Heavyweight Battle Part Two.

By: Mike Rifkin

For the final time this regular season the two teams with the best record in the National League will play when the Dodgers and Mets open up a three game series Tuesday night at Citi Field. The two teams played a four game set at Dodger Stadium in early June and split the four games. The Dodgers won the first two and the Mets won the last two. 

At 88-38 the Dodgers own the best record in baseball and are running away with the NL West again. The Dodgers are loaded offensively. They lead MLB in Batting Average hitting .263 and in ERA 2.83. The Dodgers are fifth in Home Runs with 168. They have three MVP candidates with Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner and Mookie Betts.  Freddie Freeman the former Brave is currently second in the MLB in hitting with ,327 with 16 Home Runs and 81 RBI. Freeman is a Met killer in 192 career games against New York Freeman is hitting .304 with 28 Home Runs and 115 RBI. Trea Turner the former Washington National is fifth in MLB with a .311 Batting Average with 18 Home Runs and 86 RBI. When talking about Trea Turner you have to talk about his speed he can fly. This year he is 21-23 in Stolen Bases and in his career against the Mets he is 33-38 in Stolen Bases in 83 games while hitting .297 with 13 home runs and 39 RBI. Mookie Betts is hitting .281 with 31 Homers, 69 RBI’s and is 12-13 in Stolen Bases. Betts, Turner and Freeman set the tone for a lethal Dodger lineup. Then there is former Met Justin Turner who just crushes is old team. Turner in his career against New York is hitting.265 with Nine Home Runs and 24 RBI in 43 games. 

The Mets are 82-47 eight games behind the Dodgers for the best record in the National League. The Mets are hitting .257 which is Seventh in MLB and they are Fifth with a 3.53 team ERA. While the Dodgers are fifth in Home Runs, the Mets are Seventeenth with 129. The Mets offense is all about just putting the ball in play. There is no better example then Jeff McNeil who is third in MLB with a .321 Batting Average. But McNeil has struggled against the Dodgers in 16 career games he is hitting .140 with four RBI. Starling Marte who also is having a solid season has struggled against the Dodgers. In 48 games Marte is hitting .198 with three Home Runs. First baseman Pete Alonso who is tied for fourth in MLB with 31 Home Runs and tied for second with 105 RBI’s is hitting .286 with Seven Home Runs and 16 RBI career against Los Angeles.

The Starting Pitching matchups are Andrew Heaney vs Taijuan Walker tonight, Tyler Anderson vs Jacob deGrom tomorrow, and Clayton Kershaw vs Chris Bassitt Thursday afternoon. According to Dave Roberts Kershaw will be activated off the IL to make the start.  Most people would say the matchups favor the Mets but Heaney is 2-1 with a 1.94 ERA and Anderson is 13-2 with a 2.69 ERA. On June third Anderson threw six shutout innings against the Mets in a 6-1 Dodgers win. Because of the pitching matchups, because of the standings and just for confidence reasons the Mets have to win two of three. Will we see this again in October? Who knows but enjoy watching two of the best teams in baseball duke it out the next three days. 

South Side Slump

By: Mike Rifkin

As we head into September the Chicago White Sox sit five games out of the AL Central and six games out of the last wild card spot. But why should fans trust the White Sox? They just got swept at home by the Arizona Diamondbacks and are 2-8 in their last 10 including losing four straight. Last season the White Sox went 93-69 and won the AL Central by 13 games and were expected by most to repeat as division champions. A big reason for the White Sox struggles has been their pitching last season they were fifth in MLB with a 3.73 team ERA. This season they currently sit 20th with a 4.02 ERA. The two guys who were supposed to head the rotation Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn have had rough seasons. Giolito is 10-7 but has an ERA of 5.14. Lynn on the other hand is 3-5 with an ERA of 5.00 and the two have combined for 13 quality starts ( at least six innings pitched giving up three runs or less). To put in reference Dylan Cease who has been the White Sox best starter all season has 12 quality starts on his own. Chicago’s defense has made 79 errors only the Pirates, Rockies and Cubs have committed more. Last year the White Sox committed 97 errors for the season. 

