When did cheating become a way of life?

Eno Sarris published an article in the Athletic two days before the Cy Young winners were announced, one of whom was Trevor Bauer. The main thrust of the article was that most pitchers cheat and it’s acceptable. Specifically, after speaking with close to 20 MLB hitters, pitchers, and pitching coaches, Sarris stated that “a large [...]

Signing George Springer good for Mets on and off the field

Heading into 2005, Mets GM Omar Minaya made big strides toward turning the team into a true contender. Perhaps the move that signaled that more than any other was his signing of Carlos Beltran to a seven-year, $119 million contract to patrol center field. In the years since, the world learned who Bernard Madoff was, [...]

Jeff McNeil and the trouble with small sample conclusions

Most fans are familiar with the concept – if not necessarily when or how to apply it – of a small sample size. A sample with fewer chances shouldn’t be taken as seriously as one with a much greater pool of outcomes. Tomas Nido put up a 150 wRC+ last year, which is essentially what [...]

The Steve Cohen/Sandy Alderson era of good feeling

We are Mets fans. We aren’t used to this. No, this isn’t yet another “Woe is us, we can’t ever get a break” article. This isn’t yet another lament about the hardships of being a Mets fan. This is not about being snakebit, baby. The Mets currently sit near the top of the shabby chic [...]

David Peterson’s peripherals, Pete Alonso’s September, Mets & Pirates go back-to-back

There are a lot of contenders for “Best Surprise of 2020” for the Mets. There’re the offensive explosions by Michael Conforto and Dominic Smith, the overall exciting play of Andres Gimenez and the return to form by Edwin Diaz. But all of those seem to be vying for second place behind the unexpected performance of [...]

Choices and consequences of being a Mets fan against the DH

FanGraphs is running a poll, asking readers what they thought of the changes MLB made for the 2020 season. The first question is about the NL adopting the DH and asking if it should be that way going forward. My vote was for “no” and I was disappointed to find out that slightly over 75% [...]

Trevor Bauer is a good fit for the Mets

The Mets starting rotation needs to be upgraded and fortified for the 2021 season. The 2020 rotation figured to be a strong point before last season, then the combination of Zack Wheeler departing for free agency, Noah Syndergaard tearing up his elbow, and Marcus Stroman sitting out the season led to serious underperformance in aggregate [...]

Mets Minors: The difference between the upper and lower levels, Part II

Last month I analyzed the Met farm system and reviewed 10 case studies of starting pitchers who have recently risen through the ranks. This month we’ll be doing something similar for batting but we’re going to be handling things slightly differently this time around.  Instead of reviewing and analyzing case studies, we will review perception [...]