Robinson Cano

New York Mets: Michael Wacha Dominates Intrasquad Game

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New York Mets, Michael Wacha

The New York Mets played another summer camp game to get themselves ready for their weekend exhibition series against the New York Yankees. Michael Wacha stole the show with a terrific pitching performance as he tries to assure the Mets he can fill Noah Syndergaard‘s absence.

Wacha pitched five no-hit innings, which included an extra batter in some of the innings. He struck out four batters on only 69 pitches, with the only baserunner coming on a Dominic Smith error. After the long layoff, the pitchers usually have the upper hand on the hitters. Wacha still looked sharp, his changeup strong as ever, and improved his curveball from 2019.

Any Offense?

Wilson Ramos and Ryan Cordell both added home runs in the matchup. The blue squad defeated the white squad 3-1 but also received encouraging signs just based on the players who could take the field. Jed Lowrie, Yoenis Cespedes, and Robinson Cano both played in the game and came out of it without any issues.

Cano and Cespedes also added hits for the blue team while J.D. Davis recorded the only hit for the white team. Lastly, the Mets release some of their fan cutouts that will be in the stands during the season.

New York Mets: deGrom Deals With Back Issues, Cano Finally Shows

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New York Mets, Jacob deGrom

The New York Mets had quite a few headlines from Tuesday. Jacob deGrom left his start with a back issue after one inning and it overshadowed the return of Robinson Cano to summer camp after an eight-day absence.

The first nightmare of summer camp occurred when deGrom surprisingly left the game early. His performance did not indicate any issues, but a grimace for deGrom as he walked off the mound showed something was wrong. It was his second to last start before Opening Day, but the injury changes things around.

All the Mets released a confirmation on deGrom’s injury. He also dealt with similar issues during 2018 Spring Training, but it did not keep him from being ready for Opening Day. Judging from deGrom’s ability to finish the inning, his early exit seemed like a precaution to keep their back-to-back Cy Young winner from causing more damage to his back.

Cano Back in Flushing

While the reasons for Robinson Cano’s absence from summer camp is still a mystery, he returned to camp on Tuesday. Since the Mets’ organizational policy is to keep quiet on player’s absences, the only place to get an answer is from Cano himself. Cano did not speak to the media on his first day back.

Cano’s starting lineup status is still in question for the beginning of the season. Manager Luis Rojas said it all depends on how he progresses in the next week but looks to be in great shape. With an aging veteran like Cano, they know how to get themselves in-game shape better than anyone else. He had a slow start in 2019 and hopes to erase that from Mets fans memories.

Cano’s appearance at camp leaves Brad Brach and Jared Hughes as the final two players who need to report to camp. Rojas had no answer on when to expect them to join the team. Both do not carry the weight of Edwin Diaz or Seth Lugo in the Mets bullpen but are both good enough pitchers where their absence will hurt the team. Their absence opens up opportunities for Drew Smith and Paul Sewald to make the roster.

New York Mets: Second Base Options Without Robinson Cano

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New York Mets’ second baseman, Robinson Cano’s absence from summer camp, is a growing issue each day. The Mets have no timetable for his return, and they will need to figure out a replacement if he is not ready for opening weekend in just ten days.

Jeff McNeil

The obvious choice comes in moving Jeff McNeil to second base. Though his best defensive position is at third base, his production at second base would rank with the best in baseball. With moving McNeil to second, third base needs a replacement.

For the best offense, J.D. Davis moves to third, which allows the combination of Yoenis Cespedes and Dominic Smith to play a majority of the time in left field. Defensively, a healthy Jed Lowrie moves to third, allowing Davis/Cespedes to split DH and left field.

Jed Lowrie

If Jed Lowrie is ever healthy enough to play consistently, he is the simplest option. Lowrie has been a second baseman since 2016 and allows McNeil to remain at third base. He is likely the only switch hitter to stay on the Mets 30-man roster when camp breaks. With his damaged legs, at an older age, it is safe to assume his defense is not what it used to be but could hold the position if Cano is only out for a short period.

Andres Gimenez

Things get interesting with Andres Gimenez. The natural shortstop and top prospect is a long shot at earning a starting job in 2020. He has only played 26 games at second base throughout the minors but is a high upside option should the Mets turn to him for a 60-game sprint.

Due to the Mets’ “win-now” mentality, he needs a very impressive summer camp for the Mets to give him the nod to play every day at second base. During the 30-man roster period, he should see a couple of games there, without Cano, but anything more is unlikely at the moment.

