Cowtipper

Mangum's proven to be an effective piece. With a few games left to go, he's hitting .279 with 23 steals in 128 games for the Pirates.

In his first year away from New York, Sproat went 3-7 with a 5.57 ERA in 22 games (19 starts) for the Brewers. He averaged more than a strikeout per inning. At Triple-A, he was 0-2 with a 5.64 ERA in 8 games (4 starts).

I liked Howie Rose when he was on TV. Him and Fran Healy and Gary Thorne. That was basically my childhood.

He really does need more appreciation than he's been given. Very quietly, he's hit 9 home runs with 40 RBI in just 246 ABs. Double that and it's 18 home runs and 80 RBI in 492 ABs, a respectable number for even a starting catcher. He has 2.2 WAR, which constitutes 56.4% of his career total. 2026 has really been a career year for Torrens. Pretty impressive for a guy who I, for one, thought was going to be a fly-by-nighter in 2024. I've criticized Alvarez for not living up to his hype (though I've been softer on Alvarez than I have on Baty and Vientos), but between them, Alvarez and Torrens have hit 25 home runs with 80 RBI and 71 runs scored in 604 ABs this year. Not bad at all.

He really does need more appreciation than he's been given. Very quietly, he's hit 9 home runs with 40 RBI in just 246 ABs. Double that and it's 18 home runs and 80 RBI in 492 ABs, a respectable number for even a starting catcher. He has 2.2 WAR, which constitutes 56.4% of his career total. 2026 has really been a career year for Torrens. Pretty impressive for a guy who I, for one, thought was going to be a fly-by-nighter in 2024. I've criticized Alvarez for not living up to his hype (though I've been softer on Alvarez than I have on Baty and Vientos), but between them, Alvarez and Torrens have hit 25 home runs with 80 RBI and 71 runs scored in 604 ABs this year. Not bad at all.

Bichette's actually done pretty well post-May: 290/.335/.444 with 12 homers and 48 RBI. So, I'm cautiously optimistic. Lindor, Beltran and Diaz underwhelmed their first years in New York, and they ended up being pretty good. We might see the same out of Bichette. ...actually, it was an awful April that really dragged him down. May onward he's hit .271/.322/.411 with 15 home runs 62 RBI. Not worth the $147 million or whatever we paid him this year, but not terrible, either.

Yeah, I'm good with someone else. Maybe keep Senga in a setup role. But Williams could also perform well in a setup role. Maybe have two setup men, if that's ever been a thing. But I'm not confident with either of them as closer. I also don't like the idea of going out and getting a star closer via trade or free agency, because they don't always work out, either.

I can honestly say I have not paid as much attention to 2026 as I have in years' past. Even 2025, when I fell off, I paid more attention to. I can't remember the last time I watched a whole game as it was happening, though I do make efforts to catch up and watch all the games eventually. But even then, I have them playing in another tab, volume down, with me checking in for 15-30 seconds at a time (usually to see the Mets losing). I'm eager to see 2026 highlight and retrospective videos so I can see just how much I actually missed, or conversely, to see just how present I actually was. I mean, I know the names. I can recognize the faces. But there's no connection to this team. There wasn't much connection to the 2025 team, either.

Kodai Senga? Devin Williams? Someone else? Who should be 2027's closer?

Got over whatever block was holding him up.

