Paul Articulates - A playoff atmosphere

When this season began, Mets fans were hopeful that the “competitive” team that David Stearns promised the Mets was good enough to make the playoffs despite concern that there were no big signings other than the last minute bargain basement deal for JD Martinez.

Well, I would argue that Stearns has already delivered on that promise.  They are up 2 games with six games remaining and the Mets are going to have to win most of the six against really tough teams to get into the MLB playoffs.  But if they win two of three from the Braves, they are in!

The last month and particularly the last week have delivered playoff caliber drama, packed stadiums, and exceptional moments.  We have already been in a virtual playoff in the battle for a wild card slot.  Even before that, the Mets have been playing like a playoff team, going 65-36 (.644) since May 30th.

I attended the game in Philadelphia that the Phillies won in a comeback and there was plenty of blue and orange in the stadium amongst the 44,563 in attendance.  Let’s Go Mets chants were building momentum before being boo’ed down by the red fans.  It was an electric atmosphere and I loved every moment of it even though the result that afternoon was not what I had hoped for.

In the Citi Field series with the Phillies that has just completed with a Mets win, the stadium was once again packed, and the crowd roared on every pivotal play.  The sound of the crowd when Diaz struck out Clemens for the last out was incredible!  If this is not the playoffs, it is certainly a playoff feel.

In an environment like this, one can determine a lot about the players.  Who can handle the pressure?  Who looks tight?  Who steps up in the spotlight to make a game-determining play?  We are seeing some answers already and there will be more to see in the next two series.

Francisco Lindor has been in the forefront of everything the Mets have accomplished this year, leading this team with his example of focus and passion throughout.  It is ironic that he got hurt on a play where he lost focus, failing to slide into second on a close play, slipping on the bag and tweaking the back on either the slip or the attempt to recover.  

But stepping into his shoes was LuisAngel Acuna – a first time major leaguer who has looked like a seasoned veteran with his glove and his bat.  He has been cool as a cucumber in situations that should give weak knees to rookies.  I am amazed at what he has accomplished and how he has done it.  I am also hoping that this is the real thing, and not a Mike Jacobs reincarnation.

Two other players that have stood out recently are Sean Manaea and Francisco Alvarez.  Manaea has pitched brilliantly after making some adjustments to his delivery 10 starts ago. This is his ninth MLB season, but he is still learning.  He credits his recent surge to a game against the Braves in July where he watched Chris Sale’s delivery and made a connection with something he needed to do.  

Alvarez on the other hand was having a very rough time in July and August.  Under the advice of his batting coaches and Lindor, Alvarez has now pinpointed the adjustments he needed and has undergone a power surge that has led to some very crucial hits in the last week or so.  Alvarez continues to do a great job managing his pitching staff.  I think that he should watch some Realmuto videos on blocking balls to help with another much-needed adjustment.

Two players that have not stepped up that could make a huge difference if they do are Brandon Nimmo and JD Martinez.  Martinez was recently given a few days off to clear his head from a head-scratching September.  Martinez is praised as a “professional hitter” but he has hit .070/.184/.093 this month.  We all know he is furiously trying to get his swing back, but when every game matters, there is no time to experiment.  

Carlos Mendoza was right to give him time off, but is going to have to give another chance soon.  Meanwhile Nimmo seems to be coming around.  He has hit the ball hard recently, but all too often it has been right at a defensive player.  Will he break out as Thursday’s success would hint at?  His home run made the difference last night.

There are many other players that deserve mention because this has been a team approach that got us here.  The one that comes to everyone’s mind is Pete Alonso.  He has struggled throughout his contract year, probably because he was trying too hard to make an impact, and now just can’t seem to harness that anxious need to swing the bat on breaking pitches.  

Pete has picked it up somewhat with an .865 OPS in September, but continues to struggle with runners in scoring position.  He is batting .235 with RISP this season which is not what a team needs from their clean-up batter.  We can only hope that he goes on one of his runs over the next six games, because that can propel this team into the postseason.

Regardless of how this team finishes, we have been blessed with a playoff atmosphere lately, which makes us even hungrier for future seasons as Stearns continues to build a winning culture.  Let’s go Mets!