Godspeed Anthony Young

While my father first introduced me to baseball with those 1980s team with Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez, and Gary Carter, I have relatively few memories of those teams due to my young age.  No, as luck would have it, my real fandom began just after those players departed the Mets.  That left me with an era of Bobby Bonilla being the best player on a team that went from World Series champions to refusing to rebuild.

As a result, I have an attachment to a group of moments and Mets players that were part of a largely forgettable era in Mets history.  I can spin tales of watching Mackey Sasser diving against the wall in right field.  I can tell you about Pete Schourek‘s dazzling one hitter against the Montreal Expos.  To me, Rico Brogna was a perennial All Star, and Todd Hundley was going to be one if they Mets would just stop playing Kelly Stinnett and Charlie O’Brien and his hockey mask over him.

Another important figure at that time was Anthony Young.

Here is what is lost in AY’s history.  He was a pretty good pitcher.  In fact, back in 1991, AY was regarded by Baseball America as the Mets top prospect.  When AY made it to the the majors, he showed he was a major league caliber pitcher.  He was never expected to be an ace, and there was some question whether he belonged in the rotation or in the bullpen, but overall, he belonged.

Taking a cursory look at his stats, he was largely forgettable.  As a Mets pitcher, AY had a 3.82 ERA and a 1.367 WHIP.  His ERA+ was 98 suggesting he was only slightly below average.  However, we know that wasn’t the full story.  It never is.  Missing here is the fact that AY lost a record 27 decisions in a row.

The losing streak started with AY struggling.  In three early May starts, he allowed five, four, and five earned runs.  He escaped his next start without a loss despite allowing four runs over 5.1 innings.  Fans started to get frustrated with him and boo.  AY would be shuffled between the rotation and the bullpen.

The losing streak became a “thing” in June when he made four starts and one relief appearance taking a loss in all of the games.  Now, he was at eight straight losses.  When John Franco went down with an elbow injury, AY became the closer.  When he saved a game against the Cubs in an extra-inning game, we all learned that recording a save did not interrupt a consecutive loss streak.

While in the bullpen, he blew five saves, and he would accumulate six more losses putting the streak at 14.  Things didn’t improve to start the 1993 season.  First in the bullpen and then the rotation, he lost game after game after game.  There were rumors of players griping.  At times, fans were frustrated as AY had become emblematic of the Mets of this era.  While the talent was there, the team just wasn’t winning.  It was getting hard to watch, and you wondered why the Mets kept throwing the same people out there expecting different results.

Somewhere during this stretch, AY moved from scapegoat to folk hero.  Fans began to cheer for him almost willing him to break this streak.  To a certain extent, AY deserved those cheers because he was not one to publicly complain about either his run support or the defense.  He was not complaining about being shuffled between the rotation and the bullpen.  He went out there and did his job.

Finally,on July 28th, an Eddie Murray walk-off double snapped AY’s 27 game losing streak putting his 1993 record at 1-13.  Both AY and Shea Stadium was jubilant.  The win put an end to an infamous streak that made a relatively pedestrian pitcher newsworthy.

Well, AY is back in the news again, and once again, it is for something beyond his control.  AY was recently diagnosed an inoperable brain tumor that doctors, and in reality everybody, hopes is benign.  At 51 years of age, AY, a man most known for his losing, cannot afford to take another loss.  He’s too young.  He’s a husband, father, grandfather, and a coach.  At this moment, now more than ever, he needs a save or a win.  At this stage, he’ll probably take whatever he can get.

At this point, Mets fans can only offer thoughts and prayers, to cheer him on like we all did when he was losing game after game.  Now more than ever, AY needs you.  I know I will be cheering for him just like I did him all those years ago.

Trivia Friday – Players Not On the Opening Day Roster

Last year, the New York Mets began the season with Eric Campbell on the Opening Day roster as the final bench piece.  As the season progressed, and players like David Wright and Lucas Duda went down with injury, the Mets had to go deeper and deeper into their farm system and bring players in to play.  There were similar issues with Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, and Steven Matz needing season ending surgeries.

In total, the Mets needed 21 additional players that did not start the season on Opening Day roster.  Can you name them?  Good luck!


James Loney Jose Reyes Rene Rivera Kelly Johnson Jay Bruce T.J. Rivera Matt Reynolds Brandon Nimmo Ty Kelly Justin Ruggiano Gavin Cecchini Seth Lugo Robert Gsellman Rafael Montero Gabriel Ynoa Josh Smoker Jon Niese Josh Edgin Sean Gilmartin Fernando Salas Erik Goeddel

Last Roster Spot Candidates

While most are focused on the bullpen, this Mets team has some other areas it needs to address prior to the start of the 2017 season. One of the main issues facing this team is which player is going to get the last spot on the bench?

At first blush, this may not seem like it is a major issue. If any of the infielders with an injury history go down, it is expected that Wilmer Flores and Jose Reyes can more than capably handle any one of the four infield spots. If two were to go down, we have seen enough from both Flores and Reyes to know that they can at least be a good stop gap option at a position. However, lost in the confidence you would have in Flores or Reyes is the fact that once they are moved to a starting position, the player who is the last man on the roster will begin to take on a larger role on the team.

Last year, that player was Eric Campbell. While Campbell may have had his positive attributes, he was certainly not capable of playing everyday. And yet, when Lucas Duda and David Wright went down that was the position Campbell found himself. In 2017, there is no reason to believe that Duda or Wright could last a full season. Same goes for Neil Walker, who just had season ending back surgery, and Asdrubal Cabrera, who played with a knee injury for the entirety of the 2016 season. The long story short here is the Mets need a deep bench for the 2017 season to prevent a player of Campbell’s caliber being a starter for two or more weeks.

For the past two seasons, the Mets have made trades to obtain Kelly Johnson to serve as a bench player. He has proven himself to be a useful player who has hit .260/.319/.441 over two brief stints with the Mets. Last year, he was clutch as a pinch hitter hitting four pinch hit home runs. He is versatile in his ability to play second, third, and both corner outfield positions. In 2015, we saw him play shortstop in a game. If given Spring Training to work on it, he could add first base to his repertoire. The main issue facing Johnson is he remains unsigned, and at this point, it is questionable whether the Mets have interest in him with the team already espousing that they need to cut payroll entering the 2017 season.

The next in line would likely be Terry Collins‘ favorite Ty Kelly. Like Johnson, Kelly is versatile in his ability to play across the infield and his ability to play the corner outfield positions. While he is a switch hitter, Kelly showed he was a better hitter against left-handed pitching in what was a very small sample size. Late in the season, Collins used Kelly as a pinch runner late in games. Overall, while Kelly does nothing outstanding, and is clearly best suited to being a bench player at the major league level, Collins has shown that he appreciates what Kelly can bring to the table.

In addition to Kelly, T.J. Rivera was the other standout 27 year old Mets rookie during the 2016 season. Late in the season with the injuries to Walker and Flores, Rivera grabbed a hold of the second base job and hit .333/.346/.476 in 33 games. Unlike Johnson and Kelly, Rivera has played a fair amount of games at shortstop. With that said, there is a reason why the Mets began transitioning him away from short beginning in AA. With that said, RIvera can legitimately play all four infield positions. When he was passed over for promotion to the majors, he began working in LF in AAA meaning it is possible he can play the outfield if necessary. The main sticking point with Rivera is the fact that he is an aggressive hitter that rarely draws a walk.

Last, but certainly not least, is Matt Reynolds. Unlike the aforementioned players, Reynolds is a legitimate shortstop who quite possibly has the best range out of all the major league options the Mets have at the position. For one glorious day game, Reynolds showed he can play left field, and he can get that clutch hit to help the Mets win the game. On the downside, Reynolds is the worst hitter of the bunch. In his 47 games with the Mets last year, he only hit .255/.266/.416. In the hitter’s haven that in the Pacific Coast League, he was only a .264/.336/.357 hitter last year. Ultimately, Reynolds is the guy you want out there defensively, but he is not the guy you want at the plate.

Unless the Mets sign Johnson, it looks like the fight will be between Kelly, Rivera, and Reynolds for the last spot on the bench. IN those three players, the Mets have three intriguing if not flawed players. Ultimately, that is your best bet when looking to round out your major league bench. The good news for the Mets is if one should falter, there are two more behind them that can pick up the slack. If the Mets face a number of injuries like they did in 2015 and 2016, the Mets have a couple of options that have proven they can be useful major league players. With that, it seems the Mets bench should not be a problem for the first time in a good number of years . . . at least that’s the hope.

Editor’s Note: this was first published on Mets Merized Online

Michael Conforto Has No Future at First Base

With the news that Jay Bruce is likely going to be the Mets Opening Day right fielder, many are pushing the idea that Michael Conforto should start to learn first base in order to make room for himself on the major league roster.  Sorry, but that is a poor decision.

Now, there is nothing wrong with Conforto learning another position to increase his utility to the Mets.  In fact, if Lucas Duda were to go down to injury, or if he is going to struggle due to any lingering effects from him having gone on the disabled list in consecutive seasons with back injuries, Conforto would be the first person you would want to replace him in the lineup.

With that said, the Mets need to figure out what they want Conforto to be.  Do they want him to be the best outfielder this organization has developed since Darryl Strawberry?  Or do they want him to become the next Eric Valent?

Simply put, at his age and with this talent, Conforto needs to be playing everyday somewhere.  Ideally, that should be at the major league level as we have seen Conforto is ready to play in the majors.  During his second stint in AAA, Conforto hit .493/.541/.821 with three homers and 11 RBI in 17 games.  Those are video game numbers.  A player that can dominate like that at the highest level of the minors does not belong there.  He belongs in the majors.

