d'What - Some Thoughts on the 2014 Mets

The Mets finally broke out the bats today and Ruben Tejada contributed with two hits but it doesn’t change the fact that Terry Collins needs to play Wilmer Flores over Tejada. The Mets are an offensively challenged team and there’s one thing Flores has done in the minors-hit. He cracked a double on Saturday but rode the pine Sunday. A big win over the Marlins to wrap up taking 3 out 4 in Miami still doesn’t change the fact-the Mets can’t hit. Sure maybe they’ve turned the corner and the bats have finally woken up but why not invite the talented 22 year-old to the hitting party. I mean seriously what does this team have to lose? 

The only reason why they’re only a few games out of first despite being 6 games under .500 is a talented pitching staff and a lackluster division full of mediocrity. This could wind up being like 1973 when the division winning Mets took 1^st with a meager 82 wins-and that was back in the two division era-I can’t imagine how bad the NL Least was that season. Nearly half way through 2014 and the divison is looking flat out awful. The Braves can’t hit and their rotation decimated by injuries has turned to retreads like Aaron Harang to fill out the staff. The Nationals are now halfway through another season of underperformance, the Marlins while talented, are too young and the greybeard Phils too old. 

The only problem is I don’t see the Mets as a serious threat to take the division. For one thing Terry Collins always seems to manage not to lose rather than to win. He makes moves that defy logic (see above), falls in love with a player (Eric Young Jr) continually forcing them into the line-up, mishandles the bullpen regularly and seems to have thrown the book of baseball fundamentals out the window.  I’m sure he attributes this two game winning streak to a) the return of Eric Young Jr. and b) his batting the pitcher 8^th with the idea of making the 9^th and 1^st hitters dual leadoff hitters. No, it’s because they faced a pitcher in DeSclafani who’s thrown only 21 AAA innings after racking up pedestrian numbers in AA. They also torched recently demoted starter Jacob Turner for 4 runs. How will they fare against the NL West leading A’s is a far better barometer to judge if this hitting trend is more than a two game mirage. 

Juan Lagares and Travis d’Arnaud return this week. It will be interesting to see where Collins bats each of them in the revamped Met line-up. What wouldn’t be surprising is under the auspices of “easing him back into the line-up” or “wanting to keep him healthy” Collins put Lagares into some kind of hare brained OF rotation to keep Eric Young Jr. in the line-up on a semi-regular basis. If Lagares isn’t inserted as starting CF immediately upon returning Collins should be fired on the spot. They won’t fire him of course, but you watch Lagares will be part of that aforementioned Collins OF rotation and batting 6^th. He would be hitting ahead of d’Arnaud who will most likely re-assume his place in the 7^th hole. 

What a way to waste a talented hitter-burying him in the lower third of an anemic line-up but by Terry’s logic it makes perfect sense. Here’s an idea- since he’s tearing it up in Vegas so why not bat him 6^th at least. Move Duda to 7^th. d’Arnaud needs to see more pitches not less while Duda hitting behind him gives the Mets some thump before the two automatic outs which follow.  Or you could think outside of the Collins box a bit and do something like this:

Lagares-Murphy-Wright-Granderson-Duda-d’Arnaud-Flores-Pitcher-Young Jr.

 It may not make a damn bit of difference but potentially you have a stronger line-up offensively with tough outs 1-7. Give Flores and d’Arnaud a chance to hit next to each other-put your youth together and see what they can do hitting behind Duda instead of sticking with Tejada and batting Travis in the bottom third of the line-up.

I’m not trying to throw cold water on this 4 out of 5 Met win streak just giving some ideas that might help it continue and really make a difference in the season. They definitely have the pitching to make a run but I just have serious doubts that under the current managerial regime it’s going to happen.