Max Kranick, a childhood Mets fan, closes out win in Citi Field opener: ‘I'll remember this one forever'
Max Kranick couldn't believe it.
After learning last week that he made the Mets' Opening Day roster, the right-handed reliever received a congratulatory text message from David Wright, his favorite player growing up.
Advertisement
'I was sitting with [catcher] Hayden Senger on the bus and I just showed him my phone,' Kranick recalled Friday. 'Like, 'Is this real?' It was pretty cool. Really nice of him to send a text and congratulate me. It was a cool moment. Definitely my coolest moment so far.'
But that wasn't the only cool moment in store for the 27-year-old.
Kranick hails from Jessup, Pa. — about 135 miles from Citi Field — and was raised a Mets fan. His father, John Kranick Sr., used to attend Opening Day at Shea Stadium annually.
The Mets began this season in Houston, and then visited Miami, before they returned to Queens for Friday's home opener — a 5-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Advertisement
Kranick got the last six outs of Friday's victory, striking out one and allowing only one hit.
'I was looking forward to that moment, for sure,' Kranick said of pitching at Citi Field, 'so [it was] good to get that one out of the way.'
Kranick has now hurled 5.2 scoreless innings this season, further fueling what's been a feel-good comeback story.
The right-hander made his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021 as a starting pitcher, but Tommy John surgery largely derailed his 2022 and 2023 seasons.
The Mets claimed him off waivers before the 2024 season, and he pitched to a 3.82 ERA over 70.2 innings spanning three minor-league levels last year.
Advertisement
Kranick's season debut on March 29 marked his first MLB appearance in nearly three years.
'He's a great dude,' Mets reliever Reed Garrett said. 'Good dude to hang out with outside the field, even better guy to have on your team. It's been a lot of fun. He's just attacking guys, going right after them, and he's executing his pitches at a really high rate right now.'
On Tuesday, Kranick pitched the final three innings of a 4-2 loss in Miami, helping to preserve others in the Mets' bullpen.
Kranick, Garrett and A.J. Minter combined to throw 3.2 scoreless innings of relief in Friday's win.
'Kranick continues to do a hell of a job,' manager Carlos Mendoza said after Friday's victory. 'On a day where we needed him to finish that game, he ended up doing that. That goes a long way when you're protecting the bullpen.'
Advertisement
Adding to Friday's Citi Field debut was that Kranick had 11 guests in attendance. Among them was his father, whom he said had not been to an Opening Day in seven to 10 years.
'Closing the game out was an awesome moment,' Kranick said. 'I'll remember this one forever.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
2 hours ago
- New York Times
Giants to promote pitching prospect Carson Whisenhunt for debut Monday vs. Pirates
SAN FRANCISCO — With their rotation in a bind and the losses beginning to pile up, the San Francisco Giants will seek a boost from their top pitching prospect on Monday. The team will promote left-hander Carson Whisenhunt from Triple-A Sacramento to make his major-league debut with a home start against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Advertisement 'We've been waiting for this for a little bit now,' Giants manager Bob Melvin said following the Giants' 5-3 loss on Sunday that capped the New York Mets' three-game sweep. 'We thought maybe he'd be here last year, too. With what's gone on here … there's a need for it. It'll be exciting to see him pitch.' What's gone on will have to change quickly for the Giants to stay in the National League playoff picture. They've lost nine of 11, and their rotation is down to three healthy and established pitchers — All-Star right-hander Logan Webb, All-Star left-hander Robbie Ray and 42-year-old right-hander Justin Verlander — after right-hander Landen Roupp was placed on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation and erratic right-hander Hayden Birdsong LaLooshed himself to Triple-A Sacramento. So the Giants will turn to Whisenhunt, a fringe top-100 prospect who was widely considered the best collegiate left-hander in his 2022 MLB Draft class before a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance resulted in a suspension that caused him to miss his junior season at East Carolina University. The Giants thought they got a steal when they selected Whisenhunt in the second round, and although he didn't post overpowering numbers in the