binghamton. Marte has appeared in two rehab games with Low-A St. Lucie where he went 2-for-5 with a home run.

Latest MLB News

The Giants optioned closer Camilo Doval to Triple-A in a surprising move despite having a rough year. Doval, who has been one of the best closers in baseball in recent seasons, has just a 4.70 ERA with a 1.614 WHIP this year; Doval’s ERA in his last 18 games is a brutal 6.48.

The Orioles signed infielder Jean Segura to a minor league deal. Segura has not played with a major league or minor league team yet this year after he recorded a .556 OPS in Miami last year.

The Pirates DFA’d former Met Josh Walker. The reliever was sent to Pittsburgh in a minor deal at the deadline and allowed two runs in his lone appearance for Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate.

Latest on MMO

In the latest Mets Minors Recap, Michael Mayer writes about home runs from Starling Marte and Luke Ritter.

Michael Famulari breaks down the two home runs from Pete Alonso that helped propel the Mets to victory on Thursday.

Jack Markowski talks about the Mets’ tough decisions that are coming up with several bullpen arms soon to return from injury.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Anthony Banda (31), Wilson Ramos (37), Matt den Dekker (37), Brandon Lyon (45)

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According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the pitch-clock rules that have been in effect for the 2023 regular season will remain the same for the playoffs. Passan reports that MLB’s owner-led executive council told the league’s competition committee that they would not propose any changes prior to the postseason despite players expressing hope for more time between pitches. By all measures, the pitch-clock rules in year one have been a massive success, with the average time of games down and no significant changes to the game itself. The postseason will now officially use the same rules.

Latest Mets News

The Mets defeated the Mariners 2-1 on Friday night. Kodai Senga had another phenomenal outing, going seven innings and striking out 12 while allowing just one run. Ronny Mauricio impressed in his major league debut with two hits including a 117.3 miles-per-hour double, and Daniel Vogelbach recorded the go-ahead RBI.

2023 third-round draft pick and two-way player Nolan McLean made his pro pitching debut on Friday for the St. Lucie Mets. McLean pitched 1 1/3 innings and allowed a run, with his fastball topping out at 98 miles per hour and his breaking ball reaching 3151 revolutions per minute.

Scott Engel of The Game Day spoke to several former and current Mets players and coaches about the tradition of fantasy football within the franchise.

The Mets were named the winner of the 2023 USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Travel award contest for Best Stadium Food.

The Mets invited the Mariners to visit the Engine 301/Ladder 150 firehouse in Queens in honor of the 22nd anniversary of 9/11. The teams toured the firehouse, provided lunch, and donated tickets to Friday night’s game.

Latest MLB News

Alden González of ESPN wrote about Ronald Acuña Jr.‘s rushed wedding ceremony in Los Angeles the day he became the first 30-home run, 60-stolen base player in MLB history.

JJ Cooper of Baseball America wrote about the tweaks MLB is making to the automated strike zone being used in Triple-A.

Yankees’ prospect Jasson Domínguez hit a home run in his first big league at-bat against Justin Verlander on Friday night. Austin Wells, another top Yankee prospect who was called up along with Domínguez, recorded his first big league hit in his first at-bat as well.

Latest on MMO

In the latest Mets Minors Recap, Sean Kenny highlights strong performances in Binghamton from Drew Gilbert and Joander Suarez.

Michael Mayer wrote about the report from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal that the Mets might be a landing spot for Craig Counsell this offseason.

Colby Morris profiled the newly called up Ronny Mauricio.

On the latest MMO Weekly, Michael Mayer and Sal Manzo talked about Mauricio, the Mets’ front office shakeup, and more.

Jack Markowski projects the Mets’ lineup for the rest of the 2023 season.

On This Date in Mets History

1965: The Mets retired Casey Stengel‘s number 37 just days after he retired as manager, making his number the first retired in the history of the New York Mets.

