While the Giants have struggled down the stretch this season, there has been one glaring bright spot.
Infielder Casey Schmitt has played hard-nosed baseball, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey joined KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Thursday to discuss Schmitt’s recent play.
“For me, watching Casey over the past few years … he looks like he’s starting to believe he belongs,” Posey explained.
Confidence is key in the batter’s box, and the 26-year-old has come into his own. Schmitt has hit four home runs with 13 RBI this month.
“He’s a very naturally gifted baseball player,” Posey explained. “You’re certainly seeing it at the plate. Laying off some of those pitches that are down and away from him … big two-out RBI last night … we’re definitely excited about the progress he’s making.”
His play at second base also has been stellar.
“A guy who’s naturally a third baseman,” Posey continued, “he’s probably more comfortable on the left side of the infield. He looks more and more comfortable each day. We saw last night the double play he and Adames turned. That really got me excited.”
The 1-6-4-3 double play on Wednesday got a well-deserved standing ovation from Giants fans. The idea of Schmitt being the everyday second baseman is turning into a reality.
“It looks like it came more natural to him,” Posey said. He showed off his arm strength; I think he’s gonna continue to get better and better.”
The San Diego State alum will have plenty of opportunities to earn his keep looking into the future.
Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...
Mets Notes
Mark Vientosis slashing .395/.442/.974 with six homers, four doubles, and 17 RBI in 43 plate appearances over his last 10 games
Starling Marte is hitting .359/.409/.590 with four homers and six doubles in 78 plate appearances over his last 23 games
Cedric Mullinshas picked things up in a big way after struggling at the plate during his first week as a Met. In 14 games since Aug. 9, Mullins is slashing .306/.375/.490 with a homer, triple, and four doubles
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Belichick has gone through an adjustment period while tackling recruiting and other college athletics minutiae, but the NFL legend is settling in — and he has plenty of familiar faces to help him out.
Jung Hoo Lee’s 2024 MLB season ended with an emphatic crash into the outfield wall and, as a result, shoulder surgery. Luckily for the Giants, his 2025 season has gone a bit differently and – while it’s had its ups and downs – Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey believes that is going to benefit Lee next season.
“I think this is going to be such a big year for Jung Hoo, just because you don’t really know what a major league season takes until you go through one,” Posey told KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Thursday. “Between the amount of games played in a row, the travel across the country, the physical toll, the mental toll.”
Lee’s April started as hot as it possibly could, with the 27-year-old slashing .324/.369/.539. However, his next couple months were polar opposites, with Lee putting up just a .143/.277/.274 slash line in June.
Posey believes the struggles – paired with his recent bounce back in July and August – is a positive sign for Lee and for San Francisco.
“Having to deal with the failure that comes from some or a lot of these variables and then to bounce back like he has,” Posey said. “To start off well and kind of slump a little bit and now, to me, he looks like he’s back to a spot at the plate where he’s hitting some balls on a line the other way, he’s spitting on balls when he needs to. I think, ultimately, we think that’s the type of player he’s going to be. A guy that has really good bat control, puts the ball in play, can be a pest at the plate.”
Lee’s 34.4 percent squared up rate, which is 95th percentile in the league, according to Baseball Savant, has proven that Lee has the ability to place balls where he wants.
Now, Posey says it’s on Lee to make the appropriate adjustments that he’s learned and come back better next season.
“Really, his first full year is something that I think he’s going to be able to learn from,” Posey added. “Take the information into the offseason and know how to prepare himself even better coming into next year.”
If Lee is able to improve on this season, he potentially could play a major role in the Giants making a push for the postseason in 2026.
Here are five things to watch and predictions as the Mets and Marlins play a four-game series at Citi Field starting on Thursday at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.
5 things to watch
King Tong
Jonah Tonglaid waste to minor league hitters in the 22 starts he made this season between Double-A Binghamton (20 starts) and Triple-A Syracuse (two starts).
In 113.2 innings, he posted a 1.43 ERA and 0.92 WHIP while allowing just 58 hits and striking out an absurd 179 batters.
Tong's dominance combined with the Mets' need in the big league rotation led to his call-up, and he'll make his much-anticipated debut on Friday night.
Featuring an electric fastball and Vulcan changeup, Tong will also mix in a slider (his newest offering) and 12-to-6 curve.
Tong's over the top delivery is reminiscent of Tim Lincecum -- something that isn't lost on the rookie.
"The one that everyone always sees is Tim Lincecum," Tong told SNY earlier this season. "Loved how he threw. They called him The Freak for a reason. I would say mechanics-wise, that’s probably the one I’m most similar to, although it’s not even intentional. ... but Tim Lincecum is probably the most obvious one to me."
Mets are feeling RISPy
As the Mets ebbed and flowed over the first four months of the season, one thing was a near constant -- their struggles with runners in scoring position.
It was baffling, considering the amount of dangerous, seasoned hitters who were up and down the lineup. And the longer it went on, the more ridiculous it seemed.
Well, things have turned.
The Mets are hitting a sizzling .388 with runners in scoring position since Aug. 12, closely aligning with the 8-3 run they're on.
A few huge turns of events during that span? Francisco Lindor broke out of his slump and has been tearing the cover off the ball for the last few weeks, and Mark Vientos has become the 2024 version of himself that helped make New York's lineup go.
Since July 28, Vientos is hitting .316/.341/.671 with seven homers, six doubles, and 22 RBI in 82 plate appearances over 20 games, bringing a new dynamic to the middle of the lineup.
It's been a struggle for Senga over the last month-plus.
In 31.0 innings over seven starts, he has a 6.10 ERA (6.32 FIP) and has allowed seven home runs.
Senga also hasn't been providing much length, failing to complete 5.0 innings on four occasions during that span and never going more than 5.2 frames.
New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) delivers a pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at Citi Field / Gregory Fisher - Imagn Images
Along the way, Senga has cited his mechanics as one of the reasons for his scuffling. Meanwhile, after Senga's last start, manager Carlos Mendoza noted how many "noncompetitive" pitches Senga threw.
Senga will look to get things back on track when he starts on Sunday.
The playoff chase
By sweeping the Phillies in a three-game series at Citi Field, the Mets did three things.
They pulled to within 4.0 games of Philadelphia for first place in the NL East, with four games against the Phillies coming up in Philadelphia next month
They gained 3.0 games on the Reds for the third Wild Card spot in the National League, and now lead them by 4.5 games (5.0 in the loss column)
They crept to within 2.5 games of the Padres (2.0 in the loss column) for the second Wild Card spot and 4.0 games of the Cubs for the first Wild Card spot
Eury Perez and Edward Cabrera are legit
Despite trudging toward another poor finish, the Marlins are dangerous to face simply because two of their starting pitchers have been really tough to hit this season.
And the Mets will face both of them during this series.
The 22-year-old Eury Perez, who starts on Friday, has a 3.44 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in what is his first season back after Tommy John surgery.
Edward Cabrera, who gets the ball on Saturday, has a 3.32 ERA and 1.18 WHIP and is coming off a masterpiece against the Braves. Cabrera fired 7.0 innings of one-hit, shutout ball against Atlanta on Monday while walking two and striking out 10.
Predictions
Who will the MVP of the series be?
Mark Vientos
Vientos looks as comfortable as he has all year.
Which Mets pitcher will have the best start?
David Peterson
Peterson has been stellar in his last two starts, allowing just two runs in 13.2 innings while striking out 18
Which Marlins player will be a thorn in the Mets' side?
Jakob Marsee
The rookie has been on a tear over his first 90 big league at-bats, slashing .356/.422/.667
Regional coverage includes 69 games that will be available through Scripps Sports and the Knight’s streaming service, KnightTime+. In Southern Nevada, Scripps will air on The Spot-Vegas 34, with additional stations streaming games across the organization’s designated television territory. Viewers outside the local broadcast area can access games through ESPN+.
The Knights are set to appear in 15 nationally televised matchups, airing on ESPN and Turner Sports. 13 of those games will be exclusive to the two networks, including the season opener against the Los Angeles Kings on October 8, which will be broadcast live from T-Mobile Arena on TNT.
In addition to television and streaming options, every Golden Knights home and away game will be carried on the the VGK Radio Network and the FOX Sports Radio Las Vegas (98.9 FM/1340 AM). Spanish-language broadcasts of home games will be available on Deportes Vegas (1460 AM).
The full list of national television broadcasts for the Golden Knights can be found below and is subject to change.
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2025-26 NATIONAL TV BROADCASTS
Wed. Oct. 8 vs. Los Angeles – TNT, MAX
Thu. Oct. 9 at San Jose – ESPN+, Hulu
Tue. Dec. 2 vs. Chicago – ESPN+, Hulu
Tue. Dec. 9 at N.Y. Islanders – TNT, MAX
Wed. Dec. 17 vs. New Jersey – TNT, MAX
Wed. Jan. 14 at Los Angeles – TNT, MAX
Thu. Jan. 15 vs. Toronto – ESPN
Thu. Jan. 29 vs. Dallas – ESPN+, Hulu
Sun. Feb. 1 vs. Anaheim – ESPN
Wed. Feb. 25 at Los Angeles – TNT, MAX
Sun. March 1 at Pittsburgh – TNT, MAX
Sun. March 8 vs. Edmonton – ESPN
Thu. March 19 vs. Utah – ESPN+, Hulu
Thu. March 26 vs. Edmonton – ESPN
Sat. April 11 at Colorado – ABC
In addition to the broadcast schedules for ESPN and Turner Sports, the National Hockey League announced that Vegas’ game in Carolina on October 28 has been adjusted from 4:30 p.m. PT to 3:30 p.m. PT.
The third installment of the popular Crave documentary The Rebuild: Inside the Montreal Canadiens dropped promptly on Thursday at 12:01 AM, and it’s just as good as the first two episodes. This week, the series focuses on two elements that helped turn the team’s fortunes around last season: the acquisition of Alexandre Carrier and the arrival of Jakub Dobes with the team.
This time around, the cameras also give a peek at what life is like for the players who are plying their trade under Pascal Vincent with the Laval Rocket. We take a road trip to Utica with the AHL club, highlighting the differences between the life of a minor leaguer and an NHL pro. While the Canadiens’ players are in Florida, getting ready to face the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, the farm team is in Utica, taking on the Comets. Speaking about their destination, former Habs prospect Logan Mailloux says it’s a “get in and get out” city, in stark contrast with the Canadiens’ Quebecers taking a stroll on the beach in Sunrise.
The look inside the life of the Rocket player probably came because goaltender Dobes was recalled, unlike Mailloux, Joshua Roy, or Rafael Harvey-Pinard. It’s interesting to see the players on the bus ride to Utica, playing cards and just killing time, much like the Canadiens do on their road trips, but in far less comfortable settings.
Speaking to the camera on the beach in Sunrise, David Savard, Carrier, Samuel Montembeault, and Mike Matheson discuss what playing in the AHL is like and how, once you’ve tasted the NHL, you don’t want to go back down. Interesting stat: only 20% of AHL players will go on to play 200 or more NHL games in their career. This statistic shows how much more work is left once an NHL team drafts a player.
It’s interesting to hear that it was Dobes who asked to do a rookie lap, something rookie netminders do not normally do, before he got his baptism of fire against the Panthers. The segment on that game also reminds us that, on top of the rookie goaltender’s fantastic performance in Sunrise, the win was also the result of a brace of goals by Kirby Dach, something people might have forgotten amongst the negativity the big center faces because of multiple injuries. It’s great to see just how pleased his teammates are for him and how he comes to the bench to celebrate to the sound of numerous “Alberta beef!” cheers; we even find out what that nickname is about.
The cameras also take us into the broadcasting booth, where Pierre Houle is as enthusiastic as can be about the Canadiens’ 4-0 win over the champions, multiplying the “Ma parole!”. There’s a reason why the duo he forms with Marc Denis is so well-loved in the Montreal market; his passion for the game transpires in every word.
This episode also captures blueliner Alexandre Carrier’s reaction to the trade that brought him home days before Christmas. While he was acquired on December 18, he didn’t get a chance to practice with the team before the post-Christmas road trip and tells the camera he was basically trying to survive that first practice, as it was a lot to take in.
The cameras are also privy to a Savard whiteboard coaching session in which the veteran blueliner breaks down the Panthers’ power play and explains to his younger teammates what the penalty kill has to do to neutralize it. The newly retired rear guard looks like a natural at the whiteboard, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him remain around the team in some coaching capacity. Martin St-Louis also tells the camera that having players who can coach themselves like that is an indication that you are in a good place.
On the business side of things, we go behind the scenes of a marketing meeting in which France Margaret Belanger pitches the idea of a standing room section to owner Geoff Molson. We then see them go on a reconnaissance mission to the new section, which would actually be very high up and have an obstructed view. The aim is actually to provide a lower-cost experience for fans, with a more party-like feel. With a capacity of 21,105, the Bell Center is already the largest arena in the NHL, 1,388 seats ahead of the Chicago Blackhawks’ United Center, but the organization seems determined to increase that lead.
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Russian enraged by umpire decision in first-round exit
Former world No 1 destroyed racket after match
Daniil Medvedev was fined $42,500 by the US Open on Wednesday – more than a third of his $110,000 prize money from this year’s singles at the tournament – for his meltdown after a photographer wandered on to the court at match point.
Tournament referee Jake Garner docked Medvedev $30,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and another $12,500 for racket abuse. When Sunday’s first-round match ended in defeat for Medvedev he repeatedly smacked a racket against his chair, destroying the equipment.
