Mets fall in tight middle game in Atlanta, and how close were the Mets to trading Pete Alonso?
The Mets had a deal in the works to trade Pete Alonso to Milwaukee. Plus, top prospect Drew Gilbert is shaping up to be a difference maker for the Mets
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets lost a heartbreaker to the Braves by the score of 3-2 in Atlanta (Box)
Daniel Vogelbach hit a two-run homer in the 6th for the Mets only two runs
Jeff McNeil had a pair of singles
His final line wasn’t pretty but Tylor Megill pitched well, allowing three runs in 4.2 innings—getting hurt only by home runs from Eddie Rosario and Marcell Ozuna
Adam Kolarek worked an impressive two scoreless innings in relief
New York got the first two on in the 9th against Raisel Iglesias but a Francisco Alvarez 5-5-3 double play killed the momentum and the rally
The Mets might have been close to dealing Pete Alonso to the Brewers ahead of the trade deadline (Athletic)
Prospect Watch 🔎
INF Jett Williams (No. 3 prospect, Single- A): 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, BB, R
OF Drew Gilbert (No. 2 prospect, Double-A): 1-for-5, HR, RBI
SP Blade Tidwell (No. 10 prospect, Double-A): Five scoreless innings and earned the win
3B Brett Baty (Triple-A): 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Injury Updates 🏥
RHP John Curtiss—already on the 60-day IL underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his throwing elbow
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (59-68) vs. Braves (81-44)
Where: Truist Park - Atlanta, GA
Starting pitchers: LHP Jose Quintana (1-4, 3.03 ERA) vs. RHP Charlie Morton (12-10, 3.54 ERA)
When: 7:20 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
Drew Gilbert appears to have the ‘IT’ factor✍️
Yesterday Rich did a deep dive on how the prospects the Mets brought back in the plethora of trades they made leading up to the deadline have fared in their new organization, and it certainly is no secret that outfielder Drew Gilbert jumps off the page.
The 22-year-old was the Astros top pick in the 2022 draft coming out of the University of Tennesse and was unanimously ranked as Houston’s best prospect this summer before the Mets acquired him alongside fellow outfielder Ryan Clifford in exchange for Justin Verlander.
Gilbert’s numbers since joining the Mets organization speak for themselves. In 16 games with the Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies he’s slashing .333/.397/.550. He blasted his 3rd home run with Binghamton last night and has already driven in 12 runs for his new team. But I saw first-hand the other night that his numbers don’t even tell the entire story.
Today is my son’s 8th birthday, and while most kids his age are excited to ask for elaborate parties or specific toys, he’s not your average 3rd grader. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree here, and this boy is all baseball, all the time. Months ago he requested that all he wanted to do for his birthday was visit Cooperstown and see the Hall of Fame. So last weekend we spent four days in Upstate New York on the adventure of his young life.
I’m not going to go into a full Cooperstown review here, but in short, every baseball lover should go at least once, the museum is incredible, and it’s easy to lose track of time gazing at so much incredible history at every turn.
Back to Gilbert. On the last night of our trip, we made the hour and a half drive from Cooperstown to Binghamton to see the Rumble Ponies game against the Portland Sea Dogs. Both of us were extremely excited to see Gilbert, Luisangel Acuna, and Jeremiah Jackson—the three newcomers that got sent to Double-A. We got tickets in the front row on top of the home dugout and had a fantastic time. And without even recording a hit in the game, Gilbert had my attention all night.
For starters, while most of the team meandered around the dugout between innings, Gilbert was glued to the top rail next to the staffer with the iPad, wanting to know exactly what pitches the opposing pitcher was throwing, how they were moving, and his sequences. He was without question the most engaged minor league player I’ve seen, from the first pitch to the last.
And it struck me as incredibly impressive that he was essentially the leader of the Rumble Ponies. There was no louder cheerleader for his teammates. No player was more excited for the team’s success. Gilbert consistently encouraged his teammates and confidently talked up their chances to beat up the other team’s pitcher—using some Pete Alonso esque language.
The Rumble Ponies have a pony head on a stick that players ride down the dugout after a home run in your typical silly and fun baseball celebration.
When second baseman Rowdey Jordan blasted a two-run homer in the 2nd inning, it was Gilbert, who momentarily left his anchored position on the railing to race down the dugout to retrieve the memento and toss it to Jordan before he reached the dugout.
For someone who had joined the organization and met his new teammates less than three weeks ago, it was astonishing to me just how well he has clearly already acclimated to his new surroundings.
I walked out of Mirabito Stadium convinced that when the Mets pulled the trigger on the Verlander deal they not only brought back a highly talented outfielder who's widely considered to be one of the elite offensive prospects in the sport. But they also got themselves a kid who just has that ‘it’ factor. A high energy, high-octane two-way player, that if he develops into the star the Mets feel he can be, has a personality that will make him an instant fan favorite in Queens.
You heard it here first!
Around the League 🚩
The Phillies scored two in the bottom of the 9th and won the game on a walk-off hit by Trea Turner to stun the Giants 4-3
The Yankees lost their 9th consecutive game, falling to the Nationals 2-1 in the Bronx
Tampa Bay pounded out 12 runs on 16 hits to easily blow out the Rockies
The Cubs lost in Detorit 8-6 in a disappointing game for their wild card aspirations
Brandon Belt crushed a go-ahead homer in the 10th and Toronto defeated Baltimore 6-3