New York Mets

The New York Mets plan to start Max Scherzer on Friday in Game 1 of their National League Wild Card Round series against the San Diego Padres, per Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

The Mets are also "contemplating a strategy" to preserve Jacob deGrom for Game 1 of a potential National League Division Series, which would be against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

However, deGrom could start for the Mets in Game 2 of the Wild Card Round (if they lose Game 1) or Game 3 (if they lose Game 2).

Chris Bassitt would go for the Mets in Game 2 if New York wins Game 1.

The Mets apparently want to save one of their aces for a potential series against the Dodgers, who had an MLB-best 110-51 record entering Wednesday.

If the Mets sweep the Padres with Scherzer and Bassitt on the mound, then deGrom, a two-time National League Cy Young Award winner, could face L.A. in Games 1 and 5 (if necessary).

As Sherman noted, though, the Mets haven't said publicly what they plan to do for the Padres series. Rest isn't an issue, as Scherzer and deGrom haven't pitched since Saturday and Friday against the Atlanta Braves.

The Mets were in position to skip the Wild Card Round and head right to the NLDS after leading the NL East for the vast majority of the year, but Atlanta got scorching hot in the second half and swept New York in that key weekend series to vault into first place. The Braves await the winner of the Philadelphia Phillies-St. Louis Cardinals series.

The Mets seemingly face a much tougher draw, needing to beat the Padres twice to head to L.A. to face a dominant club. Still, co-aces Scherzer and deGrom will certainly give New York a chance as it seeks its first World Series title since 1986.

Game 1 against San Diego is set for Flushing's Citi Field at 8:07 p.m. ET Friday.

The New York Mets are prepared to do whatever it takes if they still have a chance to finish in first place in the National League East on Wednesday.

Per ESPN's Joon Lee, manager Buck Showalter said Mets ace Jacob deGrom could start the season finale to give the team the best chance at a division title.

"He's available to pitch [Wednesday]. Potentially could," Showalter said of deGrom. "It's one of many options that have been communicated with him and Max [Scherzer] and all the guys."

Starting deGrom on Wednesday would hinder him from getting enough rest to be ready for one of the first two games of a possible wild-card series on Friday and Saturday. Showalter said he believes he's ready for any situation.

"We'll make the adjustment. I'm OK with that," Showalter said. "Just keep trying to stay organized for any pivots you have to make. There a lot of potential scenarios."

The NL East title would mean the No. 2 seed and a bye.

It would take some luck for the Mets to be competing for the division crown Wednesday. If New York loses or the Atlanta Braves win on Tuesday, the division title will go to Atlanta for the fifth straight year. However, if the Braves surprisingly get swept by the Miami Marlins, the Mets can win the NL East by completing a sweep of the Washington Nationals.

The Mets were in control of the division for much of the year until the Braves overtook them for first place with a three-game sweep this past weekend. DeGrom pitched the series opener Friday and allowed three earned runs on three homers while striking out 11 in six innings.

The 34-year-old hasn't been his usual dominant self in recent outings. DeGrom has allowed at least three earned runs in four consecutive starts.

New York will need him to be at his absolute best during the postseason, but the team will have all hands on deck if it has the opportunity for its first NL East title since 2015.

New York Mets star Jacob deGrom was removed from Friday's 5-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves after six innings because of a blood blister and cut cuticle on his hand.

Buck Showalter said Jacob deGrom was taken out after the 6th inning due to a developing blood blister and a cut cuticle pic.twitter.com/nM11Hq6O85

— SNY (@SNYtv) October 1, 2022

Another injury is the last thing deGrom or the Mets want to see after the pitcher has been severely limited over the past two seasons.

The 34-year-old saw his 2021 season come to an early end because of elbow problems, finishing with just 15 starts with none after July 7. After returning in time for 2022 spring training, a shoulder injury sidelined him for the first four months of the season.

DeGrom has been one of the game's best pitchers when healthy, winning two Cy Young awards with four All-Star selections.

Entering Friday night, deGrom sported a 5-3 record, 2.93 ERA and 91 strikeouts versus just eight walks across 10 appearances.

