In some surprising news, right-hander Shane Bieber has opted into his contract with the Blue Jays for 2026, as first reported by the New York Post‘s Jon Heyman. The 30-year-old will forgo the open market and a $4 million buyout in favor of a $16 million salary for next season.

Bieber recorded a 3.57 ERA over 40 1/3 regular-season innings and followed that up with a decent postseason, including a Game 1 AL Wild Card start in which he allowed just one run across 7 2/3 innings against the Rays.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

The Mets announced several minor roster moves on Tuesday. The most notable were the re-signing of Brandon Waddell and the no-brainer decision to exercise Brooks Raley’s $4.75 million club option. However, the team also declined its $2 million option on longtime Met Drew Smith and added right-handed bullpen depth by acquiring Joey Gerber from the Rays.

In the Arizona Fall League, the Scottsdale Scorpions lost a 21-14 slugfest. Chris Suero had three hits for the Scorpions, while Nick Morabito had two. Bryce Jenkins pitched a scoreless inning — the only Scottsdale pitcher, out of seven who pitched in the game, to not allow a run.

Latest MLB News

Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the Orioles have re-acquired Andrew Kittredge from the Cubs in exchange for cash considerations. Kittredge, 35, registered a 3.40 ERA in 2025 and will earn a $9 million salary in 2026.

Yu Darvish announced Tuesday that he underwent UCL surgery last week and will miss the entire 2026 season.

The Tigers are finalizing the hires of Anthony Sanders and Cody Asche from the Orioles, according to Cody Stavenhagen and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic. Sanders is expected to become Detroit’s first-base coach, while Asche will join as an assistant hitting coach. Asche, who spent the past few seasons on Baltimore’s staff, previously played for the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate back in 2018.

The White Sox are set to hire Derek Shomon as the hitting coach and Zach Bove as pitching coach under manager Will Venable, replacing Marcus Thames and Ethan Katz. The team also confirmed Matt Wise will return as bullpen coach.

Harrison Bader has officially declined his end of a $10 million club option, per a team announcement from the Phillies.

The Arizona Fall League announced the participants and a new format for its Home Run Derby, set for Saturday, Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m. MT at Sloan Park. The field includes Esmerlyn Valdez and Tony Blanco Jr. (Pirates), Tommy White (Athletics), Ethan Petry (Nationals), Luke Adams (Brewers), Thomas Sosa (Orioles), Ryan Galanie (White Sox), and Parks Harber (Giants).

The Kansas City Royals have signed veteran catcher Salvador Perez to a two-year, $25 million extension, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com.

The Padres declined contract options for Kyle Hart, Tyler Wade, and Elias Diaz following disappointing 2025 seasons, as first reported by Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Sports Association. Hart struggled to the tune of a 5.86 ERA after returning to the U.S., while Wade and Diaz barely surpassed the Mendoza line.

Latest on MMO

Patrick Glynn grades defensive wizard Tyrone Taylor‘s season.

Huascar Brazobán has received a C grade for his 2025 season.

On This Date in Mets History

2007: David Wright and Carlos Beltrán win Gold Glove Awards for the second consecutive season.

2015: Matt Harvey is named the NL Comeback Player of the Year after a strong return from Tommy John surgery. The former ace recorded a 2.71 ERA across 29 regular-season starts in 2015.

Born on This Date: Jim Bethke (1946), Mike Bishop (1958), José Santiago (1974).

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Position: SP, B/T: R/R
Player Data: Age: 29 (05/31/1995)

2024 Traditional Stats: 2 GS, 12.0 IP, 0.00 ERA, 0.917 WHIP, 2-0, 20 SO, 1 BB
2024 Advanced Stats: 44.4% K%, 2.2% BB%, 2.66 xERA, 0.08 FIP, 0.59 xFIP, 0.8 fWAR

2023 Traditional Stats: 21 GS, 128.0 IP, 3.80 ERA, 1.234 WHIP, 6-6, 107 SO, 34 BB
2023 Advanced Stats: 112 ERA+, 20.1% K%, 6.4% BB%, 4.83 xERA, 3.87 FIP, 3.96 xFIP, 2.1 fWAR

Rundown

Shane Bieber has only represented the Cleveland Guardians in his six-year big league career. He debuted in 2018, pitching to a 4.55 ERA. However, Bieber proved his dominance in his sophomore campaign, posting a 3.28 ERA in 33 starts with 259 strikeouts and threw three complete games with two of those being shutouts. He placed fourth in American League (AL) Cy Young voting and was named to his first All-Star team, where he was also named the All-Star Game MVP in his home ballpark.

