Brandon Sproat looked extremely sharp in his start against Norfolk, tossing five scoreless innings with nine strikeouts. He allowed just one hit and one walk. Sproat has now thrown 23 innings in his last four starts and has not allowed a single run in that span. He has since lowered his ERA to 4.34.

Despite the short week, let’s look at how the rest of the minor league affiliates did. Also, make sure to check out Mike Mayer’s midseason Top 50 prospects list ahead of the trade deadline!

Brandon Sproat. Photo Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Triple-A

The Syracuse Mets took two of three games from the Norfolk Tides in their most recent series. It was a high-scoring set of games, with the Mets outscoring the Tides 28-19. Syracuse is now 15-6 in the second half of the season and 46-50 overall.

Francisco Alvarez had another ridiculous series torching Triple-A pitching, prompting his call-up back to the major league team. Alvarez went 4-for-10 with three home runs, six RBIs, four walks, and five runs scored against Norfolk, good for a 1.871 OPS. He had an absurd 1.129 OPS in 21 games with Syracuse this year.

Gilberto Celestino also had an excellent series, going 4-for-11 with a double, a home run, four walks, two stolen bases, and four runs scored. Celestino has had a decent year in Syracuse, accumulating a .765 OPS.

José Buttó made a couple of rehab appearances as he looks to work his way back to the major league squad. Buttó threw two scoreless innings with two hits allowed and two strikeouts. It’s expected that he’ll be back in the big leagues shortly, potentially as soon as today after an off day Monday.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Double-A

The Binghamton Rumble Ponies also won a relatively high-scoring series, taking two of three games from the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Binghamton and New Hampshire each scored 21 runs. Binghamton continues to roll as they are 14-7 in the second half of the season and 59-29 overall.

Carson Benge had an excellent series, going 6-for-12 with a double, three walks, a stolen base, two RBIs, and three runs scored. Benge has arguably been the best position player prospect in the Mets’ system this year, and he raised his Double-A OPS to 1.005.

Jacob Reimer had a pair of extra-base hits, going 3-for-11 with a double, a home run, a walk, and three runs scored. Like Benge, Reimer has done well in Double-A, raising his OPS with Binghamton to .840.

Kevin Parada also had another good series, going 4-for-9 with two doubles, a triple, three RBIs, and two runs scored. Parada has been swinging the bat extremely well lately, owning a 1.017 OPS in his last 32 games. It’s been quite the turnaround at the plate for the former first-round pick. His OPS for the year is .763.

Jonah Tong delivered the best start of the series for the Rumble Ponies, going 5 1/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts. Tong’s ERA lowered to 1.71 through 16 starts on the year.

Jack Wenninger also had a good start, allowing two runs (one earned) in 4 2/3 innings with two strikeouts. Through 18 starts, Wenninger owns a 2.96 ERA.

Jack Wenninger. Photo by Kylie Richelle

High-A

The Brooklyn Cyclones dropped their series to the Hub City Spartanburgers, winning just one of the three games. The Cyclones have been stumbling in the second half with a 12-12 record, bringing their overall record to 58-32.

Troy Schreffler, who has struggled mightily in 32 games this year, had a fantastic series against Hub City. Schreffler went 3-for-8 but hit two home runs, his first two of the year, and recorded five RBIs and three runs. Schreffler still has just a .532 OPS on the year.

A.J. Ewing led the team with six hits in 11 at-bats, recording two doubles, a triple, two walks, two RBIs, and two runs scored. Ewing has been one of the breakout stars in the Mets system this year, and he owns an .802 OPS in Brooklyn after a scorching start to the year in St. Lucie.

Ronald Hernandez also had a solid series, going 5-for-11 with a triple, a walk, a stolen base, three RBIs, and a team-high five runs scored. Hernandez has not had a good year as he still owns just a .681 OPS for the season.

Brendan Girton was one of the better performers in the Mets’ system, shoving for 4 2/3 innings in his start and not allowing a single baserunner. He also struck out nine batters. Girton has been phenomenal this season, especially in his last six games, where he has a 1.14 ERA. On the season, he owns a 2.49 ERA in 17 games for the Cyclones.

In addition to Girton, Will Watson also tossed 4 2/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing two hits, two walks, hitting a batter, and striking out four. Watson, like Girton, has shone this year and has a 2.29 ERA in eight games since being promoted to Brooklyn.

