When Mariano Rivera retired after the 2013 season, for the first time in almost 20 years, there was no “Rivera” in New York baseball.
Give it a little more time, though, and that void may be filled, as infielder T.J. Rivera — who played at Lehman High School in The Bronx — has been mashing for the Mets’ Double-A affiliate in Binghamton this season.
“He’s just a really good baseball player who has excellent barrel control,” said Paul DePodesta, the Mets’ vice president of player development and scouting. “He centers up more baseballs than most anybody in the minor leagues.