batmagadanleadoff

With that infield single, Mark Vientos' BA climbs to .183. Vientos is now on track to finish the season with a .183 BA.

=roger_that post_id=190745 time=1745593968 user_id=128] I think they're harming themselves, as they have in the past, dealing (or dumping) other promising infielders for not much in return, usually veterans who had a little (sometimes nothing) left in the tank. I'm thinking Justin Turner, Melvin Mora, Jeff Kent, Gregg Jefferies, Jose Oquendo, Marco Scutaro, Ty Wigginton, all of whom went on to perform as regulars, most as All-Stars, after the Mets lost patience waiting for them to deliver.

Lefty Specialist wrote: Not concerned about backup infielders Wait until it costs you a game. Then it's "Oh, well, couldn't be helped." And how many games has Baty's cumulative horseshit presence on the big league roster cost the Mets already? Funny how the Mets remarkable turnaround last season from laughing stock to best team in baseball just happened to coincide with Baty's demotion to AAA and Vientos taking back his starting role. Or was that really a coincidence ? Because, oh my, Baty hasn't cost the Mets any games. He's been a real asset here with his lifetime negative WAR and all.

Lefty Specialist wrote: Baty's a phone call away at Syracuse if needed. Not concerned about backup infielders- Lindor and Alonso play every day. Exactly. And at Syracuse, Baty could play every day without killing the big club if he continues to play like horseshit.

=smg58 post_id=190733 time=1745584619 user_id=62] I don't see the benefit of keeping Azocar and only five infielders, especially when two of the infielders are very good defensive outfielders. Maybe you'd prefer Baty getting regular ABs in AAA, but right now he's the only other healthy infielder on the 40.

=roger_that post_id=190246 time=1745188914 user_id=128] And Al Kaline began his career 2-for-13, both singles. Mays started out 1-for-26. Your point? I'd say it's that small sample sizes mean very little. Which is an argument for Baty, rather than against him.

... but this may just be a temporary move until they need another infielder , allowing Baty to get some playing time for the next few weeks. Because Baty wouldn't have gotten any playing time if he remained with the big club? Because Baty would've been a "dead-ender" lingering for "weeks on the bench "?

Jeff McNeil is on trackpace to challenge the .400 BA milestone and to clobber 35 HRs over the remainder of this season, having batted .393 with two HRs in eight minor league rehab games this year.

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Baty optioned to Syracuse as McNulty returns Of course. This was so fucking obvious. The Mets were gonna decide based on who they think can help the Mets the most right now. The Mets are playing for a first round bye and so there's no margin for error. No contender can afford to carry a career negative WARer with a lifetime batting average hovering around the Mendoza Line. Whether Baty might be better than McNeil four years from now is beside the point. =roger_that post_id=190277 time=1745236273 user_id=128] As to the long run, we must consider the possibility that McNeil's on the downside of his career, maybe closer to the end of the road than we like to think. Personally, I think he's still a decent player--maybe not a contender for the BA championship any more....

Benjamin Grimm wrote: True, but there have also been some significant changes. The starting rotation is very different, and Juan Soto has essentially replaced Harrison Bader. Juan Soto is, obviously, a tremendous improvement. And the starting pitching has been astounding.

=roger_that post_id=190649 time=1745503679 user_id=128] Meanwhile, Lindor has pushed himself (permanently?) over the .300 mark for the season. He's also on track to hit over 32 HRs on the year, which is eminently reasonable.

=roger_that post_id=190645 time=1745502578 user_id=128] Alonso is a doubles-machine so far, on track to break the record for doubles in a season. At his current pace, he's on track to hit over 71 doubles. I think the record is in the 60s.

Frayed Knot wrote: So the Padres lost today (6-0 to Tigers) which means the Mets currently enjoy the best record in the NL. Best in all of MLB for that matter. The Mets also had baseball's best record over the last four months of 2024. So there's much more going on here than the 25 game sample size that, so far, comprises the 2025 season.

Lefty Specialist wrote: Doesn't change the fact that he has no position once McNeil gets back. And for every Nelson Cruz there are a hundred guys you never heard of because they came to the major leagues, didn't hit, got sent down and never surfaced again. Of course, Lefty. I like the way he cherry-picks. At least he dropped the Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente analogies.

