Mets Need to Right the Ship Before things get Ugly

The Mets emerge as favorites to win the National League Eastern division as they head into the 2026 season but as mood in flushing feels anything but smooth. 

After a disappointing 83-79 season that came down to the last game of the season, the Mets find themselves in-between challenging for a World Series and sinking to a below 500 record. For a team that has this high of payroll as they do, this team continues to flirt with embarrassment year after year. 

Two years ago it was a late September surge that got them into the playoffs and last year they had squandered so many opportunities that costed them playoffs. 

Do the Mets have what it takes to get back to the NLCS? Pete Alonso is a big hole to fill but Bo Bichette should fill most of that void. The other thing that needs to happen is Brett Batty needs to have a consistent season. 

Marcus Semien needs to have a .270+ batting average or at least 25 homeruns. A repeat of .230 BA with 15 homeruns would be disappointing. 

Starting pitching needs to be healthy. If all that happens, this Mets team can make the playoffs. My confidence level is at about a 5. We have seen the story unfold before. The Mets in there 65 seasons have never made the playoffs three times in a row. Which seems unfathomable considering the long list of great players on the Mets over the years.  

The other big key for the Mets is the arrival of their top prospects. Carson Benge will be in a Met uniform and hopefully starting. If Benge along with Mclean and Tong become staples in the Mets lineup, positive contributions will go a long way in getting back to the post season. 

I have the Mets going 86-76 this season and being in a wildcard series. I think they are one player a way from competing against the Dodgers. 

I still have concerns over consistency.  

Are the lack of Mid-Majors a Cause for Concern? Is there a Seeding Problem?

 Let me get this straight. A team like Miami Ohio can go undefeated during the regular season, lose in the Conference Quarterfinals and only be an 11 seed in the tournament? 

Where is the line? What if next year it's Vermont or Arkansas Pine Bluff. Will they get the same treatment? 

The two bid league feels officially dead. I feel bad for Belmont who played a harder schedule in a basketball focused conference and didn't get mentioned through out all of Champ Week because they weren't undefeated. Seems criminal. 

I'll admit that I'm in the a different side of the conversation. I think Miami Ohio deserved a 4 seed. If not, than two thirds of the NCAA is eliminated from a 1 seed just because teams refuse to play them. 

We are getting to a stage where the top 60 programs won't schedule anyone out of the the Top 60. At what point do we see a 17-15 team get in because they are in the SEC. There are good teams outside the top 6 conferences. Florida Atlantic made the Final 4 with a Net Ranking of 13 in 2023 and were giving a 9 seed. I don't think the seeding process is quite accurate. I don't even know what all the metrics really mean. 

Stephan F Austin went 28-3 during 2020. They beat Duke in Duke. If March Madness happened in 2020 Duke would have been a #1 seed. SFA an 11. 

Please make this make sense. Let's start seeding teams by record if this is what is going to happen. Maybe that will get the big boys playing fair with the underdogs. 

Right now, the system feels ruined. 

Reasons Why Seahawks Should Win Tonight

 I think the Seahawks win today, for the first time in their history they have the advantage at the QB position. Despite Drake Maye having the higher celling, as of today Sam Darnold is playing better. 

The Patriots haven't won a Super Bowl without Tom Brady and that kind of seems like the thing escaping the Pats is their Swagger that they had on the Brady teams. 

I also don't think people realize how good the Seahawks defense actually is. They gave up 38 to Tampa Bay when their team was firing on all cylinders but overall their defense has been elite. 

This will be the closest it will get for it being a home Super Bowl for Seattle. They should have the majority of fans. Will feel like payback from Super Bowl XL when the Steelers had so many fans. 

The weather got to about 47F today in the sunshine. Warm enough for shorts. I'm trying to have a healthy mindset about life. In fact, work doesn't feel like work anymore. Will be focused on a few goals soon (Knock on Wood). I know I always say that but I have dealt with a lot of bullshit over the last few years. 

Need to celebrate the little victories.  

What Will the Canucks Need in the Draft This Year?

 In my 25 years of being a Vancouver Canucks fan, I have never quite seen a year like this before. The Canucks sit 31st at the halfway mark of the season and after watching both of the games Friday and Saturday it seemed very apparent that this team struggles to score goals. 

Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk and Evander Kane are all having years slightly below expectations. Elias Pettersson has shown glimpses of getting back to a point per game but isn't quite there. 

For a team that is now 5-3-2 since the Quinn Hughes trade I start to wonder if he was bringing down the team moral. When I look at this roster it doesn't seem to be a last place roster. Perhaps, they have too many Abbotsford players in there at one time but Linus Karlson looks like a full time NHLer. 

We are missing a game changer. That might come with this years draft. I'm a Mckenna fan. I think the pain of passing on that type of player could be horrific. My friend wants Stenberg. What this draft class lacks is a Centre that can do everything. This in fact, could be the silverling if the Canucks drop in the draft lottery. Interesting note, the last time a Centre didn't go in the Top 3 you have to go back to 2002 Entry draft when Rick Nash went #1 overall. 

 Mckenna's celling is Patrick Kane where as Stenberg's comparable would be Nikita Kucherov. Great players, but you still need a Robin for every Batman. 

Tynan Lawarnce would be a great consolidation prize at #4 because your getting the first Centre off the board. Canucks are deep at Centre when healthy and Cootes arrives for good but right now they are thin.  

Interesting note, the last time a Centre didn't go in the Top 3 you have to go back to 2002 Entry draft when Rick Nash went #1 overall. 

Canucks have Petterson, Rossi, Cootes and Raty that are under contract for next year but adding a Centre wouldn't be a bad problem to have. 

The Canucks seem set with young D-men but it's hard to pass up a 6'4 defenseman. I feel confident the Canucks to pivot in whatever direction they need to depending on what happens at the lottery. 

 

Canucks Rut Might Not Be Management's Fault

 When the NHL shut down in March 2020, every organization faced uncertainty. However,  few teams were hit in the long term quite like the Vancouver Canucks. What began as a temporary global pause became a developmental setback that rippled through the roster and the organization’s competitive timeline.

For a team that was just starting to climb out of a rebuild, the lost months of growth, training, and cohesion mattered—and we’re still seeing the effects today. For instance, the remaining 14 games that were never played may have dictated which direction the Canucks would have potentially fired Jim Benning and Travis Green or those 14 games the Canucks core would have grown by leaps and bounds and clinched a playoff spot during a crucial game. 

The Bubble playoffs wasn't the same ambiance and I think the Bubble year tested the Canucks core in other ways that shouldn't have happened in normal circumstances.

For a maturing core, the timing couldn’t have been worse. Instead of accelerating into their peak years, several players were forced into maintenance mode, losing a critical summer of growth.

The 2020 playoff bubble was fun—objectively so. Thatcher Demko’s legendary performance against Vegas, Horvat's star-making moments and the team’s unexpected playoff run injected hope into a city desperate for it.

But in hindsight, the bubble created misleading evaluations.

The bubble run wasn’t a sign of sustainable success—it was an anomaly fueled by goaltending heroics and a surreal environment. COVID’s distortion of reality pushed the Canucks down a path that cost them draft picks, cap flexibility, and developmental patience.

Consequently, the Canucks made bold moves in giving up a 2021 1st round pick for current top 6 forward Connor Garland. This trade to me only made sense if they could get back to the playoffs in 2022. Otherwise, the value of the 2021 1st round pick would be more valuable. 

 Similarly, the Hrornek and Marcus Petterson deals fall into the same category. I will gladly give up a 1st round pick to be in the 2nd round Game 7 16 months later. 

 The Marcus Petterson deal remains sketchy if the team is going to be around 500. They have given up too many draft picks before and after drafting them and haven't gotten the return in production. 

A rebuild is not necessary, a Hughes trade could set this team up for years to come. They should be able to fetch four assets in return. Benning's rebuild of  1st round draft picks were Oli Juolevi, Elias Petterson, Quinn Hughes and lastly Podkolzin. They will get a framework of something like that in return. The defenseman in return wouldn't be as good as Quinn Hughes but their would a D-man coming back in return. 

This is painful, but if there is anything that I have learned about being a Canucks fan its that we always bounce back within four years. The bounce backs always seem short lived unfortunately.

Mets Open Series With Giants

 The calendar has flipped to August and the baseball season is into a crucial spot in the season. For the teams that lose out on the playoffs, they always point to the last 10 games of the season and if they go 5-5, fans will be like well they would have been in if they won two more games. 

Those two extra wins could be at any point of the season. For the Mets, who just swept the San Francisco Giants last weekend, this series has to be a series win if not a sweep. 

Here is how the Mets will bat tonight:

hitters	H-AB	HR	RBI	SB	AVG
B. NimmoLF	102-395	19	60	12	.258
F. LindorSS	107-435	20	59	17	.246
J. SotoRF	94-379	25	62	15	.248
P. Alonso1B	105-405	22	81	1	.259
S. MarteDH	50-174	4	21	5	.287
M. Vientos3B	63-269	7	31	0	.234
J. McNeil2B	56-226	9	32	2	.248
L. TorrensC	42-194	2	16	0	.216
T. TaylorCF	54-268	2	18	11	.201

I'm a bit surprised to not see Mullins in the lineup tonight just to give the Mets crowed a spark but it could be because of the left hander Robbie Ray. Fingers crossed we see a pinch hitting appearance at some point tonight. However, Mullins has hit lefties well this year. 

The Phillies host the Tigers this weekend. I'm hopeful Detroit can take at least one game from Philly. I would love to wake up on Monday morning with a 1.5 game lead. 

 It's hard being a Mets fan. Every time it seems that the Mets have turned the corner they make it hard on themselves. I still think 95 wins is about the number that will win the NL East. 

Will the Mets Grab a Bat at Trade Deadline?

 The trading deadline is today around Major League Baseball and the New York Mets have bolstered their bullpen by adding two arms in Trevor Rogers and Ryan Helsley of the St. Louis Cardinals. 

Honestly, these are decent adds but if the Mets are going to make a run at the World Series they are one impact bat away. Especially with Soto potentially injured. As good as he is, the Mets offense seems way too dormant too often this year. 

According to social media, the Mets are closing in on a deal for Cedric Mullins. Despite batting .229 this would be a welcomed addition as he does have 15 homeruns.  

Here is a look at Mets payroll right now. 

The Mets have the second highest payroll in baseball and will have flexibility to add an impact bat in the lineup in the offseason but time is ticking on this season. 

Name	Age	Yrs	Acquired	SrvTm	Agent	Contract Status	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033	2034	2035	2036	2037	2038	2039
Juan Soto	26	8	Free Agency	6.134		15 yrs/$765M (25-39)	$51.9M	$51.9M	$47.5M	$51.9M	$51.9M	$51M	$51M	$51M	$51M	$51M	$51M	$51M	$51M	$51M	$51M
Francisco Lindor	31	11	Traded	9.113	SportsMeter	10 yrs/$341M (22-31)	$34.1M	$34.1M	$34.1M	$34.1M	$34.1M	$34.1M	$34.1M	FA
Brandon Nimmo	32	10	Free Agency	8.042	CAA Sports	8 yrs/$162M (23-30)	$20.5M	$20.5M	$20.5M	$20.5M	$20.5M	$20.5M	FA
Starling Marte	36	14	Free Agency	11.162	Rep 1 Baseball	4 yrs/$78M (22-25)	$20.75M	FA
Sean Manaea	33	10	Free Agency	8.157	Boras Corporation	3 yrs/$75M (25-27)	$25M	$25M	$25M	FA
Kodai Senga	32	3	Free Agency	2.000	Wasserman	5 yrs/$75M (23-27) & 28 team option	$15M	$15M	$15M	$0 [Arb-*]	FA
Edwin Díaz	31	9	Free Agency	8.121	Wasserman	3 yrs/$64M (23-25) & 26-28 player/team option	$21.5M	$0 [FA-*]	$0 [FA-*]	$0 [FA-*]	FA
Jeff McNeil	33	8	Amateur Draft	6.069	TWC	4 yrs/$50M (23-26) & 27 team option	$15.75M	$15.75M	$2M [FA-*]	FA
Pete Alonso	30	7	Free Agency	6.000	Boras Corporation	1 yr/$30M (25) & 26 player option	$30M	$0 [FA-*]	FA
Clay Holmes	32	8	Free Agency	6.031	Wasserman	2 yrs/$26M (25-26) & 27 player option	$13M	$13M	$0 [FA-*]	FA
Frankie Montas	32	10	Free Agency	7.015	Roc Nation Sports	1 yr/$17M (25) & 26 player option	$17M	$0 [FA-*]	FA
A.J. Minter	31	9	Free Agency	6.154	Excel Sports Mana...	1 yr/$11M (25) & 26 player option	$11M	$0 [FA-*]	FA
Ryan Helsley	30	7		5.105	Wasserman	1 yr/$8.2M (25)	$8.2M	FA
Paul Blackburn	31	9	Traded	5.018	Sosnick Cobbe & K...	1 yr/$4.05M (25)	$4.05M	FA
Jesse Winker	31	9	Free Agency	7.080	Excel Sports Mana...	1 yr/$7.5M (25)	$7.5M	FA
Gregory Soto	30	7	Traded	5.102	Epitome Sports Ma...	1 yr/$5.35M (25)	$5.35M	FA
Tyler Rogers	34	7		5.034	Frontline	1 yr/$5.25M (25)	$5.25M	FA
David Peterson	29	6	Amateur Draft	4.089	CAA Sports	1 yr/$4.63M (25)	$4.62M	Arb	FA
Ryne Stanek	33	9	Free Agency	7.038	MVP Sports Group	1 yr/$4.5M (25)	$4.5M	FA
Griffin Canning	29	6	Free Agency	5.075	Wasserman	1 yr/$4.25M (25)	$4.25M	FA
Tyrone Taylor	31	7	Traded	4.093	Wasserman	1 yr/$3.03M (25)	$3.02M	Arb	FA
Jose Siri	29	5	Traded	3.015		1 yr/$2.4M (25)	$2.4M	Arb	Arb	FA
Tylor Megill	29	5	Amateur Draft	3.031	Wasserman	1 yr/$1.98M (25)	$1.98M	Arb	Arb	FA
Austin Warren	29	5	Waivers	2.135	Ballengee Group	1 yr/$785k (25)	$785k	Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Luis Torrens	29	8	Purchased	4.105	ISE Baseball	1 yr/$1.5M (25)	$1.5M	Arb	FA
Name	Age	Yrs	Acquired	SrvTm	Agent	Contract Status	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033	2034	2035	2036	2037	2038	2039
Nick Madrigal	28	5		4.087	Wasserman	1 yr/$1.35M (25)	$1.35M	Arb	FA
Julian Merryweather	33	6		4.109	Warner Sports Man...	1 yr/$1.23M (25)	$1.23M	Arb	FA
Drew Smith	31	6	Traded	6.034	SSG Baseball	1 yr/$1M (25) & 26 team option	$1M	$0 [FA-*]	FA
Chris Devenski	34	10	Free Agency	7.115	ALIGND Sports Age...		FA
Rafael Ortega	34	8	Free Agency	3.057			Arb		Arb	FA
Colin Poche	31	5	Free Agency	5.114	SSG Baseball		Arb (~$3.4M)
Brooks Raley	37	8	Free Agency	5.045	Vanguard Sports G...		Arb
Adbert Alzolay	30	6		4.050	Octagon		Arb (~$2.3M)		FA
Huascar Brazobán	35	4	Traded	2.023					Arb	Arb	FA
Richard Lovelady	29	6	Free Agency	3.008			Arb (~$900k)		Arb	FA
Pablo Reyes	31	7	Purchased	2.096			Arb		Arb	Arb	FA
José Marte	29	4		2.044			Arb		Arb	Arb	FA
José Azocar	29	4	Free Agency	2.022					Arb	Arb	FA
Oliver Ortega	28	3		2.019			Arb		Arb	Arb	FA
Max Kranick	27	3	Waivers	2.011	Ballengee Group				Arb	Arb	FA
Francisco Alvarez	23	4	Free Agency	2.006					Arb	Arb	FA
Joey Meneses	33	3		1.164					Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Reed Garrett	32	5	Waivers	1.143					Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Dedniel Núñez	29	2	Waivers--return	1.131					Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Luis Ortiz	29	5		1.103	Reynolds Sports M...		Arb		Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Mark Vientos	25	4	Amateur Draft	1.102					Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Brett Baty	25	4	Amateur Draft	1.088					Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Ronny Mauricio	24	2	Free Agency	1.031					Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Kevin Herget	34	4	Free Agency	0.102						Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
David Villar	28	4		0.162					Arb	Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Name	Age	Yrs	Acquired	SrvTm	Agent	Contract Status	2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033	2034	2035	2036	2037	2038	2039
Danny Young	31	4	Free Agency	0.160	Dynamic Sports Gr...				Arb	Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Christian Scott	26	1st	Amateur Draft	0.116						Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Ty Adcock	28	3	Waivers	0.048						Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Luis De Los Santos	27	1st		0.042						Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
Luisangel Acuña	23	2	Traded	0.016						Arb	Arb	Arb	FA
	Phil Maton buyout						$250k
Name							2025	2026	2027	2028	2029	2030	2031	2032	2033	2034	2035	2036	2037	2038	2039
Signed	Players With Guaranteed Contracts (does not include players with options)						*28	7	5	3	3	3	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Dollars Committed	Value of Guaranteed Contracts (no options are exercised and includes buyouts)						*$332.7M