Offense draws a blank again as the A's top the Mets in a low-scoring game
The Mets have scored just five runs total in their five losses
What’s up with the Mets? ⚾
The Mets lost to the A’s 3-1 at Sutter Health Park on Saturday afternoon (box | highlights)
David Peterson started for the Mets and delivered another strong outing, allowing two runs on seven hits with five strikeouts over six innings
Jose Buttó gave up the A’s third run in the seventh inning, but allowed only a run over two innings of relief
The Mets mustered just four singles around Brandon Nimmo’s 6th inning solo home run against former Met prospect JT Ginn, who shut the Mets down over 5.1 IP
The Mets had just one hit against the A’s bullpen over 3.2 IP
Injury Updates 🏥
José Siri was removed from Saturday’s game with a left shin contusion after fouling a pitch off of himself. X-rays were negative and he is day-to-day
Jesse Winker has experienced flu-like symptoms in recent days, but appeared as a pinch hitter on Saturday
Who’s Hot? 🔥
The Mets have pitched to a team ERA of 2.47 over their first 14 games of the season, the best in baseball. Their starters have an MLB-best 2.80 ERA, their relievers a 2.03 ERA, the third best in baseball
Play of the Game ⭐️
With the Mets offense browning out again on Saturday, there was no margin for error for David Peterson. Unfortunately for the Mets left-hander, he allowed a go-ahead RBI single to the red-hot Tyler Soderstrom with one out in the fourth inning to put the A’s ahead, a lead they would not relinquish:
Down on the Farm 🌾
RHP Brandon Sproat (no. 1 prospect, Triple-A): 4.1 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K
1B Joey Meneses (Triple-A): 2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI
RHP Joel Díaz (High-A): 4 IP, 3 H, 1 BB, 5 K
LHP Zack Thornton (High-A): 5 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K
RHP Matt Allan (Low-A): 3.2 IP, 2 H, 3 K
OF AJ Ewing (no. 28 prospect, Low-A): 3-for-5, HR, 3 RBI, 3 R
BOX SCORES
Single-A STL | High-A BRK GM 1 GM 2 | Double-A BNG (PPD) | Triple-A SYR
Today’s Game 🗓️
Match-up: Mets (9-5) vs. Athletics (6-9)
Where: Sutter Health Park - Sacramento, CA
Starters: RHP Kodai Senga (1-1, 1.80 ERA) vs. RHP Luis Severino (0-1, 4.74 ERA)
When: 4:05 PM EDT
Where to Watch: WPIX
The offense has been generally brutal so far… ✍️
In the Mets’ five losses in 2025, they’ve scored the sum total of five runs. They have allowed 23. For the math nerds, that’s a -18 run differential in those five losses.
It’s hard to win when you don’t hit and don’t score.
For the most part, the Mets offense has been generally poor to start the season. Everyone is talking about their (in)ability with runners in scoring position, and yeah that’s been hard to watch in pretty much every game including most of their wins. But top-to-bottom, the Mets just aren’t getting much out of center field, second base, third base, and even shortstop.
It’s hard to score runs when four positions on the field aren’t providing a lot of offense. They have OPS’ of less than .600 from four positions, OPS’ of less than .500 from three positions.
That is quite brutal. Regardless of how poorly they’ve done with runners in scoring position.
By the way, they’re hitting .154 (18-for-117) with RISP so far this season, and are a mind-boggling 4-for-49 with two outs and RISP.
No, this isn’t just on Brett Baty, who did notch a single on Saturday but has otherwise been non-competitive at the plate. It’s not just on Mark Vientos, who also notched a single but continues to show generally concerning signs himself. It isn’t solely on Luisangel Acuña or Francisco Lindor, nor is it on simply José Siri or Tyrone Taylor.
It’s a collective strategic struggle from most of their position players.
The Mets are routinely finding themselves in 0-1, 0-2 counts, which makes it nearly impossible to be successful. Baty just happens to be the poster boy for that since all eyes are on him as the public is seemingly just waiting for him to lose his roster spot when Jeff McNeil returns. It’s an early count attack mode and aggressiveness which has been lacking consistently over the first 10 percent of the schedule, a passive approach rather than an aggressive one that creates results at the plate.
Now, to be fair, JT Ginn yesterday had this sinker going yesterday against the Mets which was running down and in on the right-handed hitters and was generally impossible to hit. That’s the pitch José Siri fouled a ball off of his knee which forced him to leave the game. That’s the design of the pitch, and we saw a lot of those results. It’s fine - sometimes we have to give credit to the pitcher for throwing a great ballgame.
But we only have so many hats we can tip with. At some point, the Mets have to hit collectively, especially when the pitching inevitably regresses and comes back down to earth. David Peterson threw a hell of a ballgame again for the Mets, and it deserved at least a no-decision if not a win. But a lack of run support and a generally passive approach at the plate is what is causing these low or non-scoring games for the Mets early in the season.
That was certainly not the identity of the offense from 2024, and that was without Juan Soto padding the top of the lineup.
Now, for some good news.
Interestingly enough, the Mets have a .240 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) so far this season. That is last in the league and would suggest their early season funk could be an anomaly.
And here are the expected batting averages, which, in large measure anyway, would suggest they’ve been unlucky and this is all going to turn around soon:
But in the end, as a team, the Mets have an 89 wRC+ (22nd in MLB), a .647 team OPS (22nd), they’re hitting .208 as a team (26th), and you already saw their numbers with runners in scoring position.
And there are non-quantifiable reasons why the offense has struggled, which has nothing to do with luck.
Around the League 🚩
Mike Trout drove in two runs as he continued to help the Angels roll in their 4-1 win over the Astros
Elly De La Cruz hit a grand slam in the Reds 5-2 win over the Pirates
The Padres threw their fifth shutout of the season in a 2-0 win over the Rockies
The Cubs blasted the Dodgers 16-0 thanks in part to a two homer day from Carson Kelly
The Yankees doubled up the Giants 8-4 as the Yankees got two RBI days from Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt and Jasson Dominguez
There's no doubt that the pitching has been excellent to start the season. But you have to think it's going to eventually regress a bit. The starters are not going deep enough into games and while the pen has been picking up the slack, you can't expect them to hold up forever. Hopefully the offense will start clicking by then and I think the addition of McNeil will make up for some of the lack of production at 2nd. I have high hopes for Alvarez too but need to see how long it takes for him to get his swing back after the injury.
This has been the team's problem for over several seasons.
How about changing it up a bit? Hitting behind the runner. Hit and Run and heaven forbid a bunt once in a while. If nothing else, show a bunt and the defense will need to adjust, leaving the field more open to hit thru.