What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets have now won four straight after beating the Pirates 6-4 in their series opener in Pittsburgh on Friday night (box)
LHP Zac Thornton navigated around a rain delay to toss five scoreless innings, giving up four hits with two walks and three strikeouts
It proved to be a mixed bag for the bullpen with both RHP Dedniel Núñez and RHP Devin Williams allowing two earned runs, while LHP Jefry Yan and RHP Daniel Duarte each pitched a scoreless inning
The rookies led the way offensively with CF A.J. Ewing going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a double, and a stolen base, while LF Carson Benge finished 2-for-2 with a pair of RBI singles, one run scored, and a stolen base. Both also made nice plays in the field, too
2B Marcus Semien continued his hot streak by hitting his second home run in as many days, a three-run shot in the third that blew the game wide open
Roster Moves 📰
INF Gabriel Arias claimed off waivers from Cleveland
Injury Updates 🏥
LF Carson Benge left Friday’s game after with left wrist soreness following a collision with a wall after making a catch. Initial X-rays came back negative, but Benge will undergo further imaging on Saturday
RHP Austin Warren (forearm tightness) is scheduled to throw 30 or so pitches for Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday
LF Juan Soto (Grade 2 left calf strain) has resumed slow baseball activity, including hitting off a tee, but he has yet to reach a point where he’s stressing the calf
INF Mark Vientos (right hand fracture) is expected to start hitting on Saturday off the tee with two hands
Play of the Game 🔥
Maybe there is some life left in the old bat yet?
After Carson Benge hit an RBI single to score Francisco Lindor and make it a 2-0 game, Marcus Semien stepped to the plate with two outs and runners on the corners in the top of the third.
Despite an overall rough first year in Queens, Semien has been heating up as of late, and he homered for the second time in as many days with a big-time three-run shot that extended the Mets’ lead.
Given the struggles of the bullpen later on in the game, those three extra runs proved crucial. Meanwhile, Semien has shown some signs that maybe he’s still got a little something left in the tank offensively.
The Just Mets Podcast 🎙️
On the latest edition of the Just Mets Podcast, Rich MacLeod recaps the Mets impressive sweep over the Guardians and discusses the state of the team post-trade deadline.
SUBSCRIBE: YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Who’s Hot 🔥
Over his last 13 games, 2B Marcus Semien is hitting .275/.348/.600/.948 with one double, four home runs, five walks, two stolen bases, 10 RBIs, and 10 runs scored
Over his last 13 games, SS Francisco Lindor is hitting .245/.344/.528/.873 with one double, one triple, four homers, eight walks, 13 RBIs, and seven runs scored
Over his last four games, C Luis Torrens is hitting .385/.500/.846/.1.346 with two home runs, three walks, seven RBIs, and three runs scored
Over his last 12 games, OF A.J. Ewing is hitting .271/.315/.354/.669 with four doubles, three walks, four stolen bases, three RBIs, and seven runs scored
Over his last 12 games, OF Carson Benge is hitting .356/.408/.578/.986 with two doubles, one triple, two home runs, three walks, two stolen bases, six RBIs, and nine runs scored
Down on the Farm 🌾
2B Christopher Morel (Triple-A): 1-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBIs, 1 HR
RHP Noah Hall (Double-A): 6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 10 K
1B Julio Zayas (Single-A): 2-for-4, 1 R, 2 RBIs, 1 HR
BOX SCORES
Single-A SLU | High-A BRK (PPD) | Double-A BNG | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (51-66) at Pirates (57-61)
Where: PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA
Starters: RHP Robert Stock (0-1, 1.80 ERA) vs. RHP Bubba Chandler (4-8, 4.49 ERA)
When: 6:40 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
These new-look, fun Mets are showing that the future could look bright ✍️
What a breath of fresh air these new-look Mets are proving to be.
Now owners of a four-game winning streak, tied for the longest this season, this team is putting the fun back in Mets baseball.
Let me be clear on something before we carry on, however. While the Mets are now winning games and the offense seems to be clicking, let’s not allow ourselves to be untethered from reality here. I’ve seen a couple of people get a little bit too carried away on social media, allowing themselves to dream that maybe, just maybe, a miracle to end all other miracles could be on the horizon.
No, stop it. That isn’t happening. The season is over and I don’t think this team will go on a crazy run to make it interesting, either. While this post-Trade Deadline run has been refreshing, there will more than likely be some regression and some speed bumps the rest of the way.
But that’s okay. Because, again, the remainder of this season is about one thing and one thing only:
Laying a solid foundation for the 2027 season.
And, as we saw last night in Pittsburgh, this young, exciting group is certainly doing that, while also producing a brand of baseball that is actually fun to watch and invest in.
It starts on the mound with Zac Thornton continuing to show that he has the skillset and the intangibles needed to become a big part of this rotation in 2027 and beyond. He needed just 63 pitches to get through five scoreless innings, while he showed impressive poise to handle a rain delay and not show any regression after returning to the mound.
Thornton’s continued ascension is even more important when you consider Jonah Tong’s struggles at Triple-A. It may be that Tong needs yet more time to mature and develop in the minors. But, thanks to Thornton’s emergence, that’s something the Mets can now easily swallow. They also have the luxury of being able to be more careful and deliberate with Tong’s overall maturation process.
As for the other rookies, what else is there left to say about Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing? The duo stole the show last night, again highlighting why the future does look so bright for this team. Ewing is continuing to make the leadoff spot his own after going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base. He also made a couple of nice plays in the field.
Benge continues to look more and more comfortable, and he finished 2-for-2 with a stolen base and a pair of RBI singles last night. The rookie also showed that he’s comfortable anywhere in the outfield after making just a stunning catch out in left field, although it did come at a cost. Benge looked to have jammed his wrist in the wall, and while initial X-rays came back negative, he will undergo further tests today. If those tests show any kind of damage, then the Mets would be wise to handle Benge incredibly carefully for the rest of the season. Again, wins don’t mean anything right now, so it would be foolish to take any risks.
With a core of young studs now in place, there is plenty of reason for optimism as we look ahead to next season. Francisco Lindor is turning things around, and again, I am confident in saying that the shortstop still has lots to offer this team. Don’t bet against him having a much better year in 2027. Marcus Semien is showing some signs of life offensively, and maybe he does still have the ability to put a disappointing first year behind him and become a solid player for the Mets next season. I also think it is important to have Semien’s veteran presence and leadership around this young core.
There is also plenty to like in the bullpen, and the likes of Nate Lavender, Jefry Yan, and Daniel Duarte have the rest of this season to audition for full-time rolls. Maybe even Kodai Senga can resurrect his career by transitioning to a full-time roll as a high-leverage reliever.
All in all, there is lots to like about the young core the Mets are constructing, with the talent seemingly through the roof. And, not only is this team now incredibly fun to watch and providing us with multiple reasons to stay invested on a nightly basis, but they are also giving us reason to believe that a return to true contender status could be right on the horizon.
Around the League 🚩
The A’s fired their long-time general manager David Forst, with Dan Feinstein announced as interim GM (The Athletic)
Reds RHP Hunter Greene will undergo elbow surgery and will miss the rest of this season, and the 2027 campaign could be impacted too (MLB.com)
The red-hot Red Sox routed the A’s 13-1 for their ninth straight win and are now 27-3 over the last 30 games, becoming just the 10th team since 1900 to accomplish that feat
RHP Edwin Díaz blew a save in the ninth as the Dodgers lost 4-3 to the Diamondbacks, with the losing streak now at a season-high seven games
Angels OF Mike Trout homered on his birthday for a record-tying sixth time in a 4-3 win over the Marlins
RHP Kevin Gausman allowed just two earned runs over seven innings on his Cubs debut in a 6-4 win over the Royals
If the Knicks can come from being down 29 .... (Haha. OK. I am returning to reality in 10, 9, 8 ....) You're right, Andrew. This group is certainly fun to watch.