Mets Have A Pair Of Prospects Pitch In AFL All-Star Game

The New York Mets had a pair of prospects play in the Arizona Fall League All-Star game on Sunday, and they have to be reasonably happy with the results, with a brief breakdown provided by Jesse Borek and Tim Cowley of MLB.com. 

Right-hander Irving Cota pitched the sixth inning for the National League, and he had an adventurous inning. An error and a fielder’s choice put him in a jam, but Cota proceeded to get a fly out amd strike out two hitters, and all three of the outs retired player who are Top 100 prospects. 

The writers described Cota as one of the best relievers in the AFL this year, and he has a full arsenal, with a sinker/slider combination to go with his four-seamer and curveball, so he’ll be a name to watch going forward. 

Ryan Lambert was the other pitching participant, and he specializes in velocity. Lambert made a cameo in the eighth inning after Cota’s appearance, and he struck out one batter while walking another. Cota threw a total of nine fastballs, per the writers, and he averaged 97 mph while showcasing his speed. 

The National League stars got the victory, as they came from behind with three runs in the eighth and another in the ninth to get a 7-4 win. 

This will be the last US-based baseball we’ll see for a while, for better or worse. The lockout is expected to start on Dec. 1, and current reports have it stretching into the spring, with the possibility of a delayed start to the season. 

The Mets will spend this month searching for pitching, and they have a lot of work to do. They’re at or near the list of teams in the hunt for starter Tarik Skubal, and they’ve also been mentioned as a team looking for help at the back of the rotation. 

Marquee moves like Skubal aside, the Mets may do the lion’s share of their work bolsterig their bullpen. The Mets had a remarkable run of luck with a patchwork quilt of receivers after trading off most of the key members of the pen at the deadline, but relying on them to have continued success this season is problematic at best. 

The major move to date for New York is the decision by third baseman Bo Bichette to opt in and stick around for another season, which could set up a domino effect around the infield as free agent moves get made.