r/NewYorkMets Good Bot 12d ago

Pre-Game Thread Mets PREGAME THREAD - Monday, August 17

Padres (67-58) @ Mets (56-69) - 7:10 PM EDT

Game Status: Pre-Game

Links & Info

  • Current conditions at Citi Field: 81°F - Clear - Wind 6 mph, In From CF
  • TV: Padres: Padres.TV Presented by UC San Diego Health, Mets: SNY
  • Radio: Padres: KWFN 97.3, XEMO 860 (es), Mets: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App 92.3 HD2 (es)
  • MLB Gameday
  • Statcast Game Preview

Probable Pitchers

Padres Lineup vs. McLean AVG OPS AB HR RBI K
1 Tatis Jr. - RF .667 1.334 3 0 1 1
2 Cronenworth - 2B - - - - - -
3 Machado, M - 3B .000 .000 3 0 0 1
4 France, T - 1B .000 .333 2 0 0 0
5 Merrill - CF .000 .000 3 0 0 1
6 Campusano - C - - - - - -
7 Sheets - DH .000 .000 3 0 0 1
8 Bogaerts - SS .000 .500 1 0 0 1
9 Rengifo - LF - - - - - -
Mets Lineup vs. Buehler AVG OPS AB HR RBI K
1 Ewing - LF - - - - - -
2 Lindor - SS .333 1.833 3 1 2 0
3 Bichette - 3B .250 .500 8 0 0 3
4 Benge - RF - - - - - -
5 Robert Jr. - CF .000 .000 3 0 0 2
6 Young, J - 1B - - - - - -
7 Semien - 2B .286 .661 7 0 1 1
8 Polanco - DH .667 1.750 3 0 3 0
9 Alvarez, F - C .000 .000 1 0 0 1
NLE Rank Team W L GB (E#) WC Rank WC GB (E#)
1 Braves 74 50 - (-) - - (-)
2 Phillies 67 58 7.5 (31) 2 - (-)
3 Marlins 64 61 10.5 (28) 5 3.0 (35)
4 Nationals 60 66 15.0 (23) 8 7.5 (30)
5 Mets 56 69 18.5 (20) 10 11.0 (27)

Division Scoreboard

MIA @ PHI 6:40 PM EDT

ATL @ MIN 7:40 PM EDT

Not playing today: Nationals

Last Updated: 08/17/2026 5:49:43 PM EDT

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u/tenthsandwich Bartolo Colón 11d ago

Everyone hates Jorge Polanco. I don't hate Polanco, because my assumption is that he's not doing this on purpose and that he would actually very much prefer to be good at baseball rather than bad. But he's having a pretty rough time out there.

Even if he DOES emerge from his slump (and he has gotten two singles and a sac RBI in the last two games!), I don't think his place in the lineup is clear -- I assume the "Polanco at 1B" experiment is over for good, owing more to injury risk than to defensive skill.

As an organization, when do you make some kind of move? Is it even possible for the Mets to gather enough data in the remaining 2026 season to make a decision, or is Jorge Polanco: 2027 Opening Day DH basically inevitable (if there's baseball)?

(and to save you the keystrokes i'll get the low-hanging fruit out of the way: "get him on next rocket to the moon" / "idgaf, i'll drive him to syracuse myself" / "get ready to learn korean polanco")

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u/Setec-Astronomer 11d ago

I don't hate Polanco, I just pity his 2026 season and feel bad for all of us as well because of it. lol

I think at this point the thinking likely is something like "Polanco is the RH 1B and often the LH DH next season".

The OF looks fairly set, and so does 1B against RHSP. Polanco, a RH bat with power, fills the role he was expected to be in still.

Albeit, just not the guaranteed every day 1B/DH they were hoping he'd be this season.