Tom Gatto

Antonio Jimenez is back home this summer, but he'd prefer to be back in New York state. The third-base prospect started his season at High-A Brooklyn, but the Mets sent him down to Single-A St. Lucie in early May amid a poor start at the plate. More games like the one he played Sunday will get him back up north. Jimenez went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored in the Mets' 10-5 comeback victory over Tampa. He scored a run and drove in a run during a seven-run, eighth-inning rally. The 22-year-old Jimenez was born in Hialeah, Fla., and attended the same prep school that produced Nick Castellanos, Alex Avila and Danny Farquhar. He started his collegiate career at Miami (Fla.), but transferred to the University of Central Florida last year. The Mets drafted him in the third round (103rd overall) out of UCF and signed him to a $564,000 bonus. He began his pro career at St. Lucie last July, and he earned a preseason promotion to Brooklyn to begin 2026. After slashing .124/.181/.206 in 25 games for the Cyclones, he returned to South Florida, where he has put together better numbers (.216/.356/.355). Jimenez produced well enough to move up one spot, to 17th, in Grand Central Mets' latest top-20 prospect ranking. As for the rest of the system on Sunday: Syracuse lost its series finale to Worcester, 7-3. The Woo Sox jumped on starter Jack Weisenburger for five runs in the top of the first. Nick Morabito (new No. 5 on the top-20 list) and rehabbing Jorge Polanco homered. Binghamton got six strong innings from Jonathan Santucci, but was held to one hit in a 2-0 loss to Chesapeake. Nick Lorusso’s single in the fourth was the Rumble Ponies’ lone safety. Brooklyn’s game at Frederick was suspended in the bottom of the eighth with the game tied, 2-2, because of rain. Frederick had a runner on third with two out. The complex-league teams -- FCL Mets, DSL Mets Blue and DSL Mets Orange -- were off Sunday. They will all be back in action Monday. FCL Mets will resume their suspended game from Friday with the Marlins and then play their regularly scheduled game. DSL Mets Blue will play NYY Bombers, and DSL Mets Orange will take on DSL Colorado. Mets Transactions New York Mets optioned RHP Joey Gerber to Syracuse Mets. New York Mets selected the contract of RHP Guillo Zuñiga from Syracuse Mets. Morabito, Polanco Go Deep In Syracuse Loss The key blow against Weisenburger in the first was a three-run homer by Andrew Knizner that put Worcester up, 5-0. To his credit, Weisenburger kept it at five as he managed to work one batter into the fifth. In all, he gave up six hits, walked two and struck out one. Morabito got a run back in the bottom half of the first with a leadoff homer, part of a 2-for-3 day at the plate that also included a walk and two runs scored. Polanco provided the other Syracuse highlight with a two-run homer in the eighth that scored Morabito and trimmed the margin to 7-3. Taylor Darden made it 8-5 with a two-run single. Jimenez followed with his RBI single. A bases-loaded walk capped the rally. Jimenez homered in the first to tie the game, 1-1. It was his third homer in 31 games with St. Lucie. Starter Emilio Obispo allowed one unearned run over three innings, walking one and striking out one. Ernesto Mercedes earned the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. He struck out three. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 3 0 0 0 0 0 Jackson Hauge 1 1 0 0 1 0 Trey Snyder 4 1 2 0 1 0 Antonio Jimenez 4 2 3 2 0 1 AJ Salgado 4 0 0 1 1 1 Branny De Oleo 5 2 1 2 0 1 Jeremy Rodriguez 3 2 2 0 0 0 Francisco Toledo 4 1 1 2 0 1 Taylor Darden 3 1 1 2 1 0 Jack Scanlon 4 0 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Emilio Obispo 3 1 1 0 1 1 0 Calvin Ziegler 1/3 2 3 3 2 1 0 Joe Scarborough 1 2/3 1 1 1 0 2 1 Caden Wooster 2 1/3 2 0 0 1 4 0 Ernesto Mercedes 1 2/3 1 0 0 0 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Jonah Tong: DNP Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: DNP Elian Pena: 0-for-3 Nick Morabito: 2-for-3, HR, BB Jacob Reimer: DNP Mitch Voit: 1-for-3, K Jonathan Santucci: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 10 K Zach Thornton: DNP Chris Suero: 0-for-3, BB, K Will Watson: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Ryan Lambert: 1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K Antonio Jimenez: 3-for-4, HR, K R.J. Gordon: DNP Jonathan Pintaro: DNP Marco Vargas: DNP

The people have spoken: Juan Soto is an All-Star, and a starter at that. He will be in the outfield for the National League on July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, following the release of final fan voting results Saturday. Soto finished in the top three in the final phase of balloting, joining Brandon Marsh of the hometown Phillies and Andy Pages of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The result makes Soto a first-time New York Mets All-Star, after he wasn’t added to the NL squad last season. He joins almost three dozen other players — including some franchise icons — who have represented the club once at the Midsummer Classic, although we should expect him to come off the list as soon as 2027 with another selection. Grand Central Mets has put together a three-part series on those players who got one shot at glory. Part 1 covered the period from 1962 to 1981. Part 2 covered 1982 to 2006. Part 3 covers 2007 to the present (2026). Francisco Rodriguez (2009) "“K-Rod” was approaching the end of his prime when he signed a three-year, $37 million contract with the Mets as a free agent in December 2008. He would remain an effective closer going forward, but he would prove to not be the guy who saved an MLB-record 62 games for the Los Angeles Angels in the ‘08 season. None of that was obvious in July of ‘09, though. He was 23-for-26 in save opportunities with a 1.90 ERA at the break, and so he was named a member of the NL ‘pen. He finished the Senior Circuit’s 4-3 loss at St. Louis’ Busch Stadium. He ended the year with 35 saves, but a 6.75 ERA in the second half pushed his overall ERA to 3.71. The next year, there was the infamous fight inside a Citi Field lounge. Rodriguez punched his father-in-law, an act that got him suspended by the club. In 2011, with his contract running out and the Mets looking to sell, he was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. Johan Santana (2009) Santana put a jolt into the franchise in February 2008 when he agreed to come over in a trade with the Minnesota Twins and sign a six-year, $137.5 million contract extension. He gave the Mets what they wanted: an ace. After leading the majors with a 2.53 ERA in 2008, he had 10 wins at the break in ‘09. He watched the NL lose in St. Louis. But Santana was also pitching hurt as a Met. There was a meniscus tear in his knee in 2008. There were bone chips in his elbow that ended his season in late August of 2009. There was a shoulder capsule tear in 2010 that cost him the 2011 season. And in 2012 . . . well . . . It was the knockout blow, and it hit after one of the greatest moments in franchise history. On June 1, Santana became a Mets folk hero by throwing the first no-hitter in franchise history. But it took him 134 pitches, and by the end, he could barely get his vaunted changeup to the plate. He seemed to rebound well, but then he hurt his ankle in July, which in turn messed with pitching mechanics. Eventually, his back and shoulder felt the effects. The last five starts of his career were painful to watch. He had another shoulder surgery after the season and could never get back on the mound. R.A. Dickey (2012) Dickey went from flameout to late-career star with the Mets. The knuckleballer was a journeyman for his first nine years, but in 2010 he became a stud for New York. By 2012, he was one of the hottest pitchers in the game. He got to the All-Star Break that year with a 12-1 record, a 2.40 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 120 innings. He worked a scoreless sixth inning for the NL in its 8-0 victory at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, and then continued his dream season. It ended with Dickey posting a 20-6 record and a 2.73 ERA. He won the NL Cy Young Award, receiving 27 of 32 first-place votes. In the offseason, the Mets sold as high as possible on the 38-year-old right-hander. They traded Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays for a package that included Travis d'Arnaud and Noah Syndergaard. Dickey pitched until he was 42, but he never came close to repeating his 2012 season. Matt Harvey (2013) This was no ordinary Harvey Day; the Dark Knight was stepping onto one of baseball’s biggest stages, and in Gotham, no less. Harvey got the start for the NL at Citi Field. At the time, he was carrying a 2.35 ERA and 0.92 WHIP over 130 innings. His two scoreless innings came to represent the peak of his hero arc. A few years later, he was the villain, and the turn started with an injury. Six weeks after this game, his season ended because of a UCL tear. He had Tommy John surgery that October, costing him the 2014 season. He came back strong in 2015 and the Mets won the NL pennant. But then came the World Series. After losing Game 1, he got the ball for Game 5. With his team down three games to one, Harvey was at his best. He blanked the Kansas City Royals for eight innings and he wanted the ninth. Manager Terry Collins gave it to him. A walk, a stolen base and a double later, the Mets’ lead was 2-1, and Harvey was out of the game. KC tied the game on the Lucas Duda play and won the game and series. By 2016, it was all going south for Harvey. He needed surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome in midseason. (His shoulder never recovered.) In May 2017, his off-field habits caught up with him. He called in sick before a game, claiming a migraine. In fact, he partied the night before and played golf in the morning. That got him a three-game club suspension. He left the Mets after the 2018 season, and threw his last big-league pitch in 2021 for the Baltimore Orioles. Daniel Murphy (2014) Murphy made his Mets bones with his unconscious 2015 playoff run, but he was a decent player before then. He was good enough to be selected by NL manager Mike Matheny to represent the Mets in the ‘14 ASG. He played the final two innings of the Senior Circuit’s 5-3 loss at Target Field in Minneapolis. He struck out his only time up, against Fernando Rodney in the eighth. His full-season numbers that year were modest (111 OPS+, nine home runs), so seven homers in his first nine playoff games the following year were not at all expected. He flopped in the World Series, but by then no one seemed to care, certainly not the Washington Nationals. They signed Murphy to a three-year, $37.5 million contract on Christmas Eve. He turned into a legit slugger in D.C., setting a career high with 25 homers in 2016 and following that up with 23 in 2017. He made the All-Star Team in both seasons. But then came knee surgery after the ‘17 season. His MLB career lasted just three more years. Yoenis Cespedes (2016) It’s fair to say there wouldn’t have been a Mets World Series run in 2015 without Cespedes. He put a charge into the offense after coming over from the Detroit Tigers in a deadline trade, hitting 17 homers in 57 regular-season games and two in the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was having another strong season in 2016 when he made the All-Star Team, but he couldn’t participate because of a quad injury. It was the first in a series of lower-body ailments that plagued his Mets tenure. The most famous one was the ankle fracture he suffered in 2019 while rehabbing from heel surgery and trying to free a wild boar from a trap on his ranch. The Mets paid dearly, on and off the field for their association with Cespedes. They gave him two huge contract extensions: three years, $75 million after the 2015 season; four years, $110 million following the 2016 season after he opted out of the first deal. He played in 127 games for the club from 2017-20. Bartolo Colon (2016) The NL needed a DH, so... okay, not really. Colon made the squad because he did his day job very well, at 43 years old no less. He had a 3.28 ERA and seven wins at the break. He didn’t get into the game at Petco Park in San Diego, which the NL lost, 4-2. It’s funny that the game was at Petco, because two months earlier, in front of the 7 Line Army, Bartolo did the impossible there. The 2016 season proved to be his last good year. He gave the Mets 191⅔ innings — again, at 43 — and a 