Wellington Aracena. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Low-A

The St. Lucie Mets won just one game in their last series against the Palm Beach Cardinals to drop the three-game set. The Mets are now 15-8 in the second half of the season and 49-39 overall.

Trace Willhoite was the lone standout batter for the Mets in this series. He had just seven at-bats, but he recorded three hits, including a home run, with five walks, four RBIs, and three runs. Willhoite has been great all year for St. Lucie, and he now owns an .856 OPS for the season.

Wellington Aracena continued his excellent stretch with another scoreless outing, going 4 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts. Aracena now owns an 0.81 ERA across 22 1/3 innings in his last five games, and he owns a 2.38 ERA in 17 games for the season.

Alfred Vega and Franklin Gomez each made one appearance out of the bullpen and looked great. Vega threw three perfect innings with four strikeouts, while Gomez tossed four scoreless innings with three hits and two walks allowed with three strikeouts. Vega has a 2.54 ERA across three levels this year, and Gomez has a 2.06 ERA in 13 games with St. Lucie.

FCL Mets

The FCL Mets went 3-2 this past week to improve on the season to 24-27. They remain in third place in the Florida Complex League East division, 11 games behind the first-place team.

Edward Lantigua had the team’s best week at the plate, going 4-for-12 with two doubles, two RBIs, and three walks. Lantigua has looked solid for the FCL Mets, owning a .780 OPS in 47 games.

On the mound, Paul Blackburn made a rehab start and looked solid, allowing a run in 3 2/3 innings while striking out eight. Blackburn is scheduled to make his next rehab start in Syracuse on Tuesday.

Jose Guevara had an excellent start, tossing three perfect innings with four strikeouts. Guevara has not had success this year, owning a 5.50 ERA in 11 games.

DSL Mets

The DSL Mets Orange went 2-3 this past week to move to 21-14 on the season. The DSL Mets Blue had an even worse week, going 0-4 to drop to 15-20.

Elian Peña had a great week for the Orange squad, going 6-for-15 with two doubles, four walks, three stolen bases, two RBIs, and three runs. Peña now owns a strong .829 OPS in his first professional season. On the mound, Jose Lopez allowed two runs (one earned) in six innings while striking out seven. Lopez owns a 5.56 ERA in six starts.

The Blue squad had a really rough week as they had just two extra-base hits total, and no batter with more than five at-bats had an OPS above .762 (Jhonael Cuello, who went 2-for-6, hit that mark). On the mound, Christopher Rochin threw four scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Rochin now owns a 3.10 ERA in nine games.

Organizational Leaders

Batting

AVG – A.J. Ewing (STL/BRK) – .315

OPS – Carson Benge (BRK/BNG) – .919

HR – Ryan Clifford (BNG) – 17

SB – A.J. Ewing (STL/BRK) – 55

Pitching

ERA – Jonah Tong (BNG) – 1.71

SO – Jonah Tong (BNG) – 132

WHIP – Zach Thornton (BRK/BNG) – 0.812

Players of the Week

Offense – Francisco Alvarez, C Syracuse

Francisco Alvarez did everything he needed to and more to earn a promotion back to the big league club. He hit immediately upon his arrival to Syracuse and continued to hit until he was called back up, mashing home runs seemingly every day. If that means he can turn it around at the major league level, his initial demotion will be deemed a brilliant move.

Pitching – Brendan Girton, P Brooklyn

Brendan Girton was perfect in his latest outing, and he’s been outstanding all season. The 23-year-old has excelled at the High-A level, and conquering the Double-A level will be his next challenge whenever his eventual promotion arrives.

Upcoming Schedule – July 22-27

• Triple-A Syracuse: vs. Omaha
• Double-A Binghamton: @ Reading
• High-A Brooklyn: @ Greensboro
• Low-A St. Lucie: vs. Daytona/@ Jupiter

The post Minors Weekly Report: Brandon Sproat Continues Scoreless Streak appeared first on Metsmerized.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Coming off of a shocking and disappointing three-game sweep at the hands of the Tigers, the Mets took the field on Friday night looking to right the ship against the Rockies who entered the game on a four-game win streak. Kodai Senga got the start for New York and Antonio Senzatela, making his first appearance since last August, got the start for Colorado.