Freddy Peralta - 30-year-old former Mets pitcher (2026) is 4-2 with a 3.60 ERA in 9 starts for the Rays since being traded at the deadline. He is 9-11 with a 4.56 ERA in 31 starts on the year as a whole. Jose Peraza - 32-year-old former Mets outfielder (2021) hit .231/.278/.259 with no home runs, 13 RBI and 3 steals in 108 at-bats for the Acereros de Monclova in Mexico. David Peterson - 31-year-old former Mets pitcher (2020-2026) is 6-2 with a 3.94 ERA in 15 games (14 starts) for the Cubs since departing the Mets earlier this year. On the year as a whole, he is 9-8 with a 4.96 ERA in 31 games (22 starts). Tommy Pham - 38-year-old former Mets outfielder (2023, 2026) has hit .300/.417/.600 with 1 homer and 3 RBI in 10 ABs for the White Sox since leaving the Mets in late April. On the year as a whole, he's hit .130/.231/.261 in 23 ABs. Zach Pop - 30-year-old former Mets pitcher (2025) was 0-0 with a 3.68 ERA in 7 games (1 start) for the Phillies in 2026. He joined the Marlins system in June, but hasn't played for the big league club. In the minors this year, he's 3-4 with a 4.91 ERA in 33 relief appearances. Jose Quintana - 37-year-old former Mets pitcher (2023-2024) is 2-3 with a 5.40 ERA in 10 starts for the Rockies. He was 0-0 with a 6.23 ERA in 2 starts in the minors. More figures who were in the Mets system but never played for the big club: Carlos Cortes - Mets 3rd round pick in 2018. Played in their system from 2018-2024. Has hit .252/.320/.389 with 9 home runs and 40 RBI in 118 games for the Athletics this year. Matt Gage - played in the Mets system in 2018 (acquired as FA) and 2024 (acquired as purchase). Was 4-1 with a 5.60 ERA in 34 relief appearances for the Giants this year. In the minors, he was 0-1 with a 10.38 ERA in 4 1/3 innings across two stops. He's currently on the 60-day IL. Jeremiah Jackson - played in the Mets system in 2024. Originally traded away for Dominic Leone. Is hitting .221/.246/.365 with 9 home runs and 43 RBI in 98 games for the Orioles this year. At Triple-A, he's hitting .209/.232/.403 with 7 home runs and 14 RBI in 16 games. Logan Porter - free agent played in the Mets system in 2024. Between the Giants and Angels, he's hit .250/.500/.500 in 4 at-bats in 2026. In the minors, he's hit .211/.313/.333 with 5 home runs and 28 RBI in 58 games. Jakson Reetz - free agent played in the Mets system in 2025. For Triple-A Tacoma in the Mariners system this year, he's hit .250/.343/.349 with 3 home runs and 14 RBI in 45 games. Donovan Walton - free agent played in the Mets system in 2025. Is hitting .269/.365/.454 with 8 home runs and 29 RBI in 86 games between the Athletics and Angels this year. At Triple-A, he's hit .282/.429/.481 with 7 home runs and 33 RBI in 43 games.

Jim Rittwage died. https://www.facebook.com/100063653014500/posts/james-jim-rittwage-a-former-major-league-pitcher-whose-brief-but-memorable-time-/1773530578112026/ Who was Jim Rittwage? Jim Rittwage (1944–2026) was a Cleveland-area pitcher who spent nearly a decade in professional baseball and reached the majors with his hometown Cleveland Indians in 1970. Born in Cleveland on October 23, 1944, he attended Bedford High School and signed with the Indians in 1964 after being scouted by Elmer Flick, choosing Cleveland despite a larger offer from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rittwage spent most of the 1960s working through Cleveland's minor-league system, briefly pitching for the Kansas City Athletics' Birmingham affiliate before being reacquired by Cleveland. He had his best minor-league season in 1968, posting a 2.33 ERA in the Eastern League, and reached Triple-A the following year. Rittwage made his major-league debut in September 1970, appearing in eight games and making three starts. He went 1–1 with a 4.15 ERA and 16 strikeouts. His highlight came September 19, when he threw a complete-game victory against the powerful Baltimore Orioles, allowing six hits and two runs; the Orioles went on to win the World Series. Rittwage continued pitching in the minors through 1973, playing for Wichita, Portland, Oklahoma City, and Tulsa. He went 8–1 for Oklahoma City in 1973, mostly in relief, before finishing his career in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He died in August 2026 at age 81, leaving behind a long minor-league career and a memorable, if brief, major-league stint. Also: Denny Lorsung was a longtime college baseball coach who led St. John’s University in Minnesota from 1976–1977 before becoming head coach at St. Cloud State University, where he served from 1979 through 2006. A St. Cloud State alumnus, Lorsung died on September 12, 2026.

Since his last home run, he's hit just .143/.273/.214.

Well, he hit #300 on September 15 against none other than the New York Mets.

Marcus Semien has been such a non-factor with this club that I was stunned to see he's actually played 133 games and has had 471 ABs with them this year. It's also crazy to see how doubles-avoidant he is as he has just 14 this year. He's actually 5th in the NL in games at second and 5th in 2B putouts.

