Paul Articulates – Where credit is due

We’re all caught up in this pennant race right now, and we live and die with each game.  We’re reeling after the Cubs sweep, breathing a sigh of relief after the sweep of the Pirates.  Oh, no – the Braves won again?!  How did the Dodgers get to 103 wins already?!

It is tough to take a step back from all this and reflect on the season right now, but for a moment I’m going to do just that.  

This is the second year of the Steve Cohen regime, and even before the aggressive timetable he set for success we are in the midst of a hot race for the NL East Division title with a Braves team that is coming off a world championship and probably has a better team this year than they did in 2021.  Here are a few facts to chew on that seem like they are not “new news” but would have been laughed at if we had predicted them before the 2020 season began:

• The St. Lucie Mets just won the FSL championship, and were helped in a big way by two players that were draft picks this year.  Kevin Parada was a compensation pick for the Kumar Rocker debacle and Blade Tidwell was a second round steal.  Those two were the winning battery in the championship game.
• The Mets hold the #1 prospect in baseball (Francisco Alvarez) and he hasn’t even been called up yet.
• The New York Mets have the second best record in the National League, third overall in MLB, and are three and a half games better than the Yankees this late in September.

These are bright signs for the organization whether or not the season ends in a championship celebration.  In 60 years of Mets baseball, this season is already in the top few seasons for the franchise.  This level of success is due to a lot of hard work not only by the players that take the field, but by many that are behind the scenes.  Steve Cohen is a big reason because right from the beginning he has shown the willingness to do what it takes to succeed.  The Lindor contract was a big splash, and although many have bemoaned the dollars per hit ratio, that contract said, “We’re all in” with no ambiguity.  That statement led to Scherzer, and Marte, and Bassitt, and others that wanted to play for an “all in” club.

There’s a sense of purpose in the organization from the top to the bottom; from draft to player development to player acquisition; from St. Lucie to Flushing.  Steve set the tone, but it took a lot of baseball knowledge to improve the many things that needed upgrades.  You have to give credit to people like Alderson, Eppler, Tanus, Levin, DeFrancesco, et al… for pulling in the same direction to execute the strategy.  From what you read in the rags, that is not a common occurrence in baseball.

The season is not over yet, so some things need to play out that on the surface look like the right plays.  For instance, Buck Showalter very quickly established a culture of team baseball, and his use of players up and down the roster has resulted in contributions from many, not just the superstars.  When injury happens, there is a trusted "next man up".  His judicious use of the bullpen and control of the innings pitched by the starters could lead to a healthier staff in the playoffs than some of the opponents.  Billy Eppler’s mid-season acquisitions have had their ups and downs, but there are a lot of good pieces that can come together to write a great story this season.  Just look at some of the choices that will have to be made on a playoff roster – especially in the bullpen.

So there are a lot of things that can happen in the next dozen or so games, but I am enjoying this season more than most.  Whether or not this becomes the best season ever, I am confident that it is not a fluke and we will see more success in the coming years.