Tom Gatto

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 View full article

Image courtesy of © David Frerker-Imagn Images 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. View full article

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 View full article

Image courtesy of © Frank Becerra Jr/USA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK 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. 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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 View full article

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 View full article

Binghamton was the lone New York Mets full-season minor-league affiliate to win on Thursday. The Rumble Ponies outslugged Erie on the road. Leadoff batter Jose Ramos paced the offense with three hits, including a home run, and two RBIs. Douglas Orellana earned the win, and Saul Garcia notched a save. Syracuse fell to Lehigh Valley, but Nate Lavender worked two scoreless innings of relief. Mitch Voit, Jamari Baylor, and Daiverson Garcia homered in Brooklyn's loss to Jersey Shore. St. Lucie lost to Fort Myers on a ninth-inning walk-off home run after tying the game in the top of the inning. Major league reliever Dedniel Nunez made a rehab start for St. Lucie. Mets Transactions New York Mets sent RHP Dedniel Núñez on a rehab assignment to St. Lucie Mets. New York Mets placed 2B Marcus Semien on the 10-day injured list. Left hip flexor strain. New York Mets traded LHP David Peterson to Chicago Cubs for 3B Cole Mathis. New York Mets recalled RHP Daniel Duarte from Syracuse Mets. New York Mets recalled SS Ronny Mauricio from Syracuse Mets. New York Mets optioned RHP Jonathan Pintaro to Syracuse Mets. Syracuse Responds Early, But Can't Hold Off Lehigh Valley Syracuse fell 7-3 to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in Game 3 of their series. The IronPigs jumped ahead with two runs in the first, but Syracuse answered in the top of the second. Grae Kessinger's groundout scored Ryan Clifford, and then Ben Rortvedt followed with an RBI single that brought home Yonny Hernández to tie the game 2-2. Lehigh Valley regained the lead in the bottom of the second, then added single runs in the third and fourth, the latter on a bases-loaded walk, to build a 5-2 cushion. Syracuse snatched a run back in the seventh when Cristian Pache singled home Kessinger, but the IronPigs put the game away with two runs in the eighth. Nick Morabito paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with a double and a walk. Pache added two hits, an RBI, and a stolen base. Adbert Alzolay opened as the Mets went with a bullpen game. He allowed the IronPigs' two runs in the first. Ryan Lambert took the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run in the second. Nate Lavender was the lone bright spot on the mound, striking out three over two scoreless innings. Player AB R H RBI BB K Jihwan Bae 4 0 0 0 0 2 Vidal Bruján 4 0 0 0 0 0 Nick Morabito 3 0 2 0 1 0 Ryan Clifford 4 1 1 0 0 2 Yonny Hernández 4 1 0 0 0 0 Grae Kessinger 4 1 1 1 0 0 Ben Rortvedt 4 0 1 1 0 1 Cristian Pache 4 0 2 1 0 1 Kevin Parada 3 0 0 0 1 2 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Adbert Alzolay 1 3 2 2 0 0 0 Ryan Lambert 1 2 1 1 0 2 0 Dan Hammer 1 1 1 0 1 2 0 Tanner Witt 1 2/3 2 1 1 3 2 0 Guillo Zuñiga 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Nate Lavender 2 1 0 0 0 3 0 Dylan Ross 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 Binghamton's Big Third Inning Fuels Win Binghamton pounded out 15 hits as it outscored the Erie SeaWolves 10-7 in a game shortened to 8 1/2 innings because of rain. The Rumble Ponies broke an early tie with four runs in the top of the third inning. Vincent Perozo singled home Jose Ramos, Jaylen Palmer doubled in Vincent Perozo and Matt Rudick, and Kevin Villavicencio followed with an RBI single that scored Jaylen Palmer to give Binghamton a 5-1 lead. Erie answered with three in the bottom of the third, but Nick Lorusso hit a solo home run in the fourth to make it a 6-4 game. Binghamton pushed across two more in the seventh when Lorusso reached on an error that scored Kevin Villavicencio and Nick Lucky. After Erie cut the lead to 8-7 on a home run in the bottom of the seventh, Ramos provided insurance for Binghamton with a two-run home run in the ninth. Lucky led the way at the plate, going 4-for-5 with an RBI. Ramos finished 3-for-6 out of the leadoff spot, adding a double to his home run.. Starter Brendan Girton failed to qualify for the win. He allowed four runs (three earned).and five hits over 3 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out three. Douglas Orellana earned the win in relief, allowing a run over 1 1/3 innings.. Saul Garcia got the final out in the bottom of the eighth and was credited with the save after the game was called. Player AB R H RBI BB K Jose Ramos 6 2 3 2 0 2 Nick Lorusso 5 1 2 1 1 0 JT Schwartz 6 0 2 0 0 1 Vincent Perozo 4 1 1 1 0 2 Matt Rudick 3 1 0 0 2 2 Jaylen Palmer 4 2 2 2 1 1 Kevin Villavicencio 5 1 1 1 0 0 Nick Lucky 5 1 4 1 0 1 Nick Roselli 4 1 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Brendan Girton 3 2/3 5 4 3 3 3 0 Douglas Orellana 1 1/3 1 1 1 1 1 0 Jordan Geber 1 2 0 0 0 2 0 Zach Peek 1 2/3 3 2 2 0 2 1 Saul Garcia 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Cyclones Go Deep Three Times But Fall To Jersey Shore Brooklyn lost 7-5 to the Jersey Shore BlueClaws despite hitting three home runs. The Cyclones grabbed an early lead in the third when Yonatan Henriquez scored on an error, but the BlueClaws answered with three runs in the top of the fifth to go up 3-1. Brooklyn responded in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer by leadoff man Mitch Voit, but Jersey Shore stretched the margin to 5-2 in the sixth with a pair of runs. Jamari Baylor homered in the eighth to keep the Cyclones within reach. After the BlueClaws added two runs in the top of the ninth, Daiverson Gutierrez launched a two-run home run in the bottom half for the final margin. Henriquez went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two stolen bases to lead the offense. Starter Noah Hall struck out seven but also allowed five runs (three earned), six hits, and two walks over 5 1/3 innings as he took the loss. Bryce Jenkins and Ryan Dollar were sharp in relief, combining for 2 2/3 scoreless frames with six strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Mitch Voit 4 1 1 1 1 1 Yonatan Henriquez 5 2 3 0 0 1 JT Benson 4 0 0 0 1 2 Corey Collins 4 0 1 0 0 1 Daiverson Gutierrez 5 1 1 2 0 1 Trace Willhoite 4 0 0 0 0 1 Jamari Baylor 4 1 2 1 1 1 Sam Biller 2 0 0 0 1 1 Yohairo Cuevas 3 0 0 0 1 1 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Noah Hall 5 1/3 6 5 3 2 7 1 Bryce Jenkins 1 2/3 0 0 0 2 3 0 Ryan Dollar 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 Cristofer Gomez 2/3 1 2 2 3 2 0 Hunter Hodges 1/3 0 0 0 0 0 0 St. Lucie Rallies To Tie, Then Loses On Walk-Off Homer St. Lucie lost 7-6 to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth off Miguel Mejias.. Mejias got the first out in the inning before serving up the game-ending blast. St. Lucie erased an early 2-0 deficit with three runs in the top of the fourth. Julio Zayas singled home Branny De Oleo, Simon Juan singled home Zayas, and Chase Meggers doubled home Juan to put tne Mets up 3-2.. Fort Myers answered with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, aided by a throwing error. St. Lucie got an RBI groundout from Trey Snyder in the eighth to make it 6-4, and then Branny De Oleo singled home Juan and Meggers in the ninth to tie the game 6-6. De Oleo had a big night at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two stolen bases. Juan and Meggers added two hits apiece. Starter Dedniel Núñez, who was sent to St. Lucie from New York for a rehab assignment, allowed two unearned runs in two-thirds of an inning. He threw 20 pitches as he took the next step in his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Joel Lara came on in the third for bulk relief and allowed four runs (three earned) over 3 2/3 innings. He struck out four. Christian Rodriguez followed with 2 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Player AB R H RBI BB K Branny De Oleo 5 1 3 2 0 0 Jeremy Rodriguez 4 0 1 0 0 3 Trey Snyder 4 0 0 1 0 2 Julio Zayas 4 1 1 1 0 1 Simon Juan 4 2 2 1 0 1 Chase Meggers 4 1 2 1 0 1 Taylor Darden 4 0 0 0 0 2 Jackson Hauge 4 0 0 0 0 0 Jack Scanlon 2 1 1 0 1 0 Elian Peña 0 0 0 0 1 0 Player IP H R ER BB K HR Dedniel Núñez 2/3 2 2 0 0 1 0 Tyler McLoughlin 1 1/3 0 0 0 1 2 0 Joel Lara 3 2/3 2 4 3 2 4 0 Christian Rodriguez 2 1/3 1 0 0 2 3 0 Miguel Mejias 1/3 1 1 1 0 0 1 Top-20 Prospect Performance Carson Benge: MLB A.J. Ewing: MLB Jonah Tong: DNP Elian Pena: 0-for-0, BB Jack Wenninger: DNP Ryan Clifford: 1-for-4, 2 K Jacob Reimer: DNP Nick Morabito: 2-for-3, 2B, BB Mitch Voit: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, BB, K Jonathan Santucci: DNP Chris Suero: DNP Zach Thornton: DNP Wandy Asigen: DNP Will Watson: DNP Eli Serrano III: DNP Randy Guzman: DNP Ryan Lambert: 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 K, L Dylan Ross: 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB Antonio Jimenez: DNP R.J. Gordon: DNP View full article

Image courtesy of MLB Vault/MLB.com The New York Mets may send just one representative to the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. Juan Soto is the favorite to earn the spot after being left off the National League team last year. He would join the group of one-time Mets All-Stars, although that feels like a temporary “honor.” More than one trip seems inevitable, even after the snub in '25. In this three-part series, Grand Central Mets will look at each player who has made just one All-Star Game appearance as a member of the club. Part 1 will span the franchise's first 20 seasons, 1962 through 1981. Duke Snider (1963) “The Duke of Flatbush” was not the Mets’ first All-Star. Richie Ashburn holds that distinction. But Ashburn was technically a two-time All-Star with the club, even though he played one season for the Mets. There were two All-Star Games in 1962 and he was named to the National League team for both games. Thus, the No. 1 designation goes to Snider. Duke was no stranger to the Midsummer Classic by the time he got to the Mets. He made the NL squad seven seasons in a row (1950 through 1956) during his prime as the Brooklyn Dodgers’ center fielder. As a Mets outfielder, though, he was mostly washed, a big name who could attract nostalgic fans to the Polo Grounds. On the other hand, he was a top player on a club that would go on to lose 111 games, so he deserved the trip to Cleveland for the game. He entered in the ninth inning as a replacement for Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Tommy Davis. Snider struck out as a pinch hitter in the top half and then played in the field in the bottom half as the NL prevailed 5-3. He finished the year with 14 home runs, 45 RBIs and a .243/.345/.401 slash line in 415 plate appearances. That looked great when compared with the team's anemic .219/.285/.315 line. Snider's return to New York lasted just one season. He wanted to end his career playing for a contending club, and the Mets were years away from becoming one, so they sold him to, of all teams, the San Francisco Giants on April 14, 1964, just prior to the season opener. Ed Kranepool (1965) Kranepool was the Mets’ first homegrown All-Star. The Bronx native signed with the club out of high school in June 1962 for a reported $75,000, a huge sum at the time. He was called up from the minors that September and got into three games, making him an original Met. Three years later, as a 20-year-old, he was backing up NL first baseman Ernie Banks at Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, Minnesota. Kranepool didn't get into the game, a 6-5 NL victory. The managers back then treated the All-Star contest as a mini-World Series rather than an exhibition. The berth became his only shot at glory. He never did much better than his 1965 season numbers: 10 home runs, 53 RBIs and a .253/.303/.371 slash line over 575 plate appearances. But Kranepool could boast other accomplishments. He won a World Series ring with the 1969 Mets, hitting a home run in Game 3. He also played a bench role for the Mets in the 1973 World Series. He lasted 18 seasons with the franchise, and his name is still high on many of its all-time lists: first in games played, third in hits, and sixth in RBIs. Cleon Jones (1969) Jones was in the midst of a career year when he represented the Mets alongside Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman in Washington, D.C. He was fourth in the NL batting race when average still meant something. (He finished the year third at .340, to go with 12 homers and 75 RBIs.) Jones started in left field and went 2-for-4 with two runs scored in a 9-3 Senior Circuit victory. One week later, his season took an odd turn. As the Mets were getting hammered by the Houston Astros in Game 2 of a doubleheader at Shea Stadium, manager Gil Hodges walked to the outfield to publicly yank Jones from the game. The official reason was a hamstring pull, but it was clear in the moment that Hodges was benching Jones for loafing in the field. The incident helped to spark a furious stretch run that ended with the Miracle Mets winning the World Series over the 109-win Baltimore Orioles. Jones caught the final out of the clinching Game 5 victory. Tug McGraw (1972) McGraw became one of the game's top relief pitchers in 1971, posting a 1.70 ERA, 11 wins and eight saves. In 1972, he was even better as the Mets’ late-game stopper. He earned the trip to Atlanta for the Midsummer Classic. The screwballing left-hander wound up playing a huge role in the game. He pitched a scoreless ninth and 10th inning, striking out four (including Reggie Jackson) and allowing one hit. His teammates scored a run in the bottom of the 10th for a 4-3 victory, making McGraw the winning pitcher. He finished 1972 with another 1.70 ERA, along with eight wins and a career-high 27 saves, but by the summer of 1973 he was in a steep decline and no longer reliable. Then came his “Ya Gotta Believe” clubhouse rant. McGraw and the Mets got red-hot in September. The vibes lasted all the way to Game 7 of the World Series, where Jackson homered to power the Oakland Athletics to a championship repeat. Dave Kingman (1976) Kingman was dubbed “Sky King” and “Kong” in New York because of his size (6-foot-6) and power. In ‘76, he was leading the NL with 30 home runs at the break. The fans rewarded him with a trip to Philadelphia for baseball's bicentennial celebration. He started the game in right field and went 0-for-2 with a strikeout (he did that a lot, too) in the NL's 7- 1 triumph. Six days later, Kingman's season fell apart. He tore a ligament in his left thumb diving for a ball in left field against the Atlanta Braves at Shea Stadium. He underwent surgery and missed 33 games. When he returned in late August, his power wasn't quite the same. He hit five more homers to finish the season with 37, eclipsing his franchise record by one. By mid-1977, the Mets were moving on from him. They traded their slugger to the San Diego Padres at the June 15 deadline for Bobby Valentine and Paul Siebert. The move was not the most notable one that night, of course. Pat Zachry (1978) Zachry came to the Mets from the Cincinnati Reds on June 15, 1977, as part of the Tom Seaver “Midnight Massacre” trade. The right-hander from Texas was never going to fill “The Franchise”’s shoes, but he was good enough to lead a rotation and represent his new club in the All-Star Game. He went to San Diego for the ‘78 game but only watched as the NL won 5-3. Two weeks later, Zachry pitched in a game that came to define his career. He was facing the Reds at Shea, and Pete Rose was pursuing Joe DiMaggio's record 56-game hitting streak. Zachry gave up a single to Rose in the seventh inning, extending the streak to 37 games. Zachry was taken out of the game later in the frame with the Mets trailing. After he got into the dugout, he tried to kick a helmet in frustration. He ended up hitting a cement step. Zachry broke his left foot and missed the remainder of the season. His final numbers were solid — a 10-6 record, 3.33 ERA and five complete games in 21 starts. More injuries followed. Elbow and Achilles ailments limited him to seven games in 1979. He finally came back strong in 1980 and went on to pitch into the 1985 season. Lee Mazzilli (1979) The ‘79 game is known as “The Dave Parker Game”: Mets fans could claim it as “The Lee Mazzilli Game.” Parker gained lasting fame for throwing out Jim Rice at third base and Brian Downing at the plate from right field, but Mazzilli contributed greatly to the NL's 7-6 win at Seattle's Kingdome, too. First, “The Italian Stallion” lined a game-tying pinch-hit home run off the left-field foul pole in the eighth inning against Texas Rangers fireballer Jim Kern. Then, the kid from Brooklyn drew a go-ahead bases-loaded walk in the ninth against New York Yankees ace Ron Guidry. It was a rare moment of pride for a Mets team that finished 63-99 that season. But Mazzilli's magic was about to disappear. Prior to the 1980 season, the Mets moved him from center field to first base to make room for the newly acquired Jerry Morales. He eventually moved back to center, but on April 1, 1982, the Mets traded Mazzilli to the Rangers for two major league-ready pitchers: Walt Terrell and a kid from Yale named Ron Darling. Joel Youngblood (1981) Youngblood possessed speed, pop and versatility, but mostly, he possessed a big arm. In 1981, he also possessed a lofty batting average, and that made him All-Star material. He was hitting .359 in 48 games as the club's everyday right fielder when the players went on strike in mid-June. When the strike ended about two months later, baseball decided to use the All-Star Game in Cleveland as the relaunch. Youngblood's average — and the Mets’ 17-34 record —- hadn't changed, so a spot on the NL roster was his. Youngblood made an early cameo in the game. He pinch-hit for NL starter Fernando Valenzuela in the top of the second. With that out of the way (the NL won 5-4), it was on to the makeshift second half of the season. Youngblood didn't last a week. He had injured his left knee in June, and he injured it again in mid-August. His season was over by Aug. 15. The Mets missed him as they fought for the second-half NL East title in the final six weeks. View full article

