The New York Mets won their eighth straight Friday night behind Mark Vientos book ending the game with his 23rd homer, a 2-run shot in the first inning, and capped it off with a walk-off blast in the 10th inning for his 24th bomb of the year. That bat flip tho. Yes, chills! He ended the game with three hits, two homers, and four RBI. Those not in the know like to credit Grimace for the Mets resurgence, but they’re wrong. It’s Mark Vientos. It’s always been Mark Vientos. Now slashing .289/.342/.563 with 62 RBI, MV has been a revelation since entering the line up full time in mid-May. How American of us all to credit victory to a corporate mascot when the true American dream lies in the story of Mark Vientos. The Mets top prospect not named Brett Baty has morphed into a superstar right in front of our eyes, as his .905 OPS puts him in the elite company of some of the best hitters in the entire MLB and he is arguably the top third baseman in the National League. Yes, really! His OPS and wRC+ (152) rank first among all NL third basemen! Did we mention dude absolutely mashes? Let’s watch the homer again. I got goosies, ya’ll! Vientos–the Smashmaker! He’s the Vientos with the Most as Beetlejuice would say. The new Hebrew Hammer. Best of all he’s saving his best stuff for the stretch run, batting .476 with three homers and 5 RBI in the past week, he’s getting hot at just the right time for the race to the wild card. ESPN tells me Mark is still available in about 70% of leagues which I just can’t believe could possibly be true in any competitive league, but if you do own him in fantasy, consider this lede an opportunity to appreciate what he’s done to this point. Raise your $14 beer and propose a VienToast to Mark for a breakout season! From AAA to hero in four months! L’chaim! Cheers to you, Mark!
Here’s what else I saw in fantasy baseball Friday night:
Sean Manaea – 6.2 IP, 3 hits, 4 ER, 2 BB, 9 K. More Mets! Five straight starts of 6+ innings and it’s really something else that Manaea has become this horse with the Mets since he was quite the opposite with San Francisco, where he’d be lucky to go four innings. No pitcher has thrown more innings than Manaea since July 1, his 87/22 K/BB in that stretch is not too shabby either, and if not for a last minute TJ Friedl homer he’d have escaped with his fifth straight quality start. Manaea got that Grimace in him! Or I should say that Vientos in him!
Elly De La Cruz – 1-for-4, HR (33), 2 RBI. EDLC launched this beisbol 400+ feet to center to tie some record no one really cares about. Well, probably the guy who holds the record. It’s a switch hitting record to really trigger fans, too. This was his first home run since August 21st, but he’s still on track to hit 25 homers, steal 70 bases, and good luck to whoever’s trying to beat that record.
Luis Gil – 6.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 K, 13th win. Well, if this isn’t exactly what the Yankees needed, well besides maybe a hotshot rookie phenom outfielder who resembles a space alien, regardless Luis Gil delivered. Gil on the Hill! There was rumbling New York might try to use him in the ninth and I’m glad they didn’t go there.
Luke Weaver – 1.0 IP, BB, 2 K, SV (1). Luke pitched a mostly clean ninth inning, allowing just the base runner and striking out two with the fastball sitting at 98. Which I didn’t know he could do that? It wasn’t exactly a breeze but he got it done. However, to Yankees fans compared to Clay Holmes he probably looked like Mariano Rivera.
Ryan Feltner – 6.0 IP, 2 hits, ER, 3 BB, 6 K, 2nd win. His last/first win came on April 12th, just his second start of the year! He didn’t get hurt either, he’s made 22 starts since then! Colorado starters should get paid more.
Frankie Montas – 6.0 IP, 2 hits, 3 ER, 3 BB, 10 K, 6th win. Frankie says relax, he’s on the Brewers now. They are the new Rays meaning they can fix any starting pitcher. Civale took them a couple weeks but they got there, but Montas might be there most impressive reclamation to date. Who are some other pitchers we’d like to see traded to Mil-ee-wau-kay and see their career rejuvenated?
Michael Toglia – 2-for-3, HR (23), 3 RBI. Back to back games with a home run now. Toglia is a guy I’ve been trying to drop for a month but keeps hitting just when I’m about to cut bait. I think I missed my chance, he’s hot again.
