The Yankees officially were eliminated from playoff contention Sunday, two days after the Mets reached their tragic number. The Giants and Jets only have played three games apiece, but they are a combined 2-4 and have been outscored by 74 points. Even the Liberty were knocked around yesterday in a Game 1, semifinal loss to the Sun.
For New York fans, and especially New York baseball fans, hope can be found this week a bit farther upstate.
“We have the best minor league team in baseball, at any level,” Double-A Binghamton starter Dom Hamel said Sunday, before Game 1 of the Eastern League Championship Series was rained out.
Monday at Binghamton’s Mirabito Stadium will begin the Mets affiliate’s battle with Erie, a Tigers affiliate, for a championship that does seem to matter to the players. Yes, they would far prefer to receive a call-up for a major league debut, but rings and big-game experience would do for now.
In the semifinals Binghamton knocked off Somerset, a Yankees affiliate that went 85-53 this season for a .613 winning percentage that was tops in all of Double-A. Most of that winning, though, was done before Binghamton morphed into a virtual minor league All-Star team.
The Mets’ trade-deadline selloff brought a pair of top prospects, infielder Luisangel Acuña and outfielder Drew Gilbert, to Binghamton. Another pair of young studs in infielder/outfielder Jett Williams and catcher Kevin Parada were called up from High-A Brooklyn this month, putting four of the organization’s top five prospects on one club and in one lineup.
But Binghamton swept Somerset in the best-of-three semifinal because it allowed two total runs in the two games, its rotation the most consistent and overpowering area of the team.
In the Game 1 victory, Christian Scott struck out five while allowing one run in three innings, an abbreviated start because the Mets are being careful with his innings. The Mets named Scott their Pitcher of the Year after a season that began at Low-A St. Lucie will end in Binghamton, Scott posting a combined 2.57 ERA with 107 strikeouts and just 12 walks, which is not a typo.
In the Game 2 win, it was Hamel silencing Yankees sluggers such as Spencer Jones. Hamel went a season-long 7 ⅔ innings while striking out eight and allowing just three hits, no runs and two walks.
“That was fun, man,” said Hamel, who has allowed three runs in his past 32 ⅔ innings. “That just made me feel like I was back in college [at Dallas Baptist] throwing a regional game.
“[These playoff games are] completely different. Guys are going to make pinch-hit substitutions, pinch runners and all those [moves in] those high-leverage situations.”
Monday’s starter will be Blade Tidwell, who owns a 3.09 ERA with 112 strikeouts in 81 ⅔ innings. A fourth rotation stud, Tyler Stuart, has been on the injured list since late August but finished the regular season with the lowest ERA (2.20) among all minor league starting pitchers with at least 15 starts.
The Mets have struggled to develop starting pitchers since the Five Aces days, but it’s possible they are turning a corner. Those four are all ranked, according to MLB Pipeline, within the organization’s 17 best prospects.
“We’re all in tune with what makes us good in our own unique ways, and on top of that they’re all just good guys,” Hamel said of the group of starting pitchers that also could include Mike Vasil, who started his season in Binghamton and was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse. “We have this great group of four or five guys who are seeing what it takes to get to that [major league] level, and it’s just like: Why not us?”
Williams, a fast-rising prospect who plays shortstop, second base and center field, was called up from High-A Brooklyn about two weeks ago. In eight games, he has seen his Binghamton pitching staff allow 11 runs.
“I feel like our pitching staff is one of the best in the minor leagues,” said Williams, before turning to the team’s offense. “Feel like our lineup, 1-through-9, they’re going to be tough outs.
“Even if our pitchers go out there and give up a couple runs, it’s like: Don’t worry about it. We’ll give you some run support, we’ll come back.”
Binghamton was not a powerhouse for most of the regular season, but when the Mets gave up on 2023 and looked to the future, the future immediately looked bright. Since the start of August, when Acuña (who has a .622 OPS with Binghamton but 15 steals in 37 games) and Gilbert (a .984 OPS with Binghamton) were imported, the Rumble Ponies have gone 29-13.
A loaded team is trying for its first Eastern League Championship since 2014, when Brandon Nimmo was a major contributor.
For the first time in a long time, there is real hope the Mets are constructing their future.
“It’s going to be awesome playing with those guys in the big leagues,” said Williams, whom the Mets named the organization’s Player of the Year. “Right now it’s kind of enjoy each and every moment. We have to finish out this season — we have three games at most, hopefully two.
“We have a really good team this year, at least for the two weeks I’ve been here. We know that we’re the next wave of players going up there most likely.”
If you want to see the future of the Mets; if you are tired of seeing losing New York teams; if you need a glimpse at Wilmer Flores, the little brother of the former beloved Mets who will be starting for Erie — there will be a few more games to savor and an actually good New York team to check out.
Today’s back page
Read more:
🏈 VACCARO: Jets are team crying for change as season already looks like a Hail Mary
🏈 SCHWARTZ: Daniel Jones still has time to show $160M value to Giants
🏒 Zac Jones encouraged by Rangers second chance in long look during preseason opener
🏈 SERBY: Jets only have one hope at fixing their Zach Wilson mess
No escape
Good feelings upstate aside, we probably have to talk about the bad New York teams.
There were times in NFL history when the Jets could hide a quarterback like Zach Wilson. Mark Sanchez was dragged to two AFC Championship games because defenses, in the early 2010s, could more easily take over games.
But those days are over. The most alarming aspect of Wilson’s Sunday was not his inability to do much of anything throughout the 15-10 loss to the Patriots. And it was not that Wilson threw for 29 yards in the first half. And it was not that he did not maneuver the pocket well; did not go through his progressions quickly enough; did not look like a competent quarterback.
The most alarming aspect of Wilson’s continued struggles is the fact that those struggles can no longer be camouflaged. It does not matter how good the Jets’ defense is or how many weapons have been assembled around the third-year quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa’s Dolphins scored 70 points Sunday. Josh Allen’s Bills scored 37. Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs posted 41. Heck, Geno Smith’s Seahawks finished with 37.
NFL offenses are scoring more than ever at a time when Wilson is continually being exploited. It is time for the Jets to look for another quarterback who might be able to salvage the season.
A long winter ahead
The Yankees’ season ended appropriately. Carlos Rodon, whose season has been defined by setbacks, was the losing pitcher because the Yankees’ offense could not support him. Aaron Boone’s group has had plenty of issues this season, but the bats have loomed the largest.
There will be a lot to dissect this offseason, which will arrive as quickly as possible for the Yankees. They officially cannot qualify for the playoffs after Sunday’s 7-1 loss to the Diamondbacks, and the clean-up process can begin.
“A lot of stuff going on around here that needs to be fixed,” said Aaron Judge, who declined to go into specifics.
Specifically, the Yankees need an offense that has a pulse, one better than the 26th-ranked one that dragged them down all season. They need to figure out if there is more in Giancarlo Stanton’s bat (and body), or if they have to get rid of his contract soon. They have to determine if Anthony Rizzo’s struggles were all concussion-based or whether his bat has begun declining. They need to figure out if young, interesting position players such as Oswald Peraza, Oswaldo Cabrera and Austin Wells can be relied upon.
There is a lot of work to be done, and unfortunately for the Yankees, they have a lot of time to figure out what needs to be fixed.
