As we have all seen, New York has a plethora of 95-98 mph fastball, slick slider guys with average to below average control (see Drew Smith, Bobby Wahl, Eric Hanhold, etc.), but no one really to note who may or may not get the call in September. Assuming John Ricco’s “compete in 2019″ mantra is not just for show, they will likely sign free agent relievers who are better than Anthony Swarzak.

But in a few days, Dominic Smith and Luis Guillorme will be called up for about the 25th time this year. Who is not being called up, is the most major league-ready of them all: Peter Alonso. So, I wanted to investigate what the Mets SHOULD do with these pieces rather than what they likely ARE going to do. Let’s begin.

Dominic Smith

Earlier in the season, and most days since then, Alex Rosen and I complained about the 2017 mismanagement of the former Mets top prospect. Well, nothing has really changed. At just 23 years old, Smith has seen four separate stints in the majors and will presumably enter his fifth on Sept. 1. Despite never having handled his development properly before, the Mets have a chance to change the tides.

Whether or not it makes sense, Smith has 23 games in the outfield this year in the minors and already nine games in left for the major league club.  Obviously, this is to provide at-bats to the aforementioned stud, Alonso, who probably could hit 30+ home runs in a full major league season next year.

So, if they are doing it the minors, why not do it in the majors during a rebuilding year for the last month of the season? Sure, Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo need everyday at-bats, but give 31-year old Austin Jackson a few days off.  Jackson has been a bright spot for the Mets, but he’s putting up unsustainable numbers and hopefully is not a part of the future. As far as Jay Bruce goes, he is not healthy and has been awful all season, accumulating a -0.8 WAR in just 66 games. Yes, the Mets’ defense struggles mightily with him in the lineup, but auditioning him for 2019 in a regular role is the best course of action.

If it were me, I would have explored trading Smith for catching options in the 2017-18 offseason. Regardless, give Smith one more actual chance to prove his worth at the dish.

Luis Guillorme

The Gold Glove-caliber, opposite-field hitter is an intriguing player.

Guillorme was arguably just as misplayed as Smith, slotted in strictly at third base and playing behind Jose “Mendoza” Reyes. While he should have had starter opportunities given the Mets poor season, he should be relegated to a true utility infielder role — the one Reyes occupies for Mickey Callaway now. Frankly, the former Met great should be cut as soon as Guillorme gets a spot.

Any time a combination of Todd Frazier, stud Jeff McNeil and Amed Rosario need a rest (Frazier mostly), Guillorme should be manning the position.

While the infielder did slash a paltry .208/.284/.239 in his 67 at-bats in limited action, he has shown an ability to reach base at an impressive rate in the minors. His numbers have duplicated pretty much to a tee from Binghamton to Vegas and he holds a career .286/.361/.335 line in minor league play. No power, but that’s not what Guillorme is on a roster to do.

Defense, defense, defense… and some OBP.

Peter Alonso

John Ricco stated that Alonso will not play in the majors this season, despite the fact that the first baseman is perhaps a top-five prospect in terms hitting readiness in all of baseball.

Alonso is a bad fielder, plain and simple. Alonso, however, can rake.

In 125 games and 448 at-bats between Double-A and Triple-A, the former University of Florida Gator is raking a .277/.393/.560 with 33 home runs and 111 RBI. He has made the necessary mechanical adjustments at the plate to improve his ability for more gap power and home runs and has improved his discipline, raising his OBP more than 30 percentage points from last year’s .359.

Alonso needs to be on the roster come a few days from now, even though he won’t. Wilmer Flores has done a commendable job this season at the dish and I would have no problem with Alonso not starting every day. But the UF product must to be on the New York Mets and pinch-hitting whenever Callaway needs a pinch hitter and starting at first base at least two or three times a week.

There is a very minute amount of development Alonso needs at the plate at this point and to keep him down because of defense or playing time is ridiculous; simply put, you make time for your brightest prospects.

The real reason here is service time, but this next month should have been an immensely important indicator to the development of what should be the Mets’ starting first baseman in 2019.

Photo credits: Bill Streicher/Brad Penner/Geoff Burke – USA Today Sports

A day after they were forced to start Corey Oswalt, the Mets turned to 28-year-old Drew Gagnon to make his major league debut against the Phillies. Meanwhile, the Phillies debuted top prospect Enyel De Los Santos, a 22-year-old from the Dominican Republic. That matchup seems like a pretty good snapshot of where these two teams are and how they got here.

Game Recap

Shockingly, Gagnon’s major league debut did not go particularly well. He set the Phillies down in order in the first inning, but allowed an infield single and a hit batter in the second before giving up a three-run home run to Maikel Franco in the second. The Phillies struck again in the third, loading the bases on two singles and a walk and cashing in two of those runners on a single from Nick Williams. Very quickly, the Mets were in a 5-0 hole.

Gagnon managed to help himself a little bit in the bottom of the third. After Amed Rosario tripled to left (a play where Rhys Hoskins face-planted spectacularly into the left field wall), Gagnon became the first Mets pitcher to register a sacrifice fly in his major league debut. He was just the third to register an RBI, the other two being Dillon Gee and, famously, Steven Matz. The Mets couldn’t get anything else done, and the deficit stayed at four runs.

The Phillies struck one more time in the fifth, when Gagnon grooved a fastball to Odubel Herrera that was deposited in the bullpens in right-center field to stretch the Phillie lead to 6-1. After a strikeout and another single, Gagnon’s night was done. He finished his major league debut after 4.2 innings, allowing six runs and striking out three. About the sort of performance you’d expect from a filler arm on a bad team.

Tyler Bashlor entered and got the last out of the fifth. He started the sixth inning by allowing a booming double to Scott Kingery, who would come around to score two batters later on a soft single from Maikel Franco. Bashlor stopped the bleeding there, however, and worked around another jam in the seventh by inducing a long fly ball from Kingery.

In the seventh, the Mets finally put together something of a rally against Enyel De Los Santos. Jose Reyes walked, and Rosario followed with his second triple of the game, once again hit to left field. That finished De Los Santos’s outing, as he became the third rookie pitcher of the season to come out and dominate the Mets. Mark Leiter entered, inducing an RBI groundout from Michael Conforto that cut the lead to 7-3.

