The Mets are mediocre, but so is the rest of the field

Also - the Mets wasted another strong outing from Nolan McLean on Monday against the Phillies

NY Post

What’s up with the Mets? ⚾️

• The lost to the Phillies 1-0 in Philadelphia on Monday night (box)

• The Mets were shutdown at the plate by Aaron Nola, who allowed just five baserunners over six innings

• Nolan McLean pitched well over 5.1 innings, allowing just an RBI single to Nick Castellanos in the second, but that was all the Phillies needed as the Mets offense couldn’t get their act together for the third straight game

• The Mets did have a chance to take the lead in the ninth when they had runners at second and third and one out, but Jhoan Duran was able to kill the Mets chances with strikeouts of both Jeff McNeil and Francisco Álvarez and keep the Mets off the board

• The Mets are now 0-60 when trailing after eight innings, the only team in the big leagues which hasn’t mounted a ninth inning comeback while trailing

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Injury Updates 🏥

• RHP Tylor Megill (elbow strain) experienced forearm tightness after his last rehab start, and is now unlikely to return in 2025

• OF José Siri (fractured Tibia) could be very close to returning, per Carlos Mendoza

• C Luis Torrens (bruised forearm) consented to an IL stint since Francisco Álvarez is playing hurt - the Mets did not want two compromised catchers on the active roster. Torrens is expected to return next week

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Roster Moves 📰

• C Luis Torrens (bruised forearm) placed on the injured list

• C Hayden Senger recalled from Triple-A Syracuse

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Playoff Race 🏁

The Mets hopes for catching the Phillies dimmed significantly on Monday after they lost to them 1-0. They are now eight games behind the Phillies with 18 games left to play:

Meanwhile, many of the Wild Card contenders are playing each other this week. The Giants beat the Diamondbacks, the Reds lost to the Padres, and the Cardinals lost to the Mariners. As such, the Mets cushion in the Wild Card standings shrunk to three games over the Giants:

The Mets own the tiebreaker over the Giants and Cardinals, but the Reds own the tiebreaker over the Mets. So, in that case, if the Mets and Reds finish in a tie, the Reds would either receive a higher seed or eliminate the Mets. If the Mets and Giants and/or the Mets and Cardinals finish in a tie, the Mets would receive the higher seed or eliminate the Giants and/or Cardinals.

The Mets and Diamondbacks tied their season series 3-3, so the tiebreaker will be determined by their records against their own divisions at the end of the season (rules).

Per Fangraphs, the Mets have a 92.6% chance to reach the postseason.

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Stat of the Day 📊

• RHP Nolan McLean has a 1.42 ERA (5 ER, 31.2 IP) over the first five starts of his career. The only other pitcher in Mets history to have an ERA that low over the first five starts of his career is Terry Leach (0.76 ERA) from 1981-85

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Play of the Game ⭐️

One might argue Nick Castellanos’ RBI single in the second inning, which was ultimately the difference in the game, would be last night’s play of the game.

But I am actually handing it to Ronny Mauricio, who pinch-ran for Pete Alonso in the ninth after he topped a single to center field off Jhoan Duran, didn’t even think to steal second, and then misread Mark Vientos’ double, which prevented him from scoring the tying run:

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Down on the Farm 🌾

All Mets minor league affiliates were off on Monday

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Today’s Game 🗓️

Match-up: Mets (76-68) at Phillies (84-60)

Where: Citizens Bank Park — Philadelphia, PA

Starters: LHP Sean Manaea (1-2, 5.60 ERA) vs. LHP Ranger Suárez (11-6, 2.89 ERA)

When: 6:45 PM EDT

Where to Watch: SNY

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The mediocre Mets just need to hang in there ✍️

NY Post

There were certainly a few superficial issues which we can all talk about from last night. The Mets didn’t hit, Nolan McLean didn’t have his best stuff but hung in there, the Mets still haven’t mounted a ninth-inning comeback, and all of that stuff.

But the part that is sticking at me the most from last night is when Carlos Mendoza pinch-ran for Pete Alonso with Ronny Mauricio, who added zero value to the Mets’ ability to tie the game. I’d even argue he was a net negative.

Why?

Mauricio was asked to pinch-run, which I assume meant or it was at least implied he wanted Mauricio to at least try and steal a base. That didn’t happen.

Then, when Vientos doubled - and there was zero doubt it was getting down - he had to settle for first to third. In the replay, it appeared he might’ve stalled because he thought Nick Castellanos might catch it, when there was just zero chance.

