SAVAGE VIEWS – Ready or Not
19 HRS AGO - READY OR NOT
Remember me? I’m the one who predicted the Mets would not only qualify for the Expand
19 HRS AGO - READY OR NOT
Remember me? I’m the one who predicted the Mets would not only qualify for the playoffs this
season but actually get past round one.
Also, last year, around this time, I said the 2023 Mets were not a playoff
team. When I make my forecasts, I try to
take a clear eyed approach by eliminating emotion whenever possible. However, I am a passionate fan of the Mets,
Giants and Rangers and it’s hard to eliminate all biases.
To be honest,
I am a bit concerned as we enter the new season. My forecasts are based on the core group of
Mets improving on rather disappointing results in 2023. Each of Lindor, Alonso, McNeil, Marte did not
live up to expectations. Baty, Alvarez
and Vientos were all underwhelming although it’s evident that Alvarez is a
budding star. I sensed there was a toxic
clubhouse that had a negative impact on Baty, etc. The position players underperformed in spring
training as nearly all of our Collapse
Tom Brennan: Opening Day, and The School of Hard Knocks
1 DAY AGO - OPENING DAY, AND LEARNING FROM BAD OUTINGSOPENING DAY TODAY?(NOPE - THE WEATHER IS “NOT Expand
1 DAY AGO - OPENING DAY, AND LEARNING FROM BAD OUTINGSOPENING DAY TODAY?(NOPE - THE WEATHER IS “NOT PERMITTING”)We all know that the Mets always win on opening day, when it doesn’t rain…it’s just the other 161 games we worry about. So, Friday is the new opening day.Jose Quintana will start today, and he is 9-16 previously, with “previously” being the last 4 seasons (2020-23). Remarkable stat. That averages out to 2.25 wins a season for the O.D. starter.In his final two spring outings, 7.1 IP, 11 runs. Yep, he’s ready. 100%.Anyway, let’s get this season underway. ME? I won’t settle for less than 162-0.SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS:If you are an aspiring minor leaguer, you probably hope, particularly if you’re a pitcher, that you make a televised, spring training, game debut, go 2 innings and strike out all six batters on 18 pitches. Then send the ball to Cooperstown.Well, it sadly doesn’t work that way in real life. Sometimes, it’s the “school of hard knocks”. Dominic Collapse
Reese Kaplan -- Sometimes You Give Up on Players Too Soon
2 DAYS AGO - Justin Turner's name came up for the Mets quite a bit during the offseason. The club was Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Justin Turner's name came up for the Mets quite a bit during the offseason. The club was certainly short on hitting and had a very uncertain third base situation with Brett Baty having struggled mightily in 2023. The thought was that Turner would provide capable DH offense while also being a backup solution at third base should Baty's struggles continue or if he needed a veteran pro's input on how better to play the position. Granted, Turner was more well known for his bat than his glove but he does have a great many years as a professional ballplayer.Earlier this week when the Mets made the curious decision to cut their top home run hitter from the squad going north, Turner's name came up once again. This time, however, it had less to do with his suitability for the 2024 squad as a DH/3B option, but instead it was a painful reminiscence regarding the team's decision to cut the man loose when his career average with the Mets was certainly adequate with a Collapse
Daily Tidbits
3 DAYS AGO - Mets:Question - 81.5 over/under wins… Expand
3 DAYS AGO - Mets:Question - 81.5 over/under wins… Ernest Dove @ernestdove Mar 25, 2024: Over. They have some star power. The arms obviously long way to go to be anything close to their spring success but they overall look good and Senga is to return. There's also multiple top 10 prospects itching to debut & it may finally be time to deal other prospects at deadline SNY @SNYtv Mar 25, 2024: Which Starling Marte will Mets get? How much does an ace matter? Can Brett Baty run with the third base job? 5 big Mets storylines to watch as the 2024 season begins (via Danny Abriano) https://t.co/P3YL4DwimM https://t.co/5dr9xl0IZT Paul Articulates – First in my mind www.macksmets.blogspot.com Anthony DiComo @AnthonyDiComo Mar 24, 2024: "It's something bigger than me, that's for sure." Shortly after learning of his Collapse
2024 Draft - Mock - Bleacher Nation 2-21-2024
4 DAYS AGO - Today, we continue this mock series with the first draft by our friends at Bleacher Nation Expand