The post Morning Briefing: MLB Pitch Clock Rules To Remain The Same For Playoffs appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mauricio made an emphatic statement in his first plate appearance as a major leaguer. Leading off the bottom of the third inning, he smoked a ball into right field at 117.3 miles-per-hour which resulted in a standup double. He wound up advancing to third base but was unable to score as Logan Gilbert set down the Mets’ 1-2-3 hitters in order. Mauricio recorded another hit later in the game, a ground ball up the middle, giving him two hits in what was an impressive debut.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets’ starter for the game was Kodai Senga, who had the tough task of pitching against a Mariners team that just set a franchise record for most wins in a month (21 wins in August). However, Senga made the hottest team in baseball look anything but. Outside of allowing a J.P. Crawford solo home run in the fourth inning, Senga looked very comfortable, even in high-pressure situations. With two on and nobody out in the sixth inning, he managed to strike out the next three batters to get out of the inning.

Senga stayed on for the seventh inning but the Mariners threatened to put themselves ahead after Teoscar Hernández led off the inning with a double. Senga worked around it though, striking out two more Mariners batters to keep the game tied. That finished his outing, and it was a brilliant one. Over seven innings and 104 pitches, Senga allowed just five hits, two walks, one run, and struck out 12. He lowered his season ERA from 3.17 to 3.08, putting him right behind Blake Snell and Justin Steele for the third-best ERA in the National League.

For the bulk of the game, it appeared as though another phenomenal start by Senga would be wasted with his opposite number, Gilbert, pitching a shutout through five innings. Brandon Nimmo finally put the Mets on the board, though, as he led off the sixth inning with a solo homer, his 20th of the season, to put the Mets even with the Mariners at one apiece.

Both starters exited the game with the game still tied, pinning the rest of the game on the bullpens. Phil Bickford did his job by throwing a scoreless eighth inning, giving the Mets a chance to take a late lead with flamethrower Andrés Muñoz on the mound for Seattle in the bottom of the inning. That’s exactly what happened, with smart baserunning by Francisco Lindor paving the way.

Lindor led off the inning with a single before stealing a base, his 25th of the year which ties a career-high. Lindor then advanced to third base on a wild pitch by Muñoz, allowing him to be driven in on an opposite-field RBI single by Daniel Vogelbach. That gave the Mets the lead for the first time all night, giving the team the chance to close it out in the ninth inning.

The Mets sent out Drew Smith, who entered the game with three home runs given up in 11 innings in the month of August, to try to record the save. Smith walked Cal Raleigh to lead off the inning but made up for it with an impressive pickoff move to record the first out. After recording the second out of the inning easily, Smith gave up a single but subsequently struck out Ty France to record his third save of the season and give the Mets a tough 2-1 win. With the win, the Mets improved to 62-73 on the year.

Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Game

In his first game in the big leagues, Ronny Mauricio is the player of the game. Not only did he look comfortable at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a scorching double, he also looked comfortable in the field, finding himself in the middle of several crucial plays. The hope is that he can keep up this performance down the stretch, as the Mets will get to see what they have in their highly-touted prospect.

Stat of the Game

According to Sarah Langs, Ronny Mauricio’s 117.3 miles-per-hour double in the third inning was the hardest-hit first career hit by any player in the Statcast era (since 2015). Not only that, it was also the hardest-hit ball in play by any Met during the entire 2023 season. With one swing of the bat, Mauricio demonstrated the power he possesses that Mets fans will be hoping to see more of during the final month of the season.

On Deck

The series between the Mets and Mariners continues at 7:10 p.m. ET Saturday evening. David Peterson (3-7, 5.23 ERA) will take the mound for the Mets, looking to continue his stretch of strong performances. Luis Castillo (11-7, 3.01 ERA), one of the frontrunners for the American League Cy Young Award, will be on the mound for the Mariners. The game will be broadcast on SNY.

The post Mauricio Impresses in Mets’ 2-1 Win Over Mariners appeared first on Metsmerized.

Kodai Senga. Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

On a night where everything seemed to go wrong for the New York Mets, right-handed starter Kodai Senga was still able to deliver a strong individual performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He threw six innings against a potent lineup, allowing just one run to score on four hits while striking out nine. Unfortunately for Senga, the offense was unable to provide him with any kind of run support, as the Mets fell 5-1.

His most difficult inning with the top of the sixth, when three of the first four hitters reached base. With the bases loaded and one out, Senga dug deep, striking out All-Star J.D. Martinez and getting David Peralta to ground out to keep the game tied.

