Good podcast, two questions though. 1) it seemed like you were talking as if the Mets already had the tie-breaker v Atlanta. Maybe I misheard, but that tie-breaker comes down to the last series. 2) re: the playoff roster; I read the following text from the MLB site as if there is a little more flexibility than someone has to be on the 40-man:
In a typical season, any player who is on the 40-man roster or 60-day injured list as of 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 31 is eligible for the postseason.
A player who doesn't meet said criteria for postseason eligibility can still be added to a team's roster in the postseason via petition to the Commissioner's Office if the player was in the organization on Aug. 31 and is replacing someone who is on the injured list and has served the minimum amount of time required for activation. (For example, a player on the 10-day injured list who has been on it for at least 10 days, or a player who has been on the 60-day injured list for at least 60 days.) Players who are acquired in September or after are ineligible.
In this example, someone like Ritter could replace McNeil via "petition to the Commissioner's Office". Am I reading that correctly?
Hey Peter, you are correct on the tiebreakers. They have the tiebreaker over everyone else, but not Atlanta yet. I think we inadvertently grouped Atlanta in with the the other teams in discussing the overall picture. You are reading the rules correctly. Since McNeil would have served his 10 days by the end of the season, they can replace his spot with someone like Ritter. I have thought about that route, too, but didn't mention it on the podcast. My feeling is they like having the speed component that Acuna could bring in place of Alvarez.
I do agree that they will bring in Acuna assuming no one else gets hurt. The question, I guess, will be what they would do if one of the infielders get hurt and they need someone to start games. Let's just hope that doesn't happen.
Jimmy, right now Vientos, Lindor, OMG and Acuna are the only 4 healthy guys on the 40 who can play the 3 positions on the infield come playoff time, without an appeal to the commissioners office.
Unless Baty is ready to go, if we make the playoffs, Acuna is on the roster. God forbid a starter goes down.
I haven't enjoyed a Mets team this much since the 2015 team. Yet sadly, I can't be in the chat anymore during the game. If I were a Mets player on the verge of free agency and I read through Wednesday's chat, I'd look for a different team to play for. I love our fans—at times, but the level of despair and anger sometimes bordering on hate and vitriol is just not good for one's health and wellbeing. Even when we are losing, I am optimistic and hopeful. I have been a Mets fan since 1983 and was raised on Ya Gotta Believe. Everyone gets the be a fan how they want to be. But, oh how I wish, we could all cheer on this team at all times.
I try to avoid the game chat as my game feed often lags behind others.
But, yes, this team is fun, and has given us a full season worth of baseball to be excited about. There is no reason not to believe at this point. Ya gotta believe!!!
As a regular chatter, I’d like to counter that we’re all having a lot of fun. The rips we take are mostly in jest, to break the tension with a laugh. When people get truly negative, if I’m there, I’m going for a joke, and it usually works out just fine. Let’s Go Mets Fix!!!
Well said Jon - there is nothing childish about it or hateful. I admit i am not in all of them as it distract from the game at hand at atimes but still they are fun. JThere are some lags to the game action as well - just donty look at your phone for a couple of minutes no reason to avoid the chat for a lag. JB's counter part for The Jets is starting this Sunday - first one ever.
Respectfully Mr. Ballone, Sir… PHI gets a 1st Round bye if it finishes with either the 1st or 2d best record of the 3 division winners. 1st gets home-field through the NL playoffs, of course, but PHI and LA just have to stay ahead of MIL to skip the 1st round AND that is better for the Mets because the Mets finish with MIL and if MIL has nothing to play for (i.e. they can’t catch LA or PHI so they will be playing in the 1st round) they are more likely to rest their starters, especially if they would be playing the Mets again.
Milwaukee has 7 with AZ, 3 with PHI and of course 3 with the Mets. That’s plenty hard too. The other 3 are with PIT. Which isn’t automatic.
AZ has 7 with MIL, 3 with SD, and 3 with SF who still has Webb and Snell and all kinds of spoiler motivation. They’ve been playing these guys tough lately. 3 in CO. Fine. Good luck sweeping.
Braves gave 4 with LA, 3 with us, 3 with KC. Also 3 with CIN and 3 with MIA. A bit easier path, but nothing guaranteed. It’s spoiler season too.
SD has 3 games left with the WhiteSox. Fine. They better sweep. Cause the rest of the schedule is 3 with SF, 3 with HOU, 3 with the Dodgers and 3 with AZ to finish. That is not a cakewalk.
The Dodgers have the easiest path as far as schedule. Already ahead by 5, they have 3 with MIA and 6 with CO left to shore that up. But they start out with 4 against ATL and also have the hungry Padres for 3.
