It's time for change with the Mets - right now

The Mets blew another game and then showed up lifeless in a doubleheader sweep from the Dodgers

What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️

• The Mets were swept away by the Dodgers in their doubleheader - they blew a late 2-0 lead in game one and lost 5-2 (box) and then were now shows in a 3-0 loss in the nightcap (box)

Game 1

• Tylor Megill started for the Mets - he pitched very well as he fired seven shutout innings with only three hits and one walk allowed with nine strikeouts

• Francisco Lindor hit a two-run home run which stood up through eight innings

• Adam Ottavino coughed up the lead in the ninth, Jorge López allowed three runs in the tenth and the Mets were unable to respond

• It was the eighth time this season they have failed to score a run in the tenth inning with the ghost runner

• Game one marked the club’s ninth blown save opportunity of the season - they’re 12-for-21 in save opportunities overall and they’re now 13-9 when leading after seven innings

Game 2

• José Quintana started for the Mets and he gave the Mets a quality start - he allowed three runs over six innings

• The Mets scattered just three singles against Gavin Stone over seven innings and were unable to crack Alex Vesia in relief as the Mets were shutout for the sixth time this season, the fourth at home

Doubleheader notes

• Swept in a doubleheader for the first time since August 12, 2023 against Atlanta

• The Mets tallied just seven hits and two runs in 18 innings in their doubleheader

• The Mets had just 13 baserunners in the two games combined

• The Mets struck out 22 times in the 18 combined innings, grounded into two double plays, and hit .113/.191/.161 over 68 combined plate appearances on the day

• The Mets have now scored two runs or less in 20 of their first 54 games of the year

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The Mets, since April 21… 💤

• Are 10-24, the worst record in baseball during that span

• The 24 losses are tied with the White Sox for the most number of losses during that span

• Run differential: -51

• Runs allowed: 5.09

• Runs scored: 3.59

• Their 4.57 team ERA is the third worst during that span - the starters have a 4.93 ERA (5th worst), their relievers have a 4.01 ERA (15th worst)

• The Mets have recorded seven blown saves since April 21, tied with the Braves, Tigers, Giants for the most in baseball

• The 134 walks allowed are the second most in baseball since April 21 - 71 from the starters (third most) and 63 from the relievers (fourth most)

• Mets starting pitchers have recorded 145 strikeouts since April 21, the seventh fewest in baseball

• The Mets have hit .220/.286/.357 since April 21 - the .220 average is the third worst, the .286 OBP is the second worst, and the .357 SLG is the sixth worst

• The Mets have a -2.0 BsR (base running above average, metric that measures their ability to run the bases), the seventh worst mark since April 21

• The Mets have scored 122 runs during this span, the seventh lowest mark in baseball

• They’ve stolen 21 bases in 24 games during this span, 13th worst in baseball

• They have a 90 wRC+ - the ninth worst in baseball during that span

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Injury Updates 🏥

• Top prospect Jett Williams (wrist injury) received a cortisone shot in his sore wrist. If that doesn't help the club will consider surgical options

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Down on the Farm 🌾

• SS Jeremy Rodriguez (FCL Mets): 3-for-4, 2B, RBI, R

• OF Nick Morabito (Single-A Brooklyn): 4-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 2 R

• 3B Jesus Báez (Single-A St. Lucie): 2-for-5, RBI, 2 R

• INF Luisangel Acuña (Triple-A Syracuse): 2-for-4, HR, RBI

BOX SCORE

FCL Mets | BRK | STL | SYR

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Today’s Game 🗓

Match-up: Mets (22-32) vs. Dodgers (35-22)

Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY

Starters: LHP David Peterson (2024 Debut) vs. LHP James Paxton (5-0, 3.49 ERA)

When: 4:10 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

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It’s time for big changes with the Mets… ✍️

Well, we are past Memorial Day. In a way, I am glad the Mets didn’t play on Monday because it was a nice day off, and quite frankly, I didn’t want that day off to be soiled.

But Memorial Day is an important date on the baseball calendar. It typically marks the 1/3 mile marker on the baseball schedule, and it the “what you see here is what you’re going to get” date for teams as they begin to assess needs with approximately two months to go before the trade deadline.

Now, I am not going to sit here and talk about what the Mets should or shouldn’t do at the trade deadline. There are varying opinions on who the Mets should unload. And quite frankly, short of a couple of starting pitchers and a couple of relievers, I can’t imagine why anyone would want most of these players.

I mean, look at the stats above. That’s because of bad players, that’s because of bad coaching, that’s because of poor decision making from the front office down to the dugout. It’s not one coach’s fault, it’s not one player’s fault, it’s not just Steve Cohen’s fault.

It’s everyone’s fault.

The Mets are a really bad baseball team. Again, look at those stats - they’re not doing a single thing well. They can’t pitch, they can’t hit, their defense stinks, they can’t run the bases, they can’t hold leads. They aren’t good. It’s as simple as that. The numbers above indicate a 100 loss trajectory. They haven’t done that since 1993.

So, it’s time for changes. Big changes. Because, this cannot continue. They can’t blow so many leads like this. It beats a club up and they’re massively bad for a team’s psyche.

After all, look at that no-show job in game 2 last night. They scattered three hits in the nightcap.

Of course, they only had seven hits total in the two games, so it’s not as if the offense put on a fireworks show in the afternoon game either.

Now, I am not totally sure what big changes the Mets can or should make. I think Justin had a good starting point on Friday. I am never a believer that firing coaches or other members of the field staff is an effective remedy, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if David Stearns pulled the trigger there at some point soon.

In the end, they need better players. They need their $341 million shortstop to show a pulse. They need their power hitting first baseman to be that power hitting first baseman and earn what he is looking for in free agency. They need Jeff McNeil to show some kind of resemblance to the player he was when they signed him to an extension. They need Brandon Nimmo to look like Brandon Nimmo and not blame poor luck for his struggles.

They also need to figure this stupid third base situation out, one way or another. Which one is it? Are we going with Mark Vientos? Are we going with Brett Baty? Are we figuring something else out in the short and long term? Make a decision and own it, for better or for worse. One player plays, the other goes. That’s it.

It’s not just one thing that needs to change with the Mets. It’s talent, its coaching, its culture, its philosophy, it’s developing their own way and not copying the Dodgers or the Braves or the Phillies or a soccer team.

The problem is, and I think its because of a lack of current options, is David Stearns is simply hoping or wishing these problems away right now. He keeps saying he is disappointed in the team’s performance but he fully expects these players with “track records” to be the players on the back of their baseball cards at the end of the year.

While I agree, it’s only to a certain extent. There are too many players here (who are very expensive, I should add) who are so grossly underperforming their career marks and their contracts to expect all of them to rebound and simply be fine by the end of the year. In addition, at 22-32, it would take a rebound of epic proportions from all of them to even start having a conversation about being competitive.

Think of it in another light for a second.

To get to 85 wins, which is probably what they need at a minimum, they need to go 63-45 the rest of the way. I think we can all agree that is very unlikely to happen, there’s no evidence it can happen, and it probably won’t come close to happening because so many things need to be going in exactly the opposite way they are through the first third of the season.

Hope isn’t a strategy. Just ask Steve Cohen about that.

I’ve said this many times over the last few years. I am not a proponent of trading Pete Alonso. I think it’s important the Mets keep him even while he struggles at the plate right now, I think its important for their history and their branding to retain the most prolific power hitter they’ve ever had. He has more home runs than anyone since he came up in 2019, he is well on his way to the 500 home run club, and the Mets need all of this to be in their history books, not someone else’s.

But again, major changes need to happen here. Wholesale changes. Changes to this roster, changes in the decision making, changes in the strategy. Whether I like it or not, that could include shipping Alonso out this summer. Stearns made it clear yesterday he is married to nobody on this roster.

Nor should he be - they’re 22-32 and in the tank.

I know there’s a lot of stuff which has gotten better behind the scenes from their pitching lab in Port St. Lucie to their analytic department in New York. All of that is great but what matters is the franchise makes progress on the field, and that simply hasn’t happened.

They can claim all of those victories inside their organization. But in the end, they’re as smart as the record says they are.

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Around the League 🚩

• Jeremiah Estrada set a modern era record with 13 consecutive strikeouts in the Padres 4-0 win over the Marlins

• Max Fried fired eight shutout innings in the Braves 2-0 win over the Nationals

• Ben Brown fired seven no-hit innings in the Cubs 6-3 win over the Brewers

• Zack Wheeler allowed two hits over six innings, but the Phillies were shutout by the Giants 1-0 in ten innings