My All Star Game Ballot

Since MLB has not adopted my All Star Game changes, here is my National League ballot:

C – Buster Posey

It’s the narrowest of margins between between Posey and Jonathan Lucroy. Posey gets the vote as he has a 0.1 WAR advantage over Lucroy, and he’s the best pitch framer in the game this year.

1B – Paul Goldschmidt

Yet again, Goldschmidt is the best first baseman in the NL if not all of baseball.  Consideration should be given to Anthony Rizzo, but in reality, Goldschmidt is a better player.

2B – Daniel Murphy

Second base is very deep in the NL with Murphy, Ben ZobristNeil Walker, etc. Ultimately, the tie breaker is Murphy because he leads second basemen in batting average and slugging. He’s also been a difference maker for a Nationals team in first place.

3B – Nolan Arenado

Easiest choice on the ballot. He’s the best fielding and hitting third basemen in the NL.

SS – Corey Seager

The NL Rookie of the Year favorite leads all shortstops in WAR and is second in homers to fellow rookie Trevor Story. It’s Seager over Story as Seager has been the much better all around and consistent player.

OF – Yoenis Cespedes

Last year when Cespedes joined the Mets, he went on an absolute tear that helped the Mets turn things around. He’s been just as good this year with less help.

OF – Christian Yelich

The Marlins were supposed to have the best and most exciting young outfielder in the National League in Giancarlo Stanton. They do, but it’s Yelich.

OF – Starling Marte

Like the Marlins, the Pirates could reasonably expect one of their outfielders to start the All Star Game. Like the Marlins, it’s a different player.  You would’ve expected the former MVP Andrew McCutchen to be the guy.  However, Marte is their best outfielder. In fact, as per WAR, he’s the best outfielder in the NL.

Here is my American League Ballot:

C – Salvador Perez

He leads American League catchers in most offensive categories, and he is one of the best catchers that would actually qualify as a batting title.

1B – Chris Davis

For the most part, this has been a down year for most of the American League’s first basemen.  Miguel Cabrera has been playing well of late while Joe Mauer has tapered off after a good start.  The most consistent has been Davis, who leads first baseman in homers, RBI, and WAR.  He’s a large reason why the Baltimore Orioles are surprisingly in first place . . . again.

2B – Jose Altuve

He has been the best player in the American League in the first half.  He’s in the MVP discussion.  He’s the easy selection in either league despite Robinson Cano’s resurgence.

3B – Josh Donaldson

The reigning American League MVP has followed-up with a similarly great season for the Blue Jays.  He is yet again the best third baseman in the American League.

SS – Francisco Lindor

He has been a driving force for the first place Cleveland Indians with his glove and his bat.  Due consideration should be given to Manny Machado.  However, Machado has split time between short and third, and he began the year as a shortstop.

OF – Mike Trout

Trout is still the best outfielder in the American League as he has been for the past 5+ seasons.  By the way, he is only 24 years old.

OF – Jackie Bradley, Jr.

Bradley’s defense has always been a given.  Now, with a .294/.384/.558 batting line, it appears his bat has caught up with his glove making him one of the best all around outfielders in baseball.

OF – Ian Desmond

The guy no one wanted as a shortstop in the offseason has become a versatile outfielder playing well in both left and right.  More importantly, his potent bat has returned.  He’s been the best player for what has been the best team in the American League so far.

Sandy Alderson Had a Poor Offseason

This past offseason Sandy Alderson and the Mets were heralded for building a deep roster that was better built to sustain a slate of injuries like the Mets fared last year.  Here are how all the players Sandy Alderson acquired during the offseason have fared with the Mets this year:

Neil Walker

So far, Walker has had a terrific 2015.  In fact, he is on pace to have the best year of his eight year career.  However, as the Mets offense has tailed off, so has Walker.  Here are his monthly splits:

  • April .307/.337/.625 with 9 homers and 19 RBI
  • May .250/.333/.420 with 4 homers and 6 RBI
  • June .224/.307/.289 with 1 homer and 6 RBI

Each and every month Walker has gone from one a career best year to stats worse than he has had over the course of his career.

