SBNation.com User Community: Michael Donato https://www.sbnation.com/users/Michael%20Donato Posts made by Michael Donato on SBNation.com Where should the Mets place Mike Piazza's retired number? https://www.amazinavenue.com/2016/2/19/11028726/mets-mike-piazza-retire-31-new-york Michael Donato Tue, 16 Feb 2016 22:05:45 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lcuOZOKHgAo04YGr8XhcVA2olAM=/0x50:3378x2302/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48845089/GettyImages-182300275.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Al Bello/Getty Images</figcaption> </figure> <p>The Mets are finally retiring another player's number and it presents the opportunity to discuss the ordering of the numbers on the wall.</p> <p>Now that the Mets will officially retire <span>Mike Piazza</span>’s number, it’s time to discuss where that number should be placed. Previously, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> have just added the retired number to the end of the string, but it's worth thinking about it a little deeper. There are a lot of options, and it turns out there is a decent case for reordering the retired numbers entirely.</p> <p>You could stick to the routine and put 31 at the end, but to me it looks silly to have the SHEA and the 42 in the middle of the Met uniforms.</p> <p> <figure class="e-image"> <img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/x78zOufQW-3IaIxZb6AhykrNdrI=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6054137/atend.0.jpg"> </figure> </p> <p>Only one of the existing numbers belonged to a Mets player, and it might make sense to keep the players together. This gives you two options; You can order them chronologically or numerically. You can stick 31 between the 14 and 41 and ruin the palindromic symmetry.</p> <p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" dir="ltr"> </p> <p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" dir="ltr"> <figure class="e-image"> <img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/HCF4IYpuXIUiMaen-gsGciuJWyg=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6054519/playersnum.0.jpg"> </figure> </p> <p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" dir="ltr"> </p> <p>Or you can put Piazza after Seaver but before Jackie Robinson. This would stick to the tradition of tacking new numbers onto the end, but maintain a grouping of coaches, players, and other. This isn't a horrible choice, but sticking anything between the sequential 41 and 42 messes with my mathematical mind.</p> <p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-top: 0pt; margin-bottom: 0pt;" dir="ltr"> <figure class="e-image"> <img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/UEdDRed3ofefs-BDolwNAvkpsj4=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6054867/playerchr.0.jpg"> </figure> </p> <p>The other option is to completely renumber the list numerically, so that it reads 14 31 37 41 42 SHEA. With so few numbers it’s easy to spot the one you’re looking for, but as that list grows it might make sense to have them in an easily readable order.</p> <p> <figure class="e-image"> <img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lulwPpMwfKxn5Wn2rUvSh10aEkk=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/6055173/numerica.0.jpg"> </figure> </p> <p>There is no set precedent for this in baseball. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a> have their numbers retired in numerical order, whereas the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.twinkietown.com/">Twins</a> go chronologically—and actually switched from ascending to descending order when they moved to Target Field. They keep 42 at the end of the string, as do most teams. This doesn't really affect the Mets, who don't have a retired number higher than 42, nor anyone even close to consideration with a number that high, but it does suggest that special numbers like 42 and SHEA belong at the end.</p> <p>It can’t hurt to think about making this future-proof and considering what could show up on the wall next. Keith Hernandez’s continued contributions to the team make it inevitable that he’ll eventually be honored in some regard, but do the Mets drop the unwritten rule of having to be inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame before having your number retired? If they’re willing to overlook that, they need to consider how 17 fits into the schema. If they don’t, they still need to have a thought towards what happens if <span>Carlos Beltran</span> or <span>David Wright</span> one day go into the Hall as Mets. Those decisions are at least six years out, but Piazza's induction is the perfect time to think about the rules.</p> <p>I favor a numerical approach. I think it looks neater and more orderly and provides a very clear plan going forward to simply insert new retirees into the spot they belong.</p> Hating Bryce Harper and loving it https://www.amazinavenue.com/2015/8/4/8975615/mets-nationals-bryce-harper-hate Michael Donato Wed, 15 Jul 2015 21:52:24 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TD2Kglv15m29EweuCkireM-HNow=/0x0:4068x2712/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46756114/GettyImages-480702112.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Rob Carr/Getty Images</figcaption> </figure> <p>I hate Bryce Harper. I love that I hate Bryce Harper. Hating Bryce Harper and developing a Mets-Nationals rivalry is going to make 2015 a lot of fun. </p> <blockquote> <p dir="ltr"><span><span></span>"I don’t give a crap what the Mets are doing. Or Dodgers or Giants or Texas or anybody. I know what kind of </span>team we are."</p> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">That's Bryce Harper commenting on the surging Mets after Monday night's games—not to mention a weekend sweep—found New York officially ahead of the Nationals in the NL East standings. He sounds frustrated. The kind of team the Nationals are right now is a second-place one.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a>' competing for the division title has given me something else to enjoy about baseball: I’m relishing the opportunity to truly hate <span>Bryce Harper</span>. The Mets are the heroes and Harper is the villain. The Mets have terrific pitching and Harper hits them anyway, with the exception of Matt Harvey.  All we need now is <span>Harvey</span> to say "Bryce" is a stupid name or something equally trivial and he can be the new <span>Chipper Jones</span>.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Washington Nationals</a> have been the perennially dominant team in the division for a few years now, helped out in no small part by Bryce Harper, who’s a top-flight talent. Division rivalries create all sorts of interesting storylines and it’s those storylines and narratives that help make baseball fun. When you think back to the turn of the century and all those years the Mets were fighting with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Braves</a> for a chance at the division and the postseason, you remember all those ancillary twists and turns in the drama of Mets vs. Braves.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>John Rocker and his hateful statements yet dominant pitching, The Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz threesome, and the dominance of Chipper Jones were just a few of the subplots. <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/search?advanced_search=true&amp;all_these_words=1999&amp;this_exact_phrase=&amp;any_of_these_words=&amp;search_user=matthew+callan&amp;created_after_freeform=&amp;created_after=&amp;created_before_freeform=&amp;created_before=&amp;results_per_page=10">Matthew Callan</a> spent a lot of time recapping 1999 many years later, and these posts have plenty of Mets-Braves battles in them.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>As time moved on, I began to appreciate Chipper more and more. There’s always an enemy, but it’s harder to find a compelling and memorable villain. Chipper Jones—from <span>Mike Piazza</span>’s "Hi Larry" comments that spawned decades of "LARR-RRY" chants through to naming his kid "Shea"—was an unforgettable foe.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>You don’t get that without being great, because without a great team and a great player the story breaks up when someone’s traded, or the battles just don’t matter because one team is simply playing out the string. The Braves had a remarkable run of winning the division and Chipper Jones will be in the Hall Of Fame. That continued presence made Chipper the recurring villain and the Andruw Joneses and Brian Jordans the henchmen.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>Byrce Harper will likely be a thorn in our sides for years to come. His 11 homers against the Mets is the second most against any club behind only the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fishstripes.com/">Miami Marlins</a>. The Nationals have <span>Reed Johnson</span>—Met and <span>Johan Santana</span> killer—although he’s on the 60-day disabled list. Jayson Werth participated in the abbreviated Mets vs. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> rivalry and Mets fans still carry some residual hatred from that. Former Met Matt den Dekker is over there, and other bit players will emerge as the Mets and Nationals continue to battle in the NL East. There are still six games to be played between the two teams this season, with plenty of opportunity for drama.</span></p> <p dir="ltr"><span>Bryce Harper has character and personality. He’s not afraid to open his mouth and has a lot of the swagger that comes with being a superstar. These things make good stories, good rivals, good villains. The remaining games should be tense, the stories interesting, and hopefully the Mets come out on top this time. </span></p> New between-Innings games at Citi Field https://www.amazinavenue.com/2015/3/25/8173207/new-between-innings-games-at-citi-field Michael Donato Sun, 08 Mar 2015 21:04:18 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/3XaxoQEew9lNr4W5r8mj5GyoQqY=/0x136:3264x2312/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45845136/IMG_5191.0.0.JPG" /> </figure> <p>The Mets have filmed the new trivia and videos shown between innings at Citi Field, and some of them are pretty interesting.</p> <p>All those silly games and video clips they play between innings at Citi Field are filmed during the early days of spring training, as <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/02/sports/baseball/mets-inject-drama-into-camp-hoping-to-entertain-fans.html?ref=topics&amp;_r=0" style="line-height: 1.38;">Tim Rohan recounts here</a>. This often features a fan participating in some game or contest for the opportunity to win a prize. This is where we've typically been treated to <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link" style="line-height: 1.38;">Mets</a> answering random trivia, Wright or Wrong, Professor Reyes, fans trying to identify a player’s favorite food, or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkYqL6VIpyU&amp;feature=youtu.be" style="line-height: 1.38; background-color: #ffffff;">Daniel Murphy quoting famous movies</a>. So based on Tim’s hints, what do Brandon, Alexa, and the Citi Field crew have in store for us this year?</p> <blockquote> <p><span>Wilmer Flores</span> twirled a Hula Hoop.</p> </blockquote> <p>Sure, okay, the Hula Hoop crazy died out more than 30 years ago, but maybe it’s making a revival at Citi Field. I bet the fan bets on which player can keep it going the longest. Hopefully no one’s going for the world record, which is 74 hours and 54 minutes. Again, I think Tim spoiled this one. Flores said he twirled his Hula Hoop for about 20 seconds. He could have kept going, he said, but someone told him to stop. This is absolutely begging for a GIF.</p> <blockquote> <p>Added a dramatic effect with a smoke machine, using it with <span>Jenrry Mejia</span>.</p> </blockquote> <p>This one’s interesting. Are they going to have all the relievers come in via a spoke-fueled video like they’re professional wrestlers? This would tie well with the wrestling match they’re hosting at Citi Field this season. Maybe this is only because Mejia is the closer, but what if he doesn't remain the closer all season? Did they film one of these for Parnell?</p> <blockquote> <p><span>Josh Edgin</span> caught popcorn in his mouth.</p> </blockquote> <p>Oh! This is smart of the Mets to jump on the A-Rod bandwagon; that’s good for ratings. Clearly Cameron Diaz is going to be throwing popcorn to Mets players. If the fan guesses which player catches it, he’ll win the prize. I think Tim may have spoiled this one though, pick Edgin!</p> <blockquote> <p>The players were asked to write a word backward.</p> </blockquote> <p>This is tricky. Are fans supposed to guess the word, or guess who can successfully write backwards? Will they use a mirror to determine who wins? I’m detecting a stupid human tricks feel to this season’s games. Let’s see what weird things we can make major league baseball players do! I bet they only use baseball words too, like ‘baseball’, ‘home run’ and ‘Citi Field’.</p> <blockquote> <p>Restack cups without dropping them.</p> </blockquote> <p>I’m not sure what this means. Is this like the carnival game where you throw a ball at the milk bottles? How big are we talking here? Is it a simple 3-2-1 stack? Maybe they should just have had them play Jenga.</p> <blockquote> <p>In still another, a take on the game Pictionary, they were asked to draw something. Most players said they were awful. <span>Noah Syndergaard</span> and Travis d’Arnaud claimed to be decent.</p> </blockquote> <p>Oh, great. These guys are baseball players, not artists. Seeing how horrible they draw is going to be more fun than trying to guess what it is. I hope they have to draw animals. My personal experience with Pictionary is that animals are the hardest to draw and the most ambiguous. I hope they show them drawing at 10x speed rather than just pop up the drawing on the scoreboard.</p> <p>John Mayberry Jr. is quoted saying, "I’ll just say if a person is able to identify what I was trying to draw, they’re a borderline Nostradamus."</p> <p>Challenge accepted!</p> <blockquote> <p><span>Michael Cuddyer</span>, another new face, did a magic trick before the cameras, using <span>Curtis Granderson</span> as his guinea pig.</p> </blockquote> <p>This one was the most talked about on Twitter by the beat writers, but I didn't realize it was part of the video board rotation. I hope Cuddyer makes some good defensive plays this year so we can call him ‘the magician’. Maybe this is part of a Kids Club promo and I wonder if it was card tricks, or did he pull a bunny out of a hat? Maybe he sawed Granderson in half? It would've been neat if they’d filmed this with visiting players. Watch Cuddyer blow <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span>’s mind by picking his card out of a deck!</p> <blockquote> <p><span>Bobby Parnell</span> seemed irked that all the songs in a music guessing game were from before his time.</p> </blockquote> <p>Parnell was born in 1984. Expect a lot of classic rock I guess. It’ll probably be the same seven or so songs everyone always uses. At least it’s not Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus? Could this be the return of Sweet Caroline?</p> <blockquote> <p>During one video feature, the players were asked to tie a tie. Syndergaard, a top pitching prospect, and <span>Matt Harvey</span> admitted they did not know how. Harvey asked to be excused, although Syndergaard played along.</p> </blockquote> <p>In my perfect world, no one knows how to tie a tie because we stop equating tying a piece of fabric around our necks as ‘formal’, but it’s no surprise these guys don’t know how. Unless you wear one every day you never gets the reps in to really remember how and just fire up YouTube when you need it.  My guess is this is part of some sort of how-to video series the Mets are attempting. Maybe they tackle putting on cufflinks and how to dance, as well.</p> <p>The Mets have upgraded their scoreboard, and they’re trying to fill the between-innings space with videos to make you aware of it. I hope they make use of the super slow-mo cameras for some of these, particularly guys trying to catch popcorn in their mouth. Some of the contests do seem a little more interesting than what we've seen in previous years, but I still miss the airplane race.</p> The Islanders are a great template for the Mets https://www.amazinavenue.com/2015/3/16/8173305/new-york-islanders-mets-tavares-wright Michael Donato Sun, 08 Mar 2015 21:33:26 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/TR_21mvHOeA_0qD7CJvifrRQfzI=/0x0:3000x2000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45845196/88730794.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Jim McIsaac/Getty Images</figcaption> </figure> <p>The Isles' recent success after years of failure makes for a good parallel with the Mets.</p> <p>Remember that local New York team, wearing blue and orange, that’s been a disaster for years? Fudging the numbers on how much they’re spending and making trades that seem ill-advised? That team with one of the best players in the league that has only won a handful of playoff games over the last decade or so? The one whose move to a new building has been met with a mixed bag of tepid enthusiasm and downright scorn?</p> <p>The one that suddenly looks like a championship contender?</p> <p>That’s right, we’re talking about the New York Islanders. As of this moment, with a dozen or so games left to go, the Islanders are among the top teams in their division and conference. They’ve player quality hockey and beaten many of the other top teams in the league. Simply put, they are a very good hockey team and have led their division for long stretches of the season.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> are right there where the Islanders were last year. Some young promise and some quality stars. Did you know John Tavares finished out last season injured just like <span>David Wright</span>? The Islanders have Josh Bailey and Kyle Okposo joining John Tavares on the top line forming a three-headed monster that most teams can’t handle. The Mets have <span>Matt Harvey</span>, Jacob deGrom, and, elbow health permitting, <span>Zack Wheeler</span> heading up their rotation to strike fear into opponents.</p> <p>The Islanders made a few moves in the offseason, though nothing that anyone felt was a lock to make them the best team in the league. The biggest move was signing goalie Jaroslav Halak, who’s having a great year, keeping them in games so their goal scorers can do their thing.</p> <p>The Mets have made a few moves, and could potentially make one or two more before the season begins. It’s unknown whether those moves will result in the same sort of success the Islanders are enjoying, but the expectations are definitely there. Could Michael Cuddyer bring a few homers to boost an offense that was sorely lacking last year? The Mets' bench was pretty bad last year. Can John Mayberry Jr. provide some firepower off of it this year? Obviously the parallels don’t line up perfectly, but the recent progressions of both franchises are vry similar.</p> <p>It’s refreshing to watch the Islanders succeed in the National Hockey League. It’s fun to watch games that matter unfold with drama and intrigue, to be truly invested in the outcome. It’s a nice change to scoreboard watch during a battle for first place with the Pittsburgh Penguins or New York <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> rather than looking for scenarios and openings where the Islanders can climb back into a race.</p> <p>It’s a great time to be an Islanders fan. Hopefully when the smoke clears from an exciting fight deep into the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nhl-playoffs">Stanley Cup</a> playoffs, the Mets are ready to make the summer just as exciting as this winter has been.