In 2012, Johan Santana removed the Mets from the list of teams that have never pitched a no-hitter. Much less discussed: Teams that have never had a player win the MVP. The National League award has gone to players on every team except the Mets, Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks. That the Mets have a 24-year head start on the Marlins and 29 on the Snakes makes the omission more glaring. Tom Seaver led the majors with 11 bWAR in 1973 (2.08 ERA over 290 IP!) but lost out to NL West-wining Pete Rose (.338/.401/.437, 8.2 bWAR). At least Seaver’s Mets beat Rose’s Reds in the NLCS.

The 2017 Mets are in as good a place as any to produce their first-ever NL MVP winner. Should they dominate the standings, it will almost certainly be due to a range-busting performance from Yoenis Cespedes. PECOTA says Cespedes’s 90th percentile performance would look like .289/.347/.526 with 33 home runs — a 6.4 WARP season. Maybe we’re biased Mets fans, but is it crazy to suggest La Potencia could hit .320/.390/.580 if everything broke right? That looks like an MVP.

The BBWAA awards are, fortuitously, not the only ones awarded each year. There’s no shortage of uncredentialed folks predicting who will win the major trophies. Here at BP-Mets, we’ve created our own Met Awards. As a special bonus, we will also tell you who will win them. — Scott D. Simon (@scottdsimon)

Empty Soup Can

It’s still hard to believe that James Loney, of all people, delivered the key home run to clinch last year’s wild card berth. It’s no surprise that Terry Collins stuck with Loney. Collins loves to stick with veterans, even when they slide below replacement level. Collins’s desperate attempt to bring Bobby Parnell back for a playoff spot in 2015 forced me to leave the stands when he was pitching. I could see the helplessness of lost command from the nosebleeds. I’m not sure if Collins can recognize when the well has run dry and he’s trying to sustain his team with an empty can of soup.

Loyalty is a wonderful thing, but every year it feels like Collins picks a player to shower with playing time no matter how painful the results. It’s maddening because we know we could make better choices. This year’s Empty Soup Can winner seems pretty obvious: Jay Bruce… Come on down to the stadium of boos! — Noah Grand (@noahgrand)

Robert the Rookie (of the Year)

Newly-minted No. 4 starter Robert Gsellman has earned plenty of column ink this spring as the wild card amidst the Mets’ collection of aces. BP’s crack prospect team rated Gsellman No. 17 among all prospects this offseason. This spring, his velo and stuff have looked as awesome as anyone’s in the rotation not named Syndergaard or deGrom. So how far out of the realm of possibility is it that Gsellman follows the former fellow-Mets-prospect Michael Fulmer’s path to a trophy? Well, the biggest hurdle standing between No. 65 and his hardware is the ultra-talented Dansby Swanson, so to get there Gsellman may have to put up a sub-3.00 ERA just like he did over 45 innings last season. It’s certainly possible … just don’t ask him to hit. — Byran Grosnick (@bgrosnick)

The Underdog

I don’t know how, but we’re still underrating Jacob deGrom. It seems impossible that the floppy-haired Florida Man who put up a 2.30 ERA in 133 innings and 21 starts before his elbow started acting up – his season ended on Sept. 1, just a few weeks after giving up eight runs to the Giants – can be underappreciated. Yet here we are. He’s stable: he’s not blazing a 97 mph fastball like Noah Syndergaard or breaking spin rate records like Seth Lugo or making a (hopefully) triumphant return after two years like Zack Wheeler. He’s just there, doing his thing. deGrom won’t be the staff ace – that title will still go to Thor, barring a national disaster. But on a team full of studs, he’ll finally get the respect he deserves. — Kate Feldman (@kateefeldman)

The Future Freaks Me Out

“[Terry] won’t stop [sending Jay Bruce] to [the outfield] / How [the Mets refuse] to [start Michael Conforto]”

At the end of last season, one assumed 2017 would be the year Michael Conforto got a good amount of MLB playing time. Even, potentially, a starting role. That assumption was halted around late January, when we discovered the Mets couldn’t find a trade partner for Jay Bruce.

“We waste away the days with [veterans] and [scuffling hitters] / From an era we hate to admit we embrace”

So, now here we are. Bruce, who owns a .288 TAv at his 90th-percentile PECOTA projection, is slated to be the Mets’ starting right fielder — over Conforto, who owns a .281 TAv for his 50th-percentile PECOTA projection. You could say it’s more a fault of roster construction than thinking Bruce is better than Conforto, if it makes you feel better. Nevertheless, the Mets still appear to be shunting off one of their potential key-stones in favor of a veteran. For that reason, Conforto takes home this somewhat conciliatory award for a young player the Mets appear afraid to give a full-time job.

“[Terry], I need you [to start him] / [We] miss [him] / [We’re a worse team] without [him] / To [see plugged in the lineup] with [our] cellular phones”

These are actual quotes from the song “The Future Freaks Me Out” by Motion City Soundtrack. Do not attempt to use the Google to verify. Just take my word for it. — Shawn Brody (@ShawnBrody)

Third Time’s the Charm

The well-traveled Kelly Johnson has been part of a mid-summer trade from Atlanta to New York each of the last two years. This summer will make it three in a row, as he will sign an early-season deal with the Braves only to be sent back to the Mets for their annual intra-division sacrifice of a decent pitching prospect. Mets fans will let out a collective sigh of “meh.” But late ’90s Mets reliever and known superstitious personality Turk Wendell will publicly offer a characteristically unique spin on the deal: “The Mets have traded for Kelly the last two years. They’ve made the playoffs the last two years. I don’t think they can get there without this yearly acquisition. Plus, he’s played in Yankee Stadium.” — Zane Moran

Photo Credit: Jerry Lai – USA Today Sports

Will’s vision for Deadspin was to publish sports news that never made it into the public domain “because of either corporate obligations or just plain laziness.” Deadspin needed and wanted to be the internet’s depository for otherwise-unrevealed sports stories. You might recall Jim Bouton opened the door to such reporting in Ball Four, but Deadspin debuted in 2005 not 1969. (How long ago was 2005 in internet time? OG Deadspin was a great place to read the comments.)

An MLB Trade Rumors tweet the other day brought back the memory of my favorite ancient Deadspin post. No, not that one. Someone at the NCAA had published a webpage containing contact information for the people running each of the 32 college bowl games. An industrious reader found the page and tipped off Will, who ran with it. We all got a laugh when we read that ESPN, which then as now televised 90% of college bowls, was also responsible for organizing a couple of games themselves. Even in 2005, ESPN producing its own live sports #content was mildly scandalous but not really surprising.

I was reminded that obvious sports story is obvious when I saw this last Tuesday:

Braves Considering Kelly Johnson https://t.co/uYHo40EVZx pic.twitter.com/iIvOXkDWuj

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) February 21, 2017

The natural Met fan response:

…to be a good candidate to rejoin the Mets sometime during the 2017 season. https://t.co/y2hBEQQ0Ro

— Scott D. Simon (@scottdsimon) February 21, 2017

Nobody here would be shocked, shocked if Kelly Johnson ends up a 2017 Brave, then a 2017 Met. It would not surprise us in the least. Here, then, are some more Mets futures that would leave us unperturbed. — Scott D. Simon (@scottdsimon)

Noah Syndergaard wins the Cy Young; Clayton Kershaw finishes second

If I just said it wouldn’t surprise me if Noah Syndergaard would win the Cy Young in 2017, well, that wouldn’t put me out on much of a limb. Thor in 2016 was 3rd in ERA, 4th in strikeouts, and 1st in FIP in the National League. He has the best raw stuff in baseball. He’s easily a top-five pitcher in the league, and top-five pitchers win the Cy all the time.

But I’ll go a step further: I expect Clayton Kershaw to turn in a prime Clayton Kershaw season. And I still think Syndergaard wins. Maybe it’ll be close, maybe it’ll be controversial, but I think Syndergaard’s 2017 is so good that it overcomes the everyday magic of Kershaw’s best. And a race between the two of them at their absolute best might be the most enjoyable thing in baseball. — Jarrett Seidler (@jaseidler)

Terry Collins spends all season trying to get Jay Bruce going

There’s an alternate reality, a different timeline, in which 2015 Matt Harvey left Game 5 after the eighth inning and David Wright was mobile and Daniel Murphy figured things out before he left town. This is not that reality. This is the reality in which Michael Conforto, a shiny young outfielder who dominated in his first taste of the big leagues, will be left to rot in the high noon sun of Las Vegas because Jay Bruce is inexplicably still wearing orange and blue. Conforto slugged .727 in Triple-A last season. That won’t matter. Bruce hit .219/.294/.391 as a Met. That won’t matter either. Barring injury – and maybe even then – Terry Collins is going to stick with the veteran. Even if the veteran isn’t all that good anymore. — Kate Feldman (@kateefeldman)

Amed Rosario is not eligible for our 2018 Top 101 Prospect List

As you may be aware, I just got finished with four months of prospect lists, culminating with the release of our BP 101 on the site two weeks ago. Amed Rosario ranks quite highly, but he could use another full season in the upper minors. Anyway, even considering that we just have to take the Mets’ word for it that David Wright is playing catch … somewhere … the 2017 team has a fairly settled and deep infield. If Asdrubal Cabrera’s hip starts barking again, Jose Reyes can slide over to shortstop. Wilmer Flores has, uh, plenty of experience there as well. There really shouldn’t be a need for Rosario to suit up in Flushing beyond a September call-up to get a few major league reps with an eye toward taking over the starting shortstop job in 2018.

However, there are already raves for Rosario coming out of Mets camp. Terry Collins gushes about him at pressers, and when Terry likes a guy, Terry plays a guy. This rule has traditionally been limited to veterans like Eric Campbell, Alejandro de Aza, and James Loney, but I can definitely see a scenario where Rosario is hitting .370 in Vegas in July, half the Mets’ infield is on the disabled list (LOLMets), and he is both the best option and the player the manager is agitating for. Rosario might be overmatched in his first taste of major league action, but he has the tools to hit the ground running and never look back, leaving me to ponder if Dom Smith, Thomas Szapucki, or Justin Dunn will top our Mets prospect list in 2018. — Jeffrey Paternostro (@jeffpaternostro)

Matt Harvey performs as a mid-rotation starter

Last season was rough, as Harvey pitched through thoracic outlet syndrome that sent his performance careening and ended his season early. Pitchers with TOS have a mixed record upon their return, but Harvey has enough natural talent that he can survive a hit and keep on ticking as a mid-rotation arm, provided he can actually stay healthy this time. I think he’ll be fine, but perhaps never again an ace.

Compared to 2016, PECOTA’s projection for Harvey is rosy, with a 4.14 DRA in about 156 innings … a performance worth roughly two wins. With decent health, that sounds about right to me: a solid but unspectacular No. 3 starter overall in his time on the bump. In some games he’ll be magic and some he’ll be a disaster. Though I’m not sure we’ll ever see anything quite like his remarkable 2013, Harvey’s got the underlying velo, smarts, and stuff to succeed as a big league starter, even if his strikeout rate is diminished and opposing hitters make better contact than ever before on his slider. He’ll be “fine.” — Bryan Grosnick (@bgrosnick)

Bartolo Colon makes a glorious return (in the Kelly Johnson deal)

Mid-season, once Wright and Walker’s spinal columns are reduced to piles of ashes, Collins begins to pine for a middling utility man. He promptly reacquires Kelly Johnson — who can deny a love so deep? Luckily, in the trade package, Bartolo Colon also makes a triumphant return to Citi Field, where he stands upon a mound made of the bone spurs of his younger colleagues and once again becomes the most consistently uninjured pitcher in Queens. — Sara Nović (@novicsara)

Old Curtis Granderson morphs into Chris Carter

This possibility was always present in the back of our minds from the moment Curtis Granderson signed his four-year contract in the 2013-14 offseason. In his last couple seasons with the Yankees, albeit while battling fluky hit by pitch injuries in 2013, Granderson became a total strikeout machine. His potent power and ability to draw walks kept him useful, but it seemed like that was the player the Mets signed.

Granderson turned out to be much better, cutting down on his strikeouts in Queens, bringing them to a more reasonable level. So even as he moved further along in his thirties, he remained a very productive player, batting .241/.342/.436 with 76 homers in 462 games. As Granderson’s about to turn 36, though, his bat speed seems bound to fade. The strikeouts may rise, but that’s okay. The dingers should still be around. As Chris Carter and earlier iterations of Granderson demonstrated, that kind of hitter is still valuable, no matter what your grouchy uncle thinks. — Andrew Mearns (@MearnsPSA)

Mets players’ names remain non-predictive of performance

The recent history of Mets onomastics has hidden its fair share of verbs within its subjects’ names, though their relationship with the players’ skillsets have seemed misplaced. Zack Wheeler does not share his Backyard Baseball counterpart’s bristling speed. “Smoker” better fits an ill-tempered, hulking first baseman in the Clu Haywood movie villain mold (provided “Josh” is swapped for a more menacing name). Sure, “Steven Matz down the competition” is a bad headline waiting to happen, but…

That brings us to Neil Walker, whose name includes a literal baseball stat! Except his career 8.2% walk rate is the kind of pedestrian that, in childhood, would have had his parents yelling at him for playing in the middle of the road. In 2016, Curtis Granderson’s team-leading 74 free passes on a 11.7% rate far outpaced Walker’s (granted, injury-shortened) 42-walk campaign despite a career-best 9.2% walk rate. It would be unsurprising if Granderson repeated: he’s tallied the most plate appearances and walks on the team each season since his crosstown switch, and hasn’t posted a walk rate south of 10% since 2007. Walker is just not an elite walker.

With this, our hope turns to Jerry Blevins. As of this writing, “blevin” is not yet in the dictionary, but you can’t tell me that this guy isn’t leading the league in blevins this coming season. — Brock Chenier (@brockchenier)

Michael Conforto receives 500 plate appearances

I was one of the few Mets fans who didn’t panic last month when an unnamed Mets executive told the New York Post that Jay Bruce would start on Opening Day. After all, a lot can happen between the start of Spring Training and the end of the season. But I also remember that Terry Collins liked having one primary backup in both the infield and outfield last year. Alejandro De Aza got 267 plate appearances as the primary extra outfielder, versus Conforto’s 348 as a half-season starter. That’s why no distribution of outfield playing time will surprise me in 2017, ranging from the incredibly smart to the incredibly stupid. Since Spring Training is a time of hope, it’s important to remember that high variance situations include positive outcomes like a breakout season for Conforto. — Noah Grand (@noahgrand)

Beloved former Mets plague the Amazins

The ghost of Mets past will come back to haunt Queens this season. The Atlanta Braves have nineteen games against New York in 2017. Their pitching staff includes many familiar (and beloved) faces who once played in blue and orange. While former Mets farmhand John Gant was traded from Atlanta to the Cardinals during the offseason, the Braves picked up R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon. For many, those were two of the most adored Mets pitchers of the last decade. I’d expect those pitchers to have a winning record and perform strangely well against the Mets, even though they are a combined 85 years old. —  Bryan Kalbrosky (@BryanKalbrosky)

The Mets struggle against the NL East

PECOTA projects the Mets to win the NL East with a record of 88-74. For this to occur, though, the team will need to beat up on their lowly competition in the NL East: the Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies. All three nominal competitors are currently re-building and project for under-.500 records. Yet last year the 90-72 Mets seemed to lose a bunch of winnable games against the Braves — at 68-93, the 5th worst team in all of Major League Baseball.

The three NL East bottom feeders expect to improve as they rebuild. Therefore, the Mets will need beat up on these teams while they have the opportunity. However, with the Mets’ luck and the growth of the other NL East teams, I would not be surprised to see New York struggle against the weaker competition. If this happens, the Mets will have difficulty competing for a spot in the playoffs. — Seth Rubin (@sethrubin)

Photo Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

At the opposite end of the wheeling-and-dealing spectrum is former Met pitcher Jerry Dipoto. Dipoto’s made 35 trades since taking over as Mariners general manager just 15 months ago. By contrast, during that time Alderson’s acquired only five players (that is, not PTBNL or cash) in trades: Jon Niese for Neil Walker; Akeel Morris for Kelly Johnson; Antonio Bastardo for Jon Niese; Dilson Herrera for Jay Bruce; and Erik Manoah for Fernando Salas. There’s probably a happy medium between five deals and 35. We’re going to thread that needle. Here, in the baseball purgatory that is January, we speculate on the quality and quantity of trades Dipoto would make if given the keys to the Mets’ roster. — Scott D. Simon (@scottdsimon)

Dipoto Deals For Character

Mets acquire RHP Hunter Strickland and UT-S Jimmy Rollins from San Francisco Giants for OF-L Jay Bruce, UT-S Jose Reyes, RHP Rafael Montero and $5 million.

Mets acquire OF-R Andrew McCutchen and $5 million from Pittsburgh Pirates for OF-L Michael Conforto, RHP Jeurys Familia, and UT-R Gavin Cecchini.

The Giants need a left fielder. Their current depth chart at the position lists Mac Williamson, Jarrett Parker and Gorkys Hernandez, who combine for a career WARP of 1.2. We know the Mets can’t move Jay Bruce at his $13 million salary for anything of value. Throwing in Sacks O’Cash and Jose Reyes, a potential +1 WARP switch-hitting utility guy making the league minimum, however, could bring back a short reliever with dominant stuff (if not results), and a much older utility guy on a minor-league invite. Especially if the Mets pay down a portion of Bruce’s salary. Montero might or might not ever become a big-leaguer, but it surely won’t happen in New York.

From all appearances, Michael Conforto has no place in New York either. Between the Mets re-signing Cespedes and picking up Bruce’s option, team brass has shown no desire to give their former first-round draft pick an unobstructed path to playing time. The Pirates have expressed ongoing interest in moving their franchise player. So why not flip Conforto, an All-Star capital-C Closer, and the Mets’ number-9 prospect (another former first-round pick) for a win-now outfielder whose declining range in the pasture is still probably better than that of Cespedes or erstwhile center fielder Curtis Granderson? Familia is by no means expendable, but with Strickland in the fold, his replacement is already in-house. Play with the cash coming back from Pittsburgh if you feel one side’s getting the better end of the bargain.

Do these deals make the Mets a better team? If we’re talking solely about on-field performance: Maybe! That’s the essence of a Dipoto trade diptych, after all. Indisputably, though, the deals make the Mets a better team to root for. There’s nothing like exchanging two accused domestic violence offenders for Roberto Clemente Award winners. Between Granderson, McCutchen and Rollins, the Mets would have the last three recipients of the honor given to the player who best represents the game of baseball through sportsmanship, community involvement and positive contributions, both on and off the field. Who says there’s no such thing as team chemistry? — Scott D. Simon (@scottdsimon)

Dipoto Chooses his Chasen

Mets acquire LHP Chasen Shreve from Yankees for RHP Chasen Bradford.

It was an opportunity that Jerry just couldn’t pass up. There are only three Chasens in MLB history and two of them played in New York, so relocation wouldn’t be a problem for the Yankee. The third Chasen had the boorish manners of a Yalie. No time for that.

Jerry had to make the move, even if it was just a reliever-for-reliever swap. How could he turn down this opportunity? The Mets hired him for a reason. He was Chasen history. — Andrew Mearns (@MearnsPSA)

Dipoto Nabs Nate

Mets acquire RHP Nate Jones from White Sox for RHP Jeurys Familia and OF-L Brandon Nimmo.

It would benefit the Mets to move on from Jeurys Familia, and not just because of the domestic abuse allegations. For a team on the Wild Card bubble, every win matters, and Familia is likely to miss dozens of games at the start of the season. And he’s expensive.

So let’s swap him out to the White Sox for their cheaper, older, slightly inferior reliever in Nate Jones. The Sox can afford to wait until Familia comes back, then flip him to a contender for a sizable prospect haul. As a reward, they get Brandon Nimmo, who actually ends up their Opening Day center fielder. –Bryan Grosnick (@bgrosnick)

Dipoto Unites with Yusmeiro and Signs Smith

Mets sign free agent RHPs Yusmeiro Petit and Joe Smith

One thing the New York Mets definitely know is that you can never have too many (relief) pitchers. Joe Smith is most remembered for his weird arm angle positioned somewhere between side-arm and submarine. The Mets traded him away back in 2008 for JJ Putz, who ended up being a putz (Yiddish for worthless person) during his one-year tenure as a member of the Mets. But Joe Smith went on to be successful with the Indians, Angels and Cubs, having pitched more than 70 games in five of the past six seasons. He would be able to eat some innings in case the Mets don’t want the young starting rotation going late into the game.

Yusmeiro Petit never actually pitched for the New York Mets but instead was traded as a prospect in the Carlos Delgado deal. He can serve as a long reliever or a spot-starter when the Mets want to give their starters an extra day of rest. Since being traded from the Mets he has played for the Marlins, Diamondbacks, Giants and Nationals as well as a short stint in the Mexican League. His career is most remembered for retiring 46 batters in a row in 2014. Mets fans are desperate for a move. While this wouldn’t fulfill desparate Jay Bruce trade fantasies, it would at least make Mets fans content knowing they have a few more relief options, especially when Familia starts the season suspended. — Seth Rubin (@sethrubin)

Dipoto Flips Franchises

Mets acquire Chain-L In-N-Out Burger from West Coast for Chain-R Shake Shack.

Last year Shake Shack moved out west, opening five Los Angeles area locations to complement their better known home in the northeast, including at Citi Field. We know Jerry Dipoto loves cross-country trades, and I don’t think he would stop with the players. Dipoto was a GM in Southern California for years, and SoCal hamburger eaters swear by In-N-Out. If Dipoto went east, he’d probably swap Citi Field’s Shake Shack for an In-N-Out because the family-owned business won’t expand to the East Coast by choice.

What better way to go down as the king of lateral moves than flipping one regional hamburger franchise for another? It won’t be long before fans start sharing In-N-Out’s secret menu on the train coming to and from the game! — Noah Grand (@noahgrand)

Dipoto Requires Respect

Mets acquire OF-L Colby Rasmus for OF-R Juan Lagares

Scrolling through baseball Twitter, Jerry Dipoto was appalled that he wasn’t the talk of the tweets. Instead, the confusing moves made by the Tampa Bay Rays drew the wonder and ire of commentators, and Jerry couldn’t stand for that. The Rays would not be the only team making ineffective, quasi-useless moves this offseason.

So he did what Dipoto does best: he traded inconsistent outfielder Juan Lagares for declining outfielder Colby Rasmus, a recent Rays pickup, and looked quite satisfied with himself. In his trading frenzy he was unaware that he allowed the Rays to once again make a befuddling move, and his pride was so great in this action that he sent a note to the Rays front office: I am the one who trades. — Brian Duricy (@briansusername_)

Dipoto Sends Himself

Mets acquire GM-R Jerry Dipoto from Mariners for future considerations.

Dipoto swayed softly in his ergonomic chair – the same model he had purchased for the entire front office. “Office comfort is the new market inefficiency,” he said at the time. He didn’t know if he still believed it. He didn’t know what he believed anymore.

The coffee on his desk had long since grown cold. He eyed the bourbon on his shelf for warmth instead. “No,” he decided after letting his eyes linger a moment longer. Last time he touched the stuff he woke up with a nine-figure bill for Josh Hamilton. He needed something, though. “Another speedy outfielder, of course. Probably a LOOGY or two, maybe a…” – his thoughts trailed off. It wouldn’t be enough. It never was. He needed more. Seattle wasn’t enough, he wanted to be a bigger star than a Beane or Epstein. He couldn’t do that in Seattle. “But where?” He did not know where the next thought came from – destiny, perhaps – but it was vivid. A third horse. A third amigo. Dipoto, Thor, and Yo. He thumbed down to “Alderson” in his phone… — Brock Chenier (@BrockChenier)

Photo Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

BATS STRUGGLE AGAINST PHILLIES’ STARTER EICKHOFF

Phillies’ starter Jerad Eickhoff flummoxed the Mets over his final six innings of the season, much as he has done throughout his young career. New York’s bats came out swinging early and often, and Eickhoff was able to get through the first inning on only seven pitches, including a strikeout of Jay Bruce. He commanded his 90-91 mph fastball well, but his real out pitch is still his stellar curveball, on which he generated several strikeouts in this outing.

Curtis Granderson was the team’s first baserunner with a leadoff walk in the fourth, and he was replaced by pinch-hitter Juan Lagares. He was promptly thrown out by catcher Cameron Rupp, just before Bruce singled for the Mets’ first hit of the day. New York finally broke through in the sixth, as Matt Reynolds doubled on a well-placed ground ball and was brought home by an Alejandro De Aza single up the middle. Eickhoff’s day was done after the sixth, having accumulated eight strikeouts while only allowing one walk and one run.

Reliever Colton Murray came in in the seventh, and struggled some to command his 94-95 mph fastball. Kelly Johnson was able to single and steal second base, and was eventually brought home on Kevin Plawecki’s line-drive double. Murray would get through the inning, while Michael Mariot and Joely Rodriguez shared a clean eighth. De facto closer Hector Neris closed out the Phillies’ season while silencing the Mets, who probably spent most of this game trying to get back to New York as soon as possible.

GABRIEL YNOA IS HIS SERVICEABLE SELF

Ynoa did exactly exactly what he was asked to do today, with a little bit of fastball command shakiness for good measure. He allowed five hits (all singles, including two to Maikel Franco), but only allowed one hit. He managed to work an even faster first inning than Eickhoff (only requiring five pitches), and suffered no damage in the second inning.

In the third, three singles sequenced in such a way as to score the first run of the game on a Franco RBI, but that would be all of the damage Ynoa would allow. He got his final five outs efficiently and mostly without incident. On the day, 80 percent of his batted balls were ground balls, and threw only 52 pitches. It’s interesting that he didn’t even get to finish the fifth inning, but Terry Collins instead decided to go to the bullpen.

BULLPEN STRUGGLES TO RECORD OUTS IN THE SEVENTH

Jerry Blevins came in and got out Odubel Herrera to end the fifth, and that was all that was to be asked of him on the evening. Josh Smoker worked around a hit to get through the sixth cleanly. Erik Goeddel struggled in general, and failed to record an out. He gave up a walk and two hits, allowing one of the runs to score while he was on the mound. Josh Edgin’s line on the box score looks clean, but he allowed the sacrifice fly that scored the third run of the inning. In the eighth inning, Jim Henderson closed out the game for Mets’ pitching, but allowed an RBI single to Aaron Altherr before all was said and done. This was the final run scored in the game, and the Mets fell 5-2.

UP NEXT

With the regular season completed, the Mets await the San Francisco Giants in the NL Wild Card Game on Wednesday, at Citi Field. New York was able to line up their schedule to have Noah Syndergaard available to start, which is very good. However, the Giants were able to clinch their spot on the last day of the season AND have worked their schedule in such a way as to have Madison Bumgarner available to start – which is bad. It’s also an even year, which basically makes this game meaningless, but the Mets will give it their best shot regardless.

Photo credit: Bill Streicher – USA Today Sports

Ynoa held the Phils scoreless in the first, but the second inning did not go as well. Freddy Galvis singled on a soft line drive with one out, and Cody Asche followed with a single of his own. Cesar Hernandez and Roman Quinn drove both of them in with two out RBI singles to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead. This would also end Ynoa’s start, as he exited after only two innings pitched, walking and striking out one.

The Mets answered right back against Phillie starter Jeremy Hellickson, as Michael Conforto doubled with one out. After Lucas Duda drilled a line drive out (some rotten luck, but already a big improvement over James Loney), Travis d’Arnaud drove in Conforto with a double of his own to cut the deficit to one. Unfortunately, the Phillies got the run right back, as Maikel Franco homered off Logan Verrett to start the third and put the Phillies up 3-1.

The fourth inning was quiet as Verrett settled in and Hellickson held the Mets at bay, as was the top of the fifth where Josh Smoker tossed a perfect frame with a pair of strikeouts. The Met half of the inning was anything but. Rene Rivera lead off with a single, and walks to Asdrubal Cabrera and Yoenis Cespedes loaded the bases for Curtis Granderson. Granderson singled in Rivera, and Kelly Johnson followed with a two-run single of his own to put the Mets up 4-3.

Discontent with a one run lead, the Mets managed to bring home three more on a three-run opposite field bomb from Conforto. Conforto’s double and homer gave him as many extra base hits as Jay Bruce has in the month of September combined. Don’t worry though, I’m sure Terry Collins will happily plug Jay Bruce back in the lineup with a trademarked “we’ve got to get him going” while Conforto is returned to rotting on the bench.

Erik Goeddel relieved Smoker and got off to a rough start, walking Cody Asche and surrendering a two-run home run to Darin Ruf that cut the Met lead to 7-5. He retired the next three batters, but ran into more trouble in the seventh after Maikel Franco singled and Ryan Howard walked. Josh Edgin entered and gave up an infield single to Freddy Galvis that loaded the bases. Without Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia, Collins was forced to turn to Hansel Robles, who quickly induced a double play ground ball from Tommy Joseph to end the threat.

Poor defense gifted the Mets some insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh. Cespedes led off with a double and Granderson walked. Collins then made the very bad decision of pinch hitting for Johnson against a lefty with Juan Lagares, who was presumably sent to the plate to bunt (almost always a bad move). Lagares got the bunt down though, and the Phillies threw the ball away, allowing Cespedes to score and putting runners on second and third with none out.

Conforto was due up next, but as he’s entirely incapable of ever seeing a lefty pitcher ever, Eric Campbell was sent in to pinch hit. At least I presume that was the dialogue in Terry’s head. The move worked however, as Campbell drove in another run with a single. T.J. Rivera then pinch hit for Duda (a fine move, because Duda has a long history of ineptitude against lefties and just came off the DL) and drove in the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly.

The remaining two innings were quiet, mostly thanks to the superb pitching of Robles, who recorded the last eight outs of the game, allowing only one Philly to reach base on an error. He recorded three strikeouts over his 2.2 frames as the Mets nailed down their second consecutive victory, topping the Phils by a final score of 10-5.

With the Cubs demolishing the Cardinals and the Padres topping the Giants, the Mets are now alone in the first Wild Card spot, one game ahead of San Francisco and a game and a half ahead of St. Louis. The remaining schedule is extraordinarily soft, with five games against the Phillies and three against the Marlins (who have been a pain for the Mets in the past, but are not a good baseball team). As it stands, the Mets control their own playoff destiny despite devastating injuries all over the team. Even if this season ends in disappointment, their resiliency is impressive.

Photo credit: Bill Streicher – USA Today Sports

OFFENSE PEPPERS GIBSON IN FIRST THREE INNINGS

Twins starter Kyle Gibson had a hard establishing his high 80s sinker in the strike zone early in this start. He allowed a lead-off walk to Alejandro De Aza, a single to Rivera and hit Yoenis Cespedes with a pitch to load the bases with no outs in the first. Michael Conforto singled to bring home two runners and Kelly Johnson also drew a walk. Gibson’s troubles could’ve continued but for a line-out unassisted double play handled by Brian Dozier. In his return from the DL, Duda grounded out softly to end the productive first inning.
After a clean second inning, Rivera demolished a hanging slider into the right field bleachers, followed immediately by a Cespedes double. Gibson calmed down over the next couple innings, preventing further damage until allowing three straight singles to begin the sixth. Buddy Bosheers relieved him at this point and got out of the inning, due in large part to an exceptional pick by James Beresford.
Taylor Rogers finished the game for the Twins, striking out two over two perfect innings. Dozier’s defense became a storyline throughout the game as he came up with several difficult balls, saving Twins’ pitchers from further damage. It was not the best offensive day for the Mets, but enough damage was done, and Terry Collins got to rest some of his big weapons. After leaving in the seventh with nausea and dizziness, Cespedes’ status is unclear.

GABRIEL YNOA IMPRESSES WITH UNEXPECTED START

Right-handed starter Ynoa made his MLB rotation debut in place of Rafael Montero, who has been moved to the bullpen, and performed better than anyone expected. Aside from some turmoil in the second inning (a walk and two singles resulted in a JR Murphy sacrifice fly RBI), Ynoa looked confident and dominant against the Minnesota lineup. He worked effectively off of his mid 90s sinker and was able to locate his slider to both sides of the plate.
Ynoa worked quickly in the first inning, retiring all three batters faced. In the second, he worked through a bases-loaded, one-out jam and earned two strikeouts. He struck out three batters in the third inning and, after only 76 pitches, was pulled with two outs in the fifth. It seemed a bit disappointing to see a player performing so well pulled so early during his first MLB start, but with the tying run at the plate, the times through the order penalty in effect and in such a consequential moment in the Wild Card race, it was a completely reasonable move.
The bullpen’s immediate struggles threatened to make that reasonable decision a post-game press conference nightmare for Terry Collins, but they managed to hold on.

BULLPEN HOLDS EARLY LEAD, SHUTS DOOR DESPITE SHAKINESS

Josh Edgin relieved Ynoa, but allowed the only batter he faced to reach base via single and he was pulled for Erik Goeddel. Goeddel then struggled to establish his rising fastball above the zone, resulting in two wild pitches and a walk, but still managed to strike out three Twins over his clean 1.1 innings.
Josh Smoker entered in the seventh, along with Brandon Nimmo in place of a nauseous Cespedes. Smoker looked good, striking out Kurt Suzuki and Logan Schafer without allowing a hit. Fernando Salas’ eighth inning appearance was far shakier, as he left too much of his fastball over the plate and got clobbered with three straight line drives. Kennys Vargas’ was a bomb that cut the lead to one and, after two outs, Salas was pulled for Jerry Blevins.
Blevins closed out the game with a scoreless 1.1 innings, including a two-out strikeout of Brian Dozier in the ninth, for his second save of the season. Given Terry Collins’ interest in resting his top relievers yesterday, there’s not a much better performance the team could have hoped for in a tight game with playoff implications.

UP NEXT

On Monday, the Braves head to Flushing to begin another three-game series against the Mets. Noah Syndergaard continues his Cy Young-deserving campaign against Aaron Blair, who’s had a rough rookie season with Atlanta. At nine games behind the Nationals, the Mets are effectively eliminated from the division race, but currently hold a one-game lead over the Giants in the NL Wild Card race. Cespedes’ status after his early exit from yesterday’s game is something to watch. Game time is 7:10 p.m.

Photo credit: Anthony Gruppuso – USA Today Sports

After a long and painful day, the Mets got to celebrate a franchise-record 201 home runs in a season as Curtis Granderson hit a game-tying homer in the 11th and a game-winning homer in the 12th.

Fans probably walked in to yesterday’s game a little bummed out. It was Jacob deGrom hair hat day, but the Mets announced the pitcher will probably miss the rest of the season and need surgery for inflammation in his ulnar nerve. Seth Lugo started the game reminding Mets fans how much they missed having a dominant power pitcher on the mound. He gave up several long fly outs in the first and walked multiple batters in the second. The Twins finally got a run in the fourth as Eddie Rosario homered on a changeup that didn’t drop out of the zone.

It looks like Lugo’s start was about to go off the rails after two more walks, an Ervin Santana sacrifice bunt and then three straight balls to Brian Dozier. The Mets rookie looked for an intentional walk signal with an open base at first but Collins said no, pitch to one of baseball’s top home run hitters this season. One of Lugo’s strengths in the majors has been his ability to keep executing pitches to fight out of jams and he battled back for the strikeout. Lugo wasn’t impressive, but he kept the Mets in the game and that’s all you expect out of the replacement pitchers.

The Mets have been relying on their increasingly healthy offense to carry them to a Wild Card. Yesterday it took four innings before they got their first baserunner, a Yoenis Cespedes single. Journeyman Ervin Santana had a great performance for the Twins, striking out eight over seven scoreless innings. T.J. Rivera got into scoring position twice, but Kelly Johnson and Michael Conforto were both overmatched as pinch hitters with runners in scoring position and two outs.

When Ryan Pressly came in for the eighth, the top of the Mets lineup immediately took advantage. Jose Reyes singled the first pitch up the middle, advanced on a wild pitch and got to third on a groundout. Cespedes went with a cutter and lined it to right-center for a game-tying single.

That would be all the scoring before extra innings. Jeurys Familia came in for the ninth, walked Dozier with two outs, then struck out Joe Mauer in an epic 11-pitch at-bat. Terry Collins stuck with Ty Kelly (who had pinch-run for Loney earlier) and Kevin Plawecki, making his major league first appearance since June 19 as a defensive replacement after Rene Rivera was pinch-hit for in the seventh. Neither hitter got on.

Collins turned to Hansel Robles for the 10th. After a somewhat shaky inning, Collins asked for another inning from the volatile right-hander instead of burning every pitcher with Gabriel Ynoa making his first big league start the next day. Robles tried to beat Byron Buxton up and in, but the top prospect pulled the ball down the line into the second deck.

Minnesota turned to Brandon Kintzler for the save. One pitch later, it was a blown save. Granderson turned on the pitch for his first opposite field homer of the season. Jay Bruce almost hit a game-winning homer, then T.J. Rivera, Brandon Nimmo (pinch hitting for Robles) and Matt Reynolds (double-switched in) loaded the bases for Reyes. Just like Lugo stepped in and gave the Mets a chance on the mound, it looked like a series of Triple-A callups were giving the Mets a change at the plate. But Reyes couldn’t get the clutch hit – a problem for the Mets all season – and it’s off to the 12th.

Despite September callups, it looked like both teams would quickly run out of pitchers. Collins turned to Josh Edgin to face both lefties and righties for a full inning. After Edgin survived the ordeal, Twins right-hander Michael Tonkin got two quick outs. Left-hander Ryan O’Rourke came in to get Granderson but served up a hanging breaking ball to send the Mets home happy.

What’s Next?

Gabriel Ynoa gets his first big league start as the Mets look to sweep the series. The Cardinals took Game 3 of their series against the Giants and the Mets are now tied for the top Wild Card spot with San Francisco, two games ahead of St. Louis.

Photo credit: Andy Marlin – USA Today Sports

CESPEDES TOTALS FIVE RBI, CABRERA COLLECTS THREE HITS

Braves’ starter Williams Perez had rough time during his short start. He relied heavily on hitting the corners with his low 90s sinker, but often got too much of the plate and Mets’ hitters took advantage. After Asdrubal Cabrera hit a first inning triple on just such a pitch, Yoenis Cespedes hit a hard groundball to plate the game’s first run. Perez was more effective during the second inning, effectively working down in the zone.

Things fell apart for the righty in the third, as Lugo drew a walk and three straight batters hit low, glove side sinkers for hits. Jose Reyes and Cabrera loaded the bases with singles, and Cespedes demolished the 1-0 pitch for a grand slam, and his 30th home run of the season. Perez would not make it out of the inning, as he was pulled with a triceps injury. In total, Perez allowed five runs, four hits, a walk and a home run during his 2.2 innings.

Reliever Joel De La Cruz fared not much better in his 1.1 innings. He allowed a solo home run to James Loney on a hanging changeup in the fourth and failed to earn an out in the fifth. After allowing a single to Cabrera (his third hit of the day) and a walk to Cespedes, De La Cruz was replaced by former first round pick Jed Bradley. Bradley had early troubles with control, and his high 80s fastball was hit hard out of the gate. Kelly Johnson and Alejandro De Aza scored each of the two inherited runners and Loney hit a double to add an earned run to Bradley’s line. Lugo earned his first MLB RBI with a sacrifice fly, bringing the Mets’ total to 10 runs.

Mets bats were largely quiet for the rest of the game, as Bradley settled down in the sixth and seven innings and retired all six of the batters he faced. Brandon Cunniff shut down the Mets in the eighth and ninth innings, an outing most notable for the MLB debut of top Mets’ prospect Gavin Cecchini (he struck out swinging).

SETH LUGO SHUTS DOWN BRAVES OVER SEVEN INNINGS

Over his seven strong innings, Lugo displayed occasional problems with command, but worked through those issues to limit the Braves to two runs over seven innings. His fastball had life and regularly hit 95 mph (even hitting 96 mph as late as the sixth inning), but struggled with control of the pitch in the first and fourth innings. Some stellar defensive plays – including two well-fielded double plays involving Johnson at second base – helped Lugo out of jams.

Lugo’s curveball was as stellar as ever, and in total he struck out five while only allowing one walk. The first of the two runs allowed came on a Freddie Freeman groundball single and the second on a pinch-hit home run by Brandon Snyder. Lugo’s fifth Major League start provided further evidence that he belongs in the Mets’ long-term rotation plans.

BULLPEN STRUGGLES THROUGH JAMS TO END GAME

Sean Gilmartin entered the game in the eighth and promptly gave up back-to-back ground ball singles to Jace Peterson and Ender Inciarte. However, a popup by Garcia and a double play induced by pinch-hitter Blake Lalli got him out of the inning unscathed.

Logan Verrett entered to close out the ballgame in the ninth, but immediately gave up a double to Matt Kemp, who scored on a Markakis ground out. Problems persisted as former Met Anthony Recker walked on five pitches and Daniel Castro and Gordon Beckham each singled. Unable to command his fastball, Verrett was pulled with the bases loaded and one out. However, the Mets still had an insurmountable seven run lead, and Josh Edgin was able to generate the two outs necessary to end the game.

UP NEXT

On Monday, the Mets head to Washington to begin a three-game series with the Nationals. Embattled righty Rafael Montero remains in the rotation and makes the start for New York, while the Nationals have yet to announce who will pitch in place of the re-injured Stephen Strasburg. Potential replacements likely include hard throwing prospects Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez. The Mets are nine games behind the Nationals in the division, but now hold a half-game lead over St Louis for the second NL Wild Card spot.

Photo credit: Shanna Lockwood – USA Today Sports

To keep the good times rolling, the Mets would have to crack Julio Teheran, who entered the game with 24 consecutive scoreless innings against them. Opposing him was Robert Gsellman, who has utilized his every-pitch-but-the-kitchen-sink arsenal to post a 2.87 ERA in his first 15.2 innings of major league action. His low strikeout rate, elevated walk rate and low HR/FB rate portend a rising ERA in the future, but for now the Mets need him to hold down a spot until other starters can hopefully get healthy.

In the first, the Mets finally seemed ready to break Teheran’s scoreless inning streak. With one out, Asdrubal Cabrera doubled and Yoenis Cespedes and Curtis Granderson followed with an infield single and a walk. That brought Wilmer Flores to the plate with the bases loaded and no outs. Unfortunately, Teheran is not a lefty and Flores grounded into an inning-ending double play. The Mets wouldn’t record another hit until the sixth inning, putting only one baserunner on in the interim (another walk to Granderson).

Gsellman, meanwhile, flashed some nastier pitches than he’s displayed thus far in the major leagues, but ultimately put up a sub-par performance. In the bottom of the second, Matt Kemp lined a solo home run over the left center field wall to put the Braves up 1-0. Gsellman bounced back and posted two scoreless innings, but the Braves got back on Gsellman in the fifth.

Dansby Swanson (who was on base four times in this game) led off with a single, then was sacrificed to second by Teheran. Ender Inciarte grounded out, but the next four Braves (Adonis Garcia, Freddie Freeman, Matt Kemp and Nick Markakis) recorded three hits and a walk, building a 4-0 lead for the Braves before Gsellman finally struck out Tyler Flowers to end the inning as well as his night. Gsellman finished with five innings pitched, allowing seven hits, walking two and striking out six, leaving the game in a 4-0 hole.

At this point, the Mets’ began working some of their late season magic. Granderson, revived after being a well-below average player for most of the season, launched a two-run homer in the top of the sixth, ending Teheran’s scoreless streak against the Mets at 29 innings and, more importantly, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Jim Henderson entered for the bottom of the sixth and didn’t record an out, but Josh Smoker came in and cleaned the mess, striking out A.J. Pierzynski and inducing a double-play ball to keep the game in reach.

The seventh inning was quiet on both sides, with Hansel Robles working around a couple of walks to keep the Braves off the board. Then the Braves fell apart in the eighth. Alejandro De Aza walked, Jose Reyes reached on an error and Cabrera walked to load the bases with no outs for Cespedes. Cespedes lofted a sacrifice fly to right field in front of an RBI single from Granderson that tied the game and put runners on the corners with one out. Kelly Johnson put the Mets ahead with another clutch hit, this one a double, and Michael Conforto drove in another when he was hit by a pitch. By the time De Aza struck out to end the inning, the Mets had batted around and turned a 4-2 deficit into a 6-4 lead.

Addison Reed entered for the eighth and, with the help of two stellar defensive plays from Eric Campbell at first base (who saw that coming?), preserved the Mets’ two-run lead for Jeurys Familia. Familia had to work around a really impressive bit of hitting from Adonis Garcia, who one-handed a ball 380 feet to left field for a leadoff double, but he was up to the task, inducing a ground out from Matt Kemp and striking out Freddie Freeman and Tyler Flowers to cap cap the win.

The Mets have now won six straight games and 15 of their last 19 to storm their way back into a playoff spot. With both the Cardinals and Giants winning, the Mets remain half a game back of the Giants for the first wild card and half a game ahead of the Cardinals for the second. Last night was certainly an excellent way to kick of the final series for the team at Turner Field, which has long been a place of nightmares for the Mets. Bartolo Colon squares off against former Met prospect John Gant as the Mets look to keep the wins coming on Saturday.

Photo credit: Jason Getz – USA Today Sports

Nothing prepared me for watching Reds’ right fielder Scott Schebler get thrown out stealing second base in the second inning because he forgot to slide. Jose Reyes scored on a short wild pitch in the third as Reds’ ace Anthony DiScalfani didn’t cover home. By the bottom of the third inning, Keith Hernandez said it’s time for the Reds to start sending players home for the day. A few batters later, Cincinnati leadoff hitter Jose Peraza tried to steal home after Noah Syndergaard picked off Eugenio Suarez. Asdrubal Cabrera read the play and threw him out.

Baserunning mistakes bailed Syndergaard out on one of his worst starts of the season. The Mets ace walked a season-high four batters and could only get through five innings, allowing six hits along with the walks. But the Reds kept running their way out of opportunities. Base stealers had been 45-51 against Syndergaard but the Reds went 0-3 with two incredibly stupid plays. Bad teams don’t just lack talent; they also make dumb mistakes like forgetting to slide that cause them to play below their talent level.

It was a bizarro Syndergaard outing, but the Mets’ offense did exactly what we would expect them to do. Reyes drove the first pitch out of the ballpark. Curtis Granderson continued his hot streak with a deep home run to center, giving the Mets a 3-0 lead in the sixth. Wilmer Flores came in for Kelly Johnson to pinch hit against a left hander and delivered a two-run homer to make it 5-0 in the eighth. But the Mets started 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.

It looked like the Mets were going to roll to another sweep of Cincinnati when Gabriel Ynoa took the mound in the top of the eighth. Three batters later, Ynoa left the mound and Addison Reed had to come in with the bases loaded and no outs. Reed could only get two of the first three hitters out. That meant he had to face Peraza, who is hitting over .400 since the All Star break. Peraza drove a pitch off the wall in left center, just missing a game-tying home run. Reed struck out Suarez to end the threat. Yoenis Cespedes tacked on an insurance run in the ninth to give the Mets their only hit with runners in scoring position, and Jeurys Familia closed the door.

Terry Collins’ lineup juggling paid off again yesterday. Granderson started in right field and went 2-5 with a homer. Alejandro De Aza got a start at center and reached base three times in five appearances. James Loney went 2-for-3 before being pinch hit for in the ninth to avoid a lefty-lefty matchup. Collins showed he is comfortable using Flores at first and T.J. Rivera at second to close out a game, which may mean less Loney down the stretch.

Notes:

The Mets have won 14 straight games against the Reds. The franchise record for most wins against an opponent is 15 over the Pirates in 1986-87.

Jose Reyes became the first player this season with a home run and a steal in back to back games.

What’s Next?

The Mets finally get a day off after playing 16 straight days (and 29 of their last 30). Then it’s their last series in Turner Field before the Braves move to their taxpayer-funded park in the suburbs.

Photo credit: David Kohl – USA Today Sports