Image courtesy of © David Frerker-Imagn Images MLB trade rumor season unofficially begins with June, and for better or worse, the New York Mets figure to be a big part of the proceedings this year. Grand Central Mets identified three of the organization's most valuable trade chips if the club decides to hold a summer sell-off. However, there's an intriguing fourth option if the stars align between now and the trade deadline on Aug. 3. It's a lot of factors to consider, but if the club is buried in the National League wild-card standings before the deadline, if it wants to reduce payroll ahead of a potentially chaotic offseason, and if he's presented an opportunity to play in October with another club, there's also infielder Bo Bichette. Fans are sure to dismiss that. The Mets signed Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract last offseason. He stunk in the first two months of the deal, which means he has little choice but to opt into the second year of the agreement and weigh down any club's payroll. The response to all that is “Yes, but" multiple times over. When taken together, though, we can build a case for president of baseball operations David Stearns to at least listen on Bichette. Mets Must Weight Reasons to Trade Or Keep Bo Bichette YES: Bichette has a no-trade clause, BUT: Would he exercise it to stay with a club that’s out of contention and can't guarantee that it will be a lot better in 2027? The Mets are on course to miss the playoffs for a fourth time in six seasons under Steve Cohen's ownership. Buying players like Bichette in their win-now frenzy hasn't worked. The organization has been much better at pursuing Cohen's goal of building a perennial contender from within. Tanking should never enter a conversation about a Cohen team, and a Bichette trade for prospects would not be that. It would instead be a move to both add volume to the pipeline and free up cash for multiple offseason moves. YES: The average annual value (AAV) of Bichette’s contract is $42 million, one of the highest salaries in baseball, BUT: The deal's structure makes the player tradeable this year. The pact included a $40 million signing bonus, which the Mets paid in full on March 15. That left a $2 million salary for 2026. By the deadline, he'll be owed about one-third of that amount, or $666,667. That's less than the full-year MLB minimum salary. Plus, any team that acquires him would add $14 million to its competitive balance tax (CBT) payroll total, not the full $42 million, as per CBT rules. Those factors should expand the universe of potential suitors and make a Bichette trade more attractive to the Mets. Low-payroll contenders such as the Athletics, Cleveland Guardians, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals could pay Bichette pennies over the final two months and stay well below the first CBT tax threshold. The Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, on the other hand, would be facing millions in additional penalties and surcharges as multiple-time taxpayers. YES: Bichette will make $42 million in 2027 if he opts in, BUT: Some clubs are willing to pay a high AAV in short-term deals. The Mets committed $43.33 million per year each to pitchers Max Scherzer (three years) and Justin Verlander (two years) in 2022 and 2023, respectively. They flipped both men for prospects at the ‘23 deadline. Lots of cash went to the Rangers and Astros, respectively, in those trades, but clubs with fewer resources can figure out creative solutions if they want to flip Bichette next year. Separately, some clubs might want to add a high-dollar player if they believe a salary floor is coming to MLB in the next collective bargaining agreement and will need to add payroll to comply. YES: Bichette is proving that he isn't a $42 million player, which makes an opt-in almost inevitable, BUT: He's still young (28), he has a track record of above-average offensive production, and he has a World Series appearance on his résumé. And not only a World Series appearance, but also a performance where he played hurt (knee) at an unfamiliar position (second base). Clubs will pay for that type of player. Whether he returns to New York or is elsewhere next year, Bichette could also defer a portion of his salary to help the front office. After all, he agreed to defer the $5 million buyout he'll receive if he opts out after this season or next season. YES: Bichette has been bad this season based on numbers. BUT: His post-Series hangover can be excused because, as he has said, he was pressing early on to live up to the contract. Propelled by a four-hit game against the Mariners in Seattle, he's hitting .321 in June. His poor numbers after 62 games (.591 OPS, 70 wRC+, 0.0 fWAR through June 4) can be excused because some of his peripherals are okay. He's running a 17.4 percent strikeout rate, which is in line with his career figures; a career-high 6.6 percent walk rate; a .263 BABIP, which suggests a lot of bad luck, and a 46.3 percent hard-hit rate, which also is close to his career norms. His fielding is even on the upswing. He has been below average at shortstop, as usual (minus-2 fielding run value, minus-3 outs above average, minus-3 defensive runs saved through June 4). His work at third base has been better (1 FRV, 2 OAA, minus-2 DRS through June 4). Again, this discussion is based on the hypothetical that the Mets will fall out of contention and then look to dump salary. It's much more likely that they'll keep Bichette, regardless of where they are in the standings, and then spend in the offseason. But if the club has a mind to do the unexpected... well, Cohen has never been afraid of shocking the world. View full article

Image courtesy of © Geoff Burke-Imagn Images A 12-game losing streak in April put the New York Mets’ season in peril. To their credit, they've put together a solid month after stopping that skid. They're 14-12 in their last 26 games, and 6-3 over their last nine. Now, there's hope that this team will be watchable this summer — and maybe good enough to contend for a playoff spot. There’s recent precedent for such optimism, too. Two years ago, the Mets were 21-26 after 47 games — the same as they were at one point in 2026 — and, OMG, did they turn it on after that. They finished with 89 wins and rode the vibes to the NLCS. This year's Mets entered Thursday's action 13th in the National League but just 7.5 games out of a wild-card berth, with more than two-thirds of the season remaining. Still, the team has lots of problems. The roster doesn't have a Jose Iglesias-type veteran who can set the clubhouse alight. Current spark plug A.J. Ewing is a 21-year-old rookie who has yet to totally struggle at the plate. How will a slump affect his energy? The rotation is a minefield. The top bullpen arms are inconsistent. The offense (87 wRC+, 28th in the majors entering the finale of the Nationals series) can't be trusted, even though it averaged 7.6 runs per game during a recent 6-1 streak. Francisco Lindor, Francisco Alvarez and Clay Holmes are out with long-term injuries. Those issues lead to this question: How much time should the front office give this flawed team to complete a turnaround — be at .500 or better, say — before going into sell mode ahead of the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline? Club president David Stearns has shown during his time in New York that he will be patient. Most recently, he stuck with manager Carlos Mendoza while the team was losing and the fans wanted the skipper to join the Red Sox's Alex Cora and the Phillies’ Rob Thomson on the unemployment line. Expect Stearns to give the players similar support even with half the everyday lineup — Lindor, Alvarez, Jorge Polanco and Luis Robert Jr. — on the injured list. Some of those players might be available for part of an upcoming stretch that will answer our question. The Mets are early into a difficult part of their schedule. After this week's road trip to D.C. and Miami, they're looking at this group of series through the first week in July: Home vs. the Reds and Marlins At the Mariners and Padres Home vs. the Cardinals and Braves At the Reds and Phillies Home vs. the Cubs and Phillies At the Blue Jays and Braves All of those teams are capable of making it to October. Yes, even the Marlins, the team that killed the Mets’ playoff dreams last year. Once the gauntlet ends in Atlanta on July 6, the Mets will have played 91 games, barring rainouts. That'll be a sufficient sample size for Stearns and his lieutenants. It will also be the time that prices for deadline rentals start to increase. Bottom line: If the club is around..500 and 6.5 back or.closer in the wild-card race a week before.the All-Star break, then the front office can remain patient and maybe do some buying. If the Mets are buried in the standings — say, 10 or more games behind — then the sell-off should probably get underway. View full article

Carson BengeA.J. EwingJonah TongElian PenaRyan CliffordJacob ReimerJack WenningerMitch VoitNick MorabitoChris SueroJonathan SantucciZach ThorntonWandy AsigenWill WatsonRyan LambertEli Serrano IIIRandy GuzmanDylan RossAntonio JimenezR.J. Gordon

Image courtesy of © Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images The New York Mets' top offensive performer during the first month-plus of the 2026 season was obvious:. he was the one guy who hit in March/April. Choosing the two runners-up in our rankings was the real challenge. The decision came down to the few players who produced just middling wRC+ numbers. An uninspired method of sorting out an uninspiring group. With that process now complete, here's Grand Central Mets' inaugural Hitters of the Month list: Ranking Mets' Best Hitters In April 3. Francisco Lindor March/April stats: .226 AVG, .314 OBP, 18.1 K rate, 10.5 BB rate, .129 ISO, 94 wRC+ Lindor got off to an odd start at the plate. He walked 10 times in the club's first eight games and had twice as many bases on balls as hits. He looked like an old-school leadoff hitter. But then, the patience ran out. Lindor walked just once more in his next 16 games before he went down with a calf injury April 22 vs. the Minnesota Twins. His selectiveness (a career-low 45.3 percent swing rate) didn't translate to better outcomes. His contact rate was a career-low 76.9 percent and his line-drive rate was a career-low 17.6 percent. Still, his overall performance was good enough to rate a place on this list. 2. Francisco Alvarez March/April stats: .226 AVG, .313 OBP, 21.4 K rate, 9.2 BB rate, .179 ISO, 105 wRC+ The catcher was one of just two Mets regulars to produce an above-average wRC+ in the first month-plus. That was enough to put him on this list. He tallied four home runs and three doubles, but his overall batted-ball stats weren't exceptional: a 34.4 percent hard-hit rate, a 14.1 percent line-drive rate and a 50.0 percent ground-ball rate. But there were also signs that he was maturing as a hitter. He was on pace to post career highs in overall contact rate and zone contact rate prior to a late-month slump. 1. Juan Soto March/April stats: .345 AVG, .441 OBP, 11.8 K rate, 14.7 BB rate, .224 ISO, 185 wRC+ Soto did what he could to breathe life into the offense, both before and after missing 15 games due to a calf strain. He slugged .569 and got on base at a .441 clip in 68 plate appearances. He also smacked three home runs; his opposite-field blast vs. the Washington Nationals on April 28 punctuated a seven-run inning in an 8-0 win. At the time, it felt like the hit that would get everyone going. As usual, he was unwilling to expand the strike zone, no matter the situation. He walked at a 26.3 percent rate with runners in scoring position as opponents avoided pitching to the club's lone threat. And, he avoided becoming pull-happy with the club lacking in slug. His center-field batted ball rate was 42 percent, compared to a 40 percent pull rate. In other words, he remained Juan Soto, one of the best hitters in MLB. View full article

Image courtesy of © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images The New York Mets are seeing results from owner Steve Cohen's commitment to improving the farm system. Homegrown players such as Nolan McLean and Carson Benge have already made it to Flushing, and the next wave of prospects is not far behind. Grand Central Mets is profiling that up-and-coming group in this series. You can find Part 1 (Nos. 16-20) here. Here's a look at the second set of prospects in our 2026 Top 20 ranking --- the players ranked 11th through 15th. Four of these prospects are teammates to begin 2026. The fifth player hasn't yet begun his pro career, but he may have the highest ceiling of this group. 15. Will Watson, RHP (Binghamton Rumble Ponies) Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff W L W-L% ERA RA9 G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP BF WHIP H9 HR9 BB9 SO9 SO/W 2026 23 -2.0 BNG EAS AA NYM 0 1 .000 5.14 6.43 2 2 0 0 0 0 7.0 7 5 4 1 4 0 7 1 0 1 1.571 9.0 1.3 5.1 9.0 1.75 Watson, 23, was a two-way player in junior college but switched to full-time pitching after transferring to USC in 2024. The move paid off, as the Mets took him in the seventh round of the 2024 MLB Draft and then promoted him to Double-A late last year. He got a look in major-league spring training before going back to Binghamton for the start of the 2026 season. Watson throws a four-seamer, two-seamer, cutter, changeup and slider. Per MLB.com, his pitch speeds last year ranged from the mid-90s with his fastballs to the mid-80s with the slider. The horizontal movement on his changeup gives Watson reverse-splits potential. Left-handers compiled a .561 OPS and hit three home runs against him last season, while righties put up a .623 OPS with five homers. His ground-ball rate jumped after the promotion to Double-A -- 57.1 percent at Binghamton compared to 44.8 percent at High-A Brooklyn. Control was an issue, however, with an 11.6 percent overall walk rate. Watson issued four free passes in his first seven innings of 2026. 