New York Mets: Cespedes Opening Day Ready, Cano and Brach Still Out

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New York Mets, Robinson Cano

We are just one week away from the New York Mets, taking the field for their first exhibition game of summer camp. The Mets are extremely encouraged with the progress of Yoenis Cespedes, but the absence of Robinson Cano and Brad Brach are growing issues for the team.

Cespedes has drawn high praise throughout summer camp, and players compared him to being on the same level he was on in 2015. He proclaimed that he will be ready for Opening Day and will be 100% the Cespedes everyone hopes he can be.

Cespedes has not played in two years but is smashing the ball during intrasquad games at Citi Field. Ideally, Cespedes plays left field more than designated hitter because over his arm and gold glove ability. With his injury history, the Mets will handle Cespedes carefully throughout the 60-game stretch. Not only is he playing for 2020, but the 34-year old is playing to earn a lucrative deal in the offseason.

Cano and Brach Missing in Action

The absence of Robinson Cano and Brad Brach are lingering problems that grow worse for the Mets each day. Neither has attended any workouts and as usual, under the Brodie Van Wagenen regime, their reasons for absence are a secret. We will not hear the reason either until the players themselves release it due to the organization’s policy during this COVID-19 shortened season.

The Mets did have one player test positive before summer camp, but they never confirmed the player. Cano was present during the first couple of days but is a mystery man now. The high priced veteran is the everyday second baseman. Brach has not been present at any workouts, but the Mets hope to see both of them soon.

New York Mets: Edwin Diaz ready to prove himself

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New York Mets, Edwin Diaz

New York Mets reliever Edwin Diaz is a man on a mission.

The Mets acquired Diaz from the Seattle Mariners in December 2018. The Mets also corralled infielder Robinson Cano while sending prospects Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn, relievers Anthony Swarzak and Gerson Bautista and outfielder Jay Bruce to Seattle.

Diaz is coming off a discouraging debut season with the Mets. Recording a 5.59 ERA and 1.38 WHIP while surrendering 15 home runs and blowing seven save opportunities, the right-handed reliever struggled to find his footing.

Despite the rough season, Diaz feels that he’s still a “closer,” as expressed in a Friday afternoon interview (quotes by means of Mike Puma of the New York Post).

“My mentality has always been that I’m a closer, despite even what happened last year,” Diaz said through an interpreter following a Friday afternoon workout at Citi Field. “This offseason I went in and trained hard, I worked on different things that gave me the confidence that made me feel that I could be the closer of this team.”

Diaz is a year removed from making the American League All-Star Game roster and winning the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award with the Mariners. That season, 2018, he recorded a 1.96 ERA and 0.79 WHIP while totaling 124 strikeouts and converting 57-of-61 save opportunities.

Diaz is out to prove that he’s worthy of being the Mets closer this season.

“Now, going into this second spring training, I’m going to try to prove during these next two to three weeks that I can be the closer of this team.”

New York’s bullpen struggled to finish games last season. They were 28th in MLB in BABIP (.312), 26th in ERA (4.99), 22nd in home runs per nine innings (1.47) and 19th in FIP (4.71) and walks per nine innings (3.93) while being 28th in innings pitched (519.2).

The Mets finished last season 86-76, good for third place in the National League East.

New York Mets: Looking at the Designated Hitter Candidates

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New York Mets, Yeonis Cespedes

The designated hitter is here to stay during the 2020 shortened season, and the New York Mets are full of options. From injury-prone stars to bench players who do not have a role, the candidates are endless for the Mets.

Yoenis Cespedes

Yoenis Cespedes is the front runner to be the designated hitter. Reports say he will be fully healthy for Opening Day, and putting him at DH would preserve his legs for the entire season. Over 81 career games as a DH, he is hitting .287/.328/.524 with 18 home runs and 60 runs batted in. Cespedes has the highest potential to carry the team when healthy, and Mets fans would love to see him contribute every day. Despite the injuries, he still possesses a lethal arm in the outfield and is a former Gold Glove winner.

Dominic Smith

Dominic Smith also dealt with injuries during 2019. He lost playing time at first base due to Pete Alonso earning the job for himself. Smith only has one previous game as a DH and but is a potent left-handed hitter. He is coming off his best year in the big leagues, and he is a better option than Cespedes. Considering that Smith will be with the team in 2021, they should be getting him ready for the DH role going forward.

J.D. Davis

It seems J.D. Davis days at third base are limited and is mainly a left fielder. The most likely situation for Davis to end up at DH is if the Mets opt to put Cespedes in left to keep a strong lineup. They could also put Jake Marisnick in center field and put Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto in the corner positions. The main reason Davis could be a DH is due to his defense in the outfield.

