Meet the Epps, Meet the Epps

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET 

Step Right Up and Greet the Epps ...

Back in November 2021, a newly hired general manager named Billy Eppler inherited a high-level core of players.  That group featured Jacob deGrom - who only very recently returned to action - Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil, and Edwin Diaz.

Shortly after moving into his new office, Eppler selected two outfielders from the free agent market called Starling Marte and Mark Canha, then, on Dec. 1, signed pitcher Max Scherzer (at Steve Cohen's behest).  Not yet done, Eppler signed free agent infielder Eduardo Escobar, reliever Adam Ottavino, and acquired starting pitcher Chris Bassitt from the Oakland A's.

Mets fans looked around and said this was good.

By May, as expected, the Mets finally parted ways with Robinson Cano - a move that would have mentally and financially crippled the previous regime.  This front office deemed Cano's DFA necessary and did indeed improve the team via the old adage, addition by subtraction.  It's also safe to say the previous owners would not have been copacetic with all of Billy Eppler's off-season acquisitions, much less agreeing to Max Scherzer's present annual value.

I digress ...

Over the last few years, JD Davis and Dom Smith were afforded a fair chance at earning their keep, respectively.  Mission unfulfilled as the former was dealt away at the trade deadline, and the latter remains on the 40-man roster at Syracuse.  In turn, Billy Eppler acquired lefty-hitting Daniel Vogelbach, lefty-hitting outfielder Tyler Naquin, and right-swinging Darin Ruf to reinforce the bench and lineup.

All the acquired players by Billy Eppler mentioned above, be it in the offseason or at the deadline, have a game, a hit, or a standout moment this season that we can point to and deem unequivocally as essential contributions toward the team's success.

I'd be remiss if I didn't extend well-deserved props to Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, Trevor Williams, David Peterson, Luis Guillorme, and others.

Let us not forget minor league call-up, Brett Baty.  He homered during his major league debut against the Atlanta Braves.  Left-hander Nate Fisher, a former banker from the Seattle Mariners system, allowed just one hit in three innings of relief in his major league debut against the Phillies this past Sunday.  The point here is it takes a 40-man roster to win championships.  We must also remember how Eppler did not recklessly empty the farm system of its top prospects at the deadline.

The Mets are 21-9 since the All-Star break.  They own a 43-19 record against their N.L. East division rivals and enter Tuesday's action with a four-game lead over the second-place Braves.  Their overall record (79-44) is second best in all of baseball behind the Dodgers.  Except for Apr. 11, the Mets have spent every day this season in first place. 

Billy Eppler has no doubt impacted this team.  However, we still need to buckle up because the real fun has yet to begin.  The month of September is a mere ten days away.  That's when Eppler's most crucial off-season acquisition comes into play.  There are few if none, more qualified managers in baseball to lead the Mets through a pennant race than Buck Showalter.

Let's Go Epps!

The Metsian Podcast: Chewing Up the Dog Days of Summer with Phil Maillard

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

@THEMetsianPod

@THE_SamMaxwell    @MetFanRich    @BTB_MikeII

GUEST

PHIL MAILLARD

TumaroMedia.com

The Great Pennant Race

2022

There's Great Joy in Metsville

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Back in the Summer of '22 ...

The Mets continue taking bites out of the dog days of summer.  They survived the seasonal June swoon with a 13-10 record, followed by a strong 17-8 month of July.  So far, they're off to a 7-2 start in August.

Except for eleven games, the Mets in 2021 spent nearly all of their first 110 games in first place.  They teetered for another week in and out of first.  But, by August 14, they were getting swept by the Dodgers and would never climb back atop the N.L.  East standings again.  

As we know, the division-winning Atlanta Braves defeated the Houston Astros to become baseball's world champions.  It was a disappointing season in Flushing, to say the least.

Welcome to 2022 ...

