Axios Sports: How the Mets' season unraveled

Plus: Fantasy football draft kit | Friday, September 03, 2021

Open in app View in browser   Presented By Toyota   Axios Sports By Jeff Tracy ·Sep 03, 2021 🎉 Happy Friday! How is it already Labor Day weekend? Speaking of which, we're off on Monday, so we'll see you back here bright and early Tuesday morning. Today's word count: 1,851 words (7 minutes). Let's sports...     1 big thing: ⚾️ How the Mets' season unraveled Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Logo: SportsLogos.net   Nobody does drama quite like the New York Metropolitans, but this season has been a wild ride even for them. Why it matters: The Mets have turned institutional failure into an art form, and the no-longer-Amazin's are in dire need of a change. The latest: The past week alone has provided enough tabloid fodder for a whole season, starting with Javy Báez's ill-advised thumbs-down and continuing with the case of his missing earring. But the nadir came early Tuesday morning, when acting GM Zack Scott was arrested on drunk driving charges, after he was found asleep at the wheel on his way home from a team fundraiser event held at owner Steve Cohen's home in Connecticut. Scott has since been placed on administrative leave "until further notice." The big picture: This is just the latest chapter in what's become a nightmare year for the Mets, dating back to last fall when Cohen bought the team from the maligned Wilpon family. Jared Porter was fired in January after just a month as GM when news of past sexual harassment surfaced. A month later, then-Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway met a similar fate for lewd behavior that spanned his time as the Mets manager. Underperformance has also plagued the team, with Francisco Lindor (10-year, $341 million extension) highlighting a group of previously-productive hitters who've turned into pumpkins this year in Queens. Cohen's casual Twitter use got off to a great start in the offseason, but turned sour when he criticized the team for poor performance last month. Then there's the never-ending Jacob deGrom injury saga, Noah Syndergaard's rehab setback, raccoon-gate and the bungling of the Kumar Rocker draft pick. Am I forgetting anything? Probably. Between the lines: Fans might forgive most of the above if a trip to the postseason were imminent, but while they've won four straight, they're still five games back and running out of time. Looking ahead: It's hard to blame any one person for so many gaffes, but team president Sandy Alderson — the man responsible for hiring Porter, Callaway and Scott — might be a good place to start. Already, names like David Stearns, who turned the Brewers into a juggernaut, and Theo Epstein, the architect of broken curses in both Boston and Chicago, have been thrown around as potential franchise saviors (subscription). But would they even want to hitch their horse to this wagon? Go deeper: So many ways to lose (Axios)     2. 🏈 Fantasy football draft kit Healthy again, Christian McCaffrey should be the No. 1 pick. Photo: Grant Halverson/Getty Images   The NFL season kicks off on Thursday, but fantasy drafts have already begun. Don't worry — we've got you covered. Top 25 rankings: 1–5: Christian McCaffrey, CAR (RB1); Dalvin Cook, MIN (RB2); Derrick Henry, TEN (RB3); Alvin Kamara, NO (RB4); Ezekiel Elliott, DAL (RB5) 6–10: Travis Kelce, KC (TE1); Davante Adams, GB (WR1); Austin Ekeler, LAC (RB6); Aaron Jones, GB (RB7); Tyreek Hill, KC (WR2) 11–15: Nick Chubb, CLE (RB8); Saquon Barkley, NYG (RB9); Stefon Diggs, BUF (WR3); Jonathan Taylor, IND (RB10); Najee Harris, PIT (RB11) 16–20: Antonio Gibson, WAS (RB12); Calvin Ridley, ATL (WR4); DeAndre Hopkins, ARI (WR5); DK Metcalf, SEA (WR6); Joe Mixon, CIN (RB13) 21–25: Chris Carson, SEA (RB14); Darren Waller, LV (TE2); Keenan Allen, LAC (WR7); A.J. Brown, TEN (WR8); George Kittle, SF (TE3) Draft tips: Wait for QBs: It's tempting to grab Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen early, but depth at this position gives you latitude to wait a few rounds and use your top picks more wisely. Pounce on RBs: On the flip side, running backs suffer a huge drop-off in productivity after the first couple rounds. Grab at least one with your first two picks. Tight end renaissance: There's still a clear top tier (Kelce, Waller, Kittle), but unlike in past years, the next six or seven guys on the depth chart should also be pretty solid. Rookies to watch: Steelers RB Harris and Falcons TE Kyle Pitts could end the year top five at their positions; Eagles WR Smith could be this year's Justin Jefferson; if (when?) Justin Fields takes over for Andy Dalton in Chicago, he might put on a show. Guys to avoid: Michael Thomas, injured yet again and without Drew Brees, is no longer a fantasy stud; Odell Beckham Jr., hasn't finished as a top-15 fantasy receiver since 2016. Between the lines: For the first time ever, the NFL regular season will be 17 games. While that shouldn't change the mechanics of fantasy, it could certainly create more injuries or cause coaches to reduce workloads out of precaution. Add COVID into the mix, and the winning formula may be as simple as one word: depth. Go deeper: 100 facts for the 2021 fantasy football season (ESPN)     3. 