Mets Morning News: Arizona Fall League friendships, draft strategy, and waiting for the World Series

Meet the Mets

Tim Rohan writes about the friendships formed in the Arizona Fall League, where Mets and Yankees prospects are playing for the same team this fall and getting help and advice from each other's coaches and trainers.

Over at the Star-Ledger, Mike Vorkunov explores how 2014 might have been different if Matt Harvey had been healthy all along. Also, he has a quick profile of Mets shortstop prospect Amed Rosario.

Newsday takes a look at the Mets' top draft picks under Sandy Alderson so far and looks back to the drafts of Frank Cashen in the early 1980s as a point of comparison.

The San Francisco Giants are in the World Series. The New York Mets are not. But the Mets' hitting approach is not to blame for that difference, says Rising Apple.

Greg Prince took a look back at the grand slam single over at Faith and Fear in Flushing the other day.

Around MLB

The Royals have very unsurprisingly named James Shields their Game 1 starter.

Andy McCullough wrote an excellent profile of Royals speedster and fourth outfielder Jarrod Dyson.

The Giants, who nearly moved to Florida twenty-two years ago, are enjoying a golden age, writes Marc Carig.

In case you missed it—and it would be understandable since his time there was so brief—Travis Ishikawa, who hit the walk-off home run that sent the Giants to the World Series this year, played for the Yankees last year. Of course, he spent time in the Orioles, White Sox, and Pirates organizations over the past couple of years, too, before landing with the Giants.

Former Royals slugger Steve Balboni, who was a part of the team's 1985 World Series championship, won't be rooting for the Royals this year. He's been a scout for the Giants for a little while now.

With the Cardinals eliminated, Will Leitch examines Mike Matheny's style of managing.

Around the NL East

If Adam LaRoche had it his way, he'd sign a contract to stay with the Nationals for the rest of his career. Unfortunately for him, Ryan Zimmerman has essentially done that already and figures to replace him at first base next season.

Yesterday at AA

It's AAOP season here. If you're planning on submitting an entry, you have a few days left to do so.

This Date in Mets History: Endy Chavez made his catch on October 19, 2006.