Through the first 110 games of this season, the Mets have occupied first place for all but one day back on April 11, when they fell a half-game back of the Phillies.  They've remained in first place ever since.  By June 1, the Mets had built a 10.5 game division lead.  But, as expected, the Braves awoke from their slumber.  Atlanta posted a 23-27 record in their first 50 games through May, then in June, caught fire with a 21-6 record to pull within three games of the Mets.  They continued with an 18-8 record in July but gained no ground in the standings.  

On Tuesday, August 2, the Braves defeated the Phillies to pull within 2.5 games of first.  A year ago today, the Mets were traveling home from Philadelphia, where they initially ceded first place upon getting swept by the Phillies.

With a 3.5 game lead this past Thursday, the Mets hosted the Braves for the opening game of a mid-summer-defining five-game series at Citi Field.  Carlos Carrasco won his twelfth game, and Edwin Diaz registered six outs to earn his 24th save.  The Braves evened the series with a win in game two.  But the Mets answered with a doubleheader sweep on Saturday and wrapped up their fourth win in five games on Sunday.

Highlighting the series was the unveiling of Flushing's dynamic one-two punch, Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom, who, before his August 2 start at Washington, last climbed a major league mound on July 7 of last year.  Through two starts, deGrom has allowed three runs on four hits and one walk with 18 strikeouts through 10.2 innings.  On Monday, he struck out twelve Braves in a triumphant return to Citi Field.  Max Scherzer pitched the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, allowing no runs on four hits and no walks with eleven strikeouts for his eighth win against two losses with a 1.98 ERA.

I'd be remiss if I didn't laud the entire staff, a deep quality staff.  The foursome of Chris Bassitt, Carlos Carrasco, Taijuan Walker, and David Peterson have joined together for a 36-16 combined record with a 3.43 ERA in 440 innings pitched.

Meanwhile, closer Edwin Diaz continues having a season for the ages.  He has yielded only 27 hits in 45.1 innings with an eye-popping 91 strikeouts for a 5.4 H/9 and 18.1 K/9 average, respectively.  Said another way, he has struck out 52.9% of all batters faced, which is reflective of his 0.860 WHiP, to go along with a stellar 1.39 ERA.

Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor have been the clear leaders at the plate.  Alonso tops the National League with 96 RBI, and Lindor is third.  Brandon Nimmo has carved his niche as a premiere leadoff hitter, and Jeff McNeil has consistently maintained a .300 batting average.

In his first season, Billy Eppler's off-season acquisitions have been essential cogs in this machine we call the Mets.  The performances of Chris Bassitt and Starling Marte have been exemplary.  Eduardo Escobar and Mark Canha have been nothing short of serviceable and, in Escobar's case, clutch.  And while Eppler's trade deadline acquisitions were met with some criticism, extensive renovations were not needed.  What Eppler did with the acquisitions of Daniel Vogelbach, Darin Ruf, and Tyler Naquin was fix a leaky roof and replace the windows.  Now the lineup at Flushing by the Bay is water-tight.  As planned, they're all contributing to the Mets' fine play in August.

Above all else, I believe Buck Showalter plays a significant role in the Mets' success.  His attention to detail and insistence on fundamentals is the team's bedrock.  He's genuinely bucking analytical trends and transforming his team into savvy players.  Buck's experience is vast, and his baseball intuition uncanny.  Just the other day, they executed a suicide squeeze.  Baseball is back, indeed.  Buck Showalter corrects the years of novice managers and their inexperienced folly.

The Mets enter Wednesday night's game against the Reds with a 71-39 (.645) record.  They've won four in a row.  Moreover, they're winning at a historic pace for this franchise.  

Last season, the Mets and Braves did not face each other in August, which proved a disadvantage for the Mets.  This season, the schedule makers had something else in mind, and the Mets seized the moment.  Their division lead over the Braves is now back up to seven.  

It's been an incredibly entertaining summer.  For better or worse, we'll be talking about this season for years to come as a relaunch of the New York Mets under the ownership of Steve Cohen.

