News Mets Team Notes

[New York Mets]

Mets have some interest in outfielder Austin Hays

The Mets are reportedly interested in free agent left fielder Austin Hays, according to Jon Heyman. The team is discussing the outfielder internally as they look to bolster their lineup.

Hays, an eight-year veteran who has bounced around between the Orioles, Phillies, and, most recently, the Reds, is coming off a year in which he slashed .266/.315/.453 (.768 OPS) with 15 homers, 60 runs scored, 64 runs batted in, and a 105 wRC+ in 102 games. He finished 2025 with a 1.2 fWAR which, all in all, was a nice bounce back after he struggled in 2024 (97 wRC+, 0.2 fWAR in 85 games). The 2023 All-Star has played all three outfield positions in his career, but he solely played left field in 2025 and did not spend any time in center or right.

The interest in Hays likely stems from his output against left-handed pitching. The right-handed hitting Hays slashed .319/.400/.519 with a 155 wRC+ against lefties (105 plate appearances) while hitting a much more pedestrian .249/.286/.422 with an 88 wRC+ against righties (311 plate appearances). The club, whose lineup is left-hand heavy, has been rumored to be exploring some right-handed hitting options to bolster their offense, though the thinking is they would want someone who can play first base as well. Overall, Hays is a squarely average hitter (43rd percentile in batting run value) and fielder (55th percentile in fielding run value) overall, but someone who can still produce in their lineup.

The news of the club’s interest in Hays comes one day after they traded Jeff McNeil to the Athletics. With McNeil’s and Nimmo’s departures, the club is will be actively seeking some outfielders to fill the roster, but a lot of work remains to be done. As of now, the only outfielders on the 40-man roster are Juan Soto, Tyrone Taylor, Jared Young, Ji Hwan Bae, and Nick Morabito (though Carson Benge is expected to get a chance to compete for a spot come spring training).

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...-have-some-interest-in-outfielder-austin-hays

 

[New York Mets]

Grading the Mets’ Luke Weaver signing

The Mets continued both their bullpen revamp and their seemingly endless conquest to steal good players from the Yankees, signing Luke Weaver to a two-year, $22M deal. Weaver, a 32-year-old right hander, has been a key member of the Yankees’ bullpen the past two seasons and actually took the closer’s job from Devin Williams at times last season. Now the two will be reunited at the back of the Mets’ 2026 bullpen.

Depending on how long you’ve been paying attention to this sort of thing, you may remember Weaver as a frustrating arm from the mid-2010s, one who fit well into many of the public-facing pitch analysis debates of the time. His velocity was middling (low-to-mid 90s as a starter) yet it consistently induced whiffs, exemplifying the newly mainstream importance of fastball ride and shape. He had a plus changeup but lacked a true breaking ball, making him yet another test case pushing the conventional wisdom on arsenal depth for starters. He also consistently got hurt by damage on contact. something that might’ve been hand-waved away as luck.

Needless to say, we know better about a lot these things now (well, not grading changeups, that pitch type still confounds many models). Weaver’s fastball had good traits, but he’d bleed velocity and didn’t always command it well. That made it easier for hitters to square him up and largely substantiating the results he allowed on batted balls. More recent stuff models – for instance, Baseball Prospectus’s, which includes surprise figures – have also captured how having more good pitches has clear value, provide they’re, y’know, actually good.

Couple those limitations with a lengthy injury history (multiple bouts of forearm, elbow, and shoulder strains) and you can piece together why Weaver never really worked out as a starter. That didn’t stop plenty of teams from trying though, because there was clearly something here. He was a piece in the Paul Goldschmidt trade, spent some brief time as a Royal, had two separate stints with the Mariners, and also spent time in Cincinnati. Aside from a 12-start run in 2019, however, it never really came together.

Weaver landed with the Yankees at the end of the 2023 season and made three spot starts down the stretch. His performance earned him a spot in the Yankee bullpen for 2024, and it quickly became apparent that Weaver had figured some stuff out. Top of the list, he added 1 – 2 MPH across his arsenal. That drove a corresponding increase in induced vertical break on his fastball, making it an even more effective swing-and-miss offering. He also tweaked the shape of his cutter and began deploying it as a legitimate third pitch (22% usage), particularly against right-handed batters where it actually became his most used secondary.

The results of all of this were sterling. Weaver’s stuff metrics improved significantly across all public models, and he saw big increases in both chase and whiff rates. Critically, the revamped arsenal also did a better job of limiting damage on contact; not necessarily to a level you’d call “good”, but better than the “horrible-to-disastrous” range Weaver had lived in for much of his career, with a particular penchant for limiting pulled fly balls. He ended the season with a 2.89 ERA and a 23.3% K-BB% as a key part of the Yankees’ late-inning relief corp.

While the overall approach carried into 2025, there was some backsliding. Weaver threw all his pitches roughly half-a-tick slower than in 2024, something that made his fastball just a bit more hittable in the zone. He also seemingly lost the feel for his cutter, reducing it’s usage back down below 10% despite the success he had with the pitch in 2025. The end result was an ERA in the high 3s rather than the high 2s and K-BB% that dipped back under 20%. Weaver also struggled with a hamstring injury in the middle of the season, pitching to an ERA over 5 from late-June onward as he likely returned too early.

The velocity loss is notable, as is the reduced cutter usage, but more than anything Weaver’s fastball command is what undermined him in 2025. For reference, here’s where Weaver through his fastball in 2024:

Hardly surprising. If you’ve got a high-ride fastball, you want to throw it up in the zone. Now here’s what that zone profile looked like prior to his 2025 hamstring injury:

Not totally dissimilar, but you can see a greater number of pitches in the zone rather than above it. That trend got worse after Weaver returned from his hamstring strain:

Doesn’t really matter how good your fastball shape is, throwing mid-90s right down the middle against major league hitters is usually a bad idea.

Put more quantitatively, Weaver’s Zone% on his fastball went from 50% to nearly 55%, matched by a similar Zone% increase across his whole arsenal. That’s something that’s hopefully correctable and potentially comes more easily with a healthy posterior chain. Combine that with bringing back the cutter and there’s no clear reason why Weaver couldn’t be more similar to his 2024 self than the 2025 iteration.

Hardly a conclusive analysis of course – there’s definitely risk here. We’re running into the fundamental problem of projecting relievers here, particularly non-elite ones, in that it’s largely a fool’s errand. Given that, it’s important to consider the broader market context. Weaver is not comparable to the top tier of arms (Devin Williams, Edwin Diaz, Robert Suarez), but fits comfortably into the second tier with Tyler Rogers, Brad Keller, and Ryan Helsley. Here’s what those guys have signed for:

• Helsley – 2 years, $28M w/ an opt-out (Baltimore)
• Rogers – 3 years, $37M w/ 4th year vesting option (Toronto)
• Keller – 2 years, $22M (Philadelphia)

With the exception of Rogers (who has an inflated deal in large part because that’s how Toronto has to operate), Weaver’s contract is in-line with the rest of the market here. Both Helsley and Rogers got more, while Keller – who has the best case here as a better value contract – has all of one year of high-level success as a reliever. You can split hairs endlessly of course about preferring any arm over another, but the big-picture takeaway is that the Mets paid what looks like the low-end of the market rate for a good late-inning arm.

A good reliever signed to right-about market rate without guaranteeing term is a totally solid move, a necessary-if-not-flashy addition to build out the back of the bullpen. The Weaver signing receives a B+.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...sis-luke-weaver-signing-grade-yankees-bullpen

 

[New York Mets]

2025 Mets Minor League In Memoriam: Outfielders

In this four-part series, we look back on the minor leaguers that the Mets released or traded over 2025. Today, we focus on the outfielders.

01/17/25: Syracuse Mets released OF Edward Olivares.

02/01/25: DSL Mets Orange released OF Enderson Asencio.

• Asencio was signed by the organization in January 15, 2023 for $75,000, and thanks to his size and batting practice power, many scouts and evaluators considered him a player to follow. While there was much to like about the early returns once he finally started playing professionally, there were still many areas of improvement to focus on and hone. After two seasons, the Mets decided to cut ties with the 18-year-old.

03/21/25: DSL Mets Orange released OF Rocky Solano.

03/24/25: St. Lucie Mets released OF Jacoby Long.

• Long was drafted in the 17th round of the 2024 MLB Draft and his tenure with the organization lasted 18 total games in 2024 in which he hit .203/.271/.234.

05/18/25: Syracuse Mets released OF Billy McKinney.

05/28/25: OF José Azocar elected free agency.

• Azocar signed with the Atlanta Braves the next day, spent about a month in their system- which included a brief call-up to Atlanta- and was then released. He re-signed with the Mets at the end of June and was re-assigned back to Syracuse.

06/27/25: Binghamton Rumble Ponies released OF Alex Ramírez.

• The writing was on the wall and we all knew the other shoe would eventually drop, but it was still weird to see Ramirez’ name on the release log. Signed as a much touted and hyped international free agent on July 2, 2019 for $2.05 million- at that point the third-largest signing bonus given to an international rookie, behind Fransisco Alvarez and Ronny Mauricio- it took a few years for Ramirez to finally make his professional debut, but when finally did in 2021, the early returns were promising. Generally one of the youngest, if not the youngest player, in the league over the course of his first few years in Single-A and High-A baseball, Ramirez treaded water at worst and thrived at best. By the time he was promoted to Double-A, it became clear that his unconventional mechanics at the plate and free-swinging ways were a major liability. He was non-tendered in November 2024, but re-signed as a minor league free agent, keeping him in the organization, but was released after continuing to put up poor numbers in Double-A.

07/02/25: Syracuse Mets released OF Travis Swaggerty.

• Back in 2018, Swaggerty was one of the players I was interested in seeing the Mets draft with their 6th overall draft pick, but they drafted Jered Kelenic instead. Swaggerty ended up getting picked by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the 10th overall pick. Given their overall lackluster careers, six of one thing, half-dozen of another, I guess. Swaggerty was one of the first players I recall who truly grew up in the digital social media age and having to furiously scrub his twitter profile during the draft process to make sure less-than-savory things did not cause embarrassments to either him or the team that eventually would draft him.

07/13/25: OF Travis Jankowski elected free agency.

07/30/25: Mets traded OF Drew Gilbert.

• Drew Gilbert became a very polarizing prospect sometime between last winter and the 2025 trade deadline. To some, he was the center fielder of the future, a solid defensive fielder who was still recovering from injuries sustained the season prior and was just starting to come out of that funk. To some, he was a bum who wouldn’t be able to stick in center field and whose bat had regressed to the point that he was unlikely to be able to be an everyday major leaguer. The jury is still out obviously, but San Francisco did call him up, for what it’s worth, and in the 39 games he appeared in, he hit .190/.248/.350 in 100 at-bats with 5 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 1 stolen base in 2 attempts, and drew 7 walks to 20 strikeouts.

