The 2nd Annual Halfsies!

Howdy. I forgot to make yesterday’s edition available for all the free subscribers, so today’s edition has that going for it. 

Presenting The Mets Newsletter first half awards, or The Halfsies! We did this last year. Looking back at the award winners from 2025 is so very depressing, my goodness gracious. Back then the Mets were only beginning their slow-motion collapse. Hopefully at this time next year looking back at this year’s edition will be smirk worthy, an example of how things can change on a dime in a good way. 

The Most Forgettable Met

Last year’s winner: Kevin Herget

This year’s winner: Guillo Zuñiga

I was surprised to find that only four Met pitchers only appeared in one game this season, and that two of those “pitchers” were Luis Torrens and Zack Short. So really the award came down to Zuñiga and Matt Seelinger. Seelinger’s one shot (so far) was memorable though. Not in a fun way, but still memorable. I won’t forget the Royals beating up on the guy because the Mets had nobody else to turn to anytime soon. So congrats to Guillo, who might get another shot this season to be in The Show. 

The Tom Seaver Award

Last year’s winner: Edwin Díaz

This year’s winner: Luke Weaver

This is what I wrote last year: 

This is a toughie: David Peterson is an All-Star, and rightfully so. Clay Holmes has been solid. Kodai Senga has been outstanding, but he’s only thrown 77.2 innings. I’m going to give it somewhat controversially to Edwin Díaz. He’s also rightfully an All-Star. As I wrote yesterday, he’s almost as good as he was in his brilliant 2022 season. He’s put together a 1.5 bWAR in just 38 innings. 

I don’t know where to begin to cringe over that previous paragraph. Peterson is a Chicago Cub now.Holmes broke his fibula. Senga has been awful up until very recently. Díaz and controversy are still buddies though.

Okay, so this year’s best pitcher comes down to whether or not I think Clay Holmes had thrown enough innings to qualify for my completely arbitrary award. I’m going to say his 52.2 innings as a starter is not enough. Nolan McLean was the favorite to win this halfsie at the start of the year, but he’s regressed a little bit (he could still win the award many times over the years.) It has to go to Weaver and his absurd 0.821 WHIP. It’s best to cherish watching him pitch the next few weeks before he’s a goner.

Rookie of the Half-Year

Last year’s winner: Ronny Mauricio (wow)

This year’s winner: A.J. Ewing

Last year it was literally between Max Kranick and Mauricio. This year the award is far more intriguing. It’s a neck-and-neck horserace between Ewing and Carson Benge. Ewing’s fWAR is 1.9 over Benge’s 1.8, and he’s played in 37 fewer games! We’ll see who wins Met rookie of the year at the end of the season - maybe Zach Thornton will break from the pack and give Ewing and Benge a run for their money. 

Most Valuable Newbie

Last year’s winner: Juan Soto

This year’s winner: Luke Weaver

If you don’t count rookies as newbies and just go by veterans that are starting their Met careers, and I just happen to do just that, Weaver wins by a landslide. Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Freddy Peralta, Luis Robert Jr., Marcus Semien, and Devin Williams have all disappointed to varying degrees. 

Biggest Disappointment

Last year’s winner: Mark Vientos

This year’s winner: Freddy Peralta

Vientos could easily have “won” two years in a row, considering he’s added “Bad First Baseman” to his already depressing CV. Peralta though was supposed to be the Mets’ ace. Instead he’s 5-8 with a 4.66 ERA after 20 starts. Technically, Five and Dive Freddy has averaged more than five innings a start, but just barely. Definitely not a number one.

I Apologize, I Wasn’t Familiar With Your Game Somehow After All These Years Award

Last year’s winner: Jeff McNeil

This year’s winner: Juan Soto

I created this award because McNeil had out of nowhere played decent center field. And look at him now, fading into obscurity in Sacramento, where he is very much not playing center. Last year Soto got off to a tough first six weeks or so as a Met. This year we’re getting the full Juan Soto Experience, and it’s fun to watch. His defense not so much, but we don’t have to talk about that right now.

The Rey Ordoñez Golden Glove

Last year’s winner: Tyrone Taylor

This year’s winner: The Psychos

I considered giving the award to Bo Bichette, who rebounded from early season jitters to become a really good third baseman, then back to a really good shortstop, then back to a really good third baseman while still learning on the job. But how can you not give the top defensive award to Ewing and Benge, self-nicknamed The Psychopaths because they will go fetch any ball remotely near their way. My only worry is they’ll hurt themselves out there. They’re so young though they’d probably survive unscathed.

The David Wright Leadership Award

Last year’s winner: Francisco Lindor

This year’s winner: Nobody

Whether or not it was because Steve Cohen announced during the spring that he will never have the Mets designate a captain while he’s around, or because he missed months because of injury, Lindor seems to have lost his leadership cred this season, to the point where there’s chatter that he might be traded. But it’s not like Juan Soto has clearly become the new leader either. And you can’t look at the managerial spot for leadership, can ya?

Most Valuable Player

Last year’s winner: Pete Alonso

This year’s winner: Juan Soto

I know - five years is a long time in big boy first baseman years, but man do the Mets miss Pete Alonso. 

The New York Post reported that Francisco Lindor said “no comment” twice when asked about his trade veto power. The Athletic claimed Lindor laughed before declining to say anything about it. 

The Mets signed undrafted SS Dylan Carey from the University of Nebraska. Carey won the Brooks Wallace Award which is given to the top NCAA shortstop in the country. 

Mets Minor League Affiliate Schedule (Friday - Sunday)

Triple-A Syracuse Mets (46-46) - vs. Buffalo Bisons (Blue Jays affiliate)

Double-A Binghamton Rumble Ponies (33-54) - vs. Akron RubberDucks (Guardians)

High-A Brooklyn Cyclones (36-49) - vs. Hudson Valley Renegades (Yankees)

Low-A St. Lucie Mets (39-46) - at Palm Beach Cardinals

On this day in 2015, Jacob deGrom dominated in his first All-Star Game appearance, striking out Stephen Vogt, Jason Kipnis, and future legend José Iglesias on just ten pitches. deGrom became the first pitcher in ASG history to record three strikeouts in an inning on ten or fewer pitches.

Tonight is the MLB All-Star Game. It’ll air on Fox, as per usual. Juan Soto will start in left field for the National League and bat second.