🏈 QBs lead the way among Heisman favorites Photo illustration: Axios Visuals. Photos: David Stacy (Icon Sportswire), UA Athletics (Collegiate Images), Jared C. Tilton, Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images   Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler enters the season as the Heisman favorite (+650), per BetMGM. QBs also comprise the next eight favorites: J.T. Daniels, Georgia (+1000); Bryce Young, Alabama (+1100); D.J. Uiagalelei, Clemson (+1100); Sam Howell, UNC (+1600); C.J. Stroud, Ohio State (+1600); Matt Corral, Ole Miss (+2200); D'Eriq King, Miami (+2500); Kedon Slovis, USC (+2800) The big picture: This is par for the course, as DeVonta Smith last year became just the fourth non-QB to win the award this century, joining running backs Reggie Bush (2005, vacated), Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015). 📆 Coming up ... Three key games to watch tomorrow featuring Heisman hopefuls, all on ABC. 12pm ET: Rattler's No. 2 Sooners host Tulane after Hurricane Ida forced the game to be moved from New Orleans. 3:30pm: No. 1 Alabama (Young) vs. No. 14 Miami (King) in Atlanta. 7:30pm: No. 5 Georgia (Daniels) vs. No. 3 Clemson (Uiagalelei) in Charlotte. Go deeper: What to watch in Week 1 (ESPN)     A message from Toyota Meet Toyota's team of Olympic and Paralympic athletes     Behind every Olympian and Paralympian, there's an entire support network that helps them shine. Every parent, partner, trainer and fan plays their part, and each Team Toyota athlete can tell you how that support pushed them to do the impossible. See their stories.     4. ⚡️ Lightning round Patrick Cantlay sizing up his eagle putt on the 18th. Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images   ⛳️ The butterfly effect: Patrick Cantlay (-13) remains in the lead through 18 holes at the Tour Championship, but the butterfly that followed Brooks Koepka's 29-foot birdie all the way to the cup stole the show. 💉 Vaccine news: The Bucs joined the Falcons as the only fully-vaccinated NFL teams ... the NBA will significantly relax COVID protocols for vaccinated players this season, including no daily testing or mandatory quarantine when identified as a close contact. 🌪 Saints-Packers moved: New Orleans' Week 1 game against Green Bay will be played in Jacksonville while the Big Easy recovers from Hurricane Ida. 💰 Gymnastics settlement: USA Gymnastics is expected to settle with Larry Nassar's ~500 victims of sexual abuse for $425 million — nearly twice the the sum rejected by survivors early last year. 🏈 Good read: The magic and mystery of Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (ESPN)     5. 🌎 The world in photos Photo: Alex Peña/Getty Images SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — USMNT tied El Salvador, 0-0, as both teams missed numerous scoring opportunities in front of an electric crowd at Estadio Cuscatlán in Thursday night's World Cup qualifier. Scoreboard, Sunday schedule. Chris Olave. Photo: Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images MINNEAPOLIS — The No. 4 ranked Buckeyes overcame a sluggish start on the road to take down the Golden Gophers, 45-31, in their season debut. C.J. Stroud threw four TDs, including a 61-yard strike to Chris Olave. Full scoreboard. Photo: Mauro Ujetto/NurPhoto via Getty Images TOKYO — Australia's Vanessa Low broke her own world record — three times — en route to winning long jump gold at the Paralympics, which conclude on Sunday. Medal table.     6. 🏈 NFL player rankings: Davante Adams (No. 6) Photo: Stacy Revere/Getty Images   The NFL season is fast approaching. While we eagerly await its arrival, we're counting down the league's top 20 players. Player: Davante Adams, WR (Packers) Age: 28 College: Fresno St. Contract: 4 years, $58M (FA in 2022) 2020 stats: 14 games; 1,374 receiving yards, 18 TD 2021 fantasy: No. 7 ADP (average draft position) Week 1: Packers at Saints The big picture: Aaron Rodgers' favorite target picked a good time to establish himself as the league's best receiver, with his contract expiring this year and a mega-extension likely looming. By the numbers: Last year, he led all receivers in touchdowns (18), yards per game (98.1) and yards after the catch (592). Wild stat: Adams joined Hall of Famers Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Marvin Harrison and Cris Carter as the fifth receiver ever to post a season with 100+ catches, 15+ TD and 1,300+ yards, and he did it in just 14 games. What they're saying: "Just starting to get his due," an AFC coordinator told ESPN (subscription). "There's nothing he's not doing right now," said another AFC offensive coach. ICYMI: 20. Dalvin Cook; 19. Trent Williams; 18. Bobby Wagner; 17. Tyreek Hill; 16. Jaire Alexander; 15. Stefon Diggs; 14. Myles Garrett; 13. Jalen Ramsey; 12. George Kittle; 11. Josh Allen; 10. Russell Wilson; 9. T.J. Watt; 8. Derrick Henry; 7. Quenton Nelson     7. 