“I know that I needed to hold them to a zero there, because it was right after we scored and tied the game up. “I didn’t want to lose momentum for the team, so to be able to get out of that was big, Senga said.”

Senga’s last two starts just go to show how far he has come in his first major league season. He has only allowed two runs over his last 14 innings, lowering his ERA from 3.53 to 3.20. This recent run just furthers the point that Senga deserved to be in Seattle for All-Star week. Without him, who knows how far the Mets would be out of the playoff race.

“I think the biggest part is I am able to play against these hitters, not just against the ball,” Senga said. “I am able to throw with more confidence. I can face them and not the ball.” At this point, it is pretty clear what he means to this organization. Senga is the best starting pitcher on the roster, even with Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander in the same clubhouse.

The Mets will look to salvage the final game of the series against the Dodgers on Sunday, as Scherzer faces off against young right-hander Bobby Miller. First pitch is estimated to be at 5:10 pm ET at Citi Field.

The post Kodai Senga Continues His Excellent Rookie Season appeared first on Metsmerized.

Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners have acquired second baseman Kolten Wong from the Milwaukee Brewers for Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Winker, who had been shopped by the Mariners all offseason, had the worst season of his career in 2022. He slashed .219/.344/.344/.688 with the Mariners and recorded a 103 OPS+. Winker also saw his average exit velocity drop from 90.6 in 2021 to 87.5 in 2022.

Toro, who presumably will take over for Wong at second base, has never put together a full season in MLB. He recorded a career-high 109 games played in 2022 and slashed an abysmal .185/.239/.324/.563. However, Toro is only 25 years old and was one of the hottest prospects in baseball in 2019. He can play second base, third base, and the corner outfield positions.

Wong, on the other hand, is heading to Seattle after having the best offensive season of his career. The Hawaiian slugged a career-high 15 home runs and recorded a career-high 118 OPS+. While Wong has been known for his stellar defense in the past, he was horrendous in 2022 and registered -9 outs above average.

Along with Winker and Toro, the Mariners are also sending the Brewers $1.75 million in cash. This money will help pay off the $8.25 million that Winker is owed in 2023.

This trade is beneficial for both organizations. The Brewers are hoping that Winker returns to the player that averaged a slugging percentage of .504 and 129 OPS+ in Cincinnati. The Mariners, on the other hand, are clearing up a corner outfield position after acquiring Teoscar Hernandez earlier in the offseason. Plus, for Seattle, it continues to be an aggressive offseason for an organization that is looking to take the next steps in its maturation process after finally making the playoffs in 2022 following one of the longest postseason droughts in all of sports.

Per sources, the deal is agreed upon but not finalized. The medicals are being reviewed and Winker is coming off two surgeries.

The post Mariners Acquire Wong from Brewers for Winker, Toro appeared first on Metsmerized.

Quick! Without cheating – how many home runs has Edwin Díaz given up this season?

Man, it feels like a million. There was of course that one against Marcell Ozuna to blow the game against the Braves.

And oh, who could forget the demoralizing two-run shot by Aaron Hicks when he blew the game against the hated Yankees. 

And yeah, then there was… Actually, that was it. Two home runs this season. It seems Mets fans have been overly sensitized to Edwin Díaz’s blunders here in his second year in Flushing. And rightfully so – after being acquired in the now-infamous trade with Seattle, he’s been a huge disappointment, exacerbated by the superstar-type development Mets fans have seen from Jarred Kelenic, who was sent to the Mariners in the deal.

You guessed it – there’s a catch. The guy on the right is Edwin Díaz’s 2018 with Seattle. The guy on the left is his 2020 with the New York Mets. It may be inconvenient for the Twitter jokes, and hard to tell through the availability bias involved any time he gives up a game-tying dinger, but Díaz’s improvement this season has been extremely stark. His FIP (fielding-independent measure of ERA), when charted as a moving average for stability, has dropped off a cliff this season, back to 2018 levels:

His strikeout rate has stayed consistent – his best in years:

And perhaps his biggest plague since coming to Flushing, his home run rate, has fallen precipitously since the beginning of the new season, undoing a sad and steady rise throughout a full year in 2019:

Last year, when trying to diagnose just what Díaz’s problem was, I posited that his biggest issue might be his loss in confidence in his slider, his finishing pitch. And yes, throughout last season, he was throwing his deadly slider less and less by the day, at one point throwing it less than 20% of the time. This actually continued a disturbing trend that began in 2018 with the Mariners, but since that doesn’t fit the LOLMets narrative, we don’t need to harp on it.