Asdrubal Cabrera

Like his double play partner, Cabrera’s stats are masked by a hot April.  In April, Cabrera hit .300/.364/.400.  Since that time, Cabrera is only hitting .247/.307/.409.  Worse yet, despite many raving about his defense, the advanced metrics disagree.  So far, he has a -5 DRS and a -2.1 UZR.

Alejandro De Aza

He was supposed to be a platoon partner with Juan Lagares in center.  Given his .165/.216/.242 batting line, it is a blessing that never came to be.

Yoenis Cespedes

For the second straight year, Cespedes has been terrific for the Mets.  His OBP and slugging are on pace to be the highest in his career.  He’s also on pace for a career high 38 homers.  Even with his poor defense in center field, he has been day in and day out the best player on the Mets.

Rene Rivera

Like every other backup catcher during the Sandy Alderson regime, Rivera has not hit.  Initially, he was supposed to be a minor league depth, but after another Travis d’Arnaud injury, he was called-up to the majors.  He has worked well with Mets pitchers this year, specificially Noah Syndergaard  Mostly due to his defense, and also because of how poorly Kevin Plawecki has played, he has stayed in the majors when d’Arnaud came off the disabled list.

Ty Kelly

He was a minor league free agent that was never supposed to play in the majors.  When he hit .148/.207/.259 in 14 games we found out why.  Of course, he was pressed into action in part because the Mets found it wise to start with Eric Campbell on the 25 man roster instead of Ruben Tejada.

Bartolo Colon

Somewhat surprisingly, at the age of 43, Colon is having his best season with the Mets.  He’s 6-4 with a 2.86 ERA and a 1.170 WHIP.  He also did this:

Jerry Blevins

After he went down last year, the Mets searched high and low for a lefty out of the pen.  They never did quite find one.  Blevins has been healthy this year, and he has been terrific going 2-0 with a 2.49 ERA.  Only recently did he have a 21 appearance and 13 inning scoreless streak snapped.

Antonio Bastardo

He has been the worst reliever in the Mets bullpen with a 5.28 ERA and a 1.565 WHIP.  Terry Collins has shoved him to the back of the bullpen and tries to avoid using him in high leverage situations at all costs.

Jim Henderson

The minor league free agent had a great Spring Training and made the Opening Day roster.  He was having a terrific season until Collins pushed him too far for what he perceived to be a must-win game in April.  His production tailed off, and now he is on the disabled list with an injured shoulder.  This is the same shoulder that caused Henderson to miss all of the 2015 season after having had two surgeries on the joint.

Overall, looking over how these moves have panned out thus far, it does not appear that Sandy Alderson has had as good an offseason as many proclaimed him to have had.  In fact, as the season progresses, it makes Alderson’s season look worse and worse.  In order for the perception of Alderson’s offseason to change again, the underperforming players are going to have to improve.  Time is growing shorter and shorter for that to happen.

Daniel Murphy – Mets Killer

In Max Scherzer‘s last three starts (including tonight) against the Mets, he has allowed four hits total. In essence, he only allows one hit per outing against the Mets. Asdrubal Cabrera took care of that one hit with a second inning single. Since it wasn’t a home run, it meant the Mets weren’t going to score off of him. 

No, it didn’t help that Curtis Granderson needed to be scratched from the lineup after getting nicked up yesterday.  His absence was all the greater when Terry Collins decided to put Alejandro De Aza and his .216 OBP in the lead off spot. It really makes no sense at all until you consider 

The decision worked as well as everyone thought it would. Brandon Nimmo hit a one out single in the eighth chasing Scherzer from the game. Granderson then pinch hit for Rene Rivera and singled off Oliver Perez. After a Travis d’Arnaud pinch hit fielder’s choice, the Mets sent up De Aza.

