The fans showed up to bid adieu to their captain, because for so many fans, for so many years, David Wright was the Mets. The lone bright spot during losing seasons, the catalyst behind thrilling playoff runs, and an amazing teammate and ambassador for the game of baseball.

Health robbed the greatest position player in franchise history of a chance for immortality in Cooperstown, but Mets fans made it clear Saturday night that they’ll never forget Wright’s immense contributions to the franchise. And honestly, how could they? Will we ever get tired of watching that catch? Or the World Series home run? Because if we do, there’s an entire career’s worth of legendary, legacy-defining moments that Wright left us with. If that’s not enough, he’ll even walk away as the franchise leader in hits, doubles, RBI and extra-base hits.

Good baseball players (and all professional athletes in general), whether they like it or not, become role models for the next generation of the game. They’re thrust into a role of leadership at a young age solely because of their athletic abilities, an unfair proposition no matter which way you slice it. Some take the responsibility seriously, some don’t and some even use their platform to do some absolutely incredible things. David Wright took that responsibility seriously and used his platform to inspire real change in the community, yet somehow that still doesn’t even begin to describe the type of human being he is.

His body betrayed him time and time again, as did ownership and the front office, but Wright’s ninth baseball life allowed him to go out on his terms. The Mets only found him two plate appearances in his last ever game — he went 0-for-1 with a walk — but David looked as happy as he ever has after he was lifted from the game. We all would’ve liked to see him play semi-regularly in September, or even for a couple of more innings on Saturday, but Wright seemed genuinely elated with how his career ended. How many athletes can say that?

Saying goodbye to some of the best things in our life is, unfortunately, a part of the human experience. We get to know people and become familiar with them, only for them to leave us in one capacity or another. The end of David Wright’s baseball career is the end of many of our childhoods. Waving him into the sunset hasn’t been easy for us because he’s all we’ve ever known as Mets fans. The impact he’s had on many of our lives transcends his baseball ability. When David walked into the Citi Field dugout for the final time, it hit us all. What is our Mets fandom without him?

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

Meanwhile, the young Atlanta Braves are off to a very respectable 9-6 start while eagerly waiting for Ronald Acuna’s Triple-A batting average to improve the Super 2 deadline to pass. What the Braves roster lacks in experience they more than make up for in potential, as the farm is universally regarded as one of the premier systems in all of baseball.

Vegas isn’t buying the hot start for either team though, as the 8-9 Washington Nationals are still a big odds-on favorite at -600 to capture the division title. The Mets come in with the second-best odds at +150, or 1.5/1, but the Braves find themselves as 25/1 longshots, ahead of only the 150/1 Miami Marlins.

Let’s fast forward back to the present, Saturday, Sept. 22. The Mets are starting Corey Oswalt and his 6.31 ERA against Austin Voth and the Washington Nationals. The casual fan of either team had likely never heard of either starter until 2018, but here we are. It’s an ugly game for the Metropolitans, who manage just a single hit on the afternoon, but it’s meaningless in the grand scheme of things. That’s because the Mets have already been mathematically eliminated from playoff contention and, despite the 6-0 Washington victory, the Nationals succumb to the same fate when the St. Louis Cardinals officially knock off the San Francisco Giants 5-4.

Before Voth can even fire the first pitch to Amed Rosario at 4:06 p.m., Atlanta closer Arodys Vizcaino tosses a scoreless ninth against the Phillies to secure a 5-3 victory. Instead of coming out for the customary handshake line, the dugout erupts onto the field as soon as Maikel Franco’s fly ball hits Acuña’s glove. The Braves have won the division title for the first time in five years.

Nothing went as expected for the Nationals this season, winners of the division in three of the past four seasons. Ditto for the Mets, who entered the season with expectations that were completely blown out of proportion after their hot start.

The Braves were simply hoping to develop their young talent into valuable major league contributors in an effort to contend in 2019. Acuña became an immediate star, Mike Foltynewicz became an ace and Nick Markakis found the fountain of youth. Just about everything that could have gone the Braves’ way did in 2018, just like everything seemingly went wrong for the Mets this season.

