Adonis Medina Looking Like Steal Pick Up For New York Mets
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Mookie Betts.
Freddie Freeman.
Trea Turner.
A daunting trio of hitters for any pitcher to face, regardless of the circumstance.
Throw in MLB’s extra innings rule where a runner starts at second base to lead off the inning, and it gets even dicier.
This is what Mets’ rookie Adonis Medina was up against on Sunday, as he was called upon in the 10th inning to lock down his first career save and secure a series split with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Medina got Betts to fly out, and a Freeman groundout moved runner Gavin Lux to third base.
The red-hot Trea Turner was Medina’s last big hurdle, and perhaps he was blessed by the baseball gods with what happened next.
Turner’s bat hit Mets catcher Tomas Nido’s glove on a check swing, which gave him first base due to catcher’s interference, allowing Medina to face Dodgers catcher Will Smith instead.
Medina struck out Smith to strand the tying and winning runs on base to end the game, as he helped New York to their second straight win.
The key, the right-handed Medina said, was to not think too much. He just wanted to go out there and do his job.
He did just that and then some.
"For me, this has been one of the biggest moments of my career," Medina said. "To have the team have that trust in me to pitch in that big spot, it has really been everything for me. I love being a part of this team."
So, who is Adonis Medina?
Medina has had several stints with the Mets this year, pitching in six games total (9 2/3 innings pitched), with a 4.66 ERA.
All of the runs Medina has allowed this year came in one game against the Colorado Rockies back on May 21.
For his career, Medina has 11 MLB appearances. The other five came across two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2020-21.
The Pittsburgh Pirates picked Medina up off waivers in March of this year, and a little less than a month later, they flipped him to New York for cash considerations.
According to manager Buck Showalter, general manager Billy Eppler and the Mets' front office have been really high on Medina. He is now looking like a steal of a pick up.
"Billy (Eppler, GM) and our scouting department always liked (Medina)," Showalter said after Medina secured the Mets' 5-4 win over the Dodgers on Sunday.
Just 25-years-old, it wasn’t too long ago that Medina was a top prospect for the Phillies.
Prior to the 2018 season, Medina was named the No. 46 minor leaguer in all of baseball by Baseball Prospectus, the No. 84 minor leaguer by Baseball America and No. 86 minor leaguer by MLB.
The next year, Medina fell to No. 57 by Baseball Prospectus, but jumped up the list for MLB Pipeline (No. 64).
Throughout his minor league career, Medina was used almost exclusively as a starting pitcher, including 17 games started for the Phillies’ Triple-A affiliate in 2021.
As he’s risen through the minor league ranks as a starter, however, so has his ERA: 4.12 in Single-A in 2018, 4.94 in Double-A in 2019 and 5.05 last year.
While the Mets have started him a couple times at Triple A Syracuse, his future might be in the bullpen, where he has been deployed from at the MLB level with New York so far.
With his three pitch arsenal that is highlighted by a mid-to-high 90s fastball with good sink, Medina has some tools to work with.
While Medina may not be destined to be a regular MLB starter like once was hoped, his former top prospect pedigree makes him an appealing player to keep tabs on.
Most excellent relievers are failed starters, and while Medina’s future is still a book that’s unwritten, at 25-years-old, the under the radar move of the Mets picking him up could be a shrewd one.
If not, what he accomplished on Sunday, June 5 was massive for a New York team who has playoff aspirations and proved they can hang with one of the best teams around in the Dodgers.
Read More:
- Mets Survive to Split Series With Dodgers in Wild Extra Inning Win
- MLB Insiders Link 'Best Catcher in Baseball' to Mets as Trade Deadline Target
- Pete Alonso Continues Historic Pace After Career-Best Month
- How Mets' Brandon Nimmo is Adjusting to Playing Through Wrist Injury
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