The Put it in the Books Show - A New York Mets Podcast

The Mets sold off half the pitching staff, started winning immediately, swept Cleveland, then got to Atlanta and remembered they are still the 2026 Mets. Fun little vacation from reality while it lasted.This week on The Put it in the Books Show, Farace, Rodriguez, and Producer Joe break down where the Mets actually stand now: 53-69, buried in the Wild Card picture, and basically playing the rest of the season to figure out who matters in 2027.Nolan McLean keeps giving Mets fans dangerous reasons to believe, Sean Manaea has temporarily escaped the “Manure” nickname, and Kodai Senga suddenly has his first MLB save while the bullpen gets even weirder after Devin Williams landed on the IL.Francisco Lindor says David Stearns is still the right guy, which gives Farace something to debate, Rodriguez something to doubt, and Producer Joe another chance to interrupt with a sound effect nobody asked for.We’ll also hit Stock Up/Stock Down, Soto’s rehab, Jefry Yan’s energy, Carson Benge accidentally giving away Senga’s save ball, and the Nationals coming to Citi Field next.The standings are cooked. The evaluation period is not. Farace will try to find hope, Rodriguez will show up with a shovel, and Producer Joe will somehow make the bullpen situation feel more organized than the show.LGM.#PiitB #Mets #LGM #NewYorkMets #PopCulturePros

The New York Mets traded away pitching at the deadline, reshaped the bullpen, and kept the offense mostly intact… and then immediately swept the Cleveland Guardians. Because of course they did.On this week’s episode of The Put it in the Books Show, Farace, Rodriguez, and Producer Joe break down the post-MLB trade deadline Mets and what this new era of Mets baseball actually looks like. With the playoff push no longer the focus, the conversation shifts to player development, rookie call-ups, and veterans fighting for their future in Queens.Rookie pitchers are taking center stage. Nate Lavender made his MLB debut with 1.1 scoreless innings, while Jefry Yan delivered a scoreless outing of his own and went viral thanks to a high-energy strikeout celebration that reminded everyone MLB baseball is supposed to be fun. Dedniel Núñez has also returned from injury, as the New York Mets bullpen continues its live rebuild in real time.The biggest storyline? Kodai Senga’s new role in the Mets bullpen. The ace is now being used in high-leverage, one-inning situations. Can Senga’s ghost fork translate into dominance out of the bullpen, or is this just another experiment in a chaotic Mets pitching staff?The crew also reacts to Keith Hernandez repeatedly apologizing on air and asks the real question: how much Mets commentary is too much Mets commentary?Looking ahead, the Mets head to Pittsburgh for a three-game series before traveling to Atlanta, continuing a brutal stretch of MLB schedule following a chaotic trade deadline.From the Cleveland Guardians sweep to the Mets roster selloff, rookie pitching debuts, and Kodai Senga’s bullpen experiment, this episode covers everything happening in Queens right now.Farace is searching for optimism, Rodriguez is trying to stay realistic, and Producer Joe is somehow still losing every trade scenario.LGM.#Mets #NewYorkMets #LGM #MetsBaseball #MLB #MLBTradeDeadline #KodaiSenga #ClevelandGuardians #NYM #BaseballPodcast #ThePutItInTheBooksShow #PopCulturePros