upper minors, his changeup consistently grades out as a plus major-league pitch. Whisenhunt, 24, compiled a 4.42 ERA in 18 starts while spending his second season in the Pacific Coast League, which tends to warp most pitching statistics. His progress could be measured in a walk rate (2.6 per nine innings) that he nearly halved from the previous year. He's also striking out fewer batters, though (7.9 per nine innings, down from 11.6 in 2024). The Giants won't expect Whisenhunt to dominate. They'll be happy to receive five or six competitive innings one day after relying on a bullpen game against the Mets. Giants catcher Patrick Bailey, a fellow North Carolina native, said he's confident Whisenhunt will have what it takes to compete. Advertisement 'I'm very excited for him,' Bailey said. 'Awesome dude, awesome player. I think he'll be ready. He's got really good stuff. Obviously, he's got the plus-plus changeup, and I hear the fastball command is getting better and he's throwing some different breaking balls. It's well deserved.' The Giants could air a Carson special Monday night. They didn't use Whisenhunt's former Sacramento rotation mate, right-hander Carson Seymour, in Sunday's bullpen game. So he'd be available to back up Whisenhunt. 'It just depends on how efficient he is,' Melvin said. The bullpen game — which included two home runs off right-hander Randy Rodríguez after he'd allowed just one in his first 43 appearances — wasn't the reason the Giants dropped their series finale against the Mets. The Giants didn't get any offensive production outside of two home runs from third baseman Matt Chapman and, continuing a cruel theme, went hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position. Mets closer Edwin Diaz struck out Willy Adames and Chapman to strand the bases loaded in the ninth, concluding a series in which the Giants went 0-for-23 with runners in scoring position. According to research by NBC Sports Bay Area, it was the first time since 1931 that the Giants played a series in which they had at least 20 at-bats with runners in scoring position and failed to get a hit in any of them. The tragicomic detail: They would've been credited with one in the third inning Sunday when Adames failed to check his swing and sent a roller up the third-base line. But Heliot Ramos' base-running foibles continued. He got hung up between second and third, and Mets third baseman Ronny Mauricio tagged him to complete a fielder's choice. Of course, there isn't much Whisenhunt can do to alleviate the Giants' most persistent problem this season. The best he can do is keep the team in the game. He's coming off a shortened outing last Sunday against Oklahoma City in which he threw 68 pitches while allowing a run in 3 2/3 innings, but he had an earlier run of four consecutive seven-inning starts and twice earned PCL pitcher of the week honors. On July 12, Whisenhunt represented the Giants in the All-Star Futures Game in Atlanta and retired both batters he faced. Advertisement The Giants must make space on the 40-man and active roster for Whisenhunt, who was scratched from his start for Sacramento on Saturday night and added to the major-league taxi squad. After Sunday's game, there was a locker in the Giants clubhouse with a No. 88 jersey hanging in it. A duffel bag and a pair of dimpled, ostrich leather boots signified Whisenhunt's arrival. Roupp, another fellow North Carolina native who brings a strong boot game to the clubhouse, has competition now. 'I've seen him since we competed against each other in college,' Roupp said. 'I'm excited. I think it's past due. He's been throwing pretty well this year and threw well last year. 'Everybody knows his changeup is really good, but the other pitches are coming around, too.' The Giants need their offense to come around if they hope to remain relevant in September and beyond. But they also need to stabilize a pitching staff that has thrown the most bullpen innings of any team since the All-Star break. Chapman said he has no doubt that club president Buster Posey will remain an active buyer as Thursday's trade deadline approaches. 'It sucks to lose 9 of 11 and slip out of the standings a little bit, but we're still right there,' Chapman said. 'We'll play a lot of the teams that are right in front of us and right in the thick of it with us. Buster has made it clear: We go out and get Rafi (Rafael Devers), and it makes sense to continue to try to improve this team for this year and the foreseeable future. So I think we expect to add and to continue to get better and to continue to make a push to make the playoffs.'
