Great look into the team Gents. The Torrens/Alvy situation to me isn’t that tricky. Torrens when he came up was a bat first catcher. That’s not saying power either. He’s a guy who will spray it around and so far this year he has been clutch. Of those 10 RBI’s most have been when the team really needed it. He has a cannon for an arm. He threw out Corbin Carrol for God’s sake! Carroll is one of the fastest players in the game and he nailed him yesterday and it wasn’t even close. Alvy supposedly worked on his swing and approach this spring. That’s laughable as I don’t see anything different from last year. He goes up and swings out of his shoes. If he connects it’ll go a long way but more often than not he’s walking back to the dugout hoping to avoid the golden sombrero. What if Alvy is another Gary Sanchez? I know he’s real young but to me Torrens needs at least split time and he’s earned it. Vientos needs to go down and get right. He’s killing us and where he is in the order is too valuable to have that hole. I’d first drop him in the order before sending him down but while Baty is again crushing AAA he was also coming around up here when he was sent down. Vientos has to be dropped in the order or go right down and work. It’s early still and I’d hate for it get late early with him before making a move. The sophomore jinx is real but that’s because there’s tape on him now. Just throw a slider and he’s so anxious to do some thing he will swing. He had second and third with one out. Just get the ball in the air!!! He K’s. Idk. Just my two cents. Not worried about the team. Yet.
After listening to you guys go on and on about Jeff McNeil’s lack of identity without ever once mentioning the rule change that caused him to have to change that identity, I have to wonder where you’re coming from. To me, it’s simple. He spent a year trying to continue doing what he’d been doing, the kind of slap hitting approach that won him a batting title in 2022, until in the middle of 2024 he realized that he simply could not continue doing that. So he adjusted to the tune of a mid .900s OPS and drastically improved power numbers. Then he got injured. Would you like him to go back to where he was in the first half of 2024, or remain locked into a vastly different approach that has worked really well for him ever since? That is his identity. And until it stops working, I’m fine with it and him. Since last year’s all-star break he’s been one of the Mets most productive hitters and one who provides dependability and versatility in the field to boot. Please explain what it is you guys don’t get about this.
Good point. I was going to mention, but forgot, that he was really an expert at hitting against the shift (one of the few players who figured it out), and was clearly affected by the rule change. Also, it’s true that he is doing well in his limited at bats this season. What I meant — and should have clarified — is that he is in a bit of a no man’s land now as Acuna appears to be the second baseman of the present and future. And I don’t think he quite fits as the Kike Hernandez/Jose Iglesias utility guy. We’ll see. Maybe he’ll get comfortable enough in CF to become the primary guy there until Siri returns or a prospect is ready.
Great look into the team Gents. The Torrens/Alvy situation to me isn’t that tricky. Torrens when he came up was a bat first catcher. That’s not saying power either. He’s a guy who will spray it around and so far this year he has been clutch. Of those 10 RBI’s most have been when the team really needed it. He has a cannon for an arm. He threw out Corbin Carrol for God’s sake! Carroll is one of the fastest players in the game and he nailed him yesterday and it wasn’t even close. Alvy supposedly worked on his swing and approach this spring. That’s laughable as I don’t see anything different from last year. He goes up and swings out of his shoes. If he connects it’ll go a long way but more often than not he’s walking back to the dugout hoping to avoid the golden sombrero. What if Alvy is another Gary Sanchez? I know he’s real young but to me Torrens needs at least split time and he’s earned it. Vientos needs to go down and get right. He’s killing us and where he is in the order is too valuable to have that hole. I’d first drop him in the order before sending him down but while Baty is again crushing AAA he was also coming around up here when he was sent down. Vientos has to be dropped in the order or go right down and work. It’s early still and I’d hate for it get late early with him before making a move. The sophomore jinx is real but that’s because there’s tape on him now. Just throw a slider and he’s so anxious to do some thing he will swing. He had second and third with one out. Just get the ball in the air!!! He K’s. Idk. Just my two cents. Not worried about the team. Yet.
I agree with your analysis. They finally dropped Nimmo down in the order. Besides his 9 RBI game, he hasn’t done anything.
Great podcast guys !! This is my only one Mets podcast I listen to !!
After listening to you guys go on and on about Jeff McNeil’s lack of identity without ever once mentioning the rule change that caused him to have to change that identity, I have to wonder where you’re coming from. To me, it’s simple. He spent a year trying to continue doing what he’d been doing, the kind of slap hitting approach that won him a batting title in 2022, until in the middle of 2024 he realized that he simply could not continue doing that. So he adjusted to the tune of a mid .900s OPS and drastically improved power numbers. Then he got injured. Would you like him to go back to where he was in the first half of 2024, or remain locked into a vastly different approach that has worked really well for him ever since? That is his identity. And until it stops working, I’m fine with it and him. Since last year’s all-star break he’s been one of the Mets most productive hitters and one who provides dependability and versatility in the field to boot. Please explain what it is you guys don’t get about this.
Good point. I was going to mention, but forgot, that he was really an expert at hitting against the shift (one of the few players who figured it out), and was clearly affected by the rule change. Also, it’s true that he is doing well in his limited at bats this season. What I meant — and should have clarified — is that he is in a bit of a no man’s land now as Acuna appears to be the second baseman of the present and future. And I don’t think he quite fits as the Kike Hernandez/Jose Iglesias utility guy. We’ll see. Maybe he’ll get comfortable enough in CF to become the primary guy there until Siri returns or a prospect is ready.
Thanks for your reply, Blake. Love the podcast.