Offensively Jose Abreu and Andrew Vaughn are tied for the team lead with 14 home runs each. Vaughn has 61 RBI while Abreu has 60. Abreu has a slash line of .308/.385/.455 and Vaughn’s slash line is .291/.340/.460. The White Sox as a team are hitting .259 which is fourth in MLB. 

Chicago is down some key players. Short Stop Tim Anderson is currently out after undergoing hand surgery. Anderson had six home runs and 25 RBI with a slash line of .301/.339/.395. Anderson was also 13-13 in stolen bases prior to injury. Catcher Yasmani Grandal is making his way back from a knee injury. Grandal has a slash line of .203/.307/.259 with three home runs and 21 RBI.  

But as much doom and gloom I put in the top of this article the White Sox are not out of this race. In September they have nine games against the Minnesota Twins including this weekend and to close out the season. They also have four games against the Cleveland Guardians. Currently the White Sox are 4-6 vs the Twins this season and 6-9 vs the Guardians. If Chicago wants to make their move in the Central they have to play better than the teams in front of them.

METS SEPTEMBER CALL UP THOUGHTS

By Mark Halpern

      September is a mere four days away, and ball clubs will get the option to add players to the roster till the end of the season.  September call-ups are when minor leaguers who are at the top or having a fantastic season in the minors can get the chance to be called up and play on the big-league roster.  Not only be on the roster, but it is also really a showcase for the ball club to get an idea of who is ready and what positions will need to be decided by free agency or trades.

      The Mets have already given one of their top prospects a chance to play a little earlier because there was a massive hole at third base, and with all the injuries recently, if another team hit a ball to third base, there wasn’t anyone to field it.  Brett Baty, the Mets 1st round pick in 2019 (12th overall), has moved through the Mets minor league system and was in triple AAA Syracuse for less than ten games before Eduardo Escobar went on the IL the Mets needed a 3rd baseman, and Brett Baty was ready to answer the call.  Baty has done relatively well since his call-up.  Baty hit a Home Run in his first major league at-bat and has been covering the position himself, and he has proved he is ready to handle third base in the Majors.

    Adding to the roster at the beginning of September helps both good and bad teams.  For the good teams who have a decent enough lead in their division, call-ups give a chance for some of the star players on the team some days off to keep their bodies fresh for the playoffs.  On the other hand, for bad teams, It gives them a chance to see if some of their top prospects are ready to fill those holes for next season, and teams can plan their free agency for the following season accordingly.

     The Mets have a few prospects who could come up and lend a hand and help the Mets make that final push to win the division.  The Mets need help at the catcher position as the Mets haven’t had the best of luck over the last few seasons, and it is kind of fitting that the top prospect in baseball happens to be in the Mets farm system, and is a catcher by the name of Francisco Alvarez.  Every Mets fan wants to see what this kid is made of as he tore through AA and AAA this season.  James McCann has been very injury prone and hasn’t lived up to the four-year 40million dollar contract he signed two years ago.  It’s time to bring up Alvarez and see what he is made of.  He will probably split time with McCann to give him some rest, and Tomas Nido can use some rest before the playoffs.  Every single Mets fan and even his teammates want to see the #1 prospect in the minors called up.

    The other call-up to the major league club should be Mark Vientos, who has been tearing up the minors as well and is currently in AAA and wants to go to the show and prove the Mets top three prospects are everything that has been advertised.  Vientos would help in several areas.  He can play 1st base, Outfield, and DH, and he has a good glove but an even more powerful Bat.  Since Vientos can play various positions, he could give several Mets players a break or move them to DH.  Vientos knows he will get to the Majors at some point but is genuinely hoping that he comes up sooner than later.

    One thing that needs to be taken into consideration is whether the Mets will need any of these young guys in the Postseason, and the only way that can happen is if they are on the 40-man roster by 8/31/2022 11:59 pm est.  They are eligible to play if they are on the official 40-man roster by this time. It is an exciting time not just for the Mets but for the cross-town Rivals, the New York Yankees.  The Yankees are also cruising towards the Postseason and are having some injury troubles of their own.  I genuinely think we could see a repeat of the 2000 world series, but we will have to wait and see.

Next Man Up

By : Mike Rifkin

Mark Canha is the latest Met to step up in a big way as his two home runs led the Mets to a 10-9 victory over division rival Phillies. After a rain delay Canha hit a game tying three run home run to tie the game at 7. After Jean Segura homered to give the Phillies an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the Eighth. Canha delivered a two run home run off David Robertson in the top of the Ninth to give the Mets a 9-8 lead. For Canha it was his first two home runs against the Phillies in the season series and wound up driving in 11 runs. 

For the 2022 Mets they have had a next man up mentality all season and Sunday was no different.  With injuries to starters Carlos Carrasco and Taijuan Walker and having to play a doubleheader on Saturday the Mets had Jose Butto make his Major League debut and it got off to a shaky start. Butto gave up four runs in the first inning including a three run home run to Alec Bohm. He then threw two scoreless innings allowing the offense to tie the game. In the Fourth inning he gave up a second three run home run to Alec Bohm but Butto did give the Mets four innings. Then Nate Fisher who was doing finances last year came on and gave the Mets three scoreless innings in his MLB debut. 

When a team has a special season they get contributions up and down their organization. I think this should be attributed to Buck Showalter who believes in his players and gives everyone their opportunity. When Butto was struggling in the first inning Showalter could have pulled him and I think a lot of managers would have. Sunday was the latest example of the Mets next man up mentality.

Are The Flames Better?

By: Mike Rifkin

Last season the Calgary Flames won the Pacific Division and lost in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to Alberta rival Edmonton Oilers in five games. The Flames had two major decisions to make this offseason : Were they going to be able to re-sign both Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk to long term deals. Gaudreau an unrestricted free agent and Tkachuk a restricted free agent both had 40 goals and over 100 points setting up one of the best lines in hockey along with Elias Lindholm. 

Prior to free agency the Flames made an offer to Johnny Gaudreau an eight year contract worth more than 10 million dollars a year. Instead Gaudreau decided to sign a seven year worth 68.25 million dollars with a 9.75 average annual value with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Gaudreau had said being close to his family was a big part of his decision to leave. But shortly after Gaudreau signed in Columbus the Flames had to turn their attention to their other 100 point scorer Tkachuk. Tkachuk shortly after requested a trade from Calgary. The Flames obliged that request by sending Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Forward Jonathan Huberdeau, Defenseman Mackenzie Weegar, a prospect and a conditional first round pick in 2025. Tkachuk signed a eight year deal worth 76 million dollars with the Panthers. 

Last season Huberdeau tied his career high with 30 goals and had a career high 115 points. The 115 points Huberdeau had tied him for second in the NHL with Johnny Gaudreau. Huberdeau signed an eight year 84 million dollar contract with the Flames. Weegar posted career high with eight goals and 44 points. Weegar averaged over 23 minutes in ice time last season with the Panthers. On Thursday it was announced that the Flames signed Center Nazem Kadri to a seven year 49 million dollar contract. Last season Kadri posted a career high 87 points in 71 games for the Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche. Kadri brings a similar style as Matthew Tkachuk, both have to toe a certain line but are at their best when engaged physically. 

What Flames General Manager Brad Treliving did was get players who could be immediate replacements for the guys who left and maybe the backend of the contracts may not age well. I really think Kadri could thrive for a few seasons under Darryl Sutter, now while he may not score 28-30 goals but if Kadri gives them 20 goals and plays a solid second line center for the Flames they will be a Cup contender for the next couple of seasons at minimum. So while long term those contracts may not age well, these deals were made for the short term.

Will Zalatoris and the FedEx St. Jude Championship

By Ross Mazin

Will Zalatoris is you’re 2022 FedEx St. Jude champion.  This is his first major win on this year’s tour, and he was close several times throughout the season.  Zalatoris finished 6th at the Masters, 2nd at the U.S Open, and it has been consistent all year round.  It’s good for him to finally win a major event this season, which was long overdue.

     This year’s St. Jude championship was held at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.  This course has become a favorite of professionals because of its complexity.  It is rated at a Par 70, and Its longest holes are numbers 3, 7, and 16.  Hole number 3 is 554 yards par 5, and most professionals will tell you Eagle is tough to attempt, hole number 7 is 482-yard par 4, and hole number 16 is another monster par 5 at 530 yards.

     Zalatoris is one of the more exciting golfers on this year’s tour.  He is both humble and gracious on the course.  He is never seen angry on the course or in front of his fans.  This doesn’t mean he never gets frustrated enough during a round.  It just shows what type of player he is.  He is very approachable on tour.  Zalatoris never is afraid to talk to the press about his play during a particular round.  Whether good or bad, he answers all questions that we know about and is very generous to his fans as he understands what being a professional golfer truly means.

     Next is the Tour Championship, and Zalatoris is one of the favorites to finish in the top 10.

  Looking To Improve

By : Mike Rifkin

The Dolphins and Raiders get set to meet in preseason action on Saturday. Both teams had similar offseasons. They both hired new head coaches, traded for and extended star wide receivers and added a premier free agent. 

Last season the Raiders went 10-7 finishing second in the AFC West and earning a Wild Card berth. The Raiders lost the Wild Card game to the eventual AFC Champion Bengals. The Raiders fired Jon Gruden during the season and interim coach Rich Bisaccia is now the Special Teams coach for the Packers. The Raiders hired Patriots Offensive Coordinator Josh Mcdaniels to be the new head coach. Mcdaniels coached the division rival Denver Broncos in 2009-10 posting an 11-17 record. The Raiders were not done adding to their offense when they traded for Packers receiver Davante Adams. Adams who played with quarterback Derek Carr at Fresno State, has had over 100 catches three of the last four seasons with over 1,000 yards and double digit touchdowns. Last season Adams had 123 catches for 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns. Adams did sign a five year extension worth 141 million dollars. Adding Adams to an offense that already includes Darren Waller, Hunter Renfrow, and Josh Jacobs should benefit Derek Carr. Carr last season threw for 4,804 yards with 23 touchdowns and 14 interceptions along with a 68.4 completion percentage. On defense the Raiders signed Chandler Jones to a three year 52.5 million dollar deal. Five of the last six seasons Jones has had double digit sacks. The only year he missed out was 2020 where he was limited to five games. Jones last season had 10.5 sacks including five in week one, Jones also had six forced fumbles. The Raiders are pairing Jones with former fourth round pick Maxx Crosby who got a four year 94 million dollar contract extension. Crosby had eight sacks last season. Crosby and Jones might be the best pass rush duo In the NFL and they will need them in what should be a highly competitive AFC West. 

The Miami Dolphins finished last season 9-8 which was third in the AFC East. Brian Flores was fired after the season and was replaced by 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Mcdaniel. The big thing the Dolphins did this offseason was revamp the entire offense trying to get the most out of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa who last season had a 67.8 completion percentage 2,653 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The Dolphins traded draft picks to the Chiefs for star receiver Tyreek Hill. Hill who is arguably the best deep ball threat in the entire league had 111 catches for 1,239 yards and nine touchdowns for the Chiefs last season. Pairing Hill with second year wide out Jaylen Waddle who last year set the rookie record with 104 catches had 1,015 yards and six touchdowns. Miami also signed Cedrick Wilson from the Cowboys. Wilson had 45 catches for 602 yards and six touchdowns. Miami also placed the Franchise Tag on tight end Mike Gesicki who last year had 73 catches for 780 yards and two touchdowns. The Dolphins also revamped their running back room bringing in Raheem Mostert from 49ers. Mostert tore his ACL in week one of last season, but had solid seasons in both 2019 and 2020.The Dolphins also signed Chase Edmonds from the Cardinals. Edmonds had 592 yards and two touchdowns rushing while adding 43 catches for 311 yards. The biggest thing the Dolphins did was sign Saints Left Tackle Terron Armstead to a five year 87 million dollar contract. Armstead a three time Pro Bowler was considered the best Offensive lineman on the market. Miami also added former Cowboy offensive lineman Connor Williams to the offensive line. The Dolphins defense was fifth in the league in sacks last season with 48.0 led by Emmanuel Ogbah who had nine. Ogbah got rewarded with a four year 65 million dollar contract. Rookie Jaelan Phillips had eight and a half sacks watch for him to have a nice season. Cornerbacks Xavien Howard and Byron Jones give Miami a solid secondary but watch second year safety Jevon Holland who had 69 tackles, two and a half sacks and two interceptions to also step up.

BATY GETS THE CALL

By Mark Halpern

At the beginning of the Mets season, much of the focus was on the big-league team as it should be, but the Mets farm system was talked about in great detail before and after the lockout. The Mets have one if not the top farm system in all of baseball. The names that kept being talked about were Catcher Francisco Alverez, 1B/3B Mark Vientos, and 3B Brett Baty. For months, Mets fans were guessing who it would be and why. Some fans argued that considering the Mets weakness at Catcher, Alvarez (the #1 prospect in baseball) would be first. Others speculated Mark Vientos because the Mets needed a RH DH and could give the Polar Bear a breather now and then, and there was Baty, who has been impressive as his teammates have been. The question became who was going to be first and when. Today Brett Baty was told the one thing that all baseball players can’t wait to hear: “It’s your turn.”

      Baty was the Mets first-round pick in 2019 with good reason. This position had been handled by one of the greatest third basemen to play for the Mets, and that was David Wright. Since Wright’s departure, the Mets haven’t had a constant name at this position. The Mets tried and thought they might have found a solution in J.D Davis, but his defense was not where the Mets liked. This year it has been Luis Guillmore (who just landed on IL) and Eduardo Escobar, who has been a true fan favorite, but he hasn’t been the healthiest (Escobar was scratched 8/16/2022) over the past two weeks. It was becoming more apparent to Mets fans that one of their significant prospects was coming, and they were right.

    Baty has had excellent statistics through his minor league stint. In 2019 Baty moved right through Mets Rookie and Penn league (low A) teams very fast, and before Covid struck and shutdown, the Minors in 2020 Baty had batted .234 7hr and 33 RBIs in 228 plate appearances. I know that’s not eye-popping stats, but his work ethic and respect for the organization and his teammates showed who this ball player is. With Covid wiping out the 2020 season, Baty had time to work on his defense (which was his one big concern), and it has paid off. In 2021 Baty started in AA, moved down to High A (to deal with injury), and was immediately promoted to AA where he played 129 games and batted .299 24hr and 88rbi’s in 570 plate appearances. His talent wasn’t unnoticed as he was promoted to be with the two other top prospects, Alverez and Vientos in AAA Syracuse.

     With the injuries and September call-ups coming very soon, Mets fans were sitting back and waiting to see what the organization would do. Yesterday Mets Skipper Buck Showalter had said that neither Baty/Vientos would be called up. When the Mets heard about Escobar’s health and the position needs, Baty fit the spot. I am very happy for him because I have watched his progress like another Mets third baseman. This is a momentous occasion for not only Baty but his family. I wish him nothing but the best and hope he is the player we have been waiting three years to make it to the majors.

On The Prowl 

By: Mike Rifkin

Last season the Nashville Predators went 45-30-7 which was good for fifth in the highly competitive Central Division and the second wild card spot in the Western Conference. The reward for that was a first round matchup with the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche. The Predators were without Vezina finalist Juuse Saros who was out with a lower body injury. Last season Jusse Saros went 38-25-3 with a 2.64 GAA, .918 save percentage and four shutouts. Maybe the Preds win a game with Saros but they don’t win the series especially while being outscored 21 – 9. The Avs also went 7-16 on the power play while the Preds went 3-13. During the regular season the Predators averaged 3.20 goals per game and gave up 3,05 goals per game. Power Play converted 24.4 percent and their penalty kill was 79.2 percent. 

Last offseason the Predators traded long time defenseman Ryan Ellis to the Philadelphia Flyers as part of a three team trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. This offseason the Predators replaced one Ryan with another, as they traded for Lightning defenseman and two time Stanley Cup Champion Ryan McDonagh. Mcdonagh last season had four goals and 26 points in 71 games played. McDonagh has also played in185 career playoff games and has 12 goals and 64 points in those 185 games. McDonagh has always been known as a shutdown top four defenseman. One of the things Head Coach John Hynes could do with McDonagh is pair him with either Dante Fabbro or Alexandere Carrier. But getting McDonagh gives the Nashville defense a great left side with McDonagh, Norris Trophy Finalist and Captain Roman Josi, and Mattias Ekholm. 

The Predators also re-signed their franchise leader in goals when Filip Forsberg (who was traded for Martin Erat, sorry Caps fan) to a eight year 68 million dollar contract. Forsberg is currently fourth in Predators history with 469 points. Last season Forsberg broke 40 goals for the first time in his career, but prior to that was always near the high 20’s and 30s. Forsberg has also contributed in the playoffs with 29 goals and 53 points in 75 games. They also brought in another top six winger when they signed Nino Niederreiter to a two year eight million dollar contract. Niederreiter had 24 goals and 44 points in 75 games played for the Hurricanes last season. He gives the Preds top six some size and net front presence. Niederreiter also has 30 points in 82 career playoff games. Hynes could play Forsberg with either Matt Duchene or Ryan Johansen and Niederreiter with the other. 

Now do I think the Preds can overtake the Central from the Avs? No but I could see the Predators challenge the Minnesota Wild or St. Louis Blues for second or third place  in a very competitive Central Division. But I really like what David Poile and the Preds have done this offseason.  Don’t sleep on the Preds this season.

Time To Leave A Mark

By: Mike Rifkin

The New York Mets defeated the Cincinnati Reds 10-2 on Wednesday afternoon. The win pushes the Mets winning streak to six consecutive games. The Mets currently have a seven game lead in the NL East over the Atlanta Braves and 10 game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets next 11 games will be against their division rivals and if they keep playing well can put a lot more distance in the division.

So far in 12 meetings against Philadelphia the Mets are 9-3 including a combined no hitter on April 29th. On May 5th the Mets trailed 7-2 in the top of the Ninth inning and the offense came alive with six runs to come back and win. The last time the two teams met was Memorial Day weekend and the Mets swept the Phillies at Citi Field. But this is not the same Phillies team. The Phillies have also won six in a row and nine of their last ten games. Philly has gone 38-19 since Rob Thomson took over for Joe Girardi. But the most impressive thing about the Phillies is they are 23-13 since losing Bryce Harper to a fractured thumb. One guy who has tortured the Mets in his career is Kyle Schwarber who currently leads the NL with 34 home runs. In his career Schwarber has 16 home runs against New York including three this year. For the Mets one of their MVP candidates Pete Alonso is hitting .357 with five home runs and 18 RBI against Philly this season and in his career has 12 home runs and 41 RBI against the NL East foe. The pitching matchups will be Ranger Suarez (PHI) vs Max Scherzer (NYM) on Friday, Aaron Nola (PHI) vs Jacob deGrom(NYM) on Saturday, and Zack Wheeler (PHI) vs Chris Bassitt (NYM) on Sunday. 

The Mets will go to Atlanta after to play a Braves team looking for revenge after losing four out of five games to the Mets at Citi Field last weekend. The Mets so far against the defending World Series Champions are 8-4 through 12 meetings. Francisco Lindor is hitting.283 with a home run and eight RBI vs the Braves while Alonso is hitting .313 with two home runs and 12 RBI. For the Braves Matt Olson and Austin Riley each have three home runs against the Mets. Ronald Acuna Jr is hitting .341 against the Mets this season and had a really good series at Citi Field last week. 

The Mets next 11 games give them an opportunity to run away further with the NL East, but it will not be easy with the way both the Phillies and Braves are playing. We will see if the Mets can leave their mark over the next 11 games.