Mets finish successful first half with a loss, Mets welcome new prospects into the organization
It was a frustrating way to end an otherwise successful first half, and the Mets net four new players on day one of the draft
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾
The Mets offense remained stagnant in the finale against the Cubs as they finish the first half with a 3-2 loss (box)
LHP David Peterson was great again on the mound. He tossed five solid innings and allowed just one unearned run and struck out eight
RHP Drew Smith’s recent struggles continued. He gave up two runs in less than an inning of work. Over his last fifteen appearances he is sporting a 4.67 ERA in a little over 17 innings pitched
RF Starling Marte finished up his All-Star first half with another two hits and stole home in a double steal to score the Mets first run. With his recent injury issues he will not be headed to Midsummer Classic and will be replaced by Freddie Freeman
SS Francisco Lindor also picked up two more hits to end a successful first half of the season
The Mets selected C Kevin Parada, SS Jett Williams, RHP Blade Tidwell, OF Nick Morabito in the first round of the 2022 Amateur Draft - Read more about the Mets first-round selection here.
Roster Moves 📰
OF Ender Inciarte outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse
RHP Yoan López optioned to Triple-A Syracuse
RHP Brooks Hall signed to a minor league contract
Who’s Hot 🔥
Francisco Lindor’s two hits in the finale against the Cubs ended a good week for the shortstop. Over his past seven games he is hitting .345/.424/.552. He has 66 RBIs to close the first half which has already surpassed his season total from last year
David Peterson lowered his ERA to 3.24 for the season and is striking out batters at a rate of 10.45 per nine innings
Starling Marte wrapped up an incredible first half on a hot streak. Over his last fifteen games he is hitting .379/.438/.569 and certainly deserved his All-Star nod
Today’s Game 🗓
The Mets are off until Friday - Pete Alonso will compete in the Home Run Derby Monday night in Los Angeles
When: 8:00 PM EDT
Where to Watch: ESPN
Despite some obvious flaws the Mets had a successful first half… 📝
Yes, the Mets really need a DH.
Yes, they desperately need bullpen help.
Another catcher would be nice too, but they have one in their pipeline.
But given all of those needs, their first half of the season can be viewed as nothing but a success.
They are in first place with a 2.5 game lead over the Braves. The pessimistic view of course is that the Braves significantly shrunk the Mets lead but even with getting red-hot Atlanta still did not catch them.
Considering the horrors of Mets past and their trips to Atlanta, this Mets team instead made a statement taking two of three and their stars coming through when they needed them the most. Despite missing a few key members of the lineup, Max Scherzer took to the mound for the series opener, and combined with Edwin Díaz who was pitching for the third day in a row, said we’re not losing today. The two were flat out dominant on the mound and Pete Alonso helped drive the offense to make a statement to open the series. Franciso Lindor also had a big series going 5-for-14 with a home run and four RBIs. When the Mets were missing Jeff McNeil and Starling Marte, their stars stepped up when they needed them to send a message to the Braves that they are still the top dog in the division.
That series was a microcosm of the season as a whole so far.
They are on pace to win 101 games while missing some of their biggest names for a good chunk of the season. Scherzer was down with an oblique injury and Jacob deGrom won’t throw a pitch for the team until after the All-Star Break. Tylor Megill and Taijuan Walker have both spent time on the injured list and Chris Bassitt ended up on the COVID-19 injured list but David Peterson and Trevor Williams have filled in admirably in their absences. Their depth has been tested but so far they have been able to withstand injuries, something they were not able to do last season.
There is now talk about Juan Soto as a trade target, and as always there is talk about what a trade like that would cost. What this team has proven is that investing in top tier talent is a difference maker. Both Scherzer and Lindor made an impact in the Braves series. Starling Marte is having an incredible season hitting .295/.345/.803 with nine home runs, 41 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases. Mark Canha is a pesky force in the lineup and is hitting .269/.370/.751 and is up to 1.6 fWAR halfway through the season.
Soto is a generational talent who is just 23 years old. He finished second in MVP balloting in 2021 and would certainly solve the Mets offensive uncertainties in the lineup. Of course the price would be steep but players like Soto are worth it.
While dreams of Soto dance in our heads over the All-Star break, the four All-Stars who are headed to Los Angeles should be celebrated. Pete Alonso, Starling Marte (although he has been replaced by Freddie Freeman), Jeff McNeil, and Edwin Díaz are all deserving and Taijuan Walker certainly has numbers that could’ve merited a nod as well. Gone are the days of looking at the team and saying, “well someone needs to represent the Mets.”
Having four All-Stars and top tier talent in the rotation while finishing the first half in first place in the division are all signs of hope going forward. Couple that with Carlos Carrasco and Lindor bouncing back from their down seasons last year and the team has a solid base for the stretch run with some additions at the deadline whether it be Soto, bullpen help, or both.
Oh, and the best pitcher in baseball will make his return shortly as well.
Down on the Farm 🌾
Daniel Palka (RF, Triple-A): 2-for-2, HR (17), RBI
Ronny Mauricio (SS, No. 3 Prospect, Double-A): 1-for-3
Brett Baty (3B, No. 2 prospect, Double-A): 1-for-3, RBI
Box Scores: Triple-A | Double-A | Single-A | Low-A
Around the League 🚩
The Nationals finally snapped their nine-game losing streak with a 7-3 win over the Braves
SS Jackson Holliday, the son of former major leaguer Matt Holliday, was drafted Number 1 overall by the Orioles
OF Druw Jones, the son of former Mets nemesis Andruw Jones, was taken at Number 2 by the Diamondbacks
One year after not reaching a deal with the Mets, RHP Kumar Rocker was drafted by the Rangers at Number 3 overall
Red Sox P Chris Sale suffered a fractured pinkie from a comebacker in just his second start off the injured list
Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, and Max Fried will not be attending the All-Star game in Los Angeles after being named to the team
The Dodgers have shown interest in acquiring Royals INF Whit Merrifield and the Brewers are showing interest in acquiring Andrew Benitendi (Heyman)
Red Sox LHP Chris Sale is headed back to the injured list, this time with a broken finger. He is expected to miss four to six weeks (Boston Globe)
I would really love to have Soto sandwiched in between Lindor and Alonso. I would offer them Mauricio, Alex Ramirez, Vientos, Megill and Dom Smith. Does that get it done?
I think they want to shed Patrick Corbin’s contract as well in the process, which holds 2 more contract years plus a $10 million dollar differed pay out in 2025. So $24 mil in 2023 and $35 mil in 2024 plus the $10mil 2025.
I think these prospects plus paying for half of Corbin’s contract should be plenty for Soto? We also get to keep Baty and Alvarez for positions of need going forward to help reduce our payroll a bit to help pay for Soto’s $500 mil 14 year contract, for the first few years.