MLB: San Diego Padres at New York Mets

See You In September!

September is upon us. The leaves are changing, the Mets are still on the edge of the playoff race, and major league teams can recall up to 40 players to the active roster. Four call-ups have already been confirmed by Betsy Helfand of the Las Vegas Review-Journal. I brought out my Magic 8-Ball to predict […]

MLB: New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox

Alex and The Mets

Do you know how for the last few years a lot of Yankees fans—and even some commentators—have casually considered it a fait accompli that Bryce Harper, once he reaches free agency after the 2018 season? It all sort of makes sense. Harper grew up as a Yankee fan. He’s going to get a mega-contract that […]

MLB: Miami Marlins at New York Mets

Dear Terry: Be Like Maddon

The Mets, coming out of the trade deadline, have a very strange roster. They’re carrying five outfielders—six if you count Kelly Johnson—yet all but Yoenis Cespedes are left-handed, and there’s no clear center fielder with Cespedes hurt. The infield looks more stable, but probably shouldn’t be, with James Loney and Matt Reynolds locked into regular […]

USATSI_9320966_168381790_lowres

On the Comfort of a Good Announce Team

On a broadcast earlier this year, Ron Darling described the ideal baseball television broadcast as a casual conversation between friends. The SNY crew has a camaraderie and comfort level that exists on few other broadcasts. It’s been built over time — Cohen, Darling, and Hernandez have been broadcasting Mets games together since 2006. Darling and […]

MLB: Game two-New York Mets at Pittsburgh Pirates

Conforto and the Clock

We talk a lot about service time now. Over the past few years, a select group of teams have gotten very aggressive about call-up and demotion timing to “game” service time, to maximize both the six accrued major league seasons before a player can hit free agency and the two to three years where teams […]

MLB: Chicago Cubs at New York Mets

Noah Syndergaard, All-Star Starting Pitcher?

Before this season started, I took a dive into the adjustments Noah Syndergaard had made during the 2015 season that caused him to graduate from being a top, but flawed prospect into a borderline ace as a rookie. 16 starts and a relief appearance later, we can basically can the borderline—like Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard […]

MLB: New York Mets at Washington Nationals

If the Mets Were Sellers … ?

Following their sweep at the hands of Washington, the Mets are in a strange position as of Thursday afternoon, almost exactly a month before the deadline. Six out in the division race, the Mets are right in the midst of an emerging hodgepodge of four teams with exactly 37 losses vying for the two berths […]