Reese Kaplan -- A First Month Mets Report Card

As the Mets arrive at the end of the first month of the 2024 baseball season they are hovering around .500.  That level of results has suggested some things have gone very right for the Mets and some have gone very wrong.  Together they average out and suggests that they are a middle-of-the-pack team which is where they now reside. 

Positives

Going into 2024 there was concern about the state of health for Edwin Diaz, the return of Adam Ottavino who accepted a bargain priced contract, the poor output from Drew Smith in 2023 and a lot of unknowns.  Very surprisingly the relief pitching has been far better than anyone could ever have anticipated.  Reed Garrett has put on quite a show, Edwin Diaz is pitching like Edwin Diaz and they are getting good innings from a number of the rotating coast of others. 

While the long ball is a given from Pete Alonso, it is not quite as much a certainty from others. The overall home run numbers are a bit on the light side, but it appears as the first month concludes some of the others you could normally pencil in for 20+ home run power like Francisco Lindor are starting to find that stroke. 

One of the biggest concerns as the season began is which Starling Marte would the team get in his third year with the Mets.  His 2022 season showed power, speed and defense.  Last season a multitude of health issues curtailed just about everything except speed.  No one could have predicted a batting average closer to .300 than .200 and good at bats that saw him returning to his customary number two hole in the lineup. 

Other surprising bright spots are in the outfield.  No one was completely happy about the Harrison Bader free agent contract, but he has been contributing not just with his glove but with his bat as well.  We don´t know if it is a hot streak, a reunion with his college buddy Pete Alonso or advice from the Mets´ hitting coaches, but for now no one is ready to throw David Stearns under the bus for that acquisition.

His sometimes partner alongside in one of the corner spots, Tyone Taylor, is an even more startling bat.  He´d always shown power and strong defense, but a batting average well north of .280 was never before in the cards.  That half of the trade that brought him from Milwaukee to New York is looking mighty fine.

Let´s also give a quick shout out to Sunday´s offensive hero, emergency call-up Mark Vientos.  He not only singled in the 9th as a pinch hitter but then sealed the victory with a 2-run blast over the center field wall to give the Mets a much needed and almost miraculous win.  By the time you read this piece on May 1st you will find out if his three-day trial during Marte´s bereavement leave gets extended (and at who´s expense) or if he gets a pat on the back and an Uber-ride back to Syracuse). 

Negatives

The health of the ballplayers has been a real issue for the team thus far in 2024.  Going into the season start Kodai Senga and David Peterson were both on the shelf.  That led to the New York bound trip for Tylor Megill who himself also hit the IL.  Then came IL stints for Brooks Raley and Drew Smith.  On the offensive side it´s been a bit more robust, but then catcher Francisco Alvarez needed thumb surgery forcing the team into a platoon of ineffectual Omar Narvaez and career offensive black hole Tomas Nido.

Some players people expected to produce big numbers did not start off as everyone projected.  Francisco Lindor´s slump has been quite lengthy.  Francisco Alvarez had not shown much power before getting hurt.  Brandon Nimmo was not looking like a borderline All Star level player.  Jeff McNeil took a very slow beginning just recently climbing to a mediocre .250 level of hitting.  Brett Baty started off red hot and now has see-sawed to ice cold. 

The starting pitching has been a real tightrope for the team since Port St. Lucie.  Tylor Megill who started off spring training looking like a new man, finished it up rather poorly with his last couple of appearances and it seemed like health might have been part of the issue.  Then again, he is a career mediocre hurler.  Adrian Houser is rapidly turning himself into a mistake.  Jose Quintana just threw a masterful game.  Sean Manaea has been more good than bad.  Even with Jose Butto´s last two losses he still second in starting rotation ERA with a 2.86 trailing only the pleasantly surprising Luis Severino. 

The pitching rollercoaster has seen a great many folks come and go (in some cases more than once).  There wouldn´t be that much movement if the players involved were performing at a higher level.  With the returns of Kodai Senga, Tylor Megill and David Peterson likely happening during the month of May (or early June for Senga) then that up and down amusement park ride of pitching might very well continue.

A Mixed Bag

It is too soon to make any definitive conclusions about rookie manager Carlos Mendoza.  He´s not the one throwing the ball nor is he taking at-bats.  Some folks have performed far better than expected while some veterans are off to very slow starts.  Throw in the injury bug and a .500 team would seem to be a fair early result from a guy juggling a lot of plates in the air at once.  No one seems to be calling for his head but similarly there´s no campaign for him to win Manager of the Year either.  With each passing day his confidence should grow and we will likely see more of his imprint on the team which could be good or bad.  For now most folks are satisfied with Stearns choosing to hire him.