Point is, those numbers have really normalized this year, and his attack has been just as balanced as it was in early-to-mid-2018:

The results have been palpable. I already showed you side-by-side Statcast profiles from these two elite seasons, but things look even more stark with more Fangraphs… well… graphs. Look at how his rolling hard-hit percentage and soft-hit percentage really just shoot apart throughout his disastrous 2019, before almost immediately calming down to 2018 levels this season:

Of course, for many reading this article now, no amount of nerdy graphs and charts can change what the eye test has showed them. He can’t show up in the big moments, he can’t be trusted with the game on the line… some even go as far as saying he should never close a game for the Mets again.

But has he really crumbled in these big moments? Sure, we’ve already seen a couple of examples, but on the whole, the numbers again don’t fit the narrative. The general understanding seems to be that he can’t come in and lock down a tough situation, but Díaz’s LOB% (left on base percentage) of 90.1% is by far the highest of his career, and ranks 3rd in MLB among relievers who have thrown at least as many innings as he has.

The question for the Mets, really, is – what’s the alternative? Díaz leads all qualified Mets relievers this season in WAR, K/9 FIP, and xFIP, and is 2nd in ERA. Sure, his save stats don’t look great – he’s blown 3 saves in 5 chances. But those stats are highly context-driven for a pitcher, almost to the extent of wins and losses, which are finally losing favor among even the non-analytically driven community. After all, last season he successfully saved 26 of 33 chances – would anyone say he had a great year?

Díaz is still just 26, has two more years of cheap arbitration control for the Mets, and is probably their best reliever under contract (especially if Seth Lugo will be a starter for the immediate future). Even if we don’t buy into the idea that Díaz might back to his old self, we should give him credit for the undeniable and significant strides he’s made this year, basically from the opening pitch. 

The post Edwin Diaz Looking More Like Old Self appeared first on Metsmerized.

Orlando Ramirez/USA TODAY Sports

What were you doing when you were 21? With all due respect, it probably wasn’t as exciting as the show Fernando Tatis Jr. is putting on nightly in San Diego.

In just his second major league season, the dynamic shortstop, barely old enough to sip an adult beverage to celebrate his success, is the clear-cut headliner of baseball’s youth movement.

Tatis has picked up in 2020 where he left off in 2019 — halfway through the shortened season, the Padres star leads the majors with 12 home runs, 29 RBI, and 29 runs on the league’s second-highest scoring offense.

Though he’s only 114 games into what should be a long career, his own manager has resorted to cross-sport analogies to describe just how dominant he’s been.

“We’ve got a No. 1 NFL wide receiver, we’ve got a point guard in the NBA, we’ve got a world-class FIFA soccer player, maybe an anchor on a 4×4 Olympic team,” first-year Padres manager Jayce Tingler said.

The home runs are majestic:

Fernando Tatis Jr.

Tell your friends. pic.twitter.com/qO6s2X71sm

— Slam Diego Padres (@Padres) August 9, 2020

The defensive plays are exceptional:

Fernando Tatis Jr. just took a hit away from Jose Altuve and turned it into two outs pic.twitter.com/S3k2IehxKv

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 23, 2020

And at 21, he’s just getting started.

But Tatis isn’t the only exciting young player to put his name on the map this season. Here are a few others.

Kyle Lewis, SEA

Success is expected from first-round draft picks. It wasn’t that simple with Lewis.

In just his second month as a pro, Lewis, the Mariners’ 11th-overall selection in 2016, suffered a nasty knee injury that cast serious doubt on his major league future and led to a meticulous recovery path. Entering 2019, he had averaged just 55 games per year.

Despite a lackluster Double-A debut last season, Seattle trusted Lewis’ ability to make the jump to the majors and promoted him in September.

Though he only took 75 plate appearances, he flashed his tantalizing power potential, homering on 40% (6/15) of his fly balls. The qualified major league leader, Christian Yelich, posted a 32.8% mark.

