The Buzz — Monday, August 10

Jefry Yan

The take Viral Mets rookie reliever with electric stuff and journey

The eight fastest pitches thrown by a Met this year all belong to a man who was delivering appliances in Arizona not long ago. Jefry Yan threw five pitches at 100 mph or above in his August 5 debut — the hardest at 101.1 — and struck out two. The velocity is not a minor-league radar trick. It plays, and it plays now.

The path is the part everyone tells, and it is real: signed with the Angels at 17, Tommy John around 19, more than four years out of professional baseball, roofing and delivery work, a season with the Seibu Lions in 2024, a minor-league deal with the Mets, recalled August 4 at nearly 30. He leaped off the mound after his first strikeout — an 88.7 mph slider — limbs splayed, and the Progressive Field crowd booed him. He plays the inning like he waited a decade for it, because he did.

The stuff holds the job. At Triple-A Syracuse he fanned 50.8% of batters faced while walking 15.9%. Through two big-league innings his ERA is 0.00 with a 2.50 WHIP. He loaded the bases in his debut and escaped. The arm says late-inning weapon. The command says that verdict is still live.

Jefry Yan cards on eBay →(paid link)

Kyle Schwarber

The take Schwarber snaps long HR drought via multi-homer in walk-off win

Schwarber had not gone deep since July 18 — 17 games, tied for his longest drought as a Phillie — and then two left the yard on August 9, the second a Statcast-projected 448 feet. The three-run shot in the third broke a scoreless tie; the leadoff blast in the fifth made it 4-2. That was the bulk of the offense before the bullpen turned it into a 12-inning affair.

The number that settles it is the 17. A power hitter who goes three weeks without a home run generates noise, and this was the third-longest drought of his career. The breakout says the swing was fine — 35 home runs by August 9 is the pace of a man whose worst weeks end in the seats. Derek Hill got the walk-off single in the 7-6 final. Schwarber got the runs that made the game winnable.

Kyle Schwarber cards on eBay →(paid link)

Hagen Smith

The take Strong MLB debut and White Sox win

Replaced after a rain delay Sunday, the No. 51 prospect in baseball struck out three in his first big-league inning — then walked the bases loaded before escaping on a lineout. Two scoreless innings, a win in a 5-3 final, and Hagen Smith has his first line. The four walks are the tell: he issued 40 in 58 1/3 innings at Triple-A Charlotte, and the 87 strikeouts are why he is here. The debut was a success because zero crossed. The command is the same question it was in the minors.

Hagen Smith cards on eBay →(paid link)

Alec Burleson

The take Still highlighted in MLB top plays for 3-HR game

MLB.com's Top 10 Plays is still running Burleson's three-homer game, and the case for keeping it there goes beyond the night itself. On August 3 he hit three two-run shots in Yankee Stadium — the first three-homer game of his career and the first by a National League player in that park since interleague play began in 1997.

The reason the highlight lingers is the season underneath it. Through 114 games he is slashing .287/.351/.480 with an .831 OPS, 28 doubles — one shy of the MLB lead — and 77 RBIs, sixth in baseball. The Cardinals kept him at the deadline and he answered that same night. The crowd sees the highlight reel; the slash line says he has been doing this all year.

Alec Burleson cards on eBay →(paid link)

Pete Alonso

The take Alonso multi-homer powers Orioles win with leadership

Two two-run homers, four RBIs, and a 10-5 win over Texas on August 9 — Pete Alonso's first multi-homer game as an Oriole, arriving when the club needed offense. He went 3-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored. He said he wants to be "a player of substance," and the production is what makes that stance hold. Baltimore sits two games back of the final AL wild-card spot, and the four RBIs matter more than the highlight.

Pete Alonso cards on eBay →(paid link)