There wasn’t much offense from either team in the game and a solo home run from Brandon Nimmo was all the difference as the Mets won the game 1-0.

Senga was in constant trouble in his last start against the Nationals and he put himself in trouble again to start this game, issuing back-to-back walks with two outs to put Kris Bryant and C.J. Cron on base. That brought up Elías Díaz, Colorado’s catcher who entered the game batting .337 with an .882 OPS, but he lined out to second base to end the inning.

After getting through the second inning cleanly, Senga again worked himself into trouble in the third inning by issuing back-to-back walks with two outs. Facing the dangerous bat of Cron, Senga got him to fly out to center field to get through the third inning scoreless.

Randal Grichuk recorded the first hit for the Rockies with two outs in the fourth inning as he hit a weak single into the outfield. He was swiftly erased on a ground ball out just two pitches later, preserving Senga’s scoreless start through four innings.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Nimmo broke up Senzatela’s perfect start by launching the first pitch he saw over the right field fence to give the Mets a 1-0 lead. That was Nimmo’s third home run of the season and a hit he needed badly after slumping recently. Lindor recorded the Mets’ second hit of the inning in his at-bat but was thrown out at second after trying to stretch a single into a double.

.@You_Found_Nimmo crushes this one! #LGM pic.twitter.com/K2kcDILjnp

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 6, 2023

Nimmo made another great play, this time defensively, in the top of the fifth inning. After Ezequiel Tovar fought off a few pitches in a two-strike count, he sent a ball into shallow center field that looked light it might fall, but Nimmo made a diving catch to rob Tovar of a hit. Senga retired the next two batters including a strikeout of Jurickson Profar for his second 1-2-3 inning of the night.

.@You_Found_Nimmo's got it! pic.twitter.com/wpERIIxJw1

— New York Mets (@Mets) May 6, 2023

The Mets threatened to score in the bottom of the fifth after Brett Baty walked and advanced to third on a two-out single off the bat of Daniel Vogelbach. That brought up Tomás Nido who has struggled from the plate since the season began. He was unable to extend the Mets’ lead as he hit a slow ground ball to third base for an out to strand the two runners on base.

With two outs and nobody on in the top of the sixth, Elías Díaz hit a weak ball that landed right on the first base line to give the Rockies their second hit of the night. Running the count full to Ryan McMahon in the next at-bat, Senga got him to hit a weak ground ball to get out of the inning, ending his night after six scoreless innings. Although he walked four batters, he gave up just two hits and struck out four in a performance the Mets desperately needed.

Leading off the bottom of the sixth inning, Nimmo doubled into the left-center field gap, giving him his second extra-base hit of the night. He was stranded on second base, though, as Marte, Lindor, and Alonso all failed to get the ball out of the infield.

Drew Smith relieved Senga in the seventh, trying to preserve the Mets’ one-run lead and the shutout. He allowed a single to Harold Castro but otherwise struck out two and got through the inning cleanly.

For the second time in the game, Brett Baty found himself in scoring position after he hit an opposite-field, one-out double off of the lefty Brent Suter in the bottom of the seventh. Once again, though, he failed to score. Tommy Pham struck out and Vogelbach, who entered the game 0-for-5 against lefties on the year, remained in the game and also struck out to end the inning.

The Rockies threatened the Mets’ one-run lead in the top of the eighth inning, as David Robertson issued two walks to put the tying run in scoring position. Ryan McMahon then hit a scorching ground ball that looked as though it would get through the infield and potentially tie the game, but it hit the pinch-runner Brenton Doyle to get the Mets out of the inning.

Adam Ottavino entered the game in the ninth inning looking for his fourth save of the year. On his first pitch of the night, Grichuk sent the ball the other way for a single, putting the tying run on first base with no outs. Grichuk then stole second base without a throw and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt. Mike Moustakas came in the game to pinch-hit for Tovar and worked the count full, but struck out to give Ottavino the result he desperately needed. Charlie Blackmon then hit a rope to right field but it was an easy play for Marte to give the Mets the victory and end their three-game skid.

Player of the Game

Although Senga’s six scoreless innings cannot be discounted, the Mets could not have won this game without Brandon Nimmo. Nimmo entered this game in a slump and was heavily criticized for his decision to unsuccessfully steal in a two-run game in the ninth inning on Thursday. He rebounded exceptionally well, though, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, and a walk as well as making a great diving play in the outfield.

