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OF, not Francisco Alvarez, named Mets' 2024 first-half MVP
For a piece published on Thursday morning, Bradford Doolittle of ESPN argued that outfielder Brandon Nimmo and not young catcher Francisco Alvarez should be viewed as the New York Mets' most valuable player for the first half of the 2024 MLB season.
"Nimmo has been a central part of the Mets' charge back into the thick of the crowded [National League] wild-card race," Doolittle explained. "During New York's 18-6 spree through July 2, Nimmo hit .341/.431/.625 with 24 runs and 21 RBIs in the 22 games in which he played. He also posted a 1.371 win probability added during that span, lifting him into the NL lead in that contextual measure."
Much has been made amid the Mets' so-called "Grimace Era" about what Alvarez has meant to both the club's lineup and its pitching staff since he returned on June 11 from the torn ligament in his left thumb that he suffered on April 19.
As for Nimmo, Ben Krimmel of SNY pointed out that the 31-year-old was responsible for a .215 batting average and .708 OPS on the campaign before the halfway point of June.
Nimmo began Thursday with a .248 average and a .818 OPS. Across his first 79 games of the season, he recorded 13 home runs and 52 RBI.
Most recently, Nimmo bounced back from a scary fainting episode to deliver a couple of clutch hits in Tuesday's 7-2 extra-innings win at the Washington Nationals.
"Nimmo hasn't just been putting up numbers -- he's been mashing in spots that have won games," Doolittle continued. "In doing so, Nimmo has erased what was shaping up an abysmal season both for him and the team around him."
The Mets ended June 2 at 24-35 but went into Thursday's matchup against Washington at 42-42. Ahead of that contest, New York was only one-and-a-half games back in the battle for the NL's final wild-card playoff spot.
The Amazins will need Nimmo, Alvarez and other key contributors such as All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso and shortstop Francisco Lindor to continue producing impressive performances so that owner Steve Cohen decides to buy instead of sell ahead of the July 30 trade deadline.
More must-reads:
- Mets' Brandon Nimmo addresses heroics following scary situation
- Kodai Senga close to providing needed pitching help for Mets?
- The '200 or more strikeouts in 2019' quiz
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Braves' Brian Snitker Announces Matt Olson News After 746 Straight Games
Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson has been the most durable player in MLB over the course of his ten-year career. The 31-year-old left-handed slugger has not missed a regular-season game for the Braves, appearing in all 162 matchups over the past three seasons. Olson also appeared in every possible regular-season game twice during his six-year stint with the Athletics, accomplishing the feat in both 2018 and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. His offensive production continues to be elite as his career progresses, despite the workload—making him one of the league’s most valuable players to roster. He earned his third All-Star appearance at Truist Park this year. Matt Olson Injury News Heading into Wednesday’s series finale against the Chicago White Sox, Olson has logged 746 consecutive games dating back to May 2021, the 12th-longest streak in MLB history. Before the game, manager Brian Snitker announced that Olson had been dealing with a sore toe sustained while running the bases on Tuesday, but believed Olson could play through it. The first baseman was reportedly adamant about remaining in the starting lineup. “#Braves' Matt Olson is dealing w/ a sore toe, which Snitker said happened while running out a double Tuesday. He's in the lineup tonight, his 747th consecutive game. ‘I tried to get him to take (day off), but he wouldn't,’ Snitker said. ‘Something that he can play through, I think,’” wrote The Athletic’s David O’Brien. Olson’s Durability Continues to Anchor Braves Amid Disappointing Season The Braves have had a disappointing season after entering the year with World Series aspirations, and without Olson’s durability, the team may have fared even worse. Olson has smashed 19 home runs and driven in 72 runs while batting .267 with a .366 on-base percentage and .819 OPS across 125 games for Atlanta. He’s locked into the Braves’ long-term future after signing an eight-year, $168 million contract in 2022, and although he’s made it clear the streak is important to him, the toe injury and its severity will be worth monitoring. Atlanta may have to make a tough decision if it worsens.
Three burning questions about SEC's huge conference schedule change
The SEC is moving to a nine-game conference schedule, and we have questions. The conference answered some (the nine-game schedule will begin in 2026, each team will have three annual opponents), but others remain. Here are three we're particularly interested in: 1. What happens with the ACC? Earlier Thursday, Yahoo Sports college football reporter Ross Dellenger shared that momentum was building for the SEC to adopt a nine-game conference schedule after executives met this week. He added that a move by the SEC could force the ACC, which plays an eight-game conference schedule, to do the same. However, with the conference sitting at 17 teams, it's mathematically impossible for the league to schedule nine conference games per team. The conference likely wouldn't kick out a member. Instead, adding an 18th team would make more sense. Memphis threw itself at the Big 12 and fell on its face. Perhaps the ACC would be more interested? The ACC already has a scheduling agreement with Notre Dame, and it might also pursue strengthening those bonds by having the Irish play more conference opponents. 2. Will SEC still schedule FCS out-of-conference games? On the surface, the SEC adding more competitive games is a win for fans. That said, if the conference is adding one conference game, it's taking one out-of-conference game away. Depending on which one, a nine-game SEC schedule will hardly be worth celebrating. Instead of scheduling challenging out-of-conference games, SEC programs might be more inclined to ensure easy wins by paying overmatched FCS teams to get blown out by 50 points. Where's the fun in that? 3. How does a nine-game conference schedule impact College Football Playoff format? The Big Ten and SEC, college football's biggest conferences, have been at odds over the CFP's future, with the Big Ten favoring a 4-4-2-2-1 format that features four automatic qualifiers for it and the SEC, two for the ACC and Big 12, and one for a mid-major. At-large bids would fill the rest of the 16-team field. The SEC, meanwhile, has supported a format that rewards the five highest-ranked conference champions and 11 at-large teams. By moving to nine conference games, the SEC might be more receptive to the idea of automatic qualifiers as teams compete more intensely, ensuring that it gets a set number of seats at the CFP table each season. Last season, the first year of the expanded 12-team playoff, the SEC only landed two at-large berths. Nevertheless, it might still prefer a 5-11 CFP format, relying on the perceived strength of the SEC to gobble up more bids in future seasons. On Aug. 11, the Associated Press published its preseason top 25 poll, which featured 10 ranked SEC teams. There are a few things the conference loves more than "quality losses," and commissioner Greg Sankey will be able to champion even more with the expanded SEC schedule. While a lot remains uncertain, that's one thing we're certain of.
