The bigger picture is slowly but surely taking shape for the Mets
Plus, Jack Wenninger made his spring training debut in what became an ugly tie against the Astros on Tuesday
What’s Up with the Mets? 🌴
After a hot start from the offense, the Mets ended up tied with the Astros 6-6 at Clover Park on Tuesday (Box | Highlights)
Jack Wenninger threw two scoreless frames in his spring debut, striking out three while allowing two hits and two walks
Mets pitchers en masse struggled to find the zone yesterday, with 10 pitchers combining to allow 13 walks on the afternoon
Mike Tauchman shined in his Mets debut, cranking a three-run homer in the first inning and drawing a walk in his second at-bat for a perfect day at the plate
Ronny Mauricio followed up Tauchman’s blast with a solo homer of his own
Bo Bichette also had a productive day, driving in a run and making a terrific barehanded play at third base
What I’m Reading 📰
What are teams paying for a win in free agency? (Fangraphs)
Using bat speed, swing shape to find potential stars (The Athletic)
Clay Holmes toying with idea of throwing lefties for a curve (MLB.com)
Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
On a brand new episode of the Just Mets podcast, Andrew Claudio flew solo to recap the first weekend of spring games and host a live Q&A!
SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Today’s Game 🏝️
Match-up: Mets (2-1-1) vs. Cardinals (2-2)
Where: Clover Park - Port St. Lucie, FL
Starters: RHP Jonah Tong (0-0) vs. RHP Richard Fitts (0-0)
When: 1:10 PM ET
Where to Watch: SNY
Lots to like so far about the Mets! ✍️
With the first few Spring Training games in the rearview, these Mets are starting to demonstrate why we should be excited about the impending MLB season.
Sure, they’re only four games in, but with each day that’s passed, we’ve seen something encouraging happen, be it on the field or in the clubhouse (yes, I’m referring to Sean Manaea being Jack Wenninger’s main source of wisdom since camp started).
There wasn’t a ton in Mets or MLB news yesterday, so here are some quick observations from yesterday’s outing against the Astros:
First of all, Juan Soto’s publicly effervescent energy seems to have made him even lighter on his feet.
For the first out of the game, Soto made this shoestring catch on a hard-hit ball to left that started falling quickly. It was a well-executed play that showed off some developing range and awareness of space, both welcome improvements. I’m curious to see how much he’s actually challenged defensively at the position in the WBC, as the game stakes are only so high in spring training.
From the little we’ve seen on the field and the bulk we’ve seen off of it, Soto already looks vastly more comfortable in his Mets uniform than he did at this time next year. In him, that shift is to be expected to a degree — but comfortability certainly seems to be an overarching theme at camp this spring, as the new cast of characters also appear to be settling in quickly.
Bo Bichette looks increasingly at ease as well, both at third base and with his new team. On the defensive front, the barehanded charging play he made on a hard-hit chopper in the third inning showcased his natural ability to quickly read angles and make on-target throws quickly while on the move and out of position.
Offensively, Bichette made some very loud contact yesterday, including a towering shot towards the batter’s eye that likely would’ve come down for a double if not for an impressive athletic effort by Astros left fielder Zach Cole. It was a good sign that his bat is starting to wake up from its winter hibernation, along with those of some other veterans.
Elsewhere on the infield, Marcus Semien may have only just gotten his first hit of the preseason, but it was a scorcher. Semien smacked a double into the left-center gap that left his bat just shy of 100 mph. That’s a far cry from an 88 mph EV he averaged last fall. What remains of Semien’s bat has been one of the bigger question marks looming over this season so far, so it’s good to see some near-home run pop showing itself early.
Let’s hope for both him and Bo, ‘early’ is soon accompanied by ‘often.’
I’m also very interested in how the right field competition is shaping up. Mike Tauchman looks strong and confident at the plate. Demolishing a three-run homer in your first at-bat for your new team and then showing off your OBP skills with a six-pitch walk your next time up is a tried-and-true way to set yourself apart early. He has quietly become a good player in the league who adds value with multiple skill sets - this could prove to be a great under-the-radar move for the Mets over time.
Cristian Pache is also off to an excellent start this spring. Pache currently leads the team in hits, including a mammoth 413-foot homer against the Blue Jays on Monday that left his bat at 104 mph. Considering neither Pache nor Tauchman are considered power hitters (or in Pache’s case, much of a hitter at all), it’s perfectly fitting that they’d both be among the louder thumpers in camp. Though Pache is the longer shot of the two here, he’s giving heads reason to turn.
Of course, this all only means so much — there’s still plenty of baseball left to play. But with Carson Benge still seeking his first hit of the spring, that nagging void on the bench persists, and it’ll be the best bat of the qualified bunch that fills it.
On the mound, it wasn’t a pretty overall line with an unsightly 13 walks combined with nine hits and one HBP, but yesterday’s start was an excellent display of the high-caliber potential Jack Wenninger possesses.
Wenninger elicited 17 swings yesterday; seven of them were whiffs, good for a solid 41% clip. That’s exciting enough on its own, but it gets better when you realize he was generating swings on multiple pitch types all over the zone.
This chart shows all seven of Wenninger’s whiffs yesterday. What you’re seeing are elevated fastballs, splitters diving mid-low away, and a sinker/cutter combo working on the edges on opposite ends of the zone, ranging from 86 to 96 mph and all perfectly placed. That’s some serious stuff.
The splitter, in particular, has been part of Wenninger’s toolkit for a while, and as Mendy mentioned in his post-game presser, it certainly looked ‘as advertised.’ Though it’s been a go-to pitch for him since his college days, it’s only in the last couple of seasons that it’s developed into the 60-grade pitch it currently is (per Baseball Savant).
Because its horizontal movement mimics that of his fastball before it tumbles off the table, this pitch has always been a major chase generator, and if yesterday’s whiff trends were any indicator, that should continue to some extent in the Show. But in order for it to operate most optimally, he’ll need to continue honing his heater, primarily in the placement department.
Wenninger ran into some location issues yesterday, but nothing about his pitch map is all that concerning — if anything, it looks very similar to a typical Clay Holmes start chart. None of the free passes he issued resulted in any runs crossing the plate, and he was able to successfully navigate out of any corners he worked himself into, and he emerged from his first spring battle victorious, a golden goose egg left behind in the run column. That’s also worthy of praise and suggests that this kid has the stuff to stick around for a while once he finally gets his turn.
Though that call won’t come for Opening Day, I’d bet he’s a lock to start the season in Syracuse.
And at that point, as Mr. Stearns recently reminded us, you’re just a call away.
Around the League 🚩
Chris Sale and the Braves agreed on a one-year, $27 million extension with a $30 million option for 2028 (MLB.com)
Rangers top prospect Sebastian Walcott had elbow surgery and is expected to miss 5-6 months (ESPN)
RHP Paul Skenes expects to make two starts in the WBC (Athletic)
Twins RHP Joe Ryan has resumed throwing after being diagnosed with lower back discomfort (MLB.com)
I liked what I saw from Wenninger yesterday. He clearly still has some development work ahead, but he's not all that far from being able to contribute.
13 walks? Fire the new pitching coach, he's clearly in over his head. "Comfortability" causes me discomfort.