The end of the regular season for the Mets was much less satisfying than the rest of the season. For months, we rejoiced as Mets hitters “moved the line” by stringing together hits, putting the ball where the defense wasn’t. The hitters eschewed the power uppercut in favor of the level line drive swing and the results were an offense that ranked amongst the best in baseball for on base percentage and runs scored.
Somehow, that approach dried up as September rolled around, and the Mets struggled to string together hits even against the mediocre pitching staffs of sub-.500 teams. The stats don’t bear this out, as there seemed to be huge swings in run scoring. The Oakland series is a case in point. 9 runs in the first game were followed by 4 runs, then 13 runs. In the prior series, it was 7,7,0. For those of us that watched all the games, there seemed to be way too many innings in the low scoring games where runners were in scoring position with none out followed by a pop-out and a strike-out. This was particularly true when there were very skilled pitchers on the mound such as the ones Atlanta threw over the weekend.
It is hard to imagine that Eric Chavez just let these hitters lose their plate discipline. No one gave up, got too tired, or got overmatched by the pitching. I think they just pressed too hard. Pressing is a state of mind – an anxiousness to do something good that alters the natural rhythm of the swing that these players worked so hard to refine. Pressing comes from knowing you have to succeed. The opposite is that relaxed, confident swing you may have seen demonstrated recently by the Braves players. They are on a roll, and success just happens. Swinging the bat is fun.
The Mets need to get back to this state quickly. Unfortunately, that is exactly the “need to succeed” that causes players to “press”. The best thing that can happen is to see some teammates get hot. I saw signs in Atlanta that Nimmo is heating up. There is no question that McNeil is hot. September player of the month Escobar remains hot. Pete seems to have stopped chasing and is hitting better. Vogey is out of his slump. Hint to Buck: line these guys up so they can build momentum by stringing hits together. I didn’t mention Lindor here. He seems to press when there are RISP but swings freely and hits often when they’re not. Leave him in the middle of this so he gets caught up in the fun and doesn’t feel the weight of the season on his shoulders.
Hitting in the clutch is the difference between winning in October and losing because the games are usually very tight and the opportunities are fewer. We need a lineup that is loose and confident, ready to have some fun. Because after all, winning is fun! Let's go Mets!
[Note: this post was written before the Washington series when the bats appear to have come alive again with 20 hits in the doubleheader.]
Your last sentence speaks volumes
ReplyDeleteLet's hope the bats stay alive
They won’t face that weak pitching vs. San Diego. Alvarez could help. Last 6 at bats, HR, double, 2 walks. That has to relax him. If Vientos is on roster, he had a few hits last night, so pressure is lessened. Again, forget his average, where his first 10 PAs were outs. Since then, 6 for 26, 5 walks. Both are not 100% “arrived” but have cleared the birthing process of crossing from AAA to the majors. Ruf is, and has, a pain in the neck.
ReplyDeleteNaquin I’d leave off….he just stopped hitting. Add Dom Smith, if he has worked to stay sharp. Until (if) Marte returns.
Tatis out big factor
ReplyDeleteCouldn’t win one vs Braves,can they win two against the Padres?
ReplyDeleteI don't genuflect to the Atlanta Braves. They do have another great manager in Brian Snitker and a very good young team. And they did win the 2022 Mets/Braves head-to-head series by one game, 10 to 9. But big deal really here because for these NY Mets, it was just simply a mind-strategy on their part to bait the Braves into a sort of euphoric state of hypnotic trance, which then (as you do recall) did carry-over into their very next Miami series that the Braves almost entirely lost playing badly. So you see, it's working.
ReplyDeleteBaseball is YES most definitely an extremely athletic game of skill and even at times chance. A team game. But also a one on one/pitcher to batter chess match. Trick and trap. Curveball or fastball. (Ludwig Wittgenstein)
The very next series against the Washington Nationals, the Mets masks were taken off, and they were back to being who they actually really have been all of the 2022 season, true champions. It was so obvious a ploy. So why sweat the details, this train is running right on schedule man.
So sit back and put your feet up. Open up a cold one, if you got them, and watch this deja vu unfold. The old becomes new again. Even the NY Giants, and NY Knicks opened their seasons with wins for crying out loud. It's the trifecta.
And just know that somewhere out there, in the vastness of forever, Tom Seaver is smiling the big smile. He knows.
L-G-M!
SD has basically two good starters in their rotation. The third, Blake Snell, is human now and not in this top two. The other starters may not pitch at all in this 3 game set.
ReplyDeleteThe Padres top two starters are Joe Mustgrow and the very impressive Yu Dartfish #11 from Haveabikini, Japan. Lefty Sean Manaea (no relation to the Mets retired Omar Minaya old man) is not so good really either, with a nearly five ERA and a so-so won/lost record on the 2022 season. Regarding the Pods' three/four/and five starters...I personally think that the show hosts from "The VIEW" could probably take them down with the wind to their backs in two quick games. Especially that Joy.
My vote would be that if the Mets cannot afford the luxury of bringing three catchers to the playoff rounds, then it's Francisco Alvarez who makes the roster with Tomas. It's Francisco's offensive power and batting abilities mainly that this team can never get enough of. His defense looks pretty solid to me as well.
ReplyDelete