Robinson Cano

A healthy Robinson Cano is someone the Mets would like to play all 60 games of the season. At 37-years old, it is unlikely for him to play all of them at second base. To keep him fresh/healthy moving Jeff McNeil to second and Davis to third base would allow the Mets to DH Cano and keep his bat in the lineup. He is still a solid defensive second baseman, so do not expect him to be the everyday DH.

Wilson Ramos

Much like Cano, Wilson Ramos is someone who needs to play in all 60 games. He will not be able to do that at catcher, but the Mets hope to keep their best hitter with runners in scoring position in the lineup. Instead of giving Ramos an entire day off from catching, moving him to DH and putting Tomas Nido/Rene Rivera behind the plate would balance the drop in production from the catching position. Despite the hitting loss, the catching defense would upgrade during Ramos’ turn at DH.

Jed Lowrie

Jed Lowrie has no fit on the roster and is only an option because he has nowhere to play in the field. The last time Lowrie played every day, he was an All-Star, but he has gone a year and a half since the last time he made a starting lineup. The most significant trait for Lowrie as a DH is his switch-hitting ability.

The Mets DH options are abundant, and it would be no surprise if they had the most players swap in at DH throughout the season. Everything is analytics driving in modern baseball, and combining that with keeping players fresh is going to be a major challenge for Luis Rojas in year one.

Ranking the New York Mets Second Basemen of the Last 20 Seasons

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The New York Mets had a steady rotation of second basemen over the last 20 seasons. One common theme is their second basemen tend to carry the team during the postseason. Our first two names on the list exemplify postseason excellence the best.

1. Daniel Murphy (2008-15)

Daniel Murphy put together one of the greatest postseasons in baseball history. In 2015, he hit .421 with seven home runs, including homers in six consecutive games to lead the Mets to an NL Championship. Murphy did not play second base every day until 2012 and was raw at the position but turned himself into a very serviceable defender. He is third all-time on the Mets doubles list with 228.

2. Edgardo Alfonzo (1995-2002)

Edgardo Alfonzo spent the earlier part of his career at third base but moved over to second when Robin Ventura arrived in 1999 and stayed there until 2001. During that period, he hit .293/.381/.487 and averaged 23 home runs and 34 doubles per season. Alfonzo added an All-Star appearance, four postseason home runs, and only made 22 errors during those three seasons.

3. Jeff McNeil (2018-19)

Jeff McNeil settled in at second base during his rookie season in 2018, but the acquisition of Robinson Cano made him a utility guy in 2019. As a second baseman, he is hitting .323 with nine home runs, 19 doubles, and six triples. When baseball starts again, he will likely play a majority of third base.

4. Neil Walker (2016-17)

Neil Walker had the tall task of replacing Daniel Murphy and played great. The only problem came with Murphy’s power surge with the Washington Nationals over shadowed Walker’s greatness. He batted .275/.344/.462 with 33 home runs in 186 games in Flushing.

5. Jose Valentin (2006-07)

Jose Valentin earned his ranking based on his revival season of 2006. The 36-year old veteran batted .170 the year prior and took the job away from Kazuo Matsui. Valentin batted .271 with 18 home runs and 62 runs batted in to stabilize the bottom of the Mets order.

6. Luis Castillo (2007-10)

Unfortunately, Mets fans will only remember Luis Castillo for his dropped pop-up against the New York Yankees. He batted .274 with 55 stolen bases and still played Gold Glove defense at second base. Castillo only made 21 errors over 365 games.

7. Robinson Cano (2019)

The Mets took a significant risk in bringing in Robinson Cano, and he played just okay during his first season with the Mets. It was a tale of two seasons for Cano; he hit .240/.287/.360 with only four home runs during the first half of the season. Cano returned to his hall of fame form in the second half batting .284/.339/.541 with nine home runs and could have done more damage if a hamstring injury did not slow him down.

8. Roberto Alomar (2002-03)

Roberto Alomar seemed like a safer risk than Cano, but Alomar never produced as a Met. Like Cano, he only played okay but never put up his All-Star caliber numbers. Alomar’s .265 average was the lowest he had with any team he played with for at least 200 games.

9. Ruben Tejada (2010-15, 19) 

Before primarily playing shortstop, Ruben Tejada spent the first two seasons of his career playing second base. Never known for his power, he slashed .256/.338/.314 with only one home run but had 27 doubles in 174 games.

10. Kazuo Matsui (2004-06)

Kazuo Matsui was the definition of disappointment after coming with so much hype that Jose Reyes had to play second base in 2004. While the Yankees struck gold with a different Matsui, the Mets got one decent season in 2004 with Kazuo, but he was playing shortstop in all but three games. He hit .274 with 32 doubles during his rookie season but failed to keep himself on the field during the following two. Matsui ended up with the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Eli Marrero.

