Mets enjoy a Thursday night fish fry, deGrom to take another step, and a star not getting enough love
Mets enjoy a Thursday night fish fry, deGrom to take another step, and a star not getting enough love
J.D. Davis paces the Mets 10 run attack, and James McCann had an important breakout game
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾
The Mets hammered the Marlins 10-0 in the opener of their four-game weekend series (Box)
Trevor Williams impressively gave the Mets seven innings of two-hit, scoreless ball in by far his best outing of the season
J.D. Davis crushed a grand slam, drove in five runs, and finished a triple shy of the cycle - it was his first home run at Citi Field since April 25, 2021
James McCann hit a three run homer—just his second long ball of the season and his first at Citi Field since September 11, 2021
Starling Marte had three more hits to raise his season average to .294
The Mets are now a season-high 21 games over .500. They’re 27-13 at home, 5-2 in July, 21-6 in series openers, 10-3 in series openers at home, they have 12 shutout wins (tied for the MLB lead with the Yankees), and they’re 25-9 vs the NL East
Jacob deGrom (stress reaction in scapula) will make his second rehab start tonight for St. Lucie and is expected to throw around 40 pitches
Trevor May (stress reaction in humerus) is healed, and he soon expects to go to Port St. Lucie to face hitters - he could return before the end of July (SI)
Mets top prospect Francisco Álvarez will appear in the 2022 Futures Game in Los Angeles - he is the lone Mets representative in this year’s game
With the Mets in need of a right-handed hitter, they have Nationals’ DH Nelson Cruz on their list ahead of the August 2 trade deadline (New York Post)
Who’s Hot 🔥
Starling Marte has had three straight multiple hit games and is hitting .391 in July
Brandon Nimmo is 7-for-16 with two homers and seven RBI in his last four games
Roster Moves 📰
RHP Jake Reed recalled from Triple-A Syracuse
RHP Adonis Medina optioned to Triple-A Syracuse
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (52-31) vs. Rangers (39-42)
Where: Citi Field — Flushing, New York
Starters: RHP Chris Bassitt (6-5, 4.01 ERA) vs RHP Pablo Lopez (5-4, 2.97 ERA)
When: 7:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
Starling Marte has been everything and more the Mets hoped he’d be 📝
The Mets went on a well chronicled shopping spree around Thanksgiving last November, inking a trio of veteran hitters to redesign their offensive attack, netting Starling Marte, Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha at one stop down the free agent road.
And while Canha and Escobar have contributed to the Mets success in bits and pieces thus far, the real prize that week was unquestionably Marte.
The 33-year-old came to Queens as a former All-Star and is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner who had just led the big leagues with 47 stolen bases. The Mets envisioned Marte being a dynamic two-way player for them, someone who could help take their offense to new heights and also bring tremendous defense out on the grass.
All of that and then some has come to fruition.
With his three hits on Thursday night, Marte extended his hitting streak to seven games, during which he has recorded four multi-hit games and has hit .429/.500/.679 during that span, raising his season slash line to .294/.345/.464. In 72 games so far in 2022 he’s hit nine homers, driven in 40 runs, scored 50, and stolen 10 bases. He’s become a mainstay in the second spot in New York’s order, anchored between Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor.
But Marte’s value and impact on this team extends well beyond the batter’s box.
An accomplished defender in both left and center when he got to Queens, the Mets chose to leave Nimmo alone in center field and slide Marte to right - a position he had never played in his big league career.
You’d never be able to tell that from watching him this season, however.
Marte has played Gold Glove caliber defense from the jump in 2022, producing six defensive runs saved at the position, according to FanGraphs. When he gunned down his buddy Jesus Aguilar trying to stretch a single into a double last night, he recorded his sixth outfield assist in doing so. But his arm is a weapon even when he’s not throwing runners out. Every team has to respect it, and countless times in the first half of the year baserunners have wisely played things conservatively out of fear of running into an out.
His presence alone adds value on the field.
Sure, Marte isn’t the only reason the Mets have been successful to this point in the season. Lindor and Pete Alonso have both been among the league’s RBI leaders for weeks. Max Scherzer and Taijuan Walker have led a starting staff that for the most part has been a major strength. Edwin Díaz might be the most dominant reliever in baseball right now. And while the Mets have taken an expected down turn in their production with runners in scoring position, they remain in the upper tier in that department which is a credit to the entire roster.
But Marte is as big a reason as any for the Mets’ success, and it’s amazing how much he’s slid under the radar to-date. In a way, it’s a reminder of how Edgardo Alfonzo was quietly great during the 1999-2000 seasons but never drew that much attention to himself.
There’s a decent chance he’ll be among the contingent of Mets representing the club at the All-Star Game In Los Angeles in a couple of weeks, and New York will count on him to continue producing down the stretch.
Down on the Farm 🌾
Francisco Alvarez (C, No. 1 Prospect, Triple-A): 0-for-2, RBI, BB, R
Zach Ashford (OF, Double-A): 3-for-4, 2B, RBI
Khalil Lee (OF, No. 7 Prospect, Triple-A): 1-for-3, 2B, RBI
Box Scores: Triple-A | Double-A | Single-A | Low-A
Around the League 🚩
Darick Hall blasted his fourth homer in only eight games since being called up, helping the Phillies to a a 5-3 win over Washington and keep pace with the Mets in the NL East
Yordan Alvarez homered yet again in Houston’s 5-2 win over Kansas City
Josh Donaldson hit a grand slam for the Yankees who edged Rafael Devers — who homered twice himself — and the Red Sox 6-5
Boston is expected to activated LHP Chris Sale from the injured list today
The Yankees signed veteran RHP Richard Rodriguez to a minor league contract
Rookie sensation Adley Rutschman hit his fourth homer since being promoted by the Orioles
The Cardinals outlasted the Braves 3-2 in 11 innings—helping the Mets increase their NL East lead to 3.5 games
3B Evan Longoria was placed on the injured list by the Giants with an oblique injury, and Diamondbacks OF Pavin Smith - who was recently optioned to the minor leagues - suffered a fractured wrist with ligament damage diving for a ball while at Triple-A Reno
The Reds have placed RHP Tyler Mahle on the injured list with a mild shoulder strain - he expects to return after the All-Star break