The high-octane, high-upside and high-risk righty bounced back from a poor Mets debut — after a disastrous 2023 with the Yankees — in a solid second start of the season.
Severino allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits and two walks in five innings in which he punched out seven, typically on four-seamers that he repeatedly turned to as he challenged Reds batters.
Luis Severino allowed two runs in five innings in the Mets’ 9-6 loss to the Reds. Getty Images
Severino retired nine straight Reds from the second through the fifth and did not allow mistakes made behind him to swell in what became a 9-6 loss at Great American Ball Park.
“He was more aggressive, fastball had life and he was a lot better,” manager Carlos Mendoza said of Severino, who had allowed six runs in five innings in a debut loss to the Brewers. “They ran his pitch count up. Gave us five innings, gave us an opportunity to win the game.”
Cincinnati only scored against Severino in the second inning, when first Severino’s defense then his control let him down.
Jeimer Candelario hit what would have been a deep fly out to left, but Tyrone Taylor slipped on the warning track, turning it into a double.
With one out and Candelario on third, Elly De La Cruz smacked a grounder to second, and Jeff McNeil tried to charge the ball and throw home — but the ball skipped past him, a run scoring on a slip and a slip-up.
Luis Severino Albert Cesare/The Enquirer/USA TODAY NETWORK
Severino then couldn’t find the strike zone, eventually issuing a bases-loaded walk to Jonathan India.
But he met with catcher Omar Narvaez on the mound before facing Will Benson with the bases loaded.
“Let’s use that pitch,” Severino told Narvaez of his four-seamer.
Benson swung at four fastballs and missed three times for an inning-ending strikeout.
That served as a turning point for Severino, kept turning to heat that maxed out at 98.4 mph.
The Reds couldn’t catch up, which was an early sign of progress from a pitcher who contains a higher ceiling than any other Mets starter.
Perhaps he found a way to become the Severino who was so dominant years ago in pinstripes.
“I think last [start] it was not that true fastball, it was not hopping at the end,” Severino said.
A somewhat-forgotten Mets pitcher is getting closer to becoming an option.
Max Kranick was on the outskirts of the competition for fifth starter once Kodai Senga went down, only to be sidelined himself by a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in late February that knocked him out for the rest of camp.
Max Kranick throws a pitch during a Mets’ spring training game. Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
Kranick, a 26-year-old who was claimed from the Pirates this offseason, has been facing hitters in live batting practices in Port St. Lucie and is close to beginning a rehab assignment, likely this week.
“He’s progressing well,” Mendoza said.
Kranick made 11 starts with Pittsburgh in 2021-22 before he needed Tommy John surgery in June 2022, forcing him to miss much of last season, too.
The Mets saw something in the righty, who made one Grapefruit League start (throwing two scoreless innings) before his hamstring became a problem.
The Mets, who just signed Julio Teheran to be their fifth starter because not just Senga but Tylor Megill have gone down, will welcome any depth options they can find.
Brandon Nimmo, who sat Friday with a tight hamstring, returned to the lineup but as designated hitter and went 2-for-4 with a walk. Mendoza said Nimmo could play the outfield if needed, though it was not needed.
Sean Reid-Foley, who was placed on the 15-day injured list just before the season started with a right shoulder impingement, received a shot “a few days ago,” Mendoza said, and had been shut down for three days.
“He should be ramping up here pretty soon,” Mendoza said of the righty reliever.
Francisco Alvarez, who started in one end of Thursday’s doubleheader, caught the final few innings of the other and played Friday, was out of the starting lineup Saturday.
The Mets are in a stretch of 15 games in 14 days and do not want to overwork Alvarez.
Omar Narvaez got the start and had a strong offensive game.
Mendoza said Alvarez will play Sunday afternoon in a better matchup for the righty slugger against lefty Andrew Abbott.
J.D. Martinez was expected to serve as DH for a second straight day with Low-A St. Lucie.
Mendoza said Martinez “came out fine” following his 0-for-4-with-a-walk day Friday.
Mets fans clamoring for a look at the future will get their wish Sunday from Francisco Alvarez.
Called up from Triple-A on Friday, Alvarez is expected to be the starting catcher Sunday against the Marlins, manager Buck Showalter revealed Saturday before Tomas Nido made his second straight start behind the plate.
Alvarez made his MLB debut last September during the thick of a division title race and hit 5-for-14 over five games while catching 13 innings.
Regarded as the Mets’ top prospect by Baseball America entering each of the last three seasons, Alvarez didn’t make the cut out of spring training after hitting .107 in 28 at-bats.
But he didn’t have to idle long because Omar Navarez suffered a medium-to-high-grade strain of his left calf that typically requires a recovery of at least eight weeks.
Carlos Carrasco is scheduled to pitch to Alvarez.
Navarez’s injury takes away the luxury of matching up Alvarez with pitchers he might be more comfortable with than others after spring training.
“At some point, they have to be comfortable with you and you have to get comfortable with them, and there’s only one way to do that,” manager Buck Showalter said. “All the guys have no problem throwing to him. In fact, they embrace it.”
There is no question Alvarez’s bat can help the weak bottom half of the Mets’ lineup, but Showalter is hesitant to put both catchers in the lineup by DH-ing Alvarez.
Francisco AlvarezDiamond Images/Getty Images
Alvarez’s challenge will be handling a MLB pitching staff.
“You can tell he’s very much into [that] part of the game,” Showalter said. “He knows that’s something he has to be good at. He chased it from the first day of spring, making pitchers confident with him. If they see you are preparing for their outing, it means a lot to them. It’s more than just hitting.”
Mark Canha made his 59th career start – but first since Sept. 23, 2020 with the Athletics – at first base Saturday against the Marlins.
The every-day left fielder played one inning there last season, per Baseball Reference, but re-sharpened his skills with infield coach Joey Cora during spring training.
Mark CanhaMLB Photos via Getty Images
“This is not something new and experimental,” Showalter said. “We knew this might be coming.”
Canha’s versatility allowed the Mets to cut backup first baseman Darin Ruf at the end of camp.
The lineup change created a half-day-off for Pete Alonso (designated hitter) and allowed Tommy Pham (.308) to slide in for Daniel Vogelbach (.231).
It also takes some outfield wear-and-tear off of Canha’s body after he was hit in the calf by a pitch Friday.
“It’s good to be able to give Pete a day: He’ll never admit it, but he’s going to need it here and there,” Showalter said. “[Canha] is a very athletic guy – same reason why we felt comfortable playing him at third base some last year. He doesn’t look at a place he doesn’t play every day as a reason not to be good at it. Mark wants it.”
Tylor Megill was struck in the leg by a comebacker in Friday’s start.
He stayed in the game. Any day-after concern?
Tylor MegillGetty Images
“So far, so good,” Showalter said of the message from the trainers. “I don’t think it’s going to be an issue for his next start. I’m trying to maneuver some things with the rotation to make sure everybody gets the proper rest.”
The plan was to examine Megill on Saturday before deciding if further imaging is needed, Showalter said.
Major League Baseball had the best laboratory to test potential new rules: the minor leagues. And the league used the minors to do just that the past few seasons.
MLB officials could take a pitch clock or larger bases or elimination of extreme shifts out for a test drive not only with high-level competition, but also with the best of the players and umpires gaining experience under those edicts to carry with them to the majors if the rules changed there (as they did for this season).
Quirks could be worked out. Rough edges refined. Anecdotal information gathered. It all has helped a transition that — to date — is meeting with near universal approval, especially for playing games quicker with less dead time.
But nothing comes without unintended consequences. In part, not everything in the minors could mimic the majors, especially when it comes to pitchers.
Notably the pitchers are younger by a large degree in the minors. They are not asked to carry as great a workload, either in games or over the season. The crowds are not as big. The media contingents that cover them are not as large or as intense. And the priority is development, not winning.
This has stood out early if you are watching the Mets, possessors of the oldest pitching staff in the majors (average age 32.2), and their few early season tussles with the pitch clock. Max Scherzer, mad scientist and ace, has been trying to figure out whether to go quick or slow and when, and he has yet to find peace two starts into his season. Carlos Carrasco not only had two violations for taking too long to deliver a pitch, but also his velocity dipped significantly during his start.
Mets starting pitcher Max Scherzer throws in the first inning of a Spring Training game against the Washington Nationals.Corey Sipkin for NY Post
One expected consequence of the pitch clock was that by having to be in a delivery within 15 seconds with no runners on base and 20 seconds with runners on, pitchers would have to be in better cardiovascular shape to throw with less rest in between. But the Mets theorize that the 36-year-old Carrasco lost velocity not because of the short recovery time between pitches, but rather due to a shorter time between innings: notably that Carrasco had a long inning on the mound, then a shorter rest than in the past due to how quickly 1-2-3 innings now go, followed by another long pitching inning.
“In the past when a pitcher had a taxing inning, we could stall on offense,” one top NL executive said. “I would think this will take its toll on pitcher endurance.”
But is that just in games? Or the season? Again, starters, in particular, are asked to work longer than in the minors, and to throw more innings. The better prospects in the minors, in particular, are going to be limited in their pitch counts and innings.
That led another NL executive to wonder: “What is the pitching going to look like in July and August? How many pitchers are we going to need [over the season]?”
During the past two seasons MLB already set records for pitchers used — 909 in 2021 and 871 last year (that includes position players deployed to pitch). This year, there already were 403 pitchers used entering the weekend — 10 more than were used by all 26 teams in 1984.
“As much as we prepared in spring training, there is nothing like when you turn the lights on [to an MLB season] and there’s 50,000 people in the stands and the adrenaline is for real and you reach for that extra gear,” Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner said. “I think we are still learning. As much as the minors leagues showed us, that is only to a point. There is going to be an adjustment period, and I think we will adjust. But I do think we are trying to figure out what are the best practices.”
MLB also has asked for patience. League officials understood that younger pitchers who worked under many of these rules in the minors would be better situated early, but that the best players in the world would adapt with time. But the flip side is that veterans have become veterans by developing habits and rhythms that are not quite as entrenched with minor leaguers. As Hefner said, “Some guys have been doing it for 15 years a particular way.”
Carlos Carrasco struggled with the pitch clock in his first outing. AP
Hefner has more of these types than anyone. Carrasco, Scherzer, David Robertson, Brooks Raley, Adam Ottavino, Tommy Hunter and, coming soon, Justin Verlander are all 35 or older. Jose Quintana, who may return around midseason, is 34. That group had appeared in 3,486 major league games, made 1,513 starts and thrown 11,436 innings before this year without the new rules.
Hefner wondered if the way to adapt might include starting every fourth day, but throwing less, or being part of a six-man rotation to create more rest, or doing nothing at all.
Relief pitcher Adam Ottavino throws a pitch during the 7th inning of the Mets’ Opening Day.Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“We want to win ballgames,” Hefner said. “We want to put our players in the best position to be successful, and whatever that looks like, we will do. So we are just thinking about every option possible that might be a solution to this — and maybe doing nothing because we will adapt in a few weeks and this will feel normal again.
“There is going to be a balance of the 1,000-foot view and the 30,000-foot view — the micro and the macro. You talk about what’s going on if you need to make changes while you keep a long view of your whole season and what your goals are.”
MIAMI — Some things thought of while wondering why the replay man keeps getting it wrong, and sometimes also takes forever before dispending his/her misjudgment.
Pete Alonso may or may not be the Mets’ best all-around player. But he has to be their most indispensable player.
Alonso was walked his first two times up Saturday, which might have something to do with Marlins starter Edward Cabrera not having much clue about the strike zone early. Or maybe it was because Cabrera knew better than to let Alonso beat him. Alonso avoidance should be the goal of every pitcher facing the Mets.
“I can’t worry if they’re trying to avoid me,” Alonso said after his double accounted for the go-ahead run in the Mets’ 6-2 victory over the Marlins. “I just try to focus on getting a ball in my area, and if it’s in my area, I try to capitalize.”
Given his first chance of the day, Alonso drove a slider from Marlins lefty reliever Andrew Nardi into the left field corner to drive home good friend Jeff McNeil and put the Mets ahead for good. He led the majors in RBIs last year (tied with the amazing Aaron Judge) when he had a quality, and diverse lineup but no other bona fide sluggers around him, and he may be on his way to repeating in a similar situation.
Steve Cohen obviously came close to acquiring superstar Carlos Correa for $315 million before an issue with his ankle caused the Mets to kill that deal. So Alonso is back in the same spot as the lone true middle-of-the-order banger.
Mets first baseman Pete AlonsoUSA TODAY Sports
Alonso is known for being at his best in Home Run Derbies, when the pitcher is trying to serve it up to him (Ex-Mets coach Dave Jauss is the favored specialist for that). But he’s perfectly adept when pitchers are doing everything they can to make sure he doesn’t beat them, too.
