Mets360 - Finding and plugging the holes for the Mets

by Gus Livaditis • August 7, 2020 

With more than 20% of their games played so far, the Mets are in last place in the NL East with a .385 win percentage and a 5-8 record.

While it isn’t too late to storm to the top, several things have been hurting the team and need to be addressed so that the losses can become wins. Too, losing two games in the last inning with your best reliever blowing the save aren’t going to help things, but other things have been a more consistent problem.

One is the RISP production: Second to last in the majors and that needs to be fixed, although it appears the fix has started. Those long swings that the Mets were taking have started shortening. In Sunday’s game, Pete Alonso took a 3-2 pitch and served it to right for a two-out base hit to plate a run. That was smart hitting and the Mets need to embrace that thinking.

The second most worrisome stat is the Mets were second to last in fielding efficiency before Wednesday’s defensive clinic and are still 25th after it. To this topic on Sunday, Luis Rojas bluntly said, “We can’t keep giving them extra outs each inning.” He’s right and the numbers back it. The Mets’ starters’ ERA is 4.71, but their FIP is 3.66 and their xFIP is 3.77. The relievers’ ERA is 5.33, but their FIP is only 4.23 and their xFIP is 3.88, despite the sad state of Dellin Betances and Edwin Diaz. The overall team ERA is 4.97, 24th in MLB, but their 3.82 xFIP is 11th. The bad fielding is also producing hits at a .309 BABIP, 4th highest in MLB.

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