He belongs in the major leagues where he has already shown glimpses of being a very good hitter.  As a rookie who never played a game above AA, Conforto hit .270/.335/.506 with nine homers and 26 RBI in 56 games.  In April last year, before he injured his wrist, Conforto hit an astounding .365/.442/.676 with four homers and 18 RBI in 21 games.  Even with this subsequent struggles with the wrist injury and Terry Collins giving him irregular playing time, Conforto has shown he can hit at the major league level.

Again, the problem is he needs to play everyday.  The problem is Bruce stands in his way.

This is the same Bruce who hit .219/.294/.391 in 50 games with the Mets last year.  This is the same Bruce who is a career 109 OPS+ and 107 wRC+ career hitter.  The same Bruce who has a career .318 OPB and .295 OBP over the past three seasons.  This is the same Bruce who is just a few years removed from a season where he had a knee injury and hit .217/.281/.373 with 18 homers in 137 games.  This is the same Bruce who is declining defensively posting a -8.9 UZR and -11 DRS last year and has averaged a -6.4 UZR and a -3 DRS over the past three seasons.

Ideally, Bruce is the guy who should be providing power off the bench.  He should be learning first base to provide insurance for Duda.  He should be the guy to step into the lineup should Conforto struggle or Curtis Granderson shows his age.  However, we don’t live in an ideal world.  A guy who has 30 homer 100 RBI potential is going to play everyday.  A guy who is making $13 million is going to play everyday.  A guy the Mets want to showcase so they can trade him is going to play everyday.

That leaves Conforto on the bench if he is in the majors.  With Collins in charge, that leaves you to question when exactly Conforto will play.  You know he’s not going to play him against left-handed batters, which is a problem because Bruce, Duda, and Granderson are all left-handed batters.  Further complicating the matters is Juan Lagares is going to play against left-handed pitchers, and he is going to be a defensive replacement late in games.  On top of that, the Mets are looking to see how Jose Reyes can handle the outfield.  Long story short, Conforto’s not going to play, so why are you wasting time trying to get him reps at a position he’s never going to play?

Moreover, why are you wasting time getting him reps at a position he has no future?  After the 2017 season Bruce, Duda, and Granderson are free agents.  Assuming one or two leave in free agency, there is now a spot for Conforto to play everyday in the outfield whether that be in center or right.  The first baseman in 2018 is either going to be Dominic Smith, if he makes strides in 2017 like he did in 2016, or a one year stop gap.  Keep in mind that if Smith should falter, Peter Alonso, who has shown he has the potential to be a terrific major league hitter, may not be too far behind.

Overall, the Jay Bruce situtation has put Conforto in a terrible position.  He’s either going to be a pinch hitter who gets very little playing time or a minor league player.  This is the exact type of situation where you can mess up a prospect.  The Mets should not compound this by trying to make him a first baseman when Conforto is likely not going to have a chance to play more than 20 games at first base in his entire career.

No, the Mets should instead use the time to focus on getting Conforto to work on the areas of his game that needs improvement.  By doing that, you make him a much better player.  By stashing him on the bench and trying to make him a 1B/OF, you are only going to accomplish making him the next Eric Valent.

At the end of the day, which is the better course of action?

Jay Bruce Should Listen To Kevin Long

In the three seasons before Yoenis Cespedes became a New York Met, he was a .263/.316/.464 hitter who averaged 24 homers and 87 RBI.  Since becoming a New York Met, Cespedes has been a .282/.348/.554 hitter with 162 game averages of 41 homers and 111 RBI.

In Curtis Granderson‘s first year with the Mets, he was a .227/.326/.388 hitter with 20 homers and 66 RBI.  Over the past two seasons, Granderson has been a .248/.350/.460 hitter who has averaged 28 homers and 64 RBI.

In the three years before the Mets acquired Neil Walker from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Walker was a .264/.336/.438 hitter who averaged 18 homers and 67 RBI.  In his Pirates career as a right-handed batter, Walker was a career .260 hitter with just six home runs over the course of seven seasons.  Last year, Walker was a .282/.347/.476 hitter with 23 homers and 55 RBI in just 113 games.  From the right side of the plate, he was a .330/.391/.610 hitter with eight homers.

In the three years before Asdrubal Cabrera signed a free agent deal with the Mets, he was a .249/.307/.405 hitter who averaged 14 homers and 61 RBI.  Last year, Cabrera was a .280/.336/.474 hitter with 23 homers and 62 RBI.  It should also be noted he was one of if not the best hitter over the last two months of the season.

