The MLB Returns to London

Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash

Major League Baseball Returns to London in June. The New York Mets and Philidelphia Phillies are set to play a two-game series on 8-9 June.  This is the third time the MLB has sent division rivals to London as commissioner Rob Manfred looks to expand the game.  

Last summer, two historic franchises, the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals traveled to London Stadium in late June. The series drew over 100,000 fans in two days.  

Here’s an advanced preview of the Phillies and Mets a month ahead of their anticipated London Series. 

The Phillies 

All signs point to Philadelphia being primed for another deep postseason run. The Phillies have regrouped after their stunning defeat to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) during last year’s playoffs. The Phillies retained nearly every key contributor to last season’s playoff run and added some depth this off-season. Most notably, they signed veteran infielder Whit Merrifield and starting pitcher Spencer Turnbull who’s looking to revive his career.  

Early this season the Phillies have continued their dominance. They hold a three-game lead in the division and haven’t missed a step. So far Turnbull has fit perfectly into the Phillies’ starting pitching rotation while Tajuan Walker has battled a right shoulder injury to start the year.  Turnbull has a team-best 1.57 earned-run-average (ERA) for all Phillies starting pitchers in seven appearances. The one hiccup could be the injury to star shortstop Trea Turner. 

Turner strained his left hamstring and will be out for at least a month. He has cemented himself as one of the best shortstops in the MLB and was putting together another great season. Turner had a .343 batting average before he went down. The Phillies will have to move around some pieces in the infield to overcome the loss.  

If the Phillies can weather the loss of one of their superstars, this could be the year the Phillies finally get over the hump and win their first World Series since 2008. 

Players to Watch 

Bryce Harper 

He came into the league as one of the most highly touted prospects of all time and 13 years later he’s still generating that same buzz. He plays with passion and flare while consistently putting up incredible numbers. To start this year, his batting average is lower than usual, but he is second on the Phillies in runs-batted-in (28) and tied for first in home runs (9). If the Phillies are going to win their third-ever World Series, Harper will play a crucial role. 

Zach Wheeler 

Wheeler is one of the premier pitchers in all of baseball. He’s the first option in a stacked Phillies rotation and is playing some of his best baseball ever. Right now, he has the third lowest ERA in baseball at 1.64 and he’s tied for the most strikeouts in the MLB with 63. He’s a real frontrunner to win the CY Unyoung (the award for best pitcher in baseball) and the ace any World Series contender needs. 

Aaron Nola 

The Phillies were able to resign their second-best starting pitcher this offseason but had to pay a pretty penny to get him. They locked him up for seven years and for $172 million (£148,036,100). He’s had a solid start to 2024, posting an ERA of 3.32. He’s the obvious second arm in one of the best rotations in baseball. 

The Mets 

On the other hand, the New York Mets are struggling once again. In the past nine years, they have only appeared in two playoffs and have won just a single game in those series. This year, the Mets find themselves at a .500 winning percentage through 36 games.  

The biggest change for the Mets going into this year wasn’t on the field but in the front office. Owner Steve Cohen hired David Stearns as the new President of Baseball Operations tasked with shaping a roster to improve the floundering organization. Before his time in New York Stearns was successful in Milwaukee where he led the Brewers to four straight playoff berths from 2018-2021. 

Stearns made several moves this past offseason hoping to immediately improve the team. The biggest splash came just three days before the season when six-time All-Star J.D. Martinez agreed to a one-year contract worth $12 million (£9,615,600).  

This signing made the Mets roster the most expensive in baseball with a payroll of $311 million (£248,967,940) in 2024. 

Yet, the multitude of injuries have slowed the Mets’ start to the season. They are 18-18 and are already 7.5 games behind the Phillies who sit atop the National League East. The Mets are once again at risk of having a lackluster year. 

Players to Watch  

Pete Alonso  

The Mets 1st basemen and most powerful bat, the “Polar Bear” continues to hit home runs and home runs almost exclusively. The 2019 Rookie of the Year, and two-time Home Run Derby Winner, has been the face of the franchise ever since he entered the league. He smacked 49 home runs last year and is tied for sixth in that category to start this season. The Mets are willing to sacrifice his large number of strikeouts if he can continue to hit the ball out of the park. 

J.D. Martinez 

Back problems sidelined the aging 36-year-old during his first month in a Mets uniform. Since being healthy he’s been solid at the plate. He’s tallied 11 hits in 12 games, but his power isn’t what it was. In 2021, he led the league in doubles and last year he hit 33 home runs. So far, he only has a pair of doubles and hasn’t hit a single long ball. The Mets need his run production to increase to have a chance at the playoffs. 

Luis Severino 

With Kodai Senga out for a considerable amount of time, the pressure on the Mets’ new ace is massive. The Yankees moved on from Severino after eight years together and the Mets snatched him up this offseason. He has the best ERA of any Mets starter in 2024 and seems to be in his best form since 2018. If he can remain healthy, he will keep the Mets in a lot of ballgames. 

 

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