Mets Rip Into MLB For League-Leading Hit By Pitch Count
The Mets are not happy with Major League Baseball.
Throughout the first 20 games of the regular season, the Mets lead the league in hit batsmen by a wide margin: Mets' batters have been plunked 19 times, while the next three-highest clubs are tied with 11.
Oddly enough, league-wide hit by pitch percentage is 1.14% (lowest since 2018), which is down from 1.38% last season. The league average is currently 7 hit batsmen per team. And wild pitches are the lowest they've been since 2012, 0.24%.
Regardless, the Mets have insisted that the baseballs are inconsistent and that the league is ignoring what is a major safety hazard. Especially since the Mets have had numerous close calls where several players have been hit in the head, neck and face area.
During the Mets' 3-0 victory over the Cardinals on Tuesday night, first baseman Pete Alonso was beaned on top of the helmet, which sent him crashing to the ground. This caused tempers to flare on the Mets' side, and it was also the second close call that Alonso has endured this season, given he was struck near the chin pad area in D.C. on Opening Day.
As a result, Tuesday's winning starting pitcher Chris Bassitt had some choice words for the league afterward.
“The MLB has a very big problem with the baseballs. They’re bad,” Bassitt said. “Everyone knows it. Every pitcher in the league knows it. They’re bad. They don’t care. MLB doesn’t give a damn about it. We’ve told them our problems with them and they don’t care.”
Luckily, Alonso passed all concussion tests and was back in the lineup on Wednesday. But the Mets were still hit a total of three times in Tuesday's contest.
Catcher James McCann reiterated Bassitt's concerns after watching his teammates get plunked several times again.
“It’s 2022, there’s enough technology to figure out the baseballs," McCann said.
As manager Buck Showalter told reporters on Wednesday at Busch Stadium, both he and general manager Billy Eppler were in contact with the league this morning to advocate for a solution.
“I asked somebody today, have you been hit by a 96 mph fastball in the neck? It’s painful, and it’s also scary,” Showalter said. “You got less than a second to react.”
Showalter has acknowledged in the past that the elimination of sticky substances has effected a pitcher's ability to grip the baseball.
“Let’s face it: The problem is that the pitchers went too far one way. And the question is whether we as an industry have gone too far the other way. They’re trying to find a happy medium.”
Even still, Showalter does not want Mets pitchers retaliating by plunking opposing hitters.
Despite enduring a number of close calls, and leading the league with 18 hit by pitches, this hasn't stopped the Mets from producing the best record in baseball at 14-5 to begin the year, as well as capturing a franchise record six straight series victories to open up the season.
Update
Regarding the Mets' hit by pitch rate, an MLB spokesperson sent the following statement to Inside the Mets on Wednesday:
“MLB is always concerned about keeping hitters safe from dangerous pitches. We closely analyze trends in the game and have active conversations with our players and coaches to address concerns. Through April 26, league-wide statistics show hit-by-pitch rates and wild pitch rates are down relative to previous seasons. However, one Club has been hit more than twice as often as the league average so far in 2022, which is something we will continue to monitor.”
Read More:
- How Mets' Chris Bassitt Is Endearing Himself to Team, Fans
- Mets Bring Back RHP Tommy Hunter On Minor-League Deal
- How Max Scherzer Is Thriving As Interim Ace In Mets' Rotation
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