Welcome to this best-of-seven National League Championship Series thread between the 6th seeded Mets (89-73) & the 1st seeded N.L. West Champion Dodgers (98-64).
All games for this series will be covered in this thread. The Dodgers had the best record in all of MLB during the regular season & beat the Mets during the regular season 4 times,
winning the regular season series 4 games to 2. The Mets will be looking for some payback against the Dodgers the same way they did against the Brewers & Phillies, who they also lost their regular season series against. Click
HERE to read a preview of this Playoff Series. Enjoy 😊!
___________________________________________________________
Mets @ Dodgers: Game 1 –⚾Senga (R) vs. Flaherty (R)⚾– 8:15 pm EDT
Starting Lineups for both clubs tonight.
.
.
.
Probable Starting Pitcher Matchups for tonight & tomorrow in Chavez Ravine against the Dodgers.
.
.
.
#LFGM!
.
.
.
Notes:
-Tonight’s game will be televised on
FOX and tomorrow's game will be on both on
FOX &
FS1.
-The weather forecast for tonight's game at Dodger Stadium is excellent. Click
HERE to keep updated & see the Hourly AccuWeather Reports from there.
-Click
HERE to see the Mets’ 26-man roster for the NLCS. There is one change overall: IF/OF Jeff McNeil for Reliever Adam Ottavino. This will be the 3rd time the Mets and Dodgers have met in the playoffs. They met before in 1988, 2006, and 2015 with the Mets winning in 2006 and 2015. Their most painful playoff series loss ever though was arguably to the Dodgers in 1988. Click
HERE to read about the playoff history between these two organizations.
-Click
HERE to see the list of the Mets’ roster transactions so far in October.
-Click
HERE to see the Mets' 26-man active playoff roster for this series.
-The Mets' 5-man bench for tonight’s game will consist of
Torrens (R), Martinez (R), Bader (R), Acuña (R), & McNeil (L). 
yeah, let this one die.
I can’t say enough about the tenacity and grit this team displayed this season. We are all disappointed that it ended yesterday, but I’m so grateful
for the incredible run the team went on. The Mets galvanized not just NY fans but baseball fans all over America.There is much to look forward to in ‘25 and beyond. LGM
I can’t say enough about the tenacity and grit this team displayed this season. We are all disappointed that it ended yesterday, but I’m so grateful
for the incredible run the team went on. The Mets galvanized not just NY fans but baseball fans all over America.There is much to look forward to in ‘25 and beyond. LGM
I saw that earlier on SNY's "Baseball Night in NY" show. nice statement by Uncle Steve.
Quote:
OR should we let this one rock a little more? Lemmee know please.
yeah, let this one die.
Tomorrow then is ok? I was thinking of doing a Mets Post-mortem and Postseason discussion thread until the end of the World Series in late October/early November? We could keep everything there until then? Is that OK? We could also decide how we wanna approach our discussion threads for this coming off-season.
Mike Mayer
@mikemayer22
David Stearns will talk at 1 pm ET on Wednesday to wrap up the Mets 2024 season.
Quote:
In comment 16656697 Optimus-NY said:
Quote:
OR should we let this one rock a little more? Lemmee know please.
yeah, let this one die.
Tomorrow then is ok? I was thinking of doing a Mets Post-mortem and Postseason discussion thread until the end of the World Series in late October/early November? We could keep everything there until then? Is that OK? We could also decide how we wanna approach our discussion threads for this coming off-season.
totally your call, I support whatever you (and others) decide.
Can't thank you enough Optimus-NY - you really made following the team this year more fun, even last year with the "Tank Commander" threads bringing some levity, but this year with the success experienced from June on - coinciding with your series thread starts - was obviously a lot more fun.
loved your enthusiasm and loyalty - we will be rewarded some day.
Mike Mayer
@mikemayer22
David Stearns will talk at 1 pm ET on Wednesday to wrap up the Mets 2024 season.
That makes more sense Eric. Thanks for that tidbit. I'll start it on Wednesday then sometime in the morning before that press conference kicks off. I need to vent a little more on this thread still until then anyway, lol.