Carlos Beltrán is officially a Hall of Famer, which is great news for Mets fans who wanted to remember a time when superstar talent was allowed to stay in Queens without being swapped for three red-sticker clearance-rack prospects and a bullpen arm named Chad.This week on The Put it in the Books Show, Farace, Rodriguez, and Producer Joe break down Beltrán’s Hall of Fame moment, the Mets’ future manager mess, the trade deadline chaos, and the radical idea that maybe — just maybe — this organization should stop acting shocked when bargain-bin roster construction produces bargain-bin results.Manager talk is officially back on the table. Alex Cora? Joe Girardi? Wally Backman? Carlos Beltrán one day? And yes, because this show has lost all adult supervision, Trevor Bauer’s name gets tossed in for laughs before Rodriguez demands the next manager be old school, because apparently the answer to everything is eye black, yelling, and making sure everybody knows how to hit behind the runner.The roster conversation is just as messy. The Mets need real position players playing real positions. One job. One glove. One place to stand. Enough with the baseball version of musical chairs where everybody is “versatile” until nobody can actually catch the ball cleanly.And while we’re at it: own the money or move over. The Mets cannot keep shopping like they’re broke, then act confused when the roster looks like it came from the damaged-goods aisle. You get what you pay for. Farace will say it calmly at first. Then Rodriguez will somehow make it angrier. Then Producer Joe will interrupt from wherever he is, probably annoying a cabana worker.On the field, the Mets went 1-2 against the Dodgers, but they’ve taken the first two from the Braves with the finale tonight, so naturally everyone is trying to figure out whether this is progress, a tease, or just the Mets setting the trap door before the Marlins come to town for four and the team heads to Cleveland next week.The trade deadline is basically here, and the candidate list is almost the entire roster with maybe five or six exceptions. Freddy Peralta back to the Brewers? Clay Holmes drawing scouts during rehab — trade him or extend him? Tyrone Taylor and Luis Robert Jr. markets heating up? At this point, if your locker doesn’t have Soto, Lindor, McLean, Benge, Scott, or Thornton written on it, maybe don’t buy green bananas.Speaking of the future: is it McLean, Scott, and Thornton time? Are those the arms the Mets should actually build around instead of pretending the next recycled veteran reclamation project is secretly the answer?We’ll also ask the question Mets fans have been asking for years: what exactly is going on with the medical evaluations? Injuries, setbacks, mystery timelines, medical staff upheaval rumors — who is checking these players, a doctor or somebody reading WebMD on the 7 train?Beltrán to the Hall. Manager chaos. Deadline panic. Stop trading stars for coupons. Own the money. Play people where they belong. Figure out the medical mess. And somehow, yes, the Mets are still making us watch every inning like we signed a blood oath.LGM.#PiitB #Mets #LGM #MetsTradeDeadline #CarlosBeltran

The Mets won a series. Alert the authorities.This week on The Put it in the Books Show, Farace, Rodriguez, and Producer Joe break down the Mets finally taking 2 of 3 from the Royals, which would feel a lot better if the season wasn’t already sitting in the corner wearing a neck brace.The .500 by the All-Star break goal is officially cooked, burned, buried, and probably traded to the Cubs for cash considerations. So now the conversation shifts from “can they save the season?” to “what the hell is the plan at the trade deadline?”Do the Mets sell and add talent throughout the system, or do they try to buy pieces at different levels and pretend this thing is still one hot streak away from mattering? Selling has pros: restock the farm, move short-term pieces, and stop lying to yourself. The cons? You’re punting another expensive season and admitting the whole thing face-planted before August. Buying has pros too: you still have Soto, Lindor, and enough money to bully people. The cons? Buddy, have you watched this team?There is some good news. Juan Soto is an All-Star, because even in the middle of Mets chaos, superstar talent still shows up. Soto gets the nod, the kids keep making noise, and Nolan McLean continues to give Mets fans dangerous ace thoughts that Rodriguez will immediately try to ruin with math and sadness.We’ll also talk about the offense waking up a little, Sean Manaea finally giving them length, Christian Scott flashing, A.J. Ewing and Carson Benge forcing the “play the kids” conversation, and Brett Baty picking a very interesting time to remind everyone he still exists.And yes, Farace will absolutely remind everyone that the Knicks won the 2026 NBA Championship, because New York joy is New York joy — and unlike the Mets, the Knicks actually figured out how to finish something without turning it into a federal investigation.Of course, because these are the Mets, even a series win comes with a bill. Mark Vientos gets hurt, trade deadline panic is still hanging over everything, and Andy Green is trying to manage a team that feels like it was assembled during a fire drill.Plus, we remember Phil Regan, “The Vulture,” who passed away at 89. Former pitcher, longtime coach, former Mets pitching coach, and a baseball lifer. Rest in peace to The Vulture.The goal is no longer .500. The goal is to look alive, figure out the keepers, and maybe not make Farace question every decision that led to owning microphones.Baseball. Sarcasm. Soto as an All-Star. Kids giving hope. Deadline pros and cons. Knicks championship joy. Trade panic. RIP Phil Regan. And Producer Joe probably wondering why he didn’t fake a power outage.LGM.#PiitB #Mets

Happy Bobby Bonilla Day, Mets fans.Because of course the annual Bobby Bo check arrives right as the 2026 Mets fully turn into a circus with cleats.This week on The Put it in the Books Show – S9 E11, Farace, Rodriguez, and Producer Joe break down a Mets team that has gone from “consistently inconsistent” to “somebody please grab a helmet.”Carlos Mendoza is out after the Mets dropped to 34-47 and got swept by the Cubs in an ugly, error-filled mess. Andy Green takes over as interim manager, while Steve Cohen says David Stearns is safe through 2028. So the dugout took the hit, but the front office is still holding the clipboard. Interesting.The sell-mode talk is getting louder too. David Peterson has already been traded to the Cubs, Lindor is back from the IL, Ronny Mauricio has been reinstated but sent to Triple-A, Luis Robert Jr. has started his rehab assignment, and Clay Holmes is moving toward a bullpen session. Help is coming. Maybe. Eventually. Probably with paperwork.The losing didn’t slow down in Toronto either. The Mets dropped today’s game to lose 2 of 3 to the Blue Jays, because apparently one series loss wasn’t enough — they needed to make sure the sadness cleared customs too.On the bright side, Nolan McLean keeps giving Mets fans dangerous ace thoughts, while Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing keep pushing the “play the kids” agenda. Just don’t Gregg Jefferies everybody before Labor Day.Next up: 3 in Atlanta against the Braves, then back home for 3 against the Royals and 3 against the Red Sox before the All-Star break. And that Put it in the Books Show goal of getting back to .500 by the break? Yeah… they are falling well short unless they suddenly turn into the ’86 Mets overnight.Baseball. Sarcasm. Bobby Bo checks. Manager firings. Stearns heat. Sell-mode panic. McLean hope. Knicks championship joy. Another Mets July group therapy session.LGM.#PiitB #Mets

The Mets returned home to Citi Field and immediately got smacked around by the Cardinals, because apparently feeling decent about this team for more than 48 hours is illegal. They did manage to salvage the finale this afternoon with a 5-4 win, so congratulations, everybody — the parade route has been downgraded from “season is over” to “still annoying, but technically breathing.”This week on The Put it in the Books Show – S9 E10, Farace, Rodriguez, and Producer Joe break down a Mets team that continues to scream one thing louder than anything else: the strategy needs a serious revamp.Let’s start with David Peterson. He’s been bad. Not “maybe unlucky” bad. Not “let’s look at the peripherals” bad. Just bad. Farace is ready to DFA him yesterday, Rodriguez is probably going to try to explain why that’s extreme, and Producer Joe may just hit the soundboard until the segment ends. At some point, enough is enough. This team is trying to climb back into relevance, not host open auditions for batting practice pitchers.The injury updates are a mixed bag, because of course they are. Kodai Senga had another setback, although it appears minor. Lindor seems close, but there’s still no clean finish line. Polanco and Luis Robert Jr.? Not close. Robert is just now starting to play catch, which is great if this were March. It is not March.But hey, Francisco Alvarez is back way earlier than expected from a torn meniscus and already homered, because apparently catchers are now healing faster than Mets relievers can find the strike zone. That’s huge. This lineup needs attitude, power, and somebody who actually looks like he enjoys big moments.And then there’s Carson Benge, who keeps showing off the full toolbox — power, glove, arm, speed, confidence, the whole thing. The kid looks like he belongs. So here’s a wild thought: play the rookies. Build the second-half team around the young guys who are actually healthy, hungry, and giving this team a pulse. Shut down the injured players who clearly aren’t right. Stop trying to force a broken roster to act like it’s whole.This Mets team is built more like a small-ball, pressure, speed, defense, chaos team — so maybe stop pretending it’s a lineup full of monsters waiting to hit five-run homers. Play the game your roster is built for. Build a .500 team with the kids, then sprinkle in the big names like Lindor, Soto, and Bichette when they’re actually right and ready to help.The Braves come to town next, which is always peaceful and relaxing and never triggers Mets fans at all. After that, the Mets hit the road for Cincinnati and Philadelphia, because apparently the schedule looked at this team and said, “You know what they need? More stress.” And yes, before anyone asks, Farace is still finding a way to squeeze in a Let’s Go Knicks because the Knicks are one win from a championship and he is absolutely not emotionally stable enough to separate sports right now.And let’s not forget the Put it in the Books Show goal: get back to .500 by the All-Star break. Right now, the Mets are still 8 games under, so there’s work to do. A lot of work. Like “stop losing series to teams you should beat” work. The goal is still possible, but it’s getting harder every time this team plays like it’s allergic to momentum.Baseball. Sarcasm. Roster rage. Rookie optimism. Peterson slander. Braves hate. A random Let’s Go Knicks. And one very simple message:Play the kids. Get healthy. Get to .500. Stop making us insane.LGM.#PiitB #Mets

