How are MLB’s 2025 awards races shaping up?

▪ American League: Aaron Judge may be on his way to a third MVP in four seasons. His 6.6 bWAR is one win better than Tigers ace Tarik Skubal and Mariners catcherCal Raleigh.

But Raleigh went into the weekend with seven more home runs than Judge and 10 more RBIs. Voters could give him extra credit for being a catcher and for Seattle finishing with a better record than the Yankees, if that proves to be the case.

Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals), José Ramírez (Guardians), and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays) are candidates for the top five.

Garrett Crochet likely will be the Red Sox player with the most votes unless Alex Bregman carries the team down the stretch.

▪ National League: It’s not inevitable that Shohei Ohtani will win his third MVP in a row, something that hasn’t happened since Barry Bonds won four in a row from 2001-04.

The high-caliber defense Pete Crow-Armstrong plays in center field for the Cubs had him with 6.0 bWAR going into the weekend. Ohtani was at 5.8.

Three pitchers — Cristopher Sánchez of the Phillies (5.9), Paul Skenes of the Pirates (5.7), and Zack Wheeler of the Phillies (5.1) — were all over 5.0.

But no full-time pitcher has won an MVP since Clayton Kershaw in 2014.

Ohtani pitched into the fifth inning against the Angels on Wednesday night in his 10th start of the season. He could give the Dodgers six or seven more starts before the season ends.

Shohei Ohtani is 31.Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

If Ohtani hits 50 home runs, scores 150 runs and pitches 85 innings, it would be tough for voters to deny him, as dynamic as Crow-Armstrong has been.

Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres) and Juan Soto (Mets) are among the better choices for second or third unless you are really blown away by Sánchez.

▪ American League: Skubal is a heavy favorite to repeat. He has a 2.42 ERA and 0.87 WHIP while raising his strikeouts per nine innings (11.2) since being a unanimous winner last season.

Pedro Martinez (1999-2000) is the last American League pitcher to win two Cy Youngs in a row.

Crochet, Nathan Eovaldi, Joe Ryan, and Jacob deGrom could round out the top five.

▪ National League: It’s a much better race as Sánchez, Skenes, and Wheeler are all worthy choices.

Skenes has allowed more than four earned runs once in 25 starts. He’s allowed two or fewer 20 times. Opponents have hit .197 and struck out 166 times against 36 walks.

Sánchez has had a breakout season at 28, posting a 2.45 ERA over 24 starts. Wheeler has been more overpowering, averaging 11.8 strikeouts over nine innings after finishing second to Chris Sale last season.

▪ American League: Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz is a heavy favorite. He made his debut on April 23 and had 23 homers and 62 RBIs in his first 81 games.

A platoon first baseman playing home games in a minor league park may not be an exciting choice. But a .999 OPS doesn’t lie. Roman Anthony, who debuted on June 9, looks like a solid second choice and could pass Kurtz if he carries the Red Sox into the playoffs.

Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson and Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez (one of two rookies to appear in 100 or more games) will get votes. Keep an eye on Texas righthander Jack Leiter, who has a 2.95 ERA in his last eight starts.

▪ National League: Those futures bets on Roki Sasaki aren’t looking very good. Miami DH Agustín Ramírez and Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin have been the two most productive hitters along with Milwaukee outfielder Isaac Collins.

Cubs righthander Cade Horton, who has been dominant in recent games, is the choice here to emerge as the winner. Pitching well down the stretch for a contender is a difference maker.

▪ American League: Blue Jays manager John Schneider looked like a candidate to get fired late April when Toronto lost eight of nine. Now his Jays are fighting the Tigers for the top seed in the playoffs.

You can make a good case for Joe Espada (Astros), A.J. Hinch (Tigers), or Alex Cora for second place.

Cora has done very well to keep the Red Sox afloat given their injuries, the trade of Rafael Devers and the surprising lack of reinforcements at the trade deadline.

▪ National League: Milwaukee’s Pat Murphy should win again.