Dusty Baker brought in his closer, Shawn Kelley, for the four out save as he was the only person in the ballpark who thought De Aza was a threat. Despite having been 3-3 off Kelley in his career, De Aza would strikeout to end the inning. 

It also didn’t help that the Mets didn’t re-sign Daniel Murphy in the offseason. He’s now a National AND a Mets killer. Coming into tonight’s game, he was hitting .419/.441/.645 with two homers and eight RBI. Tonight was more of the same:

Murphy’s homer was one of the two runs scored off of Logan Verrett who made a good spot start. He pitched five innings allowing the two runs with four walks and one strikeout. It didn’t matter as the Mets didn’t score any runs for him. 

If there was any hope the Mets would comeback, Murphy crushed those hopes:

Murphy’s two run home run off Sean Gilmartin in the eighth made it 4-0. It put the game out of reach. The James Loney two run homer in the ninth really only served to end a 23 inning scoreless streak. The Mets lost 4-2 and fell to six games behind the Nationals in the division. 

Game Notes: Nimmo took some poor routes on balls leading to some base hits that led to a run in the third. Antonio Bastardo pitched two scoreless innings.  Murphy went 2-4 with two runs, three RBI, and two homers. 

Stop Batting Travis d’Arnaud Eighth

Last year, Travis d’Arnaud established himself as a major league catcher both behind and at the plate.  He showed how far he had come from the player that had to be sent to down to the minors in 2014 because he wasn’t hitting.

In 67 games, d’Arnaud hit .268/.340/.485 with 12 homers and 41 RBI.  He had a 127 OPS+.  For the most part last year, d’Arnaud spent his time hitting fifth, sixth, and seventh.  For whatever the reason, d’Arnaud was at his best when he was hitting seventh in the lineup.  When he did hit seventh, d’Arnaud was hitting .311/.382/.541 with two homers and 12 RBI.  d’Arnaud was hitting seventh in the lineup when he hit three homers in the postseason last year.  Given the construction of the Mets roster this year, you could make the case that d’Arnaud should’ve been hitting seventh.

Instead, Terry Collins sees him as the eighth place hitter on this Mets team.  There was a legitimate reason for it when he was hitting behind players like David Wright, Lucas Duda, Yoenis Cespedes, Michael Conforto, Neil Walker, and Asdrubal Cabrera. Now, it is a bad decision.  Duda and Wright are on the disabled list, and Conforto is in the minor leagues.  Now, Collins is hitting d’Arnaud behind players he is clearly better.  Take a look at the players who are currently hitting ahead of d’Arnaud:

  • James Loney – a career .285/.338/.411 hitter who was released by the Rays prior to the start of the season.
  • Wilmer Flores – a career .252/.290/.383 hitter who lost his starting job to Ruben Tejada last year and was never considered for a starting job this season
  • Brandon Nimmo – a promising rookie

Given how much d’Arnaud progressed last year, it is easy to say he is better than these options, and accordingly, he should hit higher in the lineup. However, d’Arnaud is struggling this year only hitting .206/.270/.250 with no homers.  There are various reasons for these struggles from his wrapping his hands around Julio Franco style when he bats to him starting with an open stance and closing it as the pitch is being delivered.  He’s just not as quiet in his stance as he was last year when he was having his most successful season.  It’s possible some of these changes were made due to his shoulder.  It’s also possible these changes were made due to the struggles he has been facing while hitting eighth in the order.

In 17 of his 19 games this year, d’Arnaud has hit .203/.277/.254 while hitting eighth in the order.  For his career, he is hitting .194/.278/.287 from that spot in the lineup.  That includes him going 0-3 against the Nationals yesterday.  In his entire career, d’Arnaud has never hit well out of the eighth spot in the lineup.  It has been more of the same this year, and quite possibly, it has led to d’Arnaud reverting to some bad habits at the plate.  The Mets need to get him going in order to help with their offensive woes.  It’s possible the best way to cure help him and the Mets is to take him out of the eighth spot.