3.43 ERA (3.99 FIP). Unfortunately, a lot of people may remember him for that swing, but real ones know he was a horse for a long, long time. He racked up 247 wins in his 21-year career, which he never really called off. He pitched in the Mexican League in 2021 at 48 and wanted to keep going. Noah Syndergaard (2016) NL manager Terry Collins was more than happy to add the guy who tried to plant a fastball in Chase Utley’s butt and sailed a heater over the dome of Alcides Escobar. Syndergaard was 23, with a rocket arm and a nasty disposition. His All-Star berth came on the back of a 2.56 ERA (2.03 FIP) in 105⅔ innings. He was not used in the game after an abbreviated start in his last outing before the break. He ended the season with 218 strikeouts and an MLB-best 2.29 FIP. Like many players on this list, Syndergaard suffered misfortune shortly after achieving stardom. In April 2017, he was shut down with a lat muscle tear. He pitched in just seven games that year. He was good in 2018 and decent in 2019, but during that time, he went on the injured list with the funny-sounding, but serious, hand, foot and mouth disease. He needed Tommy John surgery in 2020. His last MLB game was in 2023 for the Cleveland Guardians. Michael Conforto (2017) Conforto was another catalyst on the 2015 squad. The Mets called him up from Double-A in July, a year after drafting him in the first round, and he responded with nine home runs and a 130 OPS+ in 56 games. He slumped in 2016 but rebounded in 2017. He had a .945 OPS and 14 home runs when he took part in the All-Star Game at Marlins Park in Miami. He went 1-for-2 off the bench as the NL lost, 2-1. But he, too, suffered a huge setback shortly after being an All-Star. On Aug. 24, Conforto tore and dislocated his left shoulder while swinging at a pitch in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He would miss the remainder of the season. The injury looked devastating at the time, but Conforto responded with strong seasons in 2018, 2019 and 2020. He was a 3.6 bWAR player in ‘19 thanks in part to his 33 homers and 92 RBIs. He left the Mets as a free agent after the 2021 season. Starling Marte (2022) Marte spent four injury-filled seasons with the Mets. His first, the ‘22 campaign, was his best. He did just enough in the first half to merit an All-Star selection: an .803 OPS, nine home runs, 10 stolen bases and strong defense. But a groin injury kept him from going to Dodger Stadium in L.A. for the game. He was replaced by Freddie Freeman. Kodai Senga (2023) Senga became a sensation in the first half of his first MLB season. The fabled Ghost Fork was frightening batters, the fastball was humming, and the mound presence was intimidating. He was striking out hitters at better than a 29 percent clip. He was a logical choice to represent the Mets at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. He did not pitch in the NL’s 3-2 win. To say the next three seasons have been rough would be an understatement. There have been injuries all three years, mixed with bouts of ineffectiveness. He’s now a long reliever for New York. Francisco Lindor (2025) Lindor made four consecutive All-Star Games with Cleveland from 2016-19, but he couldn’t beat out his NL shortstop contemporaries until his fifth season with the Mets. He was voted the starter for last year’s game amid a 19-homer, 15-steal first half. The Mets’ 2024 run to the NLCS might have boosted his popularity, too. He went 0-for-2 with a strikeout in a 6-6 tie that was settled by a home-run swing off, a.k.a the Kyle Schwarber hat trick. This year, Lindor is far from an All-Star after offseason hamate surgery and a calf stain in April. David Peterson (2025) This entry looks almost false given how badly Peterson pitched for the Mets in 2026, but he was worthy of the nod last year. He put up a 3.06 ERA in 109 innings before the break and was a key figure in the Mets’ rotation. He worked the fourth inning in Atlanta, giving up two hits but no runs. The wheels fell off not long after that. He put up a 6.34 ERA in the second half, and the bad run continued until the Mets traded him to the Chicago Cubs last month. Juan Soto (2026) Finally, justice for Soto, who should have been an All-Star last season. Leading up to his selection, he was leading the National League with a .406 on-base percentage, fueled by a 15.6 percent walk rate, and leading the club with 18 home runs.

Jack Wenninger celebrated the Fourth of July by turning in his best outing of the season. It couldn't have come at a better time for him. The right-hander allowed one hit and struck out five over seven scoreless innings to lead Syracuse to a 6-5 victory over Worcester. That ended a run of poor results that dated to early May. Wenninger allowed a first-inning single to Mickey Gasper, three walks, and a hit batsman in all. He retired his final seven hitters and threw 56 of his 93 pitches for strikes. The next month will be a time of change in the Mets' organization. The parent club is expected to be sellers at the trade deadline, and some prospects could get auditions over the final two months. The 24-year-old Wenninger -- No. 5 in Grand Central Mets' Top 20 list -- will increase his chances of a promotion with more pitching lines like Saturday's. Elsewhere in the system: Binghamton fell to Chesapeake, 5-3. Matt Rudick homered for the Rumble Ponies in the loss. Brooklyn lost a wild one to Frederick, 10-8. The Cyclones erased a six-run deficit and managed to tie the game in the eighth , but the Keys scored twice in the bottom of the inning for the final margin. St. Lucie's losing streak is up to nine after a 10-3 defeat against Tampa. The Mets committed four errors in the eighth as they blew a 3-1 lead. The FCL Mets rode big games from Anthony Probose (home run, three RBIs) and Yovanny Rodriguez (three hits, RBI) to a 7-1, six-inning victory the FCL Astros. DSL Mets Blue lost a doubleheader to the DSL NYY Bombers, 10-2 and 12-11. Game 2 featured a nine-run inning by both teams, with the Bombers scoring their nine in the bottom of the seventh -- on two hits and seven walks -- for the walk-off win. DSL Mets Orange dropped a 9-8 decision to DSL Phillies in 11 innings. Jose Padilla homered, and Oscar Moreno and Alsy Torres combined for five scoreless innings to start the game. Mets Transactions New York optioned RHP Joey Gerber to Syracuse New York called up RHP Guillermo Zuñiga from Syracuse Wenninger, Big Inning Carry Syracuse Past Worcester The offense gave Wenninger breathing room with a five-spot in the bottom of the fourth. MJ Melendez walked, Christian Arroyo singled, and Ryan Clifford lined an RBI single to left to plate Melendez for a 1-0 lead. Jihwan Bae then walked to load the bases, Hayden Senger singled home Arroyo, and Vidal Bruján cleared the bases with a triple to make it 5-0. Melendez extended the lead to 6-0 in the seventh with a solo homer. He now has gone deep in three consecutive games and four of five since being optioned to Syracuse on June 26. The bullpen nearly wasted Wenninger's gem. Worcester scored four off Ofreidy Gómez and Ben Simon in the eighth, and Simon allowed a run in the ninth before Joe Jacques recorded the final out for his second save. Luis Robert Jr. played nine innings in center field as his rehab assignment continued. Fellow rehab assignee Jorge Polanco had the holiday off. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 4 0 1 0 0 2 Luis Robert Jr. 4 0 0 0 0 0 MJ Melendez 3 2 1 1 1 2 Christian Arroyo 4 1 1 0 0 0 Ryan Clifford 3 1 1 1 1 1 Jihwan Bae 3 1 0 0 1 1 Christopher Morel 4 0 0 0 0 2 Hayden Senger 3 1 1 1 0 0 Vidal Bruján 2 0 1 3 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jack Wenninger 7 1 0 0 3 5 0 Ofreidy Gómez 1/3 2 4 3 1 0 0 Ben Simon 1 1/3 2 1 1 1 1 0 Joe Jacques 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Stratton Sharp As Binghamton Falls To Chesapeake Garrett Stratton is not looking like a 20th-round draft pick. The right-hander out of Rice University in Houston turned in two scoreless innings of relief Saturday, striking out three, after coming on for starter Bryce Conley in the sixth. The 22-year-old Stratton has produced five clean outings in six appearances since being promoted to Binghamton from High-A Brooklyn in mid-June. Not bad for someone taken in the last round of last year's draft. Conley, a minor-league vet, was charged with four runs, three earned, on six hits over five innings. He walked five and stuck out five. Matt Rudick homered, singled and scored twice for Binghamton. JT Schwartz and Kevin Villavicencio each drove in a run. Chris Suero walked twice and stole a base. Player AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 3 0 0 0 2 1 Jose Ramos 5 0 1 0 0 2 Nick Lorusso 3 1 1 0 1 1 JT Schwartz 4 0 1 1 0 2 Vincent Perozo 4 0 0 0 0 0 Matt Rudick 4 2 2 1 0 0 Jaylen Palmer 4 0 0 0 0 2 Kevin Villavicencio 4 0 1 1 0 1 Nick Roselli 3 0 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bryce Conley 5 6 4 3 5 5 0 Garrett Stratton 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 Brian Metoyer 1 2 1 1 0 1 0 Gabriel Rodriguez 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Brooklyn Is Never Out Of It The Cyclones are mastering the art of getting down big early and then coming back. They did it again on Saturday. Brooklyn trailed, 8-2, after five innings before scoring two in the sixth and four in the eighth to force an 8-8 tie. Frederick crushed the dream with two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Brooklyn did, in fact, lead this game. John Bay hit a two-run homer in the first for a 2-0 advantage. But starter Nicolas Carreno was hit hard and reliever Tanner Witt was erratic, and the Cyclones were hurtling toward the ground once again. But the coaster began moving back up in the sixth as Colin Houck belted a two-run homer to make it 8-4. The tying runs in the eighth came on Trace Willhoite's RBI single, JT Benson's two-run double and Ronald Hernandez fielder's choice grounder. In the past three days, the Cyclones have trailed 8-2, 6-0, and 5-0, only to rally and make each game competitive. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 1 1 0 2 0 John Bay 4 2 1 1 1 3 JT Benson 5 1 3 2 0 2 Ronald Hernandez 4 0 1 1 1 0 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 0 0 0 1 2 Jamari Baylor 4 1 0 0 0 2 Yohairo Cuevas 4 0 0 0 0 2 Colin Houck 4 2 2 2 1 2 Trace Willhoite 4 1 1 1 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Nicolas Carreno 2 1/3 2 4 4 5 2 1 Tanner Witt 1 1/3 1 3 3 4 3 1 Hoss Brewer 1 1/3 2 1 1 0 2 0 Hunter Hodges 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Bryce Jenkins 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Cristofer Gomez 1 3 2 2 0 2 2 St. Lucie Unravels Against Tampa The Mets are finding new ways to lose during this run of futility. Take their eighth inning Saturday against the Tarpons. It started this way: Single, fly out, stolen base/throwing error by catcher Julio Zayas, run-scoring throwing error by third baseman Branny De Oleo, groundout. That's two out, one on, Mets still leading, 3-2. And then... Passed ball by Zayas. Run-scoring fielding error by De Oleo. Stolen base. Walk. Three-run, tie-breaking homer. Pitching change. Infield single. Stolen base/throwing error by Zayas. Walk, Stolen base. Walk. Run-scoring infield single. Groundout. Mets trail, 7-3. Tampa tacked on three in the ninth for good measure. Simon Juan homered in the sixth for the Mets' final run. Elian Peña (GCM No. 4 prospect) reached base twice. Starter Ethan Lanthier allowed a run on two hits over 2 1/3 innings. Conner Ware threw three scoreless innings of long relief before taking the mound for the eighth-inning implosion. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 3 0 1 0 1 0 Antonio Jimenez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Chase Meggers 3 1 2 1 0 0 Julio Zayas 3 0 0 0 1 1 Branny De Oleo 3 0 0 0 1 0 Simon Juan 4 1 1 2 0 2 Jeremy Rodriguez 0 0 0 0 0 0 Taylor Darden 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jackson Hauge 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jack Scanlon 3 1 1 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ethan Lanthier 2 2/3 2 1 1 1 1 0 Elwis Mijares 1 1/3 0 0 0 0 3 0 Conner Ware 3 2/3 5 5 0 3 3 1 Miguel Mejias 1/3 2 1 1 2 0 0 Luis Alvarez 1 1 3 3 1 2 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: MLB A.J. Ewing: MLB Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Pena: 1-for-3, BB Jack Wenninger: 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K, W Ryan Clifford: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, SB, K Jacob Reimer: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-4, 2 K Mitch Voit: 1-for-4, R, 2 BB Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 0-for-3, 2 BB, SB, K Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 0-for-4, K R.J. Gordon: DNP

