Maybe the Mets already have the answer in centerfield?

The Mets have a top prospect tearing it up in Triple-A who could help the Mets now. Plus, the Mets swept away the Giants in San Francisco, head to San Diego for another big series

Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images

What’s up with the Mets? ⚾️

• The Mets completed a weekend sweep of the Giants on Sunday, defeating San Francisco 5-3 (Box)

• RHP Kodai Senga started for the Mets and was mostly solid across five innings, but two Matt Chapman homers accounted for all three of the runs he gave up.

• Ronny Mauricio enjoyed a career day in this one, going 4-4 with a homer, two doubles, and 2 RBI

• Juan Soto hit a tiebreaking solo home run with two outs in the top of the 7th to give the Mets the lead for good

• Gregory Soto made his first appearance for the Mets since being acquired from the Orioles, and fired a 1-2-3 7th inning with a punchout

• Brandon Nimmo delivered a clutch RBI double in the 9th to give the Mets a valuable insurance run

• RHP Edwin Díaz buckled a little in the 9th but still secured his 23rd save

---

Injury Updates 🏥

• RHP Paul Blackburn (Shoulder impingement) pitched for Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday: 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K

• OF Jesse Winker (back inflammation) still has not resumed baseball activities after receiving an epidural injection ten days ago

• OF José Siri (fractured tibia) has not begun a running program yet

• RHP Tylor Megill (elbow sprain) threw a bullpen session on Sunday, is expected to start a rehab assignment soon. He can’t be activated before August 14

---

Roster Moves 📰

• LHP Gregory Soto activated after being acquired from Baltimore on Friday

• LHP Jose Castillo designated for assignment

---

---

Who’s Hot 🥵

• In his last three starts, IF Ronny Mauricio has gone 6-for-9 with a homer, 2 RBI, and 2 doubles

• In four appearances since being activated from the injured list, LHP Brooks Raley has been excellent, allowing just a pair of his in 3.1 scoreless innings

---

Play of the Game 🌟

The Mets and Giants played a pretty evenly matched back-and-forth contest all night on Sunday, and often times the difference in games like this comes down to superstars making an impact. And this game, especially, highlighted why the Mets were so eager to back up the Brinks truck for Juan Soto.

After enduring a weak 0-for-3 start to his night, Soto stepped up in the 7th inning in a tie game and promptly untied it with an opposite-field bomb. That blast put the Mets ahead to stay, and sent this team to San Diego riding high with a seven-game winning streak.

---

Down on the Farm 🌾

• OF Carson Benge (No. 4 Prospect, Double-A): 4-for-6, 2 HR, 3 RBI, BB, 4 R

• 1B/OF Ryan Clifford (No. 7 Prospect, Double-A): 3-for-4, HR, 2B, RBI, 3 BB, 5 R

BOX SCORES

Single-A STL | High-A BRK | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR

---

Today’s Game 🗓️

Match-up: Mets (62-44) @ Padres (57-49)

Where: PETCO Park - San Diego, CA

Starters: RHP Frankie Montas (3-1, 4.62 ERA) vs. RHP Dylan Cease (3-10, 4.59 ERA)

When: 9:40 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

---

---

Is the Mets answer in center field already in the organization? ✍️

Kylie Richelle - Syracuse Mets

Center field has been a topic of much discussion in Mets circles over the last several weeks, and for good reason.

Even with a prolonged rough stretch during June, the Mets are still right in the thick of the race for the best record in the National League, and heading towards the stretch run are as well positioned as any deep in baseball to be thinking big in October.

This team has gotten phenomenal production from its top four hitters, and with Francisco Álvarez swinging the bat much better since his return, and Jeff McNeil playing a steady supporting cast type role, this offense is really starting to round into shape.

With one exception.

The Mets have gotten next to no offensive production from Tyrone Taylor, who has slashed just .204/.260/.298 with only two home runs in nearly 300 plate appearances. The rub, however, is that even with those lackluster numbers, Taylor has still been worth nearly a full win according to WAR, solely based on the otherworldly defense he brings at a premium position.

For most of these first four months, the Mets have had no issue starting Taylor and having him hit 9th. They’re confident enough in the rest of their line-up to produce, and his defense in center field is a luxury for the team’s pitching staff.

But during periods when the offense has scuffled, his position stands out as the obvious one that could be upgraded, and as was the case last night, the Mets sometimes will move Jeff McNeil out there in order to get both Brett Baty and Ronny Mauricio into the line-up on the infield.

Now, we all know McNeil is a versatile gamer who can—and has—played every position other than pitcher and catcher during his career. But is he really someone that should be in center field on a championship level team? That would be a hard question to answer in the affirmative.

There has been a ton of talk recently about the Mets adding an external outfielder, with names like Luis Robert, Steven Kwan, and Harrison Bader being written about on multiple platforms—most eloquently, of course, on this one.

But is it possible the Mets already have the answer they’re looking for in the organization?

Drew Gilbert, the prize prospect the Mets received from Houston in the Justin Verlander deal a couple of summers ago, missed a plethora of time due to injury during his tenure in the Mets organization, but fully healthy right now, he is complicating the Mets’ short-term future.

In 19 games with Triple-A Syracuse thus far in July, Gilbert has been raking, slashing .329/.395/.671 with six homers and five doubles. He just had a game in which he racked up 10 total bases, and his production is simply getting hard to ignore.

After last week saying the Mets—at least from an internal perspective—will essentially be going with the position player group they already have in the big leagues the rest of the way, Gilbert’s recent prolonged hot streak caused David Stearns to walk that back a little ahead of the club’s west coast trip.

On Friday, Stearns acknowledged publicly for the first time that Gilbert has put himself on the radar for a potential promotion, something that certainly sent my antennas up.

Now, we are just days from the trade deadline, so is it possible some of those comments could have been some sort of negotiation tactic? Sure. If the Mets are talking with teams about bringing in an external outfielder but don’t like the price, saying publicly they could instead promote one of their top prospects to fill that role could be an attempt to bring the ask down.

But the thing is, I don’t think it should be a ploy.

Gilbert has been poised to become this team’s long-term answer in center field since the day he was acquired. Had he not missed so much time due to injury last year, he almost certainly would already be playing his home games in Queens.

The Mets needed the 24-year-old to prove he could stay healthy and master the Triple-A level in 2025, and right now an argument could be made that he has.

Gilbert is a name the Mets are undoubtedly being asked about by rival GMs right now, but to me he is someone who could be more valuable to the Mets themselves.

New York is not desperate to pull the trigger on a deal for a center fielder, and if they don’t this week, don’t be surprised if Gilbert gets an opportunity to at minimum enter a Major League platoon in center field with Taylor.

---

Around the League 🚩

• Dick Allen, Dave Parker, CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki, and former Met Billy Wagner were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame

• Alex Bregman hit his 13th home run in the Red Sox 4-3 home win over the Dodgers

• Paul Skenes fired six scoreless innings and punched out nine in the Pirates 6-0 win over Arizona

• The Yankees scored four runs in the 2nd inning and held on to beat the Phillies 4-3

• Gleyber Torres homered and drove in four to help the Tigers topple the Blue Jays 10-4