Expectations were certainly high entering the year for the New York Mets after a splashy offseason that saw them add Max Scherzer and Chris Bassitt to their starting rotation while Starling Marte and Eduardo Escobar entered to bolster the lineup. Things took a bit of a damper when Jacob deGrom suffered a shoulder injury that would keep him out for the entire first half while Scherzer ended up missing six weeks with an oblique issue. Despite getting just 11 starts from their pair of aces (all from Scherzer) and seeing inconsistent offensive production, the Mets managed to post a ridiculous 58-35 record in the first half, a pace that has only been exceeded by the 1986 World Series champions in franchise history.
The Mets pushed their lead in the National League East as high as 10.5 games in late May before a red-hot run from the Atlanta Braves cut it to 2.5 before the break. Many fans began to panic as the Braves closed in, reliving painful memories from 2021’s collapse, but the Mets calmed the waters by securing a critical series win in Atlanta this week to stem the tide of the defending World Series champions.
The key to the Mets’ strong first half was remarkable consistency despite a difficult schedule. The Mets only suffered one three-game losing streak in the entire half and made a routine habit of securing series victories. That even keel has helped the Mets amass winning records in every month of the season, including a challenging June where they were down multiple starting pitchers. The strong season was rewarded with four All-Star appearances, including one from MVP candidate Pete Alonso, who is hitting .265 with 24 home runs and a league-leading 78 RBIs.
Jeff McNeil is set to start the Midsummer Classic at second base after posting a .300 batting average with four home runs and 35 RBIs while Marte, who hit .295 with nine homers and 41 RBIs, will be inactive to rest a groin injury he suffered last week. The other Mets’ All-Star is closer Edwin Diaz, who has been baseball’s most dominant reliever by racking up 20 saves and an absurd 75 strikeouts in 37.1 innings pitched, a rate of 18.1 strikeouts per nine innings pitched. Diaz’s renaissance has been the key to salvaging a bullpen that has had its share of struggles in the first half getting games to him.
A big key to the Mets’ success has been the steady hand of manager Buck Showalter, who has helped weather the many storms this team has faced at this point. There hasn’t been any signs of distress or panic from Showalter’s Mets as they simply take care of business and don’t make excuses for who they don’t have available. That change in mentality has made this team mentally tougher and could make them a dangerous out down the stretch.
A playoff spot is a virtual lock for the Mets at this point but their main goal will have to be holding off the Braves to win the division. Winning the NL East will all but guarantee the Mets don’t have to play in the new Wild Card round, which is now a best of three series instead of a one-game affair, but simply avoiding that randomness would be a victory. Getting deGrom back in the next week or so should help, as will the return of Trevor May to bolster the bullpen, but the Mets will certainly be active prior to the August 2 trade deadline.
While plenty went right for the Mets in the first half, they still have areas they need to upgrade. The lineup desperately needs an upgrade at DH with JD Davis and Dominic Smith underachieving after getting the bulk of at-bats following Robinson Cano’s release. The bullpen could use at least one arm and probably two while the specter of a Juan Soto mega-deal will also loom over the front office for the next few weeks.
Either way, it is good for the Mets to be having this conversation instead of worrying about staying on top of a muddled wild-card picture. The expectations have been raised once again and this strong first half performance will help set the Mets up for a memorable summer stretch run.
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