Yohairo Cuevas is on one huge heater. He stayed scorching Friday night with a three-run home run in Brooklyn's 8-7 loss to Frederick. It was his fifth round-tripper in the past five games and his seventh in 12 games dating to June 16. Strangely, he had hit no home runs before then this season. Cuevas, 22, was promoted to Brooklyn from Single-A St. Lucie on June 18 after homering in back-to-back games. He's in his sixth pro season after being signed for $500,000 as an international free agent in January 2021. His path to the Mets' system was circuitous: He was born in New York and raised in the Bronx and Manhattan (find out more in this Amazin' Avenue piece), but his family sent him to the Fernando Tatis Baseball Academy in the Dominican Republic (per Brooklyn Reporter) to accelerate his development. Former Met Juan Samuel is Cuevas' uncle. Now, he's back home (he played in 30 games for the Cyclones last year, as well), and trying to hit his way to upstate New York and the upper levels of the farm system. Brooklyn's loss was part of a 1-3 night for the Mets' full-season affiliates. Syracuse notched the lone win, a rain-soaked 8-7 triumph over Worcester. M.J. Melendez homered for a second consecutive night, a go-ahead two-run blast in the seventh. Binghamton dropped a 5-4 decision to Chesapeake. R.J. Gordon threw five scoreless innings before the bullpen blew up. Brooklyn came back from a 6-0 deficit and took a 7-6 lead in the sixth before Chesapeake answered with two in the seventh. John Bay and JT Benson also homered for the Cyclones. St. Lucie was shut out for the third time in four games, this time losing, 1-0, to Tampa. The Mets left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and wasted a 16-strikeout effort by Mets pitchers. The FCL Mets-Marlins game was suspended after 3 1/2 innings because of lightning with the teams tied, 1-1. Roberto Pena worked the first three innings for the Mets. Their run scored on a wild pitch. DSL Mets Blue's ninth-inning rally ended a run short in the club's 13-12 loss to DSL Rangers. The Mets scored seven in the frame to get close. DSL Mets Orange lost, 5-4, to DSL Giants Black. Wandy Asigen played five innings and went 0-for-1 with two walks. He made his pro debut this week after missing the first month of the DSL season with a hamstring injury. Mets Transactions No Roster Moves Melendez Blast Pushes Syracuse Past Worcester Syracuse won a wild back-and-forth game in the driving rain in Central New York. The Mets scored six times in the bottom of the sixth to erase a 4-0 deficit. Zack Short's two-run double put the Mets up, 5-4, and a Worcester throwing error to give them a two-run cushion. The Red Sox tied the game with two runs in the seventh, but Melendez answered in the bottom half with his fifth homer of the season. Jihwan Bae reached base three times, going 2-for-4 with a walk. He also scored twice and stole a base. Tobias Myers (three innings) and Xzavion Curry (3 1/3 frames) piggybacked the starting pitching, Neither one was overly effective. Daniel Duarte earned the win with 1 1/3 innings of relief, and Jefry Yan closed it out for the save, striking out three over 1 1/3 innings and escaping a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the ninth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 5 0 1 0 0 1 Jorge Polanco 3 1 0 0 1 0 Christian Arroyo 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jihwan Bae 4 2 2 0 1 0 MJ Melendez 5 2 2 3 0 0 Ryan Clifford 3 1 1 0 1 2 Yonny Hernández 2 1 1 1 2 0 Ben Rortvedt 3 0 0 0 1 1 Cristian Pache 4 0 0 0 0 2 Zack Short 3 1 1 2 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Tobias Myers 3 2 2 2 1 3 0 Xzavion Curry 3 1/3 4 3 3 1 2 0 Daniel Duarte 1 1/3 3 1 1 0 2 0 Jefry Yan 1 1/3 2 1 0 0 3 0 Gordon Dazzles, But Baysox Rally Sinks Rumble Ponies R.J. Gordon was in line for a win after working five scoreless innings. He scattered five hits, walked one and struck out two. The right-hander left the game with Binghamton up, 2-0. But the bullpen couldn't protect that lead. In fact, the 'pen gave up two leads. First, Zach Peek surrendered three runs in the seventh as Chesapeake tied the game, 3-3. Second, Felipe De La Cruz gave up two runs in the ninth for a blown save after Binghamton had taken a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth. No. 9 hitter Nick Lucky paced the offense, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Matt Rudick reached base four times with three walks and a hit.. Player AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 5 0 1 0 0 3 Jose Ramos 5 0 1 0 0 1 JT Schwartz 4 0 1 0 1 1 Kevin Parada 5 0 1 0 0 1 Vincent Perozo 3 0 0 0 0 3 Matt Rudick 1 3 0 0 3 0 Wyatt Young 4 0 0 0 0 0 Kevin Villavicencio 3 1 1 1 0 0 Nick Lucky 4 0 3 3 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR R.J. Gordon 5 5 0 0 1 2 0 Justin Armbruester 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Zach Peek 1 4 3 3 1 2 1 Felipe De La Cruz 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 Cyclones' Homers Not Enough In Loss To Frederick Cuevas, Bay and Benson powered Brooklyn's rally with their long balls. The latter two went back-to-back in the sixth to put the Cyclones in front. Cuevas' homer, a three-run shot, came in the third and halved Brooklyn's deficit to 6-3. Starter Dakota Hawkins put the Cyclones in a hole early, giving up six runs (five earned) on five hits with three walks and a strikeout over two innings. Parker Carlson and Juan Arnaud combined for three scoreless innings of relief, before Gregori Louis allowing two runs in the seventh for the loss. It was an all-or-nothing night for the Brooklyn offense. Cyclones hitters struck out 14 times to go with the home runs. Colin Houck fanned once, but he also reached base three times with a hit and two walks. layer AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 5 0 0 0 0 2 Yonatan Henriquez 4 1 1 0 0 3 Ronald Hernandez 4 0 1 0 0 2 Corey Collins 3 1 0 0 1 1 Daiverson Gutierrez 3 0 0 0 1 1 John Bay 4 1 1 3 0 1 JT Benson 3 2 1 1 1 2 Colin Houck 2 1 1 0 2 1 Yohairo Cuevas 3 1 2 3 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dakota Hawkins 2 5 6 5 3 1 2 Parker Carlson 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 Juan Arnaud 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Gregori Louis 2 2 2 2 1 3 0 Ryan Dollar 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 St. Lucie Pitching Shines But Bats Blanked By Tampa St. Lucie managed just five hits as it lost for the eighth consecutive time. Trey Snyder had two of the hits, one of them a double. He also stole a base. The best part of the night was the Mets' pitching. Starter Christian Rodriguez struck out seven and walked none over 3 2/3 innings. He allowed just the one run despite giving up seven hits. Tyler McLoughlin followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings and five strikeouts, Kevin Herget added two scoreless innings, and Ernesto Mercedes closed with a scoreless inning and two strikeouts. St. Lucie's hitters did a fair amount of punching out, too, fanning 13 times. They loaded the bases in the ninth, but Branny De Oleo grounded back to the pitcher to end the game. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 4 0 0 0 0 2 Trey Snyder 4 0 2 0 0 0 Chase Meggers 4 0 1 0 0 3 Julio Zayas 3 0 1 0 1 0 Branny De Oleo 4 0 0 0 0 1 Simon Juan 2 0 0 0 0 2 Jeremy Rodriguez 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jackson Hauge 3 0 0 0 0 2 Jack Scanlon 2 0 0 0 0 2 Antonio Jimenez 1 0 1 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Christian Rodriguez 3 2/3 7 1 1 0 7 0 Tyler McLoughlin 2 1/3 0 0 0 0 5 0 Kevin Herget 2 1 0 0 0 2 0 Ernesto Mercedes 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: MLB A.J. Ewing: MLB Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Pena: 0-for-4, SB, 2 K Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 1-for-3, BB, 2 K Jacob Reimer: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-5, SB, K Mitch Voit: 0-for-5, 2 K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 1-for-5, SB, 3 K Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: 0-for-1, 2 BB Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 1-for-1 R.J. Gordon: 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K

The New York Mets fell hard in June. They went 10-17 in the month and just about took themselves out of the National League wild-card race. Manager Carlos Mendoza paid for the downturn with his job. Starting pitching was a major reason for the collapse. The rotation posted a 5.46 ERA/4.64 FIP in the 27 games, ranking 25th in MLB. It was 29th in the league with 3.88 walks per nine. To be fair, the starters also were ninth with 9.26 strikeouts per nine. While the overall numbers were poor, not every starter had a bad month, and the bullpen was tops in the majors with a 3.57 xFIP. There was enough quality to compile a list of top performers. Below is Grand Central Mets’ ranking of the club’s pitchers of the month for June. Ranking New York Mets’ Best Pitchers In June 3. LHP Sean Manaea We could have gone with closer Devin Williams (4-for-4 in save opportunities) here, but Manaea got the nod for giving the rotation a needed boost after moving over from long relief midway through the month. He made six appearances, the equivalent of a full month for a starter, and he produced decent quality -- a 3.72 ERA, 21.8 percent K rate, 5.9 percent walk rate and 2.6 percent home run rate over 29 innings. He allowed no more than three runs in any outing, and he went at least five innings four times. Interestingly, his fastball velocity (four-seamer and sinker) fluctuated during the month. It sat at 92-93 mph for the majority of his outings, but there were also games of 90-91 heat. On the plus side, his low three-quarters arm slot and crossfire motion can mask any differences. With Kodai Senga in the bullpen, David Peterson traded, and Jonah Tong scuffling at Triple-A, the Mets will keep giving Manaea the ball and trust that he can keep them in games. 2. RHP Nolan McLean McLean bounced back from a rough May with a solid June. In five starts, he posted a 2.79 ERA, .617 opponents' OPS, and 29.7 percent strikeout rate over 29 innings pitched. The month didn’t go perfectly. There was a four-inning, 93-pitch grind against the Atlanta Braves, as well as a pair of costly home-run balls against the Chicago Cubs. His walk rate was a bit high at 9.9 percent. But more often than not, the rookie looked the part of front-line starter. He closed the month with six scoreless innings and a win vs. the Toronto Blue Jays on the 30th. That outing highlighted McLean’s adaptability and ability to execute a game plan. His pitch mix in the game was markedly different than the mix in his seven-inning gem against the Reds in Cincinnati on June 17: DATE TP SI 4S CT CB SW CH SL June 30 91 33 18 5 18 16 0 1 June 17 101 26 27 15 9 15 6 3 He threw more sinkers against Toronto and more four-seamers against Cincinnati, three times as many cutters vs. the Reds and no changeups against the Jays. Against the Reds, he made it a point to be aggressive up in the zone but still got eight ground-ball outs to go with nine strikeouts. In short, both performances showed that he knows how to pitch. 1. RHP Luke Weaver It’s tough to go against someone who hadn’t allowed a run since April 30 and barely allowed a baserunner last month. Weaver gave up one hit and one walk in 11 1/3 innings covering 11 June appearances. He extended his scoreless-innings streak to 24 with a perfect frame against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 30. Command was the key to Weaver’s dominance. He threw 100 of 137 pitches for strikes (73 percent), attacking the zone with a four-seamer, changeup and cutter. He struck out 40.5 percent of the hitters he faced (15 in 37 plate appearances), yet his highest pitch count in an inning was 18. Weaver is getting below-average vertical drop on his change, according to Baseball Savant, but his four-seamer and cutter are diving, and that’s contributing to an 87th-percentile chase rate for the season. His off-speed stuff is in the 95th percentile in run value, while his fastball is in the 87th percentile. That’s a product of having everything working, which makes him the obvious choice for first place here.