 

Interview with Nicco Blank

Over the past week, Mets fans have become aware of Brooklyn Cyclones reliever Nicco Blank due to his leaving tickets for Taylor Swift for Cyclones games.  I had the opportunity to speak with him to get to know him as a baseball player, a person, and where his efforts to get Taylor Swift to attend a Cyclones game currently stand:

Mets fans have just started to get to know you with the news surrounding your leaving tickets for Taylor Swift to see you pitch at Cyclones games.  If Taylor Swift were to take you up on the offer, what type of pitcher is she going to see?

Well first of all she’s going to love my walk out song, and I wouldn’t be too surprised to spot her dancing up in the suite as I warm up. If she can resist the temptation of looking at my flowing hair, the entire time she will see a pitcher that attacks hitters and isn’t afraid to challenge guys. After the game, she’ll definitely be beating down the doors to get an autograph. All joking aside I think she would really enjoy a Cyclones game. MCU Park is such an electric environment and we have a great team this year that is a lot of fun to watch!

This is now your third year in the Mets organization and the second with the Cyclones.  How have you progressed as a pitcher from your days with Central Arizona College?

Since my days at Central Arizona, I have been working really hard to improve as a pitcher. I’m starting to understand I don’t need to throw every pitch with maximum effort to be effective. I want to be at an 80% effort and in control of my mechanics. Just trying to stay within myself and not do too much. This is where I see my most consistent results and consistency is what I need with the stuff I have. I’m learning how to be a pitcher and not a guy who just throws hard. Being around the coaching in this organization is a blessing for me.

What people have had the greatest impact upon your career?

There are numerous people who have impacted my career in a positive way but my parents deserve all the credit for where I am today. My dad taught me at young age that hard work and dedication would get me anywhere I wanted to go in life. My mom is my biggest supporter and has done more for me than I could ever repay her for. Both of them celebrate my success, get me through my rough days and always motivate me to chase my dream. I’m so thankful to have such wonderful parents.

What was the best piece of advise anyone has given you about how to succeed as a pitcher and make it to the major leagues?

When Daniel Murphy was down in Florida rehabbing in 2015, he shared with me his secret of slowing the game down and harped on believing in my abilities. Being confident and in control seems to be working for him, so I try to emulate that aspect of his game.

What are your goals for the 2016 season? 

My main goal is to be on the St. Lucie roster by the end of the season. Improving my fastball command early in the count to limit walks is the biggest thing I’m working on now. Like I mentioned earlier, trying to throw my pitches with an 80% effort and being able to recognize when I’m overthrowing.

Lets let the fans get to know you a little bit more than your leaving tickets for Taylor Swift. What has been your favorite memory as a baseball player?

My favorite memory as a baseball player is winning state my senior year of high school. We were underdogs and beat the top three teams in our division all in a row to capture our first state title in 44 years.

Who was your favorite baseball player growing up?

Derek Jeter by far. Funny story is the first time I picked up a ball I threw left handed but since Jeter was my favorite I was going to be right handed and play short stop. My dad didn’t think I was going to be a pitcher so I always tease him about how nice it would have been for my career to throw left handed.

What interests or hobbies do you have outside of baseball?   

I really enjoy cooking. You can catch me in the kitchen before home games whipping up a pregame meal. During the offseason, I spend most of my time working out and educating myself about exercise science and nutrition, which is one of the many things I’m interested in pursuing after my baseball career.

Favorite musician?  Is it really Taylor Swift?

I am so eclectic when it comes to music so picking a favorite artist would be too difficult. Let’s just say if I were managing a baseball team, I would bat T Swift first to get the party started.

Have you heard back from Taylor Swift or her people yet about whether or not she is going to attend a Mets game?

Taylor hasn’t responded yet, but our front office staff now wants to get involved and get her to MCU Park for a game. I’m pretty hopeful that she will be at a game by the end of the summer.