The 2021 campaign would have been his best if he had stayed healthy. He posted career bests with a 1.08 ERA, 0.55 WHIP and 14.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

While the Mets don't seem too concerned about deGrom's status for the time being, they'll need to hope he's able to bounce back quickly with the Braves now tied for first place in the National League East with less than a week remaining in the regular season.

There's a pretty huge series set to go down over the weekend in Atlanta, where the top two teams in the National League East will meet for one last bout over the division title.

This makes now as good a time as any to look at how Atlanta and the New York Mets are situated not just for this weekend's three-game set, but for the road ahead to what may be a subsequent showdown in the National League Championship Series.

The Mets have the upper hand right now, but barely. With their record at 98-58 and Atlanta's at 97-59, the two teams are separated by just one game in the NL East standings. As both will have just one more series left after this one wraps on Sunday, it's now or never for them to state their cases for the division crown and the perks that come with it.

Regardless, this won't be the last time both clubs have their eyes on the same prize.

Atlanta is looking to win the World Series for the second time in as many years. The Mets are hoping to return to the Fall Classic for the first time since 2015 and, even more hopefully, to snap a championship drought that dates to the days of Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden in 1986.

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A Brief Outlook for an Outsized Series

With the Mets having won nine out of 12 and Atlanta having won 10 out of 15, both clubs are coming into this series hot.

Thankfully, it doesn't sound as if the weather is going to cool either of them down. There had been concerns of Hurricane Ian impacting the series, but less so now:

The latest forecasts indicate rain will not be an issue during this weekend's Mets-Braves series at Truist Park

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 29, 2022

Meanwhile, here are the probable starters for this weekend's action at Truist Park:

• Friday, Sep. 30: RHP Jacob deGrom vs. LHP Max Fried
• Saturday, Oct. 1: RHP Max Scherzer vs. RHP Kyle Wright
• Sunday, Oct. 2: RHP Chris Bassitt vs. RHP Charlie Morton

With NL Rookie of the Year front-runner Spencer Strider out with oblique soreness, Fried, Wright and Morton are the three best starters Atlanta has right now. A good trio, to be sure, but one neither as decorated nor as hot as deGrom, Scherzer and Bassitt. The first two have five Cy Young Awards between them, and all three have pitched to a combined 2.44 ERA since deGrom made his season debut on Aug. 2.

Despite Starling Marte's absence with a fractured finger, the Mets have also been the better offensive team in September. Even as Atlanta has held strong with a 108 wRC+ and 4.7 runs per game, Pete Alonso and Eduardo Escobar have led the Mets to a 125 wRC+ and 5.3 runs per game.

So even with home-field advantage for the weekend, Atlanta has its work cut out for it in securing at least a tie for the division lead by winning two out of three. For their part, the Mets can drop their magic number to one with two wins and to zero with a clean sweep.

Of course, what's at stake in this weekend's series is not so much the NL East title as the aforementioned perks: a trip directly to the National League Division Series by way of a bye in the first round of the playoffs, and home-field advantage therewithin.

As the difference is between having to win just seven games as opposed to nine, the shorter road to the World Series is not to be discounted. Extra rest is also never a bad thing, and whichever team gets it will be able to line its pitching up as it wants for the NLDS.

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Why Atlanta Is Made to Go Far

Even if Atlanta doesn't pull off an at-the-buzzer comeback to win its fifth straight NL East title, the Mets aren't the only team that's advised not to underestimate the defending champs' chances of going through them on the way back to the World Series.

Of all the reasons, the big one is, well, the big one: This Atlanta offense can score runs the easy way.

Even noting that its 234 home runs are the second-most in MLB after the Aaron Judge-led New York Yankees isn't really giving Atlanta's offense proper credit. It is downright consistent in hitting the long ball, as its 122 games with at least one home run lead MLB.

As Atlanta well knows from last year, hitting the ball over the fence is also a good way to win playoff games in general. Between 2012 and 2021, the team that won the home run battle within a given game also won the game itself 59.3 percent of the time.

Of late, the best sign for Atlanta has been the sudden reemergence of Ronald Acuña Jr. The 2019 NL Rookie of the Year is 10-for-his-last-39 with four homers.

