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00:03how we doing Mets fans it's Tyler Ward here aka Wardy to many of you that already know me on
00:08YouTube and today on our latest straight out flushing podcast slow style here for the New
00:13York Post and their sports YouTube channel we're gonna deep dive the latest key storylines in Mets
00:17land as we get you set for opening day that's just around a week away so let's waste absolutely no
00:22time and dive right into this one and let's begin with a discussion regarding pitchers that are
00:27going to be a standout to begin the year for the New York Mets specifically one and Tobias Myers as
00:32to what is his role really going to be to begin the year for the New York Mets okay Myers
00:36as we know
00:37was that man that came along with Freddy Peralta and the big blockbuster before spring training began
00:42for David Stearns of the Mets prying away Jet Williams and Brandon Sprober bringing in a nice
00:47caliber pitcher and it's Tobias Myers that went five really strong endings against the Mets in the
00:522024 wild card fast forward now to 2026 Myers who's had a very strong spring training for
00:57the most part is looking to impact the Mets big at the major league level but it begs the question
01:02to what degree and how are the Mets going to go about his usage right out the jump because as
01:07things currently stand the Mets have six quality starters that they're going to be depending on
01:11and we're going to get into what that configuration may be for them here shortly but in the meantime
01:16Tobias Myers is someone who has been stretched as both the starter and utilized as a reliever a
01:21continuation of what we saw last year in the regular season in Milwaukee what we have now seen in spring
01:26training and while we compare and contrast the success versus lack there over the past calendar
01:30year what have we seen well on one side from a starter point of view Tobias Myers just wasn't that
01:35unfortunately that we saw for the Brewers didn't have the best levels of success in 2025 as a reliever
01:41however absolutely nails sub to your array was tremendous when called upon and when we use that
01:46term reliever I would say you could use it rather loosely because he's not someone that you're just
01:51going to go out of your way and need him as a year shutdown one inning reliever and that's that
01:55no
01:55Myers is someone that can really come in in this true hybrid Trevor Williams type role that Mets fans
02:00know very well during Trevor Williams time with the Mets a couple years ago and Williams really embodied
02:05this Swiss army knife role better than most in the sense of when called upon to be a starter for
02:10four
02:10or five innings he could do that comfortably and then when you want him as a reliever to basically
02:14piggyback a starter that could not give you the proper length that you want and he did that in stride
02:18and the emphasis on piggyback is why I really want to stick with here with Tobias Myers because
02:23the New York Mets utilize that piggyback option with their rotation with multiple starters in the
02:28second half why because everybody and their mother simply forgot how to pitch deep in the ball games
02:33okay whether it was Clay Holmes being your typical five and dive whether it was Kodai Senga completely
02:38forgetting how to pitch after returning from his injury whether it was David Pearson who was gassed for
02:42the first time his career and was non-existent versus what you got quality wise on the first half of
02:47that
02:47same season anyone and everyone Shamanaya who was broken all last year included these guys did not provide
02:53length because of that especially in the second half the Mets deferred to doing piggyback circumstances
02:58and that's why Tobias Myers my full expectation for him to begin the season it should be for you as
03:03well
03:04is that the Mets are going to be unbelievably creative with Tobias Myers as their multi-inning weapon
03:08so you will have an instance where maybe his first downing is coming in to pitch and say get six
03:13outs
03:14then the next time that Tobias Myers comes in maybe he's a spot starter for you and he eats the
03:20first
03:20three innings of the ball game to maybe throw off the opposing team especially if you're going to say
03:25have a Shamanaya or a David Pearson coming after or vice versa maybe you know that Sean can't give you
03:31more than three or four innings today make sure that Tobias Myers is queued up and ready for you to
03:35handle the next say two or three innings so by having that variation by having different looks especially
03:40because Myers is a very crafty ready that I do like quite a bit I think the Mets are going
03:44to be
03:44perfectly fine and not only their usage with him this year but this will be knocking on wood when
03:49I say this because I've been hoping every single year since Trevor Williams left the New York Mets
03:54for the Washington Nationals that the Mets would find a proper Trevor Williams replacement they have
03:59them to varying degrees and the Brandon Waddell's of the world who are good flash in the pan guys if
04:04you
04:04want for that small role he can handle it okay you have the Justin Hageman's of the world but he's
04:09out
04:09long term with a very unfortunate rib fracture that was announced by Carlos Mendoza Mets skipper
04:13over the past week so there really aren't many guys unless you're looking at a Christian Scott
04:18or a Jonah Todd who could be more established in those roles later on this year maybe a Jack
04:23Weniger finds himself in that position in the second half I'm not going to put it past you for
04:27believing that but Tobias Myers is the first man for the Mets to consider in those kind of roles
04:32so how much is he going to run with it and where is he going to thrive most as a
04:36starter or a reliever
04:37all big questions that we want to see answers to and if you're asking for my honest opinion
04:41I think Tobias Myers is going to thrive more like he did last year as a reliever than a starter
04:47because
04:47I think the Mets are going to utilize Myers more as a reliever that bulk inning guy and someone who
04:52could really help lessen the stress and the pressure on the shoulders of other relievers in this bullpen
04:57instead of the Mets having to defer to throwing you know okay here we go we got another guy who's
05:02been
05:02out here third time in four or five days let's try to dial that back a little bit and in
05:08doing so by
05:08making sure that you have at least one or two quality arms in your pen that can eat plenty
05:12innings basically whenever called a bond Tobias Myers falls in that category I will not be shocked
05:17if he eats a lot of innings for the for the New York Mets this year and you shouldn't be
05:21either and
05:22when we mentioned piggybacking that goes directly into our next key topic here on the top story lines
05:27and that regards this Mets rotation okay what is the configuration going to be to begin the season
05:33for the New York Mets you know I can't tell you it's a hundred percent to a tee going to
05:36be this
05:36but we know that they have six viable starters ranging from on opening day you're going to have
05:41Mr. Freddy Peralta then you of course have Noel McClain then you have a Kodai Senga if he continues
05:47to look what's been so beyond that as advertised a spring I say beyond as advertised because this is
05:53best Kodai Senga has looked in two calendar years any fan who's watched Kodai Senga and his game will
05:58tell you that is a hundred percent accurate so you have a potential three-headed monster there
06:02and then you get on to the veterans trying to obviously prove themselves this year this time
06:06around you have not only a Clay Holmes who was the most reliable starter for the New York Mets last
06:12year crazy to say you have a David Pearson and you have a Sean Minaya so when you have a
06:16six-man
06:17rotation how many of these six starters can you say comfortably are going to give the Mets more than a
06:22five-and-dive type outing well Freddy Peralta is pretty much a five-and-dive pitcher at best you're
06:27getting six out of him on typically maybe seven but usually around six innings is the good sweet spot
06:32right when you look at the majority of this Mets rotation as constructed with the exception of
06:37Noel McClain these are all guys are closer to five-and-dive pitchers than they are guys doing
06:42their best San Diego Contra impression going deep into games during the Don Manley era in Miami if you
06:46know you know I don't foresee that to be the case this year and you shouldn't either because this
06:51rotation has not proven to us that they can bring stability when it comes to length every time that
06:56they're out there every fourth or fifth whatever day it's going to be so because of that reason
07:00the Mets need to continue what they did last year and this time not sit on their hands until it's
07:06too
07:06little too late evaluate the first couple weeks of the season with the configuration this rotation
07:12and the rotation is not getting length it's stressing the bullpen out more than you want early
07:17it is quickly time to pivot and utilize the Tobias Myers of the world in piggyback circumstances the
07:23Brandon Waddell's of the world and also guys that you have in house you have a six-man rotation do
07:28you
07:28need to go at a six-man rotation pace or could you say you know what Sean you're not giving
07:33us the
07:33velocity you're looking very headable to begin the season we're gonna have you come in as a multi-aid reliever