Starter Tylor Megill’s specialty seems to be filling in for a legend. This time it was Cooperstown-bound Justin Verlander, who was out of action with a low-grade strain of the teres major muscle (armpit area), and Megill came up with his second-most important win of his career, surviving five solid innings. Last year while filling in for Cooperstown-bound Max Scherzer on Opening Day, Megill threw five shutout innings at Washington, winning 5-1.
Megill denied replacing a legend is his specialty. He said, “It’s not like I’m trying to fill his shoes, I’m just trying to fill his spot.”
Brooks Raley is quite a weapon out of the bullpen. When the Mets acquired him at the winter meetings, few noticed. That may be because superstars were coming off the board left and right — some to the Mets, who signed Verlander at the meetings, and re-signed Brandon Nimmo just after the meetings.
Anyway, Raley looks outstanding for the Mets. I can see why they acquired him. And I can see why they pulled him from the World Baseball Classic at the slightest hint of a hamstring issue.
If he was ever really hurt, he clearly is not now. He looked dominant in his first Mets outing, then came in to get the key out Saturday, inducing Jazz Chisholm Jr. to ground out to second base as the potential tying runner in the seventh.
“He comes in, throws strikes and has multiple weapons,” Showalter said. “It’s a good addition for us.”
Frankly it’s just nice to see the Mets employing a competent lefty out of the pen after enduring the Joely Rodriguez Era.
It might be time to start worrying about Eduardo Escobar, who had a .286 OPS in spring and looks about the same at the start of the season.
“[The Mets] are giving up way too many outs before the game even starts,” a scout said.
Mark Canha USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The Mets are concerned about Escobar, but they say they will give him more time. Really, there’s little choice. Though Brett Baty, the No. 21 prospect in MLB, had a big game yesterday, he needs more seasoning. Only prodigies like Nolan Arenado and Manny Machado skip Triple-A entirely. The likes of Ronald Acuna Jr., Yordan Alvarez and Kris Bryant all had hundreds of Triple-A at-bats before their call-ups.
I don’t get the point of replays when they refuse to overturn wrong calls. Marlins first baseman Garrett Cooper clearly appeared to come off the bag while reaching for third baseman Jean Segura’s throw, seeming to allow Alonso to reach safely.
“I saw it that way too,” Showalter said. “That’s another one where I guess in their mind there wasn’t enough to overturn it.”
The replay official somehow stuck with the out call. That’s two days in a row that happened. On Friday, Nimmo appeared safe at first on a ground ball to shortstop, but after an interminable delay, the umpires announced the call would stand. It’s to the point where we wonder if replay officials don’t want to offend the umpires.
I love all the new rules. But here’s a rule they might consider: Overturn calls that are very likely wrong. Don’t worry about offending the umpire. They know they are just guessing on bang-bang plays, anyway. Or should know.
Brett Baty, who had a solid spring training offensively, is still fighting for a future Mets roster spot, put on an offensive show on Saturday in Syracuse’s 16-6 blowout win over the Worcester Red Sox.
In the top of the sixth inning, Baty, a third baseman, came up to bat with bases loaded against two outs and a 1-2 pitch count, and hit one in deep left field for a grand slam to give Syracuse a whopping 13-3 lead.
The 23-year-old from Texas had a monster day thus far, going 4-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs.
Baty was also dominant on the defensive side of the field, robbing Enmanuel Valdez on a line-drive between second and third base with a diving catch in the bottom of the first inning.
Despite his good spring training, Baty and Mark Vientos were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse a week ago among a wave of roster moves before the start of the season.
Bretty Baty hitting his second home run — a grand slam — against the Worcester Red Sox.Twitter
Baty took advantage of the extended time he had with the Mets while Eduardo Escobar was playing in the World Baseball Classic, recording a .325/.460/.425 slash line paired with three homers and seven RBIs.
Last season, Baty played 11 major league games after Escobar’s injury and before one of his own — a torn thumb ligament — that ended his season only after 38 at bats.
“[Baty] started off well for us, he tailed off, but it bodes well for us down the line,” manager Buck Showalter said. “He really showed that his defense has a chance to be up to par.”
Brett Baty throws the ball to first against the Nationals during the second inning at Clover Park. USA TODAY Sports
Baty has spent three years in the minor leagues since graduating from Lake Travis High School, tallying 255 hits, 38 home runs, 149 RBIs, .289 batting average, and .390 on-base percentage.