Tyler Oringer: Well, this one is obvious. If you’ve been following any of my coverage throughout the season, you know how much I love the future first baseman for the Mets. The fact that the 23-year old was not called up this season in order to manipulate service time for his age 31 season is beyond belief – but hey, let’s stick to the good part.  Alonso finished his 2019 minor league campaign (65 games at Double-A, 67 in Triple-A) with 36 home runs, 119 RBIs and a triple slash of .285/.395/.579. The changes to his swing from 2017 were real, and allowed him to drive the ball to more fields with major league power, while also advancing his plate discipline to another level. The former Gator saw his OBP jump from .355 to the aforementioned .395.  Alonso finished a full minor league season between Double-A and Triple-A at 23 years old with an OPS of .975. Yes, his defense is not good, but the bat makes him the clear MVP of the Mets’ system in 2018.

Breakout prospect of the year: Jeff McNeil

Alex Rosen: Jeffrey, Jarrett and I were all on McNeil as a future major league contributor before July (and as early as 2014 in Jeffrey’s case) but we’d all be lying if we said we saw this coming. Injuries limited him to just 21 games above A-ball in 2016 and 2017 but McNeil rode a vastly improved frame and a new stomp and pull approach all the way to Queens before the end of July. He’s been the Mets’ best position player since the day he arrived in Flushing – not to mention one of the best players across all of baseball – and gives the organization another cost-controlled above-average regular to build around.

“Cy Young”: Um… Justin Dunn and David Peterson… I guess

TO: DISCLAIMER: I don’t feel comfortable giving either of these guys a Cy Young vote here, but the Mets didn’t really have any impressive season showings from any of their developing starting arms. Dunn, a 2016 first round pick out of Boston College, was okay this season but did improve greatly from 2017. He did struggle a bit in Double-A but flashed some of the potential the Mets have seen, striking out 156 batters in 135.1 innings. Control has continued to be an issue for the 22-year-old, but next season should be a massive stepping stone in his development. I’ve always felt his relief potential was immense and he could be extremely valuable there, but it would be quite the stretch to move him to the bullpen any time soon. Like Dunn, Peterson was good, not great. The 2017 first rounder dominated full-season A-ball, but was knocked around by Advanced-A hitting, surrendering 74 hits in 68.2 innings pitched. The southpaw already has the control and movement to be a legitimate prospect, he just needs to serve up fewer hittable pitches as he goes on.

Platinum Glove: Luis Guillorme

TO: A favorite of mine who was handled as poorly as he could have been in 2018.  Regardless, Guillorme is already an elite defender. If given the chance to start at shortstop or second base in a full major league season, the 23-year-old would challenge for a Gold Glove.  Guillorme flashes some of the smoothest actions and fluidness that any middle infielder in the minors has shown over the past few years. There is a lot to love about Guillorme, if the Mets could just figure out a way to best utilize his talents.

Comeback prospect of the year: Justin Dunn

AR: Dunn’s full-season debut couldn’t have gone much worse, but he rebounded nicely and took care of business in 2018, tossing about 90 innings in Binghamton en route to winning the organizations minor league pitcher of the year award. It was more of “meh” season by top pitching prospect standards, but even that was markedly better than Dunn’s 2017 in the Florida State League. There’s still a ton of room for improvement, especially with the change-up, but 2018 was without a doubt a step in the right direction. The stuff came back, the command improved and Dunn’s now one step closer to the big leagues.

Most likely to have their service time manipulated: Peter Alonso Andres Gimenez

AR: Oh, this is for the future? (looks at personal pref list…) Andres Gimenez it is! Until the rules change in the next CBA, teams are going to hold down top prospects to gain that extra year of control. It’s going to happen to Gimenez too, unless the Mets find themselves in a pennant race in 2019 with a hole to fill. Nevertheless, Gimenez had a tremendous 2018 season across Port St. Lucie and Binghamton, solidifying himself as one of the best prospects in the game.

