The Mets' schedule always seems to line up with the moments where they're feeling the most confident. They had one of the best records in the NL, and then suddenly they had to play the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers, and a bunch of games got dropped. Surprisingly the team the Mets did the best against, of those three, was LA, as they took 2 hard-fought wins from them. Those two are pretty evenly matched, and they definitely have a score to settle after the 2024 NLCS.
So the bulk of this week has been something of a joyride for the Mets. Three straight series against competitors, and now they get to play the two worst teams in the majors. They just got 2 wins against the White Sox, and now they're hosting the Rockies for a series. So that should help, right?
Well...perhaps losing those games to the Yankees pointed out a lot of the flaws in this team. First of all, there's a lot of holes in this lineup. Vientos really doesn't have it right now. McNeil, Alvarez and Marte are slowly catching up. Nimmo is hitting for power but isn't the guy they signed to a major contract. Tyrone Taylor is *fine*. People have been pointing out lately how silly the Mets must feel that they traded Pete Crow-Armstrong for two months of Javier Baez only to be stuck using guys like Tyrone Taylor in center. But ultimately, a lot of this Mets lineup is guys who are perfectly acceptable, and who aren't really doing a great deal at the moment.
And then you look at someone like Francisco Lindor, who's one of the team heroes. Lindor's start, by Lindor standards, is a little on the quieter side. He's got a 1.4 WAR, he's hitting .269, he has 31 RBIs and 10 homers. It's not terrible, but you'd expect more. Pete Alonso's doing exactly what was asked of him, he has 11 homers and 43 RBIs, plus he's hitting for average. Lindor hasn't really jumped to full gear yet, and in past New York seasons that's happened closer to like July. I also think that he's slowed down with the team, so when they rev back up again he'll probably boost his average a ton.
And even if Lindor is comparatively kinda human, at least he's racked up goodwill with Mets fans. Juan Soto is being left out to dry for hitting .224, and the New York news media are converging on him like a pack of vultures. Like Lindor, Soto will find his groove, he's just facing a lot of unfair attention just for saying no to the Yankees. Dude can do whatever he wants, even if he's wrong. Maybe lay off him, give him some room to breathe, then he'll play like Juan Soto.
The Mets had better enjoy this Rockies series, and from the looks of things David Peterson is really helping them enjoy themselves there, because immediately afterwards the schedule ramps right back up again. Then they have to play the Dodgers, meaning more very close games, and then a June stacked to the brim with competitive teams like the Braves, Phillies and Rays. The good news is that 3 more Rockies games are hidden in there, and Colorado ones as well, but it's only gonna be a positive stretch for the Mets if they click back into place. The momentum of last fall just isn't there at the moment, and they need to find it before things get even worse.
Coming Tomorrow- Too many closers are insistent upon being ferocious, unlikable people, which is why it's very refreshing to see a closer who's just really into anime.
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