How to watch New York Mets games without cable: Video
Where can you watch Mets games when you don’t have cable? If you cut the cord, here’s how you can still stream them this season.
ST. LOUIS — The coaching staff for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets wanted to make sure that Blade Tidwell was pouring over his scouting report for an upcoming matchup with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders.
When Tidwell received the sheet with the impending matchup, the 23-year-old was shocked.
In big letters at the top: “You’re going to the big leagues, kid!”
“I thought I was close, but I didn’t know how close, so it was a complete surprise,” Tidwell said from the visiting clubhouse at Busch Stadium on Saturday.
Tidwell grabbed his 12-week-old Cavapoo, Bentley, and scrambled outside barefoot to compose himself when he learned the news. The young right-hander, who was drafted by the Mets in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft, will make his major league debut in the opening game of a split doubleheader at 1:15 p.m. in St. Louis.
“It’s always exciting,” Carlos Mendoza said. “When you’re talking about a guy that everybody knows about him and a prospect. He’s just inserting more youth to the team. It’s always a good time and here we are getting ready to watch him pitch a big league game.
“A lot of people should feel proud of him. A lot of people had a hand in it, especially in player development, scouting. It’s big. Now, he’s gotta go out and do it.”
What Blade Tidwell brings to the table for the Mets
Tidwell, who is the Mets’ No. 15 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, made arguably his biggest inroads in the minor leagues last season.
The righty’s 2.41 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in seven appearances for Double-A Binghamton, turned some heads down below. The numbers have not been gaudy in Triple-A this season, but Mendoza noted Tidwell’s 5.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP is a bit inflated based on some tough luck on balls in play.
“Usually that’s going to equal out over time,” Tidwell said. “If I keep throwing the way I am, especially I feel like down there, it would’ve all equaled out.”
Tidwell boasts a four-seam fastball that can clip 99 mph at its best, along with a sinker that he deems to be his best pitch at this point. He also mixes in a sweeper, changeup and gyro slider.
“Just going out there and attacking and just game-planning for the hitters and then knowing their strengths, my strengths and just going out there and trying to execute,” Tidwell said. “Not putting an overemphasis on stuff because my stuff’s what it is. Just trying to make them hit it and then try to put them away when I get ahead.”
Carlos Mendoza’s chance to assess
With the Mets playing 13 games in as many days and the need for Kodai Senga and Clay Holmes to receive extra rest, the front office has had to reach into the reserves to eat innings early in games.
Tidwell is the latest, but the Mets have now also had a chance to look at Brandon Waddell and Justin Hagenman.
“We’ve seen it the past few days with so much transactions, guys going up and down but guys getting opportunities, you know what you can count on,” Mendoza said. “Every team’s going to need it and here were are.”
The Mets are still awaiting the returns of Sean Manaea (oblique) and Frankie Montas (lat) from spring-training injuries. Montas is further along than Manaea after the latter suffered a setback last month, but neither is yet to throw from the mound.
Waddell pitched behind an opener last Wednesday against the Diamondbacks and making a solid return after not pitching in the major leagues since 2021. The 30-year-old tossed 4⅓ scoreless innings with four strikeouts and three hits allowed.
On April 16 against the Twins on the road, Justin Hagenman drew an opportunity behind Mets reliever Huascar Brazoban. He allowed one earned run on three hits and struck out four in 3⅓ innings.