A.J. Minter shines in spring training debut, hinting at what could be to come
The Mets' newest reliever excels in his first taste of spring, and the promise is tantalizing. Plus, injury updates, and David Wright was in camp and spoke to reporters...
What’s up with the Mets? 🌴
The Mets shutout the Cardinals 2-0 on Wednesday afternoon to improve to 8-9 in Grapefruit League play (box)
RHP Paul Blackburn threw four perfect innings with two strikeouts in an important bounce-back start
LHP A.J. Minter made his spring training debut and dominated after throwing a perfect inning with one strikeout
LHP Danny Young, RHP Tyler Zuber and RHP TJ Shook all threw scoreless innings out of the bullpen to help secure the shutout
SS Francisco Lindor got the Mets on the board in the top of the 5th with an RBI double
3B William Lugo, who replaced Mark Vientos in the game, hit a solo home run in the top of the 9th
DH Starling Marte - making his second start of the spring - went 1-for-3 with two strikeouts
OF Jesse Winker went 1-for-2 with a walk, while OF Tyrone Taylor finished 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored
Injury Updates 🏥
RHP Dedniel Núñez (strained flexor tendon) was scheduled to throw another live BP session on Wednesday as he ramps up his recovery
C Francisco Álvarez (fractured hamate bone in left hand) is hoping to return by the shorter end of the 6-8 week timescale the team issued
Stories from Port St. Lucie… 📰
Mark Vientos was a guest on ‘Meet at the Apple,’ and he revealed what was going through his mind before his NLCS grand slam (YouTube)
Francisco Alvarez talked through the disappointment of suffering a hand injury after putting in so much work during the offseason (SNY)
Brandon Nimmo opened up about his nagging knee injury and is remaining confident that he’ll be ready for Opening Day (New York Post)
What David Wright said on Wednesday… 🎙️
Former Mets captain David Wright was in camp on Wednesday as an instructor and, more notably, was seen in a Mets uniform for the first time since retiring.
Wright spoke to reporters about a number of different topics, and we’ve picked out some of the highlights:
Wright, who has attended camp before, but never in uniform, confirmed that this was probably the first time he’s put the Mets uniform on since his last game in 2018, saying that he “feels more comfortable” in the uniform now
When asked about the future captaincy of the team, Wright said that Francisco Lindor is one of his favorite players, but that there are a number of candidates for the next Mets captain in the clubhouse. Wright also praised the amount of leadership in that room
Wright spoke glowingly of a former teammate of his in Brandon Nimmo, praising the outfielder’s climb from a “young pup” to becoming one of the leaders on this current Mets team
Wright also reflected on a previous camp interaction with Mark Vientos from years ago, praising the third baseman’s inquisitive nature and desire to stick around and ask questions about the game
Finally, Wright admitted that he would have loved to have been part of this current lineup given the amount of talent contained within it
Today’s Game 🗓️
Match-up: Mets (8-9) vs. Red Sox (9-7)
Where: Clover Park - Port St. Lucie, FL
Starters: LHP David Peterson (1-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Sean Newcomb (0-0, 1.35 ERA)
When: 1:10 PM EST
Where to Watch: N/A
A.J. Minter shows why he could be missing piece in bullpen puzzle… ✍️
At this point, it feels like every day just melts into the other. Spring training fatigue is starting to kick in, and the well is nearly dry when it comes to talking points.
However, there was one notable development to emerge from Wednesday’s game against the Cardinals that is worth talking about today.
In an otherwise uneventful win for the Mets, the biggest positive was the sight of A.J. Minter on the mound.
The big-time offseason acquisition, who signed a two-year, $22 million contract in the winter, made his spring training debut for the ballclub against the Cardinals.
And it was impressive.
Minter, facing hitters in a game for the first time since Aug. 11 of last year after undergoing left hip surgery last season, pitched a perfect fifth inning. Eight of his 10 pitches were for strikes, and he finished with one strikeout.
Now, it is important to note that the veteran’s status for Opening Day is still very much up in the air. Minter has estimated that he might need at least five spring training appearances in order to feel ready, and both player and team are reluctant to rush things.
In other words, Minter and the Mets will be smart about the ramp-up, and if Opening Day is too soon, then it will be too soon.
However, regardless of whether Minter will be ready for Opening Day in Houston or not, the fact remains that we got a glimpse of just how big a piece the former Atlanta Brave reliever could be for this Mets bullpen.
Despite having not faced hitters in a game in nearly a year, Minter looked like nearly his old self against the Cardinals, mowing through the lineup with ease. And, while his velocity isn’t quite where it needs to be yet, Minter still topped out at 93 mph, which is pretty impressive at this stage of the ramp-up. His strikeout of Alec Burleson on that nasty cutter was vintage Minter.
The veteran has the pedigree and the stuff to become a lethal weapon in the Mets bullpen. He’s a proven lefty that excels in high-leverage situations, something this team has really lacked in recent years. There is no doubt that Minter could morph into a high-leverage set-up man right behind Edwin Díaz. Now, that’s an elite one-two bullpen punch that not many other teams in Major League Baseball can lay claim to having.
Furthermore, Minter can also close games, making him a dual-threat reliever that is incredibly valuable to have stashed in the pen. Plus, the 2021 World Series champion can get out both righties and lefties. In 2024, lefties had a .684 OPS against Minter, while righties had a .603 OPS against him.
The Mets haven’t had a multi-tool bullpen weapon like Minter in quite some time, and it could prove to be the missing piece this team needs in its pursuit of a World Series. And the fact that Minter knows what it takes to win a ring and pitch in high-pressure games on the biggest stage will also act as another important box checked.
So, while it is far from certain that we will see Minter coming out of the bullpen on Opening Day, we got a tantalizing glimpse on Wednesday of what the lefty is capable of when he is fully healthy.
Around the League 🚩
The Royals seemingly dodged a huge bullet with star Bobby Witt Jr. not breaking a bone after being hit on the left forearm by a 96-mph fastball, avoiding a long absence in the process
The Nashville Stars, a potential MLB expansion team, revealed a new logo and cap (FOX Sports)
The Kansas Jayhawks did the remarkable on Wednesday - hitting five consecutive home runs in their game against Minnesota. It is a feat that has never been accomplished in Major League Baseball (MLB.com)
Michael Harris II hit two home runs and finished with four RBIs as the Braves beat the Orioles, 13-5
Triston Casas finished with a home run, three RBIs, one run scored and a walk to help the Red Sox beat the Twins, 6-5
Our pitching is looking awesome so far. Blackburn was the one who was getting rocked but 4 innings 0 hits is encouraging 👏