Quote:
about this, I kind of viewed it as it needed to end in a WS or it was all for naught.
why?
the lineup will be ok, hopefully Alonso did enough to get someone else to sign him, but not so much the Mets now overpay him.
but the pitching staff is filled with questions. No one in the rotation is still under contract for next year except Senga and Peterson unless I'm missing someone (maybe Megill but he's hopefully not in the 2025 rotation).
Expect Manaea to opt out, Sevy is a UFA, and Q is too. You lose 3/5th of your rotation and most of your bullpen.
The way I look it is I can look very positively about a team who falls short like this that is young and filled with controllable assets - like the 2015 Mets were, lol.
but this to me was lightning in a bottle from June to mid-October. Fixable not easily fixable IMO.
Will be interesting to see how the off-season goes.
Certainly doesn't feel good today. Honestly for me the really shitty part is you look up and somehow the Yankees find themselves in the WS. Just sucks, but it's hard to knock the team given the expectations.
They had a really easy path. I think I’m actually rooting for them over LAD though.
2) What the hell was Senga doing on the roster if he couldn't start or be an average pitcher when needed in relief? He was HORRIBLE this series and single-handedly turned the game into a laugher in the Bottom of the 8th inning.
All in all, Game 6 was a blown opportunity. Not saying they would've won Game 7, but it would have meant a lot to get to it and give this group a chance to play for the NL Pennant.
*Rant off*
Maton was their 2nd best reliever heading into the playoffs and he imploded.
Butto was their 3rd best reliever heading into the playoffs, he too had his issues.
Garrett had 2 good games vs LAD, 2 bad games vs LAD, already appeared earlier.
Danny Young got in 1 game and pitched well, blew up in the other.
the guy they'd have kept over senga was otto. is there any doubt how that may have gone?
once Manaea didnt have it senga was coming in at some point. he looked good in the 7th, blew up in the 8th. sometimes there are no good options and this was one of those times. was very hard to win against the LAD when will smith, pages, kike, edman weren't getting big hits. when they are there's no chance.
we had our chances with winker, mcneil, marte, lindor up with bases loaded and just didnt cash in. they got hits/walks in other at bats so it's hard to even kill them individually, just bad timing. dodgers pitches made nasty pitchers, ours didnt.
Opinions? Input? Another day and a half or so of this thread ain't so bad. May as well start the offseason with that date since the discussion will dovetail smoothly into off-season plans plus we can still talk about the postseason (Mets and otherwise).
2) What the hell was Senga doing on the roster if he couldn't start or be an average pitcher when needed in relief? He was HORRIBLE this series and single-handedly turned the game into a laugher in the Bottom of the 8th inning.
All in all, Game 6 was a blown opportunity. Not saying they would've won Game 7, but it would have meant a lot to get to it and give this group a chance to play for the NL Pennant.
*Rant off*
honestly man, thought about this all day today and outside of Diaz our pitching was on fumes, totally gassed.
An I don't mean seeing more rest days, I mean you have overexerted yourself to a point that the muscles have slowed the reconstructing/repair phase which is the first lead to dead arm.
That takes months to come back from.
The last thing I wanna see is the Mets get swept by the Yankees in the World Series at Citifield
Quote:
In comment 16656316 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
about this, I kind of viewed it as it needed to end in a WS or it was all for naught.
why?
the lineup will be ok, hopefully Alonso did enough to get someone else to sign him, but not so much the Mets now overpay him.
but the pitching staff is filled with questions. No one in the rotation is still under contract for next year except Senga and Peterson unless I'm missing someone (maybe Megill but he's hopefully not in the 2025 rotation).
Expect Manaea to opt out, Sevy is a UFA, and Q is too. You lose 3/5th of your rotation and most of your bullpen.
The way I look it is I can look very positively about a team who falls short like this that is young and filled with controllable assets - like the 2015 Mets were, lol.
but this to me was lightning in a bottle from June to mid-October. Fixable not easily fixable IMO.
Will be interesting to see how the off-season goes.
Certainly doesn't feel good today. Honestly for me the really shitty part is you look up and somehow the Yankees find themselves in the WS. Just sucks, but it's hard to knock the team given the expectations.
They had a really easy path. I think I’m actually rooting for them over LAD though.
ive landed on rooting for LAD to sweep them so the narrative is "they werent even close to as competitive as the mets" and "the mets played even better than we thought they did".
i am not super confident that tommy edman continues looking like super man though.
Quote:
1) I'm still pissed off that there isn't a Game 7 tonight and
2) What the hell was Senga doing on the roster if he couldn't start or be an average pitcher when needed in relief? He was HORRIBLE this series and single-handedly turned the game into a laugher in the Bottom of the 8th inning.
All in all, Game 6 was a blown opportunity. Not saying they would've won Game 7, but it would have meant a lot to get to it and give this group a chance to play for the NL Pennant.
*Rant off*
honestly man, thought about this all day today and outside of Diaz our pitching was on fumes, totally gassed.
An I don't mean seeing more rest days, I mean you have overexerted yourself to a point that the muscles have slowed the reconstructing/repair phase which is the first lead to dead arm.
That takes months to come back from.
The last thing I wanna see is the Mets get swept by the Yankees in the World Series at Citifield
I think the Mets would've beaten those turkeys. The big difference now with the Yankees is Stanton is playing and playing well.
🧡💙
P.S. If I were in your position pjacs18, I'd feel the same way, so I get where you're coming from about your dad and brother. I would've rooted for the Yankees had they been playing the Phillies in the World Series, a la 2009. Can't stand to see a Philly team win ANYTHING. I don't mind seeing the Dodgers beat the Yankees. The quicker the better though. Plus, like Eric said, the Mets can say they were more competitive with them than the Yanks were.
🧡💙
You're quite welcome! I've spent many years not even being in the States, so I understand, lol. Wore my Mets hat around Abu Dhabi constantly. Nobody cared, lol. I did have a lady friend ask me to bring her a Yankees cap as a gift nothin to do with baseball---it just was fashionable). Of course I refused, lol.
@JeffPassan
This is just the beginning.
Column, free and unlocked at ESPN, on the end of Mets magic -- and the birth of something bigger and better:
Without any of those players their payroll currently clocks in around $160 million, and for a roster that needs augmentation more than reimagination.
It's a great place to start. Especially for Stearns, perhaps the best in the business at finding value around the edges to complement a team of stars. But the assumption is also that a team that for three consecutive years has run out a payroll in the $300 million-plus range will remain among the game's highest-spending teams.
Which is fitting timing this winter. Because rarely does a player of Juan Soto's caliber and age reach free agency. The Yankees right fielder will spend his 26th birthday playing in Game 1 of the World Series, and after a champion is crowned, the free agent sweepstakes for his services will begin. As much as the Yankees are favored to re-sign him on a deal of more than $500 million, especially after the run to their first World Series since 2009, Cohen and Stearns understand the rarity of high-floor, high-ceiling position players like Soto and how few will reach free agency over the coming offseasons.
In the winter of 2025, it's Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Houston outfielder Kyle Tucker. The season after is relatively barren. Come the 2027 offseason, catchers Adley Rutschman and William Contreras headline the class. This might be the Mets' best opportunity to land a true franchise superstar without having to deplete its farm system.
If Soto is the Mets' top priority, rebuilding their rotation isn't far behind. Manaea, right-hander Luis Severino and left-hander Jose Quintana, who combined to throw more than 37% of New York's innings this season, all are expected to be free agents. Right-hander Corbin Burnes, whom Stearns selected in the fourth round of his first draft overseeing Milwaukee, is a free agent. So are left-handers Blake Snell and Max Fried. Although Cohen has shown a proclivity for handing out excessive money to starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer -- both later traded -- he doesn't have an overwhelming amount of opportunity there, either, with future AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal (after 2026), Houston left-hander Framber Valdez (2025), right-hander Zac Gallen (2025), lefty Garrett Crochet (2026) and righty Logan Gilbert (2027) the best options after this winter.