On Deck

Game two of the series against Colorado continues Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on SNY. Tylor Megill (3-1, 4.11 ERA) will be on the mound for the Mets going against Austin Gomber (2-4, 7.57 ERA) who has rebounded nicely in his last two starts after a brutal start to the season.

The post Senga, Nimmo Shine in Mets 1-0 Win Over Rockies appeared first on Metsmerized.

Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

In their first Friday home game of the year, the Mets (15-12) donned their black jerseys for the first time in 2023 as they began a four-game set with the Braves (18-9) on Friday night in the rain. David Peterson took the mound for New York looking to bounce back from two straight rough starts, while Max Fried, who came into the game having given up just one earned run in 15 innings, was on the mound for Atlanta.

Due to the rain, the game couldn’t go nine innings as it became too much to play through. Once the game became official, it went into a delay and didn’t start back up. The final result was a 4-0 Mets loss as Peterson ultimately couldn’t shut down the Braves’ potent offense and the Mets’ bats failed to get anything going against Fried.

Peterson’s night got off to a fantastic start as he needed just 11 pitches to set down the dangerous trio of Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, and Austin Riley which included strikeouts of Olson and Riley. Fried, like Peterson, put up a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first.

After drawing a four-pitch walk in the bottom of the second inning, Jeff McNeil stole his second base of the year to put himself in scoring position. He would not come around to score, however, as Mark Canha flew out and Tommy Pham struck out to end the inning.

Peterson kept cruising through the third inning as he only needed nine pitches to complete a 1-2-3 inning that included a strikeout of Acuña. Through three innings, Peterson had given up just one hit on 36 pitches, a pleasant sight after he was ambushed in San Francisco last Saturday for six runs through the first two innings.

Brett Baty‘s impressive play of late drew him the start against the lefty Fried, his first start against a lefty this season, and he rewarded that decision by leading off the bottom of the third with a base hit up the middle. He was subsequently erased on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Francisco Álvarez, who reached first base. Fried attacked Brandon Nimmo with fastballs in the next at-bat to strike him out and got Starling Marte to ground out to get through the inning.

Pitching to the heart of the Braves lineup in the fourth, Peterson retired Matt Olson with the help of spectacular defense by Francisco Lindor. Lindor made a running play to his right for a ground ball and threw the ball to first to get the out with his momentum carrying him the other way. Peterson then walked Riley but kept his composure to strike out Ozzie Albies and induce a ground ball off the bat of Sean Murphy to escape the inning.

Francisco Lindor showing off his range!
pic.twitter.com/zlQyWJ4tUJ

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 28, 2023

The Mets got a baserunner on against Fried for the third straight inning in the fourth after Pete Alonso reached base with a one-out infield single. Like Baty the previous inning, Alonso was erased the next at-bat after a fielder’s choice off the bat of McNeil. Canha also grounded out to end the inning and keep the game scoreless through four.

Peterson got into his first real trouble of the night in the fifth inning as Eddie Rosario singled and Kevin Pillar doubled to put two runners in scoring position with one out. That brought up Michael Harris II, batting ninth in his first game back from the injured list. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Harris worked the count full and grounded the ball to Baty at third. Rosario, the runner at third, broke for home and was thrown out for the second out of the inning.

The inning was far from over, though, as Acuña attacked Peterson and smoked the first pitch of his at-bat to right field to drive in Pillar and make it 1-0. Matt Olson, who haunted the Mets late last season with home runs, then made Peterson pay with a three-run bomb and just like that the Braves took a 4-0 lead. Finally, Peterson struck out Riley for the second time in the game to end the inning.

The Mets attempt at a response in the bottom of the fifth fell short. Outside of a single by the young Álvarez, Fried got through the inning easily and kept the Braves’ four-run lead intact. With the rain falling heavily and the game now official, the game went into a delay and was subsequently called as a 4-0 Braves win.

Despite pitching well for four innings, Peterson couldn’t get through the fifth inning cleanly and took the loss for his second straight start to fall to 1-4, while Fried threw his third straight scoreless start to improve to 2-0.

