The Clay Holmes transition is moving forward
An observation from talking to Clay Holmes after his first start with the Mets and then after his third: Holmes is already more confident in how to deploy his expanded repertoire in the new role than he was on Opening Day.
Following the opener in Houston, the always open and insightful Holmes admitted that he could have found spots to work in his new changeup. But when he found himself in competition, Holmes reverted to the comfort zone that made him an All-Star reliever: sinker/slider. Suddenly it was no longer spring training, the red light was on, and he did what he had to do to retire a heavily right-handed Houston lineup.
Contrast that to Tuesday’s win against Miami, when Holmes realized in the first inning that he did not have a feel for his sinker. In the second, he switched to heavy usage of a four-seam fastball. Mid-game, he went with a slew of sliders and sweepers.
Were these the type of in-game adjustments that Holmes would not have had time to employ as a short reliever?
“I think so,” Holmes said. “Part of it is just having the arsenal and the awareness to pivot. Instead of trying to force a sinker on a day like today when it was kind of tough early. … I kind of went with the four seamer and let that play up and away to the lefties. And I started getting some good counts. So, yeah, have few more pitches and especially after the first it’s like, what can I start doing a little different here? And I was able to pivot.”
That pivot is a strong sign that he is settling in. Consider this quote from Holmes, also after Tuesday’s game: “You try to get strike one, and then you build off it.”
That sounds like a jazz musician comfortable enough to learn the basic framework of a song and confident enough to improvise from there. And quite a difference from not even two weeks ago, when Holmes couldn’t quite nail down when to throw which pitch.
Mark Vientos will be fine
Any fears of a sophomore slump for Mark Vientos appear premature. The third baseman is just 5-for-42 on the season, but his at-bats have steadily improved.
One evaluator noted that Vientos was briefly out front lunging at pitches last week in Miami, but has already made the adjustment to allow the ball to travel to him. He walked five times on the homestand, repeatedly made hard contact, and does not look lost in his at-bats.
Hayden Senger might have answered a huge question about himself
For several years, folks in the Mets organization, not least among them catching instructor Glenn Sherlock, have viewed Hayden Senger as a big league defender.
The question following Senger was whether he could hit enough to serve as an MLB backup, or whether a .684 OPS in six minor league seasons ticketed him for life as an “org guy,” a non-prospect who helps the affiliates and might one day make a good coach. There is no shame in this; Sherlock himself was once an org guy with the Yankees before a long and distinguished coaching career.
But Senger, who has received more playing time than expected with Luis Torrens banged up, is 4-for-18 and does not look overmatched.
“What we're seeing is pretty impressive,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “His ability to manipulate the barrel [Tuesday] with a runner on second base, nobody out, and having the awareness of the situation: ‘You know what, I got to get the guy over.’ And getting the head out and driving the ball. Controlling the strike zone and walking. Getting a bunt down. Offensively, he's been really, really good.”
Senger is ticketed back to the minors once Francisco Alvarez returns from the injured list. But now the Mets know that they can call on Senger again, and opposing scouts know that he can be a viable backup to acquire. Count this as a pleasant silver lining of Alvarez’s and Torrens’ injuries.
Cold and stiff
Several Mets pitchers, including Holmes, Edwin Diaz, and Tylor Megill, saw their fastball velocities down a tick on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the Mets are not concerned. Mendoza attributed the group slowdown to the extreme cold, not any health issues.
