SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino answers Yankees questions from readers...
Why are they so secretive with Stanton? Has he officially been placed on the IL and for how many days? No replacement, so is it Rice\righty platoon at DH? - @BillBrown35
I don’t know about secretive. I am told that Stanton responded well to the PRP shots and should be back to contribute before too terribly long. There is no exact timetable, but it does not sound nearly as dire as, well, Stanton made it sound when he called the injury “severe.”
Yankees officials were not as alarmed as fans by Stanton’s choice of words. The organization has long known Stanton as a player who does not sugarcoat injuries or provide overly optimistic prognoses. He’ll be out a while, don’t get me wrong. But the expectation is that he’ll be back with more than enough time to provide his typical late-season and October heroics.
In the meantime, yes, Ben Rice along with Aaron Judge and others will take the DH at-bats. External additions are always possible, too. Brian Cashman and his staff never stop looking.
Why do you think we care about the Yankees so much? Most of us are Mets fans. Genuine question! - @HeismanHedley
Your phrase “most of us” struck me. For whom are you presuming that you speak? Your social media bubble, which is naturally self-curated? Who are you to define what “us” means?
This is like when people on Twitter say “Mets fans think this” or “Mets fans think that.” Baseball fans are a diverse group with a wide range of opinions, most of whom are not on Twitter. Why not just speak for yourself? I accept and respect that you do not care about the Yankees.
Why can’t Juan Soto keep the Yankees out of his mouth - he chose to take the most money from the Mets , but he’s trying to play the victim card here by saying he still keeps tabs on the Yankees and their offseason … why can’t he just move on - @shamshirosenfe2
I find the fan angst on both sides of town regarding Soto’s feelings about the Yankees to be strange.
He is a human being who had a profound experience with his previous employer, coworkers and fan base. He initially hoped to return to that job, and then made a difficult decision to accept a new job at a company whose resources and culture left a strong impression on him and his family. He subsequently balanced feelings of loss with excitement about the new coworkers and fan base.
When reporters ask him about this, he does his best to answer openly, likely knowing that social media bullies will parse his every word despite his good faith attempts to share nuanced and evolving feelings.
In other words, let’s all give this young man a break.
What's your favorite vendor at Yankee Stadium? - @benjamntenison1
Christian Petroni meatballs and cheesy garlic bread. Yum yum.
Do the Yankees still win the division? - @drjevans182
I have Boston winning the American League East and the Yankees making the playoffs. My reasoning is that the Red Sox have dramatically improved their starting pitching by adding Garrett Crochet and Walker Buehler and imported championship-caliber edge (and elite third base defense) with Alex Bregman. Alex Cora is a difference-making manager whose clubs exploit opponents’ weaknesses -- remember the Jose Trevino stolen base extravaganza at Fenway last year?
The Yankees should still be good, even without Gerrit Cole and, for several months, Luis Gil and Stanton. They have Max Fried and oodles of homegrown talent that could lead the offense. Players like Cody Bellinger, Austin Wells and Rice feature swings perfectly tailored to Yankee Stadium. And like the Red Sox, they have one of the best managers in the game.
Here is my list of the top Opening Day memorable moments for the Mets all time...
1) Gary Carter’s Debut: Mets 6, Cardinals 5, 10 innings, April 9, 1985, Shea Stadium
Acquired in a surprise trade from the Montreal Expos the previous December, Carter was viewed as the final piece of a team with championship potential. So when he sent a full house at Shea home happy with a game-winning home run off former Met Neil Allen in the bottom of the 10th, this Opening Day had a Hollywood feel to it.
It was also the first shot fired in a season-long battle with the Cardinals for NL East supremacy, and Carter went on to have a great year, hitting 32 home runs with 100 RBI. As it turned out, of course, the Mets finished three games behind the Cards in ’85 and so it wasn’t until the next year that Carter helped deliver the championship GM Frank Cashen envisioned when he made the trade to get the future Hall of Fame catcher.
2) The Franchise Returns: Mets 2, Phillies 0. April 5, 1983, Shea Stadium
Six years after the Mets infuriated their fan base by trading Tom Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds, their star pitcher was back at age 38, having been acquired from the Reds the previous December after the worst season of his career.
Welcomed back with a standing ovation as he took the mound, Seaver pitched six scoreless innings in a duel with Steve Carlton and wound up getting a no-decision when the Mets scored two runs in the seventh.
It made for a feel-good story in an otherwise forgettable season as the Mets went 68-94, their seventh straight losing season, and then lost Seaver again when the Chicago White Sox surprised them by claiming him in a free agent compensation draft the following January.
3) Darryl Strawberry’s Roof Shot: Mets 10, Expos 6. April 4, 1988, at Montreal
Having been there for this Opening Day, I’d make the case that you had to see Strawberry’s mammoth home run off Randy St. Claire to truly appreciate it. It’s still the longest, highest shot I’ve ever seen, as it seemed to climb forever above the right field stands until it crashed into the rim of lights just below the roof of Olympic Stadium.
Long before the Statcast technology that now measures home runs, a physics professor from a local college in Montreal calculated that the ball would have traveled 525 feet had it not essentially hit the top of the dome. For Strawberry it was his second home run of the day and quite a start to a superb season that included 39 home runs and 101 RBI as he finished second in the NL MVP voting to the Dodgers’ Kirk Gibson.
4) First Opening Day Win: Mets 5, Pirates 3, 11 innings. April 7, 1970, at Pittsburgh
Nope, the Mets didn’t always win on Opening Day. In fact, they lost the first eight season openers before breaking through on this day at Forbes Field in their first game following their miracle championship ’69 season.
Seaver pitched eight strong innings but the game was tied until Donn Clendenon, fresh from winning the World Series MVP Award the previous October, delivered a pinch-hit, two run single in the 11th, and Tug McGraw then got the last three outs for the save.
5) Raising The Flag: Mets 3, Pirates 2, April 7, 1987, Shea Stadium
The 1986 world championship was the second in franchise history but because the Mets opened the season in Pittsburgh after their ’69 title, this was the first Opening Day they could celebrate by raising the championship flag.
Nevertheless, the day had a bittersweet feel to it for the Mets, coming only a week after they were stunned to learn that Dwight Gooden had tested positive for cocaine and entered a rehab facility in New York.
In what he said was a tribute to his teammate, Darryl Strawberry wore Gooden’s uniform pants in the opener and had the decisive hit, a three-run home run in the first inning that Bob Ojeda and Jesse Orosco made stand up for the win.
6) The Strangest Day: Mets 1, Braves 0, July 24, 2020, Citi Field
At 81 degrees it had to be the hottest Opening Day ever but that was hardly the strange part. Due to the pandemic, no fans were allowed in the ballpark, and while crowd noise was pumped in via the sound system, the quiet was eerie at times, especially when Yoenis Cespedes hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to provide the only run of the game.
Cespedes’ heroics seemed to be a good omen for the 60-game season, but within a month he was gone, opting out due to COVID-19 concerns, though reports surfaced of his unhappiness at potentially being benched at times. Meanwhile, the Mets would never climb above .500 the rest of the season, losing seven of their next nine games en route to a disappointing 26-34 record.
7) Johan Santana’s Debut: Mets 7, Marlins 2, March 31, 2008, at Miami
After their historic September collapse in 2007 the Mets were hoping that acquiring Santana from the Minnesota Twins in a blockbuster trade would be the boost they needed to get back to the postseason. And Opening Day, as usual, offered plenty of promise.
The two-time Cy Young winner pitched seven strong innings andDavid Wright, in what would be a spectacular 33-home run, 124-RBI season, had a pair of doubles and three RBI to lead the Mets to an easy win. Santana would go on to pay dividends on the trade all season, posting a record of 16-7 with a league-leading 2.53 ERA, but the Mets fell short of the postseason again, eliminated from wild card contention on the final day of the season in a loss to the Marlins, the last game played at Shea Stadium.
8) Extras In Atlanta: Mets 6, Braves 4, 10 innings, April 3, 2001, at Turner Field
Coming off their World Series season in 2000, the Mets had high expectations, all the more so after their Opening Day win against the team they could never seem to beat when it counted in those days.
Al Leiter pitched seven strong innings, then both teams blew late-inning leads before Robin Ventura’s two-run home run in the 10th off Kerry Lightenberg put the Mets ahead and Armando Benitez closed out the win.
However, with Mike Hampton gone via free agency the Mets couldn’t repeat their success of 2000, finishing 82-80, making for second-guessing that maybe they should have taken up free agent Alex Rodriguez on his desire to play in Queens.
9) Pedro Martinez’s Debut: Reds 7, Mets 6, April 4, 2005, at Cincinnati
It felt like a hugely important day as Martinez, freshly-signed after his 2004 championship season with the Boston Red Sox, signaled the start of a big-spending era under GM Omar Minaya, racking up 12 strikeouts in six solid innings.
However, closer Braden Looper gave up two home runs in the ninth to blow a 6-4 lead and the Mets would lose five straight games before new manager Willie Randolph got his first win.
Pedro delivered a strong season, going 15-8 with a 2.82 ERA, and though the Mets fell short of the postseason with 83 wins, their first winning season in four years set the stage for big things to come in 2006.
10) Meet The Mets: Cardinals 11, Mets 4, April 11, 1962 at St. Louis.
After four years without a National League team in New York, thanks to the Giants and Dodgers leaving for the west coast, the Mets began play as an expansion team on this Opening Day in St. Louis, and the ugly loss, which included three errors, turned out to be a sign of things to come.
Gil Hodges did make history in this game by hitting the first home run for the new franchise, and that proved to be a bit poetic when he later managed the Mets to their 1969 championship. But it was an awfully long inaugural season as the Mets stumbled to a record of 40-120, which included a 17-game losing streak in May and June, finishing a mere 60 ½ games behind the first-place San Francisco Giants in the National League.
With all the lore and big moments in Yankee annals, you know they’ve got some Opening Day highlights. For instance, maybe you heard about the time a big Yankee star blasted the first homer ever in the ballpark that was (nick)named for him?
We’re looking back at the top moments in Yankees Opening Day history.
April 14, 1908
Stump your friends: What pitcher threw 12 shutout innings for the Highlanders (the Yankees’ former name) on this Opening Day? Slow Joe Doyle, that’s who! He allowed only six hits in a 1-0 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics. You’re welcome.
April 18, 1923
What, you thought Wally Schang was going to hit the first home run at brand-new Yankee Stadium? In the first-ever game at this baseball palace, aka The House That Ruth Built, Babe Ruth smashed a three-run shot in the third inning, delighting a crowd listed at 74,200 strong. More fans milled around outside, unable to get in to see the show. Bet they were happy, too.
April 12, 1932
Ruth was in his age-37 season, but still lethal. He was 3-for-5 with two homers and five RBI in the Yankees’ 12-6 victory over the Philadelphia Athletics. Samuel Byrd homered twice and Lou Gehrig homered and tripled in the rout.
April 17, 1951
There was a lot going on when 44,860 folks crowded into Yankee Stadium for this Opening Day. Mickey Mantle, wearing the No. 6 jersey he was initially assigned, was starting his career. Joe DiMaggio was playing in his final opener. A new public address announcer, who’d stick around for quite awhile, was making his debut. The first batter that Bob Sheppard announced? Joe’s brother, Dom DiMaggio, the center fielder for the Boston Red Sox. In the only opener in which Joe DiMaggio and Mantle played in the same outfield, both went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Vic Raschi threw a six-hit shutout in the Yanks’ 5-0 victory.
April 13, 1955
Bob Cerv and Mantle had four RBI apiece as the Yankees hammered the Washington Senators, 19-1, in front of 11,251 at Yankee Stadium.
April 19, 1960
Please allow Roger Maris to introduce himself: In a remarkable debut, Maris, acquired in a big trade with the Kansas City Athletics, batted leadoff and went 4-for-5 with two homers, a double and four RBI. Quite a kickoff event for his first two seasons in pinstripes, which brought consecutive AL MVP Awards and an assault on the single-season home run record.
April 6, 1973
This 15-5 loss at Fenway Park was mostly forgettable, except for this: In the top of the first inning, Ron Blomberg of the Yankees became the first designated hitter in baseball history when he drew a bases-loaded walk against Luis Tiant.
April 6, 1974
Yankee Stadium was being refurbished, so the Yankees played at Shea Stadium. Mel Stottlemyre threw a complete game, allowing one run and seven hits, to beat Gaylord Perry and the Indians, 6-1, in front of 20,744 fans.
April 9, 1981
The Yankees kicked off a World Series season with an opener made memorable by Bobby Murcer’s pinch-hit grand slam in the seventh inning.
April 2, 1996
Everyone knew Derek Jeter was an uber-prospect, but doubt swirled over whether he was ready, mainly in the owner’s box. This was the Steinbrenner Era Yankees, after all, and at one point The Boss wanted to swap a skinny pitcher named Mariano Rivera to Seattle for shortstop insurance in the form of Felix Fermin. Luckily, no one listened to that ranting. Jeter swatted away all the nonsense with a star turn on Opening Day, homering off Dennis Martinez and making a great catch to steal a hit from Omar Vizquel in a 7-1 victory in Cleveland. Oh, and it was Joe Torre’s first game as Yankee manager, too. It all worked out OK after that, didn’t it?
April 3, 2006
In a 15-2 blowout in Oakland, Alex Rodriguez was 3-for-5 with a homer and five RBI and Hideki Matsui was 4-for-4 with a home run and four RBI.
April 1, 2008
In a hello-goodbye kind of day, Joe Girardi made his debut as Yankee manager in the final opener at the old Yankee Stadium. Chien-Ming Wang made it a happy occasion, allowing only two runs in seven innings to beat Hall of Famer Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays, 3-2.
March 29, 2018
Giancarlo Stanton turned his first game as a Yankee into a power show, blasting two homers and a double in a 6-1 victory in Toronto.
July 23, 2020
The Cole Train and the Hype Train ran on parallel tracks as big-money free agent Gerrit Cole made his first start as a Yankee amid all the fanfare over his $324 million contract and his vapor-trail fastball. He delivered. Cole allowed one hit in a five-inning complete game in a 4-1 victory over the Nationals in Washington, D.C. Stanton homered in this one, too, a mammoth 459-foot blast off then-Nats ace Max Scherzer.
When the Yankees couldn’t re-sign Juan Soto over the winter, they pivoted to a run-prevention plan that included streamlining a pockmarked defense, adding one of the best free agent starters in lefty Max Fried, and trading for dazzling closer Devin Williams. Nice.
But that plan took a serious ding this spring when Gerrit Cole needed Tommy John surgery. Fried is still a great signing and will front their staff, but the Yanks are far weaker now that they don’t have Cole, one of the few rotation lions still working in baseball’s age of the “five-and-fly” starter.
Now it’s fair to wonder if the Yankees’ lofty goals – a repeat trip to the World Series, this time with a victory parade – are in peril. Luis Gil and Giancarlo Stanton are out to begin the season, too. Yuck.
But the Yankees still have Aaron Judge, the single greatest offensive force in the game – his OPS of 1.159 last year was 123 points higher than Shohei Ohtani’s (Yes, that Ohtani) – and they added what they believe will be lineup help in Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt.
And who knows what Jasson Domínguez can bring now that he’s going to get a chance – finally. If it seems like you’ve been hearing about his outsized talents before he was even born, well, it’s because he’s one of the most-hyped prospects ever, even in an age when teenagers are treated as untouchable diamond gods though they have miles to go before they sniff the majors.
Now, however, it’s Domínguez’s time. Is it the Yankees’ time, too? The answer would be much simpler if Cole were pitching this year.
What the Yankees have going for them
Judge. You know why, if you’ve been paying even cursory attention to baseball the past few years. If he’s healthy, he might hit 60-plus home runs again.
Their bullpen, led by Williams and his “Airbender” changeup and setup man Luke Weaver, is strong, though Weaver must prove that his 2024 breakout (2.89 ERA!) was not a one-year surge. The Yanks have been very good at finding other relief contributors, sometimes from unlikely candidates, too.
The remaining arms in the rotation are solid. Carlos Rodón can be confounding every five days, but his ceiling is high – can’t stop thinking about that nails Game 1 start against Cleveland in the ALDS last year. Clarke Schmidt holds promise for more than he’s delivered in his young career, too. Fried is a ground ball machine and the Yanks now own the gloves to scoop ‘em up.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. is back at second base, probably his best position, and he and Anthony Volpe should form an athletic keystone tandem. Chisholm, one of four players with at least 24 homers and 40 steals last season (Ohtani was one of the others), is a power-speed blend who could be ready to go even bigger.
Goldschmidt, if he provides, say, 20 homers and strong defense at first, will be an enormous improvement over what the Yanks have gotten out of first base in recent years. Yankee first basemen had a .335 slugging percentage in 2024, the worst in the majors at the position.
We’ll get to third base in a separate category. That’s foreshadowing, if it wasn’t clear.
Bellinger, in center field, should help on defense and his lefty swing could thrive in Yankee Stadium. Most projection systems have him getting to the low 20s in home runs, but perhaps the short porch helps him to a power infusion that gets him into the 30s again. We’ll see.
Catcher Austin Wells, coming off a huge spring, is an ascending player with power and catching acumen. He slugged 13 homers last season. Can he get to 20 or perhaps beyond, this year? Another player who had a huge spring, Ben Rice, could be an interesting lineup wrinkle.
Feb 17, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) smiles during spring training batting practice at George M. Steinbrenner Field / Dave Nelson-Imagn Images
The Yankees will make the playoffs if…
Judge is healthy all season.
Judge led the majors last year in too many categories to list, even in an Internet article. There is enough behind him to get the Yanks into the tournament where they can, as usual, take their chances in October’s cauldron. Even without the wondrous Soto, the Yankees should score.
Of course, it would help if Domínguez turns out to be even half as good as some of his boosters say he’ll be, Bellinger hits, Chisholm continues to grow, and Volpe finally makes an offensive leap. Volpe increased his average by 34 points (to .243) last year, but his homers dipped from 20 to 12.
This would help, too – a triumphant Stanton return from tennis elbow in both elbows. He hit seven homers in 14 postseason games last October, a huge factor in the Yanks getting to the Fall Classic. The ugly swings he sometimes takes are cringe-inducing, but his power is an undeniable, game-changing (series-changing!) weapon.
They need to squeeze something out of their rotation depth, too, considering what’s happened so far. Good thing they kept Marcus Stroman after trying to trade him over the winter. Will Warren, a talented youngster, and pickup Carlos Carrasco should have impact, too, at least early on.
Crisper, more athletic defense profiles as a must, too, all over the field. Domínguez, who was so worrisome on defense last year that the Yanks kept using Alex Verdugo instead, is key here.
The Yankees will miss the playoffs if…
Judge is not healthy all season.
Remember 2023? We might not have realized it at the time, but the Yanks were cooked once Judge hurt his toe crashing into the wall at Dodger Stadium. The Yanks finished 82-80, everyone was big mad, and it was easy to wonder if a longer-term lull was looming in the Bronx.
It remains to be seen if third base is a crater that hurts their chances, too. The Bombers go into the season with Oswaldo Cabrera as the likely starter, though he’s been mostly a utility player (and human caffeine as a hype man) in his career. They clearly wanted DJ LeMahieu to take the job to start, but he got hurt in camp.
So it’s fair to ask: Did they fall one winter move short here?
And, since it’s the Yankees and we know their recent history with aches and aging players, the specter of the IL always lurks. They must stay healthy (they haven’t already). Judge most of all.
Feb 11, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone talks with media during a press conference as spring training starts at George M. Steinbrenner Field. / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Final record and playoff prediction
88-74 Third in the AL East Second Wild Card spot
Chill, they’re making the October tournament. Everyone seems to think the AL is the weaker league this year. Maybe so, but tell it to the AL East, a minefield of a division, what with the Red Sox improving, the Orioles flashing immense young talent, the how-are-they-always-problematic Rays, and the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Blue Jays, who someday might put it all together as a club.
That’s why the Yanks profile as third place finishers. The real test always comes in October, anyway. The Yankees get there thanks to Judge, defense, and pitching. The front office, under GM Brian Cashman, has always shown a willingness to add at the deadline and they’ll probably need to, so they could be different (better!) in a few months.
Moves help push them into the ALCS and a meeting with the revived Texas Rangers. That’s where the pinstriped season ends, unless Judge has the playoff series of his life, the monster one Yankees fans have been craving.
As with everything Yankees, so much depends on Judge.
In Game 1 of 162, it’s Turner in the leadoff spot against Nationals left-hander Mackenzie Gore.
The Phillies have been interested in seeing what their offense can look like with Turner leading off. Manager Rob Thomson has said that for now, Turner will lead off against lefties and Schwarber against righties.
Schwarber has led off in 83.6% of his plate appearances as a Phillie and he’s certainly performed, setting the major-league record last season in leadoff homers while also leading the National League with 106 walks. Pretty valuable skill set atop a lineup.
But there’s also some more RBI potential if Schwarber hits second, behind Turner, or fourth, behind Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm. You can pretty much bank on Schwarber hitting 38-plus home runs in a healthy season, so putting that bat a spot or two after Harper’s near-.400 on-base percentage could lead to more crooked numbers.
It can’t hurt to try out a couple of variations throughout a long season to see what works best. For Turner to give the Phillies what they’d want from him in the leadoff spot, though, he needs to be able to revert to his table-setting ways.
From 2015-22, Turner hit .303 with a .356 on-base percentage. As a Phillie since, Turner has hit .279 with a .328 on-base percentage, averaging 15 fewer hits and 10 fewer walks per 162 games.
He is still a very good player. He hit .295 with 21 homers and an .807 OPS in 121 games last season but it was his second straight year of extremes. Both years, he carried the offense at one point for 6-8 weeks with power. Both years, he also experienced prolonged cold spells. Ideally, there’s a better balance in 2025 and beyond for a shortstop signed through 2033.
Turner and the leadoff spot isn’t the only lineup focus. Perhaps more important than the structure of the one-two hitters is whether or not Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh can bounce back. Stott’s batting average fell from .280 to .245 last season. He dealt with a bad elbow for most of the way which likely affected his performance — this season should give us an indication of how much. Marsh couldn’t find the same offensive rhythm he found in 2023, when he hit .277 with a .372 on-base percentage that would have ranked ninth in the National League if he wasn’t 30 mere plate appearances away from qualifying. The Phillies know that both 27-year-olds have the ability in them, it’s just a matter of them both doing it again in the same year to help supplement the offensive core.
Here is the Phils’ Opening Day lineup behind ace Zack Wheeler:
Trea Turner, SS
Bryce Harper, 1B (L)
Alec Bohm, 3B
Kyle Schwarber, DH (L)
J.T. Realmuto, C
Max Kepler, LF (L)
Nick Castellanos, RF
Bryson Stott, 2B (L)
Brandon Marsh, CF (L)
Five left-handed hitters in the lineup against a lefty starter is an unusually high number, but the Phillies want to play Kepler every day and give Marsh more opportunities against southpaws. The other factor is the opponent himself. Gore is a talented 26-year-old starter who is only getting better, but he has reverse platoon splits, with lefties hitting .279/.377/.438 against him compared to .253/.325/.409 from righties.
It will then reopen on 16 June and close on 1 September
The Premier League has confirmed it will have two transfer windows this summer due to “exceptional” circumstances surrounding the Club World Cup.
The first transfer window will open early, and run between Sunday 1 June and Tuesday 10 June. It will then close briefly before reopening on Monday 16 June. The second transfer window will run as normal before closing on Monday 1 September.
The Mets enter the 2025 MLB season not only as playoff contenders, but as a team that is viewed as one of the very best in baseball.
It's been a huge leap over the last year for a franchise that began the 2024 campaign with legitimate hope that they were turning things around, but not much in the way of postseason expectations.
In last season's version of this story, I predicted that the Mets would win 86 games (they exceeded that mark by three wins) and nab the third Wild Card spot in the National League (which they did).
But even the most optimistic prognosticators had to be surprised at how far the 2024 Mets went, as they caught fire in the second half of the season, rode an incredible wave into the playoffs, took out the Brewers in the Wild Card Series on the back of the most dramatic home run in franchise history, ousted the Phillies in four games in the NLDS, and ultimately fell to the eventual World Series champion Dodgers in six games in the NLCS.
Because of the way the Mets finished last season, and the pixie dust that seemed to be sprinkled on them as they made their remarkable run, it had to be tempting for David Stearns and Co. to keep much of that group together.
But while the Mets re-signed some of the players whose contributions were huge last season (including Pete Alonso,Sean Manaea, and Jesse Winker), others are now playing elsewhere (Luis Severino, Jose Iglesias, Jose Quintana).
Of course, the biggest move the Mets made this past offseason also happened to be the most seismic one they've ever made: the signing of Juan Soto.
Along with Soto and a big chunk of players who were part of the 2024 squad, a new cast of characters including Clay Holmes, A.J. Minter, and Jose Siri will try to help New York not only get back to the playoffs, but be the last team standing at its conclusion.
Without further ado, here is our preview and prediction for the 2025 season...
Oct 8, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) runs after hitting an RBI double against the Philadelphia Phillies in the eighth inning during game three of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. / Brad Penner - Imagn Images
What the Mets have going for them
After scoring the sixth-most runs in baseball last season, the Mets will return the bulk of that lineup while also adding Soto -- who had a .178 OPS+ last year while smacking a career-high 41 homers, driving in 109, and scoring a career-best 128 runs.
To say that the top of New York's lineup with Francisco Lindor at No. 1 and Soto at No. 2 is dynamic would be an understatement. But it doesn't stop there.
A returning Alonso (who will be looking to cash in after the season) along with Mark Vientos and Brandon Nimmo should provide serious punch in the middle of the lineup. Meanwhile, Winker and Starling Marte (who could split DH duties) and Jose Siri add pop to the lower half.
Two X-factors for the offense could be Francisco Alvarez (who is out until the end of April or a bit longer) and Brett Baty (who will begin the year as the regular second baseman in Jeff McNeil's absence).
The Mets should also have a very strong bullpen, which is a big step up from where they started last season. Anchored byEdwin Diaz, there are a plethora of arms that not only possess big-time stuff but the ability to pitch in the late innings.
That list includes Minter, Ryne Stanek, Reed Garrett, and Dedniel Núñez (who should be ready to contribute soon). And if high-upside, multi-inning options Jose Butto and Max Kranick excel, New York's bullpen could be elite.
The biggest question mark is the rotation, which will be led by Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, and David Peterson early as Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas work their way back from injuries.
But while the starting staff will have a lot of pressure on it until Manaea returns (perhaps at the end of April) and Montas is back (in May or June), the strength the Mets possess elsewhere should allow them to persevere through any potential early hiccups in the rotation.
New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) pitches against the Houston Astros in the third inning at Clover Park / Jim Rassol - Imagn Images
Names to watch there are right-handed pitchers Brandon Sproat, Nolan McLean, and Blade Tidwell, infielder Ronny Mauricio, and outfielder Drew Gilbert.
There's also a chance infielder/center fielder Jett Williams debuts in 2025.
The Mets will make the playoffs if...
If they stay relatively healthy and the starting rotation is at least average, the Mets should find themselves in October.
And if the rotation excels and/or gets a jolt by Sproat and/or McLean, New York could be headed for its first NL East title since 2015.
Something else to note here is that if serious reinforcements are needed around the trade deadline, Stearns and the front office are now in a spot where they'll likely be more than willing to part with some serious prospect capital in order to acquire it -- whether that's an impact starting pitcher or something else.
Most of these Mets can also draw on the experience of last year's battle for the playoffs and ensuing run, so they should be well-equipped to handle a tight race.
Also a plus is the steady Carlos Mendoza, who had the same demeanor, guiding hand, and communication skills for every day of last season in what was his first year as manager -- from 0-5 to Game 6 in Los Angeles.
Oct 8, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (20) greets manager Carlos Mendoza (64) before game three against the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citi Field. / Vincent Carchietta - Imagn Images
The Mets will miss the playoffs if...
For every team, there's always a chance that injuries could derail a season. For a team as deep as the Mets, though, it would take a rash of lengthy injuries to top contributors in the lineup and the pitching staff.
If not injuries, the Mets could also be doomed by how ridiculously deep the National League is -- especially compared to the relatively weak American League.
For someone ranking the 10 best teams in baseball, it wouldn't be crazy to list seven NL teams (the Mets, Braves, Phillies, Dodgers, Padres, Diamondbacks, and Cubs) among them. It's also possible the Brewers are formidable again and the Reds take a step forward, which would set up a serious battle for the six playoff spots.
It is not impossible to envision a scenario where the Mets win 90 games and miss the playoffs, though it should be pointed out that every team that has won 90 games or more since the third Wild Card in each league was added has made the postseason.
Final record and playoff prediction
94-68 Second place in NL East First Wild Card spot
The Mets will come close to winning the division, but the Braves will eke that out, leaving New York as the top Wild Card team.
New York will oust the Phillies in the Wild Card Series and take out the loaded Dodgers in the NLDS.
But the Mets' season will again end one step shy of the World Series, as they will fall to the Braves in the NLCS.
The Boston Celtics have already lost twice as many home games this season (12) as they did in the regular season and playoffs combined (six) in 2023-24.
So, how do they still own the NBA’s third-best record at 54-19? To steal a line from the C’s locker room, they’ve been road dogs in 2024-25.
Boston’s 132-102 rout of the Suns in Phoenix on Wednesday improved the team’s road record to 30-7 on the season. Not only is that the highest road winning percentage (.811) in the NBA this season, it’s also one of the best in league history.
Only two NBA teams have won more than 81.1 percent of their road games in one season: The 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers (31-7 road record) and 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (34-7 road record).
The Celtics have four road games left on their schedule: Saturday’s game in San Antonio, Monday’s game in Memphis, and a back-to-back in New York and Orlando on April 8 and 9. If they win all four games, they’ll tie the 2015-16 Warriors for the most road wins in a single season.
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This year’s Oklahoma City Thunder are right on the Celtics’ heels with a 29-7 road record and four road games remaining on their schedule. But only Boston can tie the Golden State juggernaut, which won an NBA-record 73 games in 2015-16.
Even if the C’s don’t sweep the rest of their road games, they have the inside track on the best road record in franchise history, ahead of the 1972-73 Celtics and the NBA champion 2007-08 Celtics, who went 31-10 on the road.
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It’s not just that the C’s are winning on the road, either; they’re dismantling teams. After Wednesday’s 30-point rout in Phoenix, Boston is closing in on the 1971-72 Lakers for the best road scoring margin and road point differential in NBA history, per NBC Sports Boston stats guru Dick Lipe.
HIGHEST ROAD SCORING MARGIN, NBA HISTORY +11.3 LA Lakers, 1971-72 +10.3 Boston, 2024-25 +10.3 Oklahoma City, 2024-25 +9.1 New York, 1969-70
HIGHEST ROAD POINT DIFFERENTIAL +430 LA Lakers, 1971-72 +380 Celtics, 2024-25 +369 Oklahoma City, 2024-25
“We have a very experienced team,” Celtics wing Jaylen Brown said Wednesday when asked about the Celtics’ road prowess. “We’ve got guys who have won championships, gold medals, deep playoff runs, all of the above. So, knowing how to win on the road is an experience thing that we’ve been able to be really good at this year.
“Last year I feel like we were really good at home, and then just year-to-year, everything’s different. Going into the playoffs, we’re going to need to win some road games, so it’s great that we’ve been able to find some rhythm in the regular season.”
The Celtics’ relative struggles at home this season are cause for some concern, especially since they’ll have home court advantage until at least the Eastern Conference Finals. But a strong road record is a sign of mental toughness, and this team appears to have it in spades.
Its Thursday, March 27 and the MLB season in South Beach begins with a marquee pitching matchup. Paul Skenes and Sandy Alcantara take the mound as the Pirates square off against the Marlins.
Skenes was the National League Rookie of the Year and Cy Young runner-up. Alcantara won the Cy Young Award in 2022. He did not play last season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery.
Lets dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game details & how to watch Pirates at Marlins
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025
Time: 4:10PM EST
Site: Loandepot Park
City: Miami, FL
Network/Streaming: SNP, FDS
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Thursday’s pitching matchup (March 27): Paul Skenes vs. Sandy Alcantara
Pirates: Paul Skenes Spring Training - 5GP, 18 IP, 2-0, 2.50 ERA, 23 Ks
Marlins: Sandy Alcantara Spring Training - 5GP, 23.2 IP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 10 Ks
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Pirates at Marlins
Matt Mervis led the Marlins with 4 HRs in 51 ABs in Spring Training...but he also struck out 22 times
Joey Bart led the Bucs in the Spring with 14 hits in 40 ABs (.350)
This is Alcantara's first start since the 2023 season
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for this afternoon’s game between the Pirates and the Marlins
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday's game between the Pirates and the Marlins:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Miami Marlins at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 6.5.
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CINCINNATI — Christian Koss was 14 years old when Buster Posey hit a grand slam off Cincinnati Reds right-hander Mat Latos in the 2012 NLDS, but he still remembers exactly where he was. He remembers where he was for Barry Bonds’ record-breaking homers, too.
Koss was born in Riverside, grew up in Southern California and went to UC Irvine. His friends all cheered for the Dodgers or Angels, but the Koss family was an outlier.
“It was tough,” he said, laughing. “I always loved orange growing up.”
The family was drawn to the team’s colors, and it certainly helped that Koss spent his childhood watching Bonds and then a dynasty. On Tuesday, his family found out that it’s safe to purchase a lot more orange clothing.
Koss was the big surprise on the Opening Day roster. He had a big spring, but he was in camp as a 27-year-old non-roster invitee who seemingly was blocked on the roster. He bats right-handed, which made the left-handed Brett Wisely and Grant McCray cleaner fits.
But the Giants went with Koss and fellow right-handed hitter Casey Schmitt. President of baseball operations Buster Posey said he’s not worried about the imbalance; the focus was on putting together the best roster, and both Schmitt and Koss bring a lot to the table.
“I think both of those guys give you nice versatility,” Posey said. “Schmitt is obviously great against left-handed pitching but as the spring went along I thought his at-bats against right-handed pitchers got a lot better. He defends well. Koss, the same thing, (plus) the versatility to play multiple positions on the infield. You probably could throw him in the outfield if you need to — he’s just that type of player.
“He’s another one for me that I watched this spring that just carried himself with such a confidence at short or third or wherever he was playing. He’s just to me is the epitome of a baseball player and will go and do anything you ask him to do. We’re excited he’s on the team.”
Koss had a .426 on-base percentage while looking comfortable all over the dirt this spring. He played outfield in winter ball and said he even has played first base in the past. The Giants view him as a strong baserunner, and initially that could be how he gets a lot of time late in games. The simple swing should be easily maintained as a bench player.
“He made an impression from Day 1,” manager Bob Melvin said. “The style of play that we want to play, he embodies it.”
Melvin delivered the news before Tuesday’s exhibition, and he said the Giants made a production of the whole thing. Koss later got to tell his parents and wife, who will be at Great American Ball Park this weekend, along with his two-year-old daughter.
Koss said there were a lot of tears. Then the focus turned to travel logistics and preparing for his Major League Baseball debut.
“I don’t think it has really set in yet,” he said, smiling.
If the Montreal Canadiens took on the hottest team in the NHL on Tuesday night, they’ll take on the one with the worst record in the last ten games on Thursday night when they take on the Philadelphia Flyers. John Tortorella’s men appear to be just going through the motions at this stage. They are in 28th place in the league, and they’ve got a 1-8-1 record in their last 10.
Meanwhile, Montreal’s fantastic record since the 4 Nations Face-Off has taken a real hit of late, and they are down to 4-2-4. The Canadiens are winless in their last three games, although the points they salvaged in two of the three losses in extra time have kept them afloat.
There’s no word yet on who will be in Montreal's net, but after Wednesday afternoon’s practice, Martin St. Louis confirmed both of his goalies would see some action during the back-to-back against the Flyers and the Carolina Hurricanes.
Samuel Montembeault has played against the Flyers three times and has a 2-0-0 record. He has a 3.34 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage. Jakub Dobes has never faced them.
The two sides have only faced each other once so far this season, when the Canadiens took a 4-3 win over Philadelphia. Cayden Primeau and Aleksei Kolosov were in net. Neither is with their respective teams right now, they are both plying the AHL.
Samuel Ersson was in the net for the Flyers’ massive loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs, surrendering seven goals on 30 shots and finishing his night with a 767 SP. He’s 1-2-0 against the Canadiens, with a 3.47 GAA and a .824 SP. As for Ivan Fedotov, he played part of a game against the Canadiens and wasn’t involved in the decision, but he had an 8.79 GAA and a .692 SP, giving up four goals on 13 shots.
When he spoke to the press on Wednesday afternoon, St-Louis said he didn’t know if Kaiden Guhle would play but he didn’t think so. Brendan Gallagher leads the Canadiens in points with 24 points in 30 games, followed by Mike Matheson, who has 12 points in 27 games, and Nick Suzuki, who has 12 points in just 13 games. As for Cole Caufield, who’s been held pointless in three of the last four games, he’s a point-per-game player against Philly with eight points in eight games.
As for the Fyers, Sean Couturier remains their top scorer against the Canadiens with 20 points in 32 games, Travis Konecky is second with 13 points in 18 games and Owen Tippett rounds up the top-three with 10 points in as many games, matching Caufield’s point-per-game status.
As for Lane Hutson’s rival in the Calder Trophy race Matvei Michkov, he was held pointless in his only game against Montreal earlier this season. Hutson is still leading the race with 54 points while Macklin Celebrini is second with 52 points and Michkov is third with 51 points.
The Canadiens remain in the second wild card spot in the East after the Vancouver Canucks beat the New York Islanders in regulation on Wednesday night. Montreal has a single point lead over the Islanders and the New York Rangers, a two-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets and three points over the Detroit Red Wings. The Habs have game in hands on all of their rivals, aside from the Blue Jackets who have played the same number of games.
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The Warriors were dealt an unfortunate blow for the stretch run of the 2024-25 NBA regular season.
Veteran guard/forward Gary Payton II suffered a partial tear of a ligament in his left thumb in Tuesday’s loss to the Miami Heat, the team announced on Thursday after ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported the news.
The Warriors also announced Payton will not play in Friday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans and will be re-evaluated in one week.
Payton is an integral player in coach Steve Kerr’s rotations, and in 58 games this season, is averaging 6.6 points, 3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 58.5-percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range in 14.9 minutes off the bench.
The 32-year-old recently suffered a non-displaced nose fracture in the Warriors’ win over the Charlotte Hornets on March 3 and has played with a mask for the previous nine games he was active before his thumb injury.
While Payton was able to play through the nose injury, the Warriors will be without him for most, if not all, of their final 10 games of the regular season.
The Warriors were dealt an unfortunate blow for the stretch run of the 2024-25 NBA regular season.
Veteran guard/forward Gary Payton II suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb and will miss time, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday, citing sources, after The Athletic’s Anthony Slater first reported the news of the thumb injury.
Golden State Warriors G/F Gary Payton II has sustained a torn ligament in his left thumb and will be out for an indefinite period, sources tell ESPN. Brutal blow to the Warriors’ rotation. pic.twitter.com/wfiq0pa1vm
Payton is an integral player in coach Steve Kerr’s rotations, and in 58 games this season, is averaging 6.6 points, 3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game on 58.5-percent shooting from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range in 14.9 minutes off the bench.
The 32-year-old recently suffered a non-displaced nose fracture in the Warriors’ win over the Charlotte Hornets on March 3 and has played with a mask for the previous nine games he was active before his thumb injury.
While Payton was able to play through the nose injury, the Warriors will be without him for most, if not all, of their final 10 games of the regular season.
