Paul Articulates – State of Mind Revisited

 < After watching more futility from our New York Mets team, I decided it was time to retrieve a piece I wrote in 2021 and re-purpose it for this year’s team – hope it rings true with the readers again because I think it is appropriate. >

Yesterday’s bullpen meltdown against the Phillies was possibly the pinnacle of frustration for Mets fans, who have watched an excellent baseball team underperform for a full two months since their April 21st win against the Giants left them with a 14-7 record.  Since then, they have gone 21-35 and they have recently looked much more like a .375 team than last year’s 101-61 team (.623).

But I was at Saturday’s ballgame, watching this same team play very good baseball – errorless baseball with the relief core turning in 3 innings of scoreless ball with only two hits allowed.

As difficult as it is to be a Mets fan lately, this is why I love baseball.  It is an extremely difficult game to play, so even the best players in the game fail 70% of the time.  Games can turn on mis-hit “swinging rollers” or long drives that just stayed in the park due to the prevailing winds.  Any team can win on any given day, so fans root not only for their favorite team, but also for a break from the baseball Gods.  That doesn’t mean that the outcomes are random – teams can influence their success by employing good strategies, building compatible teams of players, and utilizing the right tactics at the right time.

There is one other factor that influences outcomes, and I believe it is the primary reason for the divergence between the 2022 Mets and the 2023 Mets.  I’ll call it “State of Mind”.  

State of Mind is the mental edge that supplements all the physical skills to bring a player (or a team) to a peak (or valley) of performance. There is a saying that, “When you believe you can, you are right.  When you don’t believe you can, you are also right”.   Every ball player that makes it to the show (and many that don’t) has the world class physical skills to hit a baseball travelling 95+ mph or track a baseball on a full sprint and make a leaping catch.  

The ones that succeed have a level of confidence that removes doubt and allows their physical reflexes to take over.  Hitters call it “having a quiet mind” at the plate.  Other athletes call it being “in the zone”.  This is not something that we are capable of summoning at will – it is a sub-conscious state that is built through success and eroded through failure.  It is behind every hitting streak and every slump.

  

Now let’s talk about the teams.  The 2022 Mets (at least through August) had the State of Mind where they believed that they could win every game.  Whether they are winning or losing at any point in a game, all it takes is one key hit or fielding gem, and in the subconscious mind of every player something says, “Here we go”.  Momentum builds, and they prevail.  This is how you can win games with or without top talent in every position.  

The 2023 Mets have developed the State of Mind where they believe that that something will prevent them from winning the game.  Whether they are winning or losing at any point in a game, all it takes is one strikeout with the bases loaded or a reliever walking the first hitter in an inning, and in the subconscious mind of every player something says, “Here we go”.  Momentum withers, confidence wanes, and they lose.  This is how you lose 15 of 21 games in June even with capable players at every position.

There is not likely enough time in the 2023 season to turn this around, so the season will become more about evaluating the young prospects than driving towards a division championship.  Barring a complete and historical turnaround, this team will miss the playoffs and then everything will reset.  

In the off-season, the NY Mets will likely hire a president of baseball operations, re-evaluate the talent and management of the current team and make moves for the following season.  I can only hope that when they do, it doesn’t become a total teardown as some are wishing for, because this Mets roster is not as bad as their performance record.  Certainly this aging pitching staff will have to be re-built.  Certainly some sizable contracts will have to become some sizeable former contracts.  But when the 2024 season starts, the team will begin with a fresh State of Mind, and we have another shot at the ultimate prize.  For Mets fans everywhere, I hope that is the case.  Hang in there fans!