</p> Is Ruben Tejada the Mets' backup middle infielder? https://www.amazinavenue.com/2015/1/3/7351131/new-york-mets-ruben-tejada-shortstop Michael Donato Sun, 07 Dec 2014 20:54:11 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/NeMldB9Azu1kQ13CgL5qF56Gr9s=/0x189:1968x1501/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44318796/usa-today-8086860.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption> </figure> <p>The Mets did not non-tender Ruben Tejada when they had the chance. Could his role on the 2015 Mets be to backup shortstop and second base?</p> <p>When the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> decided to keep <span>Ruben Tejada</span> around <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/12/2/7324201/mets-non-tender-eric-young-ruben-tejada-daniel-murphy">for a little longer</a>, they clearly had at least an idea of how he could be useful. A lot depends on what <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/12/16/7398729/new-york-mets-troy-tulowitzki-hot-stove-trade-rumors-winter-meetings">other</a> <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/12/31/7470705/new-york-mets-free-agency-shortstops-stephen-drew-rafael-furcal">shortstops</a> the Mets can acquire for next season, or if they trade <span>Wilmer Flores</span> or <span>Daniel Murphy</span>, but Tejada can nevertheless play a useful role as a backup.</p> <p>Good all-around shortstop are hard to find, and Tejada's decent on-base percentage and ability to adequately play the position are valuable assets. That's part of the reason he's still a Met. The organization just isn't swimming with great options to fill the role. Flores <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/12/23/7406135/new-york-mets-wilmer-flores-shortstop">showed some good signs</a> last year, but the jury is still out on whether he will be able to field the position or if he'll even walk or hit enough to be a major league player at all. <span>Dilson Herrera</span> looked okay in his debut, but he hasn't even played at Triple-A yet and only has 27 professional games at shortstop in his career.</p> <p>The external options aren't great either. They all have assorted flaws, and many of them aren't even likely to outplay Tejada. Everyone knows the Mets need a shortstop, so they've been linked to just about every middle infielder imaginable, including international players like Korea's Jung-Ho Kang, with whom the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a> <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/12/22/7435787/new-york-mets-free-agency-jung-ho-kang-pittsburgh-pirates-bid-contract">won the exclusive right</a> to negotiate. Any team that has a shortstop prospect anywhere near the majors that might not be horrible is calling up the Mets looking to make a deal. And, nearly as often, asking for way too much in return.</p> <p>Among the shortstops the Mets have been linked to this offseason that didn't have a significantly better OPS in 2014 than Ruben Tejada include <span>Stephen Drew</span>, <span>Everth Cabrera</span>, <span>Elvis Andrus</span>, <span>Didi Gregorius</span>, <span>Xander Bogaerts</span>, Wilmer Flores, and Jed Lowrie. Just because those guys didn't outplay Tejada in 2014 doesn't mean they're worthless, or that they're bad bets to outplay him in 2015, but they're hardly safe bets either.</p> <p>Of course, that doesn't mean there are no options. It just means that the Mets need to look higher, and bet larger, to get a significant contributor. <span>Troy Tulowitzki</span> is the prize, but he's a gamble based on contract length and health. The Mets didn't chase after <span>Hanley Ramirez</span>, who <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/11/24/7274893/hanley-ramirez-red-sox-dodgers-mlb-free-agency">signed a long-term deal</a> with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.overthemonster.com/">Red Sox</a>. And then there are always the fans—a growing number, no doubt—who want to see the Mets bring back <span>Jose Reyes</span> somehow. If the Mets do choose a solution along those lines, Tejada can still be a valuable backup.</p> <div style="font-family: 'Knockout 28 A','Knockout 28 B',Arial,sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; font-style:italic;font-size: 2.5em;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1;display:block;margin:15px 0px;color:#153b69;">Bench guys that can play the middle infield aren't the sexiest players around</div> <p>The backup middle infielder is the one spot on the bench where you aren't too concerned about getting power numbers. You're looking for a guy that can handle the role defensively and not be an automatic out when pressed into duty with the bat. Ruben Tejada would be better than average in that role, a role that's been filled by offensive sinkholes <span>Omar Quintanilla</span> and <span>Luis Hernandez</span> in the past.</p> <p>Bench guys that can play the middle infield aren't the sexiest players around, but they're still important ones. If the Mets aren't forced—again—into using Tejada as a starting shortstop, he'd be excellent in a supporting role.</p> The Mets need to improve in secondary areas for 2015 https://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/10/15/6883513/2015-new-york-mets-improve Michael Donato Wed, 01 Oct 2014 19:22:54 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/LmYvrozJ3dv0G6VL6Yfj-d2j6DA=/0x180:3263x2355/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/41938880/20140419_ajl_sh4_047.jpg.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption> </figure> <p>Not all improvements are as simple as "get a better shortstop," but they can be important to a successful 2015 season.</p> <p>Improving the offense is the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a>' number one offseason goal, and the improvements gained by adding a quality corner outfielder or shortstop can't be understated. These aren't the only areas the Mets should look or need to improve, however. There are other aspects to the Mets that helped contribute to their ultimate failure in 2014.</p> <h4>Pitchers hitting</h4> <p>The back end of the lineup, specifically the pitcher's spot, was a historically horrible one. You may remember that the Mets pitchers set a major league record for ineptitude by starting the season with an 0-or-64 streak at the plate before it was broken up by Jacob deGrom upon his first major league start.</p> <p>Mets pitchers had the second-worst on-base percentage in the league, ahead of only the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewcrewball.com/">Brewers</a>, and lest you think it got better after the terrible start, they were third-worst in the second half, passing only the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a>. I'll give my full confession here: The 2014 Mets pitchers, particularly <span>Bartolo Colon</span>, pushed me fully into the camp that supports the designated hitter for the National League. That could happen for 2015, but it won't, which means that it's an area the Mets can, and must, improve upon. Even if you give some credit to Mets pitchers for turning the lineup over by being so bad that <span>Ruben Tejada</span> was tied for 10th in intentional walks despite playing in far fewer games than the guys ahead of him, Mets pitchers were pathetic with the bat.</p> <p>Clearly you're not going to start pitchers for their hitting ability, but the Mets could take this part of the game seriously instead of laughing it off. Pitchers understandably can't devote the time and effort to hitting that position players do, but the ability to at least drive the fat fastballs down the middle goes a long way.They're paid to help the Mets win ballgames, and flailing limply at pitches doesn't help.</p> <h4>Pinch hitting</h4> <p>That leads us to another poor aspect of the Mets' game: pinch hitting. Even when pitchers were removed for pinch hitters, the results were not good. Mets hitters made 242 plate appearances as pinch hitters, and they had a whopping .544 OPS. They struck out 26 percent of the time.</p> <p>There are a billion different options to fill out a major league bench, and having guys that you can lean on is something the Mets desperately need for next year. The Mets will probably need both someone that can fill in for <span>David Wright</span> so he doesn't break down and someone to play the other corner against tough lefties and relieve Lucas Duda. They also need bench guys that can come in and drive the ball. The Mets' bench was in the bottom half of the majors in extra base hits and only the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a> had a lower slugging percentage.</p> <p>Obviously we all know the Mets' major problem in 2014 was offense and power, and these two examples are symptoms of that greater problem. The biggest improvement would come from signing another outfielder and finding a good shortstop, but having the pitchers take more batting practice and strengthening the bench could help, too.</p> Thursblot: A name for Noah Syndergaard's eventual major league debut https://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/7/28/5749304/mets-noah-syndergaard-prospect-thursblot Michael Donato Sun, 25 May 2014 08:05:22 -0400 <figure> <img alt="Noah Syndergaard delivers a pitch at the 2013 Futures Game at Citi Field " src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Z_AMPCOi3czpAHTkIx250j7YlDk=/0x38:958x677/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/36084886/IMG_5397_JPG.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Noah Syndergaard delivers a pitch at the 2013 Futures Game at Citi Field | <a href='http://www.ceetar.com/optimisticmetsfan'>Michael Donato</a></figcaption> </figure> <p>Last year we had Super Tuesday, this year we have Thursblot.</p> <p>The promotion of top prospects, especially pitching prospects, is always met with lots of fanfare. Last year <span>Zack Wheeler</span> debuted in <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/6/19/4444870/mets-gif-zack-wheeler-debut-braves-strikeouts">a doubleheader</a> that also featured previous top prospect <span>Matt Harvey</span> pitching. The joy of watching the two young pitchers pitch on the same day was dubbed Super Tuesday and was a great day to be a <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> fan.</p> <link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3608425/mustreads.css"> <p>This season it's top pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard that we're waiting for. We don't know yet when he'll make his major league debut—we've heard everything ranging from that his possibly being on the Opening Day roster to perhaps not making his debut this year at all given some of his struggles in Triple-A Las Vegas. He has a 5.24 ERA in Las Vegas, but two of his last three starts have been good. In fact, Sean Cunningham <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/7/25/5937067/mets-prospect-noah-syndergaard-analysis-2014">makes the case</a> that we should ignore his ERA. Using the way the Mets have handled pitching prospects previously as a guide, it seems unlikely that he won't get at least some major league exposure this year, and when he does it's going to be an event.</p> <p>You may have heard that <span>Noah Syndergaard's</span> nickname is Thor. You may also have heard that Marvel is <a href="Marvel's%20new%20Thor%20will%20be%20a%20woman%20%7C%20The%20Verge">making Thor a woman</a>, but that's probably not relevant to Syndergaard and the Mets have not commented on the rumors. The Norse god of thunder actually has his own holiday, called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorrablot">Thursblot</a>.</p> <p>Thursblot is a mid-winter holiday typically celebrated on the full moon in January. Thor drives back the frost giants, which allows the seasons to begin to turn towards spring. Much like the Mets have been wallowing in the frigid winter of non-competitiveness, Syndergaard's promotion will represent a turn towards the future and brighter times ahead.</p> <p>If Thor cannot debut for the Mets against the San Francisco (Frost) <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Giants</a> in early August, perhaps he can debut on a Thursday (Thor's Day) later on in the month. Whenever it happens, we can be sure that Noah Syndergaard's major league debut will be a special date within the 2014 Mets season.</p> Wilmer Flores embodies the 2014 Mets https://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/7/3/5790696/mets-wilmer-flores-ruben-tejada-shortstop-vegas Michael Donato Sun, 08 Jun 2014 09:57:56 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QprHBLDAM4Z0uHaMZCr67AZUWng=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/34735247/20140613_rnb_ae5_133.JPG.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption> </figure> <p>The 2014 Mets aren't necessarily a team built to win it all, but Sandy Alderson still created the team with a winning record—if not more—in mind. Wilmer Flores' role perfectly embodies that philosophy.</p> <p><span>Wilmer Flores</span> is still a <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/2/18/5421848/amazin-avenue-top-25-mets-prospects-no-5-wilmer-flores">prospect</a> and still only 22 years old, despite having been in the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> system for what feels like ages. Many folks think he'll hit well at the major league level, so why wasn't he playing more when he was with the team?</p> <p>Part of it is, of course, defense. Before this season, Flores hadn't played shortstop since 2011 as a 19-year-old. After that, the organization decided—in the same offseason that they let Jose Reyes leave via free agency—that Flores's future was not at the position. Clearly they believed very strongly Flores wouldn't be able to play the position at the major league level, and they made the choice to move him elsewhere.</p> <p>Flores wasn't moved to make room for any other player, either; the next Jose Reyes was not waiting for a chance to play. In 2012, <span>Wilfredo Tovar</span>, <span>T.J. Rivera</span>, and Daniel Muno got most of the time in St. Lucie, and Wilfredo Tovar, <span>Sean Kazmar</span>, and <span>Josh Rodriguez</span> got most of the time in Binghamton.</p> <p>So the plan to try Flores at short in 2014 was clearly more about what the other guys couldn't do than it was about what Flores could do. The Mets needed offense and Flores looked like he might be able to provide it, but he had no position to play. He's looked okay when he's played, but a couple of handfuls of games are not enough to suddenly feel comfortable enough to put him out there every day and not worry about it. Easing him into it is a prudent choice that allows him to grow more comfortable.</p> <p>Probably more important to the reason Flores wasn't playing more, and one of the major reasons he was demoted, is that the Mets have struggled to score runs. When Flores was in the lineup, he didn't help. He's only slugged just .300 with a .253 on-base percentage in the big leagues this year. His 56 wRC+ puts him right below <span>Anthony Recker</span> and Juan Centeno among the team's hitters this year. And that sort of hitting won't earn anyone playing time.</p> <p>The Mets are trying to win games. They are not waiting for some magical time when all the stars align and the team on paper looks better than the rest of the division and even the tabloids think they'll win. They are not treating the Flushing team as a minor league development level above Triple-A. That means putting players on the field that give them the best chance to win. <span>Ruben Tejada</span> has been a much better player than Flores, but given the way the Mets have handled and talked about Tejada over the past year, it's pretty clear they don't consider him a likely part of the future. The Mets want Wilmer Flores to succeed—they want him to deserve the playing time—but he has to start showing it.  He didn't show much while he was in the majors, so the Mets decided the best course of action was to get him regular playing time in Las Vegas.</p> <p>It's one thing to believe in the potential of a prospect's bat, but it's quite another for it to actually manifest. Baseball is a tough game, and it's not always fair. If Flores wants to play more, he'll need to hit more. You could argue that Flores should have played in more than the roughly one-in-three games he played in, but the counter-argument is that he hadn't drawn a walk in 35 plate appearances in June. Even though the Mets didn't have a happy solution for another shortstop on the roster, they sent Flores back down to Las Vegas to get some regular work in both in the field and at the plate. This is a similar philosophy exhibited when they sent Travis d'Arnaud down and rolled with the light-hitting Anthony Recker and <span>Taylor Teagarden</span>. Hopefully Flores handles Triple-A pitching as well as d'Arnaud did.</p> <p>Just as Wilmer Flores is trying to become a solid major league player, the 2014 Mets are trying to become a solid major league team. Flores is getting just enough opportunities to try to earn a major league spot as the Mets are trying to get just enough wins to prove they belong. It's a fine balance of playing the guys that keep you winning and giving chances to the guys that might just get you farther than that in the future.</p> A review of Citi Field's beer selection https://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/6/27/5781118/mets-citi-field-beer-craft-review Michael Donato Wed, 04 Jun 2014 21:01:35 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/fiwvY8O-nCpu6Sq4uUdm6JVmz5E=/0x106:640x533/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/33931515/LongHammerIPA.0.jpg" /> </figure> <p>Few things go together as well as beer and baseball. Presented here is a guide to finding the best beer while watching the Mets play at Citi Field.</p> <p>While Sandy Alderson and Terry Collins work to give you the best Mets experience they can on the field, the Mets do what they can to provide a memorable and enjoyable day at the park regardless of how the team is doing. This year the Mets really stepped up their beer game, although finding those beers can sometimes be confusing. There are TVs and radio feeds throughout the park, but you're not at Citi Field to wander the concourses in search of a quality brew.</p> <p>Here's an excerpt from the more in-depth <a href="http://beergraphs.com/bg/421-citi-field-beer-review/">BeerGraphs</a> review of the craft beer at Citi Field:</p> <blockquote> <p>The Promenade Food Court behind home plate is the place to be. You can get just about every beer option here. The Empire State Craft Beer Stand up here actually has two craft beer taps and in April they were pouring Sixpoint Sweet Action and Bronx Pale Ale. The Bronx Pale Ale on tap is probably my favorite here, although Captain Lawrence's Kölsch is a great beer for a ballgame and the Coney Island Seas The Day is excellent. The Blue Point Toxic Sludge is the closest thing Citi Field has to a dark beer.</p> </blockquote> <p>You can find good beer at just about any corner of Citi Field. Both foul pole corners on the Field Level have craft stands, and in a pinch the two Big Apple Brews stands in center field and behind home plate on the Promenade level provide a wide variety of beers distributed by Anheuser Busch-InBev. Picking one of the cans that are 16 ounces rather than 12 is a nice way to be a little thrifty, as they're all the same price. The various Pat LaFrieda stands also have IPA cans, usually Sixpoint Sweet Action or Brooklyn Brewery East India Pale Ale. If you're in the clubs, particularly the Caesar's Club or the Delta Club, there are several good beers on tap.