Mets In The News Today
- Spring Training keeps moving: Mets edged the Blue Jays 4–3 yesterday. Cristian Pache went yard, MJ Melendez drove in a run, and the “young legs” part of camp showed up with Nick Morabito producing and flashing range.
- Tobias Myers looked like more than “depth”: 2⅓ scoreless in his Mets debut, plus buzz around new pitch shapes (splitter/slider). Translation: the org is trying to manufacture whiffs and ugly contact, not chase vibes.
- ABS challenge system, Mets edition: Mendoza basically told the league “we’re pushing the button.” Hayden Senger already stole a strikeout with a challenge, which is exactly how you stress-test a new edge.
- Injury watch (the annoying part): Vidal Bruján exited after a play at the bag led to a thumb/hand issue. Every “Day-to-day” in February turns into a roster math problem in March.
- Today’s game: Astros at Mets (1:10 PM at Clover Park). Prospect Alexander Wenninger gets the start, which is the spring-training equivalent of “let’s see what the kid’s made of.”
A Trip Around Major League Baseball
- Conforto watch: Michael Conforto is heading to Cubs camp on a minor-league deal. Baseball is a circle, sometimes it’s a flat one.
- Hoskins lands in Cleveland: Rhys Hoskins takes a minor-league deal with the Guardians, trying to play his way back into real ABs.
- ABS is already a weapon: Teams are going hard on challenges early (Red Sox approach), and the Padres even ran a perfect challenge day in a game. Spring is where the exploit gets discovered.
- Twins note: Joe Ryan’s MRI reportedly showed lower back inflammation. Not catastrophic, still not what you want on the WBC runway.
NL East News & Notes
Braves
- Chris Sale gets extended (one-year, $27M) with a club option for 2028. Atlanta is paying for dominance and praying for ligaments.
- Ronald Acuña Jr. is trending back toward the top of the order for Opening Day.
Phillies
- Top prospect Aidan Miller is dealing with back soreness early in camp.
- Pitching depth takes a hit with more “day-to-day” noise (including shoulder stuff in the pen mix).
Marlins
- Graham Pauley popped up with a forearm issue, creating early camp reps for the next man up.
- MLB’s injury/roster report has a few arms working back (including Andrew Nardi’s back/finger situation).
Nationals
- Jake Irvin’s first spring start was scoreless, yet the velocity drop is still the headline.
- Luis García Jr. and Jacob Young are on the “day-to-day” board (hamstring, wrist).
Mets History Today
- 1966: Tom Seaver signs a pro deal with the Braves that gets voided, triggering the chain reaction that lands him with the Mets. Baseball’s greatest “thank God that happened” moment.
- “Steady Eddie” day: Eddie Murray was born on Feb. 24, later spending two seasons in Queens (1992–93).
- 2010: Mets sign catcher Rod Barajas to a one-year deal.
- 1982: Former Mets catcher Gustavo Molina is born.
- 2025: Mets acquired OF Alexander Canario for cash considerations (a reminder that February is quietly transaction season).
Stats You Should Know
- Juan Soto’s target is loud, and the baseline is real: Soto said he’s trying to beat Ohtani for MVP, after a 2025 line that included a .396 OBP, 43 HR, 38 SB, and 127 walks. That profile is MVP math, not wishcasting.
- Clay Holmes’ 2025 shape matters: 165⅔ innings as a converted starter is a real workload marker. The ERA split (fast start, rougher finish) is the exact thing the Mets are trying to smooth out before the games count.
- ABS challenge rules create micro-edges: Teams get two challenges and keep them when successful. The clubs that build quick decision rules (catcher + dugout + pitcher alignment) will steal strikes and steal outs.
