The Mets have been no-shows - time to show a pulse
The Mets begin a difficult stretch at home tonight starting with three games against the Brewers
What’s up with the Mets? ⚾
The Mets were off on Monday - they will look to rebound after a lost weekend in Pittsburgh at home with three games against the Brewers beginning tonight at Citi Field
The team continues to believes in the current coaching staff, despite their all-around struggles (SNY)
Mets hitting coach Eric Chávez offered his insight on what is plaguing the Mets offense (NY Post)
Juan Soto discussed the team’s players only meeting on Saturday, plus his incredible plate discipline (Newsday)
Mets top prospects Jonah Tong and Carson Benge were named to the All-Star Futures Game roster
Down on the Farm 🌾
All Mets minor league affiliates were off on Monday
Today’s Game 🗓️
Match-up: Mets (48-37) vs. Brewers (47-37)
Where: Citi Field - Flushing, NY
Starters: RHP Clay Holmes (8-4, 2.97 ERA) vs. RHP Freddy Peralta (8-4, 2.90 ERA)
When: 7:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: SNY
Meet the Mess, again! ✍️
Maybe the quiet off-day is just what the Mets needed? After all, there was a lot of reflection that needed to happen, that which spans beyond whatever it was that was discussed in that players-only meeting on Saturday.
Right now, we are looking for anything that could help turn these Mets back in the right direction. Any sign, even a gust of wind that blows the cap off of Juan Soto’s head, that would suggest someone is watching over them and they will be fine.
But the cold hard truth about the Mets right now is they’re anything but fine. They’re the opposite of fine. They’re non-competitive, even against the worst teams in the league right now.
This past weekend was truly amazing against the Pirates. Every time something like this has happened in the last 16 games, we have said “it can’t get any worse,” but somehow it does, and this past weekend was proof that it can get worse, and if things don’t change, it will get worse.
I still can’t wrap my head around the fact they were outscored 30-4 by the Pirates, or any team for that matter. As bad as the pitching was in the series, there was just no soul from the Mets in these games. They were listless, lifeless sleepwalking no-shows out there, a team that looked like they just couldn’t wait to get out of there rather than competing the way they’re capable of.
If there was just one thing with these Mets, I’d feel a little bit better about the 3-13 stretch they’re in. Like, if it was the pitching, or the hitting, or the defense, I’d be a little more patient, especially since they’re still right there in the wild card race and right there in the NL East race.
But it’s not just one thing - it’s all of those things, and we have seen this movie before. 2021 wasn’t that long ago, you know.
But like I keep saying, the worst part of it all is the listlessness. I know it’s difficult to win games when teams fall down by three or more runs and it only adds stress to an offense already under duress, and that’s happening pretty much on an everyday basis akin to the 2023 season when the Mets were giving up multiple runs in innings 1-3 and each game seemed like a 90-degree rock climb.
Having said that, there’s a reason this team is 0-31 when trailing after eight innings so far this season. There’s a fight and a personality to this offense which has been lacking from the start of the season. Sure, we can quantify it statistically and just say “well, they’re just not getting anything from four positions out there.” That is true, but at some point, someone has to get a big hit or two in the lineup late in a game, right?
That includes Juan Soto who, despite looking like himself now, still struggles with runners in scoring position.
Now, can David Stearns go out and buy some personality for the lineup? He can probably buy better players, which would probably improve the results overall. But clutch hitting is hitting with a personality, hitting with a chip on your shoulder, a player who spits nails and lives for the moment.
That’s probably harder to find than a stat compiler. Of course, Stearns found it in Jesse Winker last summer.
But that’s what I want to see from these Mets. Players who live for the moment. This group or one similar to this did that for the better part of the 2024 season.
I know, it’s not that simple. Hitting isn’t easy, especially at the big league level. But in the end, the Mets can’t rely on even three players in the lineup to be productive when the rest are not even hitting at replacement level.
Then there’s the pitching staff, which has pretty much blown up in the Mets’ face this season, and it started in February with Frankie Montas’ lat and then in March with Sean Manaea’s oblique and now elbow. They have two remaining members of their opening-day rotation (Clay Holmes and David Peterson), and the rest has pretty much become a show of hands of anyone interested in pitching.
The Mets talked so much about their depth and how good it was, but no, it hasn’t been good, and there’s probably too much for the Mets to do right now to restore five reliable starters.
And by reliable, I mean good and a trust that they can stay healthy.
And spare me the “well, the Mets still have the best ERA in the league,” or, “they’re right there in the races.” If anyone wants to take comfort in that, be my guest. But this is not even close to the same pitching staff that produced that early-season result.
Sure, in a month, they could have Manaea, Holmes, Peterson, and Kodai Senga as the front four. But if the Mets really want to win the World Series or even think about getting to the playoffs, they’re kidding themselves if they think they can trust that group to get them there. They need a big piece for the front of the rotation and another depth piece behind it, and they simply have yet to prove they have either of that in a group that includes Blade Tidwell, Frankie Montas, Tylor Megill, or Paul Blackburn.
Also, a month seems like forever with the Mets right now.
Show a pulse. Hell, just show up tonight.
Around the League 🚩
Zack Wheeler struck out 10 over eight shutout innings as the Phillies blanked the Padres 4-0
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in three runs as the Blue Jays rallied to beat the Yankees 5-4
Gunnar Henderson homered and drove in four runs as the Orioles outslugged the Rangers 10-6
Garrett Crochet struggled, but still earned his eighth win of the year thanks in part to four home runs from the Red Sox offense as Boston defeated the Reds 13-6
Show up in the clutch...someone.
Surprising, to me, is that there were zero transactions yesterday