In the meantime, the battle for the N.L. East flag rages on ...

Let's Go Mets!

New York Mets and Brooklyn Cyclones Defeat Yankees and Affiliated Rival in Local Showdowns

From the desk: THE CONEY ISLAND NINE

Brooklyn vs. Hudson Valley

I - HVR 10; BKN 2

II - BKN 6; HVR 2

Up in Dutchess County Stadium, the Kings County Kids tied their series against the Renegades, while in Queens, their parent club staged a ninth-inning walk-off victory over the Bronx club at Citi Field.

The night's main feature was Brooklyn's pitching, who held Hudson Valley scoreless through the seventh.  But the Renegades spoiled the shutout with two runs in the eighth.  

Making his seventh start (ninth appearance) with the Cyclones, right-hander Luis Moreno allowed a mere two hits and one walk with seven strikeouts over six scoreless innings.  This season's St. Lucie graduate faced twenty batters and threw 79 pitches, with a very effective 59 (74.6%) going for strikes.  It marks Moreno's first victory at the high-A level, and he now boasts a reduced 2.90 ERA through 80.2 total innings pitched.  Right-hander Daison Acosta yielded two earned runs on two hits and one walk with four strikeouts over the final three innings to earn his fourth save.

Facing Renegade starter Blas Castano, the Cyclones engaged in a scoreless duel through the fifth.  Once Castano departed from the box, the game promptly tilted in Brooklyn's favor.  Now facing the bullpen in the sixth, designated hitter Rowdey Jordan singled home a run, and first baseman JT Schwartz blasted a grand slam home run to right/center.  Center fielder Alex Ramirez singled home another run in the seventh, giving the Cyclones a 6-2 final margin of victory.  BOXSCORE

Meanwhile, back in Queens, Max Scherzer fanned Aaron Judge three times, allowed five hits and two walks with six overall strikeouts in seven innings, but walked off to a no-decision.  Pete Alonso homered in the second, and Francisco Lindor knocked in a run in the third.  After the Yankees tied the game in the eighth, Starling Marte delivered home the game-winning run in the ninth with a line single to left.  The Mets completed a two-game sweep of the Yankees.

The Metsian Podcast: N.L. East Sizzle with Jeff Cohen of Baseball & BBQ

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

@THE_SamMaxwell   @MetFanRich   BTB_MikeII

@THEMetsianPod

GUEST

JEFF COHEN

BASEBALL & BBQ

Mets Fever is in the air.  Fans everywhere are becoming wildly happy and contagious.  Suppose you're breaking out in blue and orange dots.  That's because the Mets on Wednesday completed a series victory at Atlanta, taking two out of three games against their top division rival, the defending champion Braves.  As they say, if you want to be the best, you must beat the best.  As such, the Mets have now won four of seven games against the Braves this season, with a dozen more fanatically distressing division contests still to play.  Joining Sam and me to discuss Mets baseball, symptoms of summertime, and the 2022 pennant race will be Jeff Cohen of the acclaimed Baseball & BBQ Podcast. 

The Metsian Podcast: Summertime at Flushing By The Bay Begins

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

@THEMetsianPod

The deeper we get into this 2022 season, the more the Mets distinguish themselves as one of baseball's top contenders.  Team depth and resiliency have kept them atop the division and continue pushing this team forward; injuries be damned.  Please join Sam, Rich, and me as we convene to discuss everything going right in Flushing, along with other Mets minutiae.

sixty-nine minutes 

The Metsian Podcast "Rat in the Grass" Episode

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

@THE_SamMaxwell     @MetFanRich     @BTB_MikeII

@THEMetsianPod

 

It's been said before but bears repeating.  The first-place Mets lead the National League in wins and still have yet to lose a series this season.  They're getting it done with solid pitching, fielding, and timely hitting.  However, we've seen this before.  The season is about a fifth of the way through.  So, let us pause and ask what differentiates this team from last year's Mets, who, on Aug. 14, 2021, dropped in the standings behind the Phillies and Braves and never recovered.  Please join Sam, Rich, and I, as we recap the week and chase down the "rat in the grass" on another getaway day edition of The Metsian Podcast.

