Next up is the Mets new #2 in the rotation Max Scherzer. The 37 year old future Hall of Famer will play his debut season as a Met. Will Max be part of the CY Young conversation again this year?
Rotochamp
Corné:
Most major projections sites have Scherzer at least a run higher in ERA in comparison to last year. Although I believe Max won’t pitch to a sub 2.50 ERA, I do believe he will be close to 3. Maybe even under the magic 3 mark?
Since 2015 Max didn’t have a full season with a ERA above 3, so I believe he will stay under that magic 3 in ERA. The only season since 2015 he had an ERA above 3 was the short season 2020.
The homerun ball could be an issue but Max doesn’t allow a lot of hits and walks, so it won’t hurt him as much. That will likely keep up as Scherzer hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down.
14-6, 2.89ERA, 1.01WHIP, 240K, 36BB, 5.6bWAR
Gem:
Scherzer knows the division and even if he didn’t, his talent level still trumps most. The 8x All-Star and 3x Cy Young has moved into a different stratosphere since his days with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
I expect the grizzled veteran to hit the hill just about every time out. There are few competitors out there like Max Scherzer, the man is a warrior living in the wrong century.
195IP, 17-4, 3.05 ERA, 1.03WHIP, 237K.
Next up we will do our star short stop. Will he have a better year that his first in NY?
The season is getting close and everyone loves to discuss projections. So here we go. First up we have Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. Here are some projections out from the major projections websites:
Rotochamp
Corné:
Pete had a good 2021, but to me it still felt like a down season. I expect Pete to be close to a .900 OPS in 2022. Also with guys like Nimmo, Marte and Lindor likely in front of him, I expect his RBI Total to go over 100 as well. Pete will be our main RBI guy for a lineup that looks balanced and solid on paper.
If you look at Pete his expected slash line last year, it was all higher than his slash line (.271/.377/.542). I expect him to be closer to his expected slash line with a little more power.
.265/.360/.550 45HR 110RBI 5.3bWAR
Gem:
I believe Corné’s right, fans were expecting more from the first baseman during the 2021 season. 37 HR’s is solid, however when you’re just one full season removed from 53, it could come as a let down… especially when the team isn’t racking up W’s on its way to the playoffs.
While Alonso may not yet have the protection needed directly behind him, I still see him stepping it up from last year.
.248/.355/.549 43HR 111 RBI
Next up we will predict the new Mets ace in Max Scherzer!
The New York Mets and Oakland Athletics have agreed on a deal that would bring starting pitcher Chris Bassitt to Queens. In return, the Mets would send highly regarded prospect J.T. Ginn alongside mid level prospect Adam Oller.
While Oller is a lot older at 27 years old, Ginn would be the prize prospect in this deal for the Athletics, as he was the Mets fifth best prospect before the deal.
Forgot to mention Adam Oller – he was a possible bullpen piece for the #Mets in the coming season. But obviously on their bubble and an expendable piece for a necessary upgrade.
As of today, Bassitt, a sinker-ball pitcher, will slot into the number three spot of the rotation right behind Max Scherzer. The right hander also possesses a fastball, cutter, slider, change up, and curve, in his arsenal on the hill.
Last season, the right hander went 12-4 with a 3.15 ERA in 157.1 innings pitched while earning an appearance at the All-Star Game.
With the current MLB Lockout still in play, the odds are that the minor league season will start before the MLB season does. So which prospects should fans keep an eye on? Unfortunately the Mets 40 man roster Players aren’t allowed to play in the minors during the season.
The obvious prospects to keep an eye on are the top prospects in the Mets system. The Mets have a total of 4 prospects who have been mentioned in a several of the industry’s Top 100 MLB Prospect lists. Prospects such as Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio and Mark Vientos. These 4 guys are all coming off of solid years in 2021 and look to continue to develop.
Metsmerized.com
Francisco Alvarez
Alvarez is the main attraction on this loaded list of talent. He belted 24 homeruns with a OPS of .941 between St. Lucie and Brooklyn. The young backstop most likely starts the year in Binghamton, potentially eyeing an MLB debut this year. Alvarez just turned 20 and has some time to develop, however, a lot of fans can’t wait to see more of the young catcher.
Baty is also coming off a strong year as he reached AA in his second professional season. Between Brooklyn and Binghamton, Baty combined to hit .292/.382/.473 with 12 homeruns and a .855 OPS. The young corner infielder is seen more as a doubles hitter that can drive the ball to all fields. After his previous minor league season, Baty went to the Arizona Fall League hitting at a .292/.373/.405. slash line.
I would like to see some more consistent power for Baty to make him a good enough hitter to play third base. He owns solid on base and bat to ball skills, so power should be his main focus with his defense.
