Polar Opposites

 

Last year, Mets-Padres was a playoff matchup. Now it's a race to see which one's more of a letdown.

The Mets, much like the Padres, are under .500 in a division that seemed like it was theirs to conquer. While the Padres have the Giants that have exceeded expectations and lapped them in the standings, the Mets have both the Marlins and the Phillies outperforming them at the moment. The Marlins are actually looking pretty good, and are well enough over .500 to cement themselves as a second place team, while the Phillies have that ridiculous road winning streak propelling them back to relevance.

What do the Mets have? Uh...they have Pete Alonso.

Pete Alonso has hit 172 home runs since his debut in 2019. I am of firm belief that had the pandemic happened he'd be breaking 200 this season. His 16-homer 2020 was his only season to date with a HR total below 35, and at the moment he has 26 bombs, so he's looking to keep that year as an outlier. And I say this as someone with a perfectly exceptional home run hitter playing for his own team...Pete Alonso is such a good hitter. The home runs are only one piece of it, he's had two 100+ RBI years as well, and he's got 61 RBIs at the moment in 2023, so it could be three. He makes the All-Star team every year, he makes the Home Run Derby every year, and him hitting below .250 this year is something of a rarity. 

Even as the Mets struggle to remain notable in a year that was supposed to be about them, Pete Alonso is still doing everything he figured he'd be doing after his rookie season. He wasn't a fluke, it wasn't a juiced ball issue, he's just a long ball machine that can only be contained. Having Alonso, Nimmo and Lindor all on right now still gives them a leg up over a lot of teams, 

The pitching, however, still isn't there, hence why they remain in this predicament. It's beginning to get there; Scherzer, Carrasco, Senga and Verlander have all had recent long starts with fewer runs scored and more of the dominance we thought they'd wield more frequently this year. Senga, ERA issues aside, strikes out as many people as Mets fans thought he would. Trouble is, Scherzer, Verlander and Carrasco are all past their primes, so you're waiting for the decent starts they have in between the ones that are normal for their age. Which, again Steve Cohen, is why you try not to sign too many people over 35 in important roles in your team.

The Mets, having won 5 straight, have the slightest edge in this series, but the Padres still have a lot going for them and could challenge this team, as they have in the past. Yes, the Mets do have Verlander to put on tonight, but they have David Peterson to put on tomorrow. They could come through alright, but it may be by the skin of their teeth.

Coming Tomorrow- One of many 2022 Yankee trade deadline acquisitions to comically get injured. He's been pretty healthy in his new city though.