Brian Wolfe died. https://www.si.com/mlb/bluejays/onsi/former-toronto-blue-jays-reliever-brian-wolfe-passes-away Who was Brian Wolfe? Brian Thomas Wolfe (1980–2026) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played three seasons in Major League Baseball with the Toronto Blue Jays before spending the majority of his career in Japan. A sixth-round selection by the Minnesota Twins in the 1999 amateur draft, Wolfe worked his way through the minor leagues and underwent elbow surgery in 2004. After being released by the Twins in 2005, he joined the Milwaukee Brewers organization and was later traded to Toronto. Wolfe made his MLB debut with the Blue Jays on May 30, 2007, and had a strong rookie season, going 3–1 with a 2.98 ERA in 38 relief appearances. He remained with Toronto through 2009, finishing his major-league career with a 5–5 record, 3.81 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 72 games. After becoming a free agent following the 2009 season, he signed with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. Initially used as a reliever, Wolfe moved into the starting rotation in 2011 and enjoyed the best stretch of his career, going 12–11 with a 3.60 ERA in 2011 and 10–9 with a 2.66 ERA in 2012. He later spent two injury-plagued seasons with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, who won the Japan Series in both 2014 and 2015. Wolfe joined the Saitama Seibu Lions in 2016 and mounted a successful comeback in 2017, going 9–4 with a 3.73 ERA at age 36. He retired after the 2018 season with a 56–40 record, 3.43 ERA and 414 strikeouts in NPB. Wolfe died unexpectedly on September 15, 2026, at the age of 45. His wife, Rachell, said that he had endured a “difficult and torturous battle” with leukemia. He was survived by his wife and three children. Also, who was Joe McDonald? Joseph Anthony McDonald (1929–2026) was a longtime Major League Baseball executive whose career spanned more than six decades. A Staten Island native and 1951 graduate of Fordham University, McDonald joined the New York Mets organization in the 1960s and held a succession of positions overseeing their minor-league system, scouting, and player development. He became the Mets' general manager in 1974 and remained in the position through 1978, later serving as a vice president and assistant general manager before leaving the organization following its sale in 1980. McDonald subsequently joined the St. Louis Cardinals as an executive assistant and assistant general manager under Whitey Herzog. He became general manager in April 1982, allowing Herzog to concentrate on his managerial duties, and the Cardinals won the National League pennant and World Series that season. McDonald remained the Cardinals' GM through 1984 before resigning in January 1985. After several years away from a general-manager position, McDonald joined the Detroit Tigers in 1987 as director of player development and vice president. He became the Tigers' senior vice president and general manager in 1991 and held those positions through 1992. He later returned to scouting, working for the California Angels, Colorado Rockies, and Boston Red Sox. With Boston, he became a professional scout in 2004 and continued working well into his 80s, retiring after the 2019 season at age 90. McDonald accumulated six World Series rings during his career: with the Mets in 1969, the Cardinals in 1982, and the Red Sox in 2004, 2007, 2013, and 2018. He was also the father of sports-radio personality Jody McDonald. Joe McDonald died on August 28, 2026, at the age of 97, leaving behind a baseball career that included front-office and scouting roles with multiple major-league organizations and spanned from the early expansion era of the Mets through the modern Red Sox dynasty.

Daniel Duarte: Shelved by hamstring strain. The Mets placed Duarte on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a left hamstring strain. The injury ends what has been a terrific season out of the Mets' bullpen, as Duarte holds a 2.12 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 30:7 K:BB over 29.2 innings. He is under team control for several more years and has set himself up well to be part of the Mets' bullpen in 2027. Injury: Hamstring. Est. Return 2/1/2027. Robert Stock: Lands on 15-day IL. The Mets placed Stock on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with numbness in his fingers. Stock had been slated to start Wednesday's game versus the Orioles, but instead his season is over. The 36-year-old will finish the season with a 5.93 ERA and 29:15 K:BB over 30.1 innings covering seven starts and one relief appearance for the Mets. Xzavion Curry will start Wednesday in Stock's place. Injury: Finger. Est. Return 2/1/2027. Devin Williams: Might be ready for activation. Williams (shoulder) threw a live batting practice Thursday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. The Mets will determine Friday if Williams is ready for activation. However, the right-hander may not serve in his usual role when he returns. It appears that the Mets will script the 31-year-old's appearances when he is back healthy, so it is not a guarantee he will be closing games. Injury: Shoulder. Est. Return 9/20/2026. Jared Young - Officially lands on 7-day IL. The Mets placed Young on the 7-day concussion injured list Friday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. Young's season is over after he had to be taken off the field on a stretcher in Thursday's game versus the Phillies after taking a knee to the head on a play at first base. He is dealing with concussion symptoms including short-term memory loss and bad headaches, but interim manager Andy Green said that Young is doing "as good as expected or could be hoped for." Injury: Concussion. Est. Return 2/1/2027. Syracuse Mets activated SS Zack Short from the 7-day injured list.

