⚾ The MLB Thread

[TheBatman22]

Mets Nation was proudly represented at the All-Star Game, where our players showcased their incredible talents. Francisco Lindor exhibited exceptional defensive skills, while Pete Alonso demonstrated impressive power. David Peterson and Edwin Diaz also contributed significantly with their outstanding performances.

It was disappointing to see Juan Soto left out, as he undeniably deserved a spot in the event. Additionally, it was frustrating that Alonso was overlooked for the MVP award; Kyle Schwarber did not deserve that recognition, especially considering Pete's clutch home run that set the stage for the game. Mets Nation understandably expressed frustration, feeling that this was a robbery. It is disheartening that Alonso didn’t start the game over Freddie Freeman, particularly since Freeman's numbers simply don’t compare to Pete’s this year. Denying Alonso, the All-Star Game MVP feels particularly unjust.

The perceived disrespect toward the Mets seems to persist, especially since Rob Manfred became commissioner and Steve Cohen took ownership. I've noticed a significant decline in respect during this time. When we sign players, we face taxes and lose draft picks, while teams like the Yankees and Dodgers can acquire whoever they wish without consequence. Additionally, umpires often expand the strike zone against us, frequently calling safe runners out and vice versa, despite our ongoing success with challenges. It feels as though the commissioner, a Yankees fan, is not invested in our success, particularly given the Cohen tax we have been subjected to.

I recently watched the "Wright Way" documentary on SNY, and it was a fantastic piece that deserves awards for covering so much ground. It contained deeply emotional moments that could bring tears to viewers as it concluded. Nonetheless, I don’t expect anything from MLB, as they will likely find ways to undermine the best homegrown Met ever. David Wright was on a Hall of Fame trajectory before his injuries; he could have achieved over 3,000 hits and 500 home runs had he completed his contract.

Tomorrow, David Wright will be enshrined into the Mets Hall of Fame, with his number retired alongside some of the most legendary names in the game: Willie Mays, Tom Seaver, Keith Hernandez, Doc Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, Casey Stengel, Mike Piazza, and many others. Captain America deserves it; he truly was the best. He was the player that Yankees fans pretend Derek Jeter was.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[DJ Kornphlake]

 

[InCali]

My throws are usually more on a line......

Didn't they teach that dude to slide? I looked like the 3rd base coach was a little late signaling slide or maybe dude just wasn't watching him.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[ComicChick]

that acuna throw was crazy. lazy base runner though too

 

[InCali]

that acuna throw was crazy. lazy base runner though too

Check this one out from Jesse Barfield......AND no lazy runner.



I don't know that this throw ever got more than 15 feet off the ground.

EDIT: The Dodgers, BTW, have a young outfielder named Andy Pages (2nd year I think) who has a cannon of an arm. He generally plays right or centerfield and uncorked a 99MPH throw to the plate to nail a runner from 2nd on a base hit. He's also hitting somewhere between .280 and .290 with 19 jacks.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[InCali]

My son was telling me that Shohei Ohtani has 3 unanious MVP awards in the last 4 years. That sounds crazy. He also looks likely to do it again this year if he stays healthy. Not only would he probably do it only as a DH, but he's pitching really, really well and is starting to stretch out in his innings.

I suppose someone "could" give a vote to Pete Crow-Armstrong, but even if you are just counting offensive stats and not taking into account Ohtani is also looking like one of the best starters in the league, Ohtani has a clear edge.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[blueharvest]

 

[TheBatman22]

Being a Mets fan can be quite painful at times. While we have some of the best ownership in the game, our performance hasn't significantly improved compared to last year. Although we currently find ourselves in a better position than we were in 2024, it still doesn’t feel quite right. The signing of Juan Soto has been a bright spot; he has been exceptional, and I genuinely appreciate having him on the team. Our starting pitching was strong in April and May, but it took a downturn once Kodi was injured. After Michael Kay's tailgate outside Citi Field, we began losing players to the injured list one by one, leading to a series of disappointing games.

We need to address this situation—Mendoza pushed all the right buttons last year, but he has made several costly mistakes this season. He shows too much trust in his players, reminiscent of Willie Randolph’s management style. However, this team is nothing like the Omar Minaya-era squads; we are better than the teams from 2006 to 2008. Our players are more aggressive at the plate and are less likely to go down looking, unlike Carlos Beltrán.

The 2024 team is comparable to the 2015 squad, boasting a strong rotation and lineup. Unfortunately, this year, our players aren’t as clutch, both at the plate and on the mound. David Peterson has been our ace, consistently going deep into games, while Kodi, Holmes, Montes, and Sean have struggled in their past few starts.

If things don’t improve, we won’t make the playoffs, and even if we do, we’re likely to get eliminated early. That would be embarrassing, considering how much Cohen has spent and how hard the players are trying. Every time Juan Soto has a good at-bat, he gets called out on strikes by pitches that are way off the plate. He could easily have 40 home runs right now if it weren’t for those bad calls. Pete Alonso is just one home run away from catching the great Darryl Strawberry on the Mets' all-time home run list and two away from passing him. I’m proud of him, but I feel like MLB is toying with us because Cohen is our owner.

