Building sustainability for the Mets going forward
Plus, the second half officially starts today with the Mets opening up a three-game series in Philadelphia
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets return from action today after the All-Star break and start their second half with a road series against the Phillies
The Mets officially signed 2026 first-round draft pick Carson Wiggins (MLB.com)
SS Francisco Lindor (No. 9) and OF Juan Soto (No. 3) were both named in a list ranking the Top 10 athletes in New York sports right now (SNY)
Rumor Mill 💬
The Yankees need to upgrade at catcher and are showing serious interest in the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers and Colorado’s Hunter Goodman (MLB.com)
The Yankees are also eying bullpen help and would “love the idea” of adding Padres closer Mason Miller (NY Post)
The Cubs, Rays, and Braves are expected to be among the most aggressive suitors if Tigers ace Tarik Skubal becomes available (NY Post)
The Phillies are tied for the best record since June but are looking to upgrade in a number of areas, including starting pitching, bullpen, and a right-handed bat (MLB.com)
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
In a new special edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Rich is joined by Mets prospect guru Ernest Dove of the Dove Report to discuss the current state of the Mets and what the farm system’s updated roadmap looks like.
SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Down on the Farm 🌾
All Mets minor league affiliates are off and will resume action on Friday night.
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (40-57) at Phillies (54-43)
Where: Citizens Bank Park - Philadelphia, PA
Starters: RHP Christian Scott (2-1, 3.17 ERA) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (3-6, 5.75 ERA)
When: 7:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: ESPN | ESPN App
Laying the groundwork for sustainability ✍️
Well, the stretch run officially begins today.
I don’t like saying second half because mathematically that isn’t correct. In any case, you get the point.
Today is the day when the Mets will start the next phase of what has just been a miserable season, and it is probably only going to get tougher from here on out.
In recent days, we’ve already provided reasons to stay invested for the remainder of this season, while Michael Baron did a deep dive into why the Mets need to get things right at the Trade Deadline.
I don’t want to go over old ground or repeat what has already been said, but I do think it is worth stressing just how important the rest of this summer will be for the entire organization.
Without wanting to sound hyperbolic, I really do think what we see over the next couple of months could set the tone for the next few years for this team. Now is not the time to mail things in and play out the rest of the year nonchalantly.
No, now is the time to be proactive and start laying the groundwork for what needs to be a bounce-back year in 2027, or at least the start of a sustainable turnaround.
In my opinion, it all starts with the core. Someone high up, be it Steve Cohen or David Stearns, needs to get into Juan Soto’s ear and make it clear that not only is he the face of the franchise, but he’s also the leader of the team and he needs to start acting like it. That starts with cleaning up his real lack of hustle and his, at times, troubling body language. Whether he likes it or not, Soto is looked upon as one of the leaders of the entire organization and it is about time he embraces that role and focuses on setting a sterling example day in and day out.
I’m sorry, but it is no longer excusable for Soto to be seen half-assing it out of the box or switch off out in the field, especially with so many younger players looking to him for guidance.
In the same way, ownership and the front office really need to end once-and-for-all any issues there are between Soto and Francisco Lindor and work out a truce. Period. It won’t serve the team in any positive way if rumors of the two faces of the franchise not getting on still persist. Cohen and Stearns need to get both Soto and Lindor in a room, air out any grievances, work out a way to placate both players, and make it clear that they are a leadership tandem and they need to set the tone in the clubhouse and on the field every single day.
I think that’s crucial because I don’t think Lindor is going anywhere, and nor do I think he should, either. Okay, it has been a really rough year for the shortstop and the amount of mental lapses and basic errors we’ve seen from him is really troubling. It is one thing struggling offensively after being out hurt for so long, but it is quite another thing to struggle to handle even the basic fundamentals. I think maybe there could be some natural decline there, but I also think that Lindor still has plenty to offer and I don’t think he’s anywhere close to being a truly diminished player just yet.
In any case, the organization just needs to focus on getting Lindor right, both physically and mentally, the rest of the way so that he is ready to contribute in a big way in 2027. Plus, I think having a guy like Lindor around is absolutely crucial for the young players coming through. Lindor is the type of model professional you want in the clubhouse and on the field when rebuilding a roster.
On a more broader basis, I’m really interested to see how Stearns handles the Trade Deadline. He’s gone from franchise savior to the biggest villain of New York sports overnight, and he can’t afford many more whiffs. However, some executives tend to double and triple down when under pressure, and that would be a disastrous outcome in this particular situation. For instance, as Michael Barron explained on Wednesday, Stearns can’t fall into the trap of holding onto players just because he doesn’t want to admit making a mistake in the first place.
It is crucial that the likes of Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing continue to develop at a high level, and if that means moving on from or reducing the playing time of the likes of Luis Robert Jr., Jorge Polanco, and Marcus Semien, then so be it. The future of this franchise needs to come first now.
In the same way, Stearns needs to come to a final decision on the first iteration of the Baby Mets. I don’t think this team can afford to go into 2027 still wondering just what level of production Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and Francisco Álvarez are going to provide. At this point, I think we know what all three players are, and what they aren’t. It is clear that Vientos doesn’t have a future here and, while his current injury will probably make it hard to move him at the deadline, a parting of the ways would probably be best for both player and team. Baty’s trade value is probably a little higher now given the heater he was on prior to the All-Star Break, and maybe it would be best to cash in now unless the team is really going to commit to Baty having a regular, concrete role going forward.
As for Álvarez, we probably need to stop being charmed by the potential. I think it is harder to move on from a former top prospect because of the fear that he will put it all together somewhere else. But, again, I think we know the player Álvarez is at this point, and I’m not convinced he’s going to be much more than that. If I were the front office, I would try to get a couple of intriguing arms back for Alvarez, and then try to find a young catcher elsewhere to pair with Luis Torrens.
Finally, it will just be nice to see some evidence that the veterans on this team are able to rebound somewhat and learn from their first half mistakes. It will also be crucial to see continued improvement from the likes of Nolan McLean, Ewing, Benge, and Christian Scott so we at least have some hope to cling to going forward.
It would be nice to at least see a little fight and heart the rest of the way, too.
All in all, while the season is lost, how the rest of this season is handled by ownership, the front office, the coaching staff, and the players will ultimately provide us with some good insight into how good we should feel about 2027 and beyond.
Around the League 🚩
The Brewers traded for veteran Astros RHP Lance McCullers Jr., with cash and LHP Colton Gordon also part of the deal, while OF Jadyn Fielder went back to Houston in return (MLB.com)
The A’s are calling up prospect 3B Tommy White for the weekend series against Washington, according to reports (ESPN)
Former MLB pitcher Jim Abbott received the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night (MLB.com)