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Mets, Orioles to play doubleheader on Thursday

Los Angeles Angels v Baltimore Orioles

Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

A rainy night in Baltimore necessitated a postponement.

The Mets and Orioles will play a split doubleheader on Thursday, as a rainy night in Baltimore forced the second game of their three-game series to be postponed. The games will be played at 1:05 PM and 5:05 PM EDT.

Coming off a pair of series wins over the Brewers and Yankees, the Mets fell behind by four runs in the series opener against the Orioles on Tuesday night. But they came back in dramatic fashion, as Franciso Lindor and Pete Alonso hit a pair of two-run home runs to tie the game late before Juan Soto drove in the decisive run with a leadoff single in the top of the Manfred-rules tenth inning.

The Mets will have David Peterson start the first game of the doubleheader, and the second game will be a bullpen game with the starting pitcher not yet having been decided. The rotation should start to look a bit more normal starting on Friday, as Kodai Senga is set to make his return from the injured list in the team’s series opener in Kansas City.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...les-rained-out-doubleheader-thursday-new-york
 
Orioles 7, Mets 3: Baltimore Blues

MLB: Game Two-New York Mets at Baltimore Orioles

Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The Mets did not pitch well, did not hit well, and dropped the second half of a double header against the Orioles.

The Mets, roughly two hours after wasting a wonderful performance by (All Star!!!) David Peterson, played an all around flat game, dropping game two of the double header by a score of 7-3 to the Orioles.

The Mets actually started this game off well, getting to starter Tomoyuki Sugano right away. Brandon Nimmo led off the game with a single and Francisco Lindor doubled to make it second and third with no outs. Juan Soto grounded out to score Nimmo, and Pete Alonso chased Lindor home with a sacrifice fly.

Unfortunately for everyone reading this, the offense all but stalled there.

The Mets, opting for what feels like their 10,000th bullpen game over the last few weeks, started Brandon Waddell. He threw a scoreless first, but got hit in the second. Alex Jackson, recently acquired by the Orioles from the Yankees due to their catcher position getting absolutely decimated with injury, paid immediate dividends for the O’s, doubling MLB The Show Diamond Dynasty legend Cedric Mullins home to cut the Mets lead in half. Jordan Westburg promptly hit a two run home run, giving Baltimore a 3-2 lead.

The Mets, to their credit fought back to tie the game in the fourth. Soto and Jeff McNeil worked walks, and Brett Baty singled to bring Soto home. After that, the game went off the rails.

Justin Hagenman, who followed Waddell after three innings of work, threw a scoreless fourth before struggling from then on. He coughed up the lead in the fifth, giving up a single and a walk to set up an RBI single by Colton Cowser. He looked to have gotten out of the jam by getting Ramón Urías to sharply bounce out to third, but Baty bungled the ball initially — and then was not able to handle the ball on the ground — allowing a fifth run to score.

Hagenman gave up a double to Alex Jackson in the sixth before getting pulled for Richard Lovelady. Lovelady got Jackson Holliday to ground out, forcing Jackson to third and the infield to be drawn in, already facing a 5-3 deficit. Lovelady got Westburg to ground out to Lindor, but the play forced Lindor to his left, and Jackson beat out the throw, making it 6-3. Lovelady then allowed a single to Gunnar Henderson, and walked Ryan O’Hearn, loading the bases and putting the game in “time to turn on the PlayStation 5” territory.

Rico Garcia came in to get out of an impossible situation and nearly did it. He forced Ramón Laureano to ground into a would-be double play ball, but the outfielder barely beat out the throw, making it 7-3.

The rest of the game was as routine as you would like, if you’re an Orioles fan, or as lifeless as you like, if you are a Mets fan. Rico Garcia held it down for the bullpen, throwing two perfect innings to get the team on the plane to Kansas City. Sugano, after settling down enough to go six innings, handed the ball off to their bullpen, who threw three one hit innings, giving the Mets their second annoying loss on the day.

SB Nation GameThreads​


Amazin’ Avenue
Camden Chat

Box scores​


MLB.com
ESPN

Win Probability Added​

FanGraphs.com

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Brett Baty, +13.2% WPA
Big Mets loser: Justin Hagenman, -20.1% WPA
Mets pitchers: -44.7% WPA
Mets hitters: -5.3% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Brett Baty’s RBI single, +13.8% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Jordan Westburg’s two run home run, -20.4% WPA

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...timore-can-they-start-hitting-the-ball-please
 
Mets 8, Royals 3: Mets’ bats provide some late-inning fireworks

MLB: New York Mets at Kansas City Royals

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Mets had just just two hits through seven but the offense got going late.

Tonight’s game between the Mets and the Royals was delayed by about 81 minutes following a summer storm in Kansas City, and when it resumed, the sky was a majestic tint of orange. This seemed like a good omen for New York, who were coming off dropping two games to the Orioles on Thursday and were in search of any positive signs. In the end, it took until the calendar flipped to Saturday, but the Mets’ bats got going and busted out in a big way to guide the Mets to a much-needed 8-3 victory against the Royals.

Kodai Senga returned for the Mets and, while he navigated traffic on the base paths for much of his evening, gave the Mets a solid effort while limited to a pitch count of around 75 in his first start back after missing a month. He found himself in immediate trouble in the first, surrendering a single to Jonathan India and a double to All Star Bobby Witt Jr. He buckled down after this, striking out Vinnie Pasquantino on a ghost fork, then getting Maikel Garcia to line the ball back into his glove for the second out—a snap throw to third resulted in a brief injury delay when Ronny Mauricio stepped on India’s right hand—and finally striking out the scorching-hot Salvador Perez to end the threat. He ran into trouble again in the second with back-to-back two out walks, but India hit a sharp grounder that Mauricio snagged on a nice play to get the third out.

The Mets offense didn’t have many answers for Old Friend Michael Wacha in this one, but after a quiet first and second, they pushed a run across in the third. Luis Torrens got the party started with a line drive single and, after Tyrone Taylor sacrificed him over to second, Brandon Nimmo walked and Francisco Lindor singled to load the bases. Juan Soto, who came into the game 14-for-79 (.177) with RISP, struck out swinging for the second out—he fouled a ball off his leg and was in visible agony before returning to the box and striking out—but Pete Alonso picked him up by working an eight-pitch walk to bring the run across. Mark Vientos had an opportunity to help New York put up a crooked number, but he struck out swinging and took it out on his lumber by breaking his bat over home plate.

After working around singles from Pasquantino and Perez in the third but escaping unscathed, Senga recorded his lone 1-2-3 inning of the night in the fourth and, at 67 pitches, he was lifted by Carlos Mendoza in favor of Alex Carrillo to start the fifth. All told, Senga scattered four hits over four shutout frames while striking out four and walking two. He lowered his ERA to 1.39 and had an encouraging return to the mound after a prolonged injury absence. Carrillo responded with a quick, efficient, perfect fifth in which he threw eight of his nine pitches for strikes.

Kansas City went to their bullpen in the sixth, turning to Angel Zerpa to face Soto, Alonso, and Vientos, and he turned them aside with relative ease. Carrillo took the mound for the sixth and got Garcia to fly out to right before Perez singled with one out. After getting the second out, Nick Loftin hit a fly ball to left that Nimmo dove for and missed, which allowed Perez to score all the way from first to tie up the game. He struck out John Rave to hold the game at one apiece, but the damage was done. The Mets managed a one out walk from Mauricio in the seventh, which forced Zerpa out of the game, but Steven Cruz came in to retire Brett Baty and Torrens to end the inning.

Things unraveled for New York in the seventh when Huascar Brazobán entered the game in relief of Carrillo. Kyle Isbel led off with a single and was replaced on the base paths by Tyle Tolbert. Tolbert immediately ran for second on a steal attempt and was initially called safe, but was ruled out on replay review after it was deemed his hand came off the base while Jeff McNeil kept the tag on. That run of good luck would prove fleeting, as India followed with a single and Witt Jr. launched a two-run homer to give KC their first lead of the game. Pasquantino followed with a double to right. Brazobán recovered to retire Garcia and Perez, but the damage was done.

The Mets had their best shot to get back in this one in the eighth with the top of their order coming up against Cruz. Nimmo got the Mets their third hit when he grounded a single through the right side of the infield. Lindor followed that up with a four-pitch walking, bringing up the team’s two biggest bats in Soto and Alonso. Soto worked out a walk as well to load the bases, which ended Cruz’s night.

The Royals turned to Carlos Estévez, who famously surrendered the grand slam to Lindor in Game 4 of the 2024 NLDS. This time around, he kicked off his outing by striking out Alonso, which resulted in the team’s second bat break of the evening—this time in the form of Alonso snapping his lumber over his thigh. Vientos, who expressed his frustration earlier in the evening after failing to come through, played the hero this time around as he hit an opposite field, bases clearing double to help the Mets regain the lead.

With the lead back in their possession, New York turned to Reed Garrett, and he mercifully turned in a perfect eighth without so much as breaking a sweat to get the Mets to the ninth with a lead. The Mets added some much-needed insurance in the ninth, as Tyrone Taylor led off with a double, Nimmo walked, and then Lindor unloaded on a three-run home run to right center to put the Mets up by four. Soto followed that up with an opposite-field home run to make it 8-3. They turned to Chris Devenski in the bottom half of the frame, and he closed the game out without adding any further stress or agita.

The Mets will look to capitalize on their win as they play the Royals later today. Frankie Montas will aim to get back on track after two very rocky starts.

SB Nation GameThreads​


Amazin’ Avenue
Royals Review

Box scores​


MLB.com
ESPN

Win Probability Added​

Fangraphs.com

What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Mark Vientos, +33.4% WPA
Big Mets loser: Huascar Brazobán, -27.0% WPA
Mets pitchers: 41.3% WPA
Mets hitters: 8.7% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Mark Vientos bases-clearing double in the eighth, +44.0% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Bobby Witt Jr.’s two-run homer in the seventh, -28.3% WPA

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...or-soto-alonso-mauricio-brazoban-carrillo-win
 
Open Thread: 2025 Futures Game

Carson Benge stands in the batter’s box in a white Rumble Ponies uniform with blue lettering and a blue helmet

Carson Benge | Photo: Chris McShane

Jonah Tong and Carson Benge will represent in this year’s showcase of the top talent in the minors.

The 2025 Futures Game is here, with top prospects from each team coming together for a minor league All Star Game. RHP Jonah Tong and OF Carson Benge will serve as the Mets representatives on the National League side.

Both Tong and Benge have seen their stocks rise significantly in the first half. Tong, a 7th round pick in 2022 out of Georgia Premier Academy, has built on his 2024 breakout, posting an absurd 1.83 ERA through 78.2 innings (15 starts) at Double-A w/ a pristine 29.4% K-BB%. There’s an outside shot he makes the major leagues later this season to reinforce the Mets pitching staff.

Benge, meanwhile, has done everything you’d want a first round college bat to do in his first full professional season. He dominated at High-A Brooklyn, posting a 165 wRC+ with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. Don’t be fooled by the low home run count (four in 60 games) either, Brooklyn is a notoriously tough place for lefties to hit and Benge has already made improvements to his spray characteristics relative to when he was drafted. In line with that assessment, he’s already homered twice since being promoted to Double-A, posting an even better overall line than he did a level lower.

You can watch the Future’s Game on MLB Network or streaming at MLB.com starting at 4 PM E.T. on Saturday 7/12.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...ad-mlb-futrues-game-2025-all-stars-tong-benge
 
Mets Morning News for July 13, 2025

MLB: New York Mets at Kansas City Royals

Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Your Sunday morning dose of New York Mets and MLB news, notes, and links.

Meet the Mets​


After Juan Soto’s monster two-run homer in the fourth that put the Mets on the board, the Mets held on to beat the Royals 3-1 to secure their second straight victory in Kansas City. Frankie Montas pitched five fantastic innings before giving up back-to-back doubles to lead off the sixth that got the Royals within a run. Reed Garrett managed to escape the jam and then Chris Devenski contributed a scoreless seventh. Edwin Díaz then finished off the victory with his first two-inning save of the season, assisted by a controversial replay call that overturned a would-be stolen base by Bobby Witt Jr. in the eighth. The Mets added an insurance run in the ninth on a Pete Alonso double and Jeff McNeil RBI knock and Díaz pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

Choose your recap: Amazin’ Avenue, MLB.com, Newsday, Post, Daily News, ESPN

Dedniel Núñez will undergo Tommy John surgery next week, Carlos Mendoza announced before yesterday’s game. The surgery, which will be Núñez’s second Tommy John, will be performed by Dr. Keith Meister in Texas.

Ronny Mauricio is taking notes from Juan Soto in the cage to help solve his chase issues. He is also starting to speak up more in team meetings and finding his own defensively at third base.

Jonah Tong threw a perfect second inning in the MLB Futures Game, showcasing the stuff that makes Mets fans excited about his future.

For SNY, Anthony McCarron weighs the pros and cons of trading for Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran.

Around the National League East​


The Phillies fell to the Padres 5-4, as Jackson Merrill went deep twice for San Diego. With that loss, the Mets moved back ahead of the Phillies into first place in the NL East by half a game.

Alec Bohm left yesterday’s game with a bruised ribcage after being hit by a pitch and his status is “doubtful” for today’s game.

Phillies players expressed disappointment and outrage on behalf of their teammates over All-Star snubs—the lack of a nod to Cristopher Sánchez in particular. MLB claims that it did ask Sánchez to participate, but he declined to make himself available for the game because he is pitching for the Phillies today. Sánchez’s agent, however, disputes this claim. Despite not being officially selected as an All-Star, the Phillies activated the bonus clause in Sánchez’s contract for an All-Star selection.

The Braves staged a late-inning comeback to defeat the Cardinals 7-6.

But Atlanta received more bad injury news yesterday, as they placed third baseman Austin Riley on the 10-day injured list with a strained right abdomen. Infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. was called up to take Riley’s spot on the roster. The Braves also made a roster move with their pitching staff, optioning Nathan Wiles to Triple-A and replacing him with lefty Joey Wentz, who Atlanta claimed off waivers from the Twins.

The Nationals, meanwhile, took a late-inning lead only to be walked off by the Brewers 6-5.

The Marlins participated in the only non-close game in the NL East yesterday, blanking the Orioles in a 6-0 victory at Camden Yards. But even that game was scoreless until the seventh and four of the Marlins’ six runs came in the ninth.

Around Major League Baseball​


Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal were named the starting pitchers for the All-Star Game for the National League and American League, respectively.

With Pete Alonso declining to participate in the Home Run Derby this year, it ensured that whoever wins of the eight participants will be a first-time champion. MLB.com published their 2025 Home Run Derby power rankings.

Sam Dykstra of MLB.com went through the highlights from yesterday’s MLB Futures Game, including Jonah Tong’s 1-2-3 inning.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue​


On a new episode of Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World Series, Brian Salvatore and Chris McShane discuss the never-ending bullpen churn, the baffling way prospects are being handled in the Mets system, and the ups and downs of the last week.

Linus Lawrence took a look at Jonah Tong and Carson Benge’s performances in the MLB Futures Game.

This Date in Mets History​


On July 13, 2001, Mike Piazza hit the 300th home run of his career in a 3-1 loss to the Red Sox.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...ment-jonah-tong-futures-game-nunez-tommy-john
 
A look back at Mets in the Home Run Derby

MLB: All Star Game-Home Run Derby

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Pete Alonso is sitting this one out, so let’s look back at how the Mets have historically done in the Derby.

Since the Home Run Derby was instituted as a yearly All-Star event in 1985, there have been twelve events with one of the New York Mets competing. Only five Mets have participated in the derby, with Darryl Strawberry, Howard Johnson, David Wright, and Pete Alonso all competing more than once, and Bobby Bonilla appearing in the 1993 Derby.

Historically, the Mets are one of the more successful clubs in the Derby, having had players win three contests, second to only the Yankees and tied with five other clubs. Pete Alonso is the all-time Home Run Derby leader, hitting 207 home runs over five seasons. With no 2025 participants already on the big board, Alonso’s record will last at least another year.

Players who would eventually go on to play for the Mets or were former Mets have also had successful runs in the Derby. Juan Soto has 99 home runs over two appearances, Todd Frazier 91 over three, and Eddie Murray, Kevin Mitchell, Gary Sheffield, Mike Piazza, Mo Vaughn, Damion Easley, Moisés Alou, Shawn Green, Jeromy Burnitz, Carl Everett, Carlos Delgado, Bobby Abreu, Jason Bay, Adrián González, José Bautista, Carlos Beltrán, Robinson Canó, Yoenis Céspedes, Michael Cuddyer, Brian Dozier, and Javier Báez all appeared in at least one, but not in a Mets uniform.

In the second ever Derby in 1986, when the format was two “innings” with each player getting five outs per at-bat. Darryl Strawberry led the National League bracket with four home runs, tied with the (then) California Angels’ Wally Joyner, with the NL eking out an 8-7 victory.

Two years later, Howard Johnson competed in his first Home Run Derby, hitting two home runs en route to another National League victory. Eric Davis of the Cincinnati Reds led the NL side with three dingers.

In 1990, Strawberry was back, but didn’t hit a single home run. He wasn’t the only one; of the eight participants, only three players (Mark McGwire, Matt Williams, and winner Ryne Sandberg) actually hitting home runs in the usually offensively friendly Wrigley Field.

1991 saw a new format (three rounds, 10 outs per round with top four advancing to round two, top two advancing to the finals) and the first American League victory since the inaugural Derby in a 20-7 trouncing. HoJo was back for the NL, but he didn’t hit any home runs. Cal Ripken Jr. eventually won, hitting 12 home runs, the most in any Derby to that point.

After coming over as part of the eventually dubbed ‘Worst Team Money Could Buy,’ Bobby Bonilla tied for the NL lead with five home runs, but lost to Juan González, who edged out Ken Griffey Jr. in an overtime playoff.

After 13 long years and a format change, David Wright was the first Met since Bobby Bo to compete. In this new format, the four highest totals moved onto the second round, and the players with the most total home runs in total between the first two rounds would advance to the finals. Wright lost by one home run to Ryan Howard in the finals after a great performance, helped by his pitcher of choice, Mets’ catcher Paul Lo Duca.

Wright returned to the Derby in 2013, but didn’t make it out of the first round with only five home runs.

Pete Alonso has now competed in the last five Derbies before the 2025 contest, which he declined to participate in, in part because he did not like hitting in Truist Park.

For Alonso’s first four derbies, the format was changed to being time based instead of outs-based, the matchups led were placed into a new bracket system, along with some added incentives for distance of home runs. This format suited Alonso well, as he dominated in his first two appearances.

In 2019, Alonso out-slugged Carlos Santana in round one and Ronald Acuña Jr. in round two, each by one home run, to advance to the finals against Vladimir Guerrero Jr.. Alonso once again edged out his competition by one skinny home run, taking the title with 57 dingers across three rounds. Alonso’s 57 is the tenth most home runs hit in any Derby.

After the Home Run Derby was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Alonso returned in 2021 and had another standout performance, defeating Salvador Pérez in round one, future teammate Juan Soto in round two, and Trey Mancini in the finals, again claiming victory with 74 home runs, fourth best Derby performance of all time. Alonso’s 35 home runs in the first round is also tied for the fourth best round of all time.

Soto got his revenge in 2022, beating Julio Rodríguez in the finals. Rodríguez took out Alonso in round two after Pete beat Acuña in the first round.

Despite hitting 21 home runs in the first round of the 2023 Derby, Alonso got knocked out by Vladdy Jr’s insane 41 home runs in the first round. Guerrero was the eventual winner, despite hitting only four more home runs combined in rounds two and three than he did in round one.

2024 was not Pete’s year and, due to the new format that eliminated the bracket system and went back to the straight totals leading to advancement, Alonso didn’t make it out of the first round with his 12 home runs.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...rry-david-wright-howard-johnson-bobby-bonilla
 
Mets trivia: Your in-5 daily game, Tuesday edition

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Think you can figure out what Mets player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out.

Hello Mets fans! We’re back for another day of the Amazin Avenue In-5 daily trivia game. The objective is to guess the correct active OR retired Mets player in as few guesses as possible. Full game instructions are at the bottom. Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Amazin Avenue In-5 Game


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous Games


Monday, July 14, 2025Sunday, July 13, 2025
Sunday, July 13, 2025
Saturday, July 12, 2025

Play more SB Nation In-5 trivia games


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Amazin Avenue In-5 instructions


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Mets player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS each week. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. The game will appear in the No. 3 slot of the Amazin Avenue layout each day this week and as noted above, will appear in this article exclusively.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7/15/24468101/sb-nation-mets-daily-trivia-in-5
 
Open Thread: 2025 All-Star Game

MLB: All Star-Red Carpet

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Which league will reign supreme?

National League Lineup

  1. Shohei Ohtani, DH, Dodgers
  2. Ronald Acuña Jr., LF, Braves
  3. Ketel Marte, 2B, Diamondbacks
  4. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Dodgers
  5. Manny Machado, 3B, Padres
  6. Will Smith, C, Dodgers
  7. Kyle Tucker, RF, Cubs
  8. Francisco Lindor, SS, Mets
  9. Pete Crow-Armstrong, CF, Cubs

SP - Paul Skenes Pirates

American League Lineup

  1. Gleyber Torres, 2B, Tigers
  2. Riley Greene, LF, Tigers
  3. Aaron Judge, RF, Yankees
  4. Cal Raleigh, C, Mariners
  5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays
  6. Ryan O’Hearn, DH, Orioles
  7. Junior Caminero, 3B, Rays
  8. Javier Báez, CF, Tigers
  9. Jacob Wilson, SS, Athletics

SP - Tarik Skubal, Tigers

Broadcast info​


First pitch: 8:00 PM EDT
TV: FOX
Radio: ESPN Radio

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...game-skubal-skenes-lindor-alonso-diaz-raleigh
 
Mets Morning News for July 16, 2025

95th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard

Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Your Wednesday morning dose of Mets and Major League Baseball news, notes, and links.

Meet the Mets​


Will Sammon wondered why it took so long for Francisco Lindor to make the All-Star Game as a Met.

Anthony DiComo asked if the Mets can steady the ship in the latter half of the season.

The Mets signed Austin Brown, an undrafted free agent pitcher, out of Chipola College.

The Mets signed their tenth round pick, pitcher Tyler McLoughlin.

The Mets are one of several teams that have checked in on free agent reliever (and former Met) David Robertson.

Pete Alonso now holds the Mets record for most RBI in a single All-Star Game.

Around the National League East​


Hank Aaron may have passed away years ago, but his legacy continues to unite Black former baseball players.

Around Major League Baseball​


The National League blew an early All-Star Game lead but Kyle Schwarber played hero in the first ever swing off and won the MVP in a National League win.

The Players Association is already preparing for the possibility of a work stoppage ahead of next year’s CBA negotiations.

Rob Manfred is opening the door for potential MLB participation in baseball at the 2028 Olympics.

The Twins are looking to be active on the trade market, though it’s unknown whether it will be as a buyer or seller.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue​


Lucas Vlahos and Thomas Henderson took a look at day 2 of the 2025 draft on another episode of From Complex to Queens.

Linus Lawrence looked back at the best and worst moments for the Mets at Truist Park.

Steve Sypa was back with another list of the Mets Minor League Players of the Week.

Linus Lawrence also re-introduced the former Mets that made this year’s All-Star Game.

Alexander Choi recapped the Mets’ day 2 of the MLB Draft.

This Date in Mets History​


19 years ago, the Mets hit two grand slams in an eleven run inning at Wrigley Field en route to a 13-7 victory over the Cubs.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...ft-aaron-schwarber-cba-manfred-olympics-twins
 
2025 Mets Draft Pick Signing Tracker

2025 MLB Draft

Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images

Check back in here for updates on the Mets’ 2025 draft picks.

With the 2025 draft having wrapped up, we’ve once again compiled the list of the Mets’ picks and will be updating this page with the signing status of those players. As per usual, you can click on each player’s name to read our prospect team’s player profile.

2024 Mets bonus pool: $5,465,900

Competitive Balance Round A*


Pick: 38
Player: Mitch Voit, IF/RHP, University of Michigan
Slot Value: $2,569,400
Signing status:

*This is the Mets’ 1st-round pick, which was moved down 10 spots for spending beyond the second tax level

Round 3


Pick: 102
Player: Antonio Jimenez, SS, University of Central Florida
Slot Value: $752,000
Signing status:

Round 4


Pick: 133
Player: Peter Kussow, RHP, Arrowhead Union High School (WI)
Slot Value: $555,800
Signing status:

Round 5


Pick: 163
Player: Peyton Prescott, RHP, Florida State University
Slot Value: $415,100
Signing status:

Round 6


Pick: 193
Player: Nathan Hall, RHP, University of Central Missouri
Slot Value: $322,300
Signing status:

Round 7


Pick: 223
Player: Cam Tilly, RHP, Auburn University
Slot Value: $254,000
Signing status:

Round 8


Pick: 253
Player: Camden Lohman, RHP, Fort Zumwalt North High School (MO)
Slot Value: $213,200
Signing status:

Round 9


Pick: 283
Player: Anthony Frobose, SS, Lakeland High School (NY)
Slot Value: $196,800
Signing status:

Round 10


Pick: 313
Player: Tyler McLoughlin, RHP, University of Georgia
Slot Value: $187,300
Signing status: YES ($7,500)

Round 11


Pick: 343
Player: Wyatt Vincent, OF, Nixa High School (MO)
Slot Value: $150,000
Signing status:

Round 12


Pick: 373
Player: Truman Pauley, RHP, Harvard University
Value: $150,000
Signing status:

Round 13


Pick: 403
Player: Frank Camarillo, RHP, University of California: Santa Barbara
Slot Value: $150,000
Signing status:

Round 14


Pick: 433
Player: James Smith IV, RHP, University of Memphis
Slot Value: $150,000
Signing status:

Round 15


Pick: 463
Player: Conner Ware, LHP, Louisiana State University
Slot Value: $150,000
Signing status:

Round 16


Pick: 493
Player: Zack Mack, RHP, Loyola Marymount University
Slot Value: $150,000
Signing status:

Round 17


Pick: 523
Player: Sam Robertson, SS, Northwest Shoals Community College
Slot Value: $150,000
Signing status:

Round 18


Pick: 553
Player: Dillon Stiltner, RHP, Trinity Christian High School (GA)
Slot Value: $150,000
Signing status:

Round 19


Pick: 583
Player: Joe Scarborough, RHP, Jacksonville State University
Slot Value: $150,000
Signing status:

Round 20


Pick: 613
Player: Garrett Stratton, RHP, Rice University
Slot Value: $150,000
Signing status:

Undrafted Free Agents


Player: RHP Austin Brown (Chipola College)

Player: RHP Jonah Conradt (McLennan Community College)

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7/13/24466400/mlb-draft-2025-mets-signing-tracker
 
Here are the Mets’ options for internal reinforcements to start the second half

New York Mets Photo Day

Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images

If the Mets wanted to shake things up a bit to start the second half of the season, they certainly could.

With the Mets set to resume their season tomorrow night against the Reds in Queens, the team could shake things up quite a bit with several internal reinforcements if the front office were so inclined. All but one of these suggested moves would be pretty surprising, but it’s fun to think about the possibility of seeing them happen. So let’s dive right in.

Brooks Raley is at the end of his rehab assignment clock and seems like a sure thing to be activated from the injured list before the Mets’ series opener against the Reds tomorrow. In nine innings of work across three levels of the minors on that assignment, Raley has struck out thirteen, walked one, and has a 0.00 ERA. Any one of Chris Devenski, Richard Lovelady, Alex Carrillo, or Brandon Waddell could be removed from the active roster to make room for him. Carrillo and Waddell have options, while Devenski and Lovelady don’t. And if Raley were to pitch anything like he did for the Mets before he had Tommy John surgery, he’d be a massive upgrade.

Having missed much of the 2024 season with a bad hamstring injury and put up relatively lackluster numbers upon his return, Drew Gilbert saw his prospect stock fade at the end of that season. He didn’t get off to a rip-roaring start this year, either, but over the past month, he has been excellent at the plate. In 96 plate appearances with Triple-A Syracuse, he’s hit .291/.354/.581 with six home runs.

The Mets have gotten very little from the bottom four spots of their lineup all season, and giving Gilbert a shot in place of Jared Young seems like a low-risk, potentially-high-reward move. With Mark Vientos struggling mightily this year, Gilbert could either player center, left, or just DH in an attempt to give the bottom of the lineup a jolt. Gilbert would need to be added to the 40-man roster, which would require that someone else be removed, assuming Raley is activated from the 60-day IL and becomes the 40th player on that roster.

Nolan McLean has been putting up great numbers all season, having started the year with Double-A Binghamton before getting promoted to Triple-A Syracuse. And Brandon Sproat has recently joined him in looking very good, albeit over a short span of just three starts. One or both pitchers could help the Mets, and McLean would be the logical choice if the team decided that it’s time to temporarily pause the Clay Holmes-as-a-starter experiment. In recent starts, Holmes has labored mightily, especially once he hits the middle innings, and that’s understandable given the big uptick in workload in his first season working as a starter in a very long time. Like Drew Gilbert, McLean and Sproat would have to be added to the 40-man roster at the expense of someone else.

And last but not least, Francisco Alvarez has a 1.114 OPS since being demoted to Syracuse, and he’s really turned it on lately with a 1.363 OPS over his last seven games. Whether or not he hits the ground running like that upon his return to the big leagues, he will be able to give the Mets more than Hayden Senger, who has a 15 wRC+ in limited playing time at the major league level this year.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...bert-raley-mclean-sproat-new-york-second-half
 
Mets sign Mitch Voit, their top pick in the 2025 draft

MLB: New York Mets at Philadelphia Phillies

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The 20-year-old from the University of Michigan has potential as a two-way player.

The Mets have signed Mitch Voit, their first pick in the 2025 draft, according to a Thursday morning announcement. Voit, a twenty-year-old Milwaukee native drafted out of the University of Michigan, was selected with the thirty-eighth pick.

For the third straight season, the Mets’ first-round pick in the draft was knocked down ten slots as a result of the Competitive Balance Tax. Voit signed with the Mets for $1.75 million, well below the $2,569,400 slot value.

Voit has potential as a two-way player. As a position player, he’s seen time at both first and third base, but most recently settled in as a full-time second baseman during his junior season last spring, during which he hit .346/.471/.668 with 14 homers and 14 stolen bases. Voit also drew 40 walks to just 34 strikeouts, demonstrating a disciplined approach.

As a pitcher, Voit sat in the low 90s, recording a 3.25 ERA in his freshman season and a 5.49 ERA his sophomore year. He was kept off the mound this spring after undergoing elbow surgery. It’s unclear if the Mets would plan to pursue Voit’s pitching development, especially given the spike in his offensive results in 2025 when he was focused solely on being a position player.

Voit went viral earlier this spring for celebrating a triple by pretending to snort the third-base-line chalk as if it was cocaine. Voit later apologized, and Mets vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross confirmed on Monday that the organization was comfortable with Voit’s makeup.

Voit is the first Met to be drafted from the University of Michigan since RHP Mac Lozer in 2017 and the first Met to be drafted No. 38 since David Wright in 2001.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...round-pick-draft-new-york-university-michigan
 
Mets kick off second half at home against Reds

MLB: Miami Marlins at New York Mets

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets begin an exciting half of baseball as they chase the Phillies for first in the NL East.

Following the All-Star Break, the Mets (55-42) return to play with three games against the Reds (50-47) at Citi Field. The Mets took four out of six from the Reds last season, including two of three at Citi Field. More important than the games themselves, the Mets will spend the weekend celebrating the career of Captain David Wright, with the club retiring his #5 on Saturday afternoon.

It may seem like a long time ago, but the Mets last played a three-game set against the Royals, taking two of three at Kauffman Stadium to conclude play before the All-Star break. The Mets were quiet early but came alive late in an 8-3 win one week ago. New York had just two hits heading into the eighth but exploded for seven runs across the final two innings. This included Mark Vientos’ bases-clearing double in the seventh and Francisco Lindor’s three-run home run in the ninth. Juan Soto also provided a solo shot, going back-to-back with Lindor to cap off the scoring. Kodai Senga returned with a very encouraging outing after missing a month with a hamstring strain.

The Mets followed that up with a 3-1 victory on Saturday to secure a series win. This win came courtesy of Soto’s absolute bomb of a home run in the fourth inning, which gave the Mets a lead they would not relinquish. Frankie Montas had his best start as a Met to date, pitching into the sixth and finishing up with five-plus innings one one-run ball to earn the win. Edwin Díaz pitched the final two innings to earn the save.

The Mets battled on Sunday but ultimately fell 3-2 as they were denied a sweep in Kansas City. The Mets seemed like they had one foot in the break as they slept-walked through much of the early part of this game. Clay Holmes allowed two in the second but buckled down and kept KC off the board in his final three frames, ultimately pitching five innings of two-run ball. Sean Manaea returned and was tremendous, striking out five in a row at one point. The Mets tied it up in the ninth, but the Royals would push a run across in the ninth against Manaea, in his fourth inning of work, to pick up the walk-off victory.

Heading into the break, the Mets, as a team, found themselves fourth in the NL in wRC+ (110) and OPS (.738). Overall, they are eighth in the NL in runs scored (426), but their big concern remains their inability to hit with runners in scoring position. This will be something they need to improve in the second half of the season if they want to get where they’re hoping to go. On the pitching front, they find themselves second in rotation ERA (3.38), trailing only the division rival Phillies (3.25). Their rotation also sports a 3.81 FIP, which is third among NL squads. Their bullpen, which has struggled as of late, is middle-of-the-pack, with a 3.83 ERA (7th in the NL) and a 3.69 FIP (third in the NL).

As expected, it was the Mets’ superstars who got them to where they are, despite some periods of struggle. Alonso leads the way for the club with a 156 wRC+ and a .908 OPS while slashing .280/.376/.532 with a 3.0 fWAR while being the only Met to appear in all 97 of the team’s games. He has 21 homers as he sits just five behind Darryl Strawberry for the franchise record, and barring something unforeseen he will break it at some point this season. Soto, following his early-season struggles, roared to a .262/.396/.509 slash line while leading the club with 23 homers and 70 runs scored and coming in second with a 155 wRC+ and third with a 2.9 fWAR in 96 games. Lindor, who started the All-Star game at shortstop, hit .260/.330/.457 with a 123 wRC+ and a team-best 3.6 fWAR in 95 games. Jeff McNeil (123 wRC+, 1.4 fWAR) and Brandon Nimmo (122 wRC+, 2.1 fWAR) have been a big part of the team’s early-season success.

But as has been said all season, the team will need contributions from the bottom of the lineup, and it’s been a bit of a black hole. The team expected more from Vientos after his breakthrough 2024 campaign, but he has struggled to the tune of a .223/.280/.361 slash line and an 82 wRC+, and his -0.4 fWAR is lowest among Mets players with at least 100 plate appearances. Bretty Baty hasn’t been much better, hitting .226/.282/.403 with a 94 wRC+ and a 0.9 fWAR. Francisco Alvarez has only hit .236/.319/.333 with a 92 wRC+ and a 0.4 fWAR, and his power has disappeared at the big league level, with only three homers. All three players have spent time in Triple-A at times to work on their game. Beyond that, Luis Torrens and Tyrone Taylor have not provided much offense throughout much of this season.

The Reds finished the first half by taking two of three from the Rockies. Prior to that, they split four with the Marlins. They find themselves in fourth place in a tough NL Central division, behind the Cubs, the Brewers, and the Cardinals. They reside just 2.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot in the NL, which is currently occupied by the Padres.

There really is one key player to watch whenever Cincinnati is in town, and it’s the electric Elly De La Cruz, who represented Cincinnati in Tuesday’s All-Star game. Cruz leads the club with a 130 wRC+, 18 homers, 72 runs scored, 63 runs batted in, 25 stolen bases, and a 3.6 fWAR while hitting .284/.359/.495 in 97 games. Basically, he does it all for the Reds and is well worth the price of admission to watch this team. TJ Friedl has also had a solid campaign, hitting .276/.368/.406 with nine homers, 55 runs scored, a 117 wRC+, and a 2.1 fWAR in 93 games.

Friday, July 18: Sean Manaea vs. Nick Lodolo, 7:10 PM EDT on SNY​


Sean Manaea (2025): 3.1 IP, 7 K, 0 BB, 0 HR, 2.70 ERA, -1.12 FIP, 69 ERA-

Manaea was a hard luck loser in his return to the mound on the Sunday before the break, but he was sensational after missing the entire first half with an oblique injury. He struck out seven over 3 1⁄3 innings in relief of Clay Holmes. At one point, he punched out five straight Royals, and he didn’t issue a walk. He allowed five hits in the frame, but it was the two consecutive hits he allowed in the ninth that ultimately sunk the Mets. He will get his first real start on Friday, and his performance in the second half could be a huge boost to the team’s postseason chances and World Series aspirations.

Lodolo (2025): 106.2 IP, 97 K, 22 BB, 15 HR, 3.38 ERA, 4.02 FIP, 78 ERA-

Since allowing six earned runs to the Guardians on June 11, Lodolo has recovered with a really nice five-start stretch. Over that span, he owns a 2.28 ERA in 27 2⁄3 innings of work. In that stretch, he’s striking out 23.5% of batters while walking 5.2% of batters. He went into the break with one of his best starts of 2025, tossing six shutout innings against Miami in which he scattered three hits and struck out four. Lodolo, who finished sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022, has already eclipsed the best bWAR of his career, which he set in his rookie campaign.

Saturday, July 19: Clay Holmes vs. Nick Martinez, 4:10 PM EDT on SNY​


Holmes (2025): 103.1 IP, 83 K, 41 BB, 11 HR, 3.31 ERA, 4.22 FIP, 84 ERA-

Holmes went five innings and allowed two runs in his final outing before the break, but didn’t factor in the decision—he was in line for the loss before the Mets tied the game in the ninth. Holmes was a bright spot in the first half, transitioning seamlessly to starting after becoming a star reliever for the Yankees. The concern heading into the second half is that he’s already eclipsed his career high in innings pitched—that would be 70 innings back in 2021. He’s thrown right around 63 innings each of the past two seasons. The Mets are going to think carefully about how they handle Holmes the rest of the way, especially as they prepare for a potential postseason run.

Martinez (2025): 111.0 IP, 76 K, 25 BB, 14 HR, 4.78 ERA, 4.14 FIP, 111 ERA-

Martinez posted the best season of his major league career for Cincinnati last year, finishing with a career-best 4.0 bWAR. This year hasn’t quite gone has smoothly for the veteran right-hander, who is sporting an ERA close to five. That is, mainly, due to his start on July 8, where he was tattooed for ten earned runs in five innings of work against the Marlins, which caused his ERA to balloon by a half-run. His last start was an improvement—hard to do worse than that start, if we’re being honest—as he limited Colorado to two earned runs on five hits in 5 1⁄3 innings, which helped Martinez earn his seventh win of the season (against nine losses).

Sunday, July 20: David Peterson vs. Andrew Abbott, 1:40 PM EDT on WPIX​


Peterson (2025): 109.0 IP, 93 K, 37 BB, 7 HR, 3.06 ERA, 3.37 FIP, 78 ERA-

Peterson is fresh off throwing one shutout inning in the All-Star game. It is a huge accomplishment and a well-deserved honor for the Mets’ left-hander, who owns the 11th best ERA and the 13th best FIP among qualified NL starters. He’s been great to begin July after allowing five earned runs in back-to-back starts to close out the month of June. In his most recent outing against the Orioles, he pitched into the eighth and allowed one earned run on five hits over seven-plus innings. Prior to that, he threw 6 2⁄3 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits against the Brewers, which earned him his sixth win of the 2025 season.

Abbott (2025): 91.1 IP, 83 K, 24 BB, 10 HR, 2.07 ERA, 3.51 FIP, 48 ERA-

Abbott, a former second round pick for Cincinnati, has blossomed in his third year in the big leagues and was named to his first All-Star game. Abbott entered the break with the second-best ERA among NL starters with at least 90 innings, trailing just All-Star game starter Paul Skenes. That alone is pretty remarkable. His last start before the break saw him go 7 2⁄3 innings and hold Miami to one earned run on six hits, with five strikeouts and two walks as he earned his eight victory of the season against just one loss. He has been one of the most reliable pitchers for the Reds, and they have, in turn, won 12 of his 16 outings in 2025.



Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...new-york-cincinnati-citi-field-series-preview
 
2025 Mets Draft profile: Sam Robertson

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With their seventeenth-round selection in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 523rd overall pick, the Mets selected Sam Robertson, a shortstop from Northwest Shoals Community College in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Birmingham, Alabama native Sam Robertson attended Oxford High School in the eponymous Oxford, Alabama. A varsity football and baseball player, he focused only on baseball beginning in his junior year and the results spoke for themselves, as the youngster turned into an All-State shortstop who was considered a priority follow for scouts and evaluators as one of the best players in the state. After he graduated, he went undrafted in the 2023 MLB Draft and honored his commitment to Auburn University.

Robertson did not get much playing time at Auburn in his freshman season. The infielder appeared in six games as a pinch runner and was hit by a pitch in his only official plate appearance that year. He did the most that he could with the limited in-game action he saw, stealing three bases in those six pinch running assignments, scoring twice. He played for the Alexandria Aces of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Summer League after the season ended to get more playing time under his belt.

Electing to get make it on the field over languishing on the bench, Robertson transferred to Northwest Shoals Community College in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Using his situation as fuel to put up the best numbers possible, to show his former coaches that they had missed out and to show potential scouts that he was a professional-grade player regardless of where he was plying the trade. And that he did. Appearing in 55 games for the Northwest Shoals Patriots, the 20-year-old hit .362/.469/.546 with 14 doubles, 5 triples, 4 home runs, 60 stolen bases in 69 attempts- a school record for successful steals- and drew 33 walks to 26 strikeouts.

Robertson stands square at the plate, holding his hands up at roughly the shoulders and angling his bat head at 2:30 behind his head and swinging with a slight leg kick and short, simple stroke. There is not much power projection in his thin 6’2”, 180-pound frame, but the right-hander shows plenty of speed. The infielder has posted above-average-to-plus times in the 60-yard dash and has demonstrated himself to be a strong base stealer. In the infield, Robertson has plenty of range and a strong arm. His arm has been clocked around 90 MPH, and thanks to his speed, he has plenty of infield range.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7/18/24470301/2025-mets-draft-profile-sam-robertson-inf
 
The Mets face a Clay Holmes conundrum in the second half

MLB: Tampa Bay Rays at New York Mets

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Carlos Mendoza and team leadership will have to tread carefully in how they handle one of their starters post-break

For much of the first half, the Mets have been carried by their starting rotation. Through much of the team’s first 97 games, their rotation led MLB in ERA, before finally slipping to second place recently, falling behind the division rival Phillies. Injuries have stalled their momentum a bit, and their depth has been tested following injuries to Tylor Megill and Griffin Canning, but with Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea back in the rotation as of last week, things should be stabilizing a bit as the team begins the stretch run.

The Mets also face an intriguing question: What the hell should they do with Clay Holmes? The right-hander has been a pleasant surprise for New York. I say that not because he hasn’t gotten results in the past, because he certainly has. However, when the team took a chance by signing him to a three-year, $38 million contract in the offseason to be a starting pitcher, more than a few eyebrows were raised across the league. The value of the contract is well below what someone of his talent level would normally make as a starter, so it was a shrewd move by the team’s front office, provided it would work out.

Holmes had become a dependable reliever/closer for the Yankees, but he hadn’t started a major league game since 2018 with the Pirates. Those fears have been assuaged, as he’s posted a 3.31 ERA in 19 starts for New York while averaging just over 5 1/3 innings per outing. He is a big reason why the team’s rotation has flourished and weathered the absence of Senga and Manaea.

However, with 19 starts under his belt—for reference, he had only made four starts in his career prior to signing with the Mets—comes a lot of mileage on his right arm. He’s already north of 100 innings after throwing 63 2/3 innings last year, and 63 innings each of the two seasons prior to that. His career high is 70, which he’s eclipsed (and then some). The Mets have never made it publicly known whether Holmes has any sort of innings limit, or whether they’re going to ride it out as long as they can, but it’s hard to imagine there isn’t some sort of cap, and with him likely to make another 12-14 starts (barring injury), he’s likely to approach 180 or so innings at this rate. Then there’s the playoffs to consider, and we saw last year how Manaea, who eclipsed his career high in innings by a considerable amount, tired out in the NLCS against the Dodgers.

The Mets are likely already actively monitoring this situation, and just because they have not shared their plans does not mean they haven’t already begun executing on their plan. Holmes is set to begin his second half on Saturday against the Reds, and it’s already interesting that the club chose him for this game instead of someone like Senga, who has more rest heading into Saturday. There’s a number of ways the club can proceed here with their 2025 Opening Day starter.

Stay the course​


This is the easiest option. The team worked with Holmes to transition him to a starter, and perhaps the intention was for him to carry on the typical workload of a starter (and perhaps this is also what Holmes wants). After all, if you’re paying him to start, you have to imagine he would approach 200 innings without injury.

Pro: Requires no additional action from the Mets. They can just ride with their rotation into the postseason, assuming the results remain steady. This also gives the Mets the rotation they envisioned at the start of the season: Sean Manaea, Kodai Senga, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Frankie Montas, with Paul Blackburn as a sixth option and Tylor Megill expected to return from injury at some point. They can also employ a six man rotation, which they like to do with Senga anyway, and this could benefit Holmes as well—I am looping this into the “Stay the course” strategy since it’s something the Mets have done already.

Con: This carries the chance of regression as his innings climb. Over his past six starts dating back to June 13, he’s posted a 4.20 ERA and a 5.18 FIP, with a 14.0% K% and a 14.0% BB% in 30 innings. For reference, prior to that he owned a 2.95 ERA and a 3.83 FIP, with a 21.5% K% and a 7.6% BB% in 73 1⁄3 innings. His walks have been increasing while he’s not striking batters out at the same clip he was earlier in the season, and he’s surrendering more home runs—after not allowing a homer in his first seven starts, he’s given up 11 over his last 12 outings. His regression has begun essentially since he surpassed his career high in innings, and these trends are troubling.

Limit his innings​


Common sense dictates that this is how the Mets will move forward. They could use an opener for his starts and use Holmes as a bulk guy, or just curve his pitch count and keep him to a “five and dive” pitcher. You’re probably going to get the best results from him this way, and it seems things are already trending in this direction—while he has pitched into the sixth in his last three outings, he hasn’t gone more than 5 1⁄3 in any of his previous six starts, and he last pitched into the seventh back on June 7.

Pro: Maximizes his potential while reducing the opportunity for breaking down late in games, and keeps his inning count down. Over 13 or so starts at ~five innings, you can keep him at under 170 innings. If he can limit the damage to one or two earned runs over five, as he has so often done, that puts the team in a good position for a victory in any of his starts.

Con: There is no guarantee that this will keep him fresh into the postseason, and this is likely to tax their bullpen even more than it already has been. Should they go this route, they’re likely going to have to add at least one, and preferably two, high-impact arms at the deadline to improve their bullpen, which has struggled as of late beyond Edwin Díaz and Reed Garrett.

Move Holmes to the bullpen​


This is an option that is likely not being considered, but it is interesting. Holmes was an elite reliever for the Yankees, posting a K% of between 25% and 28% in each of the past four seasons out of the pen, and he was an All Star as a reliever in both 2022 and 2024. It could be a non-starter for both the club and the pitcher, both of whom signed a contract for him to become a starting pitcher, presumably because it’s what both sides wanted. However, with the club in clear need of relief help at the deadline, they could solve that problem internally by transitioning Holmes back to the pen, at least for the remainder of this season. You could make a strong argument that his greatest value to New York would be setting up Díaz in October, rather than providing four or five innings and putting a greater strain on their pen.

Pro: There’s proven data that his stuff plays out of the pen, and he has provided strong results in that role in New York. He especially excelled last year in relief during October, where he posted a 2.25 ERA in 12 innings for the Yankees after losing his closer’s job to Luke Weaver during the regular season. This could essentially lock up the final two innings for the Mets in postseason games, which gives them a huge edge over their opponents, and if their rotation is strengthened with the return of Manaea and Senga, it could give them a dangerous group of pitchers that can go up against any team in October.

Con: This creates a hole in the rotation, one they would presumably look to fill at the deadline. The question here is whether it’s easier to fill in the gaps in the pen or in the rotation. If it costs more to acquire a high-leverage starter than a high-leverage reliever, which it presumably will, and the club is not ready to meet that cost, this may not be a path they’re willing to travel.

The final option could be keeping Holmes on the sidelines for a bit to save innings on his arm, but given that the team has run into trouble with the league with this method in the past, it’s likely not something they’ll consider.

All in all, Holmes’ innings is something the team will have to address. Holmes has been a key reason the Mets are where they are—maintaining a record that has consistently been ten-plus games over .500—but they will need him in October if they want any chance of winning the World Series. Figuring out the best way to maximize his value this season will be paramount, and is something the club will need to decide on sooner rather than later.



Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...reliever-rotation-bullpen-citi-field-new-york
 
Mets trivia: Your in-5 daily game, Sunday edition

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Think you can figure out what Mets player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out.

Hello Mets fans! We’re back for another day of the Amazin Avenue In-5 daily trivia game. The objective is to guess the correct active OR retired Mets player in as few guesses as possible. Full game instructions are at the bottom. Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Amazin Avenue In-5 Game


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous Games


Saturday, July 19, 2025Friday, July 18, 2025
Friday, July 18, 2025
Thursday, July 17, 2025

Play more SB Nation In-5 trivia games


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Amazin Avenue In-5 instructions


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Mets player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS each week. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. The game will appear in the No. 3 slot of the Amazin Avenue layout each day this week and as noted above, will appear in this article exclusively.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7/20/24470850/sb-nation-mets-daily-trivia-in-5
 
Flushing is Burning: Hey Now, Lindor’s an All Star

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Finally, after five years, he made it!

Grace is back with tons of All-Star news. First, she discusses the last two weeks in Mets news. A hot stretch followed by a slight cold one by a hot one again, Senga and Manaea are back, Winker was back but then not again. She also talks about the Mets All-Stars and snubs, including one very exciting All-Star for Grace.

Next, she gets into the general festivities. The fun players named, the Jacob Misiorowski controversy, and the other odd roster choices. The fun end to the game, the VERY fun Home Run Derby, and the disappointment in how the Atlanta thing was handled.

Finally, she does a double moviminute inspired by some TCM catch up. Two different films about the distrust in political institutions and the fight for a better world set in the 60s. And both are some of the best films ever made, with Grace feeling incredible passion for both.

Follow us on Twitter/X @FIBPod, on Instagram @FlushingisBurningPod, and email us at [email protected]! Plus, we’ve joined Bluesky at flushingisburning.bsky.social!

As always, you can listen or subscribe to all of our Home Run Applesauce podcasts through Apple Podcasts, where we encourage you to leave a review if you enjoy the show. It really helps! And you can find us on the Stitcher app, Spotify, or listen wherever you get podcasts.

Visit our Patreon for bonus episodes and to help directly support the podcasters whose work you’ve enjoyed for years, as well as unlock access to exclusive episodes, our Discord server, a monthly playlist, and more.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...ushing-is-burning-hey-now-lindors-an-all-star
 
Can you guess this Mets right-hander in today’s in-5 trivia game?

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Think you can figure out what Mets player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out.

Hello Mets fans! We’re back for another day of the Amazin Avenue In-5 daily trivia game. The objective is to guess the correct active OR retired Mets player in as few guesses as possible. Full game instructions are at the bottom. Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Amazin Avenue In-5 Game


If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous Games


Sunday, July 20, 2025Saturday, July 19, 2025
Saturday, July 19, 2025
Friday, July 18, 2025

Play more SB Nation In-5 trivia games


NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Amazin Avenue In-5 instructions


The goal of the game is to guess the correct Mets player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS each week. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. The game will appear in the No. 3 slot of the Amazin Avenue layout each day this week and as noted above, will appear in this article exclusively.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7/21/24471318/sb-nation-mets-daily-trivia-in-5
 
Mets 7, Angels 5—Mets benefit from Angels’ putrid defense to steal a win

MLB: Los Angeles Angels at New York Mets

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Mets fell behind 4-0 but battled back to win their second straight game.

Some people say it’s better to be lucky than good. Well, it’s not fair to say the Mets aren’t good, but they sure got lucky tonight in facing a painfully mediocre Angels team, whose bullpen and defense, which are a big reason they are under .500, helped gift New York a 7-5 win.

Kodai Senga took the mound for New York, his second start since returning from the IL and first time on the mound in ten days. It took him 22 pitches to get through the first as he navigated a lead-off walk, In the second, he allowed a solo home run to Logan O’Hoppe—the catcher had gone 63 at-bats in between home runs—but otherwise needed 14 pitches to get through the second. The solo homer continued a trend for Senga, as a majority of the homers he’s surrendered in his career have been with nobody on base.

Senga really ran into a wall in the third however, and it would be his final inning of the inning. It took him 37 pitches to slog through the third, and he was tagged for three runs, breaking his streak of 31 straight starts without allowing more than three earned runs—tied for the second-longest such streak in franchise history. Things began innocently enough with a Luis Rengifo single, but he retired the next two batters. With a chance to escape the inning unscathed, he walked Mike Trout, and Taylor Ward doubled both players home. On the plate, Francisco Lindor had a chance to gun down Trout at home, but his throw sailed way over Francisco Alvarez’s head. Jo Adell then brought home the fourth Angels run. Senga ended up walking three and allowing four hits while striking out five in three innings of work, as his ERA jumped to 1.79 with the three runs allowed.

The Mets’ offense, meanwhile, was quiet against Tyler Anderson in the first three innings, but finally began chipping away in the fourth, as Jeff McNeil walked with one out, and Brett Baty brought them both home with his 11th home run of the season. The Mets went quietly in the fifth and sixth innings, with just a Pete Alonso walk coming in either inning.

The Mets’ bullpen, with Senga’s early exit, had a lot to do. Kevin Herget, who is back with the club, played a vital role, tossing 2 1⁄3 scoreless innings to keep things close. Chris Devenski followed him, entering with one out in the sixth, and closed out the inning, but he ran into trouble in the seventh. He allowed a leadoff single to Zach Neto, who was throwing out trying to steal a base. That caught stealing loomed large, as Devenski walked Nolan Schanuel, hit Trout with a pitch, and allowed a run-scoring hit to Ward. Huascar Brazobán was called upon to clean up his mess, and on the next batter, Jo Adell hit a grounder to third and Baty gunned Trout down at the plate. Brazobán then struck out Yoán Moncada to end the inning.

Keeping those extra runs off the board allowed the Mets to tie it up in the seventh. The Angels tried to stretch Anderson into the seventh, but it ended up being a costly decision. Alvarez led off with a walk and Luisangel Acuña followed with a single, which led to Anderson’s exit. Reid Detmers entered and immediately hit Brandon Nimmo to load the bases. Francisco Lindor, who came to the plate mired in an 0-for-24 stretch, reached on a fielder’s choice as he drove in his 55th run of the season. Lindor stole second without a throw, and Juan Soto brought both Acuña and Lindor home on a single up the middle to tie up the contest. The Mets would not get any closer, but it was a brand new ballgame for the Mets.

After Brooks Raley pitched his second consecutive scoreless inning since returning from Tommy John Surgery, the Mets got to work against new Angels’ pitcher José Fermin. After Mark Vientos lined up to begin the inning, Baty walked, and Alvarez hit a double to right that was badly misplayed by Chris Taylor, who entered the game late. With Ronny Mauricio called upon to pinch hit, Los Angeles went with Brock Burke to turn Mauricio around to the right side. Mauricio hit a grounder to third, which Yoán Moncada snagged, but he rushed the throw and tossed it wide and O’Hoppe could not handle it, which allowed Baty to score. Nimmo followed up with a sacrifice fly to build a two-run lead.

With a two-run lead, Edwin Díaz entered looking to shut the door following his second blown save of the year and get the Mets a second straight win. After falling behind 2-0 on Schanuel, he recovered to throw three straight strikes. He then blew Trout away on three straight fastballs after falling behind 1-0 to pick up the second out. With just Ward standing in between the Mets and a win, Díaz froze Ward on a slider to strike out the side and close out the game.

The Mets could not regain first place in the NL East because the Phillies beat the Red Sox in ten, but the Mets kept pace with their division rivals with the win. They’ll look to make it three straight wins as they turn to Frankie Montas tomorrow night.

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Win Probability Added​

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What’s WPA?

Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, +19.2% WPA
Big Mets loser: Kodai Senga, -25.7% WPA
Mets pitchers: +56.1% WPA
Mets hitters: -6.1% WPA
Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto game-tying single in the seventh, +23.0% WPA
Teh sux0rest play: Taylor Ward two-run double in the third inning, -19.0% WPA

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/2025/7...-soto-nimmo-baty-alvarez-mauricio-vientos-win
 
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