With or Without You | Yanks&Mets Starting Lineups | YouTube Rabbithole
Alright @YouTheReader,
Today’s Irish tune on Saint Patrick’s Day ‘24 Eve is With or Without You by U2. Full disclosure, my dad is a massive, and I mean MASSIVE, fan of U2. A lot is riding on this one, especially if I want to see my nephew and doggos. With or Without You was released on U2’s Joshua Tree album in 1987. It was the Irish band’s breakout hit in America as it soared to #1 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The introduction instrumental of this song is iconic, Bono doesn’t come in until the 27-second mark. He told the Rolling Stone, “The song is all one build to a crescendo. The song breaks open and comes down, and then comes back. Everyone in the room is, ‘OK, Edge, let’s see if you can let off some fireworks here.’ Three notes—restraint and that is the thing that rips your heart out, not the chorus.” The stone being set in her eyes means her mind has already been made up. Some say the thorn twist in your side may be a biblical reference but it could also be him describing her as a rose. That’s a bit more romantic so we’ll go with that.
Sleight of hand is used with card tricks so some illusions are out of their control (twist of fate). The bed of nails is a more clever way of saying he’s waiting on pins and needles.
I’m sure many Americans who are fans of Friends know that this song was on in the background twice. Season 2 in 1995 "The One with the List" and Season 3 in 1997 "The One Where Ross And Rachel Take A Break." This was the perfect song for the ultimate will they won’t they couple of the 90s.
Sidenote: Michael Scott also played it in The Office for a PowerPoint presentation, just not as romantic.
They weathered a storm together, but it wasn’t enough for him.
The chorus is an idiom of “can’t live with them, can’t live without”, but we all already knew that.
In a 1987 interview Bono explained these lines meant, "It's about how I feel in U2 at times - exposed. I'm not going to do many interviews this year. Because there's a cost to my personal life, and a cost to the group as well." Bono at the time of this song was 5 years into marriage as the band was taking off. He wrote in the book called U2, "I was at least two people: the person who is so responsible, protective, and loyal. And the vagrant and idler in me who just wants to run from responsibility. I thought these tensions were going to destroy me but actually, in truth, it is me. That tension, it turns out, is what makes me as an artist.”
Jeez, when you really dissect this tune it’s kinda dark about a helpless inescapable relationship, but the 80s public ate it up. Readers of Rolling Stone voted this the best single of 1987.
That said, Bono’s quotes above sorta add another layer to this song. The first verse feels the same and is about his marriage/personal life. The 2nd verse with the storm could be all the noise U2 faced before Joshua Tree and the toll it took. Joshua Tree was the band’s 5th album. While they were already massive in Ireland and the UK, U2 wasn’t the U2 we know today. The shore could be U2 finding success, but he still wants more (American market).
When you’re in a relationship you have to give yourself away such as being open, honest, and vulnerable to somebody else; so even though Bono relates these lyrics to his career, all of us listening relate these lines a bit differently.
Classic tune! Forget asking Alexa, my dad has been playing this song in the background since the days of cassette tapes.
On to the New York Baseball Preview…
Today’s Saturday Sports is the Starting Lineups for New York’s Baseball teams. The projected lineups below were based on All Gut, No Analytics. Unlike managers in today’s day in age, I don’t need some Ivy League Nerd AI ChatGPT Bot computing where a guy should hit in my hypothetical fictitious lineup. After the posted lineups below, this one is a doozy in terms of the length of each player’s profile. Again, I’m sorry folks if it’s a ton of words, but I’m trying to get a Cooperstown vote sometime this century.
Gleyber isn’t your typical leadoff hitter but is an underrated base runner who would see great pitches to hit in front of Soto. Soto and Judge you could flip-flop, but here I’m going righty-lefty as opposed to lefty-righty. Rizzo, when healthy, puts the ball in play with power. I’m giving Mike Stanton the benefit of the doubt heading into this season that he can handle the 5th-hole, but you could swap him out with DJLM if either one of them is hitting well. Verdugo could lead off if you want to put Judge in the 2-hole. Austin Wells as an 8-hitter has some serious potential. In an ideal world, Anthony Volpe has a breakout season at the dish and forces the Yanks to put him at lead-off by the time summer is in the air.