Regardless, to get something, you need to give something up, and Tyler Rogers was without question the best trade acquisition that the organization made in 2025. The funky right-hander appeared in 28 games for a Mets bullpen that desperately needed to be buttressed and posted a 2.30 ERA in 27.1 innings. Sure, he barely struck anyone out, but he didn’t allow much hard contact and gave Carlos Mendoza a reliable hand to turn to in a sea of untrustworthy relievers. He has since signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, closing the book on the deal from the Mets point-of-view and what the team got out of the deal. Now, only time will tell if it was worth it.

08/04/25: St. Lucie Mets released OF Willy Fanas.

• Initially set to sign a $1.8 million dollar contract with the Los Angeles Angels during the 2020-2021 international free agent signing period, the deal fell apart- the worst case scenario for international rookies from the Caribbean- leading to the Mets signing him for $1.5 million dollars on January 15, 2022. Fanas generally underwhelmed at every level the Mets had him assigned, from the Dominican Summer League up to the Florida State League, and after a slow with St. Lucie this season, the organization decided to cut ties with the 21-year-old.

Almost more interesting than his career was the fact that Fanas and another aspiring ballplayer, Keiderson Pavon, sued the Los Angeles Angels in a Dominican court for reneging on the verbal agreements that the team reached with the two players- aged 14 and 15 at the time. Various media reports go into detail about the reasons the suit was filed, but there have been no public updates as to what is going on regarding the suit since early 2023.

08/04/25: DSL Mets Blue released OF Anthony Baptist.

• Baptist received one of the larger signing bonuses the Mets gave out during the 2023-2024 international free agent signing periods, agreeing to terms with the organization for $1.1 million, nearly 20% of their allotted $5.2 million that year. He appeared in 32 games for the DSL Mets that summer and hit a healthy .276/.427/.476 with 3 doubles, 6 triples, 2 home runs, 12 stolen bases, and 25 walks to 29 strikeouts, all while looking solid in center field. In March 2024, prior to the start of the season, Baptist was suspended for lying about his age, claiming he was 17 at the time of his signing when he was not. He served out his suspension, was activated and appeared in a handful of games for the DSL Mets Orange in 2025 and was released.

08/15/25: Syracuse Mets released OF Rafael Ortega.

08/25/25: Brooklyn Cyclones released OF Troy Schreffler Jr.

08/29/25: Syracuse Mets released OF Pablo Reyes.

09/29/25: OF Jose Siri elected free agency.

11/06/25: DSL Mets Blue released OF Fidel Pinango.

11/06/25: OF Omar De Los Santos elected free agency.

• De Los Santos was fun to watch for a while. From 2022 to 2024, he stole 152 bases (in 188 attempts, a well-above average marginal return rate); the next highest total was Rowdey Jordan, who stole 69 bases during that same period. Never a good hitter- he batted .207/.261/.310 in 2023 and .192/.277/.348 in 2024- the Mets moved on after a third poor- though marginally improved- season (.232/.266/.424).

11/06/25: OF José Azocar elected free agency.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-minor-league/88600/2025-mets-minor-league-in-memoriam-outfielders

 

[New York Mets]

2025 Mets Minor League In Memoriam: Infielders

In this four-part series, we look back on the minor leaguers that the Mets released or traded over 2025. Today, we focus on the infielders.

02/01/25: DSL Mets Orange released SS Starling Fernandez.

02/01/25: DSL Mets Orange released SS Leiner Ramirez.

02/04/25: DSL Mets Orange released C Yerlin Garcia.

06/16/25: Syracuse Mets released 1B Jon Singleton.

07/12/25: Syracuse Mets released C Chris Williams.

07/17/25: Syracuse Mets released C Jakson Reetz.

07/30/25: Mets traded INF Jesus Baez.

• Coming into the season, Amazin’ Avenue ranked Jesus Baez the Mets’ 9th top prospect, but a lot of that goodwill was based on his age and physical tools, as he came into the season limited to just 64 Single-A games where he hit .262/.338/.444 before having his season end thanks to a right knee meniscus tear. Promoted to High-A, Baez put up very similar numbers before being traded, hitting .244/.337/.406 in 70 games with Brooklyn.

In exchange for Baez (and others), the Mets received Ryan Helsley. At the time, it seemed like a great move. The Mets were receiving an experienced high-leverage arm to bolster an ailing bullpen. The process was still right but given that Helsley turned out to be an unmitigated disaster who has since signed elsewhere, the results are not looking great. There’s a very good chance Baez does not develop into anything, but given how the 2025 season turned out, with Helsley maybe not being the cause for the Mets’ slow collapse but being unable to stop it, it’ll especially sting if he does.

08/04/25: FCL Mets released 3B Jake Zitella.

• This release came as a little bit of a surprise, but given that Zitella had only appeared in in five games at the beginning of the Florida Complex League season, something obviously was up. Though he was never placed on the injured list, Zitella reaggravated a lingering back injury that he had been ignoring and playing through since his 2023 senior season at St. Charles East High School and the issue required a surgical procedure to fix it, leading to his request to be released. A little odd that it was a release and not a retirement, but I’m sure there are reasons that a player and/or sports agent would understand better.

08/11/25: Syracuse Mets released 1B David Villar.

08/16/25: DSL Mets Blue released SS Keiver Garcia.

• Garcia was signed by the organization in January 15, 2023 for just $10,000, but his defensive ability earned praise from scouts and evaluators. The undersized middle infielder unfortunately never took the necessary steps forward to improve his offense in two-and-a-half seasons in the Dominican Summer League, and despite still being just 18-years-old, was given his release.

11/06/25: SS William Lugo elected free agency.

11/06/25: DSL Mets Blue released IF Alvaro Matos.

11/06/25: 1B Joey Meneses elected free agency.

11/06/25: 3B Nick Madrigal elected free agency.

11/06/25: C Matt O’Neill elected free agency.

• O’Neill was a local kid, a Morristown native.

11/06/25: 2B Luke Ritter elected free agency.

• It was a strange career arc for Luke Ritter, who had one of the longest Mets tenures of any player released or not re-signed by the organization this year. When he was drafted way back in 2019, he was a light-hitting infielder from Wichita State. Returning to baseball following the loss of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ritter morphed himself into a power-hitting first-baseman, leading the minor league system in 2023 and 2024 in home runs (27 and 26, respectively). Given his red flags as a player, he was unlikely to ever be called up to the majors, but the power improbably dried up in 2025 and that was all she wrote for Luke Ritter’s Mets career.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-minor-league/88598/2025-mets-minor-league-in-memoriam-infielders

 

[New York Mets]

A look back on 25 Years of Mets Rookies

I remember 2001 like it was yesterday (the good parts of it, anyway; I have a big blank spot during that day that’s honestly probably for the best). Train’s “Drops of Jupiter” just finished playing on TRL and Carson Daly began talking about Jennifer Lopez breaking up with P. Diddy, but I wasn’t interested in that so started changing the channel. Did I want to watch Survivor or that new Band of Brothers series that looked cool? Looking over at my alarm clock to see what time it was, I realized I didn’t have time for more TV. I chugged the rest of my 20 oz. bottle of Pepsi Twist and picked up the $10 bill I left on my dresser, enough to buy a ticket to see The Fellowship of the Ring and have enough left over to buy popcorn and soda! I slammed the door to my room a little too hard, causing one corner of my Final Fantasy X poster to sag off the wall, but I was in a hurry and didn’t care. Running downstairs, I picked up the kitchen phone to call my best friend, but I got a modem signal: my sister was playing on AOL! After making a stink, she logged off, and I punched in my friend’s number. “Wassssuuuuuuppppp!!!” I yelled into the receiver…

What a great time to be alive.

Since the beginning of the 2001 season, 5,805 players have made their Major League Baseball debuts. The 2003 season saw the fewest rookies get their first call ups (182), while the 2022 season saw the most (303). On average, 232 players have gotten their first call ups per year over the course of the last twenty-five seasons, with a fairly clear pattern emerging. Breaking down the data into five-year chunks, 199.8 players made their MLB debuts between 2001-2005, 215.4 made their debuts between 2006-2010, 232.8 made their debuts between 2011-2015, 247.8 made their debuts between 2016-2020, and 265.2 made their debuts between 2021-2025.

Since the 2001 season, the Mets have called up 117 homegrown players. For the purposes of this discussion, I am defining “homegrown players” as players who were either initially drafted or signed by the Mets and then developed in-house. That means that I am not including players who were drafted or signed by other teams, such as Zack Wheeler, who was originally drafted by the San Fransisco Giants in the first round of the 2009 MLB Draft, or Dilson Herrera, who was originally signed as an international free agent out of Colombia by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Additionally, I am not including foreign players such as Alay Soler, Dae-Sung Koo, or Ryota Igarashi, players whose first American teams were the Mets but already established themselves as players in foreign leagues in Cuba, Korea, and Japan, respectively.

2001: C/1B Jason Phillips (0.7 WAR), RHP Dickey Gonzalez (0.2 WAR), OF Alex Escobar (-0.4 WAR)

2002: RHP Jae-Weong Seo (7.1 WAR), INF/OF Ty Wigginton (1.5 WAR), LHP Jamie Cerda (0.5 WAR), RHP Tyler Walker (-0.1 WAR), RHP Pat Strange (-0.3 WAR)

2003: INF Jose Reyes (27.9 WAR), RHP Aaron Heilman (2.4 WAR), INF Daniel Garcia (0.2 WAR), RHP Jason Roach (-0.4 WAR), OF Prentice Redman (-0.5 WAR), RHP Jeremy Griffiths (-0.6 WAR), OF Jeff Duncan (-0.9 WAR)

2004: INF David Wright (49.1 WAR), C Joe Hietpas (0.0 WAR), 1B Craig Brazell (0.0 WAR), RHP Heath Bell (-0.2 WAR)

2005: 1B Mike Jacobs (1.1 WAR)

2006: RHP Mike Pelfrey (6.5 WAR), RHP Brian Bannister (0.4 WAR), OF Lastings Milledge (0.3 WAR), RHP Phil Humber (-0.1 WAR)

2007: RHP Joe Smith (1.3 WAR), OF Carlos Gomez (0.1 WAR), RHP Carlos Muñiz (-0.1 WAR)

2008: INF/OF Daniel Murphy (13.1 WAR), RHP Jon Niese (6.3 WAR), INF/OF Nick Evans (1.3 WAR), RHP Bobby Parnell (0.8 WAR), RHP Eddie Kunz (-0.2 WAR)

2009: C Josh Thole (1.0 WAR), RHP Tobi Stoner (0.1 WAR), OF Fernando Martinez (-0.4 WAR)

2010: 1B/OF Lucas Duda (7.8 WAR), 1B Ike Davis (5.7 WAR), INF Ruben Tejada (5.1 WAR), RHP Dillon Gee (4.9 WAR), RHP Jenrry Mejia (1.1 WAR)

2011: INF Josh Satin (0.7 WAR), RHP Josh Stinson (-0.5 WAR), RHP Chris Schwinden (-0.7 WAR)

2012: RHP Matt Harvey (10.4 WAR), RHP Jeurys Familia (6.8 WAR), OF Kirk Nieuwenhuis (2.3 WAR), LHP Josh Edgin (1.6 WAR), INF Zach Lutz (0.0 WAR), RHP Elvin Ramirez (-0.1 WAR), INF/OF Jordany Valdespin (-0.4 WAR), LHP Robert Carson (-0.9 WAR), RHP Collin McHugh (-1.2 WAR)

2013: OF Juan Lagares (12.3 WAR), INF Wilmer Flores (2.3 WAR), OF Matt den Dekker (0.2 WAR), C Juan Centeno (-0.1 WAR), INF Wilfredo Tovar (-0.2 WAR), RHP Gonzalez Germen (-0.2 WAR)

2014: RHP Jacob deGrom (41.2 WAR), RHP Erik Goeddel (0.7 WAR), RHP Rafael Montero (-0.6 WAR), INF Eric Campbell (-0.6 WAR)

2015: OF Michael Conforto (15.5 WAR), LHP Steven Matz (5.8 WAR), C Kevin Plawecki (2.7 WAR), RHP Hansel Robles (0.8 WAR), OF Darrell Ceciliani (0.5 WAR), LHP Jack Leathersich (0.3 WAR), RHP Akeel Morris (-0.2 WAR), INF Danny Muno (-0.3 WAR)

2016: OF Brandon Nimmo (26.1 WAR), RHP Seth Lugo (8.4 WAR), INF T.J. Rivera (1.7 WAR), RHP Gabriel Ynoa (-0.3 WAR), RHP Robert Gsellman (-0.5 WAR), INF Gavin Cecchini (-0.5 WAR)

2017: INF Amed Rosario (3.5 WAR), RHP Chasen Bradford (0.3 WAR), RHP Kevin McGowan (0.0 WAR), 1B/OF Dom Smith (0.0 WAR), INF/OF Phil Evans (0.0 WAR), RHP Tyler Pill (-0.3 WAR), OF Travis Taijeron (-0.6 WAR), C Tomas Nido (-1.1 WAR), RHP Paul Sewald (-1.2 WAR), RHP Chris Flexen (-2.2 WAR)

2018: INF/OF Jeff McNeil (23.0 WAR), INF Luis Guillorme (3.0 WAR), OF Kevin Kaszmarski (-0.1 WAR), LHP P.J. Conlon (-0.2 WAR), RHP Tim Peterson (-0.4 WAR), RHP Ty Bashlor (-0.7 WAR), RHP Corey Oswalt (-0.7 WAR)

2019: 1B Pete Alonso (23.3 WAR)

2020: LHP David Peterson (6.8 WAR), INF Andres Gimenez (1.0 WAR), C Ali Sanchez (-0.1 WAR)

2021: RHP Tylor Megill (2.0 WAR), C Patrick Mazeika (-0.4 WAR), LHP Thomas Szapucki (-0.5 WAR)

2022: C Francisco Alvarez (3.7 WAR), RHP Jose Butto (3.1 WAR), INF Brett Baty (2.5 WAR), INF Mark Vientos (1.7 WAR), RHP Colin Holderman (0.5 WAR), RHP Bryce Montes de Oca (-0.1 WAR)

2023: INF Ronny Mauricio (0.9 WAR), LHP Josh Walker (-0.5 WAR), RHP Grant Hartwig (-0.5 WAR)

2024: RHP Dedniel Nunez (0.8 WAR), RHP Christian Scott (0.3 WAR), RHP Eric Orze (-0.2 WAR)

2025: RHP Nolan McLean (1.8 WAR), RHP Brandon Sproat (0.2 WAR), RHP Dom Hamel (0.0 WAR), RHP Jonathan Pintaro (-0.1 WAR), C Hayden Senger (-0.2 WAR), RHP Blade Tidwell (-0.5 WAR), RHP Jonah Tong (-0.8 WAR)

The 2017 season saw the Mets call-up the most homegrown players, with Chasen Bradford, Phil Evans, Chris Flexen, Kevin McGowan, Tomas Nido, Tyler Pill, Amed Rosario, Paul Sewald, Dom Smith, and Travis Taijeron all getting their first tastes of big league action. The 2005 and 2019 seasons saw the fewest, with two defensively challenged slugging first basemen in Mike Jacobs and Pete Alonso making their debuts. The 2012 season saw the Mets call up their highest percentage of homegrown players in relation to the rest of Major League Baseball, with the nine players- Rob Carson, Josh Edgin, Jeurys Familia, Matt Harvey, Zach Lutz, Collin McHugh, Kirk Nieuwinhuis, Elvin Ramirez, and Jordany Valdespin- making their debuts, representing 4.4% of the total debuts that season.

As expected, former captain and Mets Hall of Famer David Wright was the best hitter (as well as the best overall player) to work his way up the minor league ladder and debut with the team. If Wright was the heart of the Mets during his time on the field, Jose Reyes was the soul, and the shortstop joins Wright as the second-most valuable position player rookie the organization has developed. If a third part of the heart and soul idiom existed, Brandon Nimmo would certainly qualify, and in addition, the recently traded outfielder finds himself third in terms of most valuable homegrown position players developed by the Mets.

In a development as obvious as me saying that water is wet or the sky is blue, Jacob deGrom finds himself atop the list of most valuable homegrown pitchers. Matt Harvey is the second most valuable homegrown pitcher the Mets have developed, a position he likely still would have likely still found himself in even if his career hadn’t flamed out as quickly as it did due to injuries, as deGrom’s greatness was historical at times. Seth Lugo makes a surprise appearance on the list as the third most valuable homegrown pitcher developed by the team, though he faced some stiff competition with multiple players nipping at his heels, which highlights the difficulty the organization has had in developing and retaining premium pitching talent- a trend that hopefully will end with the current bumper crop of homegrown pitching talent that the organization currently has knocking on the door.

Among players who left the Mets to go to other organizations, either via trades or as free agents, Carlos Gomez ended up having the best career of these players, posting a 24.3 WAR while playing for the Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Rays. Collin McHugh had the next best career, accruing 13.6 WAR with the Astros, Atlanta Braves, Rays, and Colorado Rockies. Following him is Joe Smith, who accrued 11.6 WAR with the Cleveland Indians, Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Twins, Seattle Mariners, and Chicago Cubs, Heath Bell, who accrued 8.6 WAR with the San Diego Padres, Miami Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Rays, and finally Wilmer Flores, who accrued 7 WAR with Arizona and the San Francisco Giants.

Top 10 Homegrown Mets since 2001​

1. David Wright (49.1)
2. Jacob deGrom (41.2)
3. Jose Reyes (27.9)
4. Brandon Nimmo (26.1)
5. Pete Alonso (23.3)
6. Jeff McNeil (23.0)
7. Michael Conforto (15.5)
8. Daniel Murphy (13.1)
9. Juan Lagares (12.3)
10. Matt Harvey (10.4)

Top 10 Homegrown Hitters since 2001​

1. David Wright (49.1)
2. Jose Reyes (27.9)
3. Brandon Nimmo (26.1)
4. Pete Alonso (23.3)
5. Jeff McNeil (23.0)
6. Michael Conforto (15.5)
7. Daniel Murphy (13.1)
8. Juan Lagares (12.3)
9. Lucas Duda (7.8)
10. Ike Davis (5.7)

Top 10 Homegrown Pitchers since 2000​

1. Jacob deGrom (41.2)
2. Matt Harvey (10.4)
3. Seth Lugo (8.4)
4. Jae-Weong Seo (7.1)
5. David Peterson (6.8)
6. Jeurys Familia (6.8)
7. Mike Pelfrey (6.5)
8. Jon Niese (6.3)
9. Steven Matz (5.8)
10. Dillon Gee (4.9)

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...s-homegrown-degrom-harvey-wright-nimmo-alonso

 

[New York Mets]

Mets Morning News: And to all a good night

Meet the Mets​

Merry Christmas to those celebrating today from all of us at Amazin’ Avenue!

David Stearns gifted the Mets pitching depth by signing Mike Baumann to a minor league deal.

With the core gone the 2026 group will be the first true David Stearns team shaped within his vision.

He still has a bit of work to do before the season begins to make this a complete team next season.

Jeff McNeil discussed his departure from the team and his thoughts on the direction the Mets are heading.

Both the Mets and Yankees are interested in outfielder Austin Hays.

Around the National League East​

The Marlins are signing former Tampa closer Pete Fairbanks to a one-year deal worth $13 million, taking another high-end reliever off the market.

The Nationals signed hometown kid Mark Mevis to a minor league deal.

Around Major League Baseball​

You never know what you are going to see on a baseball diamond so let’s revisit the best bloopers from the 2025 season.

Which prospects have seen their stock rise from last season?

Last year produced some thrilling victories for all 30 teams in the league, yes even the Rockies.

With the new year almost upon us it is prediction time of which teams the top free agents will sign with for the upcoming season.

Merry Christmas! Who are the best baseball players that were born on Christmas day?

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue​

Steve Sypa remembered some guys who played outfield for the Mets in the minor leagues last season.

On the latest episode of A Pod of Their Own the latest Mets arrivals and departures were discussed.

This Date in Mets History​

On this date in 1958, the late great Rickey Henderson was born.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...a-good-night-christmas-offseason-mike-baumann

 

[New York Mets]

Grading the Mets’ Jeff McNeil trade

In the latest (and potentially final) component of the controlled demolition of the holdover Mets’ core, Jeff McNeil was traded to the Athletics last week for RHP Yordan Rodriguez. The Mets are also covering $5.75M of McNeil’s 2026 salary as well as his buyout to 2027 to incentivize the Athletics to take on his deal.

Since his debut in 2018, McNeil has been the third most valuable Met per fWAR, trailing only Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor – yes he’s actually been more valuable than Pete Alonso in that timeframe. Unfortunately, he’s not been able to replicate the same high-level offensive impact he demonstrated early in his career has faded somewhat. There’s still a high-end talent for putting the bat on the ball, but selling out for pull-side spray has not worked out in McNeil’s favor; his middling exit velocities limit his ability to put the ball over the fence, while his pulled ground balls too often turn into easy outs.

McNeil is also a 34-year-old infielder with a lengthy injury history; back, knee, hand, hamstring – name a body part and there’s been at least one ailment there at some point over the last couple years. He also underwent surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) this offseason, an injury that is often extremely challenging to come back from (though it’s easier for hitters than pitchers). Needless to say, there’s significant risk of a wholesale collapse, and getting out before that happens makes some sense.

In addition, McNeil is an odd fit for the 2026 roster at this point. He’s still a strong defender at second, but the acquisition of Marcus Semien – an elite 2B defender and infamous iron man making big money – greatly narrows the runway there. McNeil has never been a viable 3B defender, nor does he have the experience or offensive output to be a real first base option. That leaves the OF, where McNeil’s bat (and more than likely his glove going forward) will again be stretched, and the Mets will almost certainly add another option on the grass as well. That reduces McNeil to an expensive, aging bench option.

There’s another, more thorny dimension to discuss here, and that’s McNeil’s fit within the clubhouse. McNeil infamously got into a physical confrontation with Francisco Lindor in 2021, the infamous rat-raccoon fiasco. Apparently those two clashed again during the 2025 season as well as part of more widely reported clubhouse strife. A lot of the reporting around this stuff is sensationalized nonsense, particularly with the rabid New York media. However, the smoke signals suggest that the Mets’ clubhouse has not been particularly harmonious in recent years. This is not to say that McNeil is solely responsible, but he’s a veteran player who has been a major player in multiple incidents.

By moving McNeil, the Mets save $10.5M in direct payroll expenses and potentially up to $11.55M in additional taxes (presuming they pass the third threshold above $304M, which they most likely will). Beyond that, the Mets will also receive an additional credit for the back calculation of McNeil’s AAV. This is a somewhat complicated topic which you can read about here, but the end result is that the Mets can credit $5.425M against the salary cap at some point in the future, a number that could help them slip below the third threshold in 2027.

None of us should weep for Steve Cohen’s wallet, but that is a significant savings, particularly when the team is still on track to be one of the league’s biggest spenders. Combine that with the constellation of baseball and clubhouse factors above and the logic behind this move becomes more clear.

The return is also not a total nothingburger. Rodriguez is a 17-year-old RHP signed by the Athletics for $400K out of Cuba last offseason. He was quite good in his first professional season in the DSL, tossing 15.1 innings of 2.93 ERA ball in the DSL while striking out more than 30% of the batters he faced, working mostly out of the bullpen. There’s already been a velocity jump to the mid-90s here and Rodriguez has the physical traits of a starter (read as: tall and lanky), but the selling point here is his slider; it’s a potentially plus pitch with high spin rates that absolutely falls off the table.

Rodriguez is obviously nowhere near a top-100 prospect, nor would he have appeared on our forthcoming top-25 list. It’s still an interesting lottery ticket plucked out of the DSL though, and sometimes those turn into real valuable pieces.

In the end, this is an unfortunate conclusion to what started as a very fun Met career for Jeff McNeil. He rose from no-name prospect to key contributor for several years and earned an extension that seemed reasonable but ultimately didn’t work out. Moving off of him to clear roster space and reduce (hopefully) the level of clubhouse drama is a logical, if unsatisfying, decision, earning this trade a B.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...s-jeff-mcneil-trade-rodriguez-payroll-infield

 

[New York Mets]

2025 Mets Minor League In Memoriam: Left-Handed Pitchers

In this four-part series, we look back on the minor leaguers that the Mets released or traded over 2025. Today, we focus on left-handed pitchers.

02/01/25: DSL Mets Blue released LHP Franklin Arciniegas.

02/01/25: DSL Mets Blue released LHP Darling Felix.

02/01/25: DSL Mets Blue released LHP Misael Lopez.

02/01/25: DSL Mets Blue released LHP Angel De La Rosa.

02/22/25: St. Lucie Mets released LHP Javier Atencio.

• A signing out of the Venezuela for just $75,000 during the 2018-2019 international free agent signing period, Javier Atencio’s early career was start-and-stop due to injuries and interruptions to the MiLB schedule. The 20-year-old was sent to full-season ball in an aggressive assignment in 2022 for someone with virtually no professional experience, but thrived nonetheless, posting a 2.27 ERA in 39.2 innings. The southpaw struggled in his sophomore season in 2023, posting poor numbers and having his season end prematurely due to injury. He missed all of 2024 due to that injury and was released prior to the start of the 2025 season.

02/28/25: St. Lucie Mets released LHP Brayhans Barreto.

03/07/25: St. Lucie Mets released LHP Jeremy Peguero.

05/27/25: LHP Genesis Cabrera elected free agency.

• Cabrera ended up playing for 6 teams in 2025: the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, the Chicago Cubs, the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, and the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. If you want to count them, he also currently playing for the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Winter League bringing his grand total to 7.

06/16/25: Syracuse Mets released LHP Anthony Gose.

• Gose signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks a few days after being released by the Mets and appeared in 14 games for the Triple-A Reno Aces before being released by them as well. The 34-year-old outfielder-turned-infielder is currently playing with the Tomateros de Culiacan in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, but in a few months, teams will likely start coming out of the woodwork to say the same things over and over again: we want to sign Anthony Gose.

08/02/25: Syracuse Mets released LHP Colin Poche.

-Poche returned to his home planet.

09/29/25: LHP Richard Lovelady elected free agency.

• Lovelady was re-signed about a month later.

11/06/25: LHP Daniel Juarez elected free agency.

• Juarez never made one of our Top 25 Prospect list, or even received ancillary votes, but he has been a stalwart of the system for years. In the lower minors, the Venezuelan reliever was, at times, outright dominant and unhittable, but he was exposed in the upper levels of the minor league ladder; he had a 1.74 ERA in 41.1 innings over the course of 27 games in Low-A, a perfect 0.00 ERA in 20.0 innings over 17 games in High-A, but a 4.96 ERA in 103.1 innings over 75 games Double-A, with his peripherals taking major steps backwards to boot.

11/06/25: LHP Joe La Sorsa elected free agency.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-m...minor-league-in-memoriam-left-handed-pitchers

 

[New York Mets]

Mets Afternoon News: Mets have met with Framber Valdez

Meet the Mets​

The Mets are “among the teams” who have met with free agent left-hander Framber Valdez, according to reporting by SNY.

Congratulations to Mets pitcher Tylor Megill on his engagement to his girlfriend Payton.

Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru of MLB.com makes David Wright’s Hall of Fame case, outlining six reasons why the Mets legend belongs in Cooperstown.

Both Mets and Yankees fans are waiting for something to believe in, writes Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News.

Around the National League East​

The Good Phight explores Jarren Duran as a potential trade target for the Phillies.

Battery Power looked into how Joel Payamps improves the Braves’ bullpen depth and argues that he should be given a chance to make the Opening Day roster.

Ken Sugiura of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ran a profile on Jeremy Hefner—the Braves’ new pitching coach and someone the Mets are intimately familiar with—and his philosophy and approach.

Federal Baseball dove into the question of how the Nationals will deploy Luis Garcia Jr. in 2026.

The Astros and Orioles are reportedly no longer involved in the pursuit of Marlins righty Edward Cabrera.

Around Major League Baseball​

MLB.com ran down each team’s longest home run of 2025. For the Mets, that was Ronny Mauricio’s first home run of the season on June 7 against the Rockies.

There are lots of fun alternate identities already lined up in Minor League Baseball for 2026.

Brent Maguire of MLB.com took a deep dive into the underrated aspects of Shohei Ohtani’s greatness, including the fact that he hits all pitch types well and has no platoon splits.

David Schoenfield of ESPN noted one stat that will make or break every National League team in 2026. For the Mets, that’s 796: the number of innings their starting pitchers threw in 2025, which ranked 27th in the majors.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue​

Steve Sypa reviewed the left-handed pitchers who departed the Mets’ farm system in 2025.

Lukas Vlahos provided a grade for the Jeff McNeil trade.

This Date in Mets History​

The Mets made a, ahem, big acquisition on this date in 2001 when they traded for Mo Vaughn.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...z-david-wright-hall-of-fame-megill-engagement

 

[New York Mets]

2025 Mets Minor League In Memoriam: Right-Handed Pitchers

In this four-part series, we look back on the minor leaguers that the Mets released or traded over 2025. Today, we focus on right-handed pitchers.

02/01/25: DSL Mets Orange released RHP Greidi Pina.

02/01/25: DSL Mets Orange released RHP Nehomar Turmero.

02/04/25: DSL Mets Blue released RHP Nomar Meza.

02/04/25: DSL Mets Blue released RHP Darlin Lora.

02/06/25: RHP Dylan Covey elected free agency.

• Covey never actually pitched for any Mets affiliate, signing after the 2024 season ended and leaving prior to the start of 2025. He’s had a crazy baseball career, but knowing nothing about his personal life, habits, or opinions, seems like the kind of guy that is easy to root for to succeed given all the hurdles he’s faced.

02/10/25: DSL Mets Orange released RHP Patricio Trinidad.

• I went up and down the team minor league roster twice, and while there were a few players who shared the same first or last name with cities around the world, there was not one other player who shared his name with another country (though Haniel German and Cameron Foster came close)

02/10/25: FCL Mets released RHP Rodolfo Garrido.

03/17/25: FCL Mets released RHP Eldridge Armstrong III.

03/17/25: FCL Mets released RHP Andrew Carson.

03/17/25: FCL Mets released RHP Hayden Cooper.

03/24/25: St. Lucie Mets released RHP Ricardo Baptist.

03/24/25: FCL Mets released RHP Jhosep Chirinos.

03/24/25: FCL Mets released RHP Francisco Mercado.

03/27/25: Binghamton Rumble Ponies released RHP Connor Overton.

• Overton was signed by Toronto, but he was released in June and subsequently pitched poorly in the Atlantic League; is the window finally shut?

04/04/25: FCL Mets released RHP Andinson Ferrer.

04/27/25: DSL Mets Orange released RHP Yoandri Gonzalez.

05/01/25: RHP José Ureña elected free agency.

• Ureña ended up playing for 7 teams in 2025: the New York Mets, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Minnesota Twins, the Los Angeles Angels, the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, and the Triple-A St. Paul Saints. If you want to count them, he also played for the Aguilas Cibaenas of the Dominican Winter League at the beginning of the year and is currently playing for the Toros del Este, upping his frequent-flier miles in 2025 to 9.