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Mets' Starling Marte ‘didn't miss a beat' in return from injury
Access the Mets beat like never before Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets. Try it free SAN FRANCISCO — Starling Marte was contributing offensively for the Mets before he hit the injured list in early July, and since his return, he has regained that momentum. The veteran DH now has six hits in his 10 at-bats since his activation from the IL last week after going 2-for-3 with a walk in the Mets' 5-3 win over the Giants on Sunday. Marte missed two weeks after receiving a gel injection for discomfort in his right knee. 'He's been huge,' manager Carlos Mendoza said before the victory. 'He continues to give us solid at-bats against lefties, righties. He goes down and missed a few days, and then he comes back and seems like he didn't miss a beat.' 3 Starling Marte #6 of the New York Mets reacts after hitting a double in the top of the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on July 26, 2025 in San Francisco, California. Getty Images Marte entered play with a .262/.364/.412 slash line with four homers and 20 RBIs. In the starting lineup again Sunday, Marte reached base three times for the second straight day. Mendoza's other option would have been to start Mark Vientos as the DH. 'I am going to try to keep [Marte] in the lineup, but at the same time, I am going to continue to monitor him,' Mendoza said. 'I'm going to continue to give him days off and get his feedback. He's usually pretty honest with us, so we'll go game by game and series by series.' 3 Starling Marte #6, Juan Soto #22 and Ronny Mauricio #10 of the New York Mets celebrates in the dugout after Soto hit a solo home run against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the seventh inning at Oracle Park on July 27, 2025 in San Francisco, California. Getty Images Paul Blackburn was sharp in a potential final rehab start for Triple-A Syracuse. The right-hander allowed one earned run on five hits with six strikeouts and one walk over 6 ¹/₃ innings. Blackburn, who is rehabbing a shoulder impingement, could next rejoin the team as a long reliever/sixth starter, but Mendoza indicated a decision won't be reached until at least Monday. Delivering insights on all things Amazin's Sign up for Inside the Mets by Mike Puma, exclusively on Sports+ Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters Edwin Díaz extended his scoreless streak to 17 innings since June 6 by pitching a scoreless ninth Sunday. He loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter but pitched out of trouble to earn his 23rd save in 25 chances this season. 3 Mets pitcher Edwin Díaz celebrates against the San Francisco Giants during the ninth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Sunday, July 27, 2025. AP The All-Star closer has allowed only one earned run over his past 32 appearances, owning a 4-0 record with 17 saves since April 23. Jose Siri, who has been sidelined since April with a fractured left tibia, still isn't close to resuming baseball activities, but it's still expected he will play again this season, according to Mendoza. Siri's workouts have consisted of running in a pool to strengthen the leg.
Washington Post
3 hours ago
- Washington Post
The Kansas City Royals and pitcher Seth Lugo agree to 2-year extension, AP source says
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals and right-hander Seth Lugo have agreed to a two-year extension that includes a vesting option for the 2028 season, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Sunday night. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal, which presumably takes one of the most talked-about names on the trade market off the table ahead of this week's deadline, had not been officially announced. The 35-year-old Lugo made his first All-Star Game and won his first Gold Glove last season, when he went 16-9 with a 3.00 ERA in the first year of a two-year, $30 million deal that included a player option for next season. Lugo has followed that up with an even better start to this season, going 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA through 19 outings for Kansas City. Rumors surfaced of several contenders interested in trading for Lugo ahead of Thursday's deadline, and the fact that the Royals have been hanging on the fringe of contention themselves left many wondering whether they would be buyers or sellers. It appears that they are going to make a push for a second consecutive playoff appearance. The Royals acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Diamondbacks for reliever Andrew Hoffmann late Saturday, shoring up a weakness in the lineup by adding a right-handed bat. Now, they have indicated that Lugo remains big a part of their future with his extension — an especially timely one given it came the same day that All-Star pitcher Kris Bubic went on the injured list. Kansas City also is missing starters Cole Ragans and Michael Lorenzen due to injuries. Both are expected back at some point in August, and the Royals are hopeful that their return to the rotation will propel them down the stretch run. After beating the Guardians on Sunday, the Royals were four games back of the final American League wild-card spot. ___ AP MLB:
