Paul Articulates – Is competitive good enough?

After letting Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander go at the 2023 trade deadline the Mets front office was faced with some serious questions about whether they were just going to punt until their prospects came of age before challenging for a championship.  The word from Billy Eppler and Steve Cohen at the time was that they would “be competitive” in 2024.  David Stearns has since echoed those words.

So what does “competitive” mean in this context and is it good enough for a fan base that is starving for a shot at a world title?

Last year’s team won 101 ballgames, which I would argue is more than just competitive – it was on the edge of dominant until our southern rivals pushed us out of first place and then the unimpressive Padres sent us home in the first round of the playoffs.  But before shedding too many tears, I recall that those same Braves that took the East title last year lost to the 87-75 Phillies in the NLDS.  

Similarly, this year’s 104 win Braves team lost in the NLDS again to the 90-72 Phillies.  The Dodgers, who won 100 or more games in the past three years have not made it to the World Series  in those seasons, and we also saw 101 win Baltimore team fall out early.  In fact, three of the four remaining teams in the MLB playoffs this year won only 90 regular season games and the fourth won 84.

In the ever so diluted MLB playoffs where 12 teams get a chance to vie for a world title even if they were not able to outlast their division rivals, the new definition of “competitive” is good enough to make the playoffs.  If that goal is met, then anyone on a roll can end up at the top.  Look no further than the Philadelphia version of Red October, who never challenged for the NL East lead in the past two seasons, but have spent their fall months looking like a juggernaut.

Back to the Mets and their “competitive” 2024 version.  They don’t need to win the NL east with 100+ wins, they don’t need to lead the league in batting average, ERA, or OPS.  They need to be good enough to win enough ballgames to make the playoffs, they must be healthy enough to have all hands on deck in the stretch and throughout the playoffs, and they need to be resilient enough to forget about any past failures when they are faced with pressure-packed playoff games.

That can be achieved with the current roster with some modifications.  Clearly the starting pitching needs to be bolstered by a couple of quality starters – and hopefully some youthful ones at that to increase the probability of September-October health.  Their bullpen needs some youth as well – and there are many MLB relievers that are on expiring one year deals to choose from.  The lineup needs to hit more than last year, but many of the core players proved they could produce in 2022 so possibly one could add a power DH bat and an exceptional hitting coach to position them for success.

Maybe this is what the front office has been thinking all along.  They have loaded the pipeline with prospects to ensure strong future options, so for the coming season if you can get to 90 wins there is a shot.  Just like the Astros, Rangers, Phillies, and oh yeah – those 2015 Mets.

Ya gotta believe!