That was as close as the Mets would get. Singles from Dominic Smith and Reyes in the eighth and ninth were wasted, and the Mets lost 7-3. It’s the 15th straight series the Mets have not won, with the last series win coming in May when they swept the Diamondbacks. Their record is now 36-53, a pace that would put them below 70 wins.

Thoughts from the Game

While GKR keep talking about Conforto and missing the point – that he suffered a major shoulder injury and recovery from shoulder injuries for hitters typically take a whole season – they have mentioned that Conforto is still taking his walks. This is important, as it adds more evidence that Conforto simply isn’t physically there, getting under pitches often despite still having a good approach. Suffice to say, sending MIchael Conforto to the minors is an incredible waste of time, and that it is even being discussed is just another sign of the dysfunction throughout the Met organization.

I won’t add any other rants here. Instead, you should check out our trade roundtable from Tuesday. You can get the dose of bitterness and pessimism that I usually offer there this week, since I don’t want to drive our editor any more insane.

Other Met News

Very quickly, here’s the net result of the many roster moves the Mets have made in recent days with their pitchers:

• Jerry Blevins activated from the bereavement list
• PJ Conlon recalled
• Paul Sewald optioned
• Chris Beck DFAed

Additionally, Noah Syndergaard is expected to start Friday, assuming his bullpen session on Wednesday goes off without a hitch. Jason Vargas may need another rehab start, but isn’t far behind. In less encouraging injury news, Jay Bruce suffered a setback with his injured hip and will be shut down for another 10 days.

Photo credit: Brad Penner – USA Today Sports

It seemed like the same old story was unfolding at Chase Field: a decent outing by a starting pitcher, anemic offense and an imploding bullpen would converge for a desultory loss by the Mets in Arizona. And other than a late rally and generally close game, things otherwise followed the script.

Jason Vargas, who is the first pitcher in Mets history to not go more than five innings in any of his first eight starts, pitched lasted five, allowing three runs and striking out five, keeping the team within striking distance, helped in no small part by Todd Frazier sparking two double plays behind him.

The Mets had clawed to within a run by the time Vargas gave way to Hansel Robles, who pitched a scoreless sixth; Robles and Jerry Blevins teamed up to load the bases with two out in the seventh, yielding to Paul Sewald, who forced in a run, walking Nick Ahmed before managing to strike out Paul Goldschmidt. Jacob Rhame made the bullpen’s efforts not to be terrible for naught, surrendering two solo home runs to David Peralta and Jake Lamb in the eighth.

The Mets’ three runs came on solo homers: Brandon Nimmo in the first inning, his ninth; Michael Conforto beginning to right the ship with a booming home run to center field in the sixth, his eighth of the year; and Amed Rosario off Archie Bradley in the top of the eighth. They were the only hits the Mets scratched out, aside from a single by Dominic Smith in the fifth.

Former Mets draft pick Matt Koch went six innings for Arizona, yielding two runs and striking out five. Brad Boxberger earned his fifteenth save. Just another night in paradise.

Seth Lugo (2-1, 1.77) will face Zach Godley (6-5, 4.97) tonight at 9:40 p.m.

Photo credit: Rick Scuteri – USA Today Sports

Las Vegas 51s (Triple-A)

Pitcher: Tim Peterson

I haven’t seen him live and don’t have a recent report on him, but I can’t ignore Peterson’s performance in Las Vegas any longer. A 20th round pick in 2012, Peterson’s striking out almost 40% of batters to go with a pristine 2.91 ERA in 17 appearances this season. The fact he’s doing it in the hitter’s paradise that is Las Vegas makes it all the more impressive. This level of performance isn’t coming out of nowhere; he was really good for Binghamton last season too, with a strikeout rate above 26% and a 1.14 ERA. Combine that with a 5% walk rate and there may be something here. There is some inevitable drawback though. Peterson is 27 years old, isn’t on the 40-man and wasn’t selected in the Rule 5 draft. He only ran a 31.1% groundball rate in Double-A last season but he excels at keeping the ball in the park. I don’t know what the Mets have here and they clearly don’t either, but if a 40-man spot opens up I think Peterson could be worth a look. If he doesn’t get a chance with the Mets, some team is going to see the minor league numbers and give him a chance.

Hitter: Dominic Smith

I’ll refer you to the recent piece BP Mets writer Tyler Oringer and I wrote on Smith, but let’s talk a little more about what happened last week. With Jay Bruce heading to the paternity list for the weekend series against Philadelphia, the Mets had the bright idea to use the roster spot on Smith. It was a curious choice that became even more controversial when Smith took only one official plate appearance in the shortened series. Smith’s a former first rounder who made a couple of Top 100 lists, but his prospect shine wore off completely when he flopped in the majors last season. He’s now been passed by Peter Alonso as the first baseman of the future and there doesn’t seem to be a role for Smith at the major league level. Smith’s got a good glove at first but if the Mets didn’t plan to start him, wouldn’t Phillip Evans (whose since been called up) have made more sense?  I couldn’t tell you one good reason why Smith got the call, but I can tell you that he hasn’t been great in Vegas. Smith’s striking out in 23% of his plate appearances and has only two home runs in 119 at-bats. That’s a problem when you’re a 1B only prospect. It’s hard to decipher what the Mets plan to do with Smith at this point, but I wouldn’t put anything past this organization.

Binghamton Rumble Ponies (Double-A)

Pitcher: Andrew Church

Church is off to an interesting, if uninspiring, start to the 2018 season. On one hand, he’s been relatively healthy and has bumped his K/9 from 5.79 in Port St. Lucie last season to 7.68 with Binghamton thus far. Health and strikeout rate have been two of the biggest knocks on Church as a prospect, so it’s nice to see the improvement on both fronts. On the other hand, though, he’s been getting hit hard and his fastball has backed up a bit. I was in Binghamton Wednesday night to see Church for the third time this season and he was mired in the same inconsistencies that have plagued him all year. In four innings of work, Church was knocked around for eight hits and six earned, but he also struck out eight. Church has touched 95 in the past, but repeated arm injuries have taken a toll and I’ve had him in the 88-92 range, topping at 93, in all three of the starts I’ve seen. The fastball doesn’t have great movement and Church has really struggled to locate it in my past two looks, so much so that he’s pretty much abandoned it following the first inning. Instead, he’s been primarily working with an 82-84 mph slider that’s easily his best pitch at this point. He’s comfortable throwing it in any count, for strikes and whiffs, and it’s flashed average for me in all three looks. Church also has a changeup I haven’t seen much of and a curve that’s rarely thrown but shows signs of usefulness. The curve sits 74-78 mph with good depth but is mainly reserved for two-strike counts. I mentioned that Church has abandoned his fastball after the first inning in my two most recent looks, and he’s seen some really good results for the next couple of innings. The second and third times around the order are a problem though, as opposing hitters have gotten a good look at the slider and are just sitting on it. I don’t think there’s enough here for Church to cut it as a starter at the major league level, but he could be a guy who moves to the bullpen in a middle relief role and sees a needed velo bump.