Thursday was a rough day for relief pitching across the New York Mets' minor-league system. Three different affiliates blew leads late in games, with two of them blowing saves in the ninth inning. Syracuse led by a run after seven innings, only to give up two in the eighth and one in the ninth for a 7-5 loss to Worcester. A two-run homer off Nate Lavender in the eighth put the Woo Sox in front. Binghamton suffered a worse collapse. The Rumble Ponies led Chesapeake by two going into the top of the ninth after taking the lead in the bottom of the eighth, but Douglas Orellana allowed a grand slam and a solo homer back to back while failing to get an out. Binghamton lost, 8-4. St. Lucie tossed away a ninth-inning lead against Tampa. Throwing errors by Chase Meggers and Elian Pena, sandwiched around a run-scoring double, saddled Zack Mack with a blown save in an eventual 7-5 Mets loss. Brooklyn didn't collapse; it just fell behind early and couldn't catch up. The Cyclones allowed runs in seven of their eight defensive innings and lost to Frederick, 9-4. The complex teams had no such issues. DSL Mets Orange routed the DSL Marlins, 11-2, in a game shortened to five innings. Oscar Pena drove in four runs and Cesar Acosta drove in three. DSL Mets Blue lost to DSL Colorado, 5-3, in six innings. Royner Bravo and Michalle Mercedes each had two hits. The FCL Mets edged the FCL Nationals, 3-2, in eight innings. Yovanny Rodriguez drove in the winning run with a double, scoring Wyatt Vincent The bullpen threw four scoreless innings. Mets Transactions New York Mets signed free agent 1B Christopher Morel to a minor league contract. Syracuse's Three Home Runs Go To Waste The offense started fast in this game. Jorge Polanco and M.J. Melendez hit solo home runs in the first to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. Polanco, still on rehab from New York, was back in the lineup as the DH after sitting Wednesday. The Mets fell behind in the third, but Hayden Senger got the lead back for them in the fifth with a three-run homer. It was Senger's eighth homer of the season, extending his career high, His previous best was five. The score remained 5-3 through six. Matt Turner gave up a run in the seventh to make it 5-4. Lavender served up the go-ahead homer in the eighth. Ryan Lambert allowed an insurance homer in the ninth. Jonah Tong started and went the first five innings. He allowed three runs, all earned, on four hits, walked two, struck out three, and allowed a pair of home runs on 78 pitches (47 strikes). Luis Robert Jr. took a big step in his rehab, playing nine innings in center field. He went 0-for-4 with a pair of strikeouts. Ryan Clifford, who was chosen this week to represent the organization in the MLB All-Star Futures Game, went 0-for-4 with three punchouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Luis Robert Jr. 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jorge Polanco 2 1 1 1 1 0 Christopher Morel 1 0 0 0 0 1 Jihwan Bae 3 0 0 0 1 1 MJ Melendez 3 1 1 1 1 2 Ryan Clifford 4 0 0 0 0 3 Jared Oliva 4 1 1 0 0 1 Vidal Bruján 3 1 0 0 1 0 Hayden Senger 3 1 1 3 0 2 Zack Short 4 0 0 0 0 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonah Tong 5 4 3 3 2 3 2 Matt Turner 1 1 1 1 1 2 0 Nate Lavender 2 2 2 2 2 0 1 Ryan Lambert 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 Binghamton Rally Negated In Ninth The Rumble Ponies were in line for a win despite being shut out for the first seven innings. Kevin Parada delivered an RBI single and Vincent Perozo followed with a three-run home run in the eighth to put them up, 4-2. Orellana then had his meltdown. Saul Garcia replaced him and allowed Chesapeake's final run. Channing Austin started and went the first 2 2/3 innings, allowing a run on three hits, with no walks and three strikeouts. Rehabbing right-hander Dedniel Núñez worked a scoreless fourth. He allowed a hit and struck out one. Max Green was excellent in long relief, striking out seven over four innings while allowing a run on four hits. Parada had two of the Rumble Ponies' four hits. The 2022 first-round pick is back in Binghamton after being demoted from Syracuse this week. Player AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 4 1 0 0 0 1 Nick Lorusso 3 1 0 0 1 2 Kevin Parada 4 1 2 1 0 1 Vincent Perozo 4 1 1 3 0 1 Wyatt Young 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jaylen Palmer 4 0 0 0 0 4 Kevin Villavicencio 4 0 0 0 0 2 Nick Lucky 4 0 1 0 0 1 Nick Roselli 2 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Channing Austin 2 2/3 3 1 1 0 3 0 Garrett Stratton 0 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dedniel Núñez 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Max Green 4 4 1 1 1 7 0 Douglas Orellana 0 4 5 5 1 0 2 Saul Garcia 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Cyclones Get Close, Then Falter The Cyclones scored all their runs in the fifth inning after falling behind, 5-0. Corey Collins doubled home John Bay, Jamari Baylor singled in Collins, and Yohairo Cuevas singled home Daiverson Gutierrez and Baylor to make a 5-4 game. Frederick responded with four consecutive runs to pull away. The Keys scored in every inning but the seventh. Jose Chirinos started and took the loss. He struck out seven over 3 2/3 innings, but he also was tagged for five runs, four earned, on seven hits and two walks. He allowed a home run. Brooklyn managed just six hits in the game. Collins and Yonatan Henriquez each had two. The Cyclones' winning streak ended at five. Player AB R H RBI BB K Yonatan Henriquez 5 0 2 0 0 0 John Bay 2 1 0 0 2 1 Corey Collins 4 1 2 1 0 1 Daiverson Gutierrez 2 1 0 0 2 1 Jamari Baylor 4 1 1 1 0 1 Yohairo Cuevas 3 0 1 2 1 0 Colin Houck 4 0 0 0 0 1 Trace Willhoite 4 0 0 0 0 1 Sam Biller 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jose Chirinos 3 2/3 7 5 4 2 7 1 Cristofer Gomez 1 1/3 1 1 1 1 2 0 Hunter Hodges 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 Bryce Jenkins 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hoss Brewer 1 2 2 2 1 0 0 St. Lucie Lets Late Lead Slips Away The Mets finally scored in the series after a pair of shutout losses, but the pitching and defense denied them a win. They have now lost seven in a row overall. Simon Juan put the Mets up, 3-2, in the fourth with a two-run homer. Tampa tied the game in the top of the fifth. St. Lucie retook the lead in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back RBI doubles by Trey Snyder and Antonio Jimenez. Joel Lara ;struck out seven in four innings of bulk relief, but he also allowed two runs and three hits while walking two. Miguel Mejias followed him and struck out four over two hitless innings. Juan and Snyder each had two hits. Elian Peña ended the Mets' scoring drought in the first when he stole third and then came around to score on a throwing error by Tampa's catcher. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 4 1 1 0 0 2 Trey Snyder 4 1 2 1 0 1 Antonio Jimenez 4 0 1 1 0 1 Julio Zayas 4 1 2 0 0 1 Branny De Oleo 4 0 0 0 0 2 Simon Juan 4 1 2 2 0 1 Chase Meggers 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jeremy Rodriguez 3 1 1 0 1 0 Taylor Darden 4 0 0 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Luis R. Rodriguez 0 2/3 0 2 0 1 2 0 Joe Scarborough 1 1/3 3 0 0 0 1 0 Joel Lara 4 3 2 2 2 7 0 Miguel Mejias 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 Zack Mack 1 3 3 2 0 3 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: DNP A.J. Ewing: DNP Jonah Tong: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 2 HR Elian Pena: 1-for-4, 2 K Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 0-for-4, 3 K Jacob Reimer: DNP Nick Morabito: DNP Mitch Voit: DNP Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 0-for-4, 1 K Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 1 HR Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 1-for-4, 2B, 1 K R.J. Gordon: DNP

The New York Mets' minor-league system came in for criticism from owner Steve Cohen on Wednesday. Cohen told Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post on their "The Show" podcast that development has gone backward this season, which might harm the club's ability to improve in 2027. "I think good teams develop players that are pipeline players," Cohen said, "Last year, we were generally feeling pretty good about our farm system. We've had regression in our farm system (in 2026)." Cohen acknowledged several players who have graduated to the majors, specifically right-hander Nolan McLean and center fielder A.J. Ewing, but he doesn't know who would be next. That's a problem, given the major-league payroll might be $300 million even before the offseason begins, according to Cohen, limiting the club's flexibility to add. "Do we see other players coming from the farm system to. . . buttress what we already have? Well, you know, maybe, maybe not," he said. The next wave may include first baseman Ryan Clifford (No. 6 in Grand Central Mets' prospect Top 20), who was selected Wednesday to play in the All-Star Futures Game during All-Star Weekend in Philadelphia. But right-hander Jonah Tong (No. 3) has taken a big step back in 2026, and corner infielder Jacob Reimer (No. 7) has stalled at Double-A. On to the product on the field: Syracuse lost to Worcester, 6-5. Starter Zach Thornton worked into the sixth inning. Rehabbing major-leaguers Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco had the night off after playing Tuesday. Binghamton fell behind big early and lost, 8-4, to Chesapeake. Brendan Girton was charged with all eight runs. JT Schwartz homered and doubled. Brooklyn made it five wins in a row by outslugging Frederick, 13-7. Trace Willhoite hit a grand slam and Yohairo Cuevas homered twice. Robert Stock and Noah Hall combined for 7 2/3 innings of two-hit pitching. St. Lucie's hitting slump continued in a 6-0 loss to Tampa. The Mets were held to four hits. Mets Orange lost, 7-3, to Blue Jays Red in the Dominican Summer League. Shortstop Wandy Asigen, who signed with the Mets for $3.9 million in January as the No. 2-ranked prospect in his international class, played five innings in his second professional game. The FCL Mets blanked the FCL Nationals, 2-0. Eris Albino struck out six over four innings of bulk relief. Mets Transactions New York Mets signed free agent 1B Christopher Morel to a minor-league contract. Syracuse Rallies Before Losing Late The Mets tied the game in the seventh on Nick Morabito's two-run single, but Worcester pushed across a run in the top of the ninth against Jefry Yan. Starter Zach Thornton, fresh off his impressive start for the big club last weekend against the Philadelphia Phillies, allowed three hits over 5 2/3 innings