Reese Kaplan -- June 28th is When the Mets Get a Do-Over

A lot of folks are ready to pop champagne to celebrate the Citifield sweep of the first place New York Yankees.  It sure does feel good to see the Mets playing well while the Bronx Bombers maybe should rethink their nickname as the Bronx Bumblers.  Yes, things progressed better than many had anticipated. 

The real metric to watch is not what the Mets did to grab headlines away from their crosstown rival but the fact that as of today the Mets have reached the magical do-over threshold by reaching a record of .500.  

Given the horrific month of May, the injuries the poor performances by a great many players, the Edwin Diaz suspension and many other excuses for why the team has not progressed as had been hoped, the fact that they have now hit this record is seen as a victory of sorts given the 2023 season and what has transpired thus far in 2024.

All of the sudden the Mets are looking like a real team.  How real is still a guessing matter but they have now won as many as they have lost — 39 games — and suddenly the heretofore pipe dream of playing October baseball is starting to get some wobbly legs.  So as a Mets fans to whom are we grateful for this change of fortunes?

Well, first you have to be thankful for the now suddenly respectable starting pitching.  While David Peterson and Tylor Megill are showing they are performing at their career norms (which is not all that good), Luis Severino, Sean Manaea and surprisingly Jose Quintana are starting to deliver well every fifth day. 

Then there are some of the hitters who have started to put things together.  Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is catcher Francisco Alvarez who rebounded from his thumb injury to look like a true star in the making both at the plate and behind the dish.  His performance and the strong play of Luis Torrens allowed the Mets to wave (and waive) the usual backup catcher, Tomas Nido.  It was kind of tough to see him leave but he was never going to be a star for the Mets.

The other Francisco has been stellar of late as well.  Lindor has hit consistently with doubles power, home runs and simply looks like a better player than we have seen all year.  His average is not appearing to be all that impressive in the low .240s, but considering he was sub Mendoza for much of the year that 50 point increase is certainly formidable for opponents to battle.  He has 300 ABs and has another 300 to get that average up to the .275 or so level people have come to expect. 

Brandon Nimmo is also on something of a tear since moving out of the leadoff slot. His average is also creeping up and he’s helping to drive in runs, get on base and playing whatever role in the outfield is needed on a daily basis.  No one is complaining about his fat paycheck lately.

Pete Alonso is also starting to increase his batting average as he continues to hit the long ball.  This positive development both helps the Mets win ballgames and also underscores his desirability as a midyear trade acquisition as he enters his walk year as free agency looms.

Mark Vientos had gone from red hot to fairly cold but he’s now recently rebounded with power and RBIs as he hovers just under .300 while playing a mediocre third base.  He doesn’t seem as lost as he did in previous years with advice from both Carlos Beltran and J.D. Martinez.  That center field blast earlier this week was one for all the highlight reels.  Given Brett Baty’s remarkable numbers in AAA it’s going to be interesting to see how they fit them both in for the remainder of 2024.

Other players with some highlights include the surprisingly solid .270 average from Harrison Bader to go with his stellar defense.  Jeff McNeil has finally started to hit as he had in the 2022 and prior years but he still has a long way to go on his climb to respectability.  Starling Marte was hitting solidly but he’s gone now for likely a month. 

Finally, let’s give some kudos to rookie skipper Carlos Mendoza who didn’t totally fall apart during May and hasn’t overreacted to the positive outcomes in June.  He is learning on the job and what’s encouraging is that he is looking like he’s got a good grasp over things that need to be done. 

With the injuries, injury recoveries and pending trade deadline a month out it’s going to be mighty interesting to figure out whether or not the Mets are thinking they are 2024 contenders or if they are more interested in payroll reduction and the future for 2025 and beyond.