Bieber’s best season came in the shortened 2020 campaign, where he became a Triple Crown winner. In 12 starts, he won a league-high eight games, posted a league-best 1.83 ERA across 77 1/3 innings, and struck out a league-high 122 batters. Not only did he earn a Cy Young, but he placed fourth in AL MVP voting after coming in first in the AL in ERA+ (273) and first in all of baseball in FIP (2.07) and strikeouts per nine innings (14.2).

Injuries plagued Bieber’s 2021 season in Cleveland. He made only 16 starts (including Opening Day) and threw 96 2/3 innings, posting a 3.17 ERA. Even though he spent most of the season on the 60-day injured list, he was named an All-Star. He returned to his dominant ways in 2022, eclipsing the 200-inning mark for the first time since 2019, and won a Gold Glove while placing seventh in AL Cy Young voting. However, injuries followed in 2023 and 2024, with Tommy John surgery effectively ending his 2024 campaign after only two solid starts (12 innings, 20 strikeouts, one walk, 10 hits, zero runs allowed).

The right-handed starter relies on five pitches: a four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, knuckle-curve, and cutter. Never a flamethrower, his fastball topped at around 94.3 mph in 2020. However, in 2023, his velocity hit a career-low 89.2 mph. While this is cause for concern, it did tick back up to 91.0 mph in his brief two starts in 2024 before a torn UCL in his throwing arm took him out for the season.

Bieber had been dealing with elbow inflammation as early as the 2023 surgery, missing another significant chunk of the season. While he hit “career-lows” not seen since his rookie year, he still pitched to a 3.80 ERA and struck out 107 batters. Bieber has excelled at limiting walks, never giving up more than 40 in a season (2019). He walked a career-low 8.1% of batters in 2021, still ranking in the 52nd percentile in the league. After that, he’s never ranked lower than the 80th percentile in walk percentage in a season.

Overall, healthy, Bieber is a pitcher who does not walk many while relying on nasty stuff to get swing-and-misses and subsequently several strikeouts. Health is certainly a concern, as he has thrown more than 130 innings in two of his seven big league seasons. However, a healthy Bieber, and one that represents more of his pre-2023 self, is one of the better pitchers in the majors.

Photo by David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Contract

MLB Trade Rumors predicts Bieber will net a one-year, $12 million contract this offseason. Most importantly, Bieber will not be ready until around the trade deadline in 2025. For any team that signs him, it’s the equivalent of acquiring a player at the trade deadline to help boost their chances of making the playoffs.

While some teams might take a gamble and offer him a two-year deal (potentially including an option), Bieber will likely only seek a one-year deal to try to up his stock for the following offseason in hopes of scoring a lucrative multi-year deal.

Recommendation

The Mets’ rotation is thin in 2025. This is an understatement. Kodai Senga and David Peterson are the only locks, leaving three open spots. After their success in 2024, the Mets are playing to win in 2025. President of baseball operations David Stearns took a gamble with contracts on Sean Manaea and Luis Severino last offseason, reclamation projects who declined the Mets’ qualifying offer. There is no doubt the Mets will want to try and strike gold twice.

While that strategy is trickier with Bieber because of his injury, he would add an extra jolt to a rotation come summer if the Mets are in the thick of a playoff race. If not, the team can then flip him to a contender. It’s a riskier deal than a Manaea or Severino, but it’s another low-risk, high-reward the Mets should consider as long as they can fill out the rotation first.

The post Free Agent Profile: Shane Bieber, SP appeared first on Metsmerized.

Along the way, David Peterson blossomed into a bonafide starter, but more importantly, David Stearns’ additions of Sean Manaea and Luis Severino proved vital.

In his first year as president of baseball operations with the Mets, Stearns approached the rotation with a simple philosophy demonstrated through the players he signed: low-risk, high reward. He courted players who either experienced highs like Severino but injury-plagued seasons got the best of them or flashed signs of brilliance like Manaea but couldn’t produce it consistently. The Mets took a flyer on both these players, each producing career-best years or close to them.

While we know the Mets will look to sign a front-line starter like Corbin Burnes, they still need to fill out the rotation after Peterson and Kodai Senga. Below, we examine who David Stearns and the Mets can turn to in the rotation come 2025 to try and strike gold twice with this similar “low risk, high reward” mentality.

Photo by David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Shane Bieber

A Cy Young and Triple Crown winner in 2020, Shane Bieber would never have been on this list as recently as a year ago. However, the injury bug caught him, and after pitching just 12 innings in 2024 and 128 innings in 2023, the starter went under the knife in April, another Tommy John surgery victim. In his six-year career with Cleveland, he’s pitched 200+ innings twice, once in 2019 and 2022. After that however, he’s never pitched over 128 innings (2023), hitting 114.2 in his 2018 rookie season and 96.2 innings in 2021.

Bieber, a Gold Glove winner, and two-time All-Star, relies on a five-pitch arsenal: a four-seamer, slider, changeup, knuckle-curve and cutter. He owns a career 3.22 ERA over 843 innings pitched, striking out 958 batters while only walking 188. Of concern over the past couple of years was Bieber’s strikeout percentage decline. He saw season highs during 2021 at 33.1%, but that number steadily declined to 25% in 2022 and a career-low 20.1% in 2023. However, while he only made two starts in 2024, he struck out 20 batters and only walked one. His velocity saw an uptick in 2024 after hitting career lows in 2022 and 2023, another sign things were turning his way before injury.

While Bieber won’t be ready for the start of the season (he’s expected to return around mid-season), he can bolster any rotation in the thick of a playoff race, adding the extra boost to cross the finish line. His deal could easily include an option for 2026, which he can decline if he bounces back healthy.

Matthew Boyd, 79mph Wipeout Slider. 🌊 pic.twitter.com/hEckjRMrrC

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 7, 2024

Matthew Boyd

Another Tommy John victim, Matthew Boyd, lost all of 2023 and most of 2024 in recovery. With 891 career strikeouts through 908.1 innings, the southpaw hasn’t pitched over 100 innings since 2019, but the Guardians might’ve unlocked something in Boyd in 2024. While he only pitched in just over 39 innings, including 11.1 brilliant innings of one-run postseason ball, Boyd never went more than six innings in a start, averaging around five innings per start. He held batters to a grim .212 batting average, walking 13 and striking out 46.

Hitters were left shaking their heads after each at-bat, coming up with a .150 BA against Boyd’s fastball, .167 BA against the curveball and .148 average against the slider. Lefties hit .143/.226/.357, while righties didn’t fare much better, slashing .230/.296/.344 against the southpaw. The Mets proved with Luis Severino they know how to help a pitcher bounce back from injury with light loads the previous couple of years.

Trevor Williams, Nasty 82mph Changeup…and Sword. ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/xIRCemW3Hy

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 7, 2024

Trevor Williams

Trevor Williams is no stranger to Queens, acquired in the Javier Báez trade that sent Pete Crow-Armstrong to the Chicago Cubs. Williams spent half of the 2024 season on the IL with a right flexor muscle strain, but in his 13 starts, he struck out 59 batters and walked 18 through 66.2 innings. Williams’ best years came with the Mets in 2021-2022. He posted a 3.17 ERA with the Amazins’ in 122 innings, with a career-best 123 ERA+ in that span. He was used as a reliever and spot starter, thriving in any role the Mets threw him in.

While Williams missed half the season, he ranked in the top seven percent in baseball in weighted on-base average (wOBA) at .248 and in the top 10% in xwOBAcon (.325). His 3.17 xERA against his 2.03 ERA proved he was efficient at suppressing runs. A reason for Williams’ success in 2024? After posting a career-worst 5.55 ERA in 2023, Williams dropped his curveball in 2024. Batters hit .314 and slugged .629 against the curve in 2023. Williams held the best fastball run value on the Nationals in 2024 (12), fooling batters to a .196 batting average against. In 2023, he had a negative eight-run value on the fastball, and hitters were mashing .283 against it. He decreased his fastball use and increased his sweeper use as a put-away pitch.

Jose Butto filled Williams’ role in the bullpen, but the Mets might want to take a flyer on Williams as a full-time starter.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Walker Buehler

Like Bieber, Walker Buehler is a fascinating case. After missing most of the 2022 season and all of the 2023 season, Buehler returned to the Dodgers rotation in mid-May after Tommy John surgery. Between 2017 and 2022, he posted a 3.02 ERA in 638.1 innings, striking out 690 and walking 162. In 2024, the righty started 16 games, allowed 16 home runs, struck out 64 and walked 28. He pitched to a career-worst 5.38 ERA in 75.1 innings, winning only one game. However, he became a postseason hero, pitching as a starter and in relief. In 15 innings of work, he held batters to a .211 BAA, compared to a .286 BAA in the regular season. He struck out 13 batters and only walked five.

Since debuting in 2017, Buehler has only thrown more than 100 innings thrice: in 2018, 2019 and 2021, when he eclipsed 200 innings. While his velocity has taken a dip throughout the years, so has the effectiveness of his breaking stuff. In 2021, arguably his best season, his fastball has a run value of 19, his sweeper, seven, curveball sat at five, sinker, three, and changeup, five. In 2024, Buehler’s fastball run value was negative eight, his cutter, his most effective pitch, was seven, curveball and sinker were negative five, His cutter and sweeper were the only pitchers in 2024 to hold a positive run value, at seven and two.

While this is all cause for alarm, Buehler displayed a familiar version of himself in October, ultimately helping the Dodgers secure a World Series win. For a Dodgers rotation riddled with injury after injury in 2024, it’s unknown if Buehler rushed back too soon. Whether he commands a one-year or multi-year deal, Buehler can strengthen any rotation.

Final Thoughts

As noted, the Mets are on the hunt for an ace, with the likes of Corbin Burnes, Blake Snell and Max Fried on their radar (to name a few). However, after Peterson and Senga, the rotation is bleak. The depth chart consists of Tylor Megill and David Peterson right now. There are plenty of prospects, too, but you can’t bank on them filling out a rotation. While the team will make a flurry of smaller deals to build depth, filling the back of the rotation is equally as important. 2024 proved that when one door closes, another one opens, which led to some incredible pitching performances from starters.

The post Starting Pitchers Mets Should Target on Short-Term Deals appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Per ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Philadelphia Phillies have made the first move, signing Zack Wheeler to a multi-year extension. The contract is three years, $126 million, and is the highest annual salary for any extension. A press conference is scheduled for later today. Earlier in the offseason, the Phillies got an extension done with their other top pitcher, Aaron Nola. Signing him to a 7-year, $172 million contract. Philadelphia has locked up their two best pitchers for years as they compete for a World Series championship.

Wheeler was acquired by the Mets in a trade with the San Francisco Giants for Carlos Beltrán in 2011. Wheeler showed some promise as a Met, but inconsistencies and injuries plagued his run. With the Mets, his career-best ERA was 3.31 in 2018. In 2019, his final year in New York, Wheeler’s ERA went up to 3.96. Since joining the Phillies, however, Wheeler has put it together and has become the ace many thought he would be. Wheeler is 43-25 with a 3.06 ERA in 629.1 innings pitched and 675 strikeouts. 

On the Mets’ side, a reunion with Wheeler would’ve been a nice outcome. To some, it would’ve righted the wrong of letting Wheeler go and of another Wilpon-era mistake. However, that won’t be the case. The good news for New York is that plenty of names will be available on the market as they look for starting pitching help in 2025.

The post Phillies, Zack Wheeler Agree To Contract Extension appeared first on Metsmerized.

Position: RHP, B/T: R/R
Age: 28 (5/31/1995)

2023 Traditional Stats: 21 G, 6-6, 3.80 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 128 IP, 107 K
2023 Advanced Stats: 2.1 fWAR, 3.87 FIP, 4.77 xERA, 20.1 K%, 6.4 BB%

Photo by David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Rundown

Despite never being a fireballer, Bieber has managed to get solid results. Even when he won the Cy Young, Bieber averaged a little over 94 MPH on his fastball. In subsequent years, Bieber’s velocity has declined but he has still managed to be a good MLB pitcher. In 2022, Bieber averaged 91.6 MPH on his fastball but still managed to post a 4.8 fWAR. Bieber does not strike out guys at a Jacob deGrom level rate (in 2022, his K/9 was 8.91), but he manages to limit his walks and home runs. Despite dealing with an elbow injury this past season, Bieber still managed to post a 2.1 fWAR in 128 innings.

The question remains: if Bieber’s skillset ages well and he still has found a way to succeed without elite velocity, why is Cleveland trying to trade him? Quincy Wheeler over at Covering The Corner explained some of the reasons Cleveland could be looking to trade the righty. The TLDR summary is that Cleveland’s ownership is strapped for cash, he is not on a long-term deal, and he is coming off an elbow injury.

Now, to also play devil’s advocate, there are also the baseball reasons for his underlying numbers taking a dive since 2021. Since 2020, Bieber’s swinging strike rate and chase rate have dropped every single season and his contact rate has gone up every season. That’s a pretty clear sign to me that he has lost a lot of stuff and that he is not fooling hitters particularly well. Even if you want to chalk up his 2023 diminished numbers to his elbow injury, I don’t think an elbow injury is something that can easily be glossed over and there is still the decline from 2020 to 2022.

The good news is Bieber’s salary will still be at $12 million for only one season, and despite his diminished stuff, he still manages to get decent results. I think multiple things can be true of Bieber, he is likely not going to return to his 2019-2021 levels of production, but he is still a very good pitcher who can post a 2-3 win season with the potential of something more. The downside would be that his elbow injury acts up again or is a bigger deal than is being acknowledged, and it results in his 2024 season being a wash.

Acquisition Cost

The Guardians want to shed salary, and Bieber is still a Guardian, so I think the market is not particularly booming for him. Given what these two teams did the last time they made a trade, I think Cleveland would target some low-level lottery tickets. I do not believe the return will be particularly big, but I also do not think the Mets will be able to get him solely by taking on his contract.

My Thoughts

I think Bieber would be a nice addition, but I am also not going to cry too much if the Mets do not get him. The way I see it, the Mets will probably get another starter they can rely on and another starter who can bounce back, similar to what they hope from Luis Severino.

Given their reported interest in Lucas Giolito, I would prefer someone like Bieber over Giolito, assuming both are seen as bounce-back candidates. If Bieber has a bad season, then it is only for one year. If Bieber bounces back, he could be a major reason in helping the Mets contend during 2024. This seems like the epitome of a low-risk, high-reward move that would behoove the Mets.

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Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

Playing in their fourth doubleheader in three weeks, the Mets finished off a three-game sweep of the Guardians by taking both games on Sunday.

In the first game, Max Scherzer tossed six shutout innings, and after the bullpen squandered a 3-0 lead, Starling Marte hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning off a Trevor Stephan to give the Mets a 5-4 victory. Marte’s homer was his first long ball since April 6 and his first extra-base hit since April 14. Brandon Nimmo also went deep, smacking one 442 feet for the second-longest homer of his career.

In the nightcap, Justin Verlander gave up a solo homer to José Ramírez in the first inning but settled in to toss eight strong innings, retiring 20 of the last 21 batters he faced. Francisco Lindor tied the game with a solo home run off Shane Bieber in the sixth inning, and Jeff McNeil‘s sacrifice fly in the eighth inning gave the Mets a 2-1 lead. Brooks Raley induced a game-ending double play from Ramírez to notch the save. The Mets have now won five games in a row, all of which were by one run.

Latest Mets News

The Mets have a day off today, as they’re set to begin a six-game road trip against the Cubs and Rockies on Tuesday. Kodai Senga (4-2, 3.77 ERA) is in line to start the series opener at Wrigley Field.

In celebration of MLB’s Armed Forces Weekend and Military Appreciation Month, the Mets honored over 40 front office and gameday staff before the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader that have served in the military.

Latest MLB News

The Rays are attracting potential buyers, Ken Rosenthal and Chandler Rome of The Athletic report. While building a new ballpark in the Tampa area is the franchise’s primary goal still, at least one local potential local buyer has expressed interest. Some prospective owners want to move the team to a new city. The club’s lease at Tropicana Field expires after the 2027 season.

The Red Sox released right-hander Ryan Brasier on Sunday. Boston had designated him for assignment last Monday. The 35-year-old was a key contributor for the Boston bullpen when they won the World Series in 2018, but has struggled mightily in the last two seasons. In 20 appearances this season, Brasier has a 7.29 ERA.

The Dodgers are calling up top pitching prospect Bobby Miller to make his debut on Tuesday against the Braves. The 19th-ranked prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, Miller has just a 5.65 ERA in four starts in Triple-A this year, but struck out 145 batters in 112 1/3 minor-league innings in 2022.

Latest on MMO

James Villani recaps the Mets’ win in the first game of their doubleheader. He also recaps Justin Verlander’s strong outing in the nightcap.

On This Date in Mets History

1998: The Mets send outfielder Preston Wilson and pitcher Ed Yarnall, along with a player to be named later to the Marlins for slugging catcher Mike Piazza. The five-time All-Star and former Rookie of the Year spent just six days in Miami after he was sent there by the Dodgers.

2016: Noah Syndergaard strikes out 11 and gives up just one unearned run in seven innings as the Mets finish off a three-game sweep of the Brewers with a 3-1 victory. Michael Conforto homers and Jeurys Familia locks down his 15th save of the year.

2019: Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Juan Lagares hits a bases-clearing double to give the Mets a 3-1 lead against the Nationals. Rajai Davis, who took an Uber from Syracuse and arrived in New York in the third inning, pinch-hits and smacks a three-run homer to cap off the rally. Tyler Bashlor records the final three outs as the Mets win 6-1 to claim their third straight victory.

Birthdays: Collin Cowgill (37)

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Justin Verlander. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets (25-23) looked to follow up their thrilling game one victory in the nightcap of the split-admission doubleheader at Citi Field on Sunday night with a three-game series and doubleheader sweep. The Mets emerged over the Cleveland Guardians and got exactly that behind stellar pitching in a 2-1 win. Justin Verlander was terrific and turned in the team’s best pitching effort of the season, while the Mets got timely offense in the eighth inning.

After scoring first for the first time in 14 games in game one, the Mets were quickly behind in game two. José Ramírez launched an extremely deep two-out, solo shot to right field. This would be the only blemish on Verlander’s record. Regardless, New York found themselves in a 1-0 hole early.

That solo home run was the only tally of the game until the sixth inning when New York finally responded with a solo shot of their own. Francisco Lindor took former teammate Shane Bieber deep, 404 feet to left-center field. Just like that, the ballgame was tied up at one after six frames.

Justin Verlander’s extremely impressive day was finally over after eight terrific innings. Verlander delivered the Mets best outing by a starting pitcher this season, going the deepest into a game any starter has gone for New York so far this year. He threw 98 pitches and struck out five only allowing three hits and one run. He did not walk a batter and lowered his season ERA to 3.60.

The Mets helped out their veteran pitcher by making him the pitcher of record on the winning side in the bottom half of the eighth inning. After Francisco Álvarez lined a single over the second baseman’s head, Francisco Lindor‘s check-swing single got a stealing pinching-running Starling Marte to third base. Jeff McNeil then finished it off with a two-strike sacrifice fly to left field. This gave the Mets a 2-1 the lead headed to the final inning.

Brooks Raley came on for the save opportunity, his first with the Mets. After making a terrific play to retire Steven Kwan, he hit Amed Rosario. Fortunately, for the Mets, Ramírez grounded into a game-ending double play. New York got the doubleheader and three-game series sweep via the 2-1 victory.

Pitching dominated the game for New York. Verlander, then Raley, combined to retire 22 of the final 24 Guardian batters and last allowed a hit back in the fifth inning. The pitchers also faced the minimum over the last three innings.

Player of the Game: Justin Verlander

It was the best start by a Mets’ starting pitcher this season. This is the type of stuff New York envisioned when they brought the future Hall-of-Fame pitcher to Flushing in the offseason. Verlander’s terrific final line read: 8 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO (98 pitches). This performance lowered his season ERA to 3.60.

During the start, Verlander induced 12 swing and misses. He also set down each of the last 10 batters he faced and 20 of the last 21. It was really magical stuff from one of the Mets’ co-aces after Max Scherzer dominated earlier in the day.

On Deck

The Mets will once again get Monday off before traveling to Wrigley Field. On Tuesday, New York will begin their three-game series with the Cubs (20-26). Game one is scheduled for a 7:40 pm ET first pitch. The probable pitching matchup for the first game is Kodai Senga (4-2, 3.77 ERA) versus Drew Smyly (4-1, 2.86 ERA).

The post Verlander Electric As Mets Sweep Doubleheader, Series From Guardians appeared first on Metsmerized.

Justin Verlander. Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday, May 21, 2023 • 7:10 PM
Citi Field • Flushing, New York
RHP Shane Bieber (3-2, 3.20) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (1-2, 4.76)
SNY

The New York Mets look to win their fifth game in a row and sweep a series with the Cleveland Guardians tonight. Earlier this afternoon, the Mets recorded their fourth win in a row on the back of Max Scherzer’s excellent start and a go-ahead two-run home run from Starling Marte in the bottom of the eighth inning.

It was the third time in the last four games where the Mets had a late homer in the game be the difference maker. The Mets are reveling in their new found “never-say-die” mentality.

Mets’ Lineup

Sunday Night ⚾️ #LGM

🆚 Cleveland
💪 @JustinVerlander
📺 ESPN
📻 @wcbs880 pic.twitter.com/nW5FdkBPbY

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 21, 2023

Justin Verlander makes his fourth start of the year tonight. Over 17 innings this season, he has allowed nine runs via 15 hits and five walks while striking out 15 batters (4.76 ERA, 5.48 FIP, 1.176 WHIP, 89 ERA+). He was great in his first two starts of the season, allowing three runs over 12 innings. Though, he hit a wall his last time out against the Tampa Bay Rays. In that start, he allowed six runs via eight hits, including two home runs, over five innings of work.