2020 (Or 2021) Will Be the Bounce Back Year For Robbie Cano, Don’t Ya Know?

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New York Mets, Robinson Cano

So I know there isn’t much hope for a season but I think there will be baseball this year in some capacity. Even if there is not, next year this still applies in my opinion. Robinson Cano had a rough 2019, and there’s just nothing to say that he didn’t. This angered Mets fans (and I’ll be honest gave us Yankee fans something hilarious to watch), but I’d be ignoring the facts if I laughed and said “He’s never going to be good again!”. I love Robbie Cano, don’t love that he left New York and don’t believe that he was worth his contract, but his peripherals offensively show that he should be able to have a good 2020/2021 in my opinion based off of the metrics

Cano Still Has Pop In His Bat

So let’s look at his slugging percentage and why it is low at .428, it’s not the full story in my opinion. Let’s look at how hard he hits the ball, with 46% hard-hit percentage, average Exit Velocity of 90.8 MPH, and on top of that he has a solid but not great .450 xSLG. He does still hit the ball hard, and I personally believe that given the opportunity to play without injury, he can get his number up on the power side. I think you can easily see Cano get his SLG to the .460 range and have a solid amount of longballs, something the Mets would love to have out of that position.

Seeing Improvements in OBP

Cano only had a .307 OBP, the 2nd lowest in his career, and was one of the metrics that took a lot of analysts by surprise. With a career .352 OBP, it didn’t make sense to many as to how his OBP could drop so heavily after one year, even if his power was seemingly gone. This isn’t the full picture, as Cano heavily relied on hits to have a higher OBP, walking just a bit to get it up to a solid number, but by only hitting .256, he saw his OBP suffer as his walks didn’t spike up. His xBA was .280, so calculating his BB% and his xBA to figure out what his hypothetical OBP should’ve been, .338 which while it isn’t great, shows that he was slightly better than his traditional numbers show.

The reason I bring up OBP isn’t just because of his xBA, but because of his walk% being 9.2 last year and around the 7% mark since 2015, yet it dropping to 5.9% this year. I think you’ll see it go back to around 6.6%, and if he has 200 At-Bats in a short season with 58 hits, he should have around a .355 OBP next year to pair with a .460-.470 SLG meaning offensively he’s going to perform pretty damn well.

What Does the Future Hold For Cano?

With the DH in 2020 (hopefully) Cano in my opinion should DH and try to focus on offense as to be able to stay healthy and rake for the Mets. He won’t have too many years of success left in my opinion but I could be proven wrong, I won’t project farther than I have numbers to back it up by. It’d be wrong on my part to tell you when he’ll drop off, so take it year by year for Robbie

For his next season though? He’ll be solid offensively, and be able to bounceback as a top 10 2B in baseball next season.

New York Yankees: All-Time Starting Lineup/Bench

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New York Yankees, Babe Ruth

Most of these players contributed to the 27 World Series rings that the New York Yankees franchise has won. From World Series MVPs to record-breaking statistics, these players have done it all in the sport of baseball.

All-Time Starting Lineup/Bench

1. SS Derek Jeter

Jeter played all 20 seasons of his career for the Yankees and was one of 15 captains in New York Yankees history. He deserved to be the second unanimous hall of fame player but fell one vote short.

He had 650 1st-pitch hits, indicating he was aggressive at the plate, which makes a perfect leadoff hitter for this team.

2. LF Joe DiMaggio

A 56-game hitting streak is Dimaggio’s most popular call to fame, however, he did make the all-star team all 13 years of his career.

He hit over .300 in 11 out of 13 years at the highest stage, which is almost never seen in today’s baseball.

To top it all off, he served his country in WWII for three years.

3. RF Babe Ruth

“The Bambino” was the greatest display of power in the early 20th century and no one will forget when he “called his shot.”

His 714 home runs have kept him among the top three home run hitters for almost a century. He has the best slugging percentage, OPS, and OPS+ of all-time as well.

He is arguably the best all-around hitter ever and needs to be in the middle of this lineup.

4. 1B Lou Gehrig

He and Ruth were the best one-two punch of their era, if Ruth did not drive in the runs one game, Gehrig would put the “cleanup” in “cleanup hitter” and drive in the runs himself.

In 1931, Gehrig drove in 185 runs, which is the second-most for a single season in history, behind Hack Wilson, who drove in 191 runs a year prior.

