So many players are contributing to the team’s success.
It would have been nice if the Mets had won 50 games to start the All-Star break after a miserable 9-19 May, a total that contributed to the team’s 24-35 record on June 2. But it wasn’t meant to be. On Sunday, the Mets suffered an 8-5 loss to the Colorado Rockies at Citi Field, a blemish on a great 5-1 homestand.
Still, the loss shouldn’t take away from what the Mets have accomplished–a 49-46 record that includes being in a position to secure a playoff spot. All the team needs to do is win 41 games in the post-All-Star break to be in the playoffs. Ninety wins make them a legitimate playoff team, and that’s not bad for a team that almost lost its way in May.
Many of us thought the Mets would play themselves out of their season, possibly even losing 100 games. But through the magic of Grimace and Jose Iglesias, ”OMG,” the Mets finished 21-9 to enter the break and be a playoff contender. No wonder baseball is a funny game.
The best thing one can say about the Mets is that they are greater than the sum of their parts. Everyone on the 25-man roster has contributed, and first-year Mets manager Carlos Mendoza deserves credit for relegating Francisco Lindor to leadoff in May and having Brandon Nimmo hit behind him in mid-June. They have been valuable table-setters for the Mets. The team has been leading the majors in runs scored, home runs, batting average, and OPS for a month since the move.
Lindor turned around his season as a leadoff guy with a slash line of .299/.380/.526 with a .906 OPS and ten home runs with 32 RBIs to show for it. In 28 games batting second, Nimmo has a slash line of .312/.405/.624 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs to go with a 1.029 OPS. Then there’s Iglesias. The Mets figured he would add some pop to the lineup and contribute a few days a week. He has done more than that. He boasts a slash line of .380/.417/.582 with a .999 OPS to go with his three home runs and 47 RBIs in the 30 games he has played since his callup on May 31. He has played himself into the starting lineup by hitting .500 with runners in scoring position. No one thought he would be this good, and not even him. Not only is he a hitter, but he is also a singer. He has been the team’s feel-good story, with credit for his play and for being a good clubhouse guy who spreads positive energy in the dugout.
Then there’s Mark Vientos, who has played his way into the team by hitting 12 home runs with a slash line of .291/.347/.549 to go with his .896 OPS in 51 games, and Francisco Alvarez, who has established himself as a star in baseball. In the 44 games Alverez had played this season, he has a slash line of .296/.365/.479 with a .844 OPS to go with his four home runs, 23 RBIs, 42 hits, and 12 doubles. And as much as we talk about his offense, his work with the pitchers is great. Look no further than Jose Quintana, who has pitched well with Alvarez as his batterymate. The Mets are 31-14 with him behind the plate, so you can see his impact with the lineup and as a catcher.
J.D. Martinez may be the team’s best clutch hitter. He always comes up with the big home runs, whether it was on June 13 against the Miami Marlins when he hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning that gave the Mets a dramatic 3-2 win that had them win the series or on July 1 when he broke a 3-3 tie with a three-run home run in the tenth inning, setting up a six-run tenth inning for the Mets in their 9-7 victory over the Washington Nationals.
The Mets acquired Luis Torrens from the Yankees on May 31. He has only hit and provided good work as a catcher. He has been a valuable backup for Alvarez. Harrison Bader did well, too, with a slash line of .273/.312/.420 with a .732 OPS to go with his eight home runs and 36 RBIs.
As you can see, this lineup is good, from one to nine. Yes, the Mets are predicated on home runs, but they also showed they can drive in runs by getting base hits. This is not a one-trick pony team. To think this offense has been good on a down year by Pete Alonso, who has 19 home runs with a slash line of .240/.319/.454 and a .773 OPS. The starters have been competent, too. The Mets have gotten quality work from Luis Severino, Sean Manaea, and Jose Quintana. With Kodai Senga returning from the injury list soon, the Mets’ starting rotation should be even better.
We can talk about how bad the bullpen is because the Mets could use a couple of relievers. But here’s the thing: If the starters can go seven innings from now until the end of the season, this makes Mendoza’s job easy by using his best relievers to get the final six outs in Jose Butto, Dedniel Nunez, and Edwin Diaz. If the game goes tied in extra innings, he can use Adrian Houser, who is better served to pitch in those situations than a starter.
Yes, we can see now why Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns feels the Mets are a playoff team. The offense is terrific, and the starters can throw quality starts. The bullpen may be a problem, but the Mets can overcome that with the offense, giving the team enough runs to work with.
Specific Mets teams stand out in terms of fans’ liking, whether in 1997, 2006, or 2015, and you can add this Mets team to that list. This team has different heroes in each game, which is why it is in the position it is and why the Mets can make the playoffs this season.