but walked four. He also struck out four. Just 49 of his 83 pitches were for strikes (59 percent). Thornton's battery-mate, Ben Rortvedt, had three hits and an RBI. Yonatan Henriquez and Mitch Voit also went yard. Noah Hall was effective in bulk relief, allowing one hit and striking out eight over 5 1/3 scoreless innings. He walked four. Hall followed rehabbing veteran Robert Stock, who allowed a hit and a walk over 2 1/3 scoreless frames. Brooklyn Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 5 2 1 1 1 2 Yonatan Henriquez 5 1 2 2 1 0 Ronald Hernandez 5 0 0 0 0 4 Corey Collins 2 1 1 0 3 0 JT Benson 5 2 2 0 0 1 Colin Houck 3 3 0 0 2 1 Yohairo Cuevas 3 3 2 4 2 0 Trace Willhoite 5 1 2 5 0 0 Sam Biller 5 0 1 0 0 2 Brooklyn Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Robert Stock 2 1/3 1 1 0 1 2 0 Noah Hall 5 1/3 1 0 0 4 8 0 Josh Blum 1/3 3 4 0 1 0 0 Tanner Witt 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 St. Lucie Blanked Again The Mets still haven't scored this week after suffering a second consecutive shutout loss to Tampa. They've managed just seven hits and two walks in the 18 innings. The slump left bulk reliever Jose Guevara with little room for error, and he couldn't match the zeroes. He allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits and a walk over four innings. He struck out five. Joel Diaz opened and worked a scoreless first. Branny De Oleo collected two of the team's four hits. He has hit safely in four of his last five games, going 8-for-20 (.400) in that stretch. St. Lucie Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Antonio Jimenez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jeremy Rodriguez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Trey Snyder 4 0 1 0 0 1 Julio Zayas 3 0 1 0 1 0 Branny De Oleo 4 0 2 0 0 1 Simon Juan 3 0 0 0 1 0 Jackson Hauge 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jack Scanlon 3 0 0 0 0 2 Francisco Toledo 3 0 0 0 0 1 St. Lucie Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Joel Díaz 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 Jose Guevara 4 4 3 2 1 5 1 Elwis Mijares 1 2/3 4 3 2 2 4 0 Ernesto Mercedes 1 1/3 1 0 0 1 2 0 Caden Wooster 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: MLB A.J. Ewing: MLB Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Pena: DNP Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 1-for-4, BB Jacob Reimer: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-5, 4 K Mitch Voit: 1-for-5, HR, BB, 2 K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: DNP Zach Thornton: 5 2/3 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, HR Wandy Asigen: 0-for-2, BB, K Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: 3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, HR Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 0-for-4, K R.J. Gordon: DNP

The biggest news from the New York Mets' minor-league system Tuesday came out of Syracuse, where New York outfielder Luis Robert Jr. began a rehab stint. He played five innings in center field and went 1-for-2 with a walk in the Mets' 15-5 loss to Worcester. He appeared to be moving well as he beat out a chopper to shortstop his first time up. Robert last played in a game on April 26 because of a herniated disc in his back. For most of the past two months, it was unclear when he might return, or if he would return at all. The parent club is not saying yet when he will be activated, but a source told MLB.com that he will likely need more than the six days Francisco Lindor took to complete his rehab from a calf injury. Robert is already eligible to come off the 60-day injured list. Robert wasn’t the only rehabbing big-leaguer playing for Syracuse on Tuesday. Infielder Jorge Polanco (Achilles, ankle) was in the lineup as well, hitting second behind Robert. He went 0-for-3 as the DH. This was the second game of Polanco’s second rehab stint. The Mets shut him down in early June because of left ankle soreness. Elsewhere on the farm: Binghamton scored all its runs in the first two innings and then held on to defeat Chesapeake, 5-3. Chris Suero went 2-for-4 and scored twice from the leadoff spot Daviel Hurtado allowed one hit and struck out eight over six scoreless innings, while Ronald Hernandez and Mitch Voit homered to lead Brooklyn to a 5-3 victory at Frederick. St. Lucie managed just three hits in a 6-0 loss to Tampa at home. The Mets also committed three errors, two by Elian Pena. Mets Orange lost to the Angels, 4-0, and Mets Blue lost to Giants Black, 4-2, in the Dominican Summer League. The FCL Mets were off. Early Hole Too Deep For Syracuse; Melendez Homers As for the game itself, Syracuse fell behind 6-0 after an inning and a half and then surrendered seven runs in the fifth to seal the loss. Opener Daniel Duarte gave up a pair of home runs in the first while recording just two outs. Bulk reliever Jack Weisenburger surrendered two runs in the second and three more in the fifth. Adbert Alzolay followed him and was roughed up for four runs in two-thirds of an inning. Five different Mets pitchers allowed runs. Only Matt Turner had a scoreless outing. He worked the ninth. Syracuse got its runs on a Grae Kessinger RBI double and a Zack Short sacrifice fly in the second; a Worcester throwing error in the fourth; and M.J. Melendez's two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. Nick Morabito went 3-for-5 for Syracuse, which fell to 4-3 in the second half of the International League season. Player AB R H RBI BB K Luis Robert Jr. 2 0 1 0 1 0 Cristian Pache 2 1 0 0 0 0 Jorge Polanco 3 0 0 0 0 0 MJ Melendez 2 1 1 2 0 0 Nick Morabito 5 0 3 0 0 0 Ryan Clifford 5 0 0 0 0 3 Jared Oliva 4 1 1 0 1 2 Vidal Bruján 3 1 1 0 0 0 Yonny Hernández 1 0 0 0 0 0 Grae Kessinger 3 1 1 1 1 0 Hayden Senger 3 0 1 0 1 0 Zack Short 3 0 0 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daniel Duarte 2/3 3 4 4 2 1 2 Jack Weisenburger 3 2/3 4 5 5 3 3 0 Adbert Alzolay 2/3 4 4 4 0 0 1 Ofreidy Gómez 2 1 1 1 3 1 1 Dylan Ross 1 3 1 1 2 0 0 Matt Turner 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 Rumble Ponies Ride Early Offense To Win The Rumble Ponies led 5-0 after two innings and then held the BaySox at bay. Chris Suero got them off to a fast start with a leadoff double in the bottom of the first. He advanced to third on a groundout by Jose Ramos. Nick Lorusso then walked. JT Schwartz's groundout scored Suero. Matt Rudick followed with a single that scored Lorusso and gave the Ponies a 2-0 lead. Binghamton added three runs in the second after a two-hour, 36-minute rain delay. The rally started after the first two batters had been retired. Nick Lucky walked, Suero singled him to third and then stole second, and both scored on Jose Ramos's single. Lorusso followed with a single to plate Ramos. Starter Jonathan Santucci worked two scoreless innings, striking out three and walking one, before the rain delay. Felipe De La Cruz earned the win with two scoreless innings of relief. He struck out four, Gabriel Rodriguez added two scoreless frames, and Saul Garcia tossed a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts for the save. layer AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 4 2 2 0 0 1 Jose Ramos 4 1 1 0 0 1 Nick Lorusso 3 1 1 1 1 1 JT Schwartz 3 0 0 1 1 2 Matt Rudick 4 0 1 0 0 2 Wyatt Young 3 0 0 0 0 0 Jaylen Palmer 3 0 0 0 0 2 Kevin Villavicencio 3 0 0 0 0 1 Nick Lucky 2 1 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonathan Santucci 2 0 0 0 1 3 0 Jordan Geber 0 0 2 2 3 0 0 Danis Correa 2 2 1 1 1 2 0 Felipe De La Cruz 2 1 0 0 0 4 0 Gabriel Rodriguez 2 0 0 0 2 2 0 Saul Garcia 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Hurtado Dominates, Voit Powers Brooklyn Past Frederick Daviel Hurtado turned in a second consecutive quality start and the offense gave him just enough support as the Cyclones extended their winning streak to four. Hurtado struck out eight and walked one in his six innings Fifty-two of his 76 pitches were for strikes. But he was headed for a no-decision until Ronald Hernandez homered in the top of the sixth to open the scoring. The Cyclones made it 4-0 with three runs in the seventh. Jamari Baylor singled in Colin Houck, and then Mitch Voit followed with a two-run homer to left field. Chesapeake cut the lead to 4-3 in the bottom of the frame, but Voit provided insurance in the ninth as he singled in Houck. Ryan Dollar earned the save with a scoreless ninth. He struck out two. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 5 1 2 3 0 2 Yonatan Henriquez 5 0 1 0 0 1 Ronald Hernandez 4 1 1 1 0 0 Corey Collins 3 0 1 0 1 1 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 0 1 0 0 0 John Bay 4 0 0 0 0 1 JT Benson 3 0 0 0 1 1 Colin Houck 4 2 2 0 0 0 Jamari Baylor 4 1 2 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Daviel Hurtado 6 1 0 0 1 8 0 Gregori Louis 1 3 3 3 1 1 0 Parker Carlson 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Ryan Dollar 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 St. Lucie Bats Silenced In Loss To Tampa The Mets' offense could only manage doubles by Antonio Jimenez and Taylor Darden and a single by Jack Scanlon. Everyone in the lineup struck out at least once. Jimenez punched out three times. Starter Emilio Obispo allowed four runs, all earned, on five hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out three and allowed a home run. Tampa got him for single runs in the third and fourth before adding two more in the fifth. Zack Mack followed Obispo and allowed two runs over 1 2/3 innings. Tyler McLoughlin worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out three, Luis Alvarez finished with a scoreless ninth and two strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 4 0 0 0 0 1 Trey Snyder 4 0 0 0 0 1 Antonio Jimenez 4 0 1 0 0 3 Julio Zayas 3 0 0 0 0 1 Branny De Oleo 3 0 0 0 0 1 Chase Meggers 3 0 0 0 0 1 Simon Juan 3 0 0 0 0 1 Jack Scanlon 3 0 1 0 0 1 Taylor Darden 3 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Emilio Obispo 5 5 4 4 2 3 1 Zack Mack 1 2/3 1 2 1 1 0 0 Tyler McLoughlin 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 3 0 Luis Alvarez 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: MLB A.J. Ewing: MLB Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Pena: 0-for-4, K Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 0-for-5, 3 K Jacob Reimer: DNP Nick Morabito: 3-for-5, 2B Mitch Voit: 2-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 K Jonathan Santucci: 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K Chris Suero: 2-for-4, 2B, K Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: 1 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 0 K Antonio Jimenez: 1-for-4, 2B, 3 K R.J. Gordon: DNP