4 DAYS AGO - Today, we continue this mock series with the first draft by our friends at Bleacher Nation (2-21-2024). 1. JJ Wetherholt 2B/3B West Virginia 2. Nick Kurtz 1B/OF Wake Forest 3. Charlie Condon 1B/OF Georgia 4. Jac Caglianone 1B/LHP Florida 5. Vance Honeycutt OF North Carolina 6. Seaver King SS Wake Forest 7. Brody Brecht RHP Iowa 8. Chase Burns RHP Tenneesse 9. Hagen Smith LHP Arkanses 10. Josh Hartle LHP Wake Forest 11. Tommy White 3B LSU 12. Mike Sirota OF Northwestern 13. Noah Franco 1B/LHP IMG Academy HS 14. Thatcher Hurd RHP LSU 15. Konnor Griffin SS/OF Jackson Prep HS 16. PJ Morlando OF Summerville HS 17. Travis Bazzana 2B/SS Oregon ST 18. Malcolm Collapse
Mets Moves Today
5 DAYS AGO - DFAd:RHP Phil Beckford Informed will not make club:SS Julio InglesiasC Tomas Nido1B Expand
5 DAYS AGO - DFAd:RHP Phil Beckford Informed will not make club:SS Julio InglesiasC Tomas Nido1B Luke VoitReassigned:RHP Austin Adams RP Shintaro Fujinami Collapse
Mets Prospect Profile: SP Junior Santos
6 DAYS AGO - This is the final post in a series intended to bring awareness to some of the lesser-known Expand
6 DAYS AGO - This is the final post in a series intended to bring awareness to some of the lesser-known prospects in the Mets' organization This series has run each weekday for three weeks at 11:00am EST for the benefit of our fans. We covered 15 different prospects that were not "household names" (yet). Hope you enjoyed it!Junior Santos is not in most lists of the top Mets prospects. He has been in the minor leagues for five seasons (did not play in the 2020 pandemic season) at levels topping at AA. His numbers are not the spectacular ones that jump off the page and make people write about him. But there is something there that is worthy of note so I chose him as the final writeup.Santos is an imposing 22 year old 6'7" 244lb right-handed flame thrower that was born in the Dominican Republic. He was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2018 for $275,000.After signing on, he played on the Mets' rookie league team in the Dominican Republic before moving to Collapse
Mets Prospect Profile: 3B/P Nolan McLean
7 DAYS AGO - This is the next post in a series intended to bring awareness to some of the lesser-known Expand
7 DAYS AGO - This is the next post in a series intended to bring awareness to some of the lesser-known prospects in the Mets' organization This series will post a different prospect each weekday at 11:00am EST for the benefit of our fans.Here is the Mets version of an enigma wrapped in a donut.Nolan McLean is a 22 yr old (23 in July) RHB/RHP that played third, right field, and backend bullpen.The 6-4/215 high-school quarterback was the Mets 3rd round pick in 2023, out of Oklahoma State University. McLean is first known for his bat, that stat lined 19 HR, .285 as a sophomore, and 9 HR, .250 as a junior at OSU.He ended last year with only 16 combined FCL/LUCY at-bats at below the Mendoza line.He also came out of the Lucy pen for two appearances, posting 0-0, 2.70. 2-G, 1-ST, 3.1-IP, 2-K.As a hitter, he has a huge physical presence at the plate. Stance is open with hands high. Very smooth swing through the zone. Above average raw power already creating +110 exit velo.Below average Collapse
Mets Prospect Profile: RP Dylan Tebrake
3/20/2024 - This is the next post in a series intended to bring awareness to some of the lesser-known Expand
3/20/2024 - This is the next post in a series intended to bring awareness to some of the lesser-known prospects in the Mets' organization This series will post a different prospect each weekday at 11:00am EST for the benefit of our fans.Dylan Tebrake is a 24/yr old RHRP, drafted by the Mets in the 8th round of the 2022 draft, out of Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Biggest game of his college career was on 5/15/20 when he threw 8-IP, 0-R, vs. Seton Hall.So the Mets draft this multi-year Friday night starter, who won the Big East pitchers of the year for close to his whole career... including his senior year where he went 17-ST, 8-2, 2.17, 93.1-IP, 115-K.And what do they do?They turn him into a reliever.But, it has paid off. He went 0-0 for the combined teams of FCL Mets and St. Lucie in 2022... and 2.08 in 14-G for the Cyclones last season.But his real talent is mixing his curve, change, and slider with his up to 95mph fastball... with remarkable control... that has Collapse
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Mets Daily Tidbits
