What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets took the series opener against the Phillies with a 4-1 win in Philadelphia (box)
RHP Christian Scott was excellent yet again on the mound. He pitched 5.2 scoreless innings, struck out 7, and did not walk anyone
C Francisco Álvarez brought the power coming out of the All-Star break. He went 2-for-3 with 2 HR, 2 RBI, and a walk
2B Brett Baty also left the yard. Overall he went 2-for-4 with a HR, R, and RBI
RHP Luke Weaver’s scorless inning streak came to an end after 28.1 innings. He gave up one run on one hit in his inning of work
RHP Devin Williams easily picked up the save in the ninth. He struck out one and didn’t walk anyone
Assuming it starts on time, the Mets will open the 2027 regular season against the Marlins on March 25 in Miami. They will open the home portion of the schedule on April 2 against the Giants (MLB.com)
Injury Updates 🏥
LF Juan Soto exited Thursday’s game early with left calf soreness but the team is confident he won’t miss any time
Roster Moves 📰
2B Marcus Semien reinstated from the 10-day injured list
INF Zack Short designated for assignment
Rumor Mill 💨
The Mets front office has informed the rest of the team they are “open for business,” with all but AJ Ewing, Juan Soto, Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, and Christian Scott being made available ahead of the trade deadline (SNY)
Play of the Game ⭐️
The Mets were clinging to a 1-0 lead thanks to Francisco Álvarez’s home run in the third inning. The team’s pitching did a good job making it hold up, but insurance runs are always welcome, especially late in the game.
First, it was Brett Baty who led off the seventh with a solo home run, and then Álvarez followed with his second of the game off Aaron Nola.
The next inning, Luke Weaver gave up a home run to Trea Turner, so those home runs came in the nick of time so the team didn’t lose the lead. A.J. Ewing’s RBI double in the ninth got the run back, but it was the back-to-back home runs that sealed the team’s victory to open the second half against their rivals.
Who’s Hot? 🥵
Over his last 15 games, 2B Brett Baty is hitting .283/.333/.472 with two home runs, five walks, 10 runs scored, 6 RBIs, and two stolen bases
Over his last seven games, C Francisco Alvarez is hitting .333/.429/.583/ with two home runs, three walks, two runs scored, and five RBIs
Who’s Cold? 🥶
Over his last seven games, SS Francisco Lindor is hitting just .174/.240/.348 with one home run, two runs, two RBIs, two walks, and two strikeouts
Down on the Farm 🌾
All minor league teams were off due to the All-Star Break. Play will resume on July 17
Today’s Game 🗓
The Mets and Phillies will enjoy an off day and will resume their three-game series on July 18.
Don’t tune out on the Mets! ✍️
The second half of the season has officially started with the Mets’ 4-1 victory over the Phillies. While it started off on a high note, there isn’t much to look forward to in the coming months. According to SNY’s Chelsea Janes, the Mets are open for business with only a few players considered untouchable as the trade deadline approaches, so this team could look radically different in a couple of weeks. Not only that, they also have the second toughest schedule remaining according to Fangraphs. Also according to Fangraphs, they have only a 1.0% chance at making the playoffs.
Given these factors, there aren’t many reasons to tune into games for the rest of the season.
No one can be blamed if they tune out for the rest of the season. This team is going nowhere, and they are frustrating to watch on a nightly basis, but there are several - albeit not many - reasons to watch this club down the stretch of the season!
They still have good players! Juan Soto, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, and Nolan McLean are reportedly untouchable, so they will most likely still be here after the deadline. Soto is putting together an MVP-caliber season, and Benge, Ewing, and McLean could all be Rookie of the Year candidates. SS Francisco Lindor most likely isn’t going anywhere as well. He and Soto haven’t played much together this season given their injuries, but should Lindor recapture some of his former self, it will be fun to see him and Soto in the lineup at the same time along with the rookies.
For Lindor specifically, there is never any excusing poor play at this level, but we have to keep in mind his season got derailed before Spring Training officially began with the hamate bone surgery, and that along with the calf injury that cost him two months has unquestionably hindered him this season. It was well chronicled in February that the hamate surgery specifically could zap his offense for a while, and it probably has. That plus the calf injury has made the first half one to forget for Lindor. Let’s see if he can rebound over the next 2 1/2 months.More prospects could be coming. Zack Thornton has already gotten a call-up and has been impressive so far. Should the team trade away more pitching, Jonah Tong could return, and perhaps he can figure things out at the major league level. Depending on who they trade, more starting pitching prospects could be given an opportunity as well.
Can Kodai Senga be an effective reliever? Manager Andy Green seemed open to the idea of making Senga a one-inning reliever. So far, he has only had one appearance that was only one inning, but it was a good one. Unless they can find a trade partner for a team to take Senga, the righty turning into an effective reliever would help the team learn what they have in him and if they want to move on from him in the offseason.
Welcome back, former Mets. September will see both Pete Alonso and Jacob deGrom return to Citi Field. For Alonso, this will be his first time returning to Queens as a visitor. While fans can continue to debate if letting Alonso go was the right move, he should still deserve a nice welcome back for the memories he created in a Met uniform.
Bad baseball is better than no baseball. We’ve already gone beyond halfway point of the season, and then before you know it, the season will be over. The Mets as an organization are facing an uncertain future given how things have played out this season, but baseball as a whole also has an uncertain future. This CBA could prove to be contentious between the two sides, which could lead to a lockout. If that happens, there is no telling when baseball will return. So while the Mets probably won’t play better in the second half, this might be the only Mets baseball that gets played for a bit, so take the wins where we can get them.
Around the League 🚩
The Reds signed RHP Chase Burns to a seven-year extension worth $105 million (ESPN)
Major League Baseball released its schedule for the 2027 season, assuming there is no lockout, Opening Day will be on March 24 (ESPN)
Philadelphia reliever Brad Keller was diagnosed with a torn UCL and will miss the rest of the season (ESPN)
The Pirates acquired OF Robert Hassell III from the Nationals in exchange for cash or a player to be named later (ESPN)
The cosmic winds of change sweep through Flushing. The Mets have opened the multi-dimensional marketplace. With Soto and McLean anchored to the celestial core, who gets cast into the wilderness? Lindor? Bichette? Williams? The vortex is spinning. Who leaves the matrix next?
what a sad season, now fan sites have to beg for people to keep paying attention.