05/24/25: Syracuse Mets released RHP Sean Reid-Foley.

• A former second-round draft pick, who was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2014 MLB Draft, the Mets acquired the right-hander in 2021, along with pitchers Yennsy Diaz and Josh Winckowski, in exchange for Steven Matz. Reid-Foley tore his UCL in early 2022 and underwent Tommy John surgery in May, ending his season. He became a free agent at the end of the season but re-signed with the Mets multiple times, pitching at the major league level as well as in the minor leagues. In May 2025, he was released by the Mets. He was subsequently signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks roughly a week later and made 16 appearances for their Triple-A affiliate, the Reno Aces, before being released by Arizona in late July.

06/07/25: DSL Mets Blue released RHP Johan Moreno.

06/27/25: Syracuse Mets released RHP Grant Hartwig.

• An undrafted free agent, Grant Hartwig signed with the Mets for $20,000 a few days after the 2021 MLB Draft and roughly two weeks before he was scheduled to take the MCATs. A graduate of Miami University of Ohio with a bachelor’s degree in microbiology, the right-hander decided to put his dream to become an orthopedic surgeon on hold to attempt a baseball career. In 2023, after posting solid numbers in the Mets minor league system the prior two seasons, Hartwig made his MLB debut, throwing a scoreless inning. He would subsequently turn into an up-and-down reliever for Syracuse and New York before being released in June 2025. A few weeks later, he was signed by the Hanshin Tigers, appearing in 16 games for them and posting a 3.65 ERA in 12.1 innings with 9 hits allowed, 7 walks, and 8 strikeouts. He has since signed a minor league deal with the Minnesota Twins, keeping the dream alive.

07/10/25: RHP Zach Pop elected free agency.

7/25/25: Mets traded RHP Wellington Aracena.

• There are two ways (maybe three) to realistically evaluate a trade: in its immediate aftermath and then after some time has passed (and maybe even a considerable amount of time has passed, depending on the deal). In the immediate aftermath of this trade, it seemed fine. Wellington Aracena was an emerging pitcher, but there were still some major concerns and question marks, while Soto was a former closer and two-time All-Star who was basically a leave-average reliever since his halcyon days back in Detroit. Soto wasn’t particularly great, but he wasn’t terrible for the Mets, either. His Mets tenure started off to great success, with ten consecutive innings without allowing an earned run, but when the Mets needed Soto the most, he was MIA, allowing 9 earned runs in 8.2 innings over the final two weeks or so of the season. All in all, the Mets got 24.0 slightly-below-average innings in 2025 that didn’t help them get over the hump and reach the playoffs. Did they give up much? At the time, no, and the needle has only moved slightly so far, a few months later. The jury is still out on this one, and probably will be for some time depending on how Aracena’s career develops, but with Soto having signed with the Pirates, the book is closed on the value he provided to the Mets, while the book for Aracena to provide value for the Orioles is just opening.

7/25/25: Mets traded RHP Cameron Foster.

07/26/25: RHP Chris Devenski elected free agency.

• Devenski ended up re-signing with the Mets a few days later.

07/30/25: Mets traded RHP Frank Elissalt.

• Frank Elissalt was one of many solid-if-unspectacular college pitchers with similar profiles drafted on Day Two and Day Three of the 2024 MLB Draft, and like most of them, he took some major steps forward once going pro and finding himself under the tutelage of the Mets’ minor league pitching coaches. The 23-year-old spent the majority of the season in Single-A and posted a 3.02 ERA in 50.2 innings, allowing 30 hits, walking 21, and striking out 57. Would that have been good enough to make the 2026 Amazin’ Avenue Top 25 Prospects list? Maybe.

In exchange for Elissalt and some other prospects, the Mets received Ryan Helsley. At the time the deal was made, it seemed like a major win for the Mets. They would be receiving an experienced, high-leverage arm to help bolster an ailing bullpen. As we all know, while the process was still right, things turned out disastrous for Helsley, who, to add insult to injury, has since signed with the Toronto Blue Jays, removing any possibility of the right-hander potentially redeeming himself and the transaction.

07/30/25: Mets traded RHP Nate Dohm.

• When Nate Dohm was selected with the Mets 3rd round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, I wasn’t really a fan. The right-hander from Mississippi State University did not have much of a track record, and dealt with concerning injuries in 2024, and while there was talent there sure, I would’ve rather seen the team make a safer pick. Dohm made 7 solid starts with St. Lucie, 11 solid appearances with Brooklyn (10 starts), and then was traded, so I guess analyzing his risk-reward trade offs is irrelevant now.

In exchange for Dohm (and others), the Mets received Ryan Helmsley. At the time, it seemed like a coup; the Mets were receiving an experienced high-leverage arm to bolster an ailing bullpen and all they had to give up were a handful of high-risk players who may or may not have had places on the team in three years. The process was still right but given that Helsley turned out to be an unmitigated disaster and has since signed with the Baltimore Orioles, so the results are not looking great. There’s a very good chance Dohm does not develop into anything spectacular, but given how Helsley’s 2025 season turned out, any kind of positive value at the major league level will sting a bit.

07/30/25: Mets traded RHP Blade Tidwell.

• Drafted by the Mets in the 2nd round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of the University of Tennessee, Blade Tidwell had an inconsistent career in the organization, at times looking lights out and at other times laboring through 5 innings with seemingly no rhyme or reason. While he had a impressive arsenal of pitches in a vacuum, what flashed above-average in one start could look flat in the next, and he generally struggled to command everything he threw. The Mets called him up in early May for a start and then brought him back up in late June and early July for another few games, but the 24-year-old right-hander never really looked the part of a major league pitcher, posting a 9.00 ERA in 15.0 innings, allowing 23 hits, walking 10, and striking out 10.

There may still be time for Tidwell to iron out his kinks, and in a new organization he might, but in exchange for him, the Mets received a reliable bullpen arm in Tyler Rogers who was without question the best trade acquisition that the organization made in 2025. The funky right-hander appeared in 28 games for a Mets bullpen that desperately needed to be buttressed and posted a 2.30 ERA in 27.1 innings. Sure, he barely struck anyone out, but he didn’t allow much hard contact and gave Carlos Mendoza a reliable hand to turn to in a sea of untrustworthy relievers. With Rogers now pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays, only time will tell whether or not the Mets made a mistake by parting with Tidwell.

7/31/25: Mets traded RHP Raimon Gomez.

• Raimon Gomez was traded, along with Anthony Nunez and Chandler Marsh to Baltimore in exchange for Cedric Mullins, and while the Mets didn’t necessarily give up much, they didn’t get anything of value, as Mullins’ bat cratered to new lows in the 40 games/~125 at-bats he had in a New York Mets uniform. With his 100+ MPH fastball but lack of control, Gomez can alternate between unhittable and unpitchable on a dime. Between his red flags related to health and performance, and the numbers Mullins put up, it’s about even in terms of what was given up to what was received: not much for not much.

7/31/25: Mets traded RHP Anthony Nunez.

• Like Gomez above, Nunez was also sent to Baltimore in exchange for Mullins. Whereas Gomez had health and volatility issues prior to 2025 that reared their heads during the season, Nunez pitched well for the Brooklyn Cyclones and Binghamton Rumble Ponies prior to the trade, pitched well for Chesapeake Baysox and Norfolk Tides after the trade, and is now on the Orioles’ 40-Man Roster. Nunez very easily can be removed from their 40-man tomorrow and fade into obscurity. He also might pitch well for the Orioles. Like Gomez, the Mets didn’t give too much up here in return for Mullins, but Nunez is seemingly potentially on the cusp of turning into a contributor. This time next year, it is equally likely that we are talking about Nunez and wishing he was in the Mets’ bullpen as it is that we forgot him completely.

7/31/25: Mets traded RHP Chandler Marsh.

• Unlike Raimon Gomez and Anthony Nunez, Chandler Marsh is not all that interesting. No offense to Chandler Marsh, of course. An undrafted free agent signing who pitched at the University of Georgia before going pro, the numbers were fine but everything about him was run-of-the-mill and eminently replaceable; if your organization can’t replace a 22-year-old reliever in Single-High-A with solid-if-unspectacular numbers and stuff that is fine but nothing special, you’ve got big problems.

08/02/25: Syracuse Mets released RHP Junior Fernández.

08/02/25: Syracuse Mets released RHP Julian Merryweather.

08/04/25: FCL Mets released RHP Deivy Paulino.

08/12/25: Binghamton Rumble Ponies released RHP Hunter Parsons.

08/29/25: St. Lucie Mets released RHP Yuhi Sako.

• Saho got a lot of attention when he signed, seemingly just because he was Japanese, but realistically there was not much to be had with Sako. The 25-year-old was signed by the organization in December 2024, but the complete lack of interest from professional teams in Japan, Korea, or the U.S. was a flag most professional scouts and evaluators doubted his ability to excel against competition more stringent than the ABL, MXPW, or independent leagues. The 25-year-old right-hander appeared in 17 games combined for the FCL Mets and St. Lucie Mets and posted a cumulative 4.03 ERA in 22.1 innings, allowing 21 hits, walking 4, and striking out 32.

09/29/25: RHP Kevin Herget elected free agency.

09/09/25: RHP Justin Garza elected free agency.

• For some reason, I immediately thought Justin Garza was Matt Garza. That made me look up the mid-to-late 2000s Devil Rays/Rays pitchers, and that was a blast from the past.

09/20/25: Baltimore Orioles claimed RHP Dom Hamel off waivers.

• When Hamel was drafted in 2021, I was the low man on him among our prospect team. Over the years, ironically, he grew on me more and more as his production on the field declined, and by this time last year, I was the high man on him. Hamel finally started relieving in 2025, something everybody was clamoring for, but it didn’t particularly help his performance. By the time Baltimore claimed him on waivers, it was clear that there really just wasn’t a place in the organization for him and that a change of scenery was needed. He has since been claimed on waivers by the Texas Rangers, where perhaps he’ll be able to figure things out.

10/06/25: RHP Wander Suero elected free agency.

10/06/25: RHP Chris Devenski elected free agency.

11/06/25: RHP Ty Adcock elected free agency.

11/06/25: RHP Luis Moreno elected free agency.

11/06/25: RHP Bryce Montes de Oca elected free agency.

• Bryce Montes de Oca has the longest tenure of any player mentioned in this series of articles. The right-hander was drafted by the team on June 15, 2018, six-and-a-half, almost seven years ago. In those six-and-a-half, almost seven years, he’s thrown a total of 98.2 innings over 88 games. Obviously, he’s dealt with a litany of issues and injuries, so it’s not his fault, but man.

