Tag Archives: New York Mets

Sep 19

Wheeler Leaves Us Wanting More

Posted on by

There is something about Zack Wheeler that leaves you – and the New York Mets – wanting more.

Tonight he threw his 21st quality start of the season; defined as at least six innings with three or fewer runs.

WHEELER: Needs to cut pitches. (Getty)

WHEELER: Needs to cut pitches. (Getty)

Wheeler struck out seven in six scoreless inning, and Carlos Torres, Jeurys Familia and Buddy Carlyle combined to retire the final 13 Atlanta hitters in the 5-0 victory.

Even so, in this age of counting pitches, Wheeler threw 105 pitches in those six innings. Sure, as a strikeout pitcher he’ll run up the pitch count, but in exchange for at least one more inning I’d give up a few strikeouts.

Is Wheeler a great pitcher? At l1-10 with a 3.51 ERA it is too soon to tell, but he is 8-2 over his last 15 starts.

For Wheeler and the Mets – who were officially eliminated from playoff contention Friday – to reach the next level, it is imperative for him to go further with his pitch count.

Only twice in 31 starts did Wheeler complete at least seven innings, and 11 other times he worked into the seventh.

Am I being too picky? Probably so, but the Mets have been boasting about Wheeler, and to completely buy into what they are saying, he needs to at least go seven.

Nobody is asking for complete games, but seven isn’t much to ask for a player being touted as an ace.

 

May 30

Chris Young and Sandy’s Big Gamble

Posted on by

chris young

Sandy Alderson’s $7.25 million gamble that Chris Young would suddenly revitalize his career by offering him an everyday role has come up snake-eyes for the New York Mets GM.

As Young shown throughout his career, he was not able to suddenly start hitting righthanded pitching the way Sandy thought he would simply by letting him face more of them. You see the trick to this game is to try and minimize the bad at-bats, the bad matchups, the bad results.

You can’t put out a fire by dousing it with gasoline, and that’s essentially what has happened here with Chris Young.

Alderson believed that CY’s .219 batting average over the last two years was an aberration and the result of inconsistent playing time. Wrong.

However, all the extra playing time has now resulted in career worst numbers for Young who went 0-for-3 on Wednesday and is now batting .195 with three homers and 11 RBI for the season. Hardly the middle of the order slugger Sandy thought he was getting when he decided to invest 9 percent of his payroll budget on him.

Young’s playing days are now winding down and the rebuilding Mets have turned to 40-year old Bobby Abreu as their short term solution, opting for the grizzled veteran instead of younger options like Eric Campbell or Kirk Nieuwenhuis, who homered two more times last night for Triple-A Las Vegas.

The impetus for the Mets underperforming offense which led to the firing of hitting coach Dave Hudgens, is as much on the shoulders of Chris Young more than any other player on the roster.

Seeing Young fail again and again in endless RBI situations may have been the tipping point for what transpired after the weekend series with the Diamondbacks. 

What happens now?

It’s tough to say now that Collins has grown enamored with Abreu, who was only supposed to be the bat off the bench and not someone getting a healthy diet of everyday playing time.

But you have to believe that at some point Nieuwenhuis, who is 14 years younger than Abreu and has hit eight homers this season, more than any other player on the Mets roster, will get another chance to show if he belongs.

There’s no guarantee that Kirk will be the answer. But in a true rebuild and on most any major league roster with an eye toward the future, the choice between Chris Young, Bobby Abreu and Kirk Nieuwenhuis, wouldn’t be as difficult a decision as it seems to be for the Mets.

Mar 06

Mets’ Ike Davis, Lucas Duda Still Hurting

Posted on by

Recovery for New York Mets first basemen Ike Davis and Lucas Duda from leg injuries remain slow, with neither expected to play soon.

DAVIS: Still ailing. (AP)

DAVIS: Still ailing. (AP)

Davis hit against live pitching in an intrasquad game today, but did no running. He is dealing with tightness in both calves and said the prognosis of playing tomorrow is premature.

“The good thing is it doesn’t hurt to swing, so I can get at-bats and stuff like that,’’ Davis told reporters in Port St. Lucie. “I’ve just got to wait a little bit longer for running, so the point in my calves to the touch don’t hurt anymore.

“It’s both calves. My left one is better than my right. My right one is a little bit worse. But it’s getting better every day. Today it felt better than it did yesterday. `So hopefully in the next couple of days I’ll be able to start running. I’m trying to get as many at-bats so I don’t miss that part of it – like today. And then obviously as soon as I’m able to play, I’ll be playing a bunch.’’

Davis, who hit .205 with only nine homers last season, believes the injuries originated while lifting weights.

Davis believes it his better to miss time now than aggravate the injury further and miss more time.

As for Duda, also solid from the weight room, said he has soreness in the bottom of his left hamstring.

Duda said he’s feeling better every day, but isn’t ready to test it in a game.

ON DECK: Mets wrap

Mar 04

Mets Game Thread: Good Start Keyed By Wheeler And Granderson

Posted on by

It’s been a good start for the New York Mets today with three strong innings from Zack Wheeler and two ripped home runs by Curtis Granderson.

Wheeler certainly has the physical stuff to win 20 games, but it goes further than just being able to throw the ball hard. The Mets were impressed with Wheeler’s poise last season, but that was 17 starts. Let’s see 34, and staying healthy for the whole time.

Wheeler was supposed to pitch two innings, but went out for the third because his pitch count was less than 30.

As for Granderson, wrist injuries sapped his strength last year with the Yankees, but he whipped the bat through the hitting zone twice. There was no question about either.

All in all, so far it has been a good start for the Mets.

 

Feb 26

Bartolo Colon, Eric Young Held Out Of Practice With Tightness

Posted on by

On the day Jonathon Niese was sent to New York for a MRI on his sore left shoulder, the New York Mets had two other injuries Wednesday afternoon, but neither appear to be serious.

Bartolo Colon, scheduled to pitch in Thursday’s intrasquad game has tightness in his calf and spent much of the day riding the stationary bike to get loose.

Earlier in the day, it was revealed Colon was in line to be the No. 2 starter in the rotation. That has not changed. Undoubtedly, Colon will not pitch tomorrow and his first exhibition start has not been announced.

Also, outfielder Eric Young was held out of workouts with tightness in his side. Manager Terry Collins said he expects Young to play this weekend.