On Deck

The Mets will continue their series with the Braves on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. ET, with the game being broadcast on FOX. Tylor Megill (3-1, 3.96 ERA) will look to rebound from a loss in his last start in San Francisco, while Spencer Strider (3-0, 1.80 ERA) will look to build upon his last two outings in which he has thrown 14 scoreless innings.

The post Mets Lose to Braves 4-0 as Rain Cuts Game Short appeared first on Metsmerized.

Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Max Scherzer has been pulled from his scheduled start against the Oakland A’s on Sunday due to “lingering soreness.” Mike Puma of The New York Post was first with the news.

According to Puma, Scherzer has been dealing with soreness and will now pitch Wednesday for the Mets against the Dodgers in LA.

The Mets had yet to name a starter for Wednesday.

As a result, José Butto will take to the mound on Sunday instead of Scherzer in the final game of the series against the A’s. The Mets have taken the first two games.

The good news is that it appears to be nothing serious with Scherzer. He underwent imaging in the area below his scapula, and it isn’t believed to be a significant issue. But, per Puma, Scherzer didn’t want to be “selfish” by pitching on Sunday when he’s not at 100 percent. All being well, he will instead take the ball on Wednesday against his former team.

With Scherzer’s start now pushed back to next week, that paves the way for Butto to make his 2023 debut for the Mets on Sunday. The righty was recalled by the Mets on Saturday as part of a series of moves. Jimmy Yacabonis had his contract selected, while Dennis Santana was DFA’d and Stephen Nogosek was placed on the 15-day IL with a right elbow bone bruise.

Butto made his Major League debut in 2022 but it was one to forget. The RHP gave up seven runs to the Phillies on nine hits in four innings of work. He also allowed two walks.

The 13th ranked prospect by MMO began the 2023 season in Triple-A with Syracuse. He has made two starts and has allowed just two earned runs on six hits in 9.2 innings. He has struck out eight and walked five while pitching to a stellar 1.86 ERA.

Having had a taste of pitching in the majors, the Mets will be hoping for a better start from Butto this time around and he will have the chance to help his team secure the series sweep against Oakland on Sunday.

The post Scherzer Start Pushed To Wednesday, Butto Starting Sunday appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Good morning, Mets fans!

On Friday, it was officially announced that Justin Verlander will start the home opener on April 6. To line him up for that, he is slated to start the third game of the year for the Mets, which will be April 1 in Miami. With Scherzer scheduled for Opening Day and Verlander set to pitch the third game of the year, Tim Healey of Newsday tweeted what is likely to be the Mets’ rotation, at least for the start of the year: Scherzer, Peterson/Megill, Verlander, Senga, Carrasco.

With this rotation, Kodai Senga will avoid making his first major league start in the heightened environment of the home opener, leaving that job to the more-than-experienced Verlander. The winner of the battle for the final spot in the rotation, either David Peterson or Tylor Megill, is likely to pitch the second game of the season to make this ideal rotation structure work.

Latest Mets News

Today, March 25, is the first ever Amazin’ Day, a chance for Mets fans around New York City to attend exclusive events and access giveaways by wearing a Mets hat or any Mets gear.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post wrote that a trade for Reds reliever Alexis Díaz might take a combination of Alex Ramírez and Kevin Parada.

During the Mets’ spring training game on Friday, Francisco Lindor decided to test the new shift rules by playing illegally behind second base after the Rays had done the same thing without being penalized.

Latest MLB News

The Marlins announced that they will be wearing retro Florida Marlins uniforms for Friday home games this year.

Jeff Passan of ESPN detailed some of the best Opening Day pitching matchups. In total, eight previous Cy Young Award winners will be pitching on Opening Day.

Some of the roster cuts from Friday include Kevin Plawecki being released by the Pirates, Jeurys Familia being released by the Diamondbacks, Chase Anderson, Brandon Williamson, Matt Reynolds, and Chad Pinder being released by the Reds, and Keston Hiura and Tyler Naquin being released by the Brewers.

Matt Gelb of The Athletic wondered if the Phillies would make a trade to replace Rhys Hoskins, questioning among other options if they might target former Phillie and current Met Darin Ruf. Gelb also posted an appreciation of Hoskins now that his Phillies career might be over.

Kenley Jansen left the Red Sox spring training game due to injury and went directly to the clubhouse with a trainer.

Latest on MMO

Colby Morris broke down pitching prospect Mike Vasil‘s start against the Braves on Thursday.

The latest MMO Roundtable looked at some of our favorite moments from the World Baseball Classic.

Tyler Antonelle recapped Friday’s spring training game against the Rays.

On This Date in Mets History

Birthdays: Tom Glavine (57), Lee Mazzilli (68)

The post Morning Briefing: Justin Verlander to Start Home Opener appeared first on Metsmerized.

Pete Alonso. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The Mets traveled to Tropicana Field to take on the Rays Friday afternoon. Max Scherzer got the start for New York in what will be his final appearance before Opening Day. Luis Patiño was the starter for Tampa Bay.

The Mets struck early as a leadoff Luis Guillorme walk and a Francisco Lindor double made it a 1-0 ballgame. Pete Alonso then ambushed Patiño with a base hit on the first pitch he saw, advancing Lindor to third base. A Daniel Vogelbach sacrifice fly then scored Lindor and gave the Mets a 2-0 lead before Scherzer even took the mound.

After an easy first inning, Scherzer appeared to be through an easy second with two outs and nobody on, but he surrendered a walk, a single, and a hit by pitch in consecutive plate appearances to load the bases. Yandy Díaz then hit a blooper that landed in shallow left-center field and the Rays were able to tie the game at two. Scherzer was able to avoid further trouble by getting Wander Franco to ground out to end the inning.

The Mets were able to respond in the top of the third with Guillorme leading off the inning with his second walk of the game. Starling Marte then hit an opposite field double, setting up runners on second and third with nobody out. While Lindor wasn’t able to drive anyone in with a shallow flyout to center field, Alonso cleared the bases in the next at-bat with a strong home run to dead center to retake the lead and make it a 5-2 game.

Pete Alonso’s fourth spring homer gives the Mets a 5-2 lead.

pic.twitter.com/UvgR4ijqgT

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) March 24, 2023

Not satisfied with a three-run lead, the Mets’ offense continued to produce in the top of the fourth. In consecutive at-bats to start the inning, Tommy Pham grounded a single through the infield, Omar Narváez walked, and Guillorme reached base for the third time in the game with an RBI single that scored Pham. Following a Marte strikeout, Lindor recorded his second RBI hit of the game with a single through the infield to score Narváez and make it 7-2.

In an otherwise mundane sixth inning, Narváez led off the inning by hitting his first home run of the spring. Narváez had been struggling in spring training up to this point, albeit in a small sample size, but with his home run he demonstrated the power he possesses that allowed him to hit 22 home runs in 2019. The Mets will be hoping to see more of that in the regular season after catcher was a position that hurt them offensively last year.

After his shaky second inning, Scherzer was able to settle in against the Rays’ hitters allowing just one baserunner over the next four innings and striking out the side in the bottom of the sixth. Scherzer ended his outing through six innings having thrown 100 pitches, giving up two runs on four hits, a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and striking out 11. In his last outing before Opening Day, Scherzer already appears to be in midseason form.

The offensive onslaught continued for the Mets in the top of the seventh inning as a leadoff Alonso walk and a Darin Ruf single set up an opposite field double for Mark Canha that scored both baserunners, extending the Mets’ lead to eight. An infield single by Eduardo Escobar put runners on the corners with still nobody out and a Danny Mendick ground ball double play scored the runner from third to make it 11-2.

Dennis Santana, Zach Muckenhirn, and Trey McLoughlin pitched the final three innings for the Mets with relative ease, each throwing a scoreless inning and putting the game away for a Mets victory.

After the game, Buck Showalter told reporters that Justin Verlander will start the Mets’ third game of he season which will line him up for the Mets’ home opener. Buck also said he expects Brandon Nimmo to be in the lineup on Saturday.

Players of the Game

Max Scherzer and Pete Alonso both played so well, there can’t just be one player of the game. Scherzer was dominant except for a rocky second inning, recording 11 total strikeouts which, according to Jacob Resnick, is a Mets’ spring training record going back to 2006 when spring training box scores became available.

Alonso went 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk, stolen base, and three RBIs in his four plate appearances. His single in the first inning led to a run as he advanced Lindor to third before he scored on a sacrifice fly. His three-run homer in the third inning, however, was the biggest hit of the game as it broke a 2-2 tie and gave the Mets a lead they would hold on to for the rest of the game.

