Meet the Mets (For Mets Fans Only!)

I figured Soto's younger brother signing with the Nats was a sign he was going to stay there. It had looked like his brother was going to sign with the Mets.

Astros are tough. 

Carrasco has been throwing batting practice the last few starts.  I know he had some back stiffness earlier in the season, so I wonder if that has returned?  Or maybe he is holding back (ahem) just a bit?

Scherzer and deGrom are on schedule to return after the break, so there is hope in this.  I can see Carrasco becoming a long reliever at that time.

They sure do need some short relievers.  I would hate to see them break the prospect bank for the relievers that are likeliest to be available, but perhaps Davis and/or Smith would be enough to secure a middle of the pack arm?

They do need pitching help, but several guys have stopped hitting.  Canha has dropped about 40 points, Davis and Smith are doing nothing at all, and Escobar is still not hitting.  McCann and Nido add no offense at all.  They have to step up a little.

mfpark said:

Carrasco has been throwing batting practice the last few starts.  I know he had some back stiffness earlier in the season, so I wonder if that has returned?  Or maybe he is holding back (ahem) just a bit?

Scherzer and deGrom are on schedule to return after the break, so there is hope in this.  I can see Carrasco becoming a long reliever at that time.

They sure do need some short relievers.  I would hate to see them break the prospect bank for the relievers that are likeliest to be available, but perhaps Davis and/or Smith would be enough to secure a middle of the pack arm?

Agree with much of this, but Carrasco with not become the long man. Either he’ll fix whatever is wrong or go on the IL once Scherzer and hopefully deGrom  come back.

Looking forward to Scherzer coming back. I'll believe deGrom is coming back when I see him on the mound the first time.

I hope Bassitt is okay.  But man, these apple folks are still hard to listen to.

DanDietrich said:

I hope Bassitt is okay.  But man, these apple folks are still hard to listen to.

it's COVID related, so he'll be back. In 10 days if not sooner. 

I usually hate the broadcast teams on the national broadcasts, especially the ESPN crowd, but I actually thought Hannah Keyser was pretty good.

Really?  I thought they were terrible, but the whole broadcast was aimed at younger fans, so I rolled with it.  

Those Apple announcers are completely insipid. Brain-dead jock talk. The best inning was when they went with ambient field sound only. That should be a regular option if they continue to inflict these broadcasts on us.

Moammar said:

Those Apple announcers are completely insipid. Brain-dead jock talk. The best inning was when they went with ambient field sound only. That should be a regular option if they continue to inflict these broadcasts on us.

i loved the ambient field noise when McNeil struck out early in the game.  I heard what he said pretty clearly.

Mets win, Braves lose.

deGrom was throwing 100 last night. The FAN callers will be freaking out today. 

I wish he could dial it back.  I want him to pitch every 5 days, give up a couple of runs over 7 innings.  I don't need him blowing away the bottom of a lineup and then getting hurt.  

Reds, Cubs and Marlins then the Braves. I hope they feast on the weaker teams and open up a little more daylight before the All Star break. 

If deGrom and Scherzer both come back strong after the break then things look bright! And I agree. They don’t need deGrom to post a 1.73 ERA if it means he irritates his shoulder again and is gone after August. 

I don't see how a guy who throws 100 can just decide to dial it back to 96 or 97. He throws his 4-seamer the way he throws it, and I'm not even sure he'd have complete command of it if he tried to hold back. 

Not to mention nobody knows if it's the slider that's stressing his arm, or his fastball. 

ml1 said:

I don't see how a guy who throws 100 can just decide to dial it back to 96 or 97. He throws his 4-seamer the way he throws it, and I'm not even sure he'd have complete command of it if he tried to hold back. 

Pitchers dial their fastball up and down all the time. 

Think Verlander. Or Bartolo.

Not saying that deGrom has this ability, but I'd think he could.

ml1 said:

Not to mention nobody knows if it's the slider that's stressing his arm, or his fastball. 

Agreed.

jimmurphy said:

ml1 said:

I don't see how a guy who throws 100 can just decide to dial it back to 96 or 97. He throws his 4-seamer the way he throws it, and I'm not even sure he'd have complete command of it if he tried to hold back. 

Pitchers dial their fastball up and down all the time. 

Think Verlander. Or Bartolo.

Not saying that deGrom has this ability, but I'd think he could.

ml1 said:

Not to mention nobody knows if it's the slider that's stressing his arm, or his fastball. 

Agreed.

he does throw a 2-seamer a few miles per hour less. But if he's throwing the 4-seamer, does he take anything off? I've not see him do that. Maybe he can. But because he thinks he'll get hurt if he throws 100? I doubt a guy like that thinks that way. 

ml1 said:

he does throw a 2-seamer a few miles per hour less. But if he's throwing the 4-seamer, does he take anything off? I've not see him do that. Maybe he can. But because he thinks he'll get hurt if he throws 100? I doubt a guy like that thinks that way. 

I doubt it too.

Scherzer looked great but the guys can't hit anything tonight.  Alonso hasn't hit in two weeks.

DanDietrich said:

Scherzer looked great but the guys can't hit anything tonight.  Alonso hasn't hit in two weeks.

How did the Mets lose to dreadful Cincinnati?

Scherzer was awesome.  

ml1 said:

I don't see how a guy who throws 100 can just decide to dial it back to 96 or 97. He throws his 4-seamer the way he throws it, and I'm not even sure he'd have complete command of it if he tried to hold back. 

That's like saying a runner can only run at one speed. Of course he can dial back a fastball.

yahooyahoo said:

That's like saying a runner can only run at one speed. Of course he can dial back a fastball.

that wasn't what I wrote. The question for the genius talk radio callers is can deGrom dial back just 3-4 MPH, and still command it the same way? And of course can he get results? Or will a 96 MPH 4-seamer in the strike zone be a HR waiting to happen?

I went to some dark places last night after the sixth. 

ml1 said:

yahooyahoo said:

That's like saying a runner can only run at one speed. Of course he can dial back a fastball.

that wasn't what I wrote. The question for the genius talk radio callers is can deGrom dial back just 3-4 MPH, and still command it the same way? And of course can he get results? Or will a 96 MPH 4-seamer in the strike zone be a HR waiting to happen?

glad to see that you are lumping my post here in with the genius talk radio callers.  I would not throw a 96 mph fastball to Aaron Judge and hope for good results.  But I might throw one past James McCann and expect good results.  Expend the effort where it is needed, not everywhere.

I’m sorry.
But I find it frustrating that half the fan base thinks they know more than deGrom himself, and the team’s training staff. That somehow throwing a ball 98 MPH isn’t as stressful as the magic number of 100. We don’t know anything, and we certainly don’t have the vested interest in staying healthy that deGrom does. And we shouldn’t forget the dude had TJ back when he only threw 90. Baseball pitching is inherently hard on the arm at any velocity. He should pitch the way he wants to. 

ml1 said:

I’m sorry.
But I find it frustrating that half the fan base thinks they know more than deGrom himself, and the team’s training staff. That somehow throwing a ball 98 MPH isn’t as stressful as the magic number of 100. We don’t know anything, and we certainly don’t have the vested interest in staying healthy that deGrom does. And we shouldn’t forget the dude had TJ back when he only threw 90. Baseball pitching is inherently hard on the arm at any velocity. He should pitch the way he wants to. 

We are sports fans. Dude, we always know better than the high-performing elite athletes and coaches who do this for a living. I mean, who are you going to trust?

So when are Vientos and/or Alvarez coming up? I appreciate the patience exhibited with Davis and McCann/Nido, but the season is halfway over. It's tough to win when you know the #8 and 9 hitters are practically automatic outs.