Hitter: Tim Tebow

Love him or hate him, Tebow’s surpassed all expectations at Double-A, slashing .248/.323/.419 in almost 120 at-bats. I was as skeptical as everyone when this whole thing began, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by what I’ve seen in my four looks this season. Now don’t get me wrong, we’re not talking about a future superstar here, or anything close for that matter, but take the name off the back of the jersey and Tebow looks and plays like your average Double-A outfielder. The problem here is Tebow’s already 30 years old and anything but your average minor league baseball player.

Tebow’s been swinging a hot bat recently, giving me hope for a better look than my previous ones, but I was left disappointed yet again. We’ll start at the plate, where he actually didn’t look as overmatched against good velo as he did earlier in the season. His first at-bat was a nine-pitch, six foul-ball battle against Beau Burrows that was easily the best AB I’ve seen from him all season. The swing looks better than it did even earlier this year and I’m more confident than before that he can catch up to major league fastballs. That’s the good news.

The bad news is he’s still kind of a mess in left field. He really struggles to track deep fly balls and to be honest, he kind of looks lost out there. His footwork isn’t good and he takes bad routes to balls that he should easily catch. For a former NFL QB, his arm leaves a lot to be desired. I know that’s primarily the reason he’s out of the NFL and in MLB, but one would think he’d get a little more zip on his throws in from the outfield. Back to the hitting side of things; Tebow still swings through fastballs up in the zone, something that’s going to get exposed by major league pitching when he reaches that level. The off-speed recognition still isn’t there either, but that’s something that should improve with more experience and it’s hard to knock a guy who was out of the game for 10 years.

There’s a real argument to be made that Tebow is one of the best outfield options in the high minors of this system. Now, that’s more of a reflection on the outfield depth in the system rather than his talent, but we’ve officially entered “this isn’t crazy” territory. He’s going to get a chance in the majors this year or next.

Port St. Lucie Mets (High-A)

Hitter: Andres Gimenez

The No. 1 prospect in the system, Gimenez is more than holding his own as a 19-year-old in High-A. Port St. Lucie was an aggressive assignment to begin the season, but Gimenez destroyed rookie ball and showed enough promise in Columbia last season that it didn’t feel forced. He doesn’t have a standout tool, but Gimenez projects as a major league shortstop with some skills at the dish. A left-handed hitter, he has good bat control and should grow into a plus hit tool eventually. There is some projection left, but not enough to project average game power, which may not be a problem considering Gimenez already hits a bunch of line drives. The line, .262/.331/.418, is actually really impressive for a 19-year-old in High-A, as are the 12 extra base hits. Gimenez is also an above-average runner and has nine stolen bases against two caught stealing’s. Out in the field, he has good actions at short and a strong enough arm that should allow him to stick there. Gimenez isn’t tooled up, but it’s an impressive package coupled with great results thus far. Gimenez should be a frequent member of the Prospect Watch for years to come.

Columbia Fireflies (A)

Pitcher: David Peterson

The Mets’ first-round draft pick last season is off to a good, if not great, start with Columbia. Peterson’s a tall lefty out of Oregon with a chance for three above-average offerings. He stands 6’6” and looks intimidating out on the mound, but he’s not a power pitcher by any means. His fastball sits in the low 90s and touches 95, but Peterson gets great movement on it. There probably isn’t a whole ton of projection left on the fastball, but it’s already above average so that shouldn’t be a big problem. Peterson also throws a slider and a changeup that both flash above average. He throws the slider more often, but the changeup might be the better future offering, although it does need some more work. In 30.2 innings for Columbia this season, Peterson is only running a 20.5% strikeout rate, which isn’t all that promising for the first returns on a collegiate first rounder. He is running a terrific 64% groundball rate though, which is very encouraging. Currently the best pitching prospect in the system, Peterson is more of a No. 3 starter than someone with ace or even No. 2 potential. His value mainly derives from the fact that he should be able to climb the minor league ladder relatively quickly. If the changeup doesn’t develop, Peterson should still be able to carve out a role as a big league reliever. Like Gimenez, look for Peterson to make frequent appearances on the Prospect Watch in the coming years.

Photo credit: Scott Rovak – USA Today Sports

Chicago holds a tenuous grip on first place after being swept by Milwaukee over the weekend.

Leading St. Louis by two games and the Brewers by 2.5 in the NL Central, the unsteady Cubs will try to regain their footing in a division that remains very much up for grabs.

When and Where

Game 1: Tuesday @ 8:05 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 2: Wednesday @ 8:05 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 3: Thursday @ 8:05 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Baseball Weather

Tuesday: Partly cloudy with a slight chance of a rain shower and a low of 62F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Wednesday: Fair with a low of 59F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Thursday: Clear with a low near 60F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Probable Pitching Matchups

Tuesday: RHP Robert Gsellman (6-6, 5.44 ERA, 6.30 DRA, .317 TAv, -0.8 WARP) vs. LHP Jose Quintana (9-11, 4.32 ERA, 4.36 DRA, .256 TAv, 2.2 WARP)

Gsellman has pitched better since his spat with GM Sandy Alderson, earning his first win since June 10 with a rain-shortened six-inning complete game against the Phillies last Wednesday. The 24-year-old has a 2.76 ERA (5 ER in 16.1 IP) over his last three starts.

Meanwhile, the man known as Q has been somewhat inconsistent since switching Windy City alliances in mid-July, but has strung together two quality starts including six scoreless frames in Pittsburgh the last time out.