It'd been about 45 minutes since Ronnie's last dinger so he was due tbh@ronaldacunajr24 | #ForTheA pic.twitter.com/u8UWuew35Z

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 28, 2022

Strider's health permitting, Atlanta could also have four top-of-the-rotation types to throw at the opposition in the postseason. With an MLB-low 1.57 ERA in September, its bullpen is likewise situated to one-up even last year's "Night Shift" crew.

As for the question of whether there's enough playoff experience in Atlanta's dugout, well, there is no question. There are some newcomers and an extraordinary class of rookies, sure, but most of the same guys who were there to win it all in 2021 are still there in 2022.

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Why the Mets Are Made to Go Far

Because they've hit 73 fewer home runs—or one 2001 Barry Bonds' worth—than Atlanta, the Mets will be punching above their weight if the next three games and any future head-to-head contests devolve into slugfests.

For that matter, the Mets might not want to count on offense being the thing that gets them through October. Their offense's best asset is its second-ranked .332 on-base percentage, and recent history suggests this asset is due for a decline in October:

It's a good thing, then, the Mets can take comfort in their pitching's propensity for punchouts.

Mets hurlers rank first in MLB with 538 strikeouts since deGrom's return in August. He and Scherzer have 151 of those just between themselves, with closer Edwin Díaz pitching in another 32 over just 18.1 innings.

Edwin Díaz, K'ing the Side. 🎺🎺🎺 pic.twitter.com/DsOb8GliAR

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 29, 2022

Though not quite as important as home runs, strikeouts are still another thing that tends to correlate with success in the playoffs. In the last 10 postseasons, teams that won the strikeout battle in a game also won the game 54.8 percent of the time.

Perhaps the best reason to believe in the Mets as a playoff threat, however, lies in how they've already proved themselves against the best of MLB.

Whereas Atlanta is only 33-34 against other winning teams, the Mets are 41-31. That includes a 38-23 performance against the six clubs they could encounter in the NL playoffs: Atlanta and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals.

Having posted a winning record against other winning teams in the regular season isn't a guarantee of a deep playoff run, but it does help. Of the 44 teams that have played in the World Series since 2000, only 12 made it after posting a losing record against winning teams.

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So You're Saying We Can Only Pick One?

As much as we want to, we recognize that it would be an anticlimactic hedge if we were to say that, when it comes to which of them is the better bet for a deep playoff run, there's no wrong answer between the Mets and Atlanta.

If we must pick one, let's just say that FanGraphs' odds of these teams making it to the World Series look about right:

• Mets: 28.2 percent
• Atlanta: 15.9 percent

Atlanta's problem isn't necessarily in its construction. Its mastery of home runs is the real deal, and its pitching is arguably even better than what it had last year.

The odds nonetheless do seem to be against Atlanta, and not just because it is presently at a disadvantage for the NL East crown and the oh-so-valuable first-round bye. It's also just not that often that a World Series winner returns to the Fall Classic the next year. It hasn't been done since the 2008-09 Phillies, who were the first to do it since the 1998-2001 Yankees.

As for the Mets, this weekend's series is a chance to draw what would likely be a viable blueprint for success in October: Let deGrom, Scherzer and Bassitt set the tone, get just enough offense and then turn things over to Díaz.

Simple, perhaps, but it may not be long before there's no doubting its effectiveness.

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Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs.

The New York Mets have called up top-ranked prospect Francisco Álvarez, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

Álvarez is the Mets' No. 1 ranked prospect, per MLB.com. He has a chance to see time as New York's designated hitter, especially against left-handers, for the playoffs, Sherman added.

Since the Mets acquired Daniel Vogelbach and Darin Ruf at the trade deadline, the duo has mostly split time at designated hitter.

Vogelbach is particularly potent against righties, slashing .257/.380/.493 with 17 home runs and 50 RBI. Ruf, meanwhile, is better against lefties, hitting .222/.322/.430 with nine home runs and 27 RBI.

Álvarez split the 2022 campaign with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies, New York's Double-A affiliate, and the Syracuse Mets, the team's Triple-A affiliate. In 112 combined games, he hit .260/.374/.511 with 27 home runs and 78 RBI.

In 45 games with Syracuse, Álvarez hit .234/.382/.443 with nine home runs and 31 RBI.

The 20-year-old was great against left-handed pitching this season, slashing .315/.424/.595 with eight home runs and 23 RBI.

