David Stearns deserves a bouquet of flowers!
Plus, the Mets served up six homers in a loss to the Rockies, and notes on the Mets first-round pick in the 2024 draft
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets dropped the final game of their weekend series with the Rockies 8-5 on Sunday at Citi Field (box)
LHP Jose Quintana started on the mound for the Mets and struggled, allowing five runs in 5.2 innings, while serving up four long balls
Adrian Houser allowed two home runs out of the bullpen - his ERA is now 5.89 for the season
Jose Iglesias started at third base and continued his torrid tear by going 4-for-4 and scoring two runs
Pete Alonso crushed his team leading 19th home run in the loss
Mets pitching served up three long balls to powerful Rockies first baseman Michael Toglia, six in total on the afternoon
On Sunday evening the Mets selected OF/P Carson Benge with the 19th overall pick in the MLB draft.
A two-way player from Oklahoma State University, Benge made 18 appearances and four starts in 2024 and went 3-2 with a 3.18 ERA with 44 strikeouts against 11 walks in 2024, holding opponents to a .186 opposing average in 37.1 IP.
At the plate, the 21-year-old left-handed hitter hit .335/.444/.665 with 24 doubles, three triples, 18 home runs and 64 RBI with 49 walks and 51 strikeouts in 248 at-bats in 2024.
In his college career, Beige holds a .339/.405/.609 line with 25 home runs in 445 at-bats.
Benge, originally from Oklahoma City, hopes to remain a two-way player, he told reporters on Sunday night.
“I’d at least like a shot to be able to do both,” Benge explained after the Mets selected him in the draft on Sunday.
Benge is a close friend of Nolan McLean, a current Mets prospect who revealed on Sunday he will not continue pitching and focus squarely on being a position player and a hitter the rest of the way.
Follow Carson on X here.
Playoff Race 🏁
The Mets reached the all-star break one game ahead of the Diamondbacks and Padres for the third Wild Card spot in the National League, and are 1/2 game behind the Cardinals for the second wild card with 66 games to play.
Per FanGraphs, the Mets have a 45.7 percent chance of making the postseason in 2024.
They have the eighth-easiest schedule in MLB the rest of the way.
Tiebreakers:
vs. ATL: 3-3
vs. AZ: 2-2
vs. STL: 3-2
vs. SD: 3-0
vs. CIN: 2-1
vs. SF: 2-4 (finished)
vs. PIT: 5-2 (finished)
vs. CHC: 4-3 (finished)
Injury Updates 🏥
RHP Kodai Senga made his third minor league rehab start, going 4.2 innings while allowing just a run on two hits for Triple-A Syracuse. He was stretched out to 66 pitches putting him on track to throw around 80 in his next outing—the Mets have yet to determine if he’ll make one more rehab start or rejoin the MLB team after the all-star break
Who’s Hot 🔥
OMG! In his last three starts, infielder Jose Iglesias has gone 9-for-12 with a double, four RBI, and six runs scored
Over his last 50 games, Francisco Lindor is hitting .309/.385/.544 with 18 doubles, 10 home runs and 30 RBI with 63 hits and 37 runs scored during that span
Down on the Farm 🌾
Jeremiah Jackson (Double-A): 2-for4 , 2 2B, 3 RBI
Tyler Stuart (No. 18 Prospect—Double-A): 4 IP, 1 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 3 K, 1 HR
Mateo Gil (High-A): 1-for-4, HR, 4 RBI—Grand Slam
Ronald Hernandez (No. 21 Prospect—Single-A): 2-for-4, HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 3 R
Colin Houck (No. 8 Prospect—Single-A): 2-for-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 R
BOX SCORES
Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓
The Mets are off for the next four days during the MLB all star break
David Stearns has proven he was worth the wait✍️
Long before he was named the Mets President of Baseball Operations, it was the worst kept secret in sports that David Stearns was the one owner Steve Cohen coveted to lead his front office.