Lewis, 25, has been given the keys to the Mariners’ everyday center field job in 2020 and has done nothing but run with it. His 189 wRC+ is fifth among 158 qualifiers.

The #Mariners are not good.

Kyle Lewis on the other hand, is very, very good.

This home run, his 5th of the season comes off a Ross Stripling 92mph fastball on the black. 411 feet. Left the bat at 104mph. 💣💣💣💣💣 pic.twitter.com/iJd9EvwT5L

— Joe (@JoeDoyleMiLB) August 18, 2020

Defense? Defense.

We know he can mash, but Kyle Lewis is pretty good in the outfield, too. pic.twitter.com/C8sjeclh3V

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 19, 2020

Between Lewis and Jarred Kelenic, Seattle’s outfield should be locked down for years to come.

Quinn Harris/USA TODAY Sports

Luis Robert, CWS

Prospects are generally overhyped in this day and age, but few things are more exciting than a young player meeting expectations from the jump.

Robert, who turned pro in Cuba at just 15, commanded a $26 million bonus in 2017 and was immediately billed as the future face of the White Sox alongside fellow Cuban Yoan Moncada and Dominican power bat Eloy Jimenez.

After those two became regulars in 2019, Robert, 23, has burst onto the scene in 2020. He’s proven to be a true threat on both sides of the ball, ranking in the 95th percentile in barrel rate and posting 4 outs above average in center, both per Statcast.

Luis Robert recorded his first career multi-homer game last night! His second home run traveled an estimated 433 feet with a 115.5 mph exit velocity, the highest EV by a White Sox at home in the @statcast era (since 2015). pic.twitter.com/DT3KqEkYfN

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 18, 2020

It would only be playing into the aforementioned hype, but Robert could develop into a true five-tool star. Among 141 players with 25 competitive runs this year, his sprint speed ranks fifth at 29.1 feet/second.

Robert, Moncada, Jimenez, Abreu, Grandal, Anderson. The White Sox make a compelling case for the most exciting lineup in baseball.

Trent Grisham, SD

Is it fair that two Padres made this list? Probably not. Slam Diego doesn’t care.

Joining Tatis in the top-ten of the Fangraphs WAR leaderboard is Grisham, a 23-year-old offseason acquisition from the Milwaukee Brewers. At 1.5 wins above replacement through 29 games, he’s tied with Mookie Betts and Bryce Harper.

Without a path to a starting job in Milwaukee, Grisham has thrived in San Diego. So far, he’s impressed with his glove:

Yeah, yeah, but we still need to put respect on Trent Grisham’s name. 🌟#FriarFaithful pic.twitter.com/CGqA6KVWgl

— Slam Diego Padres (@Padres) July 31, 2020

His power (92nd percentile barrel rate) has been waiting to break out. It did just that on Saturday, providing Grisham with three home runs against the Astros.

Trent Grisham is hitting so many HRs he’s been having to use sign language when rounding the bases 😂 Can the @Padres lead off man keep slugging in the series finale?!#FriarFaithful | @TrentGrisham pic.twitter.com/HdtITfvHNf

— Fox Sports Slam Diego (@FOXSportsSD) August 23, 2020

Something special is happening in SoCal.

Other names to know:

Brandon Lowe (TB): 26 yrs, .313/.394/.708, 195 wRC+
Cavan Biggio (TOR): 25 yrs, .272/.402/.522, 154 wRC+
Alex Verdugo (BOS): 24 yrs, .298/.365/.543, 139 wRC+

The post Tatis, Young Hitters Continue to Take MLB by Storm appeared first on Metsmerized.

The New York Mets made two minor league signings on Thursday, bringing in relief pitcher Arquimedes Caminero and outfielder Rymer Liriano on non-guaranteed deals, as per a team release. Both received an invite to major league camp.

The organization’s outfield depth chart was desperately bare in the upper-levels before this offseason.

So far, Mets general manager Brodie Van Wagenen has done all he can to solidify that aspect, bringing in Rajai Davis and Gregor Blanco on minor-league deals. Adding a former Top-50 prospect in Liriano can’t hurt.

The 27-year-old Dominican native signed with the Padres as a 16-year-old in 2007, then bounced around the league after being traded to Milwaukee in 2016 (White Sox, Angels, back to the Brewers).