seventy-three minutes

N.Y. Mets Pitchers Toss Combined No-Hitter in Shutout Victory Over Rival Phillies

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

COMBINED NO-HITTER

Edwin Diaz Finishes What Tylor Megill Started; Mets Pitching, Fielding, and Timely Hitting Rule the Day

Remember Tylor Megill's last-minute season-opening start at Washington?  That was a dandy.  He has been nothing short of stellar ever since.  Friday's game marks the third time in five starts he has yielded three hits or less in at least five innings pitched.  Tylor has now limited the opposition to 18 hits and six walks over his first 28 innings pitched for a 0.857 WHiP, with 27 strikeouts and a fine 1.93 ERA.

The game remained scoreless through the fourth inning.  Afterwhich, the Mets finally provided Megill with some support.  Jeff McNeil drove home two runs in the fifth, and Pete Alonso hit a solo home run in the sixth for a 3-0 Mets lead and the final margin of victory.  

After Drew Smith struck out J.T. Realmuto to start the seventh.  Enter Joely Rodriguez, who promptly walked Kyle Schwarber, who was himself erased when the Mets infield came to Joely's rescue and converted a 6-4-3 double-play.

Otherwise, Drew Smith, Joely Rodriguez, and Seth Lugo kept Philadelphia hitless through the eighth.

Edwin Diaz took his turn in the ninth and struck out the side, all swinging, preserving the shutout and the combined no-hitter - only the second no-hitter in Mets history, both at Citi Field.

That's how you finish!

And what better opponent than the Mets' closest division rival - the Philadelphia Phillies ...

The Metsian Podcast: First in the N.L. East and Hit by Pitches

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

@THE_SamMaxwell   @MetFanRich   @BTB_MikeII

You can't win them all, but the Mets are surely winning a lot, and they keep getting hit by pitches!  Despite losing Wednesday's finale at St. Louis, they've won their first six series to start the season and return home with a 14-6 record, good enough for first place in the National League East.  In that order, pitching, fielding, and timely hitting have led the way, with Buck Showalter spearheading the charge towards the most wins in the majors to date.  Please join Sam, Rich, and me as we deliberate over one of the finest starts to a season in franchise history.

sixty-nine minutes

#LGM

N.Y. Mets: The Buck Showalter Era Begins

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

Mets Manager Likes to Laugh and Joke, But He Doesn't Play!

Don't make me Buck you up!  

At least that was the look on Buck Showalter's face as he stormed out of the dugout after Francisco Lindor was hit by a pitch during Friday evening's game.  

It has become crystal clear that Washington pitchers are being told to throw high and tight because in my world, once is an event, twice is a coincidence, and three times is a trend.  James McCann was hit twice in Thursday's season opener and Pete Alonso once.  Lindor then became the third player and fourth Mets batter hit by a pitch in only the first two games this season against the Nationals.

The point here is team leadership, clubhouse command, and locker room control.  When an enraged Buck Showalter stormed the field, Mets players (including the bullpen) followed in lockstep behind their skipper.  Although no punches were thrown and cooler heads prevailed, the Mets nonetheless flipped the script and took the Nationals from their own perceived comfort zone.  All of which was reflected on the scoreboard. 

Buck Showalter instigated a call to action, and the Mets responded ... and this is just game two.  

He has also reclaimed the team's narrative, unlike any Mets manager since Terry Collins.

Buck likes to laugh and joke, but he doesn't play! 💪 #LGM

— The Metsian Podcast with Sam, Rich and Mike (@THEMetsianPod) April 9, 2022

 

THE METSIAN PODCAST: Let the Grapefruit League Games Begin!