11/06/25: RHP Yacksel Rios elected free agency.

11/06/25: RHP Oliver Ortega elected free agency.

11/06/25: RHP Alfred Vega elected free agency.

11/06/25: RHP Eduardo Herrera elected free agency.

11/06/25: RHP Matt Allan elected free agency.

• Arguably the biggest what if in this series. A highly touted high school pitcher from Florida, the Mets had to carefully curate their 2019 draft to save every penny possible, agreeing to terms with Allan for $2.5 million, almost $2 million more than the MLB-assigned slot value for the 89th overall pick, $667,900. The right-hander looked like the real deal in his brief assignment to the Brooklyn Cyclones that September, helping them out at the end of the regular season and in the NYPL Playoffs, but then disaster struck.

In 2020, a world pandemic. In 2021, a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament that required Tommy John surgery. In 2022, ulnar transposition surgery, a common follow-up operation for those who have Tommy John that ultimately cost him the entire season. In 2023, UCL revision surgery, in effect a second Tommy John. In 2024, more rehab and recovery that prevented him from pitching. Finally, this past season, Allan pitched in an organized game for the first time since his initial elbow injury, not having toed the mound for regular/postseason season game since before the release of the iPhone 11, missing the entire Biden administration (January 2021-January 2025), as well as Bennifer 2.0 (April 2021-January 2025).

Expectations were low as the team eased Allan back into the swing of things, but like a comet, just as soon as it looked like he was back, Allan was gone. After throwing a clean ninth inning in Brooklyn’s 8-2 drubbing of the Ashville Tourists on June 10, the right-hander did not pitch again, placed breathlessly on the 7-Day injured list, and then roughly a month later, the 60-Day.

11/06/25: RHP Jace Beck elected free agency.

• I always liked Jace Beck (6’9”). The 2015 Savannah Sand Gnats rotation of Martires Arias (6’10”), Casey Meisner (6’7”), Josh Prevost (6’7”), and Brad Wieck (6’8”) always intrigued me. Drafted out of Blanchard High School in 2019, the book on Beck was that he had a so-so fastball and not much of any kind of secondary breaking or off-speed pitch. In the few years that he pitched in the organization, nothing really changed for the big 25-year-old right-hander. After missing all of 2024, he was not particularly good in 2025, and that was all she wrote.

11/13/25: FCL Mets released RHP Jonah Conradt.

12/10/25: RHP TJ Shook selected by the Rockies in the 2025 Rule 5 Draft.

12/10/25: RHP Trey McLoughlin selected by the Astros in the 2025 Rule 5 Draft.

12/10/25: RHP Dylan Tebrake selected by the Nationals in the 2025 Rule 5 Draft.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-m...inor-league-in-memoriam-right-handed-pitchers

 

[New York Mets]

Mets Morning News: Jeff says goodbye

Meet the Mets​

Jeff McNeil penned a heartfelt goodbye to the Mets and their fans on social media yesterday.

Nolan McLean’s introduction to the big leagues was impressive in a number of ways, one of them being the amount of groundballs and strikeouts he induced.

Around the National League East​

The Marlins said goodbye to outfielder Dane Myers yesterday, dealing him to the Reds in exchange for outfield prospect Ethan O’Donnell.

The Phillies signed catcher Mark Kolozsvary to a minor league contract yesterday.

Bryce Harper appeared to clap back at Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski—who recently said Harper “didn’t have an elite season like has had in the past”—by wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words “Not Elite” in a recent TikTok video.

Around Major League Baseball​

The Cubs have added a number of relievers this offseason, and that group now includes veteran Hunter Harvey as well.

The Reds signed JJ Bleday to a one-year, $1.4 million contract.

A number of players achieved significant statistical milestones this past season.

Let us take a moment to appreciate some of the wildest Statcast numbers on certain plays we saw this year.

MLB.com picked one player on each team who has the potential to bounce back from a disappointing 2025 campaign.

Several teams have expressed interest in third baseman Yoán Moncada, including the Angels, Pirates, White Sox, and Blue Jays, according to reporting by Francys Romero.

This Date in Mets History​

Benny Agbayani celebrates a birthday today.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...il-farewell-mclean-ground-ball-strikeout-rate

 

[New York Mets]

Mets Morning News: And so that was Christmas

Meet the Mets​

The Mets released 19-year-old Vladi Guerrero, son of Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero.

Yahoo Sports’ Andres Chavez highlighted four areas where the Mets’ current roster needs to improve.

MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo selected the ten best moments in Mets history, from the 1969 World Series to the 2024 postseason.

Around Major League Baseball​

Three days after trading for Jeff McNeil, the Athletics agreed to a seven-year, $86M extension with their own homegrown left-handed hitter Tyler Soderstrom. The contract is the largest in Athletics history.

MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa explored why Rickey Henderson, born on Christmas Day in 1958, is the ultimate Christmas gift to baseball fans.

The Athletic’s Tyler Kepner released his annual 50-question baseball trivia quiz.

The New York Post’s Jon Heyman ranked 15 winners thus far from this offseason’s free agent market.

Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter retroactively graded every team’s haul from the 2019 MLB Draft.

MLB.com’s Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru recapped each team’s longest home run of the 2025 season.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue​

Steve Sypa looked back at every Mets rookie of the past quarter-century.

This Date in Mets History​

Al Jackson, a member of the 1962 Mets who spent six years with the club, was born on this date in 1935.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...s-vladi-guerrero-jeff-mcneil-tyler-soderstrom

 

[New York Mets]

Francisco Lindor had an All-Star season for the Mets in 2025

Francisco Lindor was a steadying presence for the Mets last year despite all the volatility around him. The team did miss the playoffs, but it was through no fault of his own. He reached the 30/30 milestone and finished the year hitting .267/.346/.466 with 31 home runs, 117 runs, 86 RBI, and 31 stolen bases. He was named an All-Star for the first time with the Mets and, all told, he was almost a 6 win player -5.9 bWAR- for the 2025 ball club. He had an outstanding OPS+ of 129 and the combination of Lindor and Soto at the top of the lineup became a formidable duo for opposing pitchers.

Both the beauty and the frustration of Lindor is how he goes, the Mets go. In wins last season he hit .333/.402/.598 with an eye-popping OPS of .999. Twenty-two of his 31 home runs came in wins as did the majority of his RBIs and runs scored. In losses he hit just .196/.285//.325 with an OPS of .610. He scored only 35 runs in losses as opposed to 82 in wins and drove in only 19 of his 86 RBIs in their defeats. These statistics show just how valuable Lindor is to the team, but also highlight the need for someone to step up when he does struggle. Juan Soto can be that person but the offense cannot come from just two people, especially after the departures of Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Pete Alonso.

Lindor’s consistency at the top of the lineup perhaps was taken for granted since he led the majors in plate appearances and led the National League in at-bats. His bat seldomly came out of the lineup despite breaking his pinky toe in June after getting hit by a pitch against the Dodgers. He also underwent minor right elbow debridement surgery in the offseason but he is expected to be ready for spring training.

With the departures of the previous core group of players, this is now Francisco Lindor’s team to lead. Both he and Soto will form the new core that David Stearns must build around. Whether that is this season or in the coming years still remains to be seen, but what is known is that Lindor will again a stabilizing presence despite all the turnover around him.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...ason-review-francisco-lindor-2025-soto-alonso

 

[New York Mets]

Mets Morning News: And then there were two (days left in 2025)

Meet the Mets​

Anthony DiComo sees Sean Manaea as a likely bounce back candidate for the 2026 Mets.

Abbey Mastracco talked about how the Mets can start to change their offseason.

With an offseason of massive changes already in full swing, Danny Abriano reassessed the team’s targets and key priorities heading into 2026.

On his appearance on Bleacher Report’s live stream, Jon Heyman shared some updates on the team, including their pursuit of Cody Bellinger (and what’s holding up talks).

Around the National League East​

Anthony Stitt wondered whether the Phillies are still alive in the Tatsuya Imai sweepstakes.

Following Bryce Harper’s latest TikTok video in which he is sporting a “Not Elite” shirt, Geoff Mosher wondered whether Phillies president Dave Dombrowski is actually a motivational genius.

Todd Zolecki argued that a return-to-form season from Alec Bohm could be a key factor for the Phillies in 2026.

Mark Bowman believes Michael Harris II is posted for success after an up-and-down 2025 campaign.

Luis García Jr., the Nationals’ longest-tenured player, is poised for a pivotal season, writes Jessica Camerato

Christina De Nicola explained that Connor Norby is working on improving his swing so that he can be a big part of the Marlins’ 2026 run.

The Marlins acquired Esteury Ruiz in a trade with the Dodgers. In exchange, they sent prospect Adriano Marrero to Los Angeles.

Around Major League Baseball​

Sarah Langs offered 25 reasons why baseball was the best in 2025.

Will Sammon and Katie Woo wrote about what they’re hearing about in the MLB offseason.

Will Leitch identified six teams whose fortunes are looking up in 2026. He also picked 10 players who will define the 2026 season.

Shanti Sepe-Chepuru and Jared Greenspan ranked the 20 best finishes from the 2025 season.

Brian Murphy compiled a list of one fun or weird stat from each 2026 first-time Hall of fame candidate.

Leo Morgenstern wrote about what’s next for the Red Sox, free agent contracts that need to be finalized, and whether a Mets trade could be coming up.

Kazuma Okamoto traveled to the U.S. to meet in-person with interested teams. His posting window closes on January 4th. According to Jon Heyman, the Mets are not interested in Okamoto.

Manny Randhawa pointed out five reasons why Willson Contreras is a great fit for the Red Sox.

Zach Eflin, who re-signed with the Orioles on a one-year deal, is eager to show what he really is.

Joe Kelly announced his retirement after 13 seasons.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue​

Linda Surovich reviewed Francisco Lindor’s All-Star season.

I reminisced about Alonso’s top 20 moments as a Met.

This Date in Mets History​

Happy 90th birthday to the great Sandy Koufax who, while not a Met, is Brooklyn-born and a legend all the same.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...ews-and-then-there-were-two-days-left-in-2025

 

[New York Mets]

Nolan McLean will be a key component of the next Mets core

In case you haven’t heard, the 2026 Mets will look very different from the teams we’ve rooted for over the past several years. The four longest-tenured Mets—Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, and Edwin Díaz—are all gone, having either been jettisoned from the team or allowed to walk away. The breaking up of this core of franchise players have resulted in some exhausting discourse about the path the organization has chosen to take, and whether you personally agree or disagree with said path, one simple fact cannot be denied: this core, while having achieved some fun highs over the past several years, is ultimately one that failed to reach its full potential, which is what led to David Stearns’s decision to chart a new direction.

