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00:00This is Straight Outta Flushing, brought to you by your local Ford stores.
00:04Ford F-150 is the official truck of the New York Mets.
00:09All right, well, the Mets, they are doing it again,
00:12just when it looked like this season was starting to slip away.
00:14They've won seven of their last ten games,
00:16and they're showing some signs of life.
00:19The rotations start to look just a little bit more competent.
00:22Sean Minaya's velocity is back up.
00:23Nolan McClain, Christian Scott, and Freddy Peralta
00:26have delivered some encouraging starts and a few bats,
00:28including Bo Bichette, A.J. Ewing, Jared Young, and Luis Torrance.
00:32They finally started producing.
00:34But here's a question.
00:35Are the Mets actually turning a corner,
00:37or are they just teasing their fan base again?
00:39Because even during this recent stretch of better play,
00:42the offense still isn't walking, is striking out a ton,
00:44and remains one of the least productive groups in baseball.
00:47So, this week, Andrew Claudio of Just Mets,
00:50he's going to join me to discuss whether this recent surge is something real
00:53or just another false start, whether the rotation can keep this up,
00:57what Francisco Alvarez's return could mean,
01:00and where this team will be, or could be, when August arrives.
01:04Andrew Claudio joins me now on Straight Outta Flushing.
01:07What's going on, Andrew?
01:09What is up, Dex?
01:11I know these are orange and blue skies these days here in the Big Apple.
01:15I'm happy to talk about the other team that we both pay attention to.
01:19Yeah, now we've got to be honest.
01:20Both Andrew and myself, and folks, if you don't know,
01:23Andrew also doing fantastic work with Nick's Film School.
01:26We have been very, very busy and occupied with the New York Knicks.
01:31But we do also do shows on the other orange and blue team in this city.
01:36And, you know, I think we all would hope that some of the orange and blue vibes
01:41that are coming from the Knicks can't come over to the Mets.
01:44Maybe that'll happen.
01:46Maybe it won't.
01:47But let's talk about the now, the present.
01:49Andrew, the Mets, they've won seven out of their last ten games.
01:53Suddenly they look more competitive than they did, I'd say, two weeks ago, right?
01:57So here's a question.
01:59Is this the beginning of a legitimate turnaround,
02:01or are we watching another short stretch that's going to pull fans back in
02:06before the same flaws that we've seen all along just resurface again?
02:11What are we watching, Mr. Claudio?
02:13I think your mileage may vary depending on what kind of fan you are.
02:18If you lean more optimistic, yeah, this is the start of the turnaround.
02:22If you lean more pessimistic, yeah, this is a flash in the pan.
02:27They've just played the Padres, who may have a worse offense than the Mets
02:31after watching them this weekend.
02:33And when their $35 million right fielder slash shortstop that has one home run
02:39is getting thrown out at third base in a two-run game,
02:43you could take advantage playing against teams like that.
02:46But, look, the reality is that being 7-3 in the last ten can be, like,
02:54competitive and watchable, which I think is the number one thing
02:57every Mets fan has been begging for.
02:59Give me a team that I want to keep watching.
03:03The standings are tricky because they're five games out of a wild-card spot,
03:08which everybody is five games out of a wild-card spot
03:11in a very clumped National League and American League, for that matter.
03:16I think my personal line that I'm drawing is get to 500 and we'll talk.
03:21They have a very, like, brutal, like, difficult schedule throughout the rest of June.
03:26They no longer have to go to the West Coast.
03:28I don't even think they go to the Central Time Zone over the next several weeks
03:33and don't have to deal with the travel schedule that they've had to.
03:37So, look, reinforcements are supposed to be coming back.
03:40I will wait until they're 500 before I fully start scoreboard watching.
03:45But at the bare minimum, this is a watchable baseball team,
03:49which we couldn't say about this team in April.
03:52Dude, are they still watchable?
03:55Are we sure?
03:57Listen, if you can't enjoy watching what Carson Bench is doing at the moment,
04:02like, there are pockets.
04:03I enjoy watching when Carson Bench is hitting, you know,
04:07when Juan Soto has it going, you know?
04:09Yeah.
04:10See, that's the word I'd use.
04:12I think there's pockets right now that are worth watching.
04:15I'm with you that if they get this back to 500, then I'm like, okay,
04:21I think there's more worth watching.
04:23Look, got to get a little healthier,
04:24but I will say the kids, I've been talking about this for weeks on the show,
04:28like what you've seen from the kids, Carson Bench absolutely looks like a player.
04:31There's no doubt about that.
04:33But, you know, he goes five for five on Sunday against the Padres.
04:38But, yeah, get to 500, then I'm like,
04:41because this just feels like teasing.
04:43They're just teasing right now.
04:44That's what it feels like.
04:45It feels like a tease again.
04:47It does.
04:49Look, they had that weekend with the Subway Series
04:52that really was more about the Yankees playing poorly
04:54than the Mets playing well.
04:56No, you don't got to do that.
04:56And then they had that.
04:57You don't got to do that.
04:58Don't do that.
04:58Don't get that.
04:59Listen, win's a win as far as I'm concerned,
05:02whether it's at the expense of Big Brother or not.
05:04Then they had the road trip that they went on to Washington and Miami,
05:08and it was like, oh, no, they're back.
05:10Like, this is the bad team that we expected.
05:13I mean, we'll get into it throughout the course of the pod, right,
05:15the course of this conversation.
05:17Like, there are things about this team that I do think are anywhere from,
05:22like, good to fine.
05:24And, like, the elite things aren't there.
05:27Juan Soto was very elite in May.
05:29Carson Bench has just flat out played like an all-star since week three of the season.
