This has certainly been a frustrating year for the New York Mets. They have the highest payroll in MLB history and can only show a .471 winning percentage, which is good for fourth place in the NL East.
We know that when Steve Cohen acquired the team, he was committed to building a winning team – from the flagship Mets all the way back through the player development system. They have a long way to go in this evolution. Let’s look at the farm system right now:
The Syracuse Mets are 26-38 (.406) and have a starting lineup with only two batters boasting batting averages above .260. One of them is the newly acquired Luke Voit and the other is hot prospect Ronny Mauricio.
The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are 28-29 (.491) and have a starting lineup with only three batters boasting batting averages above .245. One of them is new call-up Joe Suozzi with 47 AA at-bats.
The Brooklyn Cyclones are 25-33 (.431) and have a starting lineup with one batter (D’Andre Smith) that is hitting better than .250.
This is the definition of mediocrity – a MLB team and its three in-line affiliates all with sub-.500 records and batting averages that make opposing pitchers want to spend more time in town. The lack of hitting throughout the development system coupled with the inability of proven MLB hitters to make consistent contact on the Mets brings the entire hitting approach into question.
Last year was a banner year for the Mets. Not only did they achieve a 101 win season, but they did so with some very good, timely hitting which is uncommon for this team. It was a breath of fresh air for fans that were used to only winning pitching duels.
Last year’s hitting coach Eric Chavez had simplified the approach to understanding analytics and the batters responded in kind. So the reward for such a great performance was for Chavez to be promoted to bench coach and the hitting performance went in the opposite direction.
Jeff McNeil is not making solid contact like we are used to. Starling Marte is looking very confused at the plate, often taking half-swings at balls well out of the strike zone. Francisco Lindor is flirting with the Mendoza line. Something is clearly wrong.
The lack of hitting has put pressure on a pitching staff that has already demonstrated the inability to deal with the changes in pitch clock rules. They have no stamina, and too many games are lost after the fifth inning because the starting pitchers are tired, the relievers are tired, and the bats are not consistently delivering. Right now the staff ERA is 4.69 (26th in MLB) and the team batting average is .240 (21st in MLB).
Statistics can be twisted to say anything you want them to, but it is tough to argue that the team is better than its record when you watch the televised games. Players are pressing to do more than they can in all aspects of the game, and the results are ugly – errors, failure to make contact in scoring situations, and hung breaking balls that are pounced upon by opposing batters.
I think that the pitching woes are an unfortunate consequence of the new pitch clock rules on top of a short term strategy to bring winning arms to the team that belong to pitchers with birth certificates authored in the 1980’s.
The batting woes are harder to explain – and from the stats provided earlier in the post it points to a systematic problem. This organization is not training its players to hit what the pitchers are throwing. I cannot put a root cause to this issue, or I would be hired as the director of hitting.
But I can make a plea for the Mets leadership to find a director of hitting that can right this wrong. There are too many batters throughout the organization that are hitting well below their potential from the major league team through the high A team.
It is time to upgrade the baseball operations in the New York Mets organization. The leadership is committed to excellence and they are getting mediocrity.
11 comments:
I honestly can't believe they won such a poorly executed game.
Even Steve Cohen said so on Twitter.
You don't want to be a manager of a business if your owner publically says something like this.
Their defense which was so good early on has taken an incredibly bad turn for the worse . Maybe the whole team is feeling pressure.
Paul, I can’t argue with you on any points.
Your article ties in to my Vientos comments earlier today. 50 plate appearances, one HR? Yes, the pitchers are better, but are they filling his head with too much instruction? Swing early, swing hard. My first ever Mack’s article was Lucas Duda. I simply think that they made him take too many pitches. No reason he couldn’t have been Kyle Schwarber HR-wise. Duda sucked at 2 strikes and found himself in 2 strike counts far more than he should have been. Too passive, “working the pitcher”.
Great point on Duda
Maybe just Maybe, if Vientos was given a legitimate chance we would see better production.
but, But, BUT...it's so vital to give ABs to Daniel Vogelbach and other non-achievers than to see what younger and more ambitious players could do if given the chance.
