The Mets made things far harder than they needed to Sunday, but they still walked away with a sweep.
New York raced to an 8-0 lead in the finale against Miami, watched it disappear, then built another cushion with a six-run burst before hanging on for a 15-14 win. The pitching was rough across the board, but the offense kept answering enough to finish off the Marlins.
Brett Baty left the game early with a leg injury, though his recent stretch has already shown the Mets something important: he can be a productive piece for this team.
Nolan McLean also continues to force his way into the Rookie of the Year conversation after turning in some of his best baseball in the final stretch.
There’s also a looming roster question as Devin Williams works back toward the team from injury. That raises the issue of what happens with Kodai Senga, who is currently serving as the club’s closer.
Elsewhere in the National League East, the Braves dropped a 7-2 decision to the Rays and lost the series in Tampa. The Phillies got an 11-7 win over the Astros behind a Kyle Schwarber grand slam. And the Nationals’ rough West Coast trip rolled on with a 9-2 loss to the Padres.
Around the rest of the league, Shohei Ohtani may still end up on the IL with a right arm issue after being kept out of the lineup again. The Yankees put Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the IL with a sprained thumb after he hurt it sliding into second base, and they’ll need to be careful bringing Aaron Judge back from the IL if they want him healthy for the playoffs.
And in a bit of history, MLB saw three rookies hit 30 home runs in the same season for the first time ever.
In Other News...
Mets Manager Search Suddenly Centers On A Fascinating High-Risk Candidate
The Mets search for a permanent manager has taken an unexpected turn since Carlos Mendoza was dismissed in June and Andy Green stepped in on an interim basis. David Stearns made clear the move came because the club simply had not improved, and that reality has only sharpened the focus on who might be trusted to guide a roster that still needs direction.
Now Albert Pujols has surfaced as a name to watch, with speculation that he has interest in the job despite having no prior managerial experience. For a team trying to reset after a frustrating season, that kind of profile brings obvious upside and obvious risk, which is exactly why the conversation around the Mets next skipper suddenly feels so intriguing. [Read more 🡒]
These 3 Mets Prospects Still Arent Opening Day Answers
Nick Morabito, Zac Thornton and Jonah Tong have all given the Mets reasons to keep watching, and each has flashed enough to stay in the conversation for next season. Morabito brings a profile the organization can imagine fitting in a depth role, Thornton has shown enough to make the bullpen picture worth monitoring, and Tong has put himself on the radar as another young arm the Mets can develop with a longer view in mind.
Still, none of the three has locked down an Opening Day job, and that is the part that keeps the picture unsettled for New York. The Mets can explore different paths from here, whether that means easing one into a platoon look, stashing another as depth, or using one of them as a piece in a larger transaction, and the next step for each may depend as much on roster timing as on performance. [Read more 🡒]
Jefferson Rojas Is Putting Real Pressure On The Mets Infield Plan
The Mets made a notable addition to their farm system when they brought in Jefferson Rojas from the Cubs in the Clay Holmes-Tyrone Taylor trade, and he has wasted little time making his presence felt. Rojas has performed strongly at Double-A, showing more power and speed than expected, the kind of step forward that can quickly change the way a front office views a prospects timeline and upside.
For a team still sorting out its long-term infield picture, that matters. Rojas has emerged as the Mets new top prospect, and his rise is putting real pressure on the organizations plan for where he fits, with second base and shortstop both in play depending on how the roster develops. The question now is not whether he is on the radar, but how soon the Mets may need to make room for him. [Read more 🡒]