MIAMI — Tylor Megill was playing catch to prepare for his scheduled Opening Day start with Triple-A Syracuse when he received the unexpected message from members of the coaching staff: He was headed back to the Mets.
And so, only three days after saying goodbyes to teammates in Port St. Lucie, the right-hander flew into South Florida on Thursday night with another opportunity.
Megill is the rotation replacement for Justin Verlander, who was placed on the 15-day injured list after he was diagnosed with a low-grade strain, near his right armpit, of the teres major muscle.
The Mets co-ace is expected to continue playing catch and will be reevaluated this week — he likely will skip the Mets’ trip to Milwaukee and return ahead of the team to New York, according to manager Buck Showalter.
Megill will receive his first opportunity on Saturday, against the Marlins. In taking Verlander’s rotation spot, he also lines up to pitch Thursday’s home opener, also against the Marlins.
Tylor MegillAP
“You have a lot of emotions and whatnot,” Megill said Friday before the Mets’ 2-1 loss to the Marlins at loanDepot park. “But things don’t change. You come up here and compete and do to the best of your capabilities.”
The Mets didn’t see the best version of Megill late in spring training as he struggled with his command while battling David Peterson for a rotation spot.
Peterson won the job created by Jose Quintana’s absence, as the left-hander recovers from rib surgery that will keep him sidelined for at least half the season.
“In [Megill’s] situation, he was doing some things to try to make the club,” Showalter said. “I think now that he’s here and he’s going to get a chance to pitch … it’s harder to stay here than it is to get here. He’s very mature about it, him and [Peterson] both. They understand what we’re trying to do and where we are and what they need to do for us to be successful.
“[Megill] approached it a little different than say Max [Scherzer] or Justin did, and rightfully so. He’s working on some things, but when the game starts he got out of sync a little command wise, which is not him, but he showed enough. I thought he had a real good couple of first outings and then some of the command got away from him a little bit at the end.”
Last season Megill was the Mets’ Opening Day starter and pitched to a 1.93 ERA in his first five starts.
But Megill sustained a lat strain that sidelined him and after his return was diagnosed with a shoulder impingement that kept him on the IL into September.
Upon his return he was used from the bullpen.
Showalter was pleased with the rotation depth the Mets had to begin camp with Peterson and Megill on standby, but now the realization has hit that the team is one starting pitching injury away from going with a less-tested option such as Joey Lucchesi or Jose Butto.
Tylor MegillAP
The team also recently signed Dylan Bundy to a minor-league contract and is stretching him out in extended spring training.
Megill reported to camp noticeably leaner this year because of the added cardiovascular stress he would face dealing with the pitch clock.
Pitching coach Jeremy Hefner has surmised that Megill’s weight loss might have been responsible for some of his command issues this spring as he learned to pitch in his new body.
And Megill said he is hopeful that pitching in a game that counts might give him a boost.
“It’s really the emotions, the adrenaline, just go out there and compete,” Megill said. “I don’t really think about my effort level. I just go at them with all the intensity that I can.”
MIAMI — Max Scherzer threw 100 pitches in his final spring training appearance with the idea it would leave him strong for the later innings in his Opening Day start.
“Unfortunately I gave up a couple of hits and I didn’t finish the game strong,” Scherzer said Thursday after the Mets’ 5-3 victory over the Marlins.
Scherzer rolled into the sixth inning, but surrendered doubles to Jacob Stallings and Luis Arraez that gave the Marlins their first run.
Then, with two outs, Garrett Cooper launched a two-run homer that tied the game.
The Mets regained the lead in their next at-bat and never relinquished it, giving Scherzer the win in his first Opening Day appearance for the Mets.
Max Scherzer of the Mets delivers a pitch against the Marlins during the Mets’ 5-3 Opening Day win.Getty Images
The right-hander became the first pitcher to start an Opening Day game for and against the Mets, whom he faced with the Nationals in 2015 and ’19 openers.
Overall he lasted six innings and allowed three earned runs on four hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
“Overall, pretty good,” Scherzer said. “I was executing pitches all day long. I ran into a little trouble there in the sixth, but the guys battled all day. I was getting run support.”
MIAMI — Omar Narvaez was behind the plate for three of Max Scherzer’s starts this spring and liked the chemistry that was quick to develop between them.
“I know he likes to call some pitches, but I felt even when he was calling his pitches I was right on it with him,” Narvaez said Wednesday after a Mets workout at loanDepot park.
Scherzer is among the pitchers this spring who wore the PitchCom on his glove, allowing him to signal pitches to the catcher when needed, an added option this season with the pitch clock.
Narvaez, a free-agent signing in the offseason, will be behind the plate for Thursday’s opener. Buck Showalter had the option of starting Narvaez or Tomas Nido, whose right-handed bat might not have been preferable against Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara.
“Max doesn’t care, and if he did both these guys he’s comfortable throwing to,” Showalter said. “That worked out well this spring, so you can see why both of them are ranked so high in catching. That is something we feel we have improved in.”
Max Scherzer talks strategy with Omar Narvaez earlier in spring training.Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Elieser Hernandez will begin the season on the injured list with a right shoulder strain, according to general manager Billy Eppler.
The right-hander, who arrived in an offseason trade with the Marlins, was shaky in spring training as the Mets considered him for the bullpen and as potential rotation depth. Hernandez has been playing catch.
Eppler didn’t officially announce the Opening Day roster — the Mets have until noon on Thursday — but acknowledged the Mets aren’t bringing a taxi squad to Miami.
Those who were with the team Wednesday (meaning they will be placed on the Opening Day roster) included relievers Dennis Santana and Stephen Nogosek for the final two bullpen openings.
Bryce Montes de Oca was set to undergo surgery on his right elbow to remove loose bodies, according to Eppler.
The right-hander was sidelined midway in spring training with discomfort in his forearm.
The Mets have not divulged a timetable for his return to the mound.
The Mets have won five of their last six season openers and 13 of their last 17.
Their .656 winning percentage on Opening Day is the best among major league teams.
The Mets lost their first eight openers and have posted a 40-13 record on Opening Day since then.
Scherzer will become the first pitcher to start for and against the Mets on Opening Day.
The right-hander was the Nationals’ starting pitcher for the 2015 and ’19 season openers against the Mets.
We know who has earned jobs in February and March. Soon we will learn how tenuous those jobs can be for players desperately clutching onto roster spots in April and May.
The Yankees and Mets are leaving sunny camps in Tampa and Port St. Lucie, respectively, but a handful of players will bring especially hot seats wherever they go.
Among Yankees and Mets, who will feel the most pressure to perform as soon as the regular season begins this week?
Josh Donaldson: At 37, he is on a quest to prove he still has more in the tank. If he doesn’t, Yankees fans who no longer have Joey Gallo around as a piñata will find the next outlet for their frustration.
Josh Donaldson has tried to retool his swing after striking out in 27.1 percent of his plate appearances last season.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Here are Donaldson’s OPS numbers the past four seasons — see if you notice a trend:
2019: .900 2020: .842 2021: .827 2022: .682
Last year, he played excellent defense at third base, but his bat never got going. It is possible the 2015 MVP simply does not have the bat speed any longer, but the early returns for what Donaldson hopes will be a bounce-back season have shown some hope.
Donaldson has demonstrated solid punch in the Grapefruit League, with four home runs in 15 games. Donaldson retooled his swing in the offseason, and appears to have a less dramatic leg lift, perhaps a concession that he needs to get his bat off his shoulders sooner.
And he will need to hit soon. If he is batting .200 without much power in mid-May, the Yankees could make DJ LeMahieu their everyday third baseman.
Aaron Hicks: Another possible heir to the dreaded Gallo throne. Hicks’ ninth season in The Bronx will be a pivotal one. The longest-tenured Yankee has been a mess at the plate (and occasionally in the field) the past two seasons: He has played a combined 162 games, hit .211 and knocked 12 home runs. His power and his on-base proclivities have abandoned him.
Oswaldo Cabrera will start the season as the Yankees’ primary utility man, but could find himself with a regular outfield role should Aaron Hicks falter.USA TODAY Sports
At 33, the outfielder will try to show that after his 2021 season was ruined by a wrist injury, 2022 was an aberration. Hicks, feeling healthy, is the likely Opening Day left fielder, and should see time in center, too, with Harrison Bader out for at least a few weeks to open the season.
If Hicks does not hit, the boos would arrive quickly. His competition will include fan favorite Oswaldo Cabrera and a fourth outfielder — the winner of a late roster battle among Estevan Florial, Willie Calhoun and Rafael Ortega.
Gleyber Torres: The second baseman is 26, a two-time All-Star and coming off a solid season in which he drilled 24 home runs and posted a .761 OPS. He is probably the fourth-best hitter on a very good hitting team.
With an infield deep in players and prospects, the Yankees might find Gleyber Torres is more useful in a trade than on the field.Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
But Torres has grown into a solid major leaguer rather than a superstar, and the Yankees’ infield depth could prompt some difficult decisions. If Donaldson hits, where would LeMahieu’s at-bats come? If Oswald Peraza tears up Triple-A pitching, would the Yankees find a spot for the 22-year-old at the big-league level?
The Yankees have plenty of infielders, and Torres would have a trade market if the Yankees decide to cash him in.
Eduardo Escobar: The Mets’ version of Torres. Escobar is a fine major leaguer — even with his struggles last season, his 106 OPS+ indicates he was 6 percent better than the average hitter — but the options behind him offer more upside.
After hitting .325 this spring, Mets third-base prospect Brett Baty may not be in Triple-A for long.AP
Brett Baty, who is the future at third base in Queens, hit .325 this spring before getting sent to minor league camp. Mark Vientos will try to show at Triple-A Syracuse that he can be a major league defender somewhere — whether at an infield corner or in left field — after a loud Grapefruit League season in which he hit everything hard.
Escobar, who was nearly replaced by Carlos Correa, will hear the footsteps if he doesn’t hit immediately. He struggled the first few months of last season before a torrid September buoyed his numbers. In the Grapefruit League, the 34-year-old is hitting .118.
Tommy Pham: Ruf was designated for assignment, which made Pham a contender for plenty of DH at-bats against opposing lefties and a contender to absorb the boos that would have been directed at Ruf.
Tommy Pham appears to be in line for DH at-bats against lefty pitchers, as well as being deployed by Buck Showalter as a fourth outfielder.Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Like Ruf, Pham is on the older side (35) and arrived in Queens with a history of hitting southpaws well (a .784 OPS against lefties last season). And like Ruf, Pham has had a poor spring, batting just 7-for-45 (.156) with a double as the only extra-base hit.
Unlike Ruf, Pham can play a decent corner-outfield spot and thus is a bit more valuable. But if he does not swing well quickly, the shouts would get louder that Vientos can handle left field and, more notably, can manhandle lefty pitching.
Julius Randle added 26 points, RJ Barrett finished with 19 and Mitchell Robinson contributed a few ferocious blocks to stop the Rockets, who were blown away in the second half and look fully ready for their shot at Victor Wembanyama.
Immanuel Quickley had tongues wagging with a 40-point outburst in the Knicks’ no-fuss win over the Rockets.Getty Images
The fifth-place Knicks (43-33) moved 2 ½ games up on the idle Nets and Heat, and the Heat (after playing Tuesday night in Toronto) invade the Garden on Wednesday.
If the Knicks beat Miami, they not would only gain further separation, but would take the season series, which would be the first tiebreaker in the case of a tie.
And while it’s too soon for the Knicks to look ahead to Friday, it’s never too soon for us: Tom Thibodeau’s team will head to Cleveland to face off against the current No. 4 seed, with Donovan Mitchell & Co. likely awaiting the Knicks in the first round.
The best player in the sport against the best team in the sport.
Friday night box office at the Final Four.
West Des Moines’ Caitlin Clark led Iowa to its first national semifinal in nearly 30 years with a logo-3-draining, dime-dropping, crowd-hyping 41-point triple-double Sunday night — the first NCAA Tournament triple-double of 30 or more, women’s or men’s — that would be called bravura if it weren’t nearly routine for college basketball’s marquee attraction.
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark left little doubt she is the biggest star on the college basketball stage with a 41-point triple-double to get the Hawkeyes into the Final Four.USA TODAY Sports
And standing in her way now is juggernaut South Carolina, the undefeated (36-0) defending national champions who won their 42nd game in a row by dispatching Maryland, 86-75, in the Elite Eight on Monday night.
(What, you didn’t think we were talking about San Diego State or something ridiculous like that?)
South Carolina’s size, rebounding and defense tend to grind opponents to dust, and Dawn Staley has a roster so deep, her second five probably would have made the Sweet 16.
The Gamecocks have Aliyah Boston, last season’s player of year who’s ready to go No. 1 in next month’s WNBA draft. And they have Brea Beal, an All-America-caliber defender who likely will draw the Clark assignment.
But Clark is unguardable right now. She’s bending the dimensions of the game with her shooting and playmaking. She’s drawing new viewers with her hype, and living up to every bit of it.
And Friday night — at 9 p.m. (more like 9:30) on ESPN — she’ll try to pull off her more impressive feat yet by dethroning the champs.
— Jonathan Lehman
Checking the Darin Ruf trade receipts
Acquired last year in hopes he lift the Mets’ offense, Darin Ruf was released by the team Monday after hitting .152 in 28 games.Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
J.D. Davis: In 49 games with the Giants, Davis morphed back into the slugger he once was. Davis finally got consistent playing time and drilled eight home runs en route to posting an .857 OPS.
To begin this season, though, Davis will face the same problem he could not overcome with the Mets: staying ready while not in the lineup every game. The Giants are expected to start David Villar at third, LaMonte Wade Jr. at first and Joc Pederson at DH. But they expect Davis to see plenty of time against lefties and while spelling the regulars.
Thomas Szapucki: The young lefty pitched well with the Giants last season, allowing three runs in 13 ⅔ innings (1.98 ERA) out of the bullpen, but he recorded just one out in spring training. Szapucki felt arm discomfort that is being called left arm neuropathy. He is expected to see a doctor this week in St. Louis, and could need surgery to address thoracic outlet syndrome.
J.D. Davis has been a revitalized hitter in the Giants lineup, but appears slated to largely play as part of a platoon.Getty Images
LHP Nick Zwack: The lefty starter was rising through the Mets’ system — needing just four outings in Low-A St. Lucie before a promotion to High-A Brooklyn — when he was dealt. The Giants kept Zwack as a starter in High-A, and he pitched to a 3.99 ERA in 29 ⅓ innings in San Francisco’s system. In all, he struck out 132 hitters in 105 ⅔ innings last season.
RHP Carson Seymour: Like Zwack, Seymour made quick work of St. Lucie and was beginning to master High-A competition when he packed his bags. The 6-foot-6 righty with high-90s heat thrived in the Giants’ system, where he struck out 43 batters in 29 ⅓ innings, including a 6 ⅓ -inning, two-hit, 13-strikeout gem in late August. At 24, he is still a few steps from the majors, but the Giants will let him grow.
City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has joined climate advocates in pushing to change the name of the Mets’ Citi Field, claiming its namesake Citibank invests too heavily in the fossil-fuel industry.
The bank, which Williams’ office said is the second-largest fossil-fuel financier in the US, has shelled out big bucks to land the naming rights to the ballfield in Queens starting around 2009.
Williams, other Mets fans and a variety of climate activists are set to hold a press conference Tuesday at noon in City Hall Park to protest what they call the team’s “toxic contract” with the bank — a 20-year deal estimated to cost Citbank about $400 million, or $20 million annually. The opponents say they plan to launch a petition demanding team owner Steve Cohen end the relationship.
“The Public Advocate and fans will cite the bank’s role in financing polluters and profiting from climate chaos,” said a statement from Williams’ office.
Jumaane Williams will call for the Mets to abandon their contract with Citibank, which has naming rights to their field.William Farrington
The bank invested $285 billion in fossil fuels between 2016 and 2021 and is the biggest coal funder outside China and also the largest investor in fossil-fuel projects in the Amazon rainforest, according to Williams’ office.
The bank defended itself in an e-mailed statement, insisting that Citi recognizes the importance of transitioning to a low-carbon economy.
The bank added it is investing in clean-energy solutions and working with its clients — including fossil-fuel companies — “to support their efforts to decarbonize their businesses.
“Our approach reflects the need to transition while also continuing to meet global energy needs,” the statement said. “We look forward to continuing the strong relationship we have with the Mets and Citi Field.”
Representatives for the Mets did not respond to Post inquiries Monday.
Climate advocates and Mets fans will join the protest Tuesday afternoon. Getty Images Williams’ office called for Mets owner Steve Cohen to end his “toxic contract” with the bank.Getty Images Citibank has naming rights until 2028, Williams’ office said.Neil Miller
Among the climate advocates joining the protest will be Climate Organizing Hub, Climate Families NYC, New York Communities for Change and Sunrise Movement NYC, Williams’ statement said.
“New Yorkers know firsthand the impacts of climate change, from Superstorm Sandy to Hurricane Ian,” the statement said.
“New Yorkers, many of them Mets fans, are facing the brunt of climate chaos that is being financed by banks like Citi. Forty three New Yorkers died during superstorm Sandy alone, and many continue to be vulnerable to climate change.”
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