I'd love to see Allan and Ziegler enter the conversation with the other four guys. I suspect if Allan can stay healthy through the spring they will try to speed him along a little and start him in Binghamton (unless they want him to pitch in the warmer St. Lucie for a while).
Has anyone seen the Ziegler timeline? I am thinking it will be late 2025 before he is seen again?
The one other pitcher at end of the prospect level that will be interesting to see how he does is Dom Hamel. Can he turn things around and make the grade? Perhaps as a reliever?
It's my opinion that if Allan is healthy at the end of Spring Training that there is zero chance he starts in Binghamton. It'll be either extended Spring Training or Lo-A St. Lucie. You don't send a guy who hasn't thrown a competitive pitch since 2019 to start at Double-A.
They will push him at the rate that his pitching warrants. Not only hasn't he pitched in five years, but he was only at short-A at that time, and for only one game. So there's no basis for simply anointing him a double-A ready pitcher at this point. You're dealing with a human being, not a number on a page. Given his status (milb free agent at the end of the year), the most logical, almost obvious course of action for both parties is for the Mets to re-sign him to another minor league contract at that time - if he pitches decently - and buy both the player and the org the time needed to properly develop and maximize this situation.
Not seeing the basis for that. Ziegler had his TJ surgery last April and is not expected to be ready for the start of the season. The Mets go slow with these things. Brian's assessment is spot on. If he's deemed healthy enough to pitch in real games, he will open in St Lucie - even if it is only for a game or two. That is the standard MO.
So loved this write up David and it appears you are spot on about the big league talent and the hopes for Baty and Acuna. If Baty starts hitting at the MLb level he will be a great addition to this team. Otherwise he needs a change of venue. If he starts down at Syracuse and mashes he will be an easy inclusion in a trade at the deadline. Vientos not regressing and Alvarez returning to 2023 hitting form are two huge keys to this season. Alvarez would dramatically lengthen the lineup. Worried that it’s an odd number year for McNeil.
Time for the kids to step up and prod the big leaguers to either step up or step out. Got to hope Allan has some health as he claims that this is the healthiest he’s been in years and at 23 there is still time for him to be what the Mets thought he would be when he was drafted. Lots to be happy about going into spring training.
Steve, I believe Stearns had a bad off season. Last year for the two months Jesse Winker was on the Mets, he gave them 0.1 fWAR. Baty couldn’t have done that? Why not let Marte and Baty share that position? And what happens when Mauricio is ready? Does Baty just get lapped without being given any chance at all?
There isn’t a role for Acuna yet, unless one of the CF’s gets hurt, or McNeil isn’t at second base. Can’t understand the Madrigal signing either, but that’s a shot in the dark many team take at a top prospect.
If Marte is traded, I’d like to see Luke Ritter get first dibs at the RHDH position.
Gus, I think a lot of your concerns are overstated. First, there's the obvious: injuries and unexpected underperformance create the need for depth. Then there's the less obvious reality that roster building does not stop on Opening Day and early roles are not etched in stone all season long. And I have no issue with young players being used in bench roles before being handed a starting job. In fact, I think thats how it should go except in rare exceptions.
Beyond that, we cannot make the blanket assumption that any or all of Baty, Mauricio, and Acuna will, in fact, be ready to contribute this year. They may or may not. Even if they are, we don't know how deep into the season that will happen. And we don't know that they will ever achieve starter-level status. They could turn out to be role players.
If and when they are ready, there are plenty of solutions for that "problem". Winker, Marte, or both can be traded - or cut. McNeil could also be a trade candidate at some point, be it in season or after. But for now, the org has depth and options. This allows them to react and appropriately in multiple ways depending on who performs and who doesn't.
I also think both Baty and Mauricio (as well as the org) are best served by developing more versatility. I'd like to see the S-Mets play Baty at 2B and Mauricio at 3B about 65 to 70 per cent of the time, and flip them the other 30%. This keeps them sharp enough at the positions they now play competently, while also further developing their competence where they are less experienced. They, and Acuna are out of options next season. This again gives the org flexibility and options to plug in whichever of them wherever is needed.
Why does Winker's last two months carry more weight than his first four? Yes, it is possible that he is about to drop off the table. Or that he is an aging player who ran out of steam late in the season. But Stearns has shown no remorse about cutting a player and moving on.
Aside from the obvious fact that 7 games is simply too miniscule a sample size to be characterized as good or bad, I'm not seeing Drew Gilbert can be seen as having gotten off to a nice start before his injury unless your only focus is OPS.
He went 1-for-12 with SIX strikeouts in the team's opening series. (and zero walks). They then benched him for 2 games, wrapped around a scheduled off day. Yes, he went 5-for-13 in his next series. But he produced zero extra base hits, and added four more strikeouts (and two walks) to his resume. Even if we throw out that opening series, a 26.7% strikeout rate against no extra base hits in that second series still doesn't ring the bell for me.
His performance after the injury was poor for six weeks followed by a solid-looking (but was it?) September that was boosted significantly by a brief and aberrant HR streak (3 in five games). His results in the AFL, a lower level of competition, were just mediocre. The bottom line is that he is on a learning curve. But its looking more like the outlets that projected him as a 4th OF, rather than a starter may be more accurate than the NY media's portrayal of him.
Alvarez has not batted more than 250 in AAA or MLB. His Breakout should be his home runs and slugging percentage. I feel confident that Vientos will have another good season. If Baty can turn the double play smoothly then there is a spot for him when they break camp as the utility infielder and lefty hitting bench player. If Mauricio has a good spring then he could assume the utility infielder position instead . Nick Madrigal is the fallback for both of them. Acuna, Williams and Gilbert needs more success in AAA. The same goes with the four mentioned pitchers. Syracuse should have a good team this year.
Great write-up David. You are spot on throughout.
I'd love to see Allan and Ziegler enter the conversation with the other four guys. I suspect if Allan can stay healthy through the spring they will try to speed him along a little and start him in Binghamton (unless they want him to pitch in the warmer St. Lucie for a while).
Has anyone seen the Ziegler timeline? I am thinking it will be late 2025 before he is seen again?
The one other pitcher at end of the prospect level that will be interesting to see how he does is Dom Hamel. Can he turn things around and make the grade? Perhaps as a reliever?
It's my opinion that if Allan is healthy at the end of Spring Training that there is zero chance he starts in Binghamton. It'll be either extended Spring Training or Lo-A St. Lucie. You don't send a guy who hasn't thrown a competitive pitch since 2019 to start at Double-A.
Fair .. I guess my point is that I suspect they will try to push him through the system faster than they would have earlier in his career.
They will push him at the rate that his pitching warrants. Not only hasn't he pitched in five years, but he was only at short-A at that time, and for only one game. So there's no basis for simply anointing him a double-A ready pitcher at this point. You're dealing with a human being, not a number on a page. Given his status (milb free agent at the end of the year), the most logical, almost obvious course of action for both parties is for the Mets to re-sign him to another minor league contract at that time - if he pitches decently - and buy both the player and the org the time needed to properly develop and maximize this situation.
I think that both Ziegler and Allan would be in Brooklyn but that a solid start there (say 5-10 good starts) might be enough to trigger promotion.
Not seeing the basis for that. Ziegler had his TJ surgery last April and is not expected to be ready for the start of the season. The Mets go slow with these things. Brian's assessment is spot on. If he's deemed healthy enough to pitch in real games, he will open in St Lucie - even if it is only for a game or two. That is the standard MO.
So loved this write up David and it appears you are spot on about the big league talent and the hopes for Baty and Acuna. If Baty starts hitting at the MLb level he will be a great addition to this team. Otherwise he needs a change of venue. If he starts down at Syracuse and mashes he will be an easy inclusion in a trade at the deadline. Vientos not regressing and Alvarez returning to 2023 hitting form are two huge keys to this season. Alvarez would dramatically lengthen the lineup. Worried that it’s an odd number year for McNeil.
Time for the kids to step up and prod the big leaguers to either step up or step out. Got to hope Allan has some health as he claims that this is the healthiest he’s been in years and at 23 there is still time for him to be what the Mets thought he would be when he was drafted. Lots to be happy about going into spring training.
Steve, I believe Stearns had a bad off season. Last year for the two months Jesse Winker was on the Mets, he gave them 0.1 fWAR. Baty couldn’t have done that? Why not let Marte and Baty share that position? And what happens when Mauricio is ready? Does Baty just get lapped without being given any chance at all?
There isn’t a role for Acuna yet, unless one of the CF’s gets hurt, or McNeil isn’t at second base. Can’t understand the Madrigal signing either, but that’s a shot in the dark many team take at a top prospect.
If Marte is traded, I’d like to see Luke Ritter get first dibs at the RHDH position.
Gus, I think a lot of your concerns are overstated. First, there's the obvious: injuries and unexpected underperformance create the need for depth. Then there's the less obvious reality that roster building does not stop on Opening Day and early roles are not etched in stone all season long. And I have no issue with young players being used in bench roles before being handed a starting job. In fact, I think thats how it should go except in rare exceptions.
Beyond that, we cannot make the blanket assumption that any or all of Baty, Mauricio, and Acuna will, in fact, be ready to contribute this year. They may or may not. Even if they are, we don't know how deep into the season that will happen. And we don't know that they will ever achieve starter-level status. They could turn out to be role players.
If and when they are ready, there are plenty of solutions for that "problem". Winker, Marte, or both can be traded - or cut. McNeil could also be a trade candidate at some point, be it in season or after. But for now, the org has depth and options. This allows them to react and appropriately in multiple ways depending on who performs and who doesn't.
I also think both Baty and Mauricio (as well as the org) are best served by developing more versatility. I'd like to see the S-Mets play Baty at 2B and Mauricio at 3B about 65 to 70 per cent of the time, and flip them the other 30%. This keeps them sharp enough at the positions they now play competently, while also further developing their competence where they are less experienced. They, and Acuna are out of options next season. This again gives the org flexibility and options to plug in whichever of them wherever is needed.
Why does Winker's last two months carry more weight than his first four? Yes, it is possible that he is about to drop off the table. Or that he is an aging player who ran out of steam late in the season. But Stearns has shown no remorse about cutting a player and moving on.
The reason the last two months carry more weight was that he sucked the previous two years also.
Aside from the obvious fact that 7 games is simply too miniscule a sample size to be characterized as good or bad, I'm not seeing Drew Gilbert can be seen as having gotten off to a nice start before his injury unless your only focus is OPS.
He went 1-for-12 with SIX strikeouts in the team's opening series. (and zero walks). They then benched him for 2 games, wrapped around a scheduled off day. Yes, he went 5-for-13 in his next series. But he produced zero extra base hits, and added four more strikeouts (and two walks) to his resume. Even if we throw out that opening series, a 26.7% strikeout rate against no extra base hits in that second series still doesn't ring the bell for me.
His performance after the injury was poor for six weeks followed by a solid-looking (but was it?) September that was boosted significantly by a brief and aberrant HR streak (3 in five games). His results in the AFL, a lower level of competition, were just mediocre. The bottom line is that he is on a learning curve. But its looking more like the outlets that projected him as a 4th OF, rather than a starter may be more accurate than the NY media's portrayal of him.
Hey N Geoffrey - I'm very happy that you are reading and commenting!
We bend over backwards not to capitalize words in our articles and comments here - it's poor writing.
Future posts with words capitalized - yes, even one - will be deleted.
Thanks - Brian
Tim Britton today in The Athletic quotes Drew Gilbert as saying his hamstring hasn’t healed yet.
Alvarez has not batted more than 250 in AAA or MLB. His Breakout should be his home runs and slugging percentage. I feel confident that Vientos will have another good season. If Baty can turn the double play smoothly then there is a spot for him when they break camp as the utility infielder and lefty hitting bench player. If Mauricio has a good spring then he could assume the utility infielder position instead . Nick Madrigal is the fallback for both of them. Acuna, Williams and Gilbert needs more success in AAA. The same goes with the four mentioned pitchers. Syracuse should have a good team this year.
Don’t forget, Alvarez was rushed to MLB from AAA due to injuries. Hopefully with the new swing and two years of experience… we can cross our fingers..