Finally, Philly. 3 with the Brewers and 7 with our Metsies. They finish up with 3 against the Cubs and 3 against the Nats. Will they be resting in their laurels? Or will they be sweating it out trying not to blow a lead bigger than we had in ‘07.
Mets control their own destiny. No one is giving them anything, but if they play like they can, no one is stopping them
This whole toughest schedule thing is not just overblown by the history we must recall of how much the “easiest” schedule failed to help in 2022. But also, just how hard is it compared to everyone else. Have a look at everyone else’s schedule. Not a lot of games left for anyone with also rans. Is it really that much harder for the Mets to have 7 left with Philly and 3 with ATL, than for AZ to have to have 7 with MIL and 3 with SD.
And vice versa. Does PHI or MIL have an easy path?
Winter is long and we can ponder it all in the off-season. I think it's another thing for these free agents to consider. If you are coming off a magical year . . . maybe just sign a deal quickly and get to work, rather than have a winter of upheaval & uncertainty. These long holdouts really disrupt these players. And if you've found a home, where everything clicks, stay where you are instead of chasing every last penny.
oh, i thought you meant that he would come down to Earth next season - i do agree that the long holdouts seems quite detrimental, esp for pitchers - my completely uninformed thought/guess is that if Manaea comes back to the Mets, it'll be done early
This is so much fun. Sixteen games to go, right in the thick of things. Still hoping for 90 wins. But I do feel like *somebody* is going to slip up and play under .500 the rest of the way. If the Braves weren't THE BRAVES, I'd say there's no way they are hanging around. Absolutely decimated by injuries. And yet, and yet.
Good podcast, two questions though. 1) it seemed like you were talking as if the Mets already had the tie-breaker v Atlanta. Maybe I misheard, but that tie-breaker comes down to the last series. 2) re: the playoff roster; I read the following text from the MLB site as if there is a little more flexibility than someone has to be on the 40-man:
In a typical season, any player who is on the 40-man roster or 60-day injured list as of 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 31 is eligible for the postseason.
A player who doesn't meet said criteria for postseason eligibility can still be added to a team's roster in the postseason via petition to the Commissioner's Office if the player was in the organization on Aug. 31 and is replacing someone who is on the injured list and has served the minimum amount of time required for activation. (For example, a player on the 10-day injured list who has been on it for at least 10 days, or a player who has been on the 60-day injured list for at least 60 days.) Players who are acquired in September or after are ineligible.
In this example, someone like Ritter could replace McNeil via "petition to the Commissioner's Office". Am I reading that correctly?
Hey Peter, you are correct on the tiebreakers. They have the tiebreaker over everyone else, but not Atlanta yet. I think we inadvertently grouped Atlanta in with the the other teams in discussing the overall picture. You are reading the rules correctly. Since McNeil would have served his 10 days by the end of the season, they can replace his spot with someone like Ritter. I have thought about that route, too, but didn't mention it on the podcast. My feeling is they like having the speed component that Acuna could bring in place of Alvarez.
I do agree that they will bring in Acuna assuming no one else gets hurt. The question, I guess, will be what they would do if one of the infielders get hurt and they need someone to start games. Let's just hope that doesn't happen.
Acuna has a bad stolen-base rate; I don't see it.
If he was really a postseason consideration, he would be up now, getting acclimated to ML baseball.
Of course, I could be wrong!
Jimmy, right now Vientos, Lindor, OMG and Acuna are the only 4 healthy guys on the 40 who can play the 3 positions on the infield come playoff time, without an appeal to the commissioners office.
Unless Baty is ready to go, if we make the playoffs, Acuna is on the roster. God forbid a starter goes down.
I haven't enjoyed a Mets team this much since the 2015 team. Yet sadly, I can't be in the chat anymore during the game. If I were a Mets player on the verge of free agency and I read through Wednesday's chat, I'd look for a different team to play for. I love our fans—at times, but the level of despair and anger sometimes bordering on hate and vitriol is just not good for one's health and wellbeing. Even when we are losing, I am optimistic and hopeful. I have been a Mets fan since 1983 and was raised on Ya Gotta Believe. Everyone gets the be a fan how they want to be. But, oh how I wish, we could all cheer on this team at all times.
I try to avoid the game chat as my game feed often lags behind others.
But, yes, this team is fun, and has given us a full season worth of baseball to be excited about. There is no reason not to believe at this point. Ya gotta believe!!!
💯 I have been also.
I never do chats. But I agree: I find the hate and vitriol childish.
As a regular chatter, I’d like to counter that we’re all having a lot of fun. The rips we take are mostly in jest, to break the tension with a laugh. When people get truly negative, if I’m there, I’m going for a joke, and it usually works out just fine. Let’s Go Mets Fix!!!
Well said Jon - there is nothing childish about it or hateful. I admit i am not in all of them as it distract from the game at hand at atimes but still they are fun. JThere are some lags to the game action as well - just donty look at your phone for a couple of minutes no reason to avoid the chat for a lag. JB's counter part for The Jets is starting this Sunday - first one ever.
I'm sure the Jets one will be very tame when it's 10-3 Titans haha.
Oh the Jets. Never. Just never. It’s inexplicable how bad this organization has always been.
Weeeeeeeeeeeee here we go..... Got my brand new Mets shirt on (first time) ! LETS GO METS
Wearing my 2015 "The East Is Ours" t-shirt!
Put up or shut up time. I have no doubt that Mendy will have our boys ready to go. Lets go Mets!!!!
Respectfully Mr. Ballone, Sir… PHI gets a 1st Round bye if it finishes with either the 1st or 2d best record of the 3 division winners. 1st gets home-field through the NL playoffs, of course, but PHI and LA just have to stay ahead of MIL to skip the 1st round AND that is better for the Mets because the Mets finish with MIL and if MIL has nothing to play for (i.e. they can’t catch LA or PHI so they will be playing in the 1st round) they are more likely to rest their starters, especially if they would be playing the Mets again.
Sorry, I thought that was implied. When I said "top seed" I meant one of the two top seeds, but obviously wasn't clear on that. You are correct.
Milwaukee has 7 with AZ, 3 with PHI and of course 3 with the Mets. That’s plenty hard too. The other 3 are with PIT. Which isn’t automatic.
AZ has 7 with MIL, 3 with SD, and 3 with SF who still has Webb and Snell and all kinds of spoiler motivation. They’ve been playing these guys tough lately. 3 in CO. Fine. Good luck sweeping.
Braves gave 4 with LA, 3 with us, 3 with KC. Also 3 with CIN and 3 with MIA. A bit easier path, but nothing guaranteed. It’s spoiler season too.
SD has 3 games left with the WhiteSox. Fine. They better sweep. Cause the rest of the schedule is 3 with SF, 3 with HOU, 3 with the Dodgers and 3 with AZ to finish. That is not a cakewalk.
The Dodgers have the easiest path as far as schedule. Already ahead by 5, they have 3 with MIA and 6 with CO left to shore that up. But they start out with 4 against ATL and also have the hungry Padres for 3.
Finally, Philly. 3 with the Brewers and 7 with our Metsies. They finish up with 3 against the Cubs and 3 against the Nats. Will they be resting in their laurels? Or will they be sweating it out trying not to blow a lead bigger than we had in ‘07.
Mets control their own destiny. No one is giving them anything, but if they play like they can, no one is stopping them
This whole toughest schedule thing is not just overblown by the history we must recall of how much the “easiest” schedule failed to help in 2022. But also, just how hard is it compared to everyone else. Have a look at everyone else’s schedule. Not a lot of games left for anyone with also rans. Is it really that much harder for the Mets to have 7 left with Philly and 3 with ATL, than for AZ to have to have 7 with MIL and 3 with SD.
And vice versa. Does PHI or MIL have an easy path?
Bats silent right now means every game is going to be a grind so if anyone wants a heart attack pitch by pitch these last 16 will surely provide that.
Time for our bats to wake up! We can’t expect to win all the 2-1 games against top teams.
A question to consider over the winter: Is Manaea the next Jordan Montgomery?
now's no time for such thoughts!
Winter is long and we can ponder it all in the off-season. I think it's another thing for these free agents to consider. If you are coming off a magical year . . . maybe just sign a deal quickly and get to work, rather than have a winter of upheaval & uncertainty. These long holdouts really disrupt these players. And if you've found a home, where everything clicks, stay where you are instead of chasing every last penny.
oh, i thought you meant that he would come down to Earth next season - i do agree that the long holdouts seems quite detrimental, esp for pitchers - my completely uninformed thought/guess is that if Manaea comes back to the Mets, it'll be done early
This is so much fun. Sixteen games to go, right in the thick of things. Still hoping for 90 wins. But I do feel like *somebody* is going to slip up and play under .500 the rest of the way. If the Braves weren't THE BRAVES, I'd say there's no way they are hanging around. Absolutely decimated by injuries. And yet, and yet.
any team w/ their pitching is dangerous, esp over a 2 week stretch
C'mon Dodgers, Brewers, and obviously, the Mets!