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

GUEST:

Television Comedy Researcher

formerly of Yahoo Finance and former Teacher

REGGIE WADE

eighty-three minutes

Billy Eppler ~ Buck Showalter ~ Steve Cohen

Starting Rotation ~ Position Players & Lineup

Dom Smith ~ Robinson Cano ~ Eduardo Escobar ~ Pete Alonso

Max Scherzer ~ Jacob deGrom ~ David Peterson

a Michael Conforto reunion and so much more!!!

#LGM

The Metsian Podcast: Baseball is Back Spring Training Special

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

@THE_SamMaxwell     @MetFanRich     BTB_MikeII

Then on the 99th day of MLB's lockout, the collective bargaining powers that be said, "let there be baseball."  The fans said this was good, and Spring Training is finally underway.  Alas, we can focus solely on the Metropolitan Baseball Club of Flushing.  Please join Sam, Rich, and me as The Metsian Podcast gets back to the business of blue and orange-tinted banter.

#LGM

The Metsian Podcast: Bringing 2021 Season to a Close with MLB Illustrated's Sadie

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

GUEST
Graphics Designer, Digital Marketer, Baseball Fan

@MLBIllustrated     @PrintsBySadie

SADIE

METS FAN FROM ALBERTA, CANADA

seventy-one minutes

2021 

Regular Season 

Finale

THE METSIAN PODCAST: "Once Upon A Time In Queens" Director, Nick Davis

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

@THE_SamMaxwell       @MetFanRich       BTB_MikeII

GUEST

ESPN 30 FOR 30

Director of 

"ONCE UPON A TIME IN QUEENS"

NICK DAVIS

sixty-three minutes

#LGM

The Metsian Podcast: Dog Days of Summer Keep Chewing Away

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

@THE_SamMaxwell     @MetFanRich     @BTB_MikeII 

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER 

KEEP CHEWING UP THE METS

#LGM

It's a Mad, Mad, Mets World: A Cathartic Metsian Podcast With TUMARO MEDIA's Phil Maillard

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

GUEST
TUMARO MEDIA

PHIL MAILLARD

114 minutes

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mets world.  The lack of slugging is driving us crazy.  After losing three of four to the Miami Marlins, being swept by the Phillies, and falling out of first place, Sam, Rich, me, and Phil Maillard convene for a cathartic episode of The Metsian Podcast.  We're here for you.  Listen in and decompress.

#LGM

The Metsian Podcast First Half Review

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

@THE_SamMaxwell       @MetFanRich       @BTB_MikeII

113 minutes

FIRST HALF REVIEW

#LGM

The Metsian Podcast: The Dog Days Of June(?) with the Kranepool Society, Stephen Keane

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

38-31 (.551), First Place

It's officially summertime!  Independence Day is ten days away, and the Mets, against all odds, still hold a four-game division lead over the Washington Nationals.  While it can be said the Mets are still feeding off their seven-game and five-game winning streaks back in May, they've nonetheless scratched and clawed to stay above par in June.  But how much longer can this last?  Joining The Metsian Podcast to help answer that question (and talk some 1979 Mets) is the one and only governor of the Kranepool Society ...

Stephen Keane

seventy-four minutes

 

The Metsian Podcast: That First Place Feeling In June With Faith & Fear In Flushing's Greg Prince

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

With Guest

FAITH AND FEAR IN FLUSHING

GREG PRINCE

ninety-three minutes

 Lindor, Alonso, McCann, deGrom, Taijuan Walker, David Peterson,

 Matt Harvey, the 1978 Mets season, and so much more!

The Metsian Podcast: State of the Metropolitans with Newsday's David Lennon

From the desk: HEAD-BUTTING MR. MET

FEATURED GUEST

New York Newsday Baseball Columnist 

David Lennon

1:40:00

Sandy Alderson ~ Luis Rojas ~ Zack Scott

Outgoing Coaches ~ Pete Alonso ~ Incoming Coaches

Pitching ~ Hitting ~ Defense

... and so much more!