Great Scott
Morning Dose: Thursday, March 5
☀️ Good Morning:
The World Baseball Classic is underway.
I’ve come to learn that means a group of fans are really excited, and another group couldn’t care less.
Personally, I think it’s fun to have meaningful baseball in March. Growing up as a hockey fan, I distinctly remember every major international tournament that has featured NHL players, from the World Cup of Hockey to the recent Olympics. For every participating country other than the U.S., this is as big as it gets. We will see if it eventually catches on with more American-based fans.
🍎 From a Mets perspective, over a dozen players across the organization will participate in the tournament, including Nolan McLean, who returned to the mound on Wednesday after experiencing vertigo-like symptoms. Depending on how things go in the tournament, the Rookie of the Year favorite could end up pitching in the WBC championship game.
❶ Christian Scott impresses in first start in nearly two years.
❷ Carson Benge continues to hit with two strikes.
❸ And stay for the final outs for some notes on A.J. Minter, Luis Robert and more!
📰 ABOVE THE FOLD
❶ GREAT SCOTT
Christian Scott toed the rubber in a game setting for the first time in nearly two years after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024.
He didn’t disappoint.
🔥 HOT START: The still only 26-year-old right-hander tossed 2.2 scoreless frames in the Mets’ 5–2 win over Team Israel. He struck out five batters, walked none and allowed only two hits.
⇢ Deep mix: Scott clearly had adrenaline working in his favor, his first pitch a 96.3-mph fastball to start the game. He threw his four-seamer 41% of the time, showing impressive early life, inducing seven whiffs on 14 swings. He mixed in three more pitches — a slider, splitter and sweeper. He proved he could throw each secondary pitch for a strike, when needed, and also got swinging strikes on each offering.