With this quartet of players, we see a definite trend of what happens when the Mets hitters being working with hitting coach Kevin Long.  Whatever it is he specifically does, he has the ability to help batters not only hit for more power, but also improve their OBP.  While Long’s detractors will point out there are players that haven’t performed well under his tutelage like Travis d’Arnaud and Michael Conforto last year, there are players like the aforementioned players and Daniel Murphy who have improved.  The point is overall hitters tend to improve in terms of OBP and slugging under Long.

With Long’s seeming ability to help players in these two key areas, Jay Bruce would be wise to work closely with his new hitting coach this season.

Over the course of his career, Bruce has been a .248/.318/.467 hitter who has averaged a 27 homers and 82 RBI a season with most of his damage being done at The Great American Ballpark where he is a .254/.328/.500 hitter. Basically, Bruce has basically been a slugger that not only does not know how to draw a walk, but he is also a product of his former home ballpark.  At least that was the perception.  That perception was not helped when Bruce hit .219/.294/.391 in 50 games with the Mets last season.

This is a large reason why he did not garner much interest on the trade market.  It may very well be a reason why he will have difficulty getting a large free agent deal next offseason.

It’s odd when you think about it because Bruce has the potential to be a 30 HR/100 RBI hitter.  He is your prototypical slugger who has been a three time All Star, two time Silver Slugger, and has a top 10 MVP finish in his career.  There is real talent there.  He just needs help to become a more well-rounded hitter.  As we have seen with most of the Mets roster, Long has helped the Mets hitters on that front.

If Bruce does improve his OBP and he hits for more power, the Mets are going to have the left-handed power threat they thought they were getting when they acquired him in exchange for Dilson Herrera and Max Wotell.  He is also going to help garner the interest for his services that we just not present this offseason.  Overall, the working relationship between Bruce and Long can be a mutually beneficial relationship.

It’s a relationship both Bruce’s and the 2017 Mets’ future hinges upon.

Mets May Have Enough Internal Bullpen Options

With Baseball America‘s Adam Rubin reporting the Mets are considering using low A starter P.J. Conlon out of the bullpen, the Mets are really giving the impression that they may not sign any relief pitchers this offseason. This would coincide with earlier reports the Mets may not have the budget to acquire another player unless the team is able to trade an outfielder, namely Jay Bruce. When considering the difficulties the Mets have in trading Bruce, it’s becoming increasingly more likely the Mets will use internal options to build their bullpen.

The Mets should have varying degrees of confidence in returning relief pitchers Jeurys Familia, Addison Reed, and Hansel Robles. Last season, Reed and Familia combined to be the best 8-9 combination in baseball. Robles has shown versatility whether it was his bailing Jim Henderson out of a bases loaded no out jam or pitching 3.2 innings because Bartolo Colon left a game in the first inning with an injury.

While the Mets should have confidence in these three pitchers, they still need at least four other arms to complete their bullpen. Here are the leading options:

RIGHT-HANDED RELIEVERS

RHP Seth Lugo – While he should get the opportunity to compete with Robert Gsellman for a spot in the rotation, indications are Lugo will land in the bullpen. In limited bullpen duty last year, Lugo was terrific. In his nine relief appearances, he had a 2.65 ERA, 0.941 WHIP, and an 8.5 K/9. Pitching out of the bullpen should also permit Lugo to ramp his fastball up to 95 MPH and throw his curveball, which has the best spin rate in the majors, making him an even more dominant pitcher.

RHP Zack Wheeler – Like Lugo, Wheeler may get an opportunity to pitch in the rotation, but early indications are he will start the year in the bullpen. Wheeler’s fastball-slider combination should play well out of the bullpen, and it should lead to him recording a high number of strikeouts. Conversely, he may have a high amount of walks as well. Unfortunately, Wheeler may not be able to sustain the same workload of a relief pitcher as the Mets will likely want to ease him back after Wheeler missed two years due to Tommy John surgery.

RHP Paul Sewald – With a high 80s to low 90s fastball with a slider in the low 90s with a low 80s slider, Sewald doesn’t have the dominating stuff you would typically look for in a major league reliever. However, despite having “lesser” stuff, Sewald has succeeded at every level of the minor leagues including his being an effective closer for the 51s last year. Despite pitching in an extreme hitter’s league, Sewald had 10 saves with a 1.85 ERA, 0.945 WHIP, and an 11.8 K/9 in the second half of the season.

RHP Erik Goeddel – If Goeddel can return to his 2014 – 2015 form, the Mets have a reliever they can rely upon. During that time, he was on the New York – Las Vegas shuttle making 41 major league appearances. Over that stretch, he had a 2.48 ERA, 1.000 WHIP, and a 9.0 K/9. For many, it was believed Goeddel did it with smoke and mirrors, an impression that was given credence with his 4.54 ERA and 1.318 WHIP in 2016. With Goeddel able to strike out 9.1 batters per nine last year, he has at least shown he can get batters out, and as a result, should get another chance. His success in 2017 is going to depend on his ability to regain some of his fastball velocity or his ability to adapt to pitching without it.

