Welcome back to the Mets Beat newsletter! Anthony DiComo has covered the Mets for MLB.com since 2007, including the past 16 seasons full-time on the beat. LOS ANGELES -- In the third inning of a May 25 game against the Dodgers at Citi Field, Juan Soto was wandering off first base when, with pretty much no one in the ballpark paying attention, he made a dash for second. Soto took about three steps before pitcher Landon Knack even began his delivery. Naturally, he was safe. Catcher Will Smith didn’t even bother to throw. There’s a reason why Soto, despite possessing well-below-average sprint speed, is on pace to shatter his career high in stolen bases. There’s an even bigger reason why he has yet to be caught. “I think Antoan has a lot to do with it,” Soto said. In his playing days, Mets first-base coach Antoan Richardson was a prolific base stealer, swiping 337 career bags as a professional with an 85 percent success rate. That’s elite. And while Richardson was a burner, he didn’t just rely on his legs. Over the years, Richardson learned much about the art of stealing a base. He has since used the Mets’ seemingly endless banks of information to further refine his process. |
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Richardson’s acquired knowledge has allowed the Mets to become baseball’s most efficient thieves. Entering Monday’s play, they led the Majors with an 84.9 percent success rate. “That’s what our goal is: When you do go, let’s be correct,” Richardson said. “Can we be 100 percent every time we go? That’s what we’re shooting for.” Although Mets hitters have no interest in spilling their secrets, they say the key is understanding the tendencies of both pitchers and catchers. Sometimes, that reveals itself during pregame video reviews. Other times, it doesn’t become clear until midgame. Some opponents don’t have obvious leaks, and in those cases, modest base stealers like Soto won’t try. But if they feel the odds are tipped in their favor, the Mets will run. And run. And run. During a recent hitters’ meeting, Jared Young compared the practice to counting cards in a casino. If a blackjack player has an idea of what’s coming, he’s no longer risking nearly as much. |
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“With the work we’ve done beforehand, we know the odds are in our favor when we’re stealing a base,” Young said. “You’re not always going to get there, but it’s the right way to do it. If you definitely have the advantage, then you’re not gambling.” As a result, 11 of the 17 position players to have appeared in a game for the Mets have at least one steal. And it’s not just the burners like Francisco Lindor and Luisangel Acuña. The poster child for all this is Soto, who has spent the past few years trying to improve his stolen base output. “Because I’m on base 40 percent of the time,” Soto said, and because “I hit in front of big guys all the time,” the ability to take an extra base can often impact wins and losses. |
But here’s the thing: Soto isn’t fast. His average competitive sprint speed, according to Statcast, ranks 362nd out of 446 qualified players. As such, he struggled to achieve his baserunning goals until meeting Richardson this spring. Through 60 games with the Mets, Soto is on pace for 19 steals, which would easily best his previous career high of 12. He’d like to reach 20, then see how much higher he can go. “I always say this: I’m sneaky,” Soto said. “I would love to have every team think I’m not fast at all. That’s one of the things that make it a little easier is teams really believe I can’t run, and a lot of times they don’t even pay attention to what I’m doing. That’s when I catch them off [guard].” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Sean Manaea was the winning pitcher for the Mets in Game 2 of last year’s National League Championship Series. Who earned the win in Game 5? A) Edwin Díaz B) Reed Garrett C) David Peterson D) Ryne Stanek |
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Although it can be difficult for non-closing relievers to make an All-Star team, most years, one or two sneak their way onto a roster. Which begs the question for this year’s game: Why not Reed Garrett? Through more than a third of the season, Garrett’s 0.70 ERA is tied for the lowest in the Majors among pitchers with at least 20 innings. Building on his breakout season of a year ago, Garrett has been one of the league’s best at avoiding contact. While his expected ERA suggests he’s enjoyed a bit of luck, his underlying metrics are still strong. As such, Garrett has plenty of room to regress and still be highly effective. If he can keep this up for another month or so and earn a ticket to the Midsummer Classic in Atlanta, Garrett would appreciate the moment more than most. Until last year, Garrett was a journeyman with a career 7.11 ERA. In all those seasons, he made just one All-Star team, back in the Double-A Texas League in 2018. “Man, that would mean everything,” Garrett said of a potential National League All-Star nod. “I think we all aspire at some point to be an All-Star. It’s something that if it happened, it would be unbelievable. Unbelievable. I don’t know how else to describe it.” |
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D) Stanek Stanek delivered a career-high seven outs to lift an exhausted Mets bullpen and earn the win in NLCS Game 5. |
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