Rafael Ortega - 35-year-old former Mets outfielder (2023) hit .260/.328/.481 with 5 home runs, 15 RBI and 9 steals in 35 games for the Toros de Tijuana in Mexico. Eric Orze - 29-year-old former Mets pitcher (2024) is 2-2 with a 5.66 ERA in 36 relief appearances for the Twins. At Triple-A, he was 1-0 with a 2.35 ERA in 19 relief appearances. --- More figures who were in the Mets system but never played for the big club: Adbert Alzolay - free-agent signee began 2026 in the Mets system. Later released. Went 1-0 with a 4.50 ERA in 8 relief appearances for Tijuana in Mexico post-release; had 13 Ks in 8 IP. Yonny Hernandez - free-agent signee began 2026 in Mets system. Later hit .111/.200/.111 in 9 ABs for Monterrey in Mexico. Luke Jackson - free-agent signee began 2026 in the Mets system. Later signed with the Royals. Went 1-0 with a 5.27 ERA in 10 relief appearances for their Triple-A club before being released in June. Jared Oliva - selected off waivers in June, released in July. After leaving the Mets system, he joined the Rays organization, hitting .556/.636/.889 with 3 homers and 4 RBI in 9 ABs for their Triple-A club and .000/.500/.000 in 2 PAs for their Double-A club. Ben Rortvedt - waiver claim began 2026 in the Mets system, traded to the Dodgers near the deadline. Hit .185/.185/.185 with no home runs and 1 RBI in 27 at-bats for the Dodgers. In 19 at-bats for their Triple-A team, he hit .263/.263/.263 with no home runs and no RBI. Between Syracuse and the Dodgers' club, he hit .238/.314/.396 with 6 home runs and 26 RBI. Shawn Ross - waiver claim briefly played in Mets system in 2026. Later hit .167/.286/.278 with no home runs and 1 RBI in 18 ABs for Toronto's Triple-A club.

It was a day of considerable commotion in the affairs of the New York Mets, wherein players appeared, vanished, returned, and were dispatched with a rapidity that might have left even the most experienced clerk reaching for his spectacles. First among these proceedings was Cionel Pérez, a left-handed gentleman of the pitching profession, who was sent away to Syracuse upon a rehabilitation assignment, only to be summoned back almost immediately and restored to the active company from the fifteen-day injured list. Thus, after a brief sojourn in the provinces, Mr. Pérez found himself once more among the Mets. Meanwhile, Cameron Weston, a right-handed pitcher, was first sent down to Syracuse, recalled from that same place, and then—after the wheels of baseball bureaucracy had completed another turn—sent down once more. One could scarcely blame the poor fellow if he began to regard the road between New York and Syracuse as his permanent residence. Jared Young, the first baseman, suffered the misfortune of being placed upon the seven-day injured list with a concussion, and was thereby obliged to take his leave while his companions continued the season's increasingly frantic business. From Syracuse came Ronny Mauricio, recalled to the Mets and restored to the major-league ranks. Alongside him came Mr. Weston, as previously noted, though his stay would prove no more secure than before. Xzavion Curry, meanwhile, was dispatched in the opposite direction, being optioned to Syracuse as the club shuffled its personnel with the solemn efficiency of a railway stationmaster. Then came a curious acquisition: Christian Cairo, a shortstop formerly belonging to the Philadelphia Phillies, was claimed by the Mets off waivers. Yet scarcely had he been claimed before the club, apparently reconsidering the matter, optioned Mr. Cairo to Syracuse. He had, in effect, been welcomed into the household and immediately handed a traveling bag. And far from the bright lights of the major leagues, in the Dominican Summer League, the business of the season proceeded with equal finality. Arturo Sevilla, a right-handed pitcher of DSL Mets Orange, was released; Roni Garcia, a shortstop of DSL Mets Blue, was likewise released; and Alvaro Carrillo, another right-handed pitcher of DSL Mets Orange, was shown the door as well. Such, then, was the state of the Mets: players coming and going, injured men departing, recovered men returning, newcomers being claimed only to be sent elsewhere, and young ballplayers in distant leagues finding their names struck from the ledger. In baseball, as in life, the offices were busy, the paperwork abundant, and no man could be entirely certain where he might find himself by the morrow.

