The Mets welcome the Dodgers to begin the second half with Justin Verlander needing to deliver a money effort
The 2024 schedule is released, but as for 2023 it's now or never
What’s Up with the Mets? ⚾️
The Mets will open the second half of their season tonight at home against the Dodgers
MLB released the 2024 schedule - the Mets will open their season on March 28 at Citi Field against the Brewers, and close their season out against the Brewers in Milwaukee (Full Schedule)
Today’s Game 🗓
Match-up: Mets (42-48) vs. Dodgers (51-38)
Where: Citi Field – Flushing, NY
Starters: RHP Justin Verlander (3-4, 3.60 ERA) vs. LHP Julio Urias (6-5, 4.76 ERA)
When: 7:10 PM EDT
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
It’s now or never for the 2023 Mets ✍️
As has been discussed ad nauseam on this platform and several others, the first half of the season was mostly an unmitigated disaster for the Mets. At 42-48 New York sits seven games out of the final wild card spot in the National League, and it’s fair to say if it wasn’t already, their season is firmly on the brink.
The Mets will open the second half tonight with Justin Verlander on the bump against the Dodgers, and for this team to have any realistic chance of changing its 2023 narrative they simply have to win essentially every series the rest of the way.
And, win when both Verlander and Max Scherzer are pitching for them too.
The calendar also presents a time crunch with only 15 games left until the trade deadline. The Mets know they have only about two weeks to convince the front office to import some help, or at minimum not cast away some of their veteran contributors.
Per FanGraphs, the Mets have a 15 percent chance of making the playoffs, all as a Wild Card, in 2023. Their opponents the rest of the way have a .504 winning percentage - only the Nationals, Diamondbacks Angels, Royals and Rockies have a more difficult schedule. So, that makes the journey even more difficult for the Mets.
For additional context, the Mets started the 2019 season with a record of 40-50 through the All-Star Game. They needed to go 46-26 to finish three games out of the wild card race that year.
Strangely enough though, the Mets are 28-28 against teams at or above .500 this season. Unfortunately, they’ve played down to the competition of the second-division teams - they’re 14-20 against teams below .500. While that could offer a glimmer of hope for the club, again things have to change very quickly for the Mets.
Coming out of the break the Mets have a six game homestand with the Dodgers and White Sox, followed by a five game road trip in Boston and the Bronx. Can this team go on something like an 8-3 run or better in that timespan? They haven’t really shown us they have that in them quite yet. But perhaps four days away from the game will bring the Mets back and feeling rejuvenated. If they can get through these opening 11 games strong, a seven game stretch against last place teams in Washington and Kansas City represents a potential opportunity soak up a lot of wins and really fight back into this thing.
We’re at the now or never portion of the season, and New York is in desperate need of its big free-agent addition, Verlander, delivering a tone setting outing tonight.
Around the League 🚩
The Dodgers signed former Mets outfielder Jake Marisnick after he was recently DFA’d by the Tigers
Colorado signed RHP Chris Flexen to a minor league contract - the Mets acquired and then DFA’d him as part of the deal to acquire RHP Trevor Gott
The A’s are promoting top prospect C/1B Tyler Soderstrom
The Mets need to come out of the break strong if they intend on grabbing a wild card spot. As Al Davis would say, " Just win baby!"
Brilliant of MLB to have the Mets begin the 2024 season at home in March AT HOME playing against the Brewers (who play in a dome) and end the season VISITING the Brewers in September (better weather in NY as opposed to March)