The Mets have won 5 of their last 7 games heading into San Diego, which means things are either starting to turn around… or this team is once again setting us up like a bunch of idiots with cable packages and emotional damage.This week on The Put it in the Books Show – S9 E9, Farace, Rodriguez, and Producer Joe break down a Mets team that continues to be the most confusing thing in New York sports — and that’s saying something considering Farace is currently half-distracted by the Knicks being in the NBA Finals. If he starts comparing Bo Bichette to Jalen Brunson, someone please cut his mic.Bo Bichette finally had himself a game, going 4-for-4 with three RBIs as the Mets beat Seattle 7-1, snapped their two-game skid, and avoided getting swept by the Mariners. Now the question is simple: can Bo actually build on that, or was this just one of those “look, I’m alive” games before disappearing again for a week?The offense continues to be offensive, but at least there were signs of life in Seattle. Bichette broke out, Carson Benge stole home during a double steal, and the Mets actually played aggressive baseball instead of standing around waiting for Juan Soto to solve every problem like he’s customer service for the entire lineup.Speaking of Soto, he’s still the main event while the “psychopaths and Soto” outfield experiment continues to somehow function. It may not be normal. It may not be relaxing. But honestly, nothing about this team is normal or relaxing, so why start now?On the pitching side, the Mets keep getting mostly good work from the staff, but consistency remains the problem. Jonah Tong was optioned back to Triple-A after control issues, with Joey Gerber coming back up to give the bullpen a fresh arm. That’s the kind of move Rodriguez will explain calmly for 40 seconds before somehow turning it into a full organizational indictment.Kodai Senga is healthy enough to keep working through rehab, but still inconsistent enough to make everyone nervous. Translation: we’re encouraged, we’re concerned, and Producer Joe is already cranky.We’ll also hit Francisco Alvarez already working his way back from his knee injury, David Peterson’s bullpen role, Tobias Myers being optioned to Triple-A, and the ongoing roster shuffle as the Mets try to survive this stretch without turning every pitching decision into a group therapy session.We’ll also squeeze in Keith Hernandez talking about one of the biggest regrets of his career: finishing with a .296 lifetime batting average instead of staying above .300. And honestly, that’s the most Keith Hernandez regret possible. Not “I wish I made more money,” not “I wish I played longer” — this man is still annoyed that the baseball card didn’t say .300. Respect the obsession.And yes, Rodriguez has been negative lately. Very negative. Almost impressively negative. The Mets win 5 of 7 and he still sounds like he’s reviewing a restaurant that gave him food poisoning. Meanwhile, Producer Joe is cranky enough to put Rodriguez to sleep, which might actually be the most productive thing he does all episode.Next up, the Mets head to San Diego for three against the Padres before coming home to face the Cardinals and Braves. This is the part where we find out if winning 5 of 7 actually means something, or if the Mets are just giving us another brief emotional coupon before charging full price for disappointment.Baseball. Sarcasm. Knicks distractions. Rodriguez negativity. Producer Joe crankiness. Soto doing group projects alone.Just another normal week on The Put it in the Books Show.LGM.#PiitB #Mets

Well look at this. The Mets are actually playing competent baseball again. After the disaster movie that was April, the Mets have gone 8-4 in May, averaging 4.75 runs per game while allowing just 3.33 runs per game — a massive turnaround from April’s painful 2.81 runs scored and 4.46 runs allowed per game. Amazing what happens when the offense remembers its job description and the pitching staff stops treating every inning like an escape room challenge.Farace, Rodriguez, and Producer Joe break down a Mets team that suddenly has energy, confidence, and — somehow — young players stepping up in huge spots. Jared Benge walked off the Tigers last night and continues to look like one of the few people in this organization who doesn’t seem terrified of big moments. Meanwhile, Ewing gets the call to the majors and immediately keeps raking like he skipped the “adjustment period” memo entirely. The kids are alright… which honestly might be the most shocking development of the season.The offense has also finally started manufacturing runs instead of waiting around for somebody to hit a 3-run homer into another zip code. Small ball? Situational hitting? Productive at-bats? What is this, actual baseball? We’ll get into what’s changed offensively and why this lineup suddenly feels more connected than it did a month ago when everybody looked like they met each other in the parking lot before first pitch.On the pitching side, the young arms continue to flash potential while also driving everyone insane with inconsistency. The stuff is there. The command? That’s another story. We’ll talk about the growing pains, why catchers and pitching coaches need to react faster when guys clearly lose the zone, and why leaving struggling pitchers out there too long keeps turning manageable innings into full-blown disasters.Injury-wise, Juan Soto survived what initially looked like a scary ankle situation, while Francisco Alvarez was not nearly as lucky after tearing his MCL. Francisco Lindor’s calf is reportedly improving, but the Mets still haven’t given a real timeline because apparently mystery injuries are now part of the organizational identity.And now comes the fun part.Fresh off a 3-game sweep of the Tigers at Citi Field, the Mets now welcome the Yankees to Queens for a huge weekend Subway Series before heading out on a 7-game road trip through Washington and Miami. So yes… the vibes are finally improving. Which for Mets fans usually means preparing emotionally for something ridiculous to happen next.We’ll break down all of it the only way we know how — baseball, sarcasm, chaos, soundboard abuse, and probably at least one unnecessary shot at the Yankees before the night’s over.LGM. #PiitB #Mets

For about five minutes, it actually felt like the Mets were putting things together. Three straight wins. Four wins in five games. The offense waking up. The starters finally pitching deeper into games. Actual signs of life.And then Craig Kimbrell came jogging out of the bullpen like it was 2017.The Mets were one inning away from getting back to 4 wins in 5 games before Kimbrell decided to turn Coors Field into batting practice, serving up a grand slam that completely killed the momentum and dropped the Mets right back to 9 games under .500. Tremendous signing. Really elite stuff. Nothing says “stabilize the bullpen” quite like immediately detonating a game in the 8th inning.And the best part? Nobody even knows if the grand slam was actually fair or foul because apparently the Colorado Rockies are still using security cameras from a 2004 gas station. Every replay angle was obstructed, blurry, blocked by fans, or shot from somewhere near Wyoming. The umpires called it fair… and that was basically the end of the conversation because MLB apparently entered the witness protection program when it comes to competent replay systems in Denver.So now Farace, Rodriguez, and Producer Joe try to figure out whether the Mets are actually improving… or if this team simply enjoys finding new and creative ways to ruin everyone’s mood.The offense HAS looked better lately, which honestly seemed impossible a couple weeks ago. Marcus Semien is finally starting to look like a functioning baseball player again both offensively and defensively, while Mark Vientos continues to prove why the Mets keep giving him opportunities. The power is real. The defense? Still feels like every ground ball comes with suspense music.And in shocking baseball news, when the starters pitch deeper into games… the Mets actually win. Incredible discovery. Somebody alert NASA. We’ll get into why the rotation settling down has helped and why Sean Manaea continues to look less like a reliable starter and more like a weekly social experiment designed to test Mets fans’ sanity.We’ll also cover injury updates involving AJ Minter, Jorge Polanco, and Francisco Lindor as the Mets try to survive long enough to keep the season from completely spiraling before summer even starts.The good news? April is over. The bad news? The Mets are still the Mets.Next up is 3 against the Diamondbacks before an off day Monday and a return home to Citi Field for a series against the Tigers.So yes… technically things look a little better.But every time this team gives you hope, somebody immediately drives it into a wall.LGM. #PiitB #Mets

In the much-anticipated return of The Put it in the Books Show, your favorite quartet of Mets aficionados - Farace, Rodriguez, Keith, and the ever-elusive Producer Joe (who we're pretty sure exists, as noises do occasionally emanate from behind the wall) - dive headfirst into the swirling vortex of pre-season predictions, armed only with their wits, a questionable crystal ball, and an unwavering devotion to the New York Mets.