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.
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'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.
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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.
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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.'
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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.'
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