The wins and losses don’t matter in spring. Breakouts, difficult days and health are the signs of a successful spring. With that as a north star, yesterday was a rough day for the Mets. A couple of hours before the game Carlos Mendoza announced that Nick Madrigal fractured his shoulder and will be out for a long time. Then he dropped that Sean Manaea is dealing with an oblique issue and will likely start the season in the IL. Then Blake Tidwell allowed three runs, including a home run over two innings. The vibes could be better!
It’s a new day in camp, and it’s a great day to get the positive vibes from the first spring training game back. Who will step up today and seize and opportunity?
Three Things To Watch For:
- Say hello to Austin Warren. The Mets selected Austin Warren off waivers in mid-January. Warren was drafted by the Angels in 2018 and made his major league debut in 2021. He was released after the 2023 season when he signed with the Giants. Since 2021 he has pitched in only 38 major league games with a 3.14 ERA, 3.91 FIP. He has a mid-80’s slider, a mid-90’s sinker, mid-90’s four seamer and a high-80’s cutter.
- The first player the Mets signed this offseason. The Mets 2024-25 offseason started with the signing of Chris Devenski on a minor league deal with an invitation to major league camp. The Mets are hoping to get the Chris Devenski from early in his career. Over his first two seasons (2016, 2017) he had a 4.6 WAR pitching 110 games (only five starts) with a 2.38 ERA and 168 ERA+. From 2018 through last season he pitched in 193 games with a 5.42 ERA, 81 ERA+ and a -1.8 WAR.
- Spring Training Legend. The Mets will get to face a Mets spring training legend today – Luis Guillorme. Luis Guillorme is in Astros camp as a non-roster invitee trying to break camp with the team. As a member of the Mets, Luis created two memorable spring training moments. He caught a bat with one hand, like it was nothing, while standing in the dugout. He battled in a 22 pitch at-bat in another game. Last season Guillorme hit .205/.301/.273 with a 64 OPS+ between the Angels, Braves and Diamondbacks.
Let’s Go Mets!