I appreciate Nicco Blank for taking the time out to answer some of my questions and for letting Mets fans get to know him a little better.  Hopefully, Taylor Swift will make it out to a Cyclones game at MCU Park before Blank gets called up to St. Lucie this summer.  All Mets fans should head out to MCU Park to see him and the other future Mets players this summer.

Oliver Perez Stops the Mets

The Mets chance was in the top of the sixth. Yusmeiro Petit walked Neil Walker to load the bases with one out. Dusty Baker then summoned Oliver Perez from the bullpen. The very same Oliver Perez Mets fans love to hate. 

After Ollie struck out James Loney and got Wilmer Flores to meekly pop out to center to end the threats hereby earning the win, Mets fans hate him all the more now. In fact, there’s a short list of things Mets fans hate more than him. About the only thing that really comes to mind is the Mets offense, especially after they got shut out tonight. 

If you didn’t expect the Mets to have a low offensive output, you didn’t realize Matt Harvey was starting. In Harvey’s 81 career starts, the Mets have scored two runs or less for him 35 times. That’s 43% of the time. It’s absurd. 

Like the other 34 times, you can’t pin this one on Harvey. He had allowed one earned on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 3.2 innings. He was only pulled due to a length rain delay that lasted over an hour and a half. 

After the rain delay, Terry Collins initially went to Erik Goeddel. After Goeddel walked Danny Espinosa, Collins brought Jerry Blevins into the game do face the left-handed pinch hitter Clint Robinson. Naturally, when you have to go deep in your bullpen tonight and have Logan Verrett making a spot start tomorrow, you want to play the match-up game in the fourth inning. 

Blevins would get out of the inning unscathed, but Bryce Harper would launch a two run home run in the fifth to make it a 3-0 game. The Nationals would stretch the lead to a 5-0 game in the seventh when Mets killer Wilson Ramos hit a two run double off of Hansel Robles to make it a 5-0 game.  The Mets intentionally walked Daniel Murphy to get to Ramos. To add insult to injury, Robles would have to leave the game after a Ryan Zimmerman got him on the knee. 

It was a tough night all around. Harvey took the loss dropping him to 4-10 on the season. The Mets also lost another game in the division and remain in third place. 

Game Notes: Alejandro De Aza e texted the game in the fourth as Curtis Granderson had trouble getting loose after the rain delay. De Aza was 0-2. Brandon Nimmo had another good game going 1-4. Nationals rookie Lucas Giolito pitched four scoreless in his major league debut. 

The Fall of Rafael Montero

Over the course of a full 162 schedule, it is extremely rare that a team is able to get through a season with just five starting pitchers.  With that in mind, a team will need more than just five major league caliber starting pitchers in order to get through the season.  We were all reminded of that again with the news that Steven Matz and Noah Syndergaard are both dealing with bone spurs in their pitching elbows.  Apparently, the situation is worse for Matz who is debating if he should have surgery.

If Matz, Syndergaard, or really any Mets pitcher cannot make a start, the Mets have options.  There is Logan Verrett who has already made four spot starts this season and will start in place of Matz today.  There is Sean Gilmartin who began the year in Las Vegas, in part, so the Mets could allow him to further develop as a starting pitcher.  The Mets also have well regarded prospect Gabriel Ynoa who becomes more and more major league ready with each and every start.  Whenever the Mets need an arm, these are the three names that are usually in the discussion for a start.  You know who’s name doesn’t get brought up anymore?  Rafael Montero.

This is a precipitous fall from grace for Montero.  As soon as 2014, the Mets had considered Montero a major league caliber starting pitcher.  He ranked ahead of Jacob deGrom on the organizational depth chart.  The Mets were proven wrong when deGrom got a chance to go out there and perform while Montero was injured.  As a result, when the 2015 season began, the Mets had deGrom in the rotation and Montero in the bullpen.  Still, Montero would get his shot to start as the Mets wanted to implement a six man rotation to limit the innings for deGrom and Matt Harvey.  Montero would make one start, and he would be sent down to AAA.  However, that demotion would be rescinded as Montero was found to have rotator cuff inflammation.