Wednesday: RHP Matt Harvey (5-4, 5.82 ERA, 5.14 DRA, .296 TAv, 0.4 WARP) vs. LHP Jon Lester (10-7, 4.35 ERA, 3.59 DRA, .263 TAv, 3.6 WARP)

Harvey showed signs of improvement in his second start since returning from the disabled list, limiting Cincinnati to two runs in five innings on Thursday and earning the win. “Overall just starting to feel a little more comfortable out there with mechanics and attacking hitters,” the former ace said following that start. “Obviously still not where I want to be but definitely moving in the right direction.”

Lester had his best performance since July last week in Pittsburgh, hurling six innings of one-run ball en route to his second straight win. The four-time All-Star is 4-1 with a 3.97 ERA in six career starts against the Mets.

Thursday: RHP Seth Lugo (6-4, 4.64 ERA, 5.38 DRA, .283 TAv, 0.2 WARP) vs. LHP Mike Montgomery (5-8, 3.64 ERA, 4.62 DRA, .235 TAv, 1.0 WARP)

Lugo blanked the Reds for six innings Friday in one of his most effective starts all season. He will be limited to 75-80 pitches, per manager Terry Collins.

Montgomery has held opponents to a .233 AVG in 20 innings since returning to the rotation on August 23. He faced the Mets at Citi Field in June, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits over five frames.

Who’s Hot?

Mets 1B Dominic Smith (.353 AVG (6-for-17) during five-game hitting streak)

Mets INF Jose Reyes (1.000 OPS in September with 3 HRs and 9 RBIs)

Mets OF Brandon Nimmo (6-for-15 with two home runs in Reds series)

Mets INF Asdrubal Cabrera (.600 AVG and 1.558 OPS over the past week)

Mets OF Nori Aoki (At least one hit in all eight games with New York)

Cubs INF/OF Ben Zobrist (.364 AVG (8-for-22) since September 3)

Cubs C Rene Rivera (10-for-32 (.313) with 7 RBIs since joining Chicago)

Who’s Not?

Cubs OF Jon Jay (5-for-26 (.192) this month)

Cubs 3B Kris Bryant (2 hits in his last 19 plate appearances with no RBIs)

Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo (.433 OPS with no extra-base hits in his last 7 games)

When We Last Met

The Mets took two of three at Citi Field in mid-June, winning the opener 6-1 behind Jacob deGrom’s complete game. Curtis Granderson and Lucas Duda both homered late in the finale to overcome a poor start by Harvey and secure a series victory which moved New York within four games of .500.

It’s Literally a 10-Day DL

Cubs: RHP Jake Arrieta (right hamstring strain) played catch on Sunday and is expected to return soon. C Willson Contreras (right hamstring strain) returned on Sunday after missing a month, appearing as a pinch-hitter late in the game.

Mets: RHP Noah Syndergaard (torn right lat) saw his simulated game on Sunday cancelled due to soreness. He is now scheduled to throw a bullpen session Tuesday in Chicago.

There’s Always Next Year!

The Mets announced their 2018 schedule on Tuesday, which kicks off on March 29 at Citi Field against St. Louis. Highlights include a three-game home set against the crosstown rival Yankees from June 8-10 and several interleague series with the other AL East clubs. New York will close the regular season at home against Miami.

Notable Quotables

“I’m just trying to get to the point where I’ve been when I’m healthy, 100%.” – Jeurys Familia after taking the loss on Sunday afternoon (0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R/ER, 3 BB)

“Just didn’t have the same command, really, more than anything else. Velocity was OK until the last few hitters and then you could tell he was getting fatigued but again, we’re in a stage of trying to find out some things and we found out that he’s not ready to go back-to-back.” – Collins on Familia’s shaky outing

“He really competes. He did it the first day he was in the big leagues. He started the game and got off to a rough start and you looked up and he got you six good innings, so he’s as good a competitor as I’ve been around and any time he goes out there I know if he gets in trouble he knows how to battle through it.” – Collins on deGrom, who allowed two runs over six innings, striking out 10

“They got us zero runs and one run in two of three games. In one game we had no chance but definitely had chances in the others. We pitched really well and again, you have to pitch better than good pitching to win and they did it… I thought we pitched well. We’re just unable to string together any kind of hits and our power’s been negated a bit… You look around baseball and it happens to every team at some point. It’s contagious to hit as well as it’s contagious to not hit and you just got to keep working your way through it. It’s going to come back to us. We’re going to start hitting again.” – Cubs manager Joe Maddon after getting swept by the Brewers

Photo credit: Dennis Wierzbicki – USA Today Sports

On a night Noah Syndergaard pitched a rehab assignment with the Brooklyn Cyclones in the final game of their dismal season (two innings, three runs allowed on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts), Mets fans will be forgiven for thinking the most compelling baseball in the Mets universe was not being played in Flushing. And when Ron Darling starts waxing about US Open results not even a third of the way through the game, you know that no matter how professional broadcasters can be, there is very little for anyone to care for in the remains of this season, even when a paycheck is involved.

The Mets returned to their winning ways against the Reds, with a solid offensive showing behind the undoubted star of the game Brandon Nimmo having a night, with two home runs and a double, driving in three runs. He also made a terrific running catch in left field to lead off the ninth inning.

A weird moment came in the bottom of the third with two outs, as Asdrubal Cabrera hit a ball that caromed pretty clearly off the top of the wall but was called a home run by rookie third base umpire Shane Livensparger; while an umpire review quickly called it back to a double, Terry Collins forced a needless video replay. Cabrera would leave the game early after tweaking what appeared to be his back while making a nifty barehand play.

Trailing by a run, the Mets took the lead for good in the fourth; after a leadoff walk to Dominic Smith, Kevin Plawecki doubled to right field, putting two runners in scoring position with no outs; Reds rookie Tyler Mahle struck out Matt Reynolds and Matt Harvey, but Jose Reyes poked a ground ball through the right side to score both runners and put the Mets ahead, 3-2. In the fifth, Brandon Nimmo and Juan Lagares led off with back-to-back home runs.

Matt Harvey lasted five innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs with one strikeout after 74 pitches. Josh Smoker entered the game in relief in the bottom of the fifth, and promptly struck out the side. Jeurys Familia pitched an uneventful seventh and eighth and A.J. Ramos finished off the ninth.

The Mets and Reds face off again tonight at 7:10 p.m., with Seth Lugo (5-4, 5.00) facing Amir Garrett (3-6, 7.41).

Photo credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports

There are usually two paths if the Mets aren’t able to score early, the first featuring a half-decent start and strong relief pitching with the second consisting of a brutal beatdown by the opposition in all aspects of the game.

Monday’s Subway Series opener at Yankee Stadium followed the first pathway, as Curtis Granderson and Yoenis Cespedes hit solo home runs off former Met Luis Cessa to give the Mets a 2-0 lead in the 3rd inning. Cessa, who went to the Tigers with Michael Fulmer in the deal that brought Cespedes to Flushing in 2015, pitched well and threw hard in his 4.1 innings before leaving with what appeared to be an arm injury.

Somewhat stunningly so, Rafael Montero also pitched well, only allowing two runs in six impressive innings. Spotted the early lead, Montero was on the verge of total collapse in the fourth when he loaded the bases with one out, but he coaxed a sacrifice fly from Gary Sanchez and got Chase Headley to fly out to escape more damage.

He wasn’t out of the woods, though, as Aaron Judge greeted him with his 36th homer of the season in the sixth to the tie the game at 2. Montero was able to get the next three batters out to finish off one of his best starts as a Met. The key for him has always been to keep his cool when in bad situations, and not being able to do just that has resulted in his rough season. Monday was a solid step forward, even though he coughed up the lead.

After Hansel Robles managed to barely eke through his usual high-wire act of a seventh inning, he was left in to start the eighth by Terry Collins, which predictably blew up right in TC’s face, to the surprise of no one. He grooved a pitch to Aaron Hicks, who promptly deposited it in the right field seats to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead. Did Hansel point skyward as Hicks’ homer soared far over the fence? Why yes, yes he did.

Two batters later, Erik Goeddel gave up a bomb to Sanchez to officially put a cap on this one. Dominic Smith reached base with an infield single in the 9th against Dellin Betances to bring up Amed Rosario as the tying run. He struck out on three pitches.

Will the offense reveal itself?

Not really a banner night for the Mets’ hitters. The Granderson and Cespedes home runs were the road team’s only extra base hits of the night, as the rest of the lineup scattered four hits and three walks. Granted, the lineup without Neil Walker, Jay Bruce and Lucas Duda is a little lacking but the Mets who were in the lineup on Monday didn’t put up much of a fight.

The main issue was that guys just kept swinging right through the hard fastballs of Cessa, Chad Green and Betances and over the curveballs of David Robertson. Rosario continues to struggle with the strike zone and with Smith still getting acclimated to big-league pitching, the Mets just don’t have a very deep lineup right now. The rare good news is that Green through 45 pitches and might not be available for the next few days.

A silver lining, kind of

After his loss against the Rangers last week, Terry Collins had this to say about Montero: “We don’t have a lot of options right now. And if we can’t come up with an option, he’s going to go back out.” Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Montero at least earned another start with his performance in the Bronx, but that’s probably more due to the current state of the Mets’ pitching staff than Montero himself. Still, though, his talent is undeniable. The 95+ mph fastball and sharp slider (at times) definitely plays in the majors, especially because his heater — when on — seems to have deceptive movement on it that puzzles hitters. His issue is keeping positive momentum going, which means how he pitches this weekend against the Marlins will tell us if Monday was a fluke or legitimate progress.

Patience, young Jedi

Through 13 games (for Rosario) and four games (for Smith), the Mets’ rookies haven’t exactly been lighting the world on fire. Amed’s problem is obviously his preponderance of strikeouts and, conversely, his lack of walks. In 44 plate appearances, the Mets’ top prospect has struck out 12 times and walked none. Obviously, that won’t keep up and it’s silly to make any legitimate determinations based off such a small sample size. It’s simply worth nothing.

For Smith, with even less plate appearances — just 14 — what’s apparent is that he has a very good command of the strike zone. Whether it’s laying off balls or just fouling back tough pitches, he has an approach that goes well beyond his 22 years. He basically hasn’t hit anything hard in the air yet and most of his contact has been up the middle and on the ground. Like Rosario was in his first two series in Denver and at home against the Dodgers, Smith is still getting his feet under him. Put the pitchforks down.

Looking ahead

Tuesday brings one of the better pitching matchups the Mets have been a part of this season, as Jacob deGrom returns to the site of his MLB debut to face off against new Yankee Sonny Gray. Could be a lot of strikeouts on both sides.

Photo credit: Adam Hunger – USA Today Sports

When the schedule was released over the winter, many looked at this week as a potential showcase for the rebuilding Yankees (61-55) and their young stars and another important series for the Mets as they make a run towards their third straight postseason.

Instead we’re looking at the polar opposite in a four-game set that will be split between the two boroughs, with the Yankees holding the league’s top Wild Card spot and sitting 5.5 games behind first-place Boston in the AL East. The Mets, meanwhile, have all but conceded their season by trading away a number of key veterans and promoting highly-touted prospects Amed Rosario and Dominic Smith to play on a regular basis.

After taking three of four in Philadelphia and winning their first series in just over three weeks, all eyes will be on the Mets’ infield neophytes as they get their first taste of the annual Big Apple showdown.

Fresh off a crushing extra-innings defeat to the Red Sox on Sunday night, the Yankees will look to gain some ground in their division before visiting Fenway Park for a crucial series this upcoming weekend.

The Yankees have a 62-46 record against the Mets in regular season play.

When and Where

Game 1: Monday @ 7:05 p.m. EST at Yankee Stadium (TV: SNY, ESPN, YES; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 2: Tuesday @ 7:05 p.m. EST at Yankee Stadium (TV: SNY, WPIX; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 3: Wednesday @ 7:10 p.m. EST at Citi Field (TV: SNY, ESPN, YES; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 4: Thursday @ 7:10 p.m. EST at Citi Field (TV: WPIX, YES, MLBN (out of market only); RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Baseball Weather

Monday: Cloudy with a slight chance of a rain shower and a low around 70F; Winds between 5-10 mph
Tuesday: Partly cloudy with a low around 70F; Winds between 5-10 mph
Wednesday: Party cloudy with a low of 68F; Winds between 5-10 mph
Thursday: Cloudy with a low of 72F; Winds between 10-15 mph; Periods of rain after midnight

Probable Pitching Matchups

Monday: RHP Rafael Montero (1-8, 6.06 ERA, 5.90 DRA, .313 TAv, -0.3 WARP) vs. RHP Luis Cessa (0-3, 4.83 ERA, 5.59 DRA, .272 TAv, -0.1 WARP)

In the least appealing matchup of the quartet, Montero will look to rebound after dropping his fourth straight decision behind three innings of four-run ball on Wednesday against Texas. The 26-year-old lost his big league debut against the Yankees back in May 2014 at Citi Field, allowing three runs on five hits over six innings, which included solo homers by Yangervis Solarte and Mark Teixeira.

