Mike McCann's Field of Fotos

As the Mets struggle in the early going, there’s a ray of hope coming from their top farm club.  Outfielder AJ Ewing , who advanced two levels, from St. Lucie to Brooklyn and then Binghamton.  He impressed so strongly at AA, that he was promoted to AAA Syracuse barely a month into this season. A lefty hitter whose contact makes that sweet sound coming off the bat, Ewing had two hits in each half last Thursday’s doubleheader as Syracuse hosted their Yankee counterparts from Scranton Wilkes-Barre.   Ewing is no slouch with the glove, grabbing attention with a tumbling catch to snuff out a potential Scranton rally. Yes, this Mets season has been six weeks of disappointment.   Injuries, underachievement and an overhauled roster still getting to know each other have left the Mets in last place, far from what was expected.   You hope for Ewing’s sake that the Mets don’t rush him too quickly.  While hitting .500 in his first week with Syracuse was ultra-impressive...

...you share it with Marcus Stroman .  The Long Island, NY native pitched for both the Mets and Yankees, but is better known for his 5-1/2 years (2014-'19) with the Blue Jays.  The MVP of the 2017 World Baseball Classic, while playing for Team USA, the Duke graduate also suited up (to honor his mother's ancestry) for Puerto Rico in 2023. Among the 56 major league players born on the 1st of May, Marcus Stroman has the highest career WAR.    

When I was in Rochester a couple of Wednesdays ago, I couldn't have guessed that three players that three of the visiting Buffalo Bisons would soon be promoted to their parent club, the Blue Jays.  But it's true.   Pitcher Trey Yesavage , last year's breakout post-season star, began 2026 on the Injured List with a shoulder impingement.  Two Florida State League games and a couple more with the Triple-A Bisons (including April 15th) punched his ticket back to Toronto and a spot in John Schneider's rotation. (Below:) Say hello to Yohendrick Pinango , who made his big league debut on Sunday, going 1-for-2.  The Venezuelan outfielder has upped his offensive game the last couple of years.  And after a fast start (a .288 batting average and .858 OPS) at Buffalo, and Blue Jays mainstays Nathan Lukes and Addison Barger hurt, he got the call. Finally,  Chase Lee  returns to the majors -- but with a different team.  After breaking in last year with the...

  ...you share it with Carlos Beltran , who'll enter Cooperstown this summer with 435 homers, 312 stolen bases. and three Gold Gloves.  One of the best all around center fielders ever, the 1999 AL Rookie of the Year made nine All Star teams in 20 years while posting eight seasons of 100 runs batted in and seven with 100 runs scored.  He starred for the Royals, Astros, Mets and Yankees -- where I caught him in action against the Red Sox in 2015. Fellow Hall of Famer  Chipper Jones , who ranks with Eddie Mathews as the Braves greatest ever 3rd baseman.   He is the only switch hitter to combine a .300 career batting average, .400 on-base percentage, and .500 slugging percentage -- and befitting a Braves legend, Jones had both the last official hit at Fulton County Stadium before its closure and the first at Turner Field. And a pair of current players:  Willi Castro , the utilityman now with the Rockies.  I snapped him in a Twins uniform in 2023 in a...

In the midst of a lost weekend -- being swept at home by the division-leading Braves -- the Phillies saw one ray of hope.  Promoted Saturday after a big spring training and fast start (6 homers and 8 doubles) with AAA Lehigh Valley, Felix Reyes homered in his first major league at bat.  The Dominican outfielder became just the sixth Phillies player ever to accomplish that (and the first since Weston Wilson in 2023). With Otto Kemp farmed out and newcomer Adolis Garcia struggling, Reyes has a chance to pick up more playing time as the Phils try to pull out of their tailspin. I first saw Reyes last year, when he broke through at Double-A Reading with 15 homers in 96 games.  This big swing came against the Rumble Ponies in Binghamton.  

...you share it with switch-hitting  Jed Lowrie .  The versatile infielder, best known for his years with the Red Sox and A's, developed into a power hitter in the middle of his career, reaching his peak with a 23 homer, 99 RBI season for Oakland in 2018.  Lowrie's pre-season grand slam on April 4th, 2009, was the first major league home run at Citi Field.  Ironically, he played briefly for the Mets a decade later, a stint that was sidetracked by a 2019 knee injury. ( These images are from a 2021 A's/Yankees game in the Bronx .) Below: Infielder Ronny Simon played briefly for the 2025 Pirates, but failed to make the club in spring training.  I snapped this in 2024 when the Dominican native was with the Rays top farm team, the Durham Bulls. Finally, let's remember Solly Hemus , who spent the 1950s as an infielder with the Cardinals and Phillies, before returning to St. Louis to manage the Cardinals for 2-1/2 years (1959-'61).  While team showed improve...