Early last week, New York Mets team president David Stearns sat before local media and tried to project patience. He said that he wanted to give this team more time to turn itself around, and that the Aug. 3 trade deadline was the club's “cutoff” date to decide whether to make moves. Then came an ugly doubleheader sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs. A few minutes after the Game 2 loss, Stearns shipped left-hander David Peterson to the visitors’ clubhouse at Citi Field for infield prospect Cole Mathis. Fans and media figured the front office had changed its mind and was now preparing to sell. A day after the Cubs completed a four-game sweep, manager Carlos Mendoza was fired. Surely, the front office was looking ahead to 2027. Whether or not Stearns wants to say it, the Mets will be in sell mode this summer as it falls out of the National League wild-card race. When the time comes to make more moves, these are the first three Mets who should follow Peterson out of Queens, ranked from soonest to latest. LHP A.J. Minter Minter has put himself in demand after successfully returning from hip surgery. He hasn't allowed an earned run in 12 2/3 innings through Sunday and has held opponents to a .286 OPS. He leans heavily on his cutter (56 percent usage), which makes him effective against both left-handed and right-handed batters. He's also a veteran with postseason experience. Money could be an issue. He'll be owed about one-third of his $11 million salary by the deadline. Adding cash in a deal should ensure he goes out the door. The Mets would be wise to capitalize on what is doing now and make a trade before he regresses. RHP Luke Weaver Weaver is pitching like the shutdown reliever he was for the Yankees in 2024, so that will make him popular with deadline buyers. His 23-inning scoreless streak has now lasted for two months. He has regained command of his fastball and changeup, and he's attacking hitters as a result. But as good as Weaver has been, how many teams will want to pay him $12.5 million next season in the final year of his contract, plus what’s left of the $9.5 million he's owed this year, plus a prospect? And do the Mets really want to give up their top set-up man/Devin Williams insurance? If they decide to cash in, then more cash will need to go out. RHP Freddy Peralta Peralta could be the Mets’ best available rental if they become sellers, and Stearns could try to create a bidding war that goes to the deadline. But then he'd be risking an injury that would kill a deal, or more bad starts like Peralta's 10-run outing on June 20 vs. the Phillies, which could make other teams skittish. Peralta has pitched mostly as advertised this season: inefficient, dominant only occasionally, susceptible to the long ball. His 9.2 strikeouts per nine are a career low, and his 2.51 strikeout-to-walk ratio is his worst since his rookie year in 2018. His 4.16 FIP says he has been better than his 4.53 ERA, but neither figure is ace-level. Are teams convinced that he's still a legitimate frontline playoff starter? If Stearns does play the waiting game with the pitchers, there is a pre-deadline move he can make with a position player. Outfielder Tyrone Taylor is a pending free agent, and he returned from a hip injury last week. His defense and power potential could entice a team into giving up an asset. Again, the Mets might need to send cash in a deal, because he'll be owed around $1.3 million at the deadline. Or, teams might just wait for the Mets to designate Taylor for assignment. New York can recall M.J. Melendez or Jared Oliva from the minors to replace him.

Sunday was a mixed day for the New York Mets' full-season minor-league affiliates. Syracuse edged Lehigh Valley 5-4, with Ben Rortvedt's eighth-inning double proving to be the game-winning hit. The S-Mets got five innings out of bulk reliever Jack Wenninger. Binghamton lost 6-5 in 10 innings at Erie despite a big game from leadoff hitter Chris Suero. Brooklyn continued to roll, beating Jersey Shore 5-1. Yohairo Cuevas and Ronald Hernandez homered, and Nicolas Carreno tossed four scoreless innings. St. Lucie continued to stumble, losing 6-5 at Fort Myers. The Mets' ninth-innjng rally came up short. Conner Ware fanned six in long relief. Mets Transactions No Roster Moves Rortvedt Double Lifts Syracuse Past Lehigh Valley Ben Rortvedt delivered the key hit as the. Mets rallied for a road win. His double brought home Yonny Hernandez with the go-ahead run after Lehigh Valley had tied the game in the bottom of the seventh. Hernandez had another big game at the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. He collected 12 hits in the series. Lehigh Valley took a 3-1 lead against Jack Wenninger, who was working behind opener Dan Hammer. Wenninger allowed three runs, four hits and four walks over five innings, striking out four. hits, Ryan Lambert was credited with the win despite allowing the tying run in the seventh. Nate Lavender threw a scoreless eighth and ninth to earn the save. Syracuse Mets Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Vidal Bruján 5 0 1 1 0 3 Nick Morabito 5 0 1 1 0 1 Jihwan Bae 3 1 0 0 1 0 Ryan Clifford 2 0 0 0 2 1 Yonny Hernández 4 1 2 1 0 0 Ben Rortvedt 4 0 1 1 0 1 Grae Kessinger 3 2 1 0 1 1 Hayden Senger 3 1 1 0 1 1 Cristian Pache 4 0 1 0 0 2 Syracuse Mets Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dan Hammer 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Jack Wenninger 5 4 3 3 3 4 1 Ryan Lambert 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 Nate Lavender 2 1 0 0 1 2 0 Binghamton Rally Goes For Naught In Loss At Erie The Rumble Ponies saw their ninth-inning rally go to waste as Erie pushed across a run in the bottom of the 10th. Jose Ramos singled home Kevin Villavicencio, and Nick Lorusso drove in a run with a groundout to knot the game 5-5. Suero set the tone from the leadoff spot, reaching base four times, scoring four runs, drawing two walks, and adding a stolen base. Lorusso drove in three runs. His run-scoring single in the first and RBI double in the third, both plating Suero, gave Binghamton a 2-0 lead. Starter Bryce Conley worked six innings, allowing seven hits, five runs, and one walk while striking out five and giving up two home runs. Douglas Orellana and Garrett Stratton each tossed a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. Zach Peek took the loss in relief. Binghamton Rumble Ponies Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 3 4 2 0 2 0 Jose Ramos 4 0 1 1 1 1 Nick Lorusso 4 0 2 3 1 1 JT Schwartz 5 0 0 0 0 3 Vincent Perozo 5 0 0 0 0 4 Matt Rudick 4 0 1 0 0 2 Wyatt Young 5 0 1 0 0 2 Jaylen Palmer 2 0 0 0 1 1 Kevin Villavicencio 4 1 1 0 0 1 Binghamton Rumble Ponies Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Bryce Conley 6 7 5 5 1 5 2 Douglas Orellana 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Garrett Stratton 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Zach Peek 1 1/3 2 1 0 0 0 0 Cuevas, Hernandez Power Brooklyn Past Jersey Shore Yohairo Cuevas broke the game open in the sjxth with a three-run homer, giving him homers in back-to-back games. He went deep Saturday as well. Ronald Hernandez opened the scoring in the third with a solo homer. Colin Houck drove in the other Cyclones run with a double in the sixth, bringing home John Bay. Starter Nicolas Carreno turned in four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and four walks while striking out one. Cristofer Gomez and Hunter Hodges each struck out two in a scoreless frame, Brooklyn Cyclones Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 3 0 2 0 1 1 Yonatan Henriquez 4 0 0 0 0 0 Ronald Hernandez 3 1 1 1 1 1 John Bay 3 1 1 0 0 0 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 0 0 0 0 1 Corey Collins 3 1 0 0 1 1 Colin Houck 4 1 1 1 0 3 Yohairo Cuevas 3 1 2 3 1 1 Sam Biller 4 0 0 0 0 3 Brooklyn Cyclones Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Nicolas Carreno 4 2 0 0 4 1 0 Bryce Jenkins 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Cristofer Gomez 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 Hoss Brewer 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 Juan Arnaud 1 1 1 1 0 2 1 Hunter Hodges 1 0 0 0 3 2 0 St. Lucie's Ninth-Inning Rally Comes Up Short St. Lucie scored twice in the top of.the ninth before falling at Fort Myers. The Mets got a two-run single from Trey Snyder to cut the gap to a run, but Branny De Oleo flied out and Antonio Jimenez grounded.out to end the game. Chase Meggers paced the offense with three hits, an RBI and a run scored. His run-scoring.double in the second put the Mets on top early. Jeremy Rodriguez reached base three times with two hits and a walk, De Oleo went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Ethan Lanthier started and recorded five outs, allowing two hits, two runs, a walk, and a home run. He struck out one. Conner Ware provided bulk with 3 2/3 innings of long relief. He allowed two runs but also struck out six. New York reliever Dedniel Nunez threw another inning as his rehab stint continued. He allowed a run and two hits. St. Lucie Mets Hitting Player AB R H RBI BB K Trey Snyder 5 0 1 2 0 1 Branny De Oleo 4 1 2 1 0 0 Antonio Jimenez 5 0 0 0 0 1 Julio Zayas 3 0 0 1 0 1 Simon Juan 4 1 1 0 0 1 Chase Meggers 4 1 3 1 0 0 Taylor Darden 2 1 0 0 1 1 Jeremy Rodriguez 3 1 2 0 1 1 Jackson Hauge 4 0 2 0 0 1 St. Lucie Mets Pitching Player IP H R ER BB K HR Ethan Lanthier 1 2/3 2 2 2 1 1 1 Christian Rodriguez 1 1/3 3 1 1 0 0 0 Dedniel Núñez 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Conner Ware 3 2/3 3 2 2 2 6 1 Elwis Mijares 0 1/3 0 0 0 1 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: MLB A.J. Ewing: MLB Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Pena: DNP Jack Wenninger: 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 1 HR Ryan Clifford: 0-for-2, 2 BB, K Jacob Reimer: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-5, 2B, RBI, K Mitch Voit: 2-for-3, BB, K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 2-for-3, 2 2B, 4 R, 2 BB, SB Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 0-for-5, K R.J. Gordon: DNP

