Prospects Jonah Tong, Carson Benge representing Mets in Futures Game
Access the Mets beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free
Two of the Mets' highest-rated prospects were named All-Stars of sorts on Monday, when rosters were finalized for the Futures Game in Atlanta on July 12.
Jonah Tong, a top pitching prospect, and outfielder Carson Benge — last year's first-round draft pick by the organization — were selected to represent the Mets.
Tong, 22, has dominated at Double-A Binghamton, pitching to a 1.73 ERA in 14 starts.
The right-hander leads the entire minor leagues with 115 strikeouts this season.
In a seven-inning game as part of a doubleheader in May, he retired all 20 batters he faced over 6 ²/₃ innings as part of a combined perfect game.
Jonah Tong will represent the Mets in the Futures Game.Carson Benge
Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Benge, 22, was promoted to Binghamton on June 23 after beginning the season with Single-A Brooklyn.
In 60 games with the Cyclones, he produced a .302/.417/.480 slash line with four homers and 37 RBIs.
He was leading the South Atlantic League in doubles (18) at the time of his promotion.
The Mets are hoping David Peterson, who is scheduled to face the Brewers in Thursday's series finale, will benefit from the extra rest afforded to him by Monday's day off.
In evaluating his past two performances — both of which were underwhelming — team officials deduced the left-hander may have been dealing with fatigue.
Peterson threw a complete-game shutout against the Nationals on June 11 and received an extra day of rest before his next start, in which he allowed three earned runs over seven innings against the Braves.
But Peterson's following two starts were on normal rest.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS
In each of those starts, facing the Phillies and Pirates, Peterson failed to complete five innings and surrendered five earned runs.
Juan Soto wasn't about to share his message when asked Sunday what he said in a players only meeting the previous night.
But the star outfielder said he's confident in Mets leadership.
'We have got a lot of leaders in this room — guys that have experience before on [good] teams,' Soto said. 'We have guys that have been here their whole career and young, core talent. I feel we have great leadership in here and this is a great way to handle the team to go through this.'
Does Soto consider himself one of those leaders?
'I try to help the team the best in any way I can do it,' Soto said. 'I don't know if they want to call me a leader. They can call me a leader.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
41 minutes ago
- USA Today
How much has Bobby Bonilla earned in deferred money through 2025?
It's July 1! And you know what that means? It's BOBBY BONILLA DAY! In case you're not in the know about this whole annual phenomenon: it's the day on which former MLB player Bobby Bonilla gets his yearly payment of over $1 million from the New York Mets, which fans like to joke about every July 1, even though he also gets money from the Baltimore Orioles. (Did you know that? Now you do!). The joke is that Bonilla gets paid long after retirement, despite the fact that deferred payments are very much a thing still in the baseball world. Wondering how much he's been paid so far to NOT play baseball after he retired? You've come to the right place. How much money has Bobby Bonilla made in deferred payments? Per Spotrac, he gets $500,000 a year from the O's and $1,193,248 from the Mets. The payments started in 2004 from the Orioles and 2011 from the Mets. The current tally? He's made $28,898,720 so far. The Orioles payments will stop in 2028, and the Mets' money won't come in after 2035. He'll earn a total of $42,331,200 to not play baseball. That's quite a way to make a living!
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Tom Seaver, David Wright formed a bond that transcended the field
After the first home game of every season, the New York Mets host the franchise's annual Welcome Home Dinner. Heading into his second season in the big leagues, David Wright had attended once before and generally knew what to expect: a cocktail hour, a live Mets-themed game show as entertainment, and a formal dinner at an upscale venue alongside current and former players and their families. Advertisement What Wright didn't expect to see that night was one of the greatest players to ever wear a Mets uniform, Tom Seaver. Growing up outside of Norfolk, Va., home of the then-Mets Triple-A affiliate Norfolk Tides and with a father who was a huge Mets fan, Wright knew of all the legends in team history. Maybe none of them, though, were more synonymous with the Mets than the man whose literal nickname was The Franchise. 'I can remember just being incredibly nervous and excited,' Wright said recently. 'But too nervous to go up and introduce myself.' Eventually, the two were introduced and they spoke for 20 minutes. But rather than talking about the upcoming season or the pitcher's storied past, Seaver asked Wright a simple question. What are your interests outside of baseball? 'I was thinking to myself, like I don't have any interest outside of baseball,' Wright said. 'I'm 22 years old. It's baseball for me all the time. And he goes 'Well that could be a problem because then you start taking your success and your failures home with you, and it starts to eat at you even more.'' Although Wright didn't know it then, that one unexpected interaction would be the start of a bond that would go beyond the confines of the game, blur the line between mentor and friend and endure long after Seaver's passing. And on July 19, when Wright's number is retired and he's inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame, that link will be etched even deeper. Many of Wright and Seaver's early interactions took place at Shea Stadium. Whenever Seaver came to town, Wright would make sure he blocked off 30 minutes where the two could grab lunch or have a cup of coffee together. They would usually start off talking about the game itself. Wright asked question after question, soaking up all of the knowledge that Seaver had to offer. And because Wright was so eager to learn and ask questions, Seaver began to embrace being a mentor. Advertisement 'Tom was not someone who threw around praise widely or easily,' said Art Zaske, Seaver's son-in-law. 'He was a big proponent and really respected people who were, I'm gonna call it, a bit old school in their respect for the game, how they handled themselves on the field, their level of leadership.' 'But David was one of those. So he thought quite highly of David. And it's sort of obvious when I saw the two of them together that Tom thought a lot of David. They got along well because they were two birds of a feather in that way.' Seaver always made sure to ask about what Wright was doing to keep his mind fresh when he wasn't focused on the game. Those conversations, Wright said, were especially helpful during low points in his career. Moments like those also helped Wright learn more about Seaver and his passions in life. 'He knew everything about wine,' Wright said. 'And I knew nothing about wine.' Seaver founded his own winery, Seaver Vineyards, in California. Over time, Wright began to do research on wine culture to understand it better for his conversations with Seaver. If the topic was brought up, which it often was, he didn't want to embarrass himself. That effort only heightened the relationship. That bond was also evident to those around them as well. Whenever Seaver saw Wright around his teammates or others around the organization, he had a one-liner that he used that always caught Wright's attention. 'You know David, between the two of us, we have 311 wins,' Wright, a third baseman, recalled Seaver saying. 'I knew it was coming and I still laughed. That's kind of what attracted me to him, his sense of humor and his ability to make people laugh. The fact that the guy, the franchise, is going out of his way to remember my name and remembers my parents' names or that I got three younger brothers. But also takes a genuine interest in, probably not watching the games, but checking to see how I'm doing on a consistent basis.' In 2013, Wright was honored as an All-Star for the seventh and final time of his career. At Citi Field, he represented the Mets at his home stadium. He got to participate in the Home Run Derby and got a hit during the All-Star game. But for Wright, one of the moments that stood out the most was catching the first pitch from Seaver. Advertisement When Seaver emerged from the dugout, he was showered with applause by the Met faithful and fans of the sport alike. After he made it to the mound and threw the pitch, he and Wright met halfway and embraced. Wright made sure to give Seaver the ball. 'It's like a pinch-me moment saying, yeah, Tom Seaver is my friend,' Wright said. On Aug. 31, 2020, Seaver died peacefully in his sleep due to complications of Lewy Body Dementia and COVID-19. Wright was especially hit hard after the news. To this day, he lives with a singular regret when it comes to their relationship. Every offseason, Seaver would invite Wright to his winery in Napa, Calif. Considering his limited knowledge of wine early in his career, Wright always declined and put it off for another time. 'One of my biggest regrets is never taking him up on that,' Wright said. 'I think that would have been a magical experience to spend a day or two with The Franchise and to talk wine and baseball and just get to know him face to face on a more personal level.' While Wright never got to visit the vineyard, he has since bought some of the Seaver family's wine. His variety of choice is always the GTS Cabernet Sauvignon. He only opens a bottle for special occasions, and when he does, he always takes a moment to remember Seaver and their time together. 'It's kind of a full circle moment of being a 21-, 22-year-old kid not knowing anything about wine,' Wright said, 'but getting a chance to meet one of my baseball heroes and then fast forward 20 years and now I'm getting a chance to enjoy his wine.' Wright has maintained a relationship with the Seaver family as well, whether it was talking with Seaver's daughter and Zaske's wife, Sarah, or signing baseballs and other memorabilia for their kids. When Wright found out that Sarah had died of lung cancer last February, he was one of the first people to reach out to Zaske to give his condolences. Advertisement 'That's not something typically that celebrities of any stripe, much less ballplayers, would necessarily think to do,' Zaske said. 'But that sort of speaks to his character and the kind of person he is.' For Wright, that was intentional, a declaration of the relationship he hoped to keep with the family going forward. 'I wanted to make it known that just because Mr. Seaver isn't around anymore, the Seaver name, for me, still means a lot,' Wright said. 'I'm still a tremendous fan of his legacy and the family that he left behind.' That legacy was encapsulated by a singular Seaver saying: 'Do things to the best of your ability,' Zaske recalled. 'Whatever's in your heart, do it as best you can. That's the Seaver way.' Next month, Zaske, along with his three sons, will be in attendance to support Wright at his number retirement and induction. For Wright the honor still hasn't quite sunk in. 'I think when it sinks in and I see my number up there in close proximity to Mr. Seaver's, it's probably going to hit me like a ton of bricks just because I know how important Tom Seaver was to baseball, how important Tom Seaver was to the city of New York, the Mets organization,' Wright said. 'I don't take that honor lightly, and it's something that is going to be one of the proudest moments in my career.' It's certainly an occasion worth popping open a bottle of GTS Cabernet Sauvignon.
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
He hasn't played in MLB for more than two decades. One team is paying him $1.2 million a year until 2035
He hasn't picked up a professional baseball glove in 24 years, but he's still picking up a paycheck – and a hefty one at that. It's July 1, which for New York Mets fans means it's Bobby Bonilla Day. The former slugger retired in 2001 with the St. Louis Cardinals, but he has been collecting a check of nearly $1.2 million from the Mets every year on July 1 for more than a decade. The deal is part of a contract negotiated by Bonilla's agent Dennis Gilbert, which will pay Bonilla $1,193,248.20 every year until 2035. Bonilla, a former All-Star who last played with the Mets in 1999, will be 72 when his contract with the team expires. How was Gilbert able to secure such a sweet deal for his client? They can both thank disgraced financier Bernie Madoff and former Mets owner Fred Wilpon. The Mets wanted to part ways with Bonilla in 1999, but he had $6 million left on his contract. Wilpon believed he was getting a huge return on his investments through Madoff but the Mets owner turned out to be a victim of Madoff's infamous Ponzi scheme. Instead of paying Bonilla outright, Wilpon opted to defer payments so that the money could be unwittingly invested into Madoff's Ponzi scheme. Bonilla's agent Gilbert negotiated with the team to defer payments until 2011, with an 8% annual interest rate. Madoff was the mastermind of the most notorious Ponzi scheme in history. A Ponzi scheme is a form of fraud that uses funds from more recent investors to pay profits to earlier investors, leading them to believe that their investments are part of a successful enterprise. Madoff, who died in 2021, was serving 150 years in prison for the multibillion-dollar scheme that he ran for decades. In total, Bonilla will walk away with a $29.8 million payday because of Wilpon's blunder. Players being paid over a long period of time isn't uncommon in MLB, with contracts often deferring money down the line. Most notably recently, after the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract in 2023, Ohtani decided to annually defer $68 million of his $70 million average salary. That means Ohtani will be paid $2 million a year over the contract and the deferrals – totaling $680 million – will begin in 2034. Starting then, Ohtani will receive $68 million per year from the Dodgers until 2043. The Dodgers have made deferring payments a common theme in recent times, also doing so when signing Blake Snell and Tommy Edman. But this idea has been around for a long time now, after it was first popularized by 'The Dolgoff Plan' in the 1960s when an accountant, Ralph Dolgoff, helped the American Basketball Association (ABA) compete with the NBA by allowing teams to offer payments spread over multiple years in an attempt to attract players with the appeal of long-term security. So while Mr. Bonilla is likely one of the most famous beneficiaries of deferred payment schemes, he is not the first and will most certainly not be the last.