Cessa returns to the rotation after CC Sabathia and Masahiro Tanaka were both placed on the DL over the weekend. The Mets traded Cessa to Detroit on deadline day in 2015, along with All-Star hurler Michael Fulmer, for slugger Yoenis Cespedes. Cessa did not last more than five innings in each of his previous four starts this season.

Tuesday: RHP Jacob deGrom (13-5, 3.21 ERA, 2.85 DRA, .234 TAv, 4.6 WARP) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (6-7, 3.39 ERA, 3.06 DRA, .230 TAv, 3.0 WARP)

If you had to pick one game to watch this week, Tuesday night’s tilt would be the obvious choice, as each team sends a marquee right-hander to the hill. deGrom snapped a brief two-game skid on Thursday, shutting out the lowly Phillies over 6.2 innings while striking out nine. He left early after being struck in the right arm by a line drive, suffering a significant bruise. X-rays were negative.

The shaggy-haired ace lost his only appearance at Yankee Stadium, surrendering three long balls over five frames. He is 1-2 with a 3.32 ERA in three career starts against the Bombers.

Gray has lost both starts since being acquired from Oakland two weeks ago, despite pitching fairly well in each. The former first-round pick was the victim of shoddy defense in his debut outing with New York, and has also shown some wildness by walking 7 in 12 innings. The Vanderbilt alum has never faced the Mets.

Wednesday: LHP Jaime Garcia (5-8, 4.50 ERA, 4.97 DRA, .261 TAv, 0.9 WARP) vs. RHP Seth Lugo (5-3, 4.85 ERA, 6.39 DRA, .291 TAv, -0.6 WARP)

Another recent acquisition, Garcia has a 6.97 ERA (8 ER in 10.1 IP) in two outings with the Yankees. The veteran southpaw has struck out 10 batters over that span, however. Garcia is 0-2 with a 4.15 ERA in two career starts vs. the Mets.

Lugo has struggled of late, allowing 13 runs on 20 hits and 6 walks in 16 innings across his last three outings, despite fanning 18. Opponents have a .910 OPS against the sophomore starter during that span.

Thursday: RHP Luis Severino (9-5, 3.32 ERA, 2.98 DRA, .224 TAv, 4.2 WARP) vs. LHP Steven Matz (2-6, 5.54 ERA, 6.15 DRA, .292 TAv, -0.4 WARP)

Severino follows up the worst outing of his young career, charged with 10 runs (8 earned) over 4.1 innings against Boston on Saturday – highlighted by two homers off the bat of rookie Andrew Benintendi. Prior to that blip on the radar, the Yankees had won six straight outings by the 23-year-old, a dominating stretch over which Severino struck out 48 in 39.2 innings and held opponents to a .186 AVG, resulting in a minuscule 1.36 ERA.

Matz pitched better his last time out, allowing two runs over 5.2 innings in Philadelphia. It wasn’t enough to snap his losing streak, though, now at a career high-tying five straight.

Who’s Hot?

Mets IF Wilmer Flores (1.067 OPS in 15 plate appearances at Citizens Bank Park)

Mets OF Curtis Granderson (5-for-15 with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs since Thursday)

Mets LF Yoenis Cespedes (.357 AVG and 1.214 OPS over his last three games)

Mets OF Michael Conforto (3 home runs in Philadelphia)

Yankees C Gary Sanchez (7-for-19 (.368) with 2 home runs during five-game hitting streak)

Yankees 3B/1B Chase Headley (.310 AVG (9-for-29) since August 4)

Who’s Not?

Mets OF Brandon Nimmo (1-for-12 in August)

Mets C Travis d’Arnaud (3 hits in his last 25 at-bats (.120 AVG))

Yankees RF Aaron Judge (.596 OPS with 20 strikeouts in 38 at-bats this month, and at least one strikeout in 30 straight games)

Yankees OF Brett Gardner (8-for-48 (.167) in August with 1 extra-base hit)

Yankees 3B Todd Frazier (1 hit in 12 plate appearances vs. Boston)

When We Last Met

The crosstown rivals split four a year ago, with the Mets losing the first and taking the second game in each ballpark. The victory in Queens came on the strength of seven shutout frames by deGrom, while Bartolo Colon earned the win at Yankee Stadium with 6.2 innings of one-run ball – a game in which Jeurys Familia notched his league-leading 38th save on August 4.

The Yankees were 54-54 at the end of the series and sat in fourth place, 7.5 games off the pace in the AL East. The Mets were 56-52, good for third place and an eight-game deficit in the NL East at the time.

It’s Literally a 10-Day DL

Mets: RHP Matt Harvey (stress injury in right shoulder) made his first rehab appearance on Saturday for Class-A Brooklyn at Hudson Valley, allowing a run on one hit and one walk in just one inning. Harvey threw 18 pitches, 7 for strikes, and topped out at 93 mph on the radar gun.

Yankees: 1B Greg Bird (right ankle surgery) and 2B Starlin Castro (right hamstring strain) are both expected to begin rehab assignments later this week.

Notable Quotables

“Two years ago, we thought he could hit 30 home runs. We saw the power. What you’re seeing this year is he’s so consistent, the swing is so consistent that it’s starting to show. You’re going to look at a guy who’s got a chance to hit 30 homers and wasn’t even in the lineup in April, and that speaks volumes.” – Mets manager Terry Collins discussing Michael Conforto’s big weekend in Philadelphia

“There’s really no substitute for getting all your at-bats, being out there every day. That does a lot for a player to just feel comfortable in the box every day.” – Conforto following Sunday’s 6-2 victory

“I think you can throw out the records in that series… It’s an exciting time. It’s exciting for the city and we’re anxious to get going.” – Collins on facing the Yankees

“They’ve had their injury problems as well, especially to that rotation where they’ve lost a number of guys that have been out for a while. The back end of their bullpen has had injuries and other issues so sometimes you can draw it up on paper but you’ve got to keep your guys healthy.” – Yankees manager Joe Girardi on the Mets struggles after being expected to contend this season

Photo credit: Wendell Cruz – USA Today Sports

After dropping the first five on their recent road trip, the Phillies (42-69) salvaged the final three games before returning to Citizens Bank Park.

