Justin Verlander. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Sunday, March 26, 2023 • 4:10 PM
Clover Park • Port St. Lucie, Florida
LHP Braxton Garrett (0-1, 8.25) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (2-1, 2.25)
WPIX

We finally made it! The last day of spring training.

The Mets and Marlins play each other in a late afternoon spring game before taking a few days off and starting the season against each other in Miami. If you include today’s game, the Mets and Marlins play each other eight times in their next 11 games. The two teams are going to get very familiar with each other over the next couple of weeks.

Big news broke during the Mets game last night that Brett Baty and Mark Vientos would be starting the season in the minors. That means the Mets are rolling with Eduardo Escobar as their starting third basemen at least in the short term for 2023. What general manager Billy Eppler wouldn’t commit to yet is if Darin Ruf has made the major league roster. That being said, the Mets still have a few days to make decisions before the games start for real on Thursday.

Mets Lineup

Last lineup of the spring. #LGM pic.twitter.com/2LNRaOC4x7

— New York Mets (@Mets) March 26, 2023

Marlins Lineup: pending

Game Notes

Yesterday, the Mets have signed starting pitcher Dylan Bundy to a minor league contract. Bundy has appeared in 190 career games (162 starts) and owns a 4.74 ERA. He spent the 2022 season with the Minnesota Twins, posting a 4.89 ERA (76 earned runs/140 innings) with 28 walks and 94 strikeouts.

In 15 games this spring, infielder Luis Guillorme has a .324 (12-37) average and an .864 OPS. Guillorme has hit safely in four of his last five games, including three consecutive multi-hit efforts.

Three Things To Watch For

1. See You Again Soon! Justin Verlander makes his final start of spring training today and is scheduled to face the Marlins next Saturday for the third game of the season. I am curious if he hides anything from the Marlins, works on specific pitches only, or splits his time between this game and a minor league game or a bullpen session. Unless it looks like he’s really going full steam today, I’m not going to read too much into his performance
2. Normal Lineup? The Mets have Darin Ruf in the game today as the DH, which is where he would be on days the Mets face off against a lefty starting pitcher. Besides that this lineup looks like the lineup the Mets will roll with at the start of the season. The only question marks in are Ruf and Escobar. According to Showalter, despite Ruf’s poor spring training performance, he’s been destroying baseballs in the backfields. Escobar has been cold this spring, but was one of the best hitters on the team the last month or so of the regular season.
3. Final Bullpen Spots Up For Grabs: Before the start of this game the Mets optioned Jeff Brigham to Syracuse and reassigned T.J. McFarland and Jimmy Yacabonis to minor league camp. This leaves Curtiss, Nogosek, Hernández and Santana battling for the last three spots.

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Mike Trout. Photo via MLB/Team USA

Only four teams remain in the 2023 WBC. Tonight, one team is going to punch their ticket to the championship game. That’ll either be Cuba or the USA. Meanwhile, tomorrow night, Mexico and Japan will play to see who makes up the other half of the WBC final. That aforementioned final is scheduled for Tuesday, March 21 in Miami, Florida.

Cuba vs. USA, 7:00 PM ET

To get to the semifinals, Cuba defeated Australia 4-3. Before that, they won a weak Pool A by going 2-2 with victories over Panama and Chinese Taipei and losses to Italy and the Netherlands.

Offensively, Cuba is led by the White Sox duo of Yoan Moncada (1.259 OPS) and Luis Robert Jr. Additionally, Mexican league hitter, Yadir Drake, is also having a strong WBC as evident by his 1.029 OPS.

Cuba’s probable starter is Roenis Elías. He is a 34-year-old left-handed pitcher who is currently a part of the Cubs’ organization. He owns a career ERA of 3.96 across 395 2/3 career MLB innings. Elías struggled in spring training (7.71 ERA in 4 2/3 innings) before joining the WBC roster.

As for USA, the main reason why they are able to play in this game is because of an electric go-ahead eighth-inning grand slam courtesy of Trea Turner Saturday night against Venezuela. Each Pete Alonso and Adam Ottavino contributed to that victory, namely Alonso, who tallied a bloop hit to set the table for USA.

Prior to that, USA finished second in Pool C with a 3-1 record which included wins over Great Britain, Canada, and Colombia as well as a surprising 11-5 loss at the hands of Mexico.

Adam Wainwright is the probable starter for USA. The 41-year-old veteran wasn’t the sharpest against a lackluster Great Britain team in a pool stage game. He allowed five hits over four innings, but did only allow one run and struck out four.

Cuba Lineup

Cuba's lineup for tonight's semifinal matchup! pic.twitter.com/hiFBOJRSht

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 19, 2023

USA Lineup

Semifinal ready 🫡#ForGlory🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/VotDN3bbIr

— USA Baseball (@USABaseball) March 19, 2023

Tonight’s game is scheduled for a 7:00 PM ET first pitch. It will be televised on Fox Sports 1. The game will be held in Miami, FL at LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins.

The post WBC Game Thread: Cuba vs. USA, 7:00 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized.

David Peterson. Photo by Ed Delany of MetsmerizedOnline

Sunday, March 19, 2023 • 1:10 PM
Clover Park • Port St. Lucie, Florida
RHP Dakota Hudson (0-0, 1.80) vs. LHP David Peterson (0-0, 0.00)
SNY

Yesterday’s win felt almost like a regular season game. Max Scherzer faced off against the ace of the Astros, Framber Valdez. Scherzer went seven innings allowing four hits and no runs. Valdez went 4 2/3 allowing only one run. Drew Smith got a hold striking out the side. Tommy Hunter continued his amazing spring getting the save after striking out two and allowing just one hit in the ninth inning.

Today’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals is an important one for the Mets’ major position battle – the fifth starter. Both David Peterson and Tylor Megill are scheduled to pitch today. Further, Mark Canha is getting the start in center as the Mets look at their short term options for Brandon Nimmo.

Mets Lineup

Sunday starters. #LGM pic.twitter.com/bYt6iXje4Z

— New York Mets (@Mets) March 19, 2023

Cardinals Lineup

Spending Sunday at the ballpark! pic.twitter.com/nGjfk9f8LU

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 19, 2023

Game Notes

In case you missed it, the Mets have made several camp cuts the past couple of days: OF Abraham Almonte, OF Lorenzo Cedrola, OF Jaylin Davis, C Hayden Senger, and RHP William Woods have been reassigned to minor league camp. Furhter, LHP Joey Lucchesi and INF Ronny Mauricio have been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse.

Tomás Nido has a .344/.364/.688 slash line in 11 games this spring. Five of Nido’s 11 hits this spring have gone for extra bases, including three home runs.

Three Things To Watch For

1. David Peterson: Peterson pitches in his fourth spring training game this afternoon looking to build on his spectacular start earlier in the week. So far this spring, he has allowed no runs and no hits while walking four batters and striking out nine batters over eight innings. With Lucchesi getting optioned to the Mets’ minor league camp a couple of days ago, Peterson has a better chance of making the Mets roster now either in the rotation or in the bullpen.
2. Tylor Megill: Megill, similar to Peterson, has done everything in camp to show he can be the Mets’ fifth starter. He has pitched 8 1/3 innings over three games allowing one run from six hits and three walks while striking out six batters. With another solid outing this afternoon, it may make the choice of who should start difficult for Buck Showalter.
3. Canha, The Center Fielder: Last week, Mark Canha was getting reps at first place as a possible depth option off the Mets’ bench. Now he’s getting a turn in center as the Mets explore their options if Nimmo has to miss an extended period of time. Canha played 11 games in center last year including seven starts (71 1/3 innings) with a perfect fielder rating. In 2021, he played 187 2/3 innings in center with the same rating.

The post MMO Game Thread: Cardinals vs. Mets, 1:10 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized.

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets were fully aware that their starting pitching depth was going to be tested this season. They had hoped, though, that it wouldn’t be quite this soon.

With the news about José Quintana‘s surgery for a stress fracture in his rib, the Mets will now be down a starter until at least July. While not ideal for the team, it presents a golden opportunity for one of the Mets’ younger depth starters to earn a more prominent role in the rotation. David Peterson and Tylor Megill, both contributors to the team in 2022, will use the remaining few weeks of spring training to vie for that slot.

Now, manager Buck Showalter did say that the team will likely begin the season with a six-man rotation. The primary reason is to ease Kodai Senga into pitching in the U.S., as he threw only once a week in Japan. Another reason, though, could be to get an extended look at both Peterson and Megill for if and when the team reverts back to a five-man rotation.

Both players will use spring training and whatever early starts they receive to make their case for the spot. However, each one has a prior major league resumé that can provide context for the more suitable everyday starter. There are also some changes to keep in mind which could sway the decision in one direction or the other.

Pitching Arsenal 

According to Baseball Savant, both Peterson and Megill relied on five pitches in 2022, although with different usage rates. The two share the basic four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, and curveball. Peterson throws a sinker, while Megill has a cutter.

Last season, Peterson used his four-seamer 37.9% of the time, slider 29.1%, changeup 16.3%, sinker 11.7%, and curveball 5%. Interestingly, from 2020-22, while his rates of slider, changeup, and curveball use have remained roughly stable, he made some more radical changes with his four-seamer and sinker, inverting them from 2020-21 before switching back in 2022.

In terms of Run Value, Peterson’s best pitch when he is right is his slider. He yielded -6 RV on the pitch in his rookie year, tied with his four-seamer for his best RV, and then gave up -5 in 2022, which was his best pitch result. Unsurprisingly, the slider was the pitch that went bad in Peterson’s difficult 2021 season, as he gave up 5 RV on the pitch with 24.4% usage.

Peterson’s sinker and changeup seem to be consistent minus pitches for him, as he has yielded positive RV in each of his three seasons on both of those pitches. The worst result was 6 RV on his sinker in 2022 with just 11.7% usage.

One of Peterson’s difficulties is that the spin rate on his fastball and curveball are very low by league standards. His fastball spin was in the 15th percentile among pitchers in 2022, and has been almost exactly that through his three-year career. His 2022 curveball was in the 27th percentile in spin rate.

Meanwhile, Megill uses his four-seamer a lot more often than Peterson, hurling it 56.9% of the time in 2022. He complemented the heater with 20.1% slider usage, 18.3% on his changeup, 2.8% on a curveball, and 1.9% on a cutter. His usage rates have been virtually identical in his parts of two seasons with the Mets.

Megill’s changeup has been a minus pitch for him, as thus far, he has yielded 5 and 3 RV on it in his two seasons in the league. His four-seamer and slider have been his best pitches, yielding RV between of -1 or -2 each year.

Megill also doesn’t have great fastball spin, ranking in the 30th and 33rd percentile over two seasons. (He did not throw enough curveballs to qualify for spin rate ranking.)

One very important thing to note about Megill is a dip in fastball speed this spring. He averaged 95.7 mph on his four-seamer in 2022 but it is down to 93.5 mph so far. This is a conscious effort to conserve his energy and be able to pitch deeper into games. Through nine starts in 2022, Megill made it through the sixth inning just twice. Furthermore, Megill believes that his 1.1-mph increase in average fastball velocity from 2021 to 2022 might have caused his shoulder strain last year, increasing the wisdom of slowing it down a bit.

Max Scherzer is also having an impact on Megill. The ace has proselytized far and wide about the benefits of a curveball for right-handed pitchers, dating back to last spring when he encouraged Jacob deGrom to develop the pitch. Scherzer likes throwing a curve to left-handed batters to steal a free strike, and he has also talked to Megill about saving his best pitches for later in the game.

As a result, Megill threw a curveball on 9% of his pitches in his most recent spring outing after having used it just 2.8% of the time last year. He said that he’s been working on developing it and thinks it will help him in the top of the zone. The work he put in is noticeable in his results: a 63-inch vertical break on the pitch, up from an average of 53 inches in 2022 (which was 2% more than the average break on similar pitches).

From an analytical perspective (and common sense), there is a push for pitchers to throw their best pitch more often, regardless of what type of pitch it is. It appears that Megill has gotten the memo, while Peterson could use it.

Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports

Sabermetrics

Based on an overall body of work in 2022, Peterson had a more successful season than Megill. The lefty put up a 3.83 ERA, 3.94 xERA, 3.64 FIP, 3.31 xFIP, and 1.4 WAR in 105.2 innings pitched. His FIP was 6% better than pitchers when adjusted for park and batters faced, and his ERA was just about average in that context. His 27.8% strikeout rate was in the 79th percentile for pitchers, but his 10.4% walk rate was in the 13th percentile.

Megill’s sample size was smaller than Peterson’s, and a lot of it came in relief at the end of the year. In 47.1 innings pitched, Megill had a 5.13 ERA, 4.31 xERA, 3.77 FIP, 3.35 xFIP, and 0.6 WAR. Although Megill’s ERA was 36% worse than league average when adjusted for context, his FIP was 3% better than average, which is roughly in line with Peterson’s. His 25.5% strikeout rate was not quite as good as Peterson’s but still above the 22.1% average, and his walk rate was better than the 8.1% average at 6.5%.

When you dive deeper into the rate numbers, though, you find two pitchers who give up a significant amount of hard contact. Although Peterson’s xSLG was in the 61st percentile, his hard hit rate (21st), average exit velocity (18th), and barrel rate (41st) explain why his BABIP was worse than average at .313.

Megill, too, was quite a bit worse than league average in barrel rate (10.1% vs. 6.7%), launch angle (13.5% vs. 12.1%), sweet spot rate (36.3% vs. 33%), and average exit velocity (89.2 vs. 88.4). His BABIP was .305. Surprisingly, his hard-hit rate was slightly better than league average at 34.8% (vs. 35.8%).

When it comes to home runs, though, there was a large discrepancy. Peterson allowed 0.94 HR/9 last season, while Megill’s number was very high at 1.33. This is in part due to the three homers Megill allowed on just 145 changeups thrown.

Mets Defensive Fit

Right now, the Mets’ outfield is stronger defensively than their infield. Though the double-play pair of Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil is among the strongest in baseball, Pete Alonso and Eduardo Escobar (or Brett Baty) leave much to be desired defensively, combining for -14 OAA in 2022. Furthermore, the Mets were among the leaders in defensive shifts last season, making the ban possibly affect their infield defense more than other teams.

Perhaps this points to an advantage for Megill over Peterson, as the latter profiles as more of a fly ball/line drive pitcher than average, while the former leans toward groundball/line drive. In 2022, Megill’s groundball/flyball/line drive rates were 42.2%/28.1%/23.0%, compared to Peterson’s 49.8%/17.9%/27.1%; the league averages are 44.9%/23.1%/25.0%.

However, at the cavernous Citi Field, there is more room for bad things to happen on fly balls and line drives. Flyball pitchers get some help in the home run department at Citi, but they also can get hurt by barreled balls. Both of these pitchers gave up more barrels than average, but Peterson’s average launch angle was significantly lower than Megill’s (8.1 vs. 13.5).

Other Factors

As stated earlier, Megill is trying to add to his pitch arsenal and keep his velocity controlled to pitch deeper into games. Peterson has had a similar problem; he finished the sixth inning in only four of his 19 starts last season and often averaged close to or more than 20 pitches per inning. This is mainly due to his high walk rate.

However, there is one pivotal difference between the two pitchers: Peterson did not injure his arm when trying to stretch out as a starter. Megill’s lower velocity has profiled well so far this offseason, but it also may take something off his four-seamer. Peterson, meanwhile, averaged 93.7 mph on his fastball in 2022 (just about the league average) and produced his results with that speed.

If Megill can use the curveball successfully and save his best stuff for last, he may have more potential as a pitcher than Peterson. We saw some of the possibilities early in 2022 when he went 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in April. However, there are question marks following his injuries.

Another factor to keep in mind is handedness. Quintana was set to be the lone southpaw in the Mets’ rotation, and he allowed a .219/.286/.271/.557 to lefties last season. The lefty Peterson had a line of .177/.263/.377/.640 against left-handed batters, while Megill was at .293/.343/.495/.838 against lefties (he actually faced more left-handed batters than right-handers). The Mets may want to maintain that platoon advantage in their rotation.

So far in spring training, both pitchers have performed well. Peterson pitched four scoreless innings in his latest outing and has yet to allow a run, pitching to an impressive 0.50 WHIP. Megill also hasn’t allowed a run and went four scoreless in his last performance.

Photo by Ed Delany of MetsmerizedOnline

Bottom Line

Both pitchers struggled down the stretch last season: Peterson in his final cameos as a reliever/starter, and Megill in his return from injury as a reliever. Both have questions about durability, reproducibility of positive results given the amount of hard contact made against them, and “stuff.”

I don’t know if there’s a clear right or wrong answer to who should start. Peterson strikes out somewhat more batters than Megill, but Megill keeps his walk rate lower. Both pitchers get hit hard at times, though Peterson’s contact tends to come on the ground more often than Megill’s. Megill gave up more homers than Peterson.

Ultimately, if I had to choose one, I’d go with the former first-round pick who has two solid seasons under his belt. Peterson did everything the Mets asked of him last season and did not complain even when they shuttled him back and forth between the minors, majors, and bullpen. He pitched really well for most of 2022 and held down the fort when the team’s aces were injured.

Is Peterson going to be a star? No. But he deserves the chance to show what he can do with some consistency and time to refine his craft at the major league level. Megill will undoubtedly get opportunities throughout the season, regardless.

With a lack of complete clarity in the data, the more consistent pitcher wins, and that’s Peterson.

The post Mets’ Fifth Starter Battle Is About Potential Vs. Production appeared first on Metsmerized.

Brandon Nimmo. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Sunday, March 12, 2023 • 1:10 PM
Clover Park • Port St. Lucie, Florida
RHP Luis Patino (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Carlos Carrasco (0-1, 5.40)
WPIX

The New York Mets are set to play their first game after making first round of spring training cuts last night. There were no surprises in the first round of cuts – most of the players are prospects who the Mets just wanted to get an extended look at. Everyone involved in roster battles are still in Mets camp as the Mets play their 15th official spring training game this afternoon.

New York is coming off of a loss against the Washington Nationals last night and the outcome of the game might be the least important aspect of that game.

Brett Baty continued his excellent spring going 2-for-2 at the plate and stealing a base. Mark Vientos continued to make noise playing first base while going 3-for-4 with a double. Meanwhile, Ronny Mauricio went 0-for-3 with a walk and stole a base. The Mets put all of their infield talent on the field last night and shined.

Mets Lineup

.@You_Found_Nimmo makes his spring debut! #LGM pic.twitter.com/46urBLEtBV

— New York Mets (@Mets) March 12, 2023

Rays Lineup

Pending.

Game Notes

Tim Locastro has had an excellent spring, He ranks third in the major with a .469 OBP. He is also tied for third in doubles with five, as well as stolen bases (5).

The New York Mets are taking over New York City with the club’s first-ever Amazin’ Day, an all-day, citywide extravaganza for Mets’ fans taking place on Saturday, March 25. Fans who wear a Mets’ hat or any Mets’ gear will be granted access to several events at iconic NYC institutions, community- focused events, and giveaways throughout the day.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Nimmo’s Return: Brandon Nimmo is scheduled to finally play in a spring training game today. Nimmo has made it clear from the start of camp that he wanted to slow down spring this year. He has been one of the most important hitters in the Mets’ lineup, putting up a 145, 131, and 130 OPS+ over his last three seasons. His first season back in 2017 was the only season where he had an OPS+ under 100.
2. Start Number Three For Cookie: Carlos Carrasco bounced back in his last start, and is surely hoping to continue that trend today. In his first start, he allowed two runs from two hits over two innings. In his last start, he allowed one run from four hits over three innings. Home runs made the big difference for Carlos between his first two seasons, he gave them up at double the rate in 2021 compared to 2022. So far this spring he has allowed one homer in each start.
3. Darin Ruf: Over the last two days Mark Canha and Mark Vientos have both seen time at first base. Ruf gets another shot at first today. In official spring training games Ruf is 0-for-6 so far with four strikeouts. He’s also grounded into one double play.

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Kodai Senga. Photo by Ed Delaney, MMO

Sunday, March 5, 2023 • 1:05 PM
Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium • Jupiter, Florida
RHP Kodai Senga (0-0, -.–) vs. LHP Jordan Montgomery (0-0, -.–)
MLB TV (via Bally Sports Midwest) • WCBS 880

The New York Mets have the opportunity to improve to .500 this afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Mets are coming off of a huge game against the Marlins yesterday where they racked up 16 hits and 15 runs thanks to five home runs. Mark Vientos was the big start of the day going 3-for-4 at the plate with two homers and five RBIs. With the World Baseball Classic coming up this week, we are only going to see more of Vientos.

Today, the Mets will go back to Jupiter to take on their other spring team – the Cardinals. Today is also the second day in a row that a big starting pitcher free agent signing will be making his Mets’ debut. Yesterday, Justin Verlander had a great first game allowing one run from two hits and no walks while striking out three over three innings. This afternoon, fans finally get to see Kodai Senga and his ghost forkball take on another major league team.

Mets Lineup

It’s Senga day. 🔥 #LGM pic.twitter.com/aFKNCjjPE2

— New York Mets (@Mets) March 5, 2023

Cardinals Lineup

Who is excited to watch us on TV?! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/B5rXnDvtkI

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 5, 2023

Game Notes

Ronny Mauricio is tied for the major league lead with three home runs. He is also tied for second in the majors with 15 total bases and tied for fifth with four extra-base hits.

Former Mets’ outfielder Darryl Strawberry and former Mets infielder Edgardo Alfonzo will be in Mets’ camp from March 2 until March 6.

A total of 11 players in major league camp with the Mets will compete in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

Three Things To Watch For

1. The Ghost Forkball: It’s worth noting that Senga does not call his signature pitch a ghost forkball. He says its probably a splitter because he doesn’t hold the ball the same way most forkball pitchers do. DiComo notes that the pitch grip is similar to the split-changeup that Carlos Carrasco throws. Due to how far back in his hand Senga throws the ball, and his motion, when done right, it takes on a different trajectory. The nickname comes from its ability to just disappear to hitters. All season we will surely be talking about the adjustment major league hitters will make to the pitch and the readjustments Senga will need to take.
2. Francisco Lindor: Over the first six games he’s played in Lindor has collected five hits and four walks in 19 plate appearances. He already has a .400/.526/.667 slash line in spring. First, a hot at the plate Lindor is great news for the World Baseball Classic next week. Second, if Lindor keeps this up in April, the Mets are going to be unstoppable at the plate.
3. Have Fun! Today is the last day that the World Baseball Classic players are in camp. So, in addition to aforementioned Lindor, Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, Eduardo Escobar, and Omar Narváez will be in the lineup for the last time for the foreseeable future.

The post MMO Game Thread: Mets vs. Cardinals, 1:05 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized.

Max Scherzer. Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Sunday, February 26, 2022 • 1:10 PM
Clover Park • Port S. Lucie, Florida
RHP Trevor Williams (spring debut) vs. RHP Max Scherzer (spring debut)
SNY • WCBS 880 AM • ESPN 1050

The New York Mets play their first of six spring training games against the Washington Nationals this afternoon in Port St. Lucie.

Yesterday, the Mets had the rare split-squad day at two very different times, against two teams that were each only playing one game. The Mets dropped the first game against the Astros with Brett Baty stealing the show with two hits, including a homer and a walk in three trips to the plate. The Mets won the night cap against the Marlins with Pete Alonso‘s long home run showing he’s ready for the World Baseball Classic.

The Nationals are coming to town this afternoon with a split-squad roster and they are bringing Josiah Gray with them. Josiah Gray was one of the key prospects in the trade the Dodgers made with the Nationals a couple of seasons ago for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. The Mets will also see former Met Trevor Williams in his new threads. 

Nationals Lineup

Josiah Gray’s 2023 Spring Training debut.

Trevor Williams’s Nats debut.
 
Go 2-0 today.
 #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/Jv4AE3MtK9

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 26, 2023

Mets Lineup

Good morning.

We get to watch Max Scherzer pitch today. #LGM pic.twitter.com/S3PgX6hV4O

— New York Mets (@Mets) February 26, 2023

Three Things To Watch For:

• Max Scherzer: Adam Ottavino was the only pitcher we saw yesterday who is a lock to start the season in Queens. There’s definitely more excitement today with Max Scherzer starting the game. Over 23 games and 145 1/3 innings last year, Scherzer had a 2.29 ERA, 0.908 WHIP, 2.62 FIP and a 169 ERA+. The Mets hopes this season are pinned to Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
• Daniel Vogelbach: It’s the smallest of sample sizes, just one game, but the shift ban is going to help Vogelbach. He had two hits yesterday, both that probably would have been outs in the shift era. There was some talk during the broadcast last night that the Marlins might be hiding how they will play Vogelbach in the regular season. Let’s see what happens against the Nationals today.
• Tommy Pham: The new projected fourth outfielder for the Mets had three batted balls last night 104 MPH or higher. Last season, he was in the 93rd percentile for average exit velocity and 86th for maximum exit velocity. It didn’t materialize into strong xwOBA or xBA numbers (45th and 32nd percentiles, respectively) last season, but usually hitting the ball hard leads to good things. 

Games Notes

Per Will Sammon of the Athletic, the scheduled Mets’ pitchers for the rest of the day after Scherzer are Tommy Hunter, Elieser Hernández, John Curtiss, Brooks Raley, and Sam Coonrod.

Earlier today, per Jeff Passan of ESPN, it was announced that Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres are in agreement on an 11-year, $350 extension. 

The post MMO Game Thread: Nationals vs. Mets, 1:10 P.M. appeared first on Metsmerized.

Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

Saturday, February 25, 2023 • 6:10 P.M.
Clover Park • Port St. Lucie, Florida
LHP Braxton Garrett vs. RHP José Butto
SNY

The New York Mets and Miami Marlins square off tonight for an evening spring training game in Port St. Lucie! This is the first of six games the Mets will play against the Marlins this spring before they go to Miami to open up the regular season on March 30th.

The Mets dropped their Grapefruit League opener 4-2 to the Houston Astros earlier on Saturday. Brett Baty was the headline act in that one – getting on base all three times in his first three plate appearances, including a first inning home run.

Mets Lineup

1. Jeff McNeil – 2B
2. Tommy Pham – CF
3. Francisco Lindor – SS
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. Eduardo Escobar – 3B
6. Mark Canha – LF
7. Daniel Vogelbach – DH
8. Abraham Almonte – RF
9. Tomás Nido – C

SP – José Butto

Miami Marlins

1. Jon Berti – 3B
2. Bryan De La Cruz – LF
3. Nick Fortes – C
4. Jesús Sánchez – RF
5. Garrett Hampson – SS
6. Peyton Burdick – CF
7. Jordan Groshans – DH
8. Joe Rizzo – 1B
9. Xavier Edwards – 2B

SP – Braxton Garrett

Three Things To Watch For:

1. The Starting Lineup: Only Starling Marte and Brandon Nimmo are missing from this lineup. Mets manager Buck Showalter said he was going to prioritize players heading to the World Baseball Classic – which is a solid chunk of the Mets regulars. The amount of regular starting players in the lineup will make the first broadcast game of the year a lot more fun.
2. Eduardo Escobar: Brett Baty already put the pressure on Escobar this afternoon. Baty hit a homer in his first at bat, then walked during his second and got a single his third time around. Eduardo is one of the most positive players on the Mets roster. Twitter feeds are already filled with videos of Escobar greeting coaches and having fun on picture day. At the end of last season Escobar went on a tear – can he repeat that with a strong spring?
3. José Butto: The Mets top prospects are position player heavy, with José Butto being probably the highest ranked pitcher who could see time in the majors this season. Butto had one start in the majors last season and it was a doozy. He allowed seven runs from nine hits and two walks over four innings of work. Over 28 games and 129 innings in the minors he had a 3.56 ERA and 1.209 WHIP. We are hoping to see him have a strong outing against major league quality hitters.
4. Bonus – Pitch Clocks: We said this earlier today but it is worth mentioning again since more of the Mets regulars are playing tonight. Both spring training games on Friday were right around two hours and thirty minutes. If the Mets are going to have any problems adjusting to the clock it will probably happen during the first two weeks of spring.

Let’s Go Mets!

The post MMO Game Thread: Marlins vs. Mets, 6:10 PM appeared first on Metsmerized.

Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

Saturday, February 25, 2023 • 1:05 P.M.
The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches • West Palm Beach, Florida
RHP Denyi Reyes vs. RHP Brandon Bielak
MLB.TV

Mets baseball is finally here! The Mets play two split-squad games today that are more like a doubleheader with one starting at 1:05 p.m. and the second one starting at 6:10 p.m.