It’s frustrating that the umpires consistently make calls that are outside the strike zone, regardless of who is at bat. It seems like every time there’s a strike, it should actually be called ball four. This has cost us dozens of games this year, especially when we’ve had players on base. Those games could have easily gone our way if the umpires had done their jobs properly.

We should be able to get through the Dodgers; we can beat them in the playoffs. This team was built for that. Losing a three-game series to the mediocre San Francisco Giants is unacceptable. This isn’t 2002 or 2012! Blowing a game against Cleveland is another missed opportunity we should have capitalized on. Additionally, getting swept by the Pirates was utterly embarrassing.

We should be running away with the NL East right now, but who could have predicted that Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning would go down with injuries? Now we have to deal with a taxed bullpen, and the Big Red Machine isn’t far behind us in the wild card standings. They are playing better than us right now, with a 6-4 record in their last 10 games, while we sit at 4-6.

**Pitching Stats: **
- David Peterson: 7-4, 2.83
- Clay Holmes: 9-6, 3.45
- Tylor Megill: 5-5, 3.95
- Kodai Senga: 7-3, 2.31
- Sean Manaea: 1-1, 3.52
- Frankie Montas: 3-2, 6.68
Paul Blackburn 0-3, 7.71

I feel so old; Billy Wagner is in the Hall of Fame and David Wright had his number retired.

 

[TheBatman22]

The Mets' performance over their last 44 games has resulted in an 18-26 record, placing them among the five worst teams in Major League Baseball. They are averaging just 4.0 runs per game, which ranks them in the bottom five of the league. Additionally, the starting pitchers have a 5.43 ERA, the fourth-worst in the league, while the relievers have an ERA of 5.15, ranking fifth for the worst ERA overall. The team has lost 7 out of their last 8 games and appears to be heading in the wrong direction.

The Padres are close to overtaking us in the National League Wild Card standings, and the emerging Reds are also gaining ground. If they surpass us in the Wild Card race, it will be well-deserved. This core group isn’t getting any younger, and if we fail to make the playoffs, I anticipate tensions may arise in the locker room. Our roster was solid, our bullpen exceptional, and our lineup consistently productive. It's puzzling to witness such a significant decline, especially after starting the season with the best record in the league and achieving a franchise-best start. It is embarrassing to squander winnable games like this.

This team was built to compete with the Dodgers, and we even managed to strike out Shohei Ohtani three times in one game earlier this season. I find it hard to believe that fatigue is an issue; many of these players participate in winter leagues and perform successfully. I would like to see Cedric Mullins re-signed, along with Polar Bear Pete Alonso. This team has the potential to win it all—there is too much talent here. If we miss the playoffs, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Blue Jays and Reds face off in the World Series.

If that happens, my focus will not be on the playoffs; instead, I’ll follow my other teams and watch horror films. It’s going to be a long offseason, reminiscent of the 2011 Red Sox situation. I thought they were going to win it all, and we all know how that story ended. I appreciate that Mets ownership wants to change the perception of the team and transform us into winners, similar to how the New York Giants improved before their move to San Francisco. However, I think some individuals' egos are getting the better of them. I believe Mendoza has lost the locker room, and we can’t change perceptions if we can’t beat the teams we’re supposed to beat. This team should be capable of doing that.

It would be disappointing if Pete Alonso hits a clutch home run in the All-Star Game but still misses the playoffs this year. This was supposed to be our year. Atlanta isn't going anywhere, and the division was ours for the taking; we had a 17-game lead in the NL East at one point. I’m frustrated that Philadelphia is ahead of us in the standings when they are not better than we are. If we miss the playoffs, people will say that last year was a fluke and that we aren’t as good as we thought. Their overly confident fan base will take shots at us, even though our history is better than theirs. We had more championships until 2008. They’ve been around longer, but they didn’t win until 1980, while we won in 1969 and 1986. By the time they reached 2008, we already had two rings.

Now they’re bragging about having 20 percent higher TV ratings than us this year, but they forget that without the Yankees, they’d be watching games with us. Our market is split, but they aren’t bigger than we are. We show up even when the team is performing poorly, and we sell out the ballpark. They don’t support their team in the same way we do. What do they have to be so cocky about? They gave Bryce Harper a massive contract, but he has regressed since winning his second MVP. Their team hasn't improved; they lost the World Series, the NLCS, and the Divisional Series. If he retired today, he’d have better numbers with the Nationals than he does in Philadelphia.

Bryce Harper's career stats as a Washington Nationals player include a .279 batting average, 922 hits, 184 home runs, 521 RBIs, and 610 runs scored in 927 games from 2012 to 2018. In comparison, during his seven years in Philadelphia, his batting average is .281, with 165 home runs, 496 RBIs, and 819 hits over 797 games played. In contrast, Pete Alonso has a .251 batting average with 894 hits, 251 home runs, and 677 RBIs in the past seven years, and Lindor has already surpassed some of his numbers in Cleveland.

It’s clear that our team has the talent, and if we can refocus, we have the potential to turn things around.

 

[InCali]

Being a Mets fan can be quite painful at times. While we have some of the best ownership in the game, our performance hasn't significantly improved compared to last year. Although we currently find ourselves in a better position than we were in 2024, it still doesn’t feel quite right. The signing of Juan Soto has been a bright spot; he has been exceptional, and I genuinely appreciate having him on the team. Our starting pitching was strong in April and May, but it took a downturn once Kodi was injured. After Michael Kay's tailgate outside Citi Field, we began losing players to the injured list one by one, leading to a series of disappointing games.

We need to address this situation—Mendoza pushed all the right buttons last year, but he has made several costly mistakes this season. He shows too much trust in his players, reminiscent of Willie Randolph’s management style. However, this team is nothing like the Omar Minaya-era squads; we are better than the teams from 2006 to 2008. Our players are more aggressive at the plate and are less likely to go down looking, unlike Carlos Beltrán.

The 2024 team is comparable to the 2015 squad, boasting a strong rotation and lineup. Unfortunately, this year, our players aren’t as clutch, both at the plate and on the mound. David Peterson has been our ace, consistently going deep into games, while Kodi, Holmes, Montes, and Sean have struggled in their past few starts.

If things don’t improve, we won’t make the playoffs, and even if we do, we’re likely to get eliminated early. That would be embarrassing, considering how much Cohen has spent and how hard the players are trying. Every time Juan Soto has a good at-bat, he gets called out on strikes by pitches that are way off the plate. He could easily have 40 home runs right now if it weren’t for those bad calls. Pete Alonso is just one home run away from catching the great Darryl Strawberry on the Mets' all-time home run list and two away from passing him. I’m proud of him, but I feel like MLB is toying with us because Cohen is our owner.

It’s frustrating that the umpires consistently make calls that are outside the strike zone, regardless of who is at bat. It seems like every time there’s a strike, it should actually be called ball four. This has cost us dozens of games this year, especially when we’ve had players on base. Those games could have easily gone our way if the umpires had done their jobs properly.

We should be able to get through the Dodgers; we can beat them in the playoffs. This team was built for that. Losing a three-game series to the mediocre San Francisco Giants is unacceptable. This isn’t 2002 or 2012! Blowing a game against Cleveland is another missed opportunity we should have capitalized on. Additionally, getting swept by the Pirates was utterly embarrassing.

We should be running away with the NL East right now, but who could have predicted that Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning would go down with injuries? Now we have to deal with a taxed bullpen, and the Big Red Machine isn’t far behind us in the wild card standings. They are playing better than us right now, with a 6-4 record in their last 10 games, while we sit at 4-6.

**Pitching Stats: **
- David Peterson: 7-4, 2.83
- Clay Holmes: 9-6, 3.45
- Tylor Megill: 5-5, 3.95
- Kodai Senga: 7-3, 2.31
- Sean Manaea: 1-1, 3.52
- Frankie Montas: 3-2, 6.68
Paul Blackburn 0-3, 7.71

I feel so old; Billy Wagner is in the Hall of Fame and David Wright had his number retired.

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View attachment 143930

I've got news for you, being a BASEBALL fan can, and WILL, be painful at times. Peterson is having a good year, but I think I pretty much pegged their rotation before the year started. Senga is the guy who can be a true stopper and there were question marks with everyone else. Pitching is funny because a lot of guys can have up years, but it's the ones who consistently put together good years who are the rarities. Some of the Mets pitchers (particularly Peterson and Holmes) are having good years and some others not so good. That's what I would expect from good, but not great pitchers.

Injuries happen and hance the saying "you can never have too much starting pitching". Ask the Dodgers (who appear to be getting healthy now). At one point, this is who they had on the IL or unable to pitch (and this is just STARTING pitchers).

Tyler Glasnow
Clayton Kershaw
Blake Snell
Roki Sasaki
Shohei Ohtani
Tony Gonsolin

Getting Senga back is a big deal if he can pitch up to his potential after the injury because not only does it give you a top notch starter, but it allows you to remove one of the guys who isn't doing so well from the starting rotation and strengthens your bullpen when you need help later in the game.

The Mets got hit with the injury bug and that's part of the game. The key for a good playoff run is to get healthy late in the season and the Mets may be getting close. The real question is how will these guys perform when they get back? Manaea has been up and down in his career, but if he can put together some solid starts and get deeper into the game (which appears to be the case), that's a big, BIG deal and has a ripple effect down to the bullpen.

Soto, IMO, isn't having a stellar year for the kind of talent he is or what he's being paid. I can't follow the Mets too closely, but I think he's picked it up lately. The guy who has come up aces is Pete Alonzo. In a contract year, he's clearly played himself into a high paying, long term deal.

I think the Mets are gonna be fine.

 

[blueharvest]

 

[InCali]

Hopefully she can call balls and strikes; unlike her male counterparts.