Gehrig also won the triple crown in 1934, meaning he led the American League in home runs, RBIs, and batting average, a feat that only a few players have achieved in their careers.

5. CF Mickey Mantle

Following in DiMaggio’s footsteps, Mantle, led the New York Yankees to seven World Series titles. He won the triple crown in 1956, paving the way for his first MVP award.

Mantle was arguably one of the first five-tool players in baseball, as he led the American League in many batting categories, in a single season, at some point in his career and even won a gold glove award.

Behind Babe Ruth, Mantle is second on the all-time Yankees home run list.

6. 3B Alex Rodriguez

Although his best years were for the Texas Rangers, A-Rod won two MVPs as the Yankees’ third baseman.

Yes, he did admit to using steroids, but he was still one of the most feared hitters in baseball for almost two decades.

7. C Yogi Berra

Berra, won three MVPs, 10 World Series rings, meaning he has one for each finger, not even Tom Brady has reached that level of success.

Between his “Yogisms” and serving in WWII, he did all you can ask for of a man and a baseball player. He is the textbook definition of a legend in the game of baseball.

8. 2B Tony Lazzeri

There is an argument to have Robinson Cano in this lineup, however, Lazzeri’s Yankees tenure was longer and was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He also helped the historic teams of the 1920s and 30s win five World Series titles.

9. P Whitey Ford

This is just to fill a hole in the lineup without a DH, if there had to be a DH, a case could be made for Don Mattingly, Graig Nettles, or Dave Winfield, cannot go wrong with any of these players.

Ford was arguably the best pitcher in Yankees history and would be the opening day starter for this team.

Bench:

C Bill Dickey

He was Yogi Berra’s predecessor and helped the Yankees win seven World Series rings. An 11-time all-star and a hall of fame inductee earn his spot on this team.

1B/OF Don Mattingly

His best season was 1986 when he hit 53 doubles. Mattingly is a great pinch-hit option off the bench.

2B Robinson Cano

Cano got the assist on the final out of 2009 World Series game 6, which one the Yankees first World Series since 2000. He played all but one game that season and became a big part of the New York Yankees team in the early 2010s.

He is the only active player on this team, but his spot is well deserved.

3B Graig Nettles

Nettles led the American League in home runs in 1976, with 32. He is a fan favorite of the ’70s Yankees teams and needs to be on this team.

OF Dave Winfield

Last, but not least, Winfield had one of the best arms of any right-fielder ever. He would rack up double-digit outfield assist seasons a bunch of times in his career.

He also had middle-of-the-lineup production at the plate during his career, making him the perfect player to round out this team.

These New York Mets’ players would receive more at-bats if there is a universal DH

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New York Mets, Robinson Cano

The coronavirus crisis postponed the start of the MLB season, which was scheduled for March 26. The league and the players’ union are currently negotiating several things to return to play, and all of them concern the New York Mets.

One of them is particularly promising for the Mets’ lineup. According to Jon Heyman, cited by SNY, MLB is currently offering the union the option to implement a universal designated hitter spot for the 2020 season.

As you know, the American League plays with a DH and the National League doesn’t. The pitcher gets to hit in the old circuit, but if the changes go through, some New York Mets’ players stand to receive more at-bats in the upcoming season.

Heyman reports that the league’s proposal for the universal DH is expected to be easily approved, so if there is a season in 2020, it would seem like both leagues would have a designated hitter.

Great news for the Mets

For the New York Mets, that is fantastic news. While the current starting rotation’s depth suffered a huge blow with Noah Syndergaard’s Tommy John surgery, the lineup is, instead, crowded with usable options.

The Mets have a good offensive catcher in Wilson Ramos and a defensive wiz in Tomas Nido. They have Dominic Smith capable of playing first base, but blocked by Pete Alonso. There are lots of outfielders to spread around three spots, notably Brandon Nimmo, Jake Marisnick, Michael Conforto, Smith, Yoenis Cespedes and JD Davis. If the DH opens up, life could be easier for manager Luis Rojas.

There is also quite a logjam in the infield. If Jed Lowrie ever gets healthy, he is a very useful piece who can play second and third base, the same positions that Jeff McNeil can cover. Let’s remember that Lowrie was a 5.0 fWAR player the year before the New York Mets signed him. Robinson Cano’s contract and potent bat (if healthy) are also necessary in the lineup and a weekly start or two in the DH spot would help his legs.

Cespedes, Cano, and Smith are the most likely beneficiaries of the potential universal DH rule. The first two have suffered numerous lower-body injuries in recent months and Smith can find some extra at-bats given his path to playing time in first base is blocked.