07:38after Clay Holmes gives us five strong innings today or you know what Clay we're actually gonna have you go
07:44after this guy here today because it just makes most sense vice versa however which way they want
07:49to configure it the point stands piggybacking is something that the Mets really bestowed upon us
07:54last year in the second half that should not be going anywhere because there's nothing that should
07:59instill confidence in you from a Mets fan point of view from what we saw last year that this year
08:04is
08:04going to be anything different we're banking on uncertainty we're banking on health again or banking on guys
08:09that don't have the consistent track records to warrant to suggest hey you shouldn't be stressed
08:14out at all as a fan or you shouldn't think about these things so now's the time to think about
08:18it
08:18now's the time to break it down the Mets will need piggyback circumstances to happen throughout the course
08:24of the year it may happen much sooner to begin the year in the first half that may be what
08:28you
08:28initially thought I would love to hear from you guys in the comments down below which Mets starters do
08:33you think would be best position maybe utilize as more that reliever coming in after a starter goes four or
08:39five
08:39innings let me know it all in the comments down below everybody thank you guys kindly for that
08:43because now that we talked on the piggybacking from the rotation standpoint of a six man to Tobias Myers
08:49now let's get on to breaking down the position player front and when we talk position players
08:54everybody let's go ahead and let's get into this New York Mets bench configuration because right now
09:01there's been a lot of hot debates and talk with the Mets bench oh the Mets need a backup shortstop
09:06there
09:07for Francisco Lindor he might not be ready for opening day because of the handmade bone surgery
09:11well I'm here to tell you the New York Mets as things currently stand will be rolling into opening
09:16day with likely a four man bench at least and it will not consist of a backup shortstop the only
09:22way
09:22that could really change is if the Mets actually go with a true five-man rotation begin the year
09:26and have say one of Shamanaya or someone else begin the year in the bullpen could they do that
09:31it's possible but I'm not going to bet on that at this point in time and you shouldn't either
09:35we have to give we have to be given a reason to believe that as of now there's great understanding
09:41that the Mets are going to have more outfielders to begin the season than what they typically do
09:45meaning that this Mets bench will consist of your backup catcher and Luis Trens your first base DH third
09:51base option that is going to be very limited in opportunity start and Mark Vientos regardless of how you feel
09:56about it Mark Vientos will likely be there to begin the year the Mets want to give him a little
10:00bit
10:00more of a leash before they make the decision as to what his future will hold which will mean
10:04trading him cutting ties entirely DFA whatever the case may be then you add in the outfielders
10:10Tyron Taylor is more than likely making this team over Christian Pache he has a track record and while
10:15Pache's had a brilliant sprain unfortunately for him Tyron Taylor's had a really fine sprain as well
10:19and TTS the background and has been in the organization ways that Pache hasn't if I'm a betting man with
10:25this
10:25I'm going to lean with what is something that Stearns has preferred has known for a number of years
10:30versus a Pache who has yet to establish himself truly as an everyday major leaguer even as a fourth
10:36outfield type for that matter he has not proven that consistently enough so it's unfortunate I know
10:41how great of a sprain he's had I just don't know if he really has a true shot on this
10:45roster as of now
10:46I'm still going with the belief that it is no barring changes then you have the final outfielder and that
10:52is going to be Mike Tauchman okay there's been a lot of other respective hot debates and this will pair
10:58with our final topic on the position player front of Carson Benj Mike Tauchman what do these guys have in
11:04common they're both batting over 300 this spring Benj is out right around 406 Tauchman is you know either
11:10just around or just under 300 north of a thousand OPS we have Benj at a thousand plus OPS or
11:15close to at
11:16972 both have been awesome one's the veteran one's the rookie who's gonna make the team well
11:22they're both gonna make the team and there's a simple reply to that Carson Benj will be the Mets
11:26opening day right fielder barring changes Mike Tauchman will be either coming off the bench or
11:30starting at DH is there an off chance that Mike Tauchman gets that start in right field on opening
11:35day or maybe Brett Beatty sure it's possible but given what we've seen everything this spring and given
11:40what David Stearns and Carlos Mendoza have reiterated to the media and to us fans being under the belief
11:45that okay we're gonna give Carson Benj every chance to run away with this opportunity and he's doing
11:51exactly that why wouldn't that reward him with an opening day roster spot in right field against
11:56Paul Skeen's the Pirates I'm fully expecting that you should too until we see something to suggest
12:01otherwise at this point in time so the Mets bench for one of the first times under Steve Cohen is
12:07really
12:07not gonna have much of a true backup shortstop it's something that they've been stubborn with in the
12:11past they've been adamant about starting seasons in the past with this you know we think of the Zach
12:15Shorts the Joey Wendels of the world what do these guys have in common players that the Mets simply
12:19never needed and they don't need them now either so now that the Mets have Brett Beatty and Jorge
12:24Polanco expected to get consistent daily reps in this lap starting every day whether it's at first
12:29base or DH or for Beatty not just first space but right field and may get some off chances at
12:33second
12:33or third more so second and third because Simeon might need a day off where he plays two out of
12:38three games instead of all three to be determined but Beatty's value is immense for this Mets team
12:43we know that and so is Polanco's specifically when we look at their defensive versatility that right
12:50there is why the Mets don't look at oh no Francisco and Dora might have a slow start to the
12:54season we
12:55need a backup shorts up oh we need Videl Brujan on this team that doesn't need to be true when
13:00you
13:00have guys like Beatty and Polanco who can handle shortstop at a pinch if called upon for a game or
13:05two
13:05like they will handle that without a problem Polanco knows it Beatty hasn't done a lot of all that much
13:10but he's handled everything else fine I don't think he's going to go in a shortstop right away
13:14and look completely incompetent he hasn't given us reason to believe that and Beatty has clearly
13:18shown his value as one of the most defensively sound players in this entire organization I mean
13:23we're not just talking about a guy that can come out and play solid defense at third base we're
13:26talking about someone that on the fly is showing you his ability to seamlessly slot at first base
13:31seamlessly handle right field and those limited opportunities and I would expect that to hold
13:35true so that's where I stand on that front when we talk about this Mets bench configuration right
13:40now that would love to hear from you Mets fans in the comments down below is that Mets bench of
13:45Mark Vientos Luis Terenz Mike Talkman and Tyrone Taylor something that you're comfortable and happy
13:50with entering the season or would you like the bench to look different if so how so let me know
13:54down
13:55below and thank you so much for that because Carson Bench as I mentioned he's making this team no doubt
14:00about it anyone doubting it is in denial or simply not paying attention to not just a great spring
14:05training performance he's having but this is a continuation what he did all last year in the
14:09minor leagues Carson Bench put himself on the map from the start two years ago two and a half years
14:13ago now as David Stearns his first ever draft pick as team president coming out of OSU as a two
14:19-way
14:19player just like his buddy who is yes Noel McClain that he was teammates there with at OSU these guys
14:25are
14:25going to be fixtures behind the mat successes here and if I have to be making a remark on how
14:31bullish I
14:31feel about Carson Bench this year if things go as planned with Carson Bench and it's truly the
14:36passing of the torch from one homegrown outfield talent and Brandon Nemo to another Carson Bench's
14:41upside in year one with the New York Mets can be Jackson Merrill rookie you're good I really do not
14:46believe that's an exaggeration at all the way that Bench constantly puts the bat on the ball whether he's
14:51smoking a baseball to right say what to wait off the bat or he's consistently going to opposite field with
14:55runners in scoring position or he's grounding out a little bit of an infield dribbler or he's making a
14:59diving catch and right it's the little things that Carson Bench does that really makes you comfortable
15:04that he is blossoming quickly to north of a 5-12 town and when I think of great young prospects
15:12who
15:12burst on the scene when given opportunity in the outfield how fitting would it be if a Jackson
15:17Merrill who thrived when given opportunity because Juan Soto was traded by the Padres we see Juan Soto
15:24shift to the left and now that new opportunity is presented for the Mets and this time it'll be
15:28absolutely accepted and ran with by Carson Bench that's something I cannot wait to see this year
15:33because I really do believe that's going to be the reality now last but not least the final topic of
15:38discussion how are the Mets going to round out this Mets bullpen Carlos Mendoza Mets skipper did just
15:43officially announce to the media that we saw over this past a couple days that Hwaska Brazman after
15:49what was nothing short of a stellar performance of the World Baseball Classic including striking out the
15:54side against Team USA and the biggest heavy hitters that they got Brazman will begin the year in the
15:59Mets bullpen deservedly so okay Brazman looked good in stretches last year that we saw and he looked
16:04fantastic not only to begin spring training but continued that in the WBC and it was called upon
16:09a lot and the WBC so Brazman deserves his flowers he deserves to be in this bullpen the stuff's nasty
16:14it's always been about putting it all together with Brazman could this be the year that he's really that
16:19high leverage high octane reliever we want him to be we're just going to have to hope and pray on
16:23that one but now it comes down to one one final position Craig Kimbrell Brian Hudson Dickie Lovelady
16:30or a Mets starter who is going to crack that final bullpen spot now I think it's not going to
16:36be a
16:36Mets starter unless they go away from the six-man rotation which may be a little surprising so to be
16:41determined there you think Dickie Lovelady he pitched in around 10 innings or so for the Mets last year
16:46but he allowed 700 runs do you really want him in your opening day bullpen maybe for the familiarity
16:51but that's about that it's just because he throws left is the only reason why you're considering him
16:55because only all you have is Brooks Raley right now and that's about that Brian Hudson towering six
17:01foot eight six foot eight frame really good 2024 season with the Milwaukee Brewers as a crafty lefty
17:06I amplify crafty because even though the the guy's north of six eight he's a soft tosser so we did
17:13see
17:13an outing for him this spring his second to last with the Mets uh being three plus miles per hour
17:18higher than his yearly average with the fastball you would hope that that would continue and went
17:22down a little bit his last downing out there where he didn't have as much success how much are the
17:26Mets going to give a leash to a Brian Hudson do they view him as kind of like a Danny
17:29Young
17:29entering the season as a lower leverage lefty option to begin the year or do they want to bet on
17:35a Craig Kimbrell who has some gas left in the tank obviously he's not going to be in the league
17:40for too
17:41much longer but does have enough to try to impact the Mets at the jump if I had to pick
17:45one my
17:47assumption is that Craig Kimbrell is going to make this Mets bullpen and the Mets are going to give
17:52him a look more in lower leverage and then as soon as Craig shows his incompetence or incapability to
17:58be that guy for the Mets longer than they want him to they will DFA and move on to the
18:03next so I think
18:05out of all those pictures we discussed the commonality that we will have with them that you will see
18:09throughout the year is that they will all be called up by the New York Mets it will not be
18:13all right
18:13away and it can only come down to one with that final bullpen spot I do think that'll be Kimbrell
18:17but when we look at Hudson we look at Lovelady and a starter coming in that those things will
18:22inevitably happen as long as they're not DFA'd ahead of time so or decide for an outright release
18:27from the organization for maybe not making the bullpen out of camp so could it be Brian Hudson sure I
18:33think Craig Kimbrell currently has the upper hand ever so slightly I would love to know your thoughts
18:37about not only that but every key topic that we broke down Mets land and our latest storyline
18:42discussion here getting you guys set for opening day here thanks to the New York Post I would like
18:47to thank you all so much again for watching let us know not only your thoughts and reactions down
18:50below but make sure you subscribe to the New York Post Sports YouTube channel and chime it in as we
18:55have new Mets podcasts dropping multiple times a week you'll have at least solo with me throughout the
19:00week right around Wednesdays or Thursday each week Sundays I'll be with my guy the co-host that you all
19:05know in Dexter Henry as we have our longer form podcast we had a great one this past weekend we
19:09have another big one coming up this upcoming weekend so be on the lookout for it everybody
19:13thank you again I'll see you all next time
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