I could understand the continued skepticism expressed if we were turning down a star veteran at a position we desperately needed immediate help at, but this whole "shitcan the miserable guy" thing I do not get. He's a valuable player, and I want the Mets to get that value. Yeah, sure, Lefty. Whatever you say. There's enormous value in a career negative WARer with a lifetime BA under .220. With today's HR, Baty finally topped the Mendoza Line for 2025. But only a star should replace him? (You: I could understand the continued skepticism expressed if we were turning down a star veteran....) Unless Baty is replaced by Mike Trout, Baty will have enormous value? Is that what you're saying? Everybody here wants Baty to succeed. You're not the only one. We're all Mets fans. But this is the classic case of a team's need to prepare for its future by developing prospects balanced against the urgent need to win in the immediate here and now. The Mets won't say this publicly, but they're not playing for just a playoff spot. They're playing for a first round bye. So there's no margin for error. And the Mets can't afford to give hundreds of plate appearances to someone who's gonna hit like Baty's been hitting for his entire career. If these Mets were Casey's Polo Grounds Mets, then they could play Baty till he collapses from exhaustion for all I care. But this is not the case. Whooppdeedoo. Baty hit a HR today. So now he's on track, as you would say every ten minutes, to bat .208 with about five, six or seven HR's over a full season. Let's give Baty a parade on Broadway.

For the Mets to crack 100 wins, which seemed like a grandiose dream a few weeks ago, they'll "only" need to go 82-55 for the remainder of the season, or .599, which now looks like a pretty reasonable goal. It's always the case -- and I do mean always -- that the baseball team with the best record after 25 games played is on pace to win 110 games or so. At least. I'll check into this thread in about an hour or so to see if the Mets are on track to win more games than they were on pace to win an hour ago. Lefty, Lefty, Lefty.

We've re-imagined Topps 2025 base set ... [FIMG=444]https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/LDQAAeSwvpVn8X1x/s-l1600.jpg[/FIMG] ... but with a 1970s touch. Here are some 1st series Typewriter Chewing Gum 2025 Total Mets Set cards (Code Name: Vignelli) [FIMG=277]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54471586945_11bf415ff1_h.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=277]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54471496733_0f96c8275a_h.jpg[/FIMG] [FIMG=277]https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54471225966_53f57b6634_h.jpg[/FIMG]

Under urgent orders from the boys at the top -- that's Plasticine Industries -- TCG's 2025 Mets set is ready for release. With the Mets on pacetrack to win 300 games this season and the unusually large April crowds at Citi Field, the public seems eager to spend their money on Mets stuff. And we are pleased to take some of that money for ourselves. No more waiting around till the end of August to get your hands on our cards. So run on over to your nearest candy store and get your baseball cards before they run out. The code name is "Vignelli".

Johnny Lunchbucket wrote: Phillies have a shitload of talent but they look like they might be having a fire-the-manager year. It's not the Phillies, Lefty. It's those unbeatable Mets, Lefty, who are on track, or on pace to win about 145 games this year. If not for having had to play the unbeatable Mets, Lefty, the Phils would be four games over .500 and on pace or on track to win 96 games, good for first place in just about any season but this one where the Mets, Lefty, are on track to win 188 games. Did I say 188 games? Check back here in 30 seconds. I might have to update that figure.

You'd rather have David Peterson instead of Zack Wheeler? Are we suddenly in the Bizarro universe?

Yes, Lefty. How original. You think of everything, Lefty. Give yourself two gold stars. Who on this year's Mets is a "dead-ender" "sitting on the bench for weeks at a stretch"? Lefty, Lefty, Lefty.

Frayed Knot wrote: 4/22 (almost 23) Gotcha. The 1st place Mets now have a four-game lead over the second place Phils. No other 1st place team has a lead over the second place team larger than 1.5 games -- and only one team at that -- the Cubs. [media=youtube]h6X2HU03WY4[/media] Every pitcher featured in the video just above played for the Mets. And that's not including that year's Cy Young award winner, Mike Scott,who was MIA in the vid.

Edgy MD wrote: I am starting to think that playoff victory was no fluke. Yes. Let us now ponder whether the outcome of one single, solitary, lone baseball game between two pretty good teams could ever be a fluke. Or not a fluke.

The 1st place Mets now have a four-game lead over the second place Phils. No other 1st place team has a lead larger than 1.5 games -- and only one team at that -- the Cubs.

Kodai Senga is leading the NL in Wins and in ERA. Clay Holmes is third in K/IP and is the only qualified pitcher yet to give up a HR.