Eventually, the Mets would question his willingness to pitch.  Subsequent tests would show there was no significant injuries.  The team would suggest that while there was inflammation, Montero should’ve been able to pitch through it.  During a late season road trip to Florida, Terry Collins traveled to Port St. Lucie to meet with Montero to try to get him going.  Eventually, Montero would pitch in a few minor league games at the end of the year, but it was too little too late in terms of making the postseason roster.

As the team reported to Spring Training this season, Collins pulled him aside and tried to motivate him.  He told Montero the Mets had to re-sign Bartolo Colon because Montero hasn’t fulfilled his promise.  If he had, he would have been slated at the Mets’ fifth starter.  Montero responded to the pep talk by getting shellacked by the Nationals.  When the Mets had to trim down their roster, Montero was one of the first people selected to go to Minor League Spring Training.  It seemed like it was his last chance.  He would get one more.

After Matz’s first start of the season exhausted the Mets bullpen and Jacob deGrom’s baby being sick, the Mets needed an extra arm.  The team would call-up Montero.  Collins seemingly went out of his way to not use him going so far as to pitch Jim Henderson in a game he had no business pitching.  When Montero finally got into a game, he didn’t perform.  In his two appearances, Montero had an 11.57 ERA and a 2.571 WHIP.  The Mets had no problem sending him down.

In the minors, Montero has continued to be underwhelming.  In 14 starts this year, he is 4-4 with a 6.62 ERA and a 1.736 WHIP.  To be blunt, Montero is doing nothing more right now than occupying a spot on the 40 man roster.  We saw the effect of that when the Mets had subjected and lost Dario Alvarez on waivers when the Mets needed to make room for Ty Kelly on the 40 man roster.  With the Braves, Alvarez has gone 1-1 with a 2.08 ERA and a 0.923 WHIP.  So far, Alvarez has accomplished more than Montero has and perhaps ever will.

It wasn’t supposed to be this way for Montero.  He was supposed to be the guy in the top half of the rotation.  It hasn’t panned out that way.  He’s not even a consideration anymore for when the Mets need a pitcher.  Now, he’s a player taking up a spot on the 40 man roster that could be going to players with more promise.  This has been a sad fall from grace for Rafael Montero.

Editor’s Note: this was also published on metsmerizedonline.com

Mets Need Harvey and deGrom

As the 2015 season began, the Mets finally had reason to hope.  The main reason for that hope was Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey.  At that time, there was the hope the Mets would eventually get contributions from Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz, but no one knew what, if anything, either could contribute in 2015.  No, the 2015 season was about deGrom and Harvey.

Seemingly out of nowhere, deGrom had a spectacular 2014 season that saw him win the Rookie of the Year Award.  Due to his performance, Terry Collins slated him ahead of Harvey in the rotation.  Throughout the 2015 season, deGrom justified that season going 14-8 with a 2.54 ERA and a 0.979 WHIP.  He would be the lone Mets All Star, and he would be the story of the All Star Game striking out three batters on 10 total pitches.  In the NLDS, he out-dueled both Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke to pitch the Mets into the NLCS.  During that season, deGrom established that he is as good as any pitcher in baseball including his teammate Matt Harvey.

In his first start of the 2015 season, Harvey declared he was back by shutting down the Nationals over six innings allowing only four hits and walking one while striking out nine.  Future MVP Bryce Harper would go hitless.  He defeated former first overall pick Stephen Strasburg.  That start set the tone for a season in which Harvey would go 13-8 with a 2.71 ERA and a 1.019 WHIP.  Harvey carried this greatness forward in the postseason.  In Game 5 of the World Series, Harvey showed the world why he’s a great pitcher.  He shut down the Royals over eight innings while striking out nine.  Once again, he gave Mets fans hope that the team could win the World Series.