📆 Sept. 3, 1932: Foxx hits 50 Photo: George Rinhart/Corbis via Getty Images   89 years ago today, A's 1B Jimmie Foxx hit home runs No. 50 and 51, joining Hack Wilson and Babe Ruth as the only players in MLB history with a 50-HR season. Why it matters: All these years later, just 27 more men have joined them, including nine who've done it more than once: 2x: Foxx, Ken Griffey Jr., Ralph Kiner, Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays 3x: Alex Rodriguez 4x: Ruth, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire Fun facts: Barry Bonds exceeded 50 just once — when he set the all-time record of 73 in 2001. Albert Pujols and Hank Aaron, both in the top five all time for career homers, never hit 50. Cecil and Prince Fielder are the only father-son duo to each hit 50. What to watch: Shohei Ohtani has 42 dingers this year. If he maintains his current pace and doesn't miss a game, he'll hit 51. Go deeper: Every 50-HR season (MLB)     8. ⛵️ The Ocho: Yacht racing The 2006 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Photo: Kos Picture Source/Getty Images   The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is never easy, but with so many teams reuniting for the first time in 18 months, this year's event may be the most challenging yet. Details: Sept. 5–11, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda on the Italian island of Sardinia will host upwards of 50 maxi yachts for the 31st edition of the regatta, which was canceled last year. Boats as large as 140 feet (hence, maxi) must navigate the howling winds of "Bomb Alley," a particularly treacherous stretch of Sardinian coastline, while taking care not to run into each other or the various dangerous obstacles in their way. "The rocks are the nightmare," says aeronautical engineer Andrea Caracci. "We can sail at 12 or 13 knots upwind and 20 knots downwind, so there's little time to avoid damage." "Dangerous but fun" sounds about right. Photo: Kos Picture Source/Getty Images Between the lines: Chemistry is key in all team sports, but the choreography required to successfully complete a maxi-yacht race is uniquely difficult to pull off without ample preparation. "There will be some rust and safety concerns ... after such a long hiatus," helmsman Peter Holmberg told NYT. "We will definitely sail with an extra level of awareness whenever in close proximity with other boats." Go deeper: Race preview (YouTube)     9. 🏆 Heisman trivia Photo: Kent Gidley/Heisman Trophy Trust via Getty Images   Four schools this century have had multiple Heisman winners (Oklahoma, Alabama, USC and FSU), while nine have had exactly one each. Question: How many of those nine schools can you name? Hint: SEC (4x), Big Ten (2x), Pac-12, Big 12, ACC Answer at the bottom.     10. 🤯 Stat du jour Source: Giphy James Harden has drawn 521 three-point shooting fouls since entering the league in 2009 — nearly 100 more than any other team in that time (excluding the Rockets, of course). Lakers: 439 Trailblazers: 436 Clippers: 420 Nets: 391     A message from Toyota How Toyota is creating a new legacy for Paralympians     Toyota is partnering with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee to further support Team USA's Paralympic athletes. The company is making history with the creation of up to $5 million in stipend and sponsorship opportunities for eligible U.S. Paralympic athletes. Join Toyota.   Talk Tuesday, Jeff "See you at Bomb Alley" Tracy Trivia answer: LSU (Joe Burrow), Texas A&M (Johnny Manziel), Auburn (Cam Newton), Florida (Tim Tebow), Ohio State (Troy Smith), Nebraska (Eric Crouch), Louisville (Lamar Jackson), Oregon (Marcus Mariota), Baylor (Robert Griffin III) Like this email style and format? Learn more about Axios HQ. It'll help you deliver employee communications more effectively.   Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If you're interested in advertising, learn more here. Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content. Axios, 3100 Clarendon B‌lvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201   You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios. Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.   Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get Axios in your inbox.   Follow Axios on social media: