Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The 2023 MLB season starts in just about 48 hours. We’ll have a handful of prediction posts over the next couple of days, and we’ll start with the MVP, Cy Young and Rookies of the Year awards.

Nate Mendelson

NL MVP: Trea Turner
AL MVP: José Ramírez
NL Cy Young: Spencer Strider
AL Cy Young: Jacob deGrom
NL Rookie of the Year: Jordan Walker
AL Rookie of the Year: Masataka Yoshida

James Villani

NL MVP: Juan Soto
AL MVP: Shohei Ohtani
NL Cy Young: Strider
AL Cy Young: Dylan Cease
NL Rookie of the Year: Kodai Senga
AL Rookie of the Year: Triston Casas

Ross Bentley

NL MVP: Mookie Betts
AL MVP: Mike Trout
NL Cy Young: Zac Gallen
AL Cy Young: Kevin Gausman
NL Rookie of the Year: Senga
AL Rookie of the Year: Gunnar Henderson

Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports

Patrick Glynn

NL MVP: Francisco Lindor
AL MVP: Ohtani
NL Cy Young: Corbin Burnes
AL Cy Young: Framber Valdez
NL Rookie of the Year: Corbin Carroll
AL Rookie of the Year: Henderson

Mike Mayer

NL MVP: Freddie Freeman
AL MVP: Ohtani
NL Cy Young: Gallen
AL Cy Young: Luis Castillo
NL Rookie of the Year: Senga
AL Rookie of the Year: Anthony Volpe

Mojo Hill

NL MVP: Soto
AL MVP: Ohtani
NL Cy Young: Julio Urías
AL Cy Young: Shane McClanahan
NL Rookie of the Year: Carroll
AL Rookie of the Year: Yoshida

Andrew Steele-Davis

NL MVP: Turner
AL MVP: Ohtani
NL Cy Young: Strider
AL Cy Young: deGrom
NL Rookie of the Year: Carroll
AL Rookie of the Year: Henderson

Joe D.

NL MVP: Francisco Lindor
AL MVP: Shohei Ohtani
NL Cy Young: Spencer Strider
AL Cy Young: Luis Castillo
NL Rookie of the Year: Kodai Senga
AL Rookie of the Year: Anthony Volpe

Who do y’all got?

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Credit: Dale Zanine – USA TODAY

Good morning, Mets fans!

Will Sammon of The Athletic posted an article Friday night detailing Edwin Díaz‘s optimism about a potential 2023 return. Mets team physician Dr. James Carr and the team’s medical director Dr. David Altchek were in Miami and were able to take care of and diagnose Díaz quickly following his freak injury at the end of Team Puerto Rico’s victory over the Dominican Republic. Because of this, they were able to limit the amount of scarring that would have likely added on to the time needed to recover. Missing the 2023 season is still the likeliest outcome for Díaz, but he is in great spirits and isn’t giving up on a 2023 return just yet.

WBC Scores

Puerto Rico 4, Mexico 5

• Francisco Lindor: 2-for-5
• Javier Báez: 3-for-4 with a two-run home run
• Marcus Stroman: 4 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 SO

Latest Mets News

Brandon Nimmo left Friday’s spring training game early after he awkwardly slid into second base. The Mets tweeted during the game that he left with right ankle soreness and will undergo imaging on Saturday. Buck Showalter later said that Nimmo feels “pretty good.”

MMO’s own Michael Mayer reported that the Mets have claimed right-handed reliever Dennis Santana off waivers from the Twins. With the Rangers last year, he posted a 3-8 record with a 5.22 ERA in 58 2/3 innings, though his xERA of 3.89 and his FIP of 3.35 suggest that he pitched better than his ERA.

The Mets also signed pitcher Bubby Rossman to a minor league deal. Rossman recently pitched for Team Israel in the WBC.

Juan Toribio of MLB.com spoke to Eduardo Escobar about Team Venezuela’s undefeated run through pool play in the World Baseball Classic.

Latest MLB News

Per MLB figures, the total number of people who attended pool play games of the World Baseball Classic was 1,010,999. That makes it the best-attended round in tournament history and double the previous high of 510,056 from six years ago.

Bruce Bochy told the media that Jacob deGrom will make his Cactus League debut with the Rangers on Sunday against the Mariners.

Jon Greenberg of The Athletic spoke to Theo Epstein about the new rules in baseball, among other topics.

Baseball America listed 25 players that are standing out to scouts in spring training.

Olivia Pichardo made history on Friday as the first woman to play in an NCAA Division I baseball game.

Latest on MMO

Rivka Boord detailed the significance of losing Edwin Díaz for the season.

Jack Markowski took a look at potential trade options for the bullpen in the aftermath of the Díaz injury.

Michael Mayer wrote about Brett Baty‘s defensive preparation and how that has translated to an impressive spring training from a defensive standpoint.

On This Date in Mets History

2000: The Mets traded a 43-year-old Jesse Orosco to the Cardinals for Joe McEwing. McEwing would spend five years from 2000-2004 with the Mets.

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Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the bitter end to the season, 2022 was still a special year for the Mets. The team won 101 games and made the postseason for the first time since 2016. It saw dozens of unforgettable moments and outstanding individual performances from players like Pete Alonso, Max Scherzer, Jeff McNeil, and Edwin Díaz.

Still, there is a sense of unfinished business around the Mets as they enter 2023. While there are several new faces like Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and José Quintana, the core of the team remains mostly the same as it was a season ago when they lost the division in the final week of September and were eliminated early from the playoffs by the Padres.

Few players represent the heart of the team more than Alonso, who is now entering his fifth season in a Mets uniform and has been apart of all of the ups and downs of the last four years. Alonso took questions from the media in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday to reflect on last season and speak about his and the team’s expectations for 2023.

When asked what he had to say to Mets fans ahead of this season, Alonso had a simple message: “Buckle up.”

Pete Alonso's message to Mets fans on the 2023 group:

"We're very, very hungry. It's going to be a really special year, so buckle up." pic.twitter.com/qP8zslu9g9

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 15, 2023

Alonso will once again be a driving force of the Mets offense in 2023. The 28-year-old is coming off a season where he slashed .271/.352/.518 and hit 40 home runs with a league-leading 131 RBIs. Without elite power elsewhere lineup, Alonso’s ability to hit long balls is especially critical to the team’s success.

Alonso, who is set to hit free agency in two years, was also asked about his contractual situation coming off the heels of the Mets extension with his longtime teammate Jeff McNeil. While Alonso acknowledged he doesn’t know what the future holds, he reiterated that he loves being a Met and playing in New York.

Pete Alonso says he loves being a Met but isn't sure what his future holds regarding his contract https://t.co/JqcxPrikA2 pic.twitter.com/FUVc8AVQH8

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 15, 2023

Alonso’s potential extension will be a fascinating subplot to the season, but, for now, the focus will turn to how the team looks in spring training, how they will adjust to the new MLB rules, and how Alonso and others will perform in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. With Opening Day only 43 days away, it is time to buckle up indeed.

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Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Edwin Diaz has been named the 2022 Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year following a historic season for the New York Mets.

Diaz, who won the Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year Award in 2018 while with the Seattle Mariners, joins Craig Kimbrel as the only players to win the Reliever of the Year Award in each league. It should come as no surprise that Diaz has officially been recognized as the best reliever in the NL given how dominant he was.

In what was a season for the ages, Diaz was prime time viewing every time he stepped on to the mound in 2022 with a stellar 1.31 ERA. He struck out 50.2% of the batters he faced and secured 32 saves in 35 opportunities. The righty struck out a ridiculous 118 batters in 62 innings, which amounts to a stunning 17.1 strikeouts per nine innings. That’s the highest single-season rate by any pitcher in MLB history with at least 60 innings pitched.

Diaz also held batters to a slash line of .160/.230/.216/.446 and he found a lot of success using his filthy slider, upping the usage to 51.8% with a run value of -22, which was the fifth best mark of any pitch in the major leagues last season. Diaz threw his electric slider 539 times and batters could only hit .114/.134/.154 against it with a whiff rate of 54.7% and a strikeout rate of 54.3%.

Diaz established himself as the best closer in all of baseball in 2022 and he was arguably one of the most important players for the Mets. He was absolutely money all season long and he was absolutely un-hittable at times. It continued a trend of the 28-year-old riding an upwards trajectory for the past couple of years. And, as a result of his dominance in 2022, Diaz signed a record-breaking five-year, $102 million deal earlier this offseason with the Mets determined to keep their elite shutdown arm in Queens. And the accolades keep on coming for Diaz with this latest honor.

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Dominic Hamel, Photo by Ed Delany of MMO

Despite a lot of stiff competition for this award, Dominic Hamel is Mets Minors’ 2022 Starting Pitcher of the Year.

A third-round selection in the 2021 MLB Amateur Draft, Dominic Hamel came to the Mets after a successful collegiate career at Dallas Baptist. Hamel started the 2022 campaign with the Low-A St. Lucie Mets, where he pitched to a 5-2 record with a 3.84 ERA over the course of 13 starts and one relief appearance.

The singular relief appearance, however, was one of his best professional outings. Following Jacob deGrom after his first rehab outing, Hamel went six innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts, all in front of a Clover Park packed with fans and scouts who came for deGrom but stayed for Hamel.

After being promoted from St. Lucie to High-A Brooklyn, Hamel’s season only improved. Hamel would pitch to a 2.59 ERA over the course of 11 starts, an improved K/9 from 10.1 to 12.0, and moved his WHIP from 1.26 to 1.08. The 119 innings Hamel pitched became a new career high for the righty, after previously topping out at 94.2 innings between DBU and the FCL in 2021.

Hamel will open the 2023 season at age 24, and should see a move to Binghamton quickly after spring training ends. Hamel tracks as a numbers darling with an excellent spin on his breaking balls, slider, changeup, and curveball, and a solid fastball that MLB Pipeline grades as a 55-grade pitch.

Hamel began the 2022 season as Mets Minors’ ninth-ranked prospect in the organization, and the second-ranked starting pitcher, only behind Matt Allan. Expect to see him stay around the back end of the Mets’ organizational top-10 prospects, despite a strong 2022 draft class from the Mets, including fellow collegiate RHP Blade Tidwell.

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Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning, Mets fans!

MLB announced its 2022 Comeback Players of the Year Tuesday. Albert Pujols won in the NL after his magical career-ending season in his return to St. Louis, and Astros ace Justin Verlander won in the AL.

Latest Mets News

ESPN released its salary projections, and all seven writers predicted Jacob deGrom would leave the Mets. Most thought it would be for the Rangers.

Latest MLB News

The Angels acquired outfielder Hunter Renfroe from the Brewers in exchange for Janson Junk, Elvis Peguero and Adam Seminaris. Mark Feinsand of MLB was the first to report the news.

The Houston Astros players are getting the largest share of playoff money in baseball history with over $500,000 each. The total playoff pool is $107.5 million, up $17 million from 2021. Don’t let the owners tell you they’re struggling financially.

The Phillies signed team president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to a three-year extension, attaching him to the team through 2027.

Former Marlins first baseman Lewin Diaz was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates on waivers, per Craig Mish. The 25-year-old has a great glove, but he’s struggled to hit at all in nearly 350 MLB plate appearances (.567 OPS, 55 OPS+).

Guillermo Heredia signed with the SSG Landers, per Francys Romero of MLB.

Latest on MMO

Rich Sparago looked at what the potential rule changes could do to baseball action in 2023.

Nick Rucco recapped Ronny Maurcio’s continued rampage of the Dominican Winter League.

With free agency still looking to rev up, Brian Wright analyzed the Mets’ signing of R.A. Dickey, naming it the ninth-best free agent signing in team history.

Mathew Brownstein interviewed Eric Jagers, the Mets’ new director of pitching development.

On This Date in Mets History

1964: The Mets purchased Warren Spahn‘s contract from the Milwaukee Brewers. He won four games in 20 starts for the Mets, they put him on waivers, and his arm fell off about two hours later.

Birthdays: Justin Turner (38), Ryan McGuire (51), Rich Sauveur (59), Tom Hall (75)

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His arrival to the majors in early May ’83 marked a sign of progress for a franchise searching for hope. After a slow start, Strawberry began to fulfill those enormous expectations and became the third Met to take the National League Rookie of the Year honors, joining Tom Seaver (1967) and Jon Matlack (1972).

Darryl garnered 18 of 24 first-place votes in a landslide victory over Atlanta Braves pitcher Craig McMurtry.

The top pick in the 1980 amateur draft out of Los Angeles’s Crenshaw High School, Strawberry was tall and lean, blessed with a sweet name and a sweeter swing. A Sports Illustrated feature once compared Strawberry to Ted Williams. With a thoroughbred build and a swift uppercut made for home runs, he had all the makings of the revered “five-tool player.”

On May 6, 1983, the Mets unveiled their shiny new toy in the MLB showroom. For a team already 10 games out of first and not getting any closer, this was the incentive to keep fans tuned in. Strawberry struggled as he tried to adjust to baseball’s top level. Over his first month, he hit .165 and struck out every 2.5 at-bats. After about five weeks, though, Strawberry began to figure it out.

Starting on June 7, Darryl fashioned an OPS of .936, topping the figure of NL MVP Dale Murphy. His power took a significant upturn in the second half as he hammered 19 homers and drove in 51 runs. By September, the glimpses of his potential were now on full display.

In the final month of his Rookie of the Year campaign, he exhibited terrific plate discipline by batting .376 and hitting successfully in 20 of 24 games. In 122 games, he had a 134 OPS+ and 19 stolen bases. His final totals of 26 homers and 76 RBIs stood as Mets rookie records until 2019.

It was until then that Strawberry was the lone Mets position player to be named top rookie. Pete Alonso joined Darryl in first-year honors and surpassed his home run and RBI marks. Yet the fascination fans had for Strawberry, especially in his early days as a Met, remains unmatched.

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Dwight Gooden was the No. 5 overall draft pick in 1982 and quickly climbed the minor league ranks in 1983. Still, it was impossible to conceive this kind of a first season—one which easily earned him the National League Rookie of the Year.

No Mets pitcher—not Tom Seaver, not Jacob deGrom, and not Matt Harvey—began his career with a better blend of fanfare and success than “Dr. K.”

He established a rookie record for strikeouts, posted an ERA of 2.60, went 17-9, and totally captivated New York City. And he almost didn’t begin the ’84 season in the majors. But Davey Johnson, the new Mets manager who saw Gooden up close when the teenager helped Johnson’s Triple-A Tidewater club to the Minor League World Series title, insisted upon it.

He started him on April 7, 1984. The 19-year-old would embark on a debut season as spectacular as any in baseball history. With his blazing fastball, Doc sat down opposing hitters, many upwards of ten years his senior, at an astonishing clip. His vast collection of strikeouts coupled with a high win total and the assortment of other impressive stats put him a close second in the NL Cy Young Award voting.

Although he was rather inconsistent over the first two months of the regular season, Gooden was consistently electric from June 1 on. Before long, his home starts at Shea Stadium became must-see events. He was named an All-Star—the youngest ever. In the fifth inning of the Midsummer Classic at Candlestick Park, he struck out the American League in order.

Gooden went on to win eight of his final nine starts and racked up 41 strikeouts with just one walk in his final three outings. His most memorable performance came in early September against eventual division champion Chicago. Doc limited the Cubs to one infield single while fanning 11 and further bolstering his Rookie of the Year credentials.

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New York Mets manager Buck Showalter was named the National League Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

In his first year with the Mets, Showalter led the Mets to 101 wins–the second-most in team history–and a tie for first place in the NL East. (They lost the division to the Braves based on head-to-head records.)

He was cited by players as bringing a level of professionalism and a wealth of baseball knowledge to the dugout. Showalter set the tone early in his management tenure by leading the players out of the dugout toward the Nationals after Francisco Lindor was hit by a pitch in the face in the second game of the year. It was the fourth time the team had been hit by a pitch just 14 innings into the season.

His now-trademark stare after his players got hit a record was displayed on broadcasts from then on.

This is Showalter’s fourth Manager of the Year win, and he now has a win in each of the last four decades: 1994 with the New York Yankees, 2004 with the Texas Rangers, 2014 with the Baltimore Orioles and now 2022.

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Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Julio Rodríguez is the recipient of the 2022 Jackie Robinson AL Rookie of the Year award. The Mariners outfielder played an integral role in the team breaking their long playoff drought, slashing .284/.345/.509 with a 147 OPS+ and a 6.2 WAR in 132 games. Rodríguez was a 2022 All-Star as well as a Silver Slugger, and could end up being a Mariner for the rest of his career after signing a 14-year extension worth up to $400 million in late August.

Spencer Strider 103 (8 first-place votes)

Brendan Donovan 22

Jake McCarthy 4

Alexis Díaz 3

Nick Lodolo 2

Oneil Cruz 2

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