Nimmo is a big on-base guy, a solid lead-off hitter. Lindor probably won’t like hitting 2. Alonso would probably prefer to be the cleanup. McNeil works here because of the lefty-righty balance to break up between big boppers like Alonso and Alvarez. Ji-Man has a ton of experience hitting in the heart of the order of the Rays playoff teams and is a decent option to lengthen out the lineup in the 6 at this stage in his career. Marte makes a great 7-hitter. Baty has struggled but still has a ton of potential to do damage with professional hitters ahead of him on base. Queens Bader doesn’t have the same ring as Bronx Bader but putting him at 9 might motivate him a bit.
If you can’t tell, Joe Torre’s Yankee lineups of splitting up righties and lefties have massively influenced my keyboard managerial style. Balance is key.
Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Gleyber Torres found baseball as an escape from civil unrest in Venezuela. His fellow countryman, Omar Vizquel, was his favorite player growing up so he played shortstop. (Source: NJ.com) He signed as an international free agent in ‘14 with the Chicago Cubs. He never made an MLB debut with Chicago because they traded him to the NY Yankees for Aroldis Chapman the year they snapped the Curse of the Billy Goat. At 21 years old, Gleyber Torres made his Bronx Pinstripes debut. He immediately provided the team with a jolt of youthful energy which included his walk-off home run in ‘18 shown in the GIF above. In ‘18 & ‘19, Torres was an MLB All-Star as a second baseman, turning double plays with Didi Gregorius at short while he hit 62 homers combined in those two All-Star seasons. By ‘20, the Yankees decided it was time to move Gleyber Torres back to his original position of SS and let Didi walk. Gleyber struggled with the transition back to his old position as he was just settling in at 2B. This may have affected Gleyber’s hitting as his home run totals have significantly declined while he was at SS. In the past 2 seasons, he started to look like his old self as he has moved back to 2B full-time and cranked 49 homers ever since. In my opinion, the home run totals for Gleyber should be thrown out the window. He is far too good of a natural hitter to be swinging for the fences, he should be spraying the ball all over the field like he was doing in ‘18 & ’19 and the home runs will come. Last year, Torres had .347 OBP, his best full season in the Bigs. Gleyber Torres will be a free agent after this baseball season so this is a massive year for the 27-year-old Venezuelan star.
Juan Soto made his MLB Debut with the Washington Nationals as a 19-year-old in ‘18. Even as a teenager, Soto excelled in The Show as he came in 2nd place in the NL Rookie of the Year to Ronald Acuna. The Dominican star clearly recovered from his 2nd place finish by winning the World Series in ‘19. At 20 years old, Soto hit 3 homers off the Houston Astros. After 5 stellar seasons with the Nationals, the team knew they couldn’t afford to pay him so they shipped him to the West Coast in ‘22. As a Padre for the last year and a half, the lefty patient power hitter continued his dominance. Soto has led the MLB in walks for the past 3 consecutive seasons and has averaged 33 homers per 162 games played. Juan Soto has played in 9 interleague games in the Bronx. In those 9 games, he has hit 5 homers and batted .310 with a .412 on-base percentage. He even hit an opposite-field homer to left field as a rookie that I remember looked like a pop-up. Soto already mashes and is going to be scary with the Short Porch. Oh yeah, and he only JUST turned 25 years old. He’s only under contract for this upcoming season, but the Yankees just added a Hall of Famer in his prime so we’ll worry about that come next winter.