</p> <p>AB-InBev, thanks to a lucrative contract with both MLB and the Mets, dominates most ballparks. You may recall that in the first two years of Citi Field the four Danny Meyer food stands—Shake Shack, Blue Smoke, El Verano Taqueria and Box Frites—all had exclusive Brooklyn Breweries beers. But when those beers left the park, beer selection suffered for a while.</p> <p>Even the craft beer stands are not without Big Beer's influence: Many of the beers available there are actually craft labels produced by the macro beer companies and many others, like Blue Point and Goose Island, are breweries that are actually owned by AB-InBev.</p> <p>Ultimately craft beer wins out, at least among the social-media-savvy fans. Utilizing data mined from Untappd and Foursquare, the most commonly checked-into beer at Citi Field is Brooklyn Lager.</p> <table width="80%" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="left">Brewery</th> <th align="left">Beer</th> <th align="center">Check-ins</th> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Brooklyn Brewery</td> <td align="left">Brooklyn Lager</td> <td align="center">65</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Anheuser-Busch (ABInBev)</td> <td align="left">Bud Light</td> <td align="center">52</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Sixpoint Brewery</td> <td align="left">Sweet Action</td> <td align="center">36</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Redhook Ale Brewery</td> <td align="left">Long Hammer IPA</td> <td align="center">36</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Sixpoint Brewery</td> <td align="left">Bengali Tiger</td> <td align="center">31</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Brooklyn Brewery</td> <td align="left">East India Pale Ale (IPA)</td> <td align="center">27</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Goose Island Beer Co.</td> <td align="left">India Pale Ale (IPA)</td> <td align="center">27</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Anheuser-Busch (ABInBev)</td> <td align="left">Budweiser</td> <td align="center">21</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Goose Island Beer Co.</td> <td align="left">Honker's Ale</td> <td align="center">17</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Stella Artois (ABInBev)</td> <td align="left">Stella Artois</td> <td align="center">17</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Of course it's not all good. Citi Field still lacks a real dark beer. Blue Point Toxic Sludge is a cascadian dark ale, also known as a Black IPA, but that's still a hoppy style and not quite the type of dark beer you might crave during a cold April or October game. Perhaps if the Mets start playing more games in October, the dark beer would follow? The kölsch is a nice light summertime style, but it'd be nice to mix in a saison somewhere as it's a style that was originally brewed for warm summertime days.</p> <p>The Mets also play on the road and it's fun to check out new ballparks and still see the boys in orange and blue. <a href="http://beergraphs.com/search/?q=ballpark+beer+review">BeerGraphs </a>can help you there too.</p> New York Mets leaders in bases per out https://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/4/25/5626654/mets-bases-out-leaders-wright-duda-satin-murphy Michael Donato Thu, 17 Apr 2014 22:27:27 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VtFXGkEV2elcKUld3CZG3VZzcHg=/0x110:4000x2777/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/32123279/20130214_mje_bb1_315.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption> </figure> <p>The Mets invented their own internal stat, but it's not real hard to figure out how it works and see how the Mets did last year.</p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> use a stat called <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/4/17/5625148/mets-alderson-hitting-philosophy-hudgens-depodesta-bpo-player-bonuses">bases per out</a> internally to help evaluate offensive performance and as a benchmark to measure how well players fit into their overall organizational philosophy. The Mets haven't spelled it out exactly, but it's pretty easy to figure out what it means.</p> <p>Bases infers total bases with walks mixed in. Outs infers at bats where the batter makes an out. Per means it's a rate stat and you should divide. I added hit-by-pitches to bases and assumed that errors and fielders' choices counted as outs. I multiplied the bases by two because the original article suggest Mets players would get $200 for a base but lose $100 for an out. So here are the Mets' leaders from last season.</p> <table width="100%" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="left">Player</th> <th align="center">Bases</th> <th align="center">Outs</th> <th align="center">BPO</th> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>David Wright</span></td> <td align="center">281</td> <td align="center">300</td> <td align="center">1.8733</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Marlon Byrd</span></td> <td align="center">252</td> <td align="center">311</td> <td align="center">1.6206</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Lucas Duda</span></td> <td align="center">196</td> <td align="center">249</td> <td align="center">1.5743</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Josh Satin</td> <td align="center">107</td> <td align="center">138</td> <td align="center">1.5507</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Daniel Murphy</span></td> <td align="center">307</td> <td align="center">475</td> <td align="center">1.2926</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Ike Davis</span></td> <td align="center">164</td> <td align="center">254</td> <td align="center">1.2913</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Andrew Brown</span></td> <td align="center">73</td> <td align="center">118</td> <td align="center">1.2373</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Anthony Recker</td> <td align="center">67</td> <td align="center">109</td> <td align="center">1.2294</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Justin Turner</span></td> <td align="center">89</td> <td align="center">146</td> <td align="center">1.2192</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>John Buck</span></td> <td align="center">172</td> <td align="center">291</td> <td align="center">1.1821</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Kirk Nieuwenhuis</td> <td align="center">44</td> <td align="center">78</td> <td align="center">1.1282</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Eric Young</span></td> <td align="center">160</td> <td align="center">287</td> <td align="center">1.1150</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Rick Ankiel</span></td> <td align="center">29</td> <td align="center">54</td> <td align="center">1.0741</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Juan Lagares</span></td> <td align="center">160</td> <td align="center">304</td> <td align="center">1.0526</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Omar Quintanilla</span></td> <td align="center">128</td> <td align="center">250</td> <td align="center">1.0240</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Mike Baxter</span></td> <td align="center">55</td> <td align="center">108</td> <td align="center">1.0185</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Jordany Valdespin</span></td> <td align="center">53</td> <td align="center">108</td> <td align="center">0.9815</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Travis d'Arnaud</td> <td align="center">38</td> <td align="center">80</td> <td align="center">0.9500</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Matt den Dekker</td> <td align="center">21</td> <td align="center">46</td> <td align="center">0.9130</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Wilmer Flores</td> <td align="center">33</td> <td align="center">76</td> <td align="center">0.8684</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Collin Cowgill</span></td> <td align="center">21</td> <td align="center">50</td> <td align="center">0.8400</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Ruben Tejada</td> <td align="center">70</td> <td align="center">169</td> <td align="center">0.8284</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p> <p>That seems roughly like a ranking of the Mets' best hitters last year. <span>Andrew Brown</span>, Josh Satin, and <span>Anthony Recker's</span> standing on this list probably has a fair amount to do with why they made the 2014 roster. The league-average BPO last season was 1.2959, which means that most of the Mets were actually below that, and that correlates with the Mets' below-average offense.</p> <p>How did the Mets' offseason acquisitions fit with their stat? The two main hitters the Mets acquired, <span>Chris Young</span> and Curtis Granderson, did okay from 2011 through 2013. Here they are, along with some other prominent names that were linked to the Mets.</p> <table width="100%" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="left">Player</th> <th align="center">Bases</th> <th align="center">Outs</th> <th align="center">BPO</th> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Chris Young</span></td> <td align="center">666</td> <td align="center">961</td> <td align="center">1.3861</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Curtis Granderson</td> <td align="center">907</td> <td align="center">1075</td> <td align="center">1.6874</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Nelson Cruz</span></td> <td align="center">847</td> <td align="center">1097</td> <td align="center">1.5442</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Stephen Drew</span></td> <td align="center">546</td> <td align="center">802</td> <td align="center">1.3616</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Michael Bourn</span></td> <td align="center">858</td> <td align="center">1326</td> <td align="center">1.2941</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Shin-Soo Choo</span></td> <td align="center">916</td> <td align="center">1077</td> <td align="center">1.7010</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p> </p> <p>Michael Bourn was from last offseason, and he didn't do very well in 2013, dragging his BPO down to league average. All the other guys are above average. Granderson is clearly a good signing according to this stat, but it's interesting that <span>Nelson Cruz</span> did better than Chris Young. The Mets probably factored defense and position into that equation, knowing that they might need someone to play center field if Juan Lagares got hurt or didn't perform.</p> <p>The BPO stat is hardly groundbreaking, but it does seem to rank players pretty well with their actual ability. The best players are at the top of the list, and the bottom of the list features pitchers and guys like Jeff Francoeur. I'll leave you with a list of the seven best players by bases per out in 2013.</p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1" width="100%"><tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="left">Player</th> <th align="center">Bases</th> <th align="center">Outs</th> <th align="center">BPO</th> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left">Miguel Cabrera</td> <td align="center">448</td> <td align="center">363</td> <td align="center">2.4683</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Hanley Ramirez</span></td> <td align="center">224</td> <td align="center">201</td> <td align="center">2.2289</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Mike Trout</span></td> <td align="center">447</td> <td align="center">407</td> <td align="center">2.1966</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Chris Davis</span></td> <td align="center">452</td> <td align="center">424</td> <td align="center">2.1321</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Joey Votto</span></td> <td align="center">424</td> <td align="center">410</td> <td align="center">2.0683</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left">Paul Goldschmidt</td> <td align="center">434</td> <td align="center">425</td> <td align="center">2.0424</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>David Ortiz</span></td> <td align="center">369</td> <td align="center">363</td> <td align="center">2.0331</td> </tr> </tbody></table> Mets Spring Training: First base is Ike Davis's job to lose https://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/3/24/5468762/mets-ike-davis-first-base Michael Donato Tue, 04 Mar 2014 00:04:47 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lhFxFhRNODWB7VxjWK95VyViy3g=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/30187733/20130828_jla_ae5_359.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption> </figure> <p>It's unlikely anything is going to happen in spring training that would cause the Mets to give up on Ike Davis.</p> <p>Like him or hate him, <span>Ike Davis</span> is probably going to be the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets'</a> first baseman. After being recalled from the minor leagues last season—following another ineffectual offensive start—he had an on-base percentage near the top of the league and only an oblique injury caused him to cede second-half playing time to other Mets. The last look we had of Davis was a good one, and since he hasn't been traded and spring training stats mean very little, first base is his job to lose.</p> <link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3608425/mustreads.css"> <p>The power of the incumbent is strong and optimism runs high in spring training. As long as Ike Davis is healthy at the end of spring training he'll be the everyday first baseman come Opening Day. Of all the various options the Mets have to play the position, Davis has the best combination of upside and experience. He can hit thirty home runs and protect <span>David Wright</span> in the lineup. He can play excellent defense and help scoop up any errant throws from around the infield.</p> <p>Before his demotion last year, Davis had collected 207 plate appearances. After being recalled, he compiled 170 plate appearances. The difference in his performance was stark; it may as well have been two entirely different hitters. From Opening Day through June 9, Davis hit .161/.242/.258, at which point he was shipped to Triple-A Las Vegas. And when he returned?</p> <p>Below is a table of league leaders sorted by on-base percentage for games played between July 5 and August 31, the time Ike Davis spent on the big league roster after his recall.</p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1" width="100%"><tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="left"><span>Name</span></th> <th align="center"><span>SLG</span></th> <th align="center"><span>OBP</span></th> <th align="center"><span>PA</span></th> <th align="center"><span>BB</span></th> <th align="center"><span>K</span></th> <th align="center"><span>RBI</span></th> <th align="center"><span>2B</span></th> <th align="center"><span>HR</span></th> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Mike Trout</span></td> <td align="center">0.635</td> <td align="center">0.500</td> <td align="center">204</td> <td align="center">39</td> <td align="center">41</td> <td align="center">27</td> <td align="center">9</td> <td align="center">10</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Jayson Werth</span></td> <td align="center">0.640</td> <td align="center">0.462</td> <td align="center">201</td> <td align="center">28</td> <td align="center">27</td> <td align="center">37</td> <td align="center">5</td> <td align="center">13</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Victor Martinez</span></td> <td align="center">0.537</td> <td align="center">0.452</td> <td align="center">221</td> <td align="center">19</td> <td align="center">16</td> <td align="center">31</td> <td align="center">16</td> <td align="center">4</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Adrian Beltre</span></td> <td align="center">0.595</td> <td align="center">0.444</td> <td align="center">216</td> <td align="center">23</td> <td align="center">17</td> <td align="center">38</td> <td align="center">7</td> <td align="center">12</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Paul Goldschmidt</span></td> <td align="center">0.542</td> <td align="center">0.440</td> <td align="center">225</td> <td align="center">46</td> <td align="center">42</td> <td align="center">35</td> <td align="center">9</td> <td align="center">11</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Miguel Cabrera</span></td> <td align="center">0.709</td> <td align="center">0.439</td> <td align="center">182</td> <td align="center">26</td> <td align="center">22</td> <td align="center">45</td> <td align="center">5</td> <td align="center">17</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Andrew McCutchen</span></td> <td align="center">0.556</td> <td align="center">0.433</td> <td align="center">219</td> <td align="center">30</td> <td align="center">38</td> <td align="center">30</td> <td align="center">9</td> <td align="center">8</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Joey Votto</span></td> <td align="center">0.474</td> <td align="center">0.433</td> <td align="center">224</td> <td align="center">47</td> <td align="center">44</td> <td align="center">24</td> <td align="center">11</td> <td align="center">6</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><b>Ike Davis</b></td> <td align="center"><b>0.442</b></td> <td align="center"><b>0.429</b></td> <td align="center"><b>170</b></td> <td align="center"><b>38</b></td> <td align="center"><b>35</b></td> <td align="center"><b>17</b></td> <td align="center"><b>11</b></td> <td align="center"><b>4</b></td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Joe Mauer</span></td> <td align="center">0.488</td> <td align="center">0.420</td> <td align="center">150</td> <td align="center">18</td> <td align="center">20</td> <td align="center">18</td> <td align="center">10</td> <td align="center">3</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left"><span>Robinson Cano</span></td> <td align="center">0.480</td> <td align="center">0.419</td> <td align="center">205</td> <td align="center">24</td> <td align="center">24</td> <td align="center">32</td> <td align="center">11</td> <td align="center">5</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>It's hard to look at these numbers and think Davis is done as a productive major leaguer, and the sample size was nearly as large as the sample size that led to his demotion in the first place. He walked more than he struck out, and while he only had four home runs he did have fifteen extra-base hits. Perhaps the <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/2/23/5441190/mets-ike-davis-injury-oblique">oblique injury</a> he mentioned this spring was bothering him more than he let on; oblique injuries do tend to sap power. Or perhaps he just happened to hit balls that found gaps or that hit the wall rather than going over it. Either way, fifteen extra-base hits and a .429 on-base percentage are remarkably good and they're part of what will grant Davis the first base job to start 2014.</p> <p>That's not to say that there is nothing to the reported first base competition this March. While Ike Davis will likely start the season at first, we've seen plenty of evidence that he can go months without a meaningful at-bat. What guys like <span>Lucas Duda</span>, <span>Josh Satin</span>, and perhaps <span>Zach Lutz</span> and <span>Wilmer Flores</span> are competing for is to prove they deserve playing time and to be in position to steal time from Davis should he falter. Duda has an advantage since he has proven to be an above-average hitter already, but the other players all have the platoon advantage against left-handed pitchers.</p> <p>The leash for Ike Davis will be much shorter this season than it has in the past. Regardless of the Mets' level of competitiveness, carrying a first baseman who isn't hitting is not something they can afford to do for long. With so many other possible replacements, Davis will not get a month as an offensive black hole like he was to begin the previous two years, but he will still get the chance to start the season off on the right foot.</p> <link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css"> The Mets' best outfield alignment https://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/3/14/5508640/new-york-mets-outfield-granderson-young-lagares Michael Donato Fri, 14 Mar 2014 11:30:07 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/C2rOrpqZV3SANH6FsjhS7w9ZMvw=/0x0:2039x1359/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/30049533/collins-granderson-young-lagares.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Chris McShane</figcaption> </figure> <p>Of all the outfielders in camp with the New York Mets, which three should be the primary outfielders for the regular season? </p> <p>The <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> have signed two new outfielders since last season: <span>Curtis Granderson</span> and Chris Young. It seems like a pretty safe bet to say the team's outfield—and as a result their offense in general—will be better in 2014. The Mets now have a versatile outfield with a couple different alignment options.</p> <p>Twelve different people played in the Mets' outfield in 2013. Six of them are back this year to complement Granderson and Chris Young, along with other minor league signings and potential promotions. Terry Collins will have a lot of things to consider, but his choices are a lot better than they were last year. Young and Granderson will be starting, so it's really a race for that last starting spot and the two bench spots. Here's how those players performed last year, per Fangraphs.</p> <p> <script src="http://www.kryogenix.org/code/browser/sorttable/sorttable.js"></script></p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1" width="100%" class="sortable"><tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="left">Name</th> <th align="center">PA</th> <th align="center">HR</th> <th align="center">SB</th> <th align="center">BB%</th> <th align="center">K%</th> <th align="center">AVG</th> <th align="center">OBP</th> <th align="center">SLG</th> <th align="center">wOBA</th> <th align="center">wRC+</th> <th align="center">Off</th> <th align="center">Def</th> <th align="center">fWAR</th> <th align="center">ARM*</th> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Curtis Granderson</td> <td align="center">245</td> <td align="center">7</td> <td align="center">8</td> <td align="center">11.0%</td> <td align="center">28.2%</td> <td align="center">.229</td> <td align="center">.317</td> <td align="center">.407</td> <td align="center">.319</td> <td align="center">97</td> <td align="center">0.2</td> <td align="center">4.3</td> <td align="center">1.4</td> <td align="center">8.3</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="left">Andrew Brown</td> <td align="center">165</td> <td align="center">7</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">7.9%</td> <td align="center">26.7%</td> <td align="center">.227</td> <td align="center">.288</td> <td align="center">.400</td> <td align="center">.304</td> <td align="center">95</td> <td align="center">-0.2</td> <td align="center">-4.2</td> <td align="center">0.1</td> <td align="center">5.1</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Chris Young</td> <td align="center">375</td> <td align="center">12</td> <td align="center">10</td> <td align="center">9.6%</td> <td align="center">24.8%</td> <td align="center">.200</td> <td align="center">.280</td> <td align="center">.379</td> <td align="center">.289</td> <td align="center">82</td> <td align="center">-6.7</td> <td align="center">-1.5</td> <td align="center">0.5</td> <td align="center">-6.8</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Eric Young Jr.</td> <td align="center">598</td> <td align="center">2</td> <td align="center">46</td> <td align="center">7.7%</td> <td align="center">16.7%</td> <td align="center">.249</td> <td align="center">.310</td> <td align="center">.336</td> <td align="center">.288</td> <td align="center">78</td> <td align="center">-4.6</td> <td align="center">-6.3</td> <td align="center">0.8</td> <td align="center">-5.8</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Juan Lagares</span></td> <td align="center">421</td> <td align="center">4</td> <td align="center">6</td> <td align="center">4.8%</td> <td align="center">22.8%</td> <td align="center">.242</td> <td align="center">.281</td> <td align="center">.352</td> <td align="center">.275</td> <td align="center">75</td> <td align="center">-11.5</td> <td align="center">25.4</td> <td align="center">2.9</td> <td align="center">13.8</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left"><span>Kirk Nieuwenhuis</span></td> <td align="center">108</td> <td align="center">3</td> <td align="center">2</td> <td align="center">11.1%</td> <td align="center">29.6%</td> <td align="center">.189</td> <td align="center">.278</td> <td align="center">.337</td> <td align="center">.272</td> <td align="center">72</td> <td align="center">-2.0</td> <td align="center">3.0</td> <td align="center">0.5</td> <td align="center">-0.6</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="left">Matt den Dekker</td> <td align="center">63</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">4</td> <td align="center">6.3%</td> <td align="center">36.5%</td> <td align="center">.207</td> <td align="center">.270</td> <td align="center">.276</td> <td align="center">.250</td> <td align="center">57</td> <td align="center">-2.2</td> <td align="center">0.3</td> <td align="center">0.0</td> <td align="center">-0.2</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p><font size="1">*Arm values are for career.</font></p> <p>Both Granderson and Young could make a claim for center field. Neither has much time in the corners, though both put in some time in both of them last season. Juan Lagares is the best defensive option in center, but it's still uncertain whether he'll be starting the season in an everyday role. If not, Chris Young is two-and-a-half years younger than Granderson and would probably be the choice for center with Eric Young Jr. getting time in left field. If so, it makes sense to play Curtis Granderson in right field and Chris Young in left as Granderson has the better arm.</p> <p>Eric Young Jr. vs. Juan Lagares is really the competition for that third starting outfield spot. Both will likely remain on the team regardless of who gets Terry Collins's nod as the Opening Day starter. This makes this one of the competitions that's somewhat muted by the realization that Collins could change his mind by game two. The Opening Day starter is really just the starter for a single game of the season.</p> <p>Lagares needs the level of defense he showed last year, or improvement on his walk rate, to really claim the job, but in his age-25 season, there is still plenty of time for him to do just that. It's clear what Eric Young Jr. is going to give the Mets, and while he's not terrible, he shouldn't just be handed the job.</p> <p>Reading between the lines, it seems Juan Lagares will be joining Granderson and Chris Young. Terry Collins thinks a .350 on-base percentage would be ideal for Eric Young Jr., but he's only reached that mark only once in a season. He had a .377 OBP for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.purplerow.com/">Rockies</a> in 2012, fueled mainly by some luck with balls in play raising his batting average .058 above his career average. Collins also mentioned 25 bunt hits, three times as many as Young Jr. has ever had in a season.</p> <p>Collins has said he could use Chris Young or <span>Ruben Tejada</span> as a leadoff hitter if need be, which would erase his main reason for wanting to play Eric Young Jr. every day. Collins is hoping one of the two players shows him something that makes the decision easier. A strong showing from players at other positions—like <span>Ike Davis</span> or Tejada—might also convince Collins that the Mets can afford to play Lagares mainly for defense.</p> <p>Three other names remain in the mix for the other outfield spot: Kirk Niuewenhuis, Matt den Dekker, and Andrew Brown. Nieuwenhuis and den Dekker both exist in that murky in-between area where they're no longer prospects but haven't proven themselves capable major leaguers. They strike out too frequently and play good defense, although den Dekker does more of both. Brown seems to be the least talked about, yet he put up okay numbers last year in a limited role. At 29 years old, it's not like he's a washed up veteran, and he is also more used to limited playing time, while den Dekker and Nieuwenhuis would be better served playing in Las Vegas getting daily at bats. The biggest thing working against Brown is that he's right-handed hitter and doesn't provide any platoon balance for Chris Young or Lagares.</p> <p>Perhaps the Mets decide to carry <span>Lucas Duda</span> and Ike Davis, using Duda as a pinch hitter and emergency outfielder. They could even keep a sixth player that can player on outfield on the roster, like they did for parts of last year. Whatever they decide to do, the best starting outfield alignment is Chris Young, Juan Lagares, and Curtis Granderson, from left to right.</p> <p> <link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css"></p> 2014 Mets Season Preview: Taylor Teagarden https://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/2/28/5399706/mets-taylor-teagarden-season-preview Michael Donato Mon, 10 Feb 2014 21:21:19 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Rr3KYgbrWJq41-kKyDLKsHXa3wM=/0x260:2667x2038/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/29305415/474997705.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Chris Trotman</figcaption> </figure> <p>Does Taylor Teagarden bring anything to the table to justify including him on the roster over Anthony Recker?</p> <p><span>Taylor Teagarden</span> was <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/1/6/5281354/new-york-mets-news-sign-catcher-taylor-teagarden-minor-league-contract">signed</a> by the Mets and given an invitation to major league camp mainly to provide depth at the catcher position. He's hoping to win a job backing up Travis d'Arnaud and as a bit of a veteran mentor type, but he faces long odds. He's never hit much, and last year was no exception: A .167 batting average with one walk over 62 plate appearances for the <a href="https://www.camdenchat.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Orioles</a>. Almost all of his value has come defensively, and most of that was in his first two season with the <a href="https://www.lonestarball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Texas Rangers</a> in 2008 and 2009.</p> <p>Teagarden is now 30 and competing with <span>Anthony Recker</span> and <span>Juan Centeno</span> for a job, both of whom are already on the Mets' 40-man roster. Centeno is five years younger and bats left-handed, which could give the Mets a different look from the right-handed d'Arnaud. Recker actually put up a pretty decent season for the Mets last year, posting an 89 wRC+ in limited time while clubbing six home runs including a game-tying 13th inning bomb off <span>Heath Bell</span> on July 4. Here's how the catchers' career stats compare, via <a href="http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&amp;stats=bat&amp;lg=all&amp;qual=0&amp;type=8&amp;season=2013&amp;month=0&amp;season1=2008&amp;ind=0&amp;team=0&amp;rost=0&amp;age=0&amp;filter=&amp;players=5199,4063" target="_blank">Fangraphs</a>.</p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1" width="100%"><tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="center">Name</th> <th align="center">G</th> <th align="center">PA</th> <th align="center">HR</th> <th align="center">BB%</th> <th align="center">K%</th> <th align="center">AVG</th> <th align="center">OBP</th> <th align="center">SLG</th> <th align="center">wOBA</th> <th align="center">Off</th> <th align="center">Def</th> <th align="center">WAR</th> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Taylor Teagarden</td> <td align="center">163</td> <td align="center">518</td> <td align="center">20</td> <td align="center">6.8</td> <td align="center">35.3</td> <td align="center">.206</td> <td align="center">.266</td> <td align="center">.390</td> <td align="center">.287</td> <td align="center">-20.5</td> <td align="center">11.1</td> <td align="center">0.8</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Anthony Recker</td> <td align="center">77</td> <td align="center">230</td> <td align="center">7</td> <td align="center">10.0</td> <td align="center">30.9</td> <td align="center">.194</td> <td align="center">.281</td> <td align="center">.348</td> <td align="center">.280</td> <td align="center">-6.2</td> <td align="center">3.5</td> <td align="center">0.5</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>Unless someone gets hurt, Teagarden is very likely to open the season with Triple-A Las Vegas. Catchers get injured a lot, though, and the third or fourth catcher on the depth chart is a fair bet to get some major league time during a 162-game season. Teagarden isn't the best you can hope for in a backup catcher, but if he does end up on the Mets, he'll likely do an adequate job in a supporting role.</p> <link rel="stylesheet" href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css"> Some wild assertions about the 2014 New York Mets https://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/2/17/5399636/new-york-mets-spring-training-rumors Michael Donato Mon, 10 Feb 2014 20:49:09 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aot_9TsHEr7kdZC1n3svOnJclpQ=/0x100:4000x2767/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/28725995/20140131_mjr_su5_060.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption> </figure> <p>It's "say something crazy about the Mets" season.</p> <p>It’s almost baseball season, which means it’s time for two months of wild assertions, random criticism, and wacky rumors. You may even have heard some of this discussed on episode 52 of <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2014/2/4/5377266/amazin-avenue-audio-podcast-new-york-mets-eric-young-wilmer-flores#">Amazin’ Avenue Audio</a>. Let’s take a look at what we've heard so far and theorize on some others. We can call this the "<span>Luis Hernandez</span> is the second baseman" post.</p> <p><b><span>Lucas Duda</span> will still get a chance in the outfield.</b><span> This one’s not that far-fetched since Duda did in fact play the outfield as recently as last year, but it’s also one of the crazier ones because it didn't take a professional scout to see that Duda was not a good fielder. Duda</span><span>'</span><span>s offensive value was pretty much negated by his defensive woes in left field. This rumor has a lot more to do with having no obvious solution to first base or left field. The <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> have a lot of guys in the running for playing time at first base, but Duda’s bat is the steadiest of all of them. It’s unlikely that he will actually play the outfield unless something goes horribly wrong in spring training. </span></p> <p><span> <b>Eric </b></span><b>Young Jr will bat leadoff.</b> Young isn’t a bad player, but he’s not a particularly good one, either. He’s certainly not the guy you want getting the most at bats on your team, nor is his on base percentage high enough to really justify hitting him leadoff. Speed doesn't matter when you don’t get on base. Additionally, Young leading off means he’s playing regularly which means <span>Juan Lagares</span> probably isn't. Lagares has lots of work to do to be a major league hitter, but he still has some upside and plays defense much much better than Young does. The Mets don’t really have a perfect answer for leadoff, which is why this is still a question that will spark a dozen rumors, but it seems unlikely that Eric Young Jr is the best option.</p> <p><span><b><span>Wilmer Flores</span> can play shortstop.</b></span><span> Between the <span>Stephen Drew</span> rumors and comments about <span>Ruben Tejada</span>, the Mets are desperately searching for other options at shortstop. Like many professional baseball players, Flores used to play shortstop. Like many professional baseball players, he turned out not to be good enough to do so at higher levels. It looks like Flores can hit, and for a team that’s struggled to score runs, that’s something you try to get into your lineup any way you can. But much like playing Duda in the outfield, playing Flores at shortstop would negate much of the value he'd add with his bat.</span></p> <p><span><b><span>Daniel Murphy</span> is one of the candidates to get the first baseman’s job.</b></span><span> The Mets seem to like to move Murphy around every so often, and he’s overdue for a position change. Perhaps he can be the backup catcher and maybe a spare lefty reliever for long games. You could use him as a sideline reporter with Kevin Burkhardt is out, and it’s not out of the question that he could take over as the team chef. Clearly the Mets aren't locking a first baseman into the position with any certainty, but they have a lot of other options besides Murphy. A rash of trades, injuries, or a creative rearranging of the infield to maximize the lineup could change that, but in all likelihood, it’s time to leave Daniel Murphy alone at second base. He’s comfortably above average at the position overall, and the Mets have plenty of other places more worthy of their attention.</span></p> <p><b>The Mets might move <span>Jenrry Mejia</span> to the bullpen.</b> Jerry Manuel is gone but not forgotten and his dream of Jenrry Mejia in the bullpen is one that will continue to resurface. Mejia has dealt with a couple of injuries in his short career, and it’s started to create some doubts about whether he can stay healthy for a whole season. If Mejia can’t manage a 200-inning workload, using him out of the bullpen in some capacity is feasible, but starters are much more valuable. The Mets do have pitching depth, at least right now, and you can expect this debate to ramp up even if Mejia stays healthy, as prospects like <span>Noah Syndergaard</span> and <span>Rafael Montero</span> start to knock on major league door.</p> <p><span><b><span>Jack Leathersich</span> could make the team as the lefty reliever</b></span><span>. This one isn't really as wild as it might have been last year since Leathersich pitched 29 innings in Triple-A, but they were bad innings. He averaged a walk per inning and struck out 14.6 hitters per nine innings, yet he still managed to allow 9.9 hits per nine. Lefty relievers that strike out that many guys are always going to be appealing, but he’s probably not ready to face major league hitters just yet. Leathersich</span><span>'</span><span>s platoon splits are also reversed; he hasn't had much success against lefties at all. Fellow lefty <span>Adam Kolarek</span> was also invited to camp, and while he doesn't have as gaudy strikeout rates, his overall numbers are much better</span></p> <p><b><span>Matt Harvey</span> will pitch this season.</b> <span>This one's courtesy of Matt Harvey himself, who's determined to start pitching the very moment the doctors clear him to do so. It would be great to see Harvey again before 2015, but it's certainly not something we should be expecting. If he's at the point where he can safely pitch off a mound, and he's put in the requisite minor league appearances to get up to speed, then it can't hurt to let him get some time in in 2014, but there are a lot of hurdles to get past before that happens. No matter what position the Mets are in in the standings, Harvey pitching late in this season will be a decision based solely on his own rehab and nothing else.</span></p> <p><span><span>These are just some of the crazy rumors circulating around the Mets as spring training begins. As writers need to fill columns and Terry Collins gets asked more questions, I'm sure we'll get a bunch more.</span></span></p> What number will Curtis Granderson wear with the Mets? https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/12/9/5190714/new-york-mets-curtis-granderson-number Michael Donato Sun, 08 Dec 2013 22:28:42 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/IvNFMcvjOev2jG2u3mW72HOCHZE=/0x87:4000x2754/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/24777185/20130905_ajl_ag9_227.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sport</figcaption> </figure> <p>There are a couple of different uniform options for Curtis Granderson to wear with the Mets. Which will he choose?</p> <p><span>Curtis Granderson</span> wore number 14 with the <a href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Yankees</a>, but the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> retired that number for Gil Hodges, so he won’t wear it now. There are a couple of other logical possibilities for the veteran outfielder.</p> <p>The most probable number is 28. That’s the number Granderson wore with the <a href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Tigers</a> and in the minors, and it was only because Joe Girardi was wearing it that he didn’t when he joined the Yankees. Of course, 28 is currently worn by <span>Daniel Murphy</span>, and he’s been wearing it for quite awhile. It’s not out of the question that he could give it up for his newly acquired teammate, and while Murphy does seem like the type willing to do that, there is no guarantee he will. There is also the possibility that Murphy gets traded, which would almost clinch Curtis taking the number.</p> <p>Granderson wore 26 in his first season with the Tigers since 28 was occupied by <span>Greg Norton</span>. I don’t know if that was Granderson’s pick or just a number the organization assigned him in the interim, but 26 is available for the Mets. The Mets' new outfielder could choose some combination of 28, like doubling it for 56. That’s Scott Rice’s number riight now, but I doubt a reliever in his second year would balk much at giving up a number. Granderson could flip 28 for 82, but that is probably way too high for an outfielder. 82 has never been worn by a Mets player, and flipping 14 isnt possible since 41 is retired for Tom Seaver.</p> <p>Perhaps Granderson could choose 81, the year he was born. <span>Prince Fielder</span>, who wore 28 with the Tigers after Curtis, took number 84 for his birth year when he was traded to the Texas. Wearing 18 would be a good choice, too. Darryl Strawberry did great things as a Mets outfielder wearing 18, and it’d be a comfortable image for Mets fans.</p> <p>My personal choice would be for Granderson to wear 24. I understand all the Willie Mays angles, but the idea of a pseudo-retired number is silly. I still think the Mets should have given Travis d’Arnaud 8, and not just because I think 15 should have been held back pending the retirement and Hall of Fame induction of Mets great Carlos Beltran. Have Granderson ask Mays for permission, make a big deal about the storied history of the New York <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Giants</a> and Mays’s time with the Mets, give him 24, and let's move on.</p> <p>We’ll find out which number Curtis Granderson has on his back soon enough. My best guess is it’s 50-50 that he wears 28, with 26 being the runner-up, but perhaps he’ll throw us a curveball and pick something weird like 10 or 00.</p> <p> <link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css" rel="stylesheet"></p> Can the Mets trust Ike Davis in the future? https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/8/22/4626552/new-york-mets-ike-davis-future-first-base-satin-duda-flores Michael Donato Thu, 15 Aug 2013 21:58:21 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iyeUDamWbc8D7g2d_NDT0aVx8WY=/0x0:1099x733/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18255311/harvey-wright-davis.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption> </figure> <p>Is there anything Ike Davis can do this season that will give the Mets any confidence he's a part of their next winning team?</p> <p>Let's recap the painful part as quickly as possible. Through June 8, 2012, <span>Ike Davis</span> was hitting .158 with a .234 on-base percentage and a .278 slugging percentage, but he remained in the big leagues. This year, he hit a similar .161 with a .242 OBP and a .258 SLG before he was sent to the minors on June 9.</p> <p>Davis hit .265/.347/.565 with 27 home runs the rest of the season last year over a not-insignificant 100 games. Since being recalled from the minors this season, he's hitting .284/.455/.441 over 38 games. The power's not the same this year, though the .526 SLG since the All-Star break is closer, but he's again showing signs and ability that might make fans giddy.</p> <p>This isn't some lucky minor leaguer running into some bad pitching. Over the last 30 days—101 plate appearances—Ike Davis has a 184 wRC+. In other words, he has been almost twice as good as the league average hitter over that stretch.  In fact, there are only six players with a higher wRC+ over the past month: <span>Jayson Werth</span>, <span>Mike Trout</span>, <span>Miguel Cabrera</span>, <span>Will Venable</span>, <span>Aaron Hill</span>, and <span>Justin Upton</span>.</p> <p>Davis is getting on base at a .475 clip during that stretch, nearly half the times he walks to the plate. Perhaps this is due in part to pitchers learning in the first half that Ike Davis would chase pitches that were not strikes and get himself out. 48.3 percent of the pitches he saw in the first half were in the strike zone, compared to 43.9 percent in the second half. Davis has capitalized on that drop by swinging at only 20.5 percent of pitches out of the zone in the second half, and that's the eighth lowest rate in the majors. That compares to his 28.5 percent in the first half which is still below the 29.6 percent MLB average. Looking at his other plate discipline numbers in the second half, you can see a big jump in contact percentage numbers, both in and out of the zone. By not swinging at the junk, he's able to get into better counts, get better pitches to hit, and hit them.</p> <p><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3093525/ike-davis-swing-The_Star-Ledger-USA_TODAY_Sports.jpg"><font size="1"><em>Photo credit: The Star-Ledger-USA TODAY Sports</em></font></p> <p>What Ike Davis and the <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> need to find out is if he can continue to be selective when the pitchers realize he's stopped lunging at terrible pitches. Perhaps that drop to 43.9 percent of pitches in the zone crossed a threshold that Ike Davis was able to capitalize on, but will it continue when pitchers stop getting into 1-0 holes with first pitches that they expected Davis to swing at? It's a game of inches, and what Ike needs to do to prove himself is to continue to be patient when the pitchers start throwing better pitches in, or closer to, the strike zone.</p> <div class="sidebar"> <a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/8/19/4635414/new-york-mets-marlon-byrd-outfield-home-runs"> <h2>Marlon Byrd: 2014 Mets outfielder?</h2> <img src="http://cdn2.sbnation.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/18082901/20130726_lbm_aq3_469.0.jpg"></a> <span><font size="1"><em>Photo credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports</em></font> </span> </div> <p>It's contrary to logic, but what Ike needs to be part of the 2014 Mets is a slump. He needs to run up against some good pitching when he's just not seeing the ball as well and still manage to find a hit or two and a couple of walks. He needs to prove he can slump like a major leaguer and not like the complete black hole he's been during slumps the last two years. Additionally, he needs to break out of that slump in a couple of weeks, rather than a couple of months.</p> <p>Ike Davis has the talent and skill to hit major league pitching and hit it well. What he needs to find is the ability to adjust on the fly and tweak that ability so he can remain one step ahead of the scouting report on him. It's one thing to know pitchers are going to throw you junk and not swing and quite another to guess when the pitchers are going to throw you junk and not swing.</p> <p>Davis also needs to hit left-handed pitching better than he has. His .388 OPS against lefties this year is unacceptable for an everyday player. It's a little hard to accurately judge Ike's ability in this regard though, as most of his at-bats against lefties were during the first half when he was just slumping in general. Since his return, Terry Collins has protected him a little bit against lefties, which has led to an extremely small sample size. He doesn't have to destroy lefties like <span>David Wright</span>, but working some walks and getting some extra-base hits would go a long way towards convincing people that he can be a major league starter.</p> <p>Over the last month or so Ike Davis has been one of the best players in baseball, but he's got a long way to go to prove he deserves the inevitable arbitration raise and a spot on the 2014 Mets. The Mets have other options that they could use at first base, so it's on Davis to prove he can continue to play baseball at this level. There are 37 games left in the season, and he still needs to convince the Mets.</p> <div><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AmazinAvenue"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2325773/aa-twitter-insert.png" width="100%"></a></div> <h4>More from Amazin' Avenue:</h4> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/8/22/4646974/new-york-mets-news-umpire-replay-controversy-jose-abreu?utm_source=amazinavenue&amp;utm_medium=nextclicks&amp;utm_campaign=blogs">Mets Morning News: Robot umps plz</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/8/22/4646578/mets-daily-farm-report-8-21-13-beasts-of-the-east-ern-league?utm_source=amazinavenue&amp;utm_medium=nextclicks&amp;utm_campaign=blogs">Mets Daily Farm Report - 8/21/13: Beasts of the East(ern League)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/8/21/4644008/amazin-avenue-audio-podcast-new-york-mets-jenrry-mejia-injury?utm_source=amazinavenue&amp;utm_medium=nextclicks&amp;utm_campaign=blogs">The Amazin' Avenue Audio Podcast: Episode 31</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/8/21/4645162/new-york-mets-atlanta-braves-jon-niese-jason-heyward-recap?utm_source=amazinavenue&amp;utm_medium=nextclicks&amp;utm_campaign=blogs">Mets vs. Braves Recap: Heyward hit in jaw, Mets lose in extras</a></li> </ul> The time has come for the Mets to promote Ruben Tejada https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/7/29/4566606/new-york-mets-ruben-tejada-omar-quintanilla-shortstop-las-vegas Michael Donato Sun, 28 Jul 2013 22:14:32 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/56T28n9LSWRxxbcNw66MXr_XW-c=/0x405:3045x2435/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/17052177/20130413_mbr_aj5_234.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption> </figure> <p>Promoting Ruben Tejada is the right answer for the rest of this season and the future.</p> <p>It’s time for the Mets to recall <span>Ruben Tejada</span>. If he needed time in the minors to be taught a lesson and to learn not to take his role on the Mets for granted, that time has passed. He’s spent more than 100 plate appearances in over a month down in the minors learning that lesson, and it’s time to do what’s best for the Mets both this year and for future years.</p> <p>Whether or not his poor performance earlier this season was a result of some mental attitude and not being properly prepared or simply a bad start and some bad luck, Tejada should be back with the Mets. Tejada is not lighting the world on fire in the minors, but he’s doing well enough, hitting .337/.389/.418.</p> <p>What he did earlier this season with the Mets was not acceptable, but he’s put up reasonable numbers in previous seasons, and it’s time to see if he can do it again. He’s played an adequate shortstop defensively, and while he didn't do so in a relatively small sample in 2013, there’s plenty of evidence out there that he can man the position well enough to be considered a major league starter at the position.</p> <p>While he’s never been touted as a huge prospect, it’s still worth remembering that Tejada is very young with the potential for at least a little bit of learning and adapting at baseball's highest level. He’d be the second youngest player on the Mets, behind only Zack Wheeler. Tejada has over 1,000 major league at-bats, and at least some of them have been pretty good. There are a lot of highly touted prospects who are older than Tejada and haven’t even made their major league debut yet.</p> <p>There aren't a lot of good shortstops out there, and even fewer great ones. Settling for good enough is not an ideal solution, but many teams would be happy to have a good enough shortstop, and the drop off after Tejada is pretty stark in the Mets' system at this moment.</p> <p>I don’t want to pick on <span>Omar Quintanilla</span> too much since two years running now he’s stepped into a void and had a good couple of weeks with the team, but as we’re seeing lately, Quintanilla is not a major league hitter at any position. Given enough time, his numbers will level out to his career averages, which are really bad. Quintanilla is down to hitting .225 with a .314 OBP and .315 SLG. Fangraphs has him providing negative value in the field according to UZR, and while it feels like he’s been better than that, there is not much value added that Tejada can’t provide.</p> <p>The Mets are a better team with Ruben Tejada playing every day, and no matter what reasons they had for optioning him to the minors after his rehab stint, the team needs him now to help provide the solid at-bats and effective defense he’s shown he’s capable of playing. The organization needs Tejada to prove he can be a part of the future, both in terms of attitude and in terms of his skill-set. None of that will happen at the minor league level.</p> Counterpoint: The All-Star Game shouldn't count https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/7/11/4500940/mlb-2013-all-star-game-home-field-advantage-world-series-citi-field Michael Donato Sun, 07 Jul 2013 11:13:08 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/C-GysQGqMv4yAcboj5ZjAcQ7-vE=/0x580:2670x2360/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/16039711/20120807_pjc_ag9_108.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption> </figure> <p>There is no reason to force meaning onto the All-Star Game outcome. It's awesome enough without it. </p> <p>For a variety of reasons, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/mlb-all-star-game">MLB All-Star Game</a> no longer carries the importance or meaning that it once did. Once upon a time players were part of a team, imbued with a sense of loyalty based upon long years of service to the same team and league. With interleague play, free agency, and rising salaries, players have become much more like mercenaries. Players switch leagues and teams with regularity and the old feeling of allegiance has mostly faded as it’s sometimes harder to work up a good rivalry for an exhibition game when the opponent is made up of former and future friends and teammates.</p> <p>From the fan's perspective, the blending of the leagues and the advent of access to highlights and games of all the teams and the star players on them has taken away some of the special feeling of the All-Star Game. No longer is the Mid-Summer Classic the only time to get an in-game look at some of the other league's best players. No longer is there any particular league pride, and more and more fans would actually rather see the other league win than a division rival.</p> <p>Think about it: Wouldn't you rather see the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Detroit Tigers</a> win <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/world-series">the World Series</a> than the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> or the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Braves</a>? The All-Star Game was created with a mindset of telling the stories of the best players in the world, but that’s also what MLB Network is for.</p> <p>That’s why it’s not a good idea to place a special importance on the game. Since the fight is gone, forcing a perception of caring about the outcome on the fans and the players makes the whole thing feel a little fake. That’s not what the All-Star Game should be about. It should be about a celebration of baseball, its best players, and its best stories. It would be great if it was also about the best broadcasters, but that’s an argument for a different day.</p> <p>A baseball fan would be overjoyed to watch <span>Matt Harvey</span> pitch to <span>Mike Trout</span> whether it’s the bottom of the ninth of game seven of the World Series, or a pickup game on a Tuesday afternoon on a little league field in South Dakota. You don’t need to force meaning onto something like that to make it awesome and appealing.</p> <p>Home field advantage in the World Series is not a tangible prize. None of the players know if they're going to be in a long World Series, many aren't sure they'll make the playoffs, and many others know they have little shot at it. Whether or not the league champion is at home for game seven is such a minor concern. Placing any importance, particularly such a small one, is not fair to the whole event because All-Star Week can still be a great time for celebrating baseball and its best players.</p> <p><span style="font-size: 15px; font-family: Arial; background-color: transparent; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p> <p>There aren't any great answers for how to determine the home field advantage, but it’s pretty clear that using the All-Star Game is gimmicky at best and just plain stupid at worst. Whether MLB goes back to rotating, awarding it to the league not hosting the All-Star Game, or uses the combined head-to-head records of the five AL teams versus the five NL teams that make the playoffs, anything’s better than the current system. It’s time to stop forcing some kind of intangible meaning onto what should be a celebration of this great game and its elite players.</p> Home runs allowed by the Mets to opposing pitchers https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/5/29/4367446/new-york-mets-dillon-gee-home-runs-opposing-pitcher Michael Donato Sun, 26 May 2013 09:33:41 -0400 <figure> <img alt="Dillon Gee reacts after giving up a home run to Mike Minor of the Atlanta Braves" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nI4a-2cboRjS3wYrANE4AZVmzoY=/0x140:2876x2057/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/13677357/169490661.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Dillon Gee reacts after giving up a home run to Mike Minor of the Atlanta Braves | Mike Stobe</figcaption> </figure> <p>Over the past few years, the Mets have given up home runs to pitchers more often than other teams have.</p> <p>On Saturday, <span>Dillon Gee</span> gave up a two-run home run to the opposing pitcher, Mike Minor of the Atlanta Braves, in the fifth inning of a tie game. It was the second home run Gee allowed against an opposing pitcher this year. In his previous start, which came against the <a href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link" style="line-height: 1.5;">Chicago Cubs</a> on May 19, he gave up a home run to the opposing pitcher, <span>Travis Wood</span>, also in the fifth inning of a tie game.</p> <p>After Saturday's game, <a href="https://twitter.com/maggie162">Maggie</a> wondered on Twitter which teams have given up the most home runs to pitchers lately, since it seems the Mets were doing so a lot lately.</p> <p>From 2006 to 2012, the Mets were bad, but they weren't the worst. That honor belongs to the Cincinnati <a href="https://www.redreporter.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Reds</a>. My query ignored home runs to pitchers with two appearances or less, hoping to eliminate position players like Jeff Mathis who threw a junk inning or two. It's worth noting that the Reds faced the Cubs a lot and gave up 6 of those 17 home runs to <span>Carlos Zambrano</span>, one of the best hitting pitchers in the game in those seasons.</p> <table width="100%" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="center">Num</th> <th align="center">Team</th> <th align="center">HR Allowed to Pitchers, 2006-2012</th> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">Reds</td> <td align="center">17</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">2</td> <td align="center">Brewers</td> <td align="center">16</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="center">3</td> <td align="center">Mets</td> <td align="center">14</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">4</td> <td align="center">Astros</td> <td align="center">14</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">5</td> <td align="center">Cardinals</td> <td align="center">13</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">6</td> <td align="center">Nationals</td> <td align="center">10</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="center">7</td> <td align="center">Phillies</td> <td align="center">10</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="center">8</td> <td align="center">Pirates</td> <td align="center">10</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'"> <td align="center">9</td> <td align="center">Braves</td> <td align="center">10</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>The list of pitchers who hit home runs against the Mets features some good hitters, too.</p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1" width="100%"><tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="center">Batter</th> <th align="center">Pitcher</th> <th align="center">Date</th> <th align="center">Ballpark</th> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Adam Wainwright</td> <td align="center">R.A. Dickey</td> <td align="center">9/5/2012</td> <td align="center">Busch Stadium</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Mike Hampton</td> <td align="center">Johan Santana</td> <td align="center">7/24/2009</td> <td align="center">Minute Maid Park</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Paul Maholm</td> <td align="center">John Maine</td> <td align="center">5/9/2009</td> <td align="center">Citi Field</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Jason Marquis</td> <td align="center">Jonathon Niese</td> <td align="center">9/22/2008</td> <td align="center">Shea Stadium</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Brandon Backe</td> <td align="center">Pedro Martinez</td> <td align="center">8/1/2008</td> <td align="center">Minute Maid Park</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">Felix Hernandez</td> <td align="center">Johan Santana</td> <td align="center">6/23/2008</td> <td align="center">Shea Stadium</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Hong-Chih Kuo</td> <td align="center">John Maine</td> <td align="center">6/12/2007</td> <td align="center">Dodger Stadium</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Kyle Davies</td> <td align="center">Aaron Sele</td> <td align="center">5/22/2007</td> <td align="center">Turner Field</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Dontrelle Willis</td> <td align="center">Oliver Perez</td> <td align="center">9/20/2006</td> <td align="center">Shea Stadium</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Dontrelle Willis</td> <td align="center">Roberto Hernandez</td> <td align="center">9/20/2006</td> <td align="center">Shea Stadium</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Carlos Zambrano</td> <td align="center">Tom Glavine</td> <td align="center">7/25/2006</td> <td align="center">Shea Stadium</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Sean Marshall</td> <td align="center">Orlando Hernandez</td> <td align="center">7/16/2006</td> <td align="center">Wrigley Field</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Dontrelle Willis</td> <td align="center">Jose Lima</td> <td align="center">7/7/2006</td> <td align="center">Shea Stadium</td> </tr> <tr bgcolor="#FFFFFF" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">Kris Benson</td> <td align="center">Pedro Martinez</td> <td align="center">6/17/2006</td> <td align="center">Shea Stadium</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>Of all of the home runs, only Paul Maholm's home run against <span>John Maine</span>, a shot into the Mo's Zone, was hit at Citi Field. That makes Mike Minor's home run only the second by an opposing pitcher in Citi Field.</p> <p>Also, the 2006 Mets gave up six home runs to pitchers, including two to Dontrelle Willis in the same game. The spike leads to the Mets showing up high on the list since 2006, but they fall to middle of the pack if the range of seasons starts in 2007 and near the bottom since if it starts in 2009.</p> <p>To check if this was a recent trend, I ran two more sets of home runs: one from 1993 through 2012 and another from 2001 through 2012. The Mets <span style="line-height: 1.5;">fall to 5th since 2001 and are 11th on the list since 1993, and Cincinnati still tops both with 47 over the last two decades.</span></p> <p>On the 1993-2012 list the Mets are 11th with 28, just one ahead of the Braves.</p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="1" width="100%"><tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="center">Num</th> <th align="center">Team</th> <th align="center">HR Allowed to Pitchers, 1993-2012</th> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">Reds</td> <td align="center">47</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">2</td> <td align="center">Astros</td> <td align="center">45</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">3</td> <td align="center">Dodgers</td> <td align="center">42</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">4</td> <td align="center">Padres</td> <td align="center">40</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">5</td> <td align="center">Expos/Nationals</td> <td align="center">40</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'"> <td align="center">6</td> <td align="center">Rockies</td> <td align="center">35</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">7</td> <td align="center">Brewers</td> <td align="center">34</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">8</td> <td align="center">Phillies</td> <td align="center">33</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">9</td> <td align="center">Pirates</td> <td align="center">32</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">10</td> <td align="center">Cubs</td> <td align="center">30</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">11</td> <td align="center">Mets</td> <td align="center">28</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">12</td> <td align="center">Braves</td> <td align="center">27</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">13</td> <td align="center">Giants</td> <td align="center">23</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">14</td> <td align="center">Diamondbacks</td> <td align="center">22</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">15</td> <td align="center">Cardinals</td> <td align="center">22</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">16</td> <td align="center">Marlins</td> <td align="center">17</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">17</td> <td align="center">Red Sox</td> <td align="center">7</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">18</td> <td align="center">Rays</td> <td align="center">7</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">19</td> <td align="center">Twins</td> <td align="center">7</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">20</td> <td align="center">Rangers</td> <td align="center">5</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">21</td> <td align="center">Seattle</td> <td align="center">5</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">22</td> <td align="center">White Sox</td> <td align="center">5</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">23</td> <td align="center">Angels</td> <td align="center">5</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">24</td> <td align="center">Tigers</td> <td align="center">4</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">25</td> <td align="center">Toronto</td> <td align="center">4</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">26</td> <td align="center">Baltimore</td> <td align="center">4</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">27</td> <td align="center">Royals</td> <td align="center">4</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">28</td> <td align="center">Yankees</td> <td align="center">3</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">29</td> <td align="center">Indians</td> <td align="center">1</td> </tr> <tr onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">30</td> <td align="center">Athletics</td> <td align="center">1</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>Overall, allowing home runs to opposing pitchers seems to have a lot to do with the ballpark in which a team plays, balanced out with a little bit of luck and the quality of the opposing hitters. It's just one of those interesting bits of trivia that makes baseball, specifically baseball without the designated hitter, so much fun.</p> The Mets' outfield is off to a decent start https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/4/23/4250888/new-york-mets-outfield-duda-cowgill-byrd-kirk-lagares-baxter Michael Donato Sun, 21 Apr 2013 22:18:19 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/6P_URl4iYRkarP_33sW4hfbEuPg=/0x98:4000x2765/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/12008181/165393726.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Mike Stobe</figcaption> </figure> <p>The Mets' outfield wasn't supposed to be any good, but they're off to a decent start.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets'</a> outfield was supposed to be woefully bad. It was the butt of jokes throughout the offseason and was projected, perhaps unfairly, to be one of the worst in the league. With approximately ten percent of the season in the books, it's a good time to check in on their performance.</p> <p>In 250 plate appearances, Mets outfielders have hit .243/.332/.413, 16th in baseball through Sunday. Their .745 OPS is just a tick off the .747 league average for outfielders. They've drawn the seventh most walks in the majors, although they've also accumulated the sixth most strikeouts. Their eight home runs, five of which are from <span>Lucas Duda</span>, are tied for tenth. An outfield with league-average production at the plate is better than most people expected.</p> <p> </p> <table width="100%" border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody> <tr bgcolor="#EDF1F3"> <th align="center">Name</th> <th align="center">PA</th> <th align="center">H</th> <th align="center">HR</th> <th align="center">BB%</th> <th align="center">K%</th> <th align="center">ISO</th> <th align="center">AVG</th> <th align="center">OBP</th> <th align="center">SLG</th> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center">Lucas Duda</td> <td align="center">61</td> <td align="center">12</td> <td align="center">5</td> <td align="center">24.6 %</td> <td align="center">24.6 %</td> <td align="center">.386</td> <td align="center">.273</td> <td align="center">.475</td> <td align="center">.659</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center"><span>Jordany Valdespin</span></td> <td align="center">42</td> <td align="center">11</td> <td align="center">0</td> <td align="center">4.8 %</td> <td align="center">19.0 %</td> <td align="center">.077</td> <td align="center">.282</td> <td align="center">.333</td> <td align="center">.359</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center"><span>Marlon Byrd</span></td> <td align="center">58</td> <td align="center">14</td> <td align="center">1</td> <td align="center">3.4 %</td> <td align="center">29.3 %</td> <td align="center">.148</td> <td align="center">.259</td> <td align="center">.293</td> <td align="center">.407</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center"><span>Mike Baxter</span></td> <td align="center">32</td> <td align="center">6</td> <td align="center">0</td> <td align="center">18.8 %</td> <td align="center">12.5 %</td> <td align="center">.040</td> <td align="center">.240</td> <td align="center">.375</td> <td align="center">.280</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center"><span>Collin Cowgill</span></td> <td align="center">40</td> <td align="center">8</td> <td align="center">2</td> <td align="center">0.0 %</td> <td align="center">27.5 %</td> <td align="center">.175</td> <td align="center">.200</td> <td align="center">.200</td> <td align="center">.375</td> </tr> <tr onmouseover="this.bgColor='#C7D9EC'" onmouseout="this.bgColor='#FFFFFF'" bgcolor="#FFFFFF"> <td align="center"><span>Kirk Nieuwenhuis</span></td> <td align="center">17</td> <td align="center">2</td> <td align="center">0</td> <td align="center">5.9 %</td> <td align="center">47.1 %</td> <td align="center">.063</td> <td align="center">.125</td> <td align="center">.176</td> <td align="center">.188</td> </tr> </tbody></table> <p>Duda has been the team's everyday left fielder since Opening Day, but all five of the team's other outfielders are flawed. Baxter is probably the best of the bunch, and the Mets should give him more of an opportunity. Nieuwenhuis needs to figure out a way to not strike out nearly every other at bat, but he might get that opportunity if he's demoted in favor of <span>Juan Lagares</span> today.</p> <p>Valdespin is making it happen with his legs this year with four infield hits and three stolen bases, but he's yet to hit a home run. Byrd has been neither spectacular nor terrible, and Cowgill is off to a rough start.</p> <p>The Mets' outfield is holding its own despite its holes. We'll see the first patch applied in the person of Juan Lagares, and if Lucas Duda can continue to punish baseballs, perhaps the outfield can be more of a strength than a weakness for the Mets' overall offense.</p> Johan Santana's Contract: I'd do it all again https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/3/29/4158776/mets-johan-santanas-contract-id-do-it-all-again Michael Donato Thu, 28 Mar 2013 20:03:22 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5vDjUVZpMIV2zbPU5E5YoRScyrc=/0x20:1000x687/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/10608263/145561314.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Mike Stobe</figcaption> </figure> <p>Johan Santana's time with the Mets is probably over. They didn't get much value out of the $137.5 million they gave him, but it was probably the right move.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> that signed Johan Santana in the offseason prior to the 2008 season were a rich, playoff-caliber team that would need an epic collapse to miss out on the postseason. Adding perhaps the best pitcher in baseball to their roster fit the budget and needs of the team. They had two young pitchers in <span>John Maine</span> and <span>Oliver Perez</span>, two veterans in <span>Pedro Martinez</span> and <span>Orlando Hernandez</span>, and a first round pick in <span>Mike Pelfrey</span>, who was looking to improve on his rookie season. Johan Santana had the potential to supplant both the figurative goat of the 2007 collapse and the subpar 2007 pitching of <span>Tom Glavine</span>.</p> <p>The Mets had no long-term pitching contracts beyond the 2008 season. Hernandez and Martinez were in the last year of deals, Perez was going to be a free agent for the first time, and Maine and Pelfrey were under team control on their initial contracts. Investing, even overpaying, for an elite pitcher wasn't a hard decision or one that seemed financially crippling. The Mets managed to hold onto their top prospect in the trade to acquire Santana, and they had Pelfrey to stow at Triple-A for depth purposes.</p> <div class="pullquote"> If Johan Santana has truly thrown his last pitch as a New York Met, it should rouse great memories and great appreciation for his contributions. </div> <p>The Mets weren't in financial trouble back then and had room to increase their payroll. This was a time when reasonable people expected the Mets to be in the playoff hunt for years to come. Adding Santana to the mix for the stretch run and the playoffs was invaluable. They already had an All-Star slugger at first base, an All-Decade center fielder, and two of the best pitchers of the decade. The Mets were fun to watch and New York took notice. And that's the interest and revenue-generating environment that makes a $25 million pitcher a luxury asset rather than a crippling payroll anchor.</p> <p>The 2007 Mets had a bad bullpen. They needed quality starting pitchers that wouldn't require as much relief. Even the best relievers pitch at least one-third fewer innings than you expect from a ace starter, making Johan Santana's potential significantly greater than that of a reliever. Adding <span>Johan Santana's</span> innings to the rotation would allow the 2008 Mets to use the limited quality arms in their bullpen and avoid dipping too deep into the barrel for the likes of <span>Guillermo Mota</span>, <span>Aaron Sele</span>, or <span>Scott Schoeneweis</span>.</p> <p>A no-hitter is one of those wonderful statistical feats that make the game so romantic. A win is a win no matter the score. But watching those zeroes appear on the scoreboard inning after inning, your heart skipping a beat each time an opposing player makes contact with the bat, well that's the pure exhilaration of a baseball game. The Mets going more than 8,000 games without a no-hitter had us craving our fix. Until Santana finally vanquished our demons and no-hit the <a href="https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">St. Louis Cardinals</a>. Rationally, it wasn't worth $137.5 million. But I wouldn't trade it for anything.</p> <p> </p> <p>Johan Santana has given us a competitive presence on the mound—a swagger and attitude that's fun to watch, especially when accompanied by the dominance of one of the game's best pitchers. If Johan Santana has truly thrown his last pitch as a New York Met, it should rouse great memories and great appreciation for his contributions. Given the chance to do it all over again, I'd always put my money on Johan.</p> <div><a href="http://www.twitter.com/AmazinAvenue"><img src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2325773/aa-twitter-insert.png" width="100%"></a></div> <h4>More from Amazin' Avenue:</h4> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/3/28/4158632/mets-johan-santana-injury-shoulder">Johan Santana re-tears shoulder capsule</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/3/29/4160084/new-york-mets-morning-news-johan-santana-season-done-daniel-murphy-back-david-wright-injury">Mets Morning News for March 29, 2013</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/3/29/4154780/the-top-50-mets-of-all-time-35-wayne-garrett">The Top 50 Mets Of All Time: #35 Wayne Garrett</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/3/28/4156242/the-amazin-avenue-audio-podcast-episode-13">Amazin' Avenue Audio: Episode 13</a></li> </ul> Matt Harvey's mountain of expectations https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/3/20/4123196/matt-harveys-mountain-of-expectations Michael Donato Tue, 19 Mar 2013 10:28:22 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/lONLK-Us1wz1Qv8Ob_p7rSffA0A=/0x168:4000x2835/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/10041529/20120726_mje_as8_143.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption> </figure> <p>The Mets may not compete this year, but fans will be watching talented young players like the flame-throwing Matt Harvey develop.</p> <p>When a player is selected in the first round of the draft there are a lot of expectations for him. From the time he's drafted, a first round pick's potential is talked about, and usually even casual fans know his name. Everyone knows the top prospects, especially when they are nearing the majors.</p> <p>Last year this was <span>Matt Harvey</span>. Harvey made enough of a splash in spring training that everyone knew who he was, and his debut on July 26 was met with much excitement. That his 11-strikeout performance while averaging 95 mph with his fastball was record-setting and invoked the names of Tom Seaver and Dwight Gooden only raised the expectations. He finished his rookie season with a 2.73 ERA and a 10.62 K/9 rate and even outhit <span>Jason Bay</span> in the process.</p> <p>Harvey is off to a great start, but when you add it up — the hype surrounding him being a first round draft pick and the expectations of him helping to cement the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> rotation as an excellent ones for years and years to come — there's a mountain of expectation piled on a guy who's been in the majors for only a little over two months. Matt served us a great opening appetizer, and now we're expecting the meal to be the best thing we've eaten in a long long time.</p> <p>Whether or not he can handle that pressure, it's unfair. It's unfair to expect draft picks to equal, or even approach, the potential that the front office dreamed of when they were drafted. There is always extreme potential in a first round draft pick, but it's a long hard road to consistent major league success, and an even harder one to dominating major league success. That road does not end at the major league debut, and Harvey has taken little more than a stride down it. Harvey will start the year with the Mets, which means opposing teams will put in the extra effort to develop a complete scouting report on him. He'll have to overcome that additional level of scrutiny to continue to succeed.</p> <p><span>Mike Pelfrey</span> was subject to similar hype and expectation even when he'd established himself as merely a reliable, but not particularly special, starting pitcher. <span>Philip Humber</span> was the third overall pick and is entering his age-30 season without much sustained success besides last year's perfect game. He's now on his fifth team and is an excellent example of a very talented prospect that just never managed to put it all together. The avalanche of hype and expectation that was placed on the Generation K pitchers of the late 90s was so immense that their failure still resonates across the years.</p> <p>No other player on the roster has the mountain of expectation that Harvey does. <span>David Wright</span> has been good enough for long enough that a somewhat lesser year is not a disaster. He's expected to lead this team, so what's expected of the team is expected of him.Much like a manager, Wright will get credit or blame for how the team is measured against its expectations, but since few think the Mets are doing anything this year, the pressure for Wright is not great either.</p> <p><span>Ike Davis</span> had such a miserable start last year that the bar is so low he can't help but exceed it. <span>John Buck</span> is a placeholder, and <span>Ruben Tejada</span> and <span>Daniel Murphy</span> have now been around long enough that you wouldn't expect any major deviations from what you usually get from them.</p> <p>The rotation outside of Harvey isn't as loaded, either. Perhaps we expect <span>Jon Niese</span> not to backslide too much from his breakout year last season, but the expectations on <span>Dillon Gee</span> have always been minimal, no one seems to even expect more than fifteen starts from <span>Johan Santana</span>.</p> <p>Matt Harvey features in almost every permutation of the Mets' plan towards continued success. He's expected to be a very good, or perhaps great, pitcher for many years to come. The Mets pitchers, and their prospects, are expected to be one of the driving forces behind a consistently competitive future. How fast we get there appears to depend a great deal on Matt Harvey. Hopefully he can continue to live up to the hype.</p> David Wright Has A Moderate Intercostal Strain https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/3/15/4109538/mets-david-wright-injury-ribs-intercostal-new-york Michael Donato Fri, 15 Mar 2013 16:28:12 -0400 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Az3zxA980AOJPfR1T1T7Na2qppY=/0x92:3292x2287/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9818817/20130312_pjc_sr6_385.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption> </figure> <p>David Wright will miss at least a few days with an intercostal strain.</p> <p>The <a target="_blank" href="http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/mets/post/_/id/62419/wright-injury-strained-intercostal-dl-possible">tests are back</a>, and David Wright has a moderate intercostal strain and will miss thee-to-five days before being re-evaluated. Mets general manager Sandy Alderson wouldn't comment on David Wright's status for Opening Day, but Terry Collins is not optimistic. Collins cited <span>Daniel Murphy's</span> slow return, as well as Wright's own problem last year, in expecting Wright's recovery to take a couple of weeks. Murphy's prescribed rest was seven-to-ten days, nearly twice as long as Wright, and David has reported no pain while swinging, so perhaps he won't be quite as slow as Murphy was in resuming baseball activity.</p> <p>Collins mentioned <span>Zach Lutz</span>, Brandon Hicks, and <span>Brian Bixler</span> as possible candidates for playing time at third base in the interim, but he will give most of the time to <span>Justin Turner</span> citing his ability to hit at that level. <span>David Wright's</span> time as Captain America for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic is at an end, with <span>Chase Headley</span> his likely replacement.</p> The Mets' Outfield: Looking For Late Bloomers https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/3/12/4080564/mets-outfield-and-chances-for-improvement Michael Donato Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:43:40 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/VYQ9VNNyX7W69AbR4kFEwg9x-HI=/0x0:1000x667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/9565373/20120525_mje_aw8_502.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption> </figure> <p>The Mets' outfield is not projected to be very good, but it's also not very experienced.</p> <p>The Mets' outfielders are, for the most part, young. Andrew Brown and Jamie Hoffman are 28, <span>Collin Cowgill</span> is 27, and <span>Jordany Valdespin</span> and <span>Kirk Nieuwenhuis</span> are just 25 years old. The best parts of their careers are almost certainly ahead of them.</p> <p>That doesn't mean that 2013 will necessarily be a breakout year for any of them, but over the last twenty years, 100 of the 1,793 players who had less than 400 plate appearances through their age 27 season went on to get at least 1,000 total appearances and continue contributing at the major league level. Many of them had long successful careers, while others had a good couple of years during their peak years before fading again on the other side of thirty.</p> <p>A handful of those players are pitchers that had long enough National League careers to accumulate a lot of plate appearances, like <span>Greg Maddux</span> and <span>Tom Glavine</span>, but many are successful players and plenty are outfielders. It's easy to think of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets'</a> outfield options as minor league filler, but it's not unheard of for players to achieve success at an older age than average or for players to take a year or two to adjust to the majors.</p> <p>I call this the "<span>Michael Morse</span> List" because he had just 392 plate appearances through his age-27 season with an OPS of .764. He was a third-round draft pick acquired by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a> from the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lookoutlanding.com/">Mariners</a> for <span>Ryan Langerhans</span>, who was one year older and had gotten much more playing time with less success. Morse then flourished with the Nationals, becoming a regular player and raising his career OPS to .839 and hitting 64 home runs for the Nationals over three seasons. That OPS is the highest on the Morse List.</p> <p>There are plenty of other notable players on the list, though. <span>Raul Ibanez</span> only had 12 home runs before his age-28 season, and even that season wasn't very good. He now has 271 home runs with an .810 OPS. We know him now as a platoon guy, but during his best years, he could certainly hit lefties and was a valuable full-time player.</p> <p><span>Matt Stairs</span> is another slugger who had most of his success later in his career. His age-29 season in 1997 was his first with significant playing time for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.athleticsnation.com/">Oakland Athletics</a>, and he made it count. He'd hit 11 home runs in 299 plate appearances before that, but he finished his career with 265. Other players you may have heard of include <span>Ryan Ludwick</span>, <span>Melvin Mora</span>, John Vander Wal, <span>Marcus Thames</span>, <span>Carlos Ruiz</span>, and <span>Paul Lo Duca</span>. Many of these players have even gotten some MVP consideration.</p> <p>This doesn't mean you can't still make jokes at the expense of the Mets' outfield, but remember that the outfield still has some potential and still doesn't have <span>Jason Bay</span>. Bay got 215 plate appearances last year and put up a .536 OPS. Every single player on the Morse List, with the exception of Glavine and Maddux, put up better numbers, and even Maddux had a 92-plate-appearance season in which he performed better at the plate.</p> <p>The National League average OPS for outfielders in 2012 was .755. 23 of the 100 players on the More List have a higher career OPS. The Mets' outfield, the worst in the league except for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a> — who have been banished to the junior circuit — managed a .705 OPS. 59 players on the Mike Morse List would've been better than average in the Mets outfield, with <span>Andres Torres</span>' career line being the 59th.</p> <p>Torres is probably on the downward slope from his peak performance, his 2012 OPS falling .044 points below what his career numbers now indicate. Torres is an example of a player on this list who had a late start to his career, put up some decent numbers for a bit, and then quickly tailed off again. Perhaps this comparison applies to <span>Marlon Byrd</span>, but the other five candidates have the prime of their careers in front of them.</p> <p>The Mets have a lot of unproven commodities in the outfield, but their potential is high. That possibility is extremely unlikely, but it's also premature to declare that the Mets' outfield as a lock to be awful. This isn't like <span>Jeff Francoeur, </span>who was already established as a bad outfielder before he came to the Mets, nor is it like Gary Matthews Jr., who was very clearly washed up when the Mets acquired him and probably shouldn't even have gotten the playing time he did. The Mets don't have <span>Justin Upton</span> or <span>Michael Bourn</span>, but with some growth, some luck, and some platoon time it's possible the Mets can get at least positive value out of their outfield corps.</p> World Baseball Classic And Competitive Spring Games https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/3/1/4039638/world-baseball-classic-and-competitive-spring-games Michael Donato Thu, 28 Feb 2013 09:50:54 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/If42Y5Ytx7jJoC4bGt-q0GPCIYk=/0x46:1100x779/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/8915527/img_3877.0.jpg" /> </figure> <p>The World Baseball Classic starts tonight with the first game being an 11:30 pm eastern time game between Australia and Chinese Taipei followed by two more games very early Saturday morning. </p> <p> </p> <p>The World Baseball Classic is an international tournament meant to pit national teams against each other much like the World Cup. For most <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> fans that makes our team the United States. Since we already have Major League Baseball to represent our baseball superiority it's hard to get that invested in the Classic. Like the Olympics our favorite players are often spread across multiple countries making it hard to unconditionally root for the USA.</p> <p> </p> <p>It's still an enjoyable event because it's competitive baseball. Our rooting interest may not be that strong, but the players themselves care and that's enough to make the games take on that competitive edge that's lacking from Spring Training bouts. Taiwanese scouts even disguised themselves as umpires to better scout South Korea and gain an advantage. Representing their country means something to most of these players, and that they actively chose to participate in the Classic and know Spring Training games are only meant for practice goes a long way towards raising the level of competition.</p> <p> </p> <p>The Classic isn't played at a horrible time either; Just as we're getting bored of the novelty of having baseball players back doing baseball things and we start wondering when results are finally going to start mattering again we get some competition with many of the best players in MLB, and the world, participating. Most people work during the day when Spring Training games air, so this is an opportunity to watch some baseball in the evenings instead of meaningless Spring Training highlights. The first two pools in Asia are not televised at a convenient time due to the time difference, but there will be plenty of games that are from the other pools and other rounds.</p> <p><span style="line-height: 16px;"> <a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2253935/IMG_3952.JPG" target="_blank"><img alt="Img_3952_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2253935/IMG_3952_medium.JPG"></a> <br id="1362156342984"></span></p> <p>The buzz around the Classic may not be that high, but as is often the case the story at the park is different. I had the pleasure to attend a round two game in 2009 between Puerto Rico and the United States. Miami is a quick drive down the highway from Port St. Lucie, which is plenty of time to get from an afternoon Mets game to a prime time World Baseball Classic game. I was surprised to find Dolphin Stadium abuzz with energy and crowds, which usually isn't the case for any baseball game there. Saying it was a playoff atmosphere is probably a stretch, but perhaps a September pennant race game against a rival fits the feel in the park that day. The game itself wasn't sold out, but the park was crowded and busy. Miami's demographic probably had something to do with the atmosphere; at least as many fans were rooting for Puerto Rico as the United States, but the US fans were making themselves known just as loudly. Even though the game itself was a lopsided, mercy rule affair, the crowd stayed interested and engaged throughout.</p> <p><span style="line-height: 16px;"><img alt="Usa_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2253999/USA_medium.jpg"></span></p> <p>It was a friendly rivalry, as fans that would spend the regular season rooting for the same team may find themselves at odds during this match-up. Other fans, like myself, find themselves torn in allegiance. Clearly the United States is my team in the tournament, but the Mets are my team first and foremost. Can I root for <span>David Wright</span> over <span>Carlos Beltran</span>? Can I bring myself to root for <span>Derek Jeter</span> or <span>Jimmy Rollins</span> at all? Isn't rooting for Puerto Rico rooting for America a <br id="1362156682735"> nyway?</p> <p><img alt="Pr_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2254007/PR_medium.jpg"></p> <p>What I really enjoyed about the game, and the Classic in general, was simply that it was competitive baseball. I watch baseball pretty much every day for six or seven months of the year, and certainly some of those games are less than competitive. There are Major League Baseball players spread all over the rosters. Mike Piazza and <span>Frank Catalanotto</span> are coaches for the Italian team and I'm going to be rooting for them at least a little bit. It's rare that you get to see some of the Cuban players play, and you never know who's going to try to defect to join the majors. Players from other countries might try to join the league and this could be the first chance to get to see them in action.</p> <p> </p> <p>For some, especially the players, the World Baseball Classic may be a battle for national pride, but for many it's simply an excuse to watch some baseball being played at a level much higher than what you see from Spring Training. It's an opportunity to watch players and teams, some unfamiliar, compete without being emotionally invested in the outcome and being able to simply enjoy the great game of baseball.</p> <p><span style="line-height: 16px;"><br></span></p> Mets Outlook: Sometimes The Grass Is Green On This Side Too https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/2/18/3966346/mets-outlook-sometimes-the-grass-is-green-on-this-side-too Michael Donato Thu, 07 Feb 2013 23:07:48 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/EhC-IrSqUo4J9KuEXMNIswSkMuA=/0x161:4000x2828/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/8238159/20130214_jla_bb1_028.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption> </figure> <p>Fans often mistake growing pains or disappointing years as a sign that a player is no longer good enough to have on the roster. Despite age, injury, or potential this feeling is sometimes magnified when the team as a whole was disappointing, but sometimes the problems of last year can become the solutions for this year.</p> <p>Spring Training is often a time for optimism. Players have rested tired and sore muscles, recovered from nagging injuries, and had any surgeries they needed. Generally speaking, the day pitchers and catchers report may be the healthiest a team is all year. Players and coaches are often the most optimistic of the bunch, and rightly so. In a game built around so much failure, you often need a fairly large dose of confidence in your ability to play at a high level. Fringe players on the roster don't look at themselves as Quad-A replacement players, but as a Spring Training of hard work, and a chance to prove themselves, away from being a regular contributor. It's not a surprise that players and coaches go into Spring Training seeing the things that can go right and recognizing all the potential in this annual rebirth of hope and optimism. Terry Collins has been speaking highly of a lot of his players this season, and maybe there is actually some potential there to dream on.