05:35There are things about this team, though, like this bullpen is, I think, pretty good.
05:39The rotation leaves something to be desired,
05:42but they just haven't been using their rotation as much.
05:46They're going to need a lot of stuff to go right before we start looking at something sustainable.
05:51A solid week against the team that is currently ahead in all of the wild cards.
05:56The Cardinals would go a long way.
05:58And then the Braves, who have just been beating our brains in for the majority of my life,
06:03if you go 4-2 this week, then we could start to start, you know, dreaming bigger.
06:08But for right now, you know, 7-3 is just like, okay, that's a good 10 games in a season
06:14that might not be going somewhere.
06:16Yeah, because I'm glad you brought up the fact of how Mets fans felt after the Yankees series.
06:22I thought a lot of fans were encouraged by that.
06:24A lot of people looked at that, especially after the win they had in the final game of the series.
06:28Okay, this could be the turnaround, right?
06:30And it's kind of what we're asking here.
06:32And that's why I love what you said, which is, let's see another good week.
06:37Let's see that, especially against whom they're playing in the Cardinals and the Braves.
06:41And then maybe we could feel good about all this stuff with the Mets.
06:46But you also mentioned the pitching.
06:48You mentioned the pitching here, Andrew, because for most of the season,
06:53I think it's fair for us to say starting pitching has been inconsistent.
06:55But recently we've seen some encouraging outings from Nolan McClain, Freddie Peralta,
06:59the Christian Scott, Sean Manai, and even David Peterson.
07:01We've seen some encouraging signs from him.
07:04Is the recent improvement from the rotation believable in your eyes?
07:08Do you believe this?
07:09Or is this just like who we're talking about with the whole team and you need to see more?
07:14Yeah.
07:14So I'm going to amend what you're asking because it's not the rotation for me that I think is the
07:22sustainable signs of encouragement.
07:24It's the entire thing, the rotation plus the bullpen.
07:28I think this bullpen is good.
07:29I just think this bullpen is flat out a good bullpen.
07:32And the ninth inning does leave something to be desired.
07:34Devin Williams, like Devin Williams, when he's bad, it's a full implosion.
07:40It's never just like today he had a rough outing, but he hadn't pitched in five days and they just
07:45need to give him work.
07:46I'm attributing that to Russ.
07:48But in his losses this year, when he's really imploded, it's like I don't throw a strike and I give
07:53up three to seven runs.
07:55And his good stretches, it's I go three weeks without giving up a run.
07:59So outside of him, I have four to five dependable short outing high leverage guys between Luke Weaver, who has
08:09hasn't given up a run since the end of April.
08:12Austin Warren, I trust Brooks Raley, I trust AJ Minter hasn't given up a run since being activated.
08:20So we're talking about Brazabon's been outstanding this year so far.
08:24So you're talking about five arms there outside of your closer that you trust.
08:29And then, like, we can talk about the encouraging signs from Sean Minaya and David Peterson.
08:35None of them have come as a starting pitcher.
08:37It's been as bulk middle middle inning guys, which this is one of the things with analytics that I've always
08:43agreed with.
08:44Limit the amount of times that these guys go through the batting order.
08:47And what they've done with Sean Minaya is picked, like, come into the game toward the bottom half of the
08:53order and then just get through the end and then one more time through and then you're good.
08:58That is how they have strategically used Sean Minaya to take it to where the last two months, really, it's
09:04really since April.
09:05He's been a dependable bulk reliever, if that makes sense, in place of just, like, the old school way.
09:13Oh, we need a fourth starter.
09:14We need a fifth starter.
09:15David Peterson was very successful at that, too, which makes it very confusing why they suddenly made him a starting
09:20pitcher again.
09:22So, if you keep using both of those pitchers, those lefties, and deploying them in a way that I believe
09:29is the most successful for them, then you have the other three.
09:33Freddie Peralta, Nolan McClain, Christian Scott, who's been a revelation and a godsend since Clay Holmes went down.
09:40I think he got some consistent pitching.
09:42Dexter, the entire rotation plus bullpens rankings in the National League, they're fourth in total strikeouts, fourth in team ERA.
09:51They've given up the second fewest home runs in the sport, and they're fifth in total F4.
09:57That's not, like, a thing that's costing you wins.
10:01Their offense has been the thing that's let them down.
10:03And I think a bad offense can lead to a bad month.
10:07A bad pitching staff and rotation can lead to a lost season like we saw last year.
10:12So, if you are an optimistic Mets fan and you think they have a chance to get back into it,
10:17it's because, like, the pitching has carried them to this far where they haven't completely fallen off the cliff yet,
10:23and maybe the bats will start to turn it around.
10:26Well, that's the thing.
10:26We'll get to the bats in a second.
10:28Because, yeah, I think there's some recent trends with the pitching staff that makes you feel pretty good.
10:34You know, even look at Freddie Peralta.
10:36This is what we're talking about just in the last seven days, right, in the last week.
10:39Freddie Peralta with a good start, six innings pitch.
10:42He had six strikeouts in that one.
10:43So, giving you some length, you know, that's a problem with him.
10:45You like seeing that.
10:46Christian Scott, I agree with you, a complete godsend.
10:49His last start was also a quality one as well, too.
10:52Nolan McClain, he had two starts in that period, a lot of walks, which he don't like.
10:57But, you know, he's still adjusting to the National League, and they're adjusting to him.
11:03So, I always knew there were going to be some bumps in the road with him as well.
11:07So, that doesn't necessarily bother me as much here.
11:10But I do think the pitching can be good.
11:11But I kind of want to go to Sean Mania because you brought him up, and I don't know where
11:20you were with him at the beginning of the season with the low velocity because anybody who's watched the show
11:26knows I was kind of like, yeah, I think it's time to move on.