RHP Chase Bradford – Like Sewald, Bradford has fringy stuff with a low 90s fastball and a low to mid 80s slider. However, unlike Sewald, Bradford has struggled in AAA. Over the past three years, Bradford has pitched to a 4.88 ERA, 1.454 WHIP, and a 7.2 K/9. It should be noted many pitchers, like Lugo, struggle in Las Vegas, only to have success in the majors.

RHP Ben Rowen – The submarine style Rowen was brought in on a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. The hope is that Rowen can be a modern version of Chad Bradford in what was an excellent 2006 Mets bullpen. However, given his low 80s fastball, and with both right-handed batters and left-handed batters hitting him hard in his brief 12 major league appearances, this seems more hope than reality.

RHP Rafael Montero – Despite being terrible for the Mets, he somehow remains a part of the Mets organization. As if his presence on the roster wasn’t baffling enough, Sandy Alderson even mentioned him as a possibility for the bullpen. (ESPN). It figures that this year is the year push comes to shove with Montero. Either he is finally going to trust his stuff and throw strikes at the major league level, or the Mets are going to designate him for assignment for someone who can.

RHP Gabriel Ynoa – Ynoa struggled with the Mets last year, but those struggles could have been the result of him being asked to pitch out of the bullpen when he’s never done that before and the team shifting him between the bullpen and rotation late in the year. Fact is Ynoa has real talent. He has a low to mid 90s fastball that he may be able to consistently get in the mid 90s if he was airing it out in the bullpen. His slider is also effective in generating a number of groundballs. With him in the bullpen as opposed to the rotation, he can primarily utilize his two best pitches to get batters out.

LEFT-HANDED RELIEVERS

LHP Josh Smoker – There are three things we learned about Smoker last year: (1) he strikes out a lot of batters; (2) left-handed batters absolutely crush him; and (3) he is not effective for more than one inning. Now, if Smoker is able to work with Dan Warthen to develop a slider to get help him get left-handed batters out, he’s got closer potential. If not, he’s still an effective arm out of the bullpen so long as Terry Collins acknowledges his limitations.

LHP Josh Edgin – Even with his reduced velocity, Edgin still showed the ability to get left-handed batters out. Until such time he re-gains his velocity, if it ever were to happen, he should primarily be used as a LOOGY. Now, with Familia, Reed, and Robles each being extremely effective against left-handed batters, the Mets are not in dire need of a LOOGY. Still, in a division with Freddie Freeman, Daniel Murphy, and Bryce Harper the Mets could benefit from having more than one pitcher who can get left-handed batters out.

LHP Sean Gilmartin – In 2015, Gilmartin was an important part of the Mets bullpen as the team’s long man. That season, he made 50 appearance pitching 57.1 innings going 3-2 with a 2.67 ERA, 1.186 WHIP, and an 8.5 K/9. Surprisingly, Gilmartin had reverse splits allowing a .216 batting average to right-handed batters and a .260 batting average to left-handed batters. Last, year, Gilmartin began the year in Las Vegas as a starting pitcher. Due to some bullpen issues at the major league level, the Mets had him fly on a red eye and pitch on short rest. Eventually, he would suffer a minor shoulder injury, and his promising season would tail off. Ultimately, the Mets will need a long man in 2017, and there is enough evidence here to suggest Gilmartin can competently fill that roll.

LHP David Roseboom – It’s not common for pitchers to go from AA to the Opening Day roster the next year, but Roseboom may just be capable of doing it. While a closer by trade, who is coming off a season with a 1.87 ERA, he is extremely effective against left-handed batters. Last season, he limited left-handed batters to a .141 batting average. Primarily, Roseboom is a sinker/slider pitcher who also has a change that allows him to remain effective against right-handed batters. While Roseboom primarily sits in the high 80s to the low 90s, he remains effective because he is able to effectively locate his pitches, and he induces a high rate of ground balls.

LHP P.J. Conlon – As touched on above, considering Conlon for the Opening Day roster was a surprise given he has not pitched in AA, he consistently throws in the mid to high 80s, and he was used as a starter last season. Another reason this was a surprise is the Conlon is better against right-handed batters than left-handed batters. The main reason for that is while Conlon is a four pitch pitcher, his out pitch is his change-up. Like with most left-handed pitchers, Conlon’s change-up is more effective against right-handed batters than left. Overall, it is highly unlikely he will make the Opening Day roster, but he should still benefit from the opportunity to further develop his slider.

PREDICTION

Barring unforeseen circumstances, Wheeler seems assured of being in the Opening Day bullpen with Familia, Reed, and Robles. Considering the Mets probably want to add another left-handed pitcher in the bullpen, and the fact that he is out of options, Edgin seems to be the next best guess as to a pitcher who will make the r0ster. Based upon their performance in the bullpen last year, it is likely the next two spots go to Lugo and Smoker. Right there, the Mets have a seven man bullpen with an interesting array of arms that can both register strike outs and induce ground balls to try to get a double play to get out of the inning.

If there is an injury, suspension, or someone proves to be ineffective, the Mets have interesting options behind this group in Rowen, Sewald, and Roseboom. There is also Gilmartin and Ynoa who can provide either a spot start or be able to serve in the bullpen if needed.

Ultimately, while you would feel much better with the Mets having at least one more veteran arm in the bullpen like a Jerry Blevins or a Fernando Salas, there is at least enough quality arms in the Mets system that can conceivably build a good bullpen.

 

The End of The Sports Reporters

When I was younger, one of the few things that could get me up early on a Sunday morning was The Sports Reporters. It was a collection of the best sports reporters across the country (mostly the northeast) hosted by a giant in the industry, Dick Schaap. However, over the years, my interest has waned, and it was no longer appointment viewing. Apparently, many feel the same way as Sports Illustrated has reported the show will be cancelled in May.

By sheer coincidence, I caught a piece of it Sunday. Watching the show, I began to understand why it is being cancelled.

On the panel were Mike Lupica, who took over hosting duties after the untimely death of John Saunders, and Mitch Albom. If you were to go back 25 years ago, it is a near certainty that Lupica and Albom were going to be on the panel. In essence, this show has not only had the same format, but it has had the same voices on the show for it’s entire run. Considering that Lupica had his mid-day ESPN Radio show cancelled a couple of years ago, no one was that interested in what they had to say anymore.

Then there is Albom who once lauded Miguel Cabrera winning the AL MVP Award over Mike Trout as a victory against sabermetrics saying, “We need to slow down the shoveling of raw data into the “what can we come up with next?” machine. It is actually creating a divide between those who like to watch the game of baseball and those who want to reduce it to binary code.” (SB Nation).

It’s odd seeing Lupica and Albom becoming irrelevant in terms of both ratings and opinions. Twenty-five years or so ago, they were among the best read in the industry. Their opinions mattered, and in an age before the internet made their opinions easily attainable, this was the best way to hear their voice, to learn. Unfortunately, not only are they still stuck in the mindset they have roughly a quarter of a century ago, but people can look elsewhere.

The elsewhere are writers not brought on to participate in the Sports Reports. You don’t see a Mike Vaccaro or a Jonah Keri on the show. Chances are if there is a younger or fresher voice, it is a regurgitation of an ESPN personality that is a contributor to another show like Around the Horn. In some ways, shows like Around the Horn killed the Sports Reporters. Instead of intelligent debate and discussion, we got soundbites, writers fighting for attention, and writers looking to “win” rather than provide thoughtful analysis. Instead of writers, they could have invited analysts with sufficient experience in the field and used it as a way to boost ratings at the very least. Furthermore, today, when the demand for sports is soaring high, even careers like sports performance analyst career are gaining the attention they deserve.

No matter what the issue, the time for Sports Reporters has passed. It has passed because the show failed to bring on newer voices to counter-balance the voices of the Lupicas and the Alboms. It has passed because of the focus of “debate shows” like Around the Horn or First Take. It has passed because it has partially become an ESPN vehicle instead of a show featuring sports writers across the country. It has passed because each and every single one of these writers have become more and more accessible. It has passed, well, because its time has passed.

So today, like most Sundays over the past couple of years, I’m going to go make breakfast with my son, and go about my day. Most likely, I’m not going to turn on the Sports Reporters even though, admittedly, I am now more cognizant of it. At some point before May, I may even grow to feel nostalgic about it. Not today however . . . that time has passed.

The James Loney Era Is Over

Due to Lucas Duda‘s broken back and Sandy Alderson believing Eric Campbell was the best possible option for the 25th man on the Opening Day roster, the Mets were forced to go out and acquire James Loney for $1 from the San Diego Padres.

Look, there are plenty of jokes you can make about the Mets getting ripped off in the deal.  You can also point out to how Loney was a terrible hitter who not only couldn’t hit for power, but he also couldn’t draw a walk.  In the field, you could crack jokes about how dead people are able to stretch more than Loney was able to at first base.

Behind these jokes, the simple fact was Loney was better than what the Mets had at the time.  Loney was the end result of poor planning by this Mets organization.  Lost in all of that was Loney was actually good for a stretch of time.  From June to July, Loney was a .288/.343/.451 hitter.  While it wasn’t the production you may look for out of first base, he was still a solid major league hitter.  And he was a solid major league hitter at a time when Michael Conforto, Curtis Granderson, Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera were mired in deep slumps.  Without Loney’s bat, it is quite possible the Mets would have been further under .500 than they would have been.

There were even some clutch hits along the way like his 100th career home run that helped the Mets beat the Miami Marlins:

The main issue with Loney was he was playing above his head, and he fooled everyone into thinking he was going to keep up this level of production.  He certainly convinced a Mets front office who was once again either unwilling or ill-prepared to handle the first base situation at the trade deadline.

In the end, Loney showed the Mets his best ability was his availability.  That speaks volume when you consider the entire Mets Opening Day infield spent at least one stint on the disabled list.  Heck, even the primary backup, Wilmer Flores, had a season ending injury that required offseason surgery.

Overall, it was not his fault he was not the hitter the Mets needed him to be.  Ultimately, Loney was just Loney.  It was good enough to help the Mets capture the top Wild Card spot, but ultimately, it was not enough for the Mets to beat Madison Bumgarner in the Wild Card game.

Loney has now signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers thereby putting an end to the possibility of his returning to the Mets.  It’s likely he won’t have a Kelly Johnson type return either.  The chapter in Mets history is closed, and generally speaking, the Mets were better off for him being a part of it.  And no, it’s not a stretch to say that.

Trivia Friday – Mets Opening Day Leadoff Hitters

While debating who should be the Mets lead-off hitter, it should be noted the Mets haven’t always gone the traditional route.  In fact, over the team’s 55 year history, they have gone in a number of directions.  Can you name all of the players who have hit lead-off on Opening Day for the Mets?  Good luck!


Richie Ashburn Larry Burright Dick Smith Billy Cowan Cleon Jones Don Bosch Bud Harrelson Tommie Agee Wayne Garrett Gene Clines Lee Mazzilli Lenny Randle Frank Taveras Mookie Wilson Wally Backman Lenny Dykstra Gregg Jefferies Vince Coleman Jose Vizcaino Brett Butler Lance Johnson Brian McRae Rickey Henderson Benny Agbayani Roger Cedeno Kazuo Matsui Jose Reyes Alex Cora Andres Torres Collin Cowgill Eric Young Curtis Granderson

The 2017 Leadoff Hitter Is Not A Clear-Cut Choice

In 2015, despite Terry Collins experimenting all spring long with Juan Lagares in the lead-off spot, come Opening Day, the Mets had installed Curtis Granderson in the lead-off spot. The move proved to be a stroke of genius as Granderson had his best season in four seasons hitting .259/.364/.457 with 26 homers and 70 RBI. For many points of that season, he was seemingly the only professional hitter barely keeping the offense afloat. When the reinforcements came, the Mets took over the division and went all the way to the World Series.

Unfortunately, Granderson did not have the same success in 2016. Despite hitting an impressive 30 homers, he only hit .237/.335/.464. He struggled most of the year, and by August, Collins removed him from the lead-off spot. The move was due to a number of different issues facing the Mets. First and foremost, Granderson was struggling in the role. Second, with the injuries and poor performances, the Mets needed Granderson’s power in the middle of the lineup. Third, and perhaps the biggest reason of all, Jose Reyes had rejoined the team, and Collins made the decision to put the best lead-off hitter in Mets history at the top of the lineup.

With Spring Training about a month away, and the Mets everyday and primary backups set in stone, the question is who bats lead-off in 2017? With the Mets not having a clear-cut option, the Mets may have to either recycle options, or they will have to think outside-the-box:

Curtis Granderson

On a positive note, Granderson has been a successful lead-off hitter in his career, and his presence at the top of the order in 2015 was one of the factors why the Mets were able to not only win the division, but also go the World Series. Looking deeper into his 2016 numbers, there are some promising signs he could handle the lead-off spot.

As the first batter of the game, Granderson hit .319/.395/.667 with seven homers. When he lead-off an inning, he hit .270/.355/.582 with 16 homers. Now, this is not the Granderson we remember from the 2016 season because he did not fare well in his subsequent at-bats. In fact, Granderson hit .218/.317/.433 as the team’s lead-off hitter. Another factor was he thrived hitting behind Yoenis Cespedes. When hitting cleanup, Granderson hit .321/.440/.605 with six homers and 18 RBI in the limited sample size of 23 games.

Jose Reyes

At one point in his career, Reyes was the prototypical lead-off hitter. He could get on base, steal bases, take the extra base, and he could hit for some power. He was a bundle of energy that seemed to get both the fans and his team going. He was a threat from the moment he stepped in the batter’s box until the moment he walked back to the dugout. While Reyes shows some glimpses, he is no longer that player.

After his first season playing on the punishing Rogers Centre turf, Reyes just hasn’t been the same player. Over the past three seasons, including his stint with the Mets last year, Reyes is a .279/.321/.400 hitter. In some respects, Reyes is a much smarter base stealer, much like Rickey Henderson at the end of his career, as he gets caught less frequently, he also has fewer attempts. It seems that the things he was elite at are now things he is now just good at doing. This all works against Reyes being an effective lead-off hitter, and that is before we account for his recent pronounced splits against right-handed and left-handed pitching. At this point in his career, Reyes mauls left-handed pitching, but he is really no better against right-handed pitching than Wilmer Flores.

