In the last 10 non-Coors Field games, here’s how many IP starters have given the Mets:
7.0 – Kodai Senga, 5/30
6.2 – Carlos Carrasco, 5/25
5.0 – Senga, 5/24
3.2 – Tylor Megill, 5/23
8.0 – Justin Verlander, 5/21 G2
6.0 – Max Scherzer, 5/21 G1
5.0 – Carrasco, 5/19
6.0 – Megill, 5/18
6.0 – Senga, 5/17
5.0 – Verlander, 5/16
That’s 58.1 IP. In the 10 games before that, starters gave the Mets just 47 IP. Going forward, hopefully the starts of fewer than five innings get wiped out completely and a few more starts of seven innings or more are sprinkled in.
On the flip side, in those same last 10 non-Coors Field games, the offense has scored three runs or fewer five times, including four games where they scored just twice. There have been games where the offense was firing on all cylinders, as three times they scored eight or more runs. Also, in the three games in Colorado, the Mets scored 22 runs.
A big positive for the offense has been the return of the HR ball. After going five straight games without a homer, the Mets have gone deep in 13 straight games, leaving the yard 22 times in that span. Pete Alonso leads the way with seven homers in this stretch, with Francisco Alvarez next with five and Francisco Lindor contributing four. Eight different Mets have gone deep in the past 13 games.
Questions I Scream Into the Void:
1. Where have Francisco Lindor’s singles gone?
2. Why is Tommy Pham still on this team? Why does he keep starting games?
3. When will Billy Eppler begin to make notable midseason prospect promotions?
4. Is Starling Marte waking up?
5. Can Carlos Carrasco pitch moderately well two games in a row?
6. What will finally trigger Mauricio’s promotion?
7. Is Matt Rudick really a prospect to watch?
4. Marte’s batting .309 over his last 20 games, a span covering 73 PA. But he has only 2 XBH in this stretch and only 7 XBH in 194 PA this season. Forget worrying about Lindor’s singles – where did Marte’s XBH go?
7. All I know about Rudick is that you can wish him a Happy 25th Birthday on Friday.
2. Pham has a OPS better than Canha, Marte, Vientos and Vogelbach. He isn’t going nowhere and thus he starts games. Right now, he is earning his position.
3. When Eppler realizes that Mauricio can take the place of Vogelbach as a LHB DH and also been a second baseman and the backup SS. He has more power and I think he is better fielder. And isn’t he faster than Vogelbach?
8. My question is, why hasn’t Baty and Escobar been platooning at 3rd Base at least until Baty gets on track again?
Give Metsense a locker and a uniform, because he hit it out of the park!
It is time to see Mauricio and bench (or DFA) Vogelbach.
As for Baty and Escobar: He earned his promotion and they probably dont want to send a “lost trust” message. All players need to work through tough times and they have to by playing. If there is a prolonged struggle, then he can go to Syr and get his mojo back (they did that to Conforto too among many others). Meanwhile Escobar has been the epitome of class and a full team player. Im sure he’s giving Baty as much help as possible.
Carrasco,Escobar and Canha are ML players. Vogelbach and Nido not so much. Promote !auricio,play Vientos. I’m thinking they might package Vientos,Peterson and Guillorme for some pitching.
The New York Mets today announced that catcher Omar Narváez has been returned from his rehabilitation assignment and was reinstatement from the IL, and catcher Tomás Nido was designated for assignment.
When Nido was signed to a two year contract in January, I thought Mets were foolish but Eppler knew what he was doing. In December he traded McCann and next day he signed Narvaez to a two year contract with a player option at the end of the first year. He expected Narvaez to have a good year and opt out. He expected also that Nido would have a typical Nido type year. Epler also realized that he was going to promote Alvarez prior to to June 20th before Nido had accumulated 5 years. At any point, prior to June 20th this season, he could have DFA Nido and the team claiming Nido would have to pay salary. If Nido wasn’t claimed then Nido have to accept a minor league assignment or become a free agent and forfeit his salary because he hasn’t obtained the protection of 5 years Major League service.
The plan didn’t work because Narvaez got injured and Nido fell off the cliff offensively but that was no fault of Eppler. In fact, it was very shrewd and thoughtful.
Outside of the Gary Sanchez dalliance, the Mets have handled the catching position mostly good this year. It was my opinion that Alvarez should have been on the Opening Day roster but it was not unreasonable to have him in Triple-A. And the first opportunity to promote him, they did. And when some ill-informed people speculated that they would send Alvarez down when Narvaez returned, instead they made the right decision to DFA Nido.
People were worried what it meant for Alvarez when they signed both Narvaez and Nido to two-year deals. But like you said, all that did was ensure there would be a veteran around to team with Alvarez in ’24. Nido’s contract wasn’t even ashtray money – it was seat cushion money. It was never going to prevent them from moving on when the time was right. They have 10 days to trade Nido so perhaps they can get some Int’l money for him or a reliever who has fallen on hard times and is worth a flier.
Chris F. passes along the sad news that Jacob deGrom is having TJ surgery. And speaking of sad news, original Met Roger Craig passed away at age 93.