</p> <p> </p> <p>Fans, and often the media covering the team, often think differently. This is particularly true on this <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> team that didn't make a whole lot of obvious improvement in the offseason after a losing season. The Mets didn't sign any big players, although <span>Shaun Marcum</span> was ranked 19th of MLB Trade Rumor's top 50 free agents. They traded away their best pitcher. Despite being linked to outfielders, and everyone knowing that the outfield was their weak spot, they didn't sign any really good outfielders. Mets fans everywhere are taking a look at the team and then peering over the fence to admire other teams' lawns.</p> <p>"Look at what Atlanta has!"</p> <p>"Must be nice to be a <a href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Nationals</a> fan!"</p> <p>"How can the Mets compete when they have to face Halladay, Hamels, and Lee all the time?"</p> <p> </p> <p>It's worth spending a little time taking a look at what's growing on this side of the fence, because it's not all weeds. The outfield draws the most ire, but <span>Lucas Duda's</span> 898 plate appearances will lead the starters in major league experience, and that's only about a season and a half worth of time. These guys have only just begun to sprout and already they're being dismissed. Nobody's going to be as bad as <span>Jason Bay</span> this year, and that's already a big improvement. I'm not expecting any of these guys to become breakout stars, though I've thought Duda could get himself on an All-Star roster with a strong first half that demonstrates monstrous power. All-Star selection isn't always indicative of being one of the best players in the league, but I think Duda can garner some attention, especially when defense doesn't seem to be a big part of becoming an All-Star. <span>Mike Baxter</span> was a rookie last year and had a very good showing. Going off of last year's numbers, replacing 200 Jason Bay plate appearances with 200 Mike Baxter ones would be a two fWAR swing. <span>Kirk Nieuwenhuis</span> struck out constantly, but he showed some potential at times too. I don't think it's fair to write these guys off after half of a rookie season. They might even be the third best outfield in the division, depending on how much ground <span>Giancarlo Stanton</span> can make up over the rest of his outfield. It's far-fetched to think they'll look good next to the Nationals or the <a href="https://www.talkingchop.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Braves</a> but that doesn't mean they're completely worthless.</p> <p> </p> <p>The infield certainly isn't a disaster on the Mets side of the fence either. <span>David Wright</span> is amazing, and <span>Ike Davis</span> showed a lot in the second half last year. If his horrible start was in fact a symptom of missing most of a year and fatigue related to medical issues that are now resolved maybe we can dream big on Davis. Having two really solid batters in the lineup is a real good foundation for an offense. <span>Ruben Tejada</span> and <span>Daniel Murphy</span> may not be offensive juggernauts, but they contribute positively to the team and Tejada is still young enough that you might expect some improvement in his overall game. I'm going to mention David Wright again, because he's the Mets best player and deserves that. He's going to end up as the Mets best position player in franchise history, and has been one of the few things to look forward to when watching the Mets the last couple of years.</p> <p> </p> <p>The pitching is not only not bad, it's actually pretty good despite trading <span>R.A. Dickey</span>. The starting staff is healthy to start the year and the worst pitcher of the five is arguably <span>Dillon Gee</span>, who posted a 4.10 ERA last season after making improvements in both his strikeout and walk rate. Like all pitching staffs, health and injury are a concern. Shaun Marcum did miss some time last year in the middle of the year with arm pain. <span>Johan Santana</span> hasn't finished a Mets season healthy yet. Still, if there is one spot on the Mets lawn that's greener than anywhere else, it's the rotation and the Mets have perhaps one of the best pitching prospects in the league waiting to be promoted should one of them falter. <span>Jon Niese</span> is a good young pitcher with a very team-friendly contract. <span>Matt Harvey</span> is a big hard-throwing young pitcher that was exciting to watch in his debut last year. Traditionally the Mets have done their best with a good pitching staff, and this one could be very very exciting to watch.</p> <p> </p> <p>Travis d'Arnaud and <span>Zack Wheeler</span> are the other side of the coin. Most Mets fans expect them to be stars and it's just a matter of when they bloom. I don't expect them to be our version of <span>Buster Posey</span>, who came up in 2010 as a rookie and helped get the <a href="https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">San Francisco Giants</a> a World Series ring, but for a team that's been making a habit of having a bad second half, it'll be nice to be adding talented rookies to the mix that could perhaps keep that from happening. There's plenty of green grass on this side of the fence to get excited about, and it only looks to be getting better.</p> Mets Payroll Has No Future Limitations Says Fred https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/2/13/3984664/mets-payroll-has-no-future-limitations-says-fred Michael Donato Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:38:37 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/T2nyWTV6RYxBAIBKyylFq0_Ggp8=/0x0:1000x667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/8085425/20120618_kkt_aw8_007.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption> </figure> <p>Fred Wilpon is suggesting that the Mets are under no payroll restrictions from here on out, and it could return to the levels we saw in the past when they were the biggest spenders in the National League.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p>Fred also says payroll has zero limitations going forward, and could go back to old heights. More to come on <a title="http://Mets.com" href="http://t.co/FrHOjzA8">Mets.com</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Mets">#Mets</a></p> — Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnthonyDiComo/status/301730321001504768">February 13, 2013</a> </blockquote> <p> <script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p> <p>This falls under the "I'll believe it when I see it" category for many <a href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Mets</a> fans, but it would be nice to see the Mets able to spend money if Sandy Alderson finds a great player to add to the team. Fred Wilpon also insinuated they'd be players in next year's free-agent market if it was deemed appropriate. With so much money coming off the books next season, it would be pretty hard to not have plenty of room in the budget and it'd be pretty shocking if the Mets didn't need to add talent.</p> <p>This does seem much of the same story we've heard from the Mets front office lately. They can still spend, but they need to find the right players to spend on. From the offer they made to <span>R.A. Dickey</span> and <span>Scott Hairston</span> to the numbers mentioned in the <span>Michael Bourn</span> offer, Sandy Alderson has seemingly been unwilling to spend even a dollar more than he feels a player is worth. Wilpon confirmed that it was a baseball decision not to give Bourn the fifth year he was asking for, not a financial one.</p> <p>The decision is going to be Sandy Alderson's, but Wilpon put the odds at 50/50 that the Mets will trade for an outfielder if they're playing well this summer. At some point the Mets are going to target a player they definitely want on the team, and when they spend the extra money to make sure they get their man is when we can start believing they're do have that flexibility they've been talking about.</p> Mets Franchise Records David Wright Does NOT Own https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/2/8/3901952/new-york-mets-david-wright-records Michael Donato Mon, 21 Jan 2013 21:41:21 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Etj-pCTTOG17mZ46omy8oFfmbwg=/0x209:4000x2876/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/7836547/153101693.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Mike Zarrilli</figcaption> </figure> <p>Which of the Mets' franchise records doesn't David Wright already have?</p> <p>David Wright owns many of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> all-time batting records. There are still a few that he's chasing, and that he'll likely get, before it's all over.</p> <p><b>Games Played</b></p> <p>David Wright has played 1,262 games as a Met, placing him third on the all-time list. This season he'll likely pass Bud Harrelson's 1,322, but it'll be years before he catches Ed Kranepool and his 1,853 games played.</p> <p><b>Plate Appearances</b></p> <p>David Wright has 5,453 plate appearances, which is 545 behind Ed Kranepool's franchise record. Barring a DL stint, Wright will pass him in 2013.</p> <p><b>Singles</b></p> <p>David Wright does lead in hits, but it's his commanding lead in doubles that got him there; he hasn't quite caught up in singles just yet. <span>Jose Reyes</span> has 17 more than Wright's 881, and Kranepool has 1,050. This one's inevitable, but it'll be a couple of years yet.</p> <p> </p> <p><b>Stolen Bases</b></p> <p><span>David Wright's</span> 166 stolen bases will never catch Jose Reyes' 370, nor will he probably catch Mookie Wilson's 281. Most likely he'll top out in third, still needing to pass Howard Johnson's 202 and Darryl Strawberry's 191.</p> <p> </p> <p><b>Home Runs</b></p> <p>David Wright needs 16 more to catch <span>Mike Piazza's</span> 220, and Strawberry's franchise record 252 might take Wright until 2015.</p> <p> </p> <p><b>Hit By Pitch</b></p> <p>David Wright's long contract extension only solidifies him as unofficial captain and face of the franchise. When the opposing team is looking to hit someone, it's a safe bet that it's David Wright. He's currently 5th, tied with Felix Milan, but needs just five more to reach Ron Hunt's 41. He'll pass <span>Cliff Floyd</span> and Cleon Jones along the way.</p> <p> </p> <p><b>Intentional Walks</b></p> <p>If the Mets' offense remains as inept as it's been lately, David Wright will likely shoot up this list much faster than he has been. Traditionally, sluggers are the ones that get intentionally walked, and Darryl Strawberry leads this category as well with 108. Wright is 11th with 43, and next up is <span>Carlos Beltran</span> with 48. It's impossible to take Wright seriously in this category until he passes <span>Rey Ordonez</span> in 6th place with 64. It always shocked me that Ordonez got so many intentional passes, when it often seemed like the pitcher was probably a bigger threat at the plate.</p> <p> </p> <p><b>Grounded Into Double Plays</b></p> <p>David Wright is merely 4th in this category with 115, and at his usual rate will only pass Jerry Grote this year. Mike Piazza has 132, and Ed Kranepool has 138.</p> <p><b>Bases Loaded Walks</b></p> <p>David Wright is tied with Wayne Garrett and Ed Kranepool with 11 bases loaded walks.</p> <p> </p> <p><b>RBI With Less Than Two Outs And <span>Daniel Murphy</span> At Third</b></p> <p>David Wright is the franchise leader in RBI with less than two outs and a runner on third, but with Daniel Murphy on third he comes in a mere fourth. <span>Jason Bay</span> leads this category with eight, which very clearly represents how meaningful it is and what a large sample size we're dealing with. Lenny Dykstra leads in RBI per plate appearance in this situation.</p> Banner Day Moved To May 11th https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/1/28/3926950/new-york-mets-banner-day-2013 Michael Donato Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:23:33 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/4E3kcNwcYr8rsghu-88w5YcGVq0=/12x0:581x379/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/7268949/banner_day.0.jpg" /> </figure> <p>Banner Day has been rescheduled to take place before the Saturday, May 11th game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.</p> <p>Following ESPN's selection of the previous date's game for Sunday Night Baseball, the Mets held a fan vote to allow fans to choose when Banner Day would be held and ended up moving the date from Sunday, May 26 to Saturday, May 11. If you already had tickets to original date, you can contact the Mets at <a href="mailto:bannerday@nymets.com">bannerday@nymets.com</a> to attend the May 11 game, which is scheduled to start at 1:10 pm and will most likely air on SNY.</p> <p>This will be the second occurrence of Banner Day after its long absence following the 1996 season. <a href="http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/nym/ticketing/banner_day.jsp">Last year</a> the Mets requested banners representing the 50 years of Mets history and your favorite moments. Two lucky fans won a trip to spring training with a banner representing Mike Piazza's September 2001 home run against the Atlanta Braves in the first baseball game in New York after 9/11.</p> <p>It's only 104 days until Banner Day hits Citi Field. The Mets haven't yet released any criteria for banners this year, but I suspect a banner of your favorite New York Mets All-Star would go over really well.</p> Sunday Night Baseball Schedule: Fair To The Mets? https://www.amazinavenue.com/2013/1/22/3881458/new-york-mets-espn-sunday-night-baseball-schedule Michael Donato Tue, 15 Jan 2013 23:09:30 -0500 <figure> <img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-Idgd0rJmIc8GVRs3PZsqZx25Ts=/0x40:1100x773/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/6629871/img_2380.0.jpg" /> <figcaption>Ceetar</figcaption> </figure> <p>The Mets have appeared on Sunday Night Baseball quite a bit over the past four years, even though they haven't been very good.</p> <p>Every time ESPN chooses to put the Mets on Sunday Night Baseball, fans get up in arms over the change in schedule. This is especially true for home games, where the switch from a 1:00 pm game to an 8:00 pm game disrupts the plans of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.amazinavenue.com/">Mets</a> fans that want to attend the games; particularly ones with families or the need to get up early on Mondays. Last week, <a href="http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/15/espn-releases-its-sunday-night-baseball-schedule/" target="_blank">ESPN released its schedule</a><a href="http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/15/espn-releases-its-sunday-night-baseball-schedule/"> </a>for the first half of the MLB season, and the one game the Mets play on ESPN — May 26 against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.talkingchop.com/">Atlanta Braves</a> — happens to be Banner Day.</p> <p>So how often are the Mets actually chosen for Sunday Night Baseball? I looked at the past four years at every Sunday night game, except for the second games of doubleheaders. I may have missed a game or two, but I wanted to avoid days where there was still an option to see a game on a Sunday afternoon. It will also include regularly scheduled night games as the database does not record which channels the game aired on. This comes into play with the Texas Ranger in particular, who schedule night games that aren't on ESPN. Presumably Texas gets pretty hot in the summer and it's more comfortable at night.</p> <p>The Mets, along with the Braves, were tied for third in home games with nine. Boston had ten home games and Texas had a shocking nineteen games played on Sunday Night in Arlington. Having never been to Texas, I have no idea what's so appealing that they keep scheduling games there. That's nearly five games a year, and if you look at the schedule for the upcoming season, you'll see that the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.lonestarball.com/">Rangers</a> have two more home games in the first half next year, and one road game, on Sunday Night Baseball.</p> <p>The ESPN crew has only visited 20 of the 30 cities over the last four years, with Arizona, Baltimore, Colorado, Houston, Kansas City, Oakland, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Seattle, and Toronto having not appeared on Sunday Night Baseball at home. Washington, Cleveland, and the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.southsidesox.com/">Chicago White Sox</a>, have only hosted one Sunday Night Baseball game in the past four years each. In fact, the White Sox only played two Sunday Night games all last season, once in Texas and once in Detroit. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.crawfishboxes.com/">Astros</a> and the White Sox will get a game in the first half of 2013, but the other teams will not, despite the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/">Blue Jays</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.federalbaseball.com/">Nationals</a> both being compelling teams to watch. Even with the interleague-all-the-time format of baseball that begins this season, only one of the released games is an interleague game: the Braves at the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.blessyouboys.com/">Tigers</a> on April 28.</p> <p>I took a look at road games too, wondering if ESPN would work in some of the teams in cities it wasn't visiting. There, the Mets are tied with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.thegoodphight.com/">Phillies</a> for seventh with seven Sunday Night games. The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.pinstripealley.com/">Yankees</a> lead the pack with thirteen, and Arizona, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh have zero appearances as the road team on Sunday Night Baseball over the last four years. This means Arizona and Baltimore haven't appeared on the Sunday broadcast since 2008.</p> <p>The last time the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bucsdugout.com/">Pirates</a> were scheduled for ESPN on a Sunday was May 19, 2002. The Pirates and <span>Kip Wells</span> won that day, defeating <span>Craig Biggio</span>, <span>Jeff Bagwell</span>, and former- and then-future- Mets Dave Milicki, <span>Billy Wagner</span>, and Richard Hidalgo. ESPN is all about the good matchups, and the Pirates haven't been good in ages, but that's ridiculous. The last time the ESPN crew decided to visit Pittsburgh on a Sunday was 1996. That was at Three Rivers Stadium, and Roger Maris was still the single-season home run king. The Yankees hadn't won a World Series in nearly twenty years. ESPN couldn't choose one Pirates game in the second half last year so the nation could see <span>Andrew McCutchen</span> playing in PNC Park?</p> <p>The Mets have been featured in just under 16 percent of all ESPN Sunday Night Baseball games over the last four seasons. Randomly assigning teams in an even fashion would put each team at just under 7 percent. Of course, the Mets haven't been particularly good lately. The Yankees are just under 21 percent, which is probably closer to how often a consistently good Mets team would appear. Ultimately we're talking about four total Mets games per year, which isn't a huge deal, but still seems somewhat unfair.</p> <p>This isn't a perfect sample, with regularly scheduled night games, doubleheaders, Subway Series, and weather-related planning playing a role. A broadcast team might want to avoid Colorado, particularly for April night games, but that's no excuse if the goal is to give you a broad coverage of the entire landscape of the sport, including all teams. Just tossing a bone to a couple of the seldom-selected clubs would lighten the load for the more commonly selected ones, as those teams have a more difficult travel schedule when they need to play a Monday game elsewhere the following day.</p>