The Dodgers defeated the Blue Jays 3-1 in Game 6 of the World Series, forcing a winner-take-all Game 7. The Blue Jays had a chance to tie or win with runners on second and third and no outs in the ninth inning, but Tyler Glasnow relieved Roki Sasaki and didn’t let a run across. Game 7, the first in a World Series since 2019 between the Nationals and Astros, will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET Saturday night.

Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Latest Mets News

Mets prospect Nick Morabito went 1-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run in Friday’s Arizona Fall League action. Chris Suero went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run.

Latest MLB News

The Nationals officially announced that they have hired Blake Butera to be their next manager.

Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux is leaving the team to join the Angels. Maddux has been lauded in recent years for his work with Texas’ pitching staff, and he will now be an important member of the Angels’ coaching staff under new manager Kurt Suzuki.

Former major leaguer Yoervis Medina passed away on Friday at the age of 37 due to a heart attack that led to a car crash. Medina pitched for the Mariners and Cubs and had a career 3.08 ERA in 146 big league appearances.

Latest on MMO

In our latest 2025 Report Card, David Melendi grades Brandon Sproat‘s season.

Eitan Hein profiles starter Michael Soroka as a potential free agent target for the Mets.

John Wilson analyzes the uptick in stolen bases for Juan Soto in 2025.

On This Date in Mets History

2015: The Royals defeated the Mets 7-2 in 12 innings in Game 5 of the World Series to clinch their first championship since 1985. The Mets blew the game in the ninth, after Matt Harvey insisted on staying in the game, and could not pull it out in extras.

2019: The Mets hired Carlos Beltrán to be their next manager. Beltrán never managed a game, having been fired before the season even started due to the break of the Astros cheating scandal.

Born on This Date: Eric Hanhold (1993), José Moreno (1957).

The post Morning Briefing: Dodgers Force Game 7 appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (3-1, 1.57 ERA) vs. RHP Kevin Gausman (2-2, 2.55 ERA)

Friday, October 31, 2025 – Rogers Centre – 8:00 PM EST

TV – FOX

As the World Series heads back to Canada for Game 6, the Toronto Blue Jays could hoist the Commissioner’s Trophy for the first time since 1993 in front of their home crowd.

After being handed a demoralizing Game 3 loss in an 18-inning thriller on Monday, the Blue Jays bounced back with two-straight road wins over Los Angeles to put the Dodgers on the brink of elimination at Rogers Centre. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will get the start for the road team after throwing the first complete game in the World Series since 2015 and holding Toronto to one run in a Game 2 win.

The Blue Jays, on the other hand, will send out Kevin Gausman after he allowed three earned runs over 6 2/3 innings and took the loss against Yamamoto in Game 2.

John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Dodgers Lineup

1. Shohei Ohtani – DH
2. Will Smith – C
3. Freddie Freeman – 1B
4. Mookie Betts – SS
5. Teoscar Hernández – RF
6. Max Muncy – 3B
7. Enrique Hernández – LF
8. Tommy Edman – CF
9. Miguel Rojas – 2B

Blue Jays Lineup

1. George Springer – DH
2. Nathan Lukes – LF
3. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B
4. Bo Bichette – 2B
5. Daulton Varsho – CF
6. Alejandro Kirk – C
7. Addison Barger – RF
8. Ernie Clement – 3B
9. Andrés Giménez – SS

Game Notes

• Per MLB Communications, Guerrero Jr. would become the 11th player to homer in three-straight games of a single World Series if he were to go deep again tonight.
• With 100 runs in 16 games, Toronto is one shy of tying the all-time record by a team during a single postseason. The 2020 Dodgers and 2020 Anaheim Angels, both of whom went on to win the World Series, each scored 101 runs in 18 games.
• The World Series has never ended on Halloween before, but this will be the eighth time that the Fall Classic will have taken place on the holiday. An AL club has won five of the last seven contests under that criteria.

The post World Series Game Chat: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays, 8:00 PM appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

From Nolan McLean at Triple-A to Jose Chirinos, who recently got promoted from the Florida Complex League, and every level in between, there is pitching talent with tantalizing potential throughout the organization.

Nolan McLean. Photo Credit: Kylie Richelle

The Stable

The headliners are McLean and Jonah Tong, prospects with big-time helium who are taking off in 2025.

McLean started the year at Double-A, dominated, got promoted to Triple-A, and hasn’t missed a beat. He has an elite sweeper that has been big league ready from the moment he stepped onto a professional mound, a mid-90s heater, a sinker that has been missing bats like crazy, a cutter that has been inducing weak contact, and a changeup and curveball he mixes in occasionally.

Tong boasts the best fastball in the organization. Due to it’s elite IVB (induced vertical break), it was already the best fastball in the organization when he was throwing it in the low-to-mid 90s. Now, he’s routinely throwing it 95 and can get it up to 97. He has a big looping curveball and a slider that can both be plus pitches, but his new Vulcanchange has been a game changer, giving him an effective offspeed pitch that he had been searching for. He’s too good for Double-A, and should probably receive a promotion to Triple-A soon.

There’s also Brandon Sproat, who is probably more of a household name than Tong and McLean despite those two passing him in the prospect ranks. Sproat flew through the minors last year, making it all the way to Triple-A in what was his first season of professional baseball. However, he struggled mightily once he got there, and those struggles have continued in 2025. Sproat has a bunch of solid offerings, but no standout pitch like Tong and McLean. He’s still just 24, and is less than a year removed from dominating hitters at Double-A, so there’s plenty of time for him to right the ship. (He has a 2.25 ERA in his last 16 innings as of publishing.) He remains one of the top pitching prospects in the organization, the hype has just faded a bit.

