Reese Kaplan -- A Long Overdue Day of Rest for the Mets

I think both Mets players and Mets fans agree.  We needed a day off after that intense stretch of road games.  It will feel good for everyone to be back in Citifield for the next ten games against whom the Dodgers are the only team presenting a top notch challenge.  The Mets team wrinkles were showing lately and it's started to bolster nervousness in the media and in the fans themselves.

If the season ended today, the Mets would obviously be the winners of the NL East.  It's been a very long time since that's happened and perhaps that's part of the reason it doesn't feel real to some folks.  Everyone is waiting for the September collapse and feel oddly reassured that their worst fears and darkest beliefs came true.  That's what rooting for the Wilpons was like.  

Force your brain and heart to rewind for a moment about what the Mets have done lately to try to win ballgames.  Is the losing streak Daniel Vogelbach's fault?  I'd say that's a clear no.  Is it Darin Ruf's fault?  Once again I would think putting the onus of losing on his back would be unfair.  How about Tyler Naquin's fault?  Yes, he has had some strikeout issues but he hasn't performed offensively at a Steve Chilcott level (for folks who don't remember, he was the first round top pick by the NY Mets ahead of all others and never made the majors.  Later in the draft was some guy named Reggie Jackson). 

So if it's not the hitting of the newcomers, then it must be the pitching that's been horrific.  Yes, Mychal Givens has had some rough outings, but lately Edwin Diaz hasn't looked quite as automatic as he did in the past.  Seth Lugo and Adam Ottavino have had their ups and downs.  Joely Rodriguez is what he is.  Trevor May had been mostly bad before his injury and mostly good since.  Yes, the bullpen has been at fault, but they don't get called unless the starters falter.

Speaking of the rotation, who here put money on the table wagering that Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer would be joined in the all-world pitching rotation would be Jose Butto.  That's right, folks, you got the chance to see a mostly AA pitcher make his rookie debut and look, well, like a struggling rookie.  He possessed a 3.97 career ERA in the minors, so naturally the Mets felt he would be a good call to Phillies.  He lasted just just 4 innings and gave up 7 runs, though it is somewhat lost in the ether as the Mets came back to win that game 10-9.  Fortunately Nate Fisher (Who????) had his back for the next 3 innings.

There have been slumps by some hitters (besides the usual ones from the catchers), but Mark Canha, Starling Marte, Francisco Lindor and Jeff McNeil have all been hot.  Brandon Nimmo has been average and Pete Alonso has been more cold than hot lately.  Newcomer Brett Baty looked suddenly like the kid he is before driving the ball for a hit in his last game, but he's not making anyone forget David Wright yet.  

So as the team moves forward into its next phase of games, there's a lot of good to go with the bad.  It's entirely possible both Tylor Megill and Drew Smith will be back to fortify the bullpen by Labor Day and it would appear that Carlos Carrasco, Luis Guillorme and Eduardo Escobar are not terminal cases either.  So take a few deep breaths and repeat after me...the Mets are in first place...the Mets are in first place...the Mets are in first place.