By Chris Dial September 30, 2020
The season mercifully came to an end on Sunday. The Mets went into Saturday with a chance at the playoffs and proceeded to dump the season in getting swept by the Washington Baseball Team, surging into the National League East cellar.
Tremendously, the Mets played well on offense. The starting nine only had Amed Rosario hitting below average. The Mets poor finish is solely on the shoulders of the pitching and defense. Jacob deGrom was stellar as usual, and rookie David Peterson was excellent. Both have a strong argument for their respective awards – deGrom could win his third consecutive Cy Young (check opponent quality) and Peterson was the top Rookie, and not just pitchers. Ke’Bryan Hayes must play more than that…
The pitching staff will have to be overhauled – Rick Porcello, Michael Wacha and Steven Matz combined for a 2-16 record with an ERA in the sixes. Seth Lugo struggled as a starter but showed flashes of competence. Porcello’s FIP certainly suggests he needed some defensive help. The bullpen did not implode, and Edwin Diaz pitched pretty well.
Let’s talk about the defense. Was it good? No. Was it terrible? No. Well, was it terrible for just 60 games? It was not good. The Mets posted the third-worst defense in the National League. Both the Phillies and the Nationals were significantly worse (7-8 runs), which is why they were just “bad” and not “terrible.” Based on what we expected, how did the Mets do?
As expected, Pete Alonso played first base, mashed a few home runs, made it through his sophomore slump, and performed approximately as expected on defense, perhaps even a slight improvement over 2019. Good work for Alonso in the field, now hit some dingers next year.
At second base, the Mets stumbled around just below average, by a couple of runs. As noted, the five-man committee turned in a performance just below average, and the runs not saved were small. That isn’t a reason not to upgrade the position with an everyday player, preferably one whose agent isn’t the General Manager.
Rosario had a good year with the glove, but rookie Andres Gimenez made some flashy plays, leading people to call for a “youth movement”, even though Rosario is 24. Gimenez was clearly an improvement at the plate, even if his shortstop play was about the same. Gimenez did field well at second and third, so there is definitely room for him on the team.
Third base had a similar five-man operation as second base, and four of them performed average or above. Unfortunately, J.D. Davis gave all of those runs back and more and posted the worst defensive numbers on the team. He simply cannot play third base competently and is more suited to be a designated hitter.
Instead of being an average infield, the Mets chipped away, playing 10 guys in various positions managed to post a -8 runs; in 60 games, or the equivalent of 22 runs over a full season. When the Mets look around for improvements this offseason, finding younger, better fielders is a must.
The Mets defensive bright spot was the outfield. That sounds odd if anyone watched the games, but Michael Conforto played well, a few runs above average. Brandon Nimmo was average when not in center field. Jeff McNeil played well in left and right fields and played half the time there.
11 comments:
Good article until you brought the politics into it in the last paragraph. To me, baseball is an escape from all the turmoil that is taking place in the world. Please, just report on the sport and when I need to know the state of the nation or world I will check elsewhere for it.
Offense was good, and has the potential to be great if you fix catcher. Next year, WIlson Ramos may invent the inside-the-park single, he is so slow.
That said, great defense is great to have, but many times those dudes can't hit. Be very careful short-circuiting what could be a GREAT 2021 offense, just to improve the defense.
I had a freeway of slugs on my walk way this week. Why, I don't know. I took them out with salt. No mercy But I was not careless, I checked twice to make sure none of the slugs was Wilson Ramos. Ramos might lose a foot race against the quicker slugs.
That is cruel Tom.
This is written so well, thank you!
I’m a lifelong Mets and Jets fan in my mid-60s, and it continues to be painful. I wish I didn't get so wrapped up in my teams, but it is what it is.
The Mets have a lot of talent right now, but its continues to be let’s get the best guys in a certain price range, typically “as little as possible.” And that includes the manager, who never understood that this was a 60-game season. I’m looking for a truly professional organization, on and off the field, and am confident that the Mets are finally heading in the right direction.
You need to balance the Defense and the Offense. Need up the middle defense at the least. Nimmo can not play center. Gimenez is the preferred option at SS. I thought JD Davis looked ok at 3B until Todd came amd we saw what an average 3B looked like. Start by getting Springer - slightly above average CF then get McCann for Catcher backed up with Nido. You can go offense first at the other positions but Dom should not be in LF.
John, I am still in the bitter disappointment phase of getting over this lost season. I can get a touch cruel LOL.
Les,
Perhaps you are unaware of Jackie Robinson Day. Perhaps you weren't paying attention when games were cancelled. That *is* the state of the nation, and part of the sport. The problem is society thinks "black lives matter" is political. It isn't. EVERYONE should agree.
We strive for this to be a politics free space. Thanks to all posters in that regard.
For a couple of years, I visited this site every day. Now I come 2-3 times a week. In that span, I've never seen a comment by "Les Elkins."
It always amazes me that when a guy who never comments feels the need to register to a site to pass judgment on one tiny piece of an article - in this case one paragraph of a 16-paragraph essay - because it offends his delicate sensibility. Tom Brennan has earned the right to say what he did in the comment above this one because he's an extremely valuable member of the community. The other guy? In my opinion - eh, not so much.
The "offending" graph was the concluding piece of the article, which didn't appear at this site at all. If an individual was so disturbed at what he was forced - at gunpoint! - to read, well, he should register his complaint at the site where the actual words were posted. Not that I really want to deal with a snowflake. It's just if you have a complaint with the DMV you don't complain to the Post Office.
The Season Is Over
Some here want Trevor Bauer. It's understandable. My opinion is with Bauer making Wheeler money, the Mets needing more than one pitcher added into their 2021 rotation equation, and Bauer's overall statsheet speaking little to season to season consistency, why not draw up a better plan already?
A couple of seasons back, Boston went with a predominantly left handed starting rotation, probably more out of necessity than strategy at that time. And it worked with four lefty starters including Chris Sale. Why not then try this same approach for here and see?
Three good young lefty starters together in one rotation, with right handed starters Jake deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.
With Peterson looking strong, and Thomas Szapucki knocking upon the door, the NY Mets would only need maybe one or two really good more lefty starters from other organizations added in here to make this fly.
Jesus Luzardo (Oakland A's) is a really good example for what I mean by as a cannot miss type addition. Although the A's would be nuts to trade him. True. And then too, kid lefty starter in Beantown Jay Groome. Even lefty kid AJ Puk from Oakland, but currently sidelined with arm surgery. He could see action again probably later on 2021 and it's never too soon to plan for the future.
But here's my point with this idea never-the-less.
By far, the majority of MLB teams have predominantly right handed starters and relievers. That means that MLB batters will be use to facing right handed pitching for the majority of the time, game to game and week to week throughout the season. Right?
The Mets (theoretically) could go out and spend a fortune on one righty starter (like a Trevor Bauer) and one more to fill their 2021 rotation needs. But I am not that crazy about Trevor's MLB stats overall, although 2020 was quite good, and one other season he had prior. It does suggest inconsistency though. Look at his statsheet again. Plus he is close to 30 years in age.
Or this Bubba...
The Mets could go out and get three more really good kid AAA lefty starters from other teams. Sort of stockpile them here this off season. Then bring them all into 2021 ST early, to see what they have and get acquainted with each one. Work with their mechanics and make suggestion of better ways to thought process on the mound.
(Festivus.)
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