I don’t even think it was the worst decision in the world to use Mauricio in that spot. He needed to use Luisangel Acuña in the eighth against the lefty Matt Strahm, and the Mets were simply counting on Mauricio to help create that run after Alonso gave them the chance, and he just didn’t do it. That’s all there is to it.

There have been too many concerning instances with Mauricio on baseball IQ type plays, the latest being this critical mental mistake last night. I know he’s young and these are things that might improve with time and experience. But right now, what value is Mauricio providing to the roster? He is hardly playing because, well, he hasn’t been playable in large measure over the last month and Brett Baty has (finally) taken third base and run with it. So, he’s left to get the occasional at-bat and occasional running assignment, and he just looks lost with nearly every shot he gets.

All in all, the Mets wasted another gritty effort from Nolan McLean, who appeared to learn on the fly again last night and give the Mets another strong outing into the sixth inning. He was leaning heavily on his breaking pitches early, and the Phillies got to a couple of hangers which unfortunately cost McLean that one run and eventually the game in the second. But Jeremy Hefner went out to talk to him in that second inning and clearly got McLean to adjust to his two-seam/sinker which helped him navigate the rest of his outing.

It’s a shame the outing got wasted, and it’s a loss that unquestionably hurts in this playoff chase. But we have to consider the growth and development process as well with McLean and the other young arms for that matter, and there’s no question - at least right now - that McLean is only getting better with each outing, despite the stakes right now.

Meanwhile, the Mets offense has gone ice cold over the last three games, hasn’t it?

Respectfully, Hunter Greene took them to school on Sunday, so I can live with that one. But they made Aaron Nola - who entered play last night with an ERA well north of 6 for the season - look like Cy Young. The swings they took looked like they had the wrong game plan against Nola, although Nola did have a great curveball last night and that’s a pitch he has grossly struggled with over the course of this season.

In the end though, the Mets have scored just five runs over their last three games and are hitting .181. The pitching has been fine over the last three games, which is funny to me considering that before, they were hitting but getting nothing from their arms. Now, the pitching has improved and but they’re not hitting a lick.

And that leads me to my overall point in today’s newsletter.

I know the Mets still have a very good chance of making it to the playoffs. And I know everyone says, “just get there and anything can happen.” I agree with all of that. They would need a Metsian-type collapse for them to be going home in 2 1/2 weeks. Which of course means it isn’t over until it’s over with this franchise.

But they’re just missing that element of consistency to me that will get them to where they want to go this season.

I don’t even care that once upon a time they were 21 games over .500 and now they’re just eight games over. They were obviously not the juggernaut the first 69 games suggested they might be, but they’re also clearly not as bad as they presented in August.

They’re in between, mediocre, nothing special. A little bit better than average in the end with deep flaws that require a lot of work and thought this coming winter.

They are unfairly pinning their pitching hopes on three prospects after their high-priced veterans failed them. To be fair, these young kids have held up their end of the bargain so far, so kudos to them to this point. Their offense is obviously very streaky, at times looking unstoppable but at others, like the last few days, not looking long enough.

And then there’s the bullpen which has been better lately, but not so much over the longer stretch. That is partly due to the starting rotation being largely incompetent for the better part of three months, which has in turn overloaded and overexposed the bullpen, leading to misuse and overuse of too many guys down there.

They essentially look like a .500 team to me that got off to a good start and is just trying to get to the finish line.

But, to be fair, every team this season - inclusive of the Dodgers - is having a breakdown in one or more areas of their roster. Aside from the Brewers, none of the engines from the contenders are running on all cylinders and really haven’t all year.

So, that’s the main reason the Mets need to just hang in there and get to the finish line. The field is watered down this season, for whatever reason or reasons. They’re a mediocre team among other mediocre teams in large measure, which isn’t necessarily healthy for the sport but it gives the Mets a chance.

If they can just hang on to their position.

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Around the League 🚩

• Bryce Elder allowed just a run over 6.1 IP as the Braves beat the Cubs 4-1

• Jacob Latz allowed three hits over 5.2 shutout innings as the red hot Rangers shutout the Brewers 5-0

• Tyler Glasnow struck out 11 over seven no-hit innings as the Dodgers beat the Rockies 3-1

• Bryan Woo struck out nine batters over 6.2 IP as the Mariners beat the Cardinals 4-2