Flushing, New York- History with an exclamation point! Last night, the New York Mets completed a combined no-hitter for the first time in franchise history. This marks the second no-hitter in Mets history; the only other being from Johan Santana on June 1, 2012, against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. Contributions from Tylor Megill (5.0 IP), Drew Smith (1.1 IP), Joely Rodríquez (1.0 IP), Seth Lugo (0.2 IP) and Edwin Díaz (1.0 IP) led to the 17th combined no-hitter in MLB history. The man behind the plate, catcher James McCann was an ultimate factor in this milestone.
Image Credit: Robert Rizzo
Yesterday, the Mets began a seven-game homestand (3 vs Phillies; 4 vs Braves). This is an early test to see how the Mets pan out against top tier teams within the NL East division. With a 15-6 record entering Saturday, the Mets are clicking on all cylinders. Obviously, the 162-game regular season is a marathon, not a sprint. With that being said, the Mets deserve credit for their hot start. The offseason moves in Starling Marte, Mark Canha, Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer are consistently making an impact in the box score and in the clubhouse. To add to the comradery, in his first year as Mets manager, Buck Showalter has laid a well-established foundation within his squad early in the season.
LOS METS – LATINOS ON THE NEW YORK METS
Francisco Lindor, Shortstop – Caguas, Puerto Rico
Image Credit: Bill Menzel
Lindor has been off to a phenomenal start in his second year with the Mets. He seems more comfortable on a daily basis in regards to not stressing about every single moment in the NYC spotlight. You can tell he is enjoying himself out on the baseball diamond with his sparkling smile and colorful hair. Let’s compare Lindors slow 2021 start to his 2022 campaign.
2021: April 5th – May 29th – 45 games played
.188 batting average, 4 home runs, 31 hits, 29 strikeouts
2022: April 7th – April 27th – 20 games played
.273 batting average, 4 home runs, 21 hits, 13 strikeouts
Edwin Díaz, RHP – Naguabo, Puerto Rico
Founder of Latino Sports, Julio Pabón presenting Edwin Díaz the 2018 LatinoMVP Award
Image Credit: Latino Sports
Diaz is the recipient of the 2018 Latino Sports American League Relief/Closing Pitcher Award. In the 2018 season with the Seattle Mariners, Díaz was the leagues leader in saves (57).
2021 Regular Season Statistics with the Mets: 63 Appearances
62.2 innings pitched, 3.45 earned run average, 89 strikeouts, 32 saves
Starling Marte, Outfielder – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
📸 Photo Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
Within the first month of the regular season, Marte has displayed his transcendent versatility to his new team. Marte contains that unique Dominican firepower in the batter’s box and speed on the base path. Last season, Marte tied his career high in stolen bases with 47.
The two, three, four lineup threat in Marte, Lindor and Alonso creates havoc for any opposing pitcher. The power and speed in Marte and Lindor has created early scoring opportunities for the Mets. In past regimes, the Mets would typically struggle with stranding runners in scoring position. Starling Marte has been a key contributor to the Mets early offensive success.
Yoan López, RHP – Nueva Gerona, Cuba
The Mets strengthened their bullpen depth by adding Yoan López over the offseason. Although the small sample size in statistics, López is a hidden gem to have on your squad. López pitched for the Arizona Diamondbacks from 2018-2021, which is where he began his professional career.
Robinson Canó, Second Baseman/DH – San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic
Canó is returning from a full season suspension for violating the league’s PED (performance-enhancing drugs) policy. Regardless of Canó heading towards the tail end of his career at the age of 39, he contains a leadership presence in the clubhouse and could be a significant utility player for the Metropolitans.
Carlos Carrasco, RHP – Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Image Credit: Bill Menzel
Carrasco has been sensational to start off the season as the 3rd-4th pitcher in the Mets starting rotation. With the absence of Jacob DeGrom, “Cookie” Carasco has stepped up by showing glimpses of his Cleveland pitching days. In his first four starts this season, Carrasco has totaled 23 strikeouts, 17 hits allowed in 22 innings pitched.
Eduardo Escobar, Infielder – La Pica, Maracay, Venezuela
Escobar is an extremely mobile infielder who can play all over the infield (3B, SS, 2B). The 33 year-old started the 2021 season with Arizona until being traded to the Brewers in July. Playing in 146 games on the season, Escobar tallied 139 hits with a .314 on base percentage. During the offseason, he signed a two-year-deal with the New York Mets totaling out to $20 million.
Joely Rodríquez, LHP – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Last month, Rodríquez was acquired in a trade from the New York Yankees, who received back RHP, Miguel Castro. Rodríquez adds a unique blend to the Mets bullpen, who was lacking a reliable left handed pitcher beforehand. The departure of Aaron Loup, who signed with the LA Angels over the offseason, created underlying issues for Mets bullpen depth. Rodríquez has shown the potential to be a successful setup man for the Mets during late inning stretches.
Robert Rizzo Social Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robert.rizzo.1042
Twitter: @drizzyrizz
