Day: July 23, 2018

New York Mets Series Preview: San Diego Padres (7/23-7/25)

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The New York Mets head back to Queens to take on the San Diego Padres in a three game series. The Mets come off a split in a rain shortened two game series against the New York Yankees. The Padres currently sit in last place with a 41-61 record and just finished losing two out of three games to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Mets took two out of three from the Padres earlier this season in San Diego.

Probable Pitching Matchups

(7/23, 7:10 PM) Joey Lucchesi (4-5, 3.34 ERA) vs. Jacob deGrom (5-4, 1.68 ERA)

(7/24, 7:10 PM) Eric Lauer (5-6, 4.87 ERA) vs. Zack Wheeler (3-6, 4.44 ERA)

(7/25, 12:10 PM) Clayton Richard (7-9, 4.82 ERA) vs. Corey Oswalt (0-2, 5.64 ERA)

deGrom’s Cy Young Push

Jacob deGrom will make his first start of the second half and what is likely the beginning of his Cy Young push. He currently holds the lowest ERA in baseball and will be battling Max Scherzer all the way to the end for the Cy Young award. Zack Wheeler and Corey Oswalt will make the other two starts in the series. Jason Vargas was originally supposed to get a start in the series but the Mets decided to hold his return off.

The biggest stories over the weekend had to do with injuries hitting the Mets stars. Yoenis Cespedes barely got through one game as a DH before his leg injuries bothering him again. The pain in his heels led him to say surgery to fix the injury would keep him out 8-10 months. Everyone was surprised at the news, but the surgery is a last resort and continued treatment will be done to suppress his pain. In the category of injuries only a Met would get, Noah Syndergaard came down with the Coxsackie virus from a youth camp. The virus put Thor on the 10-day DL and gave him infections in his hands, mouth and feet. He is only expected to miss one start.

Padres in the Cellar Again

The Padres are in danger of finishing in fourth or fifth in the NL West for the fourth straight season. They are in complete rebuild mode even though they signed Eric Hosmer to an eight year, $144 million contract. Hosmer has been decent but he would need Mike Trout numbers to live up to his enormous contract. Rookie Christian Villanueva has had a breakout season for the Padres. His average is only .229, but he leads the Padres with 19 home runs.

The Padres have below average pitching but have found solid pieces this season. One of those pieces they had was their closer Brad Hand but they traded him to the Cleveland Indians for top catching prospect Francisco Mejia. Kirby Yates could be the next Padres reliever on the move. He had a 1.74 ERA and could be a very good pick up for any team in contention. Joey Lucchesi burst on to the scene after going unnoticed in the minor leagues. He has missed time due to an injury but has a very respectable 3.34 ERA.

Matchups to Lookout For

Freddy Galvis vs. Jacob deGrom: 10-28 (.357) 7 Strikeouts

Jose Reyes vs. Clayton Richard: 4-18 (.222) Home Run, 3 Walks, Strikeout

Asdrubal Cabrera vs. Clayton Richard: 8-16 (.500) 5 Doubles

Wil Myers vs. Jacob deGrom: 2-13 (.154) Home Run, Walk, 6 Strikeouts

Interesting Stats

Wil Myers with 1 out in the inning in 2018: 15-44 (.341) 2 Doubles, 3 Home Runs, 3 Walks, 11 Strikeouts

Zack Wheeler when caught by Devin Mesoraco: 42.1 IP, 3.61 ERA, 39 Strikeouts

New York Giants: This Is Davis Webb’s Time To Shine

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With the New York Giants reporting to training camp on Sunday, the football season is gearing up and preparing itself to take full form. We have waited far too long to enjoy a Sunday showdown, but with only seven weeks let until the home opener, there’s reason for excitement.

One player in specific will be looking to make a splash in training camp and pre-season, his name is Davis Webb. The second-year quarterback spent his rookie season learning behind Eli Manning and adapting to a pro-style offense. His relentless mentality to improve and desire to succeed will aid him in his journey to lock up the starting job once Manning calls it quits.

The pre-season represents the best opportunity to date for Webb, who was looked over in 2017 when Manning was benched in favor of Geno smith…Bad memories. Things are on the up and up for Big Blue, and with a new offensive line and starlet Saquon Barkley, Webb will likely have a solid debut.

Here’s a clip of a nice throw from Webb, delivering the ball right in the breadbasket of a running Travis Rudolph. This was in his rookie season. In 2018, things should look even better.

If you’re looking for a an in-depth breakdown of Webb’s pre-season game versus the Patriots, here’s a great clip.

What should our expectations be in 2018 for Davis Webb?

Webb will officially be coined the backup for Manning, whereas he was a third-string behind Smith last season. It’s essential that he continues to develop and progress as the season moves forward. While Manning has never missed a game due to injury, you can never be too careful in the NFL. Personally, I believe Webb is a solid option and I’m optimistic he can be the future of the franchise with a bit of live-game experience under his belt. The pre-season should deliver just that.

Giants’ Saquon Barkley Becomes 4th Highest Paid RB – Is He Worth The Money?

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Saquon Barkley might be a rookie, but he sure is being paid like a five-year veteran. The Giants’ first-round pick signed his rookie deal on Sunday, securing him $31 million over four-years, allocating an average of $7.75 million per-season to the back.

The Giants chose Barkley over a slew of potential franchise quarterbacks, who would have been the 26th highest paid QB in the league if GM Dave Gettleman would have went that route.

Barkley is now one of the highest paid running backs in the league, being only LeVeon Bell, Devonta Freeman, and LeSean McCoy. My argument is that Barkley is worth every penny; why? Because his skill-set is more dynamic and well-rounded than any backs below him. Barkley has the ability to run, catch, and block at an extremely high level.

The only backs relatively in the same realm are Ezekiel Elliot and Mark Ingram.

The second overall pick signed his rookie deal just in time for training camp. Head coach Pat Shurmur has called on the rookies, quarterbacks, and a several veterans to attend the first few days of camp in East Rutherford. The first full practice for the entire roster will be on Wednesday.

What Barkley brings to the Giants’ offense:

The first-round pick brings an explosiveness to the running back position the Giants haven’t had in years. His ability to expose linebacker and sneak out of the backfield provides Eli Manning with an outlet when all else fails.

In addition to his pass catching prowess, his ability to shake defenders and bounce the ball outside to pick up extra yardage is a skill most backs can’t harness. His lateral movement and quickness at 234 pounds is impressive and will be exactly what Shurmur needs to keep the opposing defense on their heels and guessing.