3. Aaron Judge (CF)
Week to Week Notes Projections: .285, 51 HRs, 125 RBIs
Born in Sacramento, California, where do I even begin? Aaron Judge was adopted the day after he was born by two teachers, Patty and Wayne Judge. Growing up, Aaron Judge was a huge Giants fan and got to witness the greatness of Barry Bonds. In high school, Judge was a WR on the football team (scored 17 TDs), the center of his basketball team (led his team in points with 18.2), and he played a bit of baseball too. (Source: NY Post) Notre Dame, Stanford, and UCLA recruited #99 to play TE and the Oakland A’s selected Aaron Judge in the 31st Round of the ‘10 MLB Draft, but he decided to play baseball for Fresno State. In ‘12 he won the TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby. The Yankees drafted Aaron Judge with the 32nd overall pick in the 1st Round of the ‘13 MLB Draft. The rest of this paragraph I’d already written before back when I thought he was signing with the San Francisco Giants on December 7th ‘22. I’ll be honest, the first time Aaron Judge made an appearance with the team I thought he looked like a giant goober. He got called up immediately after A-Rod was released in the 2016 season, wore the baseball pants all the way down to his cleats, and struck out 42 times in 84 at-bats (every other at-bat for those not good with quick math - I got you). He dealt with some injuries in his short stint with the ballclub in 2016 and still had Rookie Eligibility (players on Major League teams must have played at least 130 at-bats, 50 innings pitched, or 45 days on the active roster prior to September 1st). He came back a different player with a new look, socks up to his knees, and an open batting stance. He immediately got off to a hot start in the first half, hitting .329 with 30 homers and outslugged his future teammate Giancarlo Stanton in the Homerun Derby that season. He struggled some in the second half, only going yard 22 times, and was robbed from winning his first MVP award by a twerp in Houston. In 2018-2020, Judge was labeled injury-prone for missing games due to a chip fracture in his wrist (on a hit by a pitch in ‘18), an oblique strain in ‘19, and a collapsed lung in ‘20. He played in 242 games in those 3 seasons (the ‘20 season was only 60 games because of COVID), hit .274 with a .381 on-base % and 63 homers. He played through pain and never missed a single postseason game despite these injuries. In his ‘21 season, Judge proved he was able to stay healthy and put up 39 homers in a 4th-place MVP campaign. @YouTheReader we witnessed his ‘22 MVP 62-homer season so you already know the story. Last season, Aaron Judge ran through a wall to make a filthy catch against the Dodgers. He suffered a toe injury that made him miss nearly 1/3rd of the year. Judge still hit 37 dingers in 106 games. When Derek Jeter retired, I never thought the Yankees would have another Captain. Well, Aaron Judge has earned that title and he knows it is time to win some rings. How about this year he captains the team to a World Series?
4. Anthony Rizzo (1B)
Week to Week Notes Projections: .287, 28 HRs, 119 RBIs
Born in Parkland, Florida, Anthony Rizzo was selected in the 6th Round of the MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox in the ‘07 MLB Draft. Thank goodness they had no idea what they had in Rizzo so they traded for a washed-up Adrián González. As a San Diego Padre, Anthony Rizzo had a cup of coffee with the team and struggled some in The Bigs as a 21-year-old in ‘11. Rizzo finally found a home with the Cubs when they traded for him in ‘12. His breakout season with the Cubs came in ‘14 when A-Rizz hit 32 home runs with a .286 batting average and became an NL All-Star. From ‘15 to ‘19, Rizzo would be named to 2 more NL All-Star Teams, receive 3 Gold Gloves at 1st Base, and averaged 29 homers with 103 runs batted in while hitting .283. Oh yeah, he was also the team soul of the Chicago Cubs World Series Championship of ‘16, the team that broke the Cubs’ 108-Year World Series Curse. At first base, he caught the final out that Broke the Curse of the Billy Goat. Sadly for Cubs fans, the team that snapped the streak would never get back to the World Series, and management eventually traded away their core players. Rizzo was acutely acquired by the Yankees at the trade deadline in ‘21. Rizzo quickly became a Yankee fan favorite. He made the transition from Cubs pinstripes to the Navy Yankees ones seem seamless and became one of the leaders of the Yankees clubhouse. Last season, Rizzo got off to a great start in the power category before he suffered a concussion on a freak pick-off play. Rizzo wouldn’t be diagnosed with a concussion until weeks later and he was not the same player. So far this spring training he looks like his former self again. He bats in the heart of the Yankee lineup but isn’t necessarily all swing and miss. He’ll make mid-at-bat adjustments such as choking up and moving around in the batter’s box. He has a really good feel for the game of baseball. You’ll always see him talking to teammates and will always give the media their time even when things aren’t going well. Anthony Rizzo is also a cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in ‘08 and fought through chemotherapy for six months before his whole MLB career ever was underway. He started his own Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation and has donated millions toward cancer research. Anthony Rizzo is one of the most liked baseball players in the MLB and for good reason.
5. Mike Stanton (DH)
Week to Week Notes Projections: .238, 41 HRs, 97 RBIs
Born in Panorama City, California, Giancarlo Cruz-Michael Stanton was formerly known as Mike Stanton. Giancarlo comes from mostly Irish and African-American descent, although his great-grandmother is also from Puerto Rico too. His father, Mike Stanton, is a retired postal worker who would, “throw buckets and buckets [of baseballs] to me, and he’d use it as his workout. He wouldn’t let me pick up the balls. So he’d pick up every ball, and he’d use it as his workout holding the heavy bucket, picking up the balls, switching arms, or whatever. He’d have me sit there and think about where I want to hit the ball or what to do differently in the next round.” (Source: Fox Sports) At 11 years old, Stanton was getting intentionally walked in Little League. He attended Verdugo Hill High School in the area of Los Angeles, which made him a Dodgers fan before he transferred to Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks to play football, basketball, and baseball. As a football player, Stanton received offers from UCLA, UNLV, and USC. The Florida Marlins drafted Giancarlo in the 2nd Round with the 76th overall selection of the ‘07 MLB Draft. Rather than enroll in college, Stanton turned professional and picked up the nickname “Big Foot” while playing in the Marlins' minor leagues. "He looks like a 15-year-old playing on an 8-year-old's Little League team," Mississippi manager Phil Wellman told The Florida Times Union. After hitting 500+ feet dingers for a few years in the minor leagues, Stanton made his debut with the Florida Marlins in ‘10. During his Rookie Season, he became the 3rd youngest Marlin to ever make his debut with the club (20 years old, 212 days) and his 1st home run was a grand slam. He was very productive in ‘10&’11, hitting a combined 56 homers, but didn’t become an All-Star until ‘12, the same year the Marlins rebranded to Miami. With the Marlins from ‘10 to ‘17, Stanton hit a combined 267 homers and made 4 NL All-Star teams. He signed a massive contract at the end of the ‘14 season for 13 years and $325 million, at the time the most lucrative contract in sports. In ‘17, he won the NL MVP while hitting 59 home runs and driving in 132 RBIs. The Marlins, who struggle to gain attendance in the Miami summer, offloaded Stanton to the Yankees in exchange for Starlin Castro and some minor leaguers. As a Yankee, Stanton has dealt with quite a few regular-season injuries but has shined bright in the playoffs when it matters, hitting 11 career postseason home runs in 27 games. Mike Staton would be the first to tell you that he was dreadful last season as he hit .191 for a batting average. This offseason it looks like he may have slimmed down a bit while still looking like a giant for a baseball player. Mike Stanton’s 402 career homers currently lead all active baseball players as Miguel Cabrera has retired. The Yankees could really use a rebound year out of Mike Stanton.
Alex Verdugo was once a prized prospect in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He first reached The Show at 21 years old in ‘17 as a September call up and he played a bit for the ball club in ‘18, but it wasn’t until ‘19 that he made the Opening Day roster among a crowded LA Dodger outfield. Verdugo was considered one of the centerpieces in the Boston Red Sox and LA Dodgers’ Mookie Betts trade. In his 4 years as a Sox, the lefty outfielder was a .281 hitter that hit an average of 11 homers per 162 games. By the time the season rolls around, Verdugo will be in his age 28 season and on the last year of his contract. Alex Verdugo puts the bat on the ball and doesn’t strike out a lot. He doesn’t walk as much as most of the guys in the Yankees’ lineup, but that might not be a bad thing because he hits for average and puts the ball in play. While he doesn’t walk, he doesn’t chase pitches outside the zone so he’s still got a good eye. He’s like Anthony Rizzo with half as much power or when Rizzo chokes up with 2 strikes. Defensively, Verdugo could play all 3 outfield spots, but my guess is man’s LF. Alex Verdugo will be a free agent after this season so this year will be a huge year for the 27-year-old out of Tucson, Arizona.
Born in Visalia, California, David John LeMahieu moved with his family to Wisconsin and then Michigan where attended Brother Rice High School. At Brother Rice, DJLM was an Aflac All-American, a two-time Gatorade player of the year, and Louisville Slugger Player of the Year for the State of Michigan. The Detroit Tigers drafted the hometown kid in the 41st Round, but LeMachine decided to attend college at LSU instead. At LSU, he was named the Louisiana Freshman of the Year in ‘08 and named to the NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team that same year. The next year he was named First-Team All-Louisiana and the College World Series All-Tournament Team in ‘09. The Chicago Cubs took DJLM in the 2nd Round of the ‘09 MLB Draft. He made his MLB Debut as a Cubbie in ‘11 and was traded for Casey Weathers and Ian Stewart in ‘12 to the Colorado Rockies. As a Rockie, he started to receive more consistent playing time from ‘12 to ‘14. He won a Gold Glove at 2nd Base in ‘14 and then made the NL All-Star team in ‘15. ‘15 was his first season in the MLB where he hit over .300 (.301) and he followed that up in ‘16 with an MLB-leading .348 batting average. He won another Gold Glove and made another All-Star team in ‘17, which followed with a down year in ‘18 where he only hit for .276 at the plate and won another Gold Glove. He became a free agent for the first time in his career and was signed by the Yankees in the offseason entering the ‘19 season. When the Yankees originally signed DJLM, the thought process was to have him platoon as a bench player at 2nd, 3rd, and 1st. If you’ll recall, Didi Gregorius was coming back from Tommy John that season and so DJLM found a home at 2nd Base which moved Gleyber Torres over to Shortstop in Didi’s absence. DJLM was the best player on the Yankees in ‘19, coming in 4th Place in the AL MVP, winning a Silver Slugger for hitting a career-high 26 home runs and driving in 102 RBIs. His home run in the Top of 9th to tie Game 6 of the ‘19 ALCS will go down as one of the most forgotten home runs in Yankees postseason history (along with Soriano’s Game 7 in ‘01). DJLM re-signed back in ‘21 and will be in the clubhouse until at least ‘26. The infielder sprays the ball all over the field at the plate and plays Gold Glove-level defense wherever he is asked. He is a man of few words. One of my first Week to Week Notes posts (Week 2, June ‘22) was about how he bought his high school alma mater’s baseball field during the pandemic and leased it back to the school for $1 per year. LeMahieu quietly purchased the complex in 2020, in order to help Brother Rice’s financial well-being during the pandemic and eliminate the school’s operational obligation. The cool part is he didn’t name field after himself, in fact, according to his old coach, his name isn’t displayed anywhere. (Source: NBC Sports)
8. Austin Wells (C)
Week to Week Notes Projections: .266, 21 HRs, 73 RBIs
Born in Las Vegas, Nevada, Austin Wells was named the Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year in his junior year in high school. The Yankees drafted Austin Wells in the 35th Round of the ‘18 MLB Draft, but he chose to play for the University of Arizona, the school where his father played baseball and his mother competed in gymnastics. In his only season at Arizona, Wells batted .353 with 73 runs, 15 doubles, seven triples, five home runs & 60 RBIs. He took home the Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year. The Yankees once again drafted Wells, this time with the 28th Pick of the 1st Round of the ‘20 MLB Draft. Austin Wells made his Big League debut last September down in Houston. His lefty bat with a bit of pop will be a welcome sight to Yankee fans who haven’t seen a backstop who bats left-handed since Brian McCann back in ‘16. Brian McCann wouldn’t be the worst comparison with Austin Wells either as when he was coming up the Atlanta farm system, he too was known as a hitter first catcher. Aaron Boone has talked highly of Austin Wells' improved defense since he was first drafted by the team and his added bat could make a huge difference in lengthening out the Bronx Bombers lineup.
9. Anthony Volpe (SS)
Week to Week Notes Projections: .294, 15 HRs, 51 RBIs
In Watchung, New Jersey, Anthony Volpe was born to be a Yankee. His Yankee fandom goes back to his grandfather. His grandfather as a child would listen to Yankee games over the radio on his father’s lap (Anthony Volpe’s great-grandfather) as a way to bond. His great-grandfather had fought in WWII and so when he came back home after so many years fighting, the Yankees were a source of connection. “A couple of Christmases ago, my family was having a debate on if I had played for the Red Sox, would my poppy wear my jersey? And he (his poppy) said no way.” When Volpe was very young, his parents sent him to an NYC clinic the Yankees were hosting. Young Volpe was overwhelmed seeing stars like Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, and Tino Martinez. Jeets saw the kid balling crying and made sure to give him a high five. Young Volpe grew up and went to high school at Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey. He was named the 2019 New Jersey High School Player of the Year by Perfect Game. The local kid was committed to playing for Vanderbilt University before the Yankees drafted him with the 30th overall pick in the 1st round of the ‘19 Draft. Initially struggling in his first year out of high school, COVID obviously affected everybody in ‘20, so the minor league season that year was canceled. Young Volpe spent that time putting on weight and improving his swing. He came back a transformed player in ‘21, playing for Tampa Tarpons before being promoted to the Hudson Valley Renegades. In ‘22, Young Volpe spent his year with the Somerset Patriots in Double-A where he represented the American League at the All-Star Futures Game. Last year as a rookie, Volpe had had his fair share of lows (.209 BA) to go with some highs (21 homers and 24 steals). No matter what he was doing at the plate, he was excellent in the field as he won the Gold Glove at SS, becoming the first Yankee SS to win a GG since Jeets back in ‘10. Volpe since the start of his Yankee career has been known as an extremely hard worker and he spent much of his offseason down in the Yankees’ facility down in Tampa. He has worked a ton at leveling out his swing and I would expect a bit more contact along with a higher batting average this season.
Born in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Brandon Nimmo grew up a Rockies fan. He went to Cheyenne East High School and became the highest-drafted Wyomingite in the history of the Major League Baseball Draft when the Mets selected him with the 13th overall pick in ‘11. Nimmo led the National League in triples in ‘22 with 7. He has a really good eye for the strike zone, will work counts, and draw walks. His patience at the plate and bat-to-ball skills make him a very solid lead-off hitter. A signature part of his game that is unique is that he will sprint to first base after walking at the dish. In ‘23, Nimmo sacrificed some of his OBP for power as he got on base a career low (.363) while hitting a career-high in homers (24). The Mets owner, Uncle Stevie, signed Nimmo to an 8-year $162 million contract last offseason, so he’s set to be patrolling an outfield spot in Citi Field until ‘30.
Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Francisco Lindor is nicknamed “Paquito” or “Mr. Smile.” As a boy, he learned his craft standing halfway down a hill while his father, Miguel, hit him groundballs from the top. To this day, he approaches every grounder with the zeal of a kid who doesn't want to miss it and has to retrieve it several hundred feet away in the bushes. (Source: ESPN) Some of Lindor’s favorite baseball players growing up were Robbie Alomar, Omar Vizquel, Derek Jeter, Jimmy Rollins, and Barry Larkin. He moved to Flordia at the age of 12 to enroll in Montverde Academy prep school and they ended up naming their baseball facility after him in ‘13. He was drafted in the 1st Round with the 8th pick by the Cleveland Indians in ‘11. He was a highly-rated MLB prospect from the start, playing in the All-Star Futures Game in ‘12 before being promoted to the Indians in ‘15. He came in 2nd place in the AL Rookie of the Year in ‘15, narrowly losing out to Carlos Correa. With Cleveland, Lindor was a 4 time AL All-Star, 2 time Gold Glover, and 2 time Silver Slugger. His best season to date was when he was 24 in ‘18, where he led the MLB in runs scored with 129 while hitting 38 home runs and driving in 92 RBIs. Lindor was traded to the Mets right on his walk year of free agency because Cleveland could not reach his high price tag. The Mets traded away Amed Rosario and Andres Giménez in exchange for Lindor and Carlos Carrasco. Mr. Smile had a huge grin on his face as Uncle Stevie signed him to a 10-year $341 million deal with the Mets. After having the worst statistical year of his career in his first season with the Mets in ‘21, Lindor bounced back in ‘22 to hit 26 homers and drive in a career-high 107 runs. Last year, Lindor hit 31 homers and swiped 31 bases. Fun factoid, in back-to-back seasons he has come in 9th place in the NL MVP.
Born in Tampa, Florida, Pete Alonso is a fellow ‘94. Pete Alonso, or Polar Bear, has a connection to Queens, NY that dates back well before he started playing in Flushing. (Source: News Day) His grandfather fled the Spanish Civil War and moved to Queens, NY for a bit. In high school, Alonso played lacrosse and football before deciding to focus all his energy on baseball. He would go on to attend college at the University of Florida. As a Gator, Alonso brought Florida to the College World Series in ‘15 and ‘16. During the 2nd Round of the ‘16 MLB Draft, Pete Alonso was selected by the Mets with the 64th Overall pick. In the Mets farm system, Pete Alonso won the Joe Bauman Home Run Award in ‘18 which is awarded to the Minor Leaguer who hits the most home runs in a season. Pete Alonso made the Mets’ Opening Day roster in ‘19 and never looked back. In his Rookie Season, he won the NL Rookie of the Year by hitting an MLB-leading 53 home runs. He has followed up his Rookie Year with a not-too-shabby 93 home runs from ‘20 to ‘22. Last season, Pete Alonso again broke 40+ homers, however, he hit a career-low .217 while doing so. He is now a 3-time NL All-Star with 192 career home runs. He has a real chance at breaking (former Yankee) Darryl Strawberry’s Club Record with the Mets of 252 at some point in the next few years if Uncle Stevie decides to pay him. He is set to become a free agent after this season.
4. Jeff McNeil (2B)
Week to Week Notes Projections: .311, 13 HRs, 81 RBIs
Born in Santa Barbara, California, Jeff “Flying Squirrel” McNeil, was a golfer growing up. He didn’t start playing baseball in high school until his senior year. After just one season of baseball in high school, Long Beach State offered him a scholarship before the Metds drafted McNeil in the 12th round of the MLB draft of ‘13. He made his MLB debut with the Mets in ‘18 but didn’t really break out on the NY scene until he made the NL All-Star team in ‘19 when he hit 23 home runs with a .318 batting average. A below-average fielder, McNeil didn’t really have much of a home in the field until settling into more full-time as 2B with Cano getting cut. In an era of baseball where everybody seems to be trying to hit home runs, Jeff McNeil is a bit of a joy to watch hit. He sprays the ball all over the field and hits for a high batting average. In ‘22, McNeil led the MLB in batting average (.326). Last year, as was the case with most Mets, his batting average slumped down to .270. McNeil has versatility on defense and can play the outfield in a pinch, but looks to have found a home at 2B.
5. Francisco Alvarez (C)
Week to Week Notes Projections: .244, 29 HRs, 83 RBIs
Born in Guatire, Venezuela, Francisco Alvarez was considered one of the top international rookies in the ‘18 class, so the Mets immediately signed him for a club-high $2.7 million. Heading into last year, MLB Prospect Rankings had Alvarez listed as the #3 prospect in all of baseball. He had a bizarre cup of coffee with the Mets in ‘22 where they called him up the last week of the season sort of out of desperation. He designated hit for the Mets and did hit his 1st MLB home run, so he did get that milestone out of the way. During Francisco Alvarez’s full rookie season, he showed pop with 25 homers but only hit .209 in the process. At only 22 years old, the kid still has a bit to learn behind the plate defensively and should improve at the dish as well.
6. Ji-man Choi (DH)
Week to Week Notes Projections: .245, 8 HRs, 53 RBIs
Born in Incheon, South Korea, Ji-man Choi started his baseball career as a catcher in the Seattle Mariners farm system. In ‘11, he moved from behind the plate to 1st Base. Choi was selected in the minor league All-Star Futures Game in ‘13, where he played for the international team. The following season he tested positive for steroids and would miss 50 games for juicing. At 25 years old, he made his MLB debut with the LA Angels hitting only .170 in ‘16. The Yankees signed Choi to a minor league deal in ‘17 and he actually had a nice 2 week run with the team before they would eventually get Greg Bird back for a bit. The following season, Ji-Man would make his way down to Tampa Bay. As a Ray, Choi blossomed into a solid hitter, getting on base at a .352 rate in his 5 seasons in Tampa. Last season was a rough one for the South Korean as injuries derailed him while playing for the Pirates and Padres. The Mets took a 1-year flier on Choi this offseason. He lacks power but has a good eye. When healthy, he is a professional hitter who works count and was always a tough out against the Yanks.
Born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Starling Marte grew up in Dominican Republic’s capital city. The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Marte in ‘07. He represented the Pirates in the ‘11 All-Star Futures Game and would make his MLB Debut with Pittsburgh in ‘12. This would make Sterling Marte the first graduate of the Pirates’ Latin American Complex located in DR. (Source: MLB) In his MLB Debut with the Pirates, Marte got off to the hottest start a baseball hitter could have, he homered on his very first pitch seen at the plate. A Pirate had not done that since Walter Mueller did so in 1922. (Source: ESPN) Marte with the Pirates was a very solid ball player. He won 2 Gold Gloves in Pittsburgh and was named to the NL All-Star team in ‘16. In ‘17, Marte was suspended for 80 games when he tested positive for PEDs. His best season with the Pirates came in ‘19 when he hit .295 with 23 homers and had 25 stolen bases. From ‘20 to ‘21, Marte jumped around between the DBacks, Marlins, and A’s. In ‘22, Uncle Stevie Cohen signed Starling Marte to a 4-year deal worth $78 million. Marte started his career with the Mets as an NL All-Star in ‘22, hitting 16 homers with a .292 batting average. Last year he only played 86 games and with only 5 dingers while swiping 24 bases. Marte is the type of player that you see and would think could hit 30+ homers, but his game is well-rounded, doing everything a bit above average.
8. Brett Baty (3B)
Week to Week Notes Projections: .253, 9 HRs, 47 RBIs
Born in Round Rock, Texas, Brett Baty was the Gatorade Texas Baseball Player of the Year. He committed to the University of Texas before being drafted by the Mets with the 12th pick in ‘19. After getting a cup of coffee with the Mets in ‘22, Baty played 108 games for NY last season. Thus far in his 119 games played, Brett Baty has hit .210 with 11 homers. Much more was and is expected out 24-year-old. We’ll see if he can bounce back from the adversity of his first couple seasons struggles.
9. Harrison Bader (CF)
Week to Week Notes Projections: .262, 14 HRs, 40 RBIs
Bronxville born and raised, Harrison Bader attended college at the University of Flordia before being drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. A fellow born in ‘94, he played for Horace Mann School in Riverdale before heading south. With the Cardinals, Bader was named to Baseball America and Topps All-Star Rookie Teams in ‘18, won a Gold Glove in Centerfield in ‘21, and was traded to the Yankees in ‘22 for Jordan Montogomery. When he joined the Yanks, he said his lifelong dream was to play CF for the New York Yankees. Now he’ll be shagging down fly balls in Queens.