First up for the Mets this afternoon are the Houston Astros. Like every spring, the teams on the East coast of Florida play each other frequently and this is the first of six games against the Astros the Mets will play over the next four weeks. After the early game, New York will then take on the Miami Marlins at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie.

Mets Lineup

1. Luis Guillorme – SS
2. Tim Locastro – LF
3. Brett Baty – 3B
4. Mark Vientos – 1B
5. Omar Narváez – DH
6. DJ Stewart – RF
7. Jonathan Araúz – 2B
8. Michael Pérez – C
9. Alex Ramírez – CF

SP – Denyi Reyes

Houston Astros

1. Rylan Bannon – 2B
2. Mauricio Dubón – SS
3. José Abreu – 1B
4. Korey Lee – C
5. Bligh Madris – RF
6. Corey Julks – LF
7. David Hensley – 3B
8. Ross Adolph – CF
9. Marty Costes – DH

SP – Bielak

Three Things To Watch For

• Denyi Reyes: Reyes made his major league debut with the Orioles briefly last season where he allowed only two runs from eight hits and a walk over 7 2/3 innings. His numbers last year in the minors weren’t great (7.17 ERA, 1.519 WHIP) but he had a low walk rate (3.3%) which was also seen in the majors. He has a low to mid-90s mph fastball, a mid-80s changeup and a mid-70s curveball. Reyes’ upside makes him one of the more interesting pitchers the Mets have brought to camp this year.
• Mets Young Hitters: One of the major stories we’ll be following all spring is who is going to be the Mets Opening Day third basemen. After the Carlos Correa deal fell through, all eyes turned to Baty and Escobar. Baty made an immediate first impression yesterday with two hits including a double in the Mets intrasquad game. Mark Vientos is looking to make a splash somewhere with the Mets. There are players in front of him all over the depth chart. That being said, the Mets are thin at first base which is where Vientos is starting today.
• Omar Narváez: Narváez joins a crowded Mets catching field that includes Nido and a couple of top Mets prospects. How Narváez and Nido play this spring could determine their playing time split before Francisco Álvarez arrives full-time.
• Bonus – Pitch Clocks: This is the first real game the Mets will have with pitch clocks. Both spring training games on Friday were right around two hours and thirty minutes. If the Mets are going to have any problems adjusting to the clock it will probably happen during the first two weeks of spring.

Game Notes 

The Mets scheduled pitchers for today’s first game against the Astros are: RHPs -Denyi Reyes, Zach Greene, Grant Hartwig, Eric Orze, Adam Ottavino, LHPs – Zach Muckenhirn.

Players that traveled for today’s spring training opener but aren’t in the lineup are: Nick Meyer, Kevin Parada.

Let’s Go Mets!

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Chiefs vs. Eagles. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Officially, there are three more days until spring training begins. However, before baseball really starts to swing into full motion, tonight, arguably, the biggest sport’s event in the world takes place. That being Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.

Important Information

When: 6:30 P.M. ET

Where: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona

How to Watch: FOX

Odds (as of writing): Eagles -1.5, o/u 50.5 (per FanDuel)

Matchup

The 57th installment of the Super Bowl will pit the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Chiefs finished the regular season 14-3 (losses to Indianapolis, Buffalo, and Cincinnati) and has defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars (27-20) and Cincinnati Bengals (23-20) in the playoffs thus far. Kansas City is led by MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce, and defensive lineman Chris Jones.

Meanwhile, the NFC Eagles also finished the regular season 14-3 (losses to Washington, Dallas, and New Orleans). To advance to the Super Bowl they defeated the New York Giants (38-7) and the quarterback-less San Francisco 49ers (31-7). Philadelphia is led by dual-threat quarterback Jalen Hurts as well as a stout defense featuring James Bradberry, Darius Slay, and Hassan Reddick.

Important Statistics:

• Points per game:
  • Chiefs: 1st (29.2)
  • Eagles: 3rd (28.1)
• Points per game allowed:
  • Eagles: 8th (20.2)
  • Chiefs: 16th (21.7)
• Strength of schedule (per PFF):
  • Chiefs: 16th
  • Eagles: 31st

You can find our picks, here at MMO, via this link. Let us know who you think will win!

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