We haven’t fully seen the vision of this new direction just yet—the offseason has gone at a snail’s pace, and there are a lot of players still out there on both the free agent and trade market, so the exact makeup of the 2026 Mets remains to be seen—but certainly a major part of Stearns’s vision involves a new, younger core of homegrown players taking the place of the old one. And while it can be a fool’s errand to place all of one’s hope on unproven prospects, there are nevertheless a lot of reasons for optimism about what this future core might look like. The player development apparatus that the Mets have put into place over the past few years has continued to show a lot of positive strides, as several minor league players took noteworthy steps forward in 2025 and positioned the team’s farm system as one of the very best in all of baseball. And when you look at the various prospect lists for the Mets that several publications have or will put out this offseason, the name you’ll consistently see at the very top is Nolan McLean.

Of course, at this point McLean is really only still a prospect in technical terms, as he made his major league debut this year and finished just two innings shy of using up his rookie eligibility. And he sure as hell looked nothing like a rookie when he came up to the big leagues. Instead, while everything else was going up in flames during those final couple months of the season, McLean proved to be the one clear bright spot for the team, providing the most dominating performance from a Mets pitching prospect since Matt Harvey over a decade ago. And while it ultimately wasn’t quite enough to secure the team a playoff spot this year, it did provide them with the hope that they have a crucial building block for their new core moving forward: a bona fide homegrown ace.

It would be easy to dismiss that previous statement as hyperbole, even when taking into account the topline stats that McLean put up in his eight major league starts. Sure, that 2.08 ERA in 48 innings is mighty purdy, and it was paired with a nice and shiny 30.3% strikeout rate (a number that would have ranked him third amongst all MLB pitchers—behind only Tarik Skubal and Garrett Crochet—had he pitched enough innings to qualify). Still, pitchers are capable of going on short-term hot stretches all the time—even ones without the prospect pedigree that McLean boasted prior to his call-up. He certainly wouldn’t be the first young pitcher to come crashing back down to earth with a little more exposure after initially bursting onto the scene in a blaze. And of course, there’s also the unfortunate reality that young pitchers break all the time, as Mets fans have learned several times over (we did just mention Matt Harvey in the last paragraph, after all). So pinning all our hopes on one young pitcher based on eight major league starts may well be setting ourselves up for yet another heartbreak.

All that is true. And yet we can’t deny how utterly dominant McLean looked from the moment he came up to the big leagues. And we can point to a lot more than just his flashy ERA to justify that characterization. While there had been plenty of scouting reports on his wacky spin rates long before he made his debut, it was impossible to be prepared for just how silly he would make certain hitters look and just how flabbergasted he would make announcers sound with his pitch mix. His sweeper had been the pitch that generated the most whispers prior to his call-up—and indeed, we saw a comical level of movement on some of the ones he threw in his eight starts—but his curveball actually turned out to be his most impressive offering, as he generated a ridiculous 50% whiff rate on the pitch while opposing hitters put up a .099 xwOBA.

Those two weapons, along with his sinker, proved to be McLean’s bread and butter in his major league outings, though he also mixed in a good number of four-seamers, changeups, and cutters. So what we’re talking about here is a pitcher with a deep arsenal and multiple dominant putaway pitches with excellent traits. We’re also talking about a freakish athlete—someone who previously thrived as a two-way player in both college and in his first year of pro ball, which is a lot longer than most non-Ohtani players are able to last in both roles—who continued to excel late in the season despite shattering his previous innings limit. Indeed, McLean actually proved to be the most effective innings eater the Mets had late in the season, as he lasted at least five innings in each of his major league starts and pitched 7+ innings twice. Oh, and remember that 30.3% strikeout rate we mentioned earlier? Well, as MLB.com recently noted, as impressive as that number was, perhaps equally impressive was his 60.2% groundball rate, as no pitcher has ever paired that high a strikeout and groundball rate since the pitch-tracking era began in 2008.

Simply put, these are all the characteristics of an ace-level pitcher, not just a flash-in-the-pan outlier. We will have to see McLean do it over the course of a full season—while also avoiding the injury bug that plagues so many young pitchers—before we can officially proclaim him an ace, of course, but the ingredients are all there. It’s those tantalizing traits that have essentially made the Mets place him off-limits in any trade talks this offseason, while several of their other top prospects have at least been theoretically available. In a world where no prospect is a sure thing—least of all a pitching prospect—McLean certainly seems as close to the mark as anyone realistically can be. And his presence for the Mets provides hope in a number of different ways. There’s the hope that he will help to excise the ghosts of last season by providing a reliably dominant stopper in the rotation in 2026. And long-term, there’s the hope that he will join forces with some combination of current Mets prospects—Carson Benge, Jonah Tong, Brandon Sproat, A.J. Ewing, Jett Williams, Jacob Reimer, Ryan Clifford, Will Watson, etc.—to form a brand new core that will prove to be just as lovable as the previous one was, but also one which will get over the hump in a way that the previous core did not. There’s a long way to go before we get to that point, but with so much of the discussion over the past two months being all about the homegrown players we will no longer be watching suit up for the Mets moving forward, it’s good to spend some time focusing our excitement on the ones like McLean whom we will hopefully be able to enjoy watching for years to come.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...key-component-next-core-baseball-new-york-mlb

 

[New York Mets]

Tuesday Top Ten: Edwin Díaz Saves

The sound of Edwin Díaz’s signature trumpets signaled more than a dramatic entrance from the bullpen; they were the overture to a serialized adventure story, the theme song to a Mets career which, from its first moment to its last, proved boundlessly entertaining and unpredictable. It began with one of the most instantly panned trades in Mets history, which saw Díaz and Robinson Canó acquired in exchange for a package of established veterans and young prospects headlined by Jared Kelenic. It got off to a disastrous start on the field, with Díaz recording a dismal 5.59 ERA during his first season as a Met. But gradually, Díaz shone as the dominant closer he was acquired to be, earning two National League Reliever of the Year Awards and becoming a fan-favorite fixture in Queens. During his final year in orange and blue, there was never a dull moment, with Díaz finding new ways to induce fan anxiety and unconventional solutions to mechanical issues amid yet another electric season before signing with the Dodgers in free agency.

In this edition of Tuesday Top Ten, we’ll honor Díaz’s adventurous Mets tenure by counting down the closer’s greatest saves, from no-hitters and postseason clinchers to six-out outings and miraculous escape acts. As with all editions, these rankings are arranged with consideration to statistical factors and circumstantial stakes, but are inherently and wholeheartedly subjective. This list isn’t meant to spark outrage or debate — though I suppose such a reaction would be a fitting tribute to the trade which brought Díaz to New York in the first place. So without further ado, let’s take a trip down memory lane and count down this Tuesday’s Top Ten…

10. The Closing Doors (July 26, 2022)

Asked to deliver a four-out save in the opening game of the Subway Series at Citi Field, Edwin Díaz provided a four-strikeout save, becoming just the second pitcher in Subway Series history to accomplish the rare feat along with Tom Gordon in 2004.

Despite his dominance when throwing the ball to the catcher, Díaz spiked a throw to second base while attempting to record a game-ending double play with one out in the ninth. The lead runner was Yankees catcher Jose Trevino, who had reached on a soft dribbler to third, meaning one of the slowest players in baseball had somehow advanced to second base without a ball leaving the infield. The mistake allowed the tying run to come to the plate in the form of Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres, but Díaz dispatched a 100-mph fastball to send Rizzo’s bat flailing helplessly up and away before wiping out Torres with a picture-perfect 93-mph slider. If that sounds like a striking combination of unorthodox shenanigans and utter dominance crammed into one outing, I advise you buckle up for the rest of this list. When it comes to Edwin Díaz saves, this is about as tame as it gets…

9. 30 for 39 (September 22, 2024)

During a high-octane Sunday Night Baseball showdown against the Phillies, the Mets called upon Edwin Díaz to secure a six-out save with no room for error. Protecting a 2-1 lead, Díaz had no fear, firing 25 fastballs out of his season-high 30 pitches thrown. Díaz was electric, striking out four Phillies including Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, but the operation nearly went haywire when speedster Bryson Stott attempted to steal third base with one out in the ninth. Catcher Francisco Alvarez’ throw skipped low, appearing for a moment to have cost the Mets the tying run, but the ball fortuitously hit the third base bag and skipped up for Mark Vientos to snag it and prevent catastrophe. As was typical for the 2024 Mets, that little bit of magic helped them finally earn the win when Díaz shoved a 98-mph fastball past the bat of Kody Clemens for the final out.

The memorable win marked the Mets’ final home game of the 2024 regular season. Though the team ended the night 2.0 games up for the final spot in the N.L. Wild Card race, the prospect of them making the playoffs, winning the Wild Card series, and returning to Citi Field for an NLDS game still seemed a fool’s hope. As it turned out, Díaz’s 30-pitch performance was a casual affair compared to an upcoming Citi Field save against Philadelphia with far higher stakes and a far higher placement on this list.

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8. Bobble-Hand Night (July 2, 2019)

Pitching in his first Subway Series game, Edwin Díaz got a taste of the rivalry’s fiery — or, in this case, rainy — flair for the dramatic. The Mets led the Yankees 4-2 in Queens, and Díaz needed just one more out to secure a win for the Amazins. With Didi Gregorius at first base after reaching on an infield single and Brett Gardner at the plate as the tying run, Díaz and catcher Wilson Ramos were about to experience one of the most chaotic plate appearances of the season.

With a 2-0 count, Gregorius took off for second. He was seeking defensive indifference, but instead he received a bullet throw from Ramos, only barely brushing his hand on the second base bag in time. The Mets challenged the call on the field, but it stood as a stolen base. Three pitches later, after Gardner fouled off a slider to make the count full, the skies suddenly opened to douse the stadium in water. As the rain fell, Gardner fouled off two more pitches. Díaz went into his motion once again, delivering his ninth pitch to Gardner and his twenty-fifth of the inning: a 99-mph fastball which Gardner tipped straight back at Ramos. The ball bounced in and out of Ramos’ glove, off his bare hand, and back into his glove as he and Díaz fist-pumped in sync. A replay review, a downpour, and an unconventional “foul tip” later, Gardner had finally been retired. Put it in the books.

