Tylor Megill, Max Kranick continue to impress as competition heats up

The Mets lost to Houston on Tuesday, but a number of players bolstered their chances for a spot on the Opening Day roster...

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What’s up with the Mets? 🌴

• The Mets suffered a late bullpen implosion to fall to the Astros 7-4 on Tuesday afternoon (box)

• RHP Tylor Megill was dominant on the mound, firing four scoreless innings with two hits and one walk, while striking out five against a stacked Houston lineup

• RHP Max Kranick was stellar out of the bullpen once again, striking out two and allowing just one hit in a scoreless frame

• RHP Reed Garrett also struckout two to escape a jam after starting his inning with a single and a walk

• The game was scoreless until the top of the seventh when SS Donovan Walton blasted a grand slam to right field to blow the game wide open

• However, that lead was quickly surrendered for good after RHP José Ureña was rocked in the bottom of the seventh, allowing five runs on five hits with one walk and no strikeouts

• 2B Luisangel Acuña went 2-for-3 at the plate with a single and a double, the latter coming after an eight pitch at-bat

• 3B Brett Baty got the start at the hot corner and delivered a single, a run scored and a stolen base

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Injury Updates 🏥

• OF Brandon Nimmo (sore right knee) will go through baseball activities on both Wednesday and Thursday

• RHP Christian Scott (Tommy John Surgery) has resumed for the first time since undergoing surgery

• OF Starling Marte (bone bruise, right knee) is expected to be in the lineup at DH today

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Stories from Port St. Lucie… 📰

• Tylor Megill is focused on staying consistent following an impressive spring outing on Tuesday (SNY)

• Francisco Lindor has the answer to the one crucial question currently hovering over the Mets (New York Post)

• The Mets have high hopes for a number of their high-end young pitchers (Newsday)

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Today’s Game 🗓️

Match-up: Mets (7-9) at Cardinals (8-10)

Where: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium - Jupiter, FL

Starters: RHP Paul Blackburn (0-1, 11.57 ERA) vs. RHP Miles Mikolas (0-0, 4.15 ERA)

When: 1:05 PM EST

Where to Watch: N/A

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Checking in with the latest on the battle for the final roster spots… ✍️

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We’re edging ever closer to Opening Day, which means that we only have a couple of weeks of spring training games left.

As much as I love baseball, there are only so many exhibition games one can handle, so I for one am glad that actual regular season baseball is rapidly approaching on the horizon.

But, before we get too carried away, the New York Mets do still have some important business left to contend with in spring.

Although the majority of the roster is set in place, there are a couple of spots still up for grabs. There is a three-man battle for a spot at the backend of the rotation, while a number of players are slugging it out for the backup infielder job.

We saw some notable developments in those respective competitions develop on Tuesday. So, without further ado, let’s dive right in…

Backend of the rotation

After watching Griffin Canning deliver a gem on Monday, Tylor Megill stepped up and really excelled on the mound in his start on Tuesday.

The righty had it going from the get-go, striking out two batters in a perfect first inning of work. He followed that up by finishing with four scoreless innings, allowing two hits, one walk, and striking out five.

Megill’s ERA now stands at an impressive 1.35 this spring.

It is also worth mentioning that Megill had to contend with a stacked Astros lineup, facing the likes of Yordan Alvarez, Jose Altuve, and Jeremy Peña. So it wasn’t like he was pitching against a bunch of scrubs.

Of course, this is spring, and it is foolish to overreact to anything we see this time of year. Furthermore, we’ve been here before with Megill. He has the innate ability to amaze you in one outing, before proceeding to frustrate the life out of you in his next start.

If Megill is going to develop into a reliable arm for the Mets, he must find that ever-elusive but crucial ingredient of consistency. If he can’t add that to his game, then he may eventually run out of chances in the big leagues.

With Paul Blackburn struggling, it may well be a two-horse race between Megill and Canning to make the rotation on Opening Day. Both impressed in their latest starts, but for Megill, as is always the case, he’s going to need to prove it over a larger sample size if he wants to stick in the majors and become a regular member of that rotation in 2025.

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Backup Utility Job

Tyrone Taylor was the only player in the lineup on Tuesday who figures to be close to an everyday player for the Mets in 2025.

Therefore, a number of players had the opportunity to impress and leave an impression on the front office and the coaching staff.

And some did, including the trio of Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña, and Donovan Walton, who are all fighting it out for the backup infielder job.

Walton made arguably the loudest noise with a seventh-inning grand slam that put the Mets on the board. Walton is an attractive option for the backup job because he can log time at shortstop and at second base, while he’s also a lefty bat. And, as he showed on Tuesday, he has some pop too.

While they didn’t hit a grand slam, Baty and Acuña also didn’t do their respective cases any harm at all. Baty had a single, a stolen base, and a run scored, while Acuña went 2-for-3 with a double and a single. Acuña also put together a gritty first at-bat, grinding for eight pitches before doing damage with a double down the right-field line.

This competition will probably go right down to the wire, but Walton might be the best man for the job if he can continue to show glimpses in spring training. After all, he’s comfortable at shortstop and can provide a lefty bat off the bench - something the Mets need. Plus, you can make a compelling argument that not playing every day could stunt the growth of both Baty and Acuña, and that starting the year at Triple-A might be the best option for the pair.

Either way, it is encouraging to see Baty and Acuña, in particular, do everything in their power to be in consideration for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Bad day at the office

It was only the other week that I wrote about José Ureña being a potential candidate for a job at the backend of the rotation.

Well, he didn’t help that cause, or his bid to earn a job in the bullpen, at all with just a nightmare outing on Tuesday. The righty came into the game and immediately helped to blow up the Mets’ lead, giving up five runs on five hits. It was a spectacular implosion and one that hurt Ureña’s stock considerably.

Now, again, you can’t overreact too much to anything in spring, but you also can’t produce more than one horrific inning and expect to stay around. Ureña will get another opportunity to show what he’s made of, but he must rebound from Tuesday, and quickly, if he wants to be a part of the pitching staff in any capacity in 2025.

On the flip-side of that, Max Kranick continues to not put a step wrong this spring. The righty was stellar again on Tuesday, delivering another scoreless frame to further bolster his claim for a job in the bullpen on Opening Day.

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Around the League 🚩

• Major League Baseball announced that the trade deadline will fall on July 31 at 6 PM ET

• Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito will undergo an MRI today after leaving his start on Tuesday with hamstring tightness

• Roki Sasaki impressed again for the Dodgers, throwing four scoreless innings with two strikeouts. He’s expected to start Game 2 of the Tokyo Series

• The Cubs announced that Matt Shaw, their No. 1 prospect, will be on the roster for the Tokyo Series (MLB.com)

• Elly De La Cruz was credited with two steals on one play as he again showcased his electric speed