Paul articulates quite well above.
Whenever any team goes into what we all like to call "a Funk", we have to realize that almost always it is a culmination of things gone off-track and not just one or two simple causations. Paul gets this.
I have watched MLB for so long, that it is hard for me to miss the more subtle and quieter mistakes professional teams sometimes make. i.e. When the Mets acquired Justin Verlander this past off season, it raised a small red flag with me.
Two things hit me.
1. Why would Houston not re-sign Justin Verlander. He was terrific in 2022 and always has been great. Was it just the money part of this equation that he would obviously deserve and command?
2. We already had two quite good veteran type starters here in Scherzer and Carrasco. So why then go with a third one, opting to go with possibly a 27-30 year old really solid starter instead? Part of this reasoning by the team may have been Candy's health at that time, so I do allow slack for this decision.
It's simply a Mets tradition that reminded me here, because both of the Mets WS Championships had a rotation of mostly younger starting pitchers in it. Go check and see for yourselves. So for me, I was thinking that "yes absolutely" having a totally healthy Justin Verlander on the mound here every fifth game would inch them closer to a possible WS contention. And "yes" too he is very convincing insurance should Candy not be able to go a whole season pitching. I understood this move, but would rather only see two really good veteran starters in this 2023 NY Mets rotation. Build for the future and not just now.
I like Justin Verlander, a lot. What fan would not really. He is undoubtedly a fabulous (and not just good) MLB starter. But if you look at this all a bit closer, all three of the Mets veteran type starters do have some health issues now. And this is probably not such a good thing to have when the playoffs get underway later on providing these Mets can turn this all around, as I for one believe that they absolutely can do.
There is "team spirit" still alive here. We all saw it last night, and it was a beautiful thing to see again. Outstanding game. That was the start.
The Hitting
Just a few points, not a diatribe.
1. I like the idea of Mark Vientos playing every game on first base, until Pete gets back. To my eyes he just needs to get back into an every game rhythm like he had in Syracuse. I think this will solve everything for him. Call it a hunch.
2. I like Francisco Alvarez catching as much as possible without wearing out his tires too fast. As he catches more, both his offensive and defensive skills will get even stronger. He has career "All Star potential" in him and it is obvious.
3. I'd still move CF Brandon Nimmo over to right field soon because he is the type of player that would run through the outfield wall to make a fantastic catch like Bobby Valentine style. But it is his offense that this team needs most to protect, because without him in the lineup the offense isn't obviously as good. Brandon is an All Star player. Maybe bump CF Matt Rudick up to Syracuse for a possible look there, for down the road with this idea. Brandon won't like it, but it does make a little sense perhaps. Great player this Nimmo.
Potential Trade Chips/Just Thinking Out Loud
1. J. Arauz SS 2. Jose Butto SP 3. Jimmy Yacabonis 4. Jeff Brigham 5. Starling Marte 6. Daniel Vogelbach
Possible Call-Ups:
Ronnie Mauricio 2B
Mike Vasil SP (But only when he is definitely ready. Do not rush him because this guy is the real deal)
Joey Lucchesi SP (But could also be used as a trade chip player depending on the deal being considered) Right now he is a pitcher stuck somewhere between MLB and MiLB skill level wise. Maybe Jeremy can bring this all home here with Joey.
I figured out who Anonymous is.
Old friend.
Great writer.
Steve started the direction of his "win now" approach with his knee jerk signing of Lindor as it must have been one hellava lunch but lets face it we all loved it but now after last years run we need a rebuild. I don't see a quick fix w/o adding some quality pitching now and where would you find that but also how long do they wait to make that call? Vientos 114mph off the bat so can we play him MORE PLEASE! Why do I see Voit being called up soon instead just crazy.
I am still very pro-Lucchesi as a NUMBER FIVE starter. We are not calling him ace of the staff. He is a very solid 5 until he fails, IMO. He may succeed.
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