There’s a certain kind of lesson you can only teach by letting a young pitcher stand in the fire for a little while.
That was the backdrop Friday at Citi Field, where Mets interim manager Andy Green had Yordan Alvarez on his mind before the Astros beat the Mets, 3-1. Green knows the drill with elite hitters and intentional walks.
He saw plenty of it back in 2004, when the Diamondbacks played the Giants 19 times and Barry Bonds piled up a major league-record 120 intentional walks. Green was up with Arizona in mid-June that season, and that club accounted for 15 of them.
On July 10, Brandon Webb faced Bonds four times and passed on three. Green also watched Randy Johnson intentionally avoid Bonds twice that year.
“You know the stove is hot,” Green said. “I don’t know that you need to touch it certain times.”
He wasn’t talking about Bonds. He meant Alvarez, the Astros designated hitter and the heavy favorite to win the American League MVP.
Alvarez entered Friday with a franchise-record 28 intentional walks this season and, with a .319/.434/.609 line, is also the AL leader in all three Triple Crown categories. Against right-handers especially, he’s the sort of bat that can force a manager to choose between development and damage control.
That choice matters this weekend because the Mets are lining up three young pitchers against Houston: Christian Scott, who started Friday, then Nolan McLean and Zac Thornton. Since taking over for Carlos Mendoza, Green has made a habit of pushing his players a little.
He challenged Scott in July to work deeper into games, and he nudged Carson Benge earlier this month to do something against the Padres. Scott answered that earlier challenge with one of the season’s best outings against a loaded Phillies lineup, and Benge homered in the next at-bat after Green’s jab.
Green said the balance is simple in theory, even if it gets tricky in practice.
“I think you’re playing to win a baseball game, and you do what is smart to win the baseball game,” Green said. “There are moments where you’d be willing to stretch a pitcher to give him an opportunity to experience certain things… The prudent path is if there’s a base open, you put him on and get the next guy.
You’ve got to learn how to handle that situation. It’s not [about] how do I stare down the barrel of a gun and hope it doesn’t go off.”
Friday gave Scott a first look at that tightrope. He got Alvarez to ground out on an eight-pitch at-bat in the first with the bases empty, then faced him again in the third with a runner on first and induced a flyout on an 0-and-1 cutter, though a possible extra-base hit hooked just foul.
In the sixth, with one out, the bases empty and the Mets protecting a one-run lead, Scott chose not to challenge him and walked him on four pitches. The next two hitters also walked, and Scott’s night was over.
He finished with three runs allowed on one hit, five walks and two strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
“I always want to face the best,” Scott said, adding that his velocity was two ticks below normal and he had to adjust on the fly. “Growing up watching a guy like that and being able to come in and find different ways to get him out, using the stuff that I’m confident in” is helpful.
The point, from Green’s view, is not to turn every Alvarez plate appearance into a duel. Sometimes the smart move is the boring one, especially when the base is open. But there’s value in letting young arms feel that pressure, too - in giving them a controlled dose of the best instead of shielding them from it completely.
All three pitchers have shown some edge already. The next step is finding out what happens when that edge gets tested by one of the most dangerous hitters in the league. For these Mets, that’s the lesson waiting in plain sight.
In other notes, Devin Williams, who is dealing with a shoulder issue, is getting closer to throwing, and the Mets still hope he pitches again this year. Green also said Jorge Polanco had successful ankle surgery Wednesday and is expected to begin spring training in a baseball progression.
In Other News...
Mets Need To Stop Delaying Three Roster Auditions
The Mets have reached the point in the season where the next wave of roster decisions is less about patience and more about information gathering. Jonah Tong, Nick Morabito and Zach Franklin have all done enough in the minors to make the conversation unavoidable, and the case for bringing them up is not just about reward, but about finding out what each player can actually handle before the calendar turns toward 2027.
Roster rules always complicate these choices, and the Rule 5 Draft adds another layer of urgency for a front office that can ill afford to wait too long. The Mets do not need to force every prospect into the big leagues at once, but delaying all three auditions only stretches the uncertainty further, especially when each player has already made a compelling enough case to deserve a real look. [Read more 🡒]
Clay Holmes Is Already Setting Up A Big Cubs Decision
Clay Holmes has already given the Cubs something to think about well beyond the stretch run. After coming over from the Mets at the trade deadline, the right-hander has continued to work as a starting pitcher, a role he embraced after signing a three-year, $38 million deal before the 2025 season.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that Holmes is expected to opt out after the 2026 season and try free agency rather than remain under contract with the Mets in 2027. For the Cubs, that turns a short-term addition into a longer conversation, with the next chapter for Holmes still pointing toward a market that could get very interesting. [Read more 🡒]
A.J. Ewings First Mets Slump Is Testing A Tough Balance
A.J. Ewings first real stumble as the Mets leadoff hitter has arrived in August, and it has been a rough one. He has gone hitless in 11 games, dragging down both his batting average and OPS, but the Mets have not sounded alarmed by the broader picture. Interim manager Andy Green and hitting director Jeff Albert have pointed to Ewings maturity and the progress he has made, even as the at-bats have gotten heavier and the results have not followed.
The balance for the Mets is obvious: Ewing is still helping in other ways, with stolen bases and defense, while also working through swing adjustments that come with being asked to set the tone every night. Ewing has acknowledged the challenge and the frustration, but he has stayed focused on getting his timing back and doing more damage at the plate, which is the part of his game this team still needs most. [Read more 🡒]