RT if you can't wait to see Brett Baty in the Futures Game
Ronny Mauricio had the worst season of the four, but did show a lot more power. He gained muscle and belted 20 homeruns in 108 games played. Overall, his ability to get on base hurt him the most, collecting just a .296 on base percentage. However, Mauricio has shown more plate power alongside a solid glove at short to make him a valuable asset. He will most likely start the season with Double-A Binghamton, were he ended with his last 8 games in 2021.
Mark Vientos is a hitter that should be ready to be in a big league lineup. Vientos raked between AA and AAA thriving in hard hit rates and power. In just 83 games, Vientos belted 25 homeruns. His overall slash line was tremendous as he hit .281/.352/.581!! Look at that slugging percentage (wow).
Main issue with Vientos is defense. Vientos had a .898 fielding percentage in 400.1 innings at third. Now I don’t like to judge a player on fielding percentage, but that number is shockingly low.
If the Mets needed a DH, he probably is the main candidate. But right now the Mets have a lot in-house options (JD, Cano, Smith) to make Vientos the Mets DH. He likely needs to learn to play the field to make it to the majors or be a pinch hitter/DH. Look for Vientos to try and work hard on his defense, definitely something as fans who should keep an eye on.
Mets prospect Mark Vientos now has 25 home runs in 302 at-bats this season between Double-A and Triple-A.
That will conclude part one of our minor league preview. Next up will be our preview with prospects close to the minors that could help the big league squad in 2022.
Although this has been a very exciting offseason for the Mets, the team still has one glaring issue—the bullpen. Aaron Loup, who was their best bullpen arm, is now with the Angels. So how do they improve the pen in such an important year? There are options that would instantly improve it, one being free agent lefty Andrew Chafin. Chafin, an 8-year veteran, had the best year of his career in 2021, posting a 1.83 ERA in 71 games. Even if Chafin’s 2022 is underwhelming, it would still be a vast improvement over what New York has now. Chafin enters the ’22 season at 31 years of age. A 2 or 3 year deal is likely on the table, which the Mets can definitely handle.
Reuniting With an Old Friend
Another solid option is a familiar face in Collin McHugh. McHugh was drafted by the Mets back in 2008. He made his big league debut in 2012, but his Mets tenure did not go well. He only appeared in 11 games with the Mets over 2 seasons and posted an 8.26 ERA. In June of 2013, McHugh was traded to the Colorado Rockies for Eric Young Jr. McHugh also struggled in Colorado, only appearing in 4 games and getting designated for assignment after the 2013 season.
McHugh finally found his footing with the Houston Astros in 2014. In 6 seasons with the team, he had a 3.63 ERA. In 2020, McHugh signed a one year deal with the Red Sox. He had elbow issues and did not end up appearing in a game with Boston. Given McHugh’s age and elbow issue, it wasn’t looking good for 2021, but he rebounded nicely with the Tampa Bay Rays. In 37 games Collin posted a 1.55 ERA. The risk is still very much there with McHugh given his elbow and his age, but a 1 or 2 year deal wouldn’t hurt and would give the Mets another solid option in the pen. As every Mets fan knows, you can never have too much depth, and McHugh is more than capable of being flexible and bailing the team out if the injury bug bites again in 2022.
Could Jansen Be a Match for the Mets Bullpen?
Kenley Jansen is also a free agent, and it wouldn’t be a bad thing if the Mets gave him a shot. Anyone that follows the Mets knows how shaky Edwin Diaz can be at times, and Jansen could perhaps take some of the pressure off of Diaz. The 12 year veteran pitched well last season, putting up a 2.22 ERA. He is 34 and has had many injury issues in the past, but he’s proved that he has plenty left in the tank . The 3 time All-Star would also bring plenty of postseason experience to the bullpen. Outside of Trevor May, not one pitcher in the Mets bullpen has ever appeared in a postseason game. If the Mets were to make the playoffs this year, that could be a problem. Perhaps Jansen could be a part of the solution to that problem, with Chafin and McHugh who also have experience in October.
Can These Veterans Keep Up Their Success?
One thing that all of these players have in common is they are all veterans. This obviously includes major injury risk, which is nothing new to the Mets. In the past, the Mets have added pitchers such as Dellin Betances to the bullpen with the same hope of getting a few solid years out of a veteran, but it just didn’t work out. So why are these options different? All three of these players are coming off of very solid seasons. That obviously does not guarantee success this year, but it is a drastic change from the Wilpon solution in Betances, whom they signed after only appearing in one game during an injury plagued 2019 season. Signing any veteran is a gamble, but the gamble has greater odds of success when that veteran is coming off of a successful season.
Mets Junkies 