How can the Mets make themselves better and more interesting right now?
Plus, the Mets actually won a game on Sunday!
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets snapped a five-game losing streak as they came from behind late to defeat the Giants 4-3 (Box)
LHP Sean Manaea started for the Mets and allowed two runs on five hits over five innings
RHP Adrian Houser pitched the final four innings of the afternoon, allowing only one run while saving the rest of the bullpen and keeping the Mets in the game
CF Harrison Bader came through with a huge clutch hit again, ripping a two run double down the left field line to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th
Omar Narvaez came off the bench to deliver arguably his biggest hit as a Met, a sending a broken bat liner into shallow left field for the walk-off winner
The Mets earned their fifth walk-off win of the season on Sunday and their sixth win in their last at-bat - they have 22 wins on the season
Even with the win on Sunday, the Mets have lost 22 of their last 32 games - they are hitting just .226/.291/.368 while averaging 3.75 runs scored per game during that span. During the same span, the team has pitched to a 4.68 ERA while allowing 5.2 runs per game
Injury Updates 🏥
RHP Drew Smith (right shoulder soreness) restarted a minor league rehab assignment and pitched a perfect inning for the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones
LHP David Peterson (Hip surgery) has completed his rehab assignment, and will make his season debut on Wednesday against the Dodgers
Down on the Farm 🌾
2B Luisangel Acuna (No. 5 Prospect, Triple-A) 1-4 1 BB, 3 K
RHP Jose Butto (Triple-A) 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 4 K
OF Rhylan Thomas (No. 30 Prospect, Triple-A) 1-2, RBI, R, 3 BB
BOX SCORES
Single-A STL | Single-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (22-30) vs. Dodgers (33-22)
Where: Citi Field — Flushing, NY
Starters: RHP Tylor Megill (0-2, 3.00 ERA) vs. RHP Gavin Stone (4-2, 3.60 ERA)
When: 4:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
There’s a way to make the Mets better and more interesting right now! ✍️
Hey, the Mets won on Sunday!
Barely of course - they needed a comeback in in their last at-bat trailing 3-1 in the ninth. It was their fifth walk-off of the season - they only have 22 wins on their ledger through the season’s first 52 games. It was nice to see Omar Narváez come through for them in the end. After all, he had gone 0-for-27 at home to start the season and had posted an overall OPS of .374 to start the year coming into the game.
Wins have been few and far between, to say the least. Especially lately. And now, the Dodgers are in town - that can sober a team up pretty quickly.
This whole malaise for the Mets actually started on April 21 when they got shelled by LA 10-0 at Dodger Stadium.
Harrison Bader had a hell of a day. He saved a home run in center field and he came up with another clutch hit in the ninth with a two-run double. He has been a nice addition to the roster and he’s stayed healthy so far this season, coming up big on three or four occasions which have helped the Mets win a few ballgames.
Anyway, the other day, Andrew posed the question of what exactly is left that’s worth watching with these 2024 Mets? And sadly, I think we can all agree that the answer to that question is…not much.
This Mets team has proven themselves inadequate in almost every area, and far too often have flat out looked like they don’t deserve to be on the same field as the opposition. They’ve found countless ways to snatch defeat from the hands of victory, and in my opinion anyway, have been one of the most frustrating Mets teams to watch in my lifetime.
So, what reasons can we come up with to stay engaged with the Mets?
Well, right now the primary reason is right-handed starter Christian Scott, the club’s top pitching prospect whom the organization promoted on May 4th. Scott’s first four outings have been up and down, but it’s also been clear that his stuff is as advertised and his future is bright. Every fifth day, fans can look forward to catching a glimpse of the team’s future, which is honestly about all we have right now.
And truthfully, long before this season is over, we should get similar opportunities with other young players.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and while the Mets are fortunate to have a handful of highly considered prospects, I think the next one that will get a chance in Queens is going to be Luisangel Acuña.
The Mets acquired the younger brother of Atlanta superstar (and now gone for the year due to another ACL tear!) Ronald Acuna Jr. in a deadline deal with Texas last summer, and his skillset is something that has the organization intoxicated.
Acuna has game changing speed, has extra-base pop, and in well over 400 minor league games in his career he’s slashed an impressive .285/.361/.411. He’s also versatile enough to play all of the speed positions on the diamond, and just this year has started games at second base, shortstop, and center field.
A quick look at the Major League Mets in those positions indicates there is not much blocking his path to the big leagues.
Sure, shortstop Francisco Lindor is not going anywhere. But at second base Jeff McNeil has frustratingly proven himself to be a shell of what he used to be when he won the batting title a couple of years ago. He doesn’t hit for average anymore, doesn’t have power, and is an average defender at a premium position, although he has perked up over the last week or so play.
Then there’s center field, where Bader has come up with more than a handful of clutch hits—including yesterday—but nobody is going to try to argue that he’s a part of the club’s future. And while he has complained about his playing time over the first third of the season, he’s probably a less is more player to begin with.
This season has devolved so drastically and so quickly that the team has no choice but to start looking towards the future. Scott is already here—which had a lot to do with the desperate need the team had in their starting rotation. But sooner rather than later the Mets need to make some uncomfortable decisions, and this one seems easy to me.
After a slow start to 2024, Acuna has swung the bat very well in May, slashing .282/.324/.340 with six doubles and nine stolen bases.
Bringing him up is one of the only avenues the team has to keep its fans engaged, and here’s hoping it happens sooner rather than later. And like Scott, he can probably help the team in ways they need to be more competitive in right now as well.
Around the League 🚩
Ronald Acuña Jr. suffered a non-contact injury to his knee on Sunday - an MRI revealed a complete tear of his ACL, the second one of his young career. He will miss the remainder of the 2024 season
The Tigers topped the Blue Jays 14-11 in a slugfest that was capped by a three run walk-off home run off the bat of Matt Vierling
Shortstop Corey Seager connected on two home runs in the Rangers 6-2 win over Minnesota
LHP Ryan Weathers fired six scoreless innings and struck out seven in the Marlins 3-1 victory over the Diamondbacks
RHP Kyle Bradish punched out 11 hitters in seven scoreless frames in the Orioles 4-1 win over the White Sox
As long as the fan base doesn't expect him to turn the whole season around, and is patient and supportive of him when he struggles, I would like to see him come up and get some big league experience.
I am thrilled that they finally won ! I hate the Braves but I am sorry Acuna got hurt. What I am angry about is the Athletics always acting like the Braves minor league team - what do the A's have to show for Olsen and Murphy trades ??? What is the connection there ?? The Angels also tend to give the Braves players like Inglesias.