Blade Tidwell is at Triple-A as well, and he’s been one of the most effective pitchers in the league. Don’t let the 4.02 ERA fool you—that’s pretty good for the International League. It’s also a full run lower since he was returned to Triple-A after making his big league debut a little over a month ago. He got hit around a bit by the Cardinals in that debut, but he has good stuff, and it’s very possible he makes another big league start at some point this season.

Meanwhile, the Binghamton Rumble Ponies have a stacked rotation just one level below. It’s headlined by Tong, but there are multipe probable future big leaguers on that staff as well.

Jack Wenninger. Photo by Kylie Richelle

Jack Wenninger has turned in the fourth-highest strikeout rate among  Double-A qualifiers, only behind Tong, top MLB pitching prospect Chase Burns and rising Cardinals prospect Tekoah Roby. Jonathan Pintaro, a former Division II pitcher who was signed out of indy ball last year, would be near the top of those leaderboards as well if he were qualified. He’s a great story, and while he is older at 27, he’s turned himself into a legitimate prospect in this system. Then there’s Zach Thornton, a southpaw, who rarely walks people while still posting a high strikeout rate. Over his last three starts, he’s given up just three hits and one run over 19 innings while striking out 22 and walking four.

High-A Brooklyn has maybe even more talent. 2024 second-round pick Jonathan Santucci actually has the worst ERA of the bunch at 4.32, but after a rough start he’s thrown 20 and 2/3 innings of one-run ball over his last four starts. Third-rounder Nate Dohm has turned in four good starts after his promotion from St. Lucie, and Noah Hall, Brendan Girton and R.J. Gordon all have ERAs under 3.30 in over 40 innings.

The Cyclones actually have too many pitchers for available starts. Gordon and Girton piggybacked each other earlier this week, with Gordon going the first three and 2/3 and Girton going the next four and 1/3. Two days later, Dohm and Hall did the same, throwing a respective five and four scoreless innings en route to a shutout victory.

It continues down to Single-A St. Lucie and the Florida Complex League. Irving Cota has a 1.85 ERA in 35 innings and even threw five scoreless innings in a spot start at Double-A before being sent back to St. Lucie. Will Watson had success, earning a promotion to Brooklyn in early June. Edgar Moreta and Wellington Aracena have both had strong seasons. Jose Chirinos was great in the FCL, and then threw four and 2/3 scoreless with seven strikeouts in his Single-A debut.

There are more. Joander Suarez had a lot of success at Double-A and is now getting his first taste of Triple-A action. Joel Díaz has had a solid season at High-A. Former top prospect Matt Allan is finally back on the mound, pitching for Brooklyn. These guys might be more like organizational depth pieces, but they have all flashed before.

There are also, of course, relievers. Some are former starters, like Douglas Orellana, Felipe De La Cruz, Saul Garcia, Cameron Foster and Dom Hamel. There are a few fireballers, like Ryan Lambert, Dylan Ross and Raimon Gómez, who are capable of touching triple digits. Then there are other relievers, like Ryan Ammons, Anthony Nunez and TJ Shook, who have consistently turned in good results.

The farm system is deeper than it ever has been before.

The Mets have had groups of highly-touted pitching prospects before. Generation K. The Big 5 of the mid-2010s. Maybe it’s a reminder that so often, prospects don’t pan out as expected. But the Mets have also never had the infrastructure to support these pitching prospects as they do right now.

The Big Picture

The Arizona Diamondbacks just provided the baseball world with an unfortunate reminder this past week with the news of Corbin Burnes needing to undergo Tommy John surgery becoming official—don’t sign starting pitchers to long-term contracts. Develop pitchers, that way you’re not forced to sign free agent starting pitchers to big-money, multi-year contracts.

The Mets have leaned heavily into that philosophy in the first two years under David Stearns. They pursued Yoshinobu Yamamoto, a unicorn in the free agent market at 25 years old, but other than that, they’ve stayed away from the big-name, high-priced free agent pitchers. No Burnes. No Max Fried. No Blake Snell. Fried has been great, but it’s an eight-year contract. That’s a long time to count on a pitcher to be healthy. Burnes and Snell are both already on the shelf.

Instead, the Mets opted for shorter deals. In 2024, it was Sean Manaea and Luis Severino. In 2025, it was Clay Holmes, Griffin Canning, Frankie Montas and re-upping Manaea. Montas and Manaea both opened the season on the injured list, but they are signed to two-year and three-year deals, respectively. There’s no true long-term commitment to either.

Is the Big Money Worth It?

Pitchers are inherently a high-risk free agent buy. Burnes signed a 6-year, $210 million deal with the Diamondbacks this offseason. He will miss the rest of 2025, and there’s a good chance he will miss all of 2026 as well. Arizona will pay him roughly $62 million for what could be 11 total starts from 2025 to 2026. The next time he pitches for the Diamondbacks will likely be when he is 32 years old. He already showed some early signs of decline this year before the injury. Who knows how he will look in 2027, especially coming off a major arm injury? Arizona will then be on the hook for four more years, with Burnes making over $30 million each year, and then owe him over $10 million a year for six more years in deferred money starting in 2031.

The Mets are better equipped than most to withstand injuries to players on big contracts, but no team wants that much dead money on the books. Even Steve Cohen wants to avoid paying people to not play as much as possible.

But how does a smaller market team justify that risk? That much dead money can be a backbreaker for a team that only signs a handful of players to big-money contracts — and “handful” might be too optimistic for a few organizations.