Over 150 major league plate appearances, Liriano has a .220/.293/.287 slash line. Though, his MiLB line is a bit more flattering.

Over nine minor league seasons, the outfielder has a .272/.346/.436 slash line, including a .253/.342/.472, 20 home run, 59 RBI (in 404 plate appearances) Triple-A campaign split between Salt Lake and Colorado Springs.

Caminero, 31, last pitched in the majors in 2016 (Seattle and Pittsburgh), owning a 3.56 ERA over 18 relief appearances.

The 31-year-old was a flamethrower the last time we saw him in the majors. As per Fangraphs, the average velocity of his fastball in 2015 and 2016 was 99 MPH and 98.7 MPH, respectively.

Since 2017, the Dominican native has played for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan’s Central League.

In 2017, Caminero had an outstanding year, pitching to a 2.42 ERA with a 1.247 WHIP, 67 strikeouts, and 23 walks over 63 innings (57 appearances).

He pitched in just 20 games in 2018 for the Giants, suffering a sever dip in efficiency (6.27 ERA, 1.768 WHIP, 21 strikeouts, eight walks).

The Mets also signed catcher Dustin Houle, right-handed pitcher Casey Coleman and infielder Arismendy Alcantara to minor league deals.

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The way you hear critics of the Robinson Cano trade talk about the second baseman’s age, you’d think he was Bartolo Colon.

Well, Mets fans are lucky that Cano is not Colon. He’s younger, more statistically elite, and not as big — or sexy, for that matter. He is just two years removed from a top-ten MVP finish and has missed the All-Star Game just twice in the last nine seasons.

But this has not stopped the critics from suggesting that at 36, the Cano the Mets traded for will not resemble the Cano that played for the Yankees or even the Mariners. Critics have also pointed out that the five years and $120 million remaining on Cano’s monster deal (negotiated in part by one Brodie Van Wagenen) could become a major albatross on the Mets’ relatively minuscule payroll in years to come.

While the wisdom of parting with two of your top four prospects for Cano (and let’s not forget about Edwin Diaz, who was arguably baseball’s best closer last season) is certainly debatable — and the $120 million on Cano’s contract is certainly a *bit* more than you’d want to be paying a guy his age — let’s not pretend that he’s a latter-day Julio Franco. Cano is still an elite offensive second baseman, and his recent track record indicates that he’s still more than capable of being a solid middle-of-the-order hitter.

Since signing with the Mariners before the 2014 season, Cano has been one of the rare players who has not skipped a single beat after cashing in on a big contract. During his M’s tenure, Cano ranked third among all second basemen in home runs (107), sixth in runs (389), fifth in batting average (.296), and seventh in on-base percentage (.353). He finished top-ten among second basemen in fWAR in each of his seasons in Seattle, save for last year’s suspension-shortened season.

Further, Cano’s stats with the Mariners were roughly the same as they were with the Yankees. Cano batted .309/.355/.504 in Pinstripes, and .296/.353/.472 with Seattle. And after adjusting for park factors, he actually fared slightly better with the Mariners: His 129 OPS+ in Seattle is higher than his 126 career figure with the Yankees.

And while Cano certainly isn’t Roberto Alomar… wait, bad example. While Cano certainly isn’t Joe Morgan defensively, metrics indicate that he’s still an above-average defender. Cano posted a 0.3 dWAR in 80 games last year and has posted a positive number in that category in four of his five years in Seattle. Cano also saved nine defensive runs above the league average last season; he has saved below the league average just once in the last ten years. You can do a lot worse than Cano defensively.

All the talk about Cano “not hustling” is sort of moot when Cano puts up numbers like this. The fact that he continues to play at an elite level despite having a $240 million fully-guaranteed contract suggests that “hustle” seems to be a fairly small barrier to Cano excelling on the field.

None of this, of course, means that the Mets’ trade for Cano is necessarily a good trade — in fact, it’s certainly troubling on a number of levels, especially considering the potential Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn both have. But the notion that Cano has nothing left in the tank is not established by recent statistics. Optimistic Mets fans (if they still exist) have a lot of material to savor in Cano’s recent seasons if they want to get excited about 2019.

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