Álvarez, a catcher, signed with the Mets for $2.7 million as an international free agent in July 2018. In addition to being New York's top prospect, he is also the top-ranked prospect in all of baseball, sitting ahead of Gunnar Henderson, Corbin Carroll and Grayson Rodriguez.

The Mets are first in the NL East with a 98-58 record and are expected to make a solid postseason run. However, the club has yet to win the division crown, with the Atlanta Braves still in the running with a 97-59 record.

The Mets and Braves will kick off a three-game series in Atlanta on Friday, which could ultimately determine who wins the division. New York will then close out the season at home against the Washington Nationals.

Major League Baseball is reportedly in talks with the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets about "contingency plans" for their weekend series as Hurricane Ian impacts the southeast.

The Braves and Mets, who are tied for the NL East division lead with seven games left in the regular season, are scheduled to play a three-game series at Truist Park in Atlanta beginning Friday.

Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reported Tuesday that early discussions centered around moving Friday's game from the night to the afternoon and potentially playing a split doubleheader Sunday.

The league hasn't yet considered a neutral-site series, which would take away the Braves' home-field advantage and cost the franchise revenue, or moving the start of the series to Thursday despite a mutual day off, per DiComo.

"We know what's going on," Mets manager Buck Showalter said. "I really don't want to put a focus on that, because our guys have done a great job of staying on task."

Saturday looks like the biggest point of concern for the remnants of Hurricane Ian hitting Atlanta. The Weather Channel forecast calls for late-day showers Friday and improved conditions Sunday, but a strong chance of all-day rain on Saturday.

If the teams aren't able to play part of the series this weekend, the only option would be tacking the games on to the end of the regular season, which wraps up Oct. 5. That isn't ideal because either the Braves or Mets are heading to the wild-card playoff round once they don't win the division.

One scenario could be playing a doubleheader Oct. 6 to decide the NL East and then moving straight to the wild-card round Oct. 7, which is obviously a major concern in terms of lining up starting pitchers.

So MLB will likely try everything possible to get all three games in at some point this weekend to avoid putting either team at a competitive disadvantage for the playoffs.

An initial decision about how to initially alter the schedule may not come until Friday morning, according to DiComo.

New York led the NL East by as much as 10.5 games in early June as Atlanta, the reigning World Series champions, got off to an ice-cold start.

The Braves have posted MLB's best record since June 1 (74-31), however, to fight back into a tie at 97-58 heading into the final stretch of the campaign.

It's a race that will significantly impact both teams' championship chances because the division winner gets the No. 2 NL seed and a bye, while the other club will need to survive a three-game wild-card series and then face the top-seeded Los Angeles Dodgers in the second round if they advance.

Meanwhile, CNN noted Hurricane Ian was close to Category 5 status as of Wednesday morning as it moved close to Florida's west coast.

New York Mets legend and broadcaster Keith Hernandez will not commentate for the remainder of the 2022 regular season after suffering an injury because of a fall.

Hernandez's broadcast partner, Gary Cohen, explained what happened during the Mets' game against the Oakland Athletics on Friday night:

Sending a get well soon & best wishes to our very own Keith Hernandez.

A speedy recovery so we can have you back for the postseason! pic.twitter.com/2lQ21WT6aG

— SNY (@SNYtv) September 24, 2022

Cohen said Hernandez made a misstep on a curb while walking in New York City, causing him to fall on his shoulder and tear a tendon, which will require surgery.

Although Hernandez won't be on the call again this season for the Mets, Cohen noted that he is hoping to be back for pre- and post-game shows during the playoffs and may appear at the Mets' final game of the regular season against the Washington Nationals on Oct. 5.

The 68-year-old Hernandez has been one-third of the Mets' broadcast team with Cohen and former Mets teammate Ron Darling since SNY was founded in 2006.

With their chemistry and knowledge of the game, the team of Hernandez, Cohen and Darling has long been considered one of the best in Major League Baseball.

Hernandez is a beloved figure in New York thanks largely to the fact that he played for the Mets from 1983 to 1989 and helped lead them to a World Series championship in 1986.

During his seven years with the Mets, Hernandez was a three-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove Award winner and one-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He also finished second in the National League MVP voting in 1984.

Additionally, Hernandez was named the first team captain in Mets history in 1987.

The Mets recognized Hernandez's contributions to the organization in July when they retired his No. 17 jersey number, making him just the sixth former Met to receive that honor.

The Texas Rangers may pursue New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom if the two-time National League Cy Young Award winner declines his $32.5 million player option for 2023 and becomes a free agent next offseason.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post provided the news Thursday.

"The Rangers are intent on adding a big-time starter, and word is they may go for Jacob deGrom. Folks marvel at how MLB’s best pitcher is throwing better than ever off his 13-month layoff, and while there aren’t a lot of teams ready to take a $40 million gamble, the Rangers might.

"Rangers baseball president Chris Young wouldn’t address any specific pitching targets but said they 'will leave no stone unturned' in their search to upgrade pitching a year after they significantly upgraded offense."

DeGrom, 34, has posted a 5-2 record, a 2.32 ERA, a 0.61 WHIP and 86 strikeouts in 54.1 innings over nine starts this season. He missed the first half of the season after suffering a stress reaction on his scapula.

Since 2018, deGrom has gone 37-23 with a 1.97 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP and a 12.2 K/9 rate.

DeGrom told reporters in spring training that he planned to opt out of his contract and enter free agency. However, he also made clear that he was interested in sticking around long-term with the Mets.

The ace won't have a shortage of suitors, though. Texas isn't shy about spending big money and notably paid $500 million for middle infielders Corey Seager and Marcus Semien last offseason.

However, the 65-84 Rangers' pitching staff sports the fourth-highest ERA in the American League. They need more help in the rotation and bullpen to get back in the playoff mix, and deGrom could go a long way toward making that happen.

At the same time, Mets owner Steve Cohen isn't shy about spending money either. New York has the second-highest payroll in baseball these days behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers.

As Heyman noted on Sept. 1, "Mets owner Steve Cohen told The Post he wants to keep deGrom, and you have to think he has that ability." That's despite the fact that Heyman also wrote that some believe deGrom "will shoot to become the first $50 million player."

Cohen brought in big talents such as Max Scherzer and Francisco Lindor to fat contracts that have enabled the team to reside in first place in the National League East.

Keeping deGrom around should certainly be No. 1 on Cohen's to-do list this offseason as the Mets look to create a sustained run of playoff success. The Rangers and other teams will obviously be in pursuit, but the Mets have the deep pockets to get it done as well.

One year after some of their players were mocking their own fans amid a frustrating season, the New York Mets are going to ride their good vibes this season all the way to the playoffs.

The Mets clinched a postseason berth for the first time since 2016 after Monday's 7-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers:

The @Mets are BACK in the postseason! #CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/MiA565i0iD

— MLB (@MLB) September 20, 2022

Since taking over as owner of the Mets in November 2020, Steve Cohen has made his mission clear.

"If I don’t win a World Series in the next three to five years—I’d like to make it sooner—I would consider that slightly disappointing," he told reporters at his introductory press conference.

The 66-year-old has since put his money where his mouth was two years ago.

The Mets traded for Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco from Cleveland in January 2021. Lindor subsequently signed the richest contract in franchise history (10 years, $341 million).

Injuries and poor performances led the Mets to a disappointing 77-85 finish in 2021, and Cohen and new general manager Billy Eppler went to work last offseason to reshape the roster again.

The Mets spent $254.5 million to sign Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Mark Cahna and Eduardo Escobar in free agency. Scherzer's three-year, $130.1 million made him the highest-paid player in MLB by average annual salary ($43.3 million).

New York also took advantage of the Oakland Athletics' fire sale to acquire Chris Bassitt for the rotation.

Only the Los Angeles Dodgers ($265.2 million) have a higher payroll than the Mets' $262.1 million this season.

Those offseason signings, combined with return-to-form performances by Lindor, Edwin Diaz and the midseason return of Jacob deGrom from injury, have propelled the Mets to one of the best regular seasons in franchise history.

Their .631 winning percentage would be the second-best in franchise history. The 1986 team went 108-54 (.667) and went on to win the World Series.

Things haven't gone exactly according to script in Queens. Scherzer missed seven weeks early in the season with a strained oblique. Carrasco and Escobar also spent time on the injured list. J.D. Davis had a disappointing season before being traded to the San Francisco Giants on Aug. 2.

Unlike in previous years, when it seemed like things would snowball as soon as one thing went wrong, the Mets have been able to keep playing at a consistently high level this season no matter what.

Per FanGraphs' wins above replacement, the Mets rank fifth in pitching (19.6) and sixth in hitting (27.6). The only other team that ranks in the top five in both categories are the Dodgers.

Looking ahead to the postseason, New York has arguably the best 1-2 punch in the starting rotation. Scherzer is apparently an ageless wonder, as he entered Monday's start with a 2.26 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 153 strikeouts in 127.2 innings as a 38-year-old.

His latest outing was one of his best to date, as he delivered six perfect innings, while striking out nine. He was pulled after 68 pitches, as it was his first start since coming off the injured list.

The sample size for deGrom isn't large, but he has looked fantastic since making his season debut on Aug. 2. The two-time NL Cy Young winner has a 2.32 ERA with 86 strikeouts and 29 hits allowed in 54.1 innings.

Diaz has been absolutely lights out at the end of games. The two-time All-Star averages nearly two strikeouts per inning (107 in 56.2 innings) and didn't allow a run in 25 appearances from June 22-Aug. 31.

Despite having Pete Alonso, one of the best power hitters in baseball, in the middle of their lineup, the Mets aren't a power-hitting team overall. They rank tied for 15th in MLB in homers (152) but make up for it by making a lot of contact and getting on base.

New York's 1,112 strikeouts are the fourth-fewest in MLB, and it ranks second with a .331 on-base percentage. The depth of quality hitters in the lineup has the ability to wear down opposing pitchers quickly, especially in a playoff game where managers have quick hooks with their starters.

The Dodgers are still the class of the NL, and the Braves are better on paper than the team that won the World Series last year, but this Mets squad has all the ingredients to make a deep postseason run.

Former New York Mets catcher John Stearns, a four-time MLB All-Star, died Thursday at the age of 71.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of former Met John Stearns. https://t.co/Bxh4o8rY4V pic.twitter.com/L860TPMU6j

— New York Mets (@Mets) September 16, 2022

Stearns played for the Mets from 1975 through 1984 after starting his career with one season as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies in 1974. He later served as a coach for the Mets, New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles.

The Colorado native was a 13th-round pick of the Oakland Athletics in the 1969 MLB draft. He instead honored his commitment to the University of Colorado, where he was a standout two-sport athlete for the Buffaloes' football and baseball teams.

In 1973, Stearns was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the NFL draft and the Phillies in the MLB draft before opting to pursue a baseball career.

His peak came when he earned four All-Star selections in a six-year period with the Mets from 1977 through 1982. He ranked eighth among all catchers with a 17.4 WAR over that stretch, per FanGraphs.

"No one played the game with more spirit or determination than John Stearns," Mets president Sandy Alderson said. "He literally willed himself to attend Old Timers' Day last month so he could visit friends and old teammates. Despite his illness, he even managed to step into the batting cage to take a few swings. His nickname, 'Bad Dude,' couldn't have been more appropriate. A four-time All Star, John was one of the most complete catchers in Mets history. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family."

Along with his stints as a major league coach following his on-field career, he also spent time filling various executive, scouting and minor league roles with the Cincinnati Reds, Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners, Toronto Blue Jays and Washington Nationals.

Stearns, who earned the nickname "Bad Dude" for his hard-nosed style of play, confirmed to Sean Keeler of the Denver Post in July he'd been diagnosed with prostate cancer in January and then suffered a broken hip in April.

While he attributed his later-life health issues to his athletic career, mostly football, he said that doesn't change his perspective on his journey.

"I wouldn't change anything," Stearns told Keeler. "I mean, I've made mistakes along the way [that] anybody would want to change. But I wouldn't change anything. I'd still go to CU. I'd still want to play for [coach] Donnie Day at Thomas Jefferson [High School]. And before that, play in Little League with my dad as the coach and the way he kicked our butts and made us what we are today ... looking back on everything, I wouldn't change anything that happened. It just all came together."

Stearns finished his MLB career with a .260 batting average, 46 home runs and 91 stolen bases in 810 appearances across 11 seasons.