Reflecting on the Mets' first half rollercoaster ride at All-Star break
Plus, Pete Alonso is unable to make history after an underwhelming showing in Arlington...
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
1B Pete Alonso flamed out in the first round of the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby in Arlington, Texas, hitting just 12 homers and becoming the first hitter to be eliminated
Despite now losing the last three events, Alonso, who became the first player to participate in five straight competitions, wants to be involved in future Home Run Derby events (MLB.com)
Jose Iglesias had a much better night, performing his hit song ‘OMG’ to help get the All-Star festivities underway on Monday
Speaking at the All-Star Game, Alonso stressed that New York is “home” and he doesn’t want to get dealt at the trade deadline (SNY)
The trade deadline is edging ever closer, and the Mets should have a very clear strategy in place (SNY)
New York staged quite the dramatic turnaround to save their season, and there are five crucial moments to thank for that in particular (NY Post)
Veteran scribe John Harper dished out his midseason grades for every key Mets player, as well as Carlos Mendoza and David Stearns (SNY)
On Day 2 of the 2024 MLB Draft, the Mets made a total of eight selections in rounds 3-through-10.
After taking Oklahoma outfielder Carson Benge - read Justin Mears’ breakdown of that pick HERE - and Duke LHP Jonathan Santucci on Sunday, the Mets continued to add more talent to their farm system on Monday.
Here are the picks the Mets made on Day 2:
Round 3, Pick No. 82: RHP Nate Dohm, Mississippi State
Round 4, Pick No. 111: OF Eli Serrano III, NC State
Round 5, Pick No. 144: SS Trey Snyder, Liberty North HS
Round 6, Pick No. 173: 1B Corey Collins, Georgia
Round 7, Pick No. 203: RHP Will Watson, USC
Round 8, Pick No. 233: RHP Ryan Lambert, Oklahoma
Round 9, Pick No. 263: RHP Jaxon Jelkin, Houston
Round 10: Pick No. 293: RHP Brendan Girton, Oklahoma
With their second pick of Day 1, the Mets opted to select LHP Jonathan Santucci from Duke with the 46th overall pick. Santucci was rated 37th by MLB Pipeline, 50th by The Athletic and 64th by ESPN. The lefty boasts stellar stuff with his slider the highlight, while he closes out his arsenal with a fastball and a changeup. Santucci recorded a career-high in innings with 58 in 2024, while posting a 3.31 ERA with 90 strikeouts for Duke.
Then, with their first pick of Day 2, the Mets took another pitcher after selecting RHP Nate Dohm from Mississippi State with the 82nd overall pick. Dohm struggled with health in 2024, missing most of the year with arm injuries. However, when he did pitch, he was elite with a stellar 1.29 ERA with 37 strikeouts and just four walks across eight appearances.
He owns an explosive fastball that can hit 97 mph, while both his slider and curveball have proved to be hugely effective pitches too.
The upside with Dohm is apparent and his stuff is absolutely electric. However, the durability is a concern and that’s arguably why he fell to the Third Round.
The MLB Draft will conclude on Tuesday, with Day 3 getting underway at 2 PM EDT with rounds 11-20.
Roster Moves 🗞️
LHP Joey Lucchesi cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Syracuse Mets
Down on the Farm 🌾
All Mets minor league affiliates are off for the next three days during the MLB All-Star break
Today’s Game 🗓
The Mets are off for the next three days during the MLB All-Star break
Some Mets musings at the All-Star break ✍️
Now that we’ve hit a temporary reprieve in the 2024 MLB season, it seems to be the perfect time to take a moment and reflect on all we’ve seen so far.
There’s a lot to look back on.
And this op-ed can also act as somewhat of a mea culpa too, I guess. After all, I was down on the Mets’ chances in 2024 going back to spring training. There were just too many question marks hovering over both the starting rotation and the bullpen. I also wasn’t convinced there was enough firepower in the bottom of that lineup, too.
So, when the wheels completely fell off and this team plunged off a cliff in May, I felt vindicated. The season was over and another blockbuster fire sale at the trade deadline seemed like a mere formality. Hell, I even began to become convinced that franchise pillar Pete Alonso would be the first major piece to be moved.
However, baseball is a funny game and, if there is one thing we know about the New York Mets, it is to expect the unexpected.
But I don’t think anyone could have predicted what would follow the dark, dark, dark days of May. Not even the most optimistic, glass half full of Mets fans could have foreseen the remarkable turnaround that began to take root in June.
In an eye blink, the Mets went from one of the worst teams in baseball to being one of the best. They were an unwatchable, fundamentally flawed, stinking hot mess in May, before morphing into an unrelenting, unstoppable offensive juggernaut in June.
After not being able to do anything right, this team all of a sudden could seemingly do no wrong. The awful defense took steps forward. The starting pitching continued to defy all expectations. And the offense was an explosive, electrifying machine, blasting teams into oblivion and coming up with big hits on a nightly basis.
On May 29, the Mets were 22-33 and were spiraling into the dark depths of oblivion.
Fast forward to now, and the same team is sitting pretty at 49-46 and in sole possession of the third Wild Card spot in the National League.
Since May 30, New York is 25-12, which is tied for the best record in all of baseball with the Astros, who have also snatched their season back from the claws of death.
Talk about flipping the script.
What is even crazier about the most remarkable of turnarounds is the fact that we’ve seen a slew of unlikely heroes take center stage in this comeback story for the ages.
Mark Vientos, who was seemingly on his way to being trapped in Mets minor league prison, has done nothing but hit since being called back up. He entered the All-Star break with 12 homers and 33 RBIs, while looking like he could be the answer at the hot corner for the Mets.
Then we’ve seen two players rescued from the baseball scrapheap to become major players in this turnaround. Luis Torrens, who was left out to float to nowhere-land in the baseball wind, has provided plenty of pop and a canon of an arm as an ideal backup catcher to Francisco Alvarez.
Jose Iglesias, who was stuck in the minors, has been a revelation on and off the field since earning a long overdue call-up to the Majors. He’s helped to boost team morale, while seemingly pushing Jeff McNeil closer to the exit.
You would never have predicted back in February that the likes of Torrens and Iglesias would become major contributors in the big leagues for the Mets. But here we are.
This team went from being on the brink of implosion with a group of players that seemed to not enjoy playing with each other to a retooled cast that clearly love being in each other’s company. There are a boatload of good vibes engulfing the Mets right now, and that is easy to see with the way they play on a daily basis.
Even when they hit a mini skid at the start of this month, they were able to recover and responded by winning five straight, outscoring the Nats and the Rockies by a combined score of 39-24 while going 5-1 on the homestand.
You hear the term ‘team of destiny’ all the time in sports these days, but maybe, just maybe, the 2024 Mets are destined to go on and accomplish something special the rest of the way. You wouldn’t rule it out given everything that has transpired so far this year.
Of course, there are still flaws to be addressed and president of baseball operations David Stearns will have his work cut out at the trade deadline. A lot of bullpen help is still required, even after the addition of Phil Maton, and some outfield reinforcements will also be needed. Plus, if Starling Marte can’t get healthy, then an impact player to slot into the middle of the lineup could also be needed. DJ Stewart is a minus on the roster, and he needs to replaced with a role player that can come up with big-time offensive contributions down the stretch.
None of those needs will be cheap to address, however.
The team also needs more from Pete Alonso. While the stats tell one story, the eye test tells me that he hasn’t been the same dominant player this year, and he’s going to have to elevate his play if the Mets are to maintain their push for the postseason in the second half.
But, looking at the bigger picture as we get ready to indulge in the fun of the All-Star Game, it is pretty incredible to think how far the Mets have come already.
When you really sit back and take stock of the first half of the season, it feels like the Mets have already fit several baseball seasons into one.
We have already experienced all of the emotions there is to feel with this team, and we still have a hell of a lot of baseball to play.
It really is crazy how the Mets have transformed from a team in crisis to an incredibly fun ballclub that has an identity that is easy to buy into, emotionally invest in and love.
Rooting for and writing about this team is exhilarating again. And who thought that would be possible after the car crash we witnessed in May.
I mean, it only seems a hot minute ago sections of the fanbase were preparing to run Francisco Lindor out of town. Now look at him. The shortstop has again proved he’s one of the best players in the game, hitting .253/.329/.454/.784 with 17 homers, 26 doubles and 52 RBIs at the break. He’s also established himself as the true leader of this franchise, playing a major role in making sure the team didn’t quit and throw in the towel during the disaster of May.
Brandon Nimmo, too, has recovered from a slow start to play a major role in this turnaround, while J.D. Martinez has proved to be one of the best pickups of the year. He offers the type of hitting prowess from the DH spot that this organization has long craved.
Again, there is a long way to go but I’ve always been taught it is all about the journey rather than the end result. Of course, that doesn’t really make sense in baseball when not winning will eventually cost you your job.
But, with that said, you can’t help but marvel at the journey the Mets have been on so far in 2024, and it is tantalizing to think about where this ride could end up going.
The All-Star break is always a perfect time to evaluate what has come before and what could come down the line, and I’d recommend taking a minute to really digest everything we’ve seen with the Mets so far in 2024.
It really is quite the story.
Around the League 🚩
Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández won the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby after defeating Royals star Bobby Witt Jr. in a thrilling finish
Orioles ace Corbin Burnes will get the start for the American League in the 2024 All-Star Game on Tuesday
Former Met Noah Syndergaard - who hasn’t pitched since last August - is planning on a Major League comeback in 2025
Beautiful writing about our beloved Mets journey. Thank you.
Really looking forward to the 2nd half. You were spot on that this first half has felt like three seasons already.