Surprise saguaros are when you go to take a dump in the Arizona desert and aren't paying attention to what you squat against.

The first in the series was Miguel, who played for the club in 2005. Next in the series is Christian, Miguel's son, whom the Mets claimed from the Phillies today. Though not a high-average hitter, the infielder has good speed, stealing 25, 33 and 26 bases over the past three years, respectively. He has 90 walks to just 76 Ks at Triple-A this year and owns a .360 career OBP. He has two full seasons of Triple-A experience under his belt, plus a good chunk of a third. Cairo can play all over the place, with significant experience at third, second, short and in the outfield. He was originally taken by the Guardians in the 4th round of the 2019 draft. Welcome aboard, Christian.

More: Tsung-Che Cheng - waiver claim played in the Mets system for 2026, but never did; with the Red Sox Triple-A team this year, he hit .236/339/.389 with 8 home runs, 30 RBI and 10 steals in 92 games. For the Red Sox themselves, he's hit .256/.318/.282 with no home runs and 5 RBI in 14 games. Bryan Hudson - purchased by the Mets for 2026, but never played in their system. For the White Sox this year, he's gone 4-4 with a 2.87 ERA in 64 relief appearances. Grae Kessinger - Free-agent signee began 2026 in the Mets system. Hit .099/.207/.123 with no home runs and 2 RBI in 81 ABs for the Pirates Triple-A club after leaving the Mets system. Truman Pauley - Mets 12th round pick in 2025, played in their system that year. Traded to the White Sox in January 2026 for Luis Robert Jr. For the White Sox' Single-A team this year, he was 3-11 with a 5.30 ERA in 25 games (24 starts). He had 120 Ks in 103 2/3 innings. Jett Williams - Mets 1st round pick in 2022 and former top prospect, played in their system from 2022-2025. Traded to the Brewers for Freddy Peralta/Tobias Myers in January. Hit .233/.340/.384 with 9 home runs, 41 RBI and 21 steals in 81 games for the Brewers' Triple-A club in 2026.