Despite the aforementioned issues, the biggest hurdle in Reyes’ way from becoming the Mets lead-off hitter is Reyes is not an everyday player. Reyes is here mostly to serve as a back-up to David Wright due to his spinal stenosis issues. Reyes will also serve as a back-up middle infielder and possibly as a back-up outfielder. While you can make the argument, he should lead-off in games he plays, he is not going to play everyday meaning the Mets need an everyday option.

David Wright

This is where we start going outside the box as Wright has never hit lead-off in his career. However, looking at the numbers and seeing the type of player Wright has seemingly become, his hitting lead-off actually makes sense.

Even with all the issues Wright faced in 2016, the one thing he showed he was still capable of doing was getting on base. In the limited sample size that was his 37 games last year, Wright had a .350 OBP. If he was to have played the full season, his .350 OBP would have been second best on the team to Cespedes. Over the past two injury plagued seasons, Wright has played 75 games, and he has had a .365 OBP over that stretch. Again with the caveat that Wright only played in very few games over that stretch, his .365 OBP is a team best.

Another factor in his favor for him leading off is his taking a lot of pitches in his at-bats. Again, this comes with the caveat that he only played in 37 games, but Wright saw the most pitches per plate appearance than any other Met. It should be noted, Granderson was second on the team. With Wright going deep into the count, he is not only making a pitcher throw more pitches, he is also allowing his team to see what the pitcher has on that particular day.

While in many respects, Wright is what you want in a lead-off hitter, it needs to be noted time and again with him that you cannot depend on him. No one knows how many games he can play. However, this can be an argument to hit him lead-off. Presumably, on the days he cannot play, or if he was to miss a number of games due to injury, Reyes is likely to take his spot at third base. Given Collins’ propensity to hit Reyes lead-off, Reyes could move into Wright’s spot in the lineup and not disturb the rest of the team.

Michael Conforto

Again, this is well outside the box, but unlike Wright the decision to move him to the lead-off spot has nothing to do with his skill set. Rather, the concept behind hitting Conforto lead-off is to give him a spot in the order where he is going to see some quality pitches.

Whether it was pitcher’s adapting to him, his wrist injury, or Collin’s icing him on the bench, Conforto did not have a good 2016 season by any measure. In 109 games, he hit .220/.310/.414 while striking out in 25.5% of his plate appearances. If you take out his terrific April, the numbers look even worse. Over the course of 88 games (58 starts), Conforto hit .174/.267/.330 with only eight homers and 24 RBI.

And yet, we know how good he can be. In his rookie season, a year removed from college and having never played a game in AAA, he hit .270/.335/.506 with nine homers and 26 RBI in 56 games. In April of last year, he hit .365/.442/.676 with four homers and 18 RBI. When he was demoted to AAA the second time, he hit .493/.541/.821 with six homers and 13 RBI. Long story short, this kid knows how to hit. The Mets just need to find a good place for him in the lineup to help further his development.

Presumably, his presence at the top of the lineup with a professional hitter like Asdrubal Cabrera hitting behind him would allow Conforto to see better pitches at the plate. Theoretically, this could allow him to wait for his pitch and drive it somewhere. Another factor to consider is Conforto has some speed on the bases. While he is not going to steal 30 bases for you, he does have the ability to go from first to third or score from second.

Ultimately, one of the most important things the Mets have to do this season is to further the development of Conforto. His hitting lead-off may further that.

Asdrubal Cabrera

Cabrera is yet another unconventional choice. However, Cabrera has already shown the Mets he is a professional hitter that can be slotted any place in the lineup. No matter where Cabrera hits in the lineup, he has shown the ability to give the Mets a good at-bat.

With Cabrera, there are as many positives as there are red flags in making him the lead-off hitter. For his career, he has a .329 OBP. While he did better that with a .336 OBP last season, you would prefer a higher OBP from the lead-off spot. With his knee injury last season, there is a real question over how much speed he still has on the basepaths. In the limited time he has been a lead-off hitter in his career, he has only posted a 95 OPS+.

And yet, despite these and other concerns you may have about Cabrera in the lead-off spot, the fact remains that Cabrera is a solid hitter. In fact, he could be the Mets player outside of Cespedes that you have the most confidence in heading into the 2017 season. With that in mind, wouldn’t he be the guy you want to give the most number of at-bats to during the 2017 season? Arguably, the answer to that question is yes.

Overall, there is a real debate to be had as to who should hit lead-off for the Mets in 2017. Based upon what we saw in 2016, it is possible the player who was the Opening Day lead-off hitter will not last the full season in that spot in the order. With that in mind, the Mets should not be afraid to give any other of their players a chance to hit lead-off.