The Mets shipped free agent-to-be Jay Bruce to Cleveland on Wednesday night for minor league right-hander Ryder Ryan, with the Indians taking on the remaining $3.7 million of Bruce’s salary in the deal.

The slugger’s replacement on the 25-man roster for tonight’s series opener will most likely be center fielder Juan Lagares, who has made seven rehab appearances for Double-A Binghamton this month as he recovers from thumb surgery that landed him on the shelf back in June.

While fans are clamoring to see first baseman Dominic Smith at the big league level, they may have to wait a little longer.

When and Where

Game 1: Thursday @ 7:05 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 2: Friday @ 7:05 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 3: Saturday @ 7:05 p.m. EST (TV: WPIX; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Game 4: Sunday @ 1:35 p.m. EST (TV: SNY; RADIO: 710 WOR, ESPN Deportes)

Baseball Weather

Thursday: Partly cloudy with a low of 66F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Friday: Scattered thunderstorms with a low of 69F; Winds between 5-10 mph; Chance of rain 80%

Saturday: Possibility of a stray shower or thunderstorm early and a low of 68F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Sunday: Intervals of clouds and sunshine and a high near 85F; Winds between 5-10 mph

Probable Pitching Matchups

Thursday: RHP Jacob deGrom (12-5, 3.36 ERA, 3.02 DRA, .238 TAv, 4.1 WARP) vs. RHP Vince Velasquez (2-6, 4.82 ERA, 5.22 DRA, .290 TAv, 0.3 WARP)

A shining star amongst a constellation of negativity this season, deGrom has lost his last two outings after winning eight in a row dating back to early June. The 29-year-old needed 99 pitches to get through five innings against a powerhouse Dodgers lineup on Friday, charged with three runs on five hits and three walks in his shortest outing in almost two months.

After a promising 2016 in which he struck out 152 in 131 innings, Velasquez has regressed a bit. Winless since May 1, he missed seven weeks with a strained flexor in his right elbow but has pitched fairly well since returning (3.00 ERA over 4 starts) despite walking a career-high six in Colorado on Friday.

Friday: RHP Seth Lugo (5-3, 4.55 ERA, 6.52 DRA, .288 TAv, -0.7 WARP) vs. RHP Nick Pivetta (4-7, 5.89 ERA, 5.39 DRA, .287 TAv, 0.2 WARP)

Lugo’s underwhelming sophomore campaign continued versus LA on Saturday, allowing three runs (including two homers) in 5.2 innings. He did not factor in the decision.

Pivetta’s first visit to the pitcher’s nightmare that is Coors Field did not end well. The 6’5″ rookie was pulled after just 2.2 innings, allowing eight runs (six earned) on seven hits in the loss.

Saturday: LHP Steven Matz (2-5, 5.77 ERA, 5.88 DRA, .300 TAv, -0.2 WARP) vs. RHP Aaron Nola (8-7, 3.12 ERA, 2.93 DRA, .229 TAv, 3.3 WARP)

Matz has struggled mightily in five starts since the All-Star break, with opponents hitting .433 alongside a whopping 1.164 OPS. The scuffling southpaw hasn’t won a game since June 28 and looks to turn the tide against a team that he has never faced.

Drafted seventh overall in 2014 and a cornerstone of Philadelphia’s future, Nola has been outstanding since mid-June – a span of nine starts in which the 24-year-old is 5-2 with a 1.76 ERA, including 70 strikeouts in 61.1 innings. His most recent outing was Sunday in Colorado, where he limited the Rockies to two runs on six hits across seven frames in a no-decision.

Sunday: RHP Chris Flexen (1-1, 8.49 ERA, 8.31 DRA, .391 TAv, -0.4 WARP) vs. RHP Zach Eflin (1-3, 5.67 ERA, 6.34 DRA, .296 TAv, -0.5 WARP)

Plugging a hole in the club’s injury-depleted rotation, Flexen made his third big league start on Tuesday night against Texas, pitching just well enough to earn his first win (5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R/ER, 3 BB, 4 SO, 2 HR, 1 HBP).

Eflin was impressive in Atlanta on Tuesday, earning the victory behind seven innings of two-run ball in his return to the rotation. The second-year hurler was demoted back in May after a pair of miserable outings.

Who’s Hot?

Phillies CF Odubel Herrera (5-for-8 with a double, two triples, a home run, 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored since Tuesday)

Phillies IF Freddy Galvis (.833 OPS in his last four games)

Phillies C Cameron Rupp (4-for-10 with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs)

Who’s Not?

Phillies 1B Tommy Joseph (3-for-29 with 1 XBH this month)

Mets SS Amed Rosario (2-for-16 with 7 strikeouts and no extra-base hits or walks)

Mets IF Asdrubal Cabrera (.063 OBP on homestand)

Mets LF Yoenis Cespedes (2-for-16 over his last five games)

Mets IF Neil Walker (.174 OPS in August)

Mets 3B/SS Jose Reyes (9-for-56 since July 20 (.161 AVG))

When We Last Met

The Mets took two out of three in Flushing on June 30-July 1, both one-run victories. deGrom struck out 12 over seven innings in the series opener, allowing just one run en route to his eighth win.

It’s Literally a 10-Day DL

Phillies: No significant injury-related news

Mets: RHP Matt Harvey (stress injury to right shoulder) threw batting practice on Tuesday and felt no ill effects the following day. A rehab assignment should not be far off, although the team has not yet committed to a date.