I'm going to start putting all the minor/indy league guys in the past tense because most of their seasons are over or close to over I reckon. Omar Narvaez - 34-year-old former Mets catcher (2023-2024) hit .358/.433/.491 with 3 home runs and 13 RBI in 33 games for the Sultanes de Monterrey in Mexico. Tomas Nido - 32-year-old former Mets catcher (2017-2024) hit .221/.298/.331 with 3 home runs and 12 RBI in 172 at-bats over 50 games between the Tigers and Red Sox Triple-A teams. Brandon Nimmo - 33-year-old former Mets outfielder (2016-2025) is hitting .263/.328/.414 with 14 home runs, 60 RBI and 33 doubles in 144 games for the Rangers. Stephen Nogosek - 31-year-old former Mets pitcher (2019, 2021-2023) was 8-1 with a 3.69 ERA in 46 games (2 starts) for the Diablos Rojos del Mexico. In 53 2/3 innings, he had 63 Ks. And because this is the part where I start getting bored of just doing Mets major league guys, I will now start doing updates on other folks associated with the Mets that never played with the big league club: Jihwan Bae - waiver claim began 2026 in the Mets system. Later signed with the Brewers, going 2-for-3 for their Triple-A team and going 1-for-2 with the Brewers themselves. Gilberto Celestino - played in the Mets system in 2025; hit .275/.363/.393 with 3 home runs, 24 RBI and 13 steals in 51 games for the Triple-A Round Rock Express in the Rangers system in 2026. Cooper Criswell - selected off waivers from the Red Sox in the 2025-2026 offseason but never played in the Mets system. In 2026, he's gone 3-2 with a 3.53 ERA in 32 relief appearances for the Mariners. Was 2-0 with a 10.13 ERA in 3 relief appearances for their Triple-A team. Luis De Los Santos - waiver claim played in the Mets system in 2025; hit .314/.352/.438 with 5 home runs and 44 RBI in 80 games for the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos in Mexico in 2026. Franklin Gómez - prospect played in the Mets system from 2022 to 2025. Traded to the Guardians in January 2026. Between their High-A and Double-A teams, he was 4-1 with a 3.25 ERA in 16 starts. He averaged more than a K per frame. Joe La Sorsa - played in the Mets system in 2025; went 1-1 with a 2.78 ERA in 28 games (2 starts) between the Red Sox and Pirates Triple-A clubs in 2026. For the Red Sox themselves, he had a 27.00 ERA in 1/3 inning of work. Nick Madrigal - signed on a big league deal to play in the Mets system in 2025, but never did; hit .299/.385/.389 with 4 home runs, 39 RBI and 11 steals in 85 games between the Rays and Angels Triple-A clubs. Between the Rays (his current team) and Angels themselves, he's hit .275/.367/.294 in 51 at-bats over 18 games in 2026. Joey Meneses - played in the Mets system in 2025; hit .311/.368/.474 with 16 home runs and 110 RBI in 116 games for the Athletics Triple-A club and .150/.280/.150 in 20 ABs for the Athletics themselves in 2026. Oliver Ortega - played in the Mets system in 2025; was 3-4 with a 4.43 ERA in 45 relief appearances between the Bravos de Leon and Sultanes de Monterrey in Mexico in 2026. In 42 2/3 innings, he had 53 Ks. Yacksel Rios - played in the Mets system in 2024 and 2025; for the LG Twins in Korea, he was 1-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 14 relief appearances in 2026. For the Cubs Triple-A team, he had a 4.24 ERA in 11 games. For the Cubs themselves, he had a 0.00 in 1 relief appearance. Drew Romo - selected off waivers by the Mets in the 2025-2026 offseason but never played in their system. For the White Sox in 2026, he's hit .141/.239/.288 with 7 home runs and 16 RBI in 177 at-bats over 60 games. For their Triple-A club, he hit .298/.385/.561 with 4 home runs and 11 RBI in 17 games. Anderson Severino - began 2026 in the Mets system; went 0-0 with a 3.77 ERA in 13 relief appearances for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan and had a 0.00 ERA in 2 relief appearances for their farm club in 2026. TJ Shook - played in the Mets system in 2024 and 2025. Had been acquired for Tyler Jay. Taken by the Rockies in the 2025 Rule V Draft. In 2026, he is 0-0 with a 8.22 ERA in 5 relief appearances for the Rockies. For their Triple-A team, he's 4-4 with 12 saves and a 3.51 ERA in 47 relief appearances. Unless otherwise noted, all the guys in the latter portion of this post were free agent signings.

You can tell he pretties himself up for social media. Because if anonymous people on the Internet don't give you likes that means you're a worthless loser.

Look at those names. The Mets really do have promising crop of, if not homegrown, Mets-debuted pitchers at their disposal for the coming year(s). Granted, some of their sample sizes are small (Ross' one game), but between them they have all been promising to one degree or another. Yan has a killer strikeout rate, Pintaro has a good WHIP, Lavender's been excellent all around, Ross has the prospect pedigree, Weisenburger has solid momentum going right now and Hagenman has good long relief experience. In the past, Mets Quadruple-A guys have underwhelmed me. They'd start off well, then the wheels would just fall off. 2023 gave us Grant Hartwig, Stephen Nogosek, Yacabonis, Walker and Coonrod for example. But these past few years, they've actually done pretty well with their not-so-established pitchers. We got Dedniel Nunez and Sean Reid-Foley's breakout in 2024, not to mention Alex Young. 2025 gave us a whole slew -- Kranick, Waddell, Hagenman, Devenski, Castillo, Garcia, Herget, Warren, D. Young. But the selection of Mets-debuted pitchers of that sort has been relatively limited. This year's been different. Hopefully this trend keeps and the Mets start utilizing their minor league crop more frequently. Just from a sentimental perspective I prefer "Mets originals" over "trash heap finds." And there's still time left in the season to see even more of our guys debut. Dan Hammer was called up but never got into a game. Brian Metoyer has been bouncing around the system for years and years. Jack Wenninger still awaits. And there's this guy named Garrett Stratton who really might be worth keeping an eye on.