Phase 1 of fan voting for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game closed on Thursday. Just one New York Mets player (Juan Soto) advanced to Phase 2, which begins Monday. He's in the running for a place in the National League's starting lineup. But even if Soto doesn't get enough votes to be named a starter, he's the most likely Met to represent the club in Philadelphia on July 14, based on his stats and the Mets’ overall poor play. He would be a first-time Met All-Star after being passed over last year. It's quite likely that Soto will earn multiple All-Star berths during his Mets tenure and escape the fate of more than 30 players who have made the Midsummer Classic just once while wearing orange and blue. Grand Central Mets is taking a look back at those players in a three-part series. Part 1 covered the period from 1962 to 1981; Part 2 covers the period from 1982 to 2006. Ron Darling (1985) Darling was the sidekick to Dwight Gooden while the two headed the Mets’ rotation in the mid-'80s. That was especially true in ‘85 as Doc was putting together his season for the ages. But Ronnie was having a terrific year himself, and so he and Gooden both made the trip to Minneapolis for the All-Star Game. Neither man pitched in the game — Darling had thrown nine innings four days earlier, while Gooden had thrown a shutout two days prior. They watched the National League prevail, 6-1. When they rejoined the Mets for the second half, they were ready to lead a furious pennant drive. In the end, the Mets fell short, finishing second to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL East despite winning 98 games. While Gooden dazzled with his 24-4 record and 1.53 ERA, Darling went 16-6 with a 2.90 ERA in 248 innings pitched. After battling for a pennant, they were ready to dominate in “86. In the World Series against the Boston Red Sox that year, it was Darling who filled the No. 1 role. He started Games 1, 4 and 7 — two gems followed by an early exit. He posted a 1.53 ERA for the series and, more importantly, collected a ring. John Franco (1990) Franco had been a Met for about half a season when he got his All-Star invite. New York acquired him in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds in December 1989. Fellow reliever Randy Myers was the big get for the Reds in the deal. It's safe to say the trade worked out for both teams from the start. Myers became one of the “Nasty Boys” in Cincinnati with Rob Dibble and Norm Charlton, while Franco excelled as the closer for his hometown team. The Brooklyn native had 17 saves at the break in ‘90, good for a trip to Wrigley Field in mid-July. Franco threw a scoreless ninth in a 2-0 NL loss, coming on after Myers and Dibble. He finished the year with a league-high 33 saves, but the Mets faltered in September and finished second in the division to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Out of that failure came the “Worst Team Money Could Buy,” a franchise crash, and then a turnaround capped by an NL pennant in 2000. Franco was there for all of it, and then some. He was given the title of team captain later in his career. Franco lasted 15 seasons with the Mets in all. He became the franchise's all-time saves leader and the first left-hander in baseball history to collect 400 saves. Twenty-one years after throwing his last big-league pitch, Franco is still seventh all time with 424 saves. Bret Saberhagen (1994) Saberhagen was one of the big-name players who joined the Mets right as their run as contenders was ending. New York got him in a trade with the Kansas City Royals at the close of the 1991 Winter Meetings. They sent franchise villains Gregg Jeffrerie and Kevin McReynolds, plus Keith Miller, to KC. Sabes brought championship pedigree to New York — he shut out the Cardinals for the Royals in Game 7 of the 1985 World Series — but his body was betraying him. Injuries limited him to 15 starts in 1992 and 19 starts in 1993. He stayed healthy in ‘94, though, and he was stellar that year. A 10-4 record and a 3.15 ERA (3.03 FIP) got him to Pittsburgh for the All-Star Game. He pitched the previous Sunday, so he did not take the mound for the NL's thrilling 8-7 win at Three Rivers Stadium. A month later, the players went on a season-ending strike as the owners pushed for a salary cap in baseball. Saberhagen ended the year 14-4 with a 2.74 ERA in 177⅓ innings. He allowed 13 walks, meaning he had more wins than bases on balls. The health issues returned in 1995. Saberhagen began experiencing shoulder soreness in May after a compressed post-strike spring training, and then he strained a muscle in his side in July. He pitched through everything. On July 31, New York traded him to the Colorado Rockies, who were pursuing a wild-card berth in their third season. Lance Johnson (1996) Johnson made the most of his first season in Queens. He played every day in center field, he led off, and he gave the team a jolt of energy. The “1 Dog” quickly became a fan favorite, so much so that he was voted an All-Star starter. Johnson was in center field, flanked by Barry Bonds and Dante Bichette, as the National League took the field at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. He ended up playing all nine innings. He led off, naturally, and did his thing at the plate. He went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base. The hits kept coming for Johnson in the second half. By season's end, he led the majors with 227 hits, good for a .333 average. He also topped baseball with 21 triples, a Mets franchise record. For good measure, he had 50 steals. Johnson couldn't repeat his success in 1997, thanks to shin splints that kept him on the disabled list for six weeks. His numbers were still OK, though. Johnson was at .309/.385/.404 through Aug. 7. Then came a bizarre twist. On Aug. 8. Johnson was traded to the Chicago Cubs for center fielder Brian McRae and relievers Mel Rojas and Turk Wendell. Right-hander Mark Clark and infielder Manny Alexander were heading to Chicago days later. All six players had to clear trade waivers because the deal was made after the July 31 deadline. Johnson was 34 and hobbled. The deal worked out for the Mets because Wendell became a huge part of the bullpen from 1998 to 2000. Bobby J. Jones (1997) This Bobby Jones is not to be confused with Bobby M. Jones, who pitched briefly for the Mets. Bobby M. was a left-handed swingman. Bobby J. was a durable right-handed starter drafted in the first round by the Mets out of Fresno State in 1991. In 1997, he was also an All-Star. Jones earned a spot on the NL staff with a 12-5 record and 3.08 ERA at the break that year. He worked a scoreless eighth inning in the NL's 3-1 loss at Jacobs Field in Cleveland. His work in the second half wasn't as good, and by season’s end, he was at 15-9, 3.63. It was the beginning of a downward career spiral. His one shining moment over the next three years, and it was as bright as possible, was a game in the 2000 NLDS. Jones shut out the San Francisco Giants on one hit in Game 4 to clinch the series. Edgardo Alfonzo (2000) “Fonzie” was one of the top second basemen in the game when he made his lone All-Star team. A year earlier, he had moved to second from third with the arrival of Robin Ventura. Those two, plus John Olerud and Rey Ordonez, formed one of the finest all-around infields in franchise history. Around the same time, Alfonzo found his power stroke as offense throughout the sport was exploding. By 2000, he was a middle-of-the-order threat who also had elite bat control. He claimed his place as an All-Star reserve with a .316/.417/.538 slash line, 13 home runs, a 14.7 walk rate and a 9.8 percent strikeout rate at the break. He replaced Jeff Kent midgame at Turner Field, going hitless in two at-bats as the NL lost 6-3. The All-Star appearance would not be Alfonzo's last big stage of the season. The Mets won the NL wild card and then advanced to face the Yankees in the Subway Series. Alfonzo went 3-for-21 as the Amazins lost in five games. That disappointment aside, he was riding high in 2000. He received MVP votes after posting 6.0 bWAR, his third season of 6 or more in a four-year span. He was a star at 26. But then injuries hit hard. His 2001 campaign was marred by back, elbow, hand and leg ailments. He bounced back in 2002 with 5.0 bWAR, but then he left the Mets after that season to sign a four-year, $26 million contract with the NL champion San Francisco Giants as a free agent. Al Leiter (2000) Leiter's left arm might still be sore from those 142 pitches in Game 5 of the 2000 Series. But Leiter had earned the trust of manager Bobby Valentine, who kept him on the mound for 8⅔ innings until the Yankees took the lead. He was the leader of the rotation. In July, he was leading the way with a 10-2 record and 2.99 ERA (3.97 FIP). He made the NL All-Star staff off those numbers. He took the loss in the game after allowing a two-run single to Derek Jeter in the fourth inning. Ominous foreshadowing there. Leiter ended the season with 16 wins, a 139 ERA+ and 200 strikeouts. He stayed a Met through the 2004 season. He ended his career in 2005 with two of his former teams, the then-Florida Marlins and the Yankees. Armando Benitez (2003) Benitez played a major role in the 2000 World Series drama, too. He blew the save in Game 1 and the Yankees ended up winning in 12 innings. It was all downhill for the Mets after that. But Benitez saved a lot of games for the club, as well, and by 2003, he was long past the Subway Series failure. He wasn't at his best that season, though. In fact, he was having a tough year when he made the All-Star team. He was just 21-for-28 in save opportunities at the break. Benitez was spared an appearance in the game at then-U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. Billy Wagner and Eric Gagne gave it up in a 7-6 NL loss. The next day, he was a Yankee. The Mets traded him to the Bronx Bombers on July 16 for three prospects as their deadline sell-off continued. Benitez was in the last year of his contract. He left having recorded 160 saves as a Met. Paul Lo Duca (2006) Lo Duca was an All-Star at his two stops before New York, with the Los Angeles Dodgers and then-Florida Marlins. He hit the trifecta with the Mets in ‘06 when he was voted an NL starter. His .302 average at the break, the Mets’ place in the standings and the team's popularity at the time helped a lot. In fact, he was one of three Mets to start the game. David Wright and Carlos Beltran were the others. He went 0-for-2 in the NL's 3-2 loss. Lo Duca finished the season with a .318 average, but he had just five home runs and 49 RBIs. The Mets won the East that year, but famously lost the NLCS to the Cardinals in seven games. In Game 7, Lo Duca walked with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to load the bases for Beltran. An Adam Wainwright hook from hell buckled Beltran's legs for strike three and sent the Redbirds to the World Series. The next year, Lo Duca was in the middle of the Mets’ “up seven with 17 to play” collapse that gifted the Phillies the division. That's some bad stretch running. And Lo Duca would know all about that as someone who has been involved in horse racing for decades.