Notable Quotables

“You can’t ride one guy to get back in it. You need your lineup to produce and do what they are supposed to do, do what they are capable of doing. Right now, we got some guys that aren’t hitting.” – Mets manager Terry Collins on his team’s recent offensive woes

Photo credit: Brett Davis – USA Today Sports

(weekly statistics from games played from 4/13/17 through 4/19/17, season statistics through 4/19/17)

Las Vegas 51s (AAA)

Dominic Smith, 1B

Last week: 9-27, 2B, HR, 4 R, 5 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K

Season to date: .364/.407/.545, 2 HR, 9 K / 4 BB

I wrote last week about the major league timetable for Amed Rosario. I figured he had a better chance to see time in Flushing before Dominic Smith. Then Lucas Duda hyperextended his elbow, Wilmer Flores was hospitalized with a joint infection, Jay Bruce looked shaky at first base—”it’s incredibly hard”—and we are 24 hours away from learning Michael Conforto has cholera or something (never ford the river). And hey, since Smith isn’t on the 40-man roster, you’ve already got the extra year of service time banked. I don’t expect the Mets to promote him though. I sorta still suspect that they’d even prefer to go out and get James Loney again, because that is absolutely the kind of thing they do. Smith is doing what you’d expect him to do in Vegas so far, which is good, but not particularly enlightening. I’ve taken my share of slings and arrows for my reports on him over the years, but I’ve always written him as a major league regular, if not an impact one. And the Mets might need one of those “major-league regulars” sooner rather than later.

Binghamton…sigh…Rumble Ponies (AA)

Corey Oswalt, RHP

Last week: 6 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, HBP

Season to date: 10 IP, 6.30 ERA, 4.56 FIP, 27.3 K%, 4.6 BB%, 1.80 HR/9

Oswalt doesn’t get talked about much and there is a reason for that I will get to in a minute. But he got third-round money as a seventh-round prep arm in 2012. He is a big righty with a starter’s frame and plus velocity. So he looks the part. There have been some injury hiccups over the years, but he’s coming off a season where he struck out better than a batter an inning in the Florida State League. Oswalt is 23, which is a little old by “prospect age” for Binghamton, but not excessively so given his background. He’s certainly not a top ten guy, but he wasn’t even really in consideration for our Top 30. Unless you are a prospect obsessive like our staff and maybe five other dudes on #MetsTwitter, you may not have even heard of him. That’s weird isn’t it? Andrew Church has a similarly patchy medical record—and not all that much more stuff—and he made the list. Luis Silva, a teenage with a TJ on his medical record and one start outside of the complex was in consideration. This is weird, isn’t it?

Here’s the thing: It’s a really hittable 95. A guy with that fastball—and the slider isn’t awful either—shouldn’t be giving up the most hits in the South Atlantic League, as Oswalt did in 2015. He shouldn’t even really be spending all of 2015 in the South Atlantic League. Despite his height, Oswalt doesn’t get a ton of plane on his heater, and he has below-average command. The velo and breaker have been sufficient to miss a notable number of bats so far, but the contact in the upper minors might only get louder for him.

St. Lucie Mets (A+)

Jeff Diehl, OF/DH/P?

Last Week: 9-21, 2 2B, 2 HR, 4 R, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 9 K; 0.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K

Season to date: .306/.419/.528, 2 HR, 14 K / 7 BB

I was sitting in the press box in New Hampshire watching the crew blowtorch the dirt around home plate to try and get it dry enough to play. A guy who sure looked a lot like Bingo scheduled starter Tyler Pill came out with some of the coaching staff to observe the process. He had a bat in his hand and when he got bored tossed a ball up in the air and took a hack at it from near home plate. The ball almost went out to right-center. It’s a short porch, but Tyler Pill is a heckuva hitter. He was a two-way player at Cal State-Fullerton and there were some teams interested in him as an outfielder, although his pro career was always likely to be on the mound. He’s still 86-90 with three below-average secondaries. The game ended up getting banged about 90 minutes later, but I saw Pill the next night and he looked like the same passable Double-A starter in a system that has dealt a whole lot of guys the last couple years that would be passable Double-A starters. He’s hit .362/.384/.493 in 115 scattered PA. He probably ends up not quite good enough to hack it as a position player, but what do you have to lose?

Rainy Lara popped up on the Bridgeport Bluefish roster this year after getting no offers as a minor-league free agent. I don’t know if I have seen more Lara or Pill starts at this point in my life. I could look it up. It’s close either way. Lara doesn’t have Pill’s facility with the stick, but he has a pretty good slider, a bad arm action, and  never held his fringy velocity past 50 pitches or so. But he was a passable Double-A starter in an org that has gone fishing for indy ball arms to fill that role an awful lot lately. I wonder if the velo and slider might have played up in the pen. Maybe enough to make him a role 3? I don’t know and the Mets don’t know, and he’s probably still good enough to start for the Bluefish.

Jeff Diehl got $135K as a late round prep catcher who was too tall to be a pro catcher. He has plus raw and a heckuva arm. I’ve seen him plenty over the years and stopped taking notes on him in the Penn League. He’s 23-years-old in Advanced-A now. The skillset probably tops out in Double-A as a corner guy—they have tried him in all of them—that strikes out too much . I suppose there’s a decent enough chance he’s Travis Taijeron.

Oh, he’s also 95-97 off the mound, which we found out because St. Lucie has needed to throw a position player out there a couple times already. It makes sense, because you have to have a really good arm to get drafted as a 6’5” high school catcher.

The Mets don’t make these moves. They don’t try Tyler Pill in the outfield. They don’t move Rainy Lara to the bullpen. Now these are trickier than the prospect watcher would like. We want to convert everyone to catcher. We want every no-hit shortstop to try his hand at pitching. There are very few Adam Loewens and Jason Mottes. You need organizational buy-in. You need player buy-in.

But man, how many dudes in that system right now can touch 97? Diehl will be a minor league free agent after this season. If the Mets don’t try him on the mound, someone else will. 95-97 has a way of getting around.

Columbia Fireflies (A)

Luis Carpio, IF

Last Week: 9-25, 2 2B, 4 R, RBI, 3 BB, 8 K

Season to date: .347/.450/.408, 7 SB, 13 K / 9 BB

I am guessing I hit the over on the Vegas line (1.5) for “weeks into this column that Jeffrey writes about Luis Carpio.” My fondness for him is well-known, but I was leery with him coming off labrum surgery. Early returns have been fine, although the live reports don’t quite match the triple slash. Unlike Wuilmer Becerra, who had similar surgery, Carpio is a polished, up-the-middle glove. That puts less pressure on the bat to come all the way back and then develop further. The shoulder surgery may force him to second base full time—he’s already playing mostly at the keystone in Columbia—which isn’t ideal. But the ball jumped off his bat as a 17-year-old in Kingsport. I thought there might eventually be 40 power there. I also thought he might move quickly. We are going to have to be a bit more patient with Carpio now. But hey, I’m in this one for the long haul.

Photo credit: Steve Mitchell – USA Today Sports