On Deck

The Mets head back to Clover Park on Saturday to face the Cardinals in their penultimate spring training game. The game is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. EDT and can be watched on WPIX and MLB TV. Tylor Megill gets the start for the Mets. 

The post Scherzer Dominates, Alonso Homers in 11-2 Victory Over Rays appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Updated Post – March 24, 12:40

The Mets announced on Friday that Max Scherzer will indeed get the start on Opening Day against the Marlins in Miami. The three-time Cy Young champ will face off against reigning NL Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara.

The game starts at 4:10 p.m. and will be on MLB Network.

Original Post – March 15, 14:49

Max Scherzer will be the Mets Opening Day starter when they face off with the Marlins in Miami on March 30, according to a report from the New York Post’s Mike Puma.  Additionally, Puma reports that the team’s co-ace, Justin Verlander, will get the Mets home opener on April 6, also against the Marlins.

The Mets open up the season with seven road games in Miami and Milwaukee, meaning Verlander’s spot would come up on the 6th if he starts the team’s second game in Miami on the March 31, and the team uses a six-man rotation (likely consisting of Scherzer, Verlander, Kodai Senga, Carlos Carrasco, David Peterson, and Tylor Megill) to start the season.

When asked about the possibility of starter the Mets’ home opener after his spring start on Wednesday, Verlander said the day he pitches is not something he’s focused on.

Justin Verlander on maybe starting Mets' Home Opener:

"I don't know how things are lining up, I'm just taking the ball when they tell me to take it. Opening Day, Home Opener or any major league start, it's an honor. To be honest, it's not something I'm focused on whatsoever."

— Mike Mayer (@mikemayer22) March 15, 2023

Scherzer has made six previous Opening Day starts, all as a member of the Washington Nationals. He was slated to be the Mets Opening Day starter last season following the injury to Jacob deGrom, but was replaced by Megill after experiencing a hamstring injury.  Scherzer will become the Mets 28th all-time Opening Day starter. The Franchise Tom Seaver holds the franchise record with 11.

Mad Max’s likely opposition will be reigning National League Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara, making for one of the days best starting pitching matchups on a slate filled with aces.

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Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

A day after Tylor Megill tossed four scoreless innings against the Miami Marlins, David Peterson followed suit in a start against the Washington Nationals. While it might’ve come in a 5-0 loss on Tuesday, Peterson made his return to the mound for the first time in 10 days. And he looked sharp.

Avoiding an injury scare after he took a comebacker off his foot less than two weeks ago, Peterson picked up where he left off. The 27-year-old left-hander struck out five Nationals across four scoreless innings, in which he did not allow a hit. The only trouble he faced was in the third inning, when Nationals right fielder Stone Garrett reached on catcher interference by Francisco Álvarez. Garrett stole second and reached third on a passed ball by Álvarez, but was left stranded as Peterson got catcher Keibert Ruiz to line out to third baseman Brett Baty to end the threat.

Only one more batter reached base against Peterson, as Washington left fielder Alex Call walked with one out in the top of the fourth. Peterson finished his outing by notching his fifth and final strikeout and inducing a ground out to end his outing on a strong note. 

Peterson tossed a spring-high 68 pitches on Tuesday, with 41 of them going for strikes. He recorded 13 whiffs on 32 swings, good enough for a whiff rate of 41%, per Baseball Savant. Peterson primarily used his four-seamer (43%) during Tuesday’s outing, and got six whiffs with his primary pitch, which had a max velocity of 95.8 mph on the afternoon. Peterson’s four-seamer was averaging 93.3 mph, which is 0.4 below his yearly average. On the other hand, Peterson’s slider, which he tossed 16 times (24%) Tuesday, was averaging 87.1 mph, which is up 2.7 mph from his yearly average.

Tuesday marked the first time this spring that Peterson has pitched beyond two innings, having pitched two innings apiece in each his two previous outings against the St. Louis Cardinals on Feb. 27 and Marlins on March 4. 

In eight innings this spring, Peterson has struck out nine batters — which is second on the team to reliever John Curtiss— while walking four batters in that same time frame. Peterson has yet to allow a hit this spring, as he continues to make his case for making New York’s Opening Day roster as the team’s No. 5 starter.

Peterson’s chances of making the Mets’ rotation have become increasingly likely due to José Quintana’s injury, which should sideline him for the majority, if not all of the first half of the 2023 campaign. Mets general manager Billy Eppler announced Tuesday that Quintana will undergo surgery (bone graft) later this week after it was discovered that the 34-year-old right-hander had a benign lesion on his rib. Quintana’s recovery will go until at least July, meaning that Peterson’s role with the Mets in 2023 will likely be an extensive one, rather than serving as stretched-out rotation depth in the minor leagues.

Peterson’s strong outing on Tuesday will make for a tough decision for Mets manager Buck Showalter and his fellow coaches, as they finalize the pitching staff in the coming weeks. Though, Showalter did say that the Mets will use a six-man rotation at times this season, despite Quintana being out until at least July, according to our own Michael Mayer.

In any event, Peterson returning from a 10-day absence to toss four scoreless, hitless innings is a good sign for New York’s rotation depth, which has already been tested before the start of the regular season.

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The World Baseball Classic officially started late Tuesday night in America Pool A and B play. This has taken place in Japan and Taiwan with teams like Japan, Italy, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Cuba, and more trying to advance to the knockout stage.

Now, it’s time for Pool C and D to start.

These pools are highlighted by the United States, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and more, with many Mets joining WBC play today. Games take place in Arizona and Florida. Starting at noon, there are seven games that start play on Saturday. Here are some of the highlights:

Nicaragua vs. Puerto Rico, 12:00 PM EST

Team Puerto Rico, led by Francisco Lindor in the leadoff spot, plays Nicaragua at noon Saturday.

Marcus Stroman takes the bump for PR in Game 1 after playing for Team USA–and winning MVP–in 2017. Edwin Díaz will man the back of the bullpen for the squad, and he said he won’t pitch on back-to-back days. Other MLB talent in this game includes: Javier Báez, Kiké Hernandez, Erasmo Ramirez, Eddie Rosario, JC Ramirez and… Johneshwy Fargas!

The game is broadcast on Fox Sports 2.

Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela, 7:00 PM EST

Team Dominican Republic–arguably the most stacked team in the WBC–plays against Eduardo Escobar and Team Venezuela.

Sandy Alcantara, the reigning NL Cy Young, will pitch for the DR, and Martin Perez is a formidable No. 1 for Venezuela. DR’s lineup is stacked with MLB stars like Juan Soto, Manny Machado, Rafael Devers, Teoscar Hernandez, Willy Adames, Wander Franco, Julio Rodriguez, Ketel Marte, and much more. Team Venezuela is a strong competitor with players like Ronald Acuña Jr., Andres Gimenez, Jose Altuve, Miguel Cabrera, Omar Narváez, and Luis Arraez manning the lineup.

This game is probably the best head-to-head matchup today. It’s broadcast on Fox Sports 1.

Great Britain vs. USA, 9:00 PM EST

Team USA and its insane lineup–where Pete Alonso is a backup and Jeff McNeil bats at the back end–plays Great Britain at 9 p.m. Saturday. (All of their pool games start at 9 or 10 p.m.)

Adam Wainwright will start for Team USA, and the hope is a lineup that has Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, J.T. Realmuto, and Trea Turner will put him up early against a weak Great Britain team. On the Mets end, Adam Ottavino appears in the bullpen. Brooks Raley was scheduled to be part of the bullpen, but he left an exhibition game Friday night with an injury. It was called a “precautionary” removal. Former Met Adam Loup replaced him.

This game is broadcast on FOX.

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Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO

According to Tim Healey of Newsday reports that the Mets have scratched Kodai Senga from his start tonight against the Nationals in West Palm Beach. The Mets say Senga is dealing with discomfort at the base of his right index finger. John Curtiss will start in his place.

Senga was slated to make his second Grapefruit League start after going two innings allowing run one and striking out two against the Cardinals on March 5.

The Mets signed the Japanese star right-hander to a five-year, $75 million during the offseason to join Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Jose Quintana, and Carlos Carrasco in what’s expected to be one of the best rotations in baseball.

The Mets are already dealing with an injury to starter Jose Quintana. He was diagnosed with a small stress fracture on his fifth rib on his left side.

The Mets do have rotation depth with David Peterson, Tylor Megill, and Joey Lucchesi all having solid springs and major-league experience.

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