Reader Reacts on Tommy John & More
“Just read your piece about Tommy John being or not being in The Hall of Fame [Friday newsletter] and I could not agree more.
But let’s go a tad deeper…to my way of thinking. For me, a player (or person) to be considered for Hall Induction should have made a difference in the era he played.
I agree wholeheartedly with all your reasons TJ should have been elected by the writers, but an even bigger difference was because of the courage he had to change the course of history for so many after him. If his courage didn’t make a difference, that’s another reason the Hall has been diminished.
I also think Dr. Jobe should have a special place in the Hall too. What a difference he made for so many AND for the game also.
As long as I’m on this ‘rant’, no way a vet committee doesn’t elect Joe West a plaque.
West literally donned a big league uniform and walked onto a big-league field more then anyone EVER. If that’s not making a difference I don’t know what is. And oh yeah, his post-season credentials are of Hall caliber too. (As an aside, Bill Haller should be in too)
The writers have done an injustice to Dale Murphy and Lou Whitaker too, in my humble opinion.
I think you were perhaps a tad in front of your time too when you questioned and wrote a book about not seeing another 300-game winner.
My, how our game has changed over our lifetimes!
— Al Clark, Williamsburg, VA
[Editor’s Note: Al Clark, a major-league umpire for 26 years, authored many more opinions in his autobiography Called Out But Safe. He once considered following in his sportswriter father’s footsteps.]
Pregame Pepper
Since Andy Green replaced Carlos Mendoza as manager of the Mets June 26, the team has gone 24-23 to spark faint hopes of a miracle finish . . .
When play started this weekend, the team needed to win 25 of its final 34 to reach 83 wins — matching the total won by the third and final NL wild-card club last year . . .
FanGraphs gives the Mets an 0.1 per cent chance of qualifying for post-season play . . .
If nothing else, the denizens of Flushing have unveiled rookie outfielders Carson Benge and AJ Ewing, both harbingers of a bright future in Queens . . .
Benge is the only Mets rookie since Darryl Strawberry in 1983 to produce at least 15 homers and 15 steals — not to mention extraordinary right field defense . . .
He threw out Padres base-runners at home twice in the first inning, on consecutive plays in the first inning . . .
One season-long bright spot for the Mets — the radio work of retiring play-by-play man Howie Rose — will be recognized Sept. 20 before the last CitiField home game of the season . . .
Ex-Met Jacob deGrom has stayed off the Texas IL this year but suffered issues with his hip, right glute, and triceps — not to mention advancing athletic age (37).
Leading Off
Mets Boss Stearns Made Right Decisions on Nimmo, McNeil, and Diaz
By Allen Settle
Everyone wants to be a leader … until it is time to make difficult leadership decisions.
New York Mets president David Stearns has lived out this mantra in 2026. The adversity began when he made the controversial decisions to move on from homegrown stars Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil while also failing to retain star closer Edwin Díaz or first baseman Pete Alonso, the team’s all-time home run leader.
The second wave of hardship came when the club, which entered the season with strong postseason aspirations, stumbled to an abysmal 40-57 record at the All-Star break.
Despite the Mets’ disappointing season, it is now clear that Stearns may have misjudged his decision to let Alonso leave but made the correct decision to move on from Nimmo, Díaz, and McNeil. While all three played important roles for New York in 2025, none would have benefited the 2026 club as much as the players now occupying their roster spots.
McNeil, the 2022 NL batting champion, is in the midst of the worst season of his career at age 34. Despite playing in the hitter-friendly Sacramento ballpark, the veteran is batting just .262 with a career-low 86 OPS+ (meaning he has been 14 per cent worse than a league-average hitter). He has also graded out as a poor defender.
Meanwhile, 2025 All-Star Edwin Díaz has struggled mightily in his first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Normally one of baseball’s most dominant ninth-inning options, Díaz has battled multiple injuries and owns an unplayable 11.85 ERA and 2.651 WHIP. While current Mets closer Devin Williams has been far from perfect, his 4.66 ERA and 16 saves make him appear to be the safer bet to provide value in 2027.
Then there is the case of long-time Met Brandon Nimmo. The 11-year veteran has performed well in his first season with the Texas Rangers, posting a solid .273 batting average with 13 home runs, 48 RBI, and a 123 OPS+.
Many will naturally compare Nimmo’s impressive production with Marcus Semien’s lackluster .208 average, 14 home runs, 41 RBI, and ugly 73 OPS+. On the surface, that looks like a clear downgrade for New York.
However, fans must also consider that moving Nimmo helped open the door for the most exciting development of the 2026 season: the emergence of rookie outfielders Carson Benge and AJ Ewing.
Benge, a top-three NL Rookie of the Year candidate, has established himself as a potential future cornerstone. He has nearly matched Nimmo’s production with a .270 average, 14 home runs, 49 RBI, and a 108 OPS+. He has also added 18 stolen bases and Gold Glove-caliber defense.
Meanwhile, Ewing has thrived since his May 12 call-up. He has posted solid numbers across the board, batting .247 with seven home runs and seven stolen bases. His 89th-percentile range, 93rd-percentile arm strength, and 94th-percentile sprint speed make him the perfect package of elite defense and electric athleticism.
If New York had retained Nimmo, the club would have been hard-pressed to find enough playing time for him, Ewing, Benge, Juan Soto, and Luis Robert Jr. In that scenario, Benge likely would not have received the Opening Day call-up, and Ewing could still be stuck in the minor leagues.
While Nimmo was undoubtedly the hardest piece to lose, building a future around Soto, Benge, and Ewing is a far more compelling scenario than continuing to trot out a 33-year-old Nimmo.
Stearns and the Mets still have plenty of work to do as they attempt to turn this potential-laden but underachieving roster into a consistent winner. Stearns has certainly not been a perfect decision-maker.
But when it comes to Nimmo, Díaz, and McNeil, Stearns made the difficult calls—and, at least so far, they look like the right ones.
Allen Settle is an MLB writer who has never given up his passion for the beautiful game of baseball! He is an IBWAA member who has written as a contributor for the Fansided network, covering the New York Mets and Miami Marlins. You can connect with him on X at @AllenSettleMLB or at settledownsport@gmail.com.
Cleaning Up
Why Are Punchless Braves Playing Three Men Short?
By Dan Schlossberg
Major-league teams are allowed to carry 26 players on their rosters — usually 13 pitchers and the same number of position players.
That being said, it’s amazing the Atlanta Braves continue to play three men short.
Surely they could add players who would provide better production than Ha-suong Kim, Sean Murphy, or Dom Smith.
While Smith surprised observers with his strong start this season, he has fallen into his usual spot below the Mendoza Line this month. Kim and Murphy have been there all season — after spending the first half on the Injured List.
With the red-hot Phillies suddenly in hot pursuit of the NL East title they won each of the last two years, the Braves can’t continue to coast with 23 able-bodied ballplayers while teams in the rest of the division — even the last-place Mets — have 26.
Murphy may remain a better defender than Drake Baldwin but his batting has been putrid three years in a row, with consecutive marks of .193 and .199 before slipping out of sight with .136 this year, albeit in limited action (11 games). But why would Walt Weiss give him more?
He’s no better than Chadwick Tromp or Sandy Leon at the plate — and Kim is even worse. Signed to a one-year pact, Kim injured his thumb so severely that he missed the first half. Since returning, he’s “hit” a robust .066 with a .165 on-base percentage.
With those numbers, he doesn’t even deserve a spot on the bench.
Neither does Smith, whose lack of power makes him a dubious choice for designated hitter — especially when the team could sign veteran free agents Marcell Ozuna or Jorge Soler or promote lefty slugger Rowdy Tellez, who has 13 homers at AAA Gwinnett.
We also wonder why the Braves signed Andrew McCutchen and Carlos Santana, DH types who showed they could still perform during just-ended lengthy trials in Triple-A. Either would be better than Smith too.
Tellez, who hit 35 home runs for Milwaukee just four years ago, is precisely the kind of left-handed power threat the Atlanta DH slot needs. And did we mention Santana is a switch-hitter with an excellent eye at the plate? He drew more than 100 walks in four different seasons.
Atlanta has lost five games off its recent nine-and-a-half game division lead. But the hitting — or lack of it — is more to blame than the pitching.
Losing speedsters Jorge Mateo (released) and Eli White (traded) hasn’t helped and keeping Jonah Heim, a switch-hitting catcher who’s hit 10 homers in 67 games with the Athletics, would have been preferable to keeping Murphy (both are Gold Glove winners). The Braves have also traded All-Star catchers William Contreras and Shea Langeliers in recent years.
Starting Aug. 7, they lost two of three at Yankee Stadium, then went home to win two of three from the Mets before dropping two of three against Arizona and losing three straight to Minnesota, a former Atlanta punching bag. The overall offensive output — even in a 2-0 win against the White Sox Thursday — was pitiful.
Their next six games, starting tonight, are at Milwaukee and then at home against the Dodgers. They also face the Phillies seven times in 10 days starting Sept. 4. Oy.
At least the pitching hasn’t been bad. But most of the hitters, with the notable exception of Matt Olson and Michael Harris, haven’t kept up.
Now the Braves will have to work to keep a lead that gets smaller every day.
HtP weekend editor Dan Schlossberg of Fair Lawn, NJ covers baseball for Lucas Communications, USA TODAY Sports Weekly, Sports Collectors Digest, Memories & Dreams, and assorted other outlets. His email is ballauthor@gmail.com.
Extra Innings: Stinkers by the Dozen
“You move from the West Coast to the East Coast and it’s a culture shock. It’s a completely different place and it takes time to adjust.”
— Helot Ramos after his Deadline Day trade from the Giants to the Yankees
When the story of the 2026 season is written, the Ugly may take the race over the Good and the Bad. Here’s why:
The Dodgers haven’t gotten a dime’s worth of help from star free agents Kyle Tucker (four years, $240 million) or Edwin Diaz (three years, $69 million) . . .
Two-time World Series MVP Corey Seager, on the Texas IL much of the season, just raised his batting average to an anemic .213 . . .
In Atlanta, former MVP Ronald Acuna, Jr. is striking out so often that observers wonder whether he needs glasses . . .
Teammate Austin Riley, previously a notorious streak hitter, hasn’t had his usual hot streak and is threatening the Braves’ club record for striking out . . .
Ha-seong Kim, in his first full year with the Braves, is so far below the Mendoza Line that the team is considering cutting his varsity spot despite his guaranteed $20 million pact . . .
The Money Pit: Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. hasn’t homered in hitter-friendly Rogers Centre in more than a year . . .
Another pre-season pick to dethrone Aaron Judge as American League MVP, Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh dropped from 60 home runs last year to 13 this time, accompanied by a .156 batting mark that would be decent only as an ERA . . .
And Jorge Polanco, signed to succeed Pete Alonso as first baseman for the New York Mets, finished an injury-riddled campaign with two homers and six RBIs — as compared to Alonso’s 29 homers and 82 RBIs (so far) for Baltimore.
Know Your Editors
Here’s the Pitch is published daily except Sundays and holidays. Benjamin Chase [gopherben@gmail.com] handles the Monday issue with Dan Freedman [dfreedman@lionsgate.com] editing Tuesday and Jeff Kallman [easyace1955@outlook.com] at the helm Wednesday and Thursday. Original editor Dan Schlossberg [ballauthor@gmail.com], does the weekend editions on Friday and Saturday. Former editor Elizabeth Muratore [nymfan97@gmail.com] is now co-director [with Benjamin Chase and Jonathan Becker] of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America, which publishes this newsletter and the annual ACTA book of the same name. Readers are encouraged to contribute comments, articles, and letters to the editor. HtP reserves the right to edit for brevity, clarity, and good taste.
Al Clark wrote a wonderful piece about Tommy John and a few others. Unfortunately, he completely missed the mark on Joe West. Country Joe was a terrible umpire that held grudges against numerous players, would bait both players and managers, had a temper that he couldn't control and routinely ejected those he deemed as enemies. Honestly, West is in the group of worst umpires in MLB history post 1970.