21 HRS AGO - Mets Mets Player Development @MetsPlayerDev Mar 27, 2024: Did you Expand
21 HRS AGO - Mets Mets Player Development @MetsPlayerDev Mar 27, 2024: Did you know that Christian Scott first learned his slider from Pitching Ninja? He discusses that and much more on the latest episode of Future of Flushing! https://t.co/Xmg9yB364q https://t.co/WKgl6HdmPZ https://t.co/BS9pdPm1eM Abbey Mastracco @AbbeyMastracco Mar 27, 2024: The Mets let DJ Stewart know he made the team. They still have to decide between relievers Yohan Ramirez and Sean Reid-Foley Laura Albanese @AlbaneseLaura Mar 27, 2024: The Mets nutritionist has made Edwin Diaz eat salads. Brian Recca @brian_recca Mar 27, 2024: -Edwin Diaz '22: Timmy Trumpets -Edwin Diaz '24: Timmy Thousand Island Dressing Will Sammon @WillSammon Mar 27, 2024: Collapse
Mets Daily Tidbits
1 DAY AGO - Mets Brooklyn and St. Lucie will be released next Wednesday or Expand
1 DAY AGO - Mets Brooklyn and St. Lucie will be released next Wednesday or Thursday. Mets Release Luke Voit Tim Britton @TimBritton Mar 26, 2024: Mets announce they've released reliever Phil Bickford, whom they DFA'd to make room for J.D. Martinez earlier in the week. Bickford, who won his arbitration case against the Mets for $900K, will only be owed termination pay of $217K, similar to what happened with J.D. Davis Kevin Kernan @AMBS_Kernan Mar 27, 2024: Baseball needs a Pitching Czar to begin to fix what has gone terribly wrong on the mound from injuries to the inability to get deep into games. I nominate David Cone who has proven himself on the mound and in the ESPN Sunday Night Baseball booth. https://t.co/swTE4s777y https://x.com/AMBS_Kernan/status/1772960539322294568?t=cmPP-50H1rMXo8Oqbk8tTw&s=03 Will Sammon @WillSammon Mar 26, 2024: Third base Collapse
Mets Daily Tidbits
2 DAYS AGO - Mets: SNY @SNYtv Mar 25, 2024: When Doc Gooden got the call from Expand
2 DAYS AGO - Mets: SNY @SNYtv Mar 25, 2024: When Doc Gooden got the call from Steve Cohen that his number would be retired by the Mets, he was brought to tears: "I wanted to go back to the Mets to make it right with the fans. Now, I get an opportunity." "Dr. K" premieres Thursday at 4:30 p.m. on SNY. Nick Piecoro @nickpiecoro Mon, Mar 25, 2024: Closer Paul Sewald has a Grade 2 left oblique strain and will open the year on the injured list, Torey Lovullo said Matt Kawahara @matthewkawahara Mar 25, 2024:Justin Verlander will throw a two-inning live BP tomorrow at Minute Maid Park. If it goes well, he could start a rehab assignment next, Joe Espada said. Benny BKG @BennyGreenberg Mar 25, 2024:My Take on Spring Training - mets look much better than expected in the Pitching Dept., and if they cannot score more than 3 runs/game (on average) it won't matter. Brooklyn Collapse
Paul Articulates – First in my mind
3 DAYS AGO - There are always many topics to discuss as spring training winds down. The players have had Expand
3 DAYS AGO - There are always many topics to discuss as spring training winds down. The players have had several weeks now to round into baseball shape, refine their swings or throwing mechanics, and renew their competitive spirits. The player development and coaching staffs have almost wrapped up their evaluation phases, and are ready to make the final roster adjustments from the majors down through the minors.Until the dust settles, there are always many articles written speculating about what choices the management should make, and there are opinions, and that is a lot. The choices that come to my mind first are the one that involves the first base position. Here is what the Mets are faced with:Pete Alonso is entering his final season of team control under a $20.5M contract that was agreed upon prior to arbitration earlier this year. We have all heard the rumors about whether or not he has received an extension offer from the Mets or not, have heard directly from Collapse
Mack’s Weekly Draft Outlook
4 DAYS AGO - Brian Recca @brian_recca Mar 22, 2024: Justin Sinibaldi goes the distance for Expand
4 DAYS AGO - Brian Recca @brian_recca Mar 22, 2024: Justin Sinibaldi goes the distance for Rutgers Baseball. Complete game shutout for the big lefty. Final line: 9 IP, 110 pitches4 H0 R1 BB9 K Teddy Cahill @tedcahill) Mar 22, 2024: Chase Burns goes seven for the second week in a row. His day today against Louisville: 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 12 K His season: 1.69 ERA, 37.1 IP, 12 BB, 68 K Joe Doyle @JoeDoyleMiLB Mar 22, 2024: Chase Burns and Hagen Smith are every bit on the level of Paul Skenes Teddy Cahill @tedcahill Mar 22, 2024 The strikeout race this year is absurd. Chase Burns (@WakeBaseball): 68 in 37.1 IP (16.39/9) Hagen Smith (@RazorbackBSB): Collapse
