I think, just generally, the Mets look a little closer to a good team than they did during the heat of this season. Now, granted, that doesn't mean they're an actual good team, but...it means it's no longer embarrassing.
It's funny, I was in New York on Saturday midday, and I was headed to the shuttle between times square and grand central, as one does, and I did see some Mets fans heading back from the 7. It was bobblehead day. That's always cool. I was at Pete Alonso bobblehead day in Baltimore earlier this year, that was 100% the place to be. I just looked up who the bobblehead at Citifield was of on Saturday. It was a special U.S. Open themed Mrs. Met bobblehead.
So let's recap. Prior to the season, the Mets bring on Freddy Peralta, Luis Robert, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Jorge Polanco, Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette and rookie Carson Benge, and by September, all they can muster is a bobblehead of their mascot to commemorate a sporting event that happens next door every year anyway? Or maybe it was one of Peralta, Robert or Weaver, and the pre-made bobbleheads are already being melted down and made into next year's bound-for-the-resale-market Luis Torrens bobblehead giveaway. I was in a Greenwich, CT thrift store earlier this year, which is a lot like a McDonalds in a sports stadium I reckon, and they had a Mark Vientos Mets bobblehead, from weeks earlier, there for 15 dollars. And even if Swaggy V would rebound in May...15 was still asking way too much for Vientos. 15 would honestly be asking too much for a Bo one too.
Anyhow, the Mets are beginning to turn things around by installing the next phases of the rebuild, which is working a lot better than all those contracts did. Jonah Tong was on the mound today, and seemed to silence the Marlins pretty well. He might be a little more ready than he was on prior MLB call-ups. If he's good for the long haul, then he, Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and Zac Thornton might be sneakily becoming a nightmare waiting to happen. Thornton is putting up perfectly fine numbers as a four man, a 3.53 ERA, a 1.191 WHIP and a 1.5 WAR, but that's how guys like Wheeler and Matz started as well. McLean has looked a ton better in weeks' past, and is looking to end the season with his ERA around 3. Christian Scott is looking insanely durable since TJ surgery, and has a full season of strong work under his belt. Sean Manaea has one more year left on the deal, and hopefully his 2027 is way better than his last two seasons. But that young core could be the next step to legitimacy, and certainly has been lately. Also, Nate Lavender's been incredible as a bullpen piece, and arguably so was Jefry Yan.
The idea for 2027 will be finding what from this shipwreck of a team is salvageable going forward. Obviously the outfield's staying as it is- Soto-Ewing-Benge is a working model that's been very successful this year, and will be going forward. Obviously shortstop is non-negotiable, and the catching platoon I assume isn't going anywhere either. Semien is signed for another 2 years, so either they trade that or they eat it and DH him. Bichette's gonna get low-balled in free agency, and I'm not sure if New York's the answer for him right now. Polanco is expected to stick around but I guess he'll be a DH/part time guy. And then Jared Young worked this year but he's 31 and very much a replacement-level option so I don't think he's the long-term solution for the Pete Alonso problem. This is where a successful Ronny Mauricio would have helped, but alas. Vientos and Baty SHOULD be holding up the corners but they keep refusing to!
I think the Mets should ride out the mess for one more year, let a few guys leave in free agency, let this core sail and allow for successors at 1st, 2nd and 3rd to materialize, and hope it gets them somewhere higher than fifth. A lot works about this team, there was just this inescapable sag this year, and hopefully in 2027 they'll outrun it.
Coming Tomorrow- A relief specialist who probably didn't expect to be staring down an October berth this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment