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New York Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Juan Soto's bullpen visits: Sunflower seeds and scouting reports
NEW YORK — Juan Soto, honorary member of the New York Mets bullpen? 'Hey, at this point,' Mets reliever Ryne Stanek said, smiling, 'he comes by so often that we might as well give him that title.' Soto, the superstar right fielder, visits the Mets' bullpen before games, between pitching changes — really, anytime there's a break in the action that allows him an opportunity to pop in. Advertisement It's not completely unusual for a right fielder to linger by the wall near where the relievers reside or stop in the bullpen for a quick hello or sip of a drink. But Soto is different. He visits all the time. 'He does it way more than others,' said Stanek, who is in his ninth major-league season. 'We love it.' Added Mets reliever Max Kranick, 'We look forward to his visits.' Earlier this season, Soto referred to the relievers as 'his guys.' Why wouldn't he visit with them, he wonders. Sometimes, it's just laughs and light conversation. A lot of the time, though, Soto heads to his bullpen buddies seeking information. The visits took off at the start of the season when the Mets began playing games at Citi Field. 'The conversation that we got with him, it's been amazing,' bullpen coach Jose Rosado said. When Soto drops by the bullpen, he might be looking for advice on a few topics. Sometimes, he wants to know what Rosado thinks an opposing reliever might throw to left-handed batters. Other times, he wants to know a Mets reliever's approach against a certain batter so he can position himself defensively. And every once in a while, Soto will ask Rosado for tips on throwing mechanics, wanting more carry on his throws from right field. 'He wants to have that step ahead,' Rosado said, 'on everything.' The relievers and Rosado expect Soto's visits. juan soto born to be a relief pitcher who hangs out in the bullpen most of the game, forced to be a generational hitter — dianna (@runwildkian) May 6, 2025 'I try to get the information before he even asks now,' Rosado said. 'It's been great.' Rosado is prepared for Soto before the first pitch. In the first inning of games, Rosado stands by the fence separating the bullpen area from right field, awaiting Soto with a fistful of sunflower seeds. When Soto walks over, Rosado gives him a handful. Advertisement From there, Soto jogs out to his position and places the seeds where the defensive card tells him to stand as a marker. 'I'm ready as soon as the game starts,' Rosado said. 'I know to already have the sunflower seeds. He asked me the first game for sunflower seeds. I was like, 'You know you have plenty in the dugout — what's going on?' But then I saw him go back to his position, lay them down. I noticed it right away. It's pretty cool. Little things that I know he likes to do.' After getting seeds, Soto wants scouting reports. During a pitching change in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Soto asked Mets lefty reliever A.J. Minter how lefties should pitch against him. The next day, Minter looked at some video and numbers on how Phillies lefty reliever Matt Strahm might pitch to Soto. Minter then offered his input. 'This is what I think he is going to do,' Minter told Soto. Soto responded, 'I think the same thing.' Minter laughed when he said what happened next. 'In the at-bat against Soto, Strahm did the exact opposite of what I said,' Minter said. 'I felt so bad.' Soto never held it against him. It didn't stop him from continuing to ask questions. 'He's such a competitor,' Minter said. 'You can see he is trying so hard. It's great to be teammates with him. I've told him, 'If I'm going to pitch against you, you know the strike zone so well — I know I'm attacking you.' So I tell him, 'Be ready for that first pitch, be ready off the jump.' But we just all love talking with him.' The talks don't always involve swapping information and seeking an edge. Stanek suggested that Soto may just want to lay low sometimes and the bullpen is a good for that. Sometimes, the relievers said, a fun conversation just evolves during a Soto visit. They call him 'chill,' 'calm' and 'confident.' Advertisement 'It's been cool to see his personality come out more now,' Kranick said. Added Stanek: 'You see it from people on social media or whatever saying whether he likes it here or not. I think he loves it here. He's been a great teammate.' It's common for Soto, in the first year of a $765 million deal, to quietly approach the Mets' relievers with questions. Are you ready today? How are you going to match up against this hitter? Relievers can sometimes feel isolated from the rest of the team. They're not in the dugout. They're by themselves, in the bullpen. They say Soto helps bring another element of connectedness. And they appreciate that effort. For Soto, his visits to the bullpen are helpful. That's also true for the relievers. 'In the beginning, I was like, 'Man, I gotta get him out of here so he can focus on the game,'' Rosado said. 'But it's the questions that he asks. It's perfect. He wants to know everything. So we're thinking. We have to bring the A-game every time.'
New York Post
24-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Mets' confidence booming with MLB's best bullpen: ‘It's contagious'
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 Here is how the Mets' bullpen beat the Phillies: Monday: an escape from Reed Garrett, length from Max Kranick, an exhale from Edwin Díaz; Advertisement Tuesday: shutdown innings from Huascar Brazobán, A.J. Minter, Ryne Stanek and José Buttó; Wednesday: solid work from Brazobán, lefty-on-lefty excellence from Danny Young, a Buttó survival, a Díaz concern and Kranick guts. Eight different relievers combined to allow a total of four earned runs — three of which came on a homer Diaz served up — and each fulfilled a role. The Mets' bullpen has been its greatest strength through this 18-7 season-opening sprint, and not because a few dominant relievers have been leaned on heavily. The same exact group that broke camp with the team remains and has thrived in part because of its depth. Advertisement 3 Reed Garrett celebrates after the sixth inning during the Mets' win over the Phillies on April 21, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST 'The eight of them are getting huge outs for us,' manager Carlos Mendoza said after finishing off the sweep Wednesday at Citi Field. 'They know, they understand, when we call their names it's because we feel good about their chances of getting three outs. It doesn't matter whether we're up one in the seventh or in the ninth or whether we're down three — their job is to come in and attack and get the three outs we're asking them to do. 'I've been saying it: It's contagious.' Advertisement The bug has spread throughout a group that entered Thursday's off day as the most valuable bullpen in the majors, according to FanGraphs; that owned a 2.35 ERA that was second-best; that had eaten 95 ⅔ innings, the fourth-most; that had given up just four home runs, the least in MLB; that owned a third-best 1.03 WHIP and held opposing batters to a .192 average that was the sixth lowest. There eventually will be turnover — Dedniel Núñez, for one, is looming at Triple-A Syracuse — but there has been stability because each arm has produced and the workload has been distributed well. CHECK OUT THE LATEST MLB STANDINGS AND METS STATS Entering Thursday, the Mets had used a pitcher on consecutive days nine times this season, tied for the second-least in the majors (before only the Yankees' eight). The Mets have not had to push their arms into many uncomfortable situations — and when those few situations have arisen, the arms have responded. Advertisement The Phillies provided several tests. On Monday, Garrett entered the sixth inning with Bryce Harper on first base and ensured Harper was stranded. After the inning-ending strikeout of J.T. Realmuto, Garrett became the only pitcher in the majors to inherit nine runners and not allow any to score. 'If we're in a sticky situation,' Pete Alonso said of the relievers, 'they're doing their jobs.' 3 Max Kranick throws in the seventh inning of the Mets' win over the Phillies on April 21, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Later in the game, Mendoza asked Kranick — excellent in the early going as a multi-inning weapon — for a third inning of work, which resulted in three straight hits and Díaz emerging to both scare (allowing a Bryson Stott homer) and escape (two straight strikeouts to end it). Tuesday, Mendoza turned to typical-length-option Brazobán (1.17 ERA) for a single frame, used Minter (1.74 ERA) for the pocket of the lineup featuring Bryce Harper, turned to Stanek (0.96 ERA) to get the heart of the order and, with the lead padded, trusted Buttó (2.51 ERA) to get the last three outs. Wednesday could have been the breaking point because Mendoza wanted to stay away from Kranick, Garrett and Minter. Brazobán and Buttó worked on consecutive days, and Young turned in the best performance of his season by forcing Harper to chase for a strikeout and entering the strike zone against Kyle Schwarber, who stared at strike three. 'He got the job done,' Mendoza said of Young, who has been a relative weak spot but whose sweeper in particular has been untouchable. Advertisement 3 Danny Young throws a pitch in the seventh inning during the Mets' win over the Cardinals on April 20, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST Díaz pitched a perfect ninth and returned for the 10th. He lasted six pitches before what was believed to be a hip cramp forced him out, and Mendoza had no choice but to turn to a pitcher who burned 36 pitches two days prior. Advertisement Kranick probably needed more time to warm up, quickly walking Realmuto, but navigated out of a bases-loaded jam by inducing two fly outs. 'When somebody gets hurt, you got to warm up on the mound — I think that's the toughest thing to do as a reliever,' Díaz said. 'Today was definitely a little bit different,' Kranick said after completing that tough job for a Mets bullpen that has been the strongest unit on what has been baseball's best team thus far.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Max Kranick, a childhood Mets fan, closes out win in Citi Field opener: ‘I'll remember this one forever'
Max Kranick, a childhood Mets fan, closes out win in Citi Field opener: 'I'll remember this one forever' Max Kranick couldn't believe it. After learning last week that he made the Mets' Opening Day roster, the right-handed reliever received a congratulatory text message from David Wright, his favorite player growing up. Advertisement 'I was sitting with [catcher] Hayden Senger on the bus and I just showed him my phone,' Kranick recalled Friday. 'Like, 'Is this real?' It was pretty cool. Really nice of him to send a text and congratulate me. It was a cool moment. Definitely my coolest moment so far.' But that wasn't the only cool moment in store for the 27-year-old. Kranick hails from Jessup, Pa. — about 135 miles from Citi Field — and was raised a Mets fan. His father, John Kranick Sr., used to attend Opening Day at Shea Stadium annually. The Mets began this season in Houston, and then visited Miami, before they returned to Queens for Friday's home opener — a 5-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays. Advertisement Kranick got the last six outs of Friday's victory, striking out one and allowing only one hit. 'I was looking forward to that moment, for sure,' Kranick said of pitching at Citi Field, 'so [it was] good to get that one out of the way.' Kranick has now hurled 5.2 scoreless innings this season, further fueling what's been a feel-good comeback story. The right-hander made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021 as a starting pitcher, but Tommy John surgery largely derailed his 2022 and 2023 seasons. The Mets claimed him off waivers before the 2024 season, and he pitched to a 3.82 ERA over 70.2 innings spanning three minor-league levels last year. Advertisement Kranick's season debut on March 29 marked his first MLB appearance in nearly three years. 'He's a great dude,' Mets reliever Reed Garrett said. 'Good dude to hang out with outside the field, even better guy to have on your team. It's been a lot of fun. He's just attacking guys, going right after them, and he's executing his pitches at a really high rate right now.' On Tuesday, Kranick pitched the final three innings of a 4-2 loss in Miami, helping to preserve others in the Mets' bullpen. Kranick, Garrett and A.J. Minter combined to throw 3.2 scoreless innings of relief in Friday's win. 'Kranick continues to do a hell of a job,' manager Carlos Mendoza said after Friday's victory. 'On a day where we needed him to finish that game, he ended up doing that. That goes a long way when you're protecting the bullpen.' Advertisement Adding to Friday's Citi Field debut was that Kranick had 11 guests in attendance. Among them was his father, whom he said had not been to an Opening Day in seven to 10 years. 'Closing the game out was an awesome moment,' Kranick said. 'I'll remember this one forever.'
New York Times
09-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Max Kranick, surprise of Mets camp, is ‘putting himself in a really good position'
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — New York Mets reliever Max Kranick recently told his agent that he felt confident he could consistently compete in the major leagues at just two points over his career since debuting four years ago. The 27-year-old recalled the first instance, in May 2022, when he threw five scoreless innings for the Pittsburgh Pirates before needing Tommy John surgery. Advertisement The other time? 'I'd say right now,' Kranick said Saturday, one day after throwing another scoreless outing. Kranick continued to impress club officials Friday night as an under-the-radar standout this spring. In his bid for a final Opening Day roster spot, Kranick hit 97.7 mph, the hardest he has thrown in spring training. Other numbers so far appear just as eye-opening: seven innings, four hits, eight strikeouts, no walks, no runs. Kranick holds a minor-league option, which works against his candidacy for the Opening Day roster. Whether he breaks camp with the major-league team or doesn't, club officials say his stuff is real. They like that he can throw multiple innings out of the bullpen. They believe he can help. 'He's been pretty good,' Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Saturday. 'Yesterday was another good outing. He continues to attack the strike zone. The velo is there. His slider is there. And he's on the attack. He's putting himself in a really good position here.' A pair of strikeouts for Max Kranick to end the third and he's pumped — SNY (@SNYtv) March 8, 2025 Kranick's emergence dates back to last August, when he said he started to feel good about his stuff again. But getting there required more than just time. If receiving the news that he needed Tommy John surgery in 2022 registers as the low point of Kranick's career, then getting outrighted off the Mets' 40-man roster last May is a close second. At that point, Kranick had returned from the injured list (hamstring) and posted a 2.57 ERA in two starts and seven innings for Triple-A Syracuse. The surface numbers were fine. But a deeper look revealed a need for improvement. 'It was a big punch in the face and a big ego-check for me,' Kranick said. 'I wasn't very good at the time. I just had to work through a lot of things. Physically, wasn't great. Mentally, it was a disaster.' Advertisement From there, Kranick needed a few weeks before completely buying into making changes. 'I just had to look in the mirror,' Kranick said, 'and say, 'Look, you're just not that good right now, and it's time to get back to work.'' Kranick built a relationship with Mets assistant pitching coordinator Grayson Crawford, who worked as Syracuse's pitching coach last year. Crawford worked with Kranick on throwing a sweeper and adding velocity to his fastball using specific plyometric drills to speed up his arm. Per Kranick's recollection, Crawford told him around last June, 'In four to six weeks, we'll look up, and if the numbers aren't where you want, we will pivot back and adjust. But I think you're going to like where you're at.' Kranick said, 'I really put all my trust in him. Amazing human being who really knows what he's doing on the pitching side.' With each month that passed, Kranick's fastball velocity steadily increased by 1 mph or so. From Aug. 1, Kranick averaged over 96 mph in Syracuse and sometimes hit 98 mph. Previously, his fastball resided in the low-to-mid 90s. Now, he eyes hitting 100 mph — something he has never done before (his hardest is 99.7 mph, which he did twice in 2021 and once in 2022). Last year, Kranick, who grew up in Pennsylvania as a Mets fan, ran out of time before he could help the major-league team. He was a surprise addition to the Mets' Wild Card Series roster but did not pitch. He has not pitched in a major-league game since 2022. Perhaps it's just a matter of time before that changes, considering how Kranick feels these days. 'I'm confident in my stuff,' Kranick said.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Meet the Mets' newest relief pitching weapon
Spring training is all about opportunity, and for several New York Mets pitchers, it's a proving ground to show they belong. The organization has no shortage of resources to help hurlers refine their craft, but Max Kranick isn't just fine-tuning—he's making a statement. Kranick's path hasn't been smooth. After debuting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021, he saw limited action in 2022 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. The grueling recovery process kept him out for most of 2023, and though he was in the Mets' system last year, he never made it back to the big leagues. Now, healthy and throwing better than ever, he's making his case for a bullpen role in 2024. His performance this spring has been nothing short of dominant. After 5.1 innings, he boasts a flawless ERA, six strikeouts, and—perhaps most impressively—zero walks. His most recent outing on Monday saw him punch out three batters over 1.1 scoreless innings, further solidifying his growing reputation as a potential weapon in the bullpen. What makes Kranick so effective? It starts with his fastball. According to prospect expert Joe DeMayo, Kranick has been sitting at 96 mph and touching 97 with an elite 19″ of induced vertical break (IVB). It is going to be difficult for the Mets to keep Max Kranick off the Opening Day roster 5.1 shutout with 0 walks and 6 strikeouts so far this springTonight he sat 96, touching 97 with 19' of IVB with a sweeper and gyro sliderHe could be a — Joe DeMayo (@PSLToFlushing) March 4, 2025 That IVB essentially means his fastball appears to 'rise' more than hitters expect, making it a nightmare to square up. On top of that, Kranick has added two nasty breaking pitches: a sweeper and a gyro slider. The sweeper moves horizontally, fooling batters who expect more traditional downward break, while the gyro slider mimics a bullet's spiral, staying on a tight plane before darting late. It was yet another very encouraging outing from Max Kranick who has made a name for himself this SpringHe struck out 3 of the 4 batters he faced as his stuff still continues to look solid. The amount of lift he gets on his sweeper is absurd! — Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) March 4, 2025 Together, they give him a dynamic arsenal that could play well in high-leverage situations. The Mets have a deep bullpen, but Kranick's performance is making it harder to leave him off the Opening Day roster. DeMayo put it bluntly: 'It is going to be difficult for the Mets to keep Max Kranick off.' If he keeps dealing like this, the Mets may have no choice but to find him a spot. More must-reads: Mets move forward with plan to increase promising infielder's versatility Mets' young star infielder could win vacant job at second base