Tom Brennan: Some Minor Leaguer Spring Performance Thoughts
5 DAYS AGO - HEY! WHO IS DOING WHAT, ANYWAY?Not too many thoughts this morning, since it even remains to Expand
5 DAYS AGO - HEY! WHO IS DOING WHAT, ANYWAY?Not too many thoughts this morning, since it even remains to be seen which players with prior MLB experience this spring will stay in the Mets system in the minors. Let’s take a peek at:FIRST BASE: in the Mets minors, there are as I see it two upcoming guys with near-term MLB potential. (Ryan Clifford, if he plays 1B, is a little further back).Both of the nearly-ready duo started their minors careers in 2021. One went undrafted, the other one was a 4th rounder.Player # 1 just turned 26 and hits righty. He played 99 games in 2023, 38 of those games in AAA last year, with a .270/.370/.397 slash line for Syracuse. He’s climbed hard.Career…841 PA, 26 doubles, 8 triples, 18 HR, 89 RBI, 30 of 36 in steals. Half his career at bats were in the park that stifles offense in Brooklyn, where overall he hit .225 (but hit a much better .283 there in early 2023). Elsewhere, out of the windy beach park, he’s hit .275. He fanned 99 times in 99 Collapse
OPEN THREAD - JD
6 DAYS AGO - Last night, the Mets signed designated RIGHT hand hitter JD Martinez to a one year deal that Expand
6 DAYS AGO - Last night, the Mets signed designated RIGHT hand hitter JD Martinez to a one year deal that will cost them only $4.5mil against the 2024 payroll (plus any luxury tax addition applied). Martinez does play in the outfield, but at his advanced age, will probably be limited to RHDH, sending current Met spring training home run leader, Mark Vientos, to either ride the bench or go play regularly in Syracuse. Thoughts.Me?Well, both the owner and General of the Mets have said publicly that they are committed to playing the youth on this team.Really?I know this is a good deal for a veteran power hitter that can still produce the pop needed from a bat that follows Pete Alonso, but once again, signs are being sent to the kids on the other side of camp that their future may lie playing for another team. Collapse
Paul Articulates – A wonderful dilemma
7 DAYS AGO - Mets fans know that things don’t always go right. Even good news is often followed by bad Expand
7 DAYS AGO - Mets fans know that things don’t always go right. Even good news is often followed by bad news. So when the word started getting louder that the Mets had a ton of pitching talent in their minor league system, many just expected the other shoe to drop. Well, it hasn’t. We are in day 37 of a 41 day camp, and the Mets’ pitching has been just great. Yes, Kodai Senga went down early with an injury, but when you look at the battle for the slots from the back end of the rotation through the middle relievers through the AAA and AA pitching staffs, there are a ton of guys that can fill a role. This is a wealth of arm talent that only comes around once in a while.Let’s take a look at the difficult choices that the front office, Carlos Mendoza, and Jeremy Heffner will be facing soon. It was announced yesterday that Quintana, Severino, Manaea, Houser, and Megill get the rotation spots. That leaves Jose Butto, Joey Lucchesi, an injured David Collapse
Tom Brennan - The Best
3/20/2024 - HEY! WHO IS THE BEST?Coming into spring training, I never expected The Best…did you?Relief Expand
3/20/2024 - HEY! WHO IS THE BEST?Coming into spring training, I never expected The Best…did you?Relief pitching? Best ERA in baseball (2.93)Best WHIP in baseball (1.12)Best K rate (157 in 129 innings)Starters?They have the 2nd best ERA (3.12)They have the 4th best WHIP (1.11)Pitching overall?Just 11 HRs allowed in 22 games? Toronto has allowed 41.2.99 ERA is best (Detroit 2nd at 3.69). Seattle 2X Mets, at 5.83.Best WHIP at 1.11.Remember…no Senga.What a shame the Mets can’t take 26 pitchers north with them.After all, 25 Mets pitchers have an ERA of 0.00, #26 (Butto) is at 0.90, and Severino would miss the cut due to his 1.00 ERA, just 27th best.REMARKABLE. AS WE WROTE THAT THE METS’ PEN LACKED DEPTH PRIOR TO SPRING TRAINING…….WE WERE SIMPLY WRONG. Collapse
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Paul Articulates – Eat some innings, Jose!
23 HRS AGO - This is a very brief post on opening day for the Mets. It focuses on one topic – Expand
23 HRS AGO - This is a very brief post on opening day for the Mets. It focuses on one topic – starting pitchers staying in the game. Last year one of the biggest factors in the Mets’ disappointing season was that the starting pitchers failed to go deep into ballgames early in the season. The burden on the bullpen burned them out and made the mid-season a disaster. Buck wore himself out with trips to the mound, and the result of using 4-5 relievers was that one would always have a sub-par performance and give up the runs that lost the game.This year with Kodai Senga on the injured list we have already lost one of our innings eaters as well as a fine pitcher that had very good success last year. Next up is Jose Quintana, who was a bright spot last year when he returned by being someone that could regularly pitch in the sixth and maybe seventh inning. Quintana needs to be a work horse this year, going deep in most of his starts. With Collapse
Tom Brennan - Rookies in Mets Spring Training
1 DAY AGO - Which rookie hitters impressed this spring?I wrote yesterday about Mark Vientos, who was sent down Expand
1 DAY AGO - Which rookie hitters impressed this spring?I wrote yesterday about Mark Vientos, who was sent down to the minors despite hitting 2 more HRs than anyone else in camp. He actually hit 5 in 56 at bats, a HR every 11 ABs, while everyone else in 908 at bats hit 22, a HR every 41 ABs. But today's story is about all the rookies in camp who have not yet made their MLB debut.I counted 35 such players who came to the plate. Their overall stats?164 at bats, 35 hits (.213), 7 doubles, 2 HRs, 19 RBIs, 13 walks, 62 Ks.Not very good, by MLB standards, but in fairness: 1) they are not yet MLB caliber, and 2) quite a few were very young, lower minors guys, although they compiled a relatively small portion of those 164 at bats.Best hitters in the bunch?Nick LoRusso was 2 for 2, with a 2 run double that barely missed going out, and 2 RBIs.JT Schwartz, who was 4 for 8 and an RBI. (I hope to see JT, who added muscle this year, 1) play more games, 2) walk less and Collapse
Tom Brennan: Mets’ Competitors: Pre-Season; Vientos, Objectively
3 DAYS AGO - HEY! WHO ELSE IS DOING WHAT ELSE, ANYWAY?Let’s not fall victim to Acute Myopia Syndrome…the Expand
3 DAYS AGO - HEY! WHO ELSE IS DOING WHAT ELSE, ANYWAY?Let’s not fall victim to Acute Myopia Syndrome…the malady of Metsville.“METS, METS, METS.” YADA. YADA, YADA. ENOUGH, ALREADY! Just for a minute, please…if possible…forget the Mets!How the heck have our NL East competitors done this spring (thru Sunday)?Well, surprise, surprise, the Washington Nationals have outscored Atlanta, the Marlins, Phillies, and Mets. The Nationals have had 5 hitters raking over .350. The Mets have none of those. 21 year old CF James Woods has a .509 OBP! Trey Lipscomb is hitting .400 in 50 at bats. Victor Robles, Alex Call, and Juan Yepez all above .350. Lane Thomas hitting an impressive .306/.426/.490. And Joey Meneses with 9 RBIs and 6 XBH in 17 games. Those 7 dudes may be real “meneses” this year.For the Peach State Boys of Summer (And Fall), Ronald Acuna has no HRs in 10 games, but the Braves still hit well, with guys like Michael Harris raking. The Braves in 2024 Collapse
Reese Kaplan -- An Impressive Weekend for a Rookie POBO
4 DAYS AGO - During his first off season as the NY Mets President of Baseball Operations there have been a Expand
4 DAYS AGO - During his first off season as the NY Mets President of Baseball Operations there have been a great many people questioning exactly what he has done other than pay lip service to building a competitive ballclub. Mets fans and media types understood the team's ineffective pursuits of the Japanese duo of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto who both instead landed with the Dodgers. Hey, it happens. You can't win every free agent pursuit.However, after the high end of the market pretty much collapsed we saw Stearns go off in a different direction, looking like a Wilpon era executive who was trying to uncover comeback candidates from the scrap heap or banking on injury recoveries from players who had a hard time staying on the field. Yes, some of the acquisitions were well known names like Luis Severino, Harrison Bader, Sean Manaea and Adam Ottavino. Next came folks whose stat sheets were at best inconsistent but whose best days could indeed help. Collapse
Mack - Sunday Morning Observations
5 DAYS AGO - MLB Pipeline MLBPipeline Mar 22, 2024: Approaching his 23rd birthday, Matt Expand
5 DAYS AGO - MLB Pipeline MLBPipeline Mar 22, 2024: Approaching his 23rd birthday, Matt Allan -- the Mets' third-round pick in 2019 -- still hasn't thrown a competitive pitch in four-plus years. In good spirits, the former top prospect is now on another long road back to the mound: https://t.co/0by73KomMT https://t.co/tV15jjczNI Cleveland Guardians @CleGuardians Mar 22, 2024: Carlos Carrasco has made the 26-man roster for Opening Day! Mike Puma @NYPost_Mets Mar 22, 2024: Luis Severino on the Mets getting J.D. Martinez: "This lineup is now a lot better, not only with his bat, but with his mind. He's a smart guy. It's a great acquisition." Florida Complex League Mets @FCLMets Mar 21, 2024: Brandon Sproat's Thursday afternoon: 3 hitless innings, 3 strikeouts, fastball up to 99 mph. SNY Mets @SNY_Mets José Quintana became Collapse
Reese Kaplan -- What Does JD Martinez Arrival Do to the Roster?
6 DAYS AGO - Time is of the essence with Opening Day less than a week away and apparently the song and dance Expand
6 DAYS AGO - Time is of the essence with Opening Day less than a week away and apparently the song and dance about giving in-house options the opportunity to prove themselves kind of flew out the window with Thursday evening's news that the Mets reached out to bring the big bat of J.D. Martinez to New York to play as their Designated Hitter. No one can deny the value Martinez can bring to the Mets as protection for some of the other hitters in the lineup, experience in the DH role, and having lived within some very solid organizations while his career unfolded. For the announced $12 million one-year deal, that's certainly a smart investment. How smart? Well, he will earn less than Starling Marte, less than Luis Severino, less than Jeff McNeil and less than some others. On a pure value basis take your cap off and tip it to the front office for waiting to obtain the best of the best remaining hitter who was still unsigned.The flip side, of course, is what about Collapse
Reese Kaplan -- Options May Dictate Roster Decisions
7 DAYS AGO - It's getting to be that time of the year for yet another roster prediction for the New York Expand
7 DAYS AGO - It's getting to be that time of the year for yet another roster prediction for the New York Mets. Some of the folks coming north are no-brainers like Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez and four of the five known starting pitchers as well as about four of what will likely be an eight-man bullpen. After that it gets a bit murkier.Who Has Options Remaining?Despite all of the feel good talk about third base belonging to Brett Baty, the fact remains that he has an option remaining which would allow the team to send him to Syracuse if they were more doubtful than many of us are about Baty turning into a BATTY type of player given his rather dismal showing offensively thus far.Similarly, the DH-in-Waiting, Mark Vientos, has got to show the powers that be the consistent power and batting average he produced in the minors. After a 4K game in which everyone was calling for his head, he followed it up the next day with a double and a home run. Collapse
Tom Brennan: GOAT Ted Williams Hit .400….3 1/2 Times!
3/21/2024 - HANDS DOWN, GREATEST OF ALL TIMEWhile we watch accomplished players like Pete Alonso and Francisco Expand
3/21/2024 - HANDS DOWN, GREATEST OF ALL TIMEWhile we watch accomplished players like Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor and other lesser hitters ready themselves for the 2024 season, I often wonder how much baseball pitching has toughened over the years.This article, though, is not about that.Thinking about that initial topic me think of Ted Williams.His career spanned 3 decades (1939-1960), and in his final year at age 42, he hit .316/.451/.645.My brain then took me off-topic, from changes in pitching difficulty through the years to…THE SPLENDID SPLINTER. Here goes:Ted Williams missed nearly 5 full prime of his career years in World War II and the Korean War, which lowered his cumulative career stats.Before war arrived, Ted hit an astonishing .406 in 1941 at age 22. (#1)After he had another jaw-dropping year in 1942, he missed 3 full seasons in the Second World War.When he finished his career, this was written:"According to Ben Bradlee Jr.'s book, "The Kid: The Immortal Life of Ted Collapse
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