The New York Mets' full-season minor-league affiliates went 1-2 on Saturday. Brooklyn was the lone winner, routing Jersey Shore 9-1. JT Benson belted a grand slam and Dakota Hawkins pitched five scoreless innings. Syracuse squandered a four-run lead in its 8-6 loss to Lehigh Valley. The bullpen yielded six runs in the eighth inning. Yonny Hernández kept his hot streak going with three hits and three RBIs. Binghamton fell behind big early and lost 8-1 at Erie. Starter.R.J. Gordon allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innjngs. St. Lucie's game at Fort Myers postponed because of rain. Mets Transactions New York Mets sent 1B Jorge Polanco on a rehab assignment to Syracuse Mets. New York Mets sent SS Zack Short outright to Syracuse Mets. New York Mets optioned LHP Zach Thornton to Syracuse Mets. Bullpen Collapse Costs Syracuse At Lehigh Valley Syracuse carried a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth, before the relief corps unraveled, Matt Turner retired just one batter while allowing four runs, and Guillo Zuñiga gave up two more, one on a wild pitch, as Lehigh Valley rallied for six in the inning Yonny Hernández paced the offense, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. The infielder is 10-for17 over four games in the series and 13-for-21 in his last five games. Syracuse seemed to be in control of the game after pushing across three runs in the seventh to go up 6-2. Cristian Pache singled home Hayden Senger and Jihwan Bae, and then Hernández doubled in Pache. Starter Xzavion Curry lasted 4 1/3 innings, allowing two runs. Parker Carlson and Joey Gerber combined for 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Player AB R H RBI BB K Nick Morabito 5 0 1 0 0 2 Jorge Polanco 3 0 0 0 0 1 Hayden Senger 0 1 0 0 1 0 Ryan Clifford 1 0 0 0 0 0 Jihwan Bae 4 2 2 0 1 0 Cristian Pache 5 2 2 2 0 0 Yonny Hernández 4 1 3 3 0 0 Jared Oliva 3 0 0 0 1 1 Vidal Bruján 4 0 1 1 0 0 Grae Kessinger 4 0 0 0 0 1 Kevin Parada 4 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Xzavion Curry 4 1/3 8 2 2 2 3 1 Parker Carlson 1 2/3 0 0 0 1 0 0 Joey Gerber 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Matt Turner 1/3 3 4 4 1 1 3 Guillo Zuñiga 1/3 1 2 2 1 2 0 Ofreidy Gómez 1/3 0 0 0 0 1 0 Early Deficit Sinks Binghamton At Erie The Rumble Ponies fell behind 5-0 after three innings and the offense failed to respond. Starter R.J. Gordon labored through 2 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits and two walks while striking out two. Erie scored twice in the second inning and added three more in the third to build its.lead. Binghamton's lone run came in the fourth. Wyatt Young walked and came around to score on a Jaylen Palmer double. The Rumble Ponies managed just six hits total. Saul Garcia was a bright spot, striking out four over two hitless innings of relief. Player AB R H RBI BB K Chris Suero 4 0 1 0 0 0 Jose Ramos 3 0 1 0 1 0 Nick Lorusso 4 0 0 0 0 1 Vincent Perozo 4 0 1 0 0 2 Wyatt Young 3 1 1 0 1 0 Jaylen Palmer 4 0 1 1 0 2 Kevin Villavicencio 4 0 0 0 0 1 Nick Lucky 3 0 1 0 0 2 Nick Roselli 3 0 0 0 0 3 Player IP H R ER BB K HR R.J. Gordon 2 2/3 6 5 5 2 2 0 Justin Armbruester 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 1 0 Saul Garcia 2 0 0 0 0 4 0 Carlos Guzman 1 1 2 2 3 1 1 Brian Metoyer 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 Benson Grand Slam Powers Brooklyn Past Jersey Shore JT Benson provided the capper on the Cyclones' .win with a grand slam in the eighrh. Brooklyn took control of.the game with four runs in the fifth. Yohairo Cuevas hit his first home run for the Cyclones to open the scoring. Three more runs crossed when Daiverson Gutierrez's two-out fly to shallow right-center fell safely after an outfield mixup. Mitch Voit, Ronald Hernandez, and John Bay all scored to make it 4-0. Starter Dakota Hawkins scattered four hits over five scoreless innings to earn the win. He didn't walk a batter and struck out one. He threw 40 of his 58 pitches for strikes. Rehabbing veteran Robert Stock followed with two scoreless frames, striking out two. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 2 1 0 1 2 Ronald Hernandez 3 2 0 0 2 1 John Bay 4 1 1 0 0 1 Jamari Baylor 2 1 0 0 1 1 Daiverson Gutierrez 4 1 2 1 0 0 JT Benson 3 1 2 4 1 1 Colin Houck 4 0 0 0 0 2 Trace Willhoite 4 0 0 0 0 2 Yohairo Cuevas 4 1 1 1 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dakota Hawkins 5 4 0 0 0 1 0 Robert Stock 2 0 0 0 0 2 0 Josh Blum 1 1 1 1 2 1 0 Ryan Dollar 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 St. Lucie Rained Out St. Lucie's game at Fort Myers was postponed by rain. The Mets will return to action Sunday afternoon. Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: MLB A.J. Ewing: MLB Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Pena: DNP Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 0-for-1 Jacob Reimer: DNP Nick Morabito: 1-for-5, 2 K Mitch Voit: 1-for-4, 2B, BB, 2 K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: 1-for-4 Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: DNP R.J. Gordon: 2 2/3 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K

Syracuse got a quality start from Jonah Tong and four hits from Yonny Hernández as it defeated Lehigh Valley 4-3 in 10 innings on Friday. Brooklyn edged Jersey Shore 6-5, coming back after blowing an early lead. John Bay clubbed a three-run homer in the first inning for the Cyclones, while Gregori Louis, Hoss Brewer, and Juan Arnaud combined for four scoreless innings of relief. Binghamton was blanked 6-0 at Erie. Gabriel Rodriguez's two scoreless frames were a bright spot. St. Lucie fell 6-2 at Fort Myers, but Elian Peña had a productive night with two hits, an RBI, and two walks. Mets Transactions New York Mets sent RHP Dedniel Núñez on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets. New York Mets activated CF Tyrone Taylor from the 10-day injured list. New York Mets optioned DH MJ Melendez to Syracuse Mets. New York Mets recalled LHP Zach Thornton from Syracuse Mets. New York Mets optioned RHP Daniel Duarte to Syracuse Mets. Tong Effective, Hernández Collects Four Hits As Syracuse Edges Lehigh Valley The Syracuse Mets won 4-3 in 10 innings on the road over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The eventual winning run scored on an error by Lehigh Valley's pitcher, who threw wildly to first base on a pickoff attempt. The biggest development of the night was Jonah Tong turning in a quality start. The right-hander allowed two runs and four hits over six innings, walking two and striking out three. His command was excellent overall; 69 of his 98 pitches were strikes. The effort was a needed turnaround for Tong. He has struggled for most of the season, and before Friday he had allowed 15 earned runs in his last 12 innings (11.25 ERA). The Mets also got a big night from Yonny Hernández, who went 4-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two stolen bases. Syracuse scratched out single runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth after being blanked for the first five. In the sixth, Jihwan Bae doubled in Cristian Pache to tie the game 1-1. In the seventh, Grae Kessinger drove in Jared Oliva with a sacrifice fly. In the eighth to make it 2-2. In the eighth, Vidal Bruján scored from first on Hernández's double to put Syracuse ahead 3-2. After Lehigh Valley tied the game in the ninth, Syracuse went back ahead in the 10th. Ghost runner Hayden Senger advanced to third on a Pache sacrifice bunt and then scored on the throwing error. Danis Correa closed out the win with a scoreless 10th. Player AB R H RBI BB K Jihwan Bae 5 0 1 1 0 1 Vidal Bruján 5 1 1 0 0 3 Yonny Hernández 5 0 4 1 0 1 Ryan Clifford 5 0 1 0 0 2 Jared Oliva 4 1 1 0 0 0 Ben Rortvedt 4 0 0 0 0 1 Grae Kessinger 3 0 1 1 0 1 Hayden Senger 4 1 0 0 0 1 Cristian Pache 3 1 1 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonah Tong 6 4 2 2 2 3 1 Ben Simon 1 1/3 2 0 0 0 0 0 Jefry Yan 1 2/3 1 1 1 1 4 0 Danis Correa 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Rumble Ponies Blanked In Erie; Rodriguez Sharp In Relief The Binghamton Rumble Ponies were shut out 6-0 on the road against the Erie SeaWolves. The offense managed only four hits and five walks while leaving seven on base. Jaylen Palmer doubled and drew a walk, JT Schwartz singled and walked, and Wyatt Young and Nick Roselli each added a single. Nick Lucky walked twice. Starter Channing Austin took the loss. He allowed three runs on two hits, walking three and striking out one, in his one inning of work. Gabriel Rodriguez followed with two scoreless innings, surrendering one hit and striking out four. Max Green went the final five innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walking two, striking out four, and giving up one home run. Player AB R H RBI BB K Jose Ramos 4 0 0 0 0 0 JT Schwartz 3 0 1 0 1 0 Vincent Perozo 4 0 0 0 0 1 Matt Rudick 4 0 0 0 0 2 Wyatt Young 4 0 1 0 0 2 Jaylen Palmer 3 0 1 0 1 1 Kevin Villavicencio 3 0 0 0 1 0 Nick Lucky 1 0 0 0 2 0 Nick Roselli 3 0 1 0 0 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Channing Austin 1 2 3 3 3 1 0 Gabriel Rodriguez 2 1 0 0 0 4 0 Max Green 5 5 3 3 2 4 1 Bay Homer, Late Rally Lift Brooklyn Past Jersey Shore The Brooklyn Cyclones rallied to defeat the Jersey Shore BlueClaws 6-5 at home after surrendering an early lead. John Bay set the tone with a three-run homer, his 10th of the season, in the first inning, But Jersey Shore touched up Brooklyn starter Jose Chrinos for five runs in the fourth to take the lead, going deep three times. The Cyclones came back in the sixth to tie the game 5-5. Jamari Baylor drove home Daiverson Gutierrez with an infield hit, and Colin Houck scored when the throw to first couldn't be handled. In the seventh, Gutierrez singled home Ronald Hernandez for the go-ahead run. Hernandez reached base four times in all (double, three walks), scored twice, and stole a base. Chirinos lasted five innings, allowing five runs on five hits, walking two, and striking out five. The bullpen was outstanding, as Joe Jacques, Gregori Louis, Hoss Brewer, and Juan Arnaud combined for four scoreless innings. Louis earned the win, and Arnaud notched the save. Player AB R H RBI BB K Yonatan Henriquez 5 1 1 0 0 1 Ronald Hernandez 1 2 1 0 3 0 John Bay 3 1 1 3 0 1 Corey Collins 3 0 0 0 1 0 Daiverson Gutierrez 3 1 1 1 1 0 Colin Houck 4 1 1 0 0 2 Jamari Baylor 4 0 2 1 0 0 Trace Willhoite 4 0 0 0 0 3 Sam Biller 4 0 2 0 0 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jose Chirinos 5 5 5 5 2 5 3 Joe Jacques 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 Gregori Louis 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 Hoss Brewer 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Juan Arnaud 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 Peña Shines In St. Lucie Loss To Fort Myers The St. Lucie Mets fell 6-2 on the road to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. Elian Peña went 2-for-3 with an RBI, a stolen base, and two walks to pace the offense. Taylor Darden added two hits, a walk, and a stolen base. Chase Meggers doubled and drove in a run. Antonio Jimenez reached three times (single, two walks), scored a run, and stole a base. St. Lucie got its runs in the sixth and ninth. In the sixth, Meggers doubled in Jimenez. In the ninth, Peña singled home Darden. Starter Jonathan Jimenez took the loss, allowing five runs and four hits over 2 2/3 innings, walking four, striking out one, and surrendering three home runs. Caden Wooster allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings of relief. Joe Scarborough followed with two scoreless innings and three strikeouts, and Zack Mack tossed a scoreless ninth. Player AB R H RBI BB K Elian Peña 3 0 2 1 2 0 Trey Snyder 4 0 0 0 1 3 Antonio Jimenez 2 1 0 0 2 0 Simon Juan 4 0 1 0 0 1 Branny De Oleo 4 0 1 0 0 1 Chase Meggers 4 0 1 1 0 1 Francisco Toledo 4 0 0 0 0 0 Taylor Darden 3 1 2 0 1 0 Jackson Hauge 3 0 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Jonathan Jimenez 2 2/3 4 5 5 4 1 3 Caden Wooster 2 1/3 1 1 1 0 1 1 Joe Scarborough 2 1 0 0 2 3 0 Zack Mack 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: MLB A.J. Ewing: MLB Jonah Tong: 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR Elian Pena: 2-for-3, RBI, SB, 2 BB Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 1-for-5, 2 K Jacob Reimer: DNP Nick Morabito: DNP Mitch Voit: DNP Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: DNP Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: DNP Dylan Ross: DNP Antonio Jimenez: 0-for-2, SB, 2 BB R.J. Gordon: DNP