Overall, on the season, he has allowed four home runs, which is slightly concerning. In one game against the Guardians last year, he held them to no runs over six innings, scattering two hits and a walk. The Guardians have the following career numbers against him:

• José Ramírez 11-33, 3 2B, 2 HR, 5 BB, 4 K
• Mike Zunino 0-14, BB, 10 K
• Josh Bell 1-3, 2B, 2 BB, K
• Cam Gallagher 0-3, K
• Amed Rosario 0-3, K
• Andrés Giménez 0-2
• Josh Naylor 1-2

Guardians’ Lineup

Game 2.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/6JWnE4OQok

— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 21, 2023

The Mets’ bats will get a look at the two-time All-Star pitcher Shane Bieber tonight. In nine games (56 1/3 innings) this season, he has a 3.20 ERA, 3.90 FIP, 1.225 WHIP, and a 132 ERA+. After a terrific start to May where he allowed two runs via 12 hits and two walks over 14 innings, he got roughed up in his last outing allowing six runs (five earned) and 12 hits over 4 2/3 innings.

The Mets have the following career numbers against him:

• Tommy Pham 3-16, 2 2B, BB, 5 K
• Gary Sánchez 2-6, 2B, 2 BB
• Eduardo Escobar 5-6, 4 2B, HR
• Daniel Vogelbach 1-4, BB
• Pete Alonso 0-3, K
• Mark Canha 1-3, K
• Starling Marte 2-2, HR

Game Notes

Josh Walker will serve at the 27th man for the nightcap of the doubleheader as well.

David Peterson had his best start of the season, either level, for Triple-A Syracuse this afternoon. He threw eight innings of two-hit baseball. Peterson struck out nine and walked three. His Triple-A ERA is down to 2.77. Syracuse won 9-1.

Max Scherzer revealed early afternoon that he was pitching through a thumb callus being split open. He added that pitching with that is like basketball player playing with a sprained ankle. Scherzer was terrific in game one, throwing six scoreless innings despite the thumb ailment.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Doubleheaders this season. This is the Mets fourth doubleheader of the season, their second set at home. All of their doubleheaders have happened this month. They have split a doubleheader with the Braves and Nationals, and got swept by the Tigers. Today was the first time this month that the Mets won the first game of the doubleheader. Now they have a chance to sweep.
2. Quality Starts are in again! Wednesday night Kodai Senga pitched six innings, and allowed one run and struck out 12. On Thursday, Megill gave New York six innings of two-run ball. Today, Max Scherzer shutout the Guardians over six innings scattering three hits. New York has been struggling to put together quality starts from their starting pitchers but now have three in a week. With the state of the bullpen, the Mets could really use another quality start from Justin Verlander tonight.
3. It’s Francisco Álvarez time! Álvarez has had two straight games with a home run. More importantly, he has recorded five RBIs over his last two game. He only had six on the season going into Thursday’s game. Hopefully, the good times can continue tonight in game two of the doubleheader.

The post MMO Game Thread: Guardians vs. Mets, 7:10 P.M. (Game 2) appeared first on Metsmerized.

When the New York Mets complete their game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 3, the Mets will have played exactly one-third of their 162-game schedule. We know that the team from Flushing is off to a rollicking start, despite injuries to starters Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and Tylor Megill. In an article in The Athletic, Jayson Stark points out some of the key trends in baseball this year. Let’s take a look at some of what has been going on so far this season across Major League Baseball.

Lingering Effects of the Lockout

Just when we thought it was safe to no longer think about the ugly lockout that lasted 99 days, there are some examples of how it has impacted the 2022 season thus far. First, pitchers are not throwing as hard as they did last year. For instance, Shane Bieber is averaging 91.4 mph on his fastball this season, versus 93 mph last year. Former Met Zack Wheeler‘s velocity is down two mph this season as well. Is the lockout responsible? Here’s an American League executive from the cited article:

“You watch this stuff,” this exec said, “and there’s this fear or panic, like what’s going on? I think it’s clear now we’ve seen unusual velocity patterns, because different guys handled the lockout time differently and the spring training time differently. So it’s been really hard to know what to make of players early.”

Another concern of the shortened spring training was the possibility of increased player injuries. So far, that concern has manifested in terms of impact of injuries on playing time. Through 47 days of the season, 286 players have landed on the injured list in 2022, as opposed to 349 players over the same time period a year ago. The time on the injured list has been longer in 2022, averaging 27.6 days in this season versus 23.1 days in 2021.

Home Runs are Down, Strikeouts are Up

If you watch baseball, neither of the above facts will come as a surprise. We have heard and written here on MMO that ball in in fact different this year. Also, while the game seems to be once again valuing the idea of putting the ball in play (permissible shifting will be modified next season), hitters are still striking out in droves.

Stark uses the example of opposite field home runs to illustrate just how significantly the home run has been muted in 2022. In 2019 and 2021, there were 715 and 547 opposite field home runs respectively. This year, the projection at the current pace is for a total of 390 “oppo” home runs.

Looking at strikeouts, the table below (data from Baseball Reference) shows that the “K Problem” rages on.

Season                                              K/HR                                   Runs per Game

It’s clear that Major League Baseball wants more balls in play, resulting in more game action. Limiting the shift can help, but it won’t do much if batters don’t increase the frequency with which they make contact. From the cited article, there is no easy answer to question of what can be done to put more balls in play:

“At this pace, we’re going to see approximately 36,000 more strikeouts than homers this season — the largest difference ever. And “is that good for our game?” one exec wondered. “I don’t think so.”

“But here’s the question no one can answer,” another exec said. “If we want less home runs, we know how we can do that. But if we want less strikeouts, what’s the answer to that?”

The Pitch Clock is Coming. Does it Work?

The games are long. To some, that’s not a problem, after all, the beauty of baseball is that it doesn’t have a clock. To others, game length is one reason for the game’s declining popularity. On May 30, the Mets game was 3:29, on May 31 the time of game was 3:31, and on June 1, the game lasted 3:02.

The pitch clock is being used in the minor leagues this year. As a reminder, the hurler will have 14 seconds to throw a pitch if there are no runners on base, and 19 seconds if there are no runners on base. Here is the impact it is having in the minor leagues this season.

Games times are down 28 minutes. Strikeouts are down two percent, and walks are down one percent. This, of course, means more balls in play, the desired outcome by MLB. One note, while the pitch clock will be in the major leagues next year, the 14 and 19 second limits are not cast in stone. The Major League Baseball Players’ Association can negotiate different times if they so choose. Some version of a time limit to throw a pitch to the plate will be in place. The average length of a game will likely decrease. Whether or not that has an impact on fan interest is yet to be determined.

If you’re a Mets fan, the 2022 season is off to a great start. However, MLB has identified certain trends that they would like to turn around. The game was essentially static (rule-wise) for almost 50 years, since the Designated Hitter came to the American League. Recently, we have seen ghost runners and seven-inning doubleheaders necessitated by a pandemic.

Baseball seems to have hit an evolutionary phase, with several changes coming (don’t forget the new schedule format in 2023). That’s understandable. Evolution can be essential to survival. Whether the game will evolve correctly and achieve its desired endpoints of expanding interest and its fan base, that part remains to be seen.

The post Observations From One Third of the 2022 MLB Season appeared first on Metsmerized.

Good Morning, Mets fans! On Wednesday, Major League Baseball announced the 2020 Cy Young Award winners with Trevor Bauer taking home the hardware in the National League, and Shane Bieber earning the honor in the American League.

Unfortunately, there would be no three-peat for Mets’ ace Jacob deGrom, who finished in third place behind Cubs’ right-hander Yu Darvish.

Now, let’s check out what went on in Mets land and MLB yesterday!

Latest Mets News

As Mike Mayer of Metsmerized Online reported, the Steve Cohen era is off to a hot start as Marcus Stroman accepted his one-year, $18.9 million qualifying offer to return to the Mets’ rotation in 2020.

Sandy Alderson interviewed former Miami Marlins’ longtime executive Michael Hill on Saturday for the Mets’ vacant President of baseball operations role, per Andy Martino of SNY.

Trevor Bauer acknowledged Alderson’s comment that he would be a good fit in New York, tweet from Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

Francisco Lindor is likely to be traded this winter, and MLB insider Jon Morosi links his main suitors as the Mets, Yankees, Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Phillies. Morosi adds that Cleveland wants either three Major League players or close to MLB ready talent.

Former Met Collin McHugh shared his “genuine excitement” for the team’s new ownership.

Latest MLB News

George Springer and J.T. Realmuto have both declined their qualifying offers and will officially hit the free agent market, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

Like Stroman, right-handed starting pitcher Kevin Gausman has also accepted his $18.9 million qualifying offer to stick with the San Francisco Giants, per Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Passan took a stroll down memory lane regarding the first time he met Bauer as a 24-year-old back in 2014.

According to J.J. Cooper of Baseball America, MLB has sent a memo to all 30 clubs urging them to stop leaking information regarding their minor league affiliates in 2021.

Good news: Orioles’ outfielder Trey Mancini told reporters that his recent blood work showed no tumor in his DNA and he has been doing some light baseball activity with the expectation of being ready for Spring Training, tweet from Joe Trezza of MLB.com.

Latest NL East News

As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported, the Atlanta Braves have re-signed pitcher Josh Tomlin.

Latest on MMO

Ryan Finkelstein examines the Mets’ roster following the addition of Stroman.

On This Day in Mets History

Birthdays: Al Schmelz (77), Gary Thurman (56), Aaron Heilman (42)

Let’s go Mets!

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