Post by Commissioner Erick on Sept 23, 2019 9:56:06 GMT -5
Philadelphia Phillies (5-1) @ New York Mets (1-5)
PHI: Luke Weaver (1-0, 4.76)
NYM: Noah Syndergaard (0-0, 0.00)
Players to Watch
Phillies:
1) 3B—Maikel Franco
Coming off a down season, it was important for Maikel Franco to rebound this year, as he's the only source of right-handed offense in the Phillies lineup, outside of catcher. He had a strong first week, with two home runs off right-handed pitching, and a strong .808 OPS. After a down 2021 and a .188 average in the WBC, his decent start has to be promising. It's likely he'll face Noah Syndergaard today, so not too much is expected of him until the Mets go to the bullpen. Philadelphia will have seven lefties in their lineup, most likely, ready to do damage should Franco likely struggle.
2) 1B—Darick Hall:
Hall has had strong seasons in the minors the past two three years, with 28 home runs and 98 RBIs last year. Not only did the Phillies promote him this year, but they've made the 26-year-old rookie their primary DH. A big slugger, Hall has gotten off to a roaring start, with three walks to one strikeout, and his first major league home run off Washington ultra prospect Eric Pena. Hall's in a perfect spot to provide some thump, and isn't under too much pressure with Philadelphia's lineup so deep.
3) RP—Elniera Garcia:
A 27-year old rookie, Garcia pitched in one game for the Phillies last year, before cracking the opening day roster this year. One of four lefties in a seven-man pen, Garcia may be the lowest reliever in the pecking order. He struck out his only two batters faced against Boston, and worked 1.1 shutout innings against Washington. If he pitches tonight, the game has gone long, the game isn't close, or Luke Weaver wasn't very good.
Mets:
1) 1B—Dominic Smith:
Smith was a solid hitter his first few seasons in the league, but he really blossomed as a power hitter in 2021, belting 38 long balls. The power has taken Smith from a second-division starter to an All-Star. That will be important today as New York's offense has scuffled and they'll need Smith, not just to get on base, but also to provide much-needed thump to a banged-up lineup. If Smith can deliver, it'll give the Mets a chance against a terrific Phillies team.
2) RP—Daniel Coulombe:
With the Phillies deploying a heavily-skewed left-handed lineup, Coulombe will likely play a pivotal part in keeping that lineup in check. The lefty is coming off a good season where he fanned 70 in 61.1 innings, and allowed just a .248 BABIP. Lefties haven't hit above .226 against him since 2017, nor have they had higher than a .643 OPS since that year. Outside of last year's aberration, righties destroy him, and he's already allowed three doubles to 12 righty batters this year. Fortunately, Philadelphia is tailor made for him.
3) RP—Rob Zastryzny:
Zastryzny didn't pitch last week and may be caught in a transaction web as the Mets need bats and have 15 pitchers. If he does make the cut, it'll be because he's left-handed and facing Philadelphia. Zastryzny was an All-Star in the Pacific Coast League last season, and has turned in two excellent campaigns for Canada in the WBC. He can be used as a long man, but with New York's rotation set, he's not a priority at the moment.
PHI: Luke Weaver (1-0, 4.76)
NYM: Noah Syndergaard (0-0, 0.00)
Players to Watch
Phillies:
1) 3B—Maikel Franco
Coming off a down season, it was important for Maikel Franco to rebound this year, as he's the only source of right-handed offense in the Phillies lineup, outside of catcher. He had a strong first week, with two home runs off right-handed pitching, and a strong .808 OPS. After a down 2021 and a .188 average in the WBC, his decent start has to be promising. It's likely he'll face Noah Syndergaard today, so not too much is expected of him until the Mets go to the bullpen. Philadelphia will have seven lefties in their lineup, most likely, ready to do damage should Franco likely struggle.
2) 1B—Darick Hall:
Hall has had strong seasons in the minors the past two three years, with 28 home runs and 98 RBIs last year. Not only did the Phillies promote him this year, but they've made the 26-year-old rookie their primary DH. A big slugger, Hall has gotten off to a roaring start, with three walks to one strikeout, and his first major league home run off Washington ultra prospect Eric Pena. Hall's in a perfect spot to provide some thump, and isn't under too much pressure with Philadelphia's lineup so deep.
3) RP—Elniera Garcia:
A 27-year old rookie, Garcia pitched in one game for the Phillies last year, before cracking the opening day roster this year. One of four lefties in a seven-man pen, Garcia may be the lowest reliever in the pecking order. He struck out his only two batters faced against Boston, and worked 1.1 shutout innings against Washington. If he pitches tonight, the game has gone long, the game isn't close, or Luke Weaver wasn't very good.
Mets:
1) 1B—Dominic Smith:
Smith was a solid hitter his first few seasons in the league, but he really blossomed as a power hitter in 2021, belting 38 long balls. The power has taken Smith from a second-division starter to an All-Star. That will be important today as New York's offense has scuffled and they'll need Smith, not just to get on base, but also to provide much-needed thump to a banged-up lineup. If Smith can deliver, it'll give the Mets a chance against a terrific Phillies team.
2) RP—Daniel Coulombe:
With the Phillies deploying a heavily-skewed left-handed lineup, Coulombe will likely play a pivotal part in keeping that lineup in check. The lefty is coming off a good season where he fanned 70 in 61.1 innings, and allowed just a .248 BABIP. Lefties haven't hit above .226 against him since 2017, nor have they had higher than a .643 OPS since that year. Outside of last year's aberration, righties destroy him, and he's already allowed three doubles to 12 righty batters this year. Fortunately, Philadelphia is tailor made for him.
3) RP—Rob Zastryzny:
Zastryzny didn't pitch last week and may be caught in a transaction web as the Mets need bats and have 15 pitchers. If he does make the cut, it'll be because he's left-handed and facing Philadelphia. Zastryzny was an All-Star in the Pacific Coast League last season, and has turned in two excellent campaigns for Canada in the WBC. He can be used as a long man, but with New York's rotation set, he's not a priority at the moment.