The Mets need Harvey to give them hope again.

The Mets were absolutely bludgeoned last night with Noah Syndergaard on the mound.  After the game, Syndergaard denied rumors that he is dealing with a bone spur issue in his pitching elbow.  For his part, Steven Matz did not deny the issue.  The question surrounding him was not only whether he could make his start tomorrow, but also whether he needed surgery. On a day like last nigh, you tend to focus on all the negativity surrounding the the Mets.  The team is struggling offensively.  They feel hour games back of the Nationals and back to third place in the National League East.  There are questions abound about what is wrong with the Mets.

With a strong start tonight, Harvey can remind everyone what is right with the Mets.  Harvey has a chance to turn around the Mets season like he has turned around his own season.

Harvey’s 2016 season got off to a nightmare of a start.  In his first 11 starts, he was 3-7 with a gaudy 6.08 ERA and a 1.688 WHIP.  Batters were teeing off on him to the tune of a .330/.376/.525 batting line.  He was having difficulty striking anyone out.  Finally, the mechanical flaw was found and fixed.  In the five starts he made since fixing the mechanical flaw, Harvey has a 2.25 ERA and a 0.875 WHIP.  Opposing batters have only hit .205/.237/.286 in that stretch.  Simply put, Harvey is back.  It’s a good thing too because the Mets desperately need him.

The Mets need Harvey to go out there tonight and shut down the Nationals like he’s done throughout his career.  He needs to have a start like he did last April where he announces to the world that both Harvey and the Mets are back.  He needs to combine with deGrom and carry the Mets rotation and team like everyone knows they can.  As long as deGrom and Harvey pitch the way that they are capable, the Mets will have a legitimate shot at not only the postseason, but also another run to the World Series.

It’s time for Harvey to go out there tonight and remind everyone of that.

Editor’s Note: this was also published on metsmerizedonline.com

Bone Spurs Is the New Tommy John

Going into the season, the major concern was Tommy John.  There was the fear that Noah Syndergaard would need Tommy John surgery due to his velocity and work load.  There was concern over whether Zack Wheeler would be able to successfully return from Tommy John surgery.  There was less of a concern about whether Josh Edgin could as well.  There were concerns over how Matt Harvey would handle his second year post Tommy John surgery.  All of that concern was misplaced.

As it turns out, everyone should have been concerned over bone spurs even if Syndergaard won’t admit he has one.Both Syndergaard and Steven Matz have gone from All Star Cy Young caliber seasons to everyone wondering if they need surgery, if their seasons are over.  We don’t know when the problems began, but we do know that something is affecting them now.

Starting with Matz, who has admitted an elbow problem, there has been a precipitous drop off in his pitching.  In a nine start stretch, Matz was 7-1 with a 1.38 ERA and a 1.007 WHIP while averaging roughly 6.2 innings per start.  He was limiting batters to a .222/.266/.282 batting line.  At that point, Matz was the favorite for the Rookie of the Year award.  He was putting up All Star caliber numbers.  His last three starts present a much different pitcher.

In Matz’s last three starts, he is 0-1 with a 6.61 ERA and a 1.470 WHIP while only averaging roughly 5.1 innings per start.  Batters are teeing off on him to the tune of a .324/.338/.529 batting line.  What is really troubling in each of these starts is that Matz falls apart in the fifth inning.  In each of the aforementioned three starts, he has no allowed one run through the first four innings of a game.  The worst of it was when the woeful Braves offense chased Matz from the game after allowing six runs in two-thirds of an inning.  Now, he’s missing today’s start, and the Mets are debating whether or not he needs surgery.

Syndergaard is a more interesting case as he’s denying the bone spurs rumors, but again like Matz something is wrong.  As the season began, all we could talk about what Syndergaard’s new 95 MPH slider, and his emergence as the ace of the Mets pitching staff.  Up until his last two starts, Syndergaard was 7-2 with a 1.91 ERA and a 0.965 WHIP.  He was averaging roughly 6.2 innings per start.  He stymied batters limiting them to a .223/.252/.312 batting line.  If Clayton Kershaw were not alive, we would have been talking not just about the Cy Young award but also the possibility that Syndergaard is the best pitcher in baseball.

In Syndergaard’s last two starts we saw something uncharacteristic from him.  He struggled.  While his pitching line from his June 22nd start against Kansas City didn’t raise any red flags his pitching did.  Syndergaard didn’t seem to have the pinpoint command he has had all year, and on a couple of occassions, he crossed up his catcher Rene Rivera.  At the time, it was seen as a blip on the radar, but after last night’s start and the reports from yesterday, there is a real reason for concern.

The Nationals, who are no offensive powerhouse themselves, took Syndergaard to the woodshed.  Syndergaard only lasted three innings allowing five earned runs.  To put it in perspective, Syndergaard only allowed five earned runs in all of April.  He had a season high three walks.  Runners were stealing bases left and right off of him and Travis d’Arnaud.  Now Ron Darling did point out that he didn’t seem in sync with Travis d’Arnaud, but was that really the problem?  This is the second straight start Syndergaard has had trouble locating pitches.  There are a numbers of explanations why that could be the case, but after the reports of his having a bone spur in his elbow, the bone spur seems to be the most likely reason for Syndergaard’s recent struggles.

Overall, Matz and Syndergaard might be fine and be able to finish out the year.  Right now, that proposition is a little hard to believe seeing them struggle recently and hearing news about bone spurs in their elbows.  If Syndergaard and Matz are unable to pitch effectively through these bone spurs, the Mets are going to be in trouble.  If that is the case, it will be bone spurs, not Tommy John, that will damage the Mets chances of going back to the World Series.

Nationals Stole This One

In the top of the third, the Mets went up 4-0, and it seemed like the game was over. The Mets were hitting Nationals’ starter Joe Ross hard. The Mets had Noah Syndergaard on the mound who never loses with a four run lead:

Then the bottom of the third happened. The Nationals would send nine men to the plate. The Nationals scored five runs on five hits, one walk, and four stolen bases.  Like most of baseball, the Nationals ran wild on Syndergaard:

Syndergaard just didn’t have it tonight. As Ron Darling would say, Syndergaard looked flustered. For a pitcher that rarely walks anyone, he issued three walks. He threw a wild pitch in the fateful third. With him previously complaining of some elbow soreness, and the recent Steven Matz news, there will be some Mets fans who panic. Mercifully, Collins pulled Matz after three innings after he threw 71 pitches allowing seven hits, five earned, and three walks with five strikeouts. 

In true Mets fashion, an embattled Ross would settle down. Neither he nor the other Nationals pitchers would allow another run. 

However, Sean Gilmartin and Erik Goeddel would. Gilmartin pitched two innings allowing seven hits, five earned, and one walk with one strikeout.  Goeddel allowed a run on three hits with a walk and a strikeout in two innings. Amazingly, Antonio Bastardo was the only Mets pitcher that didn’t allow a run. 

The only thing worse than the Mets pitching tonight was James Loney‘s defense. To say he had fall-down left, fall-down right range would’ve been complimentary. During the key rallies, there were a few balls hit by him that a first baseman with range could’ve fielded.  He also made a mental error in the fifth inning. With the infield in, he fielded a ball off the bat of Ben Revere. Instead of stepping on first, he threw home to try to get Danny Espinosa, who he had no chance of throwing out at the plate.  Revere would later score on a Jayson Werth double. 

The fifth inning might still be happening if not for Werth’s classless play. With the score 10-4, Werth broke home on a Bryce Harper infield single, and Loney easily threw him out. 

Overall, the Nationals beat the Mets in every way possible. It was an 11-4 laugher for them:

Game Notes: Brandon Nimmo collected his first career hit and run scored. He finished the night 2-4 with a run.