14. Wandy Asigen, SS (DSL Mets) The 16-year-old Asigen caused a stir during this year's January international signing period when he backed out of an agreement with the Yankees at the last minute to sign with the Mets for $3.9 million. Subway Series rivalry aside, Asigen's decision was significant because of his prospect status; he's ranked No. 2 overall in the January class by MLB Pipeline. Asigen's ranking is based on high-end tools. He has both 60-grade power and 60-grade speed according to MLB.com's scouting report. He has drawn raves for his bat speed (exit velocities in the 110s), his ability to lift the ball, and his ability to barrel up pitches. One concern is how he'll handle fastballs up and away, but that's a skill he can develop over time. He already has decent size, listed at 6-0 and 180 pounds. Asigen is not coming into the pro game as a raw prospect, either. He is already a seasoned international player, including representing the Dominican Republic in the 2024 WBSC U-15 World Cup. He'll debut in the Dominican Summer League, but he has the tools to move through the organization quickly. 13. Zach Thornton, LHP (Binghamton Rumble Ponies) Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff W L W-L% ERA RA9 G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP BF WHIP H9 HR9 BB9 SO9 SO/W 2026 24 -1.0 BNG EAS AA NYM 0 0 .000 1.69 1.69 1 1 0 0 0 0 5.1 2 1 1 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 19 0.563 3.4 0.0 1.7 6.8 4.00 Thornton, 24, took a big step forward last year before suffering a season-ending oblique injury in June. He posted a 1.98 ERA, 28.5 percent strikeout rate, 4.0 percent walk rate and 1.8 percent home run rate in 14 starts and 72 2/3 innings between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton. He made a good impression in spring training this year, allowing one run over 6 2/3 innings. The 2023 fifth-round draft pick out of Grand Canyon University in Phoenix relies on his ability to pitch. He complements a deceptive low-to-mid-90s fastball with a plus two-plane slider in the mid-80s and a cutter in the upper 80s. He also throws a changeup and a slow curveball. He attacks hitters in the strike zone, as evidenced by the walk rate. Thornton is back in Binghamton's rotation to begin 2026. Being left-handed with funk will give him an advantage as he works toward a promotion. 12. Chris Suero, C/OF/1B (Binghamton Rumble Ponies) Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB 2026 22 -1.9 BNG EAS AA NYM 6 29 21 8 6 0 1 3 10 3 1 6 11 .286 .448 .810 1.258 17 0 1 0 1 0 The New York-born Suero, 22, signed with the Mets as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2022. Four seasons later, he's a power-speed prospect who can play multiple positions. He had a breakthrough at High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton last year with 16 home runs and 35 stolen bases in 115 games. He caught in 73 games, played first base in 16 and played left field in 21. The Mets assigned him to the Arizona Fall League after the end of the minor-league season, and his numbers in 15 games there were excellent as well: a .283/.353/.567 slash line, five home runs and eight steals in as many attempts. He reached a maximum exit velocity of 112.5 mph. Suero is squat at 5-11 and 205 pounds, but he moves well enough behind the plate. According to MLB.com, his pop time to second base last season was 1.8 to 1.9 seconds. The raw throwing numbers were not exciting; Suero threw out 23.2 percent of base stealers (23-for-99). He'll get to work on that part of the game as he catches a prospect-laden staff at Binghamton. 11. Jonathan Santucci, LHP (Binghamton Rumble Ponies) Year Age AgeDif Tm Lg Lev Aff W L W-L% ERA RA9 G GS GF CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP BK WP BF WHIP H9 HR9 BB9 SO9 SO/W 2026 23 -2.0 BNG EAS AA NYM 0 0 .000 6.75 6.75 1 1 0 0 0 0 4.0 3 3 3 1 4 0 8 0 0 0 17 1.750 6.8 2.3 9.0 18.0 2.00 Santucci, 23, was a two-way player for most of his college career, but he was strictly a pitcher when the Mets selected him in the second round of the 2024 draft out of Duke. He made his pro debut last year, and by mid-July he was at Double-A. He was terrific for the Rumble Ponies, too, with a 2.52 ERA and 32.0 percent strikeout rate in 50 innings. He allowed just two home runs. Santucci relies on a low-to-mid-90s fastball that has good ride up in the zone and a high-80s slider that has excellent late bite. He comes at hitters from a high arm angle, which enhances the differences in eye level. His changeup and curveball are still in development, and he still needs to throw more strikes (8.5 percent walk rate). Left-handed batters fared better against him than did right-handers last year, but the overall numbers were still low: a .647 OPS for lefties, a .618 OPS for righties. Durability was an issue at Duke -- Santucci was sidelined by elbow surgery and a rib injury. He got through 2025 healthy, and he's taking a regular turn at Double-A to begin 2026. Continued health and another string of good starts should earn him a move up one or two levels. View full article