11:29It might be just time to move on.
11:30Now, to your point, and analysts have shown this, who knew not going through the order as many times could
11:38be helpful?
11:39The velocity has ticked back up a little bit, and he's been pretty successful in his appearances as a bulk
11:48reliever.
11:49Do you view his recent success as one of the biggest reasons to believe that the Mets can stabilize in
11:55the second half of the season?
11:57Or are you at a point where it's like, okay, still with Mania, small sample size, I need to see
12:01a larger sample size here?
12:04I mean, look, he's the highest-paid pitcher on the team.
12:07They're going to give us a larger sample size.
12:10I don't â I didn't have as much smoke for the front office for the Mania development, like how we've
12:18gotten to this point.
12:19You know, when you have Steve Cohen as your owner, as much grief as David Stearns has been given and
12:25as much as I personally think he deserves,
12:27the Sean Mania thing is something you do when you have the bank account and the payroll flexibility that you
12:34are given with Steve Cohen.
12:36Like, oh, he had a really great 2024.
12:38Let's give him three years and see if that's sustainable.
12:41The Mets saw what happened last year.
12:43He was, like, plagued by injuries and then decided to pivot when he wasn't effective and went into this year
12:49not with a guaranteed rotation spot.
12:51They said, you got to earn it, and he didn't.
12:54And they've picked and chosen where to use him, and I think they've landed on a spot where it's been
13:01effective for, like, a solid six weeks now.
13:04So, as far as the sustainability, time will tell.
13:08I don't think â and this is what their track record has shown â that they're going to force us
13:12to make Sean Mania continue to be the thing that turns this season around.
13:18But the way he's being used as, like, a three to three-and-a-half, four-inning starter â a
13:23bulk reliever, I should say, which is in the place of a starter,
13:28I just think they're being really smart with this.
13:30The Mets haven't been very smart a lot this year, Dex.
13:33This is one of the things I can actually say.
13:34They are deploying this correctly.
13:37And, look, I still have a spot in my heart for Sean Mania.
13:41I think he has been a fun personality in this franchise for the entirety of his tenure.
13:472024 will always mean a lot to Mets fans.
13:50And at the bare minimum, I'm rooting for him to have a sustainable stretch here.
13:57It's good to see the velocities back up.
13:58I like the way he's being used.
14:01We'll see if it continues.
14:02Yeah, that's the thing.
14:04Now, look, some people are going to nitpick at this and say, well, I'm glad he's being productive.
14:10He's getting paid a lot to be productive.
14:11He should be.
14:12And he's a very expensive bulk reliever.
14:16I hear you.
14:17The cost is a cost.
14:19It's already paid.
14:20If he can help you contribute to winning, that's what you'd like.
14:24They're not overusing him.
14:26They're not wearing him out.
14:27And he's been effective, like you said, for the past month and a half.
14:30He's been really effective.
14:31So, look, I thought he had nothing left.
14:35So, I have to eat crow on that.
14:38He's been pretty effective.
14:39Now, that's the thing.
14:40I'm with you.
14:41And while I ask the question, can it be sustainable?
14:44I hope so.
14:45I don't know.
14:47But, hey, it's not broken right now.
14:50So, just keep rolling with what's working for him.
14:54Right.
14:55That's the thing.
14:57I do not understand why David Peterson got put back into the rotation, like very randomly.
15:02It was just they were using him as a bulk reliever.
15:04They started using an opener with him.
15:06His numbers show when he isn't starting the game.
15:09And, again, you come into the game, the top of the order has already been taken care of by an
15:14opener.
15:15And then you're just asked to get 15 outs, you know, of some kind, like 12 to 15 outs.
15:23And then all of a sudden he was just a starter again and was getting taken out in the third
15:27inning because of implosions.
15:30I think the same thing needs to happen with Sean Minaya.
15:33And it's why I want to give the match credit.
15:36This isn't, like, the days of old where it's like, well, this guy's making the money he's making.
15:42He has to start, right?
15:44We need to make sure that our highest paid pitcher is getting a rotation spot.
15:49No, they've said, hey, this is a performance-based business.
15:53And the best way to get this performance out of you, even if it isn't probably what we paid for,
15:59not probably, if it isn't what we paid for, it's the way you've been most effective.
16:06And so it helps that Christian Scott has been great and the openers that they've used have been great.
16:12We'll see if it keeps going for Sean Minaya.
16:16Yeah, we will see.
16:17Interest stuff there.
16:18Let's talk about the hitting.
16:20Let's do it.
16:21Yeah.
16:21Yeah.
16:22Yeah.
16:22I know you sound â that's sounding very begrudgingly, let's do it.
16:26Like, okay, let's get to it.
16:27The hitting, I'm with you.
16:28The hitting has absolutely been the problem with this ball club all season long.
16:33It has been â the offense has been offensive, okay?
16:36There's no doubt about that.
16:38But recently, Bo Bichette, A.J. Ewing, Jared Young, and Luis Torrens, they've all produced recently.
16:47But collectively, the Mets are near the bottom of baseball and walks, OPS, strikeout rate since June 1st.
16:52Should we be focusing on a handful of productive players that we've seen in this small sample size of the
16:58last seven to ten games?
17:00Or do you feel like everyone should still focus on an offense that, as a whole, appears to still fundamentally
17:06be broken?
17:09So, I'll say this.
17:11There's a chart that I track throughout the baseball season.
17:15I can't say it on your program because it's not suitable for work.
17:20But what I do is I go to StatHead, a part of baseball reference, and I put in the league
17:28averages for the slash lines.
17:30So, the league average for batting average, which is around â I believe it's around two-something.
17:38It's 240 these days.
17:39Yeah, it's 240.
17:40So, the league average for batting average, the league average for on-base, which is 318, the league average for
17:46slugging, which is 388, and the league average for OPS, which, do the math, is 706.
17:51Every player that has below league average in all four of those numbers, your entire slash line is below league
18:00average.
18:00Which, I chart how many players are on that list throughout the season.
18:05I check it, like, every couple days, right, to see how many players end up there.
18:09The Mets are the only team in baseball with four players on that list, and it's their infield.
18:15It's their entire infield.
18:16It's Bo Bichette, Brett Beatty, Mark Vientos, Marcus Simeon.
18:19Simeon, I am turning â I said this on Just Mets earlier.
18:22I am simply turning off the washed alarm.
18:26Like, he's had a good two weeks.
18:28Anyways, I still have, like, allegations out there and maybe even some accusations that he's lost.
18:35I'm at least for two weeks saying he's had â at least for now, we'll turn the alarm off.
18:40Let's see if this continues.
18:41Give me a good month.
18:42Get your â get off this list, and we'll see what happens.
18:46Bo Bichette has some work to do because, like, a lot's been made of how Mark Vientos is playing first
18:53base,
18:53and he's supposed to be the Pete Alonso replacement.
18:55The bat that they got to replace Pete Alonso was Bo Bichette, and he's been anything but.
19:00Even this good week that he's just had was, like, all singles, you know?
19:04So, the power just isn't there, and this is a team that just lacks a lot of power,
19:08which is where Jared Young comes in, who's supposed to be a part-time player,
19:12and you get a couple home runs from him, and it's like, great.
19:15It's exactly what we're missing because Bo Bichette and Mark Vientos don't hit home runs anymore.
19:20But hold on.
19:21Hold on there, Andrew.
19:22Yeah.
19:22Isn't that part of the problem?
19:24We're out here relying on Jared Young to provide the power?
19:28That's a big part of the problem, right?
19:30It is the problem.
19:32But, like, that's why I bring up the list.
19:34Right.
19:34It's like, the guys that have been around for the entirety of the season are on the list of â
19:41were below league average across the board.
19:44And it's why the names that you brought up are Bo Bichette, who, like, finally is more my reaction to
19:51him having a good week.
19:52And then it's a rookie who's been here for four weeks and should not be counted on to be that
19:58much of a difference maker,
19:59even though despite having, like, not the greatest offensive splits, still has a positive F4
20:06because he's already one of the best defensive center fielders not named Pete Crow Armstrong, right?
20:11And then it's Jared Young, a guy who should be a part-time player, and Luis Terenz, your backup catcher.
20:16Like, that's what you're depending on at the moment.
20:19And it's not a sustainable recipe for success, which is why you need some of the reinforcements to come back.
20:24But you need some of these guys to get off that list as well.
20:27Yes.
20:27And it's why, going forward, either guys get off that list or they get off this team.
20:34And that's the only way that this season will potentially be salvaged.
20:37Okay, so, Bobichette, I just want to follow up on that with him because he's been, you know,
20:46the numbers since June 1st, 9 for 24, right?
20:48That's .375 batting average, .385 OPS, .542 slugging.
20:54However, as you mentioned, a lot of singles.
20:57Singles factor.
20:58A lot of singles.
20:59Very much the, he's midnight in Vegas.
21:03A lot of singles.
21:03Yes.
21:04Yes.
21:05Straight singles factor.
21:06Look, the OPS during the stretch, not bad, 926.
21:11You like that.
21:12Only seven strikeouts there.
21:14No walks.
21:15Okay?
21:16Just want to note that as well, too.
21:20You talked about the infield.
21:22And Marcus Simeon, right?
21:25Not too bad in that stretch.
21:26A little bit better.
21:28I'm with you.
21:28I'm not sure he's beat the allegations of Washed.
21:31I'm not going there.
21:32It's a simple, like, all right, we'll take a breath.
21:34We'll take a breath of how mad I am that you're my second baseman.
21:38Yeah, we can leave that alone for a little bit.
21:40Yeah.
21:40But you can't win, and I think this is the point you're making there, you can't win if
21:47the infield is that bad, right?
21:49If they're all below league average in all the slash categories, right?
21:53You can't have it.
21:56It's not going to happen.
21:56And this is where I think a lot of the fan base gets upset, and I understand what they're
22:01talking about.
22:01I know we just talked about this and paying a player in the sunk cost and all that, but
22:06they're like, look at the payroll.
22:09What is going on here?
22:11Listen, you paid Boba Shuttle out money at free agent signing.
22:14I think you liked it.
22:14I think I remember both of us.
22:16I liked it.
22:17Yeah, we liked it.
22:17We were on each other's respective shows.
22:19We were like, yeah, we like the signing.
22:24I'm sorry, but the infield's not getting it done.
22:26There's no power there.
22:28They're not able to generate easy home runs.
22:30And listen, I'm not a, it all has to be about a long ball person, but you got to have
22:35some
22:35balance with the power to generate some easy runs from time to time, while you can also
22:40manufacture runs.
22:41This lineup can't do it, and that's why I asked that question, because this lineup and
22:45the way it looks, you can't just get, you can't get crazy about everything since June
22:501st, right?
22:51You can't get crazy about a 10-game sample or a seven-game sample, whatever you want
22:55to talk about.
22:56You have to ask yourself, is this sustainable?
22:58And when you're right, you are 100% right.
23:01This is no shade to A.J.
23:02Ewing, who I think could be a very good player.
23:06And that's fine.
23:07Maybe there's some day you will count on him.
23:09But we're talking about Jared Young and Luis Torrance, who I think Luis Torrance, one of
23:13the best backup catchers in baseball, no doubt about that.
23:15But we're talking about them being bright spots in the lineups during a stretch in
23:20which the Mets won seven out of 10 games?
23:24It's not good.
23:25It's not good.
23:26The name you haven't said throughout all this is M.J.
23:30Melendez.
23:30There was a stretch of the season where M.J.
23:32Melendez was hitting third for this team, you know?
23:34I didn't want to depress you.
23:36That's why I did not say that.
23:39Look, I think the reality is the power has taken such a hit because of the injuries that
23:47have been sustained.
23:49The blueprint that they came into the season with was we have three all-stars at the top
23:54of the order, two of which are going to probably, two of which are going to be Hall of Famers,
23:59Serratisca Lindor, Bo Bichette, and Juan Soto.
24:02They will provide most of the power, 25 to 40 home runs between, range between the three
24:08of them.
24:08You need, like, a couple of these other bats, like Polanco, like Robert, like Beatty, like
24:15Vientos to pop, and then your bottom of the order between Alvarez and Simeon and Benj
24:22could be, they just have to, you know, be serviceable.
24:26And it's why, like, Carson, we really talked about Carson Benj and the stretch he's been
24:30on for six weeks.
24:31If he's not doing what he's done as a rookie and is, like, firmly entrenched in the rookie
24:38of the year conversation now, this team's very under .500 at the moment.
24:43Like, the five-for-five day today is more of a culmination than a, like, surprise at
24:50this point.
24:51This is, like, one of your best hitters against lefties, one of your best on-base guys, and
24:56just one of your best players so far this season.
24:59And it has helped you, like, this outfield in general, the Soto and the Psychopaths, has
25:05helped you at least stay within striking distance of getting back in this, while the infield has
25:12just flat-out cost you a lot of wins this season.
25:17Lindor coming back will help that, I will say.
25:20I have no idea what they're going to do about first base, whether it's Ryan Clifford, whether
25:23it's trading for a first baseman.
25:25I very much think Mark Mientos' days are numbered and, in my opinion, should be done.
25:32But, like, this is what happens when you build a team around injury-played guys like Polanco
25:38and Robert, and then you have a freak surprise injury like Lindor.
25:43Even Soto missing a month, which is an unexpected thing.
25:46So, yeah.
25:48Look, all this to say continues to be, like, the guys who have been here have been disappointing.
25:52And hopefully new guys come in and potentially replace them and turn this thing around on the
25:58offensive side.
26:00That is the hope.
26:01Now, you mentioned a couple things that I actually do want to get to to move here because you
26:05talked about the power.
26:06And the Mets, they entered Sunday's game against the Padres with a 3.4% walk rate since June
26:121st.
26:12That's actually after Sunday's game.
26:14That's what the walk rate was, 3.4%.
26:15That is near the bottom of major baseball while also striking out at the highest rate in baseball.
26:22So what's more concerning to you right now?
26:25Is it the lack of power that you just mentioned?
26:27Is it the lack of walks and ability to get on base?
26:30Or is it just the strikeouts?
26:32Or you can, if you want to, well, pick one.
26:34I want you to pick one or three.
26:34I was going to say everything.
26:35You're probably inclined to say everything.
26:38But which of those three are the most concerning to you?
26:40I was going to say it.
26:41I don't know if you ever watched the TV show Lost.
26:43I was a huge Lost fan.
26:45I don't think you and I have ever talked about this.
26:47Yeah.
26:47Dexter, the numbers are bad across the board.
26:50No matter what number you throw at me, the numbers are bad.
26:54I like that.
26:55Look, in 2026, I'm less concerned about strikeouts.
26:59It's not great.
27:00I do think it's very funny that the whole emphasis about turning a new leaf and rebuilding the roster in
27:07the offseason was this team strikes out too much.
27:09Well, they literally strike out more than anybody else.
27:12Now, the power, as I just mentioned, I think is a product of like not having one Soto for a
27:18month, not having Lindor for what's going on a month and a half.
27:21Now, guys like Alvarez not being available.
27:25Polanco and Robert were supposed to be like mid-20 home run guys.
27:29And then it's the guys that are here just not performing.
27:32So I think just by design is why the power is not there.
27:37The walk rate is philosophy to me because it tells me two things.
27:42One, that guys aren't having good enough at bats to produce enough walks.
27:46The knowledge of the strike zone just isn't there.
27:48And that teams are throwing them strikes that they know, hey, we don't really need to like fool around with
27:55this team.
27:55Just throw them strikes and either they'll get themselves out or they'll take them.
27:59You know, like this is how a team ends up with as many strikeouts as they do, which goes to
28:05a game plan from the new hitting staff that just isn't working at the moment.
28:10I've had a lot of questions about the hitting staff so far this year.
28:14The amount of like Mark Vientos has gone like a month and a half without a walk.
28:18You know, it's one of those things where the the plate discipline is is both not there and it's also
28:27at the like not there in the sense of like.
28:31They're getting themselves out, if that makes sense.
28:34I'm I'm I'm I'm at a point with the overall game plan that I've just accepted.
28:40This is not a team that's going to create as many opportunities.
28:46When it comes to like last year when the bases were flooded, but there was never like the runs and
28:51scoring position numbers are always down.
28:54Yeah, every metric that you've given me is screaming this team is not a good offense.
28:59It's why I've gotten to the point of we need you guys to be part of the offense and we'll
29:03see what happens when some of these guys get healthy.
29:06That's going to be interesting.
29:07Speaking of getting healthy, that'll move me on.
29:09Perfect transition to where we're going to go next.
29:11Jorge Polanco, your boy, Jorge Polanco, his rehab been shut down.
29:16I can't actually say that I'm surprised about this at all.
29:21Francisco Alvarez, he's closer to returning.
29:24So which development has the bigger impact on the next month of the season?
29:27Losing Polanco, who the Mets were counting on to provide a little bit of offense, a little spark, a little
29:32bit of power.
29:33Losing Polanco longer than expected, or is it getting Alvarez back behind the plate?
29:38Which do you think will have the bigger impact on the next month of the season?
29:42So ironically, it's Alvarez, but look, they're never going to do this, but in my perfect world, Alvarez gets called
29:52up for Mark Vientos, and you use him as a DH as much as you possibly can.
29:57I don't personally.
29:59I like that, though.
30:00I'm for that.
30:01Terrence, for as much of a backup bat, as much of a nine-hitter as he is, I actually think
30:06he's a good contact hitter.
30:07He serves a purpose and is, to me, one of the best defensive catchers in the sport.
30:12Yes.
30:12Alvarez is a solid six-to-seven hitter with the bat, and most importantly, he's not Mark Vientos.
30:22So, like, I just need him to be not Mark Vientos, and it's an upgrade.
30:27Oh, Dex, I'm so done.
30:28I am so very done.
30:28I can tell.
30:29I can tell you were done.
30:31I'm sorry.
30:32We're at the point where he has the lowest F4 in the sport.
30:36Well, is this aâ
30:38So, he's got the lowest F4 in the sport.
30:40So, that tells meâthis is what I like to say when fans are done.
30:43Are you at the point that if someone said, you could say, hey, Mr. Claudio, you could start your own
30:47car service, Claudio's Uber, or whatever you want to call it, you would drive him to the airport right now?
30:53Is that where you are?
30:55Dex, if the Uber I drove was the Flintstone mobile that I'd have to use my teamâ
31:00I don't want you to hurt your feet.
31:02But I'd do it.
31:03I would do it.
31:04I mean it.
31:06I'm sorry.
31:06This is a combination.
31:07Some young Mets fans are going to be like, what are the Flintstones?
31:10They have no idea what the Flintstones are.
31:11Yeah.
31:12Read a book, kids.
31:13Or I guess watch a cartoon is more of where this applies.
31:16That would be it.
31:16Yeah.
31:17Look, all of this to say, like, the Pete Alonso and moving on from him, I've, like, reached the point
31:26of acceptance, right?
31:27And I repeat what I say earlier.
31:29Bo Bichette was the bat that was supposed to replace Pete Alonso's presence in the lineup.
31:34Vientos just simply had to be not the worst player in baseball to replace Pete Alonso on the defensive side.
31:42And, like, he was never expected to be his bat.
31:45He just had to be productive.
31:46I repeat, of 158 qualified hitters in the sport this year, he is 158th in F4 below the likes of
31:58Salvador Perez, who is a journeyman catcher.
32:00Below the likes of Marcelo Zuna, who is losing at bats in Pittsburgh at the end of his career.
32:08That is where Mark Vientos is.
32:09And for him to make those comments last week or earlier this week of, I need to give myself some
32:14credit, and almost as if the obliviousness of how bad you've been just hasn't reached you yet.
32:20But, I'm sorry, I am ready to move on from this player, which is why, back to the original question,
32:26a righty that can come here, a hitter that can come here and replace his presence on the roster and
32:33just not be the worst player in baseball is what the Mets will need from either Polanco or Alvarez.
32:39So, again, they're not going to do what I'm suggesting in making Alvarez a DH option.
32:44They're going to call him up and send Sanger down and make him the everyday catcher again.
32:50I think then Polanco becomes important, although I think the Vientos is going to play against lefties and Jared Young
32:58is the first baseman for the foreseeable future.
33:01I think that's more the direction that they'll go.
33:03So, this is a long way of saying that both of them are important because they have the opportunity to
33:09make me see less of Mark Vientos.
33:11Understood.
33:12My thing, I actually like your plan.
33:14I would do that, too.
33:16I also understand why Vientos made this roster at the beginning of the season, but I thought the leash with
33:23him probably would have been shorter had Corey Polanco been healthy.
33:27But then that goes to what you're talking about, which is, yes, they need Polanco for all the reasons we
33:33talked about the issues with the Mets offense.
33:35But I guess the thing is, do either of us or any Mets fan out there, do we trust him
33:40to actually be healthy?
33:43Like, Achilles bursitis is tough.
33:45I am recovering from a torn Achilles at the moment of talking about this.
33:49You might have some experience here.
33:51Yeah, and anything with your Achilles is just tough in terms of pushing off, and you were thinking about just
33:56hitting and then running again.
33:59I don't know.
34:01I'm not a doctor.
34:02I can only tell you what I know from one extreme of an Achilles injury, but as badly as the
34:08Mets need him, I don't even know if they can count on him to be back this season.
34:14But, to your point, this is what happens when you sign a couple of players with high injury risk, and
34:24then you get an injury to a player who's generally been relatively healthy, and Francois Gallandor, and now you have
34:29problems.
34:30And now we're talking about whether or not we should drive Mark Vientos to the airport.
34:35Again, I will walk with him there if I have to.
34:39You're not walking.
34:40Make sure he has a friend.
34:41A friend?
34:41No, I'm not.
34:42That's very caring.
34:43Somebody walks you to the airport, that is a good friend.
34:45That is a damn good friend.
34:46We'll take the train.
34:47We'll go to Jamaica, transfer, and go to JFK.
34:51Get on that air train and get it done.
34:53Do remember, Andrew Claudio offered to drive the Flintstones car.
34:57I did.
34:58That's a lot of work on the feet.
35:00Kids, if you don't know Flintstones, YouTube.
35:03YouTube is your friend.
35:04YouTube.
35:05YouTube is your friend.
35:06I'm sure you can find.
35:06If I have to, if we want to make it more current, or not more current, but different and more,
35:11a quicker option, we can do the Jetsons.
35:14Like, I'll fly one of their things instead.
35:15There we go.
35:16And get him out of here.
35:18Another cartoon to look forward to.
35:19Look up if you don't know.
35:21That would be a little bit more efficient, is what I'll say.
35:24All right, last thing for me here.
35:27We've seen this movie before, Andrew Claudio.
35:30The Mets are seven games under .500 again.
35:32We've seen this before.
35:33You just talked about after the Yankees series and where the Mets fans were.
35:37So, if I told you this, if I told you that on August 1st, I want to go forward a
35:41little bit.
35:42I don't know where things will be in August 1st.
35:44We'll know if the Knicks have won a championship or not by then.
35:47That's for sure.
35:48But, if I told you on August 1st, the Mets would, you have two options here.
35:51A, option A, they're going to be within three games of a wild card spot.
35:55So, a little bit closer than where they are now.
35:57Okay?
35:58Or, option B, being that they will be double-digit games under .500 and clearly selling.
36:05Which outcome would you honestly put your money on right now and why?
36:14So, if I'm betting money, it's under .500.
36:18The 11 games under .500.
36:19Damn.
36:20So, it's mostly a schedule thing.
36:22I will say, like, I think the odds for both of them, if it makes sense.
36:27If I'm an odds maker, like, I think the odds would be about even.
36:31Like, you'd get minus .150 for under .500.
36:36You'd get, like, minus .155?
36:39You'd probably get plus odds for .155.
36:40No, no, you'd get plus odds for this team being three games out of a wild card spot.
36:45You'd probably get, like, plus .175.
36:48Yeah, so, like, the reason why I hesitate, though, is because it's just the state of the National League.
36:54No team has really separated themselves.
36:55There's this cluster from fourth place to 13th that is just a lot of teams that can convince themselves their
37:03seasons aren't over.
37:05We went over it tonight on just Mets, and I'm sure you've taken a look at this.
37:08The schedule is just brutal through the rest of the â they play the Braves a bunch, the Phillies a
37:13bunch.
37:13They play the Dodgers again.
37:14They play the Brewers again.
37:16They welcome in the Cardinals this week who are leading the wild card race, the first wild card at the
37:22moment.
37:24The numbers that we came up with is the next 26 games against all current playoff teams, or at least
37:30all current teams over .500, you've got to go 16-10, which puts you one game under .500.
37:36Then you play the Royals.
37:38Then you play the Red Sox, two bad teams at the last week, all at home, going into the All
37:45-Star break.
37:46You go 4-2 that week, that's 20-12, going into the break, you're over .500.
37:52The schedule on the other side of the break is at Philly, at Milwaukee, the Dodgers, and the Braves.
38:00So those 12 games will then decide how much more you're either over or under .500.
38:07And if you're asking me â we just went through how many numbers about how unsustainably bad this team has
38:16been.
38:18So it's at the point where I've got to hope Soto carries them, Lindor comes back and starts carrying them,
38:25several more unlimited singles weeks from Bo Bichette,
38:29and you're getting more borderline All-Star production from Carson Benj, as well as a pitching staff that I don't
38:36think is terrible.
38:37So all that to say, if I'm a betting man, I'm not betting on this team to turn it around,
38:42but I do see a path to it.
38:44If you wanted to take the odds of them being within a wild card race, that isn't that crazy to
38:50say that they're still in one at the moment.
38:54Yeah, as a betting man, I can't advise you to predict that they'll â or bet that they'll turn it
39:00around,
39:01but I'm not going to say it's crazy if you think that they will based off of the odds that
39:06we've hypothetically and imaginary talked about.
39:11All it takes is one hot streak for people to believe, especially with this team, this franchise.
39:16Now, do I believe the hot streak is coming? That's a different story.
39:23Based on what I've seen this year, no. So I don't disagree with you.
39:28The stretch you talked about before the All-Star break, I found that interesting.
39:32You said they'd have to go 20-12.
39:3420-12. It's really 16-10, and then they played two â I think the Royals aren't good.
39:40But that would get them going into the All-Star break over .500, right?
39:44Right. Yeah, so the Royals are in last place. The Red Sox are in last place.
39:47So they go 16-10. Then they play those two teams at home for six the first week of July,
39:53right before we all go to Summer League and talk about how the Knicks won the title.
39:58The stretch on the other side of the All-Star break is just all first-place teams.
40:03Right. You've got the Phillies right after.
40:05It's the Phillies, which I don't know if â the Phillies, who are like a good team, right?
40:10The Dodgers, the Braves, the â
40:12That's a tough stretch.
40:13That's a tough one.
40:15Now â
40:15That decides the season, I think.
40:18Listen, I think you and â I'll say this before we wrap.
40:21I think you and I would â if they could do what they said in that first stretch
40:26before the All-Star break and get somehow to the All-Star break where they're over .500
40:30and have a chance to play meaningful games in that stretch following the All-Star break,
40:35you and I would sign for that in a heartbeat, okay, right now, just to play meaningful games.
40:40Now, I don't â those games could go terribly wrong and they could be selling after that, sure.
40:45But to see some meaningful games, yeah.
40:48But, however, what matters is what comes before all that.
40:51You've got to get there and get over .500.
40:54Adrian, and you said at the beginning of the show the first question I asked you,
40:57I need to see this team get over .500 before I start â or at .500 before I start getting
41:03excited,
41:03before I start believing.
41:06Look, here's what I'm going to say as we wrap.
41:09Mets, if you're going to tease, then tease us right.
41:12You know what I mean?
41:13Get us to the All-Star break where you've got a little bit of hope.
41:18You know what Mets fans like to say?
41:19You've got to believe.
41:20You've got to give them some reason to believe.
41:22If you're going to â this is a nonsense tease.
41:25This is a B.S. tease.
41:27You've got to give me three, four weeks of some good baseball.
41:32You're back in the wild card race, and you're feeling good,
41:36and Andrew Claudio is smiling, and he might even say at that point,
41:39I want to keep Mark Vientos on this team.
41:42Yeah, okay.
41:43I think part of this turnaround is that he's no longer a New York Mets.
41:46See, I was trying to sell hope here, Andrew.
41:49I was trying to sell you a little bit more hope.
41:51I'm laughing because I remember the pod we did during the summer â
41:55or during the winter, during the winter,
41:57when we were talking about how they lost Edwin Diaz in free agency.
42:00Yes, I remember that.
42:01Like, if you want somebody â it's the line from Scandal.
42:04You want me, earn me.
42:05Like, when you're courting somebody, you want to take them out to dinner
42:09or you want to get them jewelry.
42:10You had a great analogy.
42:11You're saying nice things about their mom.
42:13Like, you're showing effort.
42:15If the Mets want to tease us correctly, none of these â
42:18this tease right now is a late-night DM.
42:21You know, what we need is, like, you know,
42:24when a flower is showing up at the office.
42:26Yes, show me a little something more.
42:28When are you going to church with my mom on Sunday, you know?
42:30Right.
42:30So, like, we're at a point where if you're going to tease me right,
42:34be able to 500 or better at the All-Star break.
42:37And I'll even, like, this stretch I'm talking about,
42:39the 12 games against teams, the Phillies and the first-place teams,
42:43go 6-6 in that stretch.
42:45Their schedule post that, like, that's why you said August 1st
42:48is the line of demarcation.
42:50Yep, that was mine.
42:50July 29th is where we are when that stretch ends.
42:54And they play, like, nobody the rest of the season.
42:58They play the Braves three more times.
42:59And then it's just, like, you play the last-place teams a bunch.
43:03So you have a chance if you can get over 500
43:08and survive that one stretch to at least be competitive.
43:11And like you said, we're at the point where I will sign up
43:14for the Wilpon meaningful games in September mantra.
43:18But you've got a long way to go.
43:20And in the short term, a good week against the Cardinals and the Braves
43:25will get us that first bit of the long way through.
43:29Fewer Mark Vientos at-bats will, I think, be the process
43:33that are required to get there as I bring it all the way back
43:39with the message I want to put out there today.
43:42There you go.
43:42Word to the wise.
43:43If you want to tease us, tease us right.
43:45That's it.
43:46Tease us right.
43:46Mets fans ain't asking for much.
43:48Just tease us right.
43:50You know what I mean?
43:50Let us know if you want to be teased properly with a four.
43:53What did you say?
43:54A four-in-two week would be good here?
43:55Maybe a four-in-two week adds a little bit more of love.
43:58Maybe that's â I don't know if I'm going to put that flowers at the office.
44:01You know, because I â you know, I don't know.
44:04Maybe you get two sentences.
44:04Four-in-two week, I think about getting coffee.
44:07Four-in-two week, I think about â
44:09I think you actually want to take me out to dinner.
44:11Like, oh, okay.
44:12This is a thing.
44:13Then you go four-in-two next week, an eight-in-four stretch.
44:17And it's like, oh, maybe we start thinking about titles on this, you know?
44:22So â
44:24That's too much.
44:25That might be too quick for the commitment.
44:27We got to get to 500 before I start thinking about commitment.
44:29I got you.
44:30I got you.
44:32See, Andrew, I knew you'd be with me on that.
44:34It's a little too quick for the commitment.
44:35With what this team has shown?
44:37Because you got to remember, they've kind of shown us a side we don't necessarily want to see.
44:41They got some coming back.
44:43They have some making up to do.
44:44You know what I mean?
44:45They're kind of in a bit of the dating pool doghouse.
44:48So you're just like, I don't know if I want to go there.
44:50Like, is the sweep against the Marlins like we went through their phone, you know?
44:56Or is it like we saw them out with someone else?
45:01Yeah.
45:02You found things you don't want to see.
45:03You know what I mean?
45:04Yeah.
45:05And what we saw was Mark Vientos.
45:08On that note, don't let the Mets tease you anymore.
45:12We'll see.
45:12Let us know what you think in the comments.
45:13Do you believe in this 7 out of 10 stretch by the Mets?
45:17Or are you like myself and Andrew, where you need to see more?
45:20You need the Mets to treat you right.
45:22This is what we do here on Straight Outta Flushing.
45:24We want to make sure the Mets treat you right.
45:26Check out my guy, Andrew Claudio.
45:27Does a great job hosting Just Mets.
45:30Check out their great podcast covering the Mets.
45:32You can also check him out on Knicks Film School, where hopefully the next time I see Andrew,
45:38he will not say the Knicks have teased him.
45:40They will have shown him all the love by winning a championship, and we'll see how that goes.
45:45Andrew, I appreciate you always rocking with me on Straight Outta Flushing.
45:48Thank you, man.
45:49As always, Dex.
45:50Good to see you.
45:51Always good to see you.
45:52And as everybody, let us know in the comments again what you think about the Mets.
45:55We'll catch you next time, another edition of Straight Outta Flushing.
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