The National League hasn’t had a repeat winner since Hall of Famer Bobby Cox from 2004-05. But Murphy has the Brewers on pace to win 100 games with the 11th-lowest payroll in the National League.

Murphy is a good strategist while being genuine and funny to create a winning atmosphere. At 66 it feels as if he’s just getting started.

Pat Murphy has been the Brewers' manager since 2024. — Pat Murphy has been the Brewers’ manager since 2024.Colin Hubbard/Associated Press

Deal to be made?

Beer, Bregman and what comes next

Samuel Adams started brewing “Bregman’s Beer.” It’s a citrusy pale ale, we’re told. Presumably without a hint of pine tar.

What’s next, naming a duck boat after him and making Bregman a character in the next Dennis Lehane novel?

Bregman told the Globe’s Tim Healey this past week that he will wait until after the season to discuss a new contract with the Red Sox, which means his plan is to opt out of the $41.6 million he could get in 2026.

Bregman likes the energy at Fenway Park, playing for Alex Cora, and serving as a mentor to young players. But he didn’t choose Scott Boras as his agent to make things easy. He turns 32 in March and this could be his last chance at a major deal.

It’s also likely Bregman will want a contract structured to protect him financially should games get canceled in 2027 because of labor issues.

With the team-friendly extensions the Sox have negotiated with several of their young players, there should be a path to sign Bregman.

Hopefully chief baseball officer Craig Breslow sees the value of Bregman’s off-field leadership, something that has played a major role in this team being in contention.

A few other observations on the Red Sox:

▪ The Red Sox used 43 pitchers during spring training. Payton Tolle wasn’t one of them.

The big lefthander from TCU threw on the main stadium field a few times with a gaggle of coaches and executives watching closely but played only in minor league games.

Now it’s possible he could factor into the pennant race at 22, having made his last start for Triple A Worcester.

Rosters expand from 26 to 28 on Sept. 1 with a maximum of 14 pitchers. Tolle is a good candidate to take one of those spots if only for a start or two. The other one would seem reserved for Kristian Campbell, who has hit well in recent weeks for the WooSox after initially struggling after his demotion.

▪ Red Sox first basemen have a .698 OPS. The American League average is .752. It hasn’t been a wreck since Triston Casas was lost for the season but it hasn’t been particularly good, either.

Going into the weekend, Abraham Toro has a .559 OPS since the All-Star break and is a below-average defender.

Maybe that is where Campbell fits. But an inexperienced first baseman in a pennant race seems like a big risk given the team’s defensive issues. Campbell could fit better in a utility role.

Etc.

Alonso the home run king of Queens

Pete Alonso’s home run off Atlanta’s Spencer Strider on Tuesday gave him 253 as a member of the Mets, a franchise record.

He added another off Austin Cox three innings later.

The old mark of 252 was held by Darryl Strawberry, whose last game as a Met was in 1990.

Only the Padres (187 by Manny Machado) and Diamondbacks (224 by Luis Gonzalez) have all-time leaders with fewer home runs.

Arizona came into existence in 1998. The Mets (1962) and Padres (1969) don’t have any excuses.

The leaders for home runs for one franchise are who you would expect: Hank Aaron had 733 for the Braves. Babe Ruth had 659 for the Yankees and Willie Mays hit 646 for the Giants.

Along with Alonso and Machado, the only other active franchise leader is Mike Trout (398 for the Angels). Giancarlo Stanton is Miami’s leader with 267, the last of those coming in 2017, before he was traded to the Yankees. Dan Uggla, with 154, is second.

Only 18 of the 30 franchises have Hall of Famers atop the list. For every Stan Musial or Ted Williams there is an Evan Longoria or Ryan Braun.

Williams (521) encountered a bit of a challenge from David Ortiz (483) but seems secure in the top spot for the Red Sox for a long time to come.

The active Red Sox closest to Williams are Jarren Duran (46), Triston Casas (45), and Trevor Story (39).

J.D. Martinez drove up to Tampa when the Dodgers were at Steinbrenner Field earlier this month to work with Mookie Betts, who ended July hitting .240 with a .681 OPS. They were Red Sox teammates from 2018-19, and again with the Dodgers in 2023. After spending three days with Martinez, Betts was 14 of 39 with three extra-base hits, seven RBIs and only four strikeouts over the next nine games. The team didn’t mind as Martinez is a good friend and a former pupil of Dodgers hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc. Martinez doesn’t need a job. He’s busy with his first child and fishing the waters off South Florida. He also made $154 million as a player. But some team would be wise to bring him in as a consultant or even just for spring training. He knows hitting and can skillfully communicate that knowledge … Rafael Devers made his debut at first base with the Giants on July 22. He played first in nine of the next 19 games. Devers has only been charged with one error … MLB set the dates for the postseason. The best-of-three Wild Card series are scheduled for Sept. 30-Oct. 1. The best-of-five Division Series would all start on Oct. 4 and run through Oct. 11. The ALCS starts Oct. 12 with the NLCS opening on Oct. 13. That round would be over by Oct. 21. The World Series is set to begin on Oct. 24 with Game 7 on Nov. 1, if necessary. Unlike last season, there is no provision to start the World Series earlier if the pennant winners are decided in five games … Kyle Schwarber is not yet a free agent but the recruiting has started. The Reds invited Schwarber’s father to throw out a first pitch at Great American Ball Park on Tuesday. Greg Schwarber is a retired police chief who runs the youth baseball and softball programs in Middletown, Ohio. Schwarber grew up roughly 40 miles from Cincinnati. But Dave Dombrowski is no fool. Schwarber has 173 home runs, a .350 on-base percentage, and an .856 OPS over the last four seasons in Philadelphia. He also has a .906 OPS over 69 career postseason games and is one of the best clubhouse presences in the game. The Phillies won’t let him walk away … Commissioner Rob Manfred said at the All-Star Game that there would be “a transaction” involving the Twins coming soon. That was expected to be a sale of the team. Then the Pohlad family announced on Wednesday that the team was off the market and the only change would be bringing in two minority partners. It was a decision that stunned team employees, many who were looking forward to new ownership revitalizing an organization carrying $425 million in debt. After a fire sale at the trade deadline, Minnesota now has the fourth-lowest payroll in the game, ahead of only the Nationals, Marlins, and Athletics. Average attendance at Target Field is down to 22,298, better than only five teams. “We feel we’re the right people to lead this organization, to own this franchise,” said executive chair Joe Pohlad, whose family has owned the Twins since 1984, and accomplished little in recent years. Only the Yankees, White Sox, and Phillies have longer tenures for their ownership groups … The Braves released Alex Verdugo on July 5, and he remains a free agent. The 29-year-old outfielder has a .631 OPS over 205 games since the Red Sox traded him to the Yankees … The Diamondbacks won nine of 13 and averaged 5.8 runs after trading six players off the major league roster before the trade deadline. “They fight. They go out there every single day to win a baseball game,” manger Torey Lovullo said of his players. “Things have not always gone our way, but we are continuing to play hard.” … The Angels were 6-0 against the Dodgers this season after going 5-19 against them the previous five seasons … The struggling Mets dropped once-upon-a-time Red Sox prospect Frankie Montas out of the rotation and replaced him with 24-year-old rookie Nolan McLean. Montas has appeared in only eight games and has a 6.38 ERA since agreeing to a two-year, $34 million contract … Bourne has built a Cape Cod League dynasty, winning the league for the third time in four seasons under manager Scott Landers, who coaches at SUNY Oswego. His pitching coach is Kevin Curtain of Tufts. The Braves swept Yarmouth-Dennis in the championship round, winning, 5-3 and 19-2. Gavin Kelly (West Virginia) drove in six runs in the clincher. He doubled twice and homered. Lefty Folger Boaz (North Carolina) went six innings in the final game and allowed one earned run … The 31st annual Old-Time Baseball Game will be Wednesday at 7 p.m., at St. Peter’s Field in Cambridge. The game, organized by The Athletic’s Steve Buckley, features college and high school players from the Boston area wearing replica throwback uniforms dating to 1890. Brock Holt is expected to be on hand. Proceeds benefit The Boston Home, a non-profit residence for adults with neurological disorders. Red Sox vice president Gus Quattlebaum, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021, will be honored as part of the game. Go to oldtimebaseball.com for more information … Happy birthday to Skip Lockwood, who is 79. The Roslindale native grew up in Norwood and was a star at Catholic Memorial before signing with the Kansas City Athletics in 1964, as a third baseman and making his debut in 1965, as an 18-year-old third baseman. Lockwood went to the Seattle Pilots in 1968 expansion draft as a pitcher and went on to a 12-year career that included making 24 appearances for the Red Sox in 1980. Lockwood was 57-97 with a 3.55 ERA and started 106 of he 420 games he pitched. Lockwood earned an MBA from MIT after his baseball career and was an early adopter of sports psychology, according to stories at the time.

Peter Abraham can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky at peteabeglobe.bsky.social‬.

Source link

NA ŻYWO: Iga Świątek – Marta Kostiuk w Roland Garros! Relacja i wynik live

Czterokrotna triumfatorka paryskiego Szlema imponuje od początku tegorocznej edycji. Świątek przeszła przez pierwsze trzy rundy bez straty seta, pewnie pokonując Emerson Jones, Sarę Bejlek i Magdę Linette. Jej bilans na kortach Roland Garros robi ogromne wrażenie — 42 zwycięstwa przy zaledwie trzech porażkach.

Tym razem przed Polką stanie jednak rywalka, która przeżywa najlepszy okres w swojej karierze. Marta Kostiuk wygrała już 15 meczów z rzędu na mączce, triumfując w turniejach w Rouen i Madrycie.

Historia bezpośrednich spotkań przemawia jednak zdecydowanie za Świątek. Polka wygrała trzy mecze z Kostiuk i nie przegrała żadnego. Nawet nie straciła z nią dotąd nawet seta.

Czy królowa Roland Garros potwierdzi swoją dominację w Paryżu i wykona kolejny krok w stronę wielkiego triumfu? A może rozpędzona Ukrainka sprawi jedną z największych sensacji turnieju? Zapraszamy na relację na żywo z tego hitowego starcia. Początek meczu na korcie Philippe’a-Chatriera o godz. 11:00.

<Go back

Iga Świątek

Marta Kostiuk

wAAACH5BAEKAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAICRAEAOw%3D%3D

Iga Świątek – Marta Kostiuk

Relacja na żywo

5 – 4
1. set

0 – 0
2. set

Source link

The Yankees are playing a dangerous game with Ryan Weathers

-->

Ryan Weathers has not been the Yankees‘ best starting pitcher this season, but he’s arguably been the biggest surprise. It’s now time for manager Aaron Boone and his staff to take steps to make sure Weathers can contribute to the AL East powerhouse all season long.

The big issue with Weathers during his tenure with the Marlins was never talent. It was all about availability. The 26-year-old left hander just could not stay healthy in Miami. That’s a big reason why they were willing to trade him to the Yankees for a relatively modest group of prospects back in the offseason.

New York’s bet on Weathers’ arm talent has paid off handsomely this season. He’s posted a 3.14 ERA in 10 starts and has struck out 65 hitters in 57.1 innings of work. The workload Weathers has absorbed through the first third of the season should be setting off alarm bells for higher-ups in the Bronx.

The Yankees need to send Ryan Weathers to the bullpen

Weathers has never managed to throw more than 114.2 innings in a given season. He’s on pace to blow past that mark around the All Star Break. That might help the Yankees maximize their regular season win total, but that’s not the franchise’s goal. Boone and his staff need to make sure they’re doing everything possible to maximize this roster’s chances of winning big in the playoffs.

-->

That’s why moving Weathers to the bullpen sooner, rather than later, is the right path forward for the Yankees. Admittedly, that would put more pressure on the team’s current crop of starters to continue their hot start to the 2026 season. It might also necessitate bringing Elmer Rodriguez back to the Bronx and living with any struggles he might have as the team’s fifth starter.

The flipside to that downgrade to the rotation would be a very likely boost to the bullpen’s credentials. The team’s relief corps has been a massive issue for Boone on the young season. Adding a dynamic southpaw with swing-and-miss stuff could do wonders to help New York hold leads as the regular season rolls along.

The obvious benefit for Weathers would be to slow down his workload to the point where he would stand a better chance to stay healthy for the full season and playoffs. He can reasonably be expected to exceed his previous career high of innings pitched, but doing so by 50+ innings is just asking for injury trouble.

Will the Yankees move Ryan Weathers out of the rotation?

The answer to this question is almost certainly yes. Absent another massive injury to a starter, the Yankees are the sort of forward-thinking franchise that will move to protect a talented, young arm like Weathers. The only real question is when Boone will pull the trigger on what some fans will view as a conservative decision. Weathers’ place in the starting rotation is winding down at a rapid rate.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Source link

Marlins At Mets: Bobby V And Mazzilli Enter The Mets Hall Of Fame On Saturday, With Beltrán To Follow In September

NEW YORK — The Miami Marlins (26-31) arrive at Citi Field on Friday for three games against the New York Mets (23-33) on the kind of weekend that gives a Mets fan in May reasons to look up. The franchise is inducting Lee Mazzilli and Bobby Valentine into its Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon. Carlos Beltrán, the third member of this year’s class, will have his number 15 retired and his induction ceremony in September. The first 15,000 fans through the gates Friday get a Bobby Valentine Disguise giveaway — fake mustache, glasses, the entire 1999-era bit. Fireworks Night follows Friday’s game.

Both clubs walk into Citi Field still in the conversation. The Mets are 4.5 games out of the third National League Wild Card. The Marlins are five out. The dog days of summer have not arrived. There is a full month of June ahead, then the trade deadline, then everything that comes with it. For two teams that started slow in a division that has not yet produced a runaway leader, this weekend is the kind of stretch you bank wins from while the standings are still soft.

New York Mets’ Juan Soto flips his bat after hittin a two-run home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds Tuesday, May 26, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Friday: Meyer at Peralta

Max Meyer (5-0, 2.52 ERA) takes the ball Friday night at 7:10 p.m. ET for the Marlins. Meyer is the only undefeated starter in baseball with at least eight starts. He has 68 strikeouts in 60-plus innings and a sub-2.55 ERA. Meyer threw six sharp innings in Miami’s 12-0 win over the Atlanta Braves on May 18 and has not lost a decision in 2026. He is the kind of arm a club builds around.

Freddy Peralta (3-4, 3.52 ERA) takes the ball for the Mets. The 30-year-old Dominican right-hander pitched for the Dominican Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic and has 63 strikeouts across his 11 starts. He last faced these Marlins in Miami on Saturday and lost a 1-0 pitchers’ duel that could just as easily have gone the other way. He is one of the few healthy rotation pieces the Mets have and he has been pitching like it.

Saturday: Phillips at Scott — And A Hall Of Fame Ceremony

Tyler Phillips (0-0, 1.07 ERA) starts for the Marlins on Saturday at 4:10 p.m. ET, his second career start after being stretched out from the bullpen. Phillips threw five innings last Sunday at home, allowed one earned run, and helped complete a sweep of these same Mets. The story of Phillips this month is the story of a long-relief guy quietly playing his way into a rotation spot. Christian Scott (0-0, 3.20 ERA) starts for the Mets in what is essentially his sixth professional outing — a young right-hander with real stuff and the chance to introduce himself to a national broadcast slot.

Before the first pitch, on the field, the Mets will induct Mazzilli and Valentine into the team Hall of Fame. The first 15,000 fans through the gates receive a Mazzilli/Valentine players pin. Mazzilli is going to walk out to his old position with the entire Brooklyn-Italian section of the borough cheering. Valentine is going to walk out for the first time as a Mets Hall of Famer with the franchise’s modern playoff era — the one between Davey Johnson and Terry Collins — formally recognized at last.

Sunday: Junk at McLean

Janson Junk (3-5, 4.80 ERA) gets the ball for Miami on Sunday at 1:40 p.m. ET in the series finale. Junk last pitched Wednesday in Toronto in relief and is on three days of rest in a swing-starter role. Jonah McLean (2-4, 4.40 ERA), a 26-year-old Mets right-hander with 75 strikeouts on the season, gets the start opposite him. McLean has the highest strikeout-per-nine on the Mets’ active starting staff. Junk needs the kind of grind-it-out start that Marlins fans have seen him give before. The kind that puts a weekend in motion.

FILE – Former New York Mets’ Bobby Valentine, wearing a fake moustache, reacts as he is introduced during an Old-Timers’ Day ceremony before a baseball game between the Colorado Rockies and the Mets on Aug. 27, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger, File)

The Bobby V Weekend, And What It Means

Bobby Valentine spent seven years managing the Mets from 1996 to 2002. He took the team to consecutive postseasons for the first time in franchise history. He took them to the 2000 World Series, the only Mets manager to do so between 1986 and 2015. He left with the second-most wins of any manager in team history. But the reason this Hall of Fame induction is happening this weekend, on a Marlins-Mets weekend, is what Valentine did in the ten days between September 11, 2001 and the resumption of baseball in New York City on September 21.

Shea Stadium became a staging ground for first responders headed to Ground Zero. Valentine personally fed workers at his nearby restaurant. He organized players and staffers for relief efforts. He visited Ground Zero on multiple occasions. He helped establish Tuesday’s Children, a nonprofit created to support the more than 3,000 children who lost a parent in the attacks. That organization still operates today and continues to support families almost twenty-five years later. That is the work being honored on Saturday afternoon. The 536 wins are the resume. The decade of post-9/11 community work is the reason the room will be on its feet.

New York Yankees first base coach Lee Mazzilli, left, and New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine share a laugh before Game 1 of the World Series Saturday, Oct. 21, 2000, at New York’s Yankee Stadium. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

Valentine has also been a quiet ambassador for international baseball. He managed in Japan for the Chiba Lotte Marines, winning a Japan Series in 2005 and developing a generation of Japanese players who later came to MLB. He threw out a ceremonial first pitch at a 2013 World Baseball Classic game in Fukuoka. The Mets going into the World Baseball Classic era with an open-door philosophy — Steve Cohen has consistently encouraged Mets players to represent their countries when invited, from Soto and Peralta to Brazobán and Vientos — is a continuation of a posture Valentine helped author in the franchise twenty years before the WBC even existed.

Bobby Valentine, a former manager of Boston Red Sox, throws a ceremonial first pitch at the World Baseball Classic first round game between Japan and China in Fukuoka, Japan, Sunday, March 3, 2013. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Former New York Mets’ manager Bobby Valentine, left, talks with Italy’s head coach Mike Piazza, right, prior to the quarterfinal game between Italy and Japan at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, March 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Lee Mazzilli, The Brooklyn Mets Story

Lee Mazzilli was drafted by the Mets in 1973 out of Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn. He played ten years in Queens across two stints, was a 1979 All-Star, and hit the first home run by a Met in an All-Star Game that summer in Seattle. He is the kind of player every Brooklyn family of a certain generation tells stories about. He is also, importantly for World Baseball Network’s readership, the most prominent Italian-American figure in the modern Mets canon — a Brooklyn kid, an Italian last name on the back of a Mets jersey, drafted out of a New York City public high school. The bridge between borough and franchise that the team has tried to recreate in every generation since.

New York Mets outfielder Lee Mazzilli, manager Joe Torre Listen to coach Willie Mays talk outfield. Mays and Mazzilli are arrivals at camp to work on Mazzilli’s outfield problems on Feb. 21, 1978 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (AP Photo)

Mazzilli came back for the 1986 World Series team. In Game 6 against the Boston Red Sox, with the Mets one strike from elimination, Mazzilli came off the bench in the eighth inning, walked, and scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Gary Carter. He went 2-for-3 with two runs scored across Games 6 and 7. The man on third base when Bill Buckner’s error happened was a different teammate, but the one who scored the run that *brought the Mets within one* in that inning was Lee Mazzilli of Brooklyn.

New York Mets Lee Mazzilli reacts as he crosses home plate to score the Mets’ third run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Gary Carter against the Boston Red Sox in New York, Oct. 26, 1986. The Mets went on to win the sixth game of the World Series 6-5 in 10 innings. (AP Photo/Susan Ragan)

Carlos Beltrán, The Cooperstown Clock

Carlos Beltrán is the third inductee and the one whose Cooperstown timeline is most pressing. Beltrán was 70.3 percent on the BBWAA ballot in January — short of the 75 percent needed but tracking toward induction in 2027. He is currently a Special Assistant to Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns. The Manati, Puerto Rico native ranks in the Mets’ top ten in home runs, RBI, runs scored, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. In 2006, he finished second in the National League in bWAR with 8.2 as the Mets advanced to the NLCS.

Beltrán represented Puerto Rico at multiple World Baseball Classics. He was a leader on the 2013 Team Puerto Rico that nearly won the tournament, the squad that established Puerto Rico as one of the WBC’s most dangerous countries for the rest of the decade. He is the most decorated international player to wear a Mets uniform in the franchise’s six decades.

Puerto Rico’s Carlos Beltran, right, highs five with teammates before the start of the World Baseball Classic first round game against Spain in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Friday, March 8, 2013. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton)

Beltrán has remained close to the borough his whole career. In 2009, during a rehab assignment, he played a game with the Brooklyn Cyclones in front of fans who treated it like a major-league appearance.

New York Mets’ Carlos Beltran signs autographs while on a rehab assignment with the Class A Brooklyn Cyclones in a baseball game against the Hudson Valley Renegades at KeySpan Park in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009. (AP Photo/Henny Ray Abrams)

In November 2019, he was introduced as the Mets’ manager — a job he never got to start, but a moment that signaled where the franchise was placing him in its long-term plans. He has been an organizational fixture in some form ever since. His number 15 will be retired in a September ceremony at Citi Field that will also serve as his formal Mets Hall of Fame induction.

FILE – New York Mets’ Carlos Beltran smiles during an introductory baseball news conference in New York, Nov. 4, 2019. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Three players. Three different threads. One weekend that the franchise, and its fans, get to celebrate together.

The Soto Heater

Juan Soto is on a heater. He hit his 12th home run of the season on Wednesday off Cincinnati’s Andrew Abbott. Six of his last eight hits have been home runs. He has eight home runs in his last 12 games. Only eight National League hitters have more home runs than Soto on the season, and all of them have played in at least nine more games than he has — he missed two and a half weeks in April with a right calf injury. He is hitting .301 / .392 / .594 with a .986 OPS that would lead the National League if he had enough at-bats to qualify.

In his words, he is “trying to do damage.” That has been the Mets offense for the last three weeks. Soto has accounted for nearly half of New York’s RBIs over their last eight games. The reinforcements are coming. Jared Young (Canada) was just activated off the 10-day IL. A.J. Minter is back from the 60-day. Jorge Polanco (Dominican Republic) is on a rehab assignment at Binghamton and could be back next week. Eric Wagaman homered Wednesday after being selected from Syracuse. The shape of the lineup the Marlins are facing this weekend is different from the one they swept eight days ago.

The Marlins Coming In

The Marlins enter Friday with several stories worth following. Otto Lopez (Panama, plays for Team Canada at the WBC) leads the team at .330 — a serviceable shortstop having his best month as a Major Leaguer. Xavier Edwards is hitting .306 with a .386 on-base percentage and the lowest strikeout rate of any starting infielder in the National League. Liam Hicks (Canada) has 11 home runs and 44 RBIs, still third in the National League. Owen Caissie (Canada) drove in both runs in Miami’s 2-1 win over this same Mets team last Friday. Esteury Ruiz (Dominican Republic) tripled in that one. Jakob Marsee (American-born, plays for Team Italy at the WBC) stole his 14th base of the season Tuesday in Toronto. Javier Sanoja (Venezuela) hit his first career grand slam against the Atlanta Braves on May 18. Joe Mack, the 23-year-old No. 4 organizational prospect, is in his rookie season behind the plate and has a pop time good enough that opposing dugouts have noticed.

Eleven Marlins were on 2026 World Baseball Classic rosters. Eury Pérez (Dominican Republic), Sandy Alcántara (Dominican Republic), Heriberto Hernández (Dominican Republic), Lopez, Hicks, Caissie, Ruiz, Marsee, Sanoja, plus two other names on the active roster represent six different countries.

The Mets You Are Seeing (And The Italian Thread)

The Mets carry their own international footprint. Soto (Dominican Republic). Luis Torrens (Venezuela) — likely catching multiple games this weekend. Huascar Brazobán (Dominican Republic) — Team DR alongside Peralta at the WBC. Vidal Bruján (Dominican Republic). Jonah Tong (Canada) — the 23-year-old rookie who threw three scoreless in Miami last Friday. Jonah McLean (Sunday’s starter) carries his own WBC reps. Mark Vientos (Miami-born, plays for Team Nicaragua at the WBC under Dusty Baker). Bo Bichette (West Palm Beach-born, announced he would play for Team Brazil at the WBC but withdrew before the tournament; his brother Dante Jr. played for Brazil in his place). Marcus Semien (Team USA WBC).

Steve Cohen’s posture on this has been clear from day one of his ownership: Mets players are allowed and encouraged to represent their countries at the WBC. That is how a franchise builds international depth in a sport where the talent pipeline has shifted decisively outside the United States over the last twenty years. The 2026 Mets roster has eight current contributors who wore a country’s colors at the tournament in March. That is the legacy Valentine helped author and Beltrán helped represent. World Baseball Network exists to track this.

The Italian thread runs through the building this weekend. Mazzilli is going into the Hall. Brett Baty is a Mets infielder with Italian heritage. Mark Vientos has roots in the same Italian-American baseball tradition that produced Mazzilli a generation ago. And across the diamond, Jakob Marsee (Team Italy at the 2026 WBC) is in center field for Miami. One Mets HOF inductee, one Mets infielder, one current Met from the same heritage line, and one Marlins outfielder repping Italy at the WBC — all in one ballpark on Saturday afternoon.

How To Watch

Friday May 29 · 7:10 PM ET · Meyer vs. Peralta · Marlins.TV · WPIX · Bobby Valentine Disguise (first 15,000) · Fireworks Night
Saturday May 30 · 4:10 PM ET · Phillips vs. Scott · Marlins.TV · SNY · Mets Hall of Fame Induction · Mazzilli/Valentine Players Pin (first 15,000)
Sunday May 31 · 1:40 PM ET · Junk vs. McLean · Marlins.TV · SNY
Radio: WQAM 104.3 (Miami) · WAQI 710 AM (Spanish) · Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880 AM (NY)
Streaming: MLB.TV · Fubo

The Stakes

The Marlins enter Friday three games ahead of the Mets in the NL East and five games out of the third National League Wild Card. Both clubs are still in the chase. The Mets need to take at least two of three to bank a series win going into June and a road trip through Colorado and Los Angeles. The Marlins, riding a stretch of solid baseball with Meyer pitching the way he is, want to keep stacking wins because every weekend they take from a rival is a weekend that strengthens the front office’s hand at the deadline.

Bobby V is back at Citi Field on Saturday. Beltrán is on the Cooperstown clock. Mazzilli is finally getting his moment. Soto is on a heater. Meyer is undefeated. Two teams still in the conversation in late May, playing three games in front of a fan base getting to celebrate its own history. That is what May 29-31 looks like in Queens.

First pitch Friday is 7:10. See you at the ballpark.

— MT

Source link