Kent Hughes requested Nick Suzuki approval before making trade
As captain of the Montreal Canadiens, it’s clear that Nick Suzuki gets a lot of respect from the fans and everyone in the organization; however, a sneak peek of the Montreal Canadiens show on Crave, "The Rebuild: Behind The Scenes," shows that GM Kent Hughes asked Suzuki’s opinion before pulling the trigger on the Patrik Laine trade. The fact that Suzuki has this much say in things with the higher-ups proves just how much respect he has with them. This also isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Suzuki was involved in a big decision for the team. It’s well known that Suzuki and Hughes spoke just after the Four Nations break, where the captain pleaded with his GM on behalf of his teammates to not sell any players at the trade deadline as they all wanted to stay together as a group. Hughes told Suzuki that the team must prove themselves to be worthy of staying in the mix until the deadline. Following that chat, the Canadiens went 5-0-1 up until the deadline, placing themselves right in the middle of the mix. Hughes listened to his captain, and the team managed to sneak into the playoffs as a result. While this was more of an agreement between the two, it still shows that Hughes respects Suzuki’s word. Another thing that Suzuki has managed to change within the organization is that morning skates are now at the Bell Centre as opposed to Brossard, as they were before the 2023-24 season. Suzuki argues that skating at the Bell Centre would motivate the players more during the skate. Suzuki is also the reason why Juraj Slafkovsky never went to Laval when he was struggling early in the 2023-24 season. When things weren’t going well early in the Slovak’s career, it was Suzuki who told management to keep him in Montreal and have him play on his line. It turns out that decision proved to be the best thing for Slafkovsky as he’s managed 2 50-point seasons since then, and their line with Cole Caufield is considered a top 10 trio in the entire league. It seems like there is always a new story on just how influential Suzuki is on everyone throughout the Habs organization. Now, we are talking about how Suzuki also has enough influence on the team to have input on a trade before it happens. In that clip, it seemed Suzuki was excited for Laine to come to Montreal — and with good reason, as the Canadiens got a former 40-goal scorer with the potential to do it again. As a fan, it’s hard to know what else Suzuki has influence on when it comes to management and the higher-ups, but it does seem as captain that he is the perfect bridge between management and the players. Not only does he help the players with their demands, but the fact that he tries to make things work for management when dealing with the players just proves why he was born to be an NHL captain. Maybe we will see more situations where management and Suzuki discuss things on behalf of the team as the second season of "The Rebuild" progresses. With the success the Canadiens had during the 2024-25 season, this season of "The Rebuild: Behind The Scenes" should be a fun one to watch.
'Look out for this dude': Former NFL exec has warning about unexpected SEC quarterback
Quarterbacks like Texas' Arch Manning, Clemson's Cade Klubnik and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier are getting all the hype as the 2025 college football season quickly approaches, but don't sleep on South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers. Sellers, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound redshirt sophomore from Florence, South Carolina, had an intriguing redshirt freshman season for the Gamecocks. So much so, that he very well could find himself listed among players like Manning, Klubnik and Nussmeier in the Heisman Trophy race by the end of this season. He's also the exact type of quarterback who will have NFL scouts raving. Louis Riddick is a former NFL player, scout and executive who is extremely high on Sellers heading into this season. He was recently on ESPN's "Get Up" and had many great things to say about South Carolina's young quarterback. “I’m just telling you, look out for this dude," Riddick said (h/t On3). "He can run. He has got a cannon. They have got a good program down there. He is everything that you’re looking for. Just look at some of this. Look how big this kid is. Look how fast and elusive he is.” Sellers is a classic dual-threat quarterback who fits the mold of a modern QB perfectly. Last season for the Gamecocks, he threw for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns (with seven interceptions) while rushing for 674 yards and seven touchdowns. Much like its quarterback, South Carolina is a bit under the radar in a stacked SEC, but head coach Shane Beamer went 9-4 last season, and his Gamecocks are ranked No. 13 in the preseason AP Top 25. South Carolina has a stretch in the middle of the season that will see it play consecutive games against No. 9 LSU, No. 18 Oklahoma, No. 8 Alabama, No. 21 Ole Miss and No. 19 Texas A M. Coastal Carolina is a respite on the schedule on Nov. 22, and the Gamecocks end their regular season against No. 4 Clemson. If the Gamecocks can pull off a few wins in that stretch, they very well could be a College Football Playoff team this season. In order to do that, though, they'll need Sellers to become a superstar, but listening to Riddick talk about the quarterback, it seems as if he's already on his way.
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