Like Cohen, Stearns came with deep roots as a Mets fan, and he earned a reputation as one of the most shrewd and cunning executives in the game during his time in Milwaukee. Cohen had to wait years to get his man due to his contractual status with the Brewers, but during the first half of this season, he’s quite clearly proven he was worth the wait.
We all remember the Mets got off to a better than expected start this season, but their performance in May was nothing short of pathetic. There was every reason to believe the season was over before it was even a third over. The team couldn’t hit, they couldn’t play defense, they weren’t pitching well, they weren’t getting any length out of the starters, engagement was low, negativity was plentiful, and fans were thinking of different ways to spend their summers.
It would have been easy for Stearns to quickly turn his attention towards the trade deadline, begin planning who he could trade away for what type of prospect capital, and plot for an avenue to contend in 2025.
Instead, he refused to let this season die without exhausting every possible effort to save it. He kept insisting there was plenty of time to decide which direction the club was going in and no decisions were going to be made in May, or even June.
In late May, Stearns had seen enough of his underperforming roster and flipped three of the roster spots, pivoting off of Brett Baty at third base and committed to giving Mark Vientos the opportunity to play every day.
That decision has paid off tenfold, to say the least.
The 24-year-old right-handed slugger finished the first half slashing .291/.347/.549 with 12 homers and 33 RBI. He’s flashed tremendous power—especially to center field—and displayed an uncanny knack for driving in clutch runs.
The same day, Stearns DFA’d struggling back-up catcher Omar Narváez and swung an underrated trade with the Yankees to acquire backstop Luis Torrens.
Torrens ended up playing the majority of the time while Francisco Alvarez was hurt, and since the Mets’ starter returned he’s thrived in the back-up role.
In 19 games, Torrens has slashed .283/.333/.547 with three home runs, and he’s gunned down an incredible eight of eleven would be base stealers.
Stearns gave 28-year-old Dedniel Núñez his first chance to pitch in the big-leagues, and for good reason. The righty has rapidly ascended into the eighth inning role in the Mets’ bullpen, pitching to a 2.35 ERA with seven holds and a save in 21 appearances.
These are just a few examples of the way the decision maker at the top of the Mets front office has consistently pursued upgrades to the roster at every opportunity.
These moves and more have catapulted the Mets all the way back into the National League playoff picture, which means Stearns most important moves are still yet to come.
The Mets bullpen is a critical problem, and one that will have to be addressed if the team is going to ultimately be able to claim one of the NL Wild Card spots.
Stearns has already acquired veteran righty Phil Maton, but additional reinforcements are unquestionably needed, and it will be interesting to see what he can pull off in the next two weeks.
He’s also going to need to address the club’s right field situation. There is no sign Starling Marte will be back and able to contribute on a daily basis down the stretch and a combination of Jeff McNeil, DJ Stewart and Tyrone Taylor is just not a well-rounded solution, especially with Stewart and McNeil terribly underperforming overall and Taylor being best suited as a utility fourth outfielder. They may not get a primary player to fill this role, but they need to make an upgrade, specifically over Stewart.
Overall, the Mets are in a good spot. They have an easy enough schedule down the stretch, they survived a miserable month of May, they’re navigating their schedule despite having a horrid bullpen too.
It can only go up from here from my seat, especially when Stearns flips over the rest of the bullpen.
Around the League 🚩
After allowing the Yankees to plate three in the top of the 9th, Baltimore came right back with three of their own in the bottom of the frame, winning the game on a walk-off hit by Cedric Mullins
The Athletics pounded eight home runs in their 18-3 drubbing of the Phillies
Ryan Pepiot and three Rays relivers combined to blank the Guardians 2-0
Willy Adames collected four hits and drove in four runs in the Brewers 9-3 win over the Nationals
Jo Adell crushed a game flipping three run homer in the bottom of the 8th to lead the Angels to a 3-2 win over Seattle
Is Nolan McLean going to be a pitcher not a position player as you stated today?
This is a fun team. Besides the BP you’re right the big hole is RF. In the short term right after the break I’d like to see Carlos Cortez or Luke Ritter and no more Stewart.