Two former Mets have a shot of being inducted into Cooperstown, and where's the official winter Fan Fest?
Will two former Mets get the call to Cooperstown this week?
What’s Up with the Mets? 🍎
Jeff McNeil is looking forward to playing behind the Mets’ revamped pitching staff, as he believes the rotation is even better than it was in 2022 (SNY)
Despite his role in the Astros cheating scandal Carlos Beltrán deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, even though his chances are remote on the first ballot (USA Today)
Billy Wagner is inching closer to being a member of the 2023 induction class to the Baseball Hall of Fame (NJ.com)
Pete Alonso is projected to, once again, be one of the top sluggers in the league (MLB)
To see the latest results from all public Hall of Fame ballots, see Ryan Thubodaux’s tracker here.
The Mets missed an opportunity without a Fan Fest…✍🏻
The last time the Mets held their official Fan Fest was in January 2020. This was their first official winter rah rah event since 2006 and, seemingly for now, was also the last.
But by all accounts it was a resounding success. Almost the entire team, coaching staff, top prospects, and Mets Alumni were all there and gave fans an opportunity to interact with their favorite players. Many other teams have been holding their versions of Fan Fest for years (ie, the Queens Baseball Convention) so it was nice to see the Mets finally do something similar for their fanbase.
This weekend both the Braves and Red Sox held their versions. It was not pretty for the Red Sox front office but they at least were willing to face tough questions from an angry fanbase. By all accounts the Mets had a successful season last year and a successful offseason despite the Carlos Correa mishap. If anything, this would have helped the team move past that, introduce the newest members of the team, and get fans excited for the upcoming season since now there is somewhat of a bit of a bitter taste in our mouths.
Obviously during the pandemic they could not hold large scale events like this before the season, but now other teams have returned to holding their events so the Mets could and should follow suit. Ever since he became owner, Steve Cohen has been invested in the fan experience so it is a bit puzzling he wouldn’t continue one of the more successful ways of enhancing the fan experience, and pump the city up over the team ahead of spring training.
Hopefully this can be something the Cohen family will resume in the future. To give players an opportunity to show off their personalities in a relaxed setting without the pressure of the season, and connect with fans in ways they’re unable to over the course of the year (and go ahead, sell tickets and regalia during the event too), provides an unforgettable experience and memories fans will never forget.
Hot Stove 🔥
Yuli Gurriel appears to be headed to Miami (CBS Sports)
Red Sox starter Chris Sale has declared himself fully healthy for the 2023 season (CBS Sports)
Despite wanting to play for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, Ronald Acuña Jr. will not be on the roster for precautionary reasons as he returns to baseball after tearing his ACL (CBS Sports)
After losing Dansby Swanson to free agency, the Braves want to give Vaughn Grissom an extended look at shortstop (ESPN)