Reese Kaplan -- Do the Mets Have Enough for October Games?

The road trip just beginning is probably a make-or-break exercise for the 2024 version of the New York Mets.  It includes a lot of travel, a one-day rain makeup game in the midwest and a great many innings for players brand new or very recently added to the roster. 

Right now the starting lineup is pretty much the same as it has been.  It will contain Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, J.D. Martinez, Pete Alonso, Mark Vientos, Jeff McNeil, Francisco Alvarez, Harrison Bader and the right fielder of the day.  

There will be days when McNeil is out there with Jose Iglesias manning 2B, days when Jesse Winker or Ben Gamel could be out there and at some point days when Starling Marte returns from his very long stint on the IL.

The rotation is where it gets truly interesting.  Obviously Paul Blackburn is becoming a part of the starting five with the six-man rotation on injury hiatus.  Word has filtered out that Tylor Megill is going to make a late attempt at converting from poor starter to acceptable reliever, working fewer innings but probably throwing at a higher velocity knowing he wasn’t expected to cover 5 or more innings at a clip. 

Of course, the move to the pen for Megill may be on a very short leash as Sean Reid-Foley and Reed Garrett have begun their injury rehab assignments.  Then again, the Young twins could also be on an Uber ride back to Syracuse, too.  Matt Gage is not exactly on firm ground yet either.  Huascar Brazoban is the only newcomer whose role is not in question. 

So, what will it take for the Mets to continue the strong July into August and September?  The hitting has improved greatly since earlier in the year but the pitching is very much less predictable.  For example, after a totally solid start by Luis Severino he just turned around and coughed up a terrible one.  Sean Manaea is living off his amazing last start, but he’s had ups and downs as well.  

Jose Quintana has been better lately than he was earlier in the year but not exactly a sure thing when he takes the mound.  David Peterson is still better than many anticipated but we’ve seen solid stretches from him in the past only to have him falter.  Christian Scott is still MIA and Kodai Senga’s 5.1 inning 2024 season is pretty much over. No one knows what to expect from Paul Blackburn. 

On offense, while Jeff McNeil, Mark Vientos and Francisco Lindor have improved significantly, Pete Alonso has not been performing at his top-of-the-league slugger level.  J.D. Martinez has helped teammates with focus and follow through but hasn’t carried it over to his own game.  Brandon Nimmo is in a horrific slump.  

Harrison Bader has been quite good but his history suggests it may not be sustainable.  The bench is improved with Winker over D.J. Stewart, but on the whole it’s not that strong should injuries or slumps demand the substitutes to get more playing time. 

Right now I think if the team plays as if it is going to play each game like it’s a post season necessity, the cream will rise to the top.  If instead they are going through the motions then they could find themselves sitting on the sofa in October instead of in the dugout.