7. Angels In The Strikeout Column (June 12, 2022)

On the final day of a tiring, ten-game road trip, during which the Mets had lost three out of four for the first time all season, Edwin Díaz delivered one of his most electric performances in a Mets uniform. Entering in the bottom of the eighth with one on and one out, Díaz began by blowing three-time MVP Mike Trout away with a 100-mph fastball through the heart of the zone. Díaz surrendered a walk to Anthony Rendon, but proceeded to strike out the next four batters he faced, including former Met Juan Lagares, to seal the win.

Díaz’s five strikeouts in Anaheim matched a career-high, set back with the Mariners almost six years earlier to the date on June 14, 2016 in Tampa Bay. In 2016, Díaz had accomplished the feat in two and two thirds innings of work. In 2022, Díaz did it in just an inning and a third. Of the 28 pitches Díaz threw, not a single ball was put in play, and only four were fouled off. Díaz had set a new bar during what was already the best stretch of his career, allowing just one run in a span of 29 appearances.

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6. Six-Out Save At Wrigley (September 23, 2025)

Sometimes, the term “save” feels a bit over-dramatic to characterize a closer’s contributions. Sealing a 5-2 win with the tying run at the plate? Capturing a tense 1-0 shutout with a clean inning of work? Don’t get me wrong, those are impressive — but do they really earn the word “save” in all its symbolic glory?

September 23, 2025 was not one of those times. The Mets were tied with the Reds for the final NL Wild Card spot with six games left to play, and the Cubs — despite having already clinched their playoff berth six days earlier — would not go gently into the Wrigley night. The teams traded blows, with the Cubs seizing an early five-run lead, the Mets mounting a miraculous comeback, and the Cubs tying it before Francisco Alvarez’s dramatic two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning gave the Mets a fragile 9-7 edge. With the top of the Cubs’ order due up, it seemed all but inevitable that their lethal lineup had more left in the tank. But on came Díaz, who took just twelve pitches to push through a 1-2-3 eighth inning with two punch outs before striking out the side in the ninth. Setting aside the save’s climactic circumstances (which absolutely earned the full weight of the stat’s title), Díaz’s final line was a thing of beauty. To earn a save with at least five strikeouts and no baserunners allowed is something which only six pitchers in Mets history have accomplished, and which only twelve pitchers in all of baseball have done since 2000. On paper, it was perhaps Diaz’s most impressive save in a Mets uniform; little did we know, it was his second-to-last.

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5. Shoe’s On First? (September 5, 2025)

The most unfathomable save I have ever seen. A hero’s journey in three outs. The feeling of a slow-motion car crash, an open-heart surgery, and a full recovery rolled into sixteen minutes of baseball. With the Mets up 5-4 in Cincinnati, Edwin Díaz was brought on for a standard, one-inning outing. He kicked things off by giving up a base hit up the middle and walking two straight batters on a string of pitches which landed anywhere but the location of Francisco Alvarez’s target. Díaz got ahead on Noelvi Marte 0-2 before throwing three straight balls, putting him one more misfire away from a tie game, but he somehow got Marte to chase on a slider for the first out. Then, with a 1-2 count on the fearsome Elly De La Cruz, Díaz called to the Mets dugout for a replacement pair of cleats, changing shoes in the middle of the field in the middle of a game-altering at-bat in the middle of a playoff race. After a more than two-minute delay, Díaz struck out De La Cruz. Facing Gavin Lux next, Díaz surrendered a line drive hit barely foul down the right field line and nearly threw a wild pitch, but finally induced a hard-hit ground ball to the right side. Luisangel Acuña made a sensational sliding grab and fired the ball to a roving Díaz, whose new cleat graced the first base bag to seal the Reds’ fate.

It wasn’t just a pivotal win for the Mets, and an unforgettable one at that; one could argue it was the ultimate Edwin Díaz moment, a microcosm of his seven-year career in New York. It began in chaos, seemingly destined for disaster — but with the help of electric stuff, unexpected moments of levity, and a remarkable ability to persevere through adversity, it earned a special place in Mets history.

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4. feat. Timmy Trumpet (August 31, 2022)

In 2022, Edwin Díaz pitched to a 1.31 ERA, struck out 118 batters in 62.0 IP, recorded 32 saves, and won the NL Reliever of the Year Award. But those things are for nerds to enjoy. You know what’s cooler than stats and awards? You know what really means you’ve hit the big time? Having your entrance song played live.

Díaz might be the only player in baseball history to have received that particular honor. On this eventful summer night, two innings after Brandon Nimmo made the catch of his career to rob Justin Turner of a home run, Díaz entered the game to a live rendition of Narco with Timmy Trumpet playing his eponymous instrument near the third-base dugout. Díaz had a breezy 1-2-3 inning, needing just nine pitches (eight of them sliders, a pitch mix perhaps more appropriate for a trombone performance) to retire the heart of the Dodgers’ order and secure the save. Hollywood loves a good spectacle, and that night the Mets gave L.A. a taste of their own medicine; but perhaps it was that moment when the Dodgers knew they would one day try to bring Díaz’s talents to the West Coast.

3. Whiffs and GIFs (August 7, 2022)

This afternoon series finale with the Braves began as Jacob deGrom’s return after a thirteen-month absence from the Citi Field mound, and ended by yielding a historic team accomplishment (plus a viral social media moment). As usual, deGrom was dominant, carrying a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Dansby Swanson drilled a two-run home run to right-center field. Joely Rodríguez picked up where deGrom left off, tossing two and a third scoreless innings before Edwin Díaz, who had already earned two saves in the past three days against Atlanta, struck out the side on fourteen pitches.

Just how good were the Mets’ arms that afternoon? 34.2% of their pitches resulted in a swing and miss — the highest percentage for a team in any game during the Statcast era (since 2015) — with Díaz accounting for six of the 41 whiffs. Their 19 strikeouts also tied a franchise record for the most in a nine-inning game, a mark which was soon overtaken weeks later during another deGrom start against the Pirates. But none of those stats were circulated nearly as much as the sixty second clip of Díaz trotting in from the bullpen to the sound of his trademark trumpets. SNY Director John DeMarsico has provided many iconic depictions of Díaz’s entrance, but this was the first to truly go viral, paving the way for Timmy Trumpet’s appearance in person at Citi Field a month later.

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2. No-No No. 2 (April 29, 2022)

After going 50 seasons without a no-hitter, the Mets finally mustered two in the span of eleven years. The first was the result of a heroic 144-pitch effort from two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana, who put the exclamation mark on his phenomenal career with the performance. The second belonged to a smattering of five different pitchers: Tylor Megill, who pulled most of the most weight by turning in five hitless innings before being pulled at 88 pitches; Drew Smith, who struck out four of five batters faced; Joely Rodriguez, who induced two ground balls while allowing two walks; Seth Lugo, who finished off the eighth inning while keeping the bid intact; and Edwin Díaz, who was brought on to slam the door.

Standing between the Mets and their second no-hitter in franchise history were three of the Phillies’ most frightening bats: Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, and J.T. Realmuto. But Díaz diced them all with ease, needing only thirteen pitches to strike out the side swinging on a trio of near-identical sliders. Díaz threw just two balls, one of which just barely missed the plate and one of which was a slider with so much movement that it skipped through catcher James McCann. No single pitcher’s contributions to the combined no-hitter came close to matching the magnitude of Santana’s efforts, but if there’s one man whose performance will likely forever be linked with that magical April night, it’s Díaz. The stellar performance marked the first of six appearances that season where Díaz would strike out every batter faced in a save situation (min. 1 IP), a mark that has only been reached three other times in baseball history: Craig Kimbrel did it six times in 2012, Aroldis Chapman did it six times in 2014, and Díaz himself did it a whopping nine times in 2018 with the Mariners.

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1. Citi’s First Clincher (October 9, 2024)

NLDS Game 4. Top of the ninth inning. Mets leading the Phillies 4-1. Edwin Díaz entering with a chance to give Citi Field its first-ever clinching celebration. If you’ve read through this whole list…do I even have to tell you how it started? He walked the first two batters on ten pitches, immediately sending the tying run to the plate and sending Citi Field into a state of anxious tension.

But after a mound visit from pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, perhaps the unsung hero of Díaz’s Mets tenure, he fanned Kody Clemens swinging on a fastball through the heart of the zone (just as he had done weeks earlier during entry No. 9 on this list) and retired Brandon Marsh on a weak fly ball to center field. The final boss was Kyle Schwarber. With a 1-2 count, Díaz unleashed his full power, zipping a 101.1-mph fastball past Schwarber to send the stadium erupting. It’s the fastest pitch Díaz has thrown in the majors since 2022, confirming what those of us who watched Díaz work day in and day out as a Met already knew: he knows how to reach back for just a little bit extra when it matters most — whether pushed to the brink with runners on, playing in a game with massive ramifications, or doing both at the same time.

It’s fitting that Schwarber was the final out, as Díaz has always proven to be the slugger’s kryptonite. Including the 2024 playoffs, Schwarber’s career record against Díaz is currently 0-for-12 with 10 strikeouts. It’s also fitting that the biggest moment of Díaz’s Mets career came against the Phillies, the division rival which Díaz tended to dominate even more than others. Since arriving in New York in 2019, Díaz has struck out 78 Philadelphia batters, by far the most for any relief pitcher in baseball against a single team during that span. Who, you ask, is second on that list? Devin Williams, the Mets’ new closer, who has struck out 64 batters on the Cincinnati Reds…the team that beat the Mets by one head-to-head game to earn a 2025 playoff berth.

Have a top ten list you want to see featured on this series? Comment with your category below!

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/mets-history/88849/new-york-mets-ranking-edwin-diaz-saves-top-10

 

[New York Mets]

Tylor Megill’s 2025 was frustrating on and off the field

2025 was not a year particularly kind to Tylor Megill when it comes to the game of baseball.

His season, on the surface, was fine but unspectacular. He ended the year with a 3.95 ERA over 14 starts (68.1 innings), striking out a ton of batters (29.2% strikeout rate), but also walking far too many (10.8%). On a micro level, Megill was much more frustrating than that. He averaged under five innings a start, often fading quickly as the game went into the middle innings and putting the bullpen into a bad situation, which in turn put the rest of the pitching staff in a bad situation, as the domino effect of these things go.

There was also a lot of injury frustrations for Megill. In mid-June, he was placed on the injured list with an elbow strain. He was put on the 15-day IL, eventually went to the 60-day IL, and it derailed further from there. He began to make some rehab starts, but reported discomfort after one of them, and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery in late-September.

With his 2025 as an injury riddled frustrating campaign, and his 2026 as solely rehab focused, his future his up in the air in 2027 and beyond, when he will be 31 years old.

Source: https://www.amazinavenue.com/new-yo...025-tylor-megill-tommy-john-starting-pitching