Maybe they get Soto, and if they don't, maybe they build their winter around Alonso, or perhaps Cohen shrugs and signs both and adds an ace on top of it. His willingness and capacity to dive headlong into free agency has made him a beloved owner less than five years into his tenure, a rarity around the game. Cohen is far more than money, though. He recognizes the power of a good management team, of moves on the margins, of investing in things beyond major league payroll. Teams are not built on superstars alone. They are the product of talent, work and especially -- unquantifiably, but without a doubt -- a kind of single-mindedness the Mets stumbled upon during their season.
some other good quotes:
Why the Mets' 2024 MLB playoff run is start of something big - ( New Window )
Likewise Ira :-)
This is a group effort. We've got a nice community of Mets fans here. No need for thanks on my end. I'm just a damn secretary, lol. Thank Dan, Eric, GF, etc. for their input. They bring a lot more to the table than I ever could. Organizing these threads is a labor of love really. It's fun chit chatting with you guys. I think we'll have a very interesting off-season, but that's for the next thread (likely after tomorrow).
I'll give my idea about how to organize the offseason threads here tomorrow. I think starting the next thread on Wednesday makes a lot of sense as Eric pointed out since that's when David Stearns will hold his press conference. I can start it in the morning and then it can dovetail into Stearns's 1 pm ET presser.
P.S. Input from EVERYONE is more than welcome. This is a group/communal effort.
Opinions? Input? Another day and a half or so of this thread ain't so bad. May as well start the offseason with that date since the discussion will dovetail smoothly into off-season plans plus we can still talk about the postseason (Mets and otherwise).
I’m good with whatever you choose. I wasn’t on a lot of game threads, but they were awesome to read after the fact. Thank you!
Quote:
Eric makes a good point with his previous post with Stearns's press conference that day at 1 pm ET.
Opinions? Input? Another day and a half or so of this thread ain't so bad. May as well start the offseason with that date since the discussion will dovetail smoothly into off-season plans plus we can still talk about the postseason (Mets and otherwise).
I’m good with whatever you choose. I wasn’t on a lot of game threads, but they were awesome to read after the fact. Thank you!
Great to finally have a chance to open the Met’s thread from abroad (Athens). It was no fun only being able to check scores in the morning after the game was over, but the Dodger series started at 3 am for me….this thread kept me in the loop!
Optimus, as others have said, thank you for these game threads. Who knew when we went to one thread per series (in part because things were going so badly) it would be the good luck Grimace for the Mets to make a deep playoff run.
So many enjoyable moments and huge/clutch hits/homers along the way… especially Alonso in game 3 against the Brewers. And Frankie,of course game 161 and game 4 against the Phillies.
Baseball is such a crazy long season…when this season started, the Knicks/Rangers hadn’t even begun the playoffs, the summer Olympics were three months away and someone named Joey Wendell was somehow a Met.
Optimus, starting a thread tomorrow after DS press conference makes perfect
sense.
Looking forward to 2025 already, made my first payment for tix next year, please resign Pete and Manaea, and. LFGM…
The thread after that would start a day or two after the end of the World Series or the start of November, whichever comes second. We can have that run until the end of November and have what's ultimately almost a month long thread.
After that, we can just start a monthly Mets offseason discussion thread from the 1st of each month, starting in December, for each month after that through March. Each thread would be a month long, but we can also start special separate threads for any big signings/big news if we like or if the occasion calls for it.
The point is to just keep things as organized as possible. This way we can see What Dan and Eric post, as well as any other info that comes along as the off-season progresses until Opening Day on March 27th.
In summary:
2) "Mets offseason discussion thread for November" until the last day of November.
3) "Mets offseason discussion thread for December" starting on the first of that month until the end of that month.
4) "Mets offseason discussion thread for January" starting on the first of that month until the end of that month.
5) "Mets offseason discussion thread for February" starting on the first of that month until the end of that month. Spring training will begin then with the first game taking place on February 22nd. I won't do Spring training game threads. We can talk about the games there though if people would like to.
and finally
6) "Mets offseason discussion thread for March" starting on the first of that month until the end of that month. The regular season will kick off on March 27th in Houston. We can use that thread to talk about offseason, spring training, add Minor League stuff.
What do you guys think? We can always do a special thread for any big news
What kind of season package did you purchase this time around? Same seats (those seats you had were sweet)? I'm looking forward to the offseason, but still am stung at how things ended. I also wanna see the Yanks and lots of their arrogant fans go down the deep end of a bad World Series loss. They're already getting mouthy about how they should be favorites to win, like it's their birthright or something. Jeter couldn't wait to say the Yankees would win after Game 6 in L.A. "Eff em!" as Jeff "Roastmaster" Ross would say, lol.
Hey, separate thread baby! Special occasions call for especial threads! It'd be hilarious to watch the Yankees fans cry, lol (then of course they'd go and sign Pete).
New York Mets
@Mets
Paul Blackburn underwent a CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leak repair on October 11 with Dr. Wouter Schievink at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. The return to play for this type of procedure is 4-5 months.
-He now becomes a potential non-tender candidate if he's going to miss months of the season
New York Mets
@Mets
·
Paul Blackburn underwent a CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) leak repair on October 11 with Dr. Wouter Schievink at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. The return to play for this type of procedure is 4-5 months.
yeah think it would depend on the prognosis. i dont recall another player or pitcher with this procedure, but if the return rate is very confident i'd keep, if it's more suspect then id probably let him go. if they non tender i cant imagine he gets a deal anywhere until he is back healthy and throwing, so they could non-tender but stay in touch.
sort of unrelated but as an example, if quintana is going to cost something like $10m, id much rather reinvest the money towards him.
@francysromeroFR
Sources: Three prospects have left Cuba in the last few hours.
Among them are Eugenio Rodríguez, whom I ranked #1 in my U-18 list (2022) and Osniel Castillo, the fastest runner in the U-18 class in 2024.
Fellow Mets prospect Drew Gilbert hasn’t looked good on either side of the ball and isn’t running out routine grounders, so either he’s hurt and is protecting something from further injury or he’s disinterested.
(If he's hurt, it's odd they are allowing him to play through it)
The thread after that would start a day or two after the end of the World Series or the start of November, whichever comes second. We can have that run until the end of November and have what's ultimately almost a month long thread.
After that, we can just start a monthly Mets offseason discussion thread from the 1st of each month, starting in December, for each month after that through March. Each thread would be a month long, but we can also start special separate threads for any big signings/big news if we like or if the occasion calls for it.
The point is to just keep things as organized as possible. This way we can see What Dan and Eric post, as well as any other info that comes along as the off-season progresses until Opening Day on March 27th.
In summary:
Quote:
1) "Mets Post-mortem and Postseason Discussion thread" starting tomorrow until a day or two after the World Series ends or the start of November, whichever comes second.
2) "Mets offseason discussion thread for November" until the last day of November.
3) "Mets offseason discussion thread for December" starting on the first of that month until the end of that month.
4) "Mets offseason discussion thread for January" starting on the first of that month until the end of that month.
5) "Mets offseason discussion thread for February" starting on the first of that month until the end of that month. Spring training will begin then with the first game taking place on February 22nd. I won't do Spring training game threads. We can talk about the games there though if people would like to.
and finally
6) "Mets offseason discussion thread for March" starting on the first of that month until the end of that month. The regular season will kick off on March 27th in Houston. We can use that thread to talk about offseason, spring training, add Minor League stuff.
What do you guys think? We can always do a special thread for any big news
Perfect! You da man Optimus!
And yes, same seats as previous years. Looking forward to getting back to CitiField…this was the first year I’ve not gone to any Met game (I did hit a couple of ST games) in many years…maybe I’m the bad luck charm!
Perhaps we can hit a game together in 2025!
Fellow Mets prospect Drew Gilbert hasn’t looked good on either side of the ball and isn’t running out routine grounders, so either he’s hurt and is protecting something from further injury or he’s disinterested.
(If he's hurt, it's odd they are allowing him to play through it)
i would guess if it's impacting his running it would be a something soft tissue lower body. maybe they figure nothing to lose with so much time before spring training even if he strains worse.
more broadly the only thing to gain with him there is more at bats and since he missed time this year it's somewhat understandable.
Link - ( New Window )
“I couldn’t really touch anything with my right side,” Williams said. “I did a bunch of defense, a little one-hand stuff. But for the most part, just chilled a little bit. After I had surgery, I couldn’t do anything for a little while. I watched a lot of baseball – how they played, the tendencies of some pitchers.”
Early indications are that the downtime glovework paid off as he’s shown quick hands and good defensive actions at shortstop in initial AFL looks. His plus speed is also considered an asset in center field, where there’s more room to roam, and at the AFL’s outset, Jett estimated that New York would try to get him 50-50 playing time between the dirt and the grass. That hasn’t quite worked out so far. Four of his first five defensive starts have come at short, though that could even out as the Fall League sample expands.
Link - ( New Window )
Quote:
I've already written up a template for the next thread stating tomorrow. It'll last about ten days or so. It'll basically be a Mets Post-mortem and postseason thread. WE can chit chat about the World Series together there in addition to how the Mets postseason went as well as whatever else we want.
The thread after that would start a day or two after the end of the World Series or the start of November, whichever comes second. We can have that run until the end of November and have what's ultimately almost a month long thread.
After that, we can just start a monthly Mets offseason discussion thread from the 1st of each month, starting in December, for each month after that through March. Each thread would be a month long, but we can also start special separate threads for any big signings/big news if we like or if the occasion calls for it.
The point is to just keep things as organized as possible. This way we can see What Dan and Eric post, as well as any other info that comes along as the off-season progresses until Opening Day on March 27th.
In summary:
Quote:
1) "Mets Post-mortem and Postseason Discussion thread" starting tomorrow until a day or two after the World Series ends or the start of November, whichever comes second.
2) "Mets offseason discussion thread for November" until the last day of November.
3) "Mets offseason discussion thread for December" starting on the first of that month until the end of that month.
4) "Mets offseason discussion thread for January" starting on the first of that month until the end of that month.
5) "Mets offseason discussion thread for February" starting on the first of that month until the end of that month. Spring training will begin then with the first game taking place on February 22nd. I won't do Spring training game threads. We can talk about the games there though if people would like to.
and finally
6) "Mets offseason discussion thread for March" starting on the first of that month until the end of that month. The regular season will kick off on March 27th in Houston. We can use that thread to talk about offseason, spring training, add Minor League stuff.
What do you guys think? We can always do a special thread for any big news
Perfect! You da man Optimus!
And yes, same seats as previous years. Looking forward to getting back to CitiField…this was the first year I’ve not gone to any Met game (I did hit a couple of ST games) in many years…maybe I’m the bad luck charm!
Perhaps we can hit a game together in 2025!
IF I'm around and you're around let's do a game together. Would really enjoy that. My nephew still wears that orange 7 line shirt he won when they shot t-shirts into the crowd!
1 thing im really excited about next year is the possibility of acuna + jett both breaking in and adding athleticism to this group.
i think id put Acuna in CF because that's where there's an opportunity to replace Bader's playing time and if he has a good spring training he could realistically break camp with the big club. also creates a midseason path for Gilbert if Acuna struggles. Taylor has 1 more year under contract so he can continue to play a lot there. Nimmo obviously also still around as an option.
jett obviously more of a midseason option, but i suspect there will be opportunity if/when 1 of mcneil/iglesias struggle or get hurt. assuming they bring back iglesias on a wendle type contract/role.
gilbert is lined up nicely to replace taylor's role beyond next year.
baty & mauricio will be an interesting competition somewhere. i assume vientos will play mostly 1b or dh depending on alonso, so 3b should be open unless they make a big addition there. if mauricio wins 3b that's even more athleticism added too.
NFT: ⚾ Mets Postmortem & Postseason discussion thread ⚾ | Optimus-NY | 11:16 am - ( New Window )