PORT JEFF, hoping everyone’s doing great. Let’s dive into today’s topics: more on the Mets’ future and the Giants’ expectations.
When it comes to the Mets’ future, much has been discussed about whether they should trade veterans and expiring contracts at the deadline or add controllable players for next year. What hasn’t been talked about enough is the emergence of the Mets’ new big three—no, not Juan Soto, Carson Benge, or AJ Ewing, but Christian Scott, Nolan McLean, and Zach Thornton. In their second series after the All-Star break, the Mets faced one of baseball’s best teams in Milwaukee, sending Scott and Thornton to the mound on consecutive days. While Freddy Peralta’s game one performance won’t be covered here, Thornton shut out the Brewers for seven innings, extending his scoreless streak to 17 frames. With so much focus on the team’s lack of offense and the Francisco Lindor trade rumors, this budding pitching core hasn’t gotten the credit it deserves. Scott pitched better than his stat line suggested Wednesday, and if not for Brett Baty—playing out of position—he might have posted a stellar outing against the National League’s top team. Could Scott, McLean, and Thornton be the next Syndergaard, Harvey, and deGrom? Maybe, maybe not, but the potential is there, especially with McLean and Scott. Even in a rough season, there are still reasons to cheer, as the Dodgers come to town for a big showdown Friday, with McLean set to take the ball Saturday. This is what we have to look forward to—watching our young aces take on the best in the game.
Giants’ expectations are high. It’s been a while since we’ve talked about the New York Giants, so why not now? Just last night, my brother and I were having dinner and reminiscing about when the Giants were the standard in the NFL. Every year, no matter who was on the roster, if we had Eli Manning, we had a shot at winning the Super Bowl. John Harbaugh seemed to feel the same when he addressed the team for the first time in training camp. In my opinion, the Giants have to start strong this season. After years of slow starts, it feels like they can’t afford to stumble in the first two weeks. I remember being most excited to watch them play, even when the Mets were starting to find their footing. I miss the feeling of seeing my favorite team have a chance to win every Sunday. It’s been far too long since the Giants were where they should be, and this feels like one of the most important seasons I can remember. Let’s go Giants!
