The shape of the Mets 100 games into the season

As the season has reached about 100 games, the Mets are leading the division by four games. To date, the Mets have been led by outstanding pitching from Jacob deGrom, Taijuan Walker and Marcus Stroman, Francisco Lindor’s defense, and a group of replacement players playing like average players. They have also just been hammered by [...]

Can the defense hold until the offense arrives?

The Mets entered the pre-season with a strong pitching staff, and promising developing bats, but a questionable defensive set. Injuries have diminished the Mets rotation. Injuries slowed the Mets offense, with Brandon Nimmo, Michael Conforto, J.D. Davis, and Jeff McNeil all spending significant time on the sidelines. That is four of the eight bats expected [...]

A detailed look at umpires and missed ball/strike calls

Every game watched results in someone inevitably saying, “the umpire screwed us.” Most fans acknowledge that calls go both ways most of the time, but do they really believe that? Does it all even out over the long run? With Statcast tracking everything via radar, the precision with which umpires are being tracked has continuously [...]

How would Ben Franklin manage Jacob deGrom?

Benjamin Franklin was a comedic philosopher. Certainly, he is known as a Philadelphian, but he certainly had the Mets on his mind during the early 1700s.  Yes, Poor Richard’s Almanack was printed from 1732 to 1758, and Franklin’s witticisms found therein are largely from the first half of the century. Side note, Franklin was born [...]

Noah Syndergaard and the Mets’ defense against a June Swoon

The Mets have famously melted as summer has set in, known as the June Swoon.   Noah Syndergaard threw 97 on Saturday and is projected to return in June.  Will he prevent a June Swoon, or better, will he even have to? Spring Training is all but over. The roster is set, and everyone knows who [...]

Does the George Springer to Toronto signing handcuff the Mets?

Steven A Cohen has started off his ownership with a bang. The trade for Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco, plus the signing of James McCann, has significantly improved the Mets overall quality. Lindor is 15-20 runs better defensively than Amed Rosario and a better hitter as well. McCann’s defense is better than the Mets catchers [...]

Just how great is Jacob deGrom in Mets history?

The following paragraphs will contain some blasphemy. There will be “what ifs”, and optimistic projections. All in an intellectual exercise to examine where Jacob deGrom lies within the New York Mets Pantheon. For Christmas, Bill Madden’s latest book on Tom Seaver made its way to Mets fans across the country. Seaver is arguably the best [...]

With Mookie Betts off the Free Agent board, Steve Cohen should go big, or go home

The 2020 Mets were an “also-ran” footnote.  The last week was an awfully bad week, but up until then the season was just “also-ran.” The best aspect of the COVID-shortened season was a free season for Noah Syndergaard to recover from TJ surgery. Michael Conforto’s best season was a plus, as was Dominic Smith’s.  Hopefully, [...]

A wrap-up of the 2020 Mets’ defensive play

The season mercifully came to an end on Sunday. The Mets went into Saturday with a chance at the playoffs and proceeded to dump the season in getting swept by the Washington Baseball Team, surging into the National League East cellar. Tremendously, the Mets played well on offense. The starting nine only had Amed Rosario [...]