The momentum is in … Miami?!?
The Marlins are 3-1 this season, beating the Pirates three times on walk-off hits. The 1924 Pirates were the last team to be walked off for the first three losses of the season. The Mets are coming off of a lackluster weekend in Houston where they scored only five runs over three games. The Mets pitching kept them in all three games, just the bats fell short. Does Miami keep rolling? Can the Mets bats wake up?
Things finally clicked for David Peterson in 2024. Over 121 innings spread over 21 starts, Peterson had a 2.90 ERA, 3.67 FIP, 1.289 WHIP and a 136 ERA+. He also looked dominant in spring training this year, allowing two runs, one earned over 15 2/3 innings, scattering seven hits and seven walks. The Marlins got the better of Peterson last season, tagging him for six runs from 14 hits and six walks over 10 innings. The Marlins have the following career numbers against him:
- Xavier Edwards 1-3, 2 BB, 2 K
- Nick Fortes 3-12, 2 K
- Otto Lopez 1-6, 2B, K
- Dane Myers 1-3, 2B
Cal Quantrill joined the Marlins late in the offseason, signing a one-year contract on February 13th. Over 29 starts in 2024, he tossed 148 1/3 innings with a 4.98 ERA, 5.32 FIP, 1.517 WHIP and a 93 ERA+. He led the league with 69 walks. Despite pitching in Colorado, his road splits were not that much different than his overall numbers (5.04 ERA, 1.427 WHIP, 75 innings). The last time Cal faced the Mets was in 2023, as a member of the Guardians. He allowed three runs from six hits over 5 2/3 innings in that start. The Mets bats have squeaked out the following numbers against Quantrill:
- Pete Alonso 1-6
- Brett Baty 2-3, 2B, HR
- Francisco Lindor 1-3, 2B
- Starling Marte 1-8, BB, 2 K
- Brandon Nimmo 0-4, BB, 2 K
- Jose Siri 2-2, 2B
- Mark Vientos 0-3, K
- Jesse Winker 0-3, 3 BB, 3 K
Three Things To Watch For:
- Juan Soto vs Cal Quantrill. Soto has led the league in walks in three of the last four seasons. This year he already has four walks leading to a .538 OBP. Cal Quantrill led the league in walks in last season. He walked four batters over 10 2/3 innings this spring. Seems like a recipe for traffic on the base paths!
- Cooling off the Marlins bats. Over three games this season Juan Soto is the only Mets player with three hits. Nimmo and Torrens are the only hitters with two hits. Through four games this season the Marlins already have three players (Hill, Lopez, Myers) with five hits each. They have a total of six players with three hits or more. Mets pitching has been a strength so far this season and they need stop the momentum that is growing outside of South Beach.
- Something new in centerfield. The Marlins used to have a seven-story tall home run sculpture in centerfield that actually gave the stadium character, which was removed in 2018 thanks to Derek Jeter. Norwegian Cruise Lines added a sculpture this season that tries to fill that void. Unlike the original home run sculpture which was basically just over the outfield wall, this iteration looks closer to concourse that wraps around the back of the stadium for fans. It looks like smoke stack on a cruise ship and sets off of fire works after a home run. Not as magical as the original, but at least its something. Hopefully the Mets don’t see it in action this week.
Let’s Go Mets!