Since 2022, 11 pitchers (and Shohei Ohtani, who is yet to pitch for the Dodgers) have signed 9-digit free agent contracts: Max Scherzer, Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman, Carlos Rodón, Edwin Díaz, Aaron Nola, deGrom, Yamamoto, Burnes, Fried and Snell. Eight of those 11 pitchers have made at least one trip to the 60-day IL. That includes the youngster Yamamoto, who made just 18 starts for the Dodgers in his rookie season.

Aaron Nola hasn’t, but after signing a seven-year, $172 million deal entering his age-31 season, he’s regressed so much just one year later that his contract is beginning to look like an albatross. He’s also currently on the 15-day IL and just had his return timeline pushed back. Fried hasn’t, and again, has looked fantastic, but he’s just two months into an eight-year deal. Gausman is the outlier, not taking a single trip to the injured list over the three years and change of his five-year deal, and has remained productive.

It’s an unfair line of thinking for pitchers, and it raises a lot of questions about a much larger issue. How does the league balance a need to compensate pitchers fairly for their work with the obligations of a front office to do what’s best for their organization?

Organizations getting what may be the best years of a pitcher’s career, while significantly underpaying them for six years for the value they are providing, and then tossing them aside when they finally have the opportunity to get paid is, to put it bluntly, a pretty crappy way to treat pitchers. However, organizations should always do what is in their best interests as they pursue the ultimate goal of winning a championship, and that includes wisely distributing their payroll. Smart organizations pay players for what they believe they will do over the course of their new contract, not what they have already done.

History shows it is not smart to sign free agent pitchers to long-term contracts, but underpaying pitchers for years only to cut them loose when it’s finally time for them to make money feels borderline predatory. Short-term contracts for pitchers will always exist, but even if they have high average annual values, they lack the security many players desire.

Is the solution players hitting free agency earlier, maybe after four years instead of six (or seven if their service time is manipulated)? That way, players hit free agency younger, they can cash in earlier, and maybe long-term deals for pitchers are more justifiable if that pitcher is 26 or 28 instead of 30 or 32.

Of course, that opens a much, much, MUCH larger can of worms, and would likely have a ripple effect on many other parts of the Collective Bargaining Agreement — too much to get into right now.

It’s such a difficult issue. Players deserve to be compensated fairly for the value they create, but ultimately, teams need to do everything possible to win, and anything less is malpractice. Unfortunately, that usually means staying away from giving long-term free agent deals to pitchers, signing pitchers to short-term deals when needed, and ideally, developing your own pitchers instead of buying them.

The Mets didn’t have a ton of MLB-ready, quality arms in the minor leagues in 2024 or to begin 2025. They turned to undervalued veterans with good tools like Manaea, Canning and the others, and focused on getting the most out of them. Soon, some of those big league starts will be taken by players the Mets have developed through the minor leagues themselves. McLean has the best combination of talent and proximity, but Sproat, Tidwell, Tong, Wenninger, Pintaro and Thornton are all at least at Double-A. Once you reach that level, the big leagues are within striking distance.

Not everyone will stick in the big leagues, but some will, and that’s an exciting thing for Mets fans to look forward to.

The post The Mets Have As Much Pitching Depth As They Ever Have appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Mets look to bounce back tonight and even the series at two games apiece as they take on the Dodgers in game four of the NLCS. Wednesday night was a tough night for the Mets just got tougher as the night went on. The Dodgers scored early off of a couple of walks and soft hits. Then the Mets squandered a bases loaded with one-out situation. Things more or less stayed the same (Mets pitchers working out of jams, Mets hitters leaving runners on base) through the sixth inning when the Dodgers started to blow the game open on hard hits and home runs.

The Mets lost game one 9-0 and then responded back immediately the next day. They have been a resilient team all season. The Mets are going to need another moment of resilience tonight!

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Mets Lineup

1. Francisco Lindor – SS
2. Mark Vientos – 3B
3. Pete Alonso – 1B
4. Brandon Nimmo – LF
5. Starling Marte – RF
6. J.D. Martinez – DH
7. Jose Iglesias – 2B
8. Harrison Bader – CF
9. Francisco Alvarez – C

Jose Quintana pitched 170 1/3 innings over the regular season with a 3.75 ERA, 4.56 FIP, 1.250 WHIP, and 105 ERA+. He’s allowed one unearned run, and no earned runs over 11 innings across two games in the postseason striking out 11. Quintana had a solid start against the Dodgers at the end of May, allowing three runs over six innings scattering eight hits and no walks. The Dodgers have the following career numbers against him:

• Austin Barnes 2-12, 4 BB, K
• Mookie Betts 8-28, 2 2B, HR, 2 BB, 6 K
• Tommy Edman 2-8, 3B, K
• Freddie Freeman 5-16, 2B, HR, 3 BB, 3 K
• Enrique “Kiké” Hernández 4-16, 2B, HR, BB, 3 K
• Teoscar Hernández 0-3, K
• Kevin Kiermaier 7-16, 2 2B, 2 K
• Gavin Lux 2-7, 2B, K
• Max Muncy 2-9, HR, 4 BB, 4 K
• Andy Pages 2-3, 2B
• Will Smith 2-9, HR, 2 K
• Chris Taylor 8-24, 3 2B, 2 BB, 8 K

Opposing Lineup

Tonight’s #NLCS Game 4 Dodgers lineup at Mets: pic.twitter.com/d5PXGya30P

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 17, 2024

The Mets made a huge push this offseason to sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto before he ultimately signed with the Dodgers. He could have been the co-ace to Kodai Senga in the rotation. A lot of the Mets roster as constructed in April was a result of Yamamoto’s decision. Now he starts against the Mets in the NLCS.

Over 18 starts in the regular season Yamamoto pitched 90 innings with a 3.00 ERA, 2.61 FIP, 1.111 WHIP, and 129 ERA+. He’s had two very different outings in the postseason. In game one of the NLDS, he allowed five runs over three innings. In his second start, he allowed two hits and no runs. Yamamoto started against the Mets this season back in April allowing four runs, three earned over six innings. He had a 4.50 season ERA at that point and then pitched with a 2.51 ERA the rest of the way. The Mets have the following career numbers against Yamamoto:

• Pete Alonso 1-3, K
• Francisco Alvarez 0-1
• Harrison Bader 3-3, 2B
• Francisco Lindor 0-3, K
• Starling Marte 1-3, 2B, K
• Jeff McNeil 0-3, K
• Brandon Nimmo 0-2, BB, 2 K
• Jesse Winker 0-3, K

Game Notes

• Check out our breakdown of tonight’s starting pitching matchup, as well as four storylines for the game!
• Dave Roberts said Wednesday night that he expected Freddie Freeman to be in tonight’s lineup, but called the first baseman last night to inform him he would be getting the night off. Roberts said the decision was mostly about having Freeman play three consecutive games. Roberts added that Freeman will be available off the bench in a “big spot.” Freeman has been playing through with a sprained ankle that would normally sideline him between four and six weeks.
• Francisco Alvarez struck out looking in all three of his plate appearances in Game 3 and is now just 5-for-36 with 14 strikeouts this postseason. Alvarez said Starling Marte gave him a pep talk after the game, which he said meant a lot because Marte normally doesn’t say much. Carlos Mendoza said he spoke to Alvarez too, encouraging him to keep things simple and slow the game down.
• On the 25th anniversary of his “grand slam single”, Robin Ventura will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to Edgardo Alfonzo.
• The Temptations will perform the National Anthem before Game 5 of the NLCS, then will immediately follow with “My Girl”, which is Francisco Lindor’s walk-up song.

Three Things To Watch For

1. Walks. The Mets have been walking way too many batters throughout the NLCS. They walked seven batters in the first game, eight in the next followed by seven on Wednesday night. There are a lot of dangerous hitters in the Dodgers lineup and they could be working around some hitters, but the problem is you create opportunities for other players to get a massive hit.
2. Leaving runners on. The Mets left eight batters on base Wednesday night including the bases loaded in the second inning right after the Dodgers scored two runs. Part of the problem was strikeouts. The Mets recorded 13 strikeouts including five batters with multiple strikeouts. We’ve seen the Mets lineup go cold and then get hot again. It’s happened in this series! Look for the Mets to try to flip the narrative tonight.
3. Lineup and pinch-hitting decisions for Mendoza. Mendoza has a slew of decisions to weigh tonight, no matter who is in the lineup. J.D. Martinez got a start on Wednesday night and went 0-for-2 with two walks and two strikeouts while Jesse Winker was on the bench. Brandon Nimmo is clearly in pain playing baseball right now (1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout). Francisco Alvarez went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and the Mets have a day game tomorrow. Which buttons does Mendoza push tonight and when?

Let’s go Mets!

The post Game Chat: Dodgers vs Mets, 8:08 PM appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Jose Quintana

On August 20, Jose Quintana gave up seven runs in five innings to the Orioles, leaving many people wondering if his days on the Mets’ roster were numbered. He finished the regular season by allowing just three earned runs over 36 1/3 innings, and he’s continued to pitch well in the postseason. In Game 3 of the Wild Card Series, Quintana allowed just four hits and one walk, striking out five over six shutout innings against the Brewers. The 35-year-old worked around traffic in Game 4 of the NLDS, allowing just an unearned run and two hits, walking two, hitting a batter, and striking six over five-plus innings. While Quintana has yet to win a postseason game in his career, he owns a 2.43 ERA and 0.944 WHIP over 29 2/3 postseason innings.

Quintana faced the Dodgers back on May 28, allowing three runs and eight hits, including two home runs over six innings in a 3-0 loss. Quintana threw just 41.3% of his pitches in the strike zone this season, the lowest rate of any qualified pitcher, while the Dodgers chased at the second-lowest rate in baseball. The Dodgers hit the most homers in the National League and Quintana struggled at times with the long ball, giving up 22 during the regular season, but he hasn’t given up any in his last eight starts. Mookie Betts is 8-for-28 in his career against Quintana, while Freddie Freeman is 5-for-16 with a homer against the southpaw. Kevin Kiermaier is 7-for-16 against Quintana, though he is unlikely to be in the Dodgers’ starting lineup.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto

In his first start of the postseason, Yoshinobu Yamamoto got battered for five runs on five hits in just three innings with only one strikeout in Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres. However, he bounced back in Game 5 of the series with five shutout innings, earning the win as the Dodgers advanced.

Yamamoto’s most-used pitch was his four-seam fastball, but it was hit hard, to the tune of a .459 xSLG with just a 17.6% whiff rate. His best pitch was his splitter, which generated a strong 38.6% whiff rate and a weak .262 xSLG. Yamamoto also mixes in a curveball, which has a startling 61 inches of drop, a cutter, and a slider. The Mets faced Yamamoto at Dodger Stadium on April 19, jumping on him for four runs (three earned) and seven hits over six innings. Harrison Bader went 3-for-3 with an RBI that night.

The Mets have scored just one run in 12 innings against the Dodgers’ starters so far, which came on Francisco Lindor‘s lead-off homer off Ryan Brasier in Game 2. Fans clamored for Jesse Winker and Jeff McNeil on Wednesday night, but don’t expect to see them in the lineup in Game 4, as Carlos Mendoza said he plans on keeping the righties in the lineup due to Yamamoto’s reverse splits. Right-handers batted .263/.291/.453 with four homers against the 26-year-old, while lefties struggled to a .193/.268/.267 line with two homers.

Final Thoughts

On paper, the Dodgers have the upper hand in this matchup. However, Quintana has been the Mets’ best starting pitcher over the last six weeks. Additionally, Yamamoto has yet to pitch more than five innings or throw more than 79 pitches in an outing since returning from the injured list in September.

The Dodgers used all of their high-leverage relievers except Evan Phillips and Anthony Banda in Game 3, and it’s likely the Mets see those same arms tonight. It’s imperative that the Mets get to Yamamoto early and force Dave Roberts to go back to the bullpen, which has been heavily used in October. The more looks the Mets get at the Dodgers’ relievers, the more likely they are to break through and steal a game to extend the series.

The post Breaking Down the NLCS Game 4 Pitching Matchup appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Few people predicted that the Mets would still be standing this deep in October, especially in the wake of the dark days of May. However, here we are and this team is just four wins away from reaching the World Series.

But, before we get too carried away, the Mets have an extremely tall task in front of them in the Dodgers. L.A. is a legit World Series contender, one laden with star power. Taking down one of the best teams in baseball won’t be easy.

And, on that note, let’s dive into five compelling storylines to follow ahead of Game 1 of the NLCS later on Sunday.

Photo by Brad Penner of Imagn Images

Can The Magic Continue?

The Mets sure look like this year’s team of destiny. They’ve been riding a magical carpet ride for months now and have defied the odds at every single turn. No matter how much adversity is thrown at them, this team figures out a way to overcome and advance. They beat the Brewers. They stunned the Phillies. What’s next?

Well, the Dodgers are in a different class. They too have overcome their fair share of adversity this season. Plus, boasting a plethora of star and firepower, this L.A. team will represent the Mets’ toughest test of the entire year. Will the baseball gods continue smiling down upon New York in the NLCS?

Will Winning The Starting Pitching Battle Be Enough?

It is hard to disagree with the fact that the Dodgers are more talented than the Mets. However, you can’t dispute the fact that New York has the better starting pithing heading into Game 1. L.A.’s rotation has been ravaged by injuries all year long. As a result, the Dodgers only have really two reliable starting pitchers in Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Jack Flaherty. Of note, Yamamoto won’t be able to pitch until Game 3 or Game 4.

On the flipside, the Mets have an entire rotation of guys they can count on. Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and Jose Quintana have been stellar so far this postseason. Kodai Senga didn’t miss a beat after returning from injury. Meanwhile, David Peterson has emerged as a lethal weapon coming out of the bullpen as a multi-inning reliever.

Granted, the Dodgers boast one of the best offenses in the game. But, if the Mets can get more brilliance from their starters throughout this series, then that could prove to be the difference in the NLCS.

Will The Mets Bullpen Hold Up?

Despite being gassed, the bullpen stepped up in the National League Division Series against the Phillies. However, in a best-of-seven series, can this group of relievers go the distance? It is a good question.

Edwin Díaz, Phil Maton and José Buttó have all endured their fair share of struggles so far this postseason. There have been other near-heart attacks waiting to happen, too. For instance, we know Ryne Stanek is susceptible to the long ball. And, given how explosive this L.A. offense is, the Mets can’t afford to have any significant meltdowns from their bullpen. Furthermore, Díaz will need to be his dominant self in every outing he makes if his team are going to have a chance of advancing to the World Series.

When you also consider how dominant L.A.’s bullpen was against the Padres, 19 scoreless innings in three games, New York may need to get more bullpen work out of the likes of David Peterson and Tylor Megill.

Overall, this bullpen has cheated death on a slew of occasions. However, that run of luck may run out in this series and a year of overuse could finally catch up with this taxed pen.

Mark Vientos. Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

All Hands On Deck

As was the case with the Phillies, you can argue that the Dodgers have more offensive firepower on paper than the Mets. However, this Mets team has arguably more depth up and down the lineup. Mark Vientos went 9-for-16 in the National League Division Series with two homers and two doubles. Jose Iglesias has been clutch all year. Jesse Winker has come up with big hit after big hit since being acquired at the trade deadline. Francisco Alvarez is almost unstoppable when he gets hot. Luisangel Acuña can provide a real speed threat off the bench. Starling Marte has had his moments this postseason. Plus, Jeff McNeil is on the National League Championship Series roster and he has slashed .289/.376/.547 (.923 OPS) since the All-Star break. Plus, let’s not forget Pete Alonso, who has exploded offensively in the playoffs.

If the Mets want to advance, they will need contributions from up and down the lineup all series long. Especially if they want to figure out that formidable LA bullpen.

Battle of the MVPs

Arguably the juiciest storyline of the entire National League Championship Sieres will be the battle between Francisco Lindor and Shohei Ohtani. After a historic 50-50 season, Ohtani will no doubt win the National League MVP. But can Lindor have the last laugh by winning the biggest prize of them all in the World Series?

Lindor has been the Mets’ MVP all year and he will need to be at the very peak of his powers in order to help lead his team to the World Series. If Lindor can carve out another monster series and outplay the other huge star of this series, then he will cement his place in Mets lore forever.

As for Ohtani, the superstar endured a quiet National League Division Series after going 2-for-15 with eight strikeouts between Games 2 and 5. However, he did hit a monster three-run home run in his postseason debut and it is only a matter of time until he truly breaks out.

Slowing Ohtani down while hoping Lindor balls out will arguably be the two biggest keys to winning the National League Championship and advancing to the World Series for the Mets.

The post Five Key Storylines To Watch In The NLCS appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The Dodgers overcame a 2-1 deficit to the San Diego Padres in the NLDS, throwing two consecutive shutouts on their way to advancing. These teams last met at the end of May. The Mets had a team meeting after the Dodgers swept them. That meeting was one of the big turning points, helping the team get here.

The Mets are a very different team to the one the Dodgers saw then. Let’s take a look at this upcoming series.

Photo by Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Pitching Matchups

• Game 1: Kodai Senga (0-0, 4.50 ERA) vs. Jack Flaherty (0-1, 6.75 ERA): Senga made his postseason debut and just his second start of the season in Game 1 of the NLDS. He threw two innings, allowing one run on one hit and one walk, striking out three in 31 pitches. Senga is expected to give the Mets a bit more length in this game. Expect to see him in there for three-to-four innings. Flaherty had a solid second half with the Dodgers, going 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 starts. He made five starts at Dodger Stadium in the regular season. He went 3-1 with a 3.34 ERA, tallying 31 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings.
• Game 2: Sean Manaea (1-0, 2.25 ERA) vs. Walker Buehler (0-1, 10.80 ERA): Manaea threw an absolute gem against the Phillies in Game 3 of the NLDS. His final line was seven innings, one run, three hits, two walks and six strikeouts. Manaea had a 15.26 ERA in the postseason prior to this run. What has happened in the past is not affecting him, exuding plenty of confidence. Buehler has had a tough season in his return from Tommy John surgery. The right-handed starter took the loss in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Padres, although his defense didn’t help. For his career, Buehler has a 3.40 ERA in the postseason.
• Game 3: TBD vs. TBD: Neither team has yet to announce a starter for Game 3. The Mets have two options; Jose Quintana and Luis Severino. The Dodgers could do a bullpen game. They could also go back to Yoshinobu Yamamoto on normal rest. Plenty of quality options for both teams.
• Game 4: TBD vs. TBD: If the Mets and the Dodgers decide to take that route in Game 3, the probables for Game 4 will likely be Quintana and Yamamoto. Quintana has pitched brilliantly in two series-clinching victories so far; 11 innings pitched, no runs allowed this postseason. Yamamoto is coming off an excellent performance himself; five innings, two hits, no runs, one walk and two strikeout in Game 5 of the NLDS against the Padres. Both pitchers are full of confidence at the moment.
• Game 5: TBD vs. TBD: If the series gets to a fifth game, the Mets could go back to Senga. They could also give David Peterson a start, who has come out of the bullpen so far this postseason. As for the Dodgers, Flaherty would likely get the start.
• Game 6: TBD vs. TBD: If the series goes back to Los Angeles, Sean Manaea would be expected to take the ball for the Mets. A rematch between him and Buehler would be expected.
• Game 7: TBD vs. TBD: A Game 7 would mean all hands on deck for both teams. Just about every starter and reliever would be in play for this one. The only two pitchers who would likely be unavailable is Manaea and Buehler, assuming they each have long outings in the previous game.

Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Who’s Hot?

Mark Vientos (NYM)

Vientos continues to show why he is one of the best young third baseman in all of baseball. He was fantastic in the NLDS against the Phillies. In four games, he slashed .563/.611/1.063 (1.674 OPS) with two home runs and five runs batted in. Vientos is on a tear and the Mets hope that will continue for a few more weeks.

Teoscar Hernández (LAD)

Hernández had a great regular season, giving the Dodgers another potent bat in the middle of their order. That has only continued in the playoffs, providing plenty of run production against the Padres. In the NLDS, he hit .333 with an 1.067 OPS, giving the Dodgers two home runs and seven runs batted in. The Mets will look to keep him quiet in this series.

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Prediction

The Dodgers have more top-end talent than the Mets. But one of those stars, Freddie Freeman, is playing through an ankle injury. If he continues to feel the effects of that, it really changes things.

This series will likely be determined by an x-factor or two executing in critical moments. At this point in the season, those are the players that determine the outcome of a playoff matchup. Both teams had multiple guys who were able to do just that in their previous series. Right now, the healthier team is the Mets. Ohtani is going to get his, Betts is going to get his, but the rest of the lineup will be kept in check on the whole. The Mets are going to take this in six games.

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Big news from late night/early morning: Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the San Francisco Giants signed third baseman Matt Chapman to a six-year, $151 million extension. Chapman will be under contract with the Giants through the 2030 season.

Chapman was likely to opt-out of his contract this offseason to become a free agent, but now leaves the expected third basemen market this offseason to Alex Bregman and not much else.

The Mets came into Wednesday night’s matchup looking for a clean three-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox, and they came up big. Jesse Winker started the game with a boom as he hit a first-inning grand slam to put the Mets up 4-0 early. Tylor Megill went four-plus innings while giving up three runs in his start, but the Mets’ bullpen was stupendous, going five innings of shutout ball. The Mets pulled away late as the Red Sox bullpen lost all control, conceding four runs in the eighth inning, ultimately resulting in an 8-3 Mets win. Click here for a full game recap.

The Mets have now won their seventh game in a row, the longest active streak in MLB, and will have Thursday off as they prepare to host the Reds over the weekend. Sean Manaea is slated to open the series on Friday against the 67-73 Cincinnati Reds.

Wild Card Update

The Mets did not gain any ground on the third and final Wild Card spot on Wednesday as the Braves handled business against the Rockies. They remain a half game back.

The Padres and Diamondbacks both won as well. The Mets are 3.5 and 3.0 games behind them, respectively.

Latest Mets News

Kodai Senga, who has been on the IL with a left calf strain, threw 25 pitches off a mound with “noticeably increased intensity,” per Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. DiComo added that Senga mentioned that he was transitioning his focus from leg rehab to getting his arm back in game shape.

Staying on Kodai Senga, Andy Martino of SNY.com reported that the Mets organization is increasingly optimistic that Senga will be able to return as a starting pitcher in 2024.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that the Mets expect to get starting pitcher Paul Blackburn back from the IL during their Blue Jays series early next week.

1969 World Series champion Cleon Jones joined the “Erik Sherman Show” podcast to detail the 1960s Mets’ rise from losers to champions.

Mets outfield prospect Drew Gilbert blasted his sixth home run in his last 13 games for Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday night.

Mets assistant GM Ian Levin will be leaving the organization at the end of the season after 20 years with the club, per Andy Martino of SNY. 

The Mets continue to honor former chief photographer Marc Levine, who suddenly passed away on July 4. On Wednesday, Jay Horowitz announced that the club dedicated the first base well to Levine.

Noah Syndergaard joined the “Terry Collins Show” podcast to catch up with his old manager and talk about their memorable times in Queens.

Latest MLB News

MLB released the schedule and club assignments for the 2025 Arizona Fall League, by Brendan Samson of MLB.com. Mets prospects will play for the Scottsdale Scorpions, with the season starting on Oct. 7.

The Chicago Cubs placed former All-Star pitcher Justin Steele on the 15-day IL with left elbow tendinitis, retroactive to September 1. The Cubs’ ace southpaw said he vows to return before the end of the season.

The Cubs also placed former Mets RHP Jorge López on the 15-day IL with a right groin strain, retroactive to September 3. 

Japanese star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto will make his return off the IL on Tuesday, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Yamamoto has been on the injured list since June 16 with a right triceps injury.

Cubs pitchers Shōta Imanaga, Nate Pearson, and Porter Hodge combined to throw a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night. Imanaga started the game with seven no-hit innings before handing the ball to Pearson and Hodge after throwing 95 pitches.

The Texas Rangers placed star shortstop Corey Seager on the 10-day IL with right hip discomfort.

Elvis Andrus will officialy retire as a Texas Ranger on Friday, per Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Andrus spent 12 of his 15 big league seasons with the Rangers, and will be honored on Friday as he will be throwing out the first pitch as the Angels and Elvis’ first big league manager Ron Washington will return to Texas.

Latest on MMO

Francisco Lindor continues his roaring MVP level pace.

The Mets’ bullpen has been lights out during their winning streak.

A Kodai Senga return continues to look more likely.

On This Date in Mets History

2015: Bartolo Colón makes a jaw-dropping behind-the-back toss to throw out Justin Bour at first base. In this start, the 42-year-old Colón became the oldest Met to pitch a shutout and extended his scoreless inning streak to 25.

1969: Tom Seaver throws a complete game en route to becoming the first Met to win 20 games in a season.

1963: The Mets sign outfielder Ron Swoboda for $35,000. Swoboda would end up being a key piece to the Mets 1969 World Series team; hitting .400 in the World Series while making a miraculous grab in game 4 and driving in the game-winning run in game 5. 

Born on This Date: Pablo Reyes (1993), Chris Young (1983), Matt Watson (1978), Rod Barajas (1975)

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They had put up four runs against offseason villain Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Sean Manaea, who characteristically struggled against the Dodgers, held the potent lineup to two runs over five innings.

The Mets were cruising. And even though the lead was only 4-2, the offense in every inning except the first and fifth had posed a scoring threat.

But, as West Coast trips have historically gone, something went wrong, and the Mets threw away another lead.

Francisco Lindor. Photo by Roberto Carlo

The Dodgers scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth, all started by two errors at third base by Joey Wendle. And to make matters worse, the two runs were driven in by Chris Taylor, who entering the at-bat was 0 for his last 30.

The Mets were in danger of losing a lead late in California. Potentially halting their momentum after leaving Queens with a dynamic win over the Pirates on Wednesday.

But, faced with a 4-4 tie late in the seventh, the Mets found that late-inning magic they’ve had all season long. And it came from someone who desperately needed it.

Francisco Lindor came to the plate with a runner on first and facing Daniel Hudson. The Mets shortstop went into the left-handers’ batter box to face the righty, the side of the plate where he was batting .145 and had no extra-base hits.

Lindor had a hard-fought at-bat, fouling back a couple of pitches, while Starling Marte stole second base to set up his teammate. All the Mets needed was a base knock and they’d have the lead back.

Instead, Lindor provided more. He launched a hanging slider from Hudson 396 feet to the right-center, clearing the fence for his second homer of the season, and first extra-base hit from the left side.

The homer gave the Mets a 6-4 lead, which they eventually opened up to 9-4 and won by. It was a massive win for the Mets, and homer for Lindor, who had been struggling at the plate from the left side.

“Felt amazing,” Lindor told Steve Gelbs after the game. “It was one of those situations where I’ve been missing the baseball by half an inch or even smaller, centimeters. But finally, I was able to square one up.”

FRANCISCO LINDOR! 💣

Lindor puts the Mets ahead with his first homer as a lefty his year!
pic.twitter.com/tUh83SjuV7

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) April 20, 2024

The homer not only ignited the Mets, but Lindor and the team. After the go-ahead homer, the Mets shortstop was seen receiving hugs from Marte and DJ Stewart after rounding the bases.

“My reaction was as genuine as it could be,” Lindor said. “My teammates are amazing, and the coaches are outstanding. They’ve been picking me up and sticking with me. The ovations, those things have been incredible, it’s made things easier.”

Lindor’s break-out party would be a massive boost for the Mets. The team has gone 11-3 in their last 14 games, all with Lindor slashing .151/.259/.219 and 0-for-16 with runners in scoring position entering Friday night.

If the Mets could get the elite offensive production they’re accustomed to from Lindor, the team would only take another step forward. Still, they’re 11-3 in their last 14 games, and now 11-8 on the season. Lindor and the Mets will look to win their fifth straight game in a row Saturday afternoon against Gavin Stone and the Dodgers.

The post Lindor Homers From Left Side in Friday Night’s Win appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

The red-hot Mets face a World Series contender for the second time in the last two weeks tonight! They have won both their last four games and series in addition to emerging victorious in 10 of their last 13 contests. This includes a series win on the road against one of the favorites to win the National League pennant – the Atlanta Braves.

Now, the Mets face the other favorite to win the pennant – the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers started off the season 10-4 but have since won just two of their last seven games while dropping back-to-back series against the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals.

Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

Mets Lineup

1. Brandon Nimmo – LF
2. Starling Marte – RF
3. Francisco Lindor – SS
4. Pete Alonso – 1B
5. DJ Stewart – DH
6. Francisco Álvarez – C
7. Jeff McNeil – 2B
8. Harrison Bader – CF
9. Joey Wendle – 3B

Sean Manaea gets the nod for the Mets tonight as he looks to rebound after a tough start last Saturday in Queens. Over three starts (14 2/3 innings) this season, he owns a 4.30 ERA, 3.47 FIP, 1.364 WHIP and a 96 ERA+. This is strikingly close to his career line of 4.10 ERA, 4.04 FIP, 1.225 WHIP and a 100 ERA+. Almost all of the damage was done his last start against the Kansas City Royals where he allowed eight runs, six of which were earned, on nine hits and three walks over 3 2/3 innings in a loss.

In two games (one start) against the Dodgers last season, Manaea pitched 10 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out eight. Los Angeles has the following career numbers against him:

• Austin Barnes 2-7, BB, K
• Mookie Betts 10-29, 2 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 2 BB, 3 K
• Freddie Freeman 5-14, BB, 2 K
• Kiké Hernández 1-9, 2 K
• Teoscar Hernández 2-13, HR, 3 K
• Max Muncy 1-6, BB, 2 K
• Shohei Ohtani 1-5, BB, 2 K
• James Outman 1-4
• Miguel Rojas 3-9, 2B, 2 K
• Will Smith 8-16, 2B, BB, K
• Chris Taylor 4-16, 2B, HR, 2 BB, 7 K

Opposing Lineup

1. Mookie Betts – SS
2. Shohei Ohtani – DH
3. Freddie Freeman – 1B
4. Will Smith – C
5. Teoscar Hernández – RF
6. Kiké Hernández – 2B
7. Andy Pages – CF
8. Miguel Rojas – 3B
9. Chris Taylor – LF

It is just so poetic that the first pitcher for the Dodgers this series is the marquee player the Mets tried and failed to sign this offseason. The club made a strong push for Yoshinobu Yamamoto this winter with a lucrative offer, but ultimately Yamamoto wanted to be a Dodger. Over four starts this year, he has a 4.50 ERA, 3.14 FIP, 1.063 WHIP and a 95 ERA+ over 16 innings while also striking out 21 batters. Yamamoto’s major league debut was against the Padres during the two-game Seoul Series in South Korea that occurred during spring training. If you remove that start from his season, he has a 1.80 ERA and a 3.00 FIP. Opponents on the whole have a .167 BA against him. If you take the Padres completely out of his season, he possesses a 0.00 ERA.

Game Notes

Carlos Mendoza told reporters that David Peterson is nearing a minor league rehab assignment that should come sometime over the next week. Peterson underwent surgery in November for a torn labrum in his left hip that has kept him sidelined up to this point in the season.

Mendoza also revealed that Kodai Senga threw a 26-pitch bullpen today, marking his second session in recent days, as he continues to work back from a strained posterior capsule in his right shoulder. He is eligible to be activated off the injured list on May 27.

Brett Baty partook in pregame defensive drills and batting practice as he fights a tight left hamstring that forced him to exit Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He remains day-to-day while the team is optimistic that he will ultimately avoid an IL stint.

The Mets released their City Connect uniforms this morning, which will be primarily worn during Saturday home games throughout the season, with Darryl Strawberry’s jersey retirement ceremony on June 1 acting as the exception.

On the latest episode of MMO Weekly, Sal Manzo sat down with Max Wiener, otherwise known as the “Rally Pimp”, for a deep dive into his fandom while learning how his newfound persona came about.

Three Things To Watch For

1. The Dodgers’ Big Three. The Dodgers have a stacked lineup at the top anchored by Betts (213 OPS+), Freeman (116 OPS+) and Ohtani (184 OPS+). How Mets pitchers navigate the “big three” will dictate how the weekend goes for the team. There are also several starting players for the Dodgers that are also struggling right now and have yet to get going, meaning the Mets cannot allow them to heat up. That group includes Gavin Lux (6 OPS+), Taylor (-41 OPS+) and Outman (74 OPS+).
2. The Mets’ pitching staff has been rolling. The Mets have won 10 of their last 13 primarily because of the pitching staff. The team ERA stands at 3.15, ranking sixth overall in baseball and first in the National League. The unit has struck out 176 batters, which is also tied for sixth overall and second in the NL. Furthermore, they have allowed 133 hits, the lowest total in the league. The Dodgers will be a big test for the staff this weekend as they look to keep things rolling.
3. Harrison Bader. This season, Bader is hitting .288/.327/.365 with a 98 OPS+, which is about on par with his career slash line of .244/.311/.395. Right now, he is on a hot streak that has helped fuel the Mets offense, particularly in the later innings. He has reached base safely in seven consecutive games, going 10-for-26 with a double and a homer, which represent his only extra-base hits of the year, over that stretch.

Let’s go Mets!

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