Gunnar Henderson – 2-for-4, HR (36). Imagine not batting Gunnar lead off? He’s got a .754 OPS batting third, versus a .900+ OPS leading off. It’s just his natural habitat to begin a game with a lead off jack. That bomb brought to you by Jimmy’s Seafood bee tee dubs. His third in the past week, please never go back to batting third.
Dean Kremer – 6.0 IP, 2 hits, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 7th win. Took a no-hitter into the seventh. The Rays are garbo, but still good for Kremer who looked like the Ace of this team. Yennier Cano was able to relieve him in a bases loaded situation and escape unscathed and Seranthony Dominguez slammed the door shut for the save. Overall, not bad for a guy who took a 103 mph comebacker to the wrist last week.
Shane Baz – 6.0 IP, 2 hits, ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 3rd L. His only blemish was the Gunnar home run, which you watched above. When he gets that command back he could be dangerous, folks! I went all in on Rays pitchers this year (Civale and Eflin), and while niether were particularly good on the Rays, both have morphed into fairly serviceable if not good starting options at this point of the years, and both are not on the Rays anymore. I’m not really sure what this means but I’m going all in again next year!
Nick Pivetta – 6.0 IP, 5 hits, ER, 3 BB, 6 K. Congratulations, you were able to beat the worst team in the history of the sport.
Ceddanne Rafaela – 1-for-3, HR (15), 2 RBI. ROY hopes probably dashed, he’s hitting .139 over the last two weeks, which might actually lead the Red Sox over that stretch.
Zack Wheeler – 6.0 IP, 2 hits, ER, BB, 7 K, 14th win, ERA at 2.59 ERA. I mean, this Marlins team is not as bad as the White Sox but they are not very good.
Kyle Schwarber – 2-for-5, 3 runs, HR (33), 3 RBI. That’s a 430+ foot Schwarbomb. No one tell him it’s not June anymore, this global warming be crazy! That’s his fifth in the last week and he’s hitting .407 in that stretch. Dude is hotter than a Sydney Sweeney lakefront vacay. Carry me, Kyle!
Bryce Harper – 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBI. I haven’t called the Phillies a wagon yet this season but I think it’s safe now: the Phillies are a wagon, ya’ll!
Trea Turner – 3-for-5, 3 runs, HR (16), 3 RBI, slashing .300/.347/.467. This is around the time last year Treat was hotter than a Taylor Swift gameday WAG fit before completely crapping out in the first round of head to head playoffs. Save some for the postseason this year, TT!
Max Fried – 7.0 IP, 5 hits, 0 ER, BB, 8 K, 9th win. I love what the Mets are doing but the Braves seem to have the pitching staff to make some actual noise in the postseason. Just don’t look at their line up. And definitely don’t look at their IL.
Samuel Aldegheri – 6.0 IP, 3 hits, ER, 3 BB, 7 K, 1st win. Samuel is the Angels 2024 version of Tommy Devito. A good paisan who’s having a nice run but if you’re thinking of adding him fuggedaboutit.
Logan O’Hoppe – 1-for-4, HR (19), 3 RBI. Angels still have a chance as long as they have O’Hoppe! Well, I don’t mean this year.
Yordan Alvarez – 2-for-4, 2 HR (32), 6 RBI. Twin dongs for Yordy! That’s seven homers in his past 10 games! Sweet sassy molassy! Ignore that they’ve all come in just three games, I don’t see how that’s relevant. He has four multi-homer games in the last month and seven this year, and that .970 OPS is the stuff of dreams. If he can only hit multi-homer games for the rest of season I am okay with this.
Kyle Tucker – 0-for-2. As he returned after a three month absence to watch Yordan hit two in the seats. Kevin from ESPN’s Get Him In Your Lineup department was too busy with his fantasy football team to notice.
Framber Valdez – 7.0 IP, 2 hits, 3 BB, 7 K, 14th win. His third start in his past four where he’s gone seven innings and allowed zero earned runs. The Ks have also been good with a 46/9 K/BB since the start of August. Frams is very much in the Cy Young conversation. Tarik Skubal has been better in just about every metric that matters, but Valdez is at least in the conversation, and that alone is an honor!
Bryce Miller – 6.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 BB, 4 K, 11th win (ELEVEN). B-Ryce might be the unsung hero of this staff, that staff is so stacked that he is often an afterthought. He seems to be alternating good vs. bad starts but his 0.99 is top five in baseball! He’s been just meddling enough to make sure we can all draft him next year, and that’s A-Okay in my book!
Julio Rodriguez – 3-for-5, SB (21). Juul-Rod vaping! Finally! Oh, your owners have stopped paying attention. Well, that’s a nine game hitting streak with three bombs and three steals in that stretch! It would absolutely make up for everything he’s put me through if he ends the season on a tear.
Jordan Walker – 1-for-4, HR (2). Another big bomb for J-Dubs and he was a big BUY. At this point in the year you’re not going to find anyone close to the upside Walker is carrying and adding him should be a no-brainer. However, starting him should be a no-brainer too and the Cards haven’t even been able to do that right so who knows what’s real.
Michael King – 6.0 IP, 6 hits, ER, BB, 8 K, 12th win, ERA at 3.10. Who really won the Juan Soto trade?
Manny Machado – 3-for-4, 2 HR (25), 3 RBI, SB (9). Double dingers from the top turnbuckle for Macho Manny! Here’s the first, also can someone tell me why lululemon was tagged here? Here’s the second in case the first wasn’t pretty enough. That’s 164 homers for MM, which passes Nate Colbert for the all time ‘Dres record. Not to take anything away from Machado, but does that seem low to anyone else?
Tarik Skubal – 5.2 IP, 9 hits, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K. This is what a bad start from Tarik looks like. It’s like I knew he was gonna be a Cy Young contender and I still didn’t draft him. Why am I the way that I am?
Lawrence Butler – 3-for-5. He’s hitting .448 with two homers and a steal in the past week, and I dropped him because he went cold for a week in August. See question from last blurb.
Brent Rooker – 3-for-5, 2 RBI. Now batting over .300. Is Brent Rooker really a top 24 pick next year? He might be!
Riley Greene 4-for-6, 2 RBI. I’m not sure enough credit has been given to Riley for how good he’s been in an offense this bad.
Seth Brown – 2-for-2, HR (14), 3 RBI. Grey told you to BUY! He’s hitting .476 over the past week with two homers including a game tying shot in the 11th. The best part is he didn’t even start the game! Walk-off to Brown Town!
Matthew Boyd – 6.0 IP, 3 hits, ER, 6 K, 2nd win. Of all the Tommy John returners this late-summer, Boyd has probably been the best, and he’s doing his best impression of the Guards Ace, since the other guys are all getting Tommy John. His 2.20 ERA, 0.77 WHIP are real nice and the Ks are fine, regardless you do this against the Dodgers you have my attention and he gets a real cherry of a match up versus the worst team in baseball next week. I could see considering the prospect of maybe thinking about mulling over the possibility of contemplating whether or not I should review the option of potentially picking him up. I still don’t know for sure though! Who am I kidding I definitely would.
Landon Knack – 6.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 ER, BB, 8 K, 3rd L. Do I trust him? No. But he’s got a Knack for getting outs, and he’s gotta be better than Bobby miller.
Shohei Ohtani – 2-for-4, HR (45). Fitty fitty is in reach! Watch the home run. Watch it! Mhmm. He also got his 100th RBI. I’ve run out of adjectives to describe this man. How about: “very demure, very mindful.” So cutesy. Oh, is that meme dead already? It’s September what do you want from me? Everyone has moved on to fantasy football. Ooh, I bet Ohtani’s fantasy football team is absolutely STACKED. Also, speaking of cutesy can we get more Decoy content? I eat it up. Anyway, the only thing that could make Ohtani’s season more impressive is if he pitched. And he’ll probably do that better than anyone ever next year.
Thanks for reading! Questions? Problems? Complaints to management? Advice, small gifts or large bribes? Please leave it in the comments below. Join us next Saturday for another Friday recap as fantasy baseball continues next week, all week long!
