Mets coach takes bold stance on team's offensive potential

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The New York Mets entered their April 25 game against the Washington Nationals with an 18-7 record, which was the best in all of baseball.
It's no secret that the pitching staff has carried them to this point. New York's starting rotation has been the tops in all of MLB by a wide margin, and the bullpen has also been elite (despite the ongoing struggles of closer Edwin Diaz).
But what's perhaps the most impressive about the Mets right now is that while several hitters have been fantastic (namely Pete Alonso), several other hitters haven't come close to reaching their potential. Among these are Mark Vientos, Brandon Nimmo, and especially Juan Soto.
Juan Soto reaches second after Nathaniel Lowe commits two errors.
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 25, 2025
Soto collided with Cole Irvin's glove hand on the play, but Irvin is staying in the game after being looked at by a trainer pic.twitter.com/KOoaeDGT5u
Once these players catch fire, this already imposing team's lineup will be terrifying. And this sentiment is what Mets hitting coach Eric Chavez shared in an April 25 article in the New York Post, where he is quoted as saying, “We’re not even close to hitting on all cylinders, and guys are still kind of feeling their way through April."
Chavez later added, “I’m really looking forward to the summer," suggesting that that's when he believes this offense will finally find its stride.
Mets still far from ‘hitting on all cylinders’ despite MLB-best record https://t.co/2iJcf7h7td pic.twitter.com/HFoLFPBHoV
— New York Post (@nypost) April 25, 2025
The return of Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez from injury on Friday adds depth to the Mets' offense, and even forced Brett Baty (who had been hitting great over the past week) down to the minors.
Read more: Mets manager details tough Brett Baty conversation amid minors demotion
Eventually, one would have to imagine that the Mets pitchers are going to come back to earth. But if the club's hitters can reach their potential by the time they do, the team's hot start should continue well into the summer.
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Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.