The Ty Kelly Memorial Roster Spot: Gavin Cecchini

AR: Cecchini was off to a solid start in Las Vegas before a foot injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. He’s seemingly been around for forever, though he somehow won’t turn 25 ‘till December, but his spot on the 40-man is hanging by a thread. The former first rounder has never really received an extended stay with the big league club, but seems like a prime candidate to hang around as organizational depth for a number of years.

Best early return from the 2018 draft: Ross Adolph

TO: Adolph was drafted in the 12th round of the 2018 First Year Player Draft, but has already shown his value in his first year in Brooklyn. In my live look at Adolph, he did not get any hits or even take good routes to the ball in the field, but the athletically built outfielder owned a noticeably advanced approach at the plate and looked the part. The Toledo alum put up some nice number with the Cyclones, OPSing .857 with 14 stolen bases and an affinity for chasing down balls in the outfield.

Most likely to receive the Dominic Smith treatment: Mark Vientos

AR: Vientos still has a long ways to go before he’s a viable major league contributor, but he’s an early round pick who might find playing time hard to come by at the big league level. Amed Rosario and Andres Gimenez look to be franchise cornerstones in the infield and Jeff McNeil’s not going anywhere anytime soon, leaving Vientos without a future home on the dirt as of now. Of course, these things tend to sort themselves out, but it hasn’t with Smith at the big league level for one reason or another. A similar fate could be awaiting Vientos, though we’re at least a couple of years away from having to even entertain the possibility.

Most likely to pitch too many high leverage innings: Kevin Smith

AR: The Mets went reliever heavy on Day Two of the 2018 MLB Draft, using a seventh rounder to grab Smith, a crafty SEC lefty with starting experience. There’s likely some internal hope that Smith can start, but having seen him this summer, I can tell you with confidence that that ain’t happening. He’s a future LOOGY in the Jerry Blevins/Daniel Zamora mold who’ll probably be overused like Blevins was in 2017. To be clear, a major league LOOGY is a fine outcome here, but the Mets have an affinity for Smith that I just personally don’t see.

The Reliever of the Carousel of Relievers Who Is Legit:  Drew Smith

TO: Bad timing – I know.  Anyway, Smith possesses true back-end relief talent which has come through in his every stop in the minors and more recently, the majors. I wrote about Smith back in Week 7 of the Prospect Watch, and stand by those previous comments.  Smith’s fastball and slider combination poses the potential for some elite late-inning stuff which has already come to fruition in 2018. When Sandy Alderson traded a fading Lucas Duda for a relief arm, people were concerned, but it would not be crazy to me if Smith is closing with success for New York in the near future.

Biggest Disappointment: Desmond Lindsay

TO: When Lindsay was drafted in the second round of the 2015 draft, big things were expected. The centerfielder looked to have the tools, body, and pedigree to turn into a major league regular, but things have just not transpired that way. Lindsay is still stuck in Advanced-A ball, and has not shown any reason to get out of it. The right-handed hitting high school pick has OPSed .715 and .640 in consecutive seasons – and unless he makes the necessary adjustments to his approach, his athleticism may end up going to waste. Injuries have hampered the 21-year old throughout his short career, so there is still a bit of hope – but change must come fast.

Happiest Met to head to Syracuse: Nabil Crismatt

AR: If Crismatt pitched the entire season in Binghamton, he’d have been my choice for the Cy Young award. Unfortunately, we can’t erase those nine starts in Las Vegas and Crismatt will instead have to settle for the “Happiest Met to head to Syracuse” designation. His strong season in Double-A proved there’s a future major league contributor here, but the disaster in the desert muddied things. The Mets will need to protect Crismatt from the Rule-5 draft this offseason by adding him to the 40-man roster, which currently seems like a toss-up at best. He should absolutely be protected, but this is the Mets and they’ll let him go to Oakland, where he’ll suddenly become a No.3 starter.

Best trade deadline acquisition: Franklyn Kilome

TO: This is quite obvious, but not because the other acquisitions were bad – it’s because Kilome, the only player from the Asdrubal Cabrera deal with the Phillies, is that good. The 6’6,” 175-pound 23-year old, has shown to have an advanced upper-90s fastball along with an impressive curveball which has a swing-and-miss movement. In Double-A, Kilome struck out 125 batters in 140 innings, but did walk 61.  Kilome needs to work on his control, but the young right-hander does flash the stuff to succeed as a major league starter – and should see time on the big league club at some point next year.

Most excited to see in 2019: Thomas Szapucki

AR: Szapucki missed the entire season while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but is set to return to the mound in 2019. He’s only thrown a total of 83.1 innings in his brief career and will turn 23 next June, but Szapucki has undeniable upside that enticed virtually everyone who saw him. He flashed three potential plus offerings from a tough slot prior to the injury, giving him top of the rotation upside if he could simply stay healthy. There’s no question he’s behind the developmental curve, but 2019 could be a make or break season for the left-hander.

Tim Tebow Award: Tim Tebow

TO: Sorry, I just had to.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

The AL East-leading Red Sox were the latest team to take advantage of an inefficient Oswalt, who recorded just five outs despite throwing 61 pitches on the afternoon. Trouble found the 25-year-old immediately, as he hit Mookie Betts to lead off the game. It struck again during the very next at-bat, though Dom Smith’s throwing error was no fault of Oswalt. Betts came around to score on a Xander Bogaerts single to center two batters later, the only run charged to Oswalt, who wasn’t a factor in the decision.

Mets skipper Mickey Callaway turned to Daniel Zamora to secure the final out of the third inning against the left-handed hitting Jackie Bradley Jr., who struck out swinging. Zamora struck out the side in the fourth in what was clearly his best outing as a major leaguer thus far. He’s a prime candidate to replace Jerry Blevins as the LOOGY in the 2019 bullpen, althought that says more about the Mets than it does about Zamora.

Brandon Nimmo did Brandon Nimmo things, launching a three-run home run off Rick Porcello in the fourth, which was good for one of the Mets two hits on the day. It’s perplexing to even try and begin to construe why the Mets — I’m looking at you, Mickey Callaway — continue to bat Nimmo in the bottom of the order. There isn’t a single good reason he’s stuck behind Jay Bruce or Todd Frazier every night. Nimmo’s AVG (.267) and OBP (.392) are tops on the Metropolitans, and his 17 home runs and nine stolen bases rank him second. Please, please stop batting him sixth.

It seemed as if the Mets had things under control until mop-up man Paul Sewald entered in the home half of the fifth. The Red Sox pieced together a two-out rally to tie things at three via a Bradley Jr. two-RBI double. That would be the end of Sewald’s night but the damage wasn’t done, as Drew Smith entered and allowed another two-RBI double, this time to pinch-hitter Brock Holt. Sewald was charged with all four earned runs, raising his season ERA to 6.15 in 42 appearances. He was also charged with the loss, his sixth of the season, as neither team scored again in the ballgame.

I’d be remiss not to mention Jeff McNeil’s spectacular diving catch to rob J.D Martinez of a base hit in the sixth inning. McNeil’s finally getting an opportunity to show everyone what he’s truly capable of and let me tell you, it’s a beautiful thing to watch. That’s Jeff McNeil, 2019 starting second baseman to you, folks.

Thor allowed 12 hits and walked more (5) than he struck out (4) in almost seven innings of work. It was no matter though, as the offense exploded for 10 runs off Phillies pitching in just eight innings. Once and future prospect Tomas Nido started the scoring with a bases-clearing double in the second off Philadelphia starter Zach Eflin.

It didn’t get much better for Eflin in the third, as Todd Frazier continued his annual late-season surge with a three-run homer to really break things open. The Phillies used seven relief pitchers on the evening, but the game wasn’t as close as the final score may indicate.

Jay Bruce reached base in every one of his four plate appearances, showing what he may be still capable of when actually healthy. There’s no doubt the Mets would like the contract back, but Bruce played through a multitude of injuries earlier in the season and surely isn’t as bad when completely healthy. He’s likely going to enter 2019 as the starting first baseman, though Peter Alonso may (read: should) steal the starting gig before the end of June.

Jeff McNeil did Jeff McNeil things, picking up three hits in five at-bats to raise his average up to .329. He’s been a breakout star in the organization this season and looks primed to begin 2019 as the starter at second. While the .329 average is likely to decline, the home run rate (and extra-base hit rate) should increase in the near future. It’s those power changes that have improved McNeil’s outlook drastically from prior seasons.

Syndergaard was hit around on Saturday, but he’s having a strong season that has somehow been underwhelming for a pitcher of Thor’s stature. He’s admitted that his stuff should be leading to better results, but he’s doing an above-average job at preventing runs despite the command issues. Pending future health, the Mets 2019 starting rotation projects as one of the best in all of baseball, as long as Zack Wheeler’s improvements are for real.

Photo credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports

The former top prospect has battled injuries in his brief career, clearing the 20-start plateau only once since making his debut in 2015. He hasn’t escaped the usual nicks and dings in 2018, but he’s avoided major injury and looks primed to set a career high in innings.

Matz showed what he’s fully capable of Saturday, allowing just four base runners on the afternoon while striking out 11. He was efficient too, walking just one Giant and using only 93 pitches to get through seven. Health in the rotation is always a question mark for this organization and 2019 figures to be no different. A healthy Matz is almost a must, as the internal starting pitching depth looks pretty thin at this point.

Old friend Tomas Nido collected his first two hits since being recalled from Binghamton last week. He went 2-4 on the afternoon, including an RBI double that scored Brandon Nimmo to tie things up at one apiece. Nido will compete for the backup job in spring training but it’d admittedly be a mild surprise if he were to begin the 2019 season on the Opening Day roster.

Swiss Army Pitching Knife Seth Lugo gave the orange and blue two scoreless innings to force extras in San Francisco. His 2019 role is to be determined — by whom I’m unsure —  but he could fill a variety of different roles depending on how the offseason goes. I’m still of the belief that he belongs in the rotation, but I’ll acknowledge that there’s an argument to be made that he remain in the pen.

Jerry Blevins, a free agent to be, picked up his second win of the season. He was a candidate to be traded before the waiver deadline, but the Mets decided against it for an unknown reason. Daniel Zamora will likely fill the Blevins role in the bullpen next year unless the Mets decide to re-sign the lefty, in which I could then envision a scenario where Zamora is DFA’d off the 40-man instead.

After pledging to use his proven relievers less in an effort to get a look at the new guys, Mickey Callaway instead turned to Robert Gsellman for a second straight day. There’s no good reason to overwork a reliever who figures to begin 2019 as the closer, especially in a lost season, but a master of strategy Callaway is not. With Tyler Bashlor, Drew Smith and now Eric Hanhold in the bullpen, it’s time for Callaway to experiment with the young guys.

Photo credit: Neville E. Guard – USA Today Sports

Wheeler allowed six hits and walked three but wasn’t fazed by the traffic on the basepaths, keeping the Nationals at bay in his seven innings of work. He’s now thrown six or more innings in 19 of his 25 starts this season, a remarkable number somehow bested by Cy Young frontrunner and teammate Jacob deGrom, who’s gone six or more in 23 of 26 starts this season.

Though deGrom has taken his performance to another level this season, that number isn’t terribly surprising, as he’s been a fixture at the top of the rotation since 2014. On the contrary, Wheeler was left off the Opening Day roster and began the 2018 season in Las Vegas.

On the offensive side of the ball, Amed Rosario’s looked a whole lot better at the dis since the All-Star break. He got the scoring started Saturday with a solo homer to center in the sixth and filled up the scorebook with two hits, two runs, and the RBI. Jeff McNeil’s hot start to his MLB career continued with a base hit in the first that extended his current hit streak to 10 games. He’s now up to a .337/.395/.481 triple-slash in his first 31 career games.

Actually good free agent signing Todd Frazier launched a 401-foot shot to left for his 15th home run of the season. He’s battled injuries and inconsistent performance all season, but you’d be surprised to know that he’s now at 3.1 WARP for the year. The bulk of that comes from publicly available defensive metrics, which are not nearly as reliable as publicly available offensive metrics, but still, Frazier’s been solid, if unspectacular, and the two-year pact was a worthy gamble.

In the bullpen, Mickey Callaway finally let the kids get a chance, using Daniel Zamora and Drew Smith for a change. Zamora struck out the only batter he faced, Bryce Harper, while Smith worked a scoreless eighth. Zamora probably takes over the Jerry Blevins role if the Mets decide to move on this offseason, while Smith should be penciled in for high leverage work in 2019.

Photo credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports

Las Vegas 51s (Triple-A)

Hitter: Peter Alonso

When I last wrote about Peter Alonso, he was running a .475 OBP and crushing everything in Binghamton. He, along with Jeff McNeil, looked big league ready and primed to skip Triple-A and the Pacific Coast League.

Fast forward three months and Alonso has taken his talents to Las Vegas, posting similarly gaudy numbers in a league he’s too good for while he awaits an opportunity in the majors.

A similar situation occurred down the stretch in 2017 as well with Dom Smith only playing in 49 games in what was a completely lost season for the Mets. That wasn’t enough of a sample size for New York to hand him the starting job in 2018, so they went bargain shopping and questionably signed Adrian Gonzalez. The rest is history as they say, but more importantly, the Mets seem to be making this costly mistake again.

They selected Alonso as a 22-year-old 1B/DH in the second round of the 2016 draft, a curious choice if they weren’t intent on fast-tracking him to the majors. He’s hit his way through every level of the minors and looks like a future regular at worst, but the Mets have – through unnamed sources – stated they won’t call him up in September as to avoid a 40-man roster crunch.

There’s really no other way to put it: this is an incredibly bad baseball decision, likely influenced by service time.

By keeping Alonso down and off the 40-man roster, the Mets can gain an extra year of control by waiting until the Super Two deadline passes in 2019. No one other than the people signing the paychecks likes this sort of roster manipulation, but it doesn’t even make much sense in this case. If the Mets follow through with this, Alonso won’t hit free agency until his age-31 season. Who is paying any significant amount of money to a 1B/DH on the wrong side of 30 anyway? (Angels fans if you’re reading this – it’s too late).

Due to the current situation, the Mets are likely going to bring in a veteran first baseman and trade one of Smith or Alonso. It’s a ridiculous conclusion to a problem that can so easily be solved, but being bearish on Smith’s future – here’s hoping Peter Alonso is manning first base in Flushing next season.

Pitcher: Nabil Crismatt

Crismatt had a rough go of it in his first stop at Vegas, allowing 38 earned runs in 38.2 innings of work. He made it to the fifth inning only twice in nine starts and allowed two or more earned runs in eight of nine. This was always likely to happen and anything but an unexpected outcome considering his stuff, but he’s now one step further from a September call-up. He was still striking hitters out in Vegas, but his walk numbers ballooned and his WHIP went over 2.00.

I mentioned this wasn’t an unexpected outcome because this is what happens to guys that throw 88 in the hitter’s paradise that is the PCL. The results were, uh, not good, but they don’t change the future expectation here. Crismatt still projects as a backend starter, and even though he’s not going to be Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard, he’s not going to be Jason Vargas either.

Port St. Lucie Mets (Single-A)

Hitter: Blake Tiberi

The University of Louisville has a nice track record of developing hitters that succeed at the next level (and they have another one coming in 2019 in Logan Wyatt), but that hasn’t been the case for Tiberi thus far. A third-rounder two years ago, time is already running thin for Tiberi to prove he can develop into a major league contributor.

The 23-year-old battled injuries in 2017 that limited him to just five games, and his .735 OPS with Columbia wasn’t exactly inspiring this season. Regardless, the Mets moved him up a level to St. Lucie, where he figures to begin the 2019 season. He’s off to a .145/.193/.229 start in his first 22 games – and if the early returns are any indications, he’s going to struggle next year too.

Columbia Fireflies (Low-A)

Hitter: Hansel Moreno

Moreno is a long and lean 6’4,” 180-pound utility infielder who’s held his own in his first taste of full-season ball. His numbers won’t jump off the page, but the Sally is a historically pitcher-friendly league and Moreno hit in 2016 and 2017. He’s very athletic and already has a nice mix of defensive versatility, as he’s seen time at four different positions this year alone. He won’t be on any top prospect lists and shouldn’t be treated as one, but he’s a nice piece in an improving farm system.

Hitter: Zach Rheams

Rheams was a 27th round senior sign this year and the first 2018 draft pick to reach full-season ball. The 22-year-old is holding his own despite a .221 batting average as he’s avoiding strikeouts while still hitting for power. Rheams broke out in a big way for Texas Tech this past spring, hitting .341/.461/.713 with 17 long balls and as a Day Three senior sign, anything he gives the Mets is a bonus. So far, so good.

Brooklyn Cyclones (Short Season-A)

Hitter: Ross Adolph

Adolph, the Mets 12th round selection this year, won the MVP award in the NYPL All-Star Game after a 2-for-3 night that included a homer and triple. Despite being a Day Three pick, Adolph has major league tools and projects as a fourth outfielder. He’s shown well in Brooklyn and looks primed to begin 2019 with a full season affiliate (likely Columbia in the Sally). The Mets are always in need of outfield depth and Adolph will give them that as he climbs the minor league ladder. Like Hansel Moreno, Adolph isn’t a top prospect and you won’t hear his name often, but he does have major league potential.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

It was a Jake vs. Jake battle on the mound, as former Cy Young winner Jake Arrieta made the start for the Phils. Arrieta turned in one of his best starts of the season: six innings, four hits, six strikeouts, no walks and just one run allowed. As his equal on Saturday knows all too well, any beautiful start can be wiped out quickly by your bullpen. Luis Garcia entered in the seventh and allowed a solo homer to Devin Mesoraco and a triple to Jeff McNeil that scored Amed Rosario, putting the Mets ahead 3-0.

The Phillies racked up seven hits against deGrom, but he was his usual freakishly good self with men on base, as he only allowed a single run to score on the afternoon. deGrom struck out nine in nine innings and didn’t walk a single Phillie, an impressive accomplishment considering the Phillies are the owners of one of the most disciplined lineups in the league.

(All credit to Jeffrey Paternostro for this brilliant piece of art)

McNeil continues to mightily impress, as he reached base three times and made an impressive play out at second Saturday. With a strong finish to the season, McNeil should theoretically have the second base job locked up for 2019. He may have to cede way to Andres Gimenez when the time comes, but he should be passable at third, which would give the Mets a dynamic, young infield along with Rosario and Peter Alonso.

It wasn’t just deGrom day in Philadelphia though, as BP writers met up at Citizens Bank Park for one of the final ballpark events of the 2018 season. It was my first time attending a BP ballpark event and I’ll proudly be the first to tell you it’s worth every single penny. Learning from some of the smartest minds the game has to offer is not an everyday occurrence, but four members of the Phillies analytics department – including head of R & D Andy Galdi – were extremely gracious with their time Saturday. They answered all of our questions – which to my surprise were very “shift” heavy – and offered valuable advice for those looking to work in baseball. If you can make it out to Target Field on Aug. 25, do it.

Photo credit: Gregory Fisher – USA Today Sports

Brooklyn Cyclones (Short-Season-A)

Hitter: Nick Meyer

The Mets made Meyer the 170th overall pick in this year’s draft not due to his prowess with the bat, but rather for his pro-ready glove. He hit well this spring for Cal Poly (.344/.408/.428) but that line looks like more of an outlier than a new normal. Meyer’s future is as a defensive backstop through and through but still, .243/.286/.297 in 111 at-bats is an ugly triple-slash for a high college pick in the NYPL.

Meyer differs from the majority of catchers in the lower levels of the organization in the sense that there aren’t any questions about whether he’ll be able to stay at one of the games premier positions. Jake Rogers is in the same boat over in Detroit, though he’s a more highly regarded defender and has shown some sense of competence with the bat in Double-A. It’s unlikely either player becomes an impact hitter in the bigs, but there’s value in a high probability backup.

Hitter: Carlos Cortes

Carlos Cortes was the organization’s third-round selection this past June and was subsequently sent to Brooklyn along with all of the other Day Two picks. He’s been solid in 123 at-bats, slashing .268/.336/.398, and should begin 2019 in Columbia. The Fireflies figure to be the Mets best minor league affiliate next season, as it’s possible we see Cortes, Jarred Kelenic, Shervyen Newton and Mark Vientos, among others, in the Sally.

Cortes doesn’t project as a fast-mover throughout the minors, but he needs to be challenged in full-season ball next year, and Columbia is the logical first destination. It’d be a disappointment if he were unable to reach Port St. Lucie by the end of 2019.

Kingsport Mets (Rookie Ball)

Hitter: Mark Vientos

Vientos has absolutely destroyed Appy League pitching thus far, smacking 10 home runs to go along with a .386 OBP and .520 SLG in 179 at-bats. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is an impressive 30:26, especially for a player who won’t turn 19 until December. Add it all up and one question remains: what is this guy doing in the Appy?

Vientos finished the 2017 season playing in four games for Kingsport so while this isn’t technically a repeat of the level, it’s still quite odd he returned for another go. Instead, he likely should’ve been with the Cyclones this year, preparing him for a full-season debut in 2019. It looks unlikely that Vientos begins 2019 with Columbia, but he should roll through the NYPL and force a promotion by seasons end.

GCL Mets (Rookie Ball)

Pitchers: Franklin Parra, Zachary Hammer, Saul Gonzalez

The Mets have been careful not to overwork any of the pitchers they selected in June and that’s no different for this trio of prep arms. All three have a chance to develop into starters, but, in an effort to keep their workload down and instead make good use of key player development time, their only appearances of the season have come out of the bullpen. This also includes Simeon Woods-Richardson, the team’s second-round pick, but he’s been inserted into the rotation for two turns now.

Parra was a local lefty from the Island who turned down JUCO powerhouse San Jacinto to sign with the Mets. He’ll turn 19 in September, making him a little older than Hammer and SWR, but he’s left-handed. With a four-pitch mix and room to add to the frame, Parra has some starter tools. In six innings out of the pen, Parra has allowed two hits, six walks and no runs against five strikeouts.

Hammer’s first appearance as a member of the organization came on Thursday, when he threw a single inning of relief. He struck out one and allowed a single hit, but the results aren’t what matter here. Most, if not all, of the high school pitchers selected have strict innings limits the Mets would like to adhere too. That Hammer will have some professional innings under his belt is an encouraging sign, and a far better outcome than if he weren’t to pitch at all in 2018.

Gonzalez is an imposing force out on the mound, combining an XL frame (6’7,” 235 pounds) with mid-90s velocity already. The problem is his lack of off-speed stuff, but the Mets think they can help him develop an oft-used curveball and possibly a changeup. When you’re able to blow 95 past unsuspecting high school hitters, you don’t need the secondary offerings. That all changes in pro ball though, and Gonzalez’s future hinges entirely on his ability to develop a second